...You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. ... And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
No, this is not my New Year’s resolution. Given my lack of exercise and not paying attention to what I ate during whole of last year, I decided that I will start with giving up sugar in my chai or coffee. Its been a week and so far I have actually begun to enjoy the taste of my sugarless morning and evening cuppa tea!
Now, if only I can get back to running…
Just finished reading this book. I had first heard about this book when I saw Sudhir Venkatesh as a guest in Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show. That interview piqued my interest, though it took me some time to finally get around to reading the book. Its an unputdownable book and though my mind was pre-occupied with several other issues, I finished the book in a single weekend! Its the best non-fiction and sociology book that I have read in a long time. Though it is non-fiction, it kept me absorbed like any best selling thriller.
Sudhir Venkatesh wrote the book as a graduate student at the University of Chicago working towards his PhD in Sociology while doing a survey on poverty in the projects in Chicago in 1989. The projects are similar to slum-clearance tenements in urban India. His book covers the period from 1989 – 96. Venkatesh articulates some of my own dissatisfaction with the academic world. For a great section of the people, graduate school and the vast number of academic papers published are far removed from the realities of their life and benefits them very little or none whatsoever. This is exactly the point the book stresses.
When Sudhir started his graduate studies at the University of Chicago, he was eager to start doing some field work, and to help out his professors with their research. Armed only with a survey and a clipboard, he naively went out to one of the worst projects in the city and tried to start asking questions ("How do you feel about being black and poor? A: pretty good; B, mostly good; C: indifferent….") Local gang members quickly corralled him and held him until their boss came by to check him out. That boss, J.T. was a local gang leader, and having graduated from college himself, he was able to quickly decide that Sudhir was less than dangerous unless to himself. J.T. then takes Sudhir under his wing, introduces him to people, lets it be known that Sudhir was under ‘protection’ so that his life would be safe, and allows him inside the gang to see how it operates, and how people lived in the Robert Taylor Homes, the most notorious projects in Chicago and in all of America. Sudhir sees regular beatings, a drive-by shooting, helps a stoned and sick hooker, and even sits in on a truce meeting between J.T. and another rival gang leader. J.T. eventually lets him be the leader of his gang for a day – hence the book’s title– and invites him to citywide meetings with the higher-ups in the gang. Sudhir took notes as he went along, and was privy to corruption, bad cops, failed urban renewal plans, and also to how the gangs were trying to position themselves as communities that helped all their people. The gang even helps by registering voters and contributing to school-supply funds and hosting basketball tournaments and picnics for the project residents.
Sudhir knows that these gang members are hustlers who make their living by selling drugs, resolving disputes and taking cuts from people whom they protect and help. He realizes he is no less a hustler as he is hustling them for information towards his thesis.
This is my best quote from the book that appears towards the end of the book:
“I’m not sure I’m ready for another big research project just yet," I said.
Oh Yeah?" J.T. said, handing me one of the beers. "What else you going to do? You can’t fix nothing , you never worked a day in your life. The only thing you know how to do is hang out with niggers like us."
I nearly choked on my beer when he summarized my capacities so succinctly – and, for the most part accurately.
I highly recommend this book. It shows how just one person can really make a difference, by allowing us and policy makers to understand a variety of complex and complicated issues about race, poverty and crime in America.
I was fortunate to attend the live performance by the legend thanks to Prasad Kunisetty. The event was organized by Association for India’s Development(AID), a non-profit movement that supports grassroot development in India. Here at the event, sponsorships were sought for providing solar lanterns to non-electrified rural homes in Central India
The mastery that Pt. Chaurasia has over the Bamboo Flute (bansuri) was easily noticeable even by novice listeners like me as he enthralled the filled to capacity and sprawling auditorium on this Fall evening. Music is known to produce a dopamine rush to the brain and he did not disappoint. What an evening!
Here is a short clip of him from youtube playing Raag Mian Ki Malhar to give you an idea of his music that enveloped us.
As a child and teenager, I had heard him on All India Radio and Doordarshan but did not pay much attention as I was then into disco and fast tapping music and found his flute to be soporific and too calming. As I grew older and a bit wiser, I realized the soothing and uplifting effect of his music. To be able to finally attend a live performance by him was truly a heaven sent opportunity.
Pt. Chaurasia had also teamed up with Santoor legend Pt. Shivkumar Sharma to give memorable music to Bollywood movies like Silsila, Chandni, Lamhe etc.,
You can sense his humility when he says, “I never forget that I started off as a stenographer and whatever I have achieved is more than enough for me. I am a very ordinary person but I am happy in life. That’s all that matters.”
What more can I say of someone who was well- known in India and Pakistan. To him we owe the biggest credit for bringing Ghazals from the realm of esoteric and high-brow gatherings to the common man. Before the 1980s, one needed to understand Urdu, Pashto or Persian to appreciate the lyrics. He simplified ghazals.
The best praise was from Khuswant Singh who said, "He sings better than Mehdi Hassan and looks better than Dilip Kumar."
As I remember him, this is the song that touches my heart today. Listen to it -
Sung and Music by: Jagjit Singh
Lyrics: Nida Fazli
Album: Insight (1994)
Garaj Baras Pyaasi Dharti Par Phir Paani De Maula
Chidiyo Ko Daane Bachho Ko Gud-dhaani De Maula
Do Aur Do Ka Jod Hamesha Chaar Kaha Hota Hai
Soch Samjhne Walo Ko Thodi Nadani De Maula
Phir Roshan Kar Zehar Ka Pyala Chamka Nai Salibe
Jhutto Ki Duniya Mein Sach Ko Taabani De Maula
Phir Murat Se Bahar Aakar Chaaro Aur Bikhar Jaa
Phir Mandir Ko Koi Meera Deewani De Maula
Tere Hote Koi Kisi Ki Jaan Ja Dushman Kyu Ho
Jeene Walo Ko Marne Ki Aasani De Maula
Rough Translation:
Oh lord give lot of water to this thirsty parched earth
Give feed to the birds and wisdom to children
Two and two does not always add up to four
Give a little innocence to these learned people
Let the courageous be born again who would toast a cup of poison and the cross shine for the braveheart who is ready to be crucified
In this world of falsehood, let brightness shine on truth
(here he is alluding to Socrates and Jesus Christ)
Come out of the idols again, and spread your presence everywhere
Give a love-crazed Meera to the temple again
When you are here why should anyone have enmity against another
Let those who live know how to die in ease
