New Delhi, April 26
Why target only India for
rapes, they happen all over the world, says Danish designer-turned
writer Inger Solberg, who has come out with her first book "Pushpa", a
vibrant account of her life in India, which she has made her home for
the past 15 years.
Solberg, who loves India and everything
Indian, is against the controversial BBC documentary "India's Daughter"
that kicked up a storm in India and was banned from being telecast. She
also wrote a Facebook post against the documentary, based on the
December 16,2012 gang-rape incident that shook India.
"The
incident was true (December 16 gang-rape); but why make the film and
send the message that all Indian men are rapists, that their mindset is
like this? Because that is not true; because this (rape) happens all
over the world," Solberg told IANS.
"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," said Solberg.
Solberg, who chose to settle down
in India after a "hard divorce", says she has been fascinated by India
since she was a teenager. "I always dreamed about coming to India. I was
fascinated by the culture, the Hinduism, about (Mahatma) Gandhi, and
chose to settle down in this country," she said.
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.
Solberg used to frequent India in the 90s in connection with her fashion designing.
The
title of the book "Pushpa" comes from the name her Indian boyfriend
used to call her by. He was sadly killed in a motorcycle crash a few
years ago.
"He gave me the name Pushpa. He gave me the
encouragement to finish the book. It took me three and a half years to
finish writing," Solberg told IANS in an interview. The book release was
done by Denmark envoy Freddy Svane last week.
"'Pushpa' is about
a divorced woman who comes to India with nothing except willingness to
start a life of her own, and show that anything can be possible, and you
have to believe in yourself, believe in destiny, and you have to
believe in the 'upar wala' (god)," she adds. Solberg, who is quite
conversant with Hindi, adds that the searing summer heat in Delhi gives
her the "chakkar".
The book, written in a racy style, is
available on Flipkart and Amazon. Its overseas editions are being
negotiated as well as its film rights.
"A very big Indian
filmmaker, I don't want to disclose his name.. he loves the story and
has written to me and said it will be a much better movie than "Love Eat
and Pray". It has much more material. He wants to make an international
movie," said Solberg, who has begun working on her second book, which
too is very much based in India.
"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.
Solberg, who sells her designs under
her name, loves celebrating the different Indian festivals with all the
colours and vibrancy associated with them.
During the Navratri
festival, Solberg prays and abstains from non vegetarian food. "I also
give food to little girls on Navratri."
She goes to a Shirdi Sai
Baba temple in Chattarpur every Thursday. "On Diwali I decorate the
house with flowers and candles. I pray in front of goddess Lakshmi,
wearing a red dress. I also throw card parties on Diwali, I play flash
and win," she said smiling.
Holi is another festival she loves.
"On Holi, I drink bhang and I throw colours on friends.. It is such a
beautiful tradition, and a nice festival," said Solberg.
Pushpa, published by Mahaveer Publications, is 280 pages and priced at Rs.175.
(Ranjana Narayan can be contacted at [email protected]
