Perhaps it’s not surprising that Kejriwal, an ex-income tax officer, has turned the government’s own weapons against it. He was one of the first to realise the full potential of the Right To Information Act (RTI), which allows citizens access to government files.

So, he has used the RTI to expose the public works — or lack of them — in a Delhi slum district. And he has battled on behalf of jhuggi dwellers, making it possible for them to claim land that had been allotted to them.

Says Kejriwal, “Anyone could’ve done what I did in the income tax department but here, I think I’m more needed.”

What makes Kejriwal tick' He has always wanted to make the world around him a better place. Even as a child he wanted to be a doctor because, “I thought doctors could do so much for the society”. Kejriwal’s father was an engineer and he spent most of his childhood living in small northern Indian towns like Sonepat, Mathura and Hissar.

In the 10th standard, a friend suggested that he should aim to study in an elite institution and that there were more engineering seats than medical ones. So, he switched direction and turned his attention to getting into the IITs. “Looking back today, I think that was not a logical judgment,” he says.

His childhood dreams of helping society also vanished during his time at IIT Kharagpur. Instead, he spent lots of time at dramatics and debating. After completing his mechanical engineering, he joined Tata Steel in Jamshedpur.

In those days, most students thought it was smart to do the civil service examinations, and Kejriwal went along with the herd. “After IIT, it was considered the done thing to join management, go abroad or join the civil services. I joined the civil services,” he says.

Kejriwal got through at his first attempt. During his training in Mussoorie, he fell in love with batchmate Sunita, and they later married.

“Our first posting was together in Delhi,” says Kejriwal who was appalled by the corruption that he saw all around him.

Often, he recounts that chartered accountants would casually ask if they could, “do something for me”. Kejriwal would politely show them the door. By the third month, his reputation was established and the offers stopped coming.

But Kejriwal wasn’t fully satisfied with his job and the way the department worked. He was disturbed by the fact that ordinary people often had to pay bribes to get work done. “Corruption is so bad that you can’t even blame them,” he says. Nevertheless, he admits that it was also satisfying to unearth tax evasion.

His wife Sunita was nervous when he insisted on resigning from the service. “There was a lot of tension,” he says. But Kejriwal says he knew what he was doing. “While I enjoyed my job, I craved something more.”

One day in 1999, over tea at his home in Ghaziabad, he and four friends decided to form Parivartan, which means “change”. They wanted the organisation to be a platform that would help to bring about change in society. But they wanted it to be run differently from other NGOs. Even after seven years, Parivartan doesnÂ’t have an office. Its members work from home and deal with different cases that require their intervention.

In fact, it’s not even registered as an NGO. “We don’t feel the need as we’re not looking for funding,” says Kejriwal. But there are private donors who keep the organisation running.

Parivartan started with the “Don’t Pay Bribes” campaign and its first target was the income tax department. “My friends would appeal to people outside the office not to pay bribes and to get their work done free of cost by me,” he says. The group started collecting grievances from the public and would present them to the commissioner in charge of the office.

Initially, Kejriwal’s boss was quite enthusiastic about the campaign. But, as time went on, he began to have second thoughts. “He thought the group was maligning the department,” says Kejriwal.

But the campaign built up strength. After a year it had taken up 700 cases and had filed a Public Interest Litigation asking for systemic changes in the income tax department that would lead to greater transparency.

Using a similar approach, the group targeted the Delhi Vidyut Board. Here, Kejriwal and friends would sit at the entrance of the office appealing people not to pay bribes. It was while he was in the midst of his crusade against the corrupt system, that the Right to Information Act was passed. The moment Kejriwal studied the bill he realised that it could be a powerful tool in the hands of the ordinary citizen.

One of Parivartan’s first cases was related to a person who was asked to pay a bribe of Rs 5,000 for a new telephone connection. Using the right to information, they asked the individual to write an application inquiring about the status of his connection. Under the act, one could find out the status of the application. “In 10 days he got the connection. It was like magic,” says Kejriwal.

Since then, he’s been encouraging people to exercise their rights under the act. And the award, he says changed his life. He’ll never forget the day he got a call from the Ramon Megsaysay foundation in July. “It was while I was in the middle of a drive campaign, that my phone rang. The caller asked: if I was given an award would I receive it.”

“I called up my wife immediately,” he says. Kejriwal says it’s a recognition that he never expected. “And I’ve done nothing to deserve it. After all it’s the same award that was given to people like Mother Teresa or Vinoba Bhave, among others,” he says modestly.

But then, the award is a reminder that he has chosen a tough path. He’s often fighting the Establishment or rougher elements in society like small-time land mafias. “Sometimes our workers are beaten up. I do get threat calls,” he says. But all that isn’t about to deter him.

But then, he has learnt to keep his cool. Eleven years ago, a colleague introduced him to vipassana and now every year, he goes for a 10-day meditation workshop in Jaipur. “That helps,” he says. Staying calm will help as he gears up for the battles ahead.

Photograph by Rupinder Sharma

Comfortable in tee and shorts, Nongkynrih, 42, has discovered an indulgence other than music. He plays tennis every evening. “It’s to get back to being fit,” he says with smile, even as he chews on a mouthful of organic betelnut called kwai in Khasi.

His kwai fix, packed neatly in a steel container, is kept right next to him so that he can easily reach out for it every now and then. In the same room, stacks of sheet music and music books are piled up on tables. The choir members are busy. The girls are preparing lunch while the boys are tidying up their rooms.

Nongkynrih has just been invited to represent India at the World Choir Council, an apex body of choral music made up of delegates from more than 70 countries representing at least 1,20,000 choirs. And the man who founded and conducts the Shillong Chamber Choir, India’s most popular choir, is clear about his agenda.

“In some ways, my role will be to make sure that India, at some stage, hosts the World Choir Games, considered the Olympics of choir music,” he says. This July, the Shillong Chamber Choir has been invited to sing at the closing ceremony of the Games, in Cincinnati, USA. “Nothing would have been possible without our prayers,” he says. The choir members, by the way, pray together every Wednesday and Sunday.

Neil Nongkynrih (in blue) with members of the Shillong Chamber Choir. They have now been invited to sing at the World Choir Games in the United States
These days the choir is also working on four albums. Despite the heat, they make regular trips to the recording studio in Noida, and don’t miss a single practice session.

The four albums include Gospel (in six languages: English, Hindi, Khasi, Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil); a patriotic album that will incorporate Nongkynrih’s version of Vande Mataram; a Khasi album with their famous song inspired by Indian trains; and a 60-minute album of his compositions.

Musically, Nongkynrih loves to experiment. He is recording live with an audience to bring out the soul of music. “The beauty of music is to hear a slice of humaneness. Recording with a live audience has its charm,” says Nongkynrih, “Otherwise, what you get is synthetic.”

Music in his veins
Born in Shillong in 1970, Nongkynrih learnt to play the piano at three. The youngest of five siblings, he grew up watching his sisters play the piano and took to playing the instrument without formal training.

He was considered a child prodigy and he made his musical debut in Shillong in 1976 at age six. (One of the people in the audience was Bhupen Hazarika, the late musical legend from Assam). After studying at St Edmunds School in Shillong till 1984, followed by two years at the British School in Delhi, Nongkynrih attended the Delhi School of Music to learn how to read notes. There, he jumped grades and in one year was promoted from grade one to eight.

At 15, Nongkynrih won a national level piano competition in Pune. He went to the venue to listen to contestants and had no intention of participating. But a friend wrote down his name as a contestant and he was called in to play. All that he remembers after being called on stage was that he played badly. The next day, he was surprised to discover that he had been declared the winner. It was then that his bureaucrat father was finally convinced that Nongkynrih needed a piano to practice in Delhi.

In London, Nongkynrih studied at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Trinity College, between 1988 and 2001. “I started with St James Piccadilly with a solo recital but I was never happy just playing the piano,” says Nongkynrih who even scripted a musical that was staged. “But one thing was clear: I never envisaged myself as a choral conductor,” he adds.

In 2001, the choir was formed and it grew organically over the years. “I never imagined that we would go this far. It has been a blessing,” he says. Having performed in many parts of the world, including singing for the visiting American president Barack Obama in 2010, the choir’s journey has been remarkable; 2010 is also the year the choir won the television reality show India’s Got Talent, their first national-level victory.

Mentor at work
Nongkynrih’s role isn’t limited to showing choir members the right musical path. “I can’t stand arrogance and I can smell it from a distance. Music is not the end of everything,” he says. “They must grow up to be good human beings. I have to be their example. I cannot say one thing and not do it. I take the role of their parents. My concern is also to get the elder ones married off.”

His seven-bedroom Shillong home resembles a gurukul where students learn a holistic way of life. Ask soprano singer Ibarisha Lyngdoh, one of the youngest members. She came as a nervous 12-year-old who gave her audition on a rainy day. Today, at 19, she has travelled the world singing under her mentor’s guidance in different Indian languages as well as in foreign tongues. Similarly Ryan Lamin, 17, who joined the group at 14, is now a prominent bass singer with his deep voice.

With success, the choir has grown in confidence. Though the members are from a non-Hindi speaking region, they took audiences by storm when they sang in Hindi.

“In the beginning, I was unwilling to try it,” says Nongkynrih. “But once I did, there was no problem,” he admits. Interestingly, the experiment took place during India’s Got Talent. They had come prepared with English and Khasi songs and were told to sing in Hindi. “We learnt in an hour’s time. Then I realised that we could do well-known Hindi songs. But I took that as a leitmotif to create a choral sound around it,” says Nongkynrih. “I would never do anything just like that. You have to go deep into the subject.”

It’s time for another round of kwai.
From HT Brunch, June 10

It was pure curiosity that drove me to write to Sobhraj while he was locked up in Tihar jail in 1996 and we exchanged a couple of letters. At a crowded Tis Hazari court, I first saw him escorted out of a blue police van and his fist held tight by two cops who wouldn’t leave even for a minute.

A small-built and bespectacled man in a blue jacket, Sobhraj looked ordinary. But his small almond-shaped Vietnamese eyes were strikingly brilliant and alert. He could be your regular guy. But if you looked hard enough, you could see his mind constantly at work. He looked straight into the eye and talked as if he knew me for years. That, in essence was his quality. He let you in just like authors of The Life and Crimes of Charles Sobhraj, Richard Neville and Julie Clarke, said in their book: “Sobhraj makes friends easily.” He had a persuasive manner that stood him in good stead even when his hands were tied. Once one of his Pune-based step sisters was to visit him. He promptly called an acquaintance and requested him to fetch his sister from the railway station and had her dropped to a certain destination.

Never mind that he had never even met the man in question whom he asked for a favour. Inside the prison too, he always had his way. Not necessarily because he deserved it. But he was street smart and knew how to grease the right palm. He had a phone that was smuggled inside a tin of ghee. A confession he made during a casual telephonic chat with this writer years ago.

The phone was carefully sealed inside a plastic packet and kept inside the tin that was sent to him when he pleaded that he needed more nutrition in his food. The cellphone was his window to the world. And he was certainly well connected.

Sobhraj had the largest collection of books in the prison. He lapped up books on philosophy and religion. One of his all-time favourite books in prison was Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote. He signed the book and gave it to this writer with these words: “This classic has been a good companion. Let it be yours now. Take care.”

His typewriter was a close companion in his prison cell and he often boasted of his typing speed. “You know how many pages I can type in an hour or in a day?” were his standard lines in many conversations. He would type the manuscript of his biography everyday and boasted that it would expose the inside story of Tihar jail.

A photocopy of the manuscript, which never saw the light of day, lies with this writer. On many occasions, when quizzed how he did it single-handedly all the crime, pranks and tricks, he never really had any straight answers. He diligently studied the Indian legal system, for instance, and understood every loophole possible. “Always study the loophole of any system,” he would say. He would sometimes opt to argue for himself in the court drawing attention from the media. In a sense, he created his own image and carried it off even in Nepal when a young woman fit to be his daughter openly declared her love for the law-breaker.

Interestingly, there’s a family in Delhi who is unlikely to forget him. When Sobhraj was lodged in Tihar, he met Captain Ranbir Singh Rathore, a young officer who was wrongly accused in the controversial Samba spy scandal and later acquitted. Sobhraj apparently helped finance Rathore’s young daughters’ education. Years later in 1997, when the court needed someone to stand surety for Sobhraj at the time of his release, Rathore returned the gesture and stood surety.

That night in 1997, when Sobhraj was to fly back home in Paris, it was Rathore’s family who stood with him till the end.

July 14 is a big day for Sobhraj. Will he walk out free just so that he could stroll along the scenic Seine River in Paris that he so loved? “I love the paintings sold by artists on the street. I love the very air,” he had said of Paris.

You cannot miss the aura that surrounds him. His laughter is infectious and he radiates an inner calm. At 75, the 14th Dalai Lama shows no sign of slowing down.

His is the single powerful voice that has strived to preserve Tibetan culture and spirit alive. The monk in exile who fled Tibet on March 31st, 51 years ago is today still a larger-than-life figure who is a crusader not just for the Tibetan cause but for the greater goal of world harmony.

The Dalai Lama is also a much sought after speaker who addresses global audiences on Buddhist teachings and also on ethical behaviour and Inter-faith harmony.

The Nobel Peace prize winner who’s also a human rights defender has very few airs and cheerfully admits that he keeps going through the day fortified by a hearty breakfast and a good night’s sleep.

In a candid conversation, he speaks his mind and shares his concern about Tibetan youngsters and a future in which the institution of the Dalai Lama may not exist.

Q. What keeps you going after all these years?

Good sleep (he laughs). I generally sleep by 8.30pm and get up by 3.30am. I have an hour of siesta every day. And then of course as a Buddhist monk, I usually skip dinner. I have a good breakfast consisting of fruits, cereals and some Tibetan tsampa. A good lunch is a part of my regime.

Another factor is my peaceful state of mind. And I would attribute this to the Buddhist teachings which emphasise the importance of emotions and how to deal with them.

The Dalai Lama with US President Barack Obama
Q. You are constantly speaking to distinguished audiences in different corners of the globe. How do you prepare for your lectures?

There is no preparation as such. I speak what comes to my mind. Of course, the theme is usually arranged with the organisers who know my main interest, which is compassion or how to live happily in this life. I do not talk about the next life or the concept of heaven. My emphasis is on how to be a good member of a community.

But there are discussions that require me to do some homework. Depending on the subject, I read the main texts and related texts. In most cases I give lectures according to the texts written by Indian masters mainly the Nalanda masters. I also check with different Tibetan writings.

Q. I believe you’re on Twitter. What prompted you to use this technology and will it help you to reach out to Tibetan youth around the world?

Technology is a powerful tool today. Especially now, the truth about Tibet is slowly spreading in China through the Internet. As far as using the computer goes, I am hopeless at that — though my fingers are quite capable of using a screwdriver. I do not even use a telephone. I do not tweet personally — that is done on my behalf by my office.

Looking back: (From top) His Holiness with Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi; meeting with Mao Zedong; sharing a moment with Mother Teresa
Q. You have now been in exile for 51 years. Are you still hopeful of talks with China, and autonomy for Tibet?

The existing situation is not good for Tibetans or for the Chinese. But then the hardliners or the Communist hardliners usually don’t use their common sense. They lack a holistic view in their approach. Their policies are not based on sound or solid reasoning. Now, more Chinese intellectuals are realising their own mistakes. So, it is just a matter of time.

Today, the Chinese people themselves agree that besides economic development, other values like freedom of movement, expression or thought are lacking. As for the minorities like the Tibetans who have a different script, language and culture, they need an atmosphere where they can preserve and maintain their identity.

Q. What about the Tibetan youth in India. Are you concerned about them slowly losing their identity?

Generally, I do not think that Tibetan youth would forget their culture. A few individuals may forget. Judging by the last 51 years and looking at particularly those Tibetans who are born in Canada, America or Switzerland, some of them may not speak Tibetan but the spirit is alive in them. It’s a similar case in India too.

Q. What are the problems faced by Tibetan community in India?

Unemployment is growing among Tibetan youth. But this problem can be solved with more creative thinking. There are some skilled or college graduates who have taken up jobs in cities like Bangalore and Delhi. This number must increase. And meanwhile, the Tibetan youth must stay close. Ideally, they should come together occasionally on weekends despite their different engagements in order to keep their culture alive.

Q. Is your policy of pacifism under threat from young Tibetans today? Why do you think that after all these years, the Tibetan youth are advocating a different route from your “Middle Path”?

Right from the beginning, the Tibetan youth organisation has always stood differently. They stand for complete independence. So, they openly criticise or disagree with our Middle Way approach. We have decided to be fully committed to democracy and therefore have a different approach. And also some of our Indian supporters criticise our Middle Way approach saying it is very weak. It is understandable. They feel that Tibet should have the right to claim independence.

But our main concern is that there is so much destruction in Tibet and a systematic one that’s aiming at our unique Tibetan culture and language. Today, I feel the real and purer form of Tibetan culture or spirituality is found in India and not in Tibet.

(From top) The Dalai Lama with Prince Charles; receiving the Nobel Prize in 1989; with Nelson Mandela
Q. What according to you would be more meaningful for Tibetans: autonomy or an Independent Tibet?

From a holistic view and from all aspects, it might be helpful to our economy if we remain within the People’s Republic of China. In the economic field, we may get greater benefit. I am not for independence merely for the sake of independence. It would have no meaning. Tibet is economically poor and China on the other hand is a huge country. It is not practical to be independent if there’s no benefit.

So, for Tibet we are open and willing to remain in the People’s Republic of China. It may be in our interest and of course, they must give us a meaningful autonomy to let us preserve our identity and culture. In fact, the Tibetan culture of compassion can help millions of young Chinese who have lost their moral principles. It might come handy to deal with the immense corruption there.

Q. Do you welcome the modernisation of Tibet or do you perceive it as a threat to Tibetan culture and identity? For instance, how do you regard developments like the Qinghai-Tibet Train or Lhasa Express — by making access and migration by the Han Chinese easier, is it threatening the Tibetan way of life?

I welcomed the initiative (the Lhasa Express) from the beginning when the Chinese government announced the project. It’s a sign of progress. But a lot depends on how it’s used. If it’s used to maximise exploitation and disregard the environment, it would be bad. And if, due to political reasons, the Chinese bring in more Han people (majority ethnic Chinese) while the military bring in more force, then in this light, it becomes bad. But the construction itself is very positive.

Q. And what is your response to the Chinese government’s recent intensified attacks on you, calling you a “splittist” among other things?

They also call me a demon and a wolf in the garb of a monk. Now they say that a wolf is among Indian sheep. I am just a simple monk and I have no problem with that. I feel pity that they are such short-sighted people. Such allegations only make them seem silly. Nobody believes that the Dalai Lama is a demon.

Q. You met the US President recently amidst protests by the Chinese. How was the meeting and do you see the US coming out and formally supporting the Tibetan cause?

Politically, I think Obama is the first person who officially supported our Middle Way approach. And then in other fields like development, he’s keen to support us to resettle our economy. Right from the beginning, he showed genuine concern for the community. Actually the American administration right from George Bush Senior has developed close relations with us.

Pix:Rupinder Sharma
Q. After you, who? The Chinese government insists it will have final say on who will succeed you. Have you begun the search for a successor? Are you worried about who will lead the Tibetans after you?

In early 1969, I officially and formally stated that whether the very institution of Dalai Lama should continue or not depended on the Tibetan people. I have no concern if the majority of them feel that this centuries-old institution is no longer relevant. Now, as far as Tibetan spirituality or Tibetan culture is concerned, it ultimately depends on the people and not on an individual. Now, there will be a full implementation of democracy. For 20 years, I have been telling people that they should carry on as if there is no Dalai Lama.

In case, I die within the next few years, then most probably Tibetans may want to keep this institution. In that case, it is again their choice as to how they would carry on or select my successor. They are free to follow the traditional way or find a different way. In the last two or three years, I have discussed this matter with top spiritual leaders.

Q. How do you relax?

I mainly meditate for four to five hours daily. I meditate in the morning as soon as I get up. This can go on till 8.30am or longer, say about till 10am if I do not have meetings or appointments. Then in the afternoon, before I take a nap I have another one hour of meditation. This regime is important for me.

Q. Do you sometimes wish you could leave everything behind and be by yourself?

No. Although as a child I had wished that. My studies were compulsory and I didn’t want them. I wanted to join ordinary children and play. My education was carried on under compulsion and without enthusiasm or interest. My tutor kept a whip but fortunately never used it. Gradually, by the time I was 16 or 17 years, I started implementing what I studied.

But now, I have become more realistic and feel that through my position I have an opportunity to serve a wider group of people. Then I really feel that this is a purposeful life.

Q. You were keen on photography, what happened to that?

All gone.

Q. Do you have any message for India?

There are two things for India. One, the concept of Ahimsa, which has been a part of India’s tradition for thousands of years, is very much relevant in today’s world. The method of solving conflict by using force is totally wrong. There is no other choice to resolve any conflict except through a meaningful dialogue.

Secondly, India’s religious harmony is notable, making India a role model for the world.

Indian has more responsibility to promote this value to the world and particularly Asia. Indians should feel proud. In the last 60 years, India is the most stable nation despite many difficulties.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/1100404/jsp/graphiti/story_12295852.jsp
The Telegraph, Sunday, April 4, 2010