Terrorist Attack on India - 'We're sorry, but...'

As I browsed the net for news from my country , I came across an unsettling news that somehow made me realize the perfection of my life in contrast. The devastating news of the High Court bomb blast was plastered throughout the screen with the most unorganized rescue operation in swing on one hand and the Home Ministry defending itself, saying that we Indians at the time of catastrophe join hands to blame the government. The evidence of the innocence of which was heard in Sheila Dixit, the honorary chief minister of Delhi's response to the situation, "I'm shocked", as she had no idea of the intelligence report sent in July, well in advance, the inquiry commission will most certainly look into it. So for now, all ministers joined hands in one common gesture refraining vehemently from taking responsibility of the bomb blast, while the opposition was not left behind with L.K. Advani's reassuring words, "puree duniya ko atankvaad ke khilaf dhyaan rakhna chahiye, bharat toh rakh hi raha hai" (the world should take care against terrorism, India is 'obviously' doing so). That was few hours after the final bomb blast at the High Court. I add 'final' as to demarcate the reference to the previous one at High Court in July the same year. Now the terrorists have found their comfort zone in India to such an extent that they can actually plan a dress-rehearsal before the final showdown.

Let's for a change stop the blame game instigated further by media and concentrate on how instead of generating a hype and panic amongst the people we could solve the situation at hand by asking the right questions. We are usually so engrossed in the situation as it is not without considering the next logical step to be taken - like a quick justice system, which could boost the morale of the citizens. Finally giving justice to the long forgotten cases that remain pending forever. From the minister to the reporter depends on the sentimental reaction of every Indian which is the selling point of every news. Instead of following the system, let's start by asking the right questions. For example, instead of spending time on footage covering the first people who saw the blast claiming their 15 secs of fame, who had the time and guts to stand there taking pictures from his mobile cameras with missing arms and amputated limbs. Instead of each news channel hogging TRPs by competing who can show more grotesque pictures of the disaster than the next on you flip on to, let's use the medium of communication as it should be used- constructively and more responsibly.

To remind ourselves, so hooked to the television, who are more engrossed in watching the event than participating to make a difference, that once television way back in early 90's used to be a medium of information. Doordarshan, before it was bullied into passivity sounding like the voice of the straight 'A' child being scolded repeatedly for not performing well, had this slot for 'Gumshuda Talash Kendra', where the missing people were reported. How about doing the same at the time of crisis now? How about the news channels standing united for the Indian people by running a helpline that works and reaches out to those in distress. Let's flash on screen helpline information that is required. As a common Indian with no VIP status, such information would be a blessing and a relief for many who would be unable to use the phones right after the incident as all networks were blocked.

The position of the Home Minister on bomb related events have been to increase VIP security and for the Delhi Police to harass couples sitting or strolling in park after dark, in the name of  'national security'. The police in the name of security targets the common man for checking that borders on harassment. While the security measures in this country seems to be for the VIP and works against the common Indian as more of harassment than protection. The discussion about security of the common Indian raises only when few hundred are killed. The only voice of reason about this matter was raised by IPS officer Mr.Lal, who pointed out that security measures for the VIPs should be reduced while common person dies like a fish.

Everyone accepting the fact that ministry always sleeps and proposals take long time. In this particular case there seemed to be no 'specific' information by intelligence given to the police to act upon. Could this be prevented? Yes, only if we realize that protection does not begin at the spot. It begins even before the target has been set. It starts with minimal intelligence report that we receive and building upon it to make a strategy to prevent the attack from happening. It is not about defending when the bomb goes off, but committing to use the minimum intelligence picked up that must have risked lives of many to get that. Delhi cannot be protected in Delhi, it has to start from outside by the intelligence, which currently seems to be ludicrous.

After Nov. 2008, there has been nothing done to improve preventive capability and police force on the ground. The excuse of CCTV cameras that were supposed to be installed became the blame game central target. The budget or proposal for CCTV cameras were not passed due to government protocol that needs to be followed.  The solution to prevent such inefficient and time consuming checking could be installation of X-Ray machines at the court as we have at the airports, but that might be another rational solution that needs to pass a proposal that might take another ten years and few more bomb blasts and many more innocent lives.

Now comes the trickiest part of the whole deal- who is accountable? As most of our angst and grievance seem to be directed towards the police, then how about sacking the police commissioner if that solves the problem. When a terrorist attack happens we unite to attack the government. If the ministers would have been so impervious to attacks then no PM would have been assassinated. The solution to this dilemma lies in achieving bureaucratic and political unity of the country; to uphold responsibility by politicians who are elected with this faith that they shall protect us. In such circumstances where the safety of the Indian citizen has been breached and has been threatened, they owe the people an explanation not an excuse of shifting responsibility.

The epitome of disaster control in history in my opinion would be 9/11. After the 9/11 thanks to the US vigilance there has been not a single instance of terrorism despite US being the number one target for Islamic terrorists. Thanks to their luck they do not have a neighbour like we do. The Indian borders are vulnerable from all sides. Over ruling the humanitarian watchfulness of the world over Indian political measures, maybe for once we should take a stance, if not to attack them but atleast to defend us. One way to say enough is enough would be to cancel Samjhauta Express, to give Pakistan a jolt of realism.

As the argument stands to be defeated by our ever considerate politicians, it almost becomes a global phenomenon, it is a justification of terror with the 'we are sorry, but...' attitude of the politicians. We are sorry for the loss of innocent lives, but the police was busy controlling the crowd at the Anna Hazare gathering, we are sorry about your loss, but we were not informed about 'specific' intelligence report, we are sorry about the attacks but did not have enough ground staff to prevent the bombers, we are sorry for your loss, but we have to follow protocol to pass tenders for installing CCTV cameras, we are sorry for the damages caused by the terrorist group but we are still going to be friends with our neighbours and letting them get away with it, every single time, we are sorry we denied justice to the victims, but you see the case is being tried in court and you might hear about it in another ten years.

There could be no more vainer excuses made for the security of the citizens and no more explanation could be enough. How could the government use the Anna Hazare movement as an excuse for the Delhi Police to be 'under strain' to contain the crowd, hence failing to take precautions for blast at the High Court. It seems like the choice is yours to make - you can either contain terrorism or public events. It is not the job of citizens who are the tax payers from which the police draw their legible salaries and other 'expenses', to protect themselves. For it is our right as tax paying citizens to be protected from predators. This 'either-or' situation would not be acceptable. Security of the country is the responsibility of the police not the common man. Just because the Delhi Police was busy holding up the crowd at Anna's gathering does not make them excusable of the fact that they could not find enough man power for bomb protection.

The irony of the entire argument is that by the time we have switched channels, the news of this terrorist attack would have been history in the memory of the audiences. This short attention span that we have acquired of a five year old toddler, who forgets his scrap on the knee once he sees a lollipop, defines our attitude today. The recurring terrorist attacks have become a news for just and just that, to escape the unpleasantness of which we switch channels. Perhaps we should switch off the television and actually turn on our brains to see some change happening around us, not the other way round.

Moving On...

Moving on in life is the greatest lesson to be learnt. It can be the toughest thing to do or the easiest thing, if you have already gone through the tough times. I decided that it was time for change, the wind was blowing from south calling me to follow its course and lead the way of my life. When times change for worse, the better is just round the corner. As I discovered in my life recently. A very important part of moving on is leaving behind. What you leave behind is your choice, whether you want to carry forward the baggage or leave it behind you and move on clutter free. Then again, if you decide to carry it, you cannot keep trash in your back yard and then complain that your house stinks. Because it will, and that will be your choice. The baggage will pull you down and make moving on tougher. The decadence of the weight will contaminate every ounce of your effort. It is like climbing uphill with a rolling ball. I chose to leave behind for good and move on for the better. 

The tugging of your roots while you choose to move is the hardest to untangle. Your peers, could be the best well wisher with the wisest opinions and the best intentions, but if they don't work out for you and prove to be a hurdle instead, it is decision time. The basis of social unit and interdependency is epitomized by the family you grow up with, who give you your first identity in this world. Then you move on to the journey to become who you really turn out to be fighting confusion, travelling through experiences that are personal and unique to your life. These choices that you make shape you to become the person  you eventually do. You become that arrow that has been shot hoping to reach its target. They can only hope for you to return one day to your roots. But will you be the same person that they expect you to be? Are you the same one who left behind when you went away to walkabout? These hauntings faced me before moving on. The answers may not be obvious, might not even come to you, might elude you for a long time, till your journey of self-discovery come full circle.

The definition of a social unit evades your choice, you are born into it even if you choose not to be in it, you still belong to it. If  I could, I would have chosen an Upper East Side with millions in Swiss accounts or in an Italian mafia with power to control the underworld with one phone call or belong to the butterfly family which can cause a hurricane just by flapping its wings. Wings that would make moving on easier, where flying away would be an option. Forming your own self is a choice, that not many exercise. Bound by familial ties the conditioning seeps deeper in form of gratitude and responsibility. The idea that leaving is ungrateful or irresponsible is deeply conflicting in my opinion. Doing what you want to do, to seek independence or following your heart to be an independent individual is the purpose of education so why should duties compromise rights of an individual. Why should independence be seen as a threat, and moving on a tragedy? In many cases, keeping and maintaining a certain distance is a healthy way to keep the relationship embedded with sweet memories and thriving on its own. Living together under same roof under compulsion is a compromise that results in the most bitter ends, an end to peaceful cohabitation and an end of harmony. Why should my peers be obligated to accept my choices in life, and vice-versa?

An arrow that has left its bow can only hope to find  its target and the right spot. It cannot be called back neither can it be contained,  nor can it be controlled from a distance. It has moved on to find its destiny.

Hippie Market - Pahargunj

This place beats Janpath!! Have to check out, right next New Delhi Railway Station, Pahargunj exit. There are loads of things to buy there - jewelery, clothes and bags, all at throw away prices. This one bangle place there sells only wholesale bulks, so no retail for me, hence only took this picture. Besides bought lots of goodies as cheap as Rs.20 a pair of bangles, Rs. 50 earrings (the one design that I found no where else!), Rs. 40 anklets and a cocktail ring for Rs.100 (that was the most expensive buy).

Japan's Tragedy A Wake Up Call to India??

My mailbox has been flooded by emails from various activist groups urging my support to sign petitions to the Indian government to avoid another tragedy like Japan's in India.

"The Indian government is close to approving the world's biggest nuclear power development -- in an earthquake zone. Let's tell PM Singh to learn from Japan's nuclear crisis and stop the plan! Sign the petition."


The letter continues, "Our voices can tip the balance. This is the crucial moment: if enough of us call on Singh to stop the project now, we can make the project too controversial to continue.When the petition reaches 50,000 we'll deliver it to media and the Prime Minister’s office -- sign now and then send this to family and friends." 


If this wasn't  convincing enough it continued to stress the point further,

"There are several factors that make the proposed Jaitapur energy park particularly dangerous. The gigantic nuclear development, planned for the tsunami-prone coast of Jaitapur, will rely on a brand new type of mega-reactor that has not been approved for use anywhere in the world. Scientists classify the proposed site of the Jaitapur complex as Zone 3, susceptible to "very strong" seismic activity. In 1993, Jaitapur experienced a powerful 6.5-rated quake that left nearly 9,000 people dead. If the plants are built, the next quake could be far deadlier. Already this week, Germany announced it will decommission 40% of its nuclear plants and halt planned extensions, reversing a controversial decision to expand its nuclear programme. Here in India, it's time to make the same decision." 


In my mind, I had already made my decision...


"Moreover, the plant would also be an environmental and social travesty. Jaitapur is home to amazingly diverse wildlife. The massive energy campus would displace over 40,000 people and destroy one of India's greatest natural landscapes -- eating away at the habitat of tigers, elephants and thousands of other species, even if no earthquake occurs. In the event of a Japan-like quake, the devastation would be mind-boggling. Now, when these dangers are most vivid, let’s join our voices to oppose these plants"


The foreign intervention, the destruction of environment in the name of  progress, and finally the will to make a difference to save the world all motivated me into signing the petition, strongly protesting against the Indian government. Protesting against the government was not just motivated by the proposed Jaitapur energy park, but some of us like me, just need an excuse to protest against the Indian government, so in order to vent out frustrations over all things gone wrong in the country I needed an excuse, and this my friend, was a perfect one. This had all the makings of me looking good, doing good for the all-blinded-by-greed, lured-by-foreign-investment-Indian-government. Hence, I had a peaceful night's sleep after signing the petition, with the complacence of doing some good.



My wake up call came in the form of another email that followed the previous one in my mailbox,


"Sent: Wed, 16 March, 2011 10:56:34 PM
Subject: Re: Nuclear disaster: Japan now, India next?

I strongly think that these people are PUSHING INDIA BACKWARDS !!!

No country develops until its attains critical technologies. Chernobyl episode did not stop Russia to use nuclear plants and Bhopal episode did not shut down all gas plants in the country. The Japan episode should be taken as a lesson to make stricter safely measures by scientists and govt and should be placed much away from human/animal habitation. 

Every human/animal life is precious but think how many people are killed/suffers from diseases  by pollution caused by thermal power plants in India everyday. Our problem is we now a days forgot to use our own brain ....we just flow with the market...whatever we hear, we start believing and propagate that shit thing !!! 

Dont support such a cause and harm India producing clean energy when our energy budget is growing every moment. Rather ask for more and more safety measure to stop such accidents. A early college goer type comment: "I think these people are getting money from Pakis or Chinis to push back India's development......LOL" !!!"

An Assistant Professor from Sociology and Social Anthropology, Dept of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, provided a thoughtful insight  in the chain of letters. 

"nuclear radiation and nuclear disasters have generational and life-threatening impact. A mega dam breaks and we can manage it somehow but if a Nagasaki or a Hiroshima or Chernobyl happens then we will have to deal with that for 'centuries'....clean-up operations and costs of that kind are avoidable. We do have more healthy 'energy-producing' options??? As a Sociologist, Beck conceptualized of contemporary society as the Risk society - Japan exposes the gaping fault lines of our existence as a risk socio-economy and our threatened social future! Our premises for a COMMON SOCIAL FUTURE therefore have to be re framed and reconceptualized with the new Japan data.

More people do die of malaria and contaminated water related disease how many die of AIDS ??? how many due to nuclear radiation??? how many die in riots and ethnic conflicts? die in road accidents ??? how many got killed due to a 'random' earthquake ???? how many die because they don't earn enough to be able to eat ???"

All the arguments and the counter-arguments had my head reeling with doubt, and I finally asked myself, did I do the right thing in signing the petition, or was it a hasty decision motivated by the general idea that the government is evil and it can do nothing right? If the government's decision was motivated by greed, wasn't my decision motivated by prejudice. It's a complicated scenario and in the unpredictable and random factor in our design and production mechanisms and implementation and governance of these productive strategies. Simply because the nuclear reactor burst in Japan costing hundreds of lives does not mean it will spell the same fate for India. To look at a problem and learn from it is wise, but shrinking away from progress in fear of disaster is being pessimistic. And we all know that attitude doesn't go well with progress of any nation.

Foremost, let's work out or think of solutions and not just dwell on problems (this is not to belittle the problem of realizing or conceptualizing the problem and the problematic) but to ensure by taking preventive measures and practicing caution, not just on paper but in practice. Shouldn't the petition be urging the government for taking more precautionary measures and ensuring safety of the people whose lives depend on the Jaitapur energy park, than to put a stop on it? Shouldn't we be looking for solutions rather than dwelling on the problem? What has happened is a lesson that should be treated as an eye opener, where we have seen that the result could be totally unexpected despite the best intentions, but that should never be the reason to get regressive. Taking precaution and calculating risk before beginning is smart but not implementing a project for the fear of an uncertain, unknown, probable disaster in future is like using a rubber balloon in place of a latex condom for the fear of procreation. The impact and the utility of one cannot replace the other, simply signing petitions might not be the solution but being careful with proper precautions could be. Like my concerned friend sent me this thoughtful message as an offline chat,

"There was a nuclear blast at 4:30pm on Sunday in Fukushima, Japan. If it rains today or in the next few days, DO NOT GO UNDER THE RAIN. If you get caughtout, use an umbrella or raincoat, even if it's only a drizzle. Radioactive particles, which may cause burns, alopecia or even cancer, may be in the rain.. pls pass on to all u care."

Who knows how much truth there is in this assertion, but I would take precaution and wear my raincoat/ umbrella to avoid the rainfall.

Letter from Tokyo

After the Japan tragedy with the twin disasters of earthquake and Tsunami, we can only imagine through the pictures in newspapers what the people living there must have gone through. The losses, the tragedies are felt even deeper if you have a friend stuck there in such uncertain times. And what a relief it must be to receive his email after so long, to tell that he escaped the disaster unscathed. Here is a first hand account of the scenario post earthquake in Japan. My friend studies in Tokyo University, at the final stages of completing his Phd. This is his account of the present condition of Japan and what the people living there are facing.

from   Luke  to   Varnana Sarkar date  Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 9:18 PM subject   Re: How are you?

9:18 PM (12 hours ago)

Hey,

dont worry, all is fine with me and everyone else I know. Transportation has been pretty messed up which has caused a number of inconveniences in tokyo, but in the scheme of things they hardly matter. Things up north are absolutely terrible... its looking like 20k or more people died, despite all the preparations. We were incredibly lucky it didn't hit tokyo itself or the death toll would have been a much much higher. Well that has been one of the unusual things about the disaster, the majority of the victims have been elderly. Firstly because the more rural parts of japan have fewer young people and secondly because they were least likely to be able to escape from the tsunami. They still have no idea of the damage, but it looks like several cities were literally decimated.

At the moment though the city is in this incredibly sombre mood. In the last day or two we finally started getting proper deliveries of food to the stores, but the selection is way smaller than normal and more than half of the items at some stores are sold out. I still can't find milk... the blackouts havent been affecting the central city, but people are doing their best to save power so the city is a lot darker than normal (this really affects the mood). I almost hit someone when riding home tonight because all of the streetlights were turned off!

Anyway, I am fine, so no need to worry:)

Luke

Best Ads I Came Across

While researching for my dissertation on metaphors in media, I came across thousands of ads over the years. While I could use some of them for the paper, others are presented here. These are some of my favourite ones.

Volkswagen Van came up with this brilliant idea to promote its carrying capacity as against many other cars:

 

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Ford Mondeo showcases its pickup speed with this stunner of an advertisement. Great execution.

 

The copy reads "From 0 to 100 kmph in 8.7 seconds."

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From Volswagen for its Nueva Passat car. Here the emphasis on the luxurious back space available in the car. Again, great art work and execution.

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Some more effective anti-smoking advertisements that I came across recently:

 

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The ad is for Sunsilk Shampoo. The copy reads - "For stronger hair". No comments!!

This is for The Economist magazine

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- An ad for Western Union Money Transfer, targeted at the receivers. Interesting play of words.

Ad for Lucozade "energy drink". Guess on some days we could do with one of these energy drinks.

Sugar free Lollipop..!!

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The headline is a beautiful play of words. Save Trees. Trees save. And the visual impact is quite stunning. He who first said that a picture is worth many words is quite right.

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This is a very catchy ad for a karate school. Looks like they have a very practical approach to learning it 

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The copy says: "Harry's bread. Nice and Soft." Indeed. The cute sleepy girl takes the cake here, er.. I mean, the bread.

This is a print ad taken out by Rodasol insect killer in the Obituary section of a newspaper. Death to the Bugs 

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A very interesting print ad by Frizz skin salon. Catchy.

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Thank God the zoom was invented.  

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And here is one of the best anti-smoking ad, released by Cancer Patients Aid Association:

 

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A very simple but hard-hitting advertisement by the Mumbai Traffic Police on the importance of wearing helmet:

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Drunk drivers get preference over others in prime parking spots. Surprised? Here's how:

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One of the best, by Seagram, that asks drivers to choose carefully between two things:

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An explosion of colours fantastically brought out by the recent print ads for Sony Bravia television:

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Here is a very creative use of bowling alleys to advertise for dental implant insurance. Whoever got this idea and made a sudden leap of imagination was being sooo.. damn creative.

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IWC, the famous Swiss watch makers, used these stickers on the holds in airport buses to catch the attention of travelling pilots and other passengers for their new "Big Pilot's Watch".

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A "Don't Drink and Drive" campaign by Vasir breweries on their beer bottle caps. Upon opening the bottle, the car printed on the cap appears bent, and on reverse we have the simple slogan. Very simple but effective.

Useful Information Collected Via Various Email Forwards

1. If you see children Begging anywhere in INDIA , please contact:
"RED SOCIETY" at 9940217816. They will help the children for their studies.










2. Where you can search for any BLOOD GROUP, you will get thousands of donor addresses. www.friendstosupport.org

3. Engineering Students can register in www.campuscouncil.com to attend Off Campus for 40 Companies.

4. Free Education and Free Hostel for Handicapped/Physically Challenged children.

Contact:- 9842062501 , 9894067506.

5. If anyone met with fire accident or people born with problems in their ear, nose and mouth can get free PLASTIC SURGERY done by Kodaikanal PASAM Hospital . From 23rd March to 4th April by German Doctors.
Everything is free. Contact : 045420-240668,245732
"Helping Hands are Better than Praying Lips"

6. If you find any important documents like Driving license, Ration card, Passport, Bank Pass Book, etc., missed by someone, simply put them into any near by Post Boxes. They will automatically reach the owner and Fine will be collected from them.

7. Special phone number for Eye bank and Eye donation: 04428281919 and 04428271616 (Sankara Nethralaya Eye Bank). For More information about how to donate eyes plz visit these sites.http://ruraleye.org/

8. Heart Surgery free of cost for children (0-10 yr) Sri Valli Baba Institute Banglore. 10.
Contact : 9916737471





9. Medicine for Blood Cancer
'Imitinef Mercilet' is a medicine to control blood cancer. It's available free of cost at "Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai".
Cancer Institute in Adyar, Chennai
Address:
East Canal Bank Road , Gandhi Nagar
Adyar
Chennai -600020
Landmark: Near Michael School
Phone: 044-24910754 044-24910754 , 044-24911526 044-24911526 , 044-22350241 044-22350241

10. Please CHECK WASTAGE OF FOOD
If you have a function/party at your home in India and food gets wasted, don't hesitate to call 1098.This is the number of a helpline.They will come and collect the food. Please circulate this message which can help feed many children.


AND LETS TRY TO HELP INDIA BE A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN (please let me know if any of this information was accurate and worked for you! Thanks to all my well wishers who forwarded me these various emails)

Cooking Metaphors in Indian Culture

Food, though apparently an everyday matter, serves as an important social as well as cultural symbol. Out of all the significant aspects of community life, food (apart from arts) is perhaps the only one that binds while all others separate one community from the other. Food and culinary items define social hierarchies, and serve as a driving force behind people's actions. Food delineates privilege, economic class, and social position. Food is a land issue and a power issue. Food sustains life. Food is a motivating factor that propels action on the part of an individual, a community or an entire society.

Food is part of the cyclical pattern of life; food is culture. Sharing or offering food is the most primitive form of community bonding. These are some examples of cooking metaphors used in colloquial Indian English. We will notice that these tasty tidbits of metaphor all relate to cooking and eating. Beside each word is a short sentence using the metaphor, followed by an implication or conclusion that can be drawn from the usage. (This is, by no means, the limit of what can be said of each metaphor). One might also notice that higher temperatures are deemed injurious while lower temperatures produce more palatable results. Let’s take the following examples to understand the cooking related heat metaphor -

Grill: The lawyer grilled the witness on the stand. Tough questions create a damaging level of heat that makes physical contact.

Cook: He knew he was cooked when he saw his boss standing at the desk. Cooked is caught or responsible for wrongdoing, as if prior to being caught, one is raw or unfinished.

Toast: He knew he was going to be toast when he got home. Anger is heat that burns its target.

Fry: She knew she was fried when the teacher handed back her paper. Like grill, this involves higher temperatures.

Bake: It was a half-baked idea. Ideas progress in edibility, and must be fully baked to be of value. Thought is the heat that develops ideas. (borrowed)

Simmer: The crowd began to simmer down. Heat is activity, and activity is heat.

Boil: The boss was boiling mad. A lot of heat produces a lot of activity.

Flame: I was flamed on a message board. Punishment is fire.

Stew: The decision had him in a stew. A decision is a mixture of whole ingredients that must be simmered together, however incompatible in this case. (borrowed)

Burnt: Burnt by a shady deal. A transaction is fire, which, if not handled properly, may leave one injured.

Some other popular cooking related metaphors are-

Stir: Stirring up all kinds of emotions. Our emotions settle into levels in our minds, the top level is the most visible.

Recipe: A recipe for disaster. A disaster is the finished product of bad ingredients and processes.

Peel: Keep your eyes peeled. Your eyelid is a rind; your eyes are the fruit of vision.

Pickle: That's a real pickle of a problem. Some problems cannot be resolved, as if preserved indefinitely.

Raw: She had a raw talent for music. Talent is only potential, and must be developed (cooked).

Tasty: Tasty tidbits of information. The mind has a palate that prefers certain thoughts and information, and in small, easily digested servings.

Food: Food for thought. The mind is hungry, and eats ideas.

Dish: Dish out more criticism than one can take. Criticism comes in portions that fill a plate.

Plate: My plate is already too full. A plate is a flat, limited space for solid thoughts.

Serve: Served up a number of suggestions. Suggestions are food for thought.

Appetite: Children have an enormous appetite for learning. Appetite is also targeted hunger - children will have preferences in their diets.

Digest: Take a moment to digest the info. Processing data involves breaking down, changing and sorting it.

Swallow: Difficult to swallow. Data that is unfit for the mind needs extra effort.

All these examples are container metaphors where the body is the vessel and the mind is the seat of anger and hotness. In Indian culture the blood ‘boils’ when someone is angry and the head ‘bursts’ or ‘explodes’ when the extent of anger is beyond control. Some one with a short-temper is often referred to as ‘hot’ blood.

In the case of someone bugging, he/she is referred to as someone who is ‘cooking my head’. In literal terms, he/she is nagging me or boring me with his/her talks or company.

‘Cooking’ metaphors are more common than ‘baking’ metaphors. Historically, cooking on fire has been a long standing practice for Indians. Concept of baking is comparatively new. It was the influence of western culture that introduced the concept of baking. Hence some cooking/baking metaphors are borrowed from British English too.

Food metaphor in Indian folk tradition

There are various food metaphors to describe skin colour in Indian culture. The most popular is the one describing a fair skin which goes like ‘milk with red vermillion paste’, which is a very desirable pinkish complexion with emphasis on whiteness of the skin. This is the most desirable complexion for every girl, especially for any brown skinned girl.

Malai, the cream that is formed when milk is boiled and cooled is used in sweets and Mughlai gravies. Malai, milk, and butter have legendary importance in Indian tradition devolving from the pastoral Aryans who measured their wealth in cows. Krishna, the most beloved avatar in the Hindu pantheon, was a celebrated 'butter thief' as a child (Navneeta chora). A major event in Hindu myth is the churning of the ocean of milk (Kshirasagara Manthana), which yielded amrita, the nectar of immortality. Folk proverbs abound, using metaphors and similes of milk, cream and butter.

Curd, variously called dahi, thayir, doi, masuru, a staple in Indian diet; milk 'set' by an addition of lactobacilli from old yoghurt. Eaten plain or as raitas or pachadies or hot chutneys with vegetables and fruit added to it; beaten thin with water and seasoned as a summer drink; added by the spoonful and browned in gravies; steamed with sugar and garnished with sultanas and nuts as a pudding; eaten with rice and rotis. Dahi is virtually a concept in the Indian scheme of things, with ancient mytho-religious resonance deriving from the Krishna cult and early Aryanism; yoghurt was an important milk product for pastoral people and was given religious sanctity as Krishna's favourite food along with milk and butter.

Food metaphors are used by the poets of the Vedas and Upanishads (the most ancient of Hindu philosophical texts) to describe the indescribable mystical experience, which, by definition, is beyond all thought, language, and concrete reference merging into pure consciousness. But these ancient Indian poets masterfully used language to evoke the mystical experience, pointing the way for those seekers who followed.

Nectar: The Payoff

Nectar (amrita) is one of the most frequently repeated food references in mystical texts. The meaning of the word is comparable to our modern definition of ambrosia: that which is sweet. But it also conveys a deeper meaning in Indian philosophy, as the nectar which confers immortality and final emancipation.

The Vedas and Upanishads make explicitly clear that no matter how alluring the taste of nectar, it can only be gained by hard work and right intention. These texts strongly emphasize the relationship between sacrifice and the reward of amrita. Sacrifice can be both an actual ritual offering made by the Brahman priests, and a more figurative sacrifice that can take place on an internal level.

This figurative sacrifice must be made with an intention of utter devotion, with no thought to personal gain. Nectar as the reward for this type of sincere effort is yet another definition of amrita: "the residue of the sacrifice."

The Chandogya Upanishad is especially rich with food metaphors. We are told in the Chandogya that one who can learn the deepest mystical meaning of the chants "becomes rich in food, an eater of food."

Food also reveals how the senses are an intrinsic part of culture. Culture is not simply language and agreements on the meaning of concepts but also fragrances, sounds, smells, colours, shapes, patterns, rhythms, feelings, melodies. An indulgence of all the senses- food- is the harmony of sight, touch, taste and smell, therefore an integral part of our culture and language.