It’s like a voice from beyond the crypt, I am sure! But, just wanted to say I have been away from indiejourno for way too long!
I just moved to Mumbai and as you can all imagine what that might be like. Exciting, exhausting and completely chaotic. But I promise to have more updates…including posts about life in Mumbai plus a few book reviews.
What struck me most upon my return is the increase in the number of Indian authors. There are whole shelf-fulls of young, upcoming Indian authors and I would love to read a few of them. I can’t say I am going to read a lot of the chick-lit that is out there, but I will try my best to get a sense of who is writing what and WHY!
But here are some initial impressions on coming back to the motherland after a brief stint in the States.
Having been in New York during the big financial bust of 2007-08, it’s quite a change to see the news coming out of India. While newspapers, blogs and news programs in the States still continue with news of gloom and doom–the story here is entirely different. The growth story continues unbounded–the GDP numbers came out the other day–the economy is growing at a rate of 7.2 percent, auto makers are churning out new cars, bikes for a hungry domestic market and Karnataka has just hosted a global investor’s meet to attract more cash into the State.
While business looks buoyant, it’s politics as usual in the country. Nothing has changed–same old, same old and I hate to say it angers me to see clods like Trinamool Congress’ Mamata Banerjee as the Railway Minister.
Violence in India also continues unabated. While it was terrorism two years ago, this time internal Maoist-fuelled attacks are on the rise. Within the last three weeks, I have read reports of buses with civilians being bombed, trains derailed and attacks on security forces being carried out by the naxalites who have a beef with the government over the taking over of farm land for development (Think Avatar and the Na’avi). Hundreds have died. The Government has just announced that it is considering the possibility of deploying the Army to deal with the Maoists. Booker Prize-winning author and activist Arundhati Roy said she sides with the Naxalites, but thinks that we need to rethink development outside the purview of just Communism or Capitalism.
It’s still hot, sweaty, and dusty in Mumbai. We are all still waiting for the monsoons. I am not looking forward to it. Neither the heat nor the rains will make the squalor in this city bearable. The slums are everywhere; there is no end to the poverty in sight.
There’s a lot going on in India. You’ll hear about it–a LOT.
