Pitfalls of Writing
When I started writing, that was ages ago, I made no secret of my ambition to be a known, recognised writer. Perhaps this was considered as insolence on my part. Nobody said a kind word,…
Vacation in Kerala
The vacation in Kerala was eventful, a revelation of sorts, as it always is. So, here I am with a bag of tales from God’s favourite country. I don’t know who all will read this…
Melissa Studdard’s Novel “Six Weeks to Yehida”
Elmore Leonard advised writers not to open with the weather. However, Melissa Studdard, author of Six Weeks to Yehida goes and does just that. However, in her novel, not only does the opening work for…
Book Review: Orfeo by Richard Powers
Orfeo by Richard Powers is a novel that combines sci-fi with sheer mundane things like a hobby turning into an ordeal. Els is a chemistry man, a geneticist, and a life-long music addict, who plans…
Why Are Indian Men Bad Mannered?
Indians can’t be lauded for their good manners. I will vouch for that any day. But there are common decencies they can adhere to, like apologising for something done by mistake, or, by oversight. No,…
Jeet Thayil’s Novel Narcopolis
For a long time I have been wanting to read Jeet Thayil’s novel Narcopolis. No, this isn’t a case of hero-worship (Jeet is actually younger than me) for a person from my community, but a…
The First Hundred Days of the New Government
A few thoughts that go out from India in the monsoon season. Well, the monsoon season is about to end and it has been an encouraging time as enough rainfall was received. It means India…
The Monsoon Is Here!
After all, the rain did come. It was destined to. Thundering over the hills, sweeping aside the heat, turning the earth green, dripping down the eaves, well, turning the world green, as if a carpet…
What happens if the rains don’t come?
It’s June and the rains have not come. The wait has been long. The stifling heat sears the skin and we find ourselves sweating more than usual. The rain usually brings some respite from the…
Modi Takes over as New Prime Minister
As I had written earlier (see previous post), Narendra Modi has taken over as the new Prime Minister of India. Congrats! It’s a story of ambition and hardwork as he used to sell tea at…
Indian Elections
India is now undergoing a massive election to its 16th parliament. The facts look humungous, when compared to other nations. India is the world’s largest democracy and there are nearly 814 million voters, of which…
Two New Authors From India
Shweta Kesari lives in Indore / Madhya Pradesh. Shweta Kesari is a 2nd year engineering student. She will write for Johntext – literature with purpose to help – on www.madhyapradesh.johntext.de. * * * * * Joygopal…
India’s Political Crisis after Delhi Elections
India is going through a phase which can only be described as a transition period. Politically, the uncertainty has been heightened by the victory of Aam Admi Party (AAP), which had emerged on the political…
Celebrity Author and Editor Accused of Rape by Journalist
In my days of working in corporations, before facebook and twitter, and, even before the banking crash of 2008, I used to encounter many cases of women being harassed in the office. This was taken…
26 School Children Die in Poisoned Food Case
In the northern state of Bihar, India, 26 school-going children died when the government-provided food they consumed were later found to be contaminated with pesticides. Several children are still in hospital. This tragedy assumes a…
Why Can’t Our Streets Be Free?
We sometimes wonder how India manages to survive one blow and goes on to the next. You say this is part of life? No. we don’t agree. We think a lot can be done to…
Disaster Strikes Northern State of Uttarakhand, India
There’s an environmental tragedy that taken around 1000 lives in the northern state of Uttarakhand, India. Heavy rains led to landslides and big boulders and soil being rained on the low-lying pilgrimage centres of Bdrinath,…
It’s Apocalypse Now! A Financial Meltdown Would be Apocalypse.
This is a solution to the banking crisis in Cyprus. However, it might be termed as daylight robbery by some. What else can a bankrupt nation do? Go the Zimbabwean way and change to US…
Kerala, a Green Tropical Paradise
Kerala is a tropical paradise that lies to the south of Indian peninsula. It has green vegetation, plenty of sandy beaches, natural beauty, and an educated citizenry. Every year it sends thousands of skilled manpower…