Regime!?!

 A Ph. D. scholar must use terms carefully, as she sure should know the technicality behind that usage, right? Well, that is a basic premise! Given, however, the Indian education scenario, where Ph.D's are dime a dozen and quite some routine, is it any surprise that the furious find of the current 'revolution', as it is unfolding in the capital, should grandly talk of 'regime' change!?! 

Sure, Madame may differentiate and distinguish between student sit-in's in Delhi versus Ranchi! That is but okay, as the political bias and ideological inclinations have never been a hide, but seek she doth them openly! 

Imagine though using a term like 'regime (and its change)' so very loosely! Apparently in some undated (that is, I am not sure of the date) interview she talks of how Bangladeshi students are her thought leaders as far as regime change in India goes. 

Forget the fact that India is NOT Bangladesh from where migrants move in. Does the great lady understand the term 'regime change'? To begin with, 'regime' is related to monarchy and/or autocracy, and its various modes. I am not much in to politicking, but I sure do know that my country, and/or its governance, is a democracy, however flawed it might be, or it may appear to be. 

A cursory look at even a basic simple Wikipedia entry is sure to convince anybody moderately literate that regime, as its current politicking usage goes, is first used circa 1792 at the height of the French Revolution!

 Reference hence is also always to the 'ancien regime'. The etymological roots of either term is from Latin/Old French 'regere' which continues even today in to daily usages such as diet regime, exercise regime, et al, implying authoritarian, dictatorial, regulatory procedures. 

Well, I may not forever flag the famous red book, with-in blank or otherwise. I, however, sure do know that every five years  ordinary common citizens like me can vote governments out, if they wish to. India, in brief, does not need regime change, given its post Independence constitution in every sense of the term.

Pratima@ I do not know enough about the tool kits of the deep state, et al, which Mary Milben types are swearing by.  I am sure though that the very many checks and balances in the indian institutional structure, refined over the last seven decades, are bulwark against any misuse, even by the ambitious fear/hatemongers cum demogogues lusting after power. Yes, it IS the parliament, and NOT the streets, that would continue to 'govern' ( note please, not to 'rule') India! 

Quote of the day:                                                          Dwight D. Eisenhower declared, “Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels - men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, may we never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion.”

Word of the day: checks and balances                       Checks and balances is a fundamental constitutional principle where different branches of government hold distinct powers that can limit, monitor, and restrain the actions of the other branches. 

Simply soulful!

 A very happy news dominated this morning. Since it is a social media product, tough to know how far true or valid or authentic it might be. If true, even if just by a little fraction, during the Navratri, happy happy times seem to be here again. Oh, no, I am NOT talking of the grand Garba get-together's. 

It seems, soon there gonna be a sabbatical of someone! As this special someone is, it seems, in the annual vacy mood, hopefully the hullabaloo over hawaa-hawai issues, in other words, the quite airy(but not exactly)fairy fights, heating up intolerably our public sphere in this already hot October, might cool down a little. 

As such happy, happy days are here again, it is but obvious that I would remember my favourite most flower. Ah, a deep inhale of its fragrance n for weeks on end, my nostrils themselves are fragrance incarnate. 

Yes, indeed, no other flower is as unique as the bakuli flower. It is small, unlike the flashy sunflower. It is pale yellow, unlike the multi-coloured rose. In fact, when it dries, it is rusty brown, like a mix of copper tapered with bronze. 

Known in English as the Spanish Cherry/ medlar/bullet wood flower, this delicate existence hidden behind lush green leaves is the essence of eternity itself, as its gentle fragrance is forever. Yes, even when it dries, my dear little 'bakuli' continues to stay, and fragrant 

A symbol for me of all that is permanent, pure, simple but genuine, the beatific bakuli flowers stand for an eternity that neither  time nor its state, fresh or dried, can stale. Sitting under the bakuli tree and getting a shower of its beautiful bloom spread on n around you is heavenly. In brief, its gentle but permanent aroma therapy is simply soulful! 

Pratima@ It seems, the fruits as well as wood of this forever lush green tree are very useful. Hence in Malaysia, and in the South-east Asia, it is the 'regional' tree.  Sustainability signified, simply but surely, in brief! 

Quote of the day:                                                          "Flowers…are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty out values all the utilities in the world.” Ralph Waldo Emerson puts its so succinctly.

Word of the day: mimosa                                           The bakuli flower is a type of mimosa, a generic term for very many beautiful blooms. The word  is derived from the Greek word μῖμος (mimos), 'actor' or 'mime', and the feminine suffix -osa, 'resembling', suggesting its 'sensitive leaves' which seem to 'mimic conscious life'!

Memories haunt!

 Certain memories! How they haunt forever! Usha. She was my junior. May be, we were almost the same age because I have completed my post-graduation at a very early age. I had helped her with her French, and with the contents of her essay in a contest which won her a French trip. 

Naturally she cared for me. The Eiffel Tower paperweight she bought me from Avignon is a keepsake. After she got married, our rôles changed slightly. Hers was a love marriage with a Tambram. 

She was a Telugu Brahmin, and a very close relative of a very very powerful leader. She had adjustment issues within the marriage, and I was the counsellor who tried to convince her how minor disagreements with in-laws could be silly misunderstandings. 

Here was a quite funny situation, a Maharashtrian high caste Brahmin girl trying to explain the Tamil symbolism to a Telugu girl. Yet the underlying civilisational cultural bond seemed to carry us through, thereby making us better friends.  

Unfortunately, she died within a fortnight of her baby's birth. I still cannot forget that small infant, an exact replica of his late mother, wailing away even when the poor grandma was trying her level best to comfort him. 

The haunting bit, however, is still more vivid. Her husband, we had not met much, but he knew me as Usha's best well-wisher, was obviously overcome with intense grief. 

Tearily he announced to the dead body. "Usha, see, Pratima is here!". I am ready to swear. Her body, tied to that pier/wooden stretcher, literally tried to get up! My other friend, who had come along, too, was shocked beyond words, mentioned it later, too.

I had never seen a 'body' before. The whole night I could not sleep. Yet this incident has forever convinced me that life might go on(!?!) even after the body dies!?! Why then, for the sake of your weird notions of fun, hurt, harm n harass human beings, when alive?

Much more, I understood what post-partum depression may do. Hence, however much feminism may be mocked, yes, there ARE certain, in fact, very many, womanly sensitivities that DO need deep considerations, and beyond all the shrill n empty sloganeering by n of career feminists.

Most important of all, the incident has made me forever grateful to Aai who was down with high fever when she was eight months pregnant with me, yet in the ninth month, she travelled in a meter gauge train some six/seven hundred kilometers, while the late April sun beat mercilessly. Within a week of reaching her parents' place, a small town, she walked to the hospital for a normal, non-cesarean delivery, while the nurses were brutal, and doctors indifferent! What all a mother's love can bear!

Pratima@Well, tragedies cannot last forever, and often have a funny end. Well, Usha's husband had asked me to inform a Tamil professor, all of them, unlike me, were in to Linguistics, about Usha's unfortunate demise. It was the week-end. So I decided to inform his colleague who lived on campus so that the message would reach him.                                                                                I had no idea that the lady was sweet on him! First she obsessed about finding out if I had called him up. After convincing her somewhat hopefully that I knew neither his phone number nor his address, she calmed down on that account.                                                                Next followed a simply wow conversation, with monkeys chattering madly overhead, hidden in the canopy. She was insisting that it was a murder.                                                                          I tried to politely point out that it might not be so, at least because Usha was closely connected with very powerful people. Then she started haranguing about how the need for such a murder (why, a 'son' was born, no?) is like the desire for sex!                                                  Thereafter, I did what all students are excellent at, obediently stand in front of the teacher, head bowed down, eyes half open, ears and brain completely closed, tightly shut indeed! Feminism sounds fun, if n when shallow!

Quote of the day:                                                           "Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us.” Wise 'saw' as ever by Oscar Wilde!

Word of the day: postpartum depression               Postpartum depression (also called perinatal depression) is a medical mood disorder that can happen during (late) pregnancy or after giving birth.

Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities

 Translation takes various forms. One of the seminal modes is 'transmuting' a text in to a film. Of course, bibliophiles look down upon the process as a demeaning of a book, and we have pj's of the "donkey grazing at the corner dumpsite preferring a book over a film, as it is in better taste'', et al, variety.

Who is the linguist-scholar who theorised this process extremely interestingly and elaborately? Which term did he use to describe this process? How did he define this process? 

Pratima Agnihotri

Fear(-n-)some Future!

 Yes, I am absolutely of the opinion that one should forever be a learner. Indeed, at no point, can one say that one knows everything about one's chosen area. Surely not, given the information era! 

Yes, it is better to be a jack of many subjects and a master-cum-student in the area you love, which you have chosen as a passionate pursuit that lasts a lifetime. 

Well, currently, however, the AI seems to question these very (basic) premises. It seems to be progressing at a supersonic speed. You complete a course, quite a basic one for sure, you feel now I would practise it to perfection, and, voilà, in that zilch second, the AI industry springs a new surprise on us, the poor innocent unsuspecting world! 

At times, the changes are minor. Often, they are yet another quiver for the same bow! Yet these arrows are quite life threatening because, in no time, across the world, that area, Montessori to M.D. (incidentally, currently, a Ph.D. doctor is, well, less said, the better!) gets saturated to excess. And, so on, and so on, ad infinitum! 

Honestly, one pities the GenZ, Gen alpha beta kappa, et al, given such a future. Sure, in a lifetime, one should wear (n tear) a few professional hats simultaneously. One must multi-task. Yet, given the speed with which the AI shifts gears,  in the future, one's crown would sure be sans hats, sans hair, sans brains! Any wonder at all that the GenZ protests are hare-brained!!?!!

Pratima@ Very soon I would re-write the seven (st)ages Shakespeare immortalised! Yes, would sure share them on our blog, too.

Quote of the day:                                                           "When we think we're multi-tasking we're actually multi-switching. That is what the brain is very good at doing - quickly diverting its attention from one place to the next. We think we're being productive. We are, indeed, being busy. But in reality we're simply giving ourselves extra work," argues Michael Harris. Yes, indeed! 

Word of the day: hare-brained                                  Hare-brained means crazy and unlikely to be successful. 

Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities

 Journalists can at times coin concepts and related phrases that may define an entire discipline. An example of this phenomenon, which academics would typically love to hate and look down upon, is Yuri Alexandrovich Bezmenov's fourfold process.

Bezmenov was a Soviet journalist for the Novosti Press Agency. In 1970, he visited New Delhi as a member of the Soviet mission. During that tour, Bezmenov defected to the West, and the U.S. re-settled him in Canada as per an arrangement between the US and the Canadian security agencies.

May be, such turns and twists in his career helped him define how a political system, nay, the country itself, is brought in to the fold of the powers that be. 

Name the four stages Bezmenov talks about.  The discussion might help many understand the turmoil brewing in the countries neighbouring India. Critics may accuse the CJP of being a stooge of the Deep State, et al, trying to thus disrupt India itself. 

Pratima Agnihotri

Lies lead ....?!?

 I would not know about you. Personally though, I love fairy tales and folk tales. They have such a wealth of wisdom. One such story is Pinocchio's. Yes, he is the boy whose nose grows longer n longer when he lies! Good that it is just a story about a fictional wooden puppet, and it was created by the Italian writer Carlo Collodi in his 1883 novel "The Adventures of Pinocchio."

If the Pinocchio phenomenon were real and operational right now, havoc it would create! Look at our poor Dipke. Yesterday itself, our blog sympathised with his grievous loss, right? Well, there is a proper video wherein the police are gently and repeatedly informing him that every possible help would be extended to him, given the unfortunate circumstances. And, yet, huge propaganda goes on and on about the dictatorial government that ignored deaths of dear n near ones! Let us not even mention the Gurudwara lie by the CJP which is so very irresponsible, in addition.

How about Elon Musk who declared that the Indian Prime Minister is M/S Ambani! Unlike certain characters hereabouts, he  seems to have forgotten the rhyming Adani! Well, the hard truth about why he is grumbling about not getting the portion of the pie, eh, the huuuuuge number of Indian internet users whom he would so kindly like to serve, is hidden in the forests in North-Eastern India. If you were to read up the details, you, too, would agree that lies lead to, luckily for the twenty-first century not to Pinocchio noses, but to a loss of credibility.

Career politicians in our country who are lusting after Lady Power, too, seem to have never read the fairy tale during their school days. Otherwise, they would have, like the common indian, celebrated the ISRO mission EOS-05 which would help avert large scale destruction due to natural calamities, not to forget, the excessively friendly border activities by certain neighbours!

Why lie through the teeth? It entertains the audience who chuckle at your mendacity, and at your loss of credibility which, in the long run, is sure to take you away from your 'power'-ful ambitions!

Pratima@ Lies, lies, every where!/How any truth to find?

Quote of the day:                                                              "I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you."  So summed up Friedrich Nietzsche the after effects of what lies lead to!

Word of the day: propaganda                                          Propaganda is information and ideas, that may be false or exaggerated, but which are used to gain support for a political leader, party, and so on.

Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities

 These two Brothers  were academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors. It is often argued that their work in folklore, linguistics, and literary scholarship shaped the development of modern folkloristics. It contributed in a big way to the expansion of their mother tongue as well. 

  During their  University days,  they developed a lasting interest in medieval literature and the cultural history of their country. Thus saw the world the first ever collection of folk tales and fairy tales.

A clue: We have, all of us, as children loved the tales they told in the collated version. As we grew up, the sub-texts of these stories made more sense. 

Pratima Agnihotri

Goddess greetings!

 Today begins the Sharadiya Navratra. Impossible it is to translate "Sharadiya" in to English, because like all the other European languages, English, too, has neither the monsoon nor the 'Sharad' season. In India, however, it occupies a central position in parlance. In a way, such a linguistic usage is inevitable because India continues to be an agrarian economy.

True, right now the talk of the town, eh, of the world, is the way America has "cut off the head of the snake" as the Sonderling saying goes. Yet we all know that the real grouse is the Indo-American treaty regarding the agricultural produce, and the related livestock and fisheries businesses. 

Some proof this tariff trough is of the fact that the agrarian sector matters the most to us. The Shardiya Navratra is a celebration of this primacy. The Kharif crop is almost ready for harvesting around this time. True, this year, the Niño effect has ripped off reaping. 

Yet the seasonal cycle is unmistakable. The bounty of nature is beatific. Hence its symbolic representation as the ever prolific goddess. Beautiful, just like this underlying signification are the 'strotras' extolling the goddess. 

She is the holiest of the holies, she is beneficence itself, she is the daughter of the mountains (the Himalayas from whence begin five rivers that have enriched civilisations and cultures for centuries), she is the parent principle, she is strength, she is the intellect, she is the spirit, she is the soul. Hence her adulation! Happy Navratri! 

Pratima@One of the items in my basket wish list is visiting Kolkata during the navratri. It has to be what Ganesh Utsav is to Pune. Well, with a Bengali friend, I did attend the "pujo" pandals in Hyderabad. But it was not mere nostalgia nor fomo when she insisted that it was no patch on "amar shonar" Debima for whom the only supplication would be "Bhalo bashi"! 

Quote of the day:                                                         "The goddess is the great nurturing mother who contains all things, gives birth to all things, and ultimately reclaims all things back into her cosmic womb." Yes, Carl Jung.

Word of the day: beneficence                                  Beneficence is the ethical principle of acting with kindness, charity, and an active obligation to promote the best interests and well-being of one n all.

Aspirational Anarchy

 What with the 'chasing Delhi yet again' pogrom by the CJP, certain centrally relevant questions arise, which we, the citizens of India, as the Constitution defines us, need to explore honestly. 

The moot one is why diminish the basal institutions? Just as deforestation leads to the collapse of the natural cycle, unjustifiably corroding the institutions that go in to the making of a nation state destroys the very base of a democracy which deliberates issues in the parliament!

Well, the present Chief Election Commissioner assumed office much later than the major state assembly elections in to which he/his office supposedly interfered! Simple decency demands that in the lust for power, legitimacy of base institutions need not be undermined.

Hence the title of our blog. Who all are involved? The CJP, apparently a frontispiece of the AAP? Congress which won three states with the exact same procedures? Does not the same cynicism colour all the other Opposition parties? Yes, power sure matters to career politicians. Why use openly malicious methods? 

Oh, yes, while hating a person, a party, a procedure/pattern of  thinking, is not it better to remember that 'hatred for the sake of hatred' tarnishes, nay, diminishes, the hater? Espcially necessary in this context it is to recollect, and not a la Wordsworthian tranquility, the transactional modes of the multi-polar wor(l)ds today. 

Why must our capital replicate either the Parisian streets right now or a fortress? Why aspire to anarchy (Please do remember that anarchism is a totally different political philosophy which, incidentally, our very own Revolutionary Bhagat Singh, if you were to read his committed writings, did not advocate in post-Independence times) so that your own power games lead to the throne!?!

Pratima@ When I saw the video of Dipke c(r)ackling about the police deployment, I remembered the childhood story of a mouse who thinks of his cap as the crown, and mocks the king with it! Sure, though, one feels sad about his Granma passing away. Hope he gets to see her one last time. RIP!

Quote of the day:                                                               Says Aldous Huxley, "The worst enemy of life, freedom and the common decencies is total anarchy..." 

Word of the day: anarchism (is not anarchy!) Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that seeks to abolish capitalism and all forms of hierarchical authority, replacing them with a stateless society based on voluntary cooperation, free association, and mutual aid!!!

The Day of Reckoning

 Absolutely convinced I am that you would have easily found the answers to the queries our 'Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities' series would as usual pose from Monday through Thursday. As per our convention, here are the answers 

1)The Monday query: The first ever bio-geographist, who hugely  influenced Darwin and in a way initiated ecology and environmental awareness, is Alexander von Humboldt. His linguist brother, Wilhelm von Humboldt, founded the Humboldt University in Berlin. 

2) The Tuesday query: The Buddhist saint is Angulimala. 

3) The Wednesday Query: Was not it as easy as it was juicy? Yes, it is Jeffrey Archer. 

4) The Thursday Query: This most controversial name when it came to Nobel for Literature is Bob Dylan. 

Hope you found the queries to be both, enjoyable and yet informative even though  on a small scale. Do look up the queries each week, Monday through Thursday. There is no knowing how they they could help! Knowledge never goes waste even in an era of information explosion!

Pratima Agnihotri

Celebrating Marathi

 Marathi is my mother tongue. As a child loves her parents, so do I adore my mother tongue. Oh, yes, my articles, stories, translations in Marathi have been published in highly respected magazines. No hard feelings whatsoever, in brief. 

And yet, may be, because l respect it a lot, may I put forth a few points that I think need deliberations? First and foremost, despite my adulation for my mother tongue, I am honest enough to admit that Marathi is not exactly a language of science and/or technology, nay, neither of knowledge! 

Honestly, a language is sure admired due to its historicity, due to the multiplicity of its dialects, due to its ethnic spread, et al. Yet a language is considered a lingua franca because of its dominion across different disciplines. 

Look at English, for instance. For one thing, it is highly democratic. From everywhere under the sun, it has adroitly accepted countless words. Unlike "echte Deutsch", for instance, it is untouched by excessive purification obsessions, and, yet, it does not lose its 'origin'-ality. Given such mould-ability, mention any field of specialisation, English assumes the wor(l)d of honour! 

Its standalone vocabulary count, beyond grammatical declensions, is truly huge. Major dictionaries like the Oxford English Dictionary contain over 170,000 to 600,000 plus active and historical words, continually growing by borrowing from global languages and technical fields.

Marathi must spread its wings in all such directions. German Duden dictionary enterprise, for instance, is such that for each and every major/minor human activity, available is a detailed dictionary which, moreover, is an absolutely authentic source. 

Look at Japan, for instance. Their excellence in scientific and technological fields is such that there is a tough competition when it comes to clearing the international examinations in Japanese, despite the complexity of the script!

Look at Israel, for example! Surrounded by enemies of all sorts, this tiny country has revived its linguistic roots, and inalienably! 

No dominion of any language may grow through mere jingoism. Its children must overcome intellectual/ideational laziness, if the mother tongue is to survice in the AI world! 

Pratima@ Can I point out an interesting fact? Israeli pop singers immediately chose to recite the 'Hanuman Chalisa' in honour of Captain Smit Machchar. Was there a rap monody lamenting the Chabad House tragedy? May be, there was one, and I do not know the existence thereof. Shalom, in brief! 

Quote of the day:                                                             "The limits of my language are the limits of my world," asserts Ludwig Wittgenstein, a great thinker-linguist. 

Word of the day: lingua franca                                     A lingua franca is a shared language used to make communication possible between people who do not speak the same 'native' language. It is also known as a bridge, trade, or auxiliary language. 

Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities

 The Nobel Prize is the most coveted, world wide recognised celebration of geniuses. Mostly, the nominations in sciences, even when often unfair to women, are rarely much contested. When it comes to Literature, however, the opinions may differ sharply. 

Let us look at an example. The year was 2016. The citation maintained that the oeuvre represented "new poetic expressions within the great American tradition." 

Not everybody was so convinced, thereby renewing the debates about pop culture because the crux of the matter was whether pop song lyrics can be great literature! Who was the awardee whose output thus embittered the cultural scenario? 

Of all the quizzes this week, this one is sure timely, yet the easiest, right?  No need to wait till Friday evening, I suppose!

Pratima Agnihotri 

Global Diversity

 Yes, October is the global diversity month, and global diversity is an important theme currently. Let us see if we can explore it a little. 

If we were to speak historically, and beyond the religious divides, diversity becomes dominant with the onset of the industrial revolution. In the prior barter system, there was more of a give-n-take which had a sense of equality. Why, even the feudal lord had to share the produce, if he desired fealty as a feeling and/or in the form of goods/services. 

With the onset of capitalism, initially as mercantile, to be soon followed by the industrial version, the chasm amongst individuals, between social groups started widening, and ad infinitum. 

Yet another, in fact, THE major cause behind diversity issues is colonialism. The racist prejudices thus began to fester. The colonisers, moreover, marauded histories, cultures, educational processes to suit their agendas, and thus were the colonies completely conquered.

These wounds refuse to heal. Certain intellectual mafioso, moreover, make it their business to mal-nourish fraternity! As a result, fractured is the notion of human amity. Each sub-group tries to out-re-present every other in being THE discriminated,  resulting in simmering societies!

What could be the solution? First and foremost, necessary it is to understand the difference between equality and equity. Next, it is always the best strategy to contextualise past and present debates. Most importantly, it is necessary to remember that the cyclicity of the erstwhile victim tending to be the current victimiser can complicate realities beyond repair!

Inclusivity would otherwise be, forever, hampered. In a non-linear, multi-foci reality today, abetted by the AI further, is not it necessary to remember that solutions matter much more than empty debates that hide their own agendas behind all the sound n fury signifying very little! 

Pratima@An aspect of the diversity debate is the gender 'i'dentity. So murky is this discussion currently that certain theorists propound some seventy-two different sexual initiations, a terror in its own way in the AI era. 

Quote of the day:                                                            Argues Audre Lorde, an author and Civil Rights activist, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.

Word of the day: equity versus equality.                  Equality means giving everyone the exact same amount of resources, rights, or opportunities. Equity means recognizing that people start from different places and distributing tailored resources and opportunities based on individual needs to reach a fair outcome.

Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities

 The very thrill pumps more adrenaline in  to the illicit affair. Well, at the breakfast table, she is reading a naughty letter by her lover, full of the crazy capers they enjoyed during the their recent rendez-vous. Her husband notices her excitement, and peeps in. 

How does the wicked wife save her imaginary honour? The trademark twist in the tale adds such, and so much, to this very short story. 

Guess who is the author we are talking about. No, the answer is not O'Henry, though both had to go to jail for (financial) frauds. In fact, story writing was almost a means of monetary survival for both. Who is this author who wrote the hyper dramatic short story "The Letter"? 

A clue: He died recently.

 Hope, the re-search-er in you would not allow you to wait till Friday.

Pratima Agnihotri 

Right(-n)ful(l) Rituals

  Let us look at the etymology of the term "shradhdh". In Sanskrit "shr(a)t" means faith, belief, sincerity, devotion.  The "dh" part of the word originates from the verb "dharay" which is to hold. In other words, the term itself means a holding together through sincerity and devotion. 

That spirit of the letters is what I think is important when it comes to the "pitru pandharawada", the fortnight devoted to our ancestors, during the Mahalaya period. Instead of overfeeding the poor recipient, the shradhdh Brahmin, why not give him some 'dakshina', a little money, an amount which he can fruitfully use, and thus bless us happily throughout the following year? 

That is the way we offer our remembrances to our parents at the Mahamrtyunjay Temple. To begin with, we have instituted prizes in their memory. We offer annual donations every death anniversary, in addition. In other words, they are in the proper formal memorial space, too, beyond the forever intimate memories. 

Well, now that I think of it, I have offered them both the 'tarpan' via the proper shradhdha mode twice, with the purest 'Gangajal' at the very source at Gangotri, and at the divine Badrinath with the Alaknanda literally splashing my back. 

Actually, come to think of it, both of them were such clean, straightforward, good, genuine, kind people who lived contentedly. They must have hence attained 'nirvana', I am absolutely sure, happy n fulfilled wherever they are. The 'shradhdha' hence is more a mere memorial ritual right(-n-)fully performed! 

Pratima@ I think of the ritual more as a memorisation born out of grateful memories n immense love for forever prioritising us over their own comforts, their own likes/dislikes, why, their own selves. An eternal 'thank you' full of love marches round my heart hence, beyond any formal shradhdha rituals. 

Quote of the day:                                                         “Nothing (or no one) is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it (and them.)" True, L.M. Montgomery! Hope he would mind my additions (in brackets).

Word of the day: ritual                                               The word refers to an action, ceremony or process which is always done the same way.

Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities

 All of us know the story of Rishi Valmiki before he transformed himself thus. The tale of him trying to waylay Narad Muni whose basic query opened the inner eye, thereby turning a rugged robber in to a saint and a poet is much told. 

Can you name another ruthless brigand who underwent a similar complete conversion, thus proving the redemptive power of an enlighten-ed/-ing encounter? 

A few clues: In South and South-East Asia, he is the patron saint of child birth, and is associated with fertility. Yes, the Theravada tradition proudly owns up his lineage.

Why wait till Friday to find out, right?

Pratima Agnihotri

Peace, please!

 Peace is piecemal currently! What with newer versions of the Twin Towers type of total annihilation being thought out in terrorist minds, though most courageously fought out by our very own Smit Machchar, can peace have any piece of peace at all? 

Why, just last month, peace was a major and high volume 'debate', what with Vidyanand Bapat giving interviews after interviews about noise pollution to anyone ready to conduct one, while the drum beats kinda decible levels surpassed the richter scale at its worst! 

Such fun contradictions are rampant, and everywhere. Russia and Ukraine talk of peace, and in the same week latest, they start bombing each other! As for Iran, I am not sure, Americans themselves understand what they are up to! 

With the Third World War appearing imminent, is not the World Peace Day a mere convention, just like the UN itself!?! Actually, the world needs to piece out such conundrums, if peace is to have any chance at all. 

No need to go to the Himalayas, themselves under tourist attack, even when the Everest is involved! Instead of further destroying that thinning Third Pole, on terra firma itself, nations need to urgently think peace-fully! 

Pratima@Peace is under threat everywhere, in the professional arena, in the familial space, and/or name any (-n-every) place. Hence the need to let it rest at least awhile in every human heart! 

Quote of the day:                                                           "World peace must develop from inner peace. Peace is not just mere absence of violence. Peace is, I think, the manifestation of human compassion,” says Dalai Lama. 

Word of the day: prace                                                   Peace refers to a situation or a period of time in which there is no war or violence in a country or an area. It also means the state of being calm or quiet.

Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities

 In 1769, on August 15(!!!) was born Napoléon Bonaparte, a boon n bane for France, nay, for the whole of Europe.

 Exactly a month later, on September 14, 1769 was born this 'philosophe' so to say. A proponent of Romanticism, this polymath geographist, explorer, naturalist deeply influenced Darwin. Can you name him?

 A clue: His brother, a linguist, helped begin a famous university. 

Worth an exploration, right? Otherwise, wait till Friday for the right answer!

Pratima Agnihotri 

Memories@Melodies

Music maketh memorable mates. Some proof of this homily is the superb showcasing by the late Dr.S.V. Gokhale of his lifelong camaraderie with THE maestro, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. In the late fifties began their bond which blossomed in to the unique homage entitled "Swaradhiraj", an audio-visual treat offered by Mitra Foundation in association with Kaveri Kalakshetra.

The wondrous evening began with a great 'Ganeshparan' by Anand Bamanikar who was felicitated for his lifetime accompaniment with n through tabla. The warm memories of Panditji he shared set the tone for the  distinctive documentary crafted by Dr. Gokhale, a unique combo of audio n video clips of 'mahfils', and  t.v.interviews, and most importantly,  'melodious' memories.

The presentation, structured like the classical 'baithak' Panditji preferred, a 'bada khayal' in 'vilambit gat' followed by a semi-classical 'thumri' which gave way to a 'drut gat' presentation to crescendo in a 'natya geet' and Panditji's signature 'bhajan', and finally the soulful 'bhairavi', was finely edited with unique transitions that zoomed in to Panditji's memories n 'mehfils'.

What all treasures Dr. Gokhale thus shared with the aficiandos of music! Why, there were gems like the varieties of 'todi', the unique 'hori' very rarely heard, the unusual 'raag' Panditji masterfully attempted, be it 'abhogi' or 'darbari kanada', his unique LP not easily accessed, and so on, literally ad infinitum. 

How can one ever forget the 'raag mala' of five classical structures Bhimsenji used as a music director, his trademark 'natya sangit' represented by 'ugich ka kanta' and his   playing with 'sur n lay' that made Calcutta fall in love with his much admired 'abhang', the beautiful 'bhajan' 'Tirth Vitthal'!

Yet it was the memories that Dr.Gokhale shared, often through audios of unusual private 'mahfils' at his home, which made the tribute truly humane and warm. The 'one rupee coin' bait, the Peddar Road 're-vision' with Ustaad Amir Khan, the assertive singing of Panditji in the Pune mahfil for which Dr. Gokhale scouted the perfect space, this quasi-biography of Panditji never had a hagiographic note. Instead, there were  joyful 'recollections in tranquility' full of admiration and respect.

The documentary was also a subtle graph of Dr Gokhale's own growth as a 'rasika' who is often best described as a 'sahodar', a brotherhood that blooms despite differences in age and profession. Indeed, the Gokhale family can never be thanked enough for making accessible to us all this family heirloom.

Pratima@ 'Once more, once more, and once more,' please, Gokhale Ma'am, please!!! An 'encore' is much deserved, right? How can just one listen of a lifetime of melodies@memories be enough, right? 

Quote of the day:                                                           "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” So said Albert Einstein.

Word of the day: 'Swaradhiraj'                                   The term means the emperor of the kingdom of music that Pandit Bhimsen Joshi indubitably was!

Let's laugh a little!

 We have not had a laugh for a loooong time, right? Let the week end with a few guffaws, okay? 

1) "What could be the gender and profession of the AI?" "A very easy question! Has to be a female, and a lecturer at that!" " Why do you say so?" "Well, ask for an easy answer, 'prompt' comes back a huge list of ready made commands which must lead to further action!" 

2) Why not 'cast' the IIT's in a lighter mould? There is this job interview, and on campus, too. It is about to end. Hence the typical question by the HR guy. "What are your terms n conditions about the pay package?" The genius, as most iit-ians believe themselves to be, has a smart suggestion up his sleeve. "How about fifty lakhs per month? Yes, I am very good at the latest AI." The HR guy asks,  "How about a crore per quarter, with a month-long Swiss holiday at the end of the year?" "Hey, man, are you kidding?" "Well, you began it!"

3) Lady Duck buys a lipstick. At the counter, she quacks, " Put it on my bill"!

Quote of the day:                                                            "Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine." Ho, ho, ho, Lord Byron!

Word of the day:                                                           The prefix 'a' means 'without'. For example, atheist. So now you know why they call the latest (r)evolution "ai"! 

The Best Destination

 Recently was celebrated the world tourism day. What is so very special about it? Is not it celebrated every year? Are these your questions? Well, look at the theme statement this year. Invasion of the AI, it proves yet again. 

The official theme of the 'Tourism Day 2026' is “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism.” Its key focus area is integrating the AI in to the travel experience! It explores how artificial intelligence and digital tools shape travel, planning, and visitor experiences. No wonder "smart destination management", that is, using data to manage crowds, ease communication, and support sustainable practices is the sub-theme! 

Well, the sub-theme could be the need of the industry.  But why should the AI shape the individual experience? To an extent, yes, because sitting at home, through the AI, you can travel beyond the space, too! Yet why should the technology decide destinations, decisions, as it is, vitiated by the show-off madness, eh? 

Which is the best destination? I would say that it is absolutely subjective and truly individual oriented. At times, it could be a quiet weekend back in the fields that once belonged to your grandpa, but which you sold off to buy that swanky flat in the city.

At times, it could be spent in the diminishing- by-the-decade light with which the fireflies illuminate the forest. A weekend at a fort soaked in the rains and sailing off the monsoon winds can energise. Listening to the deep rumble of the ocean prefarably on a full moon night can calm all the tension tempests, right? 

Why should the AI determine the destination(s)? If such an invasion by the ever increasing AI influence is allowed, the already swollen- beyond-tolerance touristy destinations would plain crumble, collapse, nay, literally cave in.

Let me give you an example. Kedarnath can be the ultimate dream destination, even if you are an atheist, believe me. The very aura of that space is unique. If the AI starts promoting it, the chaotic crowds, already beyond control, would be such that the mythical Nal and Neel mountains would hasten to meet fast and block the entry entirely.

The AI should not, in brief, invade that small little private space which it is anyways shrinking by the second. The Best Destination hence has to be not what the technology  dictates, but to what the individual heart and soul aspire. Only then can tourism go beyond monetary mindsets, and become a travel the soul celebrates!

Pratima@ At times, the best weekend destination can be the old photo albums that bring back memories dimmed due to the daily rush of the routine. No exotic destination can match such nostalgia, celebrated with some great music, superb coffee and the company you care for and will continue to covet!

Quote of the day:                                                             "One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things." says Henry Miller.

Word of the day: tourism                                           Tourism is defined as the commercial activity of providing travel, accommodation, and services for people traveling outside their usual environment for leisure, business, or other purposes.

On October 2!

 October 2 is unique because the whole nation tends to remember two distinguished individuals who have contributed to the Indian identity in unique ways. 

Let us begin with Lal Bahadur Shastriji. Sure his very motto underlines two special classes absolutely necessary for India, and especially in the contemporary times when sustainabilities of all sorts are under threat. 

He was, moreover, a powerhouse of probity, integrity and sincerity. If he were not martyred in Moscow under suspicious circumstances, the very history of India would have been different.

As for Gandhiji, I like him more for his writings, whether as an autobiographer or as a journalist or as an essayist. One tends to find gems therein which truly are illuminating. 

Yes, currently there are multiple debates and discussions regarding his political positionings. Well, the least that can be said is what I strongly believe in; namely, contexts define individuals. In hindsight, it is always easy to castigate or praise an individual out of proportion. May be, that is THE lesson October 2 has to offer! 

Pratima@Equally important it is to note that neither hagiography nor hatchet jobs help us understand an individual. No person can be fully agree-able (in every sense of this term). Undoubtedly, there would be principles, quotes, actions that can be questioned, opened up, debated whether the person concerned is someone whom we vilify and/or consecrate. Yes, that is what October 2 should teach us. 

Quote of the day:                                                           "Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth." Yes, indeed, Marcus Aurelius!

Word of the day: hagiography                                   A hagiography is a biography of a saint or a leader that praises its subject in an idealized, glowing way without critical skepticism. 

Nuggets@ Know thy Humanities

 The laconic Lal Bahadur Shastriji may not have written volumes. Yet his leadership was a masterful lesson when it comes to government management as an ethical expanse. What is the title of the archival compilation of his official speeches put together by the Publication Division under the aegis of the IB Minstry? 

The 'NEP, 2020' shares certain commonalities with Gandhiji's "Nayi Talim" (1937). Name any two, and prefarably with a little elaboration. 

Since this is our very first attempt at the new "Nuggets@ Know Thy Humanities" series, and since it is a Friday as well, here are the answers. 

1) The archival compilation is entitled "Jab Azadi Kharate me ho", that is, 'when freedom is under menace'. 

2) a) Gandhiji insisted on the prevalence of the mother tongue, even of the local dialects. For him, it was a critique of colonialism. For the NEO, it should more be like a 're-turn' to roots, right? b) Gandhiji insisted on education being productive, and socially useful. The similar insistence on skills in the NEP is also an attempt to wipe out the stigma attached to 'blue collar' work, I suppose. 

Pratima Agnihotri 

Nuggets@Know Thy Humanities

 The most unfortunate downfall of the absolutely tragic suicide by Sahil, and the ugly fracas that followed, is the assault on Humanities by one n all. It is no critique either, mind you. 

Hence, in defence of the discipline(s), be it Literature and/or Sociology AND all the modes that make the Humanities, let us begin this new series entitled "Nuggets@ Know Thy Humanities." Begun today, on October 1, let us structure it as a quickie (who reads, forget loooong 'letters', these days?) of information tidbits from Monday to Thursday. Oh, yes, there would be a quiz every day, too. It would be answered each Friday. The best beginning would be October 2, the birth anniversary of Shastriji and Gandhiji, right?

In brief, watch this space tomorrow onwards!

Pratima Agnihotri

The World Translation Day

 Does translation matter? For sure, it does. Why, during and beyond the colonial era, the Maxmuller (and others of his ilk) translations made-n-marred  the ancient Indian identity. That central to existence translations are! 

Yes, errors of/in translations could create havoc, both seriously, and crazily. All of us know the jokes about the Russian translation of the Biblical injunction as "meat is less, but vodka is enough" or the German giving "Gift", that is, poison, killing the lasvicious senior of a German junior. 

Yes, linguistic diversity matters hugely. Yet the historical hierarchisation in this field has been rendered null n void due to the recent technologies such as the AI translators which are quite right and enough for the STEM areas. 

Anyways, most translations published and sold these days are of the "DIY" variety, even when it comes to the much maligned Humanities ever since the III-B issue erupted. As for literature, who cares anyway? In a world where the attention span is byte sized and copy-pasting influencers of the AI variety rule the roost, who is going to read hundreds of pages? 

Ah, there is another variety of translation, that is, medium wise. There are the audio books that translate tomes in to listen-able versions. Of course, who can how forget the film versions of books which mostly ruin the original. Remember the anecdote of the ass who preferred to chew the book to a reel? 

Well, when the real goes the reel way, translation is hardly transcreation. Rather, it is a mere business proposal, right!?!

Pratima@ Yet there are authors and translators true to their inner calling, and that saves the (translation) day.

Quote of the day:                                                              "Writers make national literature, while translators make universal literature.” José Saramago thus glorifies translation. No wonder, there are efforts in India to translate from and in to the very many Indian language. 

Word of the day: Transliteration                                  Transliteration is the process of writing words from one alphabet or writing system into another based on phonetic similarity (as is typically tried @ WhatsApp), preserving how the words sound rather than what they mean.

Yeh heart mange...

 On this day, just a day after the World Heart Day, let us talk a little about how not to hurt a heart. No, no, no, please do not worry that our blog would be full of homilies about how to heal a hurt heart, et al. 

Well, to begin with, I am not exactly sure whether in the "I, me, my" era, most people would bother about others! Apna timepass har kisi ka, apne apne hidden agende har kisi ke, hai na!?!? So let us not get in to such ugly slush, because in the process, we would get dirty in the wallowing which they anyway love! 

Instead, on this occasion, let us look at how we could avoid hurting our hearts, the art of healthy heart, in brief. The first basic, very simple, funda, folks, is drinking enough water. Yes, for the heart, and for the brain, to function properly, we should drink some eight glasses per day.  Otherwise, it seems, it is difficult for the heart to pump back the impure blood from the lower extremities. 

Next, do exercise, but not in excess. In the burning yearning to look fab, do not cycle away on the trademill for hours on end so much so that the lower extremities, that is, the feet ache, would not move, and you have to collapse in a chair. Any exercise, be it jogging, walking, swimming, trade-milling, which tires you out in the end, you better be wary about it.

Last but not the least, never ever compare, contrast, compete constantly with others. So called successes reach there after many (literal) heart-burns known to them alone. Let me give you an example. There was this student of mine from the S.P. College. I helped her with the IELTS. Now she is settled abroad (luckily, no constant Trump threats there!), but that was after three years of continuous, conscious and crippling efforts.  Most (im)migrants lead middle class lives there, however much glitter they may show off here. 

In brief, yeh heart mange a happy feel, a heart-y contentment, and a healthy lifestyle more!

Pratima@ The medical fraternity, too, is worried that the heart related dis-eases are getting younger (that is, the targets these days are in their early thirties!). Hence our blog post!

Quote of the day:                                                          Give your heart a head start!

Word of the day: sleep.                                              Sleep tight for your head n heart to be bright!

Let us understand ...

 Since we are in the fallacy land, let us understand two basic notions, deduction and induction, which help us understand, and hence express, better. Induction, as the famous example proves, consists of a specific premise ( Socrates is human), a general premise (All humans are mortal) and a conclusion based on these (So Socrates is mortal).

 Deduction has nothing to do either with maths or tax. It is a process in which we  argue through  facts that we already know. An example may help. "All the novels are fictionalised autobiographies of their authors. 'Finnegans Wake' is a novel by James Joyce. 'Finnegans Wake' is Joyce's autobiography'.

While writing a specimen essay that might open the academic portals abroad (actually, they depend on your ability to cough up fat tuition fees, right?), our entire discussion of fallacies might help.

Pratima Agnihotri

Debonair Dev and Principled Prima Donna

 Yesterday it was the birth anniversary of THE Lata Mangeshkar, while on September 26, it was the birth annivesary of the forever Dapper Dev Anand. Lovely memories mushroom in our minds the moment we think of these movers n shakers (because both changed the existing paradigms) of a bygone era that was the golden age of Hindi cinema. 

What can we say of Lataji's voice? Do read the lovely tribute P. K. Atre, one of the most acerbic satirists ever in Marathi, paid to that marvellous magic called Lata's voice. She is indeed the prima donna who was/is/will be the lead melody of measureless moments in countless lives.

Personally, I tremendously respect her for being a principled artist. To begin with, in THOSE days which were absolutely patriarchal, here was this chit of a girl who stood her ground. Life must have been truly tough. Yet she never gave in. 

It is due to her staunch stand that singers get any royalty at all. During that particular period, literally the whole establishment was against her, and yet she never compromised, and thence every singer, whatever be the quality of voice, has benefited, both in terms of recognition, and monetary benefits.

Why, she would not budge an inch, when she was ill-treated, be it by S.D.Burman or Mohammad Rafi, for instance. She was once insulted in Hyderabad. It took some thirty years for assauging that hurt. 

Well, talent, rampant even otherwise, is god's gift. The way you respect that inborn treasure is what makes you a genius. I do not exactly believe the stories about her snuffing out others' careers, basically because Bollywood is such a bazzar. They would not bother about her if she were not useful to them. In such an ugly wor(l)d, she stands uncompromised! Salute!

Like Lataji, Dev Anand, too, was was unique. He was the Gary Cooper of the Golden era of Hindi films. A look-alike, he absolutely personifies that 'modern' charm, so distinct from the rustic roughness of a 'Leader' Dilip Kumar or the 'tramp' Raj Kapoor.

Personally, I highly respect him, yet again for being different. Why, right in the beginning of his career, he enacted extremely gray characters in films his friend, Guru Dutt, directed. In those days which could not imagine a live-in with a married woman, he did not mind being a Raju Guide! And, yes, till the end of his life, he was busy making movies, though, may be, without realising that the mode had moved on.

In brief, both these greats prove that life lived acoording to certain values and principles, makes it worthwhile. Hence this tribute on the occasion of their birth anniversaries!

Pratima@ Principled legends make magic!

Quote of the day:                                                          "When given an opportunity, deliver excellence and never quit," reasons Robert Rodriguez.

Word of the day: principle                                         A principle means a  rule for good behaviour, based on what a person believes is right.

 

A quickie of a summary!

 We have so far looked at the informal fallacies. These can be divided in to three major groups. The first type is informal fallacies of relevance wherein the premises of the argument are logically  irrelevant. Hence they depend on distortions, attitudes and feelings which are rationally unexamined. Straw man, red herring, ad hominem belong to this type. 

The second group, which we analysed last Thursday/Friday, consists of fallacies due to ambiguity which result due to vague signification, given the multiple meanings of words and loose grammatical constructions. 

The third type is the informal fallacies of presumption which arises because of insufficient and/or defective data. Begging the question, slippery slope, for instance, are the dilemmas we thus explored.

Pratima Agnihotri

The Revolutionary Fervour

Each to his own regarding his/her choice of the hero/heroine from the annals of the Indian Independence Struggle. I do admire many, especially those who are beyond the usual list of celebrities. Yet my most favourite patriot amongst all of them continues to be Bhagat Singh. Hence this tribute on his birth anniversary, not much remembered nor celebrated yesterday. 

Just compare him to the GenZ's, or what have you, of today. He sacrificed himself at the altar of the freedom struggle at a much much younger age. He fought an extremely unjust imperialist government reeking of capitalist tendencies. Yet not even once did he utter a single bad cuss word! And here we have the most foul mouthed freaks who are, moreover, justified by the oh-so-intellectuals!

In his early twenties, he was far better read, with a distinct progressive vision, and a clear plan of action full of commitment. Honestly, he never thought through wolfed down food! In fact, his almost forever fast from behind the bars shook the British Empire, and truly energised the nascent national feel.

That does not mean that he was a killjoy. Why, he is not only a scholar, an intellectual, but also a sincere author, and a fervent poet. In fact, he loved to mock most ironically the British 'masters'. Yet never ever was it vulgar nor in bad taste.

Actually, the great leaders of his times were not exactly on his radical revolutionary side. Yet never ever would you find, even in his extensive writing, a single ugly reference to anyone. Instead, his writings reveal an exceptionally well-read person with a very clear vision that cuts across both, class and caste. 

Nor did his parents create a huge hue n cry about his leadership. Equally committed to the freedom struggle was his entire kith n kin. Revolutionary fervour coursed along his veins. His vision was absolutely creative, constructive, and committed.

I adore him so hugely that I can write pages after pages on him. I consider it my great luck that I could read his collected writings for an article in "Kirloskar", while i got to review in "Newstime" the slew of films on him in the Centenary Year. 

Hence this paean in praise of him. Let me conclude it by saying that he read Marxism in depth, and he was acutely aware of the great traditions of our motherland. Yet never ever did he suffer from convenient tunnel vision, mired in this or that ideology. What mattered to him was the welfare of his nation. How I wish he had lived a little longer!

Pratima@ "Revolution did not necessarily involve sanguinary strife. It was not a cult of bomb and pistol." Such was Bhagat Singh's radical vision.

Quote of the day:                                                             "The world will always need revolution. That doesn't mean shooting and violence. A revolution is when you change your thinking." Absolutely, José Mujica!

Idiom of the day: tunnel vision                                  Tunnel vision is the tendency to think about only one part of a problem, plan, situation, etc. without understanding all its aspects

The Bandwagon Fallacy

 All of us are victims of this fallacy as jumping the bandwagon is easier done these days, what with influencers and the WhatsApp universities galore! 

The bandwagon fallacy is the logical error of assuming that a claim is true just as a behavior is often considered correct simply because it is popular.

It is also known as "argumentum ad populum" which means an appeal to popularity. This type of argument relies on the size of the crowd endorsing it and on the social pressure thus exerted rather than on actual evidence. 

The best examples of this fallacy would be in the worlds of advertising and/or politics because both depend in a way on the "millions cannot be wrong" mentality. The XYZ diet fad, for instance, is right because many follow it! 

Pratima Agnihotri

How to celebrate the daughters' day?

 How indeed to celebrate the daughters' day?!? Why do I say so? Well, literally the whole day, the LPU is burning, because of a reported rape. Well, the Jamui incident is hardly a fortnight old. Well, a Bangalore based firm is insisting that it does not want male employees from the erstwhile BIMARU states because they ill-treat women colleagues! 

Yes, individually, daughters dear are pretty (n) successful, and everywhere, from galli to Delhi, why, even in the space. Yet, simultaneously, in the public sphere, they are more and more the target, right? Groping, gossiping, ganging up against them (physically, as well), daughters of powerful families, too, are thus 'object'ified! How hence to celebrate the daughters' day? 

The day would be a success when a daughter performs most lovingly her duties and responsibilities by her aged parents, and her share in the parental property does not end up in the court, right? For the daughters' day to be celebrated meaningfully, a daughter-in-law  behaves like the daughter, and is thus treated, too, right? The day would be meaningful if the AI does not become a tool to gobble up 'her' job opportunities first and foremost, right?

That is, as daughters tread beyond the threshold in to the public arena, if they feel safe, secure and, celebrated, the day would indeed be meaningful. Otherwise, it would continue to be just another occasion for selfie-ops! 

Pratima@ Despite the "blue drum" type of incidents proliferating, the official data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) documents 4,45,256 cases of crimes against women in India in recent baseline reporting, averaging 51 complaints every hour!

Quote of the day:                                                         "Life is tough, my darling, but so are you." Stephanie Bennett-Henry's quote should these days be the ideal message to a daughter.

Word of the day: Daughter!                                      Daughter!Most often, a synonym for a marvellous miracle in a frail form!

A noisy night full of fights!

  At about 2 a. m. this morning, I woke up with a start because in the lane nearby,  some voices were creating a huge noise, a proper ruckus. Some dialogues were clear enough to be deciphered. "Is (not) this the address given?" as if it was a "supari" given to create a racket here! 

Around 2.15, I got a surprise message from a relative who has recently got a job in the U.S. She had written to me after many days, nay months. So I exchanged a few wapp messages with her. All along, I was thinking that the noise would die down, whosoever was screaming would go away.

But, no! Whosoever might have given these people the job  to create a proper noise pollution hereabouts must have forgotten to add that there is a hospital absolutely in the next lane, not even two hundred feet away! Loudest yaking went on. Then I thought it could be some "ganesh mandal." 

But then fights started. Somebody was beating up some Amar (at times, Aman and/or Ajay, not to forget Popya) who was screaming about his mother, et al. That ugly brawl went on and on and on till 3 a. m. 

So I decided to ring up the next door neighbour. Then thought better of it, and wapped her. Apparently, she was not there. How to go out all alone and confront them? The brawls refused to stop, the screaming, the crying, the fracas! They would not tone down their oh-so-important but actually vulgar discussions! 

At about  4.30 a.m., I called up 1091. The person on duty started asking me about the nearest police station! The moment the phone was over, there came a list of police names and numbers assigned to the situation. At 5 a. m , there was a call from the Swargate Police Station. The person on line promised to send someone. Thereafter, that number would not answer any call till 6.20!

By 5.32 a.m., some scooters entered the lane, loudly yelling about the bottle to be shared. Their give n take, peppered with "chudail" and "randi" "old people 'hearing'(some English!)" etc etc etc continued on and on. Very soon started the full scale dolby walls! They played on and on and on at the exact spot as if they were told about the complaint!

In the meanwhile, no help came from the police side, while two-wheelers are constantly screeching their brakes nearby! Our gate is always locked from inside, and I have consciously not cut the thorny branches near the gate. So safety is never the issue. 

Yet creeps can always be a problem. On September 21, a black car with the number plate MH 12 XH 0039 was so parked in front of our gate that opening the gate, getting out would be absolutely impossible! 

Ridiculous crooks who completely lack civic sense but are full of  the conviction that absolutely innocent people would be terrorised! Some hope they sure have! 

Pratima@ Mr. Bapat talks of the dolby walls, of the dhol-tasha pathak's. He forgot such noise pollution, most probably because it has nothing specific to the festival, you see! Complaints, too, are convenient, made not for the citizens, but to suit 'i'deologies! 

Quote of the day:                                                   "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold/Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,/The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere/The ceremony of innocence is drowned;/The best lack all conviction, while the worst/Are full of passionate intensity." Thus groaned W. B. Years circa the turn of the last century. Sad that some hundred and twenty years later, the contexts refuse to change! 

Term of the day: Noise pollution                              Noise pollution is unwanted or excessive sound that can harm human health, wildlife, and overall environmental quality.                                               An example can be the very very very chatty 'mavashi' who collects the "kachra",  and talks louder than the gong she beats mercilessly.

Why understand the "Mantrapushpanjali" ?

 During the Ganapati festival, and even otherwise, on each and every religious occasion, it is a pleasure to sing (yes, the recitation does sound like a divine song with its slow, lilting, elongated rhythm) in unison the "Mantrapushpanjali"  which begins with "Om yadnyen". 

All the four hymns of this prayer which concludes the "aarti" are  "mantras"  from the "Vedas."  The first stanza  "Om Yadnyen" is from the Rigveda (also accessible from the Atharvveda, too), and pays a tribute to the heights of heaven where dwell the   "Sadhyaas", the Gods, 

The second verse "Om Rajadhirajay" is from the "Taittiriya Aranyaka", and praises Kubera. The third verse "Om Swasti Samrajyam" is from the "Aiterya Brahmna" , and states the wishes of the priest for the Kshatriya host. It describes the perfect king's profile, and is a prayer for his masterful dominion and leadership. 

The fourth verse "Tattapyeshya shloka:" is also from the "Aiterya Brahman", and lists the "Marutyas" who attained the glories post performing the "yadnya". 

The final mesmerising "Om sahnawawtu" section is a Vaidic prayer, often recited, and which apparently concluded the "Deve" recitation from the "Yajurveda."

Sure, the Vaidic Sanskrit is both, difficult and different from the classical version, and one needs to read up many translations to understand the exact meaning, and the origin of the verses that comprise this final recitation after the "aarti". 

What does all such information tell us? For one thing, we get to know how a divine prayer is rooted in the different branches of the "Vedas" to thus reinforce the unity of the " ekam sat, vipra: bahudha vadanti" version, which means that the Truth is one, while there may be different modes to approach/attain/ascertain it. Thus there is a denial of any hierarchisation imposed conveniently in the later epochs. 

The prayer may appear feudal apparently. Actually though, it is a wish for a steady secure existence. It is hence necessary to be understood today, when vested interests are busy playing castes against other castes, tribes and communities! 

Pratima@ It is indeed necessary to explore all such prayers, given the times today when caste politics controls 'dead'-ly (in all senses of this term) sagas! 

Quote of the day:                                                         The quote today is from the "Rigveda"  1.89.1: "Ā no bhadrāḥ kratavo yantu viśvataḥ" which means "Let noble and auspicious thoughts come to us from every side." In other words, here is a prayer asking the cosmos itself for an open, wise, and positive mindset.

The word of the day: Hierarchisation                           It is  the process of arranging items, people, or concepts into a graded series based on importance, status, or priority. 

Soupçon, Fallacy Séries, 6.10

 Another major fallacy of ambiguity is known as amphiboly. It consists of using a grammatically ambiguous sentence to mislead/confuse the audience/reader. 

Standard/well-known examples are "I saw the man with the telescope" or "Visiting relatives can be a headache" or "Flying planes can be dangerous." 

Hence an example of amphiboly as a fallacy can be "The Mayor said, 'Save soap and waste paper." Yet another example can relate to wild life conservation. It reads as "I shot an elephant in the pyjamas " where it could either mean either "I" or the "elephant" was in pyjamas. 

It may sound nonsensical. Absurd poetry as well as advertisements use it often though.

Pratima Agnihotri

Clowning glory!

 What is up with academics? Seems to be proving the much stated truth that the first time, it is tragedy, while the second time, it is comedy! In the present context, it is both pitiable and cringe-worthy. 

Yes, the IIT-B events are truly tragic, what with Sahil's suicide and its after-effects. Well, whatever happened in the Nirma University, Ahmedabad, is no less serious, though the cause is 'comedy'! 

There was this cultural programme going on, it seems. As is almost compulsory these days, there was a stand-up comedian present as well. Yet he was, happily, and for a change, was not the source of the unsavoury incident that followed! 

Well, Dr. H.K. Patel, Head, Department of Electronics n Communication, was delivering his speech. Suddenly, there was a catcall from the audience. It was a student repeating the "Golmal" dialogue, "Jaldi bol, subah Panvel niklana hai"! 

Professor Saab did not exactly like the dialogue, and he cannot be faulted for that either. He called the concerned student up the stage, and gave him left right center, and not merely a piece of his mind, it seems

Honestly, where does fun end? Where does conscious affront begin? Why insult a senior professor in such a manner? If the professor were to let it go, he and the teacher community would be mocked more, and further, though there should not have been a physical scuffle.

True, teachers should be friendly. Why does that, however, mean that students should be foolish enough to render the teachers open to public ridicule?  Teachers' duty is to teach the most relevant material the best possible  way. Teaching, in brief, is not clowning glory!

Pratima@ This is hardly a matter over which to play politics. The student should tender a public apology, just as the Head should promise that he would not get in to physical scuffles. Hardly worth it, right?

Quote of the day:                                                            "A teacher’s job is to take a bunch of live wires and see that they are well-grounded." Agreed, Darwin D. Martin

Word of the day: respect                                           Respect is a positive feeling or polite action shown toward someone or something important, serious, or valuable.

Soupçon, Fallacy Séries, 6.9

 Let us understand fallacies of ambiguity. Such fallacies occur because a statement can be (mis)understood in multiple ways. 

Let us begin with simple but quite famous examples of ambiguity. "I saw her duck" can mean "her duck" (a bird) or her "slip away" (an activity of stealthily going away). Another example of such vagueness can be "The fisherman went to the bank" where "bank" can relate either to a river or a financial institution. 

The well-known fallacy of equivocation is built on such multiple meanings. Let us look at an example of such a logical fallacy wherein a single word/phrase has multiple meanings throughout the argument. 

For example: Premise 1: Flowers are light (not heavy). Premise 2: Light ( colour wise) things cannot be dark. Conclusion: Flowers cannot be dark. 

Advertisers use such fallacious statements most effectively.

Pratima Agnihotri

Soupçon, Fallacy Séries, 6.8

 'Begging the question' is the fallacy we are going to explore today. 'Begging the question' is an informal logical fallacy wherein an argument's premises assume the truth of its conclusion instead of providing independent proof.

It is yet another example of  circular reasoning or petitio principii, which is Latin for "assuming the original point".The argument uses the claim it is trying to prove as a foundational piece of evidence for that same claim.

In other words, such a sentence/such an argument fails to offer new information.  Instead, it re-states the conclusion in different words.  

 The best example for this type of fallacy comes from religious texts. "The Bible," for example, it is argued, "is true because it is the word of God, and we know it is the word of God because the Bible says so!" 

Pratima Agnihotri

How (not) to behave/communicate/negotiate???

 The Venue: The main gate of the IIT-B. Is it the Open House meet? No! Is it the Admin Building? Nope! It IS the "dharana" literally by thousands of students.

Time: late night. Duration: hours long. Cause behind the sit-in: Sahil's sad demise as a suicide. The participants: literally thousands of students and the IIT Bombay Director, Professor Shireesh Kedare, ready to meet them at the campus main gate.

The students are discussing a serious issue. How is their stance? They are wagging their fingers at him, screaming at him, cheekily smirking "record it" when he offers to sign their demands as well as to step down.

Is this how serious negotiations go on? All these students are going to join big tech companies, may run their own start-up's, would face all sorts of international interactions! Sure, they are agitated. Practically the whole nation is, incidentally. 

Why the uncouth arrogant dismissive gestures though? This IS NOT a new 'politics of language' as certain youtubers may maintain. This is sheer vulgarity of response, getting normalised since the 'Jantar Mantar' days. Well, actually, good leadership rests on good communication!

The fun of it is that they want the authorities to 'listen' to them. They are, however, not ready even to 'hear'! Yet another interesting contradiction is that they can scream, shout, sneer, what have you. But the authorities, the institute, the educational establishment must take care of their psychological tensions!

 Come again, please! At about twenty (the general mean age of those militant students, right?), one should have the EQ and the SQ to manage one's own mind, one's emotions, one's tensions, right? How can, and why must, the educational institution provide very many psychiatrists on campus? 

Are we letting loose on the world degree holders who know only their 'rights', who have an 'i alone am right' attitude, who think that rude, conceited, self-important, opinionated aggression, nay, tantrums, full of oneself is their birthright? Sorry, Dear World! Yes, if such are our products, we have indeed failed you!

Pratima@ Do you know why I am aghast at such goings-on? Well, I teach languages, literature, communication, body language, et al. I used to always think that the IIT's would excel at all the communication strategies, given the high IQ of the students!                                           Unfortunately, however, the entire fracas has proved that the whole world now questions the relevance of Humanities, accused of 'drum'ming up (literally, too!) suspect sit-in's! And here I was, glorifying communication and humanities as necessary inputs for a rounded personality of students of  all disciplines, but especially of technocrats!

Quote of the day:                                                           "The art of communication is the language of leadership," asserts  James Humes.

Word of the day: "Humanities". Much doubted due to the IIT-B interpolations!                           The Humanities are academic disciplines that study human society, culture, history, and the human experience using qualitative, critical, interpretive, and analytical methods rather than merely quantitative empirical scientific experiments.

A Possible Solution?

 Whatever actually happened in the examination hall on that fateful day in the IIT-Mumbai, many lives thus ended. Obviously, a young boy, a teenager, committed suicide. With that demise and the ensuing accusations, died the reputations of a sincere teacher and his director. 

Evaporated in to thin air the fame of a prestigious institute, given the extremely ugly shenanigans that continue. And how about the already mired in to controversies indian education system? Surely such incidents do not exactly oxygenate it, right?

Is there a possible solution which can be used even beyond the hallowed IIT premises? Every facet should be thought through first. To begin with, most UG/PG students do not want to study these days. They bunk lectures like anything, hopefully with their ambitious parents' knowledge. Many lecturers, too, prefer the easy way out of indirectly leaking the question paper instead of actually teaching the syllabus thoroughly. 

Hence, instead of a facade of a ritual called exam, why not make it open book? The question paper can then genuinely be truly evaluative. It can be extremely creative, too. Every possible skill, critical thinking, problem solving, analytical skills, communication skills, can all be tasted through case studies. 

Allow the examinees their textbooks in the exam hall. Mobiles must be kept away though. Jammers can be operative, moreover, in case a smartie smuggles one in his/her pocket. Thus only those students who actually know the subject properly would pass! 

Minimum invigilation needed! No accusations involved! No mere MCQ test either! No mockery called memorisation the night before of "imp" questions! Overhaul the entire exam system, in brief! 

This way, the ball would entirely be in the students' court. They would have to attend lectures. Teachers hence would have to conduct lectures! Case studies, moreover, cannot be shamelessly repeated year after year as there has to be a library copy of the question paper, right? Three paper sets must be designed which would have to be counter-checked, but not by the paper-setter's dear friend, a practice which is most often a mode of dining n paying buddies via the institutional funding!

Alternatives do exist, in brief. And not much out of the box thinking is involved either!

Pratima@ Suppose a scenario wherein the invigilator is not open category, while the student is! Are you sure then that the favourite Bramhinical etc etc pattern would not be mocked? How far, how long, how much and whose victimisation, please!?!

Soupçon, Fallacy Series, 6.7

 Let it be midnight, and with you is  a group of naughty/nutty friends. Someone is sure to shoot, "There is no proof that ghosts do not exist, so they must exist."

Yet another example that suits current contexts! "You cannot prove you are innocent, so you must be guilty." Both these are examples of a fallacy known as an informal type of fallacy called "appeal to ignorance." 

An appeal to ignorance is a logical error where you claim something is true just because it has not been proven false, or false just because it has not been proven true.m Intellectually, running in circles, in brief! 

Pratima Agnihotri

Soupçon, Fallacy Series, 6.6

 Let us continue our discussion of informal fallacies.  First let us define this concept. What is an informal fallacy? An informal fallacy is 'an error in reasoning that occurs because of the content or context of an argument, rather than its structural form'. It is difficult to locate an informal fallacy just by looking at the logical shape of the sentences. One has to understand the actual meaning of the words and the real-world situation.

Now let us look at a well-known informal fallacy. It is known as the "Appeal to Authority." It consists of treating a claim as true simply because an expert or famous person said so, often, nay, almost always, without valid evidence. 

The best example of such a fallacy would  be an advert with celebs providing endorsement for a product they themselves may not even use. Such irresponsible lust for the mollah may ruin the life of a stupid fan! Hope you would now appreciate the notice Mr. Mundhe served to the "pan masala" pandering stars! 

Pratima Agnihotri

The hide-but-no-seek sickness@Memory

 September 21 is observed as the Alzheimer's day. What is this 'dis-ease' which hides away from his/her own self a person's very               'i-dentity'? Unluckily, moreover, there is no reversal, no seek-back to this dis-ease to cure which as yet there is no definitive medicine. 

Let us understand this dis-ease in some detail. Dementia is an overall term for a decline in mental abilities, the effect being severe enough to interfere with daily life, and Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause, accounting for 60% to 80% of cases, maintains medical research.

 Both these conditions are caused by physical damage to brain cells, which stops them from working, rather "talking", to each other. What causes dementia and/or Alzheimer's Disease? 

Beta-amyloid plaques is mostly the culprit. Such protein pieces clump together outside brain cells and block their signals.Tau tangles are yet another cause. Tau proteins change shape inside brain cells, and destroy the cell transport system.

Unfortunately, there is no decisive cure for this dis-ease and the currently known treatments at best slow the progression of Alzheimer's. Drugs, moreover, can be given only in early stages, and they carry a huge risk of brain hemorrhage. 

There are many non-medical ways to enhance the life of someone with dementia/ Alzheimer’s. Support groups can help, too, especially because the dis-ease is very heavy on the immediate family, especially the care-giver who suffers a lot, having to witness a loved one getting gradually, but surely, lost to a foggy forgetfulness.

Even in this AI-era, hard it is to say how far we are from perfectly treating someone who already experiences symptoms. Most of the research, moreover, is on people who are already deep into it, and there has not been much tangible success so far, it seems.

May be, argue the experts, the damage possibly starts many years before symptoms become apparent, or dominant. Some people think that the damage may be too severe to treat by the time most Alzheimer's patients seek help. 

Before symptoms are noticable, there are already some possible modifiable risk factors that an individual can practice so as to lower one's own chances of experiencing Alzheimer's. 

They are, stopping smoking (and vaping) and drinking, correcting hearing and vision loss, cutting out processed food, downsizing sugar quantity, taking care of oral health, of gums and teeth, exercising both body n mind in a gentle way, taking  vaccines such as shingles as they are neuro-protective, and enjoying some social connect. Good sleep is, of course, THE panacea. Avoid any excesses, in brief, so that the brain, too, ages gracefully! 

Pratima@ How do I know so much about this dis-ease? Well, Papa was researching the phenomenon. During my Ph.D. days, once he had even participated in a national seminar on this topic. I tried reaching out to his research in my own small, little ways. Hence all this info!

Quote of the day:                                                           "Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting," asserted William Wordsworth in the 'Intimations Ode'.

Word of the day: Alzheimer's Disease                      This is a progressive neurological disorder, and the most common cause of dementia.

The Tale of a nick-name

 Nick-names often tell a tale. Not always does the story hide some ugly plot. At times, it can be a tribute to a presence. The story our blog is going to narrate today is a tribute to one such wondrous vision, even when it was on the silver screen that she thus shimmered. 

The main character in our story is Manik Sitaram Godghate. Does the name sound familiar? Here is a clue. He is a famous Marathi poet. That tip is no help! Okay,  have you heard this song sung and set to music  by Hridaynath Mangeshkar? Yes, I am referring to "Ti geli tenvha paus". 

Well, it is a poem penned by Manik Sitaram Godghate. Yes, he is the well-known Marathi poet 'Grace'. Not many may find his poetry easy to understand, given the complexity of his symbols and his dense linguistic experiments. 

Now the story of his pen name 'Grace'. Manik Godghate was enchanted with the performance of Ingrid Bergman in a 1958 film "The Inn of Sixth Happiness." True it is that Bergman has a hauntingly lyrical presence. There is something uniquely pure, genuine, innocent, clean, gentle about her. 

In addition to this allure of Ingrid Bergman, in this particular film, she enacts the role of a committed evangelist who tries her utmost to save the lives of orphaned children in war-torn China. In these far away lands, she remains true to her love, too. 

Literally she is grace personified. Godghate was impressed with her persona on the screen as she appeared to him to be grace incarnate. Hence he assumed the pen name 'Grace'. He even dedicated his first anthology to her. 

Undoubtedly, actresses with an aura have a magic of their own. They are both real and yet not bound by the daily lived physicalities and/or realities as they are both so very near and yet so far away, so very close and yet so very distant that their imaginary essence fires imaginations! That is the moral of the story!

Pratima@ This 'fan-cy' anecdote convinces me that girls must have written to Rajesh Khanna letters with their blood as the ink!         Incidentally, "ti geli tenva" is NOT dedicated to maternal death. Rather, it refers to Godghate's emotional anguish he deeply felt as a young boy when his young stepmother would leave the house to meet her lover, leaving the child feeling helpless, abandoned, and stripped of his childhood early.                                                                              Distant stars shine the brightest! From close quarters, they are nothing but stones. How very true of film persona of actresses or of inspirations behind movingly emotional poems!!! 

The quote of the day:                                                    "Give up to grace. The ocean takes care of each wave till it gets to shore," says Rumi,

The word of the day: grace                                        Grace means elegance in movement, especially in/of behavior as well as a freely given, unearned blessing. 

Saying good bye

 As per our family tradition, our Ganesha immersion is with the Gauri immersion. The divine Mother and Son Duo are bid farewell together. 

So it was this evening. Well, I do know that it would sound senti-n-mental. Yet I would have to admit that the 'devhara', where the idol was installed, appeared lonesome. Personally for me, for quite some time, as ever, I could not bring myself to look in that direction. 

The feel each year is as if someone very close to one's heart has left home. Yet, come to think of it, does he truly leave at all? Yes, there is the promise that he would be with us next year, the year after that, and so on, ad infinitum.  More than that, he leaves his imprint on us, on our heads, on our minds, on our souls, on our hearts. He does not thus leave at all. He stays, and forever.

While returning from my brother's place, which is at the other end of the city, i felt this truth in yet another way. The whole city was alive, vibrant in a unique way. There were the electrical decorations, dancing and glowing away to glory. Far n wide, there were huge queues to watch the pageants presented. 

There was festivity in the very air. Sure, the loud speakers were not exactly blaring away. The decibel level was low. Yes, there were route diversions n traffic jams. Yes, the food being sold by the roadside may not meet the Mundhe mandates. 

Yet every nook n corner of each narrow lane was unmistakably pulsating with life. There was a togetherness in the slight breeze of the balmy evening. A pleasant feel, however simplistic, crude, unrefined, seemed to assure that the Lord, somehow, stays, never really goes away!

So, oh, yes, the nay-saying Bapat's of the world,  the very much alive community feel cannot be completely wished away, despite difficulties by the dozens!

Pratima@ Which would be the best stotra to bid farewell to Ganesha who stays, and forever.  Yes, a few lines from the great sage Sant Dnyaneshwar. Hope my rough translation does some justice to  the  great original.

In the beginning  of his divine treatise, asserts the great sage, "Om, let me to the Originary Ganesha pray/Thee, whom the Vedas explicate/Thee, aglow from within/Thee, the very selfsame I//Hail, Thee, of the gana's, Thou, the Lord art/Thou dispenseth knowledge to each intellect/Says the disciple of the Nivrutti great/ to this dedication, do listen//

⁰