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 land, 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

Kappkottiya Tamizhan

 Which language is it that the title uses? Is that your query? Well, it is Tamil. No, no, it is not to glorify Vijay, the brand new C. M. Rather, we are going to celebrate a Tamil "magan", that is, the "son of Tamilnadu." Almost a century ago, he made P. M. Modiji's 'local to global' dream a reality, and, that, too, in the unlikeliest of fields, then and even now, namely, shipping.

Yes, we are referring to V.O. Radhakrishnan Pillai (5/9/1872  to 18/11/1936). Yes, he shares his birth date with another illustrious Tamilian, S. Radhakrishnan, to honour whose memory, we celebrate the Teachers' Day. 

Thiru Radhakrishnan-ji was no less. He was a businessman, a lawyer, a freedom fighter, but more than that, he was a visionary leader who pioneered self-reliance in shipping as a mode of international transport. In a way, he is the "appa", father, of modern Indian navigation. No wonder, in 1961, a Tamil film was apparently dedicated to his illustrious life. 

In 1906, he founded "Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company" as an answer to the monopoly of the British India Steam Navigation Company. The ships plied from Tuticorin to Colambo, and onwards. 

Sentenced for sedition by the British and clapped with a life imprisonment, this "Tamil helmsman" (yes, that is what the title of our blog today means) proves how rich the lesser known tales from the Indian independence annals are. 

Whenever I have to teach Sarojini Naidu's or Jayanta Mahapatra's or Keki Daruwalla's poems that suggest the glory of the Indian shipping trade in the pre-colonial times, there would be a salute to this radical leader/doer in whose honour is named the Tuticorin Port Trust! 

Pratima@ If Lord Ganesha is to be venerated, one of the best stotra has to be the "aarti" by Sant Ramdas. Here is an attempt to transcreate the first stanza. 

"Thou hast happiness enkindled/Thou hast miseries destroyed/Misfortunes' news Thou allowest not to last/Thou, whose blessings bestow love!/Adorneth Thee the redlead paste, head to toe/ Pearl beads on Thy neck do glow!" 

Soupçon, Fallacy Series, 6.5

 Today let us discuss another informal fallacy. It is known as the 'false dilemma' fallacy, and it is rampant in the private space as well as in the public sphere. It consists of presenting an either/or argument as if there are only two alternatives, while conveniently ignoring the very many middle-ground kind of negotiations. 

Let us begin with an example from the public sphere. The moment a new venture is announced, there emerge interest groups asserting the 'back to nature' motto, either this project or destruction of the enviornment. Well, there do exist very many sustainable development or green alternatives. There can be carbon foot printing, for instance. 

The private space overflows with such a fallacy as it is a subtle n sure tool of emotional manipulation. An example may suffice to clarify the dicey games. A son tells the 'doting' dad, 'you get me this gadget or you are a poor dad', in all the senes of the term 'poor.'  The 'poor' dad, emotionally thus twisted, has to give in because conveniently forgotten/overlooked are umpteen instances of care and concern. 

The worst case scenario of this false dilemma, it would be universally acknowledged, is the disgusting "Darr"  dread, right?

Pratima Agnihotri

Soupçon, Fallacy Series, 6.4

 Whoever wants to lose the crown? None! Well, history as well as literature can provide ample proof to this effect. The current Sangli saga could be an example. We are, however, not referring to that loss. Rather, we are referring to the crowning glory which, for many, makes or mars the look. 

Yes, it is a famous fallacy, alternatively known as the fallacy of the beard or the fallacy of the bald man. When exactly can it be argued that a person is bald and/or clean-shaven, or to the contrary? Highly relative are these concepts as real life encounters of the close variety would tell you. 

Why does such a fallacy arise? First and foremost,  such an imprecision is in-built in language itself. Words and/or concepts are never clear-cut. They always exist on a spectrum. The only exception is absolute antonyms such as dead or alive.

Given the intrinsic imprecision in language, this fallacy maintains that no meaningful difference exists between two extremes, bald/hairy, clean-shaven/bearded, because a precise dividing line does not exist. 

This 'informal' fallacy, rooted in the Sorites paradox explored by the Greek philosopher, Eubulides, is also known as the continuum fallacy. Often, in real life, we meet people who want to eat the cake and keep it, too! Now you know the philosophy behind this "oui et no, peut-être" (the favourite French idiom, 'yes and no, may be') psychology! 

Pratima Agnihotri

The Notion known as Vishwakarma

We live in the AI era. As a technology, the AI is vastly different from the earlier revolutionary changes, be it the Industrial Revolution, the use of electricity, or even the electronic revolution. What these took centuries or decades to transform, the AI is managing in months, nay, days! 

In such radical times, what would the notion called 'Vishwakarma' mean? As per the tradition, this deity of the artisans is the maker of alternative universes. Remember the Indraprastha Palace of the  'Mahabharata' ? Yes, the same mansion where it was difficult to differentiate between the plain surface and the lake as the 'mock' tiles? It was his creation. Be it Indra's 'vajrastra' or Rama's "Pushpak Viman", this master designer of the gods was the maker! 

May be, the Vishwakarma Pujan is a bow in the direction of the barter arrangement of co-existence wherein all the 'smiths', be it the iron, copper, brass or gold as the medium, be it the carpenter, be it the weaver, be it the potter were artisans who exchanged their produce.

How to make what sense of this concept now? Is it as the primacy of skills over mere concepts? Well, skills transform an abstraction in to reality! Skills shape ideas in to concrete constructs. Plato would agree with such an obsession with skills!

Is it also a reminder that  'hard' work is losing ground to 'smart' work as the cliché goes? Yes, in our era of the AI designing, and developing actually, the 3D products, how to understand this primacy of crafts? 

In my opinion, in our truly transformational times, the 'Vishwakarma' concept would mean that 'work is worship'. It is this sense of continuous commitment that no AI can take away, right? Long live the 'vishwa-karma' feel! 

Pratima@ "Ganesha! This whole universe is born of Thee! This entire world abides in Thee! This entire cosmos concludes in Thee! Thou art the Earth, Thou the Air, Thou the Fire, Thou the Water, Thou the infinite Space! "

Forgiveness!

 It is the "michchami dukkadam" time of the year. WhatsApp groups are overflowing with messages to the effect. In a way, it is a lovely practice, seeking forgiveness for the hurts caused to others due to your speech, actions, thoughts, words, deeds, what have you! 

Yes, forgiveness is a great virtue. In my opinion, it is good for one's own peace of mind because each time that tsunami of  injustices reverberates, it is your own psychological horizon that turns topsy-turvy. Hardly worth it! Best forgotten! 

I am not sure though. Any sensitive, sensible, simple, straightforward person finds it extremely difficult to forget or forgive the harm sadistically, consciously caused, knowingly, willfully, viciously, most often by ganging up against an innocent, powerless, lonely victim. To argue otherwise is being hypocritical. 

Why indeed prostrate one's guileless self in front of the egoistic guilty? What is the best solution then? I suppose, it is constantly working on oneself, on becoming better n best by the day, growing up every which way. When one is so creatively committed, injustices consciously heaped pale into insignificance, and one inches for sure toward the fulfilment of each dream nurtured forever. 

As for the sadistic perpetrators, best it is to leave them to the sense of justice by which the very universe breathes. In other words, "michchami dukkadam" is forgiving oneself for being victimised viciously, and never ever to forget that hopeless, helpless contexts were such! The rest, as Shakespeare's King Lear would say, is peace!

Pratima@The try at translation which the great Gajanana is sure to forgive, but never would forget!                                                                          "In the beginning the supplication/To Ganapati, of wisdom infinite ocean!// Shrive Thee me of ignorances multiple/ Bestow brilliance, in acumen make me excel!" 

Soupçon, Fallacy Series - 6.3

 Today let us discuss further why victim blaming happens. At the base of victim shaming lies the subtle attempt to ignore, to overlook the perpetrator(s)' moral and legal responsibility.  The chain snatcher could steal the jewellery because the girl openly wore gold! Acid got thrown at her because she was not submissive, she was bold, she was not at home before 7 p.m. 

At times, small time cheap crooks would want to curry favours with some higher-up, and fan his ego by blaming, and spreading vicious nonsense about the victim. 

Often at bottom lies the 'just world' fallacy which consists of believing that bad happens to bad people, and if you are good, good alone would be your reward. This naive belief suits the perpetrator mafia, and thus continues victim blaming/shaming! 

Pratima Agnihotri

Engineers = excellent!

 Yes, engineers are excellent. Why, the AI has chosen to call orders given to bots as "prompt engineering", right? Hence let us take this opportunity to celebrate engineers. 

What is the occasion? Well, it is the Engineers' Day today. Since 1968, when the Government of India so declared it, September 15 is celebrated as the Engineers' Day, though world wide, it is March 4 as per the U.N.

In India, September 15 is thus celebrated because it marks the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Vishwvairaiya, who in the late nineteenth century, when it was the high tide of colonialism, used his engineering skills to devise flood control mechanisms and build dams.

Engineers are special. They use technological skills to better irrigation, to build infrastructure, and to develop software which was India's sunshine industry till the AI took away its sheen. Yes, even in the AI era, engineering is going to matter. In fact, it would be centrally relevant, though here is hoping that such STEM subjects are tempered with Humanities, too.

Pratima@ Till Saturday when our family Ganapati would be immersed, we would look at my translations of various "Ganesh stutis." Here is the attempt for today.

"Happiness Thou createth/Sufferings Thou vanquisheth/Thou art the doer, Thou beginneth/ Thou the act-er, Thou attaineth!/Hail, Morya,Hail, Morya/ Hail, Thee, propitious is Thy idol, Morya!" 

Soupçon, Fallacy Series - 6.2

 Why does victim blaming take place? First and foremost, the vulnerability of the victim is mistakenly considered the cause that invited/incited the perpetrator(s). Actually, the wrong-doing is the perpetrator's decision, and does not have anything to do with victim's so-called bidding, direct and/or indirect. 

An example can be a girl saying "no" to somebody's romantic interest in her. All sorts of justifications of the perpetrator(s) harassing her would be extended. She is "proudy"! She needs to be taught a lesson. She is shy. Such has been the Bollywood narrative for ages. Her open 'no' is a hidden 'yes'! 

Actually, the problem is with the perpetrator who has some societal, psychological, familial or physiological problem, or a combo of these causes. As a cover up, stories get cooked up most sadistically. 

Pratima Agnihotri

Pratima Agnihotri

Here He Arrives!

 Of all the festivals in the Hindu calendar, closest to most hearts is the Ganesh Utsav. This festival fills the whole house with an  unnamable life force which pulsates with a palpable energy. No, it is not merely the spruced up feel. The very household blooms with a divinity. 

Ganesha is everything. With His invocation begins every holy function. He is intelligence incarnate, and yet there is a gentleness to him. Remember the story of the circumambulation of the whole universe? For him, his parents are the world, a choice which is both, deep affection and smart wit.

A non-entity like a mouse is his vehicle. As he is very much a folk godhead as much as a Vaidic presence, is not it but natural that he should control the rodent, enemy number one of the agrarian way of life?

Actually, he is so very appealing because simultaneously he can be everything. He is an abstract form, yet his very shape is hyper concrete. He is divine but has an elephant head. He may have huge ears, small eyes, a big belly, incidentally though each of these has a deep symbolic meaning, and yet he is beauty incarnate.

To every artist, accomplished or otherwise, he invites to explore his self, to understand his form, and thus in the process grow. He would be with us till Saturday. Hence every day, on my status where I share our blog, I shall be uploading my (he)art as it depicts him, though I cannot upload these images here for your perusal as the format does not support such a function.

Pratima @ Each day till Saturday, I shall attempt a translation of his unique manifestations either in Sanskrit and/or Marathi. Hence no quote, no word of the day till Saturday. Instead, an attempt at a better, closer understanding of the Great God Ganesha! 

Today let me try translating the first few invocatory lines from the "Atharv Shirsha.

" Om, paeans to Thee, O Lord of the 'Gana'/Thou art Essence incarnate/Thou art Action itself/Thou art the Upholder himself/ The destroyer incarnate Thou art! Indeed art Thou this entire universe/Thou, the forever revelation of the Atman!"

Soupçon, Fallacy Series - 6

 Yes, we are going to continue this fallacy series till all the major fallacies are covered. Before we begin the discussion today, let me clarify something. The very first fallacy we analysed was "ad hominem" or shooting the messenger. Funnily, however, that discussion disappeared. Hence I have put it back. Hope you enjoy reading it. 

Let us begin this week with a very common fallacy; namely, victim blaming. At times, it is also known as victim shaming. Basically, this weird argument consists of holding the person who has suffered responsible for the perpetrator's abuse, whether physical, and much worse, psychological. 'Flawed is the victim, and so the crime happened,' is the theory behind this fallacy. 

It could be argued that this logical fallacy is rooted in twisted mindset. Hence this curiosity which reveals both, a cognitive bias and an ethical twist. 

As the Soupçon Series basically consist of nuggets, we shall discuss this issue further tomorrow. 

Pratima Agnihotri 

A little worrisome?

 This year, the Ganesh Utsav in the public sphere is full of cacophony. No, it is not the usual dolby walls that are creating the typical din. They are the cause though! 

Yes, here, there and everywhere, the opposition to the dolby walls, or versions thereof, is the talk of the town. True, nobody would deny the fact that the dolby sound during the installation and immersion processions IS a bother, and every which way. 

Yet the opposition to the dolby walls has started grating on the ears, too. First and foremost, the occasion! Timing matters, right? Why suddenly the Ganesh Utsav? Nobody appeared disturbed by the decibles on July 31 when the processions began, to go on till August 1 midnight. Sickest songs possible blared bang next to a hospital. 

Any meeting regarding the Municipal Corporation permission was not reported then in the media. Nor is it conventionally  conducted annually, right? 

Come Ganeshotsav, and objections have become a furore, interview after interview after interview of Mr. Bapat resounding louder and louder, what with the media, every possible YouTuber, each podcast reverberating with the Bapat Speak!

Yes, the dolby walls or versions thereof ARE bad for health every which way. Period. Nobody is arguing against it. Yet funnier is  the anti-dolby noise which has now reached  such a crescendo that there are articles discussing how Tilak was wrong in getting the deity in to the public sphere, and quoted are Gokhale-Ranade-Agarkar!

Tilak's contemporaries debated the issue in a totally different vein altogether. Why mix that past debate circumscribed by a certain (intellectual) context with the trashy dolby din? Most conveniently is now forgotten the fact that, for the last two years, hugely it was asserted that Tilak did not initiate the Ganapati festival at all. Apparently, it was Bhau Rangari.

This year, indeed curious things are happening circa the festival, eggs getting thrown at processions, the huge murtis (actually such huge idols should be a no-no!) falling down, and now this high decibel debate!

Yes, wrong things MUST change, and sooner for the better. Yet should not it be a process? Of step by step changes? Incidentally, for the "dahi handi" celebrations this time, most "mandals" did reduce the volume. There was police action against the groups which violated the restrictions.

Hence the continuous discussion regarding the dolby disturbance appears suspicious. Is it the case that somebody else is manipulatively pulling the puppet strings? Whose is the face cleverly hidden behind the Mr. Bapat mask?

Ever since the Jantar Mantar days, we have "intellectuals" like Yogendra Yadava openly declaring that all decisions henceforth would be taken, not in the parliament, but on the streets! 

Is the Mr. Bapat kind of opposition to the dolby walls a subtle attempt at creating anarchic situations on the street during the hugely popular, and populous, Ganesh festival? How come people of Mr.Bapat's ilk never are bothered by the forever weird wonky honking of mobikes and cars without silencers that roar down the streets, be it day or night? 

Hope Lord Ganesha gives everyone concerned (including the traditional but pricey dhol-tasha groups, the modern but cheaper dolby-wallahs, and everyone opposing them) wisdom, intelligence and sensibleness enough so that the next twelve days are joy, devotion, and peace!

Pratima@ The common devotee is hugely happy while welcoming this deity who stands for all the auspicious beginnings, all the arts, all knowledge, all that is good, pure and propitious in the human head, heart and soul.

Quote of the day:                                                              "In the national interest, we will not oppose for the sake of it." So said  Rishi Sunak, the erstwhile prime minister of Britain, while expressing the principle that political opposition should be constructive rather than purely obstructive. 

Word of the day: furore                                                 Furore is great anger or excitement expressed towards something by a number of people. 

Why not celebrate?

 It was the Shravan Amavasya on Thursday/Friday. Hardly do we remember the first or the last days of lunar months, as way too busy we are with the solar months, full of responsibilities, duties, activities, and what not. 

My submission, however, is that better it is to remember certain such 'muhurt'. Oh, yes, i do know that some people may accuse me of being traditional, obscurantist, 'sanghi', et al. I am neither. Nor do I care about empty accusations. Some may ask how I dare call 'amavasya' a muhurt. 

Better to hold your horses, please! Yes, most often, 'amavasya' is not considered auspicious. Yet, without getting obscurantist, it is better to observe certain rituals as they make us truly human(e).

Look at the Shravan Amavasya, for instance. It is the best occasion to show our gratitude to the bullock. This beast of burden, so very necessary for our existence, is no longer extant even in agriculture, given the technological onslaught. 

When we were small, on this day, Papa used to buy us a pair of earthen toy bullocks. We were made to garland them, pray to them. Aai would make puran poli, the last of the Shravan season.

 What a lovely way to stay tuned to the originary modes of life! A great tribute to the agrarian roots as well as to the barter mode of existence, as the village potter would thus get his share of the goodies, too! In brief, certain rites make us right.

Pratima@The second reason is still more sensitive. Shravan Amavasya is the Mothers' Day according to the Hindu calendar. A mother must be celebrated as often as is possible, right? So why not twice a year, in May and on the last day of Shravan during which the "jivti" picture in the "devhara"  repeatedly reminds us of her centrality!  

Let us celebrate such Amavasya rituals, like the last day of Ashadh, a tribute to  light which must have literally illuminated the rainy dark days once upon a time long long ago. 

Quote of the day:                                                          "Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." Agreed, Melody Beattie. 

Word of the day: gratitude                                         Gratitude is the feeling of being grateful to, of wishing to  thank someone. 

Nine eleven!

 The year was 2001. The new millenium was settling down. The West, especially the U. S., was in an absolutely self-satisfied mode, what with the feel of the Y2K win. That blasé self-absorption was to get a severe jolt on 9/11.

9/11 indeed was an earth shattering event. The whole world knows how the 'al queda' terrorists crashed three planes in to the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, while the fourth faced the irate passengers' revolt. 

The world was never the same after 9/11. The very paradigms of perception changed thereafter. Hatreds, which had been simmering since the centuries old Crusade Wars, started spewing over openly. 

Yes, there have been terrorist attacks before and after. Yet none had the visual effect of the Twin Towers collapsing like a pack of cards. A kind of naiveté died that day, and was buried deep down the terra firma. 

The pathetic (in all senses of the term) collapse of the Twin Towers became a visual symbol of, nay, not the end of, but the clash of civilisations. It shook the smugness of the U. S., which had always amused itself through proxy wars, because, for the first time ever, war manifested itself at the threshold of America itself, and mocking all its might! 

We all know very well the after shocks of 9/11, beginning with Afganistan and ending to an extent in Abbottabad. In the meantime, any number of absolutely innocent lives suffered due to the perverted mindsets of certain cheap creeps and their vicious stooges. 

Yet war mongers have not learnt their lessons, and now with the AI, precision powers their perversions. Unfortunately, no monotheistic godhead can master such maniac monsters, and therein lies the true tragedy that, despite heroic and humane efforts, there is no real Ground Zero!

Pratima@Of course, there are wonderful conspiracy theorists who never stop carping about how 9/11 was 'native', and even when concrete proof flies in the face of such falsehoods, stupid narcissists would never tire of spreading such silly gossip!

Quote of the day:                                                             "No day shall erase you from the memory of time," is a quote by Virgil from Book IX of "The Aeneid." It is   inscribed in the Memorial Hall at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum.

Word of the day: ground zero                                    Literally 'Ground Zero' is the 14.6-acre area in Lower Manhattan, New York City, where the World Trade Center Twin Towers stood before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Metaphorically, difficult to decide its very many echoes across spaces and times!

Soupçon, Fallacy Series - 5

 The fallacy that we are going to discuss today is known as the slippery slope. It consists of arguing that the small little first step is wrong, and hence would lead inevitably by chain effect toward a wrong position. 

It appears very mathematical in tone. Thus it has a very scientific temper superficially. An example of this fallacy can often be seen in the society's reluctance to accept any new paradigm, such as the online Gpay type of payment, for instance. 

Now the cashless payment is the driving force for one n all, and even in Paris. Yet, initially, even learned economists opposed it stiffly as a wrong step which would drown the economy, right?

Pratima Agnihotri

Soupçon, Fallacy Series - 4

The next fallacy we are going to look at is known as the 'red herring.' To understand it, let us first look at the etymology of the term.  A "red herring" is  a fish. It is not a separate species of fish though.

 It is an ordinary herring that turns a deep coppery red, and acquires a very strong, salty smell  through a heavy process of brining and smoking.  Apparently, as early as 1802, William Corbett reports that trainers dragged these pungent fish across a trail to test or distract hunting hounds. 

The process need not always be so very. innocent. Escaping criminals used the red herring to throw tracking dogs off their scent, it seems. As fallacy, hence, it consists of introducing irrelevant information in the discussion to divert attention from the actual/original theme. 

The best example of this fallacy would be the T.V. debates, right? While they are all out-shouting above each other, they are  trading extremely irrelevant  details about each other or about the issue being disc. Such whataboutery drowns any and every valid argument. 

 

  Pratima Agnihotri 

A book exhibition

 Books are now noteworthy due to their absence. Yes, reading has taken an absolute back seat. The  basic attention span required for reading is now a thing of the past. In our A.I.-enabled, or is it absolutely alien-ated, era, who wants to read? That does hurt a bibliophile.

Well, you love research. Seminar after conference, dedicated, mind you, to the publication process, has "experts" advising you to use the ChatGPT for " literature review"! In other words, the A.I. reads, the A.I. summarises, and the future 're-searcher' is reduced to a kid who waits 'two minutes' for the A.I.-d! 

Actually reading helps in very many ways. Yet when the allure of the colourful screen beckons, back seat get the plain pages, right? Hence the need for book exhibitions which, too, these days are seen scenery. In other words, an event they, too, are. 

Without fail, there would be a selfie point or two, and cosy kiosks for a cuppa. That is okay, though. At least, youngsters, who would otherwise never venture near a library or avoid a bookshop as if it is the Corona ward, actually see the colours, the shapes and the sizes of books, even if most would be of the DIY or "how to" variety! Even then unmistakably flutters, like the pages of unread books, the hope that books would survive, despite the A.I. (r)evolution! Long live book exhibitions! 

Pratima@ Recently I read a news item that many European countries have chosen to reduce the screen time of school children. Books, notebooks, abacus, slates are back, it seems. No mean achievement for sure. How long the 'fad' would last, I am not sure! 

Quote of the day:                                                            "Books are uniquely portable magic," says Stephen King.

Word of the day: bibliophile                                       A bibliophile is a person who loves, admires, or collects books.

Soupçon, Fallacy Series -3

 The second fallacy we are going to look at is known as "the straw man", yet again often attempted. It consists of consciously misrepresenting, at times through obvious exaggeration, the opponent's words and or actions, so as to make it easier to attack an opponent's argument. 

Would you agree with me if I were to insist that the Cockroach Janata Party is rather good at it? Look at how it tried to thus misrepresent the 'auntie' types. 

Sure the matter is sub judice currently. No harm though in mentioning how the police "attacks" at the Jantar Mantar were exaggerated, ignoring all along the very many videos at Jantar Mantar of/at/on attack on the severely bleeding policemen, not to forget the treatment of the student protest at Ranchi! 

Pratima Agnihotri

Literacy leads!

 Yes, literacy leads. No, that statement is not merely a quickie of a bow in the right direction, just  because September 8 was the international literacy day. Instead let us discuss why literacy leads.

Well, let me remind you of the anecdote of the frog in the well that Swami Vivekananda narrated in his speech at Chicago. For this frog, his small little puddle was the sea which he had never ever seen, and could not imagine hence. In other words, he was belittling grandeur itself, and thus making himself small in the process. 

An illiterate person is like that opinionated frog. She/he misses a lot as s/he merely  'perceives' the world. He never knows it, neither understands it, nor becomes better hence. An ignoramus he continues to be.

Literacy allows us to read, and thus sensitises us ,opens up our vision, makes us thus better beings, and truly thus part(icipant) of the world as a family. 

No wonder, since 1967, the United Nations is insistent about the celebration of the ILD. This year, it was celebrated in New Mexico. Equally interesting was its motto; namely, the ILD is not only for people, but for the prosperity of the planet, too, which we have absolutely madly marauded, mortified, murdered literally,  given our enviornmental excesses! It is in this sense, too, that literacy leads, and better, if one is literate in many languages! 

Pratima@ I would, nevertheless, like to maintain that the illiterate have their own intelligence. An example could be the rural vegetable vendor whom no city sleeker can confuse or confound, right? Similarly, for a better planet, the uninitiated in to literacy but wise beyond words kind of sons n daughters of the soil have souls that care! Sure, once they become literate, too, literacy leads them out of poverty and, hence, in to the land of hope!

Quote of the day:                                                         Frederick Douglass asserts, "once you learn to read, you will be forever free."

Word of the day: illiterate                                           An illiterate is a person who is not able to read or write. 

Tu chupi hai kahan?

 Today got released her last ever song. She sang it as a nonagenarian.  Best answer she thus continues to be to all those doubting Thomas-es who revel in ageism, most often to hide their own anxieties, their own inabilities, their own incapabilities. 

Why so? Is that your question? Well, this very last song, too, is full of her characteristic chutzpah. Ah, by now, you must have guessed who we are talking about, right? Yes it is THE ever ebullient, THE ever enthusiastic, THE ever a-live Asha Bhonsale! 

Inevitable is this remembrance today. It is her first birth anniversary after her sad demise on April 12, 2026. The last song she sang, and which got released today, has the words our title borrows. 

Oh, yes, it reminds us of her song from "Navrang" which, too, passionately wondered "tu chupi hain kahan"?  Yes, to quote from that duet with Manna Dey, "Tere bin phika phika hai gano ka sama." 

Is it really so though? She lives in her countless songs, full of each shade of every emotion, and yet somehow true to her name, "Asha", the never ever dying hope. Like "Anand", Asha bhi kabhi nahi marate! 

Pratima@ What I like about the way Asha Bhonsale led her life is that she made an opportunity out of every mess thrown at her, be it by destiny, be it by the establishment, be it by people in her life. Yet again the optimism, just like her name!

Quote of the day:                                                             "Songs, for me, are notes from the heart." So said Asha Bhosale. For us, too, Ashaji, given your heavenly contribution.

Word of the day: optimism                                         Optimism is the feel that all always is, and will always be, well.

Soupcon, Fallacy Series- 2

 "Ad hominem" is the first fallacy we would discuss in this series. It is often attempted, and everywhere, be it the private space or the public sphere. Why so? Well, it is the easiest! 

This particular fallacy consists of shooting the messenger. That is to say, it is apparent when the speaker's character is assassinated because his/her argument cannot be countered. It is a kind of pressure tactic to silence the opponent. 

The best example of "ad hominem" fallacy would be a boss scolding an employee for a minute's in reaching the office, and that is just because the data put forth by the junior blasts the boss's pet theories. 

Pratima Agnihotri

N.B.: This "Soupçon" bit had vanished magically. Hence putting it here yet again! Talk of ad hominem!

Glorious Gloria

 Currently, 'her'(e)abouts, feminism is a much misunderstood wor(l)d, what with the trivialising bashing of the agency involved in the 'jauhar' of Rani Padmini and others of her ilk, and, as usual, without paying any attention to the context.

 Hindsight, in my opinion, is forever the easiest because you have nothing to lose except your prejudices, your half-baked knowledge, and the absolutely deafening claps from your very own echo-chambers. 

Neither is feminism the license to behave any which way. Feminism is empathy. Feminism is empowerment. Feminism is trying to understand a perspective absolutely different from your own so as to make existence fair and lovely! 

Gloria Steinem, who passed away recently, was an activist who tried to en-'live'-n such definitions throughout her career as a journalist, as a pacifist, as a 'reformer' of policies. Hence the title of our blog. 

What is most interesting in the current context is that this world-renowned campaigner for women's being-n-becoming granted that it was her stay in India in the late fifties that sensitised her truly. 

Arriving in India with a meagre scholarship but bloated on colonial notions, her first face-off with 'rank' poverty proved to her how simple women shared n cared for each other. It was India that taught her the art of "listening", which helped her with a "you-oriented" communi(cati)on. Her Indian exchanges with students, common women, Gandhian scholars and followers taught her that 'radical' need not be defined as direct and indirect vicious violence. 

Rather 'radical' means going to the very roots of any issue to truly explore/examine/expose it. As Steinem strengthened such a belief system, here is an Indian tribute to her memory. 

Pratima@ Apparently, she liked the saree because it helps, in her opinion, to stand straight, walk slowly, and hence worry less about time and efficiency. A truly refreshing idea, though difficult to follow today, given the totally transformed times! 

Quote of the day:                                                         "The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn," said Gloria Steinem. Yes, indeed! 

Word of the day: feminist                                           A feminist is anyone who recognizes the equality and full humanity of women and men. A good definition indeed! 

Soupçon, Why the fallacy fe(a)st?

'Fallacy speak' is quite some fad in Pune currently. Hence our Soupçon series which would try to educate you regarding the major types of fallacies. 

Let us look at the definition in simple words, and let us provide at least one example per fallacy.  Ready to thus beat Bapat black n blue, absolutely not physically as was attempted, but at the fallacy fest? Anyway, much better than a slug of fists, right? 

Today let us first define what is a fallacy. A fallacy is a glitch in the logical continuum. It is an error that confounds the meaning. A logical fallacy may have a major/minor premise, et al. We shall analyse such a structure, if necessary, as we go along. 

Pratima Agnihotri

Music's golden tongue

 John Keats has written one of the 'love'liest of poems, "The Eve of St. Agnes." The title of our blog today is a quote from this  'romantic' poem. 

Music indeed has a golden tongue. It is priceless. It elevates the very beauty of existence. In each of its form, the raw folk form or the embellished classical mould, it voices abundance. 

When it is associated with the divine, a unique grandeur adorns it. So many of our gods and goddesses, too, love a musical instrument. The great God Shankara has the "damru", one of the most primal sources of rhythm, while the goddess of knowledge and wisdom is associated with the "veena."

It is Shrikrishna's "bansuri", the flute, which all find spellbinding. It is ever present in folk literature, in Bhakti poetry, even in the modern most texts. Often, like the peacock feather, it is used symbolically to depict Shrikrishna, the God who delights in all that is 'love'ly.

The flute is deeply symbolic, too. The holes in the sacred flute, the bansuri, symbolize deep philosophical, psychological and spiritual truths. A standard bamboo flute typically features seven main holes, which correspond to the seven primary energy centers (chakras), it seems.          

 To create divine music, one must skillfully open and close six holes while the seventh receives the breath. This represents superb mastery over the mind, and the six inner enemies (desire, anger, greed, attachment, delusion, and pride).                                             

The much explored  allegory does not end there. The holes in the flute are not flaws, but the result of piercing and hollowing. This signifies the pain, sacrifices, and discipline a devotee endures to become a pure instrument for the Divine, they say. Being completely hollow with no inner blockage, the flute teaches that only an ego-free soul can let the breath of life (prana) and divine wisdom flow through it as pure harmony. 

No, these lovely ideas and interpretations of the flute are not mere abstract reflections on the occasion of Krishna Janma Ashtmi alone. The real reason behind them is rather personal. This evening, my brother, Sanju, participated in a flute recital programme. The initial 'sur' that he played for the rendition of the Tulsidas Bhajan "Shri Ram Chandra kripalu" was so soft, gentle, mellow that the 'golden tongue' metaphor by Keats literally came alive. Wonderful was the recital of "abir gulal udhlit rang." His 'class'-mates, too, presented their versions of the flute-y melodies. A memorable evening indeed!

Pratima@ Sanju arrived at flute a little late in life. Yet his constant and sincere practice seems to fill in the gap of that delay. His doggie, the cutest beagle, Tashu is forever listening to it with the devoted zeal of the HMV dog.

Quote of the day:                                                          "Playing a flute is like writing a book. You’re telling what’s in your heart," asserts Eddie Cahill. 

Word of the day: symbolic                                        This word means something used or seen to represent something which may not be directly related to what it stands for. An example can be  the red rose symbolising love. 

Teachers' Day

 For many, this unique day often begins with a very basic question. Is it "teacher's day" or "teachers' day"? Believe me, this was once a query on a group of English teachers/lecturers!!! What does that mean? In my opinion, clearly it just means that we all better be students lifelong, right? 

Incidentally, given the information explosion currently, being a lifelong student is no longer a choice. It is almost a compulsion these days. Want me to clarify what I mean? Well, look at that (r)evolution called the AI! Literally, by the day, it teaches us to be newer, and, hopefully, better, versions of ourselves as the inescapable AI learners! 

Every learner needs a teacher. This teacher  can be your parents, your siblings, your school/college/university teachers, and, the best of all, your own self, right? Believe me, it can be the family pet, too. Who else can love so much for so little in return, right?

In brief, what does a teacher do?  To understand it, let us look at the etymology of the word. The term teacher, whether the roots lie in Middle/Old English stage or the Proto-Indo-Germanic family, means to point out, to show, to demonstrate, to facilitate. 

Yes, that is what a teacher does, shows you the way to make each second still simpler, sweeter, and smarter so that you feel better with-n-in the world and with your own self, right? Hence the importance of the day which, incidentally, is named as "Teachers' Day"!

Pratima@ Hence our prayer today is the traditional Vaidic injunction, "lead me from darkness to light, from falsehoods to truth, from the mortal to the immortal." 

Quote of the day:                                                           "I am not a teacher, but an awakener." Robert Frost insists, and I could not agree more! 

Word of the day: etymology                                      Etymology means the study of the origins and history of words and their meanings.

 

The real message

 A few minutes later, the actual muhurat, the exact minute of Krishna Janm, the birth of Lord Krishna, would be here with us. Why does Krishna matter so much to us? In my opinion, he is simply superb because he leaves the final decision, allows the real agency, to the individual. 

Never ever does he impose his will, even if/when it is divine, on anybody. Let me give you a few instances in his life to prove my point. Shishupal is unnecessarily ill-treating him, bad-mouthing him, maligning him, and constantly. Krishna does not retaliate, despite Shishupal's worst offences. His punishment, when it finally arrives, hence appears most deserved! 

Yet another example. Just before the inevitable war, which cannot be avoided despite his most humiliating offer on behalf of the Pandava's, both Duryodhan and Arjuna reach him for help. He asks them, allows them to choose. Arjuna chooses him, while Duryodhana prefers his huge army.

The best example of (t)his openness is at the end of the eighteenth chapter of the Bhagwad Geeta. The Lord has explained literally the entire existence, the whole universe, the very being/becoming to Arjuna, and yet he does not order Arjuna to choose any one of the paths he has explicated.

 The last word of the Lord in the Bhagwad Geeta is " yatha ichchsi, tatha kuru", that is, "do what you want, what you consider right, what you find worthy." Truly open, equal, democratic godhead is this Lord who, from his childhood days, could understand the down and out, a few examples thereof could be the Gowardhan Parvat incident, the Sudama story or the Draupadi drape.

Is it any wonder then that Sant Dnyaneshwar, born exactly on the same day at the same time, ends his great treatise with the "Pasaydan" which hopes that the wicked would lose their evil? He, too, understood the sufferings of the rejects of the establishment, whose victim he himself was.

In brief, the lives of such great souls has very many positive injunctions, which translate real well in current (management, too) lingo, and if (thus) followed, make our lives truly enriched!

Pratima@ May be, Vidyadhar Bapat, instead of trying to be another Dipke, should follow such divine examples regarding ownership of decision making and agency!                                It seems, his atheist, nay, nihilist opinions about doing away with the Wari and/or the Ganesh Utsav angered certain citizens. Even then beating up a person with a contrarian opinión is hardly the done thing. A thought can be countered only through contradicting it thoughtfully, through offering efficiently the contrary opinion!

Quote of the day:                                                        "You and I need to be the decision makers in our own lives and careers. It is also our responsibility to allow and encourage others to do the same,"  says Jay Rifenbary.  

Word of the day: injunction                                       Injunction is an official order from a court of law to do/not do something.

Soupçon, In Memoriam Series, VI. x

                       Soupçon III                                                        In Memoriam Series                                                           VI.x

Let us in this final note discuss the much analysed 'politics' of this highly impactful film. Undoubtedly, the film is a strong exposé if the notion of " honour killing." Unfortunately, this horrible practice continues to be prevalent even now, exactly a decade later. 

Well, in such a context, what sullies the family honour? Tough to decide! Is it the parental anger basically that the kid no longer cares for the parental structures/strictures? Undoubtedly, the hurt ego of an autocratic parent, mostly a father, who cares for 'his' social image is THE base of an honour killing, I suppose.

The gut reaction would also be that the cruelty of the honour killing , especially in this film, comes from the difference in the family status, right? It is so very obvious in the film. Basically, hence, it IS a class issue. The film, undoubtedly, has the 'rich girl poor guy' narrative, even when it is not as crude as in a typical Bollywood film. Noteworthy is the fact that there is no societal pressure tactics in the form of a " (caste) panchayat", for instance.

Difficult it is to argue that the film depicts the honour killing, central to the very narrative, as a caste issue. Sure, Archie and Parshya do belong to different castes, and his caste, undoubtedly, is not as high in the hierarchy as hers is. Yet, even in the film, the characters, too, talk more of the economic rather than the social difference between the couple. 

Very rarely is caste the central thrust of a (Bollywood-ish) film narrative, anyway. May be, the triple entertainment motto would get much too very serious, nay, "boring",  if such an issue is opened up in a film. Given the box office returns as a major concern, most directors would sugar-coat the pill, reduced to its minimum most size/valency, right? No exception is "Sairat" which is more a psychological analysis of 'honour killing', which, too, is no mean treat! Long live this quite honest exposé of a serious crime!

Pratima Agnihotri

Sound is sound?

 In Pune, currently a battle is raging. It is "sound n fury", rather fury about sound, and, sure, it signifies a lot, and loudly! Yes, I am referring to the issue raised by Vidyananad Bapat who stays in the Narayan Peth area in Pune. 

Bapat uses a lot of Sanskrit "subhashit", the 'wise saws' to quote Shakespeare yet again. His 'breathless Marathi' is sharing very many memes, too. Yet the point he is making is valid. He has opened a front against the use of DJ kinda walls during the imminent Ganesh Utsav. In brief, sound is not sound, that is, healthy, in his opinion, widely shared.

The songs playing during both, the installation and the immersion, processions are awful, blush-worthy, hideous, in fact. The processions as well as the " mandap" set up by the local " mandala" are loud, bothersome, traffic-congesting, and what have you. Even the dhol-tasha pathak's, despite being traditional, are one too many, and all play the so-called traditional instruments brutally loudly, right from the day they start 'practising.' 

Mr. Bapat's points are logical, and legal. Very many Supreme Court verdicts justify his claim, not to forget the annual COEP sound/ decibel level measurement. The problem is that certain other processions begin the evening before, continue till midnight the next day. The vulgarest songs get played, and who cares if there is a hospital in the vicinity because most all participants are dead drunk, are  'tight'. Equally loud are the  daily morning call-out's by certain other religions! 

To be extremely impartial, fraternal, and democrátic, ALL modes of sound pollution MUST stop. Sholapur has already set a worthy example. It is hence extremely hideous to beat up Bapat, or others of his ilk. 

True, the Ganesh festival has long time back lost its social awareness which Lokmanya Tilak had instilled in it. Now it is sheer "entertainment, entertainment, entertainment." Yet, its holy serenity must continue. True, the Lord, Shri Ganesha, has big ears. Let them not get irritated due to endless complaints about loud noise, right? 

Pratima@ Each and every tradition, festivals or otherwise, should follow contemporary constraints/restraints, legally set up. And, oh, yes, it is not right to bash up the BJP alone regarding the noise pollution. ALL the political parties share the blame absolutely equally. In fact, the court cases against the 'saffron terror' prove all possible subtle structures/strictures, however much cunningly hidden by those with underlying motives!!! 

Quote of the day:                                                           "Of all the varieties of modern pollution, noise is the most insidious," points out Robert Lacey. 

Word, rather term, of the day: sound pollution                                                                  Sound/noise pollution is excessive, unwanted, or disturbing sound that harms human health, wildlife, and environmental quality.

Soupçon, In Memoriam Series, VI.ix

                           Soupçon III                                                        In Memoriam Series                                                           VI. ix

"Sairat" may be about the rural landscape, but its constitution is highly urban(e). Look at the plot structure, for instance. It is highly "story book", what with a very "in medias res" beginning, and the standard five-partite structure, almost the way the Freytag pyramid describes it. Why, the climax appears exactly at the interval time. 

To attain the intense effect, Manjule does not introduce any subplot in his linear narration which, undoubtedly, hits us hard with the tragic tale in the twist with which the film apparently begins. 

Like the plot, the characters, too, are in the typical criticism-book-bound mould, with a 'dominant' female protagonist with the lead male as her foil, and patriarchy as represented by her powerful pater familias as the antagonist. The rest of the characters are mostly the 'chorus' characters. 

As for the main characters, they are both,  highly representative, and yet deeply individualised. Their highly colourful depiction is hence one of the magnets of this powerful film. 

The film, almost a propaganda against honour killing, is very direct in its statement, without much irony, except very minor effects such as Archie's father having to eat up his own words about controlling the females in the family. 

Such directness hits hard, and drives the message home, though unmistakable are the distant echoes of other passionate love stories. An obvious example can be the "Titanic" like sexual antics in the car. These add to the pathos of the story, if at all noticed in the very racy narrative in the pre-interval period. 

In brief, its 'literary'-ness adds to the intensity of this rural Romeo-Juliet version of youthful love meeting a tragic end. 

Pratima Agnihotri

Does the dog know?

 Remember that famous child-hood cartoon? Oh, yes, I have used that dash knowingly. That is because the question I am going to deal with is apparently often asked by a child. Yet it is not a question restricted to childhood. On the contrary, it never ceases to 'dog' us most faithfully, though in different modalities and in newer versions. 

Okay, what is this forever-troubling-question? Well, there is this kid. He is mortally afraid of dogs. Once, just to lessen his fear, his father tells him, "Do not worry. Barking dogs never bite." With the straightforwardness typical of a child, the kid says, "Yes, Papa! You know that. I, too, now know it. Does the dog know it though?" 

No, it is not a childish joke. Nor is it adult sophistry. On the contrary, it is a query that forever h(a)unts us, and yet never gets an upfront answer. Can we have a look at some versions of this "does the ... know" question? 

Scenario Number I: Something is sure wrong with your internal system. You are not your typical self. "Nothing much. I would not worry if I were you," says the all-knowing doctor. Sure then the poor patient feels like saying, "Sure you know it. Now that you have told me so, i, too, know it. Does the 'dis-ease' know it though?" 

Scenario Number 2: It is that time of the year. Yes, it is the cruellest month, April, when the examination hangs loose over your head like Damocles' sword. There is this friend who is very sure that "imp" questions never repeat themselves for at least two years. 'Sure shot' he assures, "Do not bother. This one was asked last year, and that one the year before that." Worth a bow is such knowledge. Yet the query is inevitable, "Does the paper setter know that?" 

Scenario Number 3: It is your second week in the company you joined hardly a week ago. Your newfound colleague has landed you both in a rather sticky soup. Says this elder statesman, "Not to worry. You know such howlers happen." Yes, the query that gnaws at your 'pink slip worries' is, "Sure you know now that I, too, know it. How about the boss? Does he know that howlers happen?" 

In brief, you may grow up, and yet there is no assurance that childhood queries would get any adult answers! 

Pratima@ Life is full of glorious (or, is it, 'glaring') uncertainties, right?

Quote of the day:                                                            John Allen Paulos asserts, "Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security." How very certainly uncertain is that ( and vice versa, too?), right? 

Word of the day: uncertainty                                     Uncertainty means a state of doubt, lack of knowledge, or unpredictability about an outcome, event, or future situation. 

Soupçon, In Memoriam Series, VI.viii

                             Soupçon III                                                        In Memoriam Series                                                           VI.viii

Yet another remarkable aspect of "Sairat" is its music. Ajay-Atul have perfectly captured the rustic feel, be it the songs, or the over-all music-scape of the film which includes, the pathetic wail of the baby boy or the  distant but heart like thud, as effective as his innocent footprints, bloodied by the revengeful murder which finished off his  young parents. 

The Ajay-Atul duo wrote the lyrics, too, with inputs by Manjule for the title song. Given their basic non-urban background, the "Sairat" lyrics have that direct, rough and primal feel, which the racy music heightens. 

Remarkable is the fact that the Hindi version of the songs in the film " Dhadak", despite being written by Amitabh Bhattacharya and put to music by the sibling duo, could not recreate the magic of either the Marathi songs or the movie itself.  Well, original cannot be replicated even by those who first made the reel real.

Pratima Agnihotri

Come, September!

 Come September, and our minds start dancing to that zany, zingy, jazzy tune, right? This theme song for the 1961 film "Come September" was composed by Bobby Darin, but it was the instrumental group Billy Vaughn and his orchestra who made the song widely popular with their own instrumental version. 

It is peppy. It is foot tapping and hand clapping. It invites even those who dance with two left feet to twirl n twist, right? Yet its rhythm n melody are not a mere invite to mere fun n fluff. 

There IS undeniably something full of hope n forever joy that makes this sixty-five year old tune a forever means of optimism. It is enthusiasm incarnate.  It is youthfulness, nay, it is life itself. 

I suppose, this feel is indeed necessary, now that it is already September, which means that more than half of 2026 has bid us a good-bye. Yet much remains to be done, and it is this tangy tune that peps us up, right? No wonder, they say, music makes moods! 

Pratima@ Remember that Madhuri Dixit dance number, "nazre mile Dil dhadka"? It is a take on this "Come, September" tune. She is wearing just a long white shirt, and no war paint make up, no  heavy jewellery. Yet her simple graceful moves make abundant  the joie de vire! 

Quote of the day:                                               ..            "Happily we bask in the warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures." So writes Henry David Thoreau as hé welcomes autumn soon to slide in to the freezing winter. 

Word of the day: optimism                                         Optimism means the feeling that the future would be good and successful.

Soupçon, In Memoriam, VI. vii

                           Soupçon III                                                        In Memoriam Series                                                           VI.vii    

Just as the story appeared absolutely real, it was the casting which was the ace of the film experience. The lead pair in the film, Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar, were absolutely fresh faces. Their raw talent added hugely to the effect of the film.

In fact, except for a few famous faces, most all actors, Manjule himself included, were novices, be it Parshya's friends, the trio, poor like him, but with real rich hearts, or be it the other secondary characters, the distant observers of the drama unfolding in a small town. 

Such casting must have been a conscious choice on the director's part because no known, celebrated faces with pre-defined personas could have enhanced the tragic effect of the film. True, many may dismiss the lead pair as one film wonders. Yet none else could have possibly created that captivating charm, despite the lack of the filmy charisma. 

A good film, in brief, begins with the best casting. Countless examples of this truth universally acknowledged can be provided. Yet very few would be so very apt though.

Pratima Agnihotri