I have been arguing for some time that the educated middle class in our country should not abdicate the political space to others. …. (The middle class people) are the engine of the politics but in our country, they tend to abstain. They are taking to professions – civil services, lawyers and doctors, they don’t go into politics and I think that’s the shame. Certainly like I who spends so much time thinking and writing about the issues that are the outcome of politics.

If I now have an opportunity to actually put my feet in the arena , to put my feet where my words were and my mouth was, I think I should take on the challenge. It’s not easy, it’s not familiar territory but I think it’s time for people like us to try and connect with people who have normally not been part of the kinds of daily engagements that we normally conduct in our professional life. It’s time that more professionals got involved

These were the words of Shashi Tharoor when he was asked by the TV channel IBNLive about his nomination for the Lok Sabha seat for the Thiruvananthapuram constituency.

For long, many political commentators and intellectuals have been lamenting about the indifference of the middle class to the political process. They were arguing that, by staying away from politics, the educated middle class is allowing incompetent people to govern the country and letting criminals decide the future of the nation.

While they were right, none of these people were willing to lead from the front by entering politics themselves and making a positive change. They wanted someone else to do the “dirty” job. That is now changing. By jumping into the political fray, Shashi has proved that he can walk the talk.

Shashi Tharoor is no stranger to many of us. He served the United Nations for 29 years (1978-2007). During that period, he rose to the level of UN Under-Secretary General. He campaigned for the UN Secretary General post but was unsuccessful in that endeavour.

Shashi has an outstanding academic and leadership record. He was the University topper in St. Stephen’s College, Delhi and he completed his PhD from Tufts University, USA at the age of 22, which was a record. He is an avid debater, quizzer and writer. His weekly columns in “Times of India” are well read. His books “The Great Indian Novel” and “The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cell Phone: Reflections on India in the 21st Century” are among the bestsellers. His other achievements can be found here

At a time when the voting public is appalled by the nomination of personalities with dubious records (Sanjay Dutt, Md. Azharuddin) and criminals for Lok Sabha elections, news about Shashi Tharoor’s nomination comes as a whiff of fresh air.The Congress party deserves praise for this bold move and we can only hope that all the other parties follow suit. The political parties will be doing a great service to the country if they field a few outstanding candidates with proven record of good performance.

It is not clear if Shashi Tharoor will win in the Lok Sabha election. But irrespective of the result, he has once again set an example for us educated people to follow. We can hope that what was a trickle of professionals entering politics (like T.N.Seshan, Mallika Sarabhai) turns into a deluge.

PS: Shashi Tharoor’s website is http://www.shashitharoor.in/

Image Credit : Stuti

Popularity: 23%

The Oscar fever has caught on and for the first time, I am blogging live watching the Oscars, from the comforts of my home. Nothing can beat this experience. Seeing it live, munching my favourite triscuit, watching my two kids screaming louder than the Oscar host and blogging as Slumdog Millionaire is about to win Oscars – At this point, I don’t know how many, though!

The expectations are high among Indians that music maestro AR Rahman, who has bagged three nominations for “Slumdog Millionaire”, will bring home the coveted trophy. What a moment that will be!

Other two Indian films vying for the glory are “Smile Pinki” and “The Final Inch”.

The time is 8.30 PM EST.

Ok, the Oscar Awards has begun and so is this live blogging.

The time is 8:33 PM

Singer, Dancer, Actor Hugh Jackman enters the show with startling display of his talent. He starts of with the song on Slumdog Millionaire, moves onto Benjamin Button – what a startling display, picks up Anne Hathaway for an impromptu dance. Jackman performs about the other movies – The Reader, The Wrestler and Nixon. What a Live Performance that was!

The time is 8:40 PM

Hugh Jackman introduces all the nominees including Mickey Rourke, the couple – Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, the guy who played Nixon, Demi Moore.

The time is 8:45 PM

5 yesteryear Oscar actress winners including Whoopi Goldberg introduces Penelope Cruz, Marisa Tomei, Demi Moore et al.

Penelope Cruz wins Oscar for the best actress. She goes to the stage and thinks she would faint…but doesn’t. She gave an emotional speech saying it is art which unites the universe. You are too good and beautiful. Penelope – Congratulations !

The time is 8:54 PM

Some type pad clicks. Few sentences and sounds of a typewriter. I don’t know what is happening.

Enter Steve Martin and Tina Fei. They starts joking around, as usual and soon picks up the mike for announcing the best screenplay. Now I understand why there were those type sounds.

The best screenplay award goes to Dustin Lance Black for Milk. Dustin, on the stage, emotionally talks of “Hope” for Gays and Lesbians across America.

Next comes the award for the best adopted screenplay…and the award goes to Simon Beaufoy, the writer for Slumdog Millionaire.

Oscar # 1 for Slumdog Millionaire. Wondering why Vikas Swarup for Original Screenplay. But yes, he thanked Vikas Swarup and the other two musketeers and his love for India.

I am so excited now. My friend, Madhavan, who wrote Will Slumdog Millionaire Win the Oscar Awards, pings me on Gmail. We exchange congratulations for the first in the kitty and many to go.

The time is 9:03.

Enters Kungfu Panda and his star friends…I am talking of Jack Black and Jennifer Aniston. He is hilarious.

The best animated feature film goes to Wall-E. Oscar is taken by Andrew Stanton. He thanks everyone..nothing extraordinary of a speech. The show goes on

The best animated short film goes to La Maison En Petites. Kunio Kato collects the award and “Sanks” everyone!…Sankooo..meaning Thank You.

Time for a break!

Popularity: 27%

I had picked up this book 2 years back at the annual Strand book festival, and got to read it now. Tarun Tejpal is someone I had a curiosity to read. The first sentence of the book, made me raise an eye brow and doubt what was in the offering. First 150 pages or so, I was lost and now after completing the book, I think that part of the book could have been shortened. It was repetition of unnamed protagonist’s obsession with his wife and her body, and his inability to think beyond her.

But after about 200 pages the story picks up and that is when you find it difficult to keep the book down. The story travels from one plane to another, from one era to another, from one continent to another, from emotions to reality, from curiosity to mystery and finally lands up with truth.

Author has divided the book in five parts: Prema or love, Karma or action, Artha or money, Kama or desire, Satya or truth. And the chapters pretty much revolve around these broader themes.

It is a story of a writer, who makes several attempts at writing a great novel, but finally lives through one and realizes that you have to live a story to be able to tell it. By some stroke of destiny, he buys a house in lower Himalayas, and the house has a mysterious history and a story that no one is willing to tell. The author gets obsessed by his desire to unearth the story so much that he looses interest in his original obsession, his wife. Finally after following the story and my joining all the facts that he collects from all possible people, he feels a sense of relief and that is when he goes back in search of his wife, content that he, at last has a story.

The story has been woven very intricately by the author, it keeps moving back and forth in time and space. The descriptions of the places, events and people are excellent. I could specifically relate to it as half the story is set in the city that I grew up in and the author describes the city from all angles, including calling it a city with no past and no visible future. He talks about the city in such a way that you can almost smell the city and feel it. He describes the emotions also with equal ease, and you can feel what the protagonist is going through. He describes his house in Himalayas, and the visuals from its various angles in such a way that you can visualize the whole valley. He describes people in such a way that you would think of someone that resembles the character.

The story touches all the aspects that touch a usual human life-childhood, politics, history, mystery, relationships, love, lust, famous and common people, chance encounters, weird people and events, cross cultures, religion, lack and abundance of money, free spirits, traditional living etc. All this is neatly woven together in a web that may entangle you.

You would enjoy reading this intense and bold story, which is definitely different and original, especially if you are an intense person and like to lead an adventurous life.

Credit: Anuradha Goyal

Popularity: 20%