Tag: Tibet

  • Temptations of the West

    Pankaj Mishra

    A commentary on life in the subcontinent, that vividly portrays issues that pertain to the region- from the university politics of Uttar Pradesh to the lanes of Bollywood and from Ram Janmabhoomi to the plight of Kashmir, and thats only one country.
    It also shows the role of Pakistan in the cold war, its dealings with the US , the mujahideen, communists and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Touches on Nepal and the Maoists vs Monarchy tussle. Most importantly it also throws light on how religion can fuel the fires of jihad (Afghanistan) as well as serve as a cohesive force that becomes a source of cultural identity (Tibet).
    While it could be claimed that he does not devote the deserved attention to each part of the sub continent and therefore leaves the work incomplete, what I liked was that though Mishra tries his best to remain objective in his understanding of the issues, he is also not dispassionate, and tries to bring in a perspective that reflects the views and experiences of the resident population. If you’ve read his earlier work, ‘The Romantics’, you’ll feel a sense of deja vu, not just in the content, but in the tone too.
    Read it at a good time since the outcome of a lot of things discussed in the book is happening now – Prachanda’s triumph in Nepal, the return of the Kasmiri pundits, the Tibetan protests.
    The other good take out was his projecting of Buddhism as possibly the last bulwark against capitalism. No, I’m not a communist anymore, but strongly believe that our society needs an anti thesis, an option against the unbridled arrogance of money.

  • Let there be light

    He was a worried man, and that was a new experience. His family had been running the shop for generations now. Although they had initially been into commodities, his father had turned into an electric appliances and hardware shop. He had further expanded into small gadgets. This had proved to be a winning move especially since the slew of cheap products from across the border had begun.

    He prided himself on his good relationships with his neighbours – both local as well as international, as well as his customers. So it came as a great surprise to him when a few days back, when some of his young customers chose to go to his competitor across the street, inspite of him attempting a conversation when he saw them on the street. Similar was the case with the Tibetans who lived nearby, who were his regulars, and with whom he had developed a great rapport.

    He was unable to get a fix on what had caused this sudden change, but he had been noticing that people looked away with distaste when they glanced up at the shop awning. He wondered if it had anything to do with the new signage he had been displaying outside his shop, the one that advertised chinese torches.

    until next time, olympian mistakes