Gola-walas
The traditional crushed ice gola has reached cult status these days. The humble gola has been revived from oblivion. Unfortunately the prices too have skyrocketed along. The 21st century is a savvy purveyor. With a menu card and some special golas like the Jamnagar special more expensive than some ice creams!
Arundhati Roy and her Harlem Renaissance
The latest issue of Outlook has another essay of Ms. Controversy Roy. A lecture that she delivered at the Riverside church. A place for many famous anti-war speeches. Its a typical Roy piece. Link to radio speech
Replete with satirical similies, statistics and heartless bashing. Her style is 'written with all heart trying to appeal to the rational mind'. I find it hard to believe her statistics which she uses to support her most important points. I wish I can get hold of the complete text and check some of her statistics. 'Empire' is now synonymous with USA. ( I recommend reading Rafique Zakaria's piece in Newsweek last April - The arrogant empire ).
Of course being a story teller it makes excellent reading for her pungent sarcasm. Also her renaming of things. Her talent for prose that's verse is undimished.
She has not made any original points.The essay can be termed as saying nothing much of consequence though. I was looking more for her unique insights into the matter. There are none that we have not heard before. Her solution to the problem is ridiculous. I wish I can share her hope that we as citizens of the world can wrest our democracy back. Of course the last lines will always be quotable.
"..You are not a great nation but can be a great people. This is the time. Seize it."