BOOK REVIEW: A Christmas Carol

One of those stories everyone knows (even the ones who haven't read the book). It is that open and shut book about a stingy old man Scrooge and his encounter with three ghosts which makes him change his lifestyle. But beneath the surface, there are a few reasons that have assisted in making this book the timeless classic that it is. The tale is made classic by setting it in the Christmas season. Scrooge has been imprinted on our minds as a miserly, bitter , petty and mean old man who cares about nothing and nobody. But the fact that he keeps the name of his business as Scrooge and Marley even after is partner's death points to a fondness for his partner. After Marley's death he finds himself haunted by his partner's memory which leads to his encounter with the ghosts of the Christmas Past, Present and Future. When forced to confront his past, present and the future the recluse Scrooge is reminded of carefree childhood, the life altering choices and in the face of unaltered circumstances, a horrifying prospect of a lonely death coupled with eternal damnation.

The three ghosts' appearance vividly accentuates the three epochs summarised in the book. The Ghost of the Christmas Past appears to be a cross between a child and an old man. He has white hair but no wrinkles. He is portrayed as being strong. This image represents everything Scrooge is at the moment. He is old but inside him resides a child long suppressed. It alludes to the the fact that man is born innocent, interaction with the world leads to callousness and in old age man returns to that higher level of innocence again. It teaches Scrooge not to let his past dictate his future.
The Ghost of the Christmas Present is the ghost of the authentic life. He is a "jolly giant" with brown curls and is accompanied by a feast. It shows Scrooge the contrast between a full life replete with love, happiness, companionship and family which is in stark contrast to scrooge's life of misery and loneliness.
The Ghost of the Christmas Future is the most fearsome of the three spirits. It is hooded and cloaked and it's muteness and undefined features is perhaps the representation of the uncertainty and malleability of the future.

By reliving the past, observing the present and fearing the future Scrooge learns the valuable lesson of mending his ways if he aspires for a better future not only in life but also after death. But most importantly the story shows charity to be not only a pecuniary act but also a symbolic one ( being complimentary, being pleasant and congenial). One the contrary wallowing in regret is self-indulgent, the only way to rise above ones past actions is through reparation.

Book Review: Poor Little Rich Slum by Rashmi Bansal

I have never been much of a fan of Rashmi Bansal’s books, because I felt that her work lacked scrupulousness. But, this is a rather fascinating collection of entrepreneurship anecdotes of the residents of Dharavi, one of the largest slums in the world. Dharavi has never lacked attention whether it be from the media, the tourists or political rhetoric. But what it has been unable to garner are concerted efforts by the society as a whole to understand the ailments, the needs and the way of lives of the residents.

This book is an account of a numbered individuals who have turned this adversity into success and carved a successful future for themselves as a result of their business acumen. It also focuses on the listless government policies and the disenchantment of the people with the policymakers. The addition of the narratives of the individuals and NGOs that have taken the onus of facilitating change bit by bit gives one the feeling that all is not lost.

This is perhaps the best work of the author thus far and the lack of in-depth analysis does not hurt due to the elementary nature of the exemplified success stories (the presence of relevant pictures keeps the reader riveted).

Rushdie's video link Scrapped

The Jaipur Literature Festival 2012 reached an abysmal ending today. Once again we have given in to the zealots who threatened the people at the fest and the literary figures who were there to witness the discussion on “Midnight’s Children”, the book honoured with the Booker of Bookers. The entire episode left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth except for the bigots present there who threatened violence and the entire edifice of the JLF 2012 if Rushdie were to appear on the screen. The mere sight of the great man was so abhorrent to them.

It makes me wonder if India actually is the country which espouses secularism, which considers all faiths as equal. After all atheism is also a faith. It is a blot on the face of freedom of expression. And to answer what Mr. Chetan Bhagat said at one of his sessions, we are not making heroes out of those who have hurt the sentiments of others. We have made heroes out of those who have come out as winners in the face of extreme adversity, and have the courage, determination and obviously the talent to present their side of the story in such enchanting words. We were there to celebrate the brilliance of their writing with which they have entertained the literary world. And last but not the least we were there to celebrate all those who have supported him (including ourselves) and we are going to continue to support him since “absence only makes the heart grow fonder”.

What truly concerns me is the image our country has put forth to the foreign delegates and nationals who visited this year to be a part of the fest. These unfortunate events can easily sully the reputation of our country and make them believe that India may be a soft state.

But it really makes me question India and the double game our polity plays. On one hand they are the first ones to criticize China when they refuse the Visa to some military units of the state of J&K and on the other hand they do nothing to control the untoward elements in our society, the neanderthals who believe that violence is the solution to everything. It is either vote bank politics or a truly spineless government we are represented by. Now I do believe, freedom is as far as freedom goes.