KGB’S UNUSUAL GIFT

At a session where foreign journalists traded notes on the level of persecution and surveillance in different countries, Guardian correspondent Luke Harding had an interesting story from his time in Russia. One day, Harding returned home to find it ransacked by the KGB. The Russian spy agency had even left behind a bizarre gift for him: a sex manual marked at page 181, which detailed how to have an orgasm. Was it their wry sense of humour or petty intimidation, Harding can’t say for sure, but he’s clear about one thing, “I wouldn’t recommend the KGB experience to anyone.”

Tully’s close shave at Babri Masjid

Former BBC correspondent Mark Tully said there was only one time when his life was truly in danger: the Babri Masjid demolition. “I had gone to file a story and when I came back, a group of kar sevaks gathered around me, prodding me with their tridents.” The opinion among the rioting men was divided — should they kill him or was he too important a man? In the end, he was locked in a room inside the temple.

Looking for the new Left

One of the most looked forward to events, the session on the ‘Legacy of the Left’, went much the same way the Left globally did. It started on a high note, was marred by technical difficulties, and came to a halt due to power failure. “They spent so much time discussing the Bolsheviks, they did not have time left to venture beyond 2008,” said a student.