Yurok, and Jerry

I am honoured to count as a friend a man named Jerry Rao, easily among the sharpest, best-read people I know. He was a successful banker and then an even more successful entrepreneur (Mphasis). In recent years, he has written a number of thought-provoking columns for the Indian Express. I've not always agreed with his views, but he invariably makes me think.

That, I am grateful for.

Last week saw the release of Notes from an Indian Conservative, a collection of his essays in the Express. I wasn't able to go to the event, but I ran into Jerry at a friend's place a couple of days later. He came over with a copy of the book and told me that I find a mention in it.

I'm delighted to be in there, and here's why I am.

A few years ago, Jerry wrote
Fog of political correctness for the Express. This is one of the columns reproduced in the new book.

I felt I had to respond to his arguments, and the Express carried my Hello, the yobs speak no Yurok. (To my surprise, that page did not mention my name as the author of the article. But I assure you it is mine. A slightly different version appeared on India Currents as Do Yobs Speak Yurok?).

In the introduction to this column in the book, he mentions that I disagreed with him.

Any thoughts welcome.

(My blog post from that time: Yobs and Yurok).