Bunker 13 - A Book Review

First of all, let me tell you the background of how I came to read the novel in the first place. I must admit that I picked up this book while I wasn't looking for it. 

Most of the times when I get a book, there is a normal route of someone recommending it or the book being of a genre or by an author that I generally prefer and thus I find them in bookstores or online etc. At least I have heard of the book previously. With Bunker 13 this was certainly not the case. 

I picked it up from the desk of a colleague on one of those trips that I have to usually make to get "status updates". NO.. I'm not yet the Pointy Haired Boss, but still I gotta get those updates. Being a Technical Lead has it downside. ;-) On top of it, Suraj (my colleage who had ordered the book online and got it delivered the same day at office) had not yet read it. (Thanks Suraj for lending me the book even before you read it). 

So there were absolutely no expectations from Bunker 13. Although I must admit, the title, the cover art, the reviews at the back and most importantly Aniruddha Bahal of Tehelka.com fame as the author did make a strong impression. In fact a title such as "Bunker 13"  isn't one that I would normally pick up, but the author's background to be associated with an investigative website that gave India its first ever sting operation; clinched it for me. So suddenly I had this book without having ever heard of it earlier and having a deadline to read it in 3 days flat! Yes, Suraj did put such a condition but the third day was a Friday and yet I finished it on  Friday night.   

The first impression that you get of the novel is that you hit it running... it feels you are reading the middle of a book rather than the first stanza. Normally authors who tend to have a catchy first line, do clarify things a bit, when the reader has turned a few pages. But with Bunker 13 that never happens. You are thrown in the second person narrative about happenings that start off somewhere in the middle. It is like you start watching a movie after the first 10 minutes have passed. The story keeps unfolding at a breakneck pace and along with the second person narrative (which incidentally never breaks off, and needs some getting used to) it takes you by surprise that you reach almost the middle of the book in the first read. The story unfolds in real time but there are ample flashbacks which are again second person recollections by the central character Minty Mehta (MM for short) who is too dubious in his dealings to be dubbed a protagonist or antagonist in the normal sense of the words. 

Writing an entire book in the second person has its disadvantages not to mention that it does tire out readers, but it still comes in handy when describing effects of hallucinogens during a sky-diving lesson by the elite group of Indian Army paratroopers. The author paints a vivid canvas littered with dodgy characters such as Captain Rodreguez who is a more demented version of MM himself. The portions of the story about the NDA at Khadakwasla in Pune seem to provide and explanation of the motives of MM in his undercover pursuit as a journalist for an Indian news magazine while trying to cozy up with the worst of the scumbags in the Indian army.

Demented - the word thrown around opulently in the reviews at the back cover - does stick out while you are reading about MM's numerous escapades. But to compare it to Catch 22 is a fallacy. It feels like there are too much usage of cuss words coming from an Indian author and not to mention the graphic depictions of MM's numerous encounters with the opposite sex. It does get a bit too much and no wonder that the author has the dubious distinction of being a winner of "Bad Sex in Fiction" Award given by Literary Review on his debut attempt in Bunker 13.

The portions of the book that deal with the Indian Army and the inner workings of the Indian press are refreshingly authentic and stand out. The triple agent act of MM also is passable until the author keeps going not knowing when to stop. I say, having anyone in his sane mind to high-jack a nuclear missile loaded train is a bit too much even in fiction. Even the ending seems a forced attempt to weave in Kargil war into the narrative and the suspense (which incidentally the plot never even attempts to hint about) when it unfolds is a bit of a let down. It seemed to me that a catchy name like "Bunker 13" was thought of for the novel, but the author realized after having written 99 percent of the material that there wasn't any justification for this title and then wove in a sub-plot in the wee end of the storyline.

Although its a good book about Army, espionage with plenty of RAW and ISI thrown in and even the magazine and newspaper business, the story is too otherworldly to be believable in the end. It can be said that the author kept on running and running and in a race with himself and even with no steam left tried to outdo his  own imagination. Overall it's a fun ride while it lasts and like any other roller coaster it has its few moments which you would rather do without.

Another Revolution

Iran, Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Syria.. the list keeps growing every day. Media fuels the fire, glamourizing its own power. Sweeping people off their feet pronouncing that "Social Network" is the new-age chain of beacons. Sort of the one that is shown in the last Lord of the Rings movie. The image of a "hobbit" lighting the long line of beacon-signals pops up in the mind. The panoramic scene of mountain tops lighting one after the other is one that spurs you to elation and fills you with belief. The end is nigh; and the underdogs are going to win by pooling their resources. The revolution starts! 

This is certainly as inspiring as it is romantic.

How can India be left far behind? We are after all the largest democracy on this planet. A country of 1.2 billion and counting; with about 50 % of us below 30 years of age. Each one of us wants the glamour. "Move over Egyptians, we really are the cool ones here", seems to be the collective consciousness of Indian youth.

Put in the social network in this mix and you get a revolution! One that you participate in from the luxury of your desktop. Thumping your chest online saying you are spreading the message, doing your own (two) bit. 

The easy way is to just pretend that you are part of the "youth brigade against corruption". Giving missed calls to unknown people, sending requests to join online apps, and becoming members of petition signing websites.

And I am surfing into dangerous waters here. I don't know if I'm playing the devil's advocate or just being seriously hypocritical. I am certainly not part of the "everything goes" section of society. And, it's a different matter that I think it's the online equivalent of teenage peer pressure that is exerted on you in college to succumb to smoking thinking it's cool. If you don't wear a silly badge on your sleeve (inspired aptly from Bollywood) you are a "Chalta-Hai" kind.

Corruption flourishes because we stop asking the right questions. My question is, "Why now, why here?".

Take a moment and reflect on it. The Lokpal (Citizen's Ombudsmen) Bill is not a new topic. It has been brewing for quite some time now, and now we are to stoke up the frenzy. 

I am skeptical of people's motives. Nobody does anything without first thinking about "What's in it for me?"

I mean no disrespect to people like Anna Hazare or Medha Patkar or Arundhati Roy or Syed Ali Shah Gilani. Everybody has their own interest. Sometimes it matches with the interest of the people too. Like it did when Gandhi Ji decided to do the Dandi March.

Is it going to be the case this time around too?

I certainly hope it is. But I am not going to jump onto the online bandwagon because it's the easy thing to do. 

We say we are pressed for time, we have our careers to look after. We don't get leaves to visit our parents. But that's no excuse to shy away from something that you claim you really care for. To have a corruption-resistant (and I say resistant, not corruption-proof or corruption-free) India, joining websites is not a solution. Wearing silly slogans on your arms serves no purpose. It makes a mockery of a (potentially) sincere effort by a senior non-political figure in Indian democracy.

One of my friends swears by the slogan, "There are no accidents". Everything happens by a greater design. It's up to us to decide which cause we serve and how fruitful our efforts are. We should either go full-fledged in our efforts or leave the work to people like the 60-year-old teacher from Dehradun who is fasting unto death with Anna Hazare in Delhi. 

If we really want to do something about it, I think we should organize a relay fast in which we take turns fasting. We can even do it in our workplaces. After all, we do keep skipping meals to meet our deadlines.

The unknown

Its been quite a while since I had posted here. It has been so because of lack of time and other pressing issues constantly presenting themselves for my attention and not because there was any lack of stimulation. 

I keep getting my inspiration from a whole lot of varied quarters, like this time it was none other than our dear old Door-Darshan! I watched this movie called "Ankahee" on DD Lok-Sabha (yes, they have movies and some very good current affairs programs when the parliament is not in action). I actually caught it from the middle, and had missed the opening scenes. Nevertheless, it got me thinking about a lot of things. 

Let me start with clarifying that this is not a post about the virtues of Amol Palekar's direction or acting. Yes this very fine actor of the Indian cinema scene is the director and main protagonist of "Ankahee" made in 1985. Although I could write one about the fine acting of all actors in this lost gem of a movie, be it Dr. Shriram Lagoo who plays the astrologer father, or Deepti Naval who plays a schizophrenic girl whom people see as possessed by ghosts, or even the actor who plays the drunkard in the movie - all very fine actors indeed.

This is not even about the excellent songs interspersed in the movie which are sung by none other than Pandit Bheem Sen Joshi. All songs are classics and must be experienced to understand that classical Indian music is indeed timeless and limitless in its appeal.

So after so much deliberation about what this blog is not about; let me clarify what compelled me to write this piece after watching that movie. The movie is about an astrologer's son who has lived all his life in the shadows of his father who is known to have never predicted incorrectly. He predicts that his son is destined to be married twice as his first wife will die within 11 months of marriage giving birth to his child. On the surface it may appear to be a commentary on the social evils of superstition which plague our society in general. Yet, it is much much more than this simplistic view.

The way in which our protagonist reacts is heart wrenching to say the least. In order to save his lady love from  certain death, he decides to marry a mentally challenged girl (played beautifully by one of my favorite actresses - Deepti Naval), and the story unfolds from there. How he is torn between his true love and this girl who is his wife now. He is overtaken with guilt for having betrayed his lover and also for cheating with the innocence of his wife. He turns an alcoholic and an insomniac. But eventually he decides to take a plunge into the unknown. The story unfolds into a sort of a happy ending from there, but not before his lady love commits suicide blaming the superstitious society that did not let her have a chance. This seems to be the message of the movie and perhaps that is why DD still airs it.

But as I was watching it, I was overtaken with another subtle point in the story. What would you do if you were sure of what is going to happen in the future. I for one has planned a lot about most of the decisions that I have taken and have hoped that everything turned out to be as I planned. But it would've not been that simple if I knew that no matter how good I plan, ultimately it is going to lead to the same result. Would I stop trying and planning? Would I resign myself to the fate? Would I not do anything to subvert such a scenario...? All this and many more such questions reared their heads. 

In one of my earliest posts I talk about taking a chance purely because it has a possibility that it might lead to a favorable result. Had I been so optimistic, if I knew all that is to happen in advance? In such a scenario, would I not cease to be a human being? Would I also just become a wooden piece of furniture lying on the rug of our society - waiting for events to unfold themselves without trying a bit. 

If I knew that all my endeavors are going to be futile, there really is no point trying, isn't it!
But I beg to differ!

And that is what sets me apart from the character in the film. To still be a human, I can't give up trying. I can't stop struggling to wriggle success from the jaws of failure. No matter how strong the evidence - I can't give up hope. The only thing I ask for is faith in my abilities (even if I have none now, I will develop them in future). And even if it's about things beyond one's control, I still can not stop trying. I can not give up hope altogether. YOU know as it's said, "It ain't over, till it's over". It may be just needing a little nudge and push to take it over the ropes.

Being Human is what counts for a Human Being, and the only way I see it possible is by trying harder in the face of failure.

Only so much...

Only so much as to see everyone around me happy... even if it means it is at the cost of my own happiness... is that too much too ask for? Why is it so difficult.. shall I stop trying altogether.. who would be to blame for later? Only me... so why bother? why does it hurt so much when you see others sad, even when it was not your intention to make them sad... why do somebody else's tears, someone else's voice overwhelmed with emotion is much more painful than your own... is there no cure to this deadly disease... why do selfishness creates so much pain...?

For someone who has grown over a staple diet of news and current affairs programs back in  the good old days of DD1, when a Pronnoy Roy was the torch bearer of one of the most important pillars of democracy called 'free press', reporters were always above board. Even today, when you have about a dozen preposterous news channels airing stories such as aliens abducting cows in Ratibad, it was never a question of integrity, but sensationalism. You could safely ignore those absurdities.

So, when there are serious charges on one of the most admired news-casters on television these days, one does seem to think twice.  Ironic as it may sound, it was a "refreshing" change from the debates on corruption among politicians. So it held my interest while I was watching this debate on CNBC tonight about the recent allegations of corruption among journalists. 

One of the panelists on that discussion (oddly it was someone from Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan!) made a very poignant observation. Corruption is a way of life in India. People never think twice here before asking and giving favours in return of getting their job done. Its like even if you don't have a confirmed reservation, you'd still get onto the train knowing that the ticket taker would be able to give you a berth for 500 Rs. We'd all gladly jump traffic signals if there wasn't anyone watching. And even if there was, we'd give the police wallah a 100 bucks and be let off. We'd drive in on coming traffic blatantly and have the audacity to blow horn at others on top of it.

Strangely, we are all aware of the corruption surrounding us, gladly take part in it... and yet shake our heads in disdain when politicians get caught scamming the country of hundreds of billions of Rupees. This guy from Bhutan then went on to give an example from the Mahabharata where a character says about teaching ethics to the populace, that you have to start young. Something akin to "you cant teach old dogs new tricks". We have got to start young to teach our citizenry the benefits of being honest.

And this reminded me of something that my grandma taught me when I was in the 3rd Standard. I found an eraser lying beneath my desk and brought it home. I still remember it was a big red eraser which had a very nice fragrance and a white flower printed on top. I proudly showed it to her (mom was still to return from office), "look dadi, what a nice eraser it is!". I was shocked when she  asked me to hand it over for closer inspection and suddenly threw it away. When I started crying, she told me, "it wasn't yours to pick up in the first place". If you pick things like pencils and erasers, you'd better forget about passing in the class.  I wasn't convinced with the argument and decided that this needs to be brought to mom's attention who'll get me justice.  (Since the other one was already thrown away, I was hoping for a new one). When mom came and I narrated the incident to her, to my disbelief instead of telling how wrong dadi was, she told me, "Knowledge never comes to thieves and pickpockets". 

And that has been the start of knowing right from wrong for me. I believe this is what that guy from Thimpu meant.. unless you teach them young, you better forget about teaching them at all.. later it just becomes about punishment.

All this hullaballo over something legal

Are you kidding me!!

I braved the afternoon sun, in a traffic jam of 5 KMs.

Massive deployment of police forces since the past 3 days and why.

I now know, how it would feel if I get stuck in a scenario as depicted in "The Happening" by M Night Shyamalan were to come to life actually.

And all this over a piece of land, which I'm told is the holiest of the holy, but doesn't effect me at all in the least bit of sense.

For once, I admire the Indian legalese.

An order delivered right on the verge of it being invalidated by just one day on account of one of the judges on the bench reaching his retirement. A mammoth 10 thousand page document, delivered after 60 years and so very aptly underlining indecision.

Its admirable how we all have reacted.

But the judiciary trumped us all and has shown the smiley.

The planners got it all wrong. We all should have known, how it works.

Go on you devils in black coats, I ensure you another 60 years before it reaches any conclusion. And by that time I will be senile... I hope.

Peace!

So Apt :)