The Two-Face and the Arm-twisting

India lately has been outraged by this Devayani Khobragade saga, and the in general high-handedness of US. A lot of people, even from the affluent IT sector, who hold almost daily interaction with their american counterparts, and hence nurture a soft-corner towards US if not a very pro-US mind-set, stand highly annoyed and disillusioned about the way this Indian diplomat is treated for paltry reasons.

The perception of fuck-the-business-if-no-respect-towards-India is quite palpable in at the people I observed. So i decided to pen down my own perspective vis-a-vis American arguments.

What's this visa fraud all about?

Here is a link, that details the 'fraud'. In short Khobragade promised ~$10/hr, paid about half of that and tried to suppress that afterwards. That's all there is to the 'fraud'.

What about the Blackmailing Angle?

Going by this timeline of the Khobragade case as published by Times of India, one is inclined to wonder if this is really a fraud as touted by holier-than-thou United States of America, or if this is a gross overstepping of jurisdiction by US authorities in general. Especially since the Indian HC had issued restraining order on the maid, while the US authorities kept neglecting complaints and information since July.

What treatment was she meted out?

• Handcuffed in front of her school-going children
• Strip searched
• Cavity searched
• Confined in the same cell as drug addicts

Doesn't she have diplomatic immunity?

Well, the US says she doesn't. To quote their state department deputy spokesperson Marie Harf -

"Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 
the Indian deputy consul general enjoys immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts only with respect to 
acts performed in the exercise of consular functions. So, in this case, she fell under that specific kind 
of immunity and would be liable to arrest pending trial pursuant a felony arrest warrant."

Hold on a second there, lady. Raymond Allen Davis killed 3 pakistanis working under-cover sometime back. Yet, under the same Vienna Convension on Consular Relations, you argued he perfectly enjoyed diplomatic immunity, even though he had killed 3 people in a foreign country, despite being some administration attache to the embassy (or under-cover CIA agent?).

I take it - paying $6/hr less than promised by a Depuly Consul General of India, is a wayyy graver crime than merely killing a few here and there in a foreign country by some administration attache of US embassy.

So grave, that not only is she denied any diplomatic immunity, but is strip searched, cavity searched, and confined in the same cell as drug addicts.

What does US media say?

This WaPo author - Swati Sharma tries to tone it down saying similar/worse treatments were given to other Indian diplomats as well in the past. Then why so much noise this time? So past wrongdoings justify present ones? Is that what you are trying to say Ms Sharma?

She states drug-offenses are minor in US. And under-wage charges are as grave? Are you sure you guys have got your priorities right there?

This post in TOI quotes some NYT post about Indian reaction being unworthy of a democratic govt. Excuse me? Now you will teach us about what is democratic and what is undemocratic? The same people who disregarded the whole world, even the UN, and attacked a sovereign country of Iraq - destroyed the whole country, killed its people - for what? A baseless mirage of WMDs - that were never found there.

The same people who run Guantanamo Bay, are now lecturing the most tolerant country in the world (nothing to be proud of really), about human rights violation in underpaying of a maid by a diplomat.

Opportunist Indians, in the US itself, keen to prove how 'american' they are, are using this unfortunate incident to lecture India about how it's wrong about siding with the diplomat. What they seemingly fail to understand is it's not about the diplomat. It's about the country. A diplomat represents his/her country. Faceless. So insulting, humiliating a diplomat is like insulting, humiliating his/her country.

Under-currents in the Social and National Media

While the general perception is that of anger and outrage, there is this section of not only national, but even the social media, that's busy digging out Khobragade's and her family's alleged links to corruption. What is it that you are trying to prove? That she was all corrupt and hence deserved to be humiliated by some foreign country for the graft she committed here, while she was representing India as a diplomat?

If at all true, try her in the Indian courts for those charges. I don't see any point in confusing the humiliation with India's internal business.

What Next?

While initially people were quite happy with the Indian govt showing some spine and taking some strong actions, soon it's becoming clear how sincere they were. The Delhi elections have shown that the Indian electorate is not some fool that you can deceive by mere posturing before elections.

The banana republic, that India has become due to these spineless and corrupt rulers, busy siphoning out tax payer's money through whatever outlet available, doesn't have the willingness and guts to say and do what's necessary.

Over the time, the mellow govt will meekly surrender, accept these insults and will get back to what they are good at - money-making; while the self-respecting neo Indian youth will keep licking these invisible wounds resulting out of such uncalled for arm twisting. Sad thing it is, but a fact, that we are not an Israel yet.

Update [Thu, Dec 26, 2013]:

Further to this, here are a couple of more blogs that throw some light on different aspects of the story.

• Swagato Ganguly interprets Preet Bharara and his possible intentions in this interesting read - In Khobragade's hounding, an ambitious brown man assumes white man's burden

• Peter Van Buren, former US foreign service employee, and now a whistleblower, analyses graver wrongdoings by US Embassies around the world, including but not limited to underpayment and abuses of domestic help by their own diplomats; exposing yet again the double-standards of holier-than-thou US - Diplomatic Abuse of Servants: Not Just for Indians

Long Time No See

Unbelievable as it seems to me, it has been only one blogpost throughout this whole year. That's what meeting a girl does to you, I guess. 

Had a pleasantly turbulent year so far, with loads of things happening on personal as well as work front and though a few exhilarating treks, climbs and travels happened in between, I hardly got any time to sit down and pen them down. Life can sometimes get way too hectic, even though pleasantly at that. 

Lots of things happened. Went to Junnar for a couple of days, and had some awesome solo treks around the Louvre of Sahyadri's -> the Naane Ghat. Met some really warm people, and had some quality experience around. 

Then came the giant - a long term dream -> Lingana. With a group of friends - 3 of them, on our own, with 2 leading alternately. One of the best feelings so far, once on the top of that fort. 

And then some things that were running parallel to all this, for some time, materialized, and brought along some major upheavals in my personal life. Met a girl, fell in love, got married; and it didn't end there. Changed jobs. Changed city. Moved to Bangalore. 

All three things - marital status, job and city changed one after the other within the span of merely a month. 

It doesn't come easy. I can tell you that. Coping with all three fronts in parallel, simultaneously, takes its toll, and then things like climbing, trekking, photography, blogging, take a backseat, while you are busy living the new life and catching up with the times. Even a drive from Pune to Bangalore, which otherwise would have been worth writing about, for the sake of experiences and memories, becomes a writing-liability and fades away over time. 

Now that it's a little stabilized, I have decided to find some time out, and write down all those memories of Naane Ghat and Jeevdhan, Chavand and Shivneri, the Lingana climb and the wildfire, the Hampi trip and the relaxing swim in the Tungabhadra, and Mysore experiences. 

The photos I took there, are begging to be processed and made part of a narrative that will hopefully remind me of these wonderful times I spent with my friends, with my girl, and even alone. It's for that time in the future, when my memory would want to fade away, and carry these priceless moments with it, why I want to note it all down. 

Precious moments. 

Kalavantin (कलावंतीण)

This particular trek was on my mind for quite some time now. The Kalavantin Dug (कलावंतीण दुर्ग) or Kalavantinicha Buruj (कलावंतीणीचा बुरुज) was described as tough and dangerous by quite a few. But then, even Torna rockpatches were mentioned as tough by many. So I was skeptical, yet, I had seen the pics of the Buruj, supposedly taken from the top of Prabalgad, and it did appear as a challeging climb. I wanted to see and experience it in person.

With a long leave approaching, I decided Feb end is near about the end of trekking season as well, owing to the hot weather that prevails this part of the world, post February. So an impromptu plan was drafted for Junnar area, and a one-off trek to Kalavantin. All were planned on working days, to avoid any crowd. Mountains are always peaceful on a working day.

So on Monday, 25-Feb, I took off on my bike, with camera gear, binocular and miscelleneous stuff on the back.


How To Get There

From pune the route is along NH4:

Pune - Dehu Road bifurcation - Kamshet - Lonavala - Khandala - Khopoli Exit on the expressway section - Khopoli - Shedung === diversion ===> Belavali - Thakurwadi

Distance: ~120kms from Chandani Chowk, Pune

At Shedung bifurcation (शेडुंग फाटा), there are 4 roads, one that joins the expressway, one that comes from expressway, one that comes from Khopoli, and the fourth one - a small one - is the one that goes to Belavali. Better to ask at the junction if confused.

Thakurwadi is about 5km from Shedung bifurcation. The road to Belavali and on to Thakurwadi is good and smooth overall, with an occasional rough patch. Prabalgad and Kalvantin are visible almost throughout the ride to Thakurwadi, though, in the morning, sun rises behind the mountain, and all you can see is a silhouette of the two, rather than any details.

Thakurwadi is the base village for Prabalgad (प्रबळगड) and Kalavantin. Lonely, eerie and haunted. Near Thakurwadi, where one finds 4 roads going in different direction, there stands a Banyan tree, and the road that's in front of the Banyan tree, going directly towards the mountain, is the road to Prabal Machee (प्रबळ माची).

The road is motorable to a certain extent, and I decided to take my bike till the point I can. And it saved me almost a couple kms of walking. The road was broken in the middle, over what seemed like a water pipeline. I parked the bike there on the roadside, and started walking onwards.


Prabal Machee (प्रबळ माची)

It's plain walk for about an hour and half till Prabal machee. The road goes winding around the mountain, and Kalavantin stays hidden behind the imposing wall of Prabal Machee, for most part of the walk.

Plain Prinia (?)

Common Cuckoo

Dead silence with bird chirpings is the sole pleasure of this trail. I sighted a Common Cuckoo along the way. It was a little fidgety and would let me come close. So all I could manage was a record shot. It was a lifer for me. Hadn't seen a cuckoo before.

The Machee is typical of a lot of forts in the region. Large densely wooded plain lifted off the mainland to a great height, and then he pinnacles and forts rise above this machee. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that not only are there people inhabiting this remote place, but there is even a well-built school(!!) up there. Kudos!


Kalavantin

Route to the top of Kalavantin, is from the V-shaped col (खिंड) between Kalavantin and Prabalgad. At Prabal Machee, I asked for direction towards the col and was told to just keep going up in the direction. As usual I lost the way somewhere, and then had to do a hanging traverse to get into the col. The rock traverse was pleasant, though I had this anxiety that it might end up on a super exposed rock face rather than getting into the col, and then I would have to traverse back again clinging to the same rock. Fortunately, I ended up dropping on the proper route to the col, and eventually got to the point where Kalavantin route, in its full glory, starts.

I was told the route starts from the col, but looking around I could hardly see any stairs that lead up. Looking closely I realised, the first few feet are, as if, blasted off, and the real stairs start after that. You have to make do with whatever holds you can manage in those first 5-10 feet.

The stairs are couple feet high and nearly vertical. The climb indeed has it's own flavour of fear factor. The exposure is pretty high, and some patches are made of all gravel. Rock is easy to hold onto and negotiate, but gravel is where I always get nervous. I just dont trust it.

The route goes winding up, through patches of stairs and gravel. It's not difficult, but it's definitely not for begginers. The menacing vertical-drop rock-face (कातळकडा) of Prabalgad is visible all the time while you go up. It's massive and majestic.


Eventually I reached within the final 20-25ft of the summit. This rockpatch of last 20 odd feet of Kalavantin, is a proper (easy grade) rock climb. In my opinion, it should be tried only if one has done some basic rock climbing, and is aware of holds, balances, is flexible enough, and most importantly has enough pulling power in the arms and biceps. If the technique and climbing experience is there, it's quite an easy climb, and then it's all about managing the fear factor. There is almost a 500-600ft exposure on the left, climbing, side; and you should, in advance, think about how you are going to get down without ropes. Free climbing without ropes is comparatively easy and manageable. Getting down is altogether a different story.


I dropped my sack at the base of the rockpatch, and started climbing. There is a very helpful crack on the left, and then some pinch holds on the right. The rock is pretty sturdy, and some of the very good I have seen in Sahyadri so far. So those holds are quite trustable. I was on top in about a couple mins. It was exhilerating to be on top, and at the same time, the precarious looking edge, from where I climbed, kept making me anxious about eventual climb-down.

The view from top are great. I could identity Karnala fort due to it's unique pinnacle, even though it was quite a long distance from there. Peb and Irsalgad are also said to be visible from there, but I  couldn't identify which is which; though I did notice two peaks with strange rockfaces on top.

Getting down from there comes with a lot of anxiety. You lose your balance for one instance, and you are hurtling down the rockface in the next. So all moves have to come with absolute conviction. Slow, steady and perfectly balanced all the time, is the key.

Once I was down at the base of the rockface, there was the next set of challenge - the gravel and vertical steps of Kalavantin. Going up was easier. Getting down, looking straight down the vertical slope, was a little nerve-wrecking. Especially due to the reality that no one would even know if I fell.

It took me almost an hour to make it down to the col. I was dead slow in the gravel part. The rocky stairs were comparatively manageable since there are a few jug holds created in the rock, apart from some natural pinch holds. It's easier to get down either backwards or sideways since that way your centre-of-gravity remains very close to the rock and you can use your hands to hang on to the rock.

Once I got back into the col, it was all about walkin to the machee, and then onwards towards my bike on the semi motorable road. The route from col to the machee, is still a little steep, but not at all dangerous. It's probably a water-stream route going by it's characteristics, but it takes one directly to the habitation on the machee.


Way Back Home

By the time I made it back to the bike, it was late afternoon and everything I touched, burned my hands. Including my bike.

Eventually I made it to Shedung and NH4, had my lunch at a dhaba, and reached Pune in next couple of hours, by 6:30pm. The only section where I really enjoyed racing was the Khopoli ghat section which joins with the expressway. It's a super twisty-turvy ghat, with absolutely plain heavenly roads, scarce traffic, and brilliant banking with lot of scope for adrenaline inducing cornering. Racing up these slopes is to a biker what a superbly well made Puranpoli (पुरणपोळी) is to a foodie.


Some Tips For Those Attempting Kalavantin

Based on my experience, here are some tips which, I felt, might come handy to those planning or attempting Kalavantin -

1. If you haven't done a lot of trekking and a basic amount of climbing before, don't attempt this on your own. Get someone experienced along. This is not for begginers.

1.1 Don't do this alone unless you are sure of your feet and hands and navigation, and have prior trekking/climbing experience.

2. Carry a lot of water. After Prabal Machee, there are no sources of water anywhere. At least I couldnt find any. And you will need a lot of it.

3. Try to make it to the col as early in the morning as possible. If you get late, you will get your hands burnt while coming down. The rock heats up like it's on fire, and you dont have an option but to catch hold of it while coming down.

4. Stay close to the rock while on stairs.

5. Make sure you are not stepping on loose gravel. Be very careful on the gravel patches.

6. If you don't have prior climbing experience, I would advise against free-climbing the last rockface without ropes. It's not tough, but it does need some delicate movements and balancing. And it's exposed.

7. While climbing down the stairs, grab hold of the rock any which way, and climb down backwards or sideways. Dont sit down for finding the next step below. One - you might lose your balance looking down, and two - your backpack might hit the step above and spoil your balance. It's too exposed out there to take these kinds of risks. Be safe.

8. It ain't over till it ain't over. Don't lose your guard until you are safely back into the col.


Approximate Timings:

Thakurwadi to Prabal Machee: 1-1.5hrs
Prabal Machee to the col: 0.5hrs
Kalavantin climb up: 30-45mins
Climb down to the col: 1-1.5hrs