Binaries b(l)ind!

 She is a doctor with an MBBS from a much respected institute. Used to practise, too, and for the good of the poverty stricken women. In fact, her patients' plight sensitised her to multiple injustices. Fearlessly arose her bold voice. 

The erstwhile Central Government as well as the erstwhile State Government of Bengal would not support this much hounded lady as at stake was their kind of voters' mindset! Any feminist, any Marxist, at least Leftist protest against her conscious ill-treatment, nay, open threats to her life? Hardly any! 

Hence the intelligent, well-read, aware citizen without any party affiliations, without any enjoyment of any convenient political patronage, without any compulsions hence to criticise for the sake of criticism finds it difficult to digest the hypocritical building of b(l)inding binaries! Such (hi)story repeats ad infinitum in all fields, moreover!

Yes, my sympathies are with both Sonam Wangchuk and Taslima Nasrin, both intellectuals, both dissidents, both creative, both much-felicitated. Hence it surprises me that as per convenience, one is lionised, while the other was literally thrown to wolves, and is now blithely ignored! 

Hence the doubts about the highjacking of Sonam-ji's fast by all sorts of parties, new to ancient! Why is not there any simultaneous hoo-ha over Taslima returning to Kolkatta? How about the Nupur Sharma incident? 

Forget the ideology, as they would they say, it is the money, stupid! Well, the Adani-Ambani duo is close to ALL political parties; in fact, flourished, and continues to do extremely well, in ALL the regions/reigns, right? 

Every leader, each decision is always, undoubtedly dictated by the contemporary contexts within and beyond the contry, too, right? Historicise, Historicise, Historicise! Otherwise, even a worthy cause appears partisan, and so divisive that good will withers, and bitter binaries blind! 

Pratima@ The Government and Sonam-ji should begin a discussion ASAP. Is it the case that the lakhs and lakhs of students who personally suffered the NEET  paper leak would prefer an actual 'better'ing of the education and evaluation systems rather than delusional politicking over resignations?!? 

Quote of the day:                                                          "Sheep only need a single flock, but people need two: one to belong to and make them feel comfortable, and another to blame all of society’s problems on," argues James Rozoff. 

Word of the day: partisan                                          Partisan refers to an attitude showing excessive support for one person, group or idea, especially without considering it, or the multiple other aspects/sides/versions  carefully and conscientiously. 

Aha, Zentangle!

 It was by sheer chance that I got to know that today happens to be the World Zentangle Day. Yes, Zentangle is quite the rage currently. Given the special occasion today, let us explore it on our blog today. 

The term is a blend of zen and tangle. It is a mode of doodling, and it is supposed to calm upset and/or troubled minds full of stress, in brief, majority of minds (if any at all, actually) today. As the art form tends to be thus a meditative mode, it is known as Zentangle. 

The Zentangle Method, Mr. Google told me, is a 2004 find. It is a brain child of Maria Thomas, an artist, and a former monk, Rick Roberts. It was born, it seems, when Roberts noticed that Thomas’ repetitive pattern-drawing (or "tangling") mirrored meditative states. They formally combined "Zen" (meditation) and "tangle" (the drawing process) to create an accessible, abstract art form intended to promote mindfulness and focus. Driven by a background in calligraphy, illuminated art, and meditation, the founders designed Zentangle to be "yoga for the brain." So says Amigo Google about this Art Doodle. 

Given the auspicious occasion today, that is, its twenty-second birthday, no harm hence beginning to practise today onwards this free hand art. All you need is a piece of paper, pencils, pens to shade/colour better, and, voilà, ready in style would be your 'tile'! 

Pratima@ Today is yet another wonderful occasion, the Rath Yatra. I like it because rarely is there a celebration of sibling bonds. I like the nice humanisation of the entire festival, such as the deities visiting their aunt. Truly divine!                                                   Oh, yes, our blog yesterday about Sonam-ji's fast. Well, would not it be better to fight for a radical change in the evaluation mode, currently so very summative and fiercely competitive? How is any resignation going to be any concrete help? The real obit for the aspirants who committed suicide would be such a change in de/refining the entry point examinations so that the tragedy is never ever repeated, right? 

Quote of the day:                                                         "The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection," maintains Michelangelo. 

 Word of the day: doodle                                             A doodle is a simple drawing that could have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines or shapes, prefarably attempted without ever lifting the drawing device from the paper.

That is the question!

 He created the "Ice Stupa", thereby inventing the artificial glacier technique, which consists of freezing winter meltwater into cone-shaped ice heaps to provide water for spring agriculture in the trans-Himalayan region, which was also a practical way to fight climate change.

 Yes, that is the innovative Sonam Wangchuk for you. Much admired for his advocacy (educational included) so much so that he has been lionised in, after, beyond "Three Idiots", the film which made him famous for the ordinary citizen. 

The question hence is, how come the lakhs and lakhs of students -- for whose sake he is "losing muscle mass" (to quote the CJP's founder, Abhijeet Dipke) and is compromising with his blood pressure for almost three weeks now -- are just not concerned with such a protest? 

Is it the case that the common man sees through the obvious partisan party politics involved, and hence is wary, does not want to get involved? Tough to believe that students are not 'aware', as narratives are literally thrown in to everyone's face, especially on the social media. 

Well, the March 2026 protests against the UGC stipulations do show that students of ALL 'colours' ARE responsive, both pro and against, when it comes to the academic arena. How come then that there is no major reaction to this demand for the resignation of the Education Minister?

In my opinion, the issue is much more layered. Honestly, given the ubiquity of information explosion everywhere, these days it is tough to hoodwink anybody. People see through party-specific posturing, right? No, it is not the dea(r)th of the middle class, the erstwhile sensitive/sensitised group. 

Rather, people ARE acutely aware of ALL issues, Deep State type international p(r)ogrammed propaganda included. May be, extreme factionalism (born out of the echo chambers everywhere) makes the common man suspicious about the hidden agenda(s)?

 Yet I do feel that the government should, rather must, initiate a dialogue directly with Sonam Wangchuk to avoid any further, universal at that, embarassment and/or emergency. Better late than never!

Pratima@ Given such turbulent times, is it any wonder that the Kalidasa Day on "ashadhasya prathm diwse" was almost overlooked?!?

Quote of the day:                                                            Maintains Malcolm X, "Concerning nonviolence, it is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks."

Word of the day: partisan                                            The term refers to showing excessive support for a person, group or idea, especially without thinking through all possible pros and cons. 

Madan Mohan's ek song, silken, soft, gentle

 Madan Mohan's ek song, silken, soft, gentle! Guessed it? A tough question, that one, right? One can line up hundreds in answer, right? Yet, in my opinion, the best match would be "tum se kahun ek baat" from his National Award winning  sound track of "Dastak". 

Actually, each and every song of "Dastak", like almost his entire oeuvre, is a gem. Yet "tum se kahun" is unique. It uses the whisper-singing mode, getting popularised in the third decade of the twenty-first century, that, too, mostly in the Western pop genre. 

In 1970, Madan Mohan uses that soft yet spoken intimately whisper, that, too, without the breathy husk. The harmony is indeed petal soft aurally. Mohammad Rafi has most lovingly captured that romantic feel penned passionately by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

The tender repetitions, the soulful similes and images, the calming composition of light consonants by Majrooh Sultanpuri is accompanied by the lovely ensemble of violins and guitar interludes. Equally special are effects such as the add-in of a horse driven tonga retreating along a lonesome lane.

That "silent night, lovely night" effect captures most lyrically the soulful intimacy of genuine love. Madan Mohan thus continues to enrich our sensibilities most sensitively. Hence this tribute on his death anniversary!

Pratima@ In the AI era now, making music may be mechanical. Can, however, such magic be ever spun yet again?

Quote of the day:                                                              "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything," asserts Plato. A definition that stands the test of times! 

Word of the day: harmony                                          Harmony refers to the pleasing, gentle, balanced arrangement of different parts, resulting in an overall sense of perfection, unity and aesthetic balance. 

Pratima R Agnihotri                                                    Pune

Tradition and the Young Talent

 T. S. Eliot, a great poet and critic who transformed literary paradigms the world over and forever, began his trail blazing career with a brilliant essay entitled "Tradition and the Individual Talent." The title of our blog today is a take on that world famous moniker. 

Much deserved is this title because our blog celebrates the first ever symbolic 'wari' at the BMCC. Celebrated this afternoon, at the helm were the young FYJC-ians, ably helped by their SYJC seniors, and efficiently guided by their teachers. 

Absolutely adorable was their enthusiasm. The kids did not forget nary a thing. Decked up in the traditional finery, they hosted, hustled, hurried here n there, their fresh faces full of joy, devotion, and a sense of duty. A cute feel it was to look at their furrowed brows full of commitment and acute concentration so as to observe the minute most details. 

Their 'wari' began with the 'nam-mudra' for everyone. After the customary 'puja' began the 'dindi'. The procession around the huge BMCC ground was attuned to all the traditional 'wari'-related musical instruments, 'veena', 'mrudung', and the castanet like 'taal'. Why, the event began and ended with a 'shankh naad'. 

No wonder, all those passing by the BMCC stopped awhile to look at these students busy with the 'nam ghosh.'  Once back to the campus, they even sang/recited the major 'abhang' often associated with the 'wari'. The 'dindi path' within the campus was decorated with 'rangoli' patterns, while the Tata Hall and the foyer looked as dapper as these sincere kids.

The 'dindi' ended with the 'ringan' ceremony, performed genuinely, with lots of sensitivity and boundless enthusiasm. The traditional 'fugadi' was not missed either. There was a proper 'aarti' and 'prasad' at the end. Most importantly, the kids explained each and every ritual, and its relevance. 

No wonder, both the guests and the Principal appreciated their efforts which were encouraged most effectively by the Heritage Collective In-Charge teachers. All of them and their students deserve our huge thanks for bringing the 'Pandharpur Wari' here on campus!

Pratima@ Unlike the online 'wari' cum lecture series so far attempted by the BMCC  Heritage Collective, this first ever offline 'wari' was a perfect channel to the unbounden energy of the Junior College students.                                                                            Such cultural awareness is the need of the hour, given the times today! Such kind of 'college' and/or 'traditional' days create a space that brings youngsters closer to their roots, right?  

Quote of the day:                                                          "Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire," asserts Gustav Mahler.

Word of the day: Wari                                             The Wari (or Vari) is a sacred annual pilgrimage (yatra) in Maharashtra.  Dedicated to Vithoba, the arch deity of Maharashtra, it was initiated by Sant Dnyaneshwar.                                                                            Millions of devotees (Warkaris) walk on foot for about twenty-one days carrying the padukas (symbolic footwear) of the revered Marathi saint-poets. The major procession travels roughly two hundred and fifty kilometers from Alandi and Dehu, holy towns associated  with Sant Dnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram respectively.                                                             All the other palakhi's join this procession en route. Finally, all the dindi's  converge at Pandharpur on Ashadhi Ekadashi, the day when a fast is kept.                                                        After the 'gopal kala' the next day, the warkaris return home to their agricultural duties. They observe the Chaturmas till Kartiki Ekadashi. 

Censor!

 It was the best of the moments, and it was the worst of the moments, and let me tell you why I so write. Time was when I was a rookie journalist with the "New Indian Express." As I was basically a Ph.D. researcher, I was a freelancer with the newspaper. Yet I used to be a regular, too, so much so that per week, I could pen at least three articles for the Features' Desk. 

When I got to know that Bhishm Sahani of the "Tamas" fame would be there, I got the Desk Editor's permission to interview him. I got a proper interview time allotted by him, an interview graciously accepted by him, given his advanced age. Later on when the write-up was published and I sent him a xerox copy, I received a "You are very kind" post card from him which is one of the high points as a journalist for me. 

That is the best aspect. The worst moment was one of the so-called great academicians signalling him through gestures not to speak! Well, it was a properly n prior permitted interview for a leading newspaper. Even to hint at such a gesture was absolutely unprofessional. And here was this absurd behaviour! The less said about such ugly nastinesses, the better it is for one's own memories! 

Anyways, despite such "censoring", the interview did take place! One of the questions I had asked Sahani-ji was about censoring of texts, films, paintings, any cultural/aesthetic product for that matter.

His answer, I feel, can be a leading light whenever such issues toss up n down the entire socio-cultural ethos like a whirlpool. Sahani-ji's opinion -- here I am not quoting him verbatim, rather summarising his ideas -- was that an artist's freedom of expression is indubitable. Yet it cannot conveniently corrode the societal set-up.

Thought of it all because of the current furore over this bio-pic entitled "Satluj". Apparently, it deals with the aftermath of the Bhindranwale era in Punjab. No, I have not watched the film. No, I have not read up about Jaswant Singh Kharla. No, I am neither praising nor criticising the entire discussion.

Well, as it transpired during the interview mentioned above, we have to understand that an artist as an individual is a part of the society. The whole, too, matters as much as the part; the center of a circle, too, is as valid as the circumference; neither side of a square can either be elongated or shortened without disfiguring the original, right? 

To consciously ignore either to suit one's own immediate agenda, to cherry-pick conveniently to valorise one's own current postures, to create bitter binaries to hypocritically manage one's own present profiteering, whether it be socio-cultural, historical, political, ideological is an intellectual crime! Instead, better defend an idea through/with an idea! In brief, self-reflexivity matters the most! 

Pratima@ I do think that 'managing' media in such a pseudo mode is much worse than the p.r. promotion about film stars' personal lives just before the release of a film!                                   Is the film really banned, moreover? The cuts could continue to be challenged in the Supreme Court, and even beyond (the President's intervention?!?), right? Given the times today, in addition,  is it possible at all to ban anything? Conveniently it can be downloaded from very many legal/illegal sites! In fact, the film must have gotten loads of curious publicity because of the so-called prohibition!?! Or was that the plan of promotion???

Quote of the day:                                                          "When you tear out a man's tongue, you are not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world that you fear what he might say." A quote by George R.R. Martin.

Word of the day: Censorship                                   Censorship is defined as the suppression or prohibition of speech, public communication, or other information considered objectionable, harmful, or inconvenient by governing authorities, private institutions, or individuals. It restricts freedom of expression and aims to control the flow of information.

Why the push n shove?

 In our area, there is a Shri Rama temple. Each Ram Navami, there is a "janmotsav." When it comes to taking the 'prasad' distributed by the 'guruji', most all present rush n create a mini stampede like situation. Everyone is shoving everybody else aside, jostling like mad, none is ready to wait, to stand in a queue. Nobody is there to make the crowd behave itself like devotees, and not like savages! 

Nothing unique about this scenario. Last year, I was in the Tulshibaug Ram Mandir at the same time. Aai loved Shri Rama. She used to recite the 'Ram Raksha Stotra' with great devotion. Her 'Bhajani Mandal' used to perform during the 'Chaitra Navratra'. Hence my attendance in her memory. The scenario inside the Tulshibaug temple was no better than the rush in the lane out there in the peak hours!

Look at the annual palakhi procession. Except, may be, for the designated 'palakhi mandali', the rest is sheer chaos. People push like hell to reach near the 'paduka'. Horrible is the condition of the poor horses. A hyper sensitive animal, it is touched by thousands anywhere anyhow. On the cart driven by the bullocks, there is a huge load. I absolutely admire all these poor animals for their tremendous tolerance and patience.

As for the actual 'wari', it is like the crazy current of a mad river in terrible spate. People push each other like anything. Food items are distributed at all sorts of places. A huge crowd gathers, though the push n shove show continues. Old folks slip on the banana peels. None is bothered. 

Is it so very difficult to prepare barricaded routes so that the Wari procession can continue faultlessly, and the onlookers can pay their obeisance to the 'padukas'? Why not give the food items to the 'dindi' head who distributes them to his 'dindi' at the stage when all stop to rest a little? If you give bananas, why not give a paper bag for the skins to be discarded?

The same push n shove scenario is very much the 'done' stuff during the annual Ganesh immersion procession. Why, even at Tirupati Venkatesh Balaji temple, beyond the 'Garud Stambha', it is such a push, shove, ram, thrust scenario that a stampede is eagerly awaiting to happen! 

A similar free for all is the sick scenario in the narrow most lanes leading to the unique temples at Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and on the narrowest bridge leading to the Badrinath campus with Alaknanda, just two or three feet below, roaring its fury at this madness! Is everybody awaiting a Himalayan blunder?

The authorities MUST act before some huge tragedy takes place. People must be made to follow barricaded routes. Why incur the deities' wrath, given such uncouth 'darshan'?!? Merely mad mob mentality!

Pratima@Honestly, the scene is no different from the horrible crowd attacking  the poor local trains during the rush hours in Mumbai! And we call ourselves devotees, even when it is difficult to call such crude behaviour human(e)!

Quote of the day:                                                          Says Seneca: "Do you ask me what you should regard as especially to be avoided? I say, crowds; for as yet you cannot trust yourself to them with safety."

Word of the day: Mob mentality                                 Mob mentality or herd mentality is a psychological phenomenon where individuals adopt the behaviors, beliefs, or actions of a larger group. Driven by a desire to fit in and a loss of personal accountability, people in a crowd may abandon critical thinking and moral responsibility.