It was great to see Vinod Mehta resurrect Eric Ambler, a somewhat forgotten thriller writer, in Delhi Diary (Feb 27).

 Yes the 'Hawa" in U.P baffled political pundits about outcome but many including sharat pradhan are busy in analysis of this new development with old analytical tools like vaste combinations,religious demography,candidates biography etc but no body bother about what political parties offered to voters and what is their reaction on those promises.

Frankly being an old reader I am equally baffled rather concerned about the perceptible degradation in the content and quality of photograph of this issue.I was sure that role change of Vinod Mehta will affect the magazine but it will be so quick and so pronouned i have not imagined.Almost all the 'flavour' is changed on down side. 

Any kinky news and media milks it to the best of its ability. And if its anything to do with Right Wing even better. Shows where the priority lies. Or, the porngate wouldn't have made headlines and sexual molestation of children in an orphanage in Delhi would have. Perhaps, Delhi crimes, corruption are down played due to obvious reasons.

Our media megastars' love for the Right Wing especially just before the elections is rather touching.

If Ministers watch porn in berd room its their problem.
But at wrong place at wrong time means accident.
Media can also whip as moral police of the party.

When people tell me they wrapped up my memoir Lucknow Boy in one sitting or that it was “unputdownable”, I feel I have somehow failed.

That's strange.  I found it it to be trivia and sexual gossip about Firakh Gorakpuri's public-private masturbations, Meena Kumari's one-night stands and such. Somerset Maugham unzipping his fly was missing. It is unputdownable in the same way as Karnataka MLA Lakshman Savadi's MMS is unwatchable. So what's all this pretend self-deprecation at "having failed"?

Her name was India. She did not like this name............

"India" still felt wrong to her, it felt exoticist, colonial, suggesting the appropriation of a reality that was not hers to own, and she insisted to herself that it didn't fit her anyway, she didn't feel like an India, even if her color was rich and high and her long hair lustrous and black. She didn't want to be vast or subcontinental or excessive or vulgar or explosive or crowded or ancient or noisy or mystical or in any way Third World. Quite the reverse. She presented herself as disciplined, groomed, nuanced, inward, irreligious, understated, calm. She spoke with an English accent. In her behavior she was not heated, but cool. This was the persona she wanted, that she had constructed with great determination.

.........

She also kept the strangeness of her seeing under control, the sudden otherness of vision that came and went. When her pale eyes changed the things she saw, her tough mind changed them back. She did not care to dwell on her turbulence, never spoke about her childhood, and told people she did not remember her dreams.

........

"Sita was left alone, but Lakshman had drawn a magic line in the dirt all the way across the mouth of the little hermitage and warned her not to cross it or to invite anyone else to do so. The line was powerfully enchanted and would protect her from harm." But then Ravan, appearing as a mendicant at Sita's door just outside of the magic line drawn by Lakshman, begins to sing her praises. Sita Devi lets him into the house. What prompted her to do so? Was it in spite of the magic line - or because of it? Boonyi wonders. "`Jatayu, you have died for me,' Sita cried out. That was true. But how could the responsibility for everything that followed the abduction, the eagle's fall, the countrywide search for the missing princess, the mighty war against Ravan, the rivers of blood and mountains of death, be laid at the door of Ram's revered wife? What a strange meaning that would give to the old story - that women's folly undid men's magic... . The dignity, the moral strength, the intelligence of Sita was beyond doubt and could not so trivially be set aside."

Similar to Midnight's Children in its un-put-downable-ness, I'd say.

Are youngsters of India really changed?They are ready to revolt against old tradition and  accept new norms? To whom they vote election of U.P.? Is any party  given revolutionary agenda? In my opinion Indian youth is  impotent blindly he vote to some party and wait wait for change up to next election,Form last sixty years every  generation  youth behaved this way and became old his children follow same tradition.How any one expect revolt in India? ??

1 D Anwaar

" With what face will the good men and women of the parivar now (after porngate) mount their moral crusades assaulting young girls visiting pubs and young boys sending Valentine Day cards?"
Good question!

Valentines Day seems to be getting all of VMs energy juices flowing!

The media has now changed its tack - blaming a party, rather than 'MC PIGS's for the Valentines Day attacks - as they were doing initially.

Conveniently ignored fact, Vinod Mehta, is that BOYS were attacked alongwith the girls in the pubs too. Dont you CARE to understand male pain too?

AND HAS ANYONE UNTIL NOW, OTHER THAN VINOD MEHTA, HEARD OF 'BOYS WHO SENT THE VALENTINE CARDS' BEING ATTACKED BY ANYONE? Is VM being mislead, or could this be a new anti-male propaganda offensive?

 It is now well known what Justice Katju thinks about journalists. Nutural that he would not come to meet a mere journalist even if he calls himself Editorial Chairman, whatever that may mean.  The good judge may have thought that the Editor must have lot of dog sense & worth meeting.

Sleeping habits of Vikram Seth is mysterious. The butler should know ?

Btw, do Vikram Seth go places with a butler in tow ? Did you too aquire a butler , now that you have als claim to be a writer ?

Eric Ambler is fabulous & really unputdownable . Bit disappointed with your test for P.D. James. I suppose John le Carre will be little challanging for you.

'Most urban middle-class males , at sometime or other, watched pornography'.  Would you please  include me out from those urban most , sir ? And what about most urban middle class females?

Italian cheese for Editor, that's fine - how about a Blue Label for editorial chairman aka editor-in-chief !

I thought we are done with you Mr. Vinod Mehta, with mixed feelings though. Now you are back as Editorial Chairman & surprise of surprise as founding Editor- in - Chief. What we are supposed to make of it ? Did you get a promotion or they just gave a consolation prize ?

" With what face will the good men and women of the parivar now (after porngate) mount their moral crusades assaulting young girls visiting pubs and young boys sending Valentine Day cards?"

Good question!

" With what face will the good men and women of the parivar now (after porngate) mount their moral crusades assaulting young girls visiting pubs and young boys sending Valentine Day cards?"

Good question!

I thought we are done with you Mr. Vinod Mehta, with mixed feelings though. Now you are back as Editorial Chairman & surprise of surprise as founding Editor- in - Chief. What we are supposed to make of it ? Did you get a promotion or they just gave a consolation prize ?

Italian cheese for Editor, that's fine - how about a Blue Label for editorial chairman aka editor-in-chief !

'Most urban middle-class males , at sometime or other, watched pornography'.  Would you please  include me out from those urban most , sir ? And what about most urban middle class females?

Eric Ambler is fabulous & really unputdownable . Bit disappointed with your test for P.D. James. I suppose John le Carre will be little challanging for you.

Sleeping habits of Vikram Seth is mysterious. The butler should know ?

Btw, do Vikram Seth go places with a butler in tow ? Did you too aquire a butler , now that you have als claim to be a writer ?

 It is now well known what Justice Katju thinks about journalists. Nutural that he would not come to meet a mere journalist even if he calls himself Editorial Chairman, whatever that may mean.  The good judge may have thought that the Editor must have lot of dog sense & worth meeting.

1 D Anwaar

" With what face will the good men and women of the parivar now (after porngate) mount their moral crusades assaulting young girls visiting pubs and young boys sending Valentine Day cards?"
Good question!

Valentines Day seems to be getting all of VMs energy juices flowing!

The media has now changed its tack - blaming a party, rather than 'MC PIGS's for the Valentines Day attacks - as they were doing initially.

Conveniently ignored fact, Vinod Mehta, is that BOYS were attacked alongwith the girls in the pubs too. Dont you CARE to understand male pain too?

AND HAS ANYONE UNTIL NOW, OTHER THAN VINOD MEHTA, HEARD OF 'BOYS WHO SENT THE VALENTINE CARDS' BEING ATTACKED BY ANYONE? Is VM being mislead, or could this be a new anti-male propaganda offensive?

Are youngsters of India really changed?They are ready to revolt against old tradition and  accept new norms? To whom they vote election of U.P.? Is any party  given revolutionary agenda? In my opinion Indian youth is  impotent blindly he vote to some party and wait wait for change up to next election,Form last sixty years every  generation  youth behaved this way and became old his children follow same tradition.How any one expect revolt in India? ??

When people tell me they wrapped up my memoir Lucknow Boy in one sitting or that it was “unputdownable”, I feel I have somehow failed.

That's strange.  I found it it to be trivia and sexual gossip about Firakh Gorakpuri's public-private masturbations, Meena Kumari's one-night stands and such. Somerset Maugham unzipping his fly was missing. It is unputdownable in the same way as Karnataka MLA Lakshman Savadi's MMS is unwatchable. So what's all this pretend self-deprecation at "having failed"?

Her name was India. She did not like this name............

"India" still felt wrong to her, it felt exoticist, colonial, suggesting the appropriation of a reality that was not hers to own, and she insisted to herself that it didn't fit her anyway, she didn't feel like an India, even if her color was rich and high and her long hair lustrous and black. She didn't want to be vast or subcontinental or excessive or vulgar or explosive or crowded or ancient or noisy or mystical or in any way Third World. Quite the reverse. She presented herself as disciplined, groomed, nuanced, inward, irreligious, understated, calm. She spoke with an English accent. In her behavior she was not heated, but cool. This was the persona she wanted, that she had constructed with great determination.

.........

She also kept the strangeness of her seeing under control, the sudden otherness of vision that came and went. When her pale eyes changed the things she saw, her tough mind changed them back. She did not care to dwell on her turbulence, never spoke about her childhood, and told people she did not remember her dreams.

........

"Sita was left alone, but Lakshman had drawn a magic line in the dirt all the way across the mouth of the little hermitage and warned her not to cross it or to invite anyone else to do so. The line was powerfully enchanted and would protect her from harm." But then Ravan, appearing as a mendicant at Sita's door just outside of the magic line drawn by Lakshman, begins to sing her praises. Sita Devi lets him into the house. What prompted her to do so? Was it in spite of the magic line - or because of it? Boonyi wonders. "`Jatayu, you have died for me,' Sita cried out. That was true. But how could the responsibility for everything that followed the abduction, the eagle's fall, the countrywide search for the missing princess, the mighty war against Ravan, the rivers of blood and mountains of death, be laid at the door of Ram's revered wife? What a strange meaning that would give to the old story - that women's folly undid men's magic... . The dignity, the moral strength, the intelligence of Sita was beyond doubt and could not so trivially be set aside."

Similar to Midnight's Children in its un-put-downable-ness, I'd say.

If Ministers watch porn in berd room its their problem.
But at wrong place at wrong time means accident.
Media can also whip as moral police of the party.

Any kinky news and media milks it to the best of its ability. And if its anything to do with Right Wing even better. Shows where the priority lies. Or, the porngate wouldn't have made headlines and sexual molestation of children in an orphanage in Delhi would have. Perhaps, Delhi crimes, corruption are down played due to obvious reasons.

Our media megastars' love for the Right Wing especially just before the elections is rather touching.

 Yes the 'Hawa" in U.P baffled political pundits about outcome but many including sharat pradhan are busy in analysis of this new development with old analytical tools like vaste combinations,religious demography,candidates biography etc but no body bother about what political parties offered to voters and what is their reaction on those promises.

Frankly being an old reader I am equally baffled rather concerned about the perceptible degradation in the content and quality of photograph of this issue.I was sure that role change of Vinod Mehta will affect the magazine but it will be so quick and so pronouned i have not imagined.Almost all the 'flavour' is changed on down side.