INDIA – A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE AND EXPLORE, WRITE AND LOVE.
Some months back, India made the headlines for all the wrong reasons. There was a mass rape of a woman who was a student and was set upon by unknown men. This is a rare event yet the press made much of it – some would argue understandably, but on the other hand it gave this huge continent a tainted reputation – and it does have a total population of around one billion. A Scandinavian lady who now lives in India and writes – Inger Solberg from Denmark, and originally a designer, has penned a hugely important book “Pushpa” – all about her life in the country for the last fifteen years.
The gang rape took place on December 16 2012 and the BBC made a documentary about it – “India’s Daughter” which was banned from being broadcast in that country. Inger Solberg then made a Facebook post against the documentary about the gang rape. She has clearly had different experiences there.
The gang rape did happen but Solberg was adamant in defending the country as widely as possible. There was a lot of objection that India was being portrayed in a negative mindset and the objection was that rape can and does happen all round the worl. This is what Solberg underlined to the IANS.
Solberg insists, ‘And why pick India? .There are so many nice people, nice gentlemen here who are willing to help good people. There are so many good things happening here. So why are they always picking on the negative side? Take the sunshine stories and bring them out.’
Solberg, who was born in Norway, but lived in Denmark, says she had ‘fallen in love with the sleeping tiger (India).’ ‘But the sleeping tiger is not sleeping anymore, it has woken up and has taken over the world’, she says. She first discovered the delights of India in the 90’s regarding doing research into fashion and materials and fabrics, something which Zandra Rhodes has also done.
Mahatma Ghandi featured in Solberg’s devoted support and interest together with a fascination with the culture, the religion – namely Hinduism, and she often thought about coming to live there, in her educational years back in Denmark. After going through a lengthy and tiresome divorce, she made her move and went to live there where she still is.
“Pushpa” – Solberg’s new book, was released through her envoy in Denmark, Freddy Svane. The title comes from the name her Indian boyfriend used to call her. Apparently he was killed in a motorcycle accident some years back. The semi-autobiographical book covers a divorced woman coming to India to find a new life, and it encourages readers to believe in themselves, follow their destiny, work hard, and have faith in the “upper wala” (god) – a Hindu expression. The weather and other elements of the country of India is alluded to with Solberg telling the reader of the searing heat in Delhi in Summer – giving her the “chakkar”. ‘I am such a lover of this country and I understand so much about its culture by loving it,’ said Solberg.
Part of the proceeds of the book will go towards upliftment of women who have been victims of domestic abuse. ‘I am a victim of abuse and domestic violence myself, earlier and also here in India; abuses and misuses, and I want to help women who are battered, underprivileged women in India,’ she added.
Still a designer as well as a writer, Solberg sells her designs under her name and is fully conversant with the many Indian festivals and the colourful nature of the culture of celebratory occasions in the continent.
During the Navratri festival, Solberg prays and abstains from non vegetarian food. ‘I also give food to little girls on Navratri.’
Pushpa, published by Mahaveer Publications, is 280 pages and priced at Rs.175.
Penny Nair Price