A Matter of Taste

Whenever I have a very peaceful and tranquil phase in my life, some crisis turns up to spoil (or spice up) the mood! Now is one of those carefree phases with the crisis yet to materialize and I'm soaking in the moment as much as I can before the inevitable happens! Part of the happy times is enjoying good food and eating out alone is my new found obsession. It has affected me to such an extent that I even volunteered to make the analysis of the authenticity of International cuisine in Seoul as the topic of the Feature section of the QUILL - SNU English magazine, a section that I edit right now. May be it was inspired by Tony (Anthony Bourdain of 'No Reservations' fame) or maybe it was because of the fact that staying in the dorm, I can't cook now.
So for the time being, I quench my thirst for food by eating out, which though somewhat expensive, is an interesting thing to do. On most of these ventures I'm usually alone - taking pictures, reading something or writing down my feelings. The problem with eating out alone in Korea is that you get a lot of 'unwanted attention' and weird glances. But I kinda enjoy this and being the kind of person I'm ... I hardly give a damn!
So this Saturday afternoon, instead of eating alone, I decided to eat with Xing - my first friend in Korea. One of the reasons I preferred eating out is because I'm supposed to edit an 8 page section on the authenticity of International cuisine in Seoul. And for the past 2 weeks, I've been on an eating out spree ... and I'm loving it!
So on a perfect Saturday afternoon I ventured into the Daelim neighborhood of Seoul where there is apparently a high concentration of Chinese-Koreans and hence a large number of 'authentic' Chinese restaurants.
The journey started from one of the exits of the Daelim subway station along one of the many non-descript alleys next to the station. When I get tired of the high streets of Seoul, I like venturing out into these unremarkable side streets where the locals are enjoying a nice fall afternoon in the sun or some kid is learning to ride a bike. Somehow these simple scenes makes me very nostalgic and I find myself totally absorbed in the scene until I find myself about to be run over by car. This time I was saved from a (possible) pre-mature death by Xing.


After a bit of searching, we found a restaurant serving Sechuan cuisine - something Xing was familiar with (being his home province). So while Xing looked out for cars I clicked a couple of pics of the outside of the restaurant.

Once inside, I was relieved to find out that they had good beer (the Chinese Tsingtao .. which is like elixir when compared to Korean alcohol) and meat. That's all I need to complete my lunch .. some good meat and decent beer!

We ordered Shabu-shabu. Its thin slices of meat to be cooked in boiling stock. In our case it was a mix of spicy and crab-shrimp stock. Xing explained that usually in hometown of Chengdu, the spicy stock is even more spicy.
Then the discussion veered off to topics like Confucius, Chinese literature and arts, Xing's opinion about people from Urumqi (northwest China) and his somewhat skewed opinion about Korean culture. But when someone is speaking out his/her mind, I let them do it without interrupting.

Anyway, the meal ended when I couldn't eat any more and we decided to spend some more time lazing around in E-Mart. We spent more than an hour looking around the supermarket - joking at how people were running around, staring and smiling at the naughty kids troubling their mothers and evaluating alcohol. Amongst us, we bought more than 4 litres of alcohol - a mix of wine, scotch, beer and gin! The lady at the cash counter gave us weird glances but I'm seasoned now, so I just smiled at her and held out my card.

Call of the mountains ...

Its a strange thing. It makes waking up early in the morning a pleasure! This time it was a peak called Birobong in the Chiaksan National Park near the city of Wonju, about 2hours by bus from Seoul. The bus ride was very nice .... comparable to a business class flight. The weather was perfect but I was soon to discover that my fitness level was far from it. Back in June, when I went hiking for the last time on Hallasan (Korea's highest mountain) I was in great shape .... covered a 4.5hour trail in 2hrs 40mins! At present, after a bout of bad luck, bad health and a week in the hospital, my fitness level similar to a couch-commando! So with wobbly knees and keen spirit, I embarked on this 'return to the nature'.
After the usual motions of transportation and tourist information, we were at the 'bridge' (below), the starting point of the hike.

First stop was Guryongsa (temple of the nine dragons). Our aim was to "Slay the dragon and save the princess" and since it was the temple of 'nine' dragons, there was plenty for the 4 of us (Stepan, Nik, Kolay and me). Kolay being the power-lifter was supposed to slay most of them! And behold, as we approached the bridge, the dragons were there protecting it. But lo ... they turned out to be wooden ones and even more wobbly than my knee!

So instead of slaying them, Kolay-the power lifter, decided to sacrifice himself for one of the dragons (above).
We walked slowly towards the temple under the canopy, looking around and soaking in the scenery.

After crossing the gate, we came across an enclosure with cairns (stones ceremonially piled on top of each other).
Guryongsa turned out to be a small and beautiful temple. We looked around for a while before venturing into the wild for the real start of the hike.

The first stretch was flat and runs along the stream. One of them had an interesting emerald green color.

Whenever I see running water, I cannot pass the chance of taking a picture, even though I've clicked many before.
One day while talking to my roommate, who also shares my interest in photography, I commented that running water and open flame turns me on. And every time I see a running stream, I can't stop myself. This time Nik also seemed to make use of these snap-stops to click a few.

After the Fall (more like tap water flowing over a rock), the trail started climbing abruptly. At places the gradient was almost 60degrees. And my lack of fitness came to fore. After about a few hundred steps, the pain in my thigh and hamstring was becoming intolerable. Under normal circumstances, the artificial steps and the ropes would have robbed the trail of its 'naturalness' but now it was a life saver.

After about a thousand steps, there was a opening which provided the opportunity for some photos and a much needed rest.

After climbing for about an hour we reached another opening in the forest from where the plains beyond the mountains opened up. Time for another break!

Quiet contemplation turned out to be a perfect excuse for resting my legs, which were aching very badly by now and the knees were beginning to hurt as well. This is particularly troublesome because we still had a few hundred meters to climb and the descent was still awaiting us. However, the view and the rest reinvigorated my body and spirit, and I was ready to move once again.
After scrambling for about half an hour, we finally reached the top. The sun was getting low on the horizon. But it was a great satisfaction to reach the top.

After a 'celebration' snap, we were ready for the descent. We would climb down a different route.

The climb down was much more difficult than what I had anticipated. Firstly the gradient was unforgiving - a drop of more than a vertical kilometer in just over 3km, which means an average slope of about 35degree. I had to stop after every few hundred meters to rest my knees. We haven't had anything other than a few bits of chocolate since breakfast and it was almost dusk now. We had run out of water and my sore throat was getting worse without water. After climbing half-a-way down, we came to monastery, where there was drinking water and we quenched our thirst. After that the road was metalled and we almost ran down the last 1.6km.
While I was climbing down, I got a text message from a friend asking me if I was free that evening for an opera show. Yeah, I was free, only if I could prevent my knee-cap from falling out! The information office at the base of the mountain was closed and so we were left clueless about the onward more of transportation. From the topography I could make out that we were still in the mountains and doubted it buses could run on the narrow roads. Just as we were wondering about what to do next, we spotted a group of Ajumas (Korean name for middle aged women). They were out for an evening stroll and I asked them about how we could reach downtown to the bus terminal. To my surprise I found myself speaking Korean quite effortlessly and perfectly understood what they said - no bus from here, you have to take a taxi ....
I had lost interest in learning the language further but that experience taught me the importance of being fluent with the language, especially when you venture deep into the Korean heartland far away from the big cities. One of the ajuma's called up a taxi and gave us directions for reaching the 'rendezvous point'. We thanked them and went ahead towards the pick-up point. It was a charming place nestled in the mountains with small inns, straight out of a picture postcard. Finally, we spotted out taxi which took us back to the neon lit city. After a nice dinner of grilled pork, we headed back to Seoul .... tired but satisfied.

Ambitions of an old man ....

Many years back at the dawn of my political conciousness, we had a Civics teacher in high school - Mr NP Singh. He was famous for his heavily accented English but he has had a lasting influence on me, though it was immediately obvious. I owe my current interest in International relations and modern history, to lectures of Mr Singh. I paid close attention to his usage of words (as well as his ideas) and was quite popular amongst my friends for mimicking him impeccably. He also had a pet name amongst the students - "Nathhu" and he tried to impose some control during the tumultous years after Dr Goswami's retirement as the principal.
Once there was a discussion on the issue of the titular head of a state and the office of the Indian President in particular. Some student expressed his/her displeasure over the fact that most of Indian Presidents were old men well into their 70s and lacked the charisma and media-savviness of other presidents like Clinton. As an answer to this, Mr Singh said that old men were chosen not just for their wisdon but also because the President is also the supreme commander of the armed forces. This somewhat confused us and judging by our looks, he elaborated further. Since the President had the armed forces under his control, it would be dangerous to appoint some younger person with ambition for power as the President. If the government didn't work according to his wishes or if he perceived that the people were going against the government - he might order the army to sieze power from the government and would take control over the country - thus shattering the democratic fabric, India is so proud of. He claimed that old men were not ambitous or energetic enough to achieve this and hence only old men were appointed as Presidents. And for a long time I was completely convinced by this idea.
However, last night I was reading a book on Ayatollah Khomeini's life and and analysis of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979. Khomeini was a 77 year old veteran back then and his ambitions, aggressiveness and ruthlessness was in direct contrast to the idea of old men that I had developed since my high school years.


The picture above shows a picture similar to the one in the book where Khomeini is looking directly at the camera. This intensity of his gaze is simply amazing. The black turban, the long black robe and the white beard enhanced the look. For a moment, looking at the picture, I came under the spell of the 'Imam' even though I knew very well what he is in reality.
I wonder how Mr Singh would react to the case of the Islamic Revolution.

No Reservations!

A few years back, when I was bitten by the travel bug, I travelled just for the pleasure of my eyes. I travelled just to witness those grand things that only a few years back were confined to the TV or the books. And I was happy even if it meant enduring great hardships to enjoy them. The other aspects of the place - especially food didn't really bother me. In fact certain trips of mine can be characterised by the lack of food! Stuck in a bus on NH 34 and surviving on just a packet of cookies for almost 36hours. The lack of proper food during the treks and the almost crazy trip to Italy (it almost sounds like a logistic and financial impossibility these days!)
My first culinary discovery was the 'Doner Kebap' in Stuttgart. In those days, I couldn't afford anything fancy, so was restricted to meagre fare with an occasional indulgence - like the last meal in Paris! However, things are different now. Food features very very high on the list of priorities these days on my travel plans. During the Cambodia trip in February, food was an important aspect of our experience. The spectrum of the culinary experience ranged from Haute Cuisine to horrible creepy crawlies!
The Jeju-do trip was some kind of a landmark for me. This time, the food took precedence over all other matters and almost all of them being in some fancy 'upmarket' restaurants! Yes, it was a trip of extravagance and indulgence. It started with a fish restaurant, whose patrons include Korean presidents! I'm not a very big fan of fish and even though the fish was fresh and nice, I didn't give in to the hype. I don't have to like something just because the president likes it. The plan for that evening was to visit a pork restaurant. Now that is the kind of place I look forward to. Layers of fatty pork grilled to perfection, wrapped in lettuce and dipped in sauce .... oh man .... it is the crown jewel of all culinary experience. By the end of the day, I was starving and I was ready to eat the pig like a pig! When the meat finally arrived and was put on the charcoal fire, I stopped speaking and stared at it with all my undivided attention. Those few minutes of waiting was torture - I could see and smell the meat, the sauce, the lettuce was within the range of my chopsticks and yet I couldn't eat it unless the meat was cooked. But finally the hour of truth arrived and that evening I consumed an obscene amount of meat - meat is the only true love of my life!!! :P
The next morning our Professor arrived and we went with him to another seafood restaurant.

This grilled fish was the only high point of the meal. What arrived next dampened my mood on a rainy afternoon.



The speciality of this restaurant is Abalone (picture above), which though costs a fortune, tasted quite bad. After the almost orgasmic pleasure of the grilled pork, this was great disappointment. With a half filled stomach, I looked forward to dinner - hoping for something good!
It turned out that we were going to another fish restaurant that evening, which further dampened my spirits. It was a Japanese restaurant serving 'Sashimi' - raw fish. However, the start was not as bad as I had thought. As part of the starters, we were served 'Pajeon' - spring onion pancakes, which happens to be one of my favorites. I was starving and relished the pancake dipped in hot sauce. Soon the fish arrived.

It may have been the hunger but the raw fish didn't taste bad when dipped in the Wasabi sauce. And then it came in torrents.

We had barely finished finishing the first course, when new stuff appeared on the horizon ... I mean the table ... and then again .... so much so that in the end, I lost count of what course it was!
And I was not disappointed ... and maybe on a very rare occasion, fish provided me a really fulfilling meal.
The next day, I heard a rumor that we might have horse-meat, if Professor approved the plan. Now this might sound gross to others but when eating meat I don't care about the source - be it lamb or pig or cow or horse! That morning, Prof Kim, who has time and again questioned my 'Indianess' because of my eating habits, asked, "Is there anything that you don't eat?" I paused for a moment for effect and nodded, "No!"
That evening, as planned we went to the horse meat restaurant. There was some confusion in finding the place, as the GPS in the car acted weirdly. Finally we found it perched on top of a cliff next to the sea, sitting in between the Grand Hyatt Jeju and the Shilla Hotel. Like all other Korean meals, it started with the arrival of the 'Banchan' or side dishes. And it looks as good as it tastes. I was busy taking pictures when Prof Kim asked me if the reason for photography was that I wanted to become a chef. I just said that the colorful assortment of dishes on the table provided an interesting photo opportunity. He said, "Subho, you should speak like an engineer ... don't say it's colorful, say that its spectrum is broadband!!!" No wonder, engineers are perceived as strange people.

The meat finally arrived. First it was raw(right, like Sashimi) and cured (left, like bacon). The raw was to be dipped in a sauce and the cured was to be eaten with strands of radish.

It was accompanied by a Korean mushroom wine, which had a delicate flavor and sweet, somewhat mineral taste. This was followed by chopped horse-meat steak, well-done and served with a mustard sauce.

However, no Korean meat meal can end without grilled meat. And that was the climax. Horse tenderloin, lightly tossed on the charcoal fire - rare, and coated thinly in pepper sauce, and eaten with khimchi wrapped in lettuce .... sublime! The meat almost sings in your mouth like a symphony orchestra.
The trip ended with dinner at Gimpo airport upon our arrival. It consisted of grilled pork ribs and chocolate mousse!

The Mist and the mysterious road ...

A few pictures from the Jeju-do trip and the stories associated with them.

Right after we landed in Jeju and got rid of the luggage at the resort, we went out for lunch .... or that was what I thought but it turned out to be a much longer trip. We went to a number of places including this waterfall right next to the sea. I was totally pissed because others told me that we were just going for lunch and hence I left my camera back at the hotel. This picture and the next one is taken from YuGwang. However, the sight somewhat improved my mood. I ventured very close to the fall and was soon joined by some other people. It was very hot and humid and the spray from the fall cooled the sweat on my temples and neck ... it also clouded my glasses but somehow brought back the smile on my face.

Looking out into the sea from the base of the waterfall .... that place was relatively crowded so it somehow robbed the place of its raw charm. I tried imagining the place without the people, early in the morning an the rock and the mist provided an ideal photo opportunity and even better, a chance to indulge in watercolor on handmade paper .... something that I haven't done in a really really long time.

A scene from the top of sunrise peak. Though the mist robbed it of its so-called splendor, I found it particularly enchanting ... a reminder of those mist ridden days on Himalayas

While coming down from the Sunrise peak, the sun broke through the clouds to reveal the dying light of the day ... too good to miss.

Most tourist ignore this small beach behind the main trail. It has black volcanic ash, a reminder of the geological past of the island and also some cool crystalline rocks.

A black and white view of the sea from the above mentioned beach. The peak towered behind me and in front was the open sea. Standing right next to the water and the gentle wind evaporating the sweat on my neck and the smell of the sea .... you got to be there to feel it!

There are certain places where 'tourists' are normally not supposed to go. The authorities have put up fences and cameras to monitor this but sometimes the temptation is just too much to resist. So even though there were 2 CCTV cameras in the parking lot, I decided to jump the fence and get close to the sea for a few intimate shots. As I had expected, nobody really monitors the security footage in real-time and hence I had almost 20 mins by myself. I returned only when it was getting dark.

The result of jumping the fence and standing precariously balanced on a rocky ledge right next to the place where the waves crashed.

Finally I decided to rejoin the 'tourist-trail' when it was getting dark. Looking down and ahead after I climbed back to the terraced steps.


The next day, the rain ceased and was replaced by splendid sunshine. On Prof Kim's recommendation, we went to see a little waterfall. In the beginning I was quite skeptical about what was so special about this little known place, when there were so many other 'grand things' to be seen on Jeju ... but as we approached the falls through the forest canopy, my opinion changed quickly.

You can hear the sound of flowing water from far away, filtering through the chirping of the birds and other forest sounds. And then all of a sudden this scene breaks into view. I was taken aback at first sight - a scene taken out of Jurassic Park! Well the Professor's choice was not bad and I looked at him and smiled.
Light and shadow ... flowing water .... a photographer's wet dream.

Sometimes, when you pursue, you judge yourself by certain standards which you set for yourself. In my case, that standard the capture of flowing water with the camera. I use a very simple and cheap camera, which is however, quite reliable and because I've used it for a long time, I can squeeze out every bit of performance it can deliver. I've been trying to capture the blur of falling water for quite sometime now - if I recall correctly, it has been almost for 3 years now but could not capture a decent enough shot. In the early days, I was using a film SLR and couldn't monitor the results in real-life. Even when I went digital, I didn't know my camera well enough to make it act according to my will. I did all the things theoretically correct but still my dream shot eluded me. It seemed that the optics and the electronics had a mind of its own. Part of the reason might have been that I tried photographing flowing waters of the magnitude and at places beyond my skill levels - mostly in the high Himalayas, weighed down by my backpack, the lack of oxygen in air and the fatigue of continuous walking at high altitude and low temperature.
However, this time, all the factors seemed to fall in place. I was well rested, well fed, at sea level, perfect lighting, low volume of water, a camera that I know inside out .... and the result is below!

The result made me very happy and I believe it represents the perfect synergy between the subject, the photographer and the camera. And this almost reaches the limit what a simple digital camera with cheap lens can achieve.

With this shot I achieved one of the standards of photography that I had set for myself.

I Hate Waiting ...

I guess this is true for most people. To wait for hours to get some important work done, wait for weeks to get your application accepted, wait for months to get results from your experiments. The anxiety, the frustration ...
Unfortunately, this is true for most cases. However, sometimes you are pleasantly surprised when you expected to wait for a long time but things turn up almost instantaneously. A few days back I saw a notice that the entry to the Engineering 302 bldg would be controlled by an S-card sensor (a smart ID card for the students and staff of SNU). The department had advised us to get our S-cards back in December but I didn't bother to get it. Sometimes I can be surprisingly lazy. The notice was a real pain in the a$$ since others told me that it takes weeks even months to get the card. So I decided to apply for it right away and tried to figure out a way to take care of the situation of entering the bldg without the card. I filled out the application and went to the Doore Cutlural Center to submit it. The guy at the office had a look at my application and told me to come back after 1pm. It was around 11:30am and I tried to explain him in Korean that it was urgent and I needed to submit it right away. He looked a bit surprised and told me that it takes at least an hour to process the application! Now it was my turn to get surprised. What he was telling me earlier was that I could collect my card after 1pm. When I asked my labmates, they told me that takes at least 3 weeks to get the card. I collected my card after 2 hours. Nothing feels better than getting things done almost instantaneously.
This is however, not an isolated incident. Yesterday, when we went to Language School to join the 4th level of Korean classes, we (Dima and I) found our names absent from the list of students. So at 5:45pm, we went to the office and told that we were from the 'Samsung Program' and we wanted to join the 4th level. Normally, it takes at least a week to process the application and we were asked to sit while the lady at the counter made a phone call. After about 3 minutes, walks in a lady wearing a silver stiletto and asked our names. We wrote it down for her and she told something to the other girl. The she turned to us and said, "Room no 319, 6:30pm!" It was done ... thanks to the name Samsung!
In summer of 2007, when I went to the German consulate in Kolkata for my visa application for the summer internship, I found a long queue in front of me. My number was 47 but my name was called in after about 30 mins. As I walked to the counter, I saw other being asked a lot of questions about the purpose of their visit. I submitted the documents and waited. After a cursory look at the documents, 'Mrs Mitra' marked my application IIT with a marker and told me, "Please come between 3 and 4 to collect your visa". I thanked her and breezed out of the room as others looked on at me!
I wish life was always this simple and this quick. The good times are few and comes along rarely. I guess that's what makes it so special and pleasant!

The familiar and the unfamiliar

Today's issue of the Korea Times carried a shocking news. Former Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun, who was under investigation for a political corruption scandal had committed suicide by jumping off a cliff while hiking in his home village. The news of the investigation had already made headlines but this was a really unexpected development! I'm currently writing an article on self help books for the campus magazine and I wonder what kind of mental torment must he had faced that drove him to take such an extreme step. I came here to study at the university and I sometimes take pride in the fact that I can stay neutral and professional in most trying times. But I find myself getting increasingly getting involved and entangled in events that do not concern me and in others problems.
Leading a strictly academic life, especially in engineering can be very boring and I actively seek ways to add some diversity to my life. One such effort was to join the QUILL, which though takes a lot of my time but gives me a chance to learn new things and meet new people. Also I've learnt to take pleasure in the things that I have rather than repent about the things that I don't. I enjoy what comes along. Yesterday, I went to a nice restaurant where we had Bulgogi (grilled beef) and Mandu (steamed meat dumplings). A full fledged Korean meal is always interesting, due to the large number of side dishes (Banchhan) and the sheer variety of color. On top of this, most of the stuff is very healthy, which makes eating out a pleasurable and healthy experience. I came back with a full stomach and a great satisfaction that comes with a fulfilling meal. There was a lot of work to be done for the current issue of the QUILL. I am supposed to write an editorial on the psychology of theft and surveillance, and an article evaluating self help books. If the issue of the theft was not difficult enough, I got entangled into the quagmire of the self help articles due an impulsive decision during a dinner with some fellow QUILLers. I've never read a self help book in my life and I view those who read them with extreme contempt. During the dinner meeting I was extremely critical about those who take help of those who read them, calling them 'backboneless' and a lot of other foul things, only to find that the person sitting beside me was one of them. Suddenly I felt very bad and uncomfortable. And I decided to not only to give it a try but to write a full 2 page article evaluating good and bad self help books. I must admit that at that time my decision and judgement was clouded by actions but soon I came to realize how intimidating a task it was. But I have a reputation to protect and so I got down to understand the whole new world of self help books. I visited a famous bookstore with a few friends of mine, who read these books and surveyed the ones that were on display. They seems to have a lot of knowledge on this matter and gave me a lot of liberal advice. I reciprocated with some trademark caustic humor of mine!
Today, I was busy researching about the psychology of theft, surveillance, self help books, reading "Who Moved My Cheese?" and of course writing. To cheer myself up, I was listening to Pavarotti, mainly his rendition of Puccini's 'Nessun Dorma'. My fascination for Western classics started with Wagner's Tannhauser. Anyway, after a hard days work writing, I decided to take a break in the evening and take a walk. I decided to visit my old neighborhood of Bong-Cheon dong, where I lived for 6 months before moving into the dorm. As I walked I noticed the changes that had come about in the past few months. At the 4 way crossing, the new building that was being constructed had added a lot of new floors. There was a new Paris Baguette at the corner as well. The street side stalls selling snacks were there as usual and continued to be a big crowd puller. However, the man selling grilled chicken was missing. I decided to visit the Jungang market and found a really nice Shiraz wine. I also saw some familiar faces of the market employees. While coming back, I passed the cosmetic shops with irritating nasal female voices trying to attract customers. I was in mood for something sweet, so when I was passing the Tours Le Jours store, I decided to check it out. There was a new girl at the counter. Given the eagerness of her greetings, evidently she was a recent recruit! I decided to buy a nice almond cake.
With a large part of the writing task taken care of, I can relax a bit now. As midnight approaches, I'm still listening to Pavarotti - O' Sole Mio, Ave Maria has now joined Nessun Dorma and his baritone continues to enthral me. Accompanying the music is a wonderful Australian wine. Though alcohol is prohibited inside the dorm, I don't care now! Maybe, the alcohol is taking effect :). The absence of my room-mate also helps me indulge in this 'old vice of mine'.
Thus life rolls on. The more I try to simplify my life, the more entangled it gets. The more I try to understand the Korean psyche, the more mysterious it gets. The more I try to stay away from the pleasures of life (for the sake of my body-building objectives), the more induglent I seem to get.

Democracy triumphs!!!

I acquired my voter ID card about 5 years back when I was about to finish high school but have never voted in any of the elections - be it the general elections or the state assembly. For 4 years since school, I lived about 3 hours from my voting constituency and never felt the eagerness to take the gruelling journey home just to cast my vote. And since then I've been living outside India - first in Germany and now in Korea, and hence has just been a silent spectator to the 'Great Political Drama' that unfolds during the times of the elections.
In high school, during the infancy of my political consciousness I had witnessed a number of failed governments, weak leaders and the corruption and inefficiency that shrouds Indian politics - which unfortunately made me loose faith in the Indian democratic system at the very beginning. Towards the end of high school I was too busy with myself to take an active interest in politics and being in IIT where politically affiliated student unions don't exist, I have rarely had a chance to feel the wind that drives Indian politics. I hardly bothered for the Gymkhana elections in IIT and took no interest in them. This is partly because I didn't really care for what went on with others, the major policy changes and the possible changes that could be brought about by an active student movement. It might be said that all I was concerned about was myself and my career. And this is not just true for me but for a large number of other students in IIT as well. And the effect of such lack of interest and initiative reflects in the appalling conditions of the hostels, the lack of proper on campus medical facilities etc. Maybe if we had been a little more active, maybe if we had a little more faith in ourselves and if we had taken some right steps at the right time, it could have saved the innocent life that was lost due to the negligence of the pathetic BC Roy hospital.
I always believed that democracy cannot work in a country as large as India, where politics is played on the basis of caste, where a large number of politicians have extensive criminal records, where party tickets are sold to the highest bidder, where many of the MPs rarely turn up for the Parliamentary proceedings. This was coupled with the fact that a large percentage of the Indian population lives a very hard life and their votes can be bought by very small favors right before the election. The 'educated elite' hardly ever bothers to vote, believing that nothing will change and just one vote hardly matters. Voter turnouts in major cities are always very low. Also, due to the large number of regional parties, the negligence in developing states ruled by the opposition coalition, the short term myopic policies of the government which aims at immediate gains in the coming election rather than sustained growth in the long run, I believed that democracy could never be fully realised successfully in India.
After the 2004 elections when Congress led UPA came to power, there was much drama over the appointment of Dr Manmohan Singh as the PM (or rather a 'puppet PM'). Though I greatly admire Dr Singh as an academician and an economist, I was rather sceptical of him as a PM. I'd have rather preffered to see Advani as PM, whom I considered ideal for the job, because, as many would agree, he seems to have the 'balls' to do so. Also, growing up in a BJP era (during my high school), the 'India Shining campaign' (which ultimately didn't work), I came to admire a lot of NDA leaders like Yashwant Singh, Pramod Mahajan, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj etc, partly because they were media savvy. The confidence that the 'India Shining' campaign, the successful conclusion of the Kargil conflict, the peace measures with Pakistan, brought about was countered by the utter failure of the way the Kandahar hijacking was dealt with and the interference of MM Joshi in the functioning of IITs and IIMs.
Coming back to the present day, I was once again a 'distant observer' of the 2009 general elections. However, I could feel the tremors from thousands of miles away. The possibility of a fractured mandate, the horrors of Mulayam Singh's 'misguided manifesto' (which reminded me of Pol Pot's monstrous idea of going back in time to purify ourselves of 'western influence'), the possibility of the Third front or a Leftist dominated coalition coming to power, the nightmarish scenario of Mayavati becoming the PM, the bleak economic situation, constantly troubled me, though apparently I was far away from the reaches of the its fallout.
The results of the election stunned everybody. Nobody expected any particular coalition to come close to the magic figure but as it turned out, they did. And not only that, there was a clear mandate that people don't approve of the misguided ideas of the bigwigs of UP-Bihar. The Red bastion seems to crumble, at least for now, and I hope it will continue to crumble in future. Though this result will not make me a fan of the UPA overnight, it still makes to happy to think that the uncertainties that were threatening to engulf Indian politics seems to have cleared, at least of the time being. These are difficult times and the current government will have to cater to the expectations of a billion people. The market seems to have given a resounding applause to the election results and, hope, seems to break though the clouds of despair in these dark days.
Given the magnitude of the election process, the difficulties faced in conducting it, this outcome is no less momentous than the election of Obama. Just the difference in that it was not played out in the US. It seems that I've been proved wrong. Democracy does work in India, if not perfectly. People still have the power to spring surprises and reject opportunists.
There has been many occasions in the past, when the name of India featured prominently on the global stage- the Pokhran blasts, Olympic medals, winning the T20 world cup, the talks of India poised to be a global superpower. But I think that the results of this election has made me more proud of India that any other event. I've never been happy to be proved so utterly wrong and to witness not just the successful conclusion of the most complicated election process in the world but the triumph of the very idea of Democracy!