Who was she?

BBC Podcast: Death in Ice Valley(2018)

In November 1970, hikers discovered the remains of a lady in the icy cold mountainous area of Isdalen Valley in Norway. This lady, in her 30s, obviously not equipped for trekking, was found charred faced down in a fire with a bottle of barbiturates in the vicinity. This death was unusual to the peaceful port town of Bergen. It created a lot of excitement. The police had nothing much to work with.
To start with, no identity could be ascertained. Nobody came forward with the report of a missing person. The labels on her clothes were cut off. A nationwide alert pinpointed to left luggage in the railway station. It seems she possessed multiple passports, multiple identities and many wigs. 

With not much evidence to work with, the police soon declared her case as suicide and were buried in a zinc cast to enable further test if necessary. Her burial was a low-key attended only by police officers. 

46 years later, investigative journalists from BBC and NRK decided to re-open the case with the benefit of newer forensic tools and technology. They meticulously swept through the case with a fine-tooth comb as any good investigator would do starting at the site where the lady (who was christened 'Isdal Woman' after the valley) was found after slowly tracing her activities. A total of ten episodes narrating their work was aired. A Facebook page was created to discuss their findings for the smart people out there to give their input.

Interviews with living witnesses and police officer shed light on the background of the case. The hotel where the Isdal Woman stayed before her death is still around, and records of her registration were available for scrutiny. Handwriting experts, who have a better knowledge of the nuances of writing now than they were in the 70s, suggested that she was probably from a French-speaking nation. She had multiple identities, sometimes writing in German, but they ascertained that her German was probably fake. 

An artist's impression of the Isdal Woman.

The recurring suggestion was that she was a spy or an informant. With the penchant to hide her identity with fake names and aliases, wigs and cul labels off her clothes, this was her mostly accepted profession. She was also found to have in many hotels and was a frequent traveller. Some opined that she could be a sex worker as sexy lingerie was found amongst her luggage.

She was also sighted around the vicinity of the area where Norway carried out its missile test, The Penguin, furthering supporting this possibility. 

The Coroner's office still kept her mandible as the coroner must have thought it could be handy in time to come. She had multiple gold fillings and crown, which located her to have originated from Russia or an Eastern European country. C14 dating gave her age as probably in her 40s.

New, untested methods were brought to the fore. O2 isotope studies could suggest the area where one's water supply came from. Strontium isotopes interpretation which reflected the types of food that one ate and the type of soil in the area that food was grown, was employed. Tissues in the paraffin blocks of the sample taken from the Isdal Woman was sent for DNA analysis.

As it stands, it has been ascertained that the Isdal Woman is of European stock, probably grew up in eastern or central Europe, moved towards France in her adolescence just before or during World War II. Her handwriting indicated she learnt to write in France or in another French-speaking country. Followers of this podcast are eagerly awaiting the second season of the series. The producers promised to have one if newer discoveries are made.

My friend asks if all these endeavours are worth their time and effort? Is the discovery of the identity of the Isdal Woman going to give any real closure to anyone since no one seems to be missing her? We do not know that, right? Is the discovery of the perpetrator of crimes, if any, is going to of any fruition since by all accounts he may have died already? If the sin was committed by agents related to regimes of a particular ideology, we all know how brutal secret services are. At one time, the idea of she (Isdal Woman) being a Mossad agent was considered, but forensic findings proved otherwise. Are these mere exercises of futility just to mentally arouse ourselves and fulfil our overinflated egos? Is this going to change mankind in any way? Is it a warning to would-be criminals that their crime would not be unpunished? But then, criminals, by being educated on how forensics work, would now be in the know-how to avoid detection!

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39369429

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Sins of our fathers

We carry the burdens of our ancestors. At least, that is my understanding of how life works. In my simple mind, we suffer for the mistakes of our ancestors and the misdeeds or inaction of the past leaders. Conversely, we prosper and enjoy the reason for our existence from their farsightedness.

I was taught to believe, as the picture of life painted by my mother as I was exposed to the lessons in life, that when we do 'good things', we will be rewarded in due time. Somewhere somehow our good deeds will be returned, directly or indirectly. Then I discovered that you do 'good things' because it is the only humane thing to do. Later came the talk of karma and its nuances of how 'evil' actions, like Newton's Law, has a correspondingly counter re-action which may affect your descendants. Now, these people tell me that every person is an island. Everyone is responsible for his own actions or inactions and his 'soul' has to answer for it in this life or the next, in this realm or another.

The question that has been bogging of late is whether, in the material world, we are answerable to the follies and wrongdoings of our parents? It popped up when the children of now-deposed ex-PM Najib who made repeated pleas in the media of their ignoramus state of the dealings involving their father.

Are offsprings and forbearers just linked intrinsically for the infusion of beneficial DNA, cancelling of unsuitable traits and the continuity of species? If every individual is a stand-alone product, why is that the progenitors slog their life away for the wellbeing of their kids? That their descendants have a better life than theirs. The parents literally work their asses down till it the fibres of their soul run thin.  Their search for wealth and comfort for their kinfolks never stops despite knowing that their sojourn on Earth is finite and a short one at that.

Yajna - a sacrificial ritual to invoke Gods for salutations,

the offering and cajoling them for personal gains. It is said to

have the capability to ensure the well-being of our descendants

as well as to correct our past mistakes, at a higher realm.

Logically if the descendants benefitted from the loot of their elders, they should be punished as well. Shouldn't the lavishness of life alert the children that something is not right? But then, people are becoming so creative in hiding their ill-gotten spoils that proving ownership becomes a Herculean task in mumbo-jumbo imbroglio of red tape. 

So you are going to leave judgement to the pleasure of the Divine Forces? In the ethereal world, however, nobody knows what rules are actually followed if there are any, rules or the ethereal. Is it pure chance or the result of the dice-throwing games of the celestial bodies?

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What are we fighting for?

Why am I a Hindu? (2018)

Author: Shashi Tharoor

Most of us grew up following blindly the rituals and practices shown to us by our parents. By default, we became Hindus by birth. We questioned naively our elders of their seemingly animistic practices, to which we were given explanations that appeared too simplistic and like an after-thought.  When we asked our parents why we should not taste the food that was to be offered to the Gods, the reply was that the Gods must savour it first. A more prosaic but practical answer would have been that it is to make sure that the offering does not finish before making its way to the altar.

Along the way in our childhood, we were exposed to other religions as well, specifically Christianity. Schooled in mission schools, the institutions ensured that its mission was openly displayed, if not immersed in the teachings of the Book. Evangelists around the housing estate also extended their ever-helpful hands to open our hearts to the Lord. Lured by the language, as English was spoken by the learned, we were attracted to Sunday schools. 

We grew up in a parasitic world of feeding on the positivities offered by the various faiths but stayed faithful to the religion of our parents. We enjoyed the stories, the fellowship and the confidence that they imbibed during those few years. Epiphany of sorts came about during one of those confessional moments. It was a story of the Armageddon and the second coming of Christ when we were put in a spot to embrace Christ as our Saviour. We told ourselves that if such a day came, every known God would descend from the heavens and save their respective congregations. Everybody would be saved, so no issue. Guess, we missed the point altogether. 

A verse from the Upanishad often recited by clueless 

devotees during aarthi. It would have made more 

sense if only they knew the wealth of wisdom in it.

Uncertainty lingered on but to prevent heartaches and scandals in the family, we kept our dilemmas about life, God and prayers to ourselves to discover in due time. With time, with the experiences proffered by the Life School of Hard Knocks, things make better sense. Uncertainties were made more evident though, but we blamed it on nothing but our ignorance. Slowly we saw the profound wisdom in the practices of our forefathers and be humbled by their foresight and knowledge.

The author, the flamboyant and ever so articulate Tharoor, puts before us his view of Hinduism that he has come to understand. Hinduism or Sanartha Dharma has been portraying itself as an all-encompassing and accommodating way of life throughout the ages. Its doors were open to monotheistic believers, atheists, agnostics or anything that suits an individual's flavour. Like streams from various places finally flowing to the sea, they believed that all roads lead to a single divinity.  This brand of universalism had also been advocated by great Indian icons of yesteryears, Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi. 

For aeons, various practitioners of religions, barring the political Islam which masterminded the Partition, have been having cordial relationships with each other. Muslim painters painted Hindu drawings. Hindus have no qualms seeking blessings, and Quranic verses blessed holy water for ailments. Christians offer their premises to the needy. 

Modern times have seen clashes of many types. There are tensions between religious and ethnic fundamentalists. They sometimes flock together against secular consumer capitalists whom they feel are not only taking away the country's wealth but the fear of God. Probably as a reactionary measure, Hindus have taken a combative stance in the name of Hindutva movement which the author classifies as a distortion of Hinduism. 

This enjoyable book,  written by the talented writer with a good flair for the language, is packed with itsy-bitsy details of the splendour of a country that never fails to amaze everyone.

 https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

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The phoenix has arisen!

Lust Stories (Hindi, 2018)

There used to a time in history, it still exists in many fringes societies, where people just take their respective places lying down. The people who benefit from such an arrangement would provide justification of this set-up to a decree so old predating human civilisation. God's name would be dropped for good measure. Fear would be instilled to shirkers. Not wanting to upset the order of Nature and fear of retribution in the afterlife, many just toe the line. Others, on the wrong end of the bargain, accept it as a probable punishment for their past actions in a previous birth!

Snap out of it. In this new world, it is all about the individual. One lives and does things for himself, not for the world, not for the community, not for familial expectations. It is about self-fulfilment, living a full life for oneself. Is it self-indulgence? Is it hedonism? One is given one life, only one, cherish it. It is now or never. Or is it?

The members of the Indian diaspora are undergoing changes by leaps and bound. With increasing opportunities in education, access to information and media, the bearers of the extra X chromosomes want more. They are no more merely contented staying behind the scenes, seen but unheard, becoming child-bearing vessels and playing second fiddle. They want to be heard. They feel they have been shortchanged all this while. They can perform at par if not better than their other half.  

This collection of stories brags of prominent directors and bold tales about subjects which were considered taboo and often swept under the carpet, female sexuality and the sacrosanct status given to sex.

Four stories are told from the female perspective. A young married lecturer becomes ballistic when she discovers that her student (at university with whom she is having an affair) is two-timing her with someone of his age. Even though the lecturer insists that her relationship is based on lust and the journey to explore one's self. Finally, the viewers realise that it all about control. Love has nothing to do with it.

The second offering shows a middle class 'good son' who has no qualms about having regular trysts with his female domestic helper but obediently agrees to marry a girl arranged by his parents; no questions asked. The helper, although hurt, continues life as if nothing happens. She knows her place in society. 

An unhappy mother of two has an affair with her old university mate. The mate also happens to be her husband's confidante, who is in a betwixt and between situation. The husband sounds suicidal on the phone, and his wife wants the affair to be known to him. And all three of them an embarrassing meltdown at the mate's beach house.


The final offering questions the role of a wife in the dynamics of the family. Is she there just to ensure continuity of the clan or is she entitled to her own pleasures and should be left to her own devices (pun understandable only after the film)? The modern Indian woman, with her independence, wants out. She cannot be playing dance-monkey to the whims and fancies to her in-laws who act like outlaws, setting rules as they felt fit.

A bold presentation to showcase the modern Indian women who had enough being treated as a second-class citizen in a predominantly misogynistic society. They have risen to correct the status quo.

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It makes the world go around!

Westworld 1973


Michael Crighton, 20 years before his blockbuster, Jurrasic Park, was a debutante with this sci-fi thriller. The on-going Westworld mini-series has its roots in this Yul Brunner acted classic. 

The setting in the same; patrons have their dreams came true in a make-believe resort with different themes and manned by recyclable robots/androids/AI (whichever generation you are from). Just like in 'Jurassic Park', things go terribly wrong. The robots start malfunctioning or infected by viruses and start harming the guests.

Even though the film was done at a time way before it was thinkable of portable computers and smartphones, it is interesting to note that many of lingo used many a lot of sense and are relevant in this digital age and time. It must have been revolutionary to think of a 'biological' agent like 'virus' infecting robots, but it is here.

It looks like all man's endeavours seem to bite him at where it hurts him most. He improved industrialisation to pollute the environment. He created automation and ease of labour, he discovered lifestyle diseases. He thought he wanted to play God, his creations rebelled. Maybe God had the same problem - He created Garden of Eden for them savour, but His designs just would not listen.

It is all part of the cycle of life, of creation, preservation and destruction of life for the re-creation of life. The sequence of Life must have another cycle of itself surely. A circle within a circle of infinity with no beginning and no end...

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Hey Ram!

A saying goes... 'With Ram in your heart, you don't have to look for places where he is and where he is not!' At one look, it seems to make a lot of sense; that God is within you, you decide your fate, you sow the seeds, and you reap the benefits or wallow in misery. That you have to be confident of your belief in the Almighty that nothing can sway you from his path of righteousness. That whatever people say, your communication with your Maker is so strong and personal. And you do not need to show your piety through mammoth structures to awe the non-believing others.

I guess this is what the dwellers of the land, which later became known as Hindustan, thought when the first wave of foreigners came with the good news. They assumed that the newcomers indeed had another path to approach the truth. After all, after aeons of philosophising, pontificating and searching, the natives had come nowhere near the answer. Perhaps, the newcomers could help. Come, come, the more, the merrier. Thus arrived in droves, more messengers of peace with their own scriptures.

The dwellers held the ownership of the land whilst the visitors, the holy book. Let us close our eyes in prayer, they said. Everyone followed suit. To everyone's amazement, when they opened their gaze, the deed was with the guests and the inhabitants the faith (the book). Still, they said, the richness of the world is for all to share.

How the role reversed. The sojourners dictated what the truth is and the natives' archaic thoughts were vilified. Still, inclusion was the order.

Fast forward. The old ideologies were scorned, ridiculed and made to look stupid. Newer generations went agape in awe of the visitors, now rulers' 'civilisation'. 

In this midst, natives' try to rekindle the thoughts of the good old glory days of the forefathers. Unfortunately, the fell into the same trap as the conquerors. They insist that theirs is the only truth and others' deluded. And the childish play of sibling rivalry continues. One brother trying to outshine the other. The 'father' just smiles and thinks to himself, "How can I love my right eye over the left?"

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Towards Communism? One World Order?

Credit: biography.com

Louis XVI’s policy of not raising taxes and taking
out international loans, including to fund the 
American Revolution, increased France’s debt, 
setting in motion the French Revolution. By the 
mid-1780s the country was near bankruptcy, 
which forced the king to support radical fiscal

reforms not favourable with the nobles or 
the people. [Smells like 1MDB]

As in many of our meaningless banters, this one too had no simplistic answers.

One of my friends proudly announced how he managed to identify a nagging problem on his car dashboard that none of the mechanics in town could correctly identify. An indicator kept on flashing implying that there could be a minor issue with the mixture of fuel and oxygen. With the help of his ever-inquisitive mind and resourcefulness, he got it fixed. With his self-taught knowledge of automobiles and the aid of Youtube, he diagnosed the fault. To source the sensor that needed to change, there was the net to search and Lazada to ensure that the merchandise arrived at your doorstep in no time. 

Only because he did not possess the tools to fix the part, he had to get the assistance of a local mechanic. That too, an apprentice came to his rescue. And voila, problem solved.

The friend was naturally jubilant on his achievement and of course had all rights to brag. 

Just to play devil advocate, I told him that he had just become an accomplice to the great evil capitalist empire whose intention is to gobble up the small time little men's livelihood. Like in the film 'You've got m@il', since the 90s, these big concerns have been trying, successfully, usurping SMEs. The biggest losers seem to be the common man. With the advent of DIY and ease of transborder mail order, their roles (the average man) seem superfluous. Try searching for anything online. There is a conspiracy to highlight specific predetermined options. Big tech companies own so many companies these days that almost every search engine and the companies that sell many products belong to these conglomerates. Payment portals and logistics companies too only profit the already super-rich multinational companies. At the end of the day, the small shops around town can just wind down. 

Just like the vegetable sellers in wet markets who have lost out to hypermarkets in selling greens, every entrepreneur in town will eventually just become salaryman to these MNCs. The already cash-strapped mammoth cartels whose assets already supercede that of a third world country will rule the world. That will lead to a New World Order where the divide between the haves and have-nots will be so vast, reminiscing of a time not so long in the distant past; when the peasants were wailing in hunger while the nobility could not understand why they could not be content with the leftover cakes! By then we would have made a full 360° turn and back to where we started. The French and Russian Revolutions that attempted to correct the disparity between the 1% rich and 99% poor would have been proved futile. 

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