Book Review: Queens Of Forest

 A forest officer was sitting down to have dinner when his wife complained of a sting between her toes. When he checked, he found that she had been bitten by a common Krait, one of the most venomous snakes in India. He bundled her into a vehicle and took her to the nearest primary health care centre, where they directed her to the nearest rural hospital which was an hour away. After receiving treatment, and recovering completely, she started asking questions- what would happen if someone from the frontline staff was bitten by a snake; would they be able to access the prompt treatment that she received? This snake bite incident set the ground for Deepali Atul Deokar to set up the Exploring Womanhood Foundation which works for frontline staff and their families working on nature conservation.

“Queens of Forest” is a collection of real life stories of the strength, dedication, challenges, resilience and unwavering commitment of the forest officer wife. The book contains 24 stories written by forest officers on their wife, without who’s unwavering support, they could not have discharged their duties. The life of a forest rangers’ wife is not easy. The initial postings are all in remote areas which lack even basic amenities, and the nature of the job is such that they are often left alone for long periods. Since the job of a forest ranger takes them deep into the forest, the wives are often not able to contact their spouses, which can be stressful because in addition to the danger from wild animals, the forest rangers could also find themselves in danger from poachers or Naxalites. They also have to deal with frequent transfers, and in discharging their caregiving duties they are often separated from their spouses for long periods.

What come across through all the stories is the strength displayed by the wives of forest rangers and how they continue to support their husband against all odds. While very few of them have independent careers (a few gave up their careers to become full time wives and mothers), almost all of them go beyond the line of duty to support their husbands professionally. Many of them work for the betterment of indigenous people and the families of frontline staff, and others are actively involved in creating awareness about nature conservation and in bringing up orphaned animals. Unfortunately, such support is rarely quantified, and it is good to have a book where the role played by the wives of forest officers is properly acknowledged and cherished.

The other significant issue that comes out in each of the stories is the fact that it is taken for granted that the women will discharge the primary responsibility of caregiving of older parents, housekeeping and childrearing. This is the case in most households, but this labour is rarely recognised, much less acknowledged. By getting the forest officials to write about their wives, the editor forces them to introspect on the role played by their wives in their professional success.

The account written by Hemant B. Kamdi is particularly significant. He is a rare man who shoulders a part of the household responsibilities, but over time he found that his lighthearted comments about being a ‘superior homemaker’ were being misconstrued into accusing his wife of being lazy. He found that despite being a working woman, his wife was being measured against the standards set for a full time housewife, which is extremely unfair. Also, he admits that his “involvement was largely for conspicuous activities which (he) enjoyed”, and that he shared photographs and videos of his activities on social media and gained “appreciation and credit”. Meanwhile, his wife “mutely contributed to do the mundane jobs which when unrecognised by others.” To have a man speak of the issue of the invisible labour performed by women is always more impactful than to have women speak of it.

Though the book is a tribute to the wives of the forest officers, it would have been wonderful if there were more details on the challenges faced by the forest department. From battling against poaching and deforestation, to managing man-animal conflicts and Naxalite activities, the life of forest officials is full of challenges. Unfortunately, most city dwellers do not have much information on the many (often counterintuitive) issues involved in forest conversation, and this book could have touched on those areas more.

“Queens of Forest” is meant to celebrate the wives of forest officials, who in their own way are also at the forefront of nature conservation. It reminds us of the love and commitment that goes into preserving nature for future generations.

Book Review: The Colours Of Nationalism

 [The book review was first published in YouthKiAwaaz]

The dedication page of Nandita Haksar’s memoir, ‘The Colours of Nationalism’, reads “I humbly dedicate this book to all those who are still fighting to make India a Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic committed to Justice, Equality and Liberty for the people.” The dedication is fitting, because the book traces the growth of India from a country that was striving to build itself on the ideals enshrined in the constitution, the challenges faced along the way, to a point where the very existence of those ideals are being questioned.

The book is divided into several chapters (each named after colours)- what does patriotism mean, the history of communism, the rise of Hindutva nationalism, the many challenges faced by the feminist movement, the fight against human rights violations, the many challenges faced in the North East- each of which follows a similar trajectory. Each chapter starts with an incident/s which made the author aware of the issue and a brief historical background. The bulk of the chapter describes how the issue played out over the next few years, told mainly through stories which the author herself was involved with. The chapters end with the current situation, which in every case is extremely grim.

Nandita Haksar embodies privilege. She is upper caste and upper class. She comes from a well educated family, and her family members held important positions in government- her father, particularly, was extremely well connected. She was born in London, speaks English and has studied in the best institutions. While she could have easily led a life of relative riches, she chose to work in the world of the disenfranchised. Her career choices- journalist, activist, human rights lawyer- were all made with the intention of exposing systemic inequity and seeking social justice for the disenfranchised. She seemed quite comfortable forming genuine friendships with people from a very different background from her own, and she respected their right to make their own choices. It is this empathy, clarity and honesty that comes through very strongly throughout the book.

Nandita was born at a time when the nation was in the process of building itself on the ideals enshrined in the Constitution, she lived and worked through the decades where those ideals were constantly challenged to a point where they are today under threat. The book traces the journey of a young woman born into a family that embodied the values on which the nation was formed, to one who encounters and fights the many inequities that continue to flourish, and who continues to raise her voice as the nation moves away from those ideals. Her’s is a quest which takes her on a journey to rejecting Hindutva politics, to understanding the various communist movements, to embrace identity politics, to struggle to fit feminism into the mainstream narrative, before returning to the vision of an India which embraces its diversity and is true to the ideals of the Constitution.

While the book is a memoir and largely restricts itself to what the author herself experienced, its importance goes beyond the personal. It is important because it serves as a witness to issues which have now been largely forgotten. At a time when history is being rewritten, and the past is being recast through the lens of the person defining the narrative, it is important to know the various forces that were in play while the nation was being built, and of how a lot of what we see today is a result of the differences that were not adequately addressed in the past. It is always a good time to read a book like this one, but now is a particularly good time to do so.

The part of the book that I found particularly fascinating was the chapter “Living in a Rainbow Chaos”, which dealt with the North East. Most of us have a very sketchy idea of the North East, and even the better read among us will struggle to do more than locate each of the states on the map and name their capitals. Nandita gives us a brief history of the region, speaks of how they were incorporated into the Indian Union, and of the challenges of ensuring they remain a part of the Union. She doesn’t shy away from describing the role of the Indian Army, and of how the people live in fear of the soldiers. Her musings on “unity in diversity” is important in the context of the North East- which is more important- the idea of nationalism or identity politics. This is a question that keeps popping up throughout the book, and while the author knows what she believes, she doesn’t force her opinion on the reader.

While we may not all agree with the authors social, economic or political beliefs, I think this is a book we should read to understand the challenges that the nation had to face because the ideals of the Constitution were not always in synch with ground reality. In hindsight we realise that the nation may not have always made the right choices, but it is important to understand the compulsions that led to the choice being made. History is always nuanced, and “The Colours of Nationalism” attempts to use her personal experiences to describe some of that nuance.

I end with the last paragraph of the book-

“In 2018, Oxfam brought out a report where they calculated that it would take 941 years for a minimum wage worker in rural India to earn what the top paid executive at a leading Indian garment company earned in a year. The Preamble to our Constitution had promised to build India into a “Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic.” We seemed to be going in the opposite direction, towards a capitalist, non secular, authoritarian republic for the rick upper-castes. The promise of the Tiranga had been betrayed, I felt.

This book is published by Speaking Tiger. I received a review copy. The opinions are my own.

The Mood In WA Groups Is Changing: Will We Now Learn To Speak Up?

 [This was written the day after the election results were declared. First published in YouthKiAwaaz.]

Over the last 24 hours, the mood in WhatsApp groups has changed. Many people who were earlier silent are now coming out and hailing the vote against hate. I always suspected that the silent majority was not as bigoted as the vocal ones, and that they chose silence because they want to avoid confrontations. But I wish they now realise that their silence actively enabled hate. 

The word “secular” is no longer an insult

It is easy to dwell on how some of us were forced to fight long and lonely battles because of the silence of others, but negativity serves no purpose. Let’s focus on the positives. It is no longer infra dig to be secular!

Once upon a time, being it was sexy to be secular, and even those who were not were forced to pretend they were. That changed in the last decade; being secular became something to be ashamed of and you felt you had to otherise others to be accepted. At least, now, being called secular is no longer perceived as an insult.

The role of independent media

The other big thing I see is the number of people who were silent for the last few years and who are now saying “I hope that at least now journalists do their job”. Yes, mainstream media willingly converted itself into the PR arm of the government, but I do want to ask the people who are now talking about the death of journalism whether they did their bit to support independent journalism. Maybe people were too scared of the repercussions to speak out themselves, what stopped them from donating to news outlets and fact checking agencies? What might have been a couple of coffees for them would have helped them greatly. Knowing how much can be lost when we have a pliant media, will we now support independent journalism?

Discharging the responsibilities of a citizen

The same people who were silent all this while are now talking of how quickly democratic agencies can succumb to dictatorial tendencies. Don’t they realise that each of us is individually and collectively responsible for that? Constance Vigilance is needed for a democracy to survive. We cannot depend on others to do it- we need to hold our elected representatives responsible, we need to ask questions, The day we abdicate our responsibility, we too become culpable.

Our ancestors fought for independence. It is upto us to continue fighting to uphold the ideals of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice.

How To Go Beyond Token Symbolism On World Environment Day

 With World Environment Day (WED) around the corner, corporates and other institutions would be looking for ways to celebrate the day. Here are a few popular events that they should stay away from if they really care about the sustainability and climate change.

1. Tree plantations 

This is probably the most popular way to celebrate WED. It is a fabulous photo-op, and gives a dopamine high. But there are several reasons why it should be avoided. WED is in the first week of June, and unless the saplings are watered regularly till the monsoons strike, the effort remains tokenism. From a biodiversity standpoint, too, care should be taken to plant trees that are suitable to the location, and which support local biodiversity.

While planting a tree is better than not planting a tree, one should realise that merely planting tree doesn’t have a substantial positive impact on the environment. What more important is to preserve existing trees, and to educate people about the harm done by cutting trees, or excessive pruning.

2. Clean up drives

This is another very popular activity on WED, and groups of volunteers armed with rubber gloves and grabbing sticks descend on lakes, beaches, and public parks. to pick up trash. In popular spots like Marina Beach in Chennai, it is not unusual to find groups of employees from half a dozen institutions jostling to find a patch of beach to clean on WED. This activity, too, is largely symbolic, because by the end of the day, the patch that was cleaned up gets littered again. Also, such activities generate more trash in the form of the single use rubber gloves used by participants.

One could argue, that by participating in a clean-up, employees better understand the need to avoid and to stop using single use items which invariably end up as trash. However, for this message to be driven home, the organisers need to facilitate a proper post event debriefing session- if that is not done, there is no tangible outcome from the event.

While conducting clean ups, it is also essential to educate the participants to ensure that they do not inadvertently disrupt the ecology or livelihood (on beach clean ups, for instance, enthusiastic volunteers often disturb rocks that are used for breeding purposes, or dig up vegetables that the food vendors bury in the sand to keep them safe overnight).

3. 5k Runs to create Awareness

This is done by corporates, and by race organizers which the stated purpose of generating awareness about environmental issues. The link between the message being delivered and the activity is extremely tenuous because of which the message rarely registers. Worse, even the most mindfully organised runs generate a lot of waste in the form of water bottles, goodies bags, signage and post run breakfast. While some of these are replaced by marginally more sustainable alternatives (water from dispensers, tee-shirts made from recycled plastic bottles, bio-degradable signage, breakfast served as a buffet on biodegradable plates, etc), they still end up generating avoidable waste.

Since there is no direct link between the run and the message, does it serve any purpose conducting the event to commemorate the day?

4. Cycling events

This is increasingly gaining popularity, with the stated objective being to promote cycling as a replacement to using vehicles that burn fossil fuels. Like in the case of runs, these events too generate a lot of trash, which can at best be managed but not eliminated completely. This event, however, has the positive outcome of enabling people to rediscover the joy of cycling after many years, and might therefore get them to think about cycling more often. However, the desire to cycle to work is not sufficient in the absence of adequate cycling infrastructure.
Instead of merely organizing cycling events, corporates should focus on lobbying for cycling tracks and feeder electric bus services from metro stations, so their employees are encouraged to move away from using fossil-fuel powered vehicles.

5. Talks, photography exhibitions, nature walks, etc

Many corporates invite experts to talk about climate change, biodiversity and other environment related issues, organise photography exhibitions by wildlife photographers, or get naturalists to conduct nature walks for their employees and their families. While all of these are good things to do, in order to have a meaningful impact, care should be taken to ensure that each of these activities is directly linked to meaningful ways in which individuals can take action. Care should also be taken that the collaterals printed for these events do not generate excessive trash.

What can Corporates do instead?

While this is a long list of things that corporates and institutes should not do to celebrate World Environment Day, what is it that they can do?

A. At the individual level

Corporates can encourage their employees to adopt more sustainable habits in their daily life. They can create awareness about the carbon footprint that each of us generates, and create support groups to empower individuals to form habits that reduce their individual carbon footprints.

B. At the office level: 

Corporates could reduce the carbon footprint due to commute by encouraging work-from-home and carpooling. Usage of central air-conditioning should be regulated. Video-conferencing should be used as much as possible, and travel should be discouraged unless absolutely unavoidable. 
A proper inventory of corporate practices needs to be done to ensure that the office doesn’t generate more non bio-degradable trash than absolutely necessary. Since most people do not know how and where to give objects for recycling, offices can tie-up with recyclers and encourage employees to drop off recycleable objects.

C. At the corporate level

Corporates should divest from fossil fuel, and should use their corporate might to pressure other companies to divest from fossil fuels. Corporates can also donate to organisations that are working on environmental issues- while this is not as glamourous as participating in an event, it has a much greater impact.

The objective of World Environment Day is to create awareness and encourage action for the protection of the environment. Corporates and Institutions can and must go beyond token symbolism and commemorate the day in a manner that has a long term positive impact.

Book Review: Hindutva And Violence Against Women

 [This book review was first published in YouthKiAwaaz]

On August 15, 2022, a historic day when India celebrated 75 years of Independence, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in his speech on the occasion made a specific reference to women. He said, “I also want to share an agony. What I wish to share is that it hurts me to say that we have witnessed a perversion in our day to day speaking, behaviour. We have been casually using expletives and cuss words, which are abusive and against out women. Can we not pledge to get rid of every behaviour and culture that humiliates and demeans women in our daily life?”

A few hours later, in the Prime Minister‘s home state of Gujarat, walking out of Godhra jail were eleven men, convicted of heinous crimes of gang rape of three women, murder of fourteen, including two children. They had been granted remission from the sentence of life imprisonment on grounds of good behaviour in jail. Photographs of the moment, showed them being garlanded, rather like heroes returning from the battlefield.

Here was a Prime Minister agonised by ‘cuss words and expletives”- which true, are derogatory to women- but who allows the premature release of men convicted for heinous acts of rape and murder. A Prime Minister who asks people to make a pledge ‘to get rid of every behaviour and culture that humiliates and demeans women’, but does not condemn the sickening felicitation of rapists and killers.

This extract from the Introduction to Brinda Karat’s book, “Hindutva and Violence Against Women”, sets the tone for the book. As someone who has worked with women on gender related issues for decades, the author knows that there has always been violence against women. In this book, she explains how the nature of violence has intensified and how violence, especially against women of certain communities, castes and socio-economic status has been almost normalised.

In the book, she describes many of the cases of violent crime that shook the conscience of the nation in the past decade (Kathua, Hathras, Manipur) and explains how in each of the cases, the political, police, judicial and social system has colluded with the perpetrators and enabled them to get away. They were all clear cases of a majoritarian ideology doing all it could to ensure that the crime went unpunished, because in their view crimes against women of a lower caste or a minority community didn’t’ count as a crime.

The author uses the case of the women wrestlers protesting against sexual harassment by an MP to show how even when women do complain about sexual harassment, they are first ignored and then blamed for not speaking up earlier. Despite presenting a united front, the wrestlers were not able to get justice, and the perpetrator is still roaming around free. The wrestlers were an extremely powerful group of women, and if they were not able to make themselves heard, what hope do other working women have when they want to register a complaint against men in positions of power.

The author also gives concrete examples of cases where the woman who is sexually assaulted complains, but her own morals are brought into question. In each of those cases, she is dubbed a loose woman who chose to put herself in danger by rebelling against the meek stereotype, and therefore any crime against her justified. The author argues that such cases have seen an exponential rise in the period coinciding with the rise in Hindutva.

One of the most gruesome crimes described is the murder of Shraddha Walker who was killed by her live in boyfriend. The murder should have focussed on the vulnerability of a young woman trapped in an abusive relationship. However, since her partner belongs to a minority community, the case took on communal overtones, and the lessons that society should have learnt from the case were completely forgotten. Incidentally, it is interesting to note that though two similar crimes were discovered with a few weeks of the first one, since the perpetrator in both those cases were Hindu, neither received much publicity and both were quicky forgotten.

While crimes against women were always present, the author argues that under the current regime there is a blatant attempt at dilution of the legal framework and the subversion of existing laws and structures. During the UPA government, a draft bill was brought to prevent crimes against women, but the bill has been completely buried, even though the National Family Health Survey shows that crimes against women have increased in the past decade.

The other important issue that the author raises is about how Hindutva leaders gaslight women by claiming that gang rapes and other similar violent crimes are restricted to urban areas. With statements like these, they tacitly imply that it is only women who been exposed to the so-called Western influence are victims, and that they bring it on themselves. Clearly there is no basis for making such a statement, because the NFHS shows that women in rural areas are also victims of sexual violence, though they may have fewer opportunities to report the crimes.

Though the Hindutva ideology makes an attempt to talk about the participation of women in the movement, it is allowed in primarily two ways. One is in training women to bear arms- whether these women will ever be deployed or not is immaterial, they are made to participate in processions to show their might. The other is showing women performing their traditional gendered role. Both these go against everything the feminist movement stands for, and they take women further away from gender equity.

I end with another quote from the book:

“Returning to the impact of Hindu on violence against women, there are two aspects which I believe are the essence of the changes. The first is the targeting of the minority communities…Women of these communities have been specifically affected directly and indirectly as targets of hatred, contempt, and violence. This anti-minority bigotry, a basic premise of Hindutva, is what I called ‘communal majoritarianism’. The second is the intrinsic nature of the Hindu project with selectively valorises traditions and customs linked to the perception of the ideal woman as a ‘pativrata nari’ …. Undoubtedly, when such beliefs and ideas are promoted by the state, by institutions run by the state, introduced as texts in educational syllabi, it has a deep impact on social relations and thinking. This is what I called “Manuvadi majoritarianism.”

This book is essential reading to understand the nature of the threat to women from Hindutva, and consequently to guard ourselves against it.

[The book is published by Speaking Tiger. I received a review copy of the book, and the views are entirely my own.]

Chandan Pandey Establishes Himself As The Most Original Voice Of India

 “The Keeper of Desolation” is a collection of nine short stories written by Chandan Pandey and translated from Hindi by Sayari Debnath. Each of the stories is dark, hints at inner violence and is almost dystopian. Yet, surreal though the stories appear, each of them finds a faint resonance in reports that appear sporadically, get discussed for a few days and then disappear again. The power of the stories is in the fact that they seem absolutely improbable, yet remind us of real events.

In “The Alphabet of Grass”, a man takes a loan of eight thousand rupees to pay for the medical expenses of his pregnant wife. They lose the child anyway, but before he knows it, the repayment amount has ballooned to such an extent that the only way for him to repay it is by amputating his leg. It may seem like rhetoric, but it isn’t. By pretending to lose his leg in an accident at work, he can claim insurance, which after the middleman retains his share will help him square off his debt. The story is dark and seems almost dystopian. But is it? Aren’t there stories of farmer suicides buried deep in the newspapers? Don’t we occasionally read reports of women labourers having hysterectomies so they can continue to work at less than minimum wages without having to take days off for their periods?

“The Mathematics of Necessity” too highlights the same theme. A geography school teacher writes to the Prime Minister requesting him to change the formula for compound interest that banks and moneylenders charge people who do not have sufficient collateral to take more favourable loans. One of the reasons why the poor remain poor in the country is because they lack access to finance at reasonable rates. How better to drive this message home than through a story told from the perspective of a failed farmer turned school teacher?

In the story that gives the collection its name, “The Keeper of Desolation”, the distractingly beautiful wife of the local police officer loses her gold ring. All the usual suspects, and a few others are rounded up, and each of them not only confesses to the crime, but is able to conclusively prove that each of them is indeed guilty. Though apparently told in a light hearted vein, the story is a telling commentary on the power vested with the police and how they misuse it- it is black humour at its best..

Perhaps the most poignant story is “Forgetting”, where a family pins all its hope on one child, but paradoxically forgets the child even exists. In assigning to the individual the responsibility of moving the entire family out of poverty, and in working towards making sure he does so, the individual is denied his agency, and almost ceases to exist. This story too finds parallels in so many lower income families, where some individuals sacrifice their dreams to make others succeed, but they are vested with the responsibility of later looking after the entire family.

Though a work of fiction, the book is a reflection of the numerous injustices that people from lower income and middle income communities are subject to. The book also explores the hypocrisy of relationships, especially those between men and women. The book forces the reader to take a look at the reality that we try to ignore, in the hope that a truth is no longer a truth if it is not acknowledged as one. The book throws light of the power dynamics at play in every situation, and of how people can end up losing everything (including their life) if they question the rules set by those in a position of power.

Chandan Pandey burst like a meteor into the firmament of Indian-English books with his translated novella “Legal Fiction”. The book was hailed as “the Kafka in Deoria. Or Camus in the cowbelt”, and it was praised as being “a sharp look at a terrifying Indian-ism and the currents against it.” With “The Keeper of Desolation”, he consolidates his position as perhaps the most original voice who describes the reality of modern day India.

Disclaimer: The book (and Legal Fiction) are published by Harper Collins. I received a review copy of the book, but the views are my own.

Understanding Sprit Worship as practiced in Tulu Nadu

[This review was published in YouthKiAwaaz]

Daiva aaradhane, or the worship of spirit deities is an intrinsic part of Tulu culture. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the same as “ghost worship”. While “bhoot” is commonly used to refer to ghosts or something that once existed but is now no more, such a definition falls short of capturing the rick and complex cultural significance of “Bhuta” as understood by the Tuluva people. “Bhutas” are the spirits of long-gone heros who continue to be worshipped to this day.

In “Daiva: Discovering the Extraordinary World of Spirit Worship”, author K. Hari Kumar dives deep into the world of spirit worship, describes his personal quest as a migrant Tuluva to learn more about spirit worship and tells the origin stories of the powerful immortals. The book is divided into two sections- ‘In Search of Satyolu’ and ‘Stories of Satyolu’. In the first section, the author attempts to unravel the mysteries of spirit world and describe the ritualistic aspects of the worship, especially the ritualistic kola dance where the spirits possess the body of the dancer and communicate through him. The second half of the book describes the origin stories of the more popular daivas- these stories were handed down through the oral tradition, and therefore differ from community to community.

The book begins with a fascinating introduction to the Tulu language. Tulu is one of the five major Dravidian languages and had a rich literary and cultural heritage. Very few people apart from native speakers of the language are aware of it, since it is not recognised as an official language by the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, but it is spoken by a significant number of people who originated from what is called “Tulu Nadu”, which spans modern day Dakshin Kannada, Udupi (both in Karnataka) and Kasargode (Kerala). It is worth reading the book just for this section, because it reminds us of how little even well educated Indians know and appreciate the sheer diversity of the country.

The author was brought up in Gurgaon, and despite his mother speaking to him in Tulu at home, was quite disconnected with the world of spirit worship. His journey to rediscovering his roots in the sacred land of the nagas and daivas is one that will resonate with many others who grew up in cities without being aware of the traditions of the land they come from. His description of the travel within Tulu Nadu, the experiences he had and the coincidences that led him to people who could tell him the ancient stories is engrossing, and almost reads like a work of fiction.

The most powerful chapter in the book is the one where he describes the many aspects of a Kola performance. The description of the atmosphere is so vivid that you can almost visualise it yourself, you are left hoping that someday you are able to witness a similar performance. He mentions how some kola performers do not take kindly to their performance being recorded- however, it is unlikely that even the best cinemantographers will be able to capture the multi-sensory and multi-dimensional experience adequately.

The second part of the book has the folklore associated with the daivas and heros of Tulu Nadu. Since these stories were handed down through the oral tradition, there are many versions of the same story, some with minor and others with not so minor differences. Where the stories are drastically different, the author has written down each of the versions, and it is fascinating the speculate on how the different versions might have evolved from a common story.

Such differences are common, particularly in stories which are not written down. In fact, the author remembers how, as a child, he heard different versions of the same story from his two grandmothers and of how he would sometimes challenge them by giving them the other version. What is common to many of the stories are defining human emotions of greed, jealousy, compassion and revenge. Social evils like caste discrimination and gender biases also pop up often in the stories proving how little things have changed over the centuries. If some of the stories sound familiar, it is only because human emotions and the social order is universal.

While the author does not claim that the book is an academic work, the exhaustive list of sources at the end of the book lends it academic credibility, and the reader can go deeper into aspects that interests them the most.

You do not have to believe in daiva aaradhane to read this book. Even if you are a rationalist who does not believe in spirits or spirit worship, the book depicts a fascinating aspect of our culture and can be read as a standalone anthropological work. It also reminds us that even if as city dwellers we have lost touch with our culture and identity, it is not too late to try to rediscover them. The quest, as the author shows, will be worth it.

[I received an ARC of the book, but the views are my own.] 

How Do I Develop The Reading Habit?

 “How can I get into the habit of reading?”, I am often asked. Since they ask the question, one can presume they have already decided they want to read more than they do, so perhaps don’t have to go into the benefit of reading over other forms of entertainment or gaining knowledge. But I will.

What are the benefits of reading over other ways of taking in information?

The biggest difference between reading a book and watching a movie is that reading requires you to do more. On screen, you see the characters and the settings, but in a book you are forced to visualise them through the often sketchy descriptions. On screen, you observe the reactions of the characters, but in a book, the story is normally told from the perspective of on character at a time, and you need to use to imagination to understand how the other characters may be reacting. Reading fiction forces you to get into the shoes of the characters- it teachers you empathy. While reading a book, it is much easier to go back to re-read a portion you might have missed, or check a fact you are not sure of- something that is much harder to do when you are watching a movie or a show. Having said that, however, I will reiterate that there is nothing inherently superior about reading or being a reader. If you prefer to consume your stories on screen or to get your information from documentaries, do so. The important thing is to hear stories, to get information, and to extend the boundaries of our imagination and knowledge- reading is just a medium to doing so.

Having said that, if you still want to develop the reading habit, here are some tips that work for me.

1. Set achievable targets which can be broken down:

From a very young age, it has been drilled into our head that we should achieve targets and meet deadlines, so the easiest way to start reading is to set a target. Probably the best time to set a target is at the start of the year but you can start anytime and set it for whatever time period is convenient for you. Ideally, the target should be doable, but one that you will have to work to achieve. It should also be a target that can be easily broken down into smaller targets. For example, if you decide to read 20 books a year, you can further break it down into 2 books a month. This is important, because unless you have smaller targets you tend to put off starting and before you know it half the year is over, and since you know you are now unlikely to achieve your target, you abandon it altogether. Making your target public is a good way to hold yourself accountable.

2. Recognise that not every book will be a “significant one”

One common mistake people make while trying to develop a reading habit is to want every book they read to be a significant one. While you may be tempted to pick up the most recent Booker Prize winner, or the 700 page tome that everyone is raving about, the probability of abandoning these books is quite high. Instead, pick books that you are likely to enjoy. For instance, if you love watching movies on the German Occupation, you could pick a book like ‘Book Thief’ which is set in a concentration camp. You are far more likely to finish a book you really enjoy than you are likely to finish ‘War and Peace’ or ‘Ullysis’, and once you finish a book, you are instantly motivated to pick up the next and the next and before you know it, you have built up the habit! Remember Newton’s Laws of Motion? The aim is to shift your inertial plane from ‘not reading’ to ‘reading’- pick books that will help you achieve that.

3. Create opportunities to read

There are people who advise you to set aside half an hour for reading everyday. I am not a proponent of that system, because I know even if we would like to, most of us do not lead very disciplined lives, and it is very easy to miss the “reading slot” due to situations beyond our control. The danger is that if we have missed the slot for a couple of days, we might decide to abandon the entire project. Instead, what I do is to ensure that I am always carrying a book with me, so I can read whenever I get an opportunity. Technology makes it easy to be well prepared all the time. I read a lot of e-books and I make sure the Kindle app on my phone is always synched with the Kindle. Whenever I get a couple of minutes (while waiting for the metro, at a traffic light when I am not driving, while waiting for a meeting), I pull up the book and utilise the time which I would have normally spent in scrolling social media or forwarding memes on WhatsApp to read. Before you realise it, reading starts becoming a habit, and you start to realise how much time you actually spend scrolling on your phone!

4. Learn to abandon books you don’t enjoy

This is a hard lesson for most of us, because right from childhood we are taught to finish- finish what is on your plate, finish your homework on time, finish everything you start. This does not hold when it comes to reading. You do not have to finish every book you start- some books are just not meant for you and other books are meant for you but at a later time. If after reading 20 pages, you aren’t enjoying the book, push yourself to read another 10, 15 or even 20 pages. But if after 50 pages, you still don’t like the book, just put it aside. There are so many books in the world that even the most voracious reader will never be able to read all the books she wants to read. Life is short, your time is precious; don’t waste it on a book you don’t enjoy (unless you need to read it for professional reasons).

I normally leave a book mark in the book, so if I ever want to go back to it, I have the option to pick up from where I left off. There are many books which I abandoned, returned to after six months and abandoned again. But two years later, I come back to the book, and love it so much I finish it in two sittings. Books come to you when you’re ready for them. If you’re not able to read a book if you’re just not enjoying a book leave it, you don’t have to finish it.

5. Celebrate the books you read

When you do finish your book, take a few minutes off to celebrate it. I log all my books on Goodreads. I leave a rating and I try to put in two or three sentence review. For me, it is a record, and a celebration. If you want to celebrate with an Insta story, go ahead and do it. Each book you read is a milestone worth celebrating!

These five tips will certainly help you get into the reading habit. Once you have done so, you can start upping the stakes a bit.

How can you get more out of reading?

Try and find a community of book lovers. This is not essential, but when you have read a book that you loved, or hated, or were confused about, discussing the book with someone else adds to the pleasure. Maybe you feel intimidated about seeking company because you feel you do not read ‘good books’ or that you do not have anything substantial to discuss. It really doesn’t matter- book readers are nice people, and discussions increase the pleasure. Of course this is not essential. Just a good to have if you can find it.

Once you get into the reading habit, try to diversity your reading. Ask people to recommend books, but be specific in what you are asking for. If you tell them which other books you liked, it will help them suggest books which you are likely to like. However, you may nor may not like the books they recommend, so rather than rush to buy the book, download a sample on Kindle, and get the book only if you like the sample you read.

When I first started logging the books I read, I found that while I was reading a lot, the books lacked diversity. The next year, I set myself new targets- reading more books by Indian authors, reading non-fiction and reading books by women. Once I started tracking the nature of books, my reading automatically became more diverse, and now, I exceed the self imposed targets without consciously trying to.

Personally, I am now actively reading more translated works, and works by religious and sexual minorities. I am also pushing myself out of my comfort zone by reading poetry and memoirs. It is important to know what you read- if you are reading to understand the world better, for instance, that determines the books you pick up. This year, I am also tracking the year when the book was first published because in the quest to read the books that everyone is talking about, you often end up missing out on some classics.

Try to get out of your comfort zone. You know you don’t like horror, but try one. What is the worst that can happen- you don’t like it. But at least you made a conscious decision, instead of just deciding you will not like it.

A lot of people are book monogamists and only read one book at a time. I am not. I believe in reading multiple books simultaneously- I typically have one fiction and one non-fiction going at any point of time because sometimes you need to take a break from a book, and in such times, a second book is useful to have.

Also, while talking of books and reading, I cannot ignore the elephant in the room- audiobooks. Many people love audiobooks- they are prefect for people who have long commutes, people who walk for an hour everyday and people who travel a lot. Personally, I am on the fence when it comes to audiobooks. Despite not being somebody who enjoys movies, I found audiobooks quite charming because the reader is still expected to fill in the details. The disadvantage of audiobooks, for me, is that you are stuck at a slower pace, and it is hard to flip back and read parts of it. Do check out audiobooks- you will only know whether you like or dislike them when you actually start.

Follow these tips, and before you know it, you will get into the reading habit.

Happy reading!