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Indian Tea in American Cup
Author Harish Naval

Amitabh Srivastava

We always knew Harish Naval as an engaging writer,poet,thinker but now that his books have been translated in English his talent and fame is sure to spread across the globe.
Of the three books released recently 'My Satirical and Humorous Stories', 'Bogie Number 2003' and 'Indian Tea in American Cup' I was most interested in reading the last one,obviously.
Naval has been invited across various continents wherever Indians interested in Indian literature. At some places he has spent months and even an year but he has utilised this time to add more writers to the fraternity by organising regular get togethers of Indians.
The first Chapter of the book 'Indian Tea in American Cup' appears like an invocation to the Gods as he hears the morning prayers from a school nearby
"Oh merciful,give us strength
Firm in our faith we stay
We never ever falter by mistake
While we tread the virtuous way"
Anyone who has lived in India would know that this is the English version of
"Itni Shakti Humein Dena Data
Mun ka Vishwas Kamzor Ho Na..."
but did you know this popular song and Bhajan is open to so many interpretations. At least I did not know this till I read this book.
The poet in Harish Naval turns a thinker and wonders who is he asking for strength. It must be God but which God. Is it Brahma, Vishnu or Mahesh (the trinity who control the whole world), or is it Maryada Purshottam Ram the current obsession or Lila Purushottam Krishna whose followers across the globe have built huge temples for him across the world?
But the facts about them available in abundance show that none of them are perfect. They have their vulnerabilities.
Finally he finds succour in the learned men like Vivekanand, Mahavir and Budha and realises that he has to turn to him inner strength and not to any alleged God.
With such provocative beginnings how can one put down this book that takes one from one revelation to another. Because one can see and understand the world only from the peak and distancing oneself without having a myopic point of view.
It's this peak that Harish Naval sits on, sipping his green tea with basil leaves to analyse the events that affected his life but treating them with a benign humor, not sarcasm that hurts someone. Sometimes the lines blur but that is only natural as human feelings are not a set of mathematical calculations where two and two always make four. It could be twenty two or it could be even three. There are no set rules.
There are some insights that are typical of only a teacher, professor, lecturer no one else.
The chapter on a Hindi teacher checking English papers sent to him only to earn a few extra bucks, or where a principal is unable to get a dead cat removed from his main gate because the rule books do not have clear rules for it. The staff does not care for authority that is on probation, whoever that might be. He has to finally resign in frustration.
I remember when I was studying in Delhi University a Head of Department made it a routine to unlock his own door and clean the desk because the staff would not do it. These are realities that have become normal today and work from home has changed a lot of equations.
His chapter Respect-My Foot is an exception. Here Harish Naval is unsparing and hits below the knee, if I may say.
I share his allergy to the Charan Choo tradition invented by a species that thought it needed to be reminded every day that it was superior to everyone by virtue of age, wisdom but mostly power.
But he lets himself go when he delves into the variety of what he calls,foot choppers.
In his inimitable style he writes," They meticulously chop the feet of their guru,father,brother and other similar class of people. In due course they evolve into MLAs,MPs..."
A real gem of a piece is his writeup on Cry Yoga camp. In a direct attack on the various laugher clubs that ask people to laugh boisterously every morning in a group therapy, he suggests that more therapeutic would be the introduction of Cry Yoga camps. He suggests that such camps would be more real as most men don't cry when alone because of the decadent Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota theory. In any case, the Greek theatre also taught us that a Tragedy is a purgation of emotions.So why not add a Cry Yoga to the existing Yogic exercises that are becoming an international craze.
Yet another gem I would like to quote is in his Chapter on Truth of Now.
Talking about the hypocrisy of society prevalent in society he writes
"The position of seniors in the family is like that of a deserted orchard. Our houses have become like 'No man's land' for them. If the house doesn't have a veranda, they have to find a place to sit."How easily he puts this cruel truth.
But like a trained boxer, Harish Naval reserves his best punches for the last.
Written in the form of a theatre script this is a brilliant Chapter called 'University Shradh Season' where the teachers are the symbolic 'crows' that are fed sumptuously only once an year-to seek their help in getting admissions to children in the university.
He mentions that they always know that their long-forgotten relatives and far-off friends would come to them and pamper them with love,gifts and affection at this time of the year.
But it is a ritual they have to go through without being arrogant or rude which is not easy.
After writing so much about the content one must say a word about the quality of the translation in the book which makes it so entirely readable without taking away the flavour of the original.
Dr.Neelam Verma, a cardiologist by profession seems to have throughly enjoyed her job being a poet and versatile writer herself.
Translations are not looked down upon now like earlier.Rather, very good translations have brought Discovery Channel and several well-made documentaries, besides theatre and cinema from several parts of the world have become accessible to the tired and bored housewives.
They have also made life more interesting for everyone after Corona forced them to stay indoors for more than two years.

Indian Tea in American Cup
Author-Harish Naval
Translated by Dr.Neelam Verma
Publisher-Ocean Books (P) Ltd
Asaf Ali Road
New Delhi
Price-Rs.250.00

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New Delhi, 21 October 2023

Indian Tea in American Cup Author Harish Naval

Amitabh Srivastava

Indian Tea in American Cup
Author Harish Naval