Namma Cauvery? The Hypocrisy!

It is that time of the year again when History repeats itself and our Dear Mother, River Cauvery is the cynosure of all eyes. Unfortunately, this History seems to be repeating itself so often that there seems to be no end remedy in sight. The past week has seen protests erupt across Karnataka against the Supreme Court decision on the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

I am not going into the merits of the case for that is for our Legal teams to argue and Courts to decide. I find this whole exercise of protests and Bandhs a hogwash for I firmly believe that nobody actually wants to find a solution to the problem. If we have rains, then nobody talks about the excess water at our disposal for we really have no solution to using excess water, do we? It is only when the rain Gods fail that we actually realise the gravity of the situation. From accusing the State Government to not appointing the right legal luminaries and not being assertive to accusing Tamil Nadu of being greedy and demanding excess water, we have all the right excuses to make our case but the sad part is that the crux of the whole issue get washed underneath it all.

River Cauvery, or Kaveri Mathe or Kaveriamma as people would like to call it is definitely a true provider to the people of a large part of South India; while it is the source of water for farmers to till their lands or for others to quench their thirst, it also the biggest provider to people from all walks of life to grab the limelight. From Politicians trying to wrestle power from one another to so called patriotic organisations pushed into the oblivion, the River gives all of them a chance to grab their pound of flesh in their quest for power.

A lot of the individuals and organisations that have called for the Bandh against the release of water are hypocrites. For far too long, these people have used Kannada Pride and Cauvery to further their personal ambitions. Almost everybody from the Political, social and Entertainment fields have joined the chorus against the release of water. The bottom line is that Cauvery is an issue that has maximum benefits for everybody provided you join the bandwagon. Everybody is going to get air time and regional news channels, always desperate for content are going to use the issue and these people to garner maximum TRPS.

My problem with these hypocrites is this, you cannot save the river by picking and choosing issues. The popular slogan this time around seems to be "Kaveri Nammadhu". Its ironic that they say it with so much pride when all they have done is abuse what they call theirs. Wearing and flying the red and yellow and burning effigies of people is not going to get more water; nor is attacking people of Tamil Nadu by accusing them of being greedy going to get water. It is good to see so many people bringing regular life to a stand still to put their point across. But the sad part is that almost all of them have been hoodwinked by our Politicians, Bureaucrats, Businessmen and other vested interests for far too long. All of them are talking about not having enough water for irrigation and drinking water purposes but do not care as to where the actual source of the water is. The truth is that nobody really cares to find out the reasons behind deficient rainfall and water flow and our dear media will not enlighten people with the truth for that will not benefit anybody. I will not be surprised if a lot of them think that KRS is the source of the River.

The primary catchment area of the Cauvery, Coorg has been abused by all these vested interests including local representatives. Kodagu seems to be one of the favourite destination for people from all walks of life. From being a favourite destination of the Film Industry with its scenic spots to holiday makers looking for a getaway for the weekend, Coorg provides for everybody just like River Cauvery does. It provides for the timber mafia who are hand in glove with the politicians to fell as many trees as they want as it does for the Sand mafia to transport all the sand they need. People looking for a place to buy, just need to contact somebody from the land mafia and you will have a place in either a converted wet land or a villa property for the right price. This is the reason why all these pro- Cauvery activists who are making a hue and cry over the issue at the moment are hypocrites.

Where were these activists when locals in Kodagu were protesting against the high tension power line project? The same State Government crying foul over the Supreme Court decision today slapped sedition charges against the locals protesting against the power line project. The media covered it at a glance and the politicians made these local activists look like jokers who are against development. It is very easy to dismiss these activists as those with their own vested interest and against development. Yes, they have their vested interest which is a love for the land. Sadly, a lot of such activism for a larger good cause gets lost in this garb of development.

Of course, Coorg needs development and tourism. We need better roads, better infrastructure, Hospitals, Schools, Colleges and grounds. But this development needs to be a sustainable one. Unfortunately, the powers to be equate development to be that of building railway lines, 4 lane roads, high end layouts or resorts. Instead, what we actually need is development that will benefit the locals without damaging the environment. Why can't the development be about improving the infrastructure? The district had nearly 7 Olympians in the contingent to Rio this year. So, the development can be about improving sports infrastructure in every part of the District or getting mobile and internet connectivity to every nook and corner or roads with markings and reflectors to name a few. These jokers that we would like to call our representatives have no such vision and we people have our heads so far in our backsides that we will not do anything about it except write about it in a blog like what I am doing at the moment.

If the Government of Karnataka along with the other Politicians cared so much for Cauvery, then why doesn't the State Government declare Kaveri Sankramana as a State Holiday for starters. If you do not celebrate "Namma Kaveri Mathe", then what is the use of calling her "NAMMADHU". Our Politicians instead want to be the ones in the front row at Talacauvery on Sankramana or they will make their presence felt on Sankramana by distributing Food to devotees and then making a case for them to build a centre and a guest house in Talacauvery which will definitely not help in improving water capacity of the river. I sometimes wonder if the larger idea is to take control over Cauvery by sidelining the people of Kodagu.

These unplanned activities are the reason for the Cauvery to be in the news for all the wrong reasons and as people of the land that is Kaveriamma's, it is time for us to pull up our socks. None of these red and yellow flag lovers will ever come to help save the catchment area, Kodagu. We need to assert ourselves and make sure that we preserve, protect and nurture the river and our land for our future survival if not for anything else. As I write this article, I am hoping that people in Coorg have better sense than support a bandh that serves no purpose.

There are a lot of things that we need to do but that is for another day. For starters, do not let any politician or organisation to attend Sankramana at Talacauvery. Please support all local organisations working towards protecting the catchment area. If you do not agree with them, then tell them where they are wrong. The time has come for us to act.

I am also hoping that this article provokes people to either agree with me or infuriate people to atleast show me the middle finger.

Wake up and Smell the Coffee!

It has been nearly a year now since my last article. I had ended it with the words of Jane Goodall, "Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right". And right now. I don't think anything is right when it comes to my hometown, Kodagu. 

Two issues have grabbed the attention of the people of Coorg in the last couple of months. And both these issues actually affect the very identity of Kodagu as we know it. One is the proposed railway line which affects the environment and the other is the Court order against certain traditional practices. And both these issues have got dramatically different reactions. While the former has garnered a lot of attention online with people of all ages using different means to raise awareness, the latter has sadly been brushed under the carpet almost as a sort of acceptance. 

We fortunately have learnt a lesson after the failure of the campaign against the Power Line project. This coupled with the awareness on the need to protect the environment has ensured that people from all walks of life are now supporting the various groups involved in the fight against the railway line. It is heartening to see the communication centered around Mother Cauvery and I believe that this has helped garner widespread support from all over the World. However, all the online campaigning will not help much if we do not see some action on ground, And by action, I do not mean violence. I mean galvanizing enough forces on ground to cripple normal life. For until and unless we get people to come and support these causes on ground, we will not be able  to make much of an impact. The Railway Minister has reacted to the campaign and has tweeted that he will look into it. But what is he going to look at when our elected representatives have not even given a single statement either supporting or opposing the project. Why do we even call these people our representatives if they are not going to understand and stand by the pulse of their electorate? 

I am no saint nor do I think I have the answers to all the problems plaguing us. But I believe that if we do not start speaking about it, we will only fall deeper into the pit that we have dug ourselves into. I blame us, the people for we have brought this upon ourselves. We are a society that thrives on arm chair activism. Almost anybody and everybody in or from Coorg has an opinion on anything and everything. We criticise every single thing around us but when it comes to taking a stand publicly or going for a protest, we somehow have no time for any of it. So while we comfortably share and write about issues on social media platforms, the time has come for us to hold a mirror and look long and hard at ourselves and see the truth for once in our lives. 

The campaign against the Railway Line started to make waves after the "Toast to Cauvery" initiative where one holds a glass of water and raise a toast to Cauvery. It is a brilliant campaign and helped strike a chord with friends from outside Coorg especially in cities or places that depend on the river. However, while it is nice to think innovative for a campaign, it is time to ask ourselves if we really hold the river in the same esteem that our forefathers did before us. How many of us Kodavas have gone to Talacavery in the recent past? How many of us celebrate Kaveri Sankramana in the true spirit of the Festival? I for one went to Cauvery after nearly three years because I had to go and barely make it home to Coorg for Kaveri Sankramana. We have become tourists to our own practices and places of identity. And that is the hypocrisy. We say it is ours but don't show it. 

I love the fact that our Culture is very different from a large part of the Country, but while we have opened up and become liberal; we somehow seem to be identifying ourselves to be that of pork eating guzzlers with a short fuse. Of course, it is all about individual choices. I truly respect the fact that each individual has the liberty and freedom to make choices that they think is right. For that matter, I do not like the Kodava Samaj or any other body to tell me what makes me a Kodava. But a time has come for us to feel the need to preserve what is left of us being an indigenous community. 

These practices are what makes us who we are. The past three odd months has seen authorities clamp down on centuries old practices to implement a Court order. A Court order that most of us did not know about until it was implemented. The said Court order banned animal sacrifice in places of worship in Coorg. Every temple Festival this year saw a huge contingent of Police around the premises making sure that no animal sacrifice took place. So much so that people wee intimidated and hurt that they were not allowed to practice what they truly believed in. I have an issue with this attitude of the Courts and the system in general where individual rights and practices have no voice. The whole media is going to town about Freedom of Speech and so on but what about my rights. There are some people who will argue that animal sacrifice is cruel and we need to have more humanity and stop this but that change if at all needs to come from inside the Community and not by the high hand of the law. 

So will they then go on and tell us that we cannot offer Karana to our ancestors? Today, it is about animal sacrifice, tomorrow it will be about our rights to own guns and day after our right to our land and it will only continue to get worse. Our language and a lot of our traditional practices are already dying a slow death. As a society, we have always been open to adapting and moving with the times but of late, we seem to be adapting better to those things that dilute our practices. As an indigenous population, we need to preserve whatever little is left of our place and our Culture.  

Of course, everybody has a right to go to Court but It baffles me that we somehow seem to miss all that concerns us, especially in the legal or political fields. The need of the hour is a body, a think thank of the young and the old that brings the various organisations in Coorg under one platform. A body that is not just a committee of power and prestige but a body of individuals from all walks of life that helps the various groups get maximum traction for each of its causes. Judicial overreach and unnecessary judicial activism needs to be curtailed. Every single one of us needs to get our hands dirty or at least support those who are willing to get their hands dirty. We need an organisation that will work with the Officials and against the Officials, from solving individual problems to regulating tourism and land laws. It is time for us to be assertive and take control over our lives before we get run over and don't even realise what hit us.. 

So its time to wake up and smell the Coffee!!........ 

Time to signal the start of a new Era!

I have been wanting to write this article for nearly a month now but have just not been able to put my thoughts into words. It's too vast a subject to be put into one article. I had written an article more than a year back venting my frustration on the state of affairs in Coorg (http://mach-chewed.blogspot.in/2014/01/is-it-only-me.html).

While that was about venting my frustration, I would like to believe that this is about trying to start a discussion on the way forward for the Kodavas and the present district of Coorg. As responsible individuals, I believe that it is important that we start a conversation now, rather than sit down for a drink 5 years later and regret that we had a chance to correct the course but did not do anything about it.

There are numerous organisations in Coorg that are working on various causes and as much as one hates them or loves them, one cannot agree that they are trying to make a difference. The organisations might not be getting the support from the general public due to a whole lot of issues, be it lack of credibility of certain members or the lack of knowledge on the part of the public. However, one cannot deny that these organisations have tried to highlight issues, bring it out in the public domain and have pulled up the establishment whenever possible. The death knell of most of these struggles has been the indifferent attitude of the Public. We Kodavas in particular are brilliant arm chair activists. We have an opinion on anything and everything, but when it comes to going for a protest or just joining a protest for symbolic reasons, we somehow get busy. It is time to change that attitude.

The criticism of my brethren aside, the biggest let down in Coorg has been that of our Political leadership. Our so called leaders cutting across party lines have failed the district of Kodagu and its people. Of course, we are a politically irrelevant district in terms of numbers with just 2 MLA seats and a half MP seat which is really not going to be of an impact to the fortunes of any political party.

This being said, one cannot deny that the District has been very consistent in its voting pattern. There is no doubt that Kodagu is a BJP loving District. The Congress and the not so relevant JD(S) have almost been pushed to the side-line. But as a consistent BJP voter for the longest time, I am disappointed and let down by my elected representatives. The recent protest against the High Tension Power line is a case in example. The BJP leadership in Kodagu has let vested interests reign instead of listening to the pulse of its people. What is the use of having elected representatives if they do not reflect the aspirations of its people?

Of Course, we might not have had a case legally and the struggle might have started late, or the Courts might have ruled against the protesters, or the BJP leadership might not have seen eye to eye with those leading the struggle but can the BJP leadership deny the fact that a vast majority of its constituents were against the power line. If so, should we continue voting for the BJP which has definitely failed its people? Every party leader will have to toe their party line but that does not mean that they fail the people who have elected them to power. Would this have happened in a place like Mandya?

Here we are going gung ho about Mr. Modi and the strong leadership at the Centre but does this mean that we forget what is necessary for us. I just wish the BJP leaders with a Kodava majority understand this. The struggle against the power line should have been headed by the elected representatives; instead the BJP showed that its dislike for organisations like the Kaveri Sene and others was bigger than the issue. A simple act of supporting the protesters, meeting them on ground and taking them along to meet the relevant people would have won more accolades and helped the BJP push the other organisations to the side-lines. The BJP leadership needs to understand that while they have to follow the Party Diktat, they can do so with a simple Mantra, "Think Globally, Act Locally". This does not absolve the representatives of the ruling party in the State from not acting for the interests of the people of Kodagu. Why didn't the Congress leaders stand-up and protest against the power line? Instead, their leaders prefer to show their assertiveness by interfering in settling Family feuds.

But more than everything else, all our Politicians cutting across party lines and organisations chase vested interests and lose connect with the people. Most leaders in the district somehow seem to think that they have to follow the same old rhetoric, i.e. minority appeasement, opposing one view simply because you are from a different political party etc. If there is any place that needs it political leaders to rise above politics, it is Coorg, Not one political party in Coorg can take credit for its development. Coorg has developed because of its people

Ideally, the situation is ripe for a Kodagu based political party. A party that reflects the aspirations of its people,  a party that has holistic development as its nerve centre; A party that balances culture and economic development. Will it work is another question altogether. At this moment, we we need to start representation from the local level, village panchayats, Co-operative society and the Zilla panchayat; A force that every political party needs to appease to win a MLA/ MP election. We need to become a force to reckon with.

But for all of this to even remotely change to start making a difference, we the people of Coorg need to somehow make an economic impact. While we become politically relevant, we also need to start becoming self - sufficient economically. The original inhabitants of Coorg need to start gaining control over land as a first resort. It has started slowly with people of interest coming together and their efforts need to be supported and appreciated. But individuals also need to be responsible. While it is an individual’s right to sell his or her property, it is also one's responsibility to sell wisely. It is no use twirling one's mush and claiming to be a true Kodava while selling one's property to somebody from outside the Community for a few extra bucks. It is time for us to start putting the money back to our Homeland and re- gaining control over our lands.

Tourism is a big Industry and is definitely helping lift the economy of the District, It has given a lot of people an alternate income. But responsibility needs to start at home. We need to find legal and other ways to regulate tourism and maintain the cultural and ecological sanctity of the place.

Before I finish, the other big point is the total lack of PR activity around Coorg. There are so many events taking place in Coorg that need National if not International publicity. Sadly, except for a few articles in the South Indian editions of newspapers and tabloids, none of these events get coverage in the National press. A few Lifestyle shows have managed to capture a few traits/ attributes of Coorg though a lot of them have been done with such bad research that it makes me cringe. The Power line project got a decent amount of publicity due to social media activism especially because of some well-known celebrities sharing and speaking about the protests. It’s disappointing to note that the World's biggest Hockey tournament does not get featured in any main stream Media Channel besides the local vernacular channels. There are some stalwarts from Coorg who have made a mark for themselves in various fields. Besides, there are people from Coorg who are in key positions in various verticals of Media. It’s time to use their popularity to highlight and promote issues. 

I do not have an answer to any of the issues; I just wanted to use this platform to start a discussion with a hope that I as a young Citizen of Coorg make an effort to leave a legacy behind for the future inhabitants of this great land. 

I would like to end with the words of Jane Goodall, "Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right"

EDM- What has it done?

India today is at the forefront of the ever growing EDM scene in the World. The last few years have seen the best of International stars descending down to the Country to entertain Fans across all age groups. From Club Gigs to concerts to Festivals, almost all the big names have played across these platforms with some artists making India a must stop destination as a part of their yearly tour calendar. Bangalore with its varied and knowledgeable music listening culture has been fortunate to listen to almost all the acts that has visited India.

I have been fortunate to have been a part of this Bubble as an organiser most times and as an audience on some of the occasions. This is not an article that is going to give my insight into the scene and the Business of it; rather this is an article where I am at my Hypocritical best.

The Growth of EDM has been such that it has nearly replaced Rock & Roll at the moment. The last couple of gigs that I have done has left more questions than answers in my head. Hence, this article more than anything else is just an introspection of those thoughts.

These according to me are the problems affecting the EDM Industry and the Live Music scene on the whole

Promoters and the Glamour:
EDM has grown so fast and big in such a short span of time without even the Foundations being set well. While Rock and Roll in India took more than 20 years of building up with promoters working for a few years to get an Artists down, today, thanks to the internet, the average listener gets to listen to the latest tracks on the same day as the rest of the World. From 10 year olds to 35 year olds, the EDM market has encompassed people across age groups. This coupled with the fact, that it is comparatively cheaper to host an EDM gig has made a promoter of every person with a little money and a few contacts. The want of promoters to push a gig was actually nice when it was restricted to Clubs.

But with big acts starting to tour, the scene had to get bigger which meant big acts, big Crowds, big Production etc. This made some bigger fish want a piece of the action, So people with hardly any experience in the Live Events/ Music space made a beeline for the scene. And sadly, the established players just wanted to cover their backsides and recover their monies; where as the new age Promoters wanted to be a part of it for the glamour. Some of these Promoters were not even involved with the Club scene earlier and hence had no clue on how the business ran except for a few connections and pockets that ran deep. They were willing to pay premium for everything and anything as long as their names and logos stood out. Their Social networking pages were about them mixing with the whose who of the Industry and this made a few other hundred people wanting to be a part of the scene. Little did they know, that the Glamour dies out, the day you enter the Industry. A lot of such new age promoters are already missing from the scene but have left a mark that the rest of us are trying to recover from. Eg: The huge costs that one has to pay for permissions for starters

The Stupid Guest List
Perhaps, EDM's biggest contribution to the Economy has been the birth of Clubs in the Country. From a few Bars & Clubs about 10 years back, we now have a club at every Corner. This ensured that every Club had to have a full house to make any decent Money. And they in turn had to depend upon the Promoters to get the Crowd in. So, more people at a Club, more money for everybody involved,

However, even this changed when the big brands started getting involved and Club Gigs turned into Concert spaces. The Big brands that got these Artists down, obviously want maximum crowds at their gigs and hence have to use local promoters to sell tickets and get in crowds. With a big act every week, the average listener has no money to attend all the gigs. So, it basically boils down to the rapport that the average listener enjoys with the Promoter.

This huge rat race where every promoter is competing with the other in terms of attendance has made Guests lists an inevitable part of every Club Night. Today, we have Local artists promoting their nights on their Facebook page with that hurried last minute announcement on the day of the show, "Hurry. call now to have your name on that limited Guest List". The same Artist will go back to his Facebook page and announce that it was a stellar of a gig and the Crowd was off the hook. I really wonder as to how many of that stellar Crowd actually paid to get in.

The logic in most cases is to fill the Clubs and make money on the Bar which is the ideal solution for a Bar or a Club but the fact that this has carried on to the Live Music space is where the problem is or rather where the Hypocrisy starts.

I don't remember the last time I bought a ticket or paid to enter a Club, Concert or a Festival. I thought I was alone but then figured that almost all my counterparts are on the same boat as me. It has gotten to a stage where its normal to be on the Guest list. And if one like me is either an Event Manager, Artist, Sponsor, promoter or a relative of somebody amongst these, then you just shouldn't pay to enter a gig because its our God Given right to get free entry. It's a shame that one has to pay when one belongs to either of these categories. Now with everybody friends with everybody,we have a unique situation where almost everybody at an event has come in free.

More often than not, the conversations after a gig gets very interesting. You will have the organisers/ promoters rave about how they were 7000 pax in the house when a person whose designed the place will know that there couldn't have been more than 5000 pax. And once everybody has left, you will hear the same promoter say that it was a bad gig and that there were so many people on the Guest list that they didn't make money off the entry. And this is where the Hypocrisy starts. At the very next gig done by somebody else, you will see the same Cry Baby walking in with a few Friends of his through the Guest List. We have created a scene that we want to nurture but where we do not respect the Artist or the Organiser. A scenario where we will not pay to attend a gig, PERIOD!. The last I probably bought a ticket for myself was for Aerosmith and that was some 8 years back. So if my Math is right, there is an entire Generation that does not know what it is to pay a ticket; for most of them, their first live experience was an EDM Concert. The time when the Guest List was Born!


The VIP who does not Pay
The people on the Guest list are slightly better off. They just want to get in free for they just don't want to spend on entry but will blow a lot more at the Bar and I can live with that. (Yes, I'm a hypocrite. I usually have about 15 of my closest Family and Friends on the Guest list by hook or crook).

The biggest problem as I see it is the VIP. In Most cases, the VIP area is a specially demarcated zone for Sponsors, Organisers and some "very special people". Slightly elevated from the rest of the crowd, this zone definitely gives a person a sense of accomplishment and a chance to look down at the lesser Mortals. Drinks and Food at this zone is free of cost and comes with all the luxury possible. The VIP is an aspirational zone. So much so that some people are insulted when they don't get into the VIP zone for it makes them look normal which is not acceptable.

So if an Organiser needs Sponsors, he has to make space in the VIP zone for them. And if he needs permissions, then he needs to keep aside all the VIP tickets and a few of the normal tickets. The VIP is a rather unique species. He will come in a fancy car, wear fancy clothes but cannot afford to spend Rs. 3000/- on a ticket or buy a drink for Rs. 300/- at the Bar. And worse than that is the fact that while at the VIP, one shouldn't dance like there is no tomorrow. That is for the Crowd at the General area, In the VIP, one usually has to have a twitch on their nostril and have their heads above the ceiling. I can come up with a very nice full form for VIP in Tamil but will refrain myself from doing it. (Any Guesses?)

So essentially, an organiser ends up spending money on the Artist, production, permission and on the Stupid VIP who will not pay for entry or spend money at the bar.

In other words, the Organiser/Promoter needs to be a Samaritan willing to please everybody by getting an Artist down and then making sure that everybody is satisfied and hopefully at the end of it make some money

Conclusion:
The EDM bubble is here to stay but its time the stakeholders stop and take a hard look at the Industry. It is no use having stellar acts on one's Company profile if we continue digging a hole that we might never get out of.

My wish list is to see an EDM gig where the production is top notch, where the Artist is a big name, with a VIP zone that has butler service and the works but where every single person has paid for their entry. For if we do not do it now, then we have probably sounded the death knell for the Live Music Industry in India.

However, I still don't know if I am going to pay for my next gig but I do know that I will make an effort to pay and make people understand the importance of paying to attend a live event.

From,
The Hypocrite

A state gone dry!

The last week or so has seen numerous jokes on the Govt. of Kerala's decision to put an end to the so called Alcohol abuse in Kerala. There have been numerous debates on both Malayalam and National News Channels on the pros and cons of the Ban and each side has had their own way of looking at the larger picture. While some individuals welcomed the move saying that alcohol abuse is bad and the state should not look at economical gains in curbing a social evil, some others were of the opinion that it is not good for the thriving tourism industry in the State. And then there have been those who have questioned the wisdom of a ban in order to curb a social evil.

That the State Government headed by the Chief Minister took this decision only for political reasons is a known fact. The desire to occupy the moral high ground and not lose base is what prompted the Chief Minister to score a point against his arch rivals in the Congress is no big secret. 

In a state that prides itself a the most literate state in the Country, I am baffled that the Government thinks that prohibition is the answer to the problem. My problem with the ban as a Non- Keralite living in Kerala is not so much as the ban itself, it is rather with the Govt's approach in addressing the issue. If the state is really serious about tackling this issue, then, why don't they introduce measures that will curb alcohol abuse, For eg: Drinking permit cards for every citizen based on pre-set guidelines. I believe that there is a big wide line between moderate drinking and alcohol abuse. 

 If the state is really serious, then drug abuse is a big problem especially amongst teenagers but the Govt, and the police establishment prefer to criminalise the user instead of stopping the supply chain. 

If bans are going to be the answer in solving or addressing issues, I am afraid that the Congress has just sown the seeds in giving a license to the so called guardians of Indian Culture to implement their version of a moral code of ethics which a lot of right wing thinkers associated with the ruling party at the centre seem to be advocating in some form or the other.  

I would be joking if I said that I don't like my drink. But I can think for myself and if my Parents and my teachers have taught me anything, it is the confidence to make my own decision. I cannot accept the state making a decision for me. I cannot and will not accept the state taking away MY ABILITY TO THINK. And this is my problem with my Mallu friends, for most of them, even though they do not agree to the ban, prefer to remain silent and instead have already started devising ways of working around the ban. We are a educated lot and what is Freedom if it does not give a person to make his or her own lifestyle choices. Unfortunately, its soon going to be a crime to have a drink in Kerala. 

And so, I cannot live in a place where I cannot spend my hard earned money and socialise the way I want to.. Anyway, its a Friday night and time for me to hit the bottle with a vengeance. 

And remember.........

In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria” - Benjamin Franklin

The baby is 3 years Old.

In a little less than 3 days from now, the 3rd edition of India's authentic camp out music festival will kick off at a brand new venue with a brand new feel. After being an integral part of the team behind Storm for the first 2 editions, I am left to watching it as any other person with the only Storm activity restricted to sharing and retweeting posts on the Festival on social networking platforms.

I have been writing this article for 3 days now and I have no clue as to where to start from. I wanted to write about the experience of creating this baby with the rest of the crazy set of people that have been a part of it for the last couple of years but Visakh and Sunil have already done a brilliant job with it (Storm Story on ww.stormfestivalindia.com)

Storm for me has truly been a festival of Friends; a festival put together by passionate individuals, some of who are not even from the Events Industry. I got a call the other day from a Friend who said, "Bro, I wish you were here" and that got me thinking, what was it that made Storm so special for all of us. Simply put, It was a way of life. Almost the entire team for the 1st edition was a team of novices. We just had 5 people who were experienced campaigners in the Industry. The rest of us, were at the most 3 years old in the industry. Some were into their first jobs and hadn't even been to a proper concert, forget a Festival. But what we had, was a vision, how would you want it to be? Everyone of the experienced campaigners in the team had their own baggage but they were willing to listen and listen they did. Every single one of those decisions in the first year was a democratic process so much so that, we could have given the AAP a run for their money.

Imagine working in a team where every single person wanted to prove a point. A digital team that realised that they had the perfect platform to announce their arrival to the World. They still continue to support Storm Festival and treat it as their own even today. If there was one thing that was talked about in the first year more than the experience at the Festival, it was the communication and interaction on social networking platforms. I still remember how each one of us scrutinized the answers to all those posts on FB and Twitter when we decided to postpone the Festival. While some fans were upset and angry and even calling us fly by night operators, all we did was answer to each and every one of them. I don't think we chose the easier way out and deleted any comment. I remember one of us actually called a former big boss contestant and spoke to her. That person actually landed up at the Festival and had a blast.

The team at LSE was even better. The entire ticketing and camp allotment for the first 2 years were handled by 2 girls who were fresh out of college and on their first jobs. On one side, they had to deal with the enormous responsibility of handling the most important part of the Festival, revenue and happy customers and on the other side, they had to deal with the bullets fired from the bosses. The only reprieve was the smoking sessions where we could bitch all we wanted and then get back to the grind. While on one side, there were customers, we had artists on the other side and these were people that you had to really take care of. Of Course, the artists were probably the best that you could deal with, While they were particular of what they wanted, we just had to tell them that this is what you get and that was it. This entire facilitation was handled by another person who was also fresh out of College. I don't think anybody else cried as much as she did during the run up to the Festival.

Storm was announced to the World at the first Submerge Supernova. While, the first draft of the logo was worked on, it was fine tuned and perfected with inputs from every person worth his salt and the entire responsibility of all the creative till today, is solely on one person. One of the most straight forward no- nonsense person I have met in my life. If there was and is a person that still believes in the Festival, I guess it is him. He was the one person who put all of us including the bosses in their places. I still think some of us are scared to say the wrong things to him for he will definitely tell you what you don't want to hear.

There are a couple of other guys from LSE that sadly will never get the limelight they deserve and the best part, they don;t even expect it. Imagine a guy who sends his wife and kid to their hometown simply because he has to be at Storm and has no time. Or a person who has come to Storm as a volunteer for the past 3 years only because he loves the damn festival.

This festival was definitely built on passion and a dream. The friends who were simply there all the time because they saw you put in the hard work. A businessman with his own establishment who closed his shop for 4 days and got his almost octogenarian father along to Storm Fields and the poor old man was actually sitting at the coupon booth the first year (that he is a Sindhi is a different issue altogether). The lady who spent more time at LSE than at her own home to help friends but also ended up getting all the shouting and emotional outbursts. The other friend who simply said, "Brother, you do what you do what you have to do and we will see the rest". Or the forever ready young lad who only told you those things that were not right with the whole set up but but stood by you and also got along his friends to help with the Festival. I remember the first year, we did not even bother with Artist travel and stay beyond a point simply because we didn't have to. There is an endless list of people that have helped with the Festival and they did not really do it for monetary gains or to have their names mentioned even once during the last 2 years They simply did it because they believed in somebody else's vision. The people of Napoklu who inspite of it being the only time of the year when they make their money (coffee season), taking a week off to be at Stormfields from dawn till dusk. They did not have to do it but they did it because they felt responsible for some reason or the other. The Father of the organizers who worked harder than anybody else at the Festival. For 6 months every year, he dedicated himself to Stormfield even with driving into Stormfields with a broken leg to finish work.

I really don;t know how we managed to conduct 2 years of the Festival without any real corporate or sponsorship backing. There were court cases by pseudo social activists, authorities who knew they had a once in a lifetime opportunity to use their power and look up at rules that they themselves did not know existed. But yet, the Festival ran for 2 years and is taking off in less than 2 days from now (I know I started with 3 days left, that's how long its taken me to be politically right). The truth is that for some reason and I am still trying to figure it out, the Festival has this unique ability to draw people to it not as audiences alone but as people willing to bend their backs for the Festival. I can go and on about people who come to Storm because they want to be there, like the General Manager of a leading 5 star property in Maharashtra who came to help with the bar and even helped carry crates of liquor. Or the person who came on his bike to help out with the Festival and had to give it for a proper service after that (I rode his bike more than him at the Festival)

 I know I missed out on some very important people but they will understand. They do get the limelight every once in a while but the people mentioned here are the Underdogs just like The Festival is... These unsung Heroes have given their heart and soul to the Festival and the old order has made way for some new ones who will also be experiencing the stress and the frustration of being a part of it. And to the new ones, don't fret, look at the bigger picture, you are creating something, ENJOY IT!!..

I will be lying if I said that I don't miss being there but sometimes you have to let go. The baby is almost 3 and good to walk alone.

So, as an audience if you still haven't bought your tickets, well, you will not get passes like other times. for one, pay for the experience and two, I AM NOT AT THE BOX OFFICE THIS YEAR TO HAND OVER A WRIST BAND SECRETLY ...

Is it only me?

I will be turning 30 in a couple of months from now and as I am getting older, there is this frustration that is building up in me on the state of affairs in Coorg. Its been 7 months since I moved to the neighbouring state of Kerala and besides the guilt of not making it home often enough (3 trips in 7 months is not something to be proud of). While some might say that I have no right to comment since I do not live in Coorg nor have I in any way contributed to any major cause even if it is monetary and hence I should not be a hypocrite. Well, that is my home and no matter where I am or what I do, my roots are right where it has always been. 

This article is an attempt to put my side of the story and understand from my Coorg brethren if I am alone in my thoughts or if I am thinking what everybody else is thinking but not saying it out loud besides a conversation over a drink or two. 

The past couple of years has seen some significant developments in terms of the Govt. of Karnataka's so called initiatives in development activities in Coorg. I must say I am baffled that we are accepting everything being thrown at us in the name of making us an inclusive part of the state. The 80th All India Karnataka Sahitya Sammelana that took off in Coorg today is a plain and straight mockery of us Kodavas. How else would one explain the arrogance of the Government machinery in organising a Sammelana in a district that has largely been ignored in terms of basic infrastructure development?. Why should we normal Kodavas even put up with this kind of an arrogance when we do not even get our due or rather return of investment on taxes that we pay to the Government. I agree that Coorg/ Kodagu is an integral part of the State of Karnataka and besides the fight for our rights through organisations like the CNC, the Coorg Wildlife Society etc, there has never been a conversation on the actual state of affairs in Coorg. On one side, we have the lack of basic infrastructure and on the other side, the loss of our traditions and Cultural heritage. 

Basic infrastructural development that is a minimum requisite is sadly the last thing on our Govt.'s development agenda. The Hunsur Gonikoppal road has been in shambles since time immemorial so much so that people drive on this stretch simply because they do not have a choice. Its been nearly a year since we were promised that the road will be ready and sadly the stretch is as bad or worse at the moment. On one side, we have tourists coming in thousands to Coorg thereby creating an alternate means of an income to everybody concerned. And instead of developing this, we today have a scenario where money is being spent on activities that has no bearing on out lives whatsoever. 

The Gonikoppal Dasara had a budget that does not help anybody besides some quick money for the organisers. This Sahitya sammelana is another example of making money from a social cause (if that is what it is). If the Govt. or our very own elected representatives are so interested in developing the Culture of Coorg, then why isn't some money allocated to Kodava Culture itself. for example, I for one have never seen a "kolu mandu" on Puthari and I can say it is true for most of our generation. Is there any money been spent on preserving traditonal practices and art forms of Coorg. God forbid a day where we have a DJ dropping a valaga tune at a Ganga pooja simply because we do not have a valaga team. With most of us living outside, we do not even have time to make it for our very own festivals and we actually only have 4 of them of any significance (Kailpod, Kaveri Sankramana, Karana and Puthari). So, while a large part of the blame is because of our indifferent attitude;we are playing right into the hands of the politicians who would like nothing than cutting us down to size and snatching away our land and culture from us and thereby our very existence. 

There is a lot more that I can write home about and pent my frustration. But today it is about acceptance of who we are and where we would like to see ourselves 50 years from now. It is upto my generation to walk the talk and preserve whatever we have left. Agreed that we are a cosmopolitan and urbane,educated, liberal Community. We are global and exposed and we need to be pragmatic in accepting that we cannot expect all of us to marry into our own community. In layman terms, we are "modern". But nobody can deny that we are facing a crisis that we better accept and try to rectify before we are walked over in our own land because of our ignorance and indifferent attitude.