The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

on record
‘Visit to India rid me of prejudice’
Shahira Naim talks to Kenize Mourad Celebrated French author of Indian descent

Her life story is as fascinating, if not more, as the books she writes. Seventythree-year-old Kenize Mourad, daughter of a Turkish princess and an Indian raja, is a leading political journalist in France and celebrated author. Her widely acclaimed fictional account of her mother, “Regards from the Dead Princess: Novel of a Life” has been translated from French into 34 languages. Travelling across India, Kenize is promoting the English translation of the biography of the brave Queen of Awadh, Begum Hazrat Mahal — “In the City of Gold and Silver”, which is a bestseller in its original French and has been translated into eight languages. She shares what inspired her to write about this queen who led the Indian forces against the British in 1857. Excerpts:

What is your connection with Lucknow?

My father was the king of Kotwara, a principality in Lakhimpur Khiri, a fact that I discovered at the age of 21. I was born in Paris during the war years. My mother Selma Sultan was the granddaughter of Ottoman Caliph Murad V and had been exiled from Turkey at a very young age. After marriage she came to live in the ‘zenana’ of the Kotwara House in Qaiserbagh, Lucknow. She died soon after my birth. My father came to know of my existence only when I was 21. I had been brought up in Paris by Catholic nuns who never told me about my real parents, who were Muslims. As a result of my early upbringing, my first language is French and I acquired all the prejudices of the West as regards eastern cultures and Islam.

Did your most fascinating early life make you decide to choose historical fiction as the genre of your fiction writing?

Through my writings I wanted my world of adoption to understand the world of my origin. In a way, I saw myself in a very special position. The West, including the French, sees the Middle East cultures and Islam in a very different light. Even I was quite prejudiced when I first visited India at the age of 21. Even then, in the early 60s, the Kotwara family was traditional and the women lived in a sort of ‘purdah’. And here I was, a young modern woman educated at Sorbonne University. But it was the most fascinating experience to be part of this feminine world with such a strong woman. My experience was not of a regular tourist but of an insider living in the traditional society of a certain section of society in Lucknow. The women here were no less educated, articulate, well read, fashionable and witty than the ones I had encountered in the high society of Paris. It smashed the myths I had grown up with about women in the eastern and Muslim cultures.

What inspired you to write a book on Begum Hazrat Mahal?

I was very surprised at the fact that despite such a lot written by the British, and even to some extent by the Indians regarding 1857, very few in India knew about Hazrat Mahal, leave alone the West. I think the lady’s contribution was far greater than the Rani of Jhansi as the queen of Jhansi had been active for barely five to six months. But Begum Hazrat Mahal had led the sepoys on the battlefield and was at the head of a popular government in Awadh for more than two years. The Times had written in 1858 “the Begum of Awadh shows greater strategic sense and courage than all her generals put together”. While the last ruler of Awadh, Wajid Ali Shah, was leading a relatively luxurious life in exile at Matia Burj on the outskirts of Kolkata, one of his queens he had left behind was fighting courageously, heading a badly equipped force of local feudal lords. She provided good governance to the people of Awadh during that period and the taxes levied were used for food subsidy and many other pro-people projects. By any standards she was a strong woman who acted as the regent for her 10-year-old son who she hoped would reign one day. She refused to accept the British truce plan, preferring to die in exile in Nepal. Her story is interesting because in Europe they generally believe Muslim women are being oppressed. This was an example of a Muslim woman who was a chief of war and the head of an army who fought bravely more than 150 years ago.

How did you go about the research for this book?

During my many visits to India, I had the good fortune to interact with many of the Begum’s descendents as well as the family of those who had supported her. I remember I had once met Prince Anjum who was visiting my father. He had shared some stories of the Begum; many more were heard from the women of the other feudal families who were with her. The stories had been passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. I found very little material in libraries. There were only some booklets in the Qaiserbagh library. Historian Roshan Taqi’s book on 1857 was very helpful. But so much is lost.

For instance, the Begum is said to be a fine poet. But nothing of her writings is found anywhere. Nothing much is known about her personal life. The emphatic relationship between the young Begum and Raja Jai Lal bordering on romance, which I have taken the liberty of depicting in my book, is also imaginative. It could have been true considering the amount of time they spent together and the excellent team they proved to be both in the battlefield and governance. Many have criticised me for taking such liberty with a historical figure. I find this strange as her husband Wajid Ali Shah’s many woman add to his aura while his young abandoned wife possibly having a brief relationship is found to be so very objectionable.

profile
Soaked in divinity, he sculpts dreams
Harihar Swarup writes about Raghunath Mohapatra sculptor and Padma Vibhushan

Raghunath Mohapatra, a doyen of stone sculpture, has been decorated with the Padma Vibhushan this year. “After receiving Padma Vibhushan, my guru blessed me, saying I would be making the Konark and getting Bharat Ratna. Konark is my dream. I want to restore the glory of the temple. Many portions are broken and it is impossible to get the same effect. So, if we come up with a new Konark, a replica, for which land remains allocated for long, it would make my dream come true and offer opportunities to sculptors of Odisha,” he says.

At 69, Mohapatra wields hammer with incredible precision and his chisel carves out life on hardy stones with ease. During the past five decades, his countless strokes have created scores of monuments and sculptures many in his profession can only aspire to achieve. Many famous statues, temples and interiors of famed buildings in Odisha and the rest of the country bear stamp of his devotion and versatility.

The renowned sculptor has not studied beyond class VIII, but has succeeded to establish himself as a pioneer in the world of sculpture at an early age. In 1964, he received the national award in sculpture when he was barely 22.

Mohapatra belongs to a family of sculptors whose ancestors are said to have created the Konark Temple and the 12th century Shri Jagananath Temple in Puri. His hard work and talent came to light in 1974 when he created a six-foot statue, which was displayed in Parliament.

As a child, Mohapatra faced many difficulties due to financial constraints. He had typhoid when he was five and doctors declared him brought dead and asked his father to take him home. En route, his father took him to the Maa Harichandi Temple and prayed for his life. “Her blessings got me from the streets of Puri, where I learnt the art from my maternal grandfather, to Bhubaneswar,” he says.

He got an order to make a Konark wheel for an exhibition at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, while Guruji Fuji of Japan asked him to make a Buddha statue. Some craftsmen complained he was the only one getting the orders, and the Delhi work was cancelled. “I prayed to Maa and magically got back the order,” he says.

He went 41 days without food for Maa. “I saw Lord Shiva, came back and stayed for eight years in the ashram here. One day, a sadhu made me understand my family was suffering without me and asked me to go back,” he says.

Asked what opportunity he saw for young sculptors, he says people today have money and they are ready to spend. Art is no longer limited to Vishwakarma, the divine architect. “I have been training youngsters ever since I was associated with the Handicrafts Training Institute and I encourage everyone who wants to learn the art,” he says.

good news
Hope springs in dried-up Himalayan villages
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre scientists have given village residents in Uttarakhand a reason to smile by recharging water sources.
By S.M.A. Kazmi

A pond to recharge underground water in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand.

Despite being the “water bank” of the subcontinent, villages situated in the Himalayas, from where most of the rivers originate, are parched. People spend most of their day trudging long distances to fetch water.

However, an experiment by the Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO), in collaboration with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, has brought hope. BARC scientists used isotope hydrology technology to recharge 16 water sources that had dried up, leading to a crisis in the Gauchar area of Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand.

Mangal Devi of Gwarchowki village would spend four hours every day to get water for her family after the village source dried up a few years ago. But now the water source has been charged.

The idea

Bikaram Singh of Gwarchowki was thinking of migrating, but is now a successful vegetable grower. The recharged springs helped him cultivate crops in his terraced fields.

It started in 2003, when at the initiative of Dr MA Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, BARC scientists went to the area. Working with HESCO, a local voluntary organisation, the scientists started collecting samples from the catchment of the dried-up springs during monsoon. “We traced the recharge areas of these sources,” says Dr Gursharan, head of the Isotope Application Division of BARC.

Using the latest isotope hydro geo-chemical techniques, the scientists worked tirelessly to track the origin of the springs. They built bundhs so water would start percolating down the earth. As many as 33 bundhs and tanks to hold rainwater were built in recharge zones with the help of village residents. Once this happened, the springs got recharged downstream.

Technology to rescue

It was found two new springs had also come up. “We should be able to recharge fresh water sources in the Himalayas as the global demand for water is going to increase. The local population dependent should benefit from the latest technology,” says Dr Anil P Joshi, founder of HESCO and a Padma Shri.

The discharge in the springs has risen to 16 litres per minute from a scanty 2 litres. During summer, when the temperatures rise to 40 degrees Celsius, the discharge is not less than 6 litres per minute.

The experiments are now being replicated in other areas. The BARC team, along with HESCO volunteers, is working at Brahm Khal village in Uttarkashi district; Pipaya in Jaunsar area of Dehradun district; Sarla village near Nahan; and Kandela village near Poanta Sahib in Sirmaur district. “We have identified the catchment areas and have built check dams. We are awaiting results after the monsoon,” says Vinod Khati, a HESCO volunteer.

Catching them young

The team is also working at Mand village in Udhampur district of Jammu. Encouraged by the results of nuclear technology in recharging underground water aquifers in the Himalayas, BARC has decided to spread the technology by making it simple and affordable. It has set up an isotope hydrology laboratory to train the youth in the isotope technology.

“This will go a long way in preserving and recharging water and helping in agriculture,” says Dr Joshi. The Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, responsible for providing potable water, has 3,169 water schemes in the Garhwal region and 5,864 in Kumoan region. Due to the drying up most of natural water resources, one-fourth of these schemes are either closed or damaged.

Even in the urban areas, the situation is far from satisfactory. As per official figures, in 25 municipal areas, the per capita requirement has been earmarked between 71 and 135 litres per person per day. In most cities and towns, the situation has worsened as on an average only 60 litres are available per person per day.

Even in Dehradun, the availability of water is only 114 million litres against the demand for 140 million litres. Official sources say over 2,030 water supply schemes are facing closure due to the drying up of natural resources. In Pauri Garhwal district, out of 774 water schemes, 556 schemes are facing a drop in discharge from natural resources.

With the starting of the BARC laboratory, the village youth from the Himalayan states would be trained to locate the sources of water springs and aquifers in their localities and use techniques to recharge them. With the situation getting aggravated due to deforestation, less rain, forest fires and rapid urbanisation, the only way to keep human habitations intact in the Himalayas is by saving water for them.

Off the cuff

People used to admire us for the ethos of discipline. However, contrary to this aspiration, the image of the BJP that has gained ground in the past few years is that of a party with differences.

lk advani, senior bjp leader
Expressing disillusionment with the party

We need to take these people (rapists) by the scruff of the neck to show that this is not the way to deal with women. The main issue is the weird mindset which men have towards the female sex.

altamas kabir, chief justice of india
On the rise in rape cases

I want to make a serious film on gay lovers. It's stupid how Bollywood portrays it. Who is like that? My film will be real and will be high on the style quotient.

rohit bal, fashion designer
Trashing Bollywood's portrayal of gays

It's very difficult to say if Dhoni actually had a hand in Sehwag's exclusion, but normally captains do have a say in team selection. Their recommendation may or may not be accepted.

sourav ganguly, former india captain
On Sehwag's ouster from Test squad

I don't want to get married. Even if people are happily married, a legal contract for possessing someone's body and soul makes them so needy. If someone does that to me, I will soon lose interest.

Kangana Ranaut, bollywood actor
On settling down