In 2019, a few weeks after the Indian National Congress suffered yet another resounding defeat at the hands of the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP), a small group of Delhi-based journalists, including this writer, had an occasion to interact with Rahul Gandhi in the precincts of the Congress Parliamentary Party office within the Parliament Building. During the brief, impromptu interaction, Rahul Gandhi said that he and the Congress had worked hard and to the best of their abilities but were found wanting in making the big change.
<img alt="images-5-300x168 (1).jpeg" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_5_300x168_1_4af654c532.jpeg" />
Oommen Chandy with Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra
Hearing this, I came up with a totally unsolicited advice. “Bring Oomen Chandy to Delhi on a special organisational post. Give him authority to prod your line of leaders in the organisational structure across the country. He will make your units across the country spring to a new life. He himself will not sleep. And he will not let other leaders in your party sleep too.” Rahul Gandhi, just smiled and moved on. 
Later, I sent word to Chandy through one of his close associates, about my “message” to Rahul Gandhi. The associate reported back saying that Chandy too responded to my suggestion with a smile, but had later added that he wished he could actually live up to my impression about him, if given a chance. Apparently, he used to talk about this “organisational possibility at the Congress centre” from time to time. “In a sense, he had taken up this as a promise to himself”, said the associate of Chandy. But several factors, including Chandy’s ill-health, prevented him fulfilling this promise in the past four years. 
<img alt="Capture-300x187 (1).webp" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Capture_300x187_1_23cc80f11e.webp" />
Oommen Chandy sloganeering
Political observers who have observed the organisational abilities of the former Kerala Chief Minister would agree with my assessment. There was little doubt about his connect with the people. Also that 24×7 activity characterised Oomen Chandy’s political life throughout his nearly six-decade long career. Fellow politicians, political observers and journalists have often been dumb founded by Chandy’s capacity to put in inhumanly long hours of work.
Senior politicians belonging to different parties, including his arch rivals in the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have seen how he could be on his feet for almost as long as 10 hours, meeting and interacting with people.
A fellow journalist recounts often an unbelievable official encounter with Chandy. Chandy was Chief Minister at that time and the journalist, an elected leader of a journalists’ union. The latter had an important issue to discuss with the Chief Minister. The union was building an office in one of the Kerala districts and had to get some official clearances. To an official request for an appointment, the Chief Minister’s office replied that the meeting was fixed for 4 a.m. in a train reaching Shoranur Junction then. Looking at the time and place of appointment, the journalist and his colleagues had surmised that the meeting would not happen. The Chief Minister would most probably be asleep at that time, they thought. However, they decided to take a chance and reached the station. The train reached the railway station and the man who opened the train’s door was a fully awake and bright looking Chief Minister himself. The journalists had a fruitful discussion with Chandy in the train. Later, the union’s project came to a smooth completion.
There were several leaders in the Congress as well as many regional parties in northern India such as the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal (United) who knew about this passionate working style of Chandy. Old timers in the Uttar Pradesh Congress, such as Ram Kripal Singh and Pramod Tiwari, used to term it “Chandy’s personal value addition to a long-standing Kerala stamp in Congress politics”. They remember how, when Indira Gandhi was leading the party, young leaders from Kerala, such as A.K. Antony, Vayalar Ravi and Oomen Chandy had occupied important positions in the central bodies of the party. They viewed it as a period of creativity in the grand old party.
In the view of these leaders, it was Chandy and K.C. Venugopal, organisational secretrary in the current Congress Working Committee (CWC), who essentially represented this Kerala stamp in national politics in contemporary times. Interestingly, Venugopal considers himself a sort of protege of Chandy. Both Singh and Tiwari had pointed out to The AIDEM that Chandy’s political personality had particularly captured, the attention and imagination of the political class as a whole, particularty Congress functionaries, in different parts of India during the two terms when he was Chief Minister of Kerala. 
<img alt="The_Chief_Minister_of_Kerala_Shri_Oommen_Chandy_meeting_the_Prime_Minister_Dr._Manmohan_Singh_in_New_Delhi_on_March_13_2013-300x181 (1).jpg" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/The_Chief_Minister_of_Kerala_Shri_Oommen_Chandy_meeting_the_Prime_Minister_Dr_Manmohan_Singh_in_New_Delhi_on_March_13_2013_300x181_1_a6fde85eb5.jpg" />
Oommen Chandy meeting the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi
This began right from his first tenure as Chief Minister in 2004. The very fact that he was chosen to replace somebody like Antony after the rout of the Congress in Kerala in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections had evoked interest across the country. This had grown steadily over his first tenure as Chief Minister until 2006. “It rose to greater heights during the, second tenure, which began in 2011,” Singh said.
Chandy’s tireless physical dynamism and energy were often cited as examples of the new-age political quotients of high value. Even politicians like Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, who stands at a considerable distance from the Congress in political and ideological terms have commented on this aspect to me personally.
At the level of larger politics, however, there have been questions on Chandy’s ideological orientation and commitment. I had myself raised a pointed question on this when he was Chief Minister. Chandy had responded by stating that he did not believe in categorisations such as Left, Right or Centre and his basic ideology was welfare of the people and overall development. Many journalists and observers who had heard this interaction immediately categorised it as mindless generalisation by the leader. 
Even in the midst of this criticism, there was also an acceptance that at the policy level, there were many things that Chandy had done as Chief Minister which had the potential to evolve into more ideologically coherent political plan. Indeed, there were many things that militated against any form of ideological orientation. 
There is a general impression that the present-day Kerala, by and large, does not produce the kind of mature politicians that the larger society of the State deserves. This is a view shared even by those academicians and analysts who have showered praise on the Kerala model of development. Clearly, there is a need for greater application, enhanced creativity, and better innovation to make Kerala adapt itself to the new, emerging world.
Perhaps, Oomen Chandy’s passing away would trigger a broader and more involved debate on this issue in the days to come. Even as one mulls on this possibility, there can be little denying that Chandy had a very high application quotient and that he had brought back some attention to the Kerala stamp in Congress politics at the national level.
In such a context, the unkept promise that he made to himself on bringing more vigour into the Congress at the national level would pain a large number of his followers and friends.

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In 2019, a few weeks after the Indian National Congress suffered yet another resounding defeat at the hands of the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP), a small group of Delhi-based journalists, including this writer, had an occasion to interact with Rahul Gandhi in the precincts of the Congress Parliamentary Party office within the Parliament Building. During the brief, impromptu interaction, Rahul Gandhi said that he and the Congress had worked hard and to the best of their abilities but were found wanting in making the big change.



Oomen Chandy and an Unkept Promise to Himself

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_20240807_WA_0011_770x470_bc88f473c5.jpg" alt="IMG-20240807-WA0011-770x470.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_20240807_WA_0011_770x470_bc88f473c5.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_20240807_WA_0011_770x470_bc88f473c5.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_20240807_WA_0011_770x470_bc88f473c5.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">The following is the Review of the Book ‘The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur: Voice of the Voiceless’ authored by Santosh Singh and Aditya Anmol (Published: May/2024, Penguin Random House India)&nbsp;<hr>There are many reasons to remember the legendary Indian political leader Karpoori Thakur. However, if one were to single out one reason to highlight his legacy, it would have to be the reservation policy for marginalised classes in the government jobs, a move that dramatically impacted Indian history and the people of the country. Summed up in simple terms Karpoori Thakur’s life could be described as follows: This man born in the nondescript Pitaunjhia village of Samastipur District of Bihar, in the marginalised Nai (barber) community, which had little social clout and had only minuscule presence in the State’s cities and villages, was the original progenitor of the movement for social justice in North India. Bihar became the first state, during Thakur’s second stint as the State chief minister (in 1978), to reserve a 26% quota for the ‘socially disadvantaged’ groups in the jobs.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:470px;" id="attachment_29249" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29249"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/Karpoori_Thakur_2024_stamp_of_India_11db18cb39.jpg" alt="Karpoori_Thakur_2024_stamp_of_India.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_Karpoori_Thakur_2024_stamp_of_India_11db18cb39.jpg 107w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_Karpoori_Thakur_2024_stamp_of_India_11db18cb39.jpg 342w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29249">Commemorative stamp issued by Department of Posts on the occasion of Karpoori Thakur’s 100th birth anniversary</figcaption></figure>It was a pioneering initiative in many ways. It recognised the heterogeneity among the backward classes at that stage of history itself. The Thakur-led cabinet allocated a 12% quota for the extremely backward classes (EBCs) and 8% for the other backward classes (OBCs). The women and poor among the upper castes got 3% quota each highlighting the inclusive vision of Thakur.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:undefined/undefined;" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_2024_08_07_T122718_080_300x200_b13065bbbd.jpeg" alt="images-2024-08-07T122718.080-300x200.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_2024_08_07_T122718_080_300x200_b13065bbbd.jpeg 234w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure>The enduring legacy of Thakur is evident from the fact that reservation has emerged as a central issue to counter the hydra-headed Hindutva that the ruling Sangh Parivar represents today. If there was one issue that worked for the Congress and Socialists organised under the larger banner of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to reduce the Narendra Modiled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the minority status in the 18th Lok Sabha, it was the slogan highlighting the ‘threat to the Constitution” that the marginalised sections perceived as a threat to the reservation policy. Moreover, the verdict of the 7-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on the categorisation of the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes has engaged political parties, public intellectuals and policymakers of all hues in analysing its larger implications on India’s polity and society.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img style="aspect-ratio:undefined/undefined;" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/9780143467335_825c943499.jpg" alt="9780143467335.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_9780143467335_825c943499.jpg 112w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_9780143467335_825c943499.jpg 360w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure>And, if Karpoori Thakur was the pioneer of the job quota system, The Jannayak Karpoori Thakur: Voice of the Voiceless (Penguin Random House-2024) authored by Santosh Singh and Aditya Anmol is, by all accounts, the best source to understand the gamut of the reservation scheme implemented by the Janata Party government in Bihar 46 years ago.&nbsp;“Pioneering Quota Politics” is, understandably, the largest chapter of the 330 page book. The chapter is comprehensive. It has covered the minute details about the process through which this landmark initiative was moved forward. It elaborates how Karpoori Thakur, despite violent opposition from the upper castes, navigated the legislation through very many obstacles, including the age-old grip of the adherents of the varnashram system on the society as a whole and the stranglehold it had created on the social psyche of that period. The dominant stream of society at that period -and arguably even now – was the Brahmanical society which the Sangh Parivar interprets as ‘Hindu society’ or ‘Sanatan’ society.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:1200px;" id="attachment_29247" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29247"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_20240807_WA_0010_00299ae598.jpg" alt="IMG-20240807-WA0010.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_20240807_WA_0010_00299ae598.jpg 184w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_20240807_WA_0010_00299ae598.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_20240807_WA_0010_00299ae598.jpg 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_IMG_20240807_WA_0010_00299ae598.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29247">Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar pays floral tribute to Karpoori Thakur, who was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, on his birth centenary, in Patna.</figcaption></figure>The Bharatiya Jan Sangh, which was the political instrument of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) led Sangh Parivar till 1977, and was succeeded by the BJP in 1980, was a part of the Thakur led Janata Party government in 1978. Kailashpati Mishra—the pioneer of the Hindutva politics in Bihar—was the finance minister in that government. As the book rightly explains, an otherwise sober and soft-spoken Mishra, opposed many of Thakur’s initiatives. The Congress was in the opposition at that time and for obvious reasons it opposed the then ruling coalition led by Thakur.The book also highlights the ironical and self-contradicting stance of a large number of the upper caste political leaders of that period. A sizable section of them were part of the Socialist stream right from the beginning of their political career or had joined the Janata Party after defecting from other parties. However, they did not understand or imbibe the socialist and revolutionary character of Thakur’s initiative and were found to be visceral in their opposition to the efforts of the leader to strengthen an affirmative action policy as enshrined in the Constitution.Thakur’s initiative was rooted in the larger goal of socialism propounded collectively by Karl Marx, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, B. R. Ambedkar, and Ram Manohar Lohia. But, most of the upper caste leaders in the Janata Party—a conglomeration of anti-Congress parties of that time—opposed Thakur. These leaders coined abusive slogans to rundown Thakur’s pedigree. The book has highlighted all these in a detailed manner.Thakur’s action eventually cost him the Chief Minister’s chair with another Socialist leader belonging to a scheduled caste, Ram Sundar Das replacing him in 1979. Though Das belonged to a scheduled caste, the upper castes were comfortable with him mainly because he guarded their interests vested in varnashram system. The towering exception among the upper caste leaders was Chandra Shekhar, the then President of the Janata Party.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:670px;" id="attachment_29248" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29248"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/17karpoori_thakur1_ad69e236bc.jpg" alt="17karpoori-thakur1.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_17karpoori_thakur1_ad69e236bc.jpg 199w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_17karpoori_thakur1_ad69e236bc.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29248">Karpoori Thakur, second from right, then the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly, leads a procession of opposition MLAs to Raj Bhavan to protest against the abrupt adjournment of the Budget session of the assembly. (1986)</figcaption></figure>Why Chandra Shekhar, who went on to become the Prime Minister in 1990, is regarded as “exceptional” is essentially because of his unflinching support to Karpoori Thakur in those cataclysmic times. Wading through the political rough and tumble of that period as well as the mayhem created by some of his own caste-men, including former Bihar Chief Minister Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Chandra Shekhar stood solidly behind Karpoori Thakur. The ‘Adhyaksh ji’, as most of his Socialist contemporaries referred to him, Chandra Shekhar bestowed Thakur with the sobriquet of “Jannayak”.&nbsp;Despite the disintegration of the Janata Party later, the Jannayak salutation is still used among the present generation of democrats and socialists, who follow the political legacy of that historical political party, to refer to Thakur. The book also traces the details of the freedom struggle and farmers movement as well as other agitations and peoples movements against feudalism. This explains the historical setting in which Karpoori Thakur was born and fought his way up through social and political challenges to grow into a mass leader.My only criticism of the book and that is a major one is that it has sought to link Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s personality and initiatives with that of Thakur. The authors have used the current Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s interpretation to draw a parallel between Thakur and Modi, based on the birth of the two leaders as well as their vision and lifestyle. It amounts to oversimplification, which should have been avoided. Of course, the Modi government awarded ‘Bharat Ratna’ posthumously to Thakur ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, providing greater topicality to the book. But comparing the Modi government’s move to award 10% quota to economically weaker sections (EWS) and Modi’s birth in a backward caste with Thakur’s life and worldview hardly adds to the overall value of the book.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:992px;" id="attachment_13565" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13565"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/1619551829_28edittop_e3a00818f2.jpg" alt="1619551829_28edittop.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_1619551829_28edittop_e3a00818f2.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_1619551829_28edittop_e3a00818f2.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_1619551829_28edittop_e3a00818f2.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-13565">Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah at BJP Head Quarters</figcaption></figure>Despite this aberration, I would recommend the book to everyone desirous of understanding the sociology, politics and modern history of Bihar. It provides for light reading adorned with enchanting anecdotes. It is a delight for political reporters as the book has largely been written in a classical reporter’s style. Reading the book, one also gets a bird’s eye view of the 1917 Bolshevik revolution, which led to the formation of the USSR and the myriad people’s movements in Eastern Europe of the early 20th century and beyond.</div></div>

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An Important Resource on India’s Reservation Policy And the Life and Times of Karpoori Thakur

<img class="image_resized" style="aspect-ratio:undefined/undefined;width:50%;" src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_2024_08_24_T163102_333_808d614878.jpeg" alt="images-2024-08-24T163102.333.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_2024_08_24_T163102_333_808d614878.jpeg 245w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">In a landmark restructuring of penal laws in 2018, the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, then under Governor’s rule and administration, enacted seminal amendments to its statutory framework. These modifications effectuated the criminalization of “sexual exploitation perpetrated by individuals occupying positions of authority, encompassing those with fiduciary obligations or holding public office.” This form of misconduct, colloquially termed “sextortion,” was thus codified into state law, marking a pioneering juridical development within the Indian subcontinent. However, the subsequent abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which culminated in the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, practically reversed this significant advancement. While the phenomenon of sextortion has long been recognized in various jurisdictions, the State of Kerala has recently brought this issue to the forefront, particularly within the context of its cinema industry. In light of the revelations contained within the Justice K. Hema Committee Report, there exists an exigent necessity to criminalise sextortion at the national level, thereby ensuring uniform and comprehensive legal safeguards against such transgressions across the Indian union.The Justice K. Hema Committee, established in response to the high-profile 2017 sexual assault case implicating actor Dileep, was tasked with conducting a comprehensive investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and systemic gender discrimination within the Malayalam film industry. On August 19, 2024, a redacted version of the Committee’s findings was made public, igniting significant political controversy in the State of Kerala.The expurgated report, spanning 233 pages, contains numerous accounts of egregious misconduct, including sexual harassment, exploitation, and various forms of mistreatment directed towards female industry professionals. These revelations have sent shockwaves through both the film industry and the broader public sphere.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:1200px;" id="attachment_29429" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29429"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/IMG_Hema_commission_2_1_B8_D187_BR_8d8f15e0b6.jpg" alt="IMG_Hema_commission_2_1_B8D187BR.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_IMG_Hema_commission_2_1_B8_D187_BR_8d8f15e0b6.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_IMG_Hema_commission_2_1_B8_D187_BR_8d8f15e0b6.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_IMG_Hema_commission_2_1_B8_D187_BR_8d8f15e0b6.jpg 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_IMG_Hema_commission_2_1_B8_D187_BR_8d8f15e0b6.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29429">Committee members submitting the Report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan</figcaption></figure>While the report was highly anticipated as a means to elucidate the full extent and severity of sexual harassment within the industry, the heavy redaction of key names and identifying details has resulted in a document that appears to be a compilation of anecdotal evidence rather than a substantive legal analysis. This has led to criticism that the report fails to provide concrete, actionable recommendations for ameliorating the working conditions and safety of industry professionals, particularly women.In 2022, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), which was formed after and in response to the 2017 sexual assault case, had publicly criticised the recommendations put forth in the summarised report, characterizing them as vague and disappointing. However, it is essential to underscore that the ambiguous nature of these recommendations does not entirely undermine the report’s validity or its impact on the broader public. Especially on account of the fact that the exploitation pervasive within the film industry has long been a matter of public knowledge.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/wcc_4c5a9a0edf.jpg" alt="wcc.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_wcc_4c5a9a0edf.jpg 156w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_wcc_4c5a9a0edf.jpg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) has exhibited a problematic stance towards these issues from the outset. Following the WCC’s criticism, AMMA expressed contentment with the report’s findings and professed eagerness to implement 90% of the recommendations. However, it is noteworthy that AMMA had always been vocally opposed to the report’s publication. The government and Justice Hema maintained that the report could not be published due to its confidential nature, emphasising that the women who shared their traumatic experiences were unwilling to have their identities revealed. Nonetheless, WCC advocated for the report’s public release while safeguarding the survivors’ privacy.The absence of specific, implementable proposals for industry reform has raised questions about the efficacy of the Committee’s work and its potential impact on effecting meaningful change within the Malayalam film industry. This situation underscores the complex interplay between the need for transparency in addressing widespread misconduct and the legal considerations that often necessitate the protection of individuals’ identities in sensitive investigations.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_2024_08_24_T145740_051_9bdc416b2a.jpeg" alt="images-2024-08-24T145740.051.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_2024_08_24_T145740_051_9bdc416b2a.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_2024_08_24_T145740_051_9bdc416b2a.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">The public clamour for a thorough investigation into the report’s contents and the subsequent prosecution of alleged perpetrators is understandable. However, this demand must be tempered with a realistic assessment of the legal and societal challenges inherent in such cases. Several critical factors warrant careful consideration before expectations are set regarding the investigation and prosecution of cases highlighted in the report.The statistical reality of sexual harassment cases in India is sobering. National Crime Records Bureau data reveals that the conviction rate for cases filed under Section 354A of the Indian Penal Code (Sexual Harassment) was a mere 27.2% in 2021, underscoring the significant challenges in successfully prosecuting such cases. This low conviction rate is exacerbated by the evidentiary burden in the Indian legal system, which operates on the principle of “beyond reasonable doubt.” In sexual harassment cases, which often lack witnesses or physical evidence, meeting this high evidentiary standard can be exceptionally difficult.The report also brings to light the pervasive issue of influential individuals evading justice through financial means or political connections. This “VIP culture” can significantly impede the course of justice, even when prima facie evidence exists. Additionally, many incidents described may have occurred before the enactment of more stringent laws like the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2013. The principle of non-retroactivity in criminal law may limit the application of current legal standards to historical cases.&nbsp;The hierarchical and close-knit nature of the film industry presents another obstacle, potentially deterring survivors and witnesses from coming forward due to fears of professional repercussions or social ostracism. The absence of a robust witness protection program further compounds this issue. Systemic challenges in the legal process, including an overburdened judicial system with over 40 million pending cases as of 2024, can discourage survivors from pursuing legal recourse and may lead to the degradation of evidence over time.Despite some progress, societal attitudes towards sexual harassment survivors remain problematic. Persistent victim-blaming narratives and social stigma associated with such cases continue to deter reporting and hamper the legal process. These multifaceted challenges highlight the complex interplay of legal, social, and institutional factors that may impede swift and effective prosecution of alleged perpetrators.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:648px;" id="attachment_29432" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29432"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_2024_08_24_T150435_444_e5ed6401f3.jpeg" alt="images-2024-08-24T150435.444.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_2024_08_24_T150435_444_e5ed6401f3.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_2024_08_24_T150435_444_e5ed6401f3.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-29432">Members of Women in Cinema Collective</figcaption></figure>To address these challenges, a comprehensive and multifaceted approach is necessary. This includes strengthening witness protection programs, implementing sensitivity training for law enforcement personnel and members of the judiciary, and creating a more supportive environment for survivors throughout the investigation and trial stages. Only through comprehensive reform and societal change can we hope to create an environment where justice is not just demanded, but consistently and equitably delivered.The Kerala High Court’s order on August 22, directing the state to submit the unredacted Hema Committee report in a sealed cover, marks a significant development in the ongoing controversy. This directive comes amidst deliberations on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the initiation of criminal proceedings against individuals named in the report. The court’s intervention underscores the gravity of the allegations and the public interest in addressing systemic issues within the Malayalam film industry.<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/High_Court_of_Kerala_Building_768x415_69e1d2ba09.jpg" alt="High_Court_of_Kerala_Building-768x415.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_High_Court_of_Kerala_Building_768x415_69e1d2ba09.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_High_Court_of_Kerala_Building_768x415_69e1d2ba09.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_High_Court_of_Kerala_Building_768x415_69e1d2ba09.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">The state government has faced substantial criticism for the prolonged delay in publishing the report and for releasing a redacted version. These actions have raised questions about transparency and the government’s commitment to addressing the issues highlighted in the report. However, it is imperative to consider the complex ethical and legal considerations at play, particularly the sentiment of the survivors who provided testimony to the Committee with the expectation of anonymity.As this situation unfolds, it will be crucial for all stakeholders – including the judiciary, the government, and industry bodies – to navigate these complex issues with sensitivity and a commitment to both justice and the protection of vulnerable individuals. Any approach to addressing the issues raised in the Hema Committee report must be nuanced and multifaceted, prioritising the protection of survivors’ identities and respecting their autonomy in deciding whether to pursue legal action, while simultaneously implementing systemic reforms within the industry to prevent future instances of harassment and exploitation. And along with all this, governance, judicial and administrative institutions should also use this juncture to revisit and restructure certain penal laws on matters such as sextortion, following the 2018 precedent in Jammu and Kashmir.</div></div>

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The Ifs and Buts of Justice Hema Committee Report And the Case For Revisiting Penal Laws

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Hindi (hi)

Telugu (te)

Kannada (kn)

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Dancing To Her Tune

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An Unwritten National Autobiography

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/images_1_6258d15665.jpeg" alt="images-1.jpeg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_images_1_6258d15665.jpeg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_images_1_6258d15665.jpeg 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">People who read literature in India knew him, MT Vasudevan Nair. Language was no hurdle for his works to reach out beyond the state borders of Kerala. While Malayali diaspora took a handful of nostalgia along to the places they went, a little bit of MT was also in that.Today, the big business of literature finds translators to translate anything that moves. All tetrapods of literature are given awards that stink of corporate imperialistic nexus. But MT belonged to a different era when blood recognised blood, genius recognised genius. He got translated not once but several times.Basheer, Takazhi and MT were the triumvirate that could transcend the borders and stand tall among the Indian modernist literature. Yes, MT’s literature also had a fair amount of auto-fiction but he hoodwinked it with the magic of text. He was a persuasive minimalist both in writing and in person.An unsmiling MT could generate generations of readers who could smile through tears. MT wrote about a collapsing social structure that divested the old feudal class with their ill-gotten properties. But their social capital remained intact and could exert a lot of influence among the readers by becoming the surrogate emotional ethos of a transition time of Kerala’s socio-political history.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:1196px;" id="attachment_31084" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31084"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg" alt="mt-1024x575.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg 750w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_mt_1024x575_251dd09907.jpg 1000w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-31084">MT during his Interview with Sabha TV (Watch <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NttnjeaVqn0">Here</a>)</figcaption></figure>When society evolved into a different being altogether, MT turned to the treasure trove of myths and itihasas to eke out allegories that explained the pain of loss, of class, roots and love. His literature spat on the face of bigotry, whether it was religious or familial. He was so stoically poised in his literature that none could have challenged him and expelled him from the world of literature.MT’s literature spoke of love and separation as vehemently as he wrote about the changing social complexions. But he was not sentimental. There was something in his writing that touched some chord in every reader. Before initiating themselves into Ambedkarite politics, the Dalit ideologues also, in their torturous nights of youth, pined for MT’s characters.Those who call the modernists, Dad Vibes, have really lost the sight of the forest while focusing on shrubs and thicket. MT was a forest that moved, as in the great tragedies. He remained a serious writer while the post modernists fell in the trap of publishers and wrote lightning stories and became laughing stokes.MT remains, so is the MT critique. That’s the beauty of a great writer’s life and of course, death.</div></div>

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MT: A Forest that Moved

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An ‘Overture’ Stringing The Pope, Yesudas and the ‘Songster Chaplain’

<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/1_cc9df0fe47.png" alt="വലതുപക്ഷവുമായുള്ള-സംവാദത്തിൻ്റെ-വ്യർത്ഥത-1.png" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_1_cc9df0fe47.png 245w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_1_cc9df0fe47.png 500w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><div class="post-body clearfix single-blog-header single-blog-inner blog-single-block blog-details-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(85, 85, 85);font-family:Manjari;font-size:17px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;margin:0px;orphans:2;padding:0px;text-align:left;text-decoration-color:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;"><div class="entry-content clearfix" style="box-sizing:border-box;counter-reset:footnotes 0;margin:0px;padding:0px;">When old age shall this generation waste,Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woeThan ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st,“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is allYe know on earth, and all ye need to know.” (John Keats, Ode on a Grecian Urn)<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/6_904b2e9f2a.jpg" alt="6.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_6_904b2e9f2a.jpg 147w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_6_904b2e9f2a.jpg 470w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">Siddharth Tagore, Founder Director of Delhi’s <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/artkonsultindia/photos">Art Konsult</a> Gallery is no more. He cannot be contained in such a cold statement, so matter of fact like death itself. Besides the gallery, he founded magazines such as Art and Deal, Travel and Deal and many other publications. Even when he knew that he wouldn’t make any profit out of the publications, he invested money in them because he knew art wouldn’t survive without the literature surrounding it.&nbsp;Yet another venture of Tagore’s was an auction house, namely Art Bull. The name was perfect for a bullish art market of the 2000s. But the glitch was this: Siddharth Tagore was not bullish. Nor was he bearish. He was cherubic, complete with a benign smile on his face and a burning cigarette between his fingers. Whenever I came out after having a meeting with him, I would ask myself, was he cut for this business?&nbsp;Tagore could have been a poet and dreamer like his internationally renowned namesake of yesteryears.. After the pandemic period I met Tagore after a gap of four years at the Visual Art Gallery, India Habitat Centre where Art Konsult had organized a group exhibition. After the inaugural function, I shook hands with him and I realized that his hands had lost the firm grip though the warmth remained. “I have not been keeping well,” he told me.&nbsp;<div class="gallery galleryid-31051 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-full" style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:30px -8.96875px 0px;padding:0px;" id="gallery-1"><figure class="gallery-item" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;height:auto;margin:0px 0px 1rem;max-width:33.33%;padding:0px 8.96875px 17.9531px;text-align:center;vertical-align:top;width:262.609px;"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/c_768x993_a7cec9742c.jpg" alt="c-768x993.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_c_768x993_a7cec9742c.jpg 121w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_c_768x993_a7cec9742c.jpg 387w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_c_768x993_a7cec9742c.jpg 580w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure><figure class="gallery-item" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;height:auto;margin:0px 0px 1rem;max-width:33.33%;padding:0px 8.96875px 17.9531px;text-align:center;vertical-align:top;width:262.609px;"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/b_768x985_3f8fb449e6.jpg" alt="b-768x985.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_b_768x985_3f8fb449e6.jpg 122w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_b_768x985_3f8fb449e6.jpg 390w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_b_768x985_3f8fb449e6.jpg 585w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure><figure class="gallery-item" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;display:inline-block;height:auto;margin:0px 0px 1rem;max-width:33.33%;padding:0px 8.96875px 17.9531px;text-align:center;vertical-align:top;width:262.609px;"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/a_7888f94e4b.jpg" alt="a.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_a_7888f94e4b.jpg 121w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_a_7888f94e4b.jpg 385w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_a_7888f94e4b.jpg 577w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"></figure></div>Then on another occasion, at the same gallery, I met him again, this time without the crowd. He preferred to wear a pair of fading blue jeans and white shirt, a reminder of those romantic 1970s when every youth in West Bengal dreamt of poetry, love and revolution. Jeans and Shirt were the uniform of love and revolution. I think, when Tagore came to Delhi as a young man, he carried those qualities along, plus his sense of dressing. Lovers in those days smoked rather constantly and drank Old Monk Rum.&nbsp;On that day when I met him, Tagore told me that he had quit smoking, which was news to me. I couldn’t have imagined the man without a cigarette between his fingers or at least a packet of cigarettes to fuss with. I understood the gravity of the situation.&nbsp;Then again, we met when Praveen Upadhyay of the Progressive Gallery at Laddo Sarai organized a talk session with art professionals that included Tagore, Prayag Shukla, Vinod Bharadwaj and myself. Tagore was supposed to talk about the art market. When the mike was handed over to him, he fussed with it for a while and said that he always wanted to make it big by promoting young artists, but somehow, he never made huge business.<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:689px;" id="attachment_31054" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31054"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/7_768x511_149563fe01.jpg" alt="7-768x511.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_7_768x511_149563fe01.jpg 235w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_7_768x511_149563fe01.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_7_768x511_149563fe01.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-31054">Siddharth speaking to the media at Art Konsult</figcaption></figure>Then I remembered Tagore telling the same during the market boom years that lasted in India for around ten years starting from 2005 to 2015. In 2008, the world market had collapsed, but the Indian art market using its cunning and reserve withstood the pressures and dragged the impending failure for a few more years only to revive itself by the beginning of the third decade of the new millennium.&nbsp;Had Tagore acquired a penchant for failure despite his resilience in running a gallery, publications and an auction house for over three and a half decades ? Did he enjoy calling himself a failure in the art market? Was he romantically involved with the idea of failure even when he kept others who were with him in the business, floating? I don’t know for sure. But Tagore remained grounded and rooted; he tried his best to keep himself away from the nefarious market practices.&nbsp;There were a few people who stood with Tagore in his highs and lows (lows that lasted for not some months but for years together), never deserting him, following his orders. Prashant Seal and Rajula Bisht are two people I remember. These two people have been so close to his heart and even after his twin daughters joining him in the business, both Seal and Bisht never lost their position as the confidantes of Tagore. He loved them like family.&nbsp;I met Siddharth Tagore in 1995. He had started Art Konsult in Hauz Khas Village. Meena Tagore (now Meena Varma) was with him then. Late Vijayan Kannanpally was the editor of Art and Deal. With the growth of art scene, Tagore’s gallery also grew in stature. Art Konsult was one of the few A listed galleries in the city. Tagore took it to South Delhi’s art district, Laddo Sarai during the boom years and later relocated it to Hauz Khas again.&nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:562px;" id="attachment_31055" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31055"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/0_768x512_88eabd3bbc.jpg" alt="0-768x512.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_0_768x512_88eabd3bbc.jpg 234w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_0_768x512_88eabd3bbc.jpg 500w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_0_768x512_88eabd3bbc.jpg 750w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-31055">Siddharth Tagore with art critic and curator Jyoti A Kathpalia at the Art Konsult, New Delhi</figcaption></figure>It was in his Laddo Sarai phase that I joined him as the Editor of Art and Deal. It was the same when he decided to start Art Bull and Travel and Deal. I brought out around ten issues of Art and Deal between 2010 and 2013, with a gap in 2012 when I joined the United Art Logistics to establish the United Art Fair. Tagore literally lent me to the other organization with a promise that I could walk into the editor’s office at any time that I wanted. And I did go back.&nbsp;As a part of Tagore’s team, he gave me full freedom to edit the magazine and curate exhibitions. I curated a few shows and introduced a few new artists of which some are very reckonable names in today’s art scene. The exhibition ‘Merging/Submerging’ was a showcasing of contemporary photography art and ‘R.A.P.E’ (Rare Acts of Political Engagement), an all-woman show responding to the brutal murder of Nirbhaya in Delhi. This exhibition was a super hit and was discussed in all the print and television media. Art Bull did do a couple of exhibitions and auctions. I did not take much interest in it though Tagore hoped that his auction house could change the scenario and also break certain monopolies. Tagore also initiated an Art History Lecture series which I conducted on his behalf.&nbsp;Siddharth Tagore remained true to his calling. With a kind of detachment, he sponsored exhibitions that he knew well, would not bring any business. He was an avid collector of folk and tribal art and together with Meena Varma, he initiated an organization called ‘Art of the Earth’ for promoting the folk and tribal art of India, much before the ‘folkploitation’ of today’s art market became rampant. Tagore helped whoever came to him with a request for an exhibition or an immediate financial relief. &nbsp;<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="border-width:0px;box-sizing:border-box;clear:both;display:block;height:auto;margin:15px auto;max-width:100%;padding:0px;vertical-align:middle;width:640px;" id="attachment_31053" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-31053"><img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg" alt="3-e1734762508660-669x1024.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg 102w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg 327w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg 490w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_3_e1734762508660_669x1024_7c977a7959.jpg 653w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined"><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing:border-box;display:block;font-size:15px;line-height:20px;margin:0px;padding:12px 0px 0px;text-align:center;" id="caption-attachment-31053">Siddharth Tagore signing the <a style="background-color:transparent;box-sizing:border-box;color:rgb(255, 53, 36);display:inline-block;margin:0px;padding:0px;transition:0.4s;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://amzn.in/d/4TijcgO">book</a> “Ganika- In the visual culture of the 19th-20th Century India” at the Art Konsult</figcaption></figure>&nbsp;<img src="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg" alt="4-560x1024.jpg" srcset="https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/thumbnail_4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg 85w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/small_4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg 273w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/medium_4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg 410w,https://strapi.bangalore2.com/uploads/large_4_560x1024_090314e000.jpg 547w," sizes="100vw" width="undefined" height="undefined">When artists in Calcutta packed their wares and set out for Delhi, they knew Siddharth Tagore was there if nothing else worked (perhaps he was their primary destination), along with cigarettes and Old Monk Rum. He never discouraged the people who came to him with a clear intention to exploit. He was not cautious about relationships that brought him a fair amount of heartburn. As I said elsewhere, Tagore was a poet in his heart, with a heart ready to bleed for love and art.</div></div>

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