 |
| Javed Anand |
Best known for her strident opposition to the 2002 Gujarat pogrom and the fracas with a witness who turned hostile, Teesta Setalvad's credentials may have come in for a beating lately, but her activism cannot be questioned. Working beside her is Javed Anand, journalist, co-editor, civil rights activist and proud spouse.
Anand graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, as a student of metallurgical engineering in 1971, yet unlike his contemporaries, who opted for fat paychecks abroad, he chose to engage in activism. "In the 1960s and early '70s, the students' movement was big, with protests against the United States' role in Vietnam. I ended up joining a social action group," remembers Anand.
It was while working with the Front for Rapid Economic Development of India, an organisation started by ex-IIT-ians based in the US, that Anand strayed into journalism and began writing for Rusi Karanjia's Mumbai-based tabloid, The Daily in 1971. In 1983, a sprightly young woman fresh out of college, joined The Daily, where Anand was by now, a special correspondent. Setalvad came from activist stock - her great grandfather, Sir Chimanlal Setalvad, was an advocate at the Bombay High Court during the British rule, while her grandfather, M C Setalvad was the first Attorney General of Independent India. Armed with a degree in philosophy and history from Mumbai University, Setalvad, 12 years younger to Anand, joined as a trainee.
He confesses, "To begin with, she was quite a woman. Besides the mutual attraction, it was clear that we shared a similar world view." Four years later, they were married. Though Anand came from a conservative Muslim family, there was little opposition to the match. "Perhaps, my family realised I was too far gone!" he laughs. The couple's secularism isn't restricted to its politics. They have given their children the choice to practise and choose their own religion.
The duo enjoyed working as journalists, as it offered a platform to write about gender, human rights and hunger. They realised the need to do more, as communalism became a burning issue with the 1984 riots. Soon after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992, Anand and Setalvad gave up their jobs and started a magazine called Communalism Combat. "We had to give all our time to combating communalism," says Anand.
"We have similar values, but she has tremendous drive and courage. She is my guru. I'm learning from her all the time. At one time, between July 1995 and February 1996, we had run out of money and I thought we would have to close down the magazine. Teesta said, 'What nonsense. We'll sell my jewellery if we have to!' No other person has covered Gujarat and its malaise of communalism for the last 10 years as she has. I admire her stamina," he adds.
What does Anand think of Setalvad being the more recognised activist between them? "I am proud of her," he replies. "We've carried on as equals. I may be her senior in age and in journalism, but she has left me far behind. I'm comfortable with her success." What about their roles at home? "Teesta loves cooking and I love her food. But you'll find me washing the dishes more often than her," Anand says. - Anuradha Varma anuradha.varma@timesgroup.com
Subodh Maskara, entrepreneur — Married to Nandita Das, award-winning actress and director
Having spent his early childhood in Kolkata, 45-year-old Maskara schooled in the all-boys St Mary's in Mumbai. "Here is where I learnt my early lessons of life: how to stay out of trouble and balance fun and work," he says. But the entrepreneur, who owns a recycling plant in Nashik, admits he has learnt many lessons since then. "I attended the New York University for my undergraduate studies, but I was too young to handle the freedom. I was summoned back to complete my graduation in Mumbai." Maskara joined his father's textile business, and within four years, returned to the US, this time to attend business school at Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management.
After graduating, a well-paying job on Wall Street beckoned, but the straight jacketed corporate world didn't appeal to Maskara. He returned to Mumbai and spent the next decade experimenting with business ventures, including an earlier avatar of the recycling plant, and a dot com company. "Most went bankrupt and some succeeded," admits Maskara. "I experienced the highs and lows of business, which shaped me. I am privileged to have gone through periods of bankruptcy between times of plenty. The journey helped me find myself, my friends and my family."
Some years ago, Maskara opened a PET Bottle recycling plant. His company, Polygenta Technology Private Limited employs, according to its website, a patented manufacturing process that produces multi-filament polyester textured yarn from plastic. The yarn is used in making denim, home furnishings, and even automotive parts.
In 2010, Maskara married Das. This was the second marriage for both. "I grew up surrounded by money talk. Life was satisfying, but it's only after our marriage that I realised how confined my world was. I have met a cross-section of people across class, profession, ethnicity and vocation - all through her. And that has opened up my world," says Maskara.
It helps that he is a fan of her movies, but Maskara admits that there was a lot about Das that he didn't, at first, know. "I was unaware of the extent of her work - besides acting, she was also involved in human rights activism, and is the chairperson of the Children's Film Society. She never ceases to surprise me - her insightful articles, when I see a mother in her blossoming every day. She won four Filmfare Awards for her directorial debut, Firaaq in 2010 and was inducted into the International Women's Forum Hall of Fame in Washington last year. But she does not let any of it affect her."
Das has even inspired Maskara to take up professional theatre - he is acting in Mahesh Dattani's new play Big fat squeeze, which will open in April.
But the greatest change has been brought about by the birth of their son, Vihaan, in 2010, when Maskara stopped working fulltime. "I want to enjoy as many moments with Vihaan as I can," he says.
No comments:
Post a Comment