"I am trying to gather people to fight
for causes"

PAVAN VERMA has the perfect credentials. An ICS father, schooling in the best public school, Scindia School, Gwalior, graduation from St. Stephens College, History (Hons), a degree in Law and, to top it all, an entry into the Indian Foreign Service. With this curriculum vitae, he could have spent his time just playing golf and meeting the movers and shakers of the world. But Pavan Verma chose to break away from the stereotype since he wanted to give back much more to society.

Pavan Verma is a human dynamo with a lot of energy and enthusiasm to give to his various activities and interests. He is currently posted as the Joint Secretary (Africa desk) in the Ministry of External Affairs. However, it is not as a civil servant that people know him. His new book The Great Indian Middle Class has been rated as the best non-fiction book of 1998. The book takes a close look at the westernised middle class Indians, highlighting their foibles and idiosyncrasies. The style is lucid and contemporary and it has touched a chord amongst its readers. The multi-faceted Pavan read a beautiful poem on Kargil martyrs which revealed the depth of his sensitivity at a show organised by artists at the Habitat Centre in Delhi recently. In an exclusive interview to Belu Maheshwari, Pawan Verma spoke about himself, his times and his future plans. Excerpts:

You are a bureaucrat. How did you start writing?

I have been publishing my writings for the last 10 years. My first book was Ghalib: The man, the times, published by Viking in 1989. It was well received and has been translated in Urdu also. Then came Mansions at dusk: The Havelis of Old Delhi in 1991, followed by Krishna, the playful divine. Then I wrote Yudhishthira and Draupadi and now the The Great Indian Middle Class.

I have been fond of jotting my thoughts and then elaborating on them. I read a lot, so both helped me start writing on various subjects and by God’s grace I have managed to publish my works.

Was it easy to get your first book published? Normally, the first hurdle is the toughest?

Yes, it is true that the first book is the toughest to get on the stands. When I finished Ghalib, I went to the Sahitya Akademi but they were there only in name and were not of any help. H.D. Shourie knew I was writing a book, he asked me to meet Khushwant Singh who liked my manuscript.He said he would give it to Penguin India but then nothing happened for quite sometime. I wrote a verse to Khushwant Hamne maana taaful na karoge lekin khak ho jayenge hum tum ko khabar hone tak. (I agree that you will not ignore me but by the time you take notice I will be finished). Penguin liked the manuscript and in their language called it ‘A’ class, but were shy of publishing Ghalib in English. Now it has turned out to have an evergreen shelf life and is into its eighth edition.

What led you to write a book on the middle class?

I had wanted to write a book on a contemporary subject for quite sometime. During a conversation with David Davidar of Penguin the idea took shape. Both of us were enthusiastic about the project. This was a book they commissioned along with half a dozen books to commemorate 50 years of Indian Independence.

The Indian middle class is not a composite whole, it does not have one entity. How did you tackle this vast subject? Did you have some protagonists in mind?

I used about 5,000 newspaper clippings. Read everything I could lay my hands on on the subject. For the final writing, I took a few months off from work. I worked at least eight hours a day till I finished the book. I did not use any person to base my book, but I became a more vigilant observer of my surroundings. I myself live in a middle class milieu so I began to analyse the process at work in society. I had a multiple of protagonists from whom to form my characters and it turned out to be a fascinating study.

What is the process of your creativity?

The process of writing requires a lot of discipline. I note down my thoughts in a register to use them at a later date. I devote at least two weeks to the structure of the book, including planning the chapters. I plan the whole book on a sheet of paper. I feel if you can write 500 cogent and lucid words a day, you have done a good job. The days I cannot write or the thinking process is blocked, I am a difficult person to live with since it is a must to get the ideas off your chest. The actual writing I do on a laptop which is easy to use. I don’t normally have to change or correct much of what I’ve written.

You seem to be involved in a number of activities. What all interests you?

I am a civil servant who has a lot of work as Joint Secretary, Africa, as we have many countries to deal with. I am writing People Like Us, a column for The Hindustan Times which gets a very good response. I am also doing a morning show for DD1. Once a week I play bridge, twice a week I play golf, I write prose and poetry, and I give time to my family. I have a large circle of friends. I’m trying to gather people to fight for causes.....

How do you manage? Does your day have 48 hours?

I make no pretences about being a superman or having a halo of a martyr who is burdened with work. I feel if you love something, you will

always find time for it. But I must confess and I can say this without the slightest sense of modesty that I work in an organised manner and have the ability to work in spurts of concentration. I have a high level of concentration and I can finish in one hour what others write in four hours. I can work in the crevices of time and compartmentalise my life. Since I love what I do, I get charged even thinking about my various activities.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to make my fortnightly column more people-oriented. I am co-authoring a book with Renuka Khandekar. It is a middle class Indian’s guide to survival. I am also editing a book on Delhi which is to be

released on January 26. On Shabana Azmi’s request, I am translating Kaifi Azmi’s Dewan, though the progress is slow. Penguin has asked me to write a book on the psyche of an Indian, it is going to be a serious book. I also keep reviewing literary books. I have enough projects for the future.

Were you always so energetic? Even as a child, did you have varied interests?

My interests have grown with time, though I was always full of energy.

Are there areas where you would like to devote more time?

Definitely. I love Indian classical music. I have three elder sisters who used to learn and I used to take a keen interest in music, but my mother did not encourage this saying," Ek hi ladka hai aur agar gavaiya ho gaya to?" Still, I can recognise a raga faster than my sisters. I would love to devote time to music, read more, contribute more to organisations who write letters asking for help.

Do you sincerely believe an individual can make a difference and can change things all alone?

I definitely feel every person matters. All of us should give a little extra of ourselves to society and the nation. All our efforts should go towards building a better life around us. I believe ‘Do what you can, when you can, how you can’. Otherwise, you have no right to be called an Indian citizen.

How did you get interested in social causes?

Concern for Delhi was a fallout of the book I wrote on the capital. I saw Indians were very fond of ritual cleanliness but had no sense of public hygiene. Our temples are so dirty. For a thinking person — whether it is environment, Kargil, state of the country or any other issue — things around you rouse you and evoke a reaction. I feel being where I am, I should try to change things for the better.

Are you heading towards politics after retirement ?

I can’t rule it out, though politics is not a defining line. It is public life. We need good people to come forward. The country is crying out aloud for role models. Maybe you can’t become a Mahatma Gandhi, but we don’t need only icons. We need sensitive and doing individuals. Finally people are waking up, they are realising the need for change. Maybe I won’t wait for retirement. At the same time I feel I should least wait to be an ambassador before quitting.

You are an ‘A’ type personality, as they say in psychology. Are you a hyper person?

I am not a tense person, but I do have an overactive brain. I need to take a break and do yoga and meditation. My family is my anchor. I have a happy family environment. My wife is the sounding board for my ideas. My family keeps me grounded. I do not know my type but I am happy doing what I am doing.

How important a role does media play in selling a book, or creating a hype around a person?

If a product is good, it has a life of its own. It will be noticed and a bad product will sink under the momentum of its own inadequacies. Media, a good publisher and good publicity help it to get noticed faster. They also build up expectations. As you know, regional literature goes unnoticed due to a lack of publicity. Good product plus hype helps in initial selling.

Do you feel publishing has come of age in India?

Indians do not want to spend on books. If 5,000 copies get sold, the book is declared a success. The publisher is happy. You can’t live off writing in India, except for a handful of writers. Then we have a whole parallel business of pirated books. Someone gave me a pirated version of my book to autograph, and one can get as many as one wants to in Daryaganj. Our laws to deal with piracy are insufficient . Our publishing has improved a lot but we have a long way to go.

Any book which has left an impact?

No, not really. Iliked reading The God of Small Things, An Equal Music by Vikram Seth, Anita Desai, but I can’t read Salman Rushdie. May be its my own inadequacy. I would like to read much more but I don’t get enough time for it.

Anything special you want to do?

I have lots of future plans, my mind keeps ticking. One thing I want to do is to learn reading Urdu and Sanskrit — as an act of penance to get over my own cultural inadequacies.