WhWhen Atul Dodiya's exhibition "Broken Branches" opened in New York last week, it struck a universal chord. It revolved around the dialogue of violence-a topic very much in vogue in Manhattan. The works of the Mumbai-based artist displayed at Chelsea's Bose-Pacia Gallery, are in tandem with his shutter series, a combination of powerful paintings and installation work. It has made quite an impact in the art world. Especially since the painter's canvas touches on 9/11 and the events that followed. "The tragedy of New York is not exclusive to America. The whole world is involved," says Dodiya.

Apart from the violent present, Dodiya's portfolio also includes museum cabinet installations inspired by the colonial-style showcases found at the Porbandar museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. The 43-year-old artist's works are now being courted by the New York-based Asia Society. Broken Branches' success may also induce the Museum of Modern Art to sponsor Dodiya's next exhibition scheduled in 2005. His exhibitions have featured at Madrid's Reina Sofia Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, the Tate Modern in London and the Kunsthalle in Vienna. But the New York show marks a turning point not just for Dodiya, but for Indian art. As artist Gulammohammed Sheikh puts it, "Broken Branches are presented by Atul as emblems of vigil against indifference and amnesia."

-Anil Padmanabhan

The Strange Case of Soe Myint

BELATED INTEREST: Soe goes on trial

Last April, Myanmarese journalist Soe Myint found policeman from West Bengal at his Delhi home, with an arrest warrant. In November 1990, he and associate Ye Htin Kyaw, undergraduate students at Rangoon University, had hijacked a Thai Airways airbus en route to the Myanmar capital from Bangkok, and forced it down in Kolkata. They had with them a Buddha statue wrapped in tissue paper, which they passed off as a bomb. The plan was to draw international attention to Myanmar's despotic military regime. Thai authorities never pressed charges but the West Bengal Government booked the two students under the Anti-Hijacking Act.

As Soe stands trial for the hijacking, the question everyone is asking is why has the case been resurrected. The answer may lie in a telling chronology of events, says Soe's lawyer Nandita Haksar. Soe was arrested last year after then external affairs minister Jaswant Singh returned home from Myanmar. The renewed interest in Soe could have to do with India's realigning of relations with Myanmar's ruling Junta. The Centre needs the military regime on its side to tackle the flow of insurgents and drugs into the country. Myanmarese fleeing their country might just find they are not welcome anywhere.

-Labonita Ghosh

Fatty Legacy

Why is it that some people never put on weight, while others can never shed those kilos? Because fat is a genetic issue, it has now been discovered. Scientists at Imperial College, London, have announced the discovery of a gene that makes some people absorb more fat than others.

They stumbled across it while studying families across the world trying to understand why some people are prone to obesity-linked diseases like diabetes and heart attacks. They found that three rare diseases linked to severe fat malabsorption had the same gene mutation for SAR1b, a protein that is essential for absorbing dietary fat.

This discovery might lead to much more than hour-glass figures. It could also pave the way to new treatments in controlling diseases like diabetes and heart attacks. That is the next stage of research. But it is already clear that in this post-genomic era, fat need no longer be feared.

-Supriya Bezbaruah