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Late Meeting with the Late Naipaul

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8 years ago

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Late Meeting with the Late Naipaul

~By Dilip Bobb

Well before the encounter actually took place, meeting Vidia Naipaul seemed a daunting prospect. That was mainly because of the interviews he had given or remarks he had made where he came across as cantankerous old man with inherent biases and complexes. He had also showed, on innumerable occasions, a dislike for journalists who asked him awkward questions about women, other writers, his love/hate relationship with India and his dark, unsparing view of the world around him.  Naipaul, or ‘Sir Vidia’ as he liked to be called, was no stranger to India—his India trilogy was proof enough—-but I met him face to face when he was passing through Delhi en route to Goa to be the star attraction at Tarun Tejpal’s Thinkfest in Goa. Naipaul had proved a major benefactor to Tejpal’s Tehelka magazine and he had agreed for a quiet dinner with a small group of invitees, which included me. The dinner took place in a reserved area at the Park Hotel in central Delhi and when I arrived, according to Delhi Time, I was clearly late—Sir Vidia was already ensconced in a corner table with his wife Nadira hovering protectively over him. Tarun, an old friend and former colleague, took me over and introductions were made but it was obvious that it was Nadira, his second wife and 20 years his younger, would act as his mouthpiece and steer us away from conversations he was averse to.  I had spoken to her earlier, on the telephone during a visit to London where I wanted to interview him, and she had made it clear that she controlled access to him and decided whom he should and should not meet.

At the Park hotel, she was playing that role effectively, and the much awaited meeting with Naipaul was turning into a farce, till she got up from her chair to bring dinner for her celebrated husband from the buffet table. I quickly slipped into her seat and asked the Man how he was enjoying Delhi. “I have not stepped out of the hotel,” he said gruffly, going into a rather descriptive account of a stomach ailment and Delhi’s ‘poisonous air’ and ‘unhygienic habits’ which reminded me of his Indian trilogy, starting with An Area of Darkness, his deeply pessimistic work which was almost banned for its excessively negative portrayal of India. In fact, when an attractive young hostess from the restaurant approached him to inquire if he wanted a refill of his glass of red wine, he brusquely brushed her away. It reminded me of his famous, or infamous, remark that ‘Indian women wear a coloured dot on their foreheads to say “my head is empty’. His misogyny was well known so it was no surprise, but when I asked him his views on Indian writers his self-centred disdain was again in evidence, saying he had read very few of them, but did grudgingly, acknowledge individual works by Vikram Seth and the late R.K. Narayan. Tarun had joined us by now and I ventured to ask Naipaul if he was looking forward to Goa. “It sounds very exhausting,’ he said, looking up at Tarun Tejpal. “I am getting too old for this kind of caper.” He had just celebrated his 80th birthday and looked quite fed up, literally and figuratively, barely an hour into our private dinner. I got up before Fearless or Fearsome Nadira returned to boss over him, and left with no feeling at all of having met the literary genius who wrote A House for Mr Biswas,   The Enigma of Arrival and In a Free State. As a writer, he was a giant. As a person, he was far less than the sum of his fame. I was immediately reminded of a passage in the obituary on him in the New York Times. “Naipaul was a difficult man. He cultivated an air of superciliousness. He treated interviewers the way cats treat mice, condescending to them and pouncing on their, in his view, naïve and ridiculous questions.” Quite.

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PM Modi marks Operation Sindoor anniversary, calls it India’s firm stand against terrorism

PM Modi said Operation Sindoor showcased India’s firm response against terrorism while paying tribute to the armed forces on the operation’s first anniversary.

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4 hours ago

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May 7, 2026

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PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s firm response against terrorism and highlighted the country’s commitment to national security.

Marking one year of the operation, the Prime Minister praised the courage, precision and professionalism of the Indian armed forces. He said the military action was carried out in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that had claimed the lives of 26 civilians in 2025.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, as a calibrated tri-services operation targeting terror infrastructure linked to cross-border terrorism. Reports said the operation showcased coordinated action by the armed forces and was seen as a major counter-terror response by India.

On the anniversary of the operation, PM Modi also changed the display pictures across his social media platforms, including X, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The image carried the text “Operation Sindoor” along with the Indian tricolour design.

The Indian Air Force also shared visuals and messages recalling the operation and highlighting India’s military response. A video released by the force described the operation as a strong message against terrorism and referred to the precision strikes carried out during the mission.

Operation Sindoor was launched following the Pahalgam terror attack, after which India carried out strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to official statements and reports published at the time.

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Vijay meets Tamil Nadu Governor again as TVK pushes to prove majority

TVK chief Vijay held another meeting with Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar as the party intensified efforts to secure majority support after emerging as the single-largest party in the Assembly elections.

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4 hours ago

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May 7, 2026

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Actor vijay

Actor-turned-politician Vijay met Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar again on Thursday as his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), continued efforts to prove it has enough support to form the next government in the state.

TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly after winning 108 seats, but it remains short of the majority mark of 118.

The Congress has extended support to TVK, adding five MLAs to Vijay’s side. However, the alliance still needs additional backing from other parties or independents to comfortably cross the halfway mark.

According to reports, the Governor has not yet been fully convinced that TVK currently has the required numbers to form a stable government. This has delayed clarity over the swearing-in ceremony and the formal invitation to form the government.

Political activity intensified after reports emerged that some AIADMK legislators were moved to a resort in Puducherry amid speculation over possible support to TVK. AIADMK leaders, however, publicly denied any internal crisis.

TVK sources have expressed confidence that the party will be able to demonstrate majority support during discussions with the Governor.

The Tamil Nadu election results marked a major political shift in the state, with TVK breaking the long-standing dominance of the DMK and AIADMK in its first Assembly election contest.

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PM Modi changes social media profile pictures to mark Operation Sindoor anniversary

PM Modi changed his social media profile pictures to commemorate one year of Operation Sindoor, with several NDA leaders following the move.

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4 hours ago

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May 7, 2026

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PM Modi speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday updated the display pictures of his social media accounts to mark the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor. The new image was seen across his profiles on X, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp channels.

The updated profile picture carries the text “Operation Sindoor” on a black background along with elements of the Indian tricolour. One of the letters in the word “Sindoor” has been stylised using vermilion, commonly associated with married Hindu women.

Operation Sindoor was launched a year ago by Indian defence forces and the Border Security Force along the western border. The anniversary was also marked by several Union ministers and NDA leaders, who changed their social media profile pictures in a similar manner.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other senior leaders were among those who adopted the commemorative display image on social media platforms, according to reports.

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