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God's
Acre
Kerala is the undisputed tourism hot spot of India, the must-see destination
for heads of states, the wealthy, the tired. This is the story about the
colour and hardsell that have made this state of stunning backwaters,
impossible greenery and great beaches what it is.
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THE
NATION
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No
Chance for Peace
With
the jehadis stepping up their terrorist attacks and the Hurriyat issue
embroiled in confusion, hopes of a breakthrough in Kashmir are receding.
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STATES
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Fear
Factories
As
two senior executives are killed by workers, the persisting violence in
mills is forcing the state's antiquated jute industry to move to the peaceful
environs of Andhra Pradesh.
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BUSINESS
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Home |
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AUTHORSPEAK
Sage Singleton
Sunny
Singh, 31, may or may not be single-the "legal, fiscal and social
contexts" of the issue forbid her to come clean. Having been a freelance
with Cosmopolitan and travelled the seven seas before settling down in
the sleaze capital of the world, Delhi, she is, however, adequately empowered
to pen Single in the City: The Independent Woman's Handbook (Penguin).
Although many of Singh's tips beg belief and sometimes, an outright guffaw
("Nothing substitutes for the old-fashioned face-to-face talk when
getting to know someone"), she is unapologetic, saying benignly,
"Let's not work off the principle that every person who picks up
the book has the same level of experience and inter-personal knowledge
as we do."
Singh's
first novel, Nani's Book of Suicides, officially brought to a close her
erratic, impecunious days of auctioning tales to eager journals. She is
now a "writer" with a finger in many literary pies including
a play and a book of short stories. "Am I famous though?" she
wonders. "I still dust the house and yell at the servant." She
also nudges the ear of her Rottweiler Mishka into not nibbling the legs
of distrustful guests.
While Single in the City discusses everything from money to marriage,
Singh's particular areas of concern are personal safety-"It stuns
me that Delhites still don't have grills on their doors"-and date
rape. The latter is a residual reaction of volunteering at a domestic
violence centre while acquiring a BA in English literature at Brandeis
University, Massachusettes. The topic of sexual harassment summons forth
an impressive intensity from Singh. One that is absent in a book peppered
with quotes from 30-somethings with distressing thought patterns ("If
he leaves for Kargil in the morning this is the only chance we may get"),
and outrageous suggestions ("Keep a couple of the really cheap ones-bottles
of alcohol-as Diwali and Holi gifts for any workman you use regularly).
"I always wanted to write," says Singh. "My ambition is
to be on the same shelf as those writers I consider impressive-everyone
from Dante downwards." If she sticks to telling stories she can keep
the dream alive.
Sonia Faleiro
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 Web
Exclusives |
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COLUMNS |
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 The
Kumbh mela is certain to lead to yet another explosion
of religiosity but is this good for India, asks India Today
Deputy Editor
Swapan Dasgupta in
Day
Dreams.
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INTERVIEW |
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This is just the beginning, V.K. Aatre, who
is at the core of the LCA action, tells India Today Principal Correspondent
Stephen David in an exclusive
Interview.
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DESPATCHES |
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As
the much-dodged liquor policy comes before the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet for
clearance, there are fears that the liquor mafia may continue to have
its way. India Today Special Correspondent
Subhash Mishra
reports in
Despatches.
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