Besan Ka Halwa

Reading 'The Name of the Rose': History, Humour, Heresy  and other things By Vikram Grewal When Umberto Eco says ‘books always speak of other books, and every story tells a story that has already been told’, he in a way delineates the nexus between the historical novel and historiography. History and fiction wrapped together seem inseparable once diluted. The question of what is history and what has been weaved into the historical setting courtesy the author’s imagination exists as a conundrum for the reader. Eco expresses the existence and influence of any work through two perspectives (very simply: the reader’s and the writer’s). He refers to the ‘echo of intertextuality’ by pointing out that the writer while interrogating the text on which he is working finds out that the text reveals ‘natural laws of its own’ but along with the ‘recollection of the culture with which it is loaded.’ When a book is finished, ‘a dialogue is established between the text and its reade...

'JOKER: A Life in Global Politics this Decade' -Vikram Grewal “Is it just me, or is it getting crazier out there?” When Arthur Fleck asks this rhetorical question to his therapist in the film Joker (2019) starring Joaquin Phoenix, the audience answers it in their heads. Tunisian street vendor Tarek al-Tayeb Mohammad Bouazizi must have asked the same question to himself on 17 th December 2010 before self-immolating and posthumously starting- what came to be known as- the ‘Arab Spring.’ The movement that would arguably give 21 st Century its own set of revolutions. ‘The Protestor’ was named the Person of the Year by TIME Magazine that year. The Spring swept across North Africa then and continued to inspire multiple revolutions- throughout this decade and right until very recently in 2019 in Lebanon, Iraq, Algeria and Sudan. In 2011, the Occupy Wall Street movement began in USA against social and economic inequality. New York City woke up to the calls of “We...

Days Underground #31 27th June 2018 It's my 5th world cup supporting the German Football team since I first got hooked to the genius of Miroslav Klose.  I declared a few weeks back, even though thinking of Philip Lahm's and Klose's absence, that I will get rid of my beard after the Germans defend the cup.  It's been a horrible outing for these guys this time. The nail biting finish against Sweden gave me hope.  But today, the country of K-Pop managed to pull off a 2-0 and the fates of the team and my beard have been sealed.  Dear sis clicks the moment and relishes my uncomfortable smile.  But the positives remain:  1. More time for mains preparation. 2. After Klose, I have found a new inspiration in the world cup: Luka Modric.  I switch sides to Croatia after attaining the same amount of facial hair as Modric. Days Underground #32 July 2018 This is what my newspaper notes looked like. One liners. Just like puns...

Ma MAP ma Rulez! Ma perspective, ma tools... https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_Bge7WNAbdjN1NybXEzeFpMcW11b1R0ME5pa1dQYkZneU13/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-xTHNU24vBnnaPvd72BI75w

Once Upon a Time in Delhi, I typed these Inglourious Notes to break the monotony of preparation.

"May the (truth) force be with you!"

  "Jab CRITICALLY ANALYZE kiya toh darna kya?"

^Yes, that's where Haider did 'Bismil, Bismil.' Ab padh lo.

['Jammu Bandh' is a serialized novel written by Vikram Grewal. It is published periodically on the blog 'Besan Ka Halwa'.] Synopsis August 2013: The question of religion had never bothered Ishwar, for since the beginning he had been a man of science. He felt safe behind the towering shelves of his college library, interminable streams of chemistry equations and endless piles of incomprehensible notes. Away from his habitat in Delhi, he finds himself thrown into unfamiliar territory- the disturbed city of Jammu, currently simmering on the flames of communal clashes in Kishtwar. His scientific theories seem redundant and inapplicable as he encounters tranquility and violence spiraling into and from each other in the city of temples. Temples and mosques; questions and answers. Monsoon is when it rains a little more; pains a little less. Entropy pervades and chaos takes control.                             ...

Dear Friend, newspapers are beautiful things. They can be used to cover slabs, cupboards, book shelves and what not. They are instrumental in packaging and cleaning. They can act as book covers. They can be used in 'best out of waste' and origami competitions. They can also be read to gain knowledge or simply to act busy and pass the time. Some people also use them to clear UPSC exams. * *If you are interested in this, keep in mind the following basic things. 1. Read 'The Hindu' newspaper daily, for sure. 2. Don't cut out articles for future reference. We know you'll never read them. 3. Don't waste paper. Maintain a small notepad for note-making, not a huge register or diary. 4. Only write the keywords- not useless stories. 5. Don't write down ultra-dynamic things (that are bound to change before the exam). 6. Write only static facts that make sense. For eg. policy decisions, schemes, events, agencies, govt. bodies, India's ranking in i...