In other rooms, other wonders

Daniyal Moinudeen's In other rooms, Other wonders does not tell the story of one or two individuals, it tells the story of an entire class of people, destined to serve and to be forgotten. They are the people that run elaborate kitchens in the mansions of rich folks, the drivers who drive rich men's wives around in glitzy cars, the watchmen, gardeners and plethora of people whose only job is to keep the apparatus of the rich working. For some it is lifetime of service, for others, it is a stepping stone toward getting something better.

His narratives require improvement, his stories at times lose the structural fundamentals of stories, such as in one story, the focus shifts from one character to another, laboriously. His climax, at times, leaves you with more questions than answers, yet, at other times, his narratives resemble the great story tellers of Russian literature, Chekhov and Pushkin. Yet another problem is the limited domain he deals with, which he may overcome in his future works, but all in all, this book is enjoyable. I would certainly check out his next book.

One small step...

The people of Pakistan has overwhelmingly voted against the rule of Musharraf. I know this is a sympathy wave in the wake of Bhutto's killing and we are yet to see what the feeble coalition of the warring factions is all about. Nawas Sherrif and Zardari are known to be corrupt, a trait commonly associated with the politicians of south asia. Yet, I find this refreshing, now atleast, there is a chance that the democratic institutions that Musharraf continuously undermined could be rebuilt, may be another generation of politicians would rise up - ok, never mind. I may have been brain washed by the message of hope, you know :)

South Asian politics have always been about families. Pakistan People's party is unable to go beyond Bhutto's family and a 19 year old is the best to lead the party in a time like this? Is this really what democracy can offer in Pakistan? If yes, with all his shrewdness and inabilities, I'd prefer Musharraf to stay than Bhutto's family run the show.

Benazir's life, with all its contradictions and controversies, was a ray of hope in the Islamic world. She was the first elected woman head of a nation in the whole of Islamic world, that too in the backdrop of a mainly male-dominated south asian society. The life that ended with a mad man's bombing was not too unexpected in the wake of the recent developments in Pakistan; yet one would have thought she could have been more cautions, given more security, but all that becomes a useless talking point; at the end of it all, we have lost someone who had graced the south asian politics, with her brilliance, charm and personality. Pakistan is quickly descending into further chaos; have the extremists elements that fled Afghanistan after 9/11 invaded Pakistan?