Q: What was the genesis of ‘Maryam& Son’? A: I began to think about a person like Maryam many years ago. You know, 2016-17… you had the emergence of ISIS and the destruction of Iraq. In those times, you always heard of these people in the news... ‘so and so has fled to Iraq, to Syria to fight’. But that’s all you were given, there’s no other way of finding out anything else about these people… So I began to think more and more of their families… I began to think, who are those people? What are they like? And then I began to think of a middle-aged woman, has a personality, is a perfectly ordinary lower middle class working woman, of British Indian origin, has a decent life in that she’s made something of her life despite having had a setback. She’s raised her son, who she dotes on and loves, and then he goes missing… One of the things I was trying to do in the novel is that this is not the son’s story, this is Maryam’s story. This is not a story about radicalisation or indoctrination… I wanted to stay with Maryam and also explore aspects of her personality which have to do with her being a woman in London who has a life, has a mind, has her aspirations and longings and losses. Q: There were so many things you brought out about a young widow suddenly putin the spotlight. A: She’s also under a spotlight of her own making because now she’s beginning to see herself slightly suspiciously. So I wanted to explore that idea. What does surveillance do, but also what does being watched do? Who is the watcher in this dynamic? So ostensibly this person is watching her, but at some point she begins to watch herself… ‘Okay, what have I done all these years? Is that what I should have done, really? Is this who I am?’ And there is a bit of a slippery slope. Q: The character ofJulian becomes that voice in many people’s heads today questioning the magic of the digital world. A: The world of tech is so immense and so enormous and so overarching that often… we take things as they’re given to us. There’s very little room left for us to examine and question and scrutinise those things. How is it determined that all these things are good and correct and true?… What happens in our world is we are asked to consume these things as they are packaged somewhere else. Whether it’s an algorithm, whether it’s AI, whether it’s a tech boss, whether it’s a bunch of capitalists, whether it’s a few extremely hideously rich people, it’s all coming down to us from the top... In my generation or even subsequent generations, the danger was outside… Don’t mix with that kind of person, avoid those people… Now, we may keep our children safe indoors, but that danger has walked in, it’s behind the screen in so many various ways that there is no way we can keep an eye on it all the time. And it’s so deep, it’s a labyrinth. This has been on my mind as a parent, but also as person who lives in this time… How are children influenced, what are they turning into, because you cannot control it… There is a lot of influencing that happens on the internet. And when I say influencing, entire lives are shaped. So I did want to spend time on it in the novel and I did try to explore it. Okay, what if this person spent all his time online… She may have kept him safe… He’s not mixing with the bad boys, but the question in the novel is: what if I don’t close all those loops?… And we have seen it happen in our lives, in real time. Masses, large groups of people, influenced, transformed, radicalised, turned into something else or used for certain ends… We have seen it happen again and again, whether it’s India or South Asia or Pakistan or Britain or the West… Somebody is benefiting, whether it’s the corporate tech bro, somebody selling cars or miracle drugs, or somebody selling hate or prejudice or bigotry… Q: In today’s world, you’re not even considered to be an individual in existence unless you have a digital presence. And it’s such a strange space, especially for all of us who’ve known a life before this. A: It was simpler, but it was a nicer, softer, kinder world… I did want to look at the dark underbelly of the internet, but then I also don’t want to make the novel about that… I wanted to stay with Maryam, and I think I have stayed with Maryam. But I did want to look at this dark underside, which is dark but it’s not really underside. It’s everywhere.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday imposed costs of Rs 25,000 on the Centre for challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had set aside the dismissal of a CISF official, observing that the matter involved unnecessary litigation.Upholding the high court’s ruling, a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan also directed that the official be granted back wages, holding that the punishment imposed was disproportionate.“We fail to understand why the Union of India has challenged the order of the high court division bench. We hear pendency, pendency. Who is the biggest litigant? Cost should be imposed,” said Justice Nagarathna, as cited by PTI.“Why can’t there be an opinion that if the high court found it disproportionate and granted relief setting aside all the orders, we shall not go to the Supreme Court? He took medical leave but he also had to deal with an elopement in his family,” she added. Referring to her recent remarks at a conference organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association, Justice Nagarathna said the court had taken the observations regarding the government’s role in the backlog of cases very seriously.“It was not just to go to some resort and come back. We made preparations, we did homework. We spoke. Not to forget,” she said.Two charges were levelled against the CISF official, absence from duty for 11 days and alleged indiscipline for purportedly conniving with a woman, the daughter of a CISF constable, to leave Mumbai and attend her wedding with his younger brother.The high court, however, noted that the 11-day absence had been explained, as the official was on sanctioned medical leave during that period.Justice Nagarathna noted that during the disciplinary proceedings, the woman involved had appeared and stated that she had no grievance against the respondent-petitioner regarding the allegation that she had run away with his brother.“It is otherwise not in dispute that the brother of the respondent-petitioner had married the lady concerned. It has, therefore, been found that in-fact there was no misconduct on the part of the respondent for which he could be removed from service,” said the High Court.

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Vadra on Wednesday took a swipe on the BJP-led central and state government in Assam, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of running a “government of double-slavery.”Addressing a rally in Nazira, Priyanka targeted the BJP’s central campaign pitch, saying it had failed to deliver on its promises. “They had spoken of a double-engine government. Didn’t they say so in the last election? Modi ji used to come and say that now they will run a double-engine government. But they have run a government of double-slavery. Modi ji has become a slave to America and because of his policies today the entire country is in crisis. And Hemanta ji is Modi ji’s slave. And on top of that, they want this government of double-slavery to make the people of this beautiful and self-respecting state of Assam slaves, keep them suppressed,” she said.Priyanka urged voters to reject what she described as politics driven by fear and self-interest. “They only work for you when they see some benefit in it for themselves. This has not been the tradition of this country. Even today, we want a government in Assam which doesn’t scare you, doesn’t threaten you, doesn’t serve its own selfish interests, but serves you, works honestly for you, advances and strengthens your culture and your civilisation,” she added.She further alleged that the BJP government in Assam was functioning through intimidation and corruption, claiming that public resources were being misused. “It is not just that one leader is prospering. The biggest thing that happens due to corruption is that your money is snatched away. This money is meant to be used for you—schools, hospitals, roads, taps—but instead it is being used to build palaces and enrich families,” she said.Targeting the state leadership, Priyanka claimed that “only one family is looting everything in Assam,” while ordinary citizens continue to struggle. She also accused the BJP of failing to fulfil key promises, including raising wages for tea garden workers and granting Scheduled Tribe status to several communities. “Various tribal communities have been demanding ST status for years. The BJP had promised to accord ST status to them, but they failed to give it,” she said.Raising concerns about governance, she alleged that people were being coerced into attending rallies. “PM Modi and CM Himanta are ruling the country and state with fear and threats. Our fight is against that fear, and for protecting Assam’s culture and civilisation,” she said.Highlighting Congress’ promises, Priyanka outlined welfare measures her party would implement if voted to power. “If you want such an Assam, then choose the Congress government. Our first guarantee is that for women, if you want to start some small work or business, you will be given Rs 50,000. Whatever scheme we bring for women, its cash will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of women,” she said.She also promised expanded healthcare support. “You will get health insurance up to Rs 25 lakh. The government will provide free treatment up to Rs 25 lakh for whatever disease you have. Our government has already shown this in Rajasthan,” she said.Priyanka also raised the issue of justice for Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, asserting that it was a legitimate public concern. “The Congress government wants Zubeen Garg ji to get justice. Within 100 days, as soon as our government is formed, we will get him justice. Today, all local ‘Bhumiputras’ have received temporary land deeds. We will give permanent deeds instead of temporary ones to 10 lakh local sons of the soil,” she said.Rejecting accusations of politicising the issue, she said, “I honestly don’t believe that such things should be politicised. But I think that when there is a demand among the public that somebody who they revered and respected is not getting justice, then, as politicians, isn’t it our duty to say that yes, we are going to make every effort to give justice? How is that politicisation?”Calling for a political change, she urged voters to envision a “new Assam.” “Raise your heads, puff out your chests, and make up your mind that with the new government, a new Assam will come. Your Assam, that Assam which was Zubeen Garg ji’s dream, that Assam which is in your hearts, that Assam which is everyone’s dream, in which your children’s future becomes bright, in which this corruption stops,” she said. Congress is anti-development: PM ModiMeanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mounted a strong counterattack on Congress during his rallies in the state. Addressing a gathering in Biswanath, he accused the party of being “the root cause” of corruption in independent India. “The entire country knows that Congress is anti-development and has been the root of corruption in independent India. In Assam, Congress committed acts that the people are well aware of. Congress has played with Assam’s identity, pride, and security. Since independence, it compromised Assamese identity for the sake of power and repeatedly neglected Assam’s interests,” he said.He further alleged that Congress had encouraged illegal infiltration for political gains. “They (Congress) have compromised with Assam’s ‘aatma’ (soul), ‘shaan’ (pride), ‘pehchan’ (identity) and ‘suraksha’ (security),” Modi said, adding that the BJP government had taken steps to remove encroachments and protect local identity.The Prime Minister also reiterated the BJP’s governance record, stating that the party’s “double-engine government” had ushered in development and stability. “The BJP’s 10-year rule heralded a new dawn of ‘seva’ (service) and ‘sushasan’ (good governance) in Assam,” he said.Modi further promised key policy measures if the BJP returns to power, including implementation of the Uniform Civil Code and protection of tribal rights under the Sixth Schedule. He also expressed confidence in securing a third consecutive term in the state.The political exchange comes as Assam heads into a high-stakes assembly election, with polling for all 126 constituencies scheduled for April 9 and counting set for May 4. The contest is expected to be a direct fight between the ruling BJP-led NDA and the Congress, with both sides intensifying their campaigns and sharpening their attacks in the final stretch.