Bangalore, 2020This evening the city had some of the best civil servants and policy thinkers to speak on reforms in India. The group was brought together to discuss Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah's new book In Service of the Republic: The Art and Science of Economic Policy. There were the authors themselves, Govinda Rao (of [...]
Chasing the Fast Pack: Tata Mumbai Marathon 2020
Mumbai, 2020 "How is Mumbai's course?" he asked. "I don't know, but not the fastest for sure'' I said. This isn't a kind of question that concerns me. But being asked I began thinking of it from a recreational runner's perspective. I haven't quite thought of marathon courses that way. The seconds haven't mattered. Maybe, [...]
Roundup 2019
We are two weeks into the new year and I realize that some behaviours get so much more difficult to gain control of as one adds years. To include some writing everyday, has been a constant struggle. Ahead of tomorrow’s Mumbai Marathon, this yearly round up must go out. Since some years, a typical year [...]
Malnad Ultra 110
Malnad Ultra, 2019Underneath a high silver oak canopy, about an hour and a half into the run, I knew that there was much to be thankful about on that morning. To be able to stand there, on a quiet mountainside trail and watch the daylight break made me feel thankful to be able to get [...]
Running La Ultra 111 KM
Khardung La, Leh. August, 2019 (Picture: Vandana Trivedi) I ran the La Ultra 111 km in August. I wanted to cycle up from Manali to Leh and spend a week in the Himalayas. Running and cycling combination has often worked well for me. August and September gave a few good weeks of endurance in the [...]
Tata Mumbai Marathon 2019
TMM 2019 Mumbai Marathon this year felt faster while the finish time was more than last year’s run. This is how runs go. One hopes, prepares and then variables beyond one’s control take over. All that variation and uncertainty is fine as long as one doesn’t expect. However, as much as running is about experience, [...]
A University: Kashmir
Exit towards Sir Syed Gate, University of Kashmir University of Kashmir, Sir Syed Gate ‘What brings you to the valley?’, she asks as I stand looking at a board which lists M.Phil scholars, their supervisors and their thesis titles in the English Department. I am intrigued by T N Dhar and M L Pandit’s name [...]
Roundup 2018
In 2018, I slept better. All the way to the 365th night. It was a good, long sleep last night. Even the midnight celebrations in the neighbourhood failed to break it. For the rest, as usual, it seems to be a mixed bag of spectacular failures and successes. This is how it seems to always [...]
‘At least they have a job’ : Objectivity, social sciences & my research
In the last six months that I have been researching work in gig economy in Bengaluru I have had to revise my idealism and those social science theories that I carried from university.
Lalbagh
Lalbagh 16/11/2018 When the winter breeze begins blowing When the city’s auditoriums fill with plays Under the soft morning light in Lalbagh I sit, reading to the wind A collection of poems in hand Short stories in my bag Giant Silk Cotton Trees, three of them With me, behind the bench I sit Little men [...]
