A combination of a good meal, lovely atmosphere, and pocket-friendly prices

Right here madam.” “Where?” “You are standing before it.” Had it not been for my Samaritan I would have not found Le Bistro du Parc on my first visit. Due to inexplicable reasons, the Delhi electricity board had cut off power in a portion of Moolchand Market; add to that, the bistro’s generators were acting up. Thus, the eatery was plunged into inky darkness in the middle of its busiest hours on a Saturday. The silver lining was that the customers and the patroness were resolute to be patient. However, it did not seem such an opportune moment to conduct an interview (more customers were queuing in), so Naina de-Bois Juzan and I shook hands over a later date. Day two; things were smoother, and we managed to have a laugh over Saturday’s panic, and a chat over a strong cup of espresso. If some of you are rolling your eyes over “yet another French restaurant” be not quick to judge. This is a bistro; not a fancy cafe or restaurant—not technically. For those uninitiated into the concept of bistro vis-a-vis a cafe (I was), the focus is on ambiance and food equally—both have to be accessible and comforting. Finery is not the key, familiarity is. It is the closest we can get to the concept of a canteen where tables are small, customers jostle just a bit for space, and it is all noisy and bustling, but pleasantly so. Most importantly, the menu changes according to ingredients available and procured locally on a daily basis. As its very young patroness (cut off a few years and the co proprietor would not have been able to drink legally at her own restaurant), Naina de Bois-Juzan, describes it; “A bistro is the closest you could possibly get to a dhaba-like atmosphere where the day’s curries and dal change.” One would really have to stretch their imagination to see the resemblance between Le Bistro du Parc and a dhaba, but I get her point. Le Bistro du Parc is a charmingly simple place with small tables covered with modest white-and-yellow tablecloths, straight-back chairs (“They are comfortable but not the plushest”), with a smattering of white, blue and yellow everywhere. There is an eye-arresting photograph of a man’s sweater clicked by a friend. Set up in association with Olive Bar&Kitchen, this is a nofrills place where provisional menu is written out on a blackboard. If you want a closer look, the waiters carry the board to your table. It is a place where the patroness can be seen clearing tables, taking down orders or standing behind the bar. It is also an eatery where the classically-trained French Chef Stephane Mathonneau visits the local marts every morning to get the ingredients, then cooks and tastes it (along with de-Bois Juzan), to take a call to see if it fits the day’s menu. Some of the signature dishes taste Provencal with a firm focus on fresh vegetables as little unsullied as possible by that extra something. One of the most-talked of dishes is the celadon salad; a plate of zucchini, pistachios, green apples, grapes and cucumbers all chopped and cut to a similar size and drizzled over with a dressing of pea puree and mint oil. Then there are the pan-fried calamaris in tomato and olive sauce cooked Provencal-style. The desserts that customers have been going a bit gaga over, are the poached pear in chocolate and the mousse au chocolat—a recipe allegedly passed on by Chef Mathonneau’s grandmother. Le Bistro du Parc seems to be getting some things right—while researching, I came across a blog that even waxed eloquent about fries which came with the Cote de Boeuf a Partager, Tomates a la Provencale and Sauce aux Morilles (that’s rib of beef for two, roasted tomatoes and morel sauce which come with home made french fries). One of the strongest points of the bistro—as friends point out—is that it offers the freedom to order starters as mains, and the mains to be served as small plates. Thus, full freedom to regulate one’s gluttony. A gourmet at heart, de-Bois Juzan confesses, sometime, she gives into cravings—could be for a miso soup or a rajma-chawal—for a particular. One such hunt for quality French food, left her so disappointed that de- Bois Juzan decided to step up. First came the research. Months of it followed, mainly to get a Chef who would not only adjust to cooking for Indians, but also to cooking in India. She found a similar soul in Mathonneau. Together, they set off to tweak just a bit; not Indianise dishes, but to localise ingredients. And the bistronomy idea (combining gastronomy at bistro prices and ambiance) was formed. When Olive Bar&Kitchen came on board, the stage was set for Le Bistro du Parc where de-Bois Juzan admits she finally feels satiated, when it comes to authentic French food.

LIFE IS never at a standstill especially since society by its very nature is dynamic. Every new generation heralds a new nation (as wrote Thomas Jefferson), especially as the youth redefine older ways. Thoughts such as these are important this month as we look at the Telangana issue. Will aspirations of the Telanga people find sufficient expression in a new state? Is Telangana an imminent reality? We get into the crux of what being an Indian mean; focusing on the Telangana debate both in our Issue and Platform section, probing the efficacy of claims being made. We also carried on the desi theme by abandoning an international destination in favour of a national one.
Finally, for our cover we spoke to an Indian phenomenon. He is the most ubiquitous man I have ever met. I spot him everywhere—in the metro and on the streets. I see him on the sidewalks of Connaught Place, on the posh shelves in Bahri Sons and Cafe Turtle, and in the Sunday book markets of Daryaganj, casually resting next to Ayn Rand, Adolf Hitler, and occasionally, a Lance Armstrong. I must confess; I have never really met him. However, I have neither been able to escape his creations.
You must have figured out by now that I am talking of a particularly prolific man. If I think of it, I cannot quite remember when India produced someone as unique as Chetan Bhagat. Well, not in a long, long time. In 2011, his novel Revolution 2020 sold 600,000 copies to retailers in a single day. He has, literally and single-handedly, changed the fiction publishing game in India. Bhagat’s fans is a demographic which includes people across regions, age groups, and educational qualifications. His novels have sold six million copies overall, and an uncountable amount of pirated copies have proliferated in semi-urban and urban centres. His popularity among his loyal fans is rivalled only by the deep dislike he seems to provoke among India’s intelligentsia. When I asked around in my office, there were only a handful of editors who had actually read a Chetan Bhagat novel. Yet, most seemed to have an opinion on the “way he wrote”. My interest in him resulted in furrowed brows.
Love him or hate him, is there any escaping Chetan Bhagat? We were honestly not trying. In fact, we are doing just the opposite; unravelling the mystery of Bhagatisation of India. Especially young India. Read our discoveries on Page 12. As usual, let’s hope this issue finds you in good health and spirits.

SOME 65 years after gaining our freedom, India’s enemies are now home-grown—corruption, inequality, malnutrition and illiteracy. How do we deal with these new-age enemies? My father and founder of the MBD Group, Shri AK Malhotra, assured me that every good deed left its mark. If we all left our collective footprints, we could change the world for the better. This month, we look back and gauge the bigger picture; as to who left a footprint and who did not. To help us in this, we sought out an expert. One who has dealt with and written about India’s socio-economic politics for over four decades. Yes, I realise the choice of our ‘expert’ will lead to some raised eyebrows. The month that we, citizens of this wonderful country of ours, celebrate our independence, DW, a magazine which was started with the express desire to focus on the same, chose a British citizen for its cover. The logic is simple. Sir Tully, a celebrity in India, is also an Indian celebrity (he is more Indian than some Indians I know of). He has been successful in interpreting our socio political scenario and has contextualised its economic events with a degree of clarity that very few Indian journalists have. His reports on India has always resonated with an understanding of this country. Raised by an English nanny, Sir Tully was whisked away to the land of tea and crumpets at a tender age. However, as he has admitted in several interviews since then, a 2013listlessness that he felt within him quelled when he started reporting on our country for the BBC. Who better to look back at the nearly four decades of independence? On a graver side, we look closely at the Uttarakhand devastation. Are there ways in which tourism and ecology can go hand in hand in India? We are not writing nor speaking about complicated ways to sustainable development. Simply asking every Indian to do their part to save a bit of the country’s soul—the Himalayas. Our Issue section takes a look at the topic from a closer angle. Our team also does its first restaurant review this month. And as usual Mz Reshii takes us to an exotic location. In July, MBD Group, too, celebrated the 68th birth anniversary of its founder, Shri AK Malhotra. We have shared moments of the event with you, dear readers. Do have a look. Like my father did, I hope we all realise that we are an extended family called India. This month, let our actions speak our love. Let’s leave a footprint behind. Happy Independence Day!

Sir Mark Tully speaks to DW about the changes that he has witnessed in this diverse, salad bowl of our country

Could he have forgotten this one too? As I start looking worried standing outside his threshold, a neighbour (I am assuming she was a neighbour) asks me to wait in her office instead. She says that he could only be gone for a walk with his two Labradors. In reality, it was Gillian Wright, Sir Tully’s partner for three and more decades, who had taken the dogs out for a walk. Soon, after persistent doorbell ringing, I found Sir Tully standing in front of me smiling in a pastel pink shirt and formal trousers. “I put on a shirt for you,” he let’s me know, indicating that he took an effort for the camera. When I apologise for waking him up from his afternoon siesta, he says that it is one “Indian habit” that he hasn’t, despite trying with full intention, quite picked up. How hard could sleeping be? “I often think of relaxing. Sometimes I even try, but I can’t. Perhaps it (restlessness) is because we don’t have the air conditioning roaring all the time. Instead I work. I rarely start work before 10am. So, it’s convenient that I don’t sleep,” he says, as he ushers me in. But before we start the interview, it’s a quick tour of the cosy flat. (“You mean small, don’t you?” he asks with a chuckle.) Especially the study, which is charming. Is it where the magic happens? He laughs ebulliently. “It is far from magic. Though I have confessed to be totally unworthy on a number of occasions, authors ask me to write the forward to their books. Currently, I have two that I need to finish. That’s all the magic for now.” No, that’s not all—in an hour’s time, Sir Tully will be escorted by a news reporter of a popular TV channel to meet its managing director. Something to do with the impending General Elections and talk shows. He will then head back to start on the two books. The next day, he will be lecturing on the role of the Indian Army during the First World War. And, this is only his second day since arriving from London, which he visits thrice a year for the BBC. “This is not like the other programmes I have conducted for the BBC. This is not news. I do what is loosely described as a contemplative session. I suppose it means like a spiritual or religious programme on doctrinaire. I always had an interest in religion, I’ve always been a believer, even when I was in school,” he says as a way of explaining. Incidentally, Sir Tully went to Malborough boarding school, the same attended by the future Queen of England (Kate Middleton for those who aren’t really rabid Royalists). During his time “there were no girls there”. “I didn’t like it (the school) much. The one place I liked was the chapel. I loved the liturgy and hymns. I think that started my interest in religion,” he says. When the moment came to choose, allegedly Sir Tully was told that his place was more “in the public place than the pulpit”. “I realised I was too unruly to be a priest. But I have held no bitterness over the decision,” he says. We were to talk of religion a bit more. But before that, business.India; Then and Now Business of being in India, that is. This being the month when we get to celebrate our freedom, it seemed like an opportune moment to reflect. For the time being, put aside the fact that Sir Tully’s a foreigner. That too of a British origin. Admittedly, it is an ironical choice. However, who better than this prolific writer who has lived and breathed India for so long? “I came here in 1965. In the time that I have been here, the middle class has become a much larger and more important entity. I think throughout India people have become more aspirational than before. There is something of a tendency—not enough of a tendency yet—to look at the bigger picture. When I first came people voted along caste lines or on similar grounds of belief. I remember, early on, Jashwant Singh told me that an MP was nothing more than a facilitator. Therefore, you voted for people who no more than facilitated for you. Now because people are more aspirational, they are not just thinking of their own reality, they are also looking at the bigger picture. In the past General Elections, I spent time in Bihar and there, I found a genuine interest towards other issues—roads and infrastructure. I remember speaking to a doctor at a health centre. He showed me a register where the number of patients being treated had gone up. People were coming into health centres to seek treatment which was a change from the earlier days. That sort of change could be only brought about when people think on broader terms.” But then, isn’t our land still the kingdom of jugaad? And aren’t people happy with the status quo? “I am not sure that people are happy with the system, they seem to regard it more like an inevitability. Certainly, I do I think one of the best manifestations of this system is in the way the government functions—it functions but not in the way that people want it to,” he says. And as far as he is concerned, all that may, or may not, change in the next General Elections. One reason why Sir Tully is not ready to buy the idea of the election being a personal match where Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi—is because it is not the great game as far as he is concerned. “As we say, a week is a short time in politics. It is far too early to predict the General Elections. An idea seems to be prevalent that the Congress is on a down fall. However, it is far too early to predict the inevitability of such a downfall. “I still think that the idea of the elections being a match between Modi and Gandhi is a misconceived one. On the whole, the GE is about progress and state results. I don’t think that the General Elections are national in the sense that politics or results in the states determine largely the result. One person cannot capture the nation’s fancy in a nation as diverse as this. If you look at Congress’ record, the last time there was a personality who captured the nation’s fancy was Rajiv Gandhi after his mother died. I don’t see a Narendra Modi or a Rajiv Gandhi being able to sweep the polls because of their charisma. “I was recently in Purvanchal (Eastern UP and Bihar) and I was talking to local politicians there. One of them said that politics in his part of the world, was still about caste. When I talked to him about Modi, he sort of dismissed him.” It is after the monologue that Sir Tully takes a moment to mull things over. “One of the biggest changes I got to see was the decline of the Congress as a party since the days of Indira Gandhi. Since 1984, the party had to face major challenges. It had to govern as a minority or as a member of a coalition even when it was in power. Another change I have witnessed has been the rise in regional and castebased parties. A lot of people put the onus of their emergence on the Mandal Commission. There are positives and negatives around caste baste parties; if you look at Dalits, it is actually an open question to see if it is in their interest to have a caste-based party or it is in their interest to seek welfare by voting for parties that care for them. The Congress, which claimed to be looking out for the Dalit interest, were rejected by the group. There was a small representation of Dalits in the Congress leadership even when they were claiming to be the group’s guardians. As long as people stand together on a basis of caste, it is but natural—at least understandable— that people will vote for parties that represent them. When these ‘situations’ and ‘interests’ are taken care of, groups will become more mobile, and the caste issue, its significance, will diminish. Look at India’s most populous state. There a Dalit woman was the chief minister for a full term. That would have been unimaginable back in the 1960s.” Incidentally, when we started planning our story, we made a promise—to not question why, as a foreigner, Sir Tully choses to stay in this country. Because the answer is evident. He finds this country mindboggling interesting. “The brilliance of India is that there is unity and disparity which is quite its own. Wherever you may be, there is one sort of civil service, one system of administration—in the Northeast or down south. There is always a district collector, an administrator, and in the states, the administration is similar whether you are in Hyderabad or Patna. There is also a commonality of issues, of education (what he means that if a citizen manages to pass a medical entrance examination in Patna then he or she can practice anywhere).” However, does the ‘commonality’ and ‘centrality’ end right there? “I have always argued there is a basic, underlining cultural unity brought together by a basic understanding among the majority that they are all different. The difference means that they may not share things together—however there is an acceptance that people are different. Ashish Nandy famously said that India was a salad bowl culture— and not a soup culture. In a salad, a tomato remains a tomato, and doesn’t get squashed up by an onion. The book I am reading right now is the family history of a south Indian household, going back quite a few generations. In it also, I find instances of different religions co-existing but not necessarily assimilating. Being different is important for Indians, and it is the defining quality of the Indian culture,” he says. It is this idea which has made him a bit wary of ‘secularism’ at least the type advocated across countries right now. “Secularism, its effects, depends upon how you define it. Jawaharlal Nehru, who is considered to be the father of Indian secularism, made it clear that the concept doesn’t mean diminishing the importance of religion. Or that you are hostile towards religion. Unfortunately people—Indian secularists—mistake it to be so. We have so many people in England, in Europe, who think that if you are religious you should shut yourself in a room and not tell anyone that you are religious. Not let it play any role in the public life. Secularism has to accommodate religion in India, and indeed across the world, if it has to work.” India; Future “It is absolutely clear that there are major administrative changes or reforms which need to be made if India has to take the next step forward. One has to have a higher form of governance. An American economist (possibly Lant Prichatt, the faculty researcher and professor of the practice of international development, Harvard Kennedy School) once said that India is not a failing state, but a flailing one. I find it a rather appropriate saying especially if you look at the government flailing around trying to get foreign investment. Each time the country takes a step forward, politics mixed in bureaucracy comes in its way. The fundamental problem is with the legal system. I mean look at the papers today, take a look at the Salman Khan case. Isn’t it 10 years old now? How can you have a legal system that is so slow? “Also the press and television are equally to blame for the situation. The press seeks a new ghotala everyday. When was the last time you read of the Commonwealth Games? I read the papers once I arrived, and I still don’t have the slightest clue about the match fixing scandal. If the press has to play an effective role, it will have to not only reveal ghotalas but periodically chase stories of significance if they have not been solved. You would probably find that everyone’s on bail and nothing much has changed.” It is interesting incidentally that his “another absolute essential” was to reform the police. “The police in this country are still behaving similar to the way they did during the British Raj. During the Calcutta Famine, people were allegedly afraid to pick up bodies from the streets. Because they were afraid of a police case, afraid of the police, afraid of what might they do, the mess they might get into—it is the same even today. I was sitting in England with Gillian’s mother, and there was a story being flashed of some policemen who beat a lorry driver to death, after he refused to pay a bribe. If I am not mistaken the incident happened in Bengal. What sort of a country do we live in?” India; No Full-stops Yes, for Sir Tully it is ‘our’ country. As much his, as it is yours and mine. This ‘relationship’ (written of as frequently as any other affair) gives him enough fodder to carry on writing. The next item on his to-do list is a return to Heart of India, a series of short stories, this time, preferably in and around Purvanchal, a region that has found a special place in his heart. “I do wish to write about Purvanchal. I am rather fond of it. I do go there, not as often as I would like to. I also go to Auroville twice a year, that is because I am a member of the international board there. I have no intention of living there though I applaud the attempt. I believe we lead too materialistic a life. And men and women’s natures are not properly recognised. I admire the way Auroville dwellers live as a community without the trappings of bureaucracy and politics, of which—let’s face it–people are getting more and more tired, globally. I have not seen a time when politicians have been less respected, as they are now.” If he is so fond of Auroville will he ever consider taking up residence there? It seems that for Sir Tully being fond of doesn’t essentially mean being entrenched in it. Like religion—it is a leitmotif of his life. Similarly, he might admire Auroville, but with a twinkle he says that “he prefers to be a bit more out and about in the world”. A second later he points to an iftaar invitation he received during our interview and says, “I will miss out a lot in case I leave.” Despite obvious affinity, does it not bother him when his admiration for the country is questioned—constantly? “I suppose it is a natural question. I find the frequency of the question a bit peculiar. A Frenchman living in England probably won’t be asked the question as many times as I’ve been asked. This is a far more interesting country!” Our time is up. An young television intern is already waiting impatiently for Sir Tully outside the home, hoping to get him to his next interview on time. I point out that I have seen people younger—decades younger—than him take a beating from jet lag, he says it is all ‘a part of the routine’. He has been doing this for decades now. Always busy as a bee. When I say so, he mutters, “Yes, I am busy. But I don’t seem to be doing anything.” That, Sir Tully is quite an erronous assumption! But we can talk about that some other day.

Protests over Death

DEATHS\\ Around 21 children who ate their midday meal at Dharamsati Primary School, Masrakh, in Bihar’s Saran district died overnight. Ten more children were left battling for their lives. Amarjeet Singh, Principal Secretary of education, confirmed that the final toll was around 22, and said he suspected the deaths occurred by organo phosphorous poisoning caused by traces of insecticides. Ten children died immediately after eating the meal, later, 11 more succumbed to the meal poisoning while 60 more fell ill. Over two dozen sick children were brought to Patna Medical College and Hospital after their condition deteriorated. “Ten children are still critical,” a hospital official said. Hundreds of people have been protesting the deaths since July 19, 2013, demanding strict action against government officials responsible for the tragedy. Twenty dead children were buried near the school. A case has been registered against the school’s headmistress Meena Devi and other teachers. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar expressed shock over the incident and announced a compensation of `2 lakh to the kin of each of the dead. The deaths triggered a political row with the Bharatiya Janata Party calling Nitish Kumar “insensitive”. “The chief minister of Bihar instead of showing promptness in evacuating the children to a better medical facility has announced a ex gratia amount of `2 lakh for those who died. This showcases the insensitivity and the callous attitude,” said BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy. In Bihar, widespread corruption is reported in the midday meal scheme, and government guidelines on food quality are often ignored. In the past, dead lizards, frogs, insects and a rat were found in food cooked for the midday meal at schools.

World Wishes the Leader

BIRTHDAY\\ Nelson Mandela spend his 95th birthday in a hospital in Pretoria, as events were held around the world, and in South Africa, in his honour. South Africans were urged to mark the former President and anti-apartheid leader’s 67 years of public service with 67 minutes of charitable acts. Mandela, who remains in a critical but stable condition with a recurring lung infection, entered hospital on June 8, 2013. President Jacob Zuma said the leaders’s health was “steadily improving”. “We are proud to call this international icon our own as South Africans and wish him good health,” said Zuma in a statement adding, “We thank all our people for supporting Madiba throughout the hospitalisation with undying love and compassion,” he said, referring to Mandela by his clan name.

Wave after musical wave rang out, as choirs, political groups, schoolchildren and onlookers arrived one after another, dancing, gyrating and laughing, each with their own loud musical tribute to the man they see as the one who brought them freedom. Crowds thronged the wall of tribute outside the hospital, which sprang up spontaneously soon after Mandela was admitted with a lung infection on June 8, 2013. Since then, heaps of flowers, artwork, posters and written tributes have spread along the wall and spilled down a nearby hill.

Hopes rose Wednesday evening when Mandela’s daughter, Zindzi Mandela, told British television that Mandela’s health had improved dramatically and that he might return home “any time soon”.

Centre Caps FDI

FINANCE// All hopes of an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2013 fast evaporated as sliding currency and rising crude oil prices kept inflation high. Bonds prices fell and the Rupee fell the most in nearly two weeks despite the noise from the Centre about measures to shore up the currency with options including US Dollar Bond issue by the sovereign. “As long as the CPI inflation remains close to double-digits and the balance of payments is at risk, we expect the RBI to keep on hold rate cuts, including at the July 30, 2013, policy meeting,” said Sonal Varma, economist at Nomura Securities. Indian bond yields rose 6 basis points to 7.58 per cent, up almost 50 BPS since its low June. Food prices continued to rise despite hopes of increased output due to good monsoon. Consumer prices remain stubbornly high it rose 9.87 per cent in June, up from 9.31 per cent May. The Rupee could resume its slide beyond its all-time low of 61.21 recorded on July 9, 2013. Given the RBI’s declining forex reserves, and short-term debt redemptions worth $172 billion, India has become more sensitive to possible capital outflows. India’s forex reserves fell to three-year low of $288 billion as on July 5, 2013. Asserting that Rupee price will be market determined, FM P. Chidambaram said RBI measures had nothing to do with the upcoming monetary policy review and may not impact interest rates of banks. “These measures should not be read as prelude to any policy rate changes,” Chidambaram said. RBI announced a slew of measures like raising cost of borrowing by banks by 2 per cent to 10.25 per cent and announcing sale of bonds worth `12,000 crore through open market operations to suck liquidity to check rupee slid, which had earlier in the month touched a all low of 61.21 to a dollar. “Measures are taken to curb excessive speculation and reduce volatility and stabilise the rupee,” Chidambaram added. The value of rupee, he said, will depend upon “how much foreign exchange we earn and how much foreign exchange we spend”. Admitting that there will be some depreciation of Rupee in view of high current account deficit and inflation, Chidambaram said the value of domestic currency will be market determined and it will find its price. RBI is scheduled to announce first quarter monetary review on July 30, 2012, amid demand from industry to cut interest rates to boost sagging growth. Ruling out the possibility of ban on import of gold, the FM appealed to the people to reduce consumption of the precious metal which was costing nation $50 billion in foreign exchange. Referring to growth, Chidambaram stressed that the measures taken by the RBI “will in no way affect our commitment to growth. We must increase credit delivery and must stimulate growth”. Referring to the Food Security Bill, Chidambaram said it would be the first item on agenda in the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning on August 5, 2013. He said the ambitious scheme would be rolled out in the next six months in all the states. “Ordinance (on Food Security) will go to Parliament. Parliament will have to approve the law within six weeks after the session begins. The session is beginning on August 5, 2013. It will be the first item before the Monsoon Session,” he said. Chidambaram expressed confidence that all political parties would vote for the Food Security Bill in Parliament. Justifying the government's decision to come out with an Ordinance on the Food Bill, he said, “how long can we wait to make this into a law?” He further said the government would endeavour to get bills on real estate sector, street vendors and land acquisition passed in the Monsoon Session.

Taliban Writes Letter to Teen

LETTER// A former Pakistan Air Force member-turned Taliban commander has curiously invoked Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus and Lord Buddha in a letter to teen activist Malala Yousufzai, who was shot in the head by his outfit, asking her to return home and use her pen for Islam. Adnan Rasheed, who was sentenced to death for attempting to assassinate former president Pervez Musharraf in 2003, wrote the over 2,000- word letter to Malala, days after she said the Taliban attack had not diminished her determination to speak up for the right to education of every child. “I wish the compassion you learnt from Prophet Muhammad should be learnt by Pakistan Army so they could stop shedding of Muslim blood... I wish, the compassion you learnt from Prophet Jesus should be learnt by the US and NATO... I wish the same for followers of Buddha... and I wish the same for Indian Army to follow Gandhiji,” Rasheed wrote. Malala was returning home from school in Pakistan’s north-western Swat district on October 9, 2012, when gunmen stopped her bus and shot her in the head and the chest.

I WOULD like to talk about why one needs visiting faculty, especially in a country like India. Think through the reasons for inviting visiting faculty, and the areas in which you need them. In the best Indian institutions, we (academics) use visiting faculty not for ‘routine teaching’ but to improve the quality of instructors. In my university, many of our junior faculty members do not have enough experience in teaching. Thus, we try to get experienced faculty to guide and help them to learn and grow. We do not expect such senior faculty to teach regular classes. We expect that they will help junior faculty learn by taking a class on an ad hoc basis, giving them access to material and doing one-on-one mentorship. Thus we have visiting faculty in areas where we don’t have senior faculty and mentorship. Use your contacts and spread the word around. There’s no systematic platform for looking for faculty so you have to use personal contacts. I wish there was some magical formula to look for them but there isn’t. This is an area where credibility is extremely important. I spent 18 years at Georgia Tech and the past 10 years at University of Arkansas. So I have contacts in every possible discipline in engineering and even outside. The 16 people who have come in are all here because they knew me either directly or through other contacts. A lot depends on the leader of the institution. In the US, the faculty may go on annual sabbaticals once in six years. They are allowed to take a semester off. Many professors take up visiting assignments during that time. However, one has to curb the urge of settling for anyone who is free and agrees to come as this could be disastrous for both parties. Both American academics and Indian-American academics are interested in coming to India if they can be convinced that the experience they will have will be meaningful and will contribute positively to their professional development. Establish credentials before you decide to approach an institution for MoUs for faculty exchange. In India we attach a lot of significance to MoUs but, unfortunately, we do not use them to do anything useful other than displaying it on the institution’s website. What we as administrators and academics hope, is that the MoU will attract more students to the university. It is because of this that Indian universities have earned a bad name in the United States. When I was a Dean at the University of Arkansas, I received at least half-a-dozen such requests every year for the nine years that I was at the helm of affairs. The university also signed a few MoUs. Americans treat MoUs very seriously—as it has to be signed by the board of trustees and reviewed by a whole bunch of lawyers. There is a lot of work involved and universities do not want to go through it unless they are convinced that the desire to collaborate is genuine, and only when they feel assured that the brand name will not be improperly used. We should strive for MoUs that clearly articulate win-win situations. My approach would be to create a track record of success and do some relevant work without an MoU first. Once the credentials are established, then one can propose formal agreements. So, create win-win situations for all. Getting people to come to you is not just about how many people you know, it is more about creating the win-win situation. You really have to understand who they are, what they can teach and what their needs are. You should be absolutely sure that you are in a good position to fully utilise the ability of the people that you bring in. People look to make meaningful contributions and if they feel that they are not being utilised fully, they tend to get disenchanted. In negotiating deals for visiting faculty, I convince my university colleagues that bringing in a visiting professor will be good for us. On the other hand, I also try to convince the visiting professor that it will be an enriching experience for him or her as well. This must then be followed up by ensuring that everyone realises their expectations. It is not just Indian Americans who want to explore the Indian academic environment today. Even Americans are drawn to India more than other emerging hot spots for education like China. Jonlee Andrews, Chair of the Full-Time MBA Programme at Kelley School of Business, Indiana University who came to School of Inspired Learning (SOIL) as part of an MoU with her university says that she saw this as an opportunity to learn more about another part of the world. Though the Indian accent was difficult for her to understand it certainly was an advantage that everyone understood English. Apart from the advantage of having English as the medium of teaching, India is also regarded as a much warmer and friendlier place. Here it is very common for people to be invited to homes. Whereas in Japan, China or Korea if people want to entertain you, they will probably take you to a five star hotel, but there will (rarely) be a one-on-one connect. It is primarily these factors which motivated me to think that in case I created positions for people to come and teach for one or two years in areas where there was plenty of supply in the US and a dearth of supply here—mostly humanities and social sciences—it could work out. Unfortunately the quality of faculty that I interviewed locally was really poor. There were PhD scholars in English who could not string two sentences together beyond the title of their thesis. I feel that if we bring people from outside and let them mingle here with our people then we can create the dynamics where everyone’s level is raised. If we launched this programme finding people would be the last of my worries. It is using them well and making their time worthwhile here that would be my primary worry. Also Indian American academics—especially those towards the end of their career—are eager to come back. Most of them are driven by the idea of making an impact and giving back to the country that made them who they are today. At a personal level, I lived here for the first 21 years of my life. I was able to go to IIT Kanpur and get a great education for literally nothing and it prepared me for who I am. Here I am at the end of my career, my children are all settled, and I have health and energy—so why not go to a place where I can make the most impact? I could have very easily stayed as the Dean of Engineering at University of Arkansas or even become Provost of a university in the US but I felt that it would not have as much of an impact as my spending a few years in India. Plan ahead. Work in advance and have a strategy to make the best use of the time of your visiting faculty. Avoid the tendency to postpone planning to the last minute. Since they are out of their home environment you have to also ensure that they are comfortable and their transition is smooth. Some of them may have young children and may want to bring their families along; in that case you have to make sure that their entire family is comfortable. We are developing a system to work well in advance with someone who has a sabbatical coming up to get them here during that time. We plan to spend several months going back and forth on how the visit can be beneficial for both sides. For instance, In the Galgotias University–when we got the former Director of Marketing at HP Vinay Khanna to teach for a semester—we spent over three months with him to develop as many case studies as possible for MBA courses that he is teaching. Professor Khanna has rich real-world experience that is uncommon among our traditional faculty; and on the other hand, he is looking at a second career in teaching. So his one semester stint at the Galgotias—we would like to believe—opened other avenues for him. Since he was indeed thinking of making the transition from industry to academia, the experience should have been invaluable for him. And the rich collection of case studies that he brought with him to share with our students was a huge gain for us; a perfect winwin situation for both of us if you ask me.

Collaborative Tools in the Classroom

For something that wasn’t even around 10 years ago, much less part of any official curricula, social media—championed by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networking platforms—sure has seen a rather meteoric rise to a position where it dominates the cultural context in our schools and colleges of today. So much so, the phrase “social-first generation” is now being used to describe how dramatically conversations have moved into the social space in our educational institutions. It’s redefining how students engage with each other, how they stay informed on the latest, and how they spend their free time. It’s a no-brainer then that education should leverage social media in the classroom, isn’t it? Yet, when I speak to educators and students, social media is at best used for fulfilling social needs—making plans, keeping in touch with friends—and rarely so within the classroom. In fact, it’s not surprising for most students and teachers to find themselves in institutions where either social media is blocked, or policies for access are so draconian that social media never ever percolates into the teacherstudent interaction. It doesn’t help the cause that there are several cases of Facebook-gone-wrong in the education field, be it teachers and students inappropriately ‘friending’ each other on Facebook or students posting hate messages against teachers in a social forum. How do educators navigate the hitherto unknown social landscape to deliver real benefits of social-oriented education? First and foremost, educators have to accept the inevitable—social media is here to stay, and it’s better to incorporate it into your pedagogy than avoid it (or worse still, fight it!). For instance, schools in the US and UK have found that locking down access to study related sites alone not only detracted from learning, but conveyed to the students that they could not be trusted to take responsibility for their actions. In addition, avoiding the discussion altogether meant that children were less likely to understand proper Internet safety and how to avoid becoming targets for phishing and cyber-bullying attacks. To begin with, if the class is yet to get acquainted with each other, social media tools can serve as excellent ice-breakers, and sites like Wallwisher, AnswerGarden and VoiceThread let you start quick discussions and polls for class activities. Tools oriented towards survey taking—Poll Everywhere or Poll Daddy—are excellent not only to solicit responses from the public for research related projects, but also to cast a wider net and involve parents and alumni on course initiatives. Next, understand that the flip side of the distraction argument is engagement, and any teacher will tell you that engaged students learn better. Utilising blog-like systems such as Schoology or Edublogs allow teachers to create private social networks around a course curriculum, and lets students to not only submit coursework to the teacher, but have it open for discussion with the rest of the class, yet do so in a context where the environment is safe and monitored. I particularly liked Edmodo, a site which first began as a secure platform for classroom micro-blogging, and has now evolved to allow teachers and students to organise course work, sharing files, conducting polls, and communicating with one another via mobile devices. What’s more, the fact that it looks and feels similar to mainstream social-media sites means students who regularly use Facebook or Twitter will be right at home. Next, promote social media beyond the obvious benefit of communication to cover aspects of class collaboration, and make collaborative tools as part of your classroom work flow. For example, tools like Sync.in and Google Docs allow multiple authors to work on one document simultaneously, while chatting with each other on the edits they’re making. The benefit with both these services is that students can continue to access the spreadsheets, documents, and presentations anytime from any connected computer, be it their home PC or a smartphone or tablet. And finally, a lesser-discussed benefit of social media in the classroom is to prepare the students to leave school and university with the most marketable and industryrelevant skills. Think about it—social media is really good at maintaining an ‘always-on’ connection between groups of people—and educators and placement cells can connect alumni and students on closed-door Facebook groups to evolve a model of industry mentoring and crowd sourced virtual apprenticeships. These groups can be classified based on target industries and allow students to connect with specific alumni on a regular basis to give their future careers the much needed nudges in the right direction. Taking this idea one step further, one could even develop a list of “who to follow on Twitter” —thought leaders in each industry that students could be recommended to follow, to “shadow” in a sense, and connect with professionally to develop their networks— another must have skill in the workplace. And let’s not forget—social media skills, by themselves, are in growing demand in the contemporary economy worldwide and employers require job applicants to possess some digital media-related skills.