Book Review: Mango People In Banana Republic by Vishak Shakti

Disillusionment with one’s career is a common pattern among millennials these days and Ravi Bhalerao is no exception. He is a business strategy consultant who is among those hundreds and thousands who are unsure about the future.

What sets him apart is that he decides to quit his job, ditch the urban life and shift to his ancestral village in Vidarbha, infamous for drought and farmer suicides. No this is not the plot of ‘Swades’ but a blurb of the book ‘Mango People In Banana Republic’ by Vishak Shakti.

This is also the story of Anand, a former physicist who has set on a spiritual quest through esoteric India. He seeks refuge in the Ashrams of various babas and gurus, Beleaguered by the shenanigans of the various cults, he questions the path to “liberation” that he was treading so far.

On the other hand, Ravi comes across India in her elemental form in Vidarbha. He finds a mission, encounters love and embarks on a path of redemption from his disillusionment.

As the name suggests, ‘Mango People In Banana Republic’ is a light-hearted take on the current situation of the country. As Ravi sets out on a search for personal identity, we are also taken on a ‘discovery of India’ ride by the author. With tongue-in-cheek writing, oodles of wit and humour, and a pacy narrative, the book easily wins hearts.

Being an enthusiast of Indian politics, and social activist of sorts myself, this book was relatable to a huge extent. Hailing from a small town, I have often felt disillusioned with the fast-paced city life, the corporate ‘snakes and ladders’ and also faced moments when I had no clue where my life was headed.

Gandhi Ji had truly said true India resides in the villages. And often I have realised this when I have visited rural Bengal (or even the small mufassil towns). Ravi’s quest for self-identity, juxtaposed against the societal and political ills that ail our great nation, and how he chooses to fight them, touches a chord indeed.

To sum up, ‘Mango People In Banana Republic’ is a delightful read on a hot summer afternoon, with a plateful of mangoes to munch on as you turn the pages. Looking forward to reading more of Vishak Shakti’s works.

My Rating: 3.5/5 stars

P.S. The review copy of the book was provided by Writersmelon.

 

DISCLAIMER: ALL IMAGES USED IN THIS POST HAVE THEIR RESPECTIVE COPYRIGHTS

 

Railways Derailed?

As i write this blog entry, news channels tell me that 3 coaches of the Awadh-Assam express were derailed near Moradabad, injuring many passengers. Such is the irony of The Indian Politics that barely thirty six hours after the Minister in charge of the Railways announced frequency of accidents have gone down from 0.25% to 0.17% such an accident had to occur.

The Indian Railways is perhaps the biggest network in the world connecting people across divisions from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Catering to almost 1.74 lakh people daily, it is also the biggest service provider in the world. Hundreds of thousands earn their livelihood in association with the Railways. Hence managing such a huge organisation and being responsible for such a magnanimous institution is no kid’s play.

Hum Aah Bhee Karte Hain Toh Ho Jaate Hain Badnaam

Woh Katl Bhee Karte Hain Toh Charcha Nahi Hota

In her opening statement to the House, Mamata Bannerjee made it clear that development with social responsibility was the Mantra of her Ministry. While it is known that the Railways is going through a period of “financial instability” with dwindling revenue earnings, the Minister was candid enough to admit that the proposed target of Rs 96000 crore could not be achieved for the last fiscal year. She informed the nation that high operating ratio of 95.3% was a cause of concern, but however, she went on to explain that had the Ministry not had to bear the huge payoffs for the 11th Planning Commission and arrange for the allowances for the Railway family, the operating ratio would have been in the 70s. She also lamented that the effects of inflation were unforeseen. A ray of hope is looming in the sky with improved earnings in January and February, which could eventually bring down the figure of revenue shortfall from Rs 1800crore. “The worst is over” announced the Minister while putting budget estimates of Rs 57634 crore for 2011-12 and making a claim that Railways will exceed 1 lakh crore mark in earnings in the coming year. She did not explain though, how she thinks that could be achieved and with an operating ratio of 92.2% projected, what good such high earnings would be.

Inflation has been a cause of worry for everyone in the government circles for quite sometime now (much to the alacrity of the Opposition) and the citizens of this nation have been the hapless sufferers of the same. The Minister announced she would not burden the people in such scenarios with a fare hike. The industry sector was also spared of any hike in freight rates. In tune with her socialist image Mamata declared many schemes which if implemented could bring about a social revolution in the country, Railways leading the march. Such schemes included housing schemes for 10000 living in urban slums built by the side of Railway tracks in major cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Siliguri. The age for availing senior citizen concessions was brought down to 58 from earlier 60. The success of Izzat scheme boosted the Minister’s confidence and she will roll out the same in new areas.

But in her enthusiasm for populism, she did not forget the growth of Railways. In an attempt to improve the finances of the Railways, Mamata announced the introduction of PPP projects, informed the nation of the MoUs the Railways has signed with several IITs and universities for technological development. Adding social responsibility to the pursuit, Mamata chose such areas for factories which were under developed and facing separatist activities. Jammu and Kashmir landed up with two projects, Darjeeling got one, Manipur and Assam were also recipients of projects. Singur and Nandigram – the symbols of Bengal’s renaissance against Left – were awarded a project each.

Contrary to popular perception, the budget was not biased towards Bengal. In fact Bengal had little to gain from this Railway Budget. A quick read through the text would validate my point. However, the Minister unequivocally iterated the fact that she will work for all states, just like she works for Bengal.

To boost the growth of Suburban Network in major cities, Mamata announced special services for an Integrated Suburban Network in Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai. The railways will expand its network to more than 200 new routes, survey for which were announced. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Bengal and Karnataka were major gainers here. Of the 68 new trains proposed by her, most pass through West Bengal, but other metros like Mumbai and Delhi also had their share. In a bid to strengthen the Metro Services (the only Metro owned by the Indian Railways) 37 new facilities were dolled out to the dying Kolkata Metro. After its creation in 1984, the Metro has seen such huge development plans for the first time.

The budget this year was in sync with the vision 2020 shared by the Minister in her last Budget. However questions of economic viability, services and amenities continue to haunt the Railways. Despite announcement, up gradation to world class station has not yet started. Many “Adarsh” stations are yet to be upgraded with proper services. A box full of promises, work undone, feats achieved and grand hopes for the future as co passengers, the Minister has indeed embarked on the GREAT INDIAN RAILWAY RIDE.