tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-296358032024-03-07T19:34:24.902-08:00Julia's BlogBe MindfulJulia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-62931946464274392632023-04-17T04:29:00.001-07:002023-04-20T05:09:30.155-07:00Introspecting the Possibility of Aversion Therapy used by Buddhists<p> " Nibbana is a realisation about the frailty and transience of beauty, the body, and emotions like desire, grief, anger, and attachment to anything that binds one in this life. Nibbana thus means to 'blow out' all emotions that lead to desire and attachment." <i>Snigdha Singh, pg no. 263, Of Thieves and Theris, Potters, and Pativratas, Essays on Early Indian Social History for Kumkum Roy, the book presented to Prof. Dr. Kumkum Roy, on her Felicitation on 9th November 2022. </i></p><p><br /></p><p>In her scholarly and profoundly interesting article, Dr. Snigdha Singha goes on to explain how the Buddhist <i>Theras </i>and <i>Theris</i>, monks, and nuns were guided to achieve Nibbana by practicing detachment following certain teachings/notions around the body per se and especially that of women. This is described in the <i>Theragatha</i> and <i>Therigatha</i>, poems composed by the senior monks and nuns.</p><p><br /></p><p>Before I quote from her essay any further, let me remind my readers that I was taught, that The Buddha himself wrote nothing. All texts are the interpretation of his teaching by His disciples and thus must be allowed the concession of <i>'as they heard, seen The Buddha speak or do'.</i> It is quite possible that The Buddha said something in some context, but his disciple heard and interpreted otherwise. Leave that as it may, we readers of such texts must be allowed the freedom to introspect on the Buddha's words as interpreted/inferred by his disciples. </p><p><br /></p><p>A few examples below should suffice:</p><p><br /></p><p><i>" The Buddha says to Sundari - Nanda,</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>As with this body, so with thine, as with,</i></p><p><i>Thy beauty, so with this --- this shall it be </i></p><p><i>With this melodious, offensive shape, </i></p><p><i>Wherein the foolish only delight."</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p>It is apparent from this verse that drawing attention to the body in Buddha's eyes was merely foolish, as this body does become a <i>'foul compound, diseased, Impure!'</i> Hence, <i>'compel thy heart to contemplate'.</i> </p><p><br /></p><p>If the position is such that the body must be viewed as loathsome, for the mind to single-mindedly pursue the path of Nibbana, then, we can infer that this is a strategy used by the Buddha to prove that the body is transient/impermanent. So, for this life to be meaningful, only the permanent must be sought after, which is Nibbana. </p><p><br /></p><p>In his discourse, the Buddha has used death and decay as a potent reason to seek a life above all changing matters. The problem arises when examples of decay are bodies of women <u>and not men</u>. The objectifying of women's bodies to drive home a point may cause a man to fight his desire for a woman, in search of that which never changes or decays, but the point remains that in both Theravada and Therivada poems the use of women's body as against the reference to men's bodies as also gross, bloating, changing and dying is never used in the same manner. Bringing our argument to a necessary query - </p><p>- these references make us wonder about the patriarchal nature of Buddha's teachings which must be investigated further. What is even more strange is both Theris and Theras indulge in degrading their bodies, men on women and women on themselves literally to escape the circle of death and birth by achieving Nibbana. My question is, why are the Theris not speaking the same way about male bodies as ugly, decomposing, deforming bodies which meet death as well, just as women do?</p><p>The point of introspection thus lies in this question - </p><p><br />- if Theragatha is a collection of poems written by male disciples of The Buddha, is the Therigatha in some way edited by Theras and is not totally poems written by Theris only? Is there a male point of view woven into the text? </p><p><br />The Buddha had only a male monastic order until under the request of his favorite disciple, Ananda, he admitted his foster mother Mahaprajapati Gomtami into the monastic order for females. And it continued after the Mahaparinirbanna of The Buddha. Even then, the female order came under the male order. It is only probable then, that the texts too could have been whetted out/ interpretations of the Theras which has made the patriarchal divide more prominent - the male body kept away from degenerative references, while the women have been exposed as the least desirable. </p><p><br /></p><p>Psychologists use what is called <a href="https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/aversion-therapy">Aversion Therapy</a> to de-addict a person from a substance of abuse by making the person associate the substance of abuse with something unpleasant in thought and visually thus creating an aversion to the substance. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Buddha is a Master Psychologist but could it be that so much of what is assigned to be his saying, might have been a<i> Manusmriti</i> authored by his Theras? </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Snigdha Singh</b> teaches history at Miranda House, University of Delhi. Her article titled<i> Beauty, Body, and Desire Gendered Voices in Buddhist Monastic Tradition, Chapter 13 can be found in Of Thieves and Theris, Potters, and Pativratas, Essays on Early Indian Social History for Kumkum Roy,</i></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Note:</b> Views expressed in this article are entirely mine, Julia Dutta </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-12982770368948571732023-01-13T17:55:00.005-08:002023-01-15T17:35:45.705-08:00Forever Friends<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06kE3pWGDIVXk3DLe-QlXqz7FOtmiKsjgxqRDQV-epgbC-zgEFavAWnOVuL-xP4zc5zn6teUamu10z1YcT6iIjK6_uiG_CFiOZXPTQXY0plV72ObOXZiOEuqew9sF8hBN3jcOeWF3HBUKhi2nccWjrJezgprbTlPTXFp2vZfAy6dpEvyXow/s709/Vibhuti2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="665" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06kE3pWGDIVXk3DLe-QlXqz7FOtmiKsjgxqRDQV-epgbC-zgEFavAWnOVuL-xP4zc5zn6teUamu10z1YcT6iIjK6_uiG_CFiOZXPTQXY0plV72ObOXZiOEuqew9sF8hBN3jcOeWF3HBUKhi2nccWjrJezgprbTlPTXFp2vZfAy6dpEvyXow/w301-h320/Vibhuti2.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vibhuti with her grandchildren (facebook)<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A lonely pigeon feather has traveled back with me from Porbandar, from the balcony of my school friend, Vibhuti. Her neighbor's flat has pigeons who have nested there and fly across to hers, in vain, her balcony is covered with a net.<p></p><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">My New Year 2023 was the best ever, at least in a long time. I traveled from <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=narmadapuram&rlz=1C1RXQR_enIN1000IN1000&sxsrf=AJOqlzXTYNwHO2EfG1KIOw46CCsJ49jloA:1673659131217&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&vet=1&fir=BwEYRDwohxClfM%252CESJKlAzHx-KRkM%252C%252Fm%252F03prc5&usg=AI4_-kS47g-pBUy2x-d6Bmx4MKMBNenGPA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwid5faP8sX8AhX5R2wGHfFABbUQ_B16BAhqEAE#imgrc=BwEYRDwohxClfM">Narmadapuram</a> to Mumbai, the city that never sleeps, and met my lovely friends <a href="https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TDbKMTAoyjM0YPTiLc5IzClWyE3MSMxKzAMAg7gJRA&q=shals+mahajan&rlz=1C1RXQR_enIN1000IN1000&oq=shals+mahajan&aqs=chrome.1.0i355i512j46i512j69i60.11584j0j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">Shals Mahajan</a> and her partner, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0TCpPKyvLKEwyYPTiS85IrEzMy8xOVCjOSMwAAKNwCps&q=chayanika+shah&rlz=1C1RXQR_enIN1000IN1000&oq=chayanik&aqs=chrome.5.69i57j46i512j46i175i199i512j46i512j0i512j46i512j0i512l3.29877j1j9&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8">Chayanika Shah</a>, both authors and activists in the Women's Movement. And then I was at my dearest <a href="https://twitter.com/justdebika">Debika's</a> flat for 2 nights, the 31st being one of them. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">Debika lives with 2 cats, Auto, and Rick, and her nephew Anish in a cozy well kept flat with large windows through which her cats stare out, and eve's drop on conversations her neighbors have. When couples fight, Auto listens with added interest, even trying to peep into their flats. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">I was given the large cat's bed beside Debika in the bedroom. You can imagine what happened next! As night fell on at 12 midnight hour, the cats began to crawl around landing finally on their beds, one lying on my head, the other at my feet.</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">On the 31st night, as the clock struck 12, Mumbai burst into colors and crackers, loud sounds of jubilation filling the air. Sound, light, and stars were displayed in the brightly lit sky as we all also fell into a hug, the cats on Debika's lap. And the house resounded with Happy New Year!</div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">I left for my destination the next day. Porbundar is a small town, partially lying in the recesses of yesteryears when Porbundar was a major port where ships trading between east and west thrived. Now the city remained active during the day and night, with shops selling every possible good you might want. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">In the midst of the ancient buildings, the bazaar is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJmdehuPto">Mahatma Gandhi's birth house</a>. Just behind that is <a href="https://www.alamy.com/kasturba-gandhi-birthplace-house-wife-of-mahatma-gandhi-porbandar-image62174546.html">Kasturba Gandhi's house</a>. As would be the norm in those days, marriages happened between people families knew and were usually in the neighborhood. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">I met Vibhuti in school in Mumbai. She was a boarder and I was a day's scholar, in different classes but we connected easily and bonded for a long time. Spanning the years, we have written to each other and shared photographs of our families, and even visited each other in Mumbai. Now she lives in another country, away from India, and visits India with her husband. They have a beautiful house and home in Porbandar where I was a lucky guest for 3 days. Bringing back with me the pigeon feather, sealed my New Year with love and friendship from both of us. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">The friendship has lasted through school friendship, pen-friendship, meetings at different stages of our lives, and now, via Facebook and WhatsApp. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">It binds us now for the next years we have on this earth. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto">We may be at different stages of our lives, but what lies strong as school friends outlive anything else. </div><div dir="auto"><br /></div><div dir="auto"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3dlA7bWuc5wrq1qQ8tm3x3ot08MVesAvx9xZDB9wfBzbyZOQUronlKY3TTtrH8Vpzz8kg9Zjr7dtOkKUv_icV9DUPcBw0F14dwxuMMmB09XxlsozG5YxrSnMjEVZ-pGF4yxmSm7_q-s5pQS2KVH5njcvWaQaL7AQIz_7JWAfSkjFpROMHw/s625/vibhuti.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="469" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3dlA7bWuc5wrq1qQ8tm3x3ot08MVesAvx9xZDB9wfBzbyZOQUronlKY3TTtrH8Vpzz8kg9Zjr7dtOkKUv_icV9DUPcBw0F14dwxuMMmB09XxlsozG5YxrSnMjEVZ-pGF4yxmSm7_q-s5pQS2KVH5njcvWaQaL7AQIz_7JWAfSkjFpROMHw/s320/vibhuti.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gorgeous Vibhuti in the school days<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Click Here or the<a href="https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipMPJo3RiaoWEG1u-_hcyI24CMnq4f4aZdsyuzDP"> Porbundar Pictures</a><br /><div dir="auto"></div><p> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></p>Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0Porbandar, Gujarat, India21.6416979 69.629305899999991-6.668535936178845 34.473055899999991 49.95193173617885 104.78555589999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-70940254555003306102022-11-26T07:21:00.004-08:002022-12-04T22:24:16.479-08:00The Orange Celebration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleu45Rb50MDqi5h1PJQqjVJ6RPy_Mj50vqy-umxIEysnRcRu8hZnUzzaOcRlfD7khsVJvsjHsNaygBKmi1HJZ8VGmqaP6gu7kwyIYxb_Y9lizBW8R8uoX9On6JTJ6RaJzjTbKw42K5FwYRGnybQgwZP84FMoP6I_rqoyG9mNcBVG8Q1KYWA/s934/Swami%20Sarvamangala.jpg" style="clear: right; display: block; float: right; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="677" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleu45Rb50MDqi5h1PJQqjVJ6RPy_Mj50vqy-umxIEysnRcRu8hZnUzzaOcRlfD7khsVJvsjHsNaygBKmi1HJZ8VGmqaP6gu7kwyIYxb_Y9lizBW8R8uoX9On6JTJ6RaJzjTbKw42K5FwYRGnybQgwZP84FMoP6I_rqoyG9mNcBVG8Q1KYWA/s320/Swami%20Sarvamangala.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">
On 20th November 2022, we received a communication which read- </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> "<a href="https://gangapremhospice.org/">Ganga Prem Hospice</a> has lost one of its staunchest and most spirited supporters today. Swami Sarvamangalananda of Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh, breathed her last at Ganga Prem Hospice on the morning of November 19, 2022.
Mataji had not kept well for a long time, still she did not miss an opportunity to tell her friends and contacts about the hospice and seek their support. She would make a trip to Ganga Prem Hospice in Raiwala from Rishikesh, whenever she got a chance. Phone calls to the GPH team were a regular feature of her day. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> We will miss Swamiji terribly and think of her with fondness and great respect." </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> I didn't really know her but from Kanchana, who was a good friend of hers, I got to know her in bits and pieces. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> Swami Sarvamangalananda of Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh was an air hostess with Swiss Air, when she met her Guru, Swami Chidananda on flight. This meeting became the turning point in her life and as soon as she could take a voluntary retirement from her job, she did so to travel to India to be with her Guru. As long as Swami Chidananda lived in his body, she stayed close to him as his nutritionist, the Swami having a very weak stomach. She even travelled with him whenever he went to places, in India and abroad. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> When Swami Chidananda left his body she continued to live in the Divine Life Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh. By now, in fact, after a long and difficult struggle, she had even taken on the Indian citizenship. She dedicated her life to the work of Swami Sivananda in mainly the publication, making herself very useful in the Library. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"> She had in the meantime developed heart problems, which were being taken care of. With age, the problems became more difficult to manage, and on the morning of 19th, November, 2022 at 8.30 a.m or thereabouts, she finally left her body gracefully and with ease and peace. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> Two nights before that, she had fallen twice in her room. The helper and his wife who assisted her, bringing her meals from the community kitchen, slept with her in her room. At 4 p.m., the next day, due to detoriating health conditions, it was decided that she would be shifted to Ganga Prem Hospice run by a kind sannyasin lady of British origin, called Nanima. Next day, Sarvamangalananda woke at 5 a.m. and was quite joyful and happy. However, at around 8.30 a.m., she felt a flutter in her heart and it beat slowly till it stopped. There was no pain or discomfort. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> Swami Sarvamangalananda had slowly moved into a space beyond time. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> Her body was brought back to the ashram, accompanied by two Swaminis and laid in the accompanying room in the hospital attached to the Sivananda Ashram at Rishikesh. A congregation of Swamis and Matajis in orange clothing, sat in vigil around her body, chanting mantras, her ears were so accustomed to hear. Loads of people came to have the last darshan of the Mataji who had now left her body. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> Everyone was waiting for Swami Sarvamangalananda's son to arrive from Gurgaon, near Delhi and as soon as he came, the Swamis moved together to a waiting boat which would take Sarvamangala's mortal remains deep into the Ganga, where her body would finally be immersed in the water to float and sink in a free fall.. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> As soon as her son completed the aarti on his mother, the sanyasini was taken away in the boat with her son and other Swamis. After rowing along a distance, Swami Sarvamangalananda finally immersed in the water and the wayfarers returned to the Ashram. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> We never knew each other, except that we saw each other now and then in the Samadhi Hall. She enquired after me to Kanchana, asking what I, Yulia, as she pronounced my name, was doing and how I was passing my time. The answer was the same - that I liked cutting vegetables in the community kitchen and doing my own work in the room. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> Alas! I will never hear her voice nor ever get an answer to a question that intrigues my mind - Why do people from the first world come to India, and stay on to become attached to ashrams and gurus? What is it that makes them leave their privileged life there and follow a life of hardships just to be on their Chosen Path? </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"> On 4th December, 2022, is her Shodashi, which is the 16th day after her passing on. A lamp must be lit in my house to signify that she is now The Light, Knowledge, merged with THAT which never is born nor ever dies. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">(Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are totall6 the auther's)</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;">For an out-pouring of condolences and appreciation click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=506746868142006&set=pb.100064200901869.-2207520000.">HERE on facebook</a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Swami Sarvamangalananda <a href="https://www.facebook.com/swami.sarvamangalananda/videos">Facebook Page</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGJcY1tZeG1TnmEsriYojks-p7VMdm8ozC49B8SCbOSeSscthb9ECWlCg8W8oRCRCpEpyga9gZQzm53ULcoxWB7na9NRmAk8MMO9XpuKN_9Nq0ZNCgUFGE79kaJDFg-uOPrkDc3w4QM6pNg5yYy9OhH_-kjby-_7iepshR2ggvgYES7dV1w/s1280/Lamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGGJcY1tZeG1TnmEsriYojks-p7VMdm8ozC49B8SCbOSeSscthb9ECWlCg8W8oRCRCpEpyga9gZQzm53ULcoxWB7na9NRmAk8MMO9XpuKN_9Nq0ZNCgUFGE79kaJDFg-uOPrkDc3w4QM6pNg5yYy9OhH_-kjby-_7iepshR2ggvgYES7dV1w/w240-h162/Lamp.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lamp was lit in our home on 4th December 2022 </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-61700868880039686312022-07-14T05:37:00.002-07:002022-07-15T04:01:52.801-07:00#BookReview: Crochet – The Gordian World of Tahir Khan by Raman Agarwal<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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The fact is everyone and his uncle is talking about it. Yet most are afraid of it: worse, in denial of it when it comes to themselves.
Indeed, depression may be the new normal, but really it has been there much longer. Schizophrenia, is a still more dreaded word implying much worse mental conditions, but it has been aclose cousin of depression. And the two are best friends to a host of people who go undiagnosed due to lack of knowledge or reasons of stigma associated with both. It was therefore refreshing to read Raman Agarwal’s debut novel, Crochet –
The Gordian World of Tahir Khan, which deals with both the above mentioned subjects, in a matter of fact manner. He weaves a complex story of Tahir Khan,who lives in Delhi's Jahangirpuri, where a number of families found refuge when they chose to be in India leaving their homeland in Pakistan.
The story runs asa trail of failed love, indeed, one after another, drive Tahir to become a complete recluse. And alone. But his aloneness is not singular to him only. It has a history, running from past to present. The book is a reflection of three lives who are pulled into the well of loneliness, his grandfather, his father,and of course Tahir himself. The cause of this state is even identical.
Given this background, Agarwal, weaves a story that challenges facts around these people, whose vision is clouded by fictional characters and conversations with people and circumstances, that don't really exist. But the reader is never lead to the facts until they reach the last part of the book. No wonder for the life of me, I couldn't understand who were Saachi or Ghazal. But I think I understood who Mscavity, the black cat with green eyes was, who kept Tahir Khan company even if all else, deserted him.
Written with tender loving care, there is no judgement cast on the characters. As a book on mental health, I would say, Raman Agarwal has done an extremely fine job, with the story. He took ten years to complete the book, which is a lot of time really. The reader can see it coming alive.
Tahir is obsessed with his mother, her green scarf being his most beloved security blanket, which he preserves and treasures. His grandfather who lost his wife at childbirth of his only son, Azar, who is Tahir’s father, is devastated and loses his mind in grief. But the same fate is meted out to his son too, but Azar must keep a strong front, because strong man never cry. The emotional overload is palpable, as we readers journey through Tahir’s life.
The 280 pages book is very absorbing but way too long and needs editing. The gory details of mental health of Tahir’s grandfather at the end of his life, can be structured differently, incidents in Tahir's own life need to be viewed and edited once again. The super-long descriptions of failed relationships can do with cut-to-size text to deliver the point only. All in all, the book is profound but eats into the reader's time. Therefore, may fail to hold attention, of reader who like it short and crisp like a Jahangirpuri to HUDA City Centre Delhi Metro
journey, like one hour forty five minutes, during which if a reader is able to crack the quiz of who is Saachi and Ghazal, in the book, then he’d have got to the crux of the story.
Pssst! Ask Mscavity's Tahir’s green eyed cat for help.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuR7vpqK5FI"></a>
Publisher: Notion Press (Indie)
Pages: 280
Price: Rs. 300
Author: Raman Agarwal
Cover: Sanjay Subramanian,
Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-75087334598783110132020-07-20T02:15:00.005-07:002020-07-20T23:01:42.222-07:00Book Review - Paper Tigers and their preys by Wise Owl<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIJf3SlGcOQIft1y6xbMmZKIZ2cZGshe7gRRwsb5PJFt4nHmH6Qogz15YmrTxCKRa8fzsdDQRnCAQmfhHPqjIAxYxI294-_WvlfChnDkIUINmxls6sfDroAhMc1InwXu-Zjfk/s346/51qLwrf1jdL._SY346_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="217" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIJf3SlGcOQIft1y6xbMmZKIZ2cZGshe7gRRwsb5PJFt4nHmH6Qogz15YmrTxCKRa8fzsdDQRnCAQmfhHPqjIAxYxI294-_WvlfChnDkIUINmxls6sfDroAhMc1InwXu-Zjfk/s320/51qLwrf1jdL._SY346_.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture Credit <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Paper-tigers-their-preys-Wise-ebook/dp/B088QR3J5P" target="_blank">HERE</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">There has to be a method in
this madness!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is no other reason why a book of such
length with two murders, one at the beginning and one at the end, may not be
considered a book about crime by any standard. But it is in fact, not termed as
one, although you can see the design and the reasons why there is the making
of crime fiction in the pages, especially, because it is related to an industry
that can make or break the political power of the country or the innocent lives
of some.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Let’s start from the end,
first. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A young girl, Sanjukta, fresh
in the publishing industry has been sent to a workshop on sexual harassment,
all expenses paid, by her employer at News Today, Rajinder Kohli. The workshop
is run by a well-known person in the profession running an NGO focused on doing
work in this area. However, it appears that the Leader of the NGO, in fact, has a
problem, that being, alongside the classes on sexual harassment, he practices
what he preaches! The young girl is caught in between, aggressive persuasion
leading up to rape, where she has been enticed by this man in power, who
happens also to be a good friend of her mother’s too! Sanjukta, has not been
able be clear about her discomfort at these advances, and has now, with the
help of her boyfriend and family, been able to lodge an FIR, First Information
Report, with the police, who are sluggish to act. Rajinder Singh, her own
employer, who had sent her to the workshop in the first place, has shut himself
out from this and has commanded his Office, not to participate or support the
girl in any way. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For his decision to do so,
he must face the consequences in the most brutal manner by his own employee.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Woven in the pages of the
book, <i>Paper Tigers</i> <i>and their preys,</i> is the life of our
protagonist – Amit Gupta, from a middle-class family, with passion for sports journalism. It is very lucky that the
Newspaper he grew up reading called Timeline, has absorbed him, straight out of
college as an intern. After being shuffled around doing multiple jobs as a
‘sub’, by a fluke of chance, he is absorbed in the area of his interest – Sports.
He dreams of foreign trips and meeting sports stars, he had only read about.
However, soon his dreams will be dashed as he learns that all foreign trips are
pre-planned and go to those who are well connected abroad with fellow
journalists, so while reporting, the copy may just as well be a collection of
paras gathered from different quarters and strung skillfully together, while
the journo on foreign soil, has a fair holiday, with wine and love interest
thrown in. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Still, Amit Gupta, does get small
joys, traveling out to cities within the country. Amit is also under
considerable pressure that he hasn’t received his salary for a long time. Rumour
abounds that the Newspaper will be sold out to a fat business baron and so,
salaries may regularize then. Amit carries on although he is gradually
disillusioned by the profession. He falls in love with his colleague, Lilly,
but unable to voice his feelings to her in time, he loses his opportunity.
Slowly, he is engaged to Shanta, but there too, just as his marriage date is
fixed, his father dies and the marriage is broken. Amit leaves Timeline to join
News Today. Love beckons again but his love goes for another toss as his lady,
Ranjana is caught in intra-departmental politics which sideline Amit and makes
the editor leave the newspaper. The paper folds up. Amit returns to the old
News Today, where he finds balm to his yet again broken heart in Sanjukta. Amit
is about to meet her ever-busy parents, when, Sanjukta is sent to the workshop
on sexual harassment which takes an ugly turn causing a turn of events that
will make Amit wait to marry Sanjukta, as her life now takes on a different
trajectory as does his. So, the double whammy, apparently, unlucky in love and
disillusioned with the life of a journalist, Amit, is about to open up the
pandora’s box of vile and guile that go to make the most powerful industry in
the country – Media. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Wise Owl, the nom-de-plume
of the author of the book, <i>Paper Tigers
and their preys,</i> has drawn up an engrossing story around Amit Gupta,
following his life from a boy with a fine intellect and love of books, entering
the world of power, the barons that make up the world of media. They have in
their hand the most powerful weapon, the pen, far mightier than the sword,
which is used as a vehicle in the hands of political power, in the country, the
very power, the pen/keyboard, has helped to bring to power. This is the irony
of the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The gloss and the grit of
the life of a journalist is brought out with extraordinary skill and
compassion, as Amit travels through these corridors of mammoth business houses
engaged in the state-of-the-art of generating opinions and discussions over
truth and (un)truth that they publish for consumption. The late nights,
drinks and dinner on the house, including cozying up with a colleague in sly
corners of the office, till wee hours of the morning next day, the
‘work-family’ often dislodging the real family, as night after night,
journalists slog to put out the news that the masses consume the next day. It
is the story of media mafia who grow fat and wealthy, by selling ‘packaged
truths’ that determine whom they will wine and dine with and who will lick
their shoes, during election times. Amit
reveals with candid reality, the inside story of <i>Paper Tigers</i> roaming around preying on innocent lives, or using
them to further their interest in the accumulation of wealth. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To me as a reader and a
feminist, the stinking realities of this industry, threw open, yet another wolf
in sheep’s clothing – the highly sophisticated media barons, who can’t take no
for an answer, or who will show off their power by the size of their cars and the
length to which they can go, wielding their ‘power’ in their pants. And I am
happy that it is one among their own gender who finally kills a symbol of
patriarchy showing its worst face in support of the system. I am therefore, not
writing about the murder at the very start of the book, which the reader must
find out, by reading the book. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The language is impeccable
and the book is easy to read as in, the conversations between different
characters tell the story. You can sit back and read especially if you are one
of those who love a long story winding its way through your mind’s nooks and
corners. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Personally, I would have
preferred a tighter manuscript - a book, which I could start to read at Rajiv
Chawk Metro Station in New Delhi, and finish it by the time I have arrived at HUDA
City Centre in Gurgaon, which is exactly one hour twenty minutes flat! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, let me not leave
the book without the mention of the cover and the title of the book. <i>Paper Tigers and their preys </i>is an apt
title with visual that in fact cleverly summarises the whole book. It is provocative
and no one can miss the predator at all. Wise Owl, @hutomp on Twitter, who is
the author of the book says, Brush Stroke/ @newbrushstroke on twitter, the
gifted brilliant illustrator, loves her mouse, keyboard and colours. Isn’t that
so cute? Besides, for both the author and the illustrator, this is their first
attempt to showcase their work in book format. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Print Length: 445 pages<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kindle eBook File Size: 1795
KB<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Available on Kindle eBook format </span><div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="#" id="https://www.amazon.in/Paper-tigers-their-preys-Wise-ebook/dp/B088QR3J5P" name="https://www.amazon.in/Paper-tigers-their-preys-Wise-ebook/dp/B088QR3J5P">Buy</a></span></div>
First published in: Shillong Times, Sunday, 19.07.2020
http://theshillongtimes.com/2020/07/19/paper-tigers-on-the-prowl/# Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-20781955257906243492020-06-01T09:30:00.000-07:002020-06-05T21:15:44.819-07:00Book review: Shadow Men by Bijoya Sawian # Short-listed in the Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize 2020<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVj4vXwKF7EFBczGEpdo_Zq_Cjb1yvjUYdudWwnvgukxtgyvzzjcFzVEhWm1bj9Ny086hMwM4Bv0JuhCS6VoEVCe5jSsLoogTEsorgjyx3elAeljw2MNuC6mhuIZHxf0KP9mm/s1600/Shadow-Men-COVER-SPREAD-JPEG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1179" data-original-width="1600" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTVj4vXwKF7EFBczGEpdo_Zq_Cjb1yvjUYdudWwnvgukxtgyvzzjcFzVEhWm1bj9Ny086hMwM4Bv0JuhCS6VoEVCe5jSsLoogTEsorgjyx3elAeljw2MNuC6mhuIZHxf0KP9mm/s320/Shadow-Men-COVER-SPREAD-JPEG.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit <a href="https://nenow.in/education/meghalaya-bijoya-sawians-book-shadow-men-shortlisted-for-rabindranath-tagore-literary-prize.html">HERE</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Protagonist
Raseel Singh needs a break from Delhi, where her parents have been murdered by
the trusted man-servant in the house. She has planned with her giggly school
friend Aila from Shillong to visit the hill station town for a few days. Aila
is touring China with her businessman husband, Aibor, and would return just in
time to be with Raseel. However, the latter has arrived a couple of days
earlier than planned, and much to her dismay has become witness to another
murder at Aibor’s house in Shillong where Raseel is a welcome guest. The
gardeners, from Bihar, called Suresh and Ravi, living in the cottage outside
the main bungalow, have been attacked by three miscreants. The two other
occupants of Aibor’s bungalow, Robert Nongrum, a cousin and the lady caregiver
and mother figure Kmie U Flin, apparently is not aware of the incident, until
the next morning. Kmie U Flin is naturally shocked. The book then proceeds to
nab the killer. As this procedure develops, Raseel is now caught, despite
herself, in the whodunit herself and suspects that people around her know much
more about the murder than they are willing to share with her. So what is the
reason behind this gross act upon a man, who has left his home in Bihar to find
work in Shillong? The answer is not as simple as whodunit it seems, because, in
the next few chapters which are short and extremely crisp, the author, Bijoya
Sawian, opens up an entire pandora’s box full of issues that are ailing the
small town of Shillong, in northeast India.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In Bijoya
Sawian’s short-listed in the <i>Rabindranath
Tagore Literary Prize 2020 book, Shadow Men,</i> insurgence by the local Khasi
tribe and occupants of Shillong, against the so-called ‘outsiders’, people from
other states of the country, who are settled in Shillong, is at boiling point
and as an election is forthcoming, it might once again become the agenda on
which winning rests. Besides, the age-old system of matrilineal and matriarchal structure of
the Khasi society itself is being hugely contested, and the question of
inheritance exclusively of women and the angst of the men about their children
taking lineage from the mother continues to ail society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In this
background, where, corrupt politicians mix and match the greedy demands of
businessmen, who would like to fill their pockets at any cost, a willing
killer, for cash is not hard to find. The outsider problem is still boiling as
Sawian points out, through the characters Strong and Ksan, due to unemployment
and opportunities of the youth leading them to all sorts of crime. Will this be
an issue in the forthcoming elections? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While the reader is trying to hurry through the pages to find that out, who killed
Suresh, the author, skillfully, takes the reader away to a soul-stirring
beautiful and rich tapestry of natural beauty and social customs, culinary
extravaganza which the British called, Scotland of the east – Shillong. In
1972, Shillong became the capital of Meghalaya.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
Sanskrit name Meghalaya, Abobe of the Clouds, was suggested by the linguist,
Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee.” It is a collection of three hills, Khasi, Jaintia,
and Garo hills. God’s picture-perfect little town, sits at an elevation of 1,
525 m above sea level, its terrain painted green, with stretches of green
grass, lakes, little rivulets, gigantic waterfalls, tall monsoon grasses and a
sky, forever, changing colours, from thick grey skies, laden with clouds to
crystal clear blue skies, its weather, warm in the day time and cool at nights,
in summer, and biting cold in winter. The entire terrain is spotted with
flowers, of the temperate kind, Maple Leaf, Rose, Pomegranate, Lotus, Iris,
Knapweed, Sunflower, Tulip, Chrysanthemum, Cherry Blossom, Golden Wattle,
Kowhai, asanias, roses, forget-me-nots, daisies, dahlias, pansies, and even
datura. Hills and dales undulate to make for the constant ups and downs of the
roads, never ever, really giving a respite from climbing up or down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">An assortment of flavours meet the nostril and the tongue – partly British, and
mostly typical Khasi cuisine, like jadoh, boiled cabbage, and beef, mutton
chops mixed with pork pickles made with Khasi herbal masala. A musical race,
the Khasis play multiple instruments and often music becomes their livelihood
too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Hard to
believe that the wrath of the angels hound their minds and killing can become
their source of livelihood too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If the plot
of the story has been laid on a town so beautiful, any review will be
incomplete without praise to the storyteller. Bijoya Sawian has dealt with a
story of crime, without spilling a single drop of blood on the pages of the
book. There are no gory descriptions and the words are chosen and strung
together like a bouquet of flowers, the language perfect and simple. Not once,
does the reader have to open a dictionary to look for the meaning of a word. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, a
glossary of names of the persons in the book, followed by their relationship
with other characters in the book, would have been good for the reader,
unfamiliar with the region. Second, if the reader is new to Shillong, then the details of food and culture and history can be overwhelming.
Thirdly, the political and social issues faced by the people in Shillong, may
not gel well with the reader, who is looking for a crime thriller. But, then,
without that background, it is hard to cull out the killer either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, to
quote the author, "This is not a typical whodunnit. I chose this genre so
people would read the book and learn about the region and also the dire
consequences of unemployment, the pitfalls of the blame game and the futility
of violence."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Name of the
book:<b> Shadow Men</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Publisher:
<b>Speaking Tiger Books</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Author: <b>Bijoya
Sawian</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No. of
pages: <b>98</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Price: <b>Rs
179</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Click <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Shadow-Men-Bijoya-Sawian-ebook/dp/B00S8T5U32">HERE2BUY</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Click <b><a href="https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/authors/bijoya-sawian/">HERE</a> </b>to know more about the author.</span></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-14491032881296911902020-02-11T03:38:00.000-08:002020-02-12T03:33:26.523-08:00Alvida!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chorda (March 01, 1952 - Feb 1, 2020)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">Dhanmama passed away one cold winter morning in Shillong. He had been ill for a long time, and always wanting to die in Shillong. He returned from Bombay, where he ran his own business. Existence had heard his plea and granted it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">The eldest son and first child of the scholar, Late Shrish Chandra Gupta and Srimati Suhasini Gupta, Dhanmama was a product of prayers and manath to the Gods for a child, two before him having died at childbirth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">God, as man, Dhanmama was kind, gentle, soft-spoken and compassionate. His passing away at age fifty-one, caused immense instability in the lives of his wife, Mamima, his two sons, Borda and Chorda, who suddenly had to take up the duties of looking after their mother and themselves, financially.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">I was holidaying in Shillong, from boarding school, when this happened. I remember clearly, both Mamima and Borda, left asunder, with the passing of Dhanmama and with the fact that Chorda, was still in Bombay at the final year of his graduation. Alas, he had to complete it six months later, because, he had to rush to Shillong to be with his mother and elder brother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">I don’t remember Chorda very well when he came to Shillong. But Borda and I had struck up a great friendship as brother and sister, what with the additional and sudden appearance of Cupid, striking the hearts of Borda and my close friend at school, Chhaya. In the midst of the grief, love blossomed, as if putting a healing balm of their hearts. Soon Chorda arrived and the love seems to have expanded, spreading its wings towards Chorda as well. While Borda was more of a doer, Chorda burst into passionate poems, recited from well known western poets and some poems flowing out of his own heart.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">The spring of joyous love was broken for me when I returned to boarding school. Mamima and Chorda and Borda returned to Bombay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">For a long time, I heard nothing of them at all, until, for the winter holidays I started to visit my Mashi, in Bombay. We would then visit them at their beautiful Mayur Pankh house, in Diamond Garden, Chembur and spend a few days there. It is, however, only in 1973, when I moved to Bombay, to continue my schooling and higher education did a re-association with Borda and Chorda start all over again. I went to Mayur Pankh house and stayed there for one or two weeks during the short holidays. We were a great family and if I had found brothers to rely on, they had found a sister in me, whom they cherished as much.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">However, again from 1985 onwards, this connection was again broken, as life speeded up and I left Bombay with a partner, first back to Shillong to stay and do business there for a year. Hence, our family, consisting of Mejo, my mashi, Mesho, her husband, and other people spread across the country, were not aware of Chorda’s marriage to Shoma baudi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">Sometime in 1986-87, Mejo moved from Bombay to Poona because I lived there. One day, as I was coming up to our flat, in Poona, I found a postcard from Chorda. The card was addressed to Mejo, my mashi, the content of which was so sad, that as soon as she read it, she threw herself on the bed, weeping miserably. The boy, whose birth she had seen with her eyes, had passed away. Borda, had died of liver cirrhosis, leaving us all, his younger brother and mother. It was shocking, to say the least!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">Mejo, dashed to Bombay, after a brief call with Chorda. This began the long unbroken relationship with Chorda, Mamima, and the two additions to his family – his wife, Shoma and their lovely and cute daughter, Almitra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">In the absence of his brother, Chorda, primarily, held on to me, for a confidante. This bonding grew stronger as times passed and I too got close to the family. When, Mejo, left for Kolkata, from Poona, to settle down there, I thought that the best thing to do for me now was to move to Bombay, because Chorda and baudi were there. I bought a small tiny flat in Vasai, with much help from my baudi, emotionally, and took that step to relocate to Bombay, not a city I loved most, but a city, where my brother lived. I felt, safe and secure, although he and I lived quite a distance from each other, yet, we were in the same city and that was a great solace to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">In Chorda, I found a listener, a friend, a strategist, and a confidante. I could tell him everything. My baudi took it upon her to help me settle down in Bombay. She was a rock of Gibraltar, for me. I found my backbone once again, in a city, which was so large; I had to re-discover it once again. In the process, it helped me rediscover myself as well. I made new friends and banked on the family for emotional support.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">But then, I moved again. Like a wheel, in constant movement, my next destination was Delhi.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">I flirted with the idea of returning to Bombay, many times, but every time, I came close to that decision, I also ran away from it. It was my need to stay in a new city to write a new story for myself. It is still fulfilling itself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">It is truly said that, unless you burn your bridges behind you, you can never move on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">There is nothing to look back upon now – the final connection having died at 4.23pm, on 1<sup>st</sup>, February 2020. And although I knew the end was neigh, I never thought, it would be so fast.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">Alvida,</span></b><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;"> my dearest older brother, Chorda, like leaves drop from trees because they are weary, you too have gone, but will surely return, when, the journey you have embarked upon, from earth to an unknown destination, comes to the bivouac of afterlife, you will return like Khalil Gibran's continuation of life – <b>Almitra.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">Until a new beginning……<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">Do click on this <a href="http://www.selfdiscoveryportal.com/poetry_gibran.htm">LINK</a> to read Khalil Gibran<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-85123759072775577222019-11-08T07:28:00.000-08:002019-11-08T08:28:45.305-08:00Book Review - In Search of Heer by Manjul Bajaj<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT07mldGTaacVv-94Nnvp4DUx0BcBHe06E5FjINJ_-UD5wm2_Wg60P03yflAEsAAnvFrwpbxY3KgFkDGzkIGM_3g3SVFposTbLUSH9jmk9jgTcQSGMJ8dlwiAgM2HwvAYot1Cu/s1600/81ccP0InyTL._AC_UY218_ML3_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT07mldGTaacVv-94Nnvp4DUx0BcBHe06E5FjINJ_-UD5wm2_Wg60P03yflAEsAAnvFrwpbxY3KgFkDGzkIGM_3g3SVFposTbLUSH9jmk9jgTcQSGMJ8dlwiAgM2HwvAYot1Cu/s1600/81ccP0InyTL._AC_UY218_ML3_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Search-Heer-Manjul-Bajaj/dp/9388689771/ref=sr_1_1?adgrpid=58397861509&ext_vrnc=hi&gclid=CjwKCAiAwZTuBRAYEiwAcr67OV1SSUjYp7ZtNYENdERbiHWIQ4kHJcMH1lgCiyBXrJLxJFVPF0faXhoC6nAQAvD_BwE&hvadid=294114799347&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9061659&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=b&hvrand=7933105509974557934&hvtargid=aud-749174062286%3Akwd-326801682958&hydadcr=23642_1725076&keywords=manjul+bajaj&qid=1573226163&sr=8-1">HERE</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">In a modern re-telling of an ancient story, first told by
Damodar Gulati in the 16</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">th</sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> century, author Manjul Bajaj, joins the many
versions of the same story told over the years, by many authors and poets.
However, this time, the distinctive pen which is the author’s mark, is written
in the 21</span><sup style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">st</sup><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> century with an engaging, often, addictive method of
narration. Having done this, Manjul Bajaj joins an illustrious group of writers
and poets, filmmakers who have written on the same theme, Heer and Ranjha. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><b><i><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Search of Heer</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a simple tale, starting with the love
story of Heer, the beautiful daughter of Mihir Chuchak, a rich landlord of Jhang Syal , and Ranjha, the spoilt and handsome son of an affluent landlord in
village Takht Hazara, who are destined to meet and fall in love and marry with the support
of Heer’s father, in somewhat of a concealed manner, unlike a big, fat Punjabi
wedding, with relatives, from far and near thrown in. The secret is found out
by Heer’s paternal uncle, Kaidu Langra, and all hell breaks out as he connives with
Heer’s mother, and weds her off to Saida, of the Khera clan, equally, wealthy.
But the reader must find out what happens to Heer in this marriage. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the meantime, Ranjha has realized that he has lost
Heer, and must now find the balm to his broken heart by embracing the spiritual
path. A flutist, whose music has a soul, Ranjha is well nigh liberation but
is again pulled back by the appearance of a crow, which reveals to him, that
Heer is waiting for him and so he must waste no time but proceed immediately to
where Heer is. Ranjha leaves with his flute totally naked of any other desire but
to find his Heer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a strange twist of events, Heer finds a friend in her marital home, who is her sister in law, with no less a hidden love story in her
heart and the reader is allowed a peep into what might happen next. Breathe easy. You are about to commence into another rough ride with many twists and turns. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This said<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, In</i></b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Search of Heer</i></b>, is much more
than just a story re-told. There are many lessons to learn from the many voices
that narrate the story – crows, pigeons, goat and each is has a unique voice, I
most loved to engage with. A humungous amount of research has gone into telling
the reader more about each of these animals and birds so that the reader is
enriched in many other ways, understanding the nature of these creatures.
Research has also gone into the life of an ascetic and someone in search of a
spiritual life, which gives solace. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, for me, the most endearing parts were the role of
Heer as a feminist icon. She exudes courage, valour, willfulness, and is
stubborn and outspoken, uncompromising. Yet, vulnerable and receptive to love
and longing. Her questions are relevant to our times, and many of us can hear
our own voice in her words. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No less enchanting was the spiritual side of the book,
without being religious. It calls the reader to conclude that there are no
short cuts from sex to super-consciousness, except by actually living it. And
the way out is through. The symbolic crow is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">id</i> in Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalysis as it were. Love lived in
totality may well be the eternal transcendence we seek as humans. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The book is a living testimony of a skillful hand at work
and an astute intellect that can gather the story from many quarters and
reproduce a new version which appeals to the modern, 21<sup>st</sup> century
reader and their understanding and engagement with love in its many facets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-52832055862320939802019-09-13T00:12:00.000-07:002019-09-16T06:56:02.938-07:00The Politics of Laugh Jihad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hardly had we recovered from the shock of HRD Minister, India, Sri Ramesh Pokhriyal, stating that premier institutes in India, like NIT and IIT, must focus their research much more on our ancient Indian science because, after all, it was not <a href="https://theprint.in/india/newton-didnt-indian-scriptures-first-mentioned-gravity-says-hrd-minister/278451/?fbclid=IwAR2UMZBSygB2ggGxy3IamOl3J31D0vALL5Li_LmXFIBkYGB9FOSgeBVG3vs">Sir Isaac Newton</a> who discovered gravity, but our science already knew all about it much before the western world became aware of it even. But even before we had time to cogitate over it, his colleague, Minister of Railways Sri Piyush Goyal had proved Sri Ramesh Pokhriyal wrong by stating that it is indeed, Einstein who discovered gravity. Many trolls followed on <a href="https://twitter.com/zainabsikander/status/1172155761914343424">Twitter</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In the face of two very ‘scholarly’, RSS cadre members of the ruling party in India, naturally, recent news that in fact there was no Aryan invasion in India, because in Rakhigari, Hariyana, the lead researchers of this soon-to-be-published study — Vasant Shinde and Neeraj Rai, said that DNA tests on the Rakhigari human skeleton established the knowledge ecosystem in the Vedic era was guided by “fully indigenous” people with limited “external contact”. This has seriously dislodged the Aryan invasion theory which holds forth that a set of migrants came from Central Asia armed with superior knowledge and arms and invaded the existing settlements to establish a more sophisticated civilization in India and pushed the original inhabitants down south. (Read ET article <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/harappan-site-of-rakhigarhi-dna-study-finds-no-central-asian-trace-junks-aryan-invasion-theory/articleshow/64565413.cms"><b>here</b></a>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Having said that, we now are faced with a very big question, as to who then are our brothers and sisters of another religious background? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Please to note, we have quoted so-called ‘scholars’ in the above article and hence, we must now visit the Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister’s Blog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">My growing fascination with the writings of author, activist, Jaya Sharma, has raised my eyebrows which refuse to return to place, after she has quoted the sannyasi Chief Minister of UP, Sri Adityanath Yogi, to say in his blog, <i>“We have decided that if they take one Hindu girl, we’ll take a hundred of theirs. If they kill one Hindu, then we’ll kill a hundred of them.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Let us pause here, to think who the CM is referring to. If the Rakhigari human DNA has proved that there has not been any invasion from the Central Asian countries, then, who are the ‘they’ in Sri Adityanath Yagi’s blog? If they are indigenous, as the researchers seem to prove, then, the CM’s statement seems null and void – “We have decided that if<i> they </i>take one Hindu girl, we’ll take a hundred of <i>theirs</i>. If <i>they</i> kill one Hindu, then we’ll kill a hundred of <i>them</i>.” All <i>they, theirs, them,</i> are, unfortunately, indigenous only, and there does not seem to be anyone else. So, Sri Yogi, must research his article and make necessary changes, having connected with Vasant Shinde and Neeraj Rai, of the aforesaid discussion published in <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/harappan-site-of-rakhigarhi-dna-study-finds-no-central-asian-trace-junks-aryan-invasion-theory/articleshow/64565413.cms">Economic Times</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The honourable CM, is further quoted to state in his blog, and I quote – </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">“A system where a girl surrounded with fragrance is enticed into a stinking world; where the girl leaves her civilised parents for parents who might have been siblings in the past; where purity is replaced with ugliness; where relationships have no meaning; where a woman is supposed to give birth every nine months; where the girl is not free to practice her religion; and if the girl realises her mistakes and wants to be freed, she is sold off”. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The concept of <i>‘dirty’, ‘stinking’, ‘ugliness’</i>, are all part of Manusmriti which as scholar and researcher, Sreyashi Ghosh, writes in her article <a href="https://feminisminindia.com/2018/01/11/manusmriti-ultimate-guide-good-woman/">here</a> “MANUSMRITI HAS BEEN SINGLE-HANDEDLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEROGATORY POSITION ACCORDED TO WOMEN IN THE POST-VEDIC PERIOD.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Thus, we can assure that the CM of UP, who must be a hard-cast, post-Manusmriti, patriarchal sannyasi, who has preferred the natural sexual energy to be restrained and controlled in order to not '<i>pollute' </i>himself, by ejaculation in intercourse, and divert the same energy ‘upwards’ towards God-realization, but, may fall short of final liberation, due to extreme hate for women. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><b>What you can’t get, you never forget</b></i> and since longing may not be reciprocated, bitterness is the extreme one tends to feel, thus, writing, speaking, emoting bitterness. Just like Manu in fact, who is noted to be a woman-hater. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Coming back to the article by Jaya Sharma, <i>What the fantasy about Kashmiri “girls” reveals about men of Hindutva </i>published in <a href="https://countercurrents.org/2019/09/what-the-fantasy-about-kashmiri-girls-reveals-about-men-of-hindutva">CounterCurrents(dot)Org</a>, we must dispel all notions that Sri CM, UP, who is a sannyasi, has any experiential proof of what is sexual, leave alone, sexual fantasy. Hence, his expressions on his blog, maybe pure quotations from Manusmriti and we must as educated, sexually active women, no matter where in India we live, or the world for that matter, take it with a pinch of salt. As the author herself, points out, there is no dearth of virile Kashmiri men, that their women, need to look at ‘other men, of Hindu origin. Having said this, I must again reiterate the scientific report, about the Rakhigari human, that there are only indigenous men and women in India, hence, <i>they, theirs, them</i> that Sri CM, UP, India, refers to are perhaps all one single community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Sri Piyush Goyal and Sri Ramesh Pokhriyal, are an <i>encyclopedia of knowledge</i>, of ancient science, as they themselves have proved, to resounding hilarity on all social platforms, like facebook, twitter, etc, which Sri CM, UP, must learn from and change the content of his blog, so that he does not appear to be like his colleagues, very poorly intellectual. Before <a href="https://twitter.com/MahuaMoitra">Ms. Mahua Moitra</a> takes this matter up on the floor of the Parliament, causing more hilarity across the world, it is best to rectify, than to regret.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><b>NOTE</b>: And before I am arrested for writing this post, I wish to say that, the opinion expressed here are personal and the author has tried to maintain what the researcher Sheyashi Ghosh has quoted from Manusmriti by Patrick Olivelle, translation of a “<i>good woman”</i> and is bursting at the seams with loud laughter, rocking her already voluptuous, hungry and angry for sex body. </span><br />
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-49941090847419481072019-08-17T09:19:00.000-07:002019-08-17T20:37:16.371-07:00War Room - Letter to Member of Parliament Mahua Moitra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi Mahua,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Your <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-sejiqa1k0"><b>maiden speech</b></a> in the
Parliament made me sit up, as it did so many globally. It was profound, bold,
and pinned the issue you were speaking on, the rise of fascism and the 7 signs
that signal its growing presence. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Today, I am not talking about this.
Much has been deliberated, tweeted, and shouted on all forums ground, air, and
digital.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I want to congratulate you on
your <a href="https://www.thequint.com/elections/west-bengal-news-mahua-moitra-jp-morgan-investment-banker-krishnanagar-trinamool-campaign-trail"><b>strategy</b></a> – You planned it well as the link given states. It is a wonderful case study of what media, old and new, is all about and
how to garner its power to our advantage. Today, it is all about <b>Personal
Branding, using digital media, where the War Room is digital and the last elections you won was actually fought on WhatsApp. </b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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Given the background of just
after this resounding victory, BJP has had the 2<sup>nd</sup> time around, the
gossip, slandering and accusations going on from West Bengal and BJP, where
media could have hourly discourses on who is right and who is wrong, your the speech brought a sudden shut-down of all such hitherto stone-hurling and
shifted the world’s vision to a new platform, that being your powerful speech
in the parliament. </div>
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<i>And you</i>! As you yourself quoted in your<b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNNyxqkTGI8">interview</a></b> that politics consists of the 3 '<b>M</b>'s - <span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: left;"><b>M</b>ethod, <b>M</b>yth - the hype around the person, so that everyone is talking about you, and <b>M</b>agic </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Internet channels went berserk and all platforms, including Social Media, Whatsapp were chockablock with
that speech going viral.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So what was it that struck me
most? That the old and forever relevant truth – <i>you have only 30 seconds to
make your impression</i>, and then, either the audience is with you or they are
switched out. So, your speech managed to do just that. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Second, a powerful voice, eloquent and clear, forceful even, you
commanded attention, trust, and resounding applause on digital platforms. If it did not come at
the parliament, where Lok Sabha TV captured the entire speech and the world saw it there and then, then, social media would not have gone berserk either, post the
speech.</div>
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Suddenly, the whole world became
engaged with who is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mahua+moitra+latest+speech+"><b>Mahua Moitra</b></a>? </div>
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Imagine, using
what the PM himself uses so efficiently, being adopted by MPs too to win elections! </div>
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Hats off to the strategy – <b>the
first time is the do or die, 30 seconds to make your best impression!</b> </div>
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The rest falls into place automatically, doesn't it?<br />
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<b><br /></b>
<b>Note:</b> Views expressed here are the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliadutta/?originalSubdomain=in">author's</a> only. </div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-6966875921323081662019-08-14T18:18:00.000-07:002019-08-15T00:44:00.642-07:00Excuse me, please - I am a new India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let us not begin the day, 15<sup>th</sup> August 2019, with
feelings of patriotism without understanding, what has changed in our country
from the time, Pandit Nehru made his ‘tryst with destiny’ speech, which the
country heard on the radio if they were unable to come to Delhi. Years of
subjugation lead people to breathe easy, because, as Indians, they were
returned from the British Empire, what was theirs, to call and to nurture as
their own. The change was desperately needed. </div>
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No matter, how you look at it, the change was slow – very slow
indeed. </div>
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It has taken us a long time to disrupt the system, to reach
the last man at the furthermost corner of India. It has taken India, to take a
roundabout turn and harness its strengths to do what it needed to do.</div>
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Ullekh N.P in his book, <a href="https://www.amazon.in/War-Room-Tactics-Technology-Narendra-ebook/dp/B00SH2YPMC">War Room</a>, describes how the
Elections of 2014 was won on digital media, using technology, to its best. The
rise of India, as a technology-rich country, did not start in 2014. </div>
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Way back,
Bill Gates visited India, and went to Tamil Nadu, to experience the state,
because, most of the Indians working in Microsoft, were Indians from Tamil Nadu.
He wanted to know where the ‘brains of India’ came from. </div>
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The real freedom we need to be proud of is our enormous strength
is the technology which we are now garnering not only to win elections but also in
all fields that affect our lives. This is creating a new generation of young
change-makers who want to do more for their country, in order that hunger, can
be eradicated, education can be for all, housing can also be for all. Plus,
healthcare is given to all. All, these are basic human rights of an individual. And
this was not possible to achieve even after 65 years of Independence!</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So, the real patriotism
is coming from where it should – young change-makers in every field. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are leading the disruption in every field
and we need to recognize that and move with times, happy to move with the
clock, moving forward. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></div>
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It is not enough to shout <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jai Hind</b> one day and relapse into ‘pan-chewing, bidi-smoking,
spitting-publicly, defecating-publicly, and using walls to urinate publicly,
people. We need leaders who inspire the youth and this is why the
youth are happy with the way they can do things today, which they never could,
earlier on. Ease of doing business is primary to our country, so we have more
FDI in our country. And the backbone of our country remains strong –
Economics. </div>
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This Independence Day is more precious because the day
coincides with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raksha_Bandhan">Raksha Bandhan</a> (The festival which strengthens ties between
brothers and sisters). If yoga is accepted and practiced worldwide, I think
that Raksha Bandhan too should become an international festival. </div>
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In the purity
of the bonding between brothers and sisters, is an unconditional tie of love,
that runs through life – it is by its very nature an<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>emotion spelling out devotion to each other,
and protection of each other. In that sense, it is free, because unconditional
love and loyalty set us free.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jai Hind!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-38798613988903654812018-12-02T04:13:00.000-08:002018-12-03T02:55:09.557-08:00Dear Shri Suresh Prabhu, Honourable Railway Minister<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Shri Suresh Prabhu</div>
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Honarable Railway Minister</div>
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Rail Bhavan</div>
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256-A, Raisina Road,</div>
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Rajpath Area, Central Secretariat,</div>
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New Delhi, Delhi 110001</div>
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<b>Subject: </b>Complaint against Ticket Collector (TC) on duty in First Class Compartment of August Kranti from Mumbai Central to H. Nizamuddin, Delhi on 1st December, 2018</div>
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Dear Sri Suresh Prabhu,</div>
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I travelled from Mumbai Central, Mumbai to H.Nizamuddin on a 1st Class <span style="background: white; color: #222222;">PNR no: 8433992200</span> on 1st December, 2018 arriving Delhi 2<sup>nd</sup> December, 2018.</div>
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There were four berths in my 1<sup>st</sup> Class coupe, of which I occupied berth number 21, Compartment H, Coupe H 1. After Surat, I found that the TC, named <b>Mohan M. Sakelu, CIT/BET, Mobile number: 09422668524, 09004497554.</b> had permitted 4 (four) drunken men into the compartment and into my coupe who had no tickets. </div>
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I am a single woman travelling alone in that coupe. I was startled when the four inebriated men in their twenties began to address me.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->We are like your children.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->We are Agarwal boys</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->We are Brahman boys</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->We will do seva to you</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->May we press your feet?</div>
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My alarm bells rang at their intrusion and the vulgar speech to an unknown woman. I raised alarm and demanded to see the TC. When he came in, I, in no uncertain terms I told him that it is absolutely unacceptable that he should have allowed these drunken men inside the 1<sup>st</sup> Class Compartment and also that at that time of their entry into my coupe, I was the only woman there. I ordered him to give me his details and also to throw these men out of the coupe.</div>
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He requested them to leave the coupe after they had had their dinner and go to the 2<sup>nd</sup> Class AC Compartment, but in the morning I noticed that the men were still in the same class but in a different coupe.</div>
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My question to you, Shri Suresh Prabhu is: (a) <b>How as the railway minister, are you monitoring the obvious corruption among Ticket Collectors. (b) And most importantly, what are you doing for the safety of women travelling on trains in India?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I would like to inform you that this letter to you will be widely circulated in Social Media for general awareness and warning.</div>
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Do please take this matter up seriously and respond.</div>
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Best regards,</div>
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Julia Dutta<br />
Delhi</div>
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Ticket Transaction ID: 100001512601967</div>
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PNR no: 8433992200</div>
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Train no/Name: 12953/August Kranti Rajdhani Express</div>
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Date of Journey: 01-Dec-2018 From Mumbai Central to H Nizamuddin, Delhi </div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-77560882470230992372018-08-29T21:43:00.001-07:002018-08-29T23:22:23.237-07:00Why India Needs To SCREAM!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TUXweCWyoxyqj19FApg9VIOWXi6ErfHjyg4iVpQYJbQDMaAQnYT81b6mSMbALUxLFGiz-IjvZBCsdaTe7kyn6LdoK7_HNRD14sCSIsOBhDo5jY_WJw1EMnchUmAFEQKMCA7s/s1600/Mahmood-Farooqu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="635" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0TUXweCWyoxyqj19FApg9VIOWXi6ErfHjyg4iVpQYJbQDMaAQnYT81b6mSMbALUxLFGiz-IjvZBCsdaTe7kyn6LdoK7_HNRD14sCSIsOBhDo5jY_WJw1EMnchUmAFEQKMCA7s/s320/Mahmood-Farooqu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.freepressjournal.in/india/farooquis-wife-asked-me-to-persuade-us-national-says-friend/679461">PHOTO CREDIT HERE </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Dear
Advocate Devika Singh,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Way
back in 1997, the honourable Indian Supreme Court set up <b>Vishaka Guidelines </b>which you have commented upon in your <a href="https://devikasinghadvocate.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/advocate-devika-singh-draws-the-line-on-sexual-harassment-in-the-workplace-september-06-2017">blog</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">However,
it is important to remind ourselves on this subject of <b>What is sexual harassment?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The honourable Indian Supreme Court has
clearly defined it as under:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Sexual
harassment includes such unwelcome sexually determined behavior (whether
directly or by implication) as:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">a)
physical contact and advances;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">b) a
demand or request for sexual favors;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">c)
sexually colored remarks;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">d)
showing pornography;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">e)
any other unwelcome physical verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Courtesy:
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishaka_Guidelines">Wikipedia</a>: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In
the present case, with regard to acquitting Mohammad Farooqui in the case filed
against him for rape by a complainant residing in the United States, your
powerful poem moved me to write this email to you. You have touched upon the many
times and the multiple ways patriarchy which propagate power of male gender homo-sapiens commonly known as man, in
our society and empowered them to use power, physical, mental, psychological,
over women. Thus, over ages, society wired in by this insidious crime against
women, has got away with the worst because, the system is too deeply entrenched
in the minds of men, and women alike, prompting them to bring up their
daughters to be victims and sons to be forever ‘right’ even as a perpetrator. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
have read and gone through the entire proceedings and the content of the email.
I came across this on FaceBook via my good friend Aditi Ray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Frankly,
the email is misleading sometimes, and has thus been used by the Bench of
Justices S.A. Bobde and L. Nageswara Rao (please to note, there was no woman
Judge on this panel, which is unacceptable when the case is about rape), to
acquit the accused director of Piplee Live, Mohammad Farooqui for the 2<sup>nd</sup>
time in January 2018, after he was acquitted in the High Court in 2015. The
grounds cited are evident from her email – “<a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/she-said-i-love-you-and-even-kissed-him-the-argument-that-led-the-sc-to-decide-in-favour-of-peepli-live-director-mahmood-farooqui-1636829.html">She said I love you and kissed him- </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Explanation
2,. Sec 375 defined Rape in the following<a href="http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/sections_detail.php?id=11&sections_id=3231"> Link </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
clearly states</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“375.
A man is said to commit "rape" who except in the case hereinafter
excepted, has sexual intercourse with a woman under circumstances falling under
any of the five following descriptions:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>Firstly</b>.
Against her will. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>Secondly.</b>
Without her consent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>Thirdly.
</b>With her consent, when her consent has been obtained by putting her in fear of
death, or of hurt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>Fourthly.</b>
With her consent, when the man knows that he is not her husband, and that her
consent is given because she believes that he is another man to whom she is or
believes herself to be lawfully married. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>Fifthly</b>.
With or without her consent, when she is under fourteen years of age. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Explanation.
Penetration is sufficient to constitute the sexual intercourse necessary to the
offence of rape. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>Exception.</b>
Sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife, the wife not being under
thirteen years of age, is not rape.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Mohammad
Farooqui is guilty on all grounds stated above. She <i>did not give consent.</i> In fact, she continued to say no, even as he
pushed himself harder on her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
is yet to establish, whether a thorough in depth inquiry had been made on the
content of the email, for the complainant does appear to be under duress and
even confused in her own head to have made statements that did not tally
throughout. Yet, picking up statements like ‘I love you’ or ‘making drinks for
him’, ‘they were friends’ ‘faked orgasm’ when she says earlier that this was
the first time, and coming to conclusion that the complainant had given consent
is drawing a conclusion too soon. Was the complainant questioned to find out
her background, whether she was a victim of child sexual abuse in the past, or
why she shot off an email that was confusing in content? And most importantly,
why Mohammad Farooqui, guilty on two accounts – first, for cheating on his
wife, in their house, right under her nose, and then secondly, committing rape
when his wife was out of the house, is still acquitted, leaves much to be
desired. The case seems to be hurried to conclusion, favouring the man, in an
all male Bench, with no desire to open and scrutinize the case, once again,
since it was brought forward after the High Court had passed its judgment in
favour of Mohammad Farooqui. If the complainant appealed to the honourable
Supreme Court, then was it not the duty of the SC to relook at the case from a
fresh angle, without quickly dismissing it as ‘High Court’ has taken the most
measured and well-thought out decision, and so the case is closed and The
Supreme Court does not wish to open the case again?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If
justice be done, then, the case must be reopened and scrutinized. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">(a)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">More
inputs on the content of the email is required and deciphering its true
meaning, which to me is unclear, since there is a lot written between the lines
which has not been taken account of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">(b)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Mohammad
Farooqui must be bought to task on clear evidence of a double deceit, one
against his wife and the other against the complainant by forcing himself against
her will even though she constantly said no to it; for un-natural oral sex with
the victim and then penetration which makes the entire procedure tantamount to
rape.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">(c)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Consultation
with Psychologists and persons working with Child Sexual Abuse victims for a more
in-depth meaning of the email. There is a need for far more public discourse
and involvement to garner strength over the case which is shoved under the
carpet by the honourable Supreme Court saying they do not wish to re-look at
the decision made by the Mumbai High Court, as they are quite sure that the
conclusion arrived at is after profound deliberations on the said case at hand.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">(d)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Bench
must consist of woman as judge along with gender male judge to make the
judgment acceptable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">(e)<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Supreme Court must answer why it is flaunting its own judgment and guidelines
set up by Vishaka Guidelines and also Explanation 2, Sec 375<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A
time has come that India needs to SCREAM loudly about atrocities against women
and the law-less-ness that prevails in our country over Rape which is rampant
across the country and goes unreported at most times and dismissed if brought
before Law of the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Precisely
why, the complainant returned abroad to file an FIR, because, within India, the
custodians of law and order, the Public Police Service are reluctant to do so. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-left: .25in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Mohammad
Farooqui may be free man, but is a perpetrator on the prowl. He is symbolic of the
decadence of a society that thrives on lies and male power to dominate and
subjugate woman they wish to objectify to meet the carnal desires of their oft deranged
minds - their mother, sister, daughter, wife, and girlfriend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-19337836650103480982018-08-02T04:22:00.001-07:002018-08-02T04:22:47.221-07:00Book Review: Nights of The Dark Moon by Tutu Dutta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZLkYJ1lsXQFxymbzEIOI6WL7wPWHgmazvuB7jZ7RsrqRnHdV7upmZ6y1zg1KFqfFyipi9daN2o7_FUydihzEB_fpU78EyTXc-AYXFFTj0QEV1KL-1zGNMLM2bhNrq68Q7kCp/s1600/nights+of+the+dark+moon_Final+%2528dragged%2529+2-page-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="1600" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZLkYJ1lsXQFxymbzEIOI6WL7wPWHgmazvuB7jZ7RsrqRnHdV7upmZ6y1zg1KFqfFyipi9daN2o7_FUydihzEB_fpU78EyTXc-AYXFFTj0QEV1KL-1zGNMLM2bhNrq68Q7kCp/s320/nights+of+the+dark+moon_Final+%2528dragged%2529+2-page-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Of Dark Nights and Folktales <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Thirteen Gothic stories from eleven countries in Asia and Africa – quite a feat achieved over continents showing a single thread of interconnection, that being all the stories which fall in the folktales and legends category are dark stories some with humour built into them – a unique collection of YA fiction stories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Tutu Datta’s book, <i>Nights of the Dark Moon, </i>looks at a common thread in all the stories, which have been collected over a decade by the author, that being in each story one encounters with something from the paranormal, world-of-spirit, which appears to be invincible, because of the very nature of these ‘beings’ when confronted by the homo sapiens. The stories draw from this ‘sameness’ that runs in folktales across all these nations, where, the ‘Nights of the dark moon’, meaning the Nights when the earth covers the moon and in so doing, darkens the earth even more. It is out of this scary darkness, that many a folktale has taken birth. Tutu Datta’s book holds some of the best of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">You may ask, what is the greatness in dark humour and dark tales? As simple as this: dark takes to excite the mind with their chilling and haunted stories, laced with ancient curses, supernatural creatures and damsel-in-distress encounters which the human mind can explore, but not solve. Yet, each story in the collection talks of valour, courage, and revenge taken to silence the disturbed soul, which in most cases were done injustice to. Thus, the young adult, of any age, is able to duly impersonate in his or her mind the central hero/heroine in the story and play out the brave, strong, unafraid worrier that brings justice to the harmed or killed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The stories at the beginning of the book are far more chilling and have a lot to do with killing the evil spirits, taking revenge, deceit, and damage, followed by others which slowly temper down, but are not totally free of their dark humour and content. The author has arranged all the thirteen - Oh My God! Isn’t 13 an evil number too – starting from the far east, where the sun rises first, Japan, to where the sun is the hottest, Africa. Further, the stories get romantic and talk of longing, affection, and sorrow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Although, I loved all the stories, my favourites were in the end, the ones from West Africa and Nigeria, because, they spoke of threes and how, cutting trees can cause untold harm to the woodcutter because, the good spirits who dwell in the trees are angered and the evil spirit also dwelling alongside, creates havoc, which a valiant hero with his sword cannot silence, and must then use his wit and intelligence to appease the spirit. Now isn’t that so much like stories we heard about the great warrior, in India, called Vikramaditya? Yes, now read that story in Tutu Datta’s book, King Vikram and Betaal the Vampire. What a smart, brave and wise king he was! The fine illustrations at the beginning of each story are also drawn by Tutu Dutta. They really are exquisite! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My fingers may be trembling as I write the names of the stories and the countries they have originated from, for who can forget the unexplained horror stories told so easily – The Haunted Bridge of Agi (Japan), The curse of Miryang (Korea), The Tiger of Flower Hill (China), The Shapeshifter of Co Lao (Vietnam), The Temple of Rara Jonggrang (Indonesia), Hang Nadam (Singapore), The Seven Princesses of Ulek Mayang ( Malaysia), The Strange Tale of Chief Naam (Malaysia), Princess of the Bamboo ( Malaysia & Sumatra), King Vikram and Betaal the Vampire (India), The Weeping Lady ( India). The Witchman (Nigeria), The Curse of the Iroko Tree (West Africa). What fascinated me, is the commonality in cultures and rituals across all the folktales from all the countries. And hence, while Tutu Datta’s book, Nights of the Dark Moon, may be a collection of dark folktales of valour, courage and perseverance, at a deeper level, young scholars can take up the study of these tales and draw up a table of similarity between these cultures in all these lands, which run a near identical thread of mores. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In the preface to the book, the author states, “dark tales get young readers interested – exhilarated – about reading. These stories allow young people to experience danger in a safe place, i.e, in the pages of a book.” She goes on to quote Neil Gaiman, “Fairy tales are more than true; not because they tell you that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">What a wonderful lesson for youth growing up in a world torn by strife, disparities, inequalities, and terror. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>About the author:</b> Tutu Datta is a writer of children’s and young adult books. She is the author of eight books. Her non-fiction work includes a paper on Asian Folklore presented at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content, Singapore in 2013. She was also one of the judges for the Scholastic Asia Young Writers Award 2014. To know more on Tutu Datta and her work, visit her website by Clicking <b><a href="http://tutudutta.blogspot.com/">HERE</a></b>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><b>Nights of the Dark Moon</b> is available as printed and ebook format, across nations including India on Amazon.com. Click to <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Nights-Dark-Moon-Gothic-Folktales/dp/9814771996/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1530633667&sr=8-6&keywords=night+of+the+dark+moon"><b>BUY</b> </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>NOTE:</b> Also published in <b>The Shillong Times</b>. CLICK <b><a href="http://epaper.theshillongtimes.com/story.aspx?id=18046&boxid=16839457&ed_date=2018-7-29&ed_code=820009&ed_page=15#.W106teHEiAU.facebook">HERE</a></b> to read.</div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-57081808633520484532018-07-09T05:27:00.001-07:002018-07-10T23:49:24.144-07:00#WakeUp or #PackUp #MadWithBhan #MADTakeWays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Book Review - <b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.8667px;">Make A Difference With (a little assistance from) Bhan.</span></i></b><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Somewhere between 6 and 9 in every 10 Start-Ups fail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">No one is exactly sure how many. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And very few of us know exactly why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Seventy-five percent startups fail, stated Harward Business School in 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Eighty per cent start ups fail, Forbes told us in 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As many as 90% of start ups in India fail within the first 5 years, according to 2017 survey conducted by IBM Institute of Business Value in collaboration with Oxford Economics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">By year 10, only one-third startups survive, as per US Bureau of Labor Statistics.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">All this is not my voice; it is not even #RavinderBhans voice. According to him, Owner, Founder, and CEO of <b>#TPS ManagementConsultants</b>, with 35 years of marketing consultancy experience behind him, in all he says is <b><i>“Focus on succeeding.”<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Precisely why I picked his book,<b><i> Make A Difference With (a little assistance from) Bhan.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">After the initial few epages of forward, acknowledgments from India, UAE and USA giant multi-nationals, the author brings us straight to the subject – Do I have the money to StartUp? Do I have a product to sell? Followed by how to…detailed step-by-step way to do which engrosses the reader totally. Let’s admit it, you won’t pick up this book, unless you want to StartUp yourself. So, naturally, your mind is ticking away as Bhan hand-holds you through the pages, from start to take you to next level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">At the end of each Chapter you have the <b>#MAD Takeaways</b> and let me tell you, I have been to many conferences of StartUps, but have never come to such a precise summarization of thoughts placed across all the Chapters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Every Chapter starts with a story, you can identify with if you are a startup or are planning to become one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In 1992, the author tells us, he had been employed for one-single-day! It was the turning point in his life. He had a family to maintain and kids in school. At rock-bottom, as many of us in business or in life know, the springboard of transformation happens. One might have nothing except a burning will to rise like a phoenix and fly. That is exactly what happened to Bhan – straight from the horse’s mouth, straight talk, then. When you have been there, done that, there is nothing to look back to, only the journey ahead! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A highly motivating book, this! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In India, where the population is high, and education too is available to all, at least in the urban areas, jobs are hard to come by. The industry does not require the kind of manpower out there in the market. Automation is quickly taking over, so there is bound to be a huge shakeout of manpower or no human hands required for jobs except retail, and online activity. There is no option, but to StartUp, if one wants to survive. #RavinderBhans book comes to aid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You might like to be inspired by him on the following online forums. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">#RavinderBhan is on Facebook – Click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MadWithBhan/">HERE </a>and Like his page And on Twitter Click <a href="https://twitter.com/ravinderbhan">HERE</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">On LinkedIn, where he has a huge following – Click <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravinderbhan/">HERE </a>and follow/connect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And on YouTube – Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc3LjFDc58Q">HERE</a> to get inspired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You can also reach him at TPS Management Consultants<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Website: <a href="http://www.tpsworldlearning.com/">www.tpsworldlearning.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-62300580764238546072018-07-02T03:48:00.002-07:002018-07-02T03:48:52.858-07:00The Ballad of Bant Singh by Nirupama Dutt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture credit <a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01ASFJEF8/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb">HERE</a></td></tr>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A little background</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;">: When I was little, I grew up in a small hill-station town called Shillong, At that time, many houses had their toilets away from the main house, so people went to defecate there. Irrespective, though whether the toilet was inside or outside the main house, there was a back door to the toilets even if they were inside, with WC/Indian model. It is through these back doors, and the open toilets in other houses, that I saw men with pagris come to clean toilets or take the excreta away, replacing full for empty oil-tins which served as excreta collectors. Quite naturally, in many houses, you had to change your clothing to go to the toilet and then, return and wash up or even have a mini-bath, wear fresh clothes and then enter the house again. As a child or even a teenager, I was not aware of the caste system in India. The word Shudra/which is now addressed as Dalit was only in my sociology books, but I had no knowledge of who they were.</span><div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />Then I came to other parts of the country. I was shocked to find, men and women in pagris living in our locality and their children going to the same school as I did. As far as my life in Shillong was concerned, I had some lovely friends called Jyoti and Daljit Kaur as schoolmates. In Shillong, these men who came to clean the toilets I knew lived in Bara Bazaar, but it was not until, August last year that I walked through their lane, going out to catch a bus to Upper Shillong. It was a lovely habitat – both sides filled with shops and residences and even a Gurudwara. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oi!’ I said to myself, ‘this is just like parts of Delhi.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That this area can be under attack, is unthinkable, because, these hard working Punjabi Dalits have lived here for a long time and washed and cleaned toilets of many of the Shillongites, including Khasis. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As a resident of Delhi for the last twenty years, I have been the recipient of Punjabi heartwarming inclusion, visited Gurudwaras and even went an stayed in Beas, Radha Swami Satsang. The painful stories of Dalits can be read on my blog.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But, no to The Ballad of Bant Singh, the torchbearer of what Dalits in Punjab are trying to get rid of the exploitation of their women, the rape that goes unrecorded, and the sheer violence that erupts when there is resistance from them against the upper caste. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But, you can’t kill a mockingbird – their songs will tear through your soul making you bleed with anguish yourself. Created in volumes the soulful music of Udasi, who inspired Bant Singh, with his revolutionary <i>sharyari, </i> the songs flow in your blood-steam like molten iron in your veins, red with pain that must be intolerably hard to bear, at the same time, sweet music to the ear and soul. An abundance of these lyrics is captured in the book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">They say a soulful voice can only take birth out of extreme pain. The need to talk and sing about a revolution in society is as old as humans on earth are, especially when discarded as the scum of society. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Poet, journalist, Art critic, Niruma Dutt’s painstaking work on The Ballad of Bant Singh is one such tale, written over a period of three years through the violence and ultimate dismembering of Bant Singh limbs, whose voice could not be tolerated by upper caste communities. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But, when blood speaks with anguish, hearts melt and the revolution moves on, with stronger intent and unwavering faith, that one day, they will overcome! There is no power in Punjab that can silence Bant Singh. Salute! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The poet and revolutionary, Bant Singh, has stirred the souls with his songs at the Jaipur Literature Fest, and now may travel across the globe singing his song of freedom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Many are the crossroads from life to death. The route that is different, may I be taken that way.” – <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CTer-AN_Cc">Udasi</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Below are some points from the book, which are interesting to note. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“In Bhuj Jhabbar, fifty-five percent of the population is Jat and forty-five Dalit. There are only two other castes in the village: two Bania brothers who are shopkeepers, and two houses belonging to families of the Jheevar or water-bearing caste. “ <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bhuj Jhabbar, is the village in Mansa district of Punjab’s Malwa region where Bant Singh lives. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“Most of the Dalits in this village – which is jointly set up by Jats and Dalits of Akila village not more than two hundred years ago – are agrarian labourers. It has a total population of around fifteen hundred...Only five Dalits of the village have government jobs and that too of the Class III or Class IV variety. There is one retired army jawan but his sons too are working as attached labourers. The Dalit tenements are shabby.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Dalit women are regularly raped by upper caste men; indeed, it is almost a ritual that first the upper caste men must deflower a Dalit woman, while they take great pride in making the girl shriek with pain and horror. In her testimony, Bant Singh's daughter says, and I quote from the book - <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I, Baljit Kaur, daughter of Shri Bant Singh, am a resident of Bhuj Jhabbar in Mansa district, Punjab. I was gang-raped on July 6, 2002. I did not conceal the incident and along with my father waged a struggle for justice…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“What, after all, does a Dalit labourer have? He has neither money nor influence. All he has is his own body, which he must use to earn a livelihood. And, as for the body of a Dalit woman, it is very easy for it to be seen as an object of casual, easy abuse. In bant’s case, and in Baljit’s, it was their bodies which became the sites of oppression.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Quoting from Kushwant Singh’s book, The Sikhs, Dutt writes, “Sikhism did not succeed in breaking the caste system. In intermarriage is considered the test of equality, at no time, was there much intercaste marriage between Sikhs converted from different Hindu castes. The untouchable converted to Sikhism remained an outcast for matrimonial alliances. Although he was no longer untouchable in the sense of not being touched and sat in temples along with other Sikhs, in time…Sikhs of higher caste refused to eat with untouchables Sikhs and in villages, separate wells were provided for them.” Today, the author continues to tell us, cremation grounds in villages and small towns continue to be separate and the past decades have seen the rise of caste-based gurudwaras. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Thus, far from only being a very comprehensive biography on Bant Singh, only, Dutt has done her cultural, sociological and anthropological work so much in depth, that The Ballad Of Bant Singh, stretches past the boundaries of its covers to become, even a textbook for students studying anthropology, or sociology, of Dalits in Punjab. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It is a must-read for anyone interested in the Dalit movement in India, Punjab.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Ballad of Bant Singh is available in both English and Punjabi. The English version is published by Speaking Tiger. You can buy it <a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01ASFJEF8/ref=rdr_kindle_ext_tmb"><b>HERE</b> </a></span></div>
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JaipurLiteratureFestival</div>
Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-34705348706335000512018-06-25T03:16:00.001-07:002018-06-25T23:42:09.836-07:00Book Review - Destiny's Girl by Adite Banerjie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture Credit <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38435862-destiny-s-girl">HERE</a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Adite Banerjie’s debut Indie novel, <b><a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B079MJDM3K?pub_affiliate_id=%5BUSER_ID%5D&tag=cuelinkvig889-21&ascsubtag=20180625clpvrleuxeh0">Destiny’s Girl</a></b>, is a flight of imagination that would appeal to every woman, who is fond of romantic novels, like Mills & Boon, which is built on a wild figment of imagination, mixed with large portions of love, desire, longing, and rejection, only to return back to Prince Charming in every one’s life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yet there is a fabulous plot built in it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Krish is the only son of mega business tycoon, KD, the owner of DGE Group, which is in the business of hospitality. It also specializes in horticulture and the growth and export of the finest new and originally patented flowers which are grown in their hothouse. These flowers are boutique flowers and are only available with the DGE Group. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Krish, who wants to break out on his own, has been subjugated to his father’s power and control. It is clear now, that he is on the verge of being traded as material for more wealth accumulation, when his father is about to announce the engagement between the DGE Group and Surya Mittal’s daughter Amisha, so that the two families could bring further wealth to DGE Group. Krish, has only a few hours to dismantle this plan. He must marry someone before this happens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Come Maya, trained landscapist, working at Kavita Dayal’s Landscaping Outfit, is spotted by Krish and his loins signal that this is the girl Krish must have as his wife. She is invited to a party by DGE Group and meets Krish, whom she falls in love with. She is drawn into the plot and becomes ‘wife-in-contract-only with Krish, and must now live with him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For Maya, it is an overwhelming condition. She has an ax to grind with Krish’s father, hence, her marriage to Krish only brings her close to her objective. The contract specifies that they will not be in each other’s arms and bed, but can that clause be maintained? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In a stunning display of mind and body entanglement, hot words and even fiery passionate love-making, Maya and Krish are going to make the reader blush and battle with emotions rising within themselves, as they read on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Don’t miss, woman! Indulge yourself! While men may read to update themselves on what women really love when they are in bed or pursued hard to be taken to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Well done Adite! Waiting to read your next hot stuff, with a great plot as Destiny’s Girl surely has.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">About the Author</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">: <a href="http://www.aditebanerjie.com/">Adite Banerjie </a> is a journalist and lives with her husband in Delhi/NCR, India. She has been published by Harlequin/Harper Collins. She has a few books in progress and loves watching films, back-to-back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-9668378010122166242018-06-12T04:35:00.000-07:002018-06-12T04:38:42.793-07:00Guest Post - Priyanka Bhatia on How Money Sets You Free <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?rinli=1&pli=1&blogID=29635803" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L: Praveer Shukla R: Priyanka Bhatia</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">‘How long can you continue to sleep with your dreams?’ - <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: small;">Priyanka Bhatia</span></h1>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">In 2008, Priyanka Bhatia was a successful journalist who covered business and politics for national newswire services. But from childhood, she dreamed of starting her own business. She pioneered the first Coffee Cafe Day in NOIDA while she worked with PTI and she invested money in stocks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;
color:#4F81BD'>"Priyanka’s energy and resilience was inspiring...it’s
exactly this kind of entrepreneurial spirit which has the potential to
transform India’s economic outlook." Cherie Blair in The Huffington
Post article, 'India’s Female Entrepreneurs: Trail Blazing A Path Of
Opportunity'.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;
font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:#262626'>Starting 2017, Women On Wealth is partnered in India with
the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women. Priyanka has been selecting 10 Women
On Wealth Graduates for specialized mentoring in entrepreneurship by the
Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">While the coffee shop was profitable, she lost almost all her money in the Crash of 2008. That was a turning point and she realized that unless she skilled up she would continue to dream – she realized that most women are untrained and uneducated in entrepreneurship and stock markets. She began to skill up and learn from some of the most successful businessmen and women - [Mrs. Neeru Tiwari, a stock investor for 40 years, Mr. Gautam Gupta, who attained financial freedom thru bonds, Mr. Lalit Khorana, businessman] and intensively practiced their recommendations. She also participated in women's business programs, such as the ISB course for women entrepreneurs and the mentoring program at the internationally acclaimed Cherie Blair Foundation for Women.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">Satisfied with accomplishing her own goals over the years, Priyanka began to offer other women the opportunity to achieve their dreams, too. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">In 2011 she started Women On Wealth for women who are passionate about getting their money life in order, and are willing to make major life changes to have their money life work - permanently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">Priyanka developed WOW Money Gym, a course that helps women to develop a wealth mindset and provide tools and structures to support them in accomplishing their goals. The program has been life-changing for women from all walks of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">One of the best ways to create wealth and move towards financial independence is India's stock market. Learning from her setback in 2008, Priyanka has taken expert guidance from some of the most successful investors and learned how to make profits irrespective of whether the markets are up or down. She is mentored by one of India's most successful women investors, Mrs. Neeru Tiwari, and, together, they have created a program for women - "How To Pick Quality Stocks for Beginners”</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;">A question that Priyanka asks women is, "Every morning, you have two choices: continue to sleep with your dreams, or wake up and chase them. Which one do you want?" She and her WOW teamwork with honest and open-minded women who are passionate to get their finances in order and are willing to embrace major life changes and solutions to have a money life that works permanently. The work includes result-producing workshops, webinars, group and one-on-one training, videos and free eBooks. The Women On Wealth team's experience is that stepping out towards financial freedom and independence is a transformational act for women</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-25349548376062441752018-03-05T02:01:00.001-08:002018-03-05T21:37:46.476-08:00Book Review - searching for Durga Sabyasachi by Chandini Santosh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit <b><a href="https://www.blogger.com/://www.amazon.in/SEARCHING-DURGA-SABYASACHI-CHANDINI-SANTOSH/dp/9386377861">HERE</a></b></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3<sup>rd</sup> December 1984. </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As the world sleeps in the idyllic city, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, India, a few things are happening which will put the city, as the worst case in human history when corporate and government connived to allow no action or justice to be brought to the thousands of people who lost their lives, limbs, eyes, and are maimed for life. In the night, early morning of that day, the tragic event of a poisonous gas leak from American Company, Union Carbide, is covering the entire city and rolling out in huge balls along streets, killing thousands of innocent sleeping inhabitants. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On the same day, there in the hospital Operation Theatre, Dr. Arvind Patidar conducts a cesarean section on a woman almost died. An 11-pound baby boy is born as his mother breathes her last. In the meantime, in the delivery room, a woman delivers a still baby. This is her 3<sup>rd</sup> time over. Dr Patidar has only a minute to write a death certificate in the name of Durga Sabyasachi, reading the name inscribed on a ring the lady lying dead on the operation table is wearing on her finger, before he rushing out of the OT and to another hospital where his own wife is about to deliver his child, too. It is nurse Nancy Varkey’s last day of work at the hospital, before she is off to a month’s leave, to get married. As she leaves the OT, two sets of men wait anxiously, to know their fate – one, having lost his child twice before in still-born children and waiting to hear what has happened this time, in the labour room. The other sent by their mother, to find out the same the same news from the nurse. Nurse Nancy, takes charge of the moment, as the hospital crowds up with dying patients poisoned by the gas in the air. She hands over the child born to the lady, in the OT to the man, who has missed becoming a father twice, handing over the death certificate to the other, saying both mother and child died during delivery. And she is gone to catch the bus, to her home. That day, she had only one thing in mind and that was her marriage. She had no clue that she along with many others, in that scene, that fatal day, would be revisited by the ghosts from the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After 26 years, Mohit Sabyasachi, returns to search who his real mother was, after his father, on his deathbed reveals, the secret of his birth. Mohit, now a photojournalist in Delhi, is obsessed to finds his real identity. He must return to Bhopal, to trace back the events that finally lead him to his real birth mother. He is aided by his fellow journalist and girlfriend, Pia Shanbhag and together they are able to unearth the finer details of the birth of Mohit Sabyasachi, and locate who his real parents were.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a gripping account of one event leading to another, Chandini Santosh, weaves her story, skillfully, opening up the most intricate details of the lives of the characters in her book. The author has the ability to draw the reader into the tapestry of her story almost as soon as the book starts. Spaced between 30 years, the chapters go back and forth throwing light on the events in the past and the goings-on in the present. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Choosing <i>Bhopal, 3<sup>rd</sup> December 1984</i> as the location and date on which her book is situated, the author has made sure that any mention of <i>Bhopal & 3<sup>rd</sup> December 1984 </i>would simultaneously, bring to mind, Mohit Sabyasachi and his heart-wrenching search for his identity, in <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.in/SEARCHING-DURGA-SABYASACHI-CHANDINI-SANTOSH/dp/9386377861">searching for Durga Sabyasachi. </a></b><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The book is an example of what an individual will do and to what extent he will go to find the truth about himself. It portrays the extraordinary human need to define “Who Am I?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Yet, it is the end, the brilliant display of love, respect and duty that brings the story to ‘closure’.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I only wish, the editing had been better. Also, proofreading errors; annoy the reader, ever so often. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Main characters:</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Durga Sabyasachi, Mohit Mehra/Sabyasachi,, Pia Shanbhag, Sabyasachi Mukherji, Dr. Arvind Patidar, Dr. Parikshit Shukla, Nancy Varkey, Jalaluddin Farouqi, the Undertaker/gravedigger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chandini Santosh</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> is a novelist, poet, and painter. She has three solo collections of poetry and two painting exhibitions to her credit. She is also the author of <i>“<a href="https://www.amazon.in/House-Oracles-Says-Letting-Easy/dp/8193299205/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FM26G95AW55CT3AYCBQQ">The House of Oracles</a>”</i> published in 2016<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="background-color: blue;"><br /></b> <b><span style="background-color: white;"><br />CLICK <a href="https://www.amazon.in/SEARCHING-DURGA-SABYASACHI-CHANDINI-SANTOSH/dp/9386377861">HERE</a> TO BUY </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-24527266016303769892017-12-01T22:31:00.001-08:002017-12-01T22:39:41.644-08:00Confessions of an Entrepreneur on Kindle Direct Publishing <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kong in Shillong sells #Kwai,<br />
while reading on her Smartphone </td></tr>
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<b><u>Key Point</u></b></div>
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The digital platform has changed the way we look at Media per se. If Newspapers are read online, then, why can’t books also be read online? And with a little investment, you are your own boss; you determine your working hours; you decided, to whom your book is targeted to and you can change your audience at any time. You are empowered. You don’t need a hand-holder. You, do-it-yourself (DIY) and you decide what you want to write about, what treatment you are going to give your book, who you will use as your cover designer, your editor, proofreader, beta reader…in short, you are master of your own product. The success is yours!</div>
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Graduating from editing School Magazines to the first published article in <i>The Junior Statesman</i>, edited by Desmond Doig, I was already overjoyed and strutting around with a swollen head when I came across my first job as a Copywriter in an agency.</div>
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Being in an environment where reading, writing and commercial art was the only thing I did – in those days, we copywriters, artists, visualizers and all, were a protected community) – I found my pen scribbling away at all times. Poems flowed like Coke and stories took birth in my head, faster than I had ever thought, they would. I wrote, and wrote, and wrote until I found a collection had come about. A few books of poems and stories, traveled from one city to another, as part of my belongings. Then, one day, the computer happened. Data operators sprung up from all quarters and I gave my books of stories to be neatly typed and systematically placed together. I always wanted to publish them.</div>
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But that too sat in CDs and in my Gmail account! Bless Gmail! Such a fabulous place to store your thoughts and writings, in a folder called MYWRITINGS!</div>
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Then, one day, someone asked me, do you have a blog? What’s that, I thought? And right enough, I was soon on one - Sulekha.com was the beginnings of my dreams come true. Whoever said, that you had to slog for your money? The brilliant concept started by <a href="http://www.yosuccess.com/success-stories/satya-prabhakar-sulekha/">Satya Prabhakar and Sangeeta Kshettry,</a> found content without paying for any. Pages upon pages of stories, poems, ideas, discussions on any and every subject under the sun, made Sulekha.com one of the most successful dot.com companies. All you needed to do was to open a blog and start to write. Needless to say, I was hooked immediately. I wrote as if there was no tomorrow and the feedback was enormous - I got instant high from the LIKE and comments and long discussions ensued between me and the readers. Why do we need the #JaipurLiteratureFestival? I was addicted. Here, I met awesome authors, whose books I would hold and review in days to come.</div>
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But that was way back in 2007! By 2009, I saw many authors of Sulekha.com, publish their books. But we are talking of 2009 – that is way, way back! Soon, we were going to see a sea change in publishing.</div>
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Vanity Publishing, or what was looked upon as a poor cousin of <i>REAL PUBLISHING</i>, like being published by Penguin and Bloomsbury, and the <i>FAT OLD MEN</i> of publishing, was going to see a sea change. As publishers rushed from UK, USA to the new country India, with a colonial past, hoping to get their share of the <i>mullah</i>, Amazon’s Direct Publishing Platform, Kindle Direct Publishing came and slowly started making their presence felt.</div>
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Then, success stories started to filter in. <a href="http://www.rasanaatreya.com/">Rasana </a><a class="" href="http://www.rasanaatreya.com/">Atrey</a>e, a software engineer in the US, of Indian origin, had sent her story <i><a href="https://www.amazon.in/Tell-Thousand-Lies-Novel-India-ebook/dp/B007IX6W8Q">“Tell a Thousand Lies”</a></i> to over 100 agents in the US and got no response. Finally, the story was shortlisted for the 2012 Tibor Jones South Asia Prize. Publishing houses began to chase her, but she chose to go it alone. She chose, KDP, Kindle Direct Publishing as her platform to publish her book, giving all the traditional publishers a <b>rejection slip</b>! She had 17,000 downloads on the day, her book went up for sale on KDP! And downloads continue, unabated.</div>
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<b><u>Writing as a Profession</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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There are a few things every writer wants – readers, people who buy and read their books, people who review, comment, appreciate their work. And most of all, their book must generate revenue for them.</div>
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A writer spends hours of their day or night, invested in their book. They certainly are writing because they have a story to tell, but most of all, they are investing in terms of money and time on these books, which they then want to sell for a living. A book which has been written and put up for sale, with no readers and no downloads, may dry out funds put aside and make the fertile mind a dry desert.</div>
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Hence, to sum it up, if one has spent one year to write a book, then one must calculate what one has had to give up to keep writing. <i>The ROI, return on investment</i> <i>must clearly, be enough to generate revenue that can go back as an investment into the next book series. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b><u>Bitten by the Entrepreneurial Bug</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I look at my books as products of my mind. Hence, I have set aside money for publishing. While I may not follow all the Digital Marketing tools, I would certainly join Facebook and have 1 Page for all my book, have a LINKEDIN profile and join writers groups there, join TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, and all other discussion forums, that talk of books, book publishing, and marketing. I would also be conscious of trends – more and more, people are reading nano-writes, #<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ttt_official/?hl=en">TerriblyTinyTales</a>, short stories, and small titles that cost as good as a coffee at Café Coffee Day. So, if your book costs anything between Rs 35 to Rs 150 and can be read on a device like a Handset or Kindle, the better it is. It takes, 45 minutes to travel from HUDA City Centre Metro Station in Gurugram to Rajiv Chowk in Central Delhi – can you give your reader a 40 minutes complete story, point to point, which he has paid only Rs 50 for? That works!</div>
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<b><u>Obsess! Obsess! Obsess!</u><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Hot selling authors need to feel the pulse of the reader, all the time. So they must be obsessed with them. What are they doing? How do they engage? WhatsApp? Whatzup, with them? So, as authors, we need to keep our ears to the ground and remember content is king if you have spoken to that dude in his language (lingo). Last but not the least - size matters!</div>
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<b>Click below to read about : </b></div>
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<a href="http://www.jayabhattacharjirose.com/amazon-kdp-event-in-new-delhi-30-nov-2017/" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(244, 121, 61) !important; font-family: "Roboto Slab", sans-serif; font-size: 24px; line-height: 24px; margin-top: 0px; outline-offset: -2px; outline: none !important; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: none; transition: background-color 0.3s;">Amazon KDP event in New Delhi, 30 Nov 2017</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Julia Dutta is a digital marketing professional who writes on weekends. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-73865859394553525122017-09-10T22:34:00.003-07:002017-09-11T01:00:20.667-07:00Book Review - Where Love Begins Vibhavari by Dr Joshodhara Purkayastha<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdsBOjD4v8yjbqC9L6nGfZsgVl-9-nmdjv7PjdiIFXuv3CzpjC0a7t1qXRNKaqgnklXhzRFzHV4_IYL34_Kkk-bQtwMEUi_RTTUvFSzrBtfiny2IQiPDkDuD7RbWrpCI3ihQ-/s1600/Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdsBOjD4v8yjbqC9L6nGfZsgVl-9-nmdjv7PjdiIFXuv3CzpjC0a7t1qXRNKaqgnklXhzRFzHV4_IYL34_Kkk-bQtwMEUi_RTTUvFSzrBtfiny2IQiPDkDuD7RbWrpCI3ihQ-/s1600/Front.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit <a href="https://pothi.com/pothi/files/imagecache/product_book_page/display/184258/Front.jpg">HERE</a></td></tr>
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The beautiful, soft cover of the book was an instant draw
for me, when it arrived at my door step. The mesmerizing face of the cover, and
the light pastel colours were soothing to my mind. Naturally, I read the book
at almost one sitting. The absorbing content can be clearly seen at three
levels.</div>
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The first is direct. Vibhavari, a girl from a poor family in
Rishikesh, is married off early at sixteen to a man from Dubai. The marriage
turns abusive and the young Vibhavari is beaten and sexually abused by husband
and brother-in-law. Innocent, shy and beautiful Vibhavati, bears this brunt,
including bearing two sons from this marriage. At last, finding a way to escape
from this torture, she is back to her own country, the two boys being placed in
a boarding school in Panchgani, near Pune, Maharashtra. </div>
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After a marriage in which she literally undergoes marital
rape, Vibhavari, is however, still looking for love, as she quite understands
that there is a distinction between love and sex. She is looking for love,
when, on her visit to see her sons, she meets a man, with whom she gets
physically and emotionally close. However, when the question of marriage is
brought before the man, he quickly retreats, saying the togetherness was more
for mutual sexual pleasure and not for making commitment. Vibhavari is shocked
and decides to stop meeting him.</div>
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Shortly after she meets a man from her own building
residence, who is bethropped to a lady,
but does carry on an illicit sexual relationship with Vibhavari. This too meets
the same fate – there will be no marriage in future. Vibhavari is depressed,
lonely and still searching for that love, when, at the Yoga class she finally
meets the man, older and wiser, with whom she is married again, and learns and
travels a lot. Vibhavari, however, it seems is unlucky in love, as this last,
treasure trove of love, is snatched away from her by death. Vibhavari is left
alone, but this time, many things change in her life and lead her to an amazing
end, coming the full circle, of life and love.</div>
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But, there is a deeper second level to this book and I would
like to dwell on that. The perfect abuse story, of marital rape, physical abuse
and mental torture would have lead to two consequences – one, Vibhavari would
have shied away from society and become a recluse, but in fact, the opposite
happens. She celebrates her body, her ability to find sexual gratification and
to be engaged sexually with men she isa attracted to, showing the reader that
there are two options available to the abused human; they can chose to become a
recluse or they can embrace the world with more desire. Vibhavari chose the
latter, but was still unfulfilled, because, she was really looking for love.</div>
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The third level of the book and story is complex and
uplifting. Desire, deviance and divinity
make the third level the most exciting, for the reader with a ‘third eye’ that
goes beyond the mundane. It is Freudian in nature – desire is inherent in man. <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/psyche.html">Id,Ego, Superego</a>. But where Freud stops, Indian spiritual therapy begins and so, Vibhabavi, the
simple girl from Rishikesh, returns home, physhically, metaphorically and
spiritually, back to where she came from and the reader now must travel with
her, to Rishikesh to see what love finally is and where it finds its ultimate
source and resting place.</div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Where Love Begins Vibhavari</i></b>, is a powerful story at all levels,
for love, is a primal search that is the be all and end all in our lives, until
we know better. </div>
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Click <b><a href="https://pothi.com/pothi/book/dr-jashodhara-purkayastha-where-love-begins-vibhavari">HERE </a></b>to buy
the book.</div>
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Dr. Jashodhara Purkayastha (Yashodhara) is a professor from the education field with twenty-five years' experience in teaching psychology and philosophy, having done her master's in education from Mumbai University, India. She has completed post-graduate work in economics, this being one of the subjects taught. She has done her doctorate in education also and is giving her time to set up teacher training methods. She has written a poetry book consisting of 105 poems in three languages.You can reach her at:
jashodharap(at)gmail.com</div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-31977821599035412892017-08-28T05:29:00.001-07:002017-09-01T04:11:22.198-07:00Book Review - The Adivasi Will Not Dance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFaxqRhF97S0B52odWNa5d8nxlAgXnLos4ZwQ4xkmX9A5enq3-X01ysFx6vEzJjb3pP6EexQceVXkKSzw_jyCIyAp52ucIdQeFHZpGKN6CYLlBN2pFPB3dmy1SF89GnQvfi9u/s1600/51m2erDGDtL._SX320_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="322" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguFaxqRhF97S0B52odWNa5d8nxlAgXnLos4ZwQ4xkmX9A5enq3-X01ysFx6vEzJjb3pP6EexQceVXkKSzw_jyCIyAp52ucIdQeFHZpGKN6CYLlBN2pFPB3dmy1SF89GnQvfi9u/s320/51m2erDGDtL._SX320_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_+%25281%2529.jpg" width="206" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit <b><a href="https://www.amazon.in/Adivasi-Will-Not-Dance-Stories/dp/9385288938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503922483&sr=8-1&keywords=adivasi+will+not+dance">HERE</a></b></td></tr>
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Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar ‘s book <b><i>The Adivasi Will Not Dance</i></b>, is a collection
of articles that make a compelling story of the lives of the Santhals in
Jharkhand. It deals with exploitation of the tribe, without getting political
and boring in its content. </div>
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The book reads like a continuous engagement with different
families. Carefully woven into the fabric of these stories are the tales of
exploitation by men in power, whether they belong to other so called upper
caste, politicians, business tycoons, who will do anything to reap in profits,
even if it means displacing the original inhabitants of that place, stealing
from them their right to livelihood and not taking responsibility for the
displacement or the loss of livelihood. In a way, it is a common story arising
out of many parts of India, but with a difference - the story finally leaves the
reader with a lot to think about – why must we invade the lives of people in
the name of development? Whose development is it anyway? Do we really need to
access people’s lives and livelihood, and rob them of all human dignity to
satisfy our greed? Do we need to then, put labels on them, for acting in ways
that we find objectionable? </div>
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<span style="color: red;">When we take away from people or a
tribe their right to self respect, we have no right then to pronounce judgment
on what they wish to do to make ends meet and to survive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i>"Come November,
Santhal men, women and children walk down from their villages in the hills and
the far-flung corners of the Santhal Pargana to the railway station in the
district headquarters. These Santhals—villages, entire clans—make up long, snaking
processions as they abandon their lands and farms to take the train to Namal,
the Bardhaman district of West Bengal and the paddy fields there. In the month
that these Santhal families will spend in Bardhaman, they will plant rice and
other crops in farms owned by the zamindars of Bardhaman."<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The picturesque description above is like a poem in prose,
flowing through the pen of an author whose veins pulsate with Santhal blood,
music, dance and condition. The highly academic, but shy of saying so,
professional medical doctor and avid reader and writer, Hansda Sowvendra
Shekhar, writes with passion on a subject close to his heart. He has seen the
injustice and is disturbed by it. He must speak it out and write about it. </div>
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Sexually violated at most times, the Santhal women have
learnt to fend for themselves too. They know what to get out of men in power.
Recently, the Jharkhand Government burnt an effigy of the author and threatened
to <b><a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170812/jsp/frontpage/story_166913.jsp">burn and ban</a> </b>the book, on grounds
that it contained content that were unacceptable for Santhal women. They did
not speak of their own hand in the conspiracy to keep the Santhal community
forever hungry, exploited and sexually used. They did not speak of the way the
public and private partnership has caused huge portions of Santhal land to be
sold to corporate for coal mining. But
the para below, from the last lines of the book are self evident. </div>
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<i>"‘Johar,
Rashtrapati-babu. We are very proud and happy that you have come to our Santhal
Pargana and we are also very proud that we have been asked to sing and dance
before you and welcome you to our place. We will sing and dance before you but
tell us, do we have a reason to sing and dance? Do we have a reason to be
happy? You will now start building the power plant, but this plant will be the
end of us all, the end of all the Adivasi. These men sitting beside you have
told you that this power plant will change our fortunes, but these same men
have forced us out of our homes and villages. We have nowhere to go, nowhere to
grow our crops. How can this power plant be good for us? And how can we
Adivasis dance and be happy? Unless we are given back our homes and land, we
will not sing and dance. We Adivasis will not dance. The Adivasi will
not—’" <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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The last words could not be finished, because, when you
stand against the men in power, your voice is shot down.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">How long, will it take for man to realize,
that finally you can’t eat money to ease your greed and the hungry Santhal community cannot live
on your power over their bodies, their livelihood and their dignity? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><i>The Adivasi Will Not Dance</i></b>, is available in English, <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Adiwasi-Nahin-Nachenge-Shekhar/dp/9350642506/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&dpID=61ZqMk0sd1L&dpPl=1&keywords=adiwasi%20nahin%20nachenge&pi=AC_SX118_SY170_QL70&qid=1503983780&ref=plSrch&ref_=mp_s_a_1_1&sr=8-1">Hindi</a>, <a href="http://menakaprakashan.com/magazines/maher/">Marathi</a>, where it has been serialized and in<a href="http://www.ethirveliyedu.in/shop/%E0%AE%86%E0%AE%A4%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B5%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%87%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%BF-%E0%AE%A8%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%A9%E0%AE%AE%E0%AF%8D-%E0%AE%86%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%AE/">Tamil</a> in print and eBook format. </div>
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Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.in/Adivasi-Will-Not-Dance-Stories/dp/9385288938/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503922483&sr=8-1&keywords=adivasi+will+not+dance">HERE</a> </b>to Buy</div>
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You can read more of Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar’s writings <b><a href="http://independent.academia.edu/HansdaSowvendraShekhar">HERE</a></b></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-61539207842793351442017-08-26T22:29:00.000-07:002017-08-26T22:29:03.344-07:00It's Raining Cash for Assam Floods<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmb_AOqwTM0Z90Odf7110veTscRHDf6_OTc4SYP0juq-zPlF_i5KUVR_6NNuEw_B08EWsaByGAZ4AW-rqiA1KphFxV4lb2KC4DJ_IW0j8Hzyv_SvToyX5Cim1DY3Xo2FkaVr9/s1600/Assam-floods_PTI11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="380" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmb_AOqwTM0Z90Odf7110veTscRHDf6_OTc4SYP0juq-zPlF_i5KUVR_6NNuEw_B08EWsaByGAZ4AW-rqiA1KphFxV4lb2KC4DJ_IW0j8Hzyv_SvToyX5Cim1DY3Xo2FkaVr9/s320/Assam-floods_PTI11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit <a href="http://www.firstpost.com/india/floods-ravage-assam-as-death-toll-rises-to-156-over-600-villages-still-under-water-3970511.html"><b>HERE</b></a></td></tr>
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On 12th August, 2017, the present Chief Minister of Assam, Sri Sarbananda Sonowal, had flown to Delhi to ask for fresh funds to save people, in a fresh burst of floods in Assam. Just prior to that, he had received close to Rs 1000 crores out of Rs 2350 crores allocated by Sri Narendra Modi for flood relief to Assam. (<a href="http://www.firstpost.com/india/assam-floods-narendra-modi-announces-rs-2350-cr-package-towards-relief-rehabilitation-in-the-north-east-3881519.html">click to read here</a>) The Prime Minister was unable to meet him but a high profile committee did. My question is, so, the question is, where has the 1000 Crore gone? Instead of being at the flood affected areas, why is the CM in Delhi instead?<br />
<br />
In 1976, returning with my mother from Kolkata to Guwahati, the Kamrup Express was halted in New Bongaigaon, for change from broad to meter gauge, since there were no broad gauge to Guwahati directly. It was August. The rains had been beating down incessantly for weeks. The Borak river had swelled up to the size of a sea, with red water flowing tinted by the red soil. A large steamer, was ferrying the marooned people from one side of the back to the other side. There was no horizon at sight from whichever side of the bank you were.<br />
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My mother was as thin as a reed and weak from being a juvenile diabetic. I had to take her on slippery red mud to the ferry launch, holding her tightly so she did not fall over from being pushed by stranded, helpless masses of people eager to go on to the launch. At that time, the handle of the suitcase I was carrying, broke from being drenched by rain. We were all wet and dripping with rain water, but there was no stopping. We had to go on. The army had been deployed and they managed the crowd with their baton. There was no saying when one would land on anyone.<br />
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I pulled the suitcase under my arm and grabbed my mother closer. I yelled at people to keep calm and not push my mother. It was the worst hell I had gone through in my life - we were face to face with death, literally, until we reached the ferry launch. I pushed my mother against the railing and covered her with my body. The crowd beat on my back, but I did not let them hurt my mother. The launch started with not an inch of space between us. I was never, in my life, even love-locked to tightly.<br />
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The fear of water has not left my mind. Panic takes over, whenever I see water rising, although when we reached the other side, it was clear skies and we all took the waiting buses to Guwahati.<br />
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41 years have passed since then! The Brahmaputra and its tributaries continues to rise above danger level, every year the floods come, every year people drown and livestock and man are lost in floods. And every year the floods stop the railways from running smoothly. <br />
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41 years and the story is the same! Year upon year, the government allocates money for flood relief in crores! Joint Needs Assessment Report of Assam Floods, 2017 (<b><a href="http://reliefweb.int/report/india/joint-needs-assessment-report-assam-floods-2017">Click HERE</a></b> ) is many times better than the cursory on done in 2015 and 2016 too. Joint Needs Assessment Report of Assam Floods, 2015 (<a href="https://sphereindiablog.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/assam-floods-jna-report-august-2015_30-08-2015.pdf">https://sphereindiablog.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/assam-floods-jna-report-august-2015_30-08-2015.pdf</a>) Click <b><a href="http://reliefweb.int/report/india/india-joint-rapid-needs-assessment-report-assam-floods-2016">HERE</a> </b>for the Report on 2016. Action complete. Report presented.<br />
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What then is the action, beyond report writing? Oxfam International have come to help at ground zero, when ministers are flying hither thither for yet more funds to save people from the floods!<br />
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Click <a href="https://www.oxfamindia.org/Assam-Floods-2017?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=assamfloods."><b>HERE</b></a> to see Oxfam in Assam.<br />
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Please to note, gateway to Assam, GUWAHATI has been marked out to be one among <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Cities_Mission">"100 Smart Cities Mission" </a></b>by our Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi's to be completed by 2022.<br />
<br />
Read the latest News <a href="http://www.firstpost.com/india/floods-ravage-assam-as-death-toll-rises-to-156-over-600-villages-still-under-water-3970511.html"><b>HERE</b></a><br />
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-4663936296944463732017-06-27T03:35:00.000-07:002017-06-27T03:36:06.325-07:00Cafe Commoners by Ritwik Mukherjee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQeKDmm6iZ7GHp0yXZda8PO16nQfHM14-GaqvexToGARAYUkNdq4IGMIznA4oRychonqL-YL_3woqxhKPZSkiTu9YB521LymQ87eXhBpPEZGZ8pxAZXxhcUtJxdDPxX70R1X2/s1600/51mfIBNkWbL._SX309_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="311" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQQeKDmm6iZ7GHp0yXZda8PO16nQfHM14-GaqvexToGARAYUkNdq4IGMIznA4oRychonqL-YL_3woqxhKPZSkiTu9YB521LymQ87eXhBpPEZGZ8pxAZXxhcUtJxdDPxX70R1X2/s320/51mfIBNkWbL._SX309_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit <b><a href="http://www.amazon.in/Cafe-Commoners-Ritwik-Mukherjee/dp/1482871556">HERE</a></b></td></tr>
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When you pick up <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ritwik.mukherjee.12">Rikwik Mukherjee</a>’s book, published by Partridge India,
called <b>Café Commoners</b> – <b>Dairy of a father for his daughter</b>, you
are at once intrigued. The name suggests, the typical Bangla ‘adda’, which is
the most favourite pastime for any Bengali, across nations, and naturally you
are anxious to read the content, your curiosity at its height. For an <b>‘<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adda_(South_Asian)">adda</a>’</b> or what might be
best termed as Café Commoners, is the most intellectual hub, where talks of news,
politics, business, world affairs, art, literature and even love are the most appetizing
concoction of discussions that take place. </div>
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However, Mukherjee’s book is more than that. </div>
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Inspired by Pandit Nehru’s book, Letters from a father to a
daughter, written from Naini Jail in Allahabad, to Indira Gandhi, then only 10
years old, the collection in Mukherjee’s book, cover a wide range of things
which are more to do with human character, daily affairs, things he has seen
around him, told in an easy, humourous manner is short 300 – 400 word count
little stories. In the foreword, he mentions - </div>
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“My diary features some such hilarious and not-so-hilarious
priceless incidents and characters, recollected in tranquility.”</div>
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There are approximately 81 really lovely, tiny tales which
will leave the reader enchanted. These stories may be read by anyone who enjoys
the little ‘adda’ away from the real one in the quietness of their home, or on
a travel. And the big plus is some fabulous illustrations by Ajitesh Kar
(Sentu) </div>
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What struck me most about both books, Ritwik Mukherjee’s and
Pandit Nehru’s is the longing to connect with their daughters. While one was in
jail when he wrote those letters, Ritwik Mukherjee is a very successful
financial journalist with an illustrious career with some of the top line
newspapers and online portals. Hence, it might be deduced that like Nehru, he
might have very little time with his daughter, which prompted him to write this
book, so that she could connect with her father through the written word, which
really is his forte. And view the world though his lens as she grows up. Such a
noble idea!</div>
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What touched me most about the book is the human element
there – while the stories are anecdotes and insightful, the ‘being present’
with the loved one, in this case, the daughter, was indeed the emotional aspect
that made the book so meaningful to me. </div>
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Just 163 pages in all, Café Commoners, is available in
Amazon.com in Paperback and eBook format. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5Dn4etTYSpY7t3BaDhVfjuK-lQc0LZ3xW_zcXgiveG7HHiewPH_gDZVCxNdt0QciOYiUttT78cwMcQWBX8N08_H6AVaBuwsJuqs1hEqtyezlUl-1A8OaXtQXfkSvHXzkBXGr/s1600/19430005_1576015389078055_3031674433639929554_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="960" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs5Dn4etTYSpY7t3BaDhVfjuK-lQc0LZ3xW_zcXgiveG7HHiewPH_gDZVCxNdt0QciOYiUttT78cwMcQWBX8N08_H6AVaBuwsJuqs1hEqtyezlUl-1A8OaXtQXfkSvHXzkBXGr/s320/19430005_1576015389078055_3031674433639929554_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(R) The author Ritwik Mukherjee (L) Ajitesh Kar (Sentu)</td></tr>
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<b>Conversation with
Ritwik Mukherjee<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Was writing Café Commoners
a break from the normal daily journalistic articles you write about on business
and trade?<br /><br /><b>Ritwik</b>: Yes. It
is, It is completely different.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">How long did you take to
write this collection?<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ritwik:</b> I have been writing these on and off. Normally
whenever I come across an interesting character,/interesting event/anecdote
that has some lesson to offer....either I write them immediately or after some
time, recollecting them in tranquility.</div>
</li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Why did you choose to
self-publish when you are already an accomplished journalist?<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Ritwik:</b> The opportunity to get it published by Patridge India just came my way.</div>
</li>
</ol>
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<b>To BUY Café Commoners</b> Click <b><a href="http://www.amazon.in/Cafe-Commoners-Ritwik-Mukherjee/dp/1482871556">HERE</a></b> For eBook <b><a href="https://www.kobo.com/in/en/ebook/caf-commoners">HERE</a></b></div>
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635803.post-45381150444347455482017-06-07T05:00:00.000-07:002017-07-11T01:54:42.142-07:00Chetan Bhagat is like Maggie noodles!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysrh3Lc5qzKUQMfN5CD4YGWCV_Gd4GWwf0ZI2d_W1brd47VdfT4rOJfgdZsyNplevG8YLe65HL0918zhlhKCRYzGggItZsFymt_Am98OJXI2TG_AfT-nQMlh7xYDsZ5A21HtD/s1600/51LxEF0TmgL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysrh3Lc5qzKUQMfN5CD4YGWCV_Gd4GWwf0ZI2d_W1brd47VdfT4rOJfgdZsyNplevG8YLe65HL0918zhlhKCRYzGggItZsFymt_Am98OJXI2TG_AfT-nQMlh7xYDsZ5A21HtD/s320/51LxEF0TmgL.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit <a href="https://www.amazon.in/dp/B013VO02LS?ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_manual&tag=www.chetanbhag-21&linkCode=kpe">HERE</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Chetan Bhagat
is like Maggi noodles; you know you shouldn't be reading his books, but you
can't help it." - Samvit Sengupta, aged 20 years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That really sums up
all and everything about what the young generation, who thrive on his books and
are crazy about him, feel towards him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">A rave among the
youth, roughly around 17 - 25 years and sometimes extending to even 35 years,
Chetan Bhagat who started to publish in roughly 2011, has a lot to be proud
about. Up until now, he has over 6 titles and sold over 8 million books in 2008
says Wikipedia. He has 3 films already to his credit, which are adaptations
from his books. Here, I will talk about Half Girlfriend which has been made
into a film also. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Published by Rupa
Publications, Chetan Bhagat has made Rupa and himself flush with funds. Fans
swoon over him and as soon as his books are out, they go out of order too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">So what is it that
makes his books hot favourite among the TG he is addressing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Vivek Kumar Anand,
age 30 years, avid reader and young digital professional says,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Though his
books cannot be termed as great works of literature, but they entertaining for
sure, because, firstly, his books are short and simple and secondly, he writes
about things you can connect with.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">He is right. The
language is simple, in his books and not once have you got to open your
dictionary to find a meaning of any word. The pages flow, sometimes with two
words conversations throughout, without any paragraph of description. Indeed,
the language is so simple, even a ten year old can read and understand it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Can Chetan Bhagat,
who has beaten the track record of Indian authors writing in English, and is a
rave among the youth, across the globe – can his work be considered as contributing
to English literature? Or does he do some amount of research before he commences
to write his next novel? I think not. But he has his <i>fundas</i> right. The IIM -A, Business Management graduate knows his
P’s well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">His <i>product</i>,
the books are simple, no jargon, indeed, addressing the heart of the <i>people</i>
he writes for, youth. He writes from India, so he is in the right <i>place</i>
at the right <i>time</i>, when the world is looking at Indian authors writing
in English. His publishers keep his book <i>price</i> low and affordable, like
spending Rs 100 - 200 at a Cafe in India, over sandwich, juice, cookies, and shakes. And he wears his CB tag well on Twitter and
Facebook with 6,623,692 people like his fan page and 9.32 million FOLLOWERS on
Twitter. He does not have a profile in LinkedIn, because he is not that 'sort
of guy'. Nothing 'official' about him at
all. He markets himself well, daily tweets, FB posts and a well kept 'regular'
kind of website, which does not scare the hell out of anyone who is visiting it
- it's not that intellectual type in fact. Not at all like a thorough bred
'English type' with élan and polish.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">No wonder, he speaks
to the heart of India and the world, where LCD or (lowest common denominator)
is indeed, what sells the most. Every marketer knows that like the back of
their hand.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">But, shock of all
shocks, while well known authors in India, who have etched out their place
under the sun, have not been selected for English Literature study under the
prestigious Delhi University where as our man CB has made it to the list, among others like J K Rowling and others. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Professor Ratna Raman
who teaches English Literature in Delhi University says –<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">“I usually tell my
students that if they read Chetan Bhagat it should remain a closely guarded
secret. Why is it on pure syllabus? Because Bhagat is loved by the right wing
and university course revisions are done by people nominated to committees
headed by people with a vision of Akahand Bharat. Usually it is the students not
studying literature Honours but choosing English Credit who will mention Bhagat
as part of their reading references. “<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have read two of
his books but while I remember the last I just read, I forget the last one.
Exactly, the quality of Chetan Bhagat's books - <i>Read it - HooHaa about it -
Then forget it</i>! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Half Girlfriend</b>
published in 2014, is a story of love between two people, who have both come on
a Sport's Quota to be admitted to the elitist St Stephen's College, New Delhi,
India. While she is from a super rich business family in Delhi, he is from
Dumraon, Bihar. While she, Riya has had a fairly good education and speaks
English fluently, he is the "Myself Madhav Jha - types". While her
affluent family spread across the world, is not without its bits of <i>shame</i>
and guilt which drives Riya the central character of the story to attempt a few
mistakes, Madhav Jha we are told comes from a princely background although, the
old tradition is long lost, after India became independent. But both characters
are basket ball players and it is the game that finally brings the two
together, quite early in the book. The book then meanders from off the basket
ball court into the love play ground and Madhav Jha is ready to "<i>make
Bihar proud</i>" by initiating sex, Riya comes close but finally retreats
from actually going all the way. This happens ever so often, that once when she
sneaked inside his room in the boys hostel, and refuses to give in to the
sexual advances from his end, he threatens, "<i>Deti hai to, varna kat
le!" </i>meaning, fuq me or fuq off!
ich The gross right-in-the-face demand, actually makes her leave Madhav
and marry the riiya is back ch family friend's son, living in London, Rohan.
But the marriage breaks and Riya is back but this time, a new game of hide and
seek begins, this time in Bihar, where Riya has taken a job with Nestle and
Madhav, obsessed with her, finds her. And again a cat and a mouse game starts
between them. Madhav wants a relationship, Riya does not; Riya wants a
friendship, Madhav wants more. So, even as the reader arrives at pg 44, Chetan
Bhagat has brought out the ambiguity of relationship/friendship, the
desire/resistance, the dance of the traditional women v/s the modern girl, in
Riya, very well. For Madhav Jha, Riya is his obsession, his passion, he can't
let go of. At a certain level, he wants to be the English speaking Riya like,
person himself, just like the millions of people living in India, who speak
Hindi, but aspire to be as confident as English speaking people, which is a
quircky aspiration in their minds. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">In that sense, what
Professor Ratna Raman says becomes all the more important - allowing Chetan
Bhagat in the Credit Course at Delhi University, makes those people who want to
tout as English literature Graduates, although not as Honours students, would
make non-English speaking students especially from states which are Hindi
speaking, feel more empowered over the language. In fact, the author Chetan
Bhagat himself says, in pg 149, Half Girlfriend, "And last, reading simple
English novels, like, the one by the wo learn Englishriter, what's his name,
Chetan Bhagat."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Chetan Bhagat’s <b>TOP TEN TOOLS</b> to learn English (pg
148-9, Half Girlfriend)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">YouTube
videos of famous speeches.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Watching
English movies with subtitles.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">English-only
days – no Hindi conversation allowed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Working
on speech content in Hindi first.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Recording
a English voice diary on phone through the day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thinking
in English.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Watching
television news debates in English.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Calling
call centres and choosing the English option.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reading
out English advertisements on street hoardings<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Reading
simple English novels. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Going back to the
novel, Riya once again disappears from Madhav's life and in a series of
unbelievable and highly fantacised development of the novel, is found very
filmy like, by Madhav Jha at the last minute, in the last day of his 3-month
Internship with The Gates Foundation in New York! The reader is much relieved
when finally, at last, the two meet emotially and physically inside Riya's
apartment in New York and Madhav is able to "<i>make Bihar proud."</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Samvit Sengupta
explains, "It all began with the TV </span>serials<span style="font-size: 12pt;">, </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">F.R.E.I.N.D.S</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">How I Met
Your Mother</b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">, when people in my generation were and are influenced and want
to emulate the life of the people in the movie." <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">And that is what CB,
has caught on to as well. Did I say, Chetan Bhagat does not dive too deep, into
researching for his books? I was wrong!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Well done, </span><a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat"><span class="username"><span style="background: rgb(245 , 248 , 250); color: #657786; font-size: 10.5pt;">@chetan_bhagat</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. You have one more
Follower on Twitter and one more LIKE on your
facebook.com/chetanbhagat.fanpage. I will be checking you out on <a href="http://www.chetanbhagat.com/">www.chetanbhagat.com</a>
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Click <b><a href="http://www.chetanbhagat.com/books/half-girlfriend/buy-now/">HERE</a></b> to Buy Half Girlfriend<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And <b>HERE</b> is the Promo of the Film</span></span><br />
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Julia Duttahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846895945401962741noreply@blogger.com0