A Voice

This is not about designations; it is about one voice among many. A voice that, while streamlining, formatting and steering editorial content and look, will also be a part of the evolution that is Chowk. It has been a well-thought out decision for both of us -- the publishers and I.

Perhaps that is the reason they have come out for the first time in so conclusive a manner. It obviously means something to them. It means a hell of a lot when they tell me, “Chowk is our life…” It is a huge responsibility not because of the perils of working with someone’s life, but due to the fact that every life needs to grow.

In the intense discussions over the past one month, several questions came up and in the interest of transparency and for a better understanding of goals, I would like to share them with you…

What direction will Chowk take?

We want Chowk to not restrict itself to Indo-Pak slinging matches. It just has to become an important voice of the whole South Asian community. And only you -- the Chowkie -- can make it happen. Chowk has no nationality; it does have an identity. This identity is driven by every interactor. It has no political agenda; it has several political viewpoints. It has no religion; it has faith.

Whenever the phrase “unflinching idealism” has come up in the past, there have been sniggers. Idealism does not mean walking around blindfolded by romantic drivel. It means looking at the System and the stink with scepticism because that is where the fulcrum of hope lies.

What does Chowk really have to come across as?

For me it is a simple three Cs -- controversy, charisma and character.

I am not interested in spoon-feeding Barbie doll versions of facts or opinions. If reality bites, then we have got to accept that it will also bark. Controversy is not a hollow construct. It is a valid response to an event, individual or ideology.

Charisma is about style and magnetism. At Chowk we shall endeavour to encourage those who can express things differently and attract others to what is being said. We have no desire to be an island or a dust-laden shelf. To stand the test of time you have to first be timely. If in the process we have to fight choppy waters or dirty our hands, then we are ready for it.

This constitutes character. We have the spine to stand up not only for ourselves, but for those who have something to say with conviction and responsibility. We do not take prisoners and we do not make prisoners.

Does this mean there will only be great and wonderful writing?

There will be interesting writing; we are as keen to have sub-continental English as we are to use American slang or Hindi-Urdu being meshed in the lingo. We want to stretch the boundaries of words as much as of thought.

Of course, this does not mean that the submit button will ensure publication. For those who do not make it, the self-publish section will be open and given a prominent link on the front page. It can be accessed directly and instantly. If I find something that looks great, it will be pushed up.

However, we do have a columnist pool that is being modified and given shape. I had sent across a note that should tell you where Chowk sees them and their immense contribution: “To me, a column must have a frequency, a focus and adherence to a deadline. Chowk has thus far, due to various constraints, not been able to act on these policies. Now, we plan to do so. We would also like the writers to be active interactors because Chowk is about conducting a dialogue. I am sure that taking a little time out would be interesting for the writers as well.”

I am extremely pleased by the response and you will see the shape it takes in the coming weeks.

Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy has written in to say that he will get back once he has time out from his earthquake relief efforts. Mohammed Gill will now also talk about American politics. Shandana Minhas has been woken up to muse about the highs and lows, the internal monologue, the questions that face an intelligent woman who asks questions of herself. Nadeem Paracha has been asked to do what he does best -- play the anarchist, twist everything in sight, make a mess, make it black. Jawahara Saidullah will take a mature look at the diaspora, concentrating on desi professionals with a personal touch regarding her own position. Saima Shah will come in to discuss globalisation and how it affects the South Asian; this will be done in a language and style that both you and I understand.

The pool will increase the moment we have people who tell us what they can do instead of what they cannot.

There will be other writers who have been or will be contributing regularly. And we hope to find new voices and new ways of seeing with each passing day.

The stratification of the sections is to give the page a semblance of method. The madness and junoonwe feel towards being able to bridge the gaps between disparate societies in our subcontinent remain. With 50,000 pages being accessed daily and a ten per cent growth every month, we are already talking.

Let me tell you a bit more about the sections.

Insite is about topical issues and the more serious discourses. Therefore, the main segment is pared down to give it its due weightage.

For those who constantly go “Yawn” on seeing political discussions, there are the ‘boxes’.

Being There You are at a standup show of a desi or a pop concert in Karachi or Mumbai, or a rally, or a Panchayat meeting in some Indian/Nepali/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan/Pakistani village, or even a moment of introspection/observation -- this is where you fit in.

JourneysWrite about your travels, preferably in the subcontinent…or maybe as the desi looking in or the desi looking out.

Translations We need to give a fillip to bring regional languages into the mainstream. We all have our roots in what we quaintly refer to as our ’mother tongue’. Let us explore that.

Poetry Not every bored sigh that escapes an angst-ridden mind will find space here, but several souls need some verse….for better or worse.

Fiction Creative thinkers are the best reflection of a society. Let us see through their mirrors.

Profile/Interview People make news, people are interesting. It is always fascinating to do some mind-ogling of those who make it or make out.

Society Lifestyle, style, mores, psyches that shape everyday life find an outlet here.

These are the safe sections. There are a few that may raise eyebrows.

Fieldplay We are agreed that cricket is a common ground among us. While other sports do have a place, nothing can beat the enthusiasm and subtlety of cricket. We do not wish to have the usual writings on the subject; let us go beyond the boundary and delve into its metaphors.

BollywoodstockWalking through Valleyfair mall in California, I find Aishwariya Rai staring at me displaying a designer watch. There is no one here reading this who has not been affected or confronted by Bollywood in some way. I am using it as a symbol of kitsch and cultism. It is time we tried exploring our own pop culture.

Humidor Is it too English? We are not amused. I would love to have a place where people watch as men banter about things that matter to them. It is not a segregation of genders, just something that conveys a laidback look at life. As Freud would say, a cigar is also a cigar.

Woman’s room How could I do this -- make a zenana space only for women? I love turning clichés on their heads. The title derives from Marilyn French’s path breaking feminist book ’The Women’s room’. This segment will be about everything women talk about and want men to listen to. Issues that have a larger social impact will not come in here.

My gut sense says, “Go for it”. But Chowk is not about my gut sense. I want constructive feedback on these four sections. You will decide.

What do we do with annoying interactors?

After a hundred articles on this website and many more abuses hurled my way, my stand remains unchanged: the interactors are the Unique Selling Point (USP) of Chowk. Every slugfest is a dialogue waiting to happen. Agreed, there have to be checks and balances and one respects the writers far too much to let them become victims of personal attack. We seriously hope that people will use their good sense and know when to stop before the Chowk guidelines get to work. Beyond that, it is my belief that when you are flinging mud, a lot of it sticks to you. People who need to do so constantly do not diminish Chowk; it is they who come out looking like losers. If the losers happen to be contributors, then we will need to take a second look at them and see whether they deserve to be published in a place they show scant respect for.

What happens to Unplugged?

I say without skipping a beat, Unplugged stays. It becomes even stronger. The reason is simple. There are people who need to talk about food and clothes and body parts; a mundane “Hello” thread has a flood of online interactors responding. People spend upto four hours each day there. On one occasion when it could not be accessed they flooded the front page, not to discuss the articles, but to continue their fulminations about food, body parts etc.

Many of you need that space and Chowk is proud to be a part of that geography. It will not, however, play any part in how you use the terrain. If you go there thinking of it as a boxing ring, then be prepared to fight. And fight your own battles, wipe your own blood. No complaints regarding UP will be entertained; you have been given the option to use the ‘Ignore’ feature. One assumes adults are using this site and know how to activate it. So, have a good time there. That is your room within Chowk; clean it up yourself.

Will the South Asian identity be whittled down?

It takes ages for an identity to be formed. The content will drive the South Asian identity. If children of or from the subcontinent decide to streak their hair or wear tattoos, it does not change their identity....they are exploring other avenues and will give back much more to the original identity. They might speak from a broader perspective. They are not trapped in history, but remain a product of it. They are not stuck in the groove of a stagnant ideology, but possess the ideals to make things happen.

These words could well be about Chowk.

For 8 years, there have been several articles...they have added to the Chowk identity. This will continue. This is not a book that, once published, becomes a closed chapter. We have the luxury of adapting and improving every single day.

We love what we are doing even if what we are doing does not admit to loving us. It keeps us in a state of constant reasoning. The iron that is supposed to enter our soul turns to a malleable steel.

We hate looking back. There are some who go away, some return, new people arrive, this keeps us going. When we are not watching ourselves critically, we will shut our eyes at the ‘Hold it” sign that might meet us at every red light. It is our way of indicating that being at the crossroads gives us more directions to choose from.

This is one voice. Your forum to express what you feel about what I have said, what you see on this website, what you would like to see and not see is just across this page. You have a choice to voice your feelings in Echoes -- not to agree with this voice but to show that what I have said resonates in some way.

It is about all of us.