A Strategic Partner Above Moral Grounds by Simi Sunny

After two long decades of a repressive military regime, Myanmar took the road to democracy with the November 7^th elections. The validity of the election results are already considered dubious with the junta-backed USDP declared the winners garnering 76.5% of the votes. Many were skeptical of the election process from the beginning itself because of the ban on many of the important parties like NLD (National league for Democracy) headed by Aung San Suu Kyi and parties representing ethnic minorities but still the formation of parliament after 22 years is being looked up by most of the world as a move towards reform. Even the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, who was under house arrest for more than fifteen years, on November 13^th was welcomed by the world especially the West. This isolated nation has been an interesting facet of south East Asian politics. Myanmar has had one of the most repressive and abusive regimes in the world and constantly faced scrutiny for gross human right violations since years. Despite so it has got a varied response in the international policy from the world nations.

The U.S has been one of the biggest critiques of the policies of the nation since the military coup of 1962. It has till recently followed a policy of complete non engagement and imposed sanctions on the country time and again. It was under the pressure of U.S and United Kingdom that the Myanmar issue was first taken up in the Security Council of the United Nations for the first time in 1995. Myanmar’s nuclear programme with the support of Russia has also been one the contentious issues between the two nations. Concerns were also raised about high prevalence of drug trafficking in the country. Thus U.S and Europe has had a history of strained relation with Myanmar and always urged a move towards Democracy and release of the political prisoners.

But the failure in this regard has been the full commercial engagement of two of the biggest nations in Asia- China and India. China has been an ally of the junta regime since 1988 due to its strategic significance. Myanmar not only provided China the much needed trading outlet to the Indian Ocean but also was large resource of oil and natural gas. It was of vital military importance safeguarding the trade routes and could also act as a check on India’s growing influence in the region. Around 1993 India in its effort to counter the growing alliance between the two countries revaluated its pro-democracy stance to enter into several bilateral trade agreements and state visits by heads of the state. Since then India has built major roads, highways, ports and pipelines in the region to increase its influence in Indo-China peninsula.

There have been many critics of the policies of both China and India for ignoring its moral responsibility for its trade profits, the most recent one being President Obama who condemned India for remaining silent in face of violent suppression of the democratic movements in Myanmar. China has come under immense pressure from both the ASEAN and the UN to encourage a democratic government in the country. But both the countries have continued to ignore them. Myanmar has been ravaged by mass killings and brutal economic policies of the junta recording the worst GDP rate. Sanctions have failed to make an impact and India and China’s crude economic and political cooperation makes it even more difficult for the people of Myanmar to see the light of a peaceful regime.

Saare Jahaan Se Achcha by Ramya Patnaik

A Manipur Protest

What is it about men who see fit to poke a barrel into young chests without apparent emotion, and with this single act, alienating them from the democratic process, inflicting anguish and injustice? More importantly, what keeps those who claim to understand the situation fully well from diluting the quagmire with real solutions and not blinkered laws?  An India that never falters to raise allegations of cross-border terrorism and undemocratic functioning at a neighbouring country becomes the proverbial ostrich, ducking its head into voluntary ignorance, hoping its own grave domestic problem will just go away.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has become a dirty word in media speak. No longer is its futility shrouded by the official line on perceived perpetual security threats in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir. Yet, the process of ironing out the security concerns in order to do away with the Act and put into place a semblance of normal life has few takers in the government or public discourse. The issue has largely been relegated to some episodes of archival or documentary material on the evening news or boxed items on an obscure page of the ‘National’ section. Thus, it isn’t rocket science to guess that an average Joe wouldn’t be able to make sense of the bulk of antecedents to the issue.

The story of AFSPA takes on a double trajectory in two regions of the country synonymous with civil conflict and governance anomalies. Introduced in September 1958 to the “disturbed areas” of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, it was later extended to Jammu and Kashmir in July 1990. In its alacrity to quell insurgent voices, the Indian government has blurred its ability to discern between what can be termed as a ‘national threat’ and what simply an exercise of basic free speech is. One does not seek to dissect the ideological stand of various separatist groups in both parts of the country with as much gusto as making an appeal in the name of those caught in the crossfire. Granted, the crushing squalor of a few thousand mothers or the existentialist angst of young blood may seem paltry pitted against the billions worth of trade and infrastructure development; but as children, we are taught the vitality of dealing with problems head on, instead of sitting on them to exacerbate them irreparably.

Irom Sharmila

The watermark of Gandhi is the most circulated image in the country. But are his values hollow and uninteresting to a nation that never knew him beyond school exams? Was textbook Satyagraha never the pivot of our freedom movement? Irom Sharmila Chanu was 28 when she realized what never hits many of us in an entire lifetime- that resolution to act doesn’t have a doctrine or an ideology discrete from righteousness. Her unparalleled 10 year-long fast would put Mr. Gandhi to shame but it doesn’t seem to move Delhi at all. It all boils down to this one simple fact- how would one feel if ones colony or city or state was under constant surveillance? Wouldn’t it pinch to be stopped and checked at every turning? Wouldn’t the occurrence of all this on an everyday basis frustrate one to the point of madness? Why is it then, so difficult for those in power to realise that the prolonged imposition of this Act or at least certain sections of it breeds further unrest? The unbridled rage and anguish of the 30 women who protested in front of the Assam Rifles Headquarters with banners of “Indian Army rape us too” after Manorama Devi’s raped and tortured body was found in a ditch is nowhere near being appeased. If security concerns are to be met, those in power need to separate it from civil life in a permanent and non-interfering manner. The people have cried themselves hoarse for long enough. If another security ‘concern’ takes shape in the near future, the answer to whose fault it is wouldn’t be difficult to answer.

The Naxalite Movement In India by Angira Chaudhury

[Reuters/UNI photo]

The recent violent killings of hundreds of people including large number of security forces by Naxal troops in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra etc. have drawn the attention of the Indian media which has highlighted these events as acts of ‘terrorism’. However, a section of intellectuals and human right workers, most notably, Arundhati Roy has differed from such opinion. In my opinion, terrorism may have individual following but it has no mass base. Naxalism is quite different from terrorism as it has ideological mass base in many areas of the country. The genesis of ‘Naxalism’ is very interesting. It is a product of long ranging ideological differences within the Indian communist movement.

The Communist International (Comintern) was set up by Lenin in 1919, just after the October Revolution of 1917. The main aim of Comintern was determined to expand communist ideology and help establish communist parties wherever they did not exist. In this way Comintern also talked of International revolution. Lenin, aware of possible violent ideological thinking in the International communist movement wrote the famous book titled ‘Left Wing Communism: An Infantile Disorder’, cautioning communist leaders who believed in armed revolution.

However, there were always two currents in the Indian Communist Movement. The success of China’s communist revolution in 1949 after the Second World War had a deep impact on Indian Communist leaders. A section of the Movement started believing that an Indian revolution would be successful through armed struggle, as seen in China. Due to ideological differences of left and right, The Communist Party of India split in 1964 leading to the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPI (M).

When left front formed the coalition government in West Bengal in 1967, the ideological differences became very sharp within CPI (M). Incidentally, around the same time a tribal youth named Bimal was attacked by his landlord and his hoodlums as he tried to till his land after getting a judicial order for the same in Naxalbari, West Bengal. The local leaders of CPI (M) like Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal and Khokan Majumdar etc., took out a procession in protest of the landlord’s actions on 25^th May 1967. The gathering of mostly tribal people was attacked by the police, initially killing 7 woman and two children. The event marked the beginning of the Naxalite movement.

The aforementioned local leaders of Siligudi came out with slogans of capturing state power through armed struggle. For this purpose, Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal pledged to follow techniques of Guerilla warfare. Such was the popularity of the slogans that the Chinese media highlighted them too. This is how the ideology of armed struggle found a new base in West Bengal.

The movement spread towards Debra- Gopiballabhpur area of Midnapore district of Bengal and Mushari area of Bihar. Considering growing ideological base Charu Majumdar with the help of other local leaders of CPI (M) formed an organization known as All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries.

Soon this movement found its base in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. As a result Charu Majumdar and his followers decided to form a political party to lead armed revolution in India. In 1969, the anniversary of Lenin’s birthday, a new party was formed named Communist Party of India Marxist/ Leninist in Kolkata. After the formation of CPI (ML) Charu Majumdar provided a slogan to boycott elections in 1969.  He also called for a cultural revolution calling students to boycott the capitalist education system and burning libraries and laboratories; also dismantling the statues of national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Subhash Chandra Bose etc.

In the matters of foreign policy Naxalite leaders emulated Chinese foreign policy in declaring the Soviet Union as a social imperialist nation. They also came out with a slogan ‘China’s chairman is our chairman’. Charu Majumdar also provided a slogan of individual annihilation of the class enemy. Individual killings would later become a rampant feature of the Naxalite Movement.

It is interesting to note that the movement has seen numerous splits throughout its history. In spite of all these weaknesses Naxalite groups have succeeded in spreading their mass base in different tribal areas of the country like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Orissa. At present, most of their activities are concentrated on killing central police and other security personnel. They have also adopted a policy of holding people for ransom. In this way their leadership has been converted into different groups of bandits.

Ashim Chatterjee, one of the leading figures of the bloody Naxalite revolt of the late 1960s, spoke to prokeralanews.com in April 2010 criticizing the present lot of Maoists, for only relying on arms and operating from the jungles by ignoring people and the doctrine of class struggle.

"Firstly, the conditions which set the stage for a revolutionary movement are absent in India. Secondly, these Maoists have not cared to build up class struggle. And when you fight against the state without caring to build up class struggle, it amounts to social terrorism. The blood that is being shed is meaningless," he said.

Their original ideologies have been lost in the wilderness; this is why voices from many corners are being raised to treat Naxalism as on par with terrorism. However, there is another opinion that the Naxalites have spread their mass base in areas where particularly tribal people suffer from lack of land reform, education and employment. Therefore, in dealing with the issue, the various individual causes and contextual details of the Naxalite revolution must be taken into consideration. 

BJP’s Pendulum Policy: Moderate Government; Extremist Opposition by Angira Chaudhury

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) draws elements of its political philosophy from the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh. RSS (Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh), a cultural organization with common roots, has undeniably acquired a reputation for indulging communalism in mainstream Indian politics, for the realization of their ultimate ideology- cultural nationalism. The position of the BJP on such behavior has never really been critical. In practice, the party hasn’t held back from doing the same and has been criticized on occasions for its communal vote-bank politics.

Initially, the BJP was a party that followed a broader ideological path than the Jana Sangh. It is unique to note that in the 1984 Lok Sabha elections BJP could win only 2 seats in the Parliament with its ideology of Gandhian socialism. However, the Shah Bano Case of 1985 and the Faizabad district court order regarding the unlocking of Babri Masjid premises of 1986 marked a shift in ideology for the BJP. The issue of ‘Ram Janmabhoomi’ was raised on a mass scale. L.K.Advani, the leader of BJP, launched many so-called ‘Rath Yatras’ from Somnath and travelled throughout north India, communalizing the atmosphere on religious line. As a result, ‘kar sevaks’ identified as members of RSS and BJP along with its satellite organizations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal demolished the Babri Masjid on 6^th December 1992 leading to widespread communal disharmony across parts of the country.

The demolition of the Babri Mosque polarized people on religious line. India had never seen such a division among the people after independence since Partition. BJP began to instigate people in the name of Hindutva to get political support in the elections. As a result, in due course of time BJP captured power in many states of north India like U.P., Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra etc. Its growing strength forced many regional parties to join its front which brought BJP to power at the centre in 1998.

When Atal Behari Vajpayee became Prime Minister of India, BJP adopted a dual policy. Since a combination of about two dozen parties had brought BJP in power, it became a moderate party leaving all controversial issues aside like building of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and abolition of Article 370 which provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir etc. However, in which ever state BJP had captured power on its own it began to follow a hard-line Hindutva policy based on intimidating minorities like Muslims and Christians. Its most dangerous example can be found in Gujarat where Narendra Modi became a symbol of hard-line Hindutva after the 2002 Godhra Riots. It was typical of BJP to project Vajpayee as a true secularist and liberal politician with the political capability of integrating ideologically heterogeneous political forces while encouraging Narendra Modi as a lion of Hindutva forces at the same time. Thus Modi became the true ideologue of RSS.

RSS and BJP claim that they believe in cultural nationalism. In this context it is interesting to note that analyzing post Godhra riots situation in Gujarat, Ashok Singhal the International President of the VHP openly spoke to the effect that people who described it as a riot were mistaken, and the actions of the kar sevaks were spontaneous expressions of cultural nationalism in the true sense.

When BJP lost power at the centre in the Lok Sabha elections 2004 its real dual character emerged. BJP disrupted parliament sessions on many a minor occasion. It tried to combine religious issue with political demand. Another example is the party’s agitation over the Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir. It also launched violent protests over the Rameswaram Shipping Project in Tamil Nadu, based on the mythical belief that Lord Rama had built a bridge over the sea, linking India to Sri Lanka on the same spot. The focus of these protests was the matter of people’s ‘astha’ (faith), which cannot be destroyed. In the name of ‘astha’ BJP has tried to foil the basic concept of Indian constitution on numerous occasions.

 It will be interesting to watch BJP in the coming days, leading up to the Ayodhya verdict by the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. RSS/ VHP supporting outfits have already started recruiting cadres for the so-called ‘Ram Sena’ in parts of the country. All these activities indicate that whatever may be its response, the BJP is definitely expected to be in the eye of the storm.

The Second Judiciary?? by Simi Sunny

Last summer when the Aarushi Talwar twin murders took place, the whole nation was glued to the news channels. As the drama unfolded, the media and the police transcended even the possible scope of imagination to guess the culprit and introduced their own conspiracy theories. They reported everything from the family’s life style, Aarushi’s habits, to her relationship with her friends. The channels went berserk with the coverage of the case. TRPs sky-rocketed, for it provided all the masala of a saas-bahu soap. The most interesting part was the conspiracy theories of each channel. The state of the marriages of Talwars and Durranis became ‘breaking news’. The media did not even spare the victim and spun stories of a relationship between Aarushi and the servant, Hemraj. The case became disturbing example of to what extent a sensation hungry media can go to cater to the people’s thirst for voyeurism and curiosity. The recent Ruchika Girhotra molestation case was another example of media’s growing obsession with revealing the truth. SP Rathore’s images flashed across channels portraying him as the dangerous devil.

The media has for years gloated over its role in the Jessica Lall and the Priyadarshini Mattoo case. Media activism was indeed the reason for the justice being delivered in these cases. It was the support of the media which turned the tide especially when the suspects belonged to influential families like the son of a former cabinet member and a police officer respectively. The media exposed the lapses in the prosecution and influenced the public to rise up against the court’s decision.

The trial by media has begun a tug of war between two conflicting principles –free press and the free trial. The phenomenon has created a gulf between the two leading public institutions-the media and the judiciary. According to the 17^th Law Commission there are certain restrictions placed on the Freedom of Press granted by Article 19(1)a. It states that material which has a prejudicial impact on the suspects, accused, witnesses and even judges and in general the administration of justice should not be allowed to be published. Such a report can tend to influence or pressurize the judge in delivering prejudiced judgment. It also tends to hurt the position of both the defense and the prosecution.

Implications of a media trial were most obvious in the Noida twin murder case. As Dr.Talwar walked out of the Dasna Jail media realized it had indeed gone overboard with allegations and ended up apologizing for character assassination and defamation. Media which hails judicial activism seeks exemption when it comes to them. It takes up the role of the prosecutor and passes the verdict with such a propaganda-like zeal that the confused nation which listens to every twist and turn accepts it as the ultimate truth. We don’t even try to question the position taken by the media just to be part of the righteous public. Television coverage today raises doubts about the right of an accused to dodge the stigma of conviction even before the trial. It serves what interests the public and not what is public interest.

The media has a responsibility towards the society and it needs to ensure that punishment is delivered to the culprits and the innocents acquitted. But in the rush for business profits and high TRPs, it has failed to rein in its frenzied and irresponsible reporting. It’s time the media accept accountability in its reporting and abide by the ethics of journalism.

The Social Network by Akanksha Narain

Gone are the good old days of letters and pen pals, thanks to the numerous social networking sites cropping up. Status updates, photo comments, wall posts and tags- that’s how the Gen Y does it. The internet has created a new rage of networking and connecting with the world around us.

Every passing day seems to back Marshall McLuhan’s claim that the media would make the world a ‘Global Village’, sites like Facebook being primary examples. Children as young as 5 years old are well versed with the activities that social networking entail- from liking posts to uploading photographs.

Social networking inevitably has returned to the spotlight as an issue of contention with the recent release of “The Social Network” – a film that explores the life and success of shrewd and prodigious Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg. The question inevitably raised in a discussion of this sort is that with the advent of sites like Facebook are we venturing into deep waters? On such sites we unknowingly drop our guard, putting up rather personal information and photographs for the world to see. We put up photographs of ourselves holidaying in Goa while burglars happily see this and rob our houses. How difficult is it to plan a robbery when we ourselves inform the world when it is that we will be returning home?

With the explosion of the phenomenon of the internet, parents began to express extreme worries about their children accessing questionable chat sites and giving out information to strangers who might take advantage of it. We all have heard of numerous cases of kidnappings and children running away with strangers they met on such sites. Social networking sites have definitely aggravated this situation. The recent rape case in Delhi, where the victim met the culprit on Facebook is a fine example.

On such sites we not only expose too much information that could be misused by unsocial elements but also information that could cost us our jobs and marriages. Thanks to Facebook bosses now know that whether you were really unwell or were actually partying with your friends, all thanks to your status updates! Moreover, thanks to social networking sites all your claims of being a teetotaller are quashed. Before marrying anyone parents and the to-be groom/bride go through your profile and pictures to know what sort of a person you really are.

So the next time you go on Facebook set up your security setting and make sure that you do not put information that could be misused by people.

Empowerment of Women- Is It A Mere Slogan? by Akanksha Narain

Pick up any Newspaper, switch on any Television Channel and what do we find? Incidents of Female foeticide, bride burning, dowry deaths and even Sati still being practiced. We need to hang our heads in shame as women who constitute nearly half the population in our country are not treated as equal. Though the Indian Constitution confers equal rights and opportunities for all, irrespective of gender, in reality it is not so. To provide dignity to its women folk, a mere legislature is not required. What is required is to educate women and thus empower them.

Our vision of India emerging as a Global Superpower can only be realized when its women who constitute nearly 50 % of its population are involved in issues of growth and development. Equality and respect to women is deep rooted in our ancient culture. In Indian mythology whereas the male Trinity - Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva are credited with the genesis of ancient civilization, the female energy- Durga is worshipped as the destroyer of evil, Laxmi as the goddess of wealth and Saraswati as the giver of knowledge and all creative forms.This should not be so in the cosmic frame, but also within each of us. As women, each one of us needs to recognize our own intense creative energy. Somewhere over the centuries, the status and glory attributed to women has become hazy.

So wake up! We ought to treat women at par with men. Only then can we say with pride that India is a democracy. Then only will our vision to be a superpower be fulfilled.

Should Religion Govern Us? by Akanksha Narain

The Times of India on July 16 had a very interesting story about a gay penguin couple, Harry and Pepper. The story described how the two had broken up after a five-year long relationship! The two loving creatures would take abandoned penguin chicks under their care. While surfing through blogs, I found numerous posts sympathizing with the penguin couple. It left me wondering why we can sympathize with gay penguins but mock homosexual humans?

 Despite homosexuality being prevalent amongst penguins they do not show any anti- social behaviour. Though penguins do not follow any religion, they are social and caring like human beings. In contrast, in the Hindu religion, snakes have a revered position and

are worshipped but they eat their young ones. Clearly, anti social. Hence the premise that everything related to religion is good does not always hold.

Then why is it that we allow religion to dictate us? Why is it that we silently nod our heads when religious leaders protest against recognition of Gay Rights? Even in the 21^st century our laws are over shadowed by religion. Sanctity of human behaviour by religion does not hold good anymore. So, how can we allow the government and law to function on the dictates of religion? The government initially refused to recognise homosexuality stating that it is against the laws of nature and religion prohibits unnatural sex. With the scrapping of Section 377, consensual sex between adults of the same sex has been legally recognised despite initial hiccups.

 Though religion should act as a binding force, it is ironic to see how religion is diving mankind today.  Think about it and you will realize that religion is indeed dividing us. It is dictating us what to do and what not to do (not on the basis of right or wrong, but just on their interpretation of what is written in holy books).

We do not just have faith in religion; we have blind faith. When mixed with politics and law, religion usually results in catastrophe. I am not writing to vocalize my feelings for gay rights (which I do support) but to vocalize my feelings about how religion is being used to abuse us. I am not against religion, but strongly feel that religion and law cannot and should not be mixed. The result is always disastrous. 

Despite Uncertainty, Blogs Positively Gain Momentum by Malvika Tripathi

In about 20 years, Internet has grown from its infancy stage of surfing for information to a highly complex interdependent grid comprising of social media interacting with advertising and marketing models, along with superfluous information emanating from independent sites, bloggers or news websites. In essence, Internet has emerged multifaceted and the sheer multiplicity in content is what characterizes it today. The demographics comprise of Facebook and Twitter (social websites) and blogs which aggregates into one central feature-spontaneity. Earlier considered a means of data, it is now a platform for testing new technologies, business models and as experimental grounds for advertisers.

Web Logs, or blogs, are the most successful and contemporary form of expression on the web in recent times. Coming from a grey area in journalism, every blog has a theme and unique point. Bloggers do not always write with a time frame in mind they’re entirely on the discretion of the blogger whether it is serious like Huffington Post or an excuse to vent like a personal diary. A blog is intangible property with respect to its writer. They are fully responsible if anything controversial is put up. Plus its effect is instantaneous and high on interactivity with sometimes torrential comments within minutes. “Freedom of press is guaranteed only to those who own one”. Although, this would not hold true for conventional media giants but blogging sites have redefined press in a broader sense. It acts as an autonomous network for collective conversation in the modern day public sphere. But now multinationals, newspapers, magazines and even celebrities keep blogs either as a public relations necessity or gaining an upper hand in the blogosphere.

Numbers may argue that the blogging scene has diminished in its present status, the advent of networking sites have ousted blogging more into ‘irrelevance’ than ever before.  So given that the world hasn’t figured what exactly blogs are, let us assume that they are provisional (since mostly they require great deal of maintenance and instant analysis) and offbeat in style of expression. Blogs have still maintained an upward course, in gathering netizens at about 175,000 – 225,000 every day. Blogging is quite young as about 120 million blogs exist. Interestingly, a whopping 50 percent of internet traffic visits these 120 million blogs. The potential of this dynamic medium is often grossly miscalculated if not ignored. It can possibly hold be the most effective advertising online. As blogs cater to niche viewers, understanding consumption pattern and target groups is viable intercepting the portion of readers. 47 percent of online consumers now read blogs for advice. The blog networks that have survived the economic downturn in advertising and the explosion of competing content on the web credit coverage of narrow topics, along with business models that reach beyond advertising. Meanwhile (according to NY times), advertising revenue for magazines dropped 21 percent, and the number of ad pages sold dropped 28 percent. Blogs have also started to get recognised by Media Firms such as Washington Post (for the last 6 years) and recently Associated Press as a credible news source. Mainstream media has rebroadcasted and reported on factual information from blogs especially in time of conflict like during the Iran election protests or Myanmar military repression.

Another unprecedented phenomenon is complete liberty to bloggers over the advertisements that get placed, like in Google ads. Especially, where ownership is concerned, they are responsible for what goes up on their site and how well it will resonate with the readers. In terms of traditional media, it is path breaking because advertisers cannot directly influence content this way round. Such advertising models are light years ahead of print media. Newspapers have realised the prospective of blogs and blog advertising and are making the most of it.

Blogs are foreseen as a substantial part of the web. Innovators searching for inspiration for the next big thing will find it understanding how software programming and optimization of content can do.

Current Attitudes In The Indian Independent Music Scene by Ramya Patnaik

Photo courtesy Rahul Lal

Thus spake a beautiful man with a beautiful beard: “Indian metal has hit puberty, now it only needs to get laid”... To those who call us a product of “western ideals”, to those who claim we don’t exist, we raise a familiar finger in response to their ill-informed, half-baked assumptions. But the independent music scene in India has come a long way from a time that recognized it as just a rebellious wing of mainstream culture. Or has it? Long years ago we made an aural tryst with Guns N' Roses, Nirvana and Metallica. Today, Iron Maiden have openly professed their love for their Indian fans; Joe Satriani, Opeth, Freak Kitchen, Guthrie Govan and Infected Mushroom have come and gone and come winter, fans will have a lot to cheer about courtesy Meshuggah, Enslaved, George Howe and The Prodigy. More importantly, Indian rock band The Circus are currently Down Under, Hardcore/Metal band Scribe are back from their gig at THE INFERNO METAL FESTIVAL, Norway and Black/Death/Power Metal act Demonic Resurrection from BRUTAL ASSAULT, the Czech Republic. While these examples may sketch a rough sense of familiarity for those not actively involved with The Scene, there is a great need to gauge the actual temperature of what’s really happening in the community.

An initiation into the scene via a gig may yield two responses: either blind love, or utter disdain. The real or perceived problem however is, that most of us are comfortable with retaining the first impression we have of Indian musicians in the independent scene. Those who make an effort to understand the processes that go behind ideas and events and the people-bands, officials, audience, critics etc, will point out the screeching naivety of such thinking. The nuances of its history, the nature of its present and the scope of music in the future all merit documentation akin to any other socio-cultural process that engages great thinkers and analysts with its fascinating working. The fact that it is the Indian context that we are talking about would intimidate one because of the need to be extremely accurate in basic definitions. Also, there are too many things involving too many people that to ignore an aspect would be by no means an insignificant risk.

Motherjane live at BITS.Photo courtesy Rahul Lal

Taking a timeframe of the past 10 years is a good idea to start with because most established bands of today started out back then and also because development in the last decade has been more visibly momentous than ever. In its nascent stage, basic rock and metal music was greeted with much enthusiasm albeit as an alien trend lacking the ability to touch the average college-going enthusiast in any real way. Photographer Rahul Lal who has played bass with the band Prestorika talks about the mindset prevalent amongst his peers when the band first started out. “Initially we weren’t aware of any Indian bands other than Parikrama. We were totally influenced by western bands. We started playing for the fun of it. As things moved ahead and we began to be paid for gigs, it became an obligation to play well. Practice sessions became more serious. Not everyone had the same attitude towards playing, though...stricter practice meant less ‘daaru’ and fooling around with chicks. So some got more serious, others drifted away.” Adds Workshop and Albatross bassist Riju Dasgupta, “Back then, it was the cool thing to do and the only legal way to grow your hair long. I thought WWE wrestlers looked really cool with long hair and this gave me an excuse along with my favourite bands back then, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, AC/DC, Mercyful Fate etc.

The essence of the scene as a collective of people draws from the fans. It’s safe to say that most people in the audience are acquainted with the bands and their music by the time they get to college. I asked Siddharth Chakravarti, an avid fan of metal, about the general level of knowledge among people today and if they react differently to gigs from say, 5-6 years ago. “Well...you still see plenty of poseurs in the Delhi scene unfortunately. (But) the scene has improved vastly from bands’ set lists to resources to general acceptance. People know their metalcore; I'll give you that...at least in Delhi.” When asked to comment on the ability of audience members to discern between bands’ sounds, Riju Dasgupta believes that “...onstage, the actual music is 25% of the act; the crowd comes to have a good time and in my opinion anything which makes them have a good time is good. Bands today have to nail that 25% plus offer something else. So unless your music bit is down and tight, the more intelligent crowd of today gives you no quarter.” Amateur musician and a regular at the circuit Piyush Verma was asked if he thought the people who come for gigs have an ear for and good knowledge of music. He points out the phenomenon of “quick judgement on the part of listeners who lack the patience to sit through the music of a musician before forming an informed opinion.” Concurs Akshaya Patwal, another fan and frequenter of the Delhi Metal circuit that even though the enthusiasm is definitely there, many people lack actual knowledge and prefer to live with assumptions than to learn- it is assumed that “if the vocalist can growl loudly, he is good...It’s basically cool to be a long-haired guy and live with the label of a ‘metalhead’”

The relationship between fans and musicians varies from band to band. While almost every new or well-established band has a Facebook page, is there any real interaction with fans? Sahil Makhija of Demonic Resurrection (DR) and Workshop insists that new or old, DR connects with all their fans. “We meet and talk to them at gigs all the time. If someone comes up to us we always make it a point to talk to them and we don't act like dicks!We are also connected online... I would reply to every Orkut scrap and now I answer almost every message, wall post, email etc from a fan.”

However it cannot be dismissed that a level of high-headedness does exist amongst certain people who hold positions of greater authority in the circuit, and amongst some of those who have been around for many years and are involved with management. This general opinion may never be accepted by the people in question but is like a victimless crime that can never be easily proven beyond personal anecdotes.

‘Poseur behaviour’ is an element that worries many serious musicians and enthusiasts. The popular magazine RSJ is criticised (albeit rarely openly) for being too exclusivist in its approach to incorporate real opinions and trends of the average crowd. However, it is often criticised in the same breath for selling the ‘rocker’ or ‘metal’ lifestyle through mainstream strategy and forgetting to look at music along with its nuances. While nobody disputes the pioneer role it has played in the marketing of Rock music as a viable commodity in India, it is hard to come across a non-RSJ employee in the scene who harbours a completely favourable image of the group.

Bhayanak Maut live at BITS. Photo courtesy Rahul Lal

The beginning of the journey for most kids may bear a strong resemblance to the story of Nishtha Kanal, an avid Mumbai gig-regular. “I was volunteering for my college fest gig which was being headlined by Devoid and Bhayanak Maut as I was interested in the organization part. Then two years ago I went for ‘Independence Rock’ (one of India’s oldest rock festivals) and that happened to be Zero's last gig. They were so amazing that I went home and downloaded their tracks. Before that I had had the feeling that Indian bands would never match up to the standards of big bands from abroad, which is why I had never bothered to listen to them.” Today she believes that bands like Zero are one of the best acts in India and deliver a better gig than some international bands. Lal believes that the audience isn’t “stupid anymore” and has plenty of options to choose from which means that few people can get away with playing just about anything on stage.

With sociological changes, parents are a little more easy-going when bringing up their children today. We see more school-going children at music events than ever before, both in and in front of the audience. And this has been a process spread over years. So is today’s audience getting younger, a trend to stay? According to Nishtha, parents play a much reduced restrictive role these days, allowing their children to attend concerts. “But this hasn't happened overnight. It took a long time, and if the mentality has to further improve, it’ll take longer.”

When asked whether the new generation focuses on refining their skills or get carried away by the coolness of it all, Siddharth opines, “The moment a kid gets passionate about his music...the first thing he wants to do is pick up an instrument and get on stage... especially in a genre like Metal, the power which a Metal gig projects... (pushes) kids to learn the guitar, the drums, even start singing/growling. People who are really into music are usually very devoted to their instruments once they start. On the other hand, you do see people picking up instruments for the cool quotient as well, but they usually learn 3 chords and call it a day.” What about the responsibility of the bands who inspire youngsters, in helping the audience mature?  “The bands do play a huge part; every kid has his/her musical idols- someone who you'd want to be like, at least when you start playing instruments...as you get better with time and practice, you find your own space... but the bands do play a huge part in pushing kids to pick up instruments in the first place.”

Is music as an art form missing out on its chance to endear itself to a crowd that is concerned with being like one’s idol but not the spiritual growth of one’s skills? Shantanu Chakravorty is a musician from Bangalore who is currently tabbing lessons for the guitar genius Rob Marcello on www.torrins.com. He believes that the root of all evil is in the way people practise. “It is surprising that people playing for as long as 25 years end up with bad playing habits and technique.  If you don’t beat yourself mercilessly when you practise...it becomes the sole cause of what we’re talking about. People need to learn to criticise themselves, not others.”

Motherjane live at BITS. Photo courtesy Rahul Lal

Says Siddharth, “polyrhythmic/Mathcore is the 'in' thing these days. Many bands use odd time signatures for the heck of it...it will come and go, just like black metal did with DR. While I don't blame bands for milking whatever success they get, this is where the poseurs/casual fans come in. For a lot of these fans, especially in Delhi, Undying Inc. is just music to swing your arms like an ape to. These 'fans' would react the same way to most forms of metal... see here's the thing, people who are into polyrhythmic metal bands like Meshuggah, Ion Dissonance, Periphery, Xerath etc will appreciate Undying for what it is- a band that has worked hard to get to where it is today, having endured plenty of brickbats in their early days. Delhi kids...don't need intellectual stimulation. They need a catchy chorus, a hook, a melodic bridge section or a heavy breakdown in which they'll punch each other’s faces... because that’s what true metal fans do apparently.”

Lal is of the opinion that “we're yet to mature enough as a music community to create an experience and not just a gig”. However, Riju believes that the difference in today’s kids is that they are “much better musicians than kids of my generation”. Many Indian households encourage young ones to join post-school music classes, especially if parents are musically-inclined too. Their children do extraordinarily well in their chosen vocation, even pursuing advanced education in music. What drive them are the respect for their art and the basic love for their instrument. When the monocles of definition, attire and frills are rejected, it becomes clearer to a musician that pure bliss and music for the sake of music are the ideals worth inculcating.

To gain a more refined perspective on the mindset of youngsters taking music classes, I spoke to Lambu Ata (name obviously changed; those who didn’t get the ‘Gunda’ reference immediately, lead extremely unfulfilled and sad lives), an accomplished musician playing with a well known band and running his own music school in south Delhi. He thinks that impressionable enthusiasts observe what happens in the scene and want to gain female attention with some shred action. But some honest students are very much steeped in the mastery of their skill. He rues, “Dishonest students take tuition classes and school-work seriously but watching a movie or chilling at home is an easy alternative to music classes for them.”

Textures live at IITD.Photo courtesy Maanas Singh

It’s easy to lose focus and join the doomsayers in condemning the future of our scene to permanent obscurity. It took a long time for the veterans to taste success in their endeavour, which is why wherever one looks, they seem to dominate. In the course of a casual conversation with a friend I realized that the bands young people support don’t even belong to their generation. An entire section of some very radical music is being ignored. While the poseurs will never cease to exist, it is extremely important to note that today’s generation of musicians like Guillotine, Devoid, October etc. are taking bigger risks, learning how to play more demanding styles and listening to much better music than their seniors. The underground/ independent scene is dominated by Metal, unlike scenes abroad where it is mostly a niche genre. Siddharth believes that “a turnout for a Metal gig may be more than say, a Blues gig, but the Blues crowd know their stuff, which isn’t always true for the Metal crowd”.

We forget that when the din dies out, the baton-bearers of the independent music scene will be the very musicians who for reasons voluntary as well as circumstantial, make up the REAL underground. While some choose to take stage early, others work on their technique for years before committing themselves to a band. The majority of musicians in the scene are everyday kids jamming in their bedrooms.

Bhayanak Maut at BITS. Photo courtesy Rahul Lal

It’s hard to make your voice count, harder still to make a full-fledged musical career in a system that is managed entirely by a coterie of people who seem to have been appointed by nobody in particular to manage something many of them don’t even understand the depth of- MUSIC. According to Lambu Ata, the scene is a lot more open to new sound these days, which has simultaneously opened the floodgates to more youngsters. But music is still not a viable career option in Delhi because there aren’t many studios nor schools for music that provide a degree course in music, although plenty offer certificate courses. Down south, schools like A R Rahman’s K.M. Music Conservatory, Prasanna’s Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music provide better infrastructure for musicians to follow their passion with diligence. Here, a combination of knowledge, fame and money are essential but elusive too, to make it big. Lambu Ata does however, credit television reality shows like Channel V’s ‘Launch Pad’, MTV’s ‘Rock on with MTV’ and Sony’s ‘Fame Gurukul’ in giving a boost to new talent. RSJ remains the unrivalled monopoly when it comes to organising a gig in most cities. Says Lambu, “Few other companies plan events at a local level. They are also the ones bringing international acts to India; so they behave selfishly and kind of molest a small band- they provide a platform to perform, but don’t pay them. This continues till the band members put their foot down and refuse to play without money. The harassment of talented bands is a malaise that comes with a single monitoring agency for gigs in Delhi.” Sahil Makhija has been widely criticized about publicising his band with an overzealous energy. But he makes a vital point about the need for bands to take on responsibility for themselves. He explains, “There was no one to do anything for me so I did it myself. Everything I do is born from the need to be successful. Sadly people are delusional about music and bands and the business part of it. Just because they don't see Metallica members selling their music or CDs etc doesn't mean they aren't being sold. Every band including Metallica has stood at merchandise stalls after gigs and sold their CDs and t-shirts. People don't realize that, they think there is something wrong with it. But in short I did everything because it was required and because I love doing it.”

Motherjane at BITS. Photo courtesy Rahul Lal

By the time I had finished researching for this article, I was mildly glum. But the last person I spoke to was a junior of mine from school. He currently drums for a band that is among the new crop of Metal acts in the capital called Scythus. The appeal of their music aside, his attitude renewed my hope. “We’ve all heard that the Indian/Delhi music scene isn’t going anywhere...but for me life and soul being music, I frankly don’t care what people say. Everyone has a dream, and my dream, my band’s plan is to be a stage/studio artist...”