EXIT WEST - A REVIEW OF REVIEWS

' The Hindu' Newspaper of 14092017 from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India had conveyed the news that 'Exit West', a novel by Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid had won a place in the Man Booker Prize shortlist for 2017.

The judges observed that the novel was emotionally intelligent, clear and crisp. Baroness Lola Young, head of the judging panel said that the protagonists were two of the many millions of people ready to sacrifice what they had for what they might gain, even as they recognised what they were losing

Excited by the news I did a research in the Internet to learn more on the novel. What is presented here is from  posts by multiple writers. I am quoting what I have gathered and I am grateful to all those who have posted their reviews. 

Emily May wrote, “When we migrate, we murder from our lives those we leave behind.”

Exit West is a novel published in 2017, written by Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid. This is Hamid's fourth novel.

The novel is about a young couple, Saeed and Nadia, who live in an unnamed city undergoing civil war and finally have to flee, using a system of fictitious doors, which lead to different locations around the globe

Nadia and Saeed meet when they are working students. Saeed is more conservative and still lives at home, as custom generally requires, but the more independent Nadia has chosen to live alone and has been disowned by her parents for doing so. As war breaks out and militants begin attacking the city, the two fall in love. After a random bomb kills Saeed's mother, Nadia moves in with Saeed and his father, despite not wanting to marry Saeed as propriety requires.

As the militants successfully wrest control of the city from the government and violence becomes an every day part of life, Nadia and Saeed begin chasing rumours that there are doors in the city that serve as portals to other locations. Although most of the doors are guarded by militants they manage to bribe their way through a door eventually leaving behind Saeed's father who does not wish to be a burden to them and asks Nadia to promise him never to leave Saeed until they are settled.

The door they go through takes them to Mykonos where they are among many refugees and settle in a tent city. They eventually obtain the compassion of a local Greek girl who has a rapport with Nadia and helps the two go through a recently discovered door which leads to a luxury home in London. Nadia and Saeed settle in the home and eventually they, and other migrants, settle in the home claiming it from its owners.

As more migrants penetrate London, hostility between them and the native-born increase, including attacks and mob rule. The migrants are eventually sectioned off in a ghetto with minimal food and electricity called "Dark London". After a raid to clear out migrants goes wrong, native London decides to try to work together with the new migrants and puts them to work clearing the land for Halo London, a city surrounding London-proper, with the promise that they will be given 40 acres and a pipe i.e. a small plot of land and access to utilities. Nadia and Saeed throw themselves into the work as they feel themselves growing apart from each other.

Although the couple are on a list that puts them among the first to obtain a secure home, Nadia convinces Saeed to leave through another portal and they eventually take their chance arriving in Marin County, California. They find they are generally welcome there and Nadia finds work at a food co-op while Saeed becomes more and more religious. Eventually, realizing that they no longer have any feelings for one another, Nadia leaves Saeed and moves into a room at the co-op eventually beginning a relationship with a cook who works there. Saeed meanwhile marries the native-born daughter of a preacher.

Fifty years later Nadia returns to the country of her birth and meets up with Saeed who offers to one day take her to see the stars in Chile.

HAVE A HEART TO GIVE - CHARITY - VIEWS AND INITIATIVES OF SHIV NADAR, FOUNDER HCL

“I was more impacted by what you can do, if you do well in education.” Shiv Nadar, Founder and Chairman of HCL and head of Shiv Nadar Foundation explains why he had set up SSN College of Engineering near Chennai in 1996. He has supported 6000 students with over Rs. 65 Crores in scholarships. The doors of the institution are open to deserving school students from rural areas. Janu, who graduated from SSN last year and now working with a multinational company, said she passed out of a government school 150 km from Chennai, a school that did not have teachers for half a dozen subjects.

“I needed a push, I needed some miracle.” recalls Prashant Kumar Dixit, then a school student in rural Uttar Pradesh, who was waiting for a break. Now a second year Engineering student in SSN College, Dikshit’s miracle came in the form of a seven year stint in Vidya Gyan that mentors rural school students with potential to excel through two leadership academies. Vidya Gyan is one of the numerous philanthropic initiatives of Shiv Nadar. Last year alone he has given away Rs.650 Crores to various charitable efforts.

Shiv Nadar does not believe in setting targets for charity, but gets done what needs to be done. He has no annual targets either. According to him charity is not about earning but the heart to give. He asserts, “There are no targets for charity, one only needs a heart to give.”

After taking a step away from running HCL, Shiv Nadar spends most of his time on his philanthropic activities. HCL Samuday, is a five year project where he is focusing on building two model clusters of villages “that are close to perfection” in Hardoi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. A similar effort is also on in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India with the support of the government.

(Based on an article in ‘BusinessLine’ from Thiruvananthapuram on 02082017) 

THE BIG TAMASHA

Driving on roads these days is a big tamasha.

As you try to take your car out you find another vehicle parked in front of your gate. You are frustrated. Somehow you manage to locate the owner. The person is angry with you for daring to request him to move the vehicle a bit. He grudgingly gives you some space through which you manage to squeeze your car on to the road. You are not yet on your way. As you move forward there is the lazy cat taking its nap in the middle of the road. It refuses to budge despite the loud horn. You don't like to run over it either. A good lady buying milk from the adjacent shop rushes to carry the cat out of harm. You cannot still proceed. The truck with soft drinks, a number of two wheelers, three wheelers and four wheelers are parked haphazardly.

Dodging them all you manage successfully to shift to second gear. Your travails are not yet over. There is the school van picking up children. Mothers stand in the middle of the road conversing happily with the crew and waving 'bye to children. You reach the main road. The traffic is heavy and no one lets you enter. You put the vehicle into first gear and start crawling. At last a good soul lets you in. The travails persist. You cannot accelerate because the vehicle in front moves at a slow pace. You cannot overtake since there is a steady flow of traffic in the opposite direction. The impatient drivers behind you honk their horns sharply imploring you to lift your vehicle out of the road. In between you find two wheelers roaring past on the right and the left. As a rule overtaking  is carried out through the left. You have the women riders and drivers sticking to the middle of the road at 10 to 20 kmph. You have to manage the dogs on the road as well. Another impediment is the people happily crossing the road or jaywalking totally immersed in their mobile phones. Then we have men and women idling their time rooted close to the omnipresent puddles on the road. Even if you drive very slowly you'll splash dirty water on to the idlers inviting their wrath. Yet another danger that you come across is the girl or woman popping out of her compound all of a sudden on to the road simultaneously tying her hair ignoring the heavy traffic. As you cruise along you hear  a noise of high decibel. Your companion is scared stiff. You would advise her to keep calm for it is nothing and that it is only a ripe coconut falling on top of the car denting it.

If you are able to overcome such minor impediments more are to follow. There are drivers who take their vehicles in a zig zag manner to avoid pot holes popularly known as gutters on the road. They are unpredictable because they are concerned about the welfare of their vehicles alone. The passenger buses move along at a leisurely pace stopping and taking off without any signals. The three wheelers are strange companions on the road. They follow no rules. They would crawl along to pick up passengers. The moment they have a passenger they would race to their destination throwing safety  to the wind. They would take U-turns in the middle of heavy traffic without any indication.

Finally as you reach your destination you come across the security guard who waves you in looking the other way. You'll have a hell of a job avoiding hitting or injuring him and at the same time avoiding crashing  on the outbound vehicle. You heave a sigh of big relief as your vehicle come to a stop. 

Unfortunately  more is in store. You have parked your car under a tree. The watchman rushes in frantically and tells you that in a strong gush of wind a branch of the tree has fallen off  severely damaging the hood of the car. It puts you at your wits end.

Driving indeed is a big tamasha.

NIGHTMARE

It is a real story that had occurred on 17062017.

The identities of the actors are kept aside  to respect their privacy.

Ravi and Latha are a happy couple who had begun their journey together four decades ago. They have been blessed with four children who are in the medical profession. Both Ravi and Latha had been senior officers with the Government of Kerala. They were leading a quiet life after retiring from Government service.

When Ravi had approached a doctor for a minor ailment they had no inclination that Cancer was about to break into their harmonious life. Though the diagnosis was that Ravi was inflicted with Cancer the doctor had told them that the disease could be contained with a few sessions of Chemotherapy.

Ravi was responding positively to the treatment despite the discomforts. Ravi and Latha had good contacts in the Government and the medical profession. But they never had sought the assistance of any one when they were undergoing the treatment. They were admirably managing the difficult phase themselves.

Ravi had been advised to report to the RCC on 16062017 to undergo certain tests. As usual Latha had accompanied him. Viewing the results the consultant was pleased and had advised the patient to report to the RCC the next day for the final session of Chemotherapy.  They were both happy that the ordeal that had erupted a couple of months ago was about to pass off into history.

They reported at the RCC on 17062017. The twist began here.

The doctor administering Chemotherapy had a look at the case sheet. Ravi and Latha were admonished for reporting for Chemotherapy without ensuring an OK by the Consultant. According to the doctor they had sufficient experience to be aware of the basic requirement. They pleaded with the young doctor to contact the Consultant. It was in vain. They were briskly advised to personally meet the Consultant and obtain the certification.  

There was a hitch. The Consultant was in the fifth floor whereas the administration of Chemotherapy was in the third floor. His physical condition did not permit Ravi move freely around. Fortunately for them they had been accompanied by their granddaughter that day. Leaving Ravi in the waiting area Latha climbed up the stairs with her companion to the fifth floor. But the Consultant they had met the previous day was unavailable. They returned to the young doctor. The doctor was adamant. They had to obtain the certification by the assistant of the Consultant. There was another block. The security guard did not allow them to proceed to the area and meet the designated person. Latha was in tears. She just could not fathom why the people were all callous. At last the security guard relented as they kept on waiting at the gate for one and a half hours seeking his mercy.   They somehow met the  assistant and managed to obtain the priceless OK certification.  Latha entrusted the young girl to hurry and produce the OK to the doctor so that the administration of Chemotherapy would not be delayed any further.

Latha, 73, was tired. She had left home very early in the morning after gulping down a quick breakfast. The tension she had undergone the past few hours had its toll. She felt she could not walk at all.   As she  came slowly down the stairs from the fifth floor she missed two steps. She fell off and rolled down to the landing. She could not get up.

As the RCC was crowded there were people around to lift her up. But she could not walk. She had to be moved to the Emergency on a trolley since there were no wheelchairs.

The doctors at the Emergency found a crack on her knee from the X-ray. They had bandaged it and had advised her total rest for a month.

Ravi and Latha are now two invalids sharing a room. They cannot have visitors since Ravi stands the chance of contracting infection as he has undergone Chemotherapy. Unmindful of the turmoil the young doctor had finally relented with the OK certification in the case sheet. She had followed the procedure thoroughly well. 

It is a nightmare how Ravi and Latha are going to manage their life.

IF ONLY THE DOCTOR ADMINISTERING CHEMOTHERAPY AT REGIONAL CANCER CENTRE (RCC) TRIVANDRUM HAD AN IOTA OF KINDNESS THE NIGHTMARE COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

Let me sign off with a quote from William Shakespeare's 'As You Like It.'

All the world's a stage, / And all the men and women merely players; / They have their exits and their entrances, / And one man in his time plays many parts,

STRANGE VISUALS FROM AN AC CHAIR CAR OF INDIAN RAILWAYS

Visuals are normally images, photographs or video footage. The title is disruptive, but eminently well suited for the narration of what I had witnessed in a recent train journey.  The identity of the train cannot be revealed in order to protect the privacy of the actors.

The narrative begins from the moment I had boarded the AC Chair car of the train from a very busy station in Kerala.  Soon after I had settled into my seat I had observed a well dressed woman walking quickly out of the compartment. The train was awaiting the signal to proceed.

As the train began to move I did what I always do when I travel be it the train or the aircraft. I had immersed myself in the book I was reading at that point of time. It is not something special. Most of the travellers do it to while away the time.

The Ticket Examiner came to me after around fifteen minutes of travel to verify the ticket. As he was going through the documents a gentleman opened the door of the Chair Car and stood there without closing the door. He was holding high his child and telling the child to enjoy the cold. Bemused the Ticket Examiner told the gentleman to close the door or else air-conditioning in the compartment would dissipate. The Ticket Examiner moved on since he had to verify the documents of   a long list of passengers. The gentleman stood there without giving heed to the instruction of the Ticket Examiner. He kept on holding the child up without closing the door of the compartment. I was in a seat adjacent to the door. After a while I requested him to close the door as hot air was rushing in. He kept on there playing dumb. Later another irate passenger adjacent to the door told him to come inside and close the door. The gentleman complied with the second request. He came in with the child, closed the door and stood there leaning against the door holding aloft the child.  He remained there for around ten minutes and then went out of the compartment. It was obvious he did not have a valid ticket.

Soon after the Ticket Examiner had gone to the next compartment the woman who had walked out of the compartment stepped in and occupied a seat. Unfortunately for her she had to vacate it as the occupant of the seat was another passenger. She stood there in the compartment leaning against a seat for almost half an hour. At the next station when the passengers in the adjacent seats had left and when no one had arrived to occupy the vacant seats the woman had quietly slipped into one of them.

Meanwhile the gentleman mentioned earlier now came inside the compartment without the child and had occupied another vacant seat.  As the train was stopping at different stations and passengers were boarding and departing the Ticket Examiner made another of his rounds.  The gentleman quietly slipped out of the compartment.

The Ticket Examiner stared at the woman. He asked her why she was sitting there without informing him. She immediately handed over her ticket along with money for upgrading her ticket. The Ticket Examiner issued the receipt.

Soon after the Ticket Examiner had left the gentleman came in again with the child to occupy the seat he had left on the arrival of the Ticket Examiner. Unfortunately a Civil Police Officer was sitting there writing something. The gentleman walked through the aisle and went out through the door at the far end. After a while he returned. The Civil Police Officer had finished his job and had left by then. The gentleman occupied the seat with the child once again and sat there for some time.  He left the compartment after a while and did not return.

The woman too left the train when it stopped at another station.

Though I had been immersed in my book I was enjoying the distractions.

BANK CUSTOMERS IN DOLDRUMS

People keep their money in fixed deposits with banks because they trust the banking channel more than any other investment avenue. This is more than apt in the case of senior citizens who are sixty and above. They do it because they are risk averse and they are uncertain of their future. They park all their available resources in fixed deposits for augmenting their income through the interest received on deposits.  Most of these depositors keep their money in fixed deposits for a period of one year for reasons best known to them. However the deposits stay with the banks for longer periods of time as the depositors prefer renewal of the deposits on maturity than their withdrawal. They are aware that fixed deposits with banks ensure a liquidity that is not available elsewhere. The renewal is automatic for the original period in the event of no specific instructions from the depositors.

Demonetization and consequent inflow of phenomenal deposits have made the banks take their depositors for a ride. They are now flush with funds and the depositor is no longer the King. They have done a great disservice to the depositors by lowering the interest paid on fixed deposits for a period of one year. Adding insult to injury banks have fixed a higher rate of interest on deposits for a period of 211 days to less than one year that is up to 364 days whereas the depositor is eligible only for a lower rate of interest   if the deposit is held with the banks for 365 days or more. The table here is telltale.

Interest Rates on Retail Domestic Term Deposits (Below Repees One Crore) W.E.F. 17.11.2016

 (All figures in % per annum)

Tenors	Existing for Public w.e.f. 24.10.2016	Revised For Public w.e.f. 17.11.2016	Existing for Senior Citizens w.e.f. 24.10.2016	Revised for Senior Citizens w.e.f. 17.11.2016
7 days to 45 days	5.50	5.50	6.00	6.00
46 days to 179 days	6.50	6.50	7.00	7.00
180 days to 210 days	6.75	6.75	7.25	7.25
211 days to less than 1 year	7.00	7.00	7.50	7.50
1 year to 455 days	7.05	6.90	7.55	7.40
456 days to less than 2 years	7.10	6.95	7.60	7.45
2 years to less than 3 years	7.00	6.85	7.50	7.35
3 years to less than 5 years	6.50	6.50	7.00	7.00
5 years and up to 10 years	6.50	6.50	7.00	7.00

It is obvious that when deposits for a period of one year are auto renewed on maturity by banks for the reason that the depositor has not furnished any specific instructions  the  renewal is done for one year that is 365 days whereby the depositors strike a huge loss. The profit banks earn without any effort is huge.

The depositors mostly take their deposit receipts to banks for renewal after some gap from the date of maturity and most of them are oblivious to the loss they sustain due to the unsavoury role banks play with their deposits and their lives. It is clear from the table that banks punish people who keep their funds in long term deposits.

Apart from this ignominious act, when banks reduce rates of interest on Housing Loans they require the borrowers to approach them and remit a fixed quantum of interest as well as charges for reduction in the rates of interest on Housing Loans. Most of the borrowers never go through these hassles. Banks are the gainers for the reason they do not reduce the rates of interest on Housing Loans unless the borrowers satisfy their wrongful diktat. The net effect is nothing but the majority of the borrowers are excluded from the benefits that ought to be accruing to them on account of reduction in rates of interest on Housing Loans proclaimed with much fanfare.

Banks prosper while the customers, both depositors and borrowers, decline. Long live  profitability of banks.