2019-04-01 Reader S Digest India

APRIL 2019
`100
THE UNFORGETTABLE
FIELD MARSHAL CARIAPPA
PAGE 76
HUMOUR
12 BIZARRE PRANKS YOU’LL LOVE
PAGE 58
EVERYMAN
AYUSHMANN
THE THRILLS AND TRIALS OF A RISING STAR
PAGE 52
THE DAY I STOPPED BEING

AN INDIAN
PAGE 112
BONUS READ
CROSSING OVER TO EUROPE
PAGE 124
THE FUTURE OF ELECTIONS

PAGE 26
DOING THE RIGHT THING ...................................... 37

LAUGHTER, THE BEST MEDICINE ......................... 98
THE MAGIC OF HAVANA ........................................ 116
AMAZING FACTS ABOUT SALT .............................. 138
BE A WORD WIZARD! ............................................. 141
Contents APRIL 2019
Cover Story 76 THE INCREDIBLE FIELD

52 ‘BE YOUR BEST MARSHAL CARIAPPA
POSSIBLE SELF’ A tribute to the legendary
The thrills and trials of being army man. SUNANDA JAIN
Ayushmann Khurrana.
BLESSY AUGUSTINE AND
Drama in Real Life
SUCHISMITA UKIL
82 THE DOG THAT CAME
BACK FROM THE DEAD
58 GIANT HOAXES How was this even possible?
Hilarious April Fool’s pranks.
PHOTO COURTESY: YASH RAJ FILMS
ERIC WAGENKNECHT
ANNEMARIE SCHÄFER
90 LONG-TERM VISION
66 SUM OF HER PARTS How to protect your eyes from
Why are the vast majority of
retinal problems.
Indian organ donors women?
LISA FIELDS WITH GAGAN DHILLON
SOHINI CHATTOPADHYAY
My Story
102 LEAP OF FAITH
She jumps off a great height.
Read what happened next.
52
RATHINA SANKARI
P. |
106 FRIENDSHIP ACROSS FENCES
She felt forlorn after a move. Then
she spotted her. MEGAN MURPHY
112 THE DAY I STOPPED

BEING AN INDIAN
The pain of surrendering one's
nationality. RIMA DATTA HOLLAND
116 VIVA HAVANA!

The Cuban capital is quite the
magical place. REIF LARSEN
Bonus Read
124 CROSSING OVER TO EUROPE
A survivor’s escape from a war
zone in a wheelchair.
NUJEEN MUSTAFA
READER’S DIGEST | APRIL 2019 | 3

Vol. 60 | No. 4
APRIL 2019
Everyday Heroes
18 The Lone Warrior
A brave man’s battle for human
rights. SUCHISMITA UKIL
VOICES & VIEWS

Department Of Wit
22 Keeping the Faith
A not-so-pious father teaches his
son about religion. ALI HASSAN
P. | 24 My First Job
READER FAVOURITES 24 Taking Care of Others’ Needs

A book publisher’s journey to
13 Humour in Uniform the top. ANANTH PADMANABHAN
LEFT: INDIAPICTURE, TOP LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY: ANANTH PADMANABHAN

14 See the World Differently
The Future Of Elections
21 Laugh Lines
26 Voting in the Digital Age
30 It Happens Only in India Coming up: The greatest reality
34 Points to Ponder show on earth. SAMIT BASU
50 All in a Day's Work
74 Life's Like That You Be The Judge
81 Shocking Notes
28 The Case of the Wedding
Couple Out for Revenge
98 Laughter, the Best Medicine
Freedom of speech has its limits.
111 As Kids See It
VICKI GLEMBOCKI
141 Word Power
Finish This Sentence
36 “Life is too short to ...”
REGULAR FEATURES
9 Dear Reader
P. | 36
10 Over to You
32 Good News
44 News from the World of Medicine
147 Studio
148 Quotable Quotes
Æ
4 | APRIL 2019 | READER’S DIGEST
Vol. 60 | No. 4
APRIL 2019
WHO KNEW?
138 12 Amazing Facts

About Salt
JEN MCCAFFERY WITH
P. | 48 N AO R E M A N UJA
Me & My Shelf
143 Mridula Koshy’s library
favourites
Entertainment
145 Our Top Picks of the Month
ART OF LIVING P. | 145

37 Do The Right Thing Total number of pages in this issue of
Reader’s Digest, including covers: 150
LU C R I N A L D I
Health
42 The Trouble With Gallstones
SAMANTHA RIDEOUT
Food
TOP L E F T: I N DI A P I C TU R E
46 Apple Pick(l)ing
N AO R E M A N UJA
Food
48 When Life Gives You
Lemons ...
JAYASHREE JOSHI EASHWAR
COVER IMAGE: BANDEEP SINGH

VOL. 60 NO. 4
APRIL 2019
Editor Sanghamitra Chakraborty Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie

Assistant Editor Ishani Nandi Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa
Contributing Editor Blessy Augustine
Consulting Editors Saptak Choudhury, BUSINESS
Naorem Anuja Group Chief Marketing
Officer Vivek Malhotra
Editorial Coordinator Khushboo Thakur
GM, Marketing &
Senior Art Director Sadhana Moolchandani Circulation Ajay Mishra
Assistant Art Director Keshav Kapil Chief Manager,
Production Gajendra Bhatt Operations G. L. Ravik Kumar
Narendra Singh AGM, Marketing Kunal Bag
Manager, Marketing Anuj Kumar Jamdegni
IMPACT (ADVERTISING)
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Dear Reader
Heroes—Real and Reel
THERE ARE MANY REASONS why I am proud
to serve at Reader’s Digest. People and their stories
lie at the heart of everything we do in our maga-
zine—we especially celebrate ordinary folks who have
an extraordinary story. People who have transformed lives
with their courage, compassion and capability; inspired
us to battle on, bringing hope in the face of utter despair
and showing us how to never say die. The good people
who have brought a smile to our faces when we needed
cheering up. Their stories reflect values we grew up with—
rare in this crass, brutal world.
Degree Prasad Chouhan, a young human-rights lawyer from Chhattisgarh
is one such hero. He has shown exceptional fortitude and strength of character
defending Dalit, Bahujan and Adivasi people in the face of dire threats from the
powers that be, fighting back attempts to be branded a ‘Naxal’. His journey—from
P H OTO GR A P H BY A N A N D GO G OI , H AI R & M AK E - U P BY R OLI KA PR AKASH
a Dalit schoolboy exposed to the scourge of untouchability, to putting his neck

on the line for the defenceless—is nothing short of heroic (p 18).
There is another story in this issue—that of a screen hero. Also a singer and
poet, this performer has connected with audiences of Hindi cinema with his
warm comedic touch. He has endeared himself to millions as a kind of Every-
man of Bollywood. Many of us remained unaware of his recent personal trials,
even as he won over hearts and entertained fans. His partner was suddenly
faced with a grim diagnosis, shattering their peaceful family life. He learnt the
tough way that life can be fragile, and that you need to dip within yourself to find
the strength and calm to fight back. This is the story of Ayushmann Khurrana—
his journey from an ordinary home in Chandigarh to instant Bollywood success;
from meeting his childhood sweetheart, and wife, Tahira Kashyap to their joint
battle against cancer (p 52).
There are other stories you must read: ‘The Unforgettable Field Marshal Caria-
ppa’ (p 76), ‘The Day I Stopped being an Indian’ (p 112), The Future of Elections
(p 26) ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbour and BFF?’ (p 106) ‘Sum of Her Parts’ (p 66),
‘Leap of Faith’ (p 102) and the Bonus Read (p 124). And do not miss our All Fools’
Day offering—‘Giant Hoaxes’ (p 58)!
Send an email to
Enjoy April and this issue!
editor.india@rd.com

Over to You
FEEDBACK ON OUR FEBRUARY ISSUE
WRITE
&
WIN!
BOLD AND HEART-WARMING

BEAUTIFUL TALES OF LOVE
In the early ’60s, as a When I started reading the
20-something in Pune, February cover story, my
I watched The Loudest eyes welled up. Love is fi-
Whisper, a film that talked nally free, and we can now
about same-sex love. At the express it for whomsoever
time the theme was taboo— we wish. There may be
socially, culturally, and hurdles choosing a rela-
above all, legally—and I tionship which is not ‘so-
wanted to forget it. But it left in me cially acceptable’, but love always
a ‘why not’ idea. Love needs support finds a way if it is meant to be.
from all quarters—and even more And these stories, truly heart-
so when it is ‘different’. Love, when warming, give me the hope that
mocked or opposed, turns into bitter- someday, the need to hide your
ness and hatred. And so, it was left feelings or identity and remain
to India’s highest judicial authority in the closet will be in the past.
to come down heavily on an age-old And in the end, love will win.
dogma, to wipe out the injustice done YASHASWINI SUMAN, Pa t n a
to personal choice and freedom. The
Yashaswini Suman gets this month’s
dogmas of the past cannot provide ‘Write & Win’ prize of `1,000. —EDs
solutions for the present or future.
The 97-year-old ‘little magazine that’s
a big read’ rightly thought to celebrate legal and financial issues before
this year’s Valentine’s Day with a cover dying is critical. You should specify,
feature [‘Crazy Little Thing Called in advance, how your assets are to be
Love’] on unique love stories. Your distributed after your death. You can
bold and beautiful approach made the then record your desires on the me-
month of romance a memorable one. dical front and nominate a trusted
DR N. GOPALAKRISHNAN, B e n g a l u r u person, should you become unable
to communicate in the end. Thus,
ALL FOR YOUR LOVED ONES you can depart with a sense of peace,
C. Y. Gopinath deserves high praise knowing you have done your best to
for ‘How to Die Well’. Addressing protect your family.
Æ
OV E R TO YO U
To plan well, one must consult a Nobody Wanted’ by Bill Westbrook.

lawyer with expertise in estate plan- Tom Butterfield gave those boys a
ning. Having acquired the necessary safe haven—a place they could call
legal and financial documents, make home. He gave them what most of
sure to put them in a secure and us fail to give ourselves—acceptance!
accessible location such as a safe This story taught me how kind-
deposit box or a lawyer’s office. ness and patience can go a long way
SANJAY CHOPRA, Mo h a l i in understanding another person.
ARUSHI DOGRA, G h a z i a b a d
GOONJ SHOWS THE WAY
My heart goes out to little Bano, GAMING THE SYSTEM
daughter of Habib Bhai, who would ‘The Man Who Rigged the Lottery’
“go to sleep hugging dead bodies” was more thrilling than the wait to
when it got too cold [‘Power to the know the results of a lottery. Look-
People’]. I am left shaken at the level ing at the mind-boggling jackpot
of deprivation people face, that too that accrues before a ticket hits the
in the nation’s capital. magic numbers, it is only natural
Donors usually focus on giving that people start doubting whether
cash or eatables, but Anshu Gupta’s there’s foul play involved.
Goonj is remarkable for its focus The story reveals how you can
on garments. In most homes, excess game the system into bringing out
paper and clothes become domestic the desired results—of course, with
‘pollutants’. Goonj points at the solu- the connivance of insiders.
tion. Any takers? ANNA MARY YVONNE, C h e n n a i
PROF. MOHAN SINGH, Am r i t s a r
FRIENDSHIP HEALS
O. HENRY’S CLASSIC ‘Lessons of friendship’ brings out
The classic fiction [‘The Last Leaf’] the true meaning of friendship—
by master storyteller O. Henry it is when we consider another
simply delighted me. The moving person’s well-being to be as valu-
story of an old artist who saves the able as our own.
life of a young one—making the ulti- Friendship boosts happiness,
mate sacrifice—by giving her the will reduces stress and improves our
to live has inspired generations. self-esteem and confidence.
M. V. APPARAO, H y d e ra b a d BEENA MATHUR, Pune
A LIFE LESSON LEARNT Write in at editor.india@rd.com. The

best letters discuss RD articles, offer
A smile spread across my face as criticism, share ideas. Do include your
I finished reading ‘The Children phone number and postal address.

Humour in Uniform
“Good God, man, flap harder.”
I WAS INSTRUCTING new recruits in a formal briefing, gave us foolproof

when an officer entered my class- tips if we ever got lost.
room to observe and report on my On the very first night, my naviga-
teaching style. I thought I was on top tion senses eluded me. I could find
of my game that day, but he was quite neither the mess, where I had started,
scrupulous. His written evaluation of nor the residence. Thankfully, I soon
me cited this issue: “Instructor loses heard footsteps and called out for
CARTOON BY NAVIED MAHDAVIAN
eye contact with class while writing help. After repeated attempts, I finally
on blackboard.” HERM VAN LAAR heard a sheepish response and found
my saviour—the adjutant, lost in the
AS A NEWLY COMMISSIONED sub- wilderness, just like me.
altern, my first outdoor exercise was (RETD) LT COL RAKESH SHARMA, N o i d a
in the deserts of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
To help find our way during moonless Reader’s Digest will pay for your funny
anecdote or photo in any of our humour
nights in the Thar terrain, devoid of sections. Post it to the editorial address,
recognizable landmarks, our adjutant, or email: editor.india@rd.com

14
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APRIL 2019
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READER’S DIGEST
P HOTO : © P RA DE E P RA JA KA N N A I AH/ALA M Y STOC K
SEE
THE WORLD ...
Turn the page

16
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APRIL 2019
|
READER’S DIGEST
P HOTO : © STOC K I N AS I A /A LA M Y STO CK PHOTO
... DIFFERENTLY
In the evening, when the temperatures in
Bangkok are at least a little more agreeable,
the gates open to the Talad Rot Fai Night
Market. Its roughly 2,000 stalls offer every-
thing from antique cars to Japanese action
figures—in fact, there is very little here that
can’t be found, that is, outside of a train.
Ironically enough, however, ‘Talad Rot Fai’
translated, actually means ‘train market’.
This name derives from the fact that the
location was once directly next to the train
tracks. When the railway company decided
to expand, the market simply moved to a
new location, taking its name with it.

EVERYDAY
HEROES
Degree Prasad Chouhan is a brave defender of the
marginalized in the troubled state of Chhattisgarh
The Lone Warrior

BY S UCH I S MITA U KIL
“TO BE VICTORIOUS is collo- naming, among others, “comrade

quially called receiving a ‘degree’. Degree Prasad Chouhan, who was
When I was born, it was a moment sent into the interiors by me, has re-
of great joy for my family. My grand- turned … completing the … opera-
mother was the first to call me Degree. tion.” This, to him, is a clear attempt
It stuck, somehow, and that’s the story to link him to the incident of violence
behind my name!” laughs Degree between Dalits and upper-caste
Prasad Chouhan, 39, among the few Peshawas in Bhima Koregaon in 2018.
remaining human-rights defenders Bharadwaj, through her lawyer, has
of Dalit, Bahujan and Adivasi rights rubbished these allegations since.
in the state of Chhattisgarh. While investigating a murder and
P HOTO GRA P H BY V I N AY S H A RM A
Based in Raigarh, and working for possible rape of a local woman back
marginalized communities who are in 2013, the police detained Chou-
often denied their fundamental rights, han in a railway station late at night
Chouhan has been targeted both by on the allegation that he possessed
state and non-state actors. In August ‘Naxal’ literature. “Of course, they
last year, a letter, purportedly written did not find anything and no case
by Sudha Bharadwaj, national secre- could be made,” says Chouhan. “In
tary of the People’s Union for Civil 2015, the local police alleged that I
Liberties, Chhattisgarh, surfaced, was sympathetic to the Naxals. I was

Trained as a lawyer, Degree
Prasad Chouhan began his
crusade against caste injustices
at the young age of 22.

T H E L O N E WA R R I O R
neither arrested, nor did the police Tribal women and children are regu-
register a formal complaint. I was larly trafficked; rapes, murders, fraud,
simply asked to stop my work.” coercion, intimidation, brutality and
Chouhan’s struggle against caste ostracization; lack of equal opportuni-
injustice began way back in 2002, at ties—all of it adds up to simmering dis-
age 22. There was a religious function content. The marginalized often find
in his village, Bardoli, where 13 sur- themselves caught between an oppres-
rounding villages were sive state and the out-
involved. “Everyone lawed Naxals. “Where
worked together to do we go; why should
make it a success, but
That’s when we go?” he asks.
during the celebrations, it hit him: Trained as a lawyer,
the upper castes refused No matter how Chouhan was denied
to pray alongside Dalits.” enrollment into Chha-
That’s when it hit him: hard he worked, ttisgarh’s bar council.
No matter how hard he he would never Though he doesn’t prac-
studied or worked, he tise yet, he has helped
would never be good be good enough. file over 200 cases against
enough. “That was the various injustices, and is
day the new me was born,” he says. one of the founders of the Adivasi Dalit
The Dalits in his village were always Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh.
segregated—in their mohalla, schools Chouhan is currently trying to estab-
or playgrounds. “Teachers would not lish that the dispossession of Dalits and
touch us with their bare hands while tribals from their land without their
punishing us; they used wooden ru- consent is a crime under the Sched-
lers to strike us,” he says, recalling the uled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
life of an untouchable. But it wasn’t (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. “The
until the grown-ups showed him the use of the POA Act has seldom been
place of a Dalit in society that it hit used to hold corporations accountable
him. “I was crushed. Then angered.” for human rights abuses. It genuinely
Acceptance, as the final stage of that offers a fresh opportunity,” he says.
grief, never came however. “Some- Simultaneously, he has been working
thing needed to be done for my Dalit on issues of human trafficking and
brothers and sisters, who were suffer- bonded labour in Chhattisgarh, Odisha
ing or dying.” Caste-based violence and Jharkhand. In the face of every ef-
continues unabated in a state like fort to silence him, Chouhan continues
Chhattisgarh, where land-grabbing on his path relentlessly and fearlessly.
by mining companies, in cahoots with His grandmother would be very proud
the local administration, is rampant. today that she called him Degree.

Laugh Lines
TIME FOR A REALITY TECH
If Leonardo da Vinci were If I’m ever feeling down,

alive today, the Mona Lisa I just type “Yo are the best”
would have been called into Google. Then it responds,
‘IMG-20121020-00463.jpg’. “I think you mean: You are the
@SADPERUNA best”. And I feel much better.
JACK BARRY, c o m e d i a n
Before you buy that

nice jacket online, ask
Moses was technically
yourself, “Am I willing
the first person to down-
to delete one extra
load files to his tablet
email every day for
from the cloud. @ADDIANE
the rest of my life?”
@AARONFULLERTON
My computer
My Roomba just gave
just went into me an
the corner and ‘Error 404’
knocked over message,
the broom which can’t
that was lean- be right,
ing there. because I
B E S JU N I O R /S HU T T E RSTOC K
Dude, chill know I’ve

out. You made way
already got more errors
the job. than that.
@DMC1138
@BURNIE

VOICES VIEWS
Department of Wit
Keeping
The Faith
I want to help my kids
explore religion—but
I’m not exactly a picture
of piousness myself
BY A LI H ASSA N
I WASN’T exposed to religion My wife, Madiha, is a Muslim who

very much growing up. Or so I went to Catholic school for most of
thought. Compared to my four her life. I was a student in the public
children, I could be the esteemed board but attended Muslim Sunday
ILLUSTRATION BY HARTLEY LIN
leader of a sizable congregation. You School every single week until the
can’t blame the kids, who range in age of 15. Sadly, an award for Best
age from three to 14—they’re far too Attendance, Poorest Performance
young to drive themselves to the could have been mine for the taking.
nearest place of worship. And even I had no retention for religion. By the
if they weren’t, they wouldn’t know end of my tenure, my peers had all
which religious edifice to walk into, graduated, and my class consisted of
or what to do once they got there. me—miserable and the size of an

adult male—and a bunch of perky ME: Honey! Your son has some
10-year-olds. That set-up wasn’t questions for you!
great for my self-esteem or my I know. Not exactly helpful. But the
relationship with my faith. truth is, I don’t know what I believe
Fast forward to today: I’m content myself. I take comfort in the spiritual
to be a ‘cultural Muslim’—which is to elements of religion, but how can I
say, Islam is a part of my social and instill a faith in my kids that I don’t
creative life, but I don’t practise the really have? My Muslim identity was
religion. forged following years of introspec-
I’m also the father of tion, deliberation, dis-
two stepdaughters and crimination ... and that
two sons. I first met my time I first tried pepper-
girls when they were I’m content to oni. It’s difficult to pass
three and five years be a ‘cultural these kinds of things on
old—beautiful products to a six-year-old.
of my wife’s first Muslim’—which But I’m trying. These
marriage. is to say, Islam days, I’ve been asking
When Madiha and Maaz what he under-
I wed, and she brought is a part of my stands. I started with
up the possibility social and the basics: “What do
of giving the girls a Muslims believe in?” I
religious education,
creative life, but asked one afternoon.
I said I’d look into it. I don’t practise He replied “In Jesus.”
But hockey was on, and the religion. Then, about 10 seconds
I got distracted. For later, “Oh, and the
eight years. prophet Muhammad.”
When my son Maaz We’re getting some-
started junior kindergarten two where! Here’s a more recent
years ago, he became curious exchange:
about religion. Here’s one of
our early conversations: MAAZ: So, Papa, if someone is bad,
then they go to hell, right?
MAAZ: Papa, are we Muslim? ME: Who the hell knows.
ME: Of course we are. MADIHA: Ali!
MAAZ: Do we go to the mosque? ME: Sorry! Yes, son. Bad people go
ME: No, son. You’d have noticed if to hell.
we went to the mosque. It’s a small step. But at least I’m
MAAZ: Papa, why don’t we go to directly answering his questions
the mosque? now.

MY FIRST JOB
From working at a nightclub to publishing books—

the learnings for this CEO have been rich and varied
‘My big takeaway: Paying

attention to others’ needs’
BY AN A NTH PA DM AN A B HA N
AS TOLD TO BLESSY AUGUSTINE
I COME FROM A FAMILY OF and Shiv decided to take on the role

BOOK LOVERS. My uncle used to himself. So I would work at the book-
run a lending library close to our store Monday to Friday and manage
house in Chennai, and, as kids, my the nightclub on Saturday nights and
brother and I would spend our eve- Sunday afternoons.
nings reading at the library or bring- It was the excitement of doing
ing books home. So after my 12th something new that led me to take
standard exams, when I had some up both jobs. But I soon learnt that
time on my hands, I decided to work I had to subdue my boyish glee. For
in a bookstore as a floor manager. instance, at the nightclub I couldn’t
Landmark was the big store in town dance or drink. I had to be a profes-
back then. I had to go through four sional and make sure that everyone
interviews to get the job. Obeid, my else was having a good time. It
mentor, wasn’t testing to see if I was wasn’t always easy. Guests often got
skilled enough for the job; he just drunk and boisterous, and I had to
wanted to make sure that I was seri- ensure that one person’s fun wasn’t
ous enough. ruining another’s night. We would
Around the same time, my friend even go out of the hotel to the au-
Shiv, who used to run a nightclub torickshaw stand and make sure
called Zouk at The Ambassador in nothing untoward was happening
Chennai, asked me if I could manage there. Paying attention to the needs
the club for him. His DJ had split of others is something I have carried

forward in my role as a CEO in book
publishing. People spend eight to
10 hours in their workspaces and
for me it’s always been important to
think about how I can make it worth-
while for them.
Life at the bookstore was like
working at a candy store. I would
pore over the books whenever I
could. I was one of the people in
charge of the front display where all
the new books were stacked. Those
were pre-internet and pre-mobile
phone days. The publisher would
tell us in person or over the tele-
phone about the latest Jeffrey Archer
or Wilbur Smith novel. But when a
customer came up to me and asked
about the new Wilbur Smith, I would
be surprised about how he/she came
to know about it. The journey of a Ananth Padmanabhan is the CEO
book—from being written to making of HarperCollins Publishers India.
very young age. Both jobs were part

of the service industry, and hence,
The only thing I they taught me to pay attention to
don’t miss is getting nuances while catering to a reader
PHOTO COURTESY: ANANTH PADMANABHAN
or entertaining a customer. I learnt

couples to stop making about behaviour patterns, read-
out in the club! ing habits, culture trends and knew
where to look for them too. I still use
those ‘consumer insights’ as a pub-
it to a bookstore to people hearing lisher. The only thing I don’t miss is
about it—fascinated me; it still does. getting couples to stop making out
It was because of these jobs that I in the club! My learning curve was
grew up much faster. For instance, I steep and both jobs helped me un-
bought my first motorcycle with my derstand that my love for books over-
earnings, while still in college. That rides everything else—which is why
meant that I took my first loan at a I do what I do.

THE FUTURE OF ELECTIONS
Coming up: The greatest reality show on earth
Voting in the Digital Age

BY SA M IT B AS U
AS WE HEAD TOWARDS the largest election

in history, it’s time to consider the future of elections
themselves. Democracy is in a state of tumult worldwide,
and futurists have been predicting the demise or subver-
sion of the nation-state for years: Some predict a world
ruled by corporations, others by algorithms. In many
ways, we already live in the former, and we can all think
SAMIT BASU is a
of several countries that are democracies in name only.
novelist who has What happens next?
spent the last three A free and just electoral process, guided by the principle
years researching of universal adult franchise, remains a fundamental need
the near future for the representation of people’s rights and interests in
for his next book.
governments. Safeguarding elections in troubled times,
‘The Future of’
is a monthly and ensuring that they continue to exist in an ever-changing
speculative series future, should remain part of humanity’s most vital goals.
about global As we add ever-accelerating technological change to
socio-political this pot—in a world where millions are battling for eco-
and cultural nomic and social relevance—it becomes clear this is no
trends.
easy task. At every stage in the electoral process, we’re
I L LU ST RAT I O N BY K E S HAV KA P I L
going to see new opportunities, but also many dangers.

PRE-ELECTIONS: Personalized propaganda has already
swung elections in several countries, both internally and
via hostile foreign powers. The battle against fake news
and mass emotion-hacking will become even more vital
with every new evolution of mass media. But why would
politicians who rode to victory on propaganda take any
step to contain it, and when the erosion of institutions is
only to their advantage? New ways to polarize populations

will be found: The consequent mass
violence will only grow more terrify-
ing. On the bright side, new commu-
nications technology also allows
marginalized minorities to find their
voices more effectively.
Campaigning methods will also
change with holograms and drones
for mass rallies, but new forms
of social/personal media will be
the final frontier, especially after
smartglasses become commonplace. counting and the speed at which
One thing that will never change is rumours of corruption spread online
electoral candidates’ desire to put don’t make a good combination,
their faces on every existing surface. as seen in the Philippines and else-
India is unlikely to see artificial where. Blockchain was recently cited
intelligence candidates for a while, as a good way to make e-elections
but they’ll exist soon enough. more secure, but even more recently
Campaign finance will remain a it was shown to be hackable. Both
massive concern, with ever-increasing solutions and problems in this space
innovative ways to bypass regulations. will continue to evolve very fast.
Of greatest concern, though, POST-ELECTIONS: Counting
is new ways to hack and mani- processes, reporting methods
pulate voter lists in the data age, and post-results propaganda are
to manipulate results for every all areas of vulnerability. This is
seat and, most importantly, exclude not just about tech: We’re going to
entire demographics from voting. see political candidates behave in
ELECTIONS: Cyberattacks on elec- innovatively strange ways to respond
tion-related data and infrastructure to new opportunities.
are already a massive threat world- Whatever the case studies
wide. Paper ballots aren’t tamper- from elsewhere, it’s important
proof, nor are election booths—and in to remember there is no electoral
the future, the rise of electronic voting, system as vast, diverse and compli-
and eventually, online voting are in- cated as India’s: and therein lies,
evitable: Estonia already votes online. along with danger, hope. The future
I N D I A P I C T U RE
While e-voting makes for larger of elections depends on the future

participation, especially among of politics, and if people were able
younger voters, the dangers are to predict that, we’d be living in a
obvious. The time lag in paper-ballot very different world.

YOU BE THE JUDGE
When they didn’t get their album right away, they

trashed the photographer—all over the internet
The Case of the Wedding

Couple Out for Revenge
BY V I CKI GL E MBO CK I
A MONTH after her October 2014 But three weeks later, Neely emailed
wedding, Neely Moldovan emailed again to ask for the photos. The man-
her photographer and asked for a ager explained the timeline again and
CD with her wedding photos. Ac- reminded Neely that she was waiting
cording to Neely, the disc was part for the couple to order and pay for the
of the $6,000 package she had pur- album cover, which cost an additional
chased from Andrea Polito, a popular $125 to $225. A few weeks later, on
wedding photographer in the Dallas 29 December, Andrew emailed, ask-
I LLU ST R ATI ON BY N OM A B A R
area, USA. However, Polito said that ing for the photos and claiming that
Neely and her husband, Andrew the cost of the cover had been in-
Moldovan, hadn’t filled out the al- cluded in the package. Sensing the
bum order form, which she required couple’s frustration, the studio offered
before delivering the photo disc. to give them the CD when the album
After Polito’s studio manager ex- design was approved (and not, as
plained the situation, the bride stipulated in their contract, when it
responded, “Sounds great!” was completed). The Moldovans

demanded the photos pronto. and the Moldovans shared a link on
Hoping to smooth things over, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and
Polito herself emailed Neely on Neely’s beauty and lifestyle blog. The
14 January 2015, asking for their blowback got so bad that Polito took
cover choice. Polito says she intended down her Facebook page.
to waive the additional cost, but the About two months later, on
couple still didn’t make a selection. 18 March, Polito filed a defamation
In fact, on that very day, a reporter suit against the Moldovans, claiming
from NBC 5 was interviewing them. that they had “instituted a public
They had sent the station an email smear campaign” intended to “harm”
with the subject line “Help us get our her business. The couple argued that
wedding photos we paid for”. The they were simply exercising their right
segment aired two days later. It to free speech and that the suit was an
showed the Moldovans saying that attempt to “silence and punish” them.
Polito had “cheated” and “scammed”
them and that she “blatantly stole Did the bride and groom defame
money while holding [their] pictures their wedding photographer by airing
ransom and then adding on extra their complaints to the press and on
fees”. Several websites ran the story, social media? You be the judge.
THE VERDICT
Yes, they did. Defamation is a difficult claim to prove. In this case, Polito needed
to show not only that the couple had harmed her personal and professional
reputation but also that they had done it “with malice”. The damage to her
business was clear. “Andrea never booked another wedding after that show
aired,” says her attorney, Dave Wishnew. “She had to get out of the lease for
her office space and let all her staff go.” But it was the Moldovans’ own online
comments—such as “We are hoping that our story … completely ruins her
business” and, after the NBC segment aired, “No one is ever going to want to
hire her”—that cost them. The Dallas District Court agreed with Polito’s claims
and ruled in July 2017 that the couple had published false statements about
Polito and disparaged her business. The court ordered the Moldovans to pay
Polito more than $1 million. As Polito’s attorney reminded the jury, “Freedom
of speech is not freedom from consequences.”
Agree? Disagree? Sound off at editor.india@rd.com.

IT HAPPENS
Only in India
“I need only one. Can I get the free one?”
DID YOU KNOW cutting a cake can the Arms Act (among others). The
land you in jail? In December 2018, three were then remanded in judicial
M. Krishnamurthy, a food delivery custody after being produced before
man in Chennai decided, quite bi- a magistrate court. Jailhouse Rock for
zarrely, to cut his birthday cake with a birthday jingle!
a two-foot-long machete, which was Source: The Times of India
handed to him by his friends, Sunil

and Nivas Kumar. The act, recorded IF HUMANS CAN drive buses, surely
in a 15-second video, was shared on- monkeys can do it too. In late 2018
line and went viral on social media. in Karnataka, this observation was
RA J U E P U RI
The baffling incident caught the demonstrated by a monkey who de-

attention of the police who regis- cided to have a go at the steering
tered a case against them under wheel. According to reports, the

monkey boarded a state transport bus
and headed straight to the driver’s WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN?
seat, refusing to budge. Amused, and
a little helpless, by the monkey’s an-
tics, M. Prakash, the driver allowed
the monkey to take charge of the ve-
hicle, while holding on to the steering
wheel from behind his ‘surprise
guest’. None of the 30-odd passengers
seemed to be too alarmed by this.
Unfortunately, a video of the inci-
dent led to Prakash’s suspension later.
The monkey, for his part, left the bus A unique cleanliness drive.
once it reached its destination, walk- Spotted by SANJAY PATHAK, Jalandhar
ing into the sunset, without so much
as a backward glance—like a true THE UTTAR PRADESH government is
Hollywood Western hero. Source: BBC looking to revive a dying trend among
its police personnel—that of sporting
QUITE OFTEN, Google Maps loves big, twirly moustaches. The iconic
to play pranks (unintentionally) on ‘manly’ trend seems to have declined
the unsuspecting traveller, leading in recent years, but the additional di-
them up the path to nowhere, or to rector general of the provincial armed
a destination quite far from the in- constabulary, Binod Kumar Singh,
tended one. That’s when the local seems determined to turn the script
people and the good old ways to around. How? Those who sport robust
find a place come in. moustaches will be rewarded. A pro-
Take for instance, the case of the posal to increase the allowance for
popular Baga Beach in Goa. Tired of maintaining a moustache from `50 to
dealing with lost visitors who have `250 is also in the works, Singh says.
been misled by the app suggesting a He feels this will “boost the personal-
wrong route to the beach, the local ity” of the cops. We can only hope that
people have put up a banner that there are equally robust measures to
clearly says: “You are fooled by bring down the crime rate in the state.
Google Maps. This road doesn’t Source: Hindustan Times
lead to Baga Beach!!! Turn back —COMPILED BY SAPTAK CHOUDHURY
and take a left turn, Baga is 1 km

from here.” Now, this is a ‘feature’ Reader’s Digest will pay for contributions
to this column. Post your suggestions
you can never expect from smart with the source to the editorial address,
mapping solutions! Source: indiatoday.in or email: editor.india@rd.com.

SOME POSITIVE STORIES THAT CAME OUR WAY
Good News
BY SAP TAK C H OUD H URY AN D JAM ES H ADL E Y
Tech learning for all

EDUCATION Young children
in villages and slums across
India are gaining access
to the power of technology
thanks to these dedicated
and remarkable individuals.
Recognizing the vast talent
pool in Tamil Nadu’s rural
areas, 31-year-old K. Suriya K. Suriya Prabha with students from Mukthi
Prabha founded YouCode Vinayagar Middle School in Cumbum, Tamil Nadu
Intelligence Solutions, which
helps students in government schools teaches STEAM (science, technology,
learn about artificial intelligence (AI). engineering, arts and maths) subjects,
Using Amazon and Google AI kits to including coding and app develop-
make learning more fun and interac- ment, to children living in slums. Star-
PHOTO COURTESY: K. SURIYA PRABHA; HEROES— PADMANAV

tive, the YouCode team has so far con- ting with 15 students in one centre in
ducted five workshops, each attended Dharavi, Mumbai in 2012, today the
by around 400 students. Prabha hopes organization boasts six centres across
that, soon, more girls will enter the six Indian cities, training nearly 2,500
male-dominated technology industry. students nationwide.
Mumbai-based documentary film- Ranjan’s belief is that storytelling
maker Nawneet Ranjan is on a similar and technology can and should play a
mission. His non-profit Dharavi Diary larger role in India’s education system.
C HO U DHU RY FAC E B O OK PAG E
“My headmaster used to say: Why don’t you do proper

work instead of playing with the birds in your garden?”
Car l Jo nes , t h e 6 4 - y e a r- o l d b i o l o g i s t c r e d i t e d w i t h s av i n g m o r e t h re at e n e d s p e c i e s
f r o m e xt i n c t i o n t h a n a ny o t h e r p e r s o n a l i v e t o d a y .

Litter-picking crows to educate people not to throw
ENVIRONMENT A historical theme their garbage on the ground,” he
Sources: Education—News18.com, 08.03.18; Quartz, 25.07.17. Environment—The Guardian, 11.8.18. Transport—Popular Mechanics, 24.9.18. Heroes—OdishaTV.in, 03.01.19.
park in France has enlisted some un- says. “Sometimes it’s good to make
likely help in clearing up litter left by people feel a little bit guilty.”
visitors: six rooks. The Puy du Fou
park in the Vendée region has trained Tram that drives itself
the birds to pick up litter by installing TRANSPORT Europe’s first self-
a small box that delivers a nugget of driving tram has been successfully
food each time one of the birds depo- trialled on a six-kilometre route in
sits a cigarette butt or piece of rubbish. Potsdam, Germany. The autonomous
“The goal is not just to clear up, Combino tram, looks like any other
but also to show that nature itself can tram but uses radar, laser technology
teach us to take care of the environ- and camera sensors as multiple vir-
ment,” says Nicolas de Villiers, presi- tual eyes to view oncoming traffic.
dent of the park, which receives two Travelling at up to the track maxi-
million visitors a year. De Villiers says mum of 50 km per hour, it can res-
the birds are “very fast” and can fill a pond to hazards up to 100 metres
box in less than 45 minutes. “We want ahead faster than a human.
HEROES: A DARING RESCUE
ON 2 JANUARY 2019, nine lives were lost

when a boat capsized in the Mahanadi river
in the Kendrapara district of Odisha. The toll
could have been much higher had it not been
for three brave girls, who put their lives on the
line to save more than 20 people.
Subhasmita Sahoo, and sisters Purnima Giri
and Sabita Giri, emerged as heroes in this tragic
incident. According to Odishatv.in, not only did
Subhasmita swim to the river mouth, she also Sisters Purnima and
managed to rescue the lives of eight others Sabita Giri earned high
(including her mother) by dragging them to praise for their bravery.
safety. The Giri sisters also saved the lives of more than 10 passengers.
Subsequently, the Odisha government honoured the sisters as ‘heroes’
who ‘represent the bravery and compassion of young Odisha’.

Points to Ponder
If you are religious, then remember
that this bomb is Man’s challenge
to God. It’s worded quite simply:
We have the power to destroy
everything that You have created.
If you’re not religious, then look at
it this way. This world of ours is
4,60,00,00,000 years old. It could
end in an afternoon.
ARUNDHATI ROY,
writer and activist
BE A GOOD steward of your gifts. ONE OF THE MOST exciting and

Protect your time. Feed your inner energetic forms of thought is the
life. Avoid too much noise. Read good question. I always think that the
books, have good sentences in your question is like a lantern. It
ears. Be by yourself as often as you illuminates new landscapes and
can. Walk. Take the phone off the new areas as it moves. Therefore,
hook. Work regular hours. the question always assumes that
there are many different dimensions
JANE KENYON, to a thought that you are either blind
p o e t a n d t ra n s l a t o r
to or that are not available to you. So
a question is really one of the forms
IT IS NOT NECESSARILY at home that in which wonder expresses itself …
we best encounter our true selves. All thinking that is imbued with
W I K I P E D I A /AU GU ST U S B I N U
The furniture insists that we cannot wonder is graceful and gracious

change because it does not; the do- thinking … And thought, if it’s not
mestic setting keeps us tethered to the open to wonder, can be limiting,
person we are in ordinary life, who destructive and very, very
may not be who we essentially are. dangerous.
ALAIN DE BOTTON, JOHN O’DONOHUE,

p h i l o s o p h e r, i n T h e A r t o f T rav e l p o e t , w r i t e r, p r i e s t a n d p h i l o s o p h e r

PAINTERS HAVE a knowledge that goes BECAUSE WE HUMANS are big and
beyond words. They are where musi- clever enough to produce and utilize
cians are. When someone blows the antibiotics and disinfectants, it is easy
saxophone, the sky is made of copper. to convince ourselves that we have
When you make a watercolour, you banished bacteria to the fringes
know how it feels to be the sea lying of existence. Don’t you believe it.
early in the day in the proximity of Bacteria may not build cities or have
light. Painters have always experienced interesting social lives, but they will
the oneness of things. They are aware be here when the Sun explodes. This
that there is interference and interven- is their planet, and we are on it only
tion between the world and ourselves because they allow us to be.
… I write what I see, paint what I am.
BILL BRYSON,
ETEL ADNAN, journalist and writer
artist, poet and essayist
UNDERSTANDING A PROPOSAL or
I THINK we ought to read only the kind a form of human behaviour means
of books that wound and stab us. If the containing it, containing its author,
book we’re reading doesn’t wake us up putting oneself in his place, identifying
with a blow on the head, what are we with him. No normal human being will
reading it for? … We need the books ever be able to identify with Hitler,
that affect us like a disaster, that grieve Himmler, Goebbels, Eichmann and the
us deeply, like the death of someone endless others. This dismays us, but at
we loved more than ourselves, like the same time it provides a sense of
being banished into forests far from relief, because perhaps it is desirable
everyone, like a suicide. A book must that their words and their deeds
be the axe for the frozen sea inside us. cannot be comprehensible to us. They
are non-human words and deeds ...
FRANZ KAFKA,
writer PRIMO LEVI,
c h e m i s t , w r i t e r a n d Ho l o c a u s t s u r v i v o r
IF A MAN has lost a leg or an eye, he
knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but THE BEST BOOKS are on the internet.
if he has lost a self—himself—he can- The best peers are on the internet. The
not know it, because he is no longer tools for learning are abundant. It’s the
there to know it. desire to learn that’s scarce.
OLIVER SACKS, NAVAL RAVIKANT,

neurologist and writer entrepreneur

FINISH THIS SENTENCE
Life is too
short to … … be anything
but happy.
… think DR RUKSHANA AFSAR,
New D elhi
about
how to finish
a sentence.
Make your own
… keep dieting. headlines, instead.
Enjoy your food without URVASHI RAUTELA DAS,
worrying about ‘weighty’ Rishikesh
issues. … worry about
NIDA KHWAJA,
G haziab ad
growing old.
Accept the changes of ageing
willingly and be yourself.
… take your PENNATHUR CHANDRASEKARAN,
Coimb atore
loved ones for granted.
SASWATI SENGUPTA, Kolkata
… read all the

… untangle books
headphone wires out there. Wish there
was more time.
on a daily basis.
DEEPAK PUROHIT,
DEEPAK SAXENA, Bilaspur,
Bhop al
Chhattisgarh
… postpone your priorities.

ANJALI M. NAIK, Ernakulam

ART of LIVING
DO THE
RIGHT
THING
How to make
choices that reflect
your values
BY LU C R I NA LDI

DO THE RIGHT THING
ASTRID BAUMGARDNER HAD are most important to them from a

grown accustomed to her morning list: honesty, structure, family and so
routine. Her husband, a securities on. “Those qualities are influenced
lawyer, woke up each day excited by your parents, your culture and
to head to the office; Baumgardner, society as a whole,” she says, “but
meanwhile, felt more inclined to stay you have to take ownership of your
in bed. She should have loved her own decisions.”
job: she was a partner at a law firm Here’s the tricky part: almost all
in New York and brought in a hefty of these qualities are things most
salary. But she couldn’t muster the of us aspire to hold dear. “There
enthusiasm she saw in her hus- are a lot of ‘shoulds’,” Baumgardner
band—the position didn’t fulfill says. For instance, we feel like
her need to help people or give we should covet adventure, even
her a sense of purpose. when, in reality, we spend our free
So, in 2000, after 24 years in law, time bingeing on Netflix series. To
she left the profession, sacrificing determine which principles are more
prestige for passion. After a series than just aspirational, she asks her
of positions in different fields, she clients to reflect on situations that
earned her certificate as a life coach resonate with them.
in 2008 and started her own business. For one of Baumgardner’s stu-
Today, as a lecturer and coordina- dents, creativity and lifelong learning
tor of career strategies at the Yale was key. “He felt that being in an
University School of Music (a posi- orchestra would stifle that desire—
tion she’s held since 2011—and he wouldn’t have autonomy over
loves), Baumgardner helps students what and how he played,” she says.
make decisions as tough as her own. After graduating, he launched a
Through her story and theirs, she’s career as a soloist and lecturer, and
discovered that people feel most became the director of a new music
fulfilled when they choose options ensemble that premieres works by
that align with their most deeply contemporary composers.
held values.
Here’s how to stay true to yours. Find the best time
Identifying your values will steer
Know your values you in the right direction, but a
If you hope to shape your life accord- few strategies can help you follow
ing to your ideals, you have to know through. Before you make a big
what those ideals are. Baumgardner decision, do something that will
begins her sessions by having par- put you in a good mood: exercise,
ticipants identify the concepts that socialize with friends, volunteer.

R E A D E R S D I G E S T. C O . I N
Researchers theorize that such lots of values we hold dear, and they
activities enhance our mood, which frequently come into conflict with
boosts dopamine levels in certain one another,” says Peters. “It’s not so
areas of the brain, improving our much that people don’t know what
cognitive abilities and helping us they want; it’s that there are many
weigh different options. things we desire, and we don’t always
In one 2013 study, Ohio State Uni- know how to make the trade-off.”
versity (OSU) psychology professor A retired couple, for example,
Ellen Peters followed two groups: might be torn between yearning to
one that received small bags of be actively involved in their
candy and one that didn’t. grandchildren’s lives and
The mild positive feel- using their free time to
ings inspired the gift- travel. While a single
influenced subjects decision can seem like
to make better a tug-of-war between
choices and im- competing impulses,
proved their working broader life choices
memory. “If you can don’t need to be a
make someone just a definitive either/or.
little happier, they may That aspiring-globetrotter
become a better decision pair might temporarily put
maker,” says Peters, who is also off an epic trip to explore locations
the director of OSU’s Decision closer to home, or commit to
Sciences Collaborative. setting aside time for a vacation
Trouble is, the toughest decisions with their family every summer,
often arrive at the most inconvenient no matter what else comes up.
times. When you’re under duress, An omnivore yearning to cut out
Peters recommends consulting a animal products may find it easiest
family member, a friend or, in certain to make small-scale adjustments that
cases, a professional. They can provide support the principles that prompted
advice that’s not tinged by the work his dietary shift. If he opposes factory
deadline, spousal drama or a leaky farming, he could consider eating
roof sapping your mental energy. ethically raised meat; if he’s after
health benefits, he can opt for what
Balance all options food guru Mark Bittman refers to as
Of course, people make decisions a “vegan before 6 p.m.” diet.
that contradict their ideals all the
time, no matter how single-minded Stay the course
or happy they may be. “There are At Yale, students often stumble

DO THE RIGHT THING
into Baumgardner’s office when no shame in revising your core

they’re grappling with major values. If you’re determined to
decisions or life changes. Though pitch in at an out-of-the-cold
each case is unique, Baumgardner meal programme but spend the
typically starts by examining what evening with pals instead, maybe
led her client down a path, then camaraderie is more important to
brainstorming ways for you than volunteerism.
them to reclaim that Better yet, find
inspiration. opportunities to give
A pianist might
If your values back with your friends.
benefit from listening align with who You may also learn that
to the composer who you really are, what you believed was a
sparked her interest core priority actually
in the instrument, for no one has to has much more to do
example. Following ask you to make with living up to the
that, surrounding expectations of your
yourself with people those choices. parents, co-workers
who share your or culture. “If your
passion can also values align with who
prevent you from faltering. “A group you really are, no one will have to
can remind you, ‘Hey, we’re doing ask you to make those choices,”
this because we love it’,” she says. Baumgardner says. “It’ll just
If you’re still struggling, there’s feel right.”
AMAZING ANAGRAMS
Is it mere coincidence that you can rearrange the letters

in the words on the left to get the words on the right?
Dormitory = Dirty room

The Morse code = Here come dots
Slot machines = Cash lost in ’em
Snooze alarms = Alas! No more Zs
Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one
ahajokes.com

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and treat an attack
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With
Gallstones
BY SA MAN TH A R I D E OU T
FOR A SMALL, inessential body doesn’t drain out from the gall
part, the gall bladder can cause a lot bladder completely, over time it
of pain. Roughly the shape and size crystallizes to form gallstones,” he ex-
of a pear, the organ sits in the right plains. Another reason is the change
side of your abdomen. Its job is to in the bile’s concentration. Bile con-
store bile, a liquid produced by the sists of bile salts, electrolytes, bile
liver that helps you digest the fats in pigments, cholesterol and other fats.
your diet. The gall bladder releases When their delicate balance gets
the liquid, as needed, into the small thrown off, these components can
intestine. crystallize. The medical term for gall-
“As you age, the gall bladder loses stones is cholelithiasis and they can
I N DI A P I C T U R E
its ability to contract properly,” says be as tiny as grains of sand or as large

Dr Sandeep Guleria, renal transplant as golf balls. In at least 75 per cent of
surgeon at Delhi’s Indraprastha cases, gallstones don’t cause symp-
Apollo Hospitals. “Since the bile toms or complications and therefore

don’t require treatment. liver to release more cholesterol in
However, should a stone tempo- the bile, disrupting bile’s chemical
rarily block one of the bile ducts balance. “Rapid weight loss or gain
leading in and out of the gall bladder, can cause stones to form and can
the result is a sudden, short-lived trigger symptoms, so controlled
bout of gripping or gnawing pain in weight loss is best,” says Ryder.
the abdomen, rib cage area or shoul- If you already suffer from symp-
der. This won’t cause lasting damage, tomatic gallstones and the attacks
but you might like to visit a general are mild, you could manage their
physician to confirm that it is indeed effects with painkillers; a low-fat diet
gallstones and not another problem, may also make a modest difference.
such as an ulcer. If your symptoms are severe and fre-
Longer-term or per- quent, the only effec-
manent duct blockage tive treatment is the
can lead to serious surgical removal of
complications, like in-
fections and inflam-
mation. Therefore,
10% the gall bladder.
You can live without
the organ: Your liver
you should see a doc-
tor immediately if you
experience symptoms
to
15% will still produce bile,
which will drip di-
rectly into the small
that include jaundice, of all adults have intestine rather than
fever, chills or inces- gallstones, although collecting in the gall
sant pain. bladder first. Post-sur-
only 1/4 of them will
Gallstones have a gery, approximately
greater chance of de- develop symptoms. one in 10 patients
veloping in women, experience occasional
adults over the age of diarrhoea as their di-
40 and people with a family history gestive systems adapt to the continu-
of the condition. A major contribut- ous release of bile. The diarrhoea
ing factor, according to Guleria, is a may last anywhere from weeks to
diet high in fat and cholesterol as it years, but medications called bile
puts an added strain on both the acid binders can help control this
liver and the gall bladder. Another unpleasant side effect.
correctable risk factor is obesity, says For most people, though, the
Dr Stephen Ryder, medical advisor difference between having a gall
to the British Liver Trust. But Ryder bladder and not having one is
cautions against shedding weight rather unnoticeable.
quickly. Crash diets can cause the —WITH INPUTS BY BLESSY AUGUSTINE

NEWS FROM THE
World of Medicine
10 minutes of exercise
can improve memory
Can’t find your keys? Go for a quick
walk or do a few yoga poses. In a
recent study, brain imaging of 36
healthy young adults who had just
exercised for 10 minutes showed
improved connectivity between the
parts of the brain thought to help
lay down new memories and the
parts involved in detailed memory
processing. The participants also
improved their performance on a A new tool predicts multiple
recall test. The researchers now sclerosis disability
plan to run studies in older adults Using a new MRI technique, a team
to understand whether regular light of researchers measured iron levels in
exercise alters the brain’s structure different parts of the brain in 600 peo-
and function over time. ple with multiple sclerosis (MS) and
250 healthy controls. They found that
Hot baths help your heart individuals with MS had higher iron
A study of 873 men and women levels in the basal ganglia, which con-
between the ages of 60 and 76 showed trol movement, and lower levels in the
that those who took at least five hot thalamus, which helps process signals
baths (with temperatures over 41°C) from the senses. (The more iron you
every week had significantly lower have in your body, the more you are
markers of atherosclerosis, the likely to have in your brain, but that
hardening and narrowing of the doesn’t necessarily mean you will
arteries that can lead to heart attacks develop MS.) These findings could
and strokes. More research is needed one day help doctors better identify
to determine exactly how baths help which MS patients are at high risk
your heart, but it’s possible that for developing severe disability,
the benefits are due to lower stress including symptoms such as loss
levels and decreased blood pressure. of vision, tremors and paralysis.

Hope for AIDS cure life expectancy and a reduced risk
An HIV-positive man in Britain has of heart disease and osteoporosis.
become the world’s second adult to be (At the same time, it is linked to an
cleared of the AIDS virus. The patient increased risk of breast, endometrial
received bone marrow stem cells from and ovarian cancer.)
a donor with a rare genetic mutation Among the 914 women in the study
that resists HIV infection and adminis- (who ranged from 40 to 65 years old),
tered antiretroviral medication. the average age of menopause was
Now, 18 months post-treatment, 50.5 years. Those who ate 85 grams
even highly sensitive tests show that of oily fish (such as salmon and
he is HIV-free. “There is no virus there trout) every day started menopause
that we can measure. We can’t detect an average of 3.3 years later than
anything,” said Dr Ravindra Gupta, those who didn’t. Women who
currently a professor at Cambridge typically ate 73 grams of fresh
University and HIV biologist, who was legumes (such as green and lima
part of the team treating the patient. beans) daily, delayed
While the result could spell good menopause by
news for the more than 37 million 0.9 years. Fresh
people worldwide currently living legumes are a
with HIV, experts express caution. good source of
According to Gupta, his patient is antioxidants,
“functionally cured” and “in remi- while omega-3
ssion”, but adds, “It’s too early to say fatty acids in
he’s cured.” Sharon Lewin, co-chair of oily fish can in-
the International AIDS Society’s cure crease antioxidant
research advisory board, told Reuters, activity, which slows
“We haven’t cured HIV, but [this] gives down the egg cell
us hope that it’s going to be feasible maturation that leads
one day to eliminate the virus.” to menopause.
On the other hand, eating around
Diet can delay menopause 210 grams per day of pasta and rice
KI I A N OKSA N A /S H U T T E RSTO C K
A four-year study conducted by was associated with menopause that

researchers at England’s University began 18 months earlier, on average.
of Leeds is the first to demonstrate High consumption of refined carbs
that what women eat affects when increases the risk of insulin resis-
they will go through menopause, tance, which can lead to higher
which, in turn, can have significant oestrogen levels and a more rapid
health effects. Later-in-life meno- depletion of egg cells, which might
pause is associated with a longer trigger an earlier menopause.

FOOD
A wonder brew that is good for you
Apple Pick(l)ing
BY N AOR E M A N UJA
WE ARE ALL GUILTY OF THIS: turning to the

internet for health and wellness information. If online
fame is any measure, apple cider vinegar is liquid gold.
A simple internet search for how to fix my dull, brittle
hair led me to learn the many benefits of apple cider vinegar,
made by fermenting freshly pressed apple juice. From whittling
down your weight to fixing acne-prone skin, this ingredient is practically magic.
Q Apple cider vinegar contains acetic acid, which helps in weight loss by
suppressing appetite and increasing metabolism.
Q DIY for shiny hair: Take one part apple cider vinegar, add this to three
parts of warm water and apply. Rinse it off and then shampoo.
Q Apple cider vinegar is a natural skin toner. Its antibacterial properties keep
acne at bay, while the malic and lactic acids help balance the pH of your skin.
Here’s a quick, easy and nutritious recipe with apple cider vinegar.
Cold Corn Salad

Prep Time: 15 mins Method:
I ND IA P ICT U RE
Total Time: 20 mins 1. Boil one cob of corn, cool it, separate
Serves: 2 the kernels.
Ingredients: 2. Mix one chopped apple, the corn kernels,
Q1 cob of corn rocket leaves and cheese in a bowl.
Q 1 apple 3. Combine the apple cider
Q /2 cup rocket leaves
1
vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper,
Q20 gm feta cheese mustard powder and red
Q1 tbsp apple cider vinegar chilli powder to make
Q /2 tbsp olive oil
1
your dressing. Pour
Q /2 tsp mustard powder
1
this dressing over the
Q /4 tsp red chilli powder
1
salad and toss well.
Qsalt and pepper to taste Serve cold.
RECIPE ADAPTED FROM PREVENTION INDIA © JULY 2013. LIVING MEDIA INDIA LIMITED.

FOOD
Make these citrus fruits a part of your routine

to add zing and health to your life
When life gives you lemons …

BY JAYAS H R E E J OS HI E ASHWA R
MY FATHER, who was a doctor, helps the body absorb iron and even
always insisted that we eat fresh strengthens bones and teeth. These
lemon every day—either as nimbu piquant fruits contain no fat, sodium
pani, or squeezed over something on or cholesterol and are a great source
our plate during meals. He said this of dietary fibre as well.
would keep us “fighting fit and our For maximum benefit, consume as
body’s defences fortified”. fresh as possible and within minutes
This is as true today as it was then— of being squeezed because vitamin C
perhaps even more so. Our bodies gets depleted on exposure to air.
endure daily onslaught from a host
of toxins—pesticide residue in food, PICK THEM BETTER
pollution in the air and water and Q Fresher produce usually has a
skyrocketing stress levels. shinier, plumper skin. When it is

Combat their ravaging effects by older, it tends to dehydrate and lose
including lemons and their small, some of its taut texture and sheen.
green cousins—limes—in your daily Q Another way to test for freshness is
diet for great nutritional value as well by scratching the skin and smelling it
as refreshing flavour and fragrance. immediately. You should get a burst
Like all citrus fruits, limes and of citrus fragrance.
lemons are packed with vitamin C, Q For lemons that are a few days old
which boosts immunity, defends the at home, immerse in tap water for
body against infections and protects 20 minutes (or less, if not so dry).
you from respiratory health prob- They will plump up and give you
lems such as colds more juice.
and wheezing. ADAPTED FROM
PREVENTION INDIA ©
Vitamin C also FEBRUARY 2009
LIVING MEDIA INDIA
LIMITED.
INDIAPICTURE

ALL IN
A Day’s Work
“Wait, not yet! I still have 37 sick leaves left!”
THE PRINTER WAS BROKEN, and I say that because the man finally de-
no one could figure out whose fault clared in a loud, exasperated voice,
it was. After arguing back and forth, “No, I don’t want to talk to the dog!”
our supervisor took charge. JENNIFER PAULY
“Look,” he said, “we really don’t
CARTOON BY HARLEY SCHWADRON
need to determine who is responsi- SCENE: An office.

ble for this mess. We just want some- Employee #1: I want to start reading
one to take the blame.” ROBERT RAPP more books.
Employee #2: Didn’t you just read
A FELLOW COMMUTER walked on yesterday? overheardintheoffice.com
to the train while talking on the phone

with his mother. From what I could THERE’S THIS STORY about a guy
glean, he was trying to end the con- who was hanging around the circus,
versation, but she wasn’t having it. watching another guy picking up

elephant dung and moving it over
into a pile. It was hot and sweaty
work, but he’d go back and pick
up another pile, then another pile.
Finally the first guy said, “Man,
why don’t you get a real job?”
And the elephant-dung guy said,
“What, and quit show business?”
WILLIE NELSON, when asked on NPR
what keeps him performing at age 85
I WAS IN THE emergency room

when a young male nurse came in
to ask routine medical questions.
Nurse: Have you ever had a
hysterectomy?
Me: Yes.
Nurse: When? THE TAO OF DILBERT
Me: 2011.
No one knows the drudgery
Nurse: Do you think you could
of office work better than
be pregnant? Scott Adams’s comic strip star,
Me: Do you think this is the right who turns 30 this year:
career for you? RACHELLE KARMAN
“Work is for losers. A winner

TIP-JAR HUMOUR in our local says ‘That’s on my list’ and never
coffee shop: “Afraid of Change? commits to a deadline.”
Leave It Here.” PAULA HASSLER
“Are you aware that all jobs
THE BOSS IS SO allergic to admit- require you to do things you’d
ting an error that soon he’ll claim rather not do? That’s why they
that he didn’t mistype ‘thanks’ and have to pay you.”
COURTESY © SCOTT ADAMS, INC.
that ‘htanks’ is a greeting in Norway.

“Managers are like cats in a litter
meetingboy.com
box. They instinctively shuffle
things around to conceal what
THE GIRL I BABYSIT has made me
they’ve done.”
watch Wall-E at least 10 times, so
I assumed it was her favourite movie.
Today, her mom told me that Reader’s Digest will pay for your funny
she watches it because she thinks sections. Post it to the editorial address,
it’s mine. @MADDIEPOOLEE or email: editor.india@rd.com

Ayushmann Khurrana
began his Bollywood
career with the hit
Vicky Donor.

COVER STORY
‘BE YOUR
BEST
POSSIBLE
SELF’
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana’s brush
with spirituality has powered his growth and
inspired him and his wife Tahira
to fight back a grim diagnosis
BY BLESSY AUGUSTINE AND SUCHISMITA UKIL
PHOTOGRAPH BY BANDEEP SINGH
WALKING THE TIGHTROPE BETWEEN BEING STARS and remaining

true to their art form does not come easy to Bollywood actors. Ayushmann
Khurrana, 34, has emerged as a surprising exception. Khurrana made his
debut in 2012 with Vicky Donor, where he played a west Delhi Punjabi
boy who falls in love with a Chittaranjan Park Bengali girl. The film por-
trayed the peculiarities of the two communities tenderly and comically,
while exploring the topic of infertility. Khurrana owned the character of
Vicky, a sperm donor, and established himself as a reliable actor with
excellent comic timing. His recent back-to-back successes—Bareilly Ki
Barfi (2017), Shubh Mangal Savdhan (2017), Andhadhun (2018) and
finally the `200-crore grosser Badhaai Ho (2018)—have propelled him into

‘ B E YO U R B E S T P O S S I B L E S E L F ’
Bollywood’s league of stars. It is a com- Kashyap, a film-maker, writer and

mendable achievement when one sees teacher, underwent a mastectomy and
how many ‘non-star kids’ versus ‘star chemotherapy to be declared cancer-
kids’ make it. It is also worth emphasiz- free in January this year. “It was all
ing how Khurrana has managed to do very unreal for me. She’s the one who
so through the roles he essays. Unlike wanted to just come out with it. Tahira
his non-star kid contemporary Ranveer attended lectures and met a lot of can-
Singh—whose biggest hits are larger- cer patients while she was undergoing
than-life movies like Bajirao Mastani chemotherapy. She was also working
and Simmba—Khurrana’s unique sell- on the pre-production for her yet-to-
ing point is his ability to bring to life be-released short film while her treat-
ordinary, relatable characters with a ment was on. Both of us kept busy and
touch of comic innocence. tried not to think about it too much. We
took it one step at a time, one day at a
Challenging Times time,” says Khurrana. “She never asked
But the dimpled boy from ‘why me?’ She was always very
Chandigarh who has brought positive about it.”
a smile to audiences’ Kashyap, for her part,
faces, has recently feels that cancer has
had to fight a dark, There are two ways changed not only
p e r s o na l b at t l e. to deal with any her perspective on
Khurrana’s wife obstacle—either you get life but that of her
Tahira Kashyap, beaten down by it or you family’s as well.
36, was diagnosed face it head on. Once “You start look-
with breast cancer ing at the bigger
you decide to face it, you
in mid-2018. Their picture and realize
happy family—with begin to re-evaluate that so many things
children Varushka your life. that you struggle
a n d V i r a j v e e r— w a s with in life are so petty.
suddenly up against a Thanks to my spiritual
towering monster. “We got practice, I looked at it as the
to know that Tahira had cancer steepest learning curve not only in my
on my birthday, 14 September. We life but also my family’s,” says Kashyap.
just decided to go for a movie date.
There was no point sulking; we knew Then Came The
we had to fight this disease,” says Inspiration
Khurrana as we chat in a conference She and Khurrana are now followers
room in the expansive Yash Raj Film of Nichiren Buddhism, a branch of
Studios in Mumbai. Mahayana Buddhism, which has

provided the fuel to fight their battles.

“I’m in a happier space,” adds Kashyap,
“I feel liberated. Cancer changes some-
thing within you. It makes you fearless.
There are two ways to deal with any ob-
stacle—either you get beaten down by it
or you face it head on. Once you decide
to face it, you begin to re-evaluate your
life. I appreciate and love people even
more. I don’t know how to put it—but
I just enjoy life now.”
Khurrana has been amazed—and
inspired—by his wife’s transforma-
tion. “Tahira has a very strong facade.
She’s always been a sportsperson, a
very strong girl. But faced with this di-
agnosis and because of her practice,
she’s become stronger inside out. It Through this Instagram photo,
has brought about a sea change in her Tahira publicly embraced her scar.
personality. She was scared of needles
and would look away when there was admitted to myself that I wanted to be
a blood test. And now she gives herself a film-maker,” says Kashyap.
injections,” says Khurrana. Nichiren Buddhism has also helped
The practice has also allowed Khurrana articulate his journey as an
Kashyap to answer her true calling. actor better. “I was five years old when
“Ayush and I have similar interests. I decided I was going to be an actor,
We did theatre together, but he knew but I just didn’t tell anyone about it,”
what he wanted and pursued it, while Khurrana reminisces. “Taking part in
I floundered,” says Kashyap. She ran a the arts was encouraged at home,” says
TA HI R A KAS H YA P ’ S I N STAG RA M PAG E
public relations agency, an event man- Khurrana. “My father plays the flute
agement company and taught mass and is like an encyclopaedia when
communication before making her it comes to Hindi film music. But I
well-received short film Toffee in 2018. grew up in a small city and with very
“I was good at all the things I did but middle-class values and insecurities. I
my heart wasn’t in it. And I didn’t do couldn’t be vocal about my Bollywood
what I really wanted to because I was aspirations.” Khurrana chose instead
afraid of failing. It’s when my [spiritual] to secretly inch towards his dream. In
guides made me dig deeper within college, after clearing his exams to join
myself that I realized that I hadn’t dental school, he decided to switch

‘ B E YO U R B E S T P O S S I B L E S E L F ’
to the arts so that he could take part film. The two went to the same tuition
in theatre actively. He travelled the classes. “We had a mutual crush but
length and breadth of the country with neither of us spoke to the other,” says
theatre troupes and even founded two Kashyap. As the school year came to
groups—Aaghaaz and Manchtantra, all an end, Kashyap’s parents took her to
the while excelling in his studies. an acquaintance’s home for dinner.
In 2004, he won the second season of “They told me that their friend was an
MTV Roadies, making him a mini-star astrologer—I was thrilled that I would
in his hometown. “That’s when I lost find out about my future. We go for the
my mind,” jokes Khurrana. “I was just dinner and, guess what, it’s Ayush’s
19 and getting a lot attention from girls house! [Ayushmann’s father Acharya
around me—something I wasn’t used P. Khurrana is a renowned astrologer.]
to. I even broke up with Tahira. But by It was like a Bollywood movie. After
the time the next season began, every- a whole year of not speaking to each
one had forgotten me. I realized then other we were finally face-to-face,”
that being famous is not the says Kashyap. The two got
same as being successful. married in 2010.
That fame is a byprod- “He’s a very hon-
uct of success and not est, sincere artist.
the other way round. I realized that being I could have said
I begged Tahira to famous is not the same sincere human
take me back.” b e i n g ( t h a t ’s
as being successful. That
Kashyap laughs true as well) but
at the memory fame is a byproduct of it’s not the same
of their long-ago success and not the thing. Ever since
break-up. “He came other way round. I’ve known him,
to me and said that I have only known
now that he’s famous he him to give more than
wants space to grow emo- 100 per cent to whatever
tionally, socially and physically. he does. He never takes his
Imagine that! As if I was stopping him art or work for granted,” adds Kashyap.
from growing physically. But in two This is a sentiment Sriram Raghavan,
months he came to his senses,” says director of Andhadhun, echoes. “He’s
Kashyap. “He’s always been a good boy, an actor first,” says Raghavan. “He’s
you know,” she adds. spontaneous, instinctive and often
enjoys improvising on the spot. He
Childhood Sweethearts has a terrific story sense, which is an
Their love story is truly heart-warm- absolute asset.”
ing—almost out of an Ayushmann Though Khurrana has grown as an

actor, many of the fun-
damental qualities that
make him a serious artist
were there from the start.
Shoojit Sircar, director of
Vicky Donor, says, “A lot
of actors backed out of
the film when they came
to know that it was about
sperm donation.” And then
Khurrana came along.
“For me, he was Vicky.
Apart from being a con-
fident Punjabi boy, I saw
in him an innocence that
made me cast him.”
“It doesn’t matter to me
who I work with. What
matters is the script,” ex-
plains Khurrana. In an
upcoming film directed
by Amar Kaushik, who Ayushmann and Tahira with their kids
made Stree, Khurrana Varushka and Virajveer
plays a guy experienc-
ing premature baldness. “The female gigs to make money. If acting was the
protagonist is dusky and has an infe- only thing I did, then I would think twice
riority complex related to that. I, on before turning down a film,” says Khur-
the other hand, have a complex about rana. “Human potential is tremendous,
losing my hair in the film.” In yet an- you just don’t realize it. When I was in
PHOTO COURTESY: YASH RAJ FILMS
other film titled Dream Girl, Khurrana Chandigarh, I’m sure a lot of people
plays the role of a man who portrays must have thought, ‘Yeh actor nahi ban
female characters in theatre, mostly sakta,’ (he can’t become an actor). But
that of Sita in Ramlila. “I only want to it’s just your potential, you know. You
do movies that break the mould, that have to have the faith that you can do
are disruptive,” he says. something and you do it. Nichiren
Khurrana’s discernment in selecting teaches you that if you don’t know what
films comes from the clarity he has al- your limit is, there is no limit. You can go
ways had about who he wants to be. “I beyond it. You should become your best
do cinema only for myself. I do music possible self,” says Khurrana.

GIANT
HOAXES
Celebrating April with spaghetti
growing on trees, paid postage for
emails and pandas in the French
Pyrenees ...?
BY A NN EM AR I E S CHÄ F E R
SPAGHETTI HARVEST IN SWITZERLAND

On 1 April 1957, the BBC news show Panorama announced that,
thanks to a mild winter and the elimination of the dreaded spa-
ghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop.
The programme, narrated by distinguished broadcaster Richard
I L LU ST RAT E D BY JA N BA Z I N G
Dimbleby, featured a family from Ticino in Switzerland carrying out

their annual spaghetti harvest. It showed women carefully plucking
strands of spaghetti from a tree and laying them in the sun to dry.
Dimbleby explained how each year the end of March is a
very anxious time for spaghetti harvesters all over Europe as
severe frost can impair the flavour of the spaghetti. He also
explained how each strand of spaghetti always grows to the same
length thanks to years of hard work by generations of growers.

GIANT HOAXES
A large number of viewers were might well be able to spot a few cute
taken in. Many called the BBC want- panda bears. On 1 April 2013, tele-
ing to know how they could grow their vision channel France 3 revealed that
own spaghetti tree. The BBC diplo- the French government planned to re-
matically replied: “Place a sprig of lease giant pandas in the Pyrenees as
spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and part of the continuing reintroduction
hope for the best.” of bears to the region. Although nego-
Even the director-general of the tiations with members of the Chinese
BBC later admitted that after see- government were still going on, it was
ing the news show he checked in an hoped that the first panda pair could
encyclopaedia to find out if that was be introduced in the spring of 2014.
how spaghetti actually grew. The television channel reassured
viewers that panda bears were un-
CHOIR USES HELIUM likely to attack farm animals because
First of April 2014: The renowned Brit- they eat mainly bamboo. As this plant
ish King’s College Choir released a did not grow in the Pyrenees, the plan
video announcing that complex regu- was to use a helicopter to fly several
lations had made it impractical to con- tons of bamboo from the Bamboo
tinue featuring young boys in the choir. Parc Lapenne in southwestern France
Therefore they had been forced to find to the pandas every week. According
other ways to replicate the high pitch of to France 3, naturalists also appreci-
the boys’ pre-adolescent voices. ated that the pandas were two-tone.
“After a lengthy consultation pro- Their black fur would be easy to spot
cess, during which we learnt that the in the snow, and conversely, their
surgical solution was surprisingly white fur would reflect car headlights.
unpopular with the choral scholars,
someone in the chemistry department
came up with a simple solution—and
now all we need is a very large tank of
helium,” said Reverend Richard Lloyd
Morgan, King’s College chaplain.
The video, demonstrating the use of
helium during a performance, ge-
nerated more than one million views
on YouTube.
PANDAS IN THE FRENCH PYRENEES

If you’re planning to spend your next
holidays in the French Pyrenees you

SWISS MOUNTAIN CLEANERS online test to determine whether

Have you ever wondered why Swiss they had what it took to become a
mountains are so clean? On 1 April mountain cleaner.
2009, the Swiss Tourism Board
released a video that revealed the INSTANT COLOUR TV
secret: It is due to the hard work of the On 1 April 1962, Kjell Stensson,
Association of Swiss Mountain Clean- technical expert of Sweden’s SVT
ers. Using brooms, brushes, water and (Sveriges Television) informed the
muscle power, their members daily public that, thanks to a new techno-
clean the rocks of any unsightly bird logy, viewers could convert their ex-
droppings. This careful cleaning also isting sets to display colour reception.
prevents the droppings from eating In the early ’60s there was only the
away at the rocks, which causes cavi- one TV channel in Sweden. As it broad-
ties that might eventually lead to the cast in black and white, this was big
complete erosion and disappearance news. Stensson explained that viewers
of the mountains. only had to pull a nylon stocking over
Millions of people watched the
video, and some 30,000 took the

GIANT HOAXES
their television screen, and the mesh Telecommunication had decided to

would cause the light to bend in such a introduce a paid postage for emails.
way that it would appear as if the image Since there were fees for text mes-
was in colour. He proceeded to demon- sages, a postage of one cent for emails
strate the process. would be introduced by June 2010.
Thousands of Swedish viewers According to the ministry, the
attempted the experiment, trying money would be used to fill the finan-
repeatedly to ‘angle themselves’ to cial hole, which resulted from a dras-
perceive the colour properly. tic reduction of revenue for the post-
age for letters. Moreover, this measure
PAID POSTAGE FOR EMAILS would stop the overload of spam.
Fifty seven radio stations all over Several local politicians and
Germany reported on 1 April 2010, spokespeople of internet compa-
that the Federal Ministry of Post and nies commented and discussed the

caused the vegetable to emit a

“97 decibel signal” indicating they
should be removed from the stove.
Ninety seven decibels is roughly
equivalent to the noise level of a
jackhammer. Worried opponents of
the scheme envisioned “a nightmare
scenario for future generations
becoming as deaf as a post, albeit with
improved vision.”
FREE WINE FOR ALL

In 1987, the Norwegian newspaper
introduction of the new fee. Liste- Bergens Tidende claimed that the
ners were invited to go to the websites state alcohol monopoly had more than
www.e-mail-porto.de or email-porto. 10,000 litres of wine, which had been
de for more information and flat rates. confiscated from smugglers. It would
People who registered there the very be a sin to spill so much good quality
same day were promised to receive a wine down the drain. Therefore,
reduction of 50 per cent for their email inhabitants were invited to Bergens’
account until the end of 2010. main retail outlet to receive their share
R a d i o s t a t i o n s w e re f l o o d e d of the goods.
w i t h rea c t i o n s. S o m e l i s t e n e r s In the early morning, staff were met
had smelt the rat, maybe because by hundreds of wine collectors carry-
the Federal Ministry of Post and ing all manner of containers: bottles,
Te l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n h a d b e e n buckets, bowls, pots only to realize
dissolved in 1998 already. that they had been fooled.
WHISTLING CARROTS FAKE DANISH BANKNOTES

First of April 2002: Britain’s Sun In early 1980, the National Bank of
newspaper carried an advertisement Denmark had issued a 20-kroner
by the large supermarket chain Tesco, banknote. It featured a picture of two
which announced the successful house sparrows and curiously, one of
development of a genetically modified the birds seemed to be one-legged.
whistling carrot. This was the background for
According to Tesco, the carrots had the 1 April 1980 announcement in the
been specially engineered to grow Roskilde Tidende: All bills with one-
with tapered airholes in their side. legged birds were fake. The good news
When fully cooked, these airholes was that they could be exchanged

GIANT HOAXES
at the post office for genuine bills eye-care services announced a new
depicting two-legged birds. product on 1 April 2013, the so-called
The paper showed a picture of a prescription windshields.
supposedly authentic bill, which was According to the company, they
just a regular bill onto which the paper‘s were developed in collaboration with
cartoonist, Jan Robert Thoresen, had the Faculty of Product Development at
drawn an extra leg. Lines at post offices the University of London. No matter
soon became so long with people eager which strength a driver needed, the
to exchange their money that post innovative windshields came in any
office employees had to put notices on prescription strength.
the doors explaining that no currency For a limited time there was even
exchange was taking place. a special offer : Customers who
Cartoonist Thoresen was bought the prescription windshields
subsequently questioned by the police, within a certain time span only
but was let go without any charges filed. had to pay 299 euros and get the
rear window free.
PRESCRIPTION WINDSHIELDS
Great news for spectacle wearers in
the Netherlands: The Dutch branch
of a chain that sells glasses and
00
64 | APRIL
OCTOBER | READER’S
20192018 | READER’S
DIGEST
DIGEST
NO MORE WINE FOR more than an honour,” Sorin Balanel,

RUSSIAN SPACE AGENCY ma rke t i n g d i re c t o r f o r Pu rca r i
In April 2015, the Purcari Winery from declared. “It confirms our wines’
Moldova made it to the website of the indisputable quality.” The news was
famous Bloomberg news agency— accompanied by a link to Bloomberg’s
or so it seemed. The wine company website. As soon as someone tried
announced that after a collaboration to access it, the following message
of 55 years it would no longer appeared: “Congratulations! You
be shipping special wines to the were fooled by the Purcari winery on
Russian space agency. Instead they April Fool’s Day.”
would send them to NASA . Purcari
claimed that its wines bear the ZGOP EIFFEL TOWER IN PARIS MOVES
(Zero Gravity Optimized Products) What a shock for French citizens
official authentification mark which on 1 April 1986. The newspaper
meant that it was produced and Le Parisien reported an agreement to
wrapped according to a special dismantle the Eiffel Tower. This famous
cosmodynamic technology, able to landmark was supposedly being recon-
resist in an atmosphere with zero structed in the new Euro Disney theme
gravity. It also represented a secure park, then being built east of the
source of red cells for participants capital. Where the tower used to be, a
in space programmes. 35,000-seat stadium would be built for
“Our collaboration with NASA is the 1992 Olympic Games.
WHAT’S AN AWARD WORTH?
Biologist James Watson once put his Nobel Prize up for

auction because of ﬁnancial difficulties. It was bought for
$4.7 million, then promptly returned to him.
Steven Spielberg has spent more than $1.3 million buying

vintage Oscars at auction (including Bette Davis’s statuette
for Jezebel) that he then donates back to the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences archive.
Source: New York Times, Los Angeles Times

Sum of
Her Parts
A living donor organ transplant is a remarkably
altruistic and medically thrilling procedure. But why
are the vast majority of Indian donors women?
BY S O H INI C HATTO PA DH YAY
I L LUSTR AT I ON BY ASHV INI ME N ON
T
he year his daughter always said no to Sheena. But the day
Sheena turned 18 was the he vomited clumps of blood and the
longest year of Ramendra hospital in Ranchi struggled to treat
Nath Singh’s life. Although him, and made phone calls to his doc-
she had offered with- tors in Delhi, he felt afraid. He wasn’t
out being asked, Singh felt a strange ready to die yet, he realized, even if it
weight descend, as if a rock had lodged meant taking his daughter’s liver.
itself in his chest clamping his breath Seven years earlier, Singh had been
and shrinking his appetite. She was a diagnosed with cirrhosis. For some
child after all, in the first year of engi- years, the doctors treated him with
neering studies. When he took her to medicines, and then advised a trans-
the hospital for tests, she was detected plant. He registered with Vellore and
with jaundice; the doctors would not Delhi on their cadaveric organ list.
touch her until she recovered fully. A cadaveric transplant is not easy—
How long would it be? Singh felt it generally requires shifting to the
guilty counting days like this. He had city of registration for an unspecified

S U M O F H E R PA R T S
duration, so that you can rush to the volves separate surgeries on donor and
hospital when an organ becomes avail- recipient, coordinated like an orchestra
able. It also requires money, patience (a performance, to check and harvest the
lot of it), and, most of all, luck. organ from the donor, remove the bad
After the bleeding, Singh’s hold organ from the recipient, and then graft
on the world suddenly felt slight, a the healthy one, alongside a thousand
thing of air and thread, and the lottery other things that must be checked and
of the cadaveric list seemed too much done right.
of a risk. It would have to be a living Donors undergo major surgery, with
donor transplant. no benefit to themselves, to gift one of
their organs (or part of one, in case of
SHE OFFERED liver transplants). The liver can regen-
Even so, it was almost a year later that erate on its own, making it possible for
his transplant occurred. At first, he was people to donate up to 70 per cent of
grateful for the delay—perhaps some- it. One kidney can pull the work of two.
one else would come forward to do- Over the past decade and a half,
nate. Would Sheena get married if they India has emerged as a hub for living
saw a large scar across her abdomen? donor organ transplants ( LDOT ) in
But when fluid started to fill his South and Southeast Asia. In 2011, the
abdomen, a condition called ascites, country performed the second highest
where the body is not able to filter out number of LDOTs in the world after the
fluids adequately, he felt grateful that US, according to World Health Organi-
Sheena had offered her liver. zation data. In the absence of a national
In the stupor of the intensive care transplant registry, it is not possible to
unit, his wife didn’t tell him Sheena had give a more recent figure. The current
left to rejoin college just 10 days after cadaveric donation rate is 0.67 per
her day-long surgery. She didn’t want to million, estimates C. E. Karunakaran,
miss classes. Later, when he was moved trustee, NNOS Foundation, formerly
to a ward and could tell day from night, National Network for Organ Sharing.
he thought of what he owed her. But This means two deceased donors in a
once he was outside the hospital hum of year per three million of the popula-
polite beeps and white light, it seemed tion. To compare, Spain’s rate is 34 per
impossible to say thank you. It seemed million of the population, the highest
too little. And sometimes, too much. in the world. This is approximately 68
*** times the Indian rate, for a population
A living donor organ transplant is a that is four per cent of India’s. In other
remarkable thing, both in terms of the words, if there were no living donors,
thrilling medical science involved and the chances of dying while waiting for
the human capacity for giving. It in- an organ in India are pretty high.

Sheena (second from
left), seen here with
her family
It seemed impossible to say

thank you. It seemed too little.
And sometimes, too much. Sheena
GENDERED GIVING donors. But three things give cause

The majority of living donors in In- for alarm here. First, the proportion of
dia are women. I filed RTI (Right to women donors is markedly higher here
Information) applications with four than in the US, which performs the
centres, and the data received for highest number of LDOTs in the world.
2008–2017 shows that women con- Plus, the number of female recipi-
PHOTO COURTESY: SHEENA’S FAMILY
stitute 74 per cent of kidney donors. ents is conspicuously lower. In the US,
For liver surgeries, the data I received 35 per cent of liver recipients are women,
was much more limited because as are 39 per cent of kidney recipients.
these transplants happen almost In India, the figures are 24 per cent and
entirely in private hospitals, which do 19 per cent respectively.
not come under RTI. Here, women are Second, transplant figures in the
60.5 per cent of the donors, based on context of the country’s record on gen-
figures for 2009–2017 from five centres. der is worrying. In a 2017 United Na-
Globally, too, women constitute tions Development Programme (UNDP)
a higher proportion of living organ report on gender inequality, India

ranked 125 among 159 countries. did she keep them aside when they
Third is the almost complete came? Her father waved away my
absence of data. Health data in general question. “How can anything go wrong
is inaccessible in India, difficult to get when you do such a good thing?” he
even through RTIs, but data on women said. “And even if it does, you would
and health, outside of child sex ratio, have given life to those who gave life to
maternal mortality and fertility rate, is you.” I looked, but found no such cer-
non-existent. It would appear that what titude. I was full of doubt, and full of
happens to women—other than birth shame. I found myself in a place where
and birthing health—is not known or it was difficult to talk to anyone.
not worth knowing.
*** POLICED BODIES
Last year, I found myself in the I thought I was the only one measuring
position of being a potential donor the sum of my unlived years versus the
for my father’s liver transplant. When certain death of my father in a few days.
I walked into the transplant surgeon’s The surgeon snapped me alert to the
chamber one morning, he took me by women all around me, donors or
surprise. He put my test reports aside donors-in-waiting. Wives, mothers, and
and asked: “Are you under pressure daughters, but also sisters-in-law and
to donate?” daughters-in-law. It surprised me that
“No,” I said. “Why?” so many women were permitted to
“In Indian families, women are often donate. In a society where female
not asked but told to donate. If there is bodies are policed like international
anything like that, I can give your family borders, families seemed conveniently
some clinical reason and reject you.” okay with women’s bodies being cut
I faced no such pressure from my up—mostly by men and for men.
family. But being a potential donor is a The Transplantation of Human
curious pressure in itself. Organs and Tissues Rules, 2014,
I found it hard knowing that a per- permits related and unrelated persons
son’s life rested in my hands. There is to become living donors, but strictly for
the very remote but real possibility of non-commercial purposes. The donor
death—the surgery carries a 0.5 per and recipient must prove their relation-
cent risk of death globally. That means ship and emotional closeness through
one in 200 donors dies. I found myself documents and photographs.
thinking guiltily about my own death The process is simpler for “near-
more than my father’s imminent death relatives”—grandparents, parents,
without a transplant. siblings and children—and spouses.
I often thought of Sheena then. Did A woman may sometimes be grilled
such doubts ever cross her mind? Or to check that she is indeed the wife

I thought I was the only one,
measuring the sum of my
unlived years versus the certain
death of my father in a few days.
–Sohini Chattopadhyay, the author
and not an impostor. Some unrelated brothers would be fit and willing to
donors are approved if authorities donate. Each brother declined. In the
are satisfied the donation is made for end, his wife’s sister donated her liver.
“reasons of love and affection”. “Even husbands donating livers to
wives is unusual,” says Nagral.
THE MEN REFUSED Doctors say the reason for this
It is entirely legitimate for daughters- disparity is economic. Men work.
in-law and sisters-in-law to donate Women mostly don’t. According to
organs, but “the question to ask is, UNDP, globally, women’s employment
are brothers-in-law and sons-in-law rate is 27.2 per cent, while for men it
donating organs similarly?” says is 78.8 per cent. Women are also paid
Dr Aabha Nagral, liver and liver lesser than men. Thus, a man’s absence
transplant specialist at Jaslok Hospital from work due to donor surgery is seen
in Mumbai and Apollo Hospitals in as more costly.
Navi Mumbai. ***
When Nagral advised a liver trans- “Being a gynaecologist I only treat
plant to one of her patients, he was women. But I have noticed that com-
flustered but hopeful one of his three pared to the number of women who

come to be evaluated here as donors, then they waited for her to recover and
i t i s s t r i k i n g h ow f e w w o m e n donate her liver instead. He did not tell
come here to be recipients,” says us this; I learnt it later. I believe the fa-
Dr Puneet Bedi, gynaecologist at Delhi’s ther’s parents said their son should not
Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, a risk the operation for a daughter; that
popular kidney transplant centre. Bedi the couple could try for other children.”
has to evaluate their gynaecological “I’ve noticed that the parents of a
fitness before the surgery. lot of young girls start the transplant
Recipient data makes the gender work-up (a series of tests to evalu-
imbalance in transplant surgery even ate health before surgery), start the
starker. In India, paper work and
women made up then don’t show
only 19 per cent up,” says Vibhuti
of all recipients Sharma, transplant
for kidneys and Compared to the coordinator, Insti-
24 per cent for liver. tute of Liver and
The stakes appear
number of women Biliary Sciences,
t o b e d i f f e re n t who come here to be Delhi. “Money for
when the recipient a transplant can be
is a woman, says evaluated as donors, organized through
Prakash Saindane,
t r a n s p l a n t
it is striking how charities and fund-
raising, but it is the
coordinator at few women come lifelong cost of im-
Apollo Hospitals, munosuppression
Navi Mumbai.
to be recipients. (dampening of the
In 2017, he and Dr Puneet Bedi, gynaecologist, immune system
his team raised Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals through medicines
funds for the liver to ensure that the
transplant of a two- new organs are not
year-old girl by applying to the Tata rejected by the recipients’ bodies) and
Trust, the chief minister’s fund and the testing that is the problem. The reality
crowdfunding platform Milaap. By No- is that there are many Indian families
vember, the money was ready and the even today that will find this is not
father was declared fit to donate. “The worth the investment on a girl.”
transplant took place eight months Interestingly, all the transplant
after the money was ready. Why? Be- coordinators I spoke with, those who
cause the mother, who was pregnant agreed to be quoted and those who
at the time, was made to undergo a didn’t, viewed the gender skew in
medical termination of pregnancy, transplants as a problem, but not all

the doctors did. Many doctors said Singh learnt of the dinner plan much
women donate because they are later—how Sheena and her friends
inherently nurturing. A couple of them at IBM had decided to celebrate their
said that women tend to be fitter than first salary cheque by renting a car and
men of the same age, and hence more driving to a dhaba for dinner on the
able to donate. But that still doesn’t ex- highway. The impact of the collision
plain why the proportion of female re- ejected Sheena from the car and she
cipients is so much lower. suffered a head injury. She was the only
This difference in perception might one in the group to die.
arise from the kind of work doctors and The year that Sheena had donated
coordinators do—the latter are more her liver to Singh, his younger daugh-
privy to the human drama that a trans- ter had tied a rakhi on Sheena: She was
plant entails. Doctors mostly aren’t. seen as the true protector of the family.
His wife had started consulting Sheena
THE MIDNIGHT CALL for most things: where her siblings
When the call came from a Bengaluru should take tuition, family holidays,
hospital in September 2017, it was after how to handle her diabetes.
midnight. Singh felt real fear, but did not In the days after her death, when
share it with his wife. Instead, he asked their relatives came home, one of
her not to call their younger daughter Singh’s brothers said they had given
but focus on packing. He booked tickets Sheena too much freedom.
out of Ranchi, and when they reached Singh found himself agreeing with
Bengaluru, he found them a hotel near him. Had he given her too much
the hospital. independence? In the small hours of
When they went to the National the morning, when everyone is asleep
Institute of Mental Health and Neu- except his wife and him, his thoughts
rosciences where Sheena had been return inevitably to her. Sheena, his
admitted, she was lying unconscious, first-born. And he still wells up with
attached to many machines. The doc- anger. “I wanted to send her abroad to
tors said they had performed a surgery study. I was thinking of plastic surgery
on her brain the night before, but were to conceal the scar. I had so many
cautious about her prospects of recov- dreams for her. But she made bad
ery. Singh felt his hold on the world friends, children get out of hand when
slipping away again, a flimsy wisp of they live by themselves, you know.
thread holding a restless balloon. It This would not have happened if she
all seemed to be happening at a great was in Ranchi. I would never have
distance. They returned to the hotel. At allowed her out so late at night.”
11 p.m. that night they got a call: Sheena Footnote: When I backed out, my mother donated her liver
to my father. My father’s surgery was successful, and he is
was dead. now in the 10th month of his new liver.
First published in The Hindu’s Sunday Magazine on 21 October 2018.

Life’s Like That
“He’s outside setting up a tent for the kids.”
STARVING AFTER hours of driving me crazy. I was with a friend who

non-stop, my husband and I pulled wasn’t using his directional, and I
over at a truck stop. While he filled asked why. He shot back, “You know
up the car, I went into the restaurant what? It’s nobody’s business which
and placed our order to go. After direction I’m turning!” npr.org
writing it all down, the girl behind

the register asked, “Will that be all AT THE RIPE AGE of 72, I have been
CARTOON BY BILL ABBOTT
for you?” diagnosed with acute myeloid leukae-

“No,” I replied a bit defensively. mia, a type of blood cancer. As is usual
“Some of it’s for my husband.” with these things, there was a beeline
JANET HULL of family, near and far, and well wish-
ers—expressing sympathy, suggesting
I’VE NOTICED that fewer drivers are alternative therapies and recounting
using their turn signals, and it makes their own real or imagined experi-

ences. Weekends were usually the
busiest, with people trooping in at
all hours, unmindful of the inconve-
nience caused to me or my family.
I have found a way to make it stop
now. My reply to all appointment
seekers: “You are most welcome to
see me. But there is no rush. Kindly
note that my oncologist has given me
a life expectancy of at least two years.
Please come at your convenience.”
N. P. V. I., Na v i Mu m b a i
THE CAT’S MEOW

MY 35-YEAR-OLD son and I had just
finished our meal when I realized If you nod knowingly at these
I’d left my wallet in my truck. As I tweets, you’re a cat person:
headed out the door, I told the wait-
ress what had happened. “But don’t Q I like to sleep on the left side of the
worry,” I said with a grin. “I’m leav- bed, and my cat likes to sleep on the
left side of the bed. So we compro-
ing my son for collateral.”
mised, and I sleep on the right side
She looked at him. He winked at
of the bed. @JULIETROUGE
her. She turned back to me. “What
else you got?” GARY MARTIN Q I feel like 90 per cent of having a
cat is saying, “Where is the cat?”
AFTER MY WIFE accidentally swal- @THE_RUG
lowed my prostate medication, our Q A guy I was dating sat down on

daughter called a pharmacist to ask the couch next to me. I proceeded
whether there was any cause for to whisper “That’s the cat’s spot” to
alarm. He replied, “Only if she starts myself. @CHRISTYSHARK89
hanging out at hardware stores and
Q Sometimes I’ll ask my cats, “Are
buys a lot of power tools.”GARY MASSEY
you a good kitty?” They just look at
me, and my wife will say, “Answer
I WAS TRAPPED in an elevator for
your father.” @TASTEFACTORY
30 minutes before the doors finally
opened. Relieved, I said to a fellow
hostage, “There’s a first time for
Reader’s Digest will pay for your funny
everything.” anecdote or photo in any of our humour
She grumbled back, “There’s a last sections. Post it to the editorial address,
time for everything too.” CAROL LEISH or email: editor.india@rd.com

THE
UNFORGETTABLE
FIELD MARSHAL
CARIAPPA
A tribute to the legendary army man
who embodied the courage and valour
of the Indian soldier
BY S U N AN DA JA IN
IL LU STR ATI ON BY K E SHAV KAP I L
India’s first post-Independence Commander-in-Chief, and one of two indi-

viduals ever to be appointed Field Marshal—the Indian Army’s highest attainable
rank—Kodandera ‘Kipper’ Madappa Cariappa will always remain a legend in the
history of our country’s armed forces.
During a tour of south India, my husband (then an army Major) and I were
passing through Mercara, Coorg (now Madikeri, Kodagu). Hearing that Cariappa,
then a General, had let it be known that any army officer in Mercara was welcome
to visit him, I asked my husband if we could visit the great man we both admired.
“Why not?” he said. A quick call later, we were on our way to see the General at his
villa where he stayed alone on a sprawling estate. It was late evening and pouring
with rain by the time we reached our destination.

T H E U N F O R G E T TA B L E F I E L D M A R S H A L C A R I A P PA
A member of the domestic staff

appeared on the porch holding a big
umbrella for us. The General was
standing on the verandah. He gripped
my husband’s outstretched palm in
a firm handshake and smiled at me,
“Welcome to my house.” He stepped
aside with typical, old-world courtesy
to let me enter first. The room was
filled with antiques and mementos. A
sandalwood chariot drawn by seven
horses with figures of Lord Krishna and
Cariappa (left) shakes hands with (then)
Arjun in a huge glass case dominated Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
one corner. The General poured my
husband a drink from a bottle labelled the carnage of the 1962 war.
‘specially bottled for General K. M. Then he shook his head as if to
Cariappa’, and then some coffee for me. free himself from the unpleasant
The men spoke and G eneral memories and invited me to sit next
Cariappa answered my occasional to him. “Come, I’ll show you some old
questions with great care. I asked photographs.” For me, it was a journey
him if he had considered writing his into the not-so-recent past. I remember
autobiography. His eyes suddenly him holding out a large photo of
clouded over with pain. He leaned himself next to King George VI and the
towards me with great intensity and, Duke of Windsor*. “Notice the sloppy
in his highly anglicized Hindi, asked, George—droopy and unkempt. Now
“Meri autobiography? Uddeshya kya look at the Duke—how trimmed and
hoga? (My autobiography? What would smart he is.” The difference between
be the purpose of it?)” His bitterness the two brothers was really remarkable.
over Indian politics was evident, as he I could not stop thinking of how Wallis
spoke in that gruff voice, mixing English Simpson (later known as the Duchess
with Hindustani: “I had told [Prime of Windsor) was responsible for altering
Minister Jawaharlal] Nehru long ago, the entire course of history of a country.
and repeatedly, not to trust the Chinese. Their glasses were refilled. I was
I had warned [India’s Defence Minister given some fresh coffee.
at the time, V. K. Krishna] Menon in We had planned for the protocol-
no uncertain terms. However, they mandated visit of 20 minutes, but he
paid no attention. Bilkul nahi (Not *Formerly King Edward VIII, who married
at all).” General Cariappa loved the American socialite and divorcee Wallis Simp-
Indian soldier fiercely and grieved over son and abdicated soon after

Above left: K. M. Cariappa (extreme right) with British and Indian dignitaries at
Government House, New Delhi; above right: Cariappa (seated) devising military strategy.
waved us down every time we tried to the veteran sentinel of the country,
take leave. It finally lasted for 120 min- standing immobile, saluting the statue.
utes. “By the way, you both are having I was sure, in those moments, General
breakfast with me tomorrow at nine.” It Cariappa saw in his mind’s eye not
was more of a command, delivered as the symbolic figurine, but columns
we rose to leave. He sat back with his of disciplined soldiers, standing to
aching leg stretched out in front of him attention, hanging upon every word of
and begged to be excused for his poor shabash (praise) he gave them.
manners. In the gently lit room littered He then shook hands with my
with history, the legend himself had husband and returned my greetings
an aura around him as he looked up at warmly, talking as he led us into the
us, his stern expression softened by his dining room: “I pray to my parents,
smile as he bade us goodnight. thanking them for bringing me into this
When we reached his mansion the world and giving me so much. I thank
next morning, the General had just the jawan for looking after my country
finished his bath and entered the room. and pray to him to do so always.” Once
Wordlessly, he nodded to us and walked again, a feeling of déjà vu crept over
up in front of a portrait of his parents to me, of having stepped into a historical
say a silent prayer. He then moved in romance, familiar yet intriguing, as
front of the tall, silver statue of an army he pulled a chair for me to sit next to
jawan, standing conspicuously on the him. He picked up a bell—more like a
mantelpiece. It was a moving prayer to gong—by his plate. The staff entered
the soldier invoking him to guard his the room silently, even before the
country with courage and dedication. peeling of the bell had died down. The
Tears welled up in my eyes as I saw General commanded, “Bearer, nashta

T H E U N F O R G E T TA B L E F I E L D M A R S H A L C A R I A P PA
Afterwards, he took us on a tour of

the house. I still remember the big,
brass four-poster bed in the guest
room with magnificent twin cut-
glass Czechoslovakian table lamps
on both sides of the bed. He smiled
with pleasure when we expressed our
appreciation of their elegance.
Once again, time flew by and it
was time to leave before we knew it.
The General put his hand in the big
pocket of his bush coat and fished
out a handful of cardamom pods for
me. I thanked him and gave them to
my husband to keep for me. It was
then that he handed me a gift that
The author (left) with her son Prashant I still cherish deeply: an exquisite
and a portrait of her husband, the late rosewood paperweight with ivory
Col. Bimal Kumar Jain. In her hands is elephants in the centre, wrapped in
the gift from Field Marshal Cariappa.
cellophane. “To remember me by,
lao (Breakfast, please).” I thought young lady. I have enjoyed talking to
to myself how this generation, though you as you are a student of history
patriotic to the core, was steeped and it has brought old memories back
in the British way because of an to me. I thank you.”
English education and constant I folded my hands in greeting.
interactions with the British. They I wanted to express all that was
even spoke like them. swirling around in my head. That
The General ate porridge from a men like him brought true glory to the
huge, floral English bowl—a present country and sustained the nation. But
from British royalty long ago. It had I remained silent …
PHOTO COURTESY: SUNANDA JAIN
broken into two but was neatly joined Years have passed. But even now, as
back together with Araldite. He smiled I hold the paperweight in my hands, I
as he found me looking at it and ex- can still see him clearly, standing un-
plained that he was sentimentally at- der the morning sky—tall and well-
tached to it. The idlis were steaming built, head held high and a hand raised
hot and so was the coffee. He invari- in the final greeting as we drove away.
ably spoke about the army, politics, Field Marshal Cariappa may be no
philosophy and of Sri Sathya Sai Baba more, but his spirit keeps a silent vigil
of whom he was an ardent devotee. over his beloved country, forever.

Shocking Notes
THANK YOU, BUT NOPE
BY NATH A NI E L BASE N
BUG-LARY break. Leave the coffin for any

Giant African mantises, other reason and you’d be
desert hairy scorpi- disqualified.
ons, warty glowspot The prize? Two
roaches. All were 2019 park passes,
among the estimated and a package that
7,000 animals that disap- includes a haunted
peared from the Philadelphia house visit, $300 and, of course,
Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion the coffin—just in case you were
in August 2018. Any fears of a critter dying to get back in.
rebellion were quelled early on,
however, when security footage SIGHT FOR SORE EYE
showed staffers leaving the grounds, A woman in Britain visited doctors,
towing containers teeming with in- complaining of a swollen and droop-
sects—a haul worth roughly $40,000. ing left eyelid. After an MRI showed a
A jilted former employee allegedly cyst, she was sent for surgery, which
organized the heist. Though only a revealed an eye-popping surprise:
small percentage of the goods were folded into the growth was a rigid
recovered after the employees were contact lens, the type of which the
apprehended, Philadelphians can patient hadn’t worn for decades.
rest easy: the highly venomous six- After some confusion, the
eyed sand spider taken from the woman’s mother remembered a
institution is now in police custody. badminton match 28 years prior,
when a shuttlecock had struck her
DYING TO WIN daughter’s eye and dislodged her
Last Halloween, Six Flags amuse- contact lens. The woman couldn’t
ment parks across the United States find it and assumed it had fallen
P I E R RE LO RA N GE R
held a contest for the morbidly out. Instead, it had become em-
curious. The challenge: participants bedded in her eyelid’s soft tissue.
were to stay inside a “deluxe, slightly Any contact-wearer knows
used” coffin for 30 straight hours, to carry a spare—it just helps
with an hourly six-minute bathroom to know it’s there.

DRAMA IN REAL LIFE
The
Dog
That Came
Back from
The Dead
BY ER IC WAG ENK NE CH T WI T H T ESS ST RO K ES
FR O M O U T S I D E O N L I N E .COM

On a run in the
Rocky Mountains, the
author’s dog, Merle,
fell 800 feet, injured
beyond hope. But he
wasn’t done yet
PHOTO GR A PHS BY DA NI E L MILC HEV

T H E D O G T H AT C A M E B A C K F R O M T H E D E A D
W
e charge
up the fi-
nal ascent
of the
13,041-
ft Grand
Traverse
Peak, about 11 km east of Vail, Colo-
rado, USA. My new running partner,
Merle—a one-year-old blue Austra-
lian shepherd—seemed unfazed by
the previous 13 km we’d covered. I
also felt strong, energized by the clear
Rocky Mountain air and endless blue
sky. It was Father’s Day 2017, and I
was set to return home to my four-
year-old son, Axel; my nine-year-old
daughter, Lily; and my wife, Susan,
by noon. As I reached the summit, I
heard a short yelp but assumed Merle
would be seconds behind me, as he
had been all morning. I snapped a
photo of the view for my family, called
out to the dog, then tucked my phone
in my pack and headed back down
the trail. Merle was nowhere to be
seen. “Merle! Merle!” I called. “Where
are you?” I felt a tickle of panic in my
throat as I threaded my way down the field and a massive cliff. Below that, I
ridge, still seeing no signs of him. But could see a wide, empty, snow-covered
he was athletic and young and invin- basin. There was no sign of Merle in
cible. He must be fine, I reasoned. the rock field or the basin. I could still
Then, several hundred feet farther hear that last yelp in my mind, and
down, I saw his paw prints on a five- now I realized what it had signaled.
foot-wide strip of snow at the top of Merle was gone.
a steep chute. I followed them cau- Merle and I had started the day at
tiously until they disappeared entirely 4 a.m. at our home in Eagle, Colorado.
off the edge. About 800 feet below, the I’d stacked my running clothes next to
chute ended abruptly in a boulder the bed the night before and filled my

Eric Wagenknecht and

Merle on a Gore Range
trail near where Merle
went missing
He could easily bang out

24 km.
That morning, we
drove 60 km from our
house to the Deluge Lake
trailhead in East Vail. I’d
grown up in Illinois but
as a kid made frequent
trips to Vail, where my
late father had a house.
I’d hiked this trail every
year since I was seven.
My dad, a mountaineer
and ultrarunner, would
take me and my younger
sister up the 13 km to
Deluge Lake— training,
he called it, for our an-
nual summit of Mount of
the Holy Cross, the peak
where I would spread his
ashes in 2002.
I hadn’t thought
pack with water bottles, trail food and twice about taking Merle up Grand
a can of sardines—my go-to for big Traverse; in fact, I’d expected him
days in the mountains. It would be my to beat me to the summit. Which is
first long run in the Gore Range this why, even as I stood above the steep
summer and my first big adventure chute, I still thought, It’s going to be
with Merle. OK. I knew this summit was the only
We’d bought the 18-kg blue-and- spot on the trail where I would get
brown-eyed Aussie shepherd six mobile phone service, so I called
months earlier from a breeder in Susan, panicked. “Merle fell! I don’t
Durango. Merle quickly proved himself know what happened,” I told her. “I’m
to be a phenomenal running partner. going for him. It’s OK. I’m OK.”

Experts say that humans need to help dogs understand their limits in tough terrain.
Then I saw something running in the of a field of rocks. I grabbed his back
basin below me. “There he is! Oh my legs for a moment, but he squirmed
God! I’m OK. I need to go.” away, deep into a subterranean pocket
“OK, be safe” was all Susan had time within the boulders. I moved rocks and
to say before I hung up and ran down snow away from the crack’s entrance
the ridge. Merle was sprinting down- until two backyard grill–size boulders
hill, away from me. I couldn’t follow slid together, clamping my ring finger
his nearly vertical route without tech- between them. I yanked out my hand
nical climbing gear, so I needed to find and saw the nail was smashed and
a safer way down. spurting blood. I threw on a glove from
After almost an hour, I had made it my pack to contain the flow, then kept
to the basin, and saw Merle standing digging. A few minutes later, I’d cleared
on a large rock outcropping. Relief enough snow to stick my head in the
washed over me. I’d taken him on a crack. I peered down into the darkness.
selfish pursuit to a selfish place. I’d I could hear the jingle of Merle’s collar,
pushed him too far. but I couldn’t see him.
I followed Merle up the basin. Soon, I I yelled, alternating between angry
was close enough to see that he looked and nearly hysterical and calm and
oddly swollen; he was covered with coaxing. No response. I decided to give
lacerations, and his gait was hobbled him space. Maybe he was OK and my
and stiff. When I got within a few feet panic was freaking him out. I opened
of him, he dived into a crack at the edge the can of sardines and left them as a
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DIGEST
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lure at the mouth of the cave. While I had heard me through our car’s Blue-
waited, I went to the scene of the fall. tooth system. After I hung up, they
Above, I saw the path Merle had taken: burst into tears.
He’d slid some 700 feet down the up-
I
per snowfield, fallen off a 40-foot cliff, ’ve always owned dogs. They ac-
then rolled down another 100-foot cliff companied me into the moun-
to the lower snowfield where I now tains, where, bounding off-leash,
stood. How did he walk away from this? they seemed protected by an invin-
I thought. cible athleticism. Merle was bred for
I returned to the crack, leaned in and the trail. I had assumed the rugged
called his name again. Inside, it smelt Aussie would take to the high alpine
wet. After a decade of archery hunting, trail intuitively. But the reality is that
I knew the scent—it smelt like death. I almost no one thinks about training
spent another hour crouched outside their dogs for the mountains.
the cave, until the jingle of the “In potentially deadly terrain,
collar and Merle’s deep it’s critical that hu-
breathing stopped. mans help dogs under-
It was late afternoon, stand their limits,” says
and I worried about los- Amber Quann, who
ing daylight. I was on the runs Summit Dog
wrong side of a big moun- I spent an hour Training in Fort Col-
tain, far from home and crouched outside lins, Colorado. She
not prepared to spend the the cave, until the helps owners and dogs
night outside. I packed prepare for outdoor
up, traversed the basin, jingle of Merle’s adventures through
descended a slushy snow- collar and his deep relationship building
field, then found my way breathing stopped. and body-conditioning
to the base of the chute I’d classes. Dogs can’t talk
come down. I climbed the to us, but they have
melting snowpack as quickly as I could, other ways of communicating that we
reusing my kicked steps from the de- need to pay attention to. It’s up to us
scent. When I got reception, I phoned to learn their idiosyncrasies. Of course,
Susan. it’s difficult to tune into a dog’s subtle
“I’m OK, Sus, but I’m walking down behaviour changes when you’re listen-
alone.” ing to a podcast or chatting with your
“Is he dead?” climbing partner. “It’s as simple as put-
“Yeah.” ting your phone down and being pres-
Then I ran away, back down the ent in the moment,” Quann says.
trail. I didn’t know that Lily and Axel That communication leads to trust,

T H E D O G T H AT C A M E B A C K F R O M T H E D E A D
which is the other part of taking a she returned to the house two hours
dog into the mountains. “You have to later, the crew had left and the dog
trust your dog to make good decisions was curled by the front door. Gumber
by giving her a safe amount of free- had noticed him limping earlier, and
dom and not always interrupting her now she saw that he was filthy, weak
natural behaviours,” Quann says. “We and skeletally thin. She ushered the
want owners to help their dogs but dog into her car, then took him to her
not micromanage them.” The bottom Eagle–Vail home for food and water.
line, she notes, is if a trip will be more Miraculously, Gumber found that
stressful with your dog, leave him or the dog still had a collar. That after-
her at home. noon, she left a voice mail on my
I knew Susan questioned whether I’d mobile: “I have Merle. Please call me.”
done enough to keep Merle safe. My I’d left town a few days earlier for
possible carelessness gnawed at a work trip to Austria. I got
me, too, so I called our longtime the call and FaceTimed Susan
vet and friend, Charlie back home immedi-
Meynier, owner of Vail ately, where it wasn’t
Valley Animal Hospital, yet dawn. Neither of
to try to get some clo- us knew what the mes-
sure. He assured me I sage meant. Susan as-
had done everything I
Merle had likely sumed it was a sick
could to save Merle. “He gone into a coma, prank, but she agreed
crawled into that cave to then woken up and to call the woman back
secure shelter, which is that morning. A few
typical for a dog in dis-
covered 32 km in hours later, we had
tress who is on the verge 20 days to return an answer: Merle was
of dying—they hide and home. alive, Susan said. “I’m
hunker down,” he said. getting him this after-
noon.” When she got
T
hree weeks later, on 8 July, a to Gumber’s house, she collapsed to
real estate agent named Dana the floor as soon as she saw Merle,
Dennis Gumber was prepar- gently stroking his battered body. He
ing a listing in East Vail, more than a seemed to recognize her, though his
kilometre from the Deluge Lake trail- wandering eyes made her think he’d
head where Merle and my journey had suffered some brain damage.
started off. She noticed a ragged-look- Susan drove him to the Vail Valley
ing dog near the property’s deck and Animal Hospital, where emergency
assumed he belonged to the landscap- veterinarian Rebecca Hall found that
ers working on the complex. But when Merle had two detached retinas, a
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Reunited at last:
(from left) Susan,
Lily, Axel (bottom)
and Eric with Merle
in his arms
punctured lung, facial lacerations and low a scent or hear traffic kilometres
sores on his hind legs. He had lost away,” she says. Plus, after a week in the
about 5.4 kg—almost a third of his wilderness, Merle’s senses had likely
weight. His stool showed that he’d sur- sharpened. “I’d guess it was this com-
vived on pine needles and berries. He bination, plus intuition and some luck,
was tattered, but, remarkably, he didn’t that got him home,” she says.
need stitches and none of his bones Over the next week, while I was still
were broken. Hall was amazed that away, Merle recovered beautifully.
Merle had walked away from falling so His wandering eyes straightened, he
far. He had hunkered down in a cave, gained weight and his gait returned to
likely gone into a coma, then woken up normal. Axel and Lily, who now fully
and, seriously injured, covered 32 km believe in miracles, spent every mo-
in 20 days to return home. “You don’t ment with their best friend. When I got
hear a lot of stories about dogs surviv- home just after midnight one day later
ing in the wilderness,” Quann says. “But that month, I walked through the front
herding breeds are driven and tough. door, anxious to see Merle. Would he
His return was most likely testament run from me again? I entered our liv-
to his positive association with home. ing room, then kneeled down and
These dogs are incredibly bonded to called out to him. He gave a quick
their owners.” bark before lowering his ears, tucking
Quann says Merle probably followed in his tail and wiggling onto my lap.
human smells on the trail to get back to He clawed my chest like he wanted
civilization. “We can’t wrap our brains to climb on top of my shoulders and
around how easy it is for a dog to fol- kissed my face.

How to protect your eyes from
age-related retinal problems
BY L ISA F IE LDS WI T H GAGAN D H IL LON
L O N G -T E R M
V I S
G
RETEL SCHMITZ-MOORMANN OF DRESDEN, GERMANY,
wore glasses for decades, but when she was 53, they
stopped helping. No matter how her eye doctor adjusted
her prescription, she simply couldn’t read anymore. The
problem? Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which cloaks
the central field of vision, making it difficult to see whatever you
look at directly, although peripheral vision remains intact. There
was no treatment for her condition.
“If you think of a dark spot wherever you look, that’s almost exactly
what my vision is like,” says Schmitz-Moormann, now 79, a patient
spokesperson with Pro Retina Deutschland, a self-help association
of people with retinal degeneration. “It took months, if not years, for
me to allow the idea that this eye disorder was part of my life.”

I O N
L O N G -T E R M V I S I O N
AMD is one of three common condi- the age of 65 most affected. “Cases of
tions affecting the retina, the area in the this condition in India are on the rise
back of the eye on which the lens proj- because of increased longevity and a
ects images. To see those images, your booming population,” says Sakhuja.
retina must send details to the optic According to a 2016 rural–urban
nerve so that your brain can process AMD study by Sankara Nethralaya, a
the scene. If the retina becomes dam- non-profit ophthalmic care institu-
aged, part or all of your vision can be tion in Chennai, 20 per cent of India’s
wiped away, sometimes permanently. rural population and 16 per cent of
Caused by ageing or associated dis- its urban population had age-related
eases, AMD and other eye-related con- maculopathy—the early stage of AMD.
ditions can come as a surprise among Apart from age, the study also lists
senior citizens, as many neglect their consumption of smokeless tobacco
eye health. Says Dr David Garway- as a major risk, especially amongst
Heath, an ophthalmology professor India’s rural population.
at the University College London, “As “The centre of the retina gives
people get older, they have an expecta- you the most quality of life,’’ says
tion that there will be a decline in their Dr Hansjiirgen Agostini, retinal spe-
vision, so they don’t necessarily seek cialist at the Eye Center of the Univer-
out routine care to detect eye disease’’. sity of Freiburg in Germany. “That’s
Skipping check-ups can have dire where you read, where you recognize
effects: Retinal problems progress si- faces.” Changes within the eye dam-
lently, surreptitiously robbing you of age the centre of the retina, impact-
sight when interventions might have ing vision. Early on, straight lines look
helped. “People with these conditions distorted. Later, dark spots block what
may have no complaints. Many only you’re viewing. There are two forms
visit an optician to get their prescrip- of AMD: wet and dry. About 90 per
tion glasses. A specialist on the other cent of people with AMD have the dry
hand can detect retinal problems in kind, caused by retinal thinning due
time and suggest intervention. So regu- to ageing. There’s currently no treat-
lar eye examinations are critical in sav- ment, although research is ongoing.
A L L P H OTOS : ©S HU T T E R STOC K
ing one’s sight,” says Dr Navin Sakhuja, “An early study showed that in a spe-
a Delhi-based ophthalmologist, who cific genetically defined group, which
runs his own private practice. is about half the population, you can
slow the progression of the disease by
AGE-RELATED MACULAR a monthly injection, but these findings
DEGENERATION will have to be confirmed by late-stage
AMD is the leading cause of visual im- trials,” Agostini says. Only 10 per cent
pairment in India, with individuals over of AMD-affected people have wet AMD,

but it causes serious vision loss: Abnor-

TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF AMD:
mal blood vessels grow behind the ret-
■ Don’t smoke. It can double your risk
ina, leaking blood, scarring and dam-
of AMD.
aging the retina. Intraocular injections
■ Live healthily. The Mediterranean
can stop the bleeding, but they must be
diet should reduce your risk. “Have
given frequently, often over years.
almonds, cruciferous greens, basically
Although these injections are avail-
foods that are rich in vitamin A (retinols
able in India, many consider it a te-
and carotenoids). This will increase the
dious monthly ritual that can pinch
availability of antioxidants that protect
the pocket. “The injections aren’t
vision,” suggests Sakhuja.
pleasant, because they go into your
■ Try a supplement. Researchers
eye, but patients are prepared so that
found that specific antioxidants and
they don’t feel any pain,” says European
minerals may reduce AMD risk. “Anti-
Forum Against Blindness board mem-
oxidants present in the retina are lutein
ber Julie-Anne Little, who is also a se-
and zeaxanthin, so those two antioxi-
nior lecturer in optometry and vision
dants should be in the supplement,”
science at Ulster University in Northern
Little says. “It wasn’t a barn-door posi-
Ireland. “Several studies have proven
tive effect, but it definitely helps.’’
their value in preserving vision.’’
■ Test yourself between eye tests.
Last year, scientists developed an eye
Look at a special grid of lines, called
drop that may change the treatment
an Amsler grid, to catch AMD early.
for AMD, phasing out the need for in-
“Periodically look at that through each
jections in the eye. Researchers have
eye separately,” Little says. “Do you see
created a cell-penetrating peptide that
the four corners? Distortion of any
can deliver the medicine to the retina.
squares? It’s a very useful thing.’’
The research, published in the journal
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual
Science, studied the eyes of rats and DIABETIC RETINOPATHY
pigs as they are biologically closest to Diabetes is growing at an alarming rate
the human eye. Clinical trials to test the in India. According to a 2017 report
viability of the technology for human by the International Diabetes Federa-
eyes are due to start this year. tion (IDF), around 72 million Indians
People with AMD don’t go com- have diabetes—a figure that is likely to
pletely blind, however, and can navi- reach 134 million by 2045. Moreover,
gate with peripheral vision. Schmitz- research estimates that every fifth dia-
Moormann maintains her indepen- betic in urban India and every 10th
dence with absorptive-filter glasses and in rural India will have diabetic reti-
a cane for walking, plus a magnifying nopathy, the leading cause of prevent-
glass for reading large-print books. able blindness among diabetic adults.

GLAUCOMA: A STEALTH DISEASE
GLAUCOMA IS AN OPTIC NERVE CONDITION that doesn’t directly damage the

retina but robs people of vision. Fluid flows into and drains out of the eye at set
rates. When it doesn’t flow quickly enough, pressure can build up, damaging the
optic nerve. This causes irreversible peripheral vision loss and can lead to blind-
ness. You can’t tell if you have glaucoma because it’s painless, your central vision
is intact, and you’re tricked into believing that you have peripheral vision.
Glaucoma rarely has symptoms in the early stages. However, some patients
may present with intermittent pain in the eyes, headache and rainbow haloes
around light along with transient blurring of vision that resolves spontaneously.
In India, glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness, affecting about
12 million Indians, of which 1.2 million are blind from the disease. “Loss of vision
from glaucoma starts with the peripheral field of vision. As the disease pro-
gresses, central vision is lost and then complete
blindness sets in,” says Sakhuja. “It’s not a dark
spot, like with AMD,” says Dr Peter Wiedemann.
“You are behind three cars but you see two cars.
What do you see instead of the third car? You
just see the street. Your brain fills in what you
expect to see or are used to seeing. If a child
runs into the street and into the part where you
don’t see anything, you don’t even notice that
you don’t see the child.”
Glaucoma is more common after age 60,
and it often runs in families. Unsupervised use of
steroids, diabetes and thyroid ailments increases
the risk. There are treatments aimed at lowering the intraocular pressure to pre-
vent further damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision, says Sakhuja. Eye
drops are most common, followed by laser treatment or surgery. Although
drops can prevent vision loss, unfortunately many patients don’t consistently
use them. Doctors want to change this. Says Dr Garway-Heath, who is also the
vice president of the European Glaucoma Society, “Moorfields Eye Hospital is
leading a large, randomized, multi-centre trial of people with glaucoma, funded
by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research, to see which is the most cost-
effective treatment and which patients prefer: the drops or the laser treatment.”
Peter Austin of Surrey, England, was diagnosed with early glaucoma at age
32. Today, at 61, his vision is still intact because, twice a day, he applies eye
drops. “It’s not uncomfortable, it’s not difficult—you just have to be disciplined,”
said Austin, a patient advocate with the International Glaucoma Association.
“Tell me, how much of your eyesight would you like to lose before you felt terri-
ble enough to do something? I haven’t missed a dose for more than 20 years.”

The condition occurs as a result of vessels leading to diabetic macular oe-

uncontrolled blood-sugar levels that dema,” says Dr Priyanka Gupta, a vitreo-
damage blood vessels throughout the retina consultant at the Shroff Centre.
body—including vessels that nourish The blood vessels also develop tiny
the retina—causing them to swell and bulges called micro aneurysms, which
leak blood. New, leaky vessels may leak red blood cells into the retina.
also grow on the retina resulting in “Progression of diabetic retinopathy
leaked blood or insufficient blood flow leads to the second stage called prolif-
that can distort or block vision. erative diabetic retinopathy. This occurs
Aditya Kumar*, a businessman, had when there is diminished blood flow,
just turned 50 when he visited Delhi’s and ultimately, growth of new, abnor-
Shroff Eye Centre complaining of dete- mal blood vessels on the retinal surface
riorating vision. Other than that, he was and into the tissue that fills the eyeball
healthy—or so he thought. “On oph- behind the lens,” says Gupta. These ve-
thalmological examination and inves- ssels are fragile and tend to leak, lead-
tigation, the retina showed full-blown ing to loss of vision that needs urgent
diabetic changes with macular oedema intervention by a retina specialist.
(fluid retention) with a risk of vision Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is
loss,” says Dr Daraius Shroff, vitreo-ret- usually treated with laser surgery to
ina consultant at the Shroff Eye Centre reduce bleeding at the back of the eye.
in New Delhi. Further tests revealed that Diabetic macular oedema is developed
Kumar had a fasting blood sugar level of by about half of those with diabetic re-
250 mg/dL and a 2-hour PP (after-meal) tinopathy and is treated with regularly
blood sugar level of 300 mg/dL. Kumar scheduled anti-VEGF intraocular injec-
had never tested his sugar levels before tions, which block a protein that stimu-
and was oblivious of the possibility that lates abnormal blood vessels to grow.
he could be diabetic. “People with dia- “The moment you stop the injections,
betes have gradual vision loss due to four to six weeks later, the proliferations
retinopathy and therefore are not aware come back,” says Agostini.
of it until their daily life is affected,” says With a confirmed diagnosis of diabe-
Dr Sehnaz Karadeniz, European chair tes, Kumar was immediately referred to
of the IDF . “We can prevent severe a diabetologist so his blood sugar could
vision loss, in most cases, if diagnosed be controlled. “Once metabolic control
early and treated.” was achieved, we began treatment for
“Diabetic retinopathy occurs in two diabetic retinopathy with intravitreal
stages. The first is non-proliferative, anti-VEGF injections and laser therapy,”
where there is deposition of protein says Shroff. Kumar eventually recov-
and fat called hard exudates. There is ered his vision after regular retinopa-
leakage of fluid from small retinal blood thy treatment and blood-sugar control
*Name changed upon request READER’S DIGEST | APRIL 2019 | 95

CATARACTS: A BANE FOR MILLIONS
A CATARACT IS CAUSED WHEN THE LENS OF THE EYE gets dense and
cloudy. It develops gradually and can occur at any age, due to various reasons
ranging from smoking to trauma. Since cataracts develop slowly, it is entirely
possible to not notice any vision disturbance in the beginning. However, as
the cataract grows larger, it causes greater distortion of light passing through
the lens, leading to significant vision loss.
“Cataracts have been reported to be responsible for 50 to 80 per cent
of the bilaterally blind in India,” says Dr Anthony Vipin Das. “An estimated
20 lakh new cases of cataract are being added to the burden every year.”
Usually age-related cataract occurs due to the lens becoming more and
more opaque. This causes symptoms such as blurred or double vision, glare
at night and need for brighter light for reading and other activities.
“Senile cataracts can start to form from
the fifth decade of life,” says Das. Contrary
to popular belief, it is not advisable to wait
until the cataract reaches a mature stage
before starting treatment. “The rate of com-
plications and difficulty in extraction is
higher in long-standing cataracts,” he adds.
Cataract surgery is usually advised when
visual impairment hampers quality of life. It
is also recommended when vision fails to im-
prove after correction with spectacles. Dur-
ing a cataract surgery, Das explains, a small
incision is made on the side of the cornea.
A tiny probe is then inserted into the eye.
This device emits ultrasound waves that
soften and break up the lens so that it can be removed via suction. “This is
known as phaco-emulsification cataract surgery and is one of the most
widely performed surgeries for cataracts today,” he says.
Another type of surgery is extracapsular surgery. A longer incision is made
on the side of the cornea and the cloudy core of the lens is removed in one
piece. The rest of the lens is removed by suction. “The natural lens is then
replaced by an artificial lens, called an intraocular lens (IOL). Light is focused
clearly by the IOL on to the retina, thereby improving vision,” Das says.
“Cataract surgery in today’s age is highly successful with vastly improved
accuracy,” says Sakhuja. This is in no small way due to technological advance-
ments like the use of micro-incisional surgery and the use of several newer
IOLs. These are primarily monodical or multifocal, depending on whether
correction is desired for distance only or both near and distance vision.
Trifocal lenses add another intermediate area of focus.

through medicine and exercise. He ophthalmologist at L. V. Prasad Eye In-

remains on regular follow up, however, stitute, Hyderabad. Quickly reattach-
well aware that without the frequent ing the retina can restore vision. “The
ophthalmological check-ups, diabetic earlier we get it, the better your vision
retinopathy may yet progress and cause is,” Little says. “It’s a complex and
complete blindness. difficult surgery, but surgeons get
some pretty good results.”
TO REDUCE YOUR RISK OF In 2014, Tom Greenberg from Michi-
DIABETIC RETINOPATHY: gan had no idea that he had a detached
Q Control your blood sugar. You’ll retina. “I started seeing a dark blob on
protect your eyes. “We can do a lot, the edge of my field of vision, and it
but we do not have a chance if the would move around some as I moved
glucose levels are not controlled my eyes,” says Greenberg, 66. He waited
well,” Agostini says. a week before seeking help. Although a
Q See an eye doctor. Go when you’re surgeon reattached his retina, vision in
diagnosed with diabetes, then annu- that eye remains distorted. When his
ally thereafter. According to a 2014 other eye exhibited identical symp-
Indian study, almost two-thirds of all toms in 2017, Greenberg acted quickly:
type-2 and almost all type-1 diabetics He had surgery that day, and the vision
are expected to develop diabetic reti- in that eye is as good as it was before.
nopathy over time. Lifestyle changes can’t prevent
age-related retinal detachment, but
DETACHED RETINA you can preserve your sight by getting
Retinal detachment—a medical emer- treated promptly.
gency—is more common after age 40,
TO PREVENT VISION LOSS FROM
and often caused by the ageing process.
DETACHED RETINA:
The eye’s interior is filled with a gel-like
substance—the vitreous. With age, the Q Question visual obstructions.
vitreous can shrink and pull on the ret- They may signal detached retina.
ina as it shifts. Sometimes, it pulls with “If you suddenly see stars or floaters
enough force to tear the retina, separat- or soot-particle flakes, see your eye
ing it from the back of the eye so that it doctor, because this may be an emer-
can’t work properly. gency,” says Dr Peter Wiedemann,
Ophthalmologists can easily iden- director of the Eye Department at
tify a detached retina. “If you notice the Leipzig University Hospital in
flashes, increased floaters or a dark Germany. Regular check-ups can
curtain in the vision, visit an ophthal- help with early detection.
mologist as soon as possible,” says Q Seek care immediately. Delaying
Dr Anthony Vipin Das, consultant can lead to permanent vision loss.

Laughter
THE BEST MEDICINE
“Looks like someone got lucky.”
A DRIVER IS STRUGGLING to find to deal with was, apparently, being

a parking space. After 45 frustrating given lemons. @THEALEXNEVIL
minutes, he begins to pray.
“Lord,” he says, “I can’t take this JOE WALKS INTO A BAR in Boston
any longer. If you open a space up and orders three whiskeys. The
for me, I swear I’ll give up gambling bartender asks, “Would you prefer
and go to church every Sunday.” them all in one glass?”
CARTOON BY PHIL WITTE
Suddenly, the clouds part and the “No,” says Joe. “I have two broth-
sun shines on an empty parking spot. ers out west. Every time I go drink-
Without hesitation, the man says, ing, I order a shot for them both.”
“Never mind, I found one!” IrishPost.com Joe does this every day for a few
weeks, until one day he comes in
I WANT TO GO BACK to a time and orders just two whiskeys. The
when the worst thing people had bartender asks, “Did something
98 | APRIL 2019 | READER’S DIGEST Æ

happen to one of your brothers?” I DIDN’T REALIZE how broke I was
“No,” says Joe. “I just decided to until someone stole my identity
quit drinking.” 247sports.com and it ruined her life.
KATE DAVIS, c o m e d i a n
A MAN IS AT THE FUNERAL of an
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DOGBOXSTUDIO. JAROMIR CHALABALA. ZHENZHIROV. NATALIA FEDOSOVA (ALL SHUTTERSTOCK)
old friend. He tentatively approaches I WAS ON THE BUS the other

the deceased’s wife and asks whether day and saw a guy sit down on his
he can say a word. The widow nods. glasses. I guess hindsight isn’t 20/20.
The man clears his throat and ED POLLACK, c o m e d i a n
says, “Plethora.”
The widow smiles appreciatively. Reader’s Digest will pay for your funny
“Thank you,” she says. “That means sections. Post it to the editorial address,
a lot.” ROB KIENER or email: editor.india@rd.com
BELLY UP!
They’re called ‘dog balloons’—snapshots of pooches that are turned upside down
so the pups seem to be floating on the ceiling, and loving every minute of it.

MY STORY
To take her fear of heights head-on she

skydives. Read what happened next
LEAP OF
FAITH
BY R AT H INA SA N KA RI
“I HAVE AN INTENSE FEAR OF HEIGHTS,” I tell my

45-year-old skydiving instructor Evan Richardson. “And
I fear the ground,” he jokes. But his witty one-liner
doesn’t bring a smile to my face. I shudder and realize
my stomach is in knots. I wonder, for the nth time, if I
have made a mistake by enrolling in this nightmare. It’s
too late though, we are over 15,000 feet above ground.

L E A P O F FA I T H
SIGNING UP FOR SKYDIVING was my lot of sunshine. I land at Nelson Airport

attempt to get over acrophobia—the fear on D-day to be greeted by my host
of heights. I don’t exactly remember the Tracee Neilson. As soon as we leave
origin of my fear, but I vividly recollect the airport, Neilson gets a call from the
the first time I felt it—as a sixth grader, Skydive Abel Tasman team—the weather
standing in my swimsuit on a platform isn’t good for skydiving. I am both happy
five metres above a swimming pool and and disappointed by the news. “You can
refusing to jump. My father stood below, either opt out or jump tomorrow,”
sternly persuading me to dive in. Foiled, Neilson says. I mull over my options. I
he even sent one of the staff up to push am supposed to go kayaking the next day
me into the water. I refused to let him in the picturesque coves and lagoons of
touch me. Since that day I have never the Abel Tasman National Park. I take a
attempted any crazy rides in theme tour of the art scene in Nelson as Neilson
parks or adventure sports. drives me around in her car. By lunch-
My job as a software engineer takes time, sitting on the Mapua Wharf and
me around the globe. A few years ago, on tucking into some fresh seafood at the
the insistence of my colleagues, I take the Jellyfish Restaurant & Bar, I decide to
elevator to the glass floor of Toronto’s CN jump the next day.
(Canadian National) Tower to do the
EdgeWalk at 1,168 feet above sea level. AFTER AN ANXIOUS NIGHT, I wait for
As my colleagues parade gleefully, I find the Skydive Abel Tasman shuttle at my
it impossible to stand still, gripped by apartment in Kaiteriteri. The weather
utter panic. I am 39 and realize it’s time gods seem to favour me—it’s a clear
I did something to conquer my fear. day—but I wonder if it is a good idea to
I decide to take the bull by the jump on Friday the 13th. Not that I
horns in April 2018 in New am superstitious, I just have a
Zealand—a Mecca for adven- lot buzzing on my mind.
ture seekers. I first consider Nevertheless, an hour later, I
bungee jumping, but realize sign a few disclaimer forms,
that I would possibly back get into a jumpsuit, strap
out at the last moment. on the harness and wear
Tandem skydiving seems the hat and goggles.
a safer option—I needn’t
Gripped by Evan Richardson my
take the initiative; if my panic, I realize tandem master intro-
instructor jumps, I jump. duces himself and tries
After due diligence I
it’s high time I to break the ice with his
I N DI A P I C T U R E
select Nelson, one of the did something to one-liners.

cities in New Zealand’s conquer my fear. Soon we board the
South Island that enjoys a Pilatus Porter or PC-6, a

tiny aircraft, with one French and two
Scandinavian jumpers and their tandem
masters. As the plane gains height, the
fields, houses, roads all dwindle below
us. On a regular flight cruising in the sky,
I would have enjoyed the scene below,
but today it is different. Richardson
instructs me to hold on to the straps of
the harness during the jump. Shortly, he
fastens us together and secures an oxy-
gen mask to my face for a couple of min-
utes. The ground is 15,000 ft below us and Rathina and her instructor Evan after
we are still gaining height. I am reluctant landing in Abel Tasman National Park
at first to make the highest altitude jump
they had on offer at 16,500 ft. But they ending 70-odd seconds of free fall are a
convince me that I would be able to get nightmare. After what seems like an eter-
the maximum feel of free fall if I jumped nity, Richardson deploys the chute and
from this height. we lose our tremendous speed. I find
When the French lady jumps with her myself floating perpendicular to the
instructor, I stop breathing for a moment ground and find I can breathe normally.
PREVIOUS SPREAD & RIGHT PHOTOS COURTESY: SKYDIVE ABEL TASMAN
as I realize this is the final stretch. “We are

next. Take a few deep breaths.” Richard- HE SOON MANOEUVRES the chute
son yells over the roar of the engines. We giving me a 360-degree view of the
slide towards the door and I clutch the beautiful Abel Tasman National Park, its
straps holding on to dear life. I dare not golden beaches and green hills. As I
look below—I hate this moment and drink in the sights, I cannot believe
want it to be over somehow. If only I can I have managed to actually take the
fast forward these five minutes of my life plunge and survive. I am back on my
and find myself magically transferred to feet, on the ground, but I’m dizzy.
the firm ground under my feet. But “Drink lots of water and sit in the open
before I can think further, I find Richard- air,” says Richardson. I nurse my drink
son swinging back and forth. Pretty soon and wonder if I would jump again. I
I realize I have tumbled out. But it isn’t don’t know. But I realize I have taken
just a regular jump, we do a somersault the most important step to conquer my
in the air. Things move in a rapid haze: I fear. It is an achievement that I will
am pulled into a bottomless pit at a speed always hold close to my heart.
of 200 kmph gasping for air. I open my Remember what writer Ray Bradbury
mouth wide enough to funnel oxygen once said? “Jump off the cliff and build
into my screaming lungs. These never- your wings on the way down.”

After moving to the
suburbs, I felt forlorn and
friendless. That’s when I
spotted her across the
street—cool and confident,
taking out the recycling
Won’t You Be My
Neighbour—
and
BFF? BY MEG A N MUR P HY | ILLU ST R AT ION BY CÉ CI LE G AR I ÉPY

A
WO N ’ T YO U B E M Y N E I G H B O U R —A N D B F F ?
FEW YEARS AGO, it’s considered weird to hang out in a

I moved from Toronto to playground if you’re childless.)
Aurora, Ontario, about It was so easy to make friends as a kid.
an hour’s drive away. I’d We were all thrown together with the
been happy as a condo- assumption that we’d figure out how to
renting city girl, but my get along, because we had something as
boyfriend was a homeowner in the basic as childhood in common. But
suburbs; to take the relationship to the somehow that same thing doesn’t work
next level, I had to uproot. in adulthood.
At the time, I was a radio DJ and, I was perilously close to throwing in
thanks to the power of technology, the towel, resigning myself to a future
working from home. I didn’t have the where I had to wear both halves of a ‘best
company of colleagues, so I was friends forever’ pendant.
hopeful that I’d make friends in my new But then I saw her.
neighbourhood. Shortly after settling
in however, I found myself feeling FROM OUR SECOND-FLOOR window,
lonelier than I’d ever been. while I was sorting laundry, I caught
Where we lived, the houses were sight of a beautiful, tall blonde taking
jammed together so tightly that, from out her recycling. She wore a plaid shirt
our backyard, I could see into the tied around her waist and horn-
windows of at least eight other homes. rimmed glasses that made her look like
But the irony of living in such close a cool librarian. She walked with
proximity is that no one actually talks confidence—even her ponytail
to each other; as in an open-concept bounced. I gasped, “I recycle too! We
office, they pretend they can’t hear or have so much in common!”
see each other to maintain at least an The question was, how would we
illusion of privacy. I found myself meet? I couldn’t just knock on her
desperate to make a friend. door. What would I say? “Hi, I’m the
At the grocery store, I held up the new girl, can you come out and play?”
checkout line while I asked the cashier So I thought, What if I just happened to
what she was serving her family for be jogging by? I put on those running
dinner that night and whether she had shoes again, but after a few times
any thoughts on the upcoming election. around the block, dripping sweat,
When filling my gas tank, I stopped snot and expletives, I hadn’t seen her
paying at the pump because going inside (though I did remember how much
meant interacting with another human. I hate running).
I even bought new running shoes so I I tried gardening outside, long
could jog past the park where mums and enough to get an opportunity to say
their kids played after school. (Turns out hello. But I know nothing about

horticulture and I don’t like dirt, worms “Nice. I don’t have kids, but I have
or anything that calls itself ‘mulch’. nieces. They’re like surrogate children
I decided I needed to seize on the one but they go home at the end of the day
thing I already knew about her—she and they didn’t give me stretch marks.
takes out her blue bin. I would wait for So that’s a positive! Have a great day!”
garbage day and stage a meet-cute. I’d taken the cool cucumber and
mashed it to a pulp.
THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY, I woke up As we both walked away, I turned
a little earlier than usual and put on a and called out, “Oh, and by the way,
touch of concealer and some lip gloss, I’m Megan.”
careful not to look like I was trying too “Michelle,” she replied.
hard. After separating the cardboard I walked back inside, wearing a
and the plastics, I waited. giant grin.
A little after 8 a.m., I began losing my
nerve. What if it’s her husband’s day to
do the chores? I thought. What if she
doesn’t like me? I DECIDED IT WAS TIME
Before I could bail, though, I saw TO TAKE THINGS TO
movement. The garage door retracted THE NEXT LEVEL, SO
and the blonde emerged. I grabbed a
I ASKED HER TO COME
bin and made my way to the end of my
driveway. Just act natural, Murphy,
WATCH THE BACHELOR
I told myself.
WITH ME.
“Good morning. How are ya?” I said,
cool as a cucumber.
“Good. And you?” she replied. OUR ‘COINCIDENTAL’ recycling meet-
“Doing well. It’s supposed to be ups continued for a few weeks until I
pretty warm today, so that’ll be nice.” gathered my courage to walk across the
(Good one, Murphy.) street and engage in an actual conversa-
“Yeah, I heard that on the radio.” tion. It lasted about a half hour, during
“You listen to the radio? I actually which we compared upbringings, our
work in radio. It’s my job to tell people siblings’ names and where we fit in the
the weather. I’m not a meteorologist, birth order. We liked each other. There
just a DJ. I talk for a living. Clearly!” was a spark. I could tell.
The blonde cocked an eyebrow, I decided that it was time to take
looking slightly confused (and things to the next level and invited her
hopefully intrigued?). “Interesting,” she over—not for coffee or for dinner, but
said. “Well, I’d better get my son loaded for something far riskier. I asked her to
into the car for school.” come watch The Bachelor [an American

WO N ’ T YO U B E M Y N E I G H B O U R —A N D B F F ?
dating and relationship reality TV When it was time for Michelle to go,
series] with me. I told her to wear we hugged at the door and I said, “Get
pyjama pants and, without blinking, home safe.” She laughed and,
she said she would be there at eight. 15 seconds later, from across the road,
yelled, “The commute wasn’t too bad!”
THAT NIGHT, while my boyfriend was
out at his league basketball game, I LIKE ANY GOOD DATE, you don’t call
cleaned the house, showered and put the next day. I figured I should wait until
on my best flannel. I went overboard on garbage day to make my next move, but
refreshments. We were new to each then I saw her from my window, unload-
other so I didn’t know her preferences ing groceries, and I ran outside. “Hey!
yet. I bought red and white wine, Need some help over there?” I called.
popcorn, two types of chips, along “Hello! That would be awesome,”
with some veggies and dip, so she she beamed.
wouldn’t judge my junk-food habits. I “I had a really good time the other
lit a vanilla-scented candle. night,” I said, blushing.
I was ready. “Me too,” she said. “I got home and
Michelle arrived at the door wearing told my husband ‘I think I made a
the requisite sleeper pants and a com- friend’.” Then she paused and
fortable hoodie. She had also brought sheepishly admitted, “I asked him if I
licorice—my favourite. could call you and he told me not to
As the show started, we settled on come on too strong.”
the couch and proceeded to drink From then on, we were like contes-
wine, binge from our buffet, dissect tants on The Bachelor—we really ‘put
doomed television relationships, tell ourselves out there’; we were ‘there for
stories about our own and laugh our the right reasons’; and we ‘found what
faces off. It was arguably the best first we’d been looking for’—a new friend to
date I’ve ever been on. fall platonically in love with.
CLOSE TIES
Friendship: Because I’ve said many dumb things and you
acted like they were TED Talks.
@APAR NAP KI N
True friendship is when you walk into their house and

the Wi-Fi connects automatically.
@U MI N R FR H I M
00
110 | OCTOBER | READER’S
APRIL 20192018 | READER’S
DIGEST
DIGEST
As Kids See It
“But stew is just everything I don’t like in gravy.”
“THE CARROTS ARE WORKING!”— in the park today?

My six-year-old son on finding his Anay: Meeooow-meow, poonai
shoes in the dark. @WHATBABYTALK (cat in Tamil).
Father: (matter-of-factly) No Anay,
*MAKING MACARONI AND CHEESE* you didn’t see meow. You saw Mia.
Five-year-old: I wanna put the She’s a girl, not a cat.
cheese in! VAISHNAVI SEETHARAMAN, B e n g a l u r u
Me: (handing her the open packet
of powder) Okay, can you very I TOLD MY DAUGHTER that showing
carefully pour this in? her chewed-up food to her brother
Five-year-old: *Just waves the in public is gross, and she said, “Well
packet around like she’s throwing I’m not here for the people.”
rice at a wedding* @COPYMAMA SALADIN AHMED, w r i t e r
CON A N D E V R I E S
FATHER AND TODDLER converse Reader’s Digest will pay for your funny
after returning from the park. sections. Post it to the editorial address,
Father: So Anay, who did you see or email: editor.india@rd.com

The Day I
Stopped
being an
Indian
That wrenching feeling of signing your
nationality away
BY RIM A DATTA H O LL AN D
ILLU ST RAT IO N BY P R I YA KU R IYAN
IT WAS A HOT DAY in May 2010 when I stopped being an Indian. Officially.
It happened in a musty little office of the immigration and naturalization
authority in the German city that had come to be my home.
I was early for my 3 p.m. appointment with the official responsible for
einbürgerung (naturalization). As I sat outside the door waiting to go in, I felt
weighed down by the enormity of what was about to happen.
It had been a long road that had brought me to this door: a childhood
and youth in India, through university and a 14-year stay in the US and
finally to a life of two and a half decades in Germany. I’d been rooted and
uprooted several times, but this is where I’d lived the longest—where I’d
struggled to master a foreign language; where I’d found work and made
new friends; where I’d brought up my son, largely on my own, and learnt
to be truly independent.
Yet, in all those years, I’d hung on to my Indian citizenship, ambiva-
lent about giving it up in spite of the difficulties I faced because of it—the
inability to vote and the problems with international travel being the most

T H E D AY I S T O P P E D B E I N G A N I N D I A N
important ones. But after 25 years in and nondescript art prints on the walls.
Germany, I was much more in touch The only picture that stood out was a
with Germany’s politics than with face, round as a ball—Klee’s ‘Marked
India’s, and it was frustrating to have Man’—divided into variously coloured
no voice in shaping the policies that sections. How appropriate, I thought!
affected me. In fact, the irony was A sectioned face, symbolic of the immi-
that in spite of being very political, grants who sit in this chair, their souls
I had never voted in my life. broken into the colours of the cultures
they come from, their multiple identi-
NOW, APPROACHING RETIREMENT, ties, their divided hearts.
I realized I’d like to spend more time in I was surprised by her first question:
India, where I also have a house, family “Have you brought your last
and friends. I was afraid, though, that salary statement?”
an absence of more than six months “No, I thought the salary statements
could result in a loss of my resident from last year were enough.”
status in Germany, which over the “Well, that was four months ago!”
years had come to be my home. Ambiv- she said with a disapproving look, and
alent though I was, I knew I couldn’t I knew that I’d already failed, that I’d
afford to let this door to Germany close been found wanting. Yet, there was an
forever, and, given that dual citizenship underlying sense of relief as well.
was not permitted, I knew of no other “Should I come back some other
way of keeping it open. day?” I asked quickly.
Looking at my watch, I saw it was “No, no that’s all right,” she said
time for my appointment. I knocked grudgingly, wanting to get the whole
gently and went in. The official, an thing over with. “We can go on. Just
unsmiling middle-aged woman with make sure you bring it to me later.”
greying hair and a raspy smoker’s voice, So, on we went.
asked me to take a seat while she got She handed me a piece of paper and
my file out. I felt unaccountably tense asked me to read it out loud. It was a
as if I were there to be assessed once half-page of text in German. I started
again. The mandatory written test reading it, but she interrupted me,
was behind me, but I wasn’t sure if I’d saying, “Please read it all … including
have to pass some sort of inspection the place and date.” So I started again,
to prove myself worthy of the citizen- stumbling inexplicably over words
ship that was about to be conferred I knew well. It was an oath I was read-
upon me. I worried that I would fail. ing, swearing to be loyal to this country
To control my nerves, I forced myself and to observe all the duties of a citizen.
to look around the office. There were I reached the end and put the paper
a few small plants on the windowsills down on her desk.

Handing me her pen she said, “Sign EARLIER, AS I’D BEEN WAITING to go
here,” tapping on the bottom of the page into the room, I had taken my Indian
I’d just read. passport out of my bag one last time
And so, with one stroke of her pen, and run my fingers over the golden
I signed my old nationality away. emblem embossed on the dark blue
My eyes were too full of tears to cover and flipped through the much-
read the citizenship certificate stamped pages, curling slightly at the
she handed me. edges. All the countries I’d been to—the
We shook hands to US, Switzerland, South
seal the deal. That was all Africa, Lesotho, Bhutan,
the ceremony there was Mexico—all with their own
to it. No photograph, no visas, entry and departure
cheers, no fanfare—just stamps in different
a dry handshake. Try- colours.
ing to explain my tears This passport and
I said, it was a huge i t s p re d e c e s s o r s ha d
schritt (step) in my life confirmed my identity
and, at the same time, a I took my Indian as an Indian national.
terrible schnitt (cut). passport out It’s what I’d held in my
The lady looked of my bag one hands when I’d stood in
surprised at that, but last time and various consulate lines
agreed that it was a very to get visas, in other
ran my fingers
important step. lines at airports to have it
“You must be willing to over the golden inspected, while others,
give something up to get emblem G ermans, Americans,
something else,” she said embossed on the B r i t i s h c i t i z e n s j u s t
sanctimoniously. dark blue cover. walked through with the
I watched sadly as breezy confidence of
she took my old Indian ‘first-world’ citizens.
passport away and slipped it into a There would be none of that
plastic envelope to be sent to the Indian anymore, now that I had joined
consulate in Munich. their ranks. Like them, I could live
“Can I get it back after it’s been in Germany indefinitely, vote, go in
cancelled?” I asked. and out of Europe and travel to most
“That’s something you’ll have to ask countries around the world without
the Indian consulate,” she said. “It’s needing a visa. I, too, had become a
their property, not ours. And certainly first-world citizen!
not yours!” This last bit was said with a Why then, instead of rejoicing, did
certain amount of vehemence. I feel so sad?

VIVA
Havana!

Visit the Cuban capital and be transported by
its intoxicating mixture of sights and sounds
BY REI F LA R S EN F R O M TH E N EW YOR K TIMES
View over Havana, Cuba

J
V I V A H A VA N A !
JUST BEFORE NEW YEAR’S EVE, my So then why go to Cuba and dive
wife and I left our two children at into the crosshairs of both diplomatic
home in New York with my parents and acoustic uncertainty? Because
and sneaked down to Havana for a this is why we travel. As José Martí,
brief getaway. More than once, I felt Cuba’s national poet and philoso-
as if we had opened a portal into a pher, once wrote, “In a time of crisis,
parallel universe. the peoples of the world must rush to
PHOTOS (PREVIOUS SPREAD) ©SEAN PAVONE/SHUTTERSTOCK. (OPPOSITE) ©ANDRES GARCIA MARTIN/SHUTTERSTOCK

Cuba, which unfurls across the get to know each other.”
Caribbean like a tangled flag, sits barely No one can predict what will hap-
160 kms south of Key West, Florida. pen to Cuba in the coming years,
In some respects, it might as well be which is why you must rush there
10,000 kms. The country languishes now. To visit is to witness a rare bird
in a period of post-Fidel, post-Obama about to fly the coop.
T
uncertainty. Many Cubans we talked
to cited President Obama’s 2016 visit HERE’S A BIT OF
as a critical first step in normalizing consumerist whiplash that
relations between the two countries. goes on when one travels to
But such optimism has given way Cuba. There is no capitalist
to a kind of stagnant waiting game, excess there. Things are used and then
filled with more questions than used some more until they eventually
answers: Is the sudden explosion of fall apart. And then they are fixed.
private businesses (like Airbnb) on Our driver in Havana had inherited
the island a sign of things to come his cherry-red 1959 Buick Invicta
or merely window dressing on what convertible from his father, who
remains a totalitarian regime? What had inherited it from his father. The
will happen now that a Castro is no engine was original. I asked how
longer in charge? And if I did go to many kilometres the car had on it.
Cuba, would my capitalist mind be “This can’t be measured,” he said.
turned into mush? Much in Cuba resists measurement.
Like many, I had been particularly Time becomes slippery. When we
taken by reports that US diplomats drove into the city from José Martí
in Cuba had suffered from a range of International A irpor t, we were
mysterious symptoms, including nau- instantly immersed in a whirlwind of
sea, hearing loss, dizziness, memory ghostly history: American Plymouths
loss and even brain damage. Both the from the 1950s, Soviet Ladas from the
media and the US State Department 1970s, Polski Fiats from the 1980s,
bandied about an attack by a sonic donkey carts, the odd Peugeot. It was
weapon or microwave weapon as a as if every moment that came before
possible explanation. was also present now.

A vintage American car, parked on
a picturesque street in Old Havana

Above: The Malecón is Cuba’s most famous seaside avenue. Below: Dancers perform in
costume in Callejón de Hamel, a two-block-long alley covered in Afro–Cuban street art.

Cu b a n s h av e a c o m p l i c a t e d We were wandering through dark

relationship with time. The socialist parks at night because, for the most
system demands that time is not one’s part, Cuba is perfectly safe. There
own; time, like most everything else, is is no crime to speak of, or so the
a shared commodity. Thus people are Cuban government says. As is often
used to waiting in lines for services. the case, when you dig beneath the
They are so used to waiting in lines surface, all is not as it seems: Cuba has
that there are no lines anymore. the sixth highest incarceration rate in
There is only a group of people living the world. If there is no crime, why are
their lives, chatting, who happen to there so many criminals? Or is there
be waiting outside a bank or at a bus no crime because all the criminals are
stop. When someone new shows up locked up? When I asked our driver
P H OTOS : ( TOP ) ©KO N STA N T I N A KSE N OV/SH UT T E R STOC K. ( B OT TO M) ©ALVA R FU EN TE /SH UT T E R STOC K
they ask, “Quién es el último?” (Who about this he shrugged.

is at the end?) A finger goes up. The “There’s an old joke,” he said.
queue quietly grows by one and time “Eleven million Cubans, five million
tumbles on. are police.”
I
One of the young Cubans we talked
to waiting in line shrugged off this WILL NOT BE THE FIRST to
inconvenience. “Yes, there are short- tell you that the streets of Ha-
ages of goods. No, it’s not ideal,” he vana are an intoxication. The
said. “Private enterprise is important. city is ridiculously photogenic,
But we don’t just want to copy the no filters needed. Our Airbnb was in
American system—no offence—where Vedado, a deceptively calm residential
everything is about money.” neighbourhood of ageing mansions
One of the great gifts of our short that also feature a few of the city’s most
time in Havana was time itself. Spe- thumping night clubs and Fábrica de
cifically, not having constant access Arte Cubano—an old cooking oil fac-
to the internet. Havana has recently tory turned into a sprawling arts com-
allowed for public Wi-Fi, but only in plex. The night we went, there was a
certain parks and street corners. One fashion show, a concert, a gallery open-
has to purchase a little card to buy ing all wrapped up into one. Cubans
time online. And so we guiltily joined are ingenious at adapting what they
the masses at night in John Lennon have into something that is greater than
Park (not to be confused with Lenin the sum of its parts.
Park outside the city), huddled around From Vedado we walked. We
the glow of our smartphones. Would walked along the Malecón, the sea-
this be where the new revolution be- front avenue and promenade known
gan? And would this revolution have as the “sofa of the city”, where young
its own emoji? people come out to see and be seen

V I V A H AVA N A !
as the ocean pounds the city’s sea In fact, Habaneros are some of the
wall. We strolled through the crum- more upbeat people I have ever met.
bling part of Centro Habana, the “real Citizens in many of the Socialist and
Havana”, as many people put it. Every- post-Socialist countries I’ve visited
one was home for the holidays; the often radiate a carefully honed
mood was festive. We dodged water cynicism. Cubans are just the opposite.
flung from balconies. They are not blind to the problems in
We drifted through the Callejón their country but there is no time to be
de Hamel, an alleyway covered in down because … there’s a rumba street
Afro–Cuban street art by Salvador festival! (And a car to fix, an apartment
González—inscribed bathtubs em- to rent, eggs to track down …) Even
bedded in walls, bright murals of bo- Jesus was in on the action. The Christ of
dies entangled in dance. We passed the Havana is a 66-foot-tall statue made of
joyous scrum of a rumba street festival. Carrara marble that overlooks the city
Was there a rumba festival here from a hilltop across the bay.
every day? I wouldn’t be surprised. “In Rio, their Jesus is like this,” said
our guide, holding out his arms. “In
Cuba he is like this, with a mojito and
a cigar.” The Cuban benediction.
TRAVEL TIPS
We were constantly called out by
strangers: “Where are you from?”
GETTING TO HAVANA While People beamed when we told them.
there are a number of flights to
Havana from India, all of them
“We love the US. I have a cousin in
include layovers. Queens. It’s cold there, yes? I would
WHEN TO VISIT Thanks to Cuba’s
die. Please tell everyone that Cuba is
tropical climate, Havana is an beautiful. No Mafia, no war. Just moji-
appealing year-round destination. tos and salsa dancing.” Hand on stom-
Temperatures are slightly cooler ach, the dance was demonstrated, the
from November to late spring, but toe expertly twirled in the dust.
this is also the dry season, so you
F
can expect lots of sunny days.
Summer and autumn experience OR THE AVERAGE
more tropical showers, though Cuban, it is of course not just
there are still plenty of clear mojitos and salsa dancing.
days. Hurricanes are a possibility Ever y day is an act of
during these months, though it is improvised survivalism. But as visitors
impossible to predict in advance
when, or if, they will hit Cuba.
on this miraculous island, we followed
the Christ of Havana’s lead and drank
More information
our fair share of mojitos. They went
www.cubatravel.cu
down like water. The food was almost
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universally forgettable, but this is not To enter, you must wait in line before
why you come to Cuba. You come to descending through a replica of a red
be transported. To dance, to soak in British telephone booth into a small
the jaw-dropping collage of colonial subterranean space.
and Art Deco architecture, to ponder Fonseca and his bandmates slowly
the sad-alien street murals by Yulier arrived one by one, greeting one
Rodriguez Perez, to hear stories of a another, testing their instruments.
parallel world that begins to slowly There was no rush. The music didn’t
merge with your own. start until well after 11 p.m. Yet when
And you come for the sound. Never that first note was struck, everything
have I been to a place whose identity is seemed to fade away: the city, the
so entangled in its auditory fingerprint. island, the ocean, the world.
The guttural putt putt of eight-cylinder The drummer was humble,
Cadillacs built before my father was incorruptible, generous. Fonseca
born; the ocean rising and slapping dashed up and down his keyboard
at the Malecón; the timbale’s bell like a gazelle. The conga player, when
chattering at a bar; the swish and chop his time finally came, let loose such an
of a broom on a doorstep; the boom of avalanche of rhythm, the atoms in the
the ceremonial cannons fired every room began to quiver and split. Tell me,
evening from the Fortaleza de San is there a more ecstatic instrument than
Carlos de la Cabaña. the conga drum?
Our last night in Havana we went When the song finally ended, the
to see Roberto Fonseca and his world came rushing back, changed,
band Temperamento at the famous unchanged. We were in Cuba, still. We
La Zorra y El Cuervo jazz club. took a breath and began to applaud.
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES, 12 MARCH 2018, © 2018 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES CO., NYTIMES.COM
THE ART OF THE DEAL
My girlfriend wanted to watch The Hunger Games

and I didn’t, so we compromised, and now we’re
gonna watch The Hunger Games.
@ J E W JO N
I DEMAND to be in good shape and I REFUSE to

do anything to make that happen. Those are my terms.
@ C H A SE M I T

BONUS READ
Crossing
Over To
Europe
It’s hard enough for a 16-year-old
girl to escape from Syria and find
sanctuary in Europe. But what
if she is in a wheelchair?
BY NUJE EN MU STAFA, W IT H C HR IST I NA L AMB

FR O M T H E BO O K TH E GI RL FRO M AL EP PO

C R O SS I N G OV E R TO E U R O P E
F
r om the beach we could see the island of Lesbos—and
Europe. The sea was quiet, flecked only by the smallest
of whitecaps that looked as if they were dancing on the
waves. The island did not look far off. But our grey dinghies were
small and sat low in the water, weighed down with as many lives
as could be packed into the small boats.
We had heard that on a fine summer and so it was up to my sister Nasrine

day like this, with a working motor, a to navigate our way to safety.
dinghy takes just over an hour to cross We had been in the olive groves all
the 13-km strait. However, the motors night, after having been dropped off on
were often old, and they strained for the cliff road by a smuggler’s minibus.
power with all the people in the boats. From there we’d walked down the hill
The beach was not sandy, as I had to the shore, more than a kilometre.
imagined, but pebbly, yet we could see That’s not much, but feels like a very
that we were in the right place from long way in a wheelchair with only
the discarded belongings scattered your sister to push and a fierce Turkish
along the shore. There were clothes sun beating down and driving sweat
and shoes and backpacks, all tossed into your eyes.
out because there was no room in the The smugglers had promised we
boats and people had to travel as light would leave early in the morning. By
as possible. dawn we were ready on the shore in
P HOTO, P R E VI O U S S P RE A D: © ST R/A FP/G E T T Y I MAGE S

It was the first time I had seen the our life jackets. Our mobile phones
sea. The first time I had ridden in a bus, were tied inside party balloons to pro-
flown in a plane, travelled out of my tect them on the crossing, a trick we
country. The first time for everything. had been shown how to do in Izmir.
Back in Aleppo, Syria, I had barely There were several groups waiting.
ever left our fifth-floor apartment. I We’d paid $1,500 each, instead of the
was born with a type of cerebral palsy, usual $1,000, to have a dinghy just for
and mostly confined to a wheelchair, our family, but it seemed others would
Some call this crossing the route of death.

It would either deliver us to Europe
or swallow us up in the ocean.

Wesseling, Germany
be in our boat anyway. There
would be 38 people in total.
There was nothing we could do
about it. We couldn’t go back,
and people said the smugglers
used knives and cattle prods on
people who changed their minds.
On the beach there were
people from Syria, like us, as
well as from Afghanistan, Iraq Aleppo,
and Morocco. Some people Syria
swapped stories, but most did
not say much. Many spoke in a
language we didn’t understand,
and besides, to leave behind all The route to safety that the sisters planned to travel
you knew in your own country
to make this dangerous journey, you either deliver us to Europe or swallow
knew it must be bad. us up in the ocean.
As morning broke, we watched the
first boat go out. The boats didn’t have NO FRIENDS BUT IN
pilots. Instead, the smugglers let one THE MOUNTAINS
refugee travel for half price or for free I hate the word refugee. What it really
if he drove the boat. My Uncle Ahmed means is a second-class citizen with a
was going to drive our boat. His old job number scrawled on your hand, who
was running a mobile phone shop. But everyone wishes would somehow go
he assured us he knew how. away. But we are not numbers, we are
Around 9 a.m., Uncle Ahmed called human beings, just the same as every-
the smuggler. What was the holdup? one else except we have lost our homes.
He was told that we must wait for the Some of the refugees were lawyers,
Turkish coast guard to move. doctors or important people in their
The day got hotter, and as the after- communities back home, but standing
noon wore on the waves got higher. exhausted with their few belongings in
Finally, around 5 p.m., they said rucksacks and shopping bags, everyone
M A P : © S HU T T E R STOC K
the coast guard was leaving. So we looked grim and beaten down.
should go. A mist was coming down, My name is Nujeen, which means
and the cry of the seagulls no longer new life, and I guess you could say I
seemed so romantic. was unexpected. When I came along on
Some call this crossing rihlat al- New Year’s Day 1999, my oldest brother
moot, or the route of death. It would Shiar was 26 and my youngest sibling

Nasrine was nine. My family lived in Maybe because my mother was

a dusty, neglected desert town called old when she had me, 44, I was born
Manbij in northern Syria, not far from 40 days too soon. My brain didn’t get
the border with Turkey. We were one enough oxygen and something hap-
of five Kurdish families on a street in a pened; my brain doesn’t send proper
town that was mostly Arab. We had to signals to my legs. My ankles are
speak their language in school and in turned inward, my toes point down-
the shops, and could speak our Kurdish ward and my legs seem to have a life of
language Kurmanji only at home. their own, kicking up at random times.
Kurds are a proud people, with our When I was four, my family moved
own alphabet, our own food, culture to Aleppo where I could get better
and a long history going back 2,000 medical help. Our new home was a
years. We are about 30 million people, fifth-floor apartment, with four rooms
but we have never had our own coun- and two balconies where I would sit to
try. We have a saying: “Kurds have no watch the world go by.
friends but in the mountains.” My four brothers and four sisters
Today, about half the Kurds live in all went to school, and eventually my
Turkey. There are about two million sisters got married. Meanwhile, I went
Kurds in Syria, where we are the biggest to a physical therapy centre and had
minority. There are some in Iraq, some several operations on my feet and legs,
in Iran. And now, some in Europe. but I was unable to go to school. My
My father, Yaba, was a sheep and substitute was the TV, watching every-
goat trader. He had 60 acres of land and thing from cartoons to soap operas,
at one point owned a flock of 200 sheep, from sports to documentaries to quiz
but he never made much money. Our shows. My two favourite shows were
house consisted of two main rooms the Arabic version of Who Wants to Be
with a small kitchen. My oldest brother a Millionaire? and the American soap
Shiar left Syria before I was born, to opera Days of Our Lives. Later, we got
avoid being sent to fight in Iraq. He a computer and I discovered Google,
made his way to Germany where he where I searched for facts and col-
became a film director, and he dutifully lected every bit of information I could.
sent money back to the family. My sisters helped me learn. They
In March 2012, protesters set fire to the

Ba’ath party headquarters. President Assad sent
tanks to crush the protesters.
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Nujeen, as a
10-year-old in
would bring home text- Syria, before
books from school, and the war
I would read them myself in
a couple of weeks. My family
did try to take me out, but it
was too much trouble since
we had no lift, and I had to
be carried up and down five
flights of stairs. But I did not
wallow in misery. My favou-
rite saying is: “Laugh as long
as you breathe, love as long as
you live.”
In January 2011, just af-
ter my 12th birthday, I was
watching Days of Our Lives were reports that the boys were be-
when my brother Bland rushed in ing tortured. On 18 March, after Fri-
and turned the channel to Al Jazeera. day prayers, families of the missing,
“Something has happened!” he cried. accompanied by community leaders,
On the screen we could see people marched on the governor’s house. Riot
gathering in the main square in Cairo, police used water cannons to disperse
waving flags and demanding the re- them, then armed police opened fire.
moval of President Hosni Mubarak. Three people were killed.
Then came the tear gas and rubber Two days later, protesters set fire to
bullets to drive the demonstrators the local Ba’ath party headquarters and
away. A few days later, there were tanks other government buildings. President
and barricades in the streets, until Assad sent tanks to crush the protest-
President Mubarak stepped down. It ers. The revolution had begun.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NUJEEN MUSTAFA
was the Arab Spring. Rebel groups got together in what

Soon, every day on TV, there were they called the Free Syrian Army
reports of uprisings somewhere new. and began to prepare for war. Assad
Yemen, Libya, Algeria, Morocco. When stepped up his military actions, until
would it be Syria’s turn? The whole the revolution came to Aleppo in the
country was holding its breath. spring of 2012.
The spark came in Daraa, near the My sister Nasrine was among those
Jordan border, when a group of teen- protesting at the university, when the
age boys was arrested for scrawling next thing she knew, her eyes were full
anti-regime graffiti on school walls. of tears. She ran away and came home,
More teenagers were arrested. There while security forces stormed the

university and fired tear gas and bullets. Eventually, my parents agreed we
As we had seen elsewhere in Syria, should leave. First we went back to
the violence soon escalated. Rebels Manbij, which was under rebel con-
got hold of more effective weapons, trol. But no one was really in charge.
some seized from Syrian army bases, Armed militants drove around town
others smuggled in from Turkey, Jor- fighting among themselves and steal-
dan and Lebanon. Front lines hard- ing from people. Foreigners arrived
ened into stalemate. with the rebels and beat women who
In July, rebels poured into Aleppo, didn’t cover themselves. They jailed
seizing control in the east, while re- people who had a tattoo or wore jeans.
gime forces maintained control in the Meanwhile, Assad just got worse.
west. Our own Kurdish militia, the YPG He brought in Afghan fighters as mer-
(People’s Protection Units), kept con- cenaries and got military assistance
trol of our neighbourhood. from the Iranians. The regime began
I tried covering my ears and turn- bombing Manbij using MiG fighters
ing up the TV, but nothing could block and helicopter gunships. The place
out the buzz of the helicopter gunships was in chaos.
and the tuk-tuk-tuk of gunfire. When My brother Shiar came to visit and
the raids started, people would rush was shocked at how we were living
to basement shelters, but of course I with the bombs and the jihadis. He
couldn’t. My family wouldn’t leave me, gave us money for our passage.
so we all sat on the fifth floor as the My parents didn’t want to leave,
building shook and the windows rat- and at first they stayed behind, while
tled, everyone trying not to look scared. my brother Mustafa went ahead to
the Turkish town of Gaziantep. Uncle
FLEEING THE CHAOS Ahmed was driving us in his car, as
Soon people started leaving. Those he had a passport and could cross
with money and passports were able the border. My brother Bland sat in
to fly to other countries. Others sought front with Uncle Ahmed. Nasrine and
safety by fleeing to the countryside or I, and Mustafa’s wife, were squashed
crossing to Lebanon where they may in the back.
have had relatives. It was less than an hour’s drive from
Foreigners arrived with the rebels and beat

women who didn’t cover themselves, and jailed
people who had a tattoo or wore jeans.
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By 2015, bombings, like this one in Aleppo, drove Syrians to flee the chaos.
Manbij to the Turkish border, where I knew that Gaziantep wasn’t the end
we saw hundreds of other Syrians con- of our journey. Shiar had mentioned
verging on the crossing point, mostly Germany. I didn’t tell anyone, but one
on foot. Uncle Ahmed slipped the night when everyone was sleeping, I
P HOTO : ©KA RA M A L MAS R I / N U RP HOTO/ RE X/S H U TT E R STOC K
border official a wad of notes, but he borrowed Shiar’s laptop and googled
only allowed Ahmed and me through. ‘Germany cures for cerebral palsy’.
Bland and the others found a smuggler. My parents eventually came to be
They slipped through a fence and met with us in Gaziantep, and in all, we
up with us across the border. spent a whole year there. It was okay
The drive to Gaziantep took about for me as I busied myself watching TV,
three hours. Along the way we saw vast which was how I was learning Eng-
encampments of white tents, as well lish and using the internet to find out
as people sleeping on the sides of the all the things I missed by not going
highway under branches and sheets. to school. But while the Turks had let
We entered town as dusk fell, and us into their country, they didn’t like
found our new home in a first-floor us. Bland couldn’t get a job. Nasrine
apartment that Mustafa had rented for couldn’t study.
us. Bland carried me in. I turned on the We made a plan to join our brother
TV and started searching for familiar Shiar. Bland went first, by himself,
shows like Days of Our Lives. travelling through Bulgaria and gain-

ing asylum in Germany. But his route ROUGH SEAS

took over a month, with lots of hiking There were four boats on the pebbly
that Nasrine and I couldn’t do. Besides, beach that day. The motors were at-
as more refugees surged into Europe, tached and the dinghies were pushed
Bulgaria built a fence to keep refugees into the water. Then everyone waded
out. So for us, the only way was across through the shallows to clamber in.
the sea to one of the Greek islands. On Suddenly, I realized I was the only one
the map it didn’t look too hard. left on shore. In her anxiety to go, even
My parents said they were too old to Nasrine had climbed on board. “What
make the trip, so they stayed in Gazian- about me?” I yelled.
tep. My brother Mustafa also stayed Some Moroccans, still waiting for
behind, to earn money to pay for our their boat, carried me out to the dinghy
trip. So from our immediate family, it in my chair. They lifted me in. Then
was just Nasrine and I who were going, Uncle Ahmed started the engine.
along with my uncle and some cousins. From the sea, the island looked
In August 2015, Mustafa arranged for much farther away. Our dark grey din-
I thought of myself like Poseidon, god of the

sea, in his chariot. “Look how beautiful it is,”
I cried as we were tossed up and down.
Nasrine and me to take the two-hour ghy was very small. The other boats
flight across Turkey to Izmir, on the had 50 or so people crammed in. We
Aegean coast. We stayed with cousins had paid extra, just to be 38 of us. Even
in a hotel around the corner from Bas- so, it felt very squashed, especially with
mane Square, which seemed like an my wheelchair, since the tag on the
open-air travel agency. Everyone was boat said “15 max.”
on the phone haggling with smugglers We were all tired and a little dazed
and their agents, negotiating passage from two days with little sleep and then
to Greece and beyond. being in the hot sun with nothing to
While Uncle Ahmed arranged the eat or drink. My relatives were sad and
boat, we went to buy life jackets as well quiet; many had closed their eyes and
as the balloons for our mobile phones. were praying.
Finally, on our 10th day in Izmir, Uncle Uncle Ahmed was all furrow-browed
Ahmed found a boat that would take us trying to drive the boat. He’d spent the
to Lesbos. It was time to go. last two days in Izmir studying You-
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Tube videos on how to do it. At the got most of the way and overturned
start he gunned the engine too much close to Lesbos. These people swam to
and we shot forwards. The sea was shore. The fourth boat was picked up
rougher than it had been earlier in the by the Turkish coast guard and brought
day, and when we bumped into a wave back to Izmir.
the water came over the sides. At first Uncle Ahmed’s YouTube lessons
it was nice to feel the spray after being had proved useful. We went against
in the hot sun all day. But as the waves the waves instead of with them, and he
pitched us up and down, some of my got us to sit more on the side where the
cousins started retching. Others were waves were hitting the boat to keep it
crying and screaming, “Oh, God!” down. After a while a mist came down
We seemed very low in the water. My and we could no longer see Lesbos
cousins used their shoes to scoop wa- ahead. I hoped we were going the right
ter out of the dinghy. I heard someone way. People kept looking at my wheel-
say, “We should never have brought chair. We had agreed that if it became
the wheelchair.” a danger we would throw it out to sea.
I knew I should have been wor- We had been at sea for three and a
ried. My wheelchair could have torn half hours. The sun was setting, and
the fabric of the boat or a large wave we were starting to shiver, when sud-
could have turned the boat over. I’d denly the island rose up ahead of us.
never been in the water and of course Soon we could make out people wait-
can’t swim. And yet, sitting high in my ing on shore.
wheelchair, I thought of myself like The dinghy bumped onto the
Poseidon, god of the sea, in his chariot. rocky shore, and friendly faces and
“Look how beautiful it is,” I cried outstretched hands awaited us with
as we were tossed up and down. I towels, bottles of water and biscuits.
laughed every time we were hit by “Does anybody speak English?” some-
another wave, even though we were one shouted.
drenched through. “I do,” I called out.
“You need a psychiatrist,” someone Everyone looked at me. And that was
said. a turning point. I became the transla-
Actually, I was praying too, but tor for the group, and for the first time
quietly. in my life everyone needed me. All be-
We were so intent on our own boat cause of Days of Our Lives!
that we didn’t see what happened Some of my relatives were too
to the other three leaving with us. overwhelmed to get out of the boat
We later found out that the first boat on their own, and volunteers walked
quickly overturned, leaving the people into the sea and helped us. They were
on the Turkish shore. Another boat surprised to see my wheelchair and

Volunteers in Lesbos
carry Nujeen ashore.
lifted it out onto the shore. A journalist war, and thousands fled across the
was there with a TV camera, and he Aegean Sea.
asked me, “Is it the first time you’ve We spent the night in the village. The
been at sea?” next day a volunteer drove Nasrine and
“Yes, and it looks beautiful to me.” me first to the main refugee centre, and
“What do you expect from Europe?” then to a special camp, which had been
I thought for a moment and set up by a charity for the sick or those
then said, “I expect freedom like more in need. One of the volunteers
a normal person.” told me she had seen me on TV—my
interview had made me famous!
“WE ARE ESCAPING WAR!” Meanwhile, we bought a local SIM
We’d landed in a fishing village and card, bottles of water and top-up cards.
P HOTO: I VO R P R I C K E T T/U N HC R
were overwhelmed with how kind There was a charging area in the camp,
people were. We found out later which we had to queue for—everyone
that, like many on Lesbos, their own wanted to charge their phone!
mothers and fathers had come to the Nasrine and I spent a week on Les-
island as refugees from Izmir, when it bos, then we were cleared to take a
was called Smyrna, at the time mostly ferry to the mainland. We met up
a Greek city. Turkish forces attacked with relatives in a hotel in Athens,
it in 1922 during the Greco–Turkish while Shiar flew in from Germany to
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try to arrange our passage. At first he called a taxi to take us to the border.
thought we could fly to Germany, but The trip took just two hours.
he found that it was too difficult and In Serbia we took a bus to Belgrade,
too expensive. Nasrine and I would then planned to go through Hungary.
have to go by land. But everyone said that the Hungarians
We took a six-hour train ride to had built a fence and were going to
Thessaloniki, then a taxi to a town near stop allowing people through. It was a
the Macedonia border. Nasrine then race against time. Nasrine used more
pushed me along the road for about a of our precious funds to hire a taxi to
kilometre. There was nothing marking take us to the Hungarian border.
the border, just the black line on the It was about 10 p.m. when the taxi
GPS on our phone. driver dropped us at a small farming
We followed a sign to an area with town called Horgoš. I was happy to
lots of white tents, sponsored by the have crossed two European countries
United Nations Refugee Agency (UN in one day, but it turned out we hadn’t
HCR). The parliament in Macedonia been fast enough. The border was
had voted to give refugees three-day closed. We were too late.
visas enabling them to pass through There was nothing we could do, so
legally and get a train all the way to the we looked for a place to sleep. A lot of
Serbian border. people were just huddled in the fields,
The little police station where we but we found a big United Nations tent.
had to get these papers couldn’t cope When we woke up we heard some
with the crowds. Had we arrived a women saying that Hungarian police
couple of days later, we would have got had let a number of people pass. We
completely stuck. The Macedonians thought, having travelled all this way,
ended up blocking the border and tear- we should at least give it a try.
gassing refugees to stop them coming. We took a bus to the crossing at
We had got through just in time. Röszke. We could see the tall fence with
The trains were packed and we rolls of razor wire on top. When we got
couldn’t imagine getting the wheel- to the gate, it was closed. Crowds were
chair on. The Macedonia police told us pressed up against the fence, with riot
not to worry. After registering us they police on the other side.
Some of my relatives were too overwhelmed

to get out of the boat on their own, and volunteers
walked into the sea and helped us.

Nujeen received asylum in
Germany in 2016. Now
aged 20 and living near
Cologne, she goes to school.
soldiers feel sorry for me.

“I want to get out of here,”
I told Nasrine.
I KNOW I AM LUCKY
Nasrine wheeled me to
the main road, which was
crowded with refugees.
We watched as a column
of armoured vehicles
“We are escaping war!” someone arrived on the Hungarian side.
shouted. Hundreds of riot police emerged
Until that moment, I had thought of and turned water cannons
our journey as a big adventure. Now I on the protesters.
saw it was more like a tragedy. I think the local people felt bad for
By then, around 1,80,000 refugees us. Volunteers were passing out all sorts
had passed through Hungary, just of food. There were also lots of journal-
as we planned to, heading for Buda- ists at the scene. “Hey, there’s a Syrian
pest, and then from there by car or girl in a wheelchair who speaks Eng-
train to Austria. lish,” I heard one person shout. All of
Nasrine told someone I spoke Eng- a sudden, they descended on me. An
lish, and I found myself being pushed American woman from ABC wanted to
to the front of the crowd, facing the know how I knew English. I explained
police with helmets and riot shields. I learnt from watching Days of Our P HOTO : © GOR D ON WE LT E R S / U N HC R
Behind me people were shouting Lives. A man from the BBC laughed
“Germany! Germany!” and demand- when I told him I wanted to be an
ing they reopen the border. Someone astronaut and go into space and also go to
from Hungarian TV pushed a camera London to meet the queen.
in my face. “If you had Angela Merkel By then, we had lost hope of Hun-
here, what would you say to her?” gary opening its doors, and someone
“Help us,” I replied. said the Croatians were welcoming
I didn’t want to say more. I hated refugees. So we could try going that way
the way my wheelchair was being and from there to Slovenia.
used to try and make Hungarian So Nasrine pushed me back through
00
136 || OCTOBER
2018 | READER’S
DIGEST
DIGEST
fields of dead sunflowers, and we got a will help my legs and I now have medi-
taxi back the way we had come—then, cation that controls my nerves. I also
west towards Croatia. It felt like we were go to a physiotherapist who gets me
in one of those computer games where to stretch and to use a kind of bicycle
they keep cutting off routes and you to build up my muscles. Already I am
have to find another one. feeling the difference.
We rode for about an hour and a half I miss my country and my parents,
until we came to Apatin, and walked but Nasrine and I Skype almost every
across a cornfield into Croatia. We were day with my parents back in Gaziantep.
happy to see the blue sign with a ring I like the four seasons in Germany, the
of yellow stars showing that we were in different colours of leaves and differ-
the EU, so no more borders. We were on ent clouds. But most of all I like the fact
our way again. that we are safe. Meanwhile, I got my
The police picked us up and sent asylum in December 2016, and I am
us to the capital, Zagreb, a beautiful actually becoming quite Germanized,
town with grand buildings from the waking up at 6 a.m. and doing German
Habsburg Empire. After a few days we stuff like making appointments and
were able to take a taxi to the Slovenian being on time!
border. The scenery was beautiful. We I know I am lucky. Everything back
couldn’t believe how green Europe was. in Syria has gotten even worse. Around
From Slovenia we went to Austria, five million of my countrymen have
then arrived in Germany on 21 Sep- left since the war started and about
tember 2015, after a month on the road one million of them, like us, have
and travelling some 5,600 km across made the journey to Europe. Of those
nine countries: Syria, Turkey, Greece, who stayed in Syria, as many as
Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, 5,00,000 have been killed. I know that
Austria and Germany. We met up with migrants have cost Germans lots of
Bland and Shiar, and by November money. But give us a chance and we
we were settled in a small town called can contribute. We are quite resilient
Wesseling, about 16 km from Cologne and resourceful—you have to be to
where Shiar lives. navigate all the way here—and most of
The first day I ever went to school us are skilled or educated. As for me, I
was just a month shy of my 17th birth- hadn’t gone to school. But I do now.
day, in November 2015. I was nervous I speak Kurdish and Arabic, and I’m
but also happy, for finally I could learning German. And I also speak flu-
say I had done something normal ent soap-opera English.
in my life.
I went to a hospital in Bonn for tests. From the book The Girl From Aleppo, © 2016 by
Christina Lamb and Nujeen Mustafa, published in
There is surgery in my future, which 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers.

WHO KNEW
12 Amazing Facts
About Salt BY J E N M CCA FF ERY W IT H
NAO RE M AN UJA
1 Salt was so valuable in ancient Rome

that soldiers were sometimes paid
with it. In fact, the word ‘salary’ comes
from the Latin word sal, for salt. When a
soldier was doing a lousy job, his pay
cheque might be cut, which is how we
got the expression “not worth his salt”.
2 Historically, salt’s value came from

its ability to preserve food. Venice,
Use a low-sodium salt

to help manage your BP.
in Italy, may be famous for its canals
now, but salt imports fuelled its rise
as an influential trade power by the
4 Most people know about the
health risks associated with
sodium, but reducing your intake
end of the 13th century. is easier said than done. According
to the Food Safety and Standards
3 Salt also took on a great deal of

symbolic value. There is a reason
it is mentioned so many times in the
Authority of India (FSSAI), an
average Indian consumes around
10 g of salt per day, which is double
Bible (‘salt of the earth’, ‘a pillar of salt’, the recommended amount. Since
‘a covenant of salt’). Its preservative the taste for salt is acquired, reduced
properties made it an apt metaphor consumption could be practised
for permanence and conviction. from an early age.
5 Even French fries aren’t

necessarily the biggest culprit.
A 2012 study that examined
sodium levels of fast-food items
from different countries found that
pizza and burgers have more
sodium than fries, because they
come in larger serving sizes.
6 Extra salt may be lurking in

your meals, even if you are very
#TakeItLite
1 2 A M A Z I N G F A C T S A B O U T S A LT
careful. Cultivate healthier eating

habits: Avoid sprinkling salt on salads,
fruits or yogurt. Condiments like
10 Still, we all need at least some
salt. It facilitates the transport
of nutrients and oxygen, allows
salad dressings, pickles, papads and nerves to transmit messages and
ketchup are high in sodium content. helps our muscles work. The average
adult’s body contains about 250 g of
7 Sea salt may sound healthier

than table salt, but both contain
roughly the same proportion of
sodium—the equivalent of about
three or four shakers of salt.
sodium—about 40 per cent. If you

are looking for sodium-free flavour-
ing, try garlic, pepper, oregano, sage,
11 Efforts to promote consump-
tion of iodized salt in India
started in the 1960s. By the mid-’80s,
rosemary and other spices or herbs. salt became a primary tool in the
fight against goitre, a thyroid disorder
8 Even if you don’t have hyper-

tension, it’s still a good idea
to cut down on your salt intake
caused by iodine deficiency. In 2013,
the National Iodine Deficiency
Disorders Control Programme esti-
to reduce your blood pressure, mated that more than 200 million
according to a 2017 review of Indians were still at risk of iodine
185 studies. deficiency disorders.
9 For older folks especially, a heavy

hand with the salt shaker may also
hurt your head. A study, published in
12 The Dead Sea, around 10 times
more salty than seawater, is
only the fifth saltiest body of water
the American Journal of Public Health, on earth. The Don Juan Pond, a
comprising of 975 people aged 60 to 80 10-cm puddle in Antarctica, is the
with hypertension, found that reduc- saltiest. A salinity level of over
ing sodium in their diets was associ- 40 per cent ensures that its waters
ated with a lower risk of headache. rarely freeze!
IT PAYS TO ENRICH YOUR
Word Power
Like the month of April—dedicated to the Greek goddess Aphrodite—the
words in this quiz all have their origins in mythology. Muse upon them, then
consult the fates for answers (or just turn the page).
BY EM I LY COX AND H EN RY RATHVON
1. odyssey n. ('aw-duh-see)— 9. calliope n. (kuh-'ly-uh-pee)—

A: peculiarity. B: long journey. A: echo. B: shooting star.
C: sea monster. C: steam-whistle organ.
2. nemesis n. ('neh-meh-sis)— 10. ambrosial adj. (am-'broh-
A: pen name. B: memory loss. zhuhl)—A: delicious. B: of the
C: arch-enemy. blood. C: golden.
3. delphic adj. ('del-fik) — 11. paean n. ('pee-uhn)—
A: ambiguous. B: underground. A: beetle. B: song of praise.
C: greedy. C: kinship.
4. vestal adj. ('veh-stuhl)— 12. venerate v. ('veh-nuh-rayt)—
A: springlike. B: fierce. C: chaste.
A: shine. B: hunt. C: worship.
5. narcissistic adj. (nar-suh-sih-
13. myrmidon n. ('mer-muh-don)—
'stik)— A: forgetful. B: generous.
A: half dolphin, half man.
C: self-obsessed.
B: loyal follower. C: a rowdy
6. mercurial adj. (mer-'kyoor-ee- enthusiastic crowd.
uhl)— A: changeable. B: famished.
14. lycanthrope n. ('ly-cuhn-
C: combative.
throhp)— A: sailboat. B: werewolf.
7. aurora n. (uh-'roh-ruh)— C: wine bottle.
A: dawn. B: hearing. C: lions.
15. plutocracy n. (ploo-'taw-
8. cornucopia n. (kor-nuh-'koh- kruh-see)— A: government by the
pee-uh)— A: abundance. B: madness. rich. B: remote solar system.
C: herd. C: chemical reaction.

WORD POWER
Answers
1. odyssey—(B) long journey. My 9. calliope—(C) steam-whistle
five-minute errand turned into a organ. What’s a circus without a
day-long odyssey. calliope?
2. nemesis—(C) arch-enemy. 10. ambrosial—(A) delicious.
“Ah, my old nemesis—we meet An espresso milkshake would taste
again!” the supervillain cackled. ambrosial about now!
3. delphic—(A) ambiguous. 11. paean —(B) song of praise.

Dinesh was unimpressed by the for- Mum composed a paean for us
to perform for Dad’s birthday.
tune-teller’s delphic predictions.
12. venerate—(C) worship. Juhi
4. vestal—(C) chaste. The ancient
watches every single Barcelona game;
ritual required vestal maidens to
she practically venerates the team.
dance in a circle around the fire.
13. myrmidon—(B) loyal follower.
5. narcissistic—(C) self-obsessed. The emperor’s myrmidons cater to
Does posting five selfies a day make his every whim, no matter how
me narcissistic? outlandish.
6. mercurial—(A) changeable. 14. lycanthrope—(B) werewolf.
“New England weather certainly is My boyfriend always disappears
mercurial,” Meg said, peeling off her when there’s a full moon. Do you
heavy coat. think he’s a lycanthrope?
7. aurora—(A) dawn. The hikers 15. plutocracy—(A) government by
paused to admire the rich. “Only
the beautiful pink the wealthy can
MIXED-UP MONTHS afford to run
aurora before The Roman calendar originally
for mayor—
continuing on the had only 10 months, beginning
with March and ending with this town has
mountain trail.
December. January and Febru- become a
8. cornucopia— ary were added later. That’s why plutocracy!”
(A) abundance. in our modern calendar Septem- Jim complained.
“What can I get ber, October, November and
December don’t correspond to
you? We have a VOCABULARY
their Latin origins—septem
cornucopia of craft RATINGS
(“seven”), octo (“eight”), novem 9 & below: mortal
beers on tap,” the (“nine”) and decem (“ten”). 10–12: demigod
bartender said. 13–15: Olympian

Me & My Shelf
MRIDULA KOSHY’S LIBRARY FAVOURITES
Mridula Koshy is a writer and library movement

activist. Her short story collection If It Is Sweet won
the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize. Her first novel Not
Only The Things That Have Happened released in
2012 and her latest, Bicycle Dreaming, in 2016. She
runs The Community Library Project, which advo-
cates for free, publicly owned, open-to-all libraries.
INDEPENDENT PEOPLE, Halldór Laxness, Vintage, `499. This is

a book written from a small place in Iceland with never an apol-
ogy for its sense of itself as a big place. The idea that the small
can be large is powerfully borne out by Bjartur, a sheep farmer,
who is absurdly besotted with his need for independence from
all the forces of history and economics that would crush him.
THE HOLY BIBLE, Ballantine Books, `399. I loved the way Song
of Solomon made me feel: All the talk of thighs and breasts
made me squirm. I was uncomfortable with my own delight. The
story of David, the beautiful boy growing into the old lecherous
king, gave me insight into how a person can be composed of
opposites. The hero is never the hero. The hero is his own villain.
IN THE BEGINNING: A NEW INTERPRETATION OF GENESIS,

Karen Armstrong, Vintage, `450. My faith that there is a god
and meaning to life is continually challenged by the sense that
I am marooned far from meaning. Karen Armstrong’s beautiful
wrestling with the question of faith in a faithless world continu-
ally engages me. It’s comforting to see her try to make meaning.
P H OTO: T E J I N D E R S I N G H
THE WRETCHED OF THE EARTH, Frantz Fanon, Penguin

Modern Classics, `499. This was the first text that made clear
that those who are oppressed could be counted on to overthrow
their oppression. Those who are oppressed always recognize the
injustice of that oppression. Their humanity is recognizable to
themselves, if not to their oppressor.

ME & MY SHELF
THE SPIRIT CATCHES YOU AND YOU FALL DOWN, Anne Fad-
iman, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, `650. When I lived in America,
I hungered for language in which to talk about the displace-
ment I felt. I handed out this book to people because even
after you acquire the language, you are no less tired from the
effort to communicate. I’ve grown up now and no longer ex-
pect that the right language can be a replacement for equality.
JOHN HENRY: AN AMERICAN LEGEND, Ezra Jack Keats, Drag-

onfly Books, `250. This version of the folk legend is my favou-
rite, both for the strength of its illustrations and the poetry of
its telling. The story of John Henry is that of someone born to
work, with a hammer in hand. He makes the hammer sing be-
cause work can be beautiful even as those who do it are ex-
ploited. When at the end he dies because his great heart burst
from the strain of the work to which it has been put, I cry.
PINK AND SAY, Patricia Polacco, Philomel Books,

`1059, and MUKUND AND RIAZ, Nina Sabnani,
Tulika, `135. I love love love to do read-alouds
of these two books in the library—both stories
of children who love each other across borders
that have been drawn by adults. The first is set
in the American Civil War and features child sol-
diers. The second is a story set during Partition. These stories of friendships
forced to a halt are also about the power of storytelling to keep alive not only
those who are long dead but also the ideas for which they died.
ORANGES AND PEANUTS FOR SALE, Eliot Weinberger,

New Directions, `1258. I have picked this title randomly—there
are many other titles by Weinberger that are as important. He
changes the rules for how an essay can be written. And this is
not experimenting for the sake of an experiment. In Weinberger's
writing, form and structure are as much argument as content.
THE SOUND AND THE FURY, William Faulkner, Vintage, `499.

There is a lot to be gained from relinquishing the idea that the
middle follows the beginning and that the end comes after.
Faulkner gains for us readers the sense of what it is to be com-
pletely enmeshed in another reality. Because when time isn’t
linear, you cannot work your way to an end. Will Self’s Shark
does the same thing.
—COMPILED BY BLESSY AUGUSTINE
Book prices are subject to change.

Entertainment
OUR TOP PICKS OF THE MONTH
Films
John Abraham and Jackie Shroff will
star in Romeo Akbar Walter, a spy
thriller based on true events in
the Indo–Pakistan war of 1971. The
film, releasing 5 April, is directed
by Robby Grewal.
Set in the 1940s, Kalank follows
the story of an aristocratic family, (Top) The star cast for Kalank; (above) a
whose many hidden truths start to poster for Avengers: Endgame
unravel as Partition looms ahead
B OT TOM : INDI APIC T U R E
and communal tension rises. Star- the remaining heroes battling to undo
ring Madhuri Dixit, Alia Bhatt, the harm caused by the supervillain
Sanjay Dutt and Varun Dhawan, Thanos in the previous instalment.
the film hits theatres on 17 April. Starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey
Avengers: Endgame, the next Jr, Brie Larson and Scarlett Johansson,
Marvel Studios offering, will feature it releases 26 April.
SPORTS The Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships

will be held in Budapest, Hungary, from 21–28 April 2019.
The 23rd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships will
be held in Doha, Qatar, from 21–24 April, 2019. This month
will also see the Heineken Chinese Grand Prix (12–14 April)
and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (26–28 April).

E N T E R TA I N M E N T
BOOKS
Tishani Doshi’s latest novel, Small Days
and Nights (Bloomsbury), chronicles the
struggles of Grace, who escapes a failing
marriage and comes across an unexpec-
ted inheritance. However,
she also has to take care of
A still from the upcoming Netflix
a newly discovered sister, show, Ultraman
who has Down’s syndrome.
The Punjabi writer Nanak
Singh, witnessing the Jal-
Streaming
lianwala Bagh massacre as A popular Japanese science
a 22-year-old, had fainted fiction television series is co-
and his body was piled up ming alive—this time, as
amongst the corpses. In the an anime series on Netflix.
aftermath, he wrote ‘Khooni Ultraman, releasing 1 April,
Vaisakhi’, a long poem nar- will chronicle the struggles
rating the events leading to the blood- of the son of the original
bath. A scathing critique of the British Raj, Ultraman as he carries on the
it was banned in 1920 and has now been
legacy by battling giant mon-
sters and aliens in a metallic
translated into English by Singh’s grand-
power suit.
son Navdeep Suri, and will be published
The eight-part documen-
by HarperCollins this month.
tary series, Our Planet, will
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay’s book, The
explore the unique wonders
RSS: Icons of the Indian Right (Westland)
of our natural world. Combi-
is a hard look at the personalities who BOOK COVER COURTESY: BLOOMSBURY
ning stunning photography
shaped and influenced the functioning
and technology with an un-
of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
precedented look at the pla-
Amitava Kumar’s Writing Badly is Easy
net’s remaining wilderness
(Aleph) promises to be a style guide for areas and their animal
those who want to shed bureaucratic, inhabitants, the series, nar-
stiff language. Drawing partly from his rated by Sir David Atten-
own writings, Kumar’s book promises to borough, is set for a 5 April
be a manifesto for writing that is exuber- release on Netflix.
ant, imaginative and playful. —COMPILED BY
SAPTAK CHOUDHURY
All release dates are subject to change.

Studio
NIRBHAY, BY ATUL DODIYA

EXTERIOR: ENAMEL PAINT ON MOTORIZED METAL ROLLER SHUTTER
WITH IRON HOOKS AND BRASS LETTERS, 108 X 72 IN; INTERIOR: OIL
AND ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 87 X 61.5 IN; 2012–2013
Several of Atul Dodiya’s iconic works have been inspired by traumatic

events that have chequered India’s social fabric. For instance, during the
1993 Bombay riots, Dodiya witnessed the otherwise bustling small
businesses of the city come to a standstill fearing violence from religious
fanatics. The rolled-down shutter, which indicates a shop is closed, found its
way into Dodiya’s visual vocabulary. Many of these works enmesh politics—
IMAGE COURTESY: ATUL DODIYA
past and present—and references from art history to create a poignant but
ambiguous commentary. In the installation above, the closed shutter depicts
a young Gandhi and the thinkers who inspired him—Leo Tolstoy, John Ruskin,
Shrimad Rajchandra and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. When you roll up the
shutter, you are confronted with a personification of a teardrop inspired by
Roy Lichtenstein. What’s telltale is the title ‘Nirbhay’ and the date inscribed
on the shutter—the day a young girl was brutally raped on a moving bus in
Delhi. Dodiya often uses Lichtenstein’s pop art style to talk about women’s
issues, perhaps as a critique on how lightly they are taken.
—BLESSY AUGUSTINE

Quotable Quotes
A departure can feel like a
desertion, a judgement on the
place and people left behind.
V. S . N AI PAU L , w r i t e r
Thankfully, perseverance is The cruellest lies are

a great substitute for talent. often told in silence.
S T E V E M A R TI N ,
comedian R . L . S TE V E N SO N ,
noveli st and t ravel writer
There’s no love Grace is a

without loss. It’s consequence
a package deal. of humility.
B R A D P IT T, a c t o r TO N I B E NTLE Y, b a l l e t d a n c e r
The nicest veterans, To paraphrase

the kindest and several sages:
funniest ones, the ones Nobody can think
who hated war the and hit someone at
most, were the ones
TO P : B A N D E E P S I N G H/ I N D I A TO DAY
the same time.

who’d really fought. S U SA N SO NTAG ,
K U R T VO N N E G U T, w r i t e r w r i t e r, f i l m - m a k e r a n d a c t i v i s t
Patriotism is when love of your own people

comes first; nationalism, when hate for people
other than your own comes first.
C H A R LE S D E GAU LLE , F r e n c h a r m y o f f i c e r a n d s t a t e s m a n

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APRIL 2019

THE DAY I STOPPED BEING

THE FUTURE OF ELECTIONS

DOING THE RIGHT THING ...................................... 37

Cover Story 76 THE INCREDIBLE FIELD

112 THE DAY I STOPPED

116 VIVA HAVANA!

READER’S DIGEST | APRIL 2019 | 3

VOICES & VIEWS

READER FAVOURITES 24 Taking Care of Others’ Needs

LEFT: INDIAPICTURE, TOP LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY: ANANTH PADMANABHAN

138 12 Amazing Facts

ART OF LIVING P. | 145

6 | APRIL 2019 | READER’S DIGEST

Editor Sanghamitra Chakraborty Editor-in-Chief Aroon Purie

TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS, INC. (FORMERLY RDA INC.)

President and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Kintzer

8 | APRIL 2019 | READER’S DIGEST

a Dalit schoolboy exposed to the scourge of untouchability, to putting his neck

READER’S DIGEST | APRIL 2019 | 9

BOLD AND HEART-WARMING

To plan well, one must consult a Nobody Wanted’ by Bill Westbrook.

A LIFE LESSON LEARNT Write in at editor.india@rd.com. The

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“Good God, man, flap harder.”

I WAS INSTRUCTING new recruits in a formal briefing, gave us foolproof

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Turn the page

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The Lone Warrior

“TO BE VICTORIOUS is collo- naming, among others, “comrade

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20 | APRIL 2019 | READER’S DIGEST

If Leonardo da Vinci were If I’m ever feeling down,

Before you buy that

Dude, chill know I’ve

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I WASN’T exposed to religion My wife, Madiha, is a Muslim who

22 | APRIL 2019 | READER’S DIGEST

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From working at a nightclub to publishing books—

‘My big takeaway: Paying

I COME FROM A FAMILY OF and Shiv decided to take on the role

24 | APRIL 2019 | READER’S DIGEST

very young age. Both jobs were part

or entertaining a customer. I learnt

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Coming up: The greatest reality show on earth

Voting in the Digital Age

AS WE HEAD TOWARDS the largest election

going to see new opportunities, but also many dangers.

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While e-voting makes for larger of elections depends on the future

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When they didn’t get their album right away, they

The Case of the Wedding

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Agree? Disagree? Sound off at editor.india@rd.com.

READER’S DIGEST | APRIL 2019 | 29

“I need only one. Can I get the free one?”

handed to him by his friends, Sunil