The cops’ lot is very difficult. Too much hard work and revenue not commensurate with the effort put in, says a sympathetic Nivedita Louis! Dear all, POLICE. The very word evokes terror in the hearts of people all over the world – next only to Trump! Be it international or national, this is one force that is insurmountable. Being a policeman is of course not by chance or by luck. It needs sheer hard work and determination. You need a 56” chest (the most famous one, by now!), biceps and triceps Arnold would die for and despite sporting all these,…
Author: oiop
The next time you visit the beach, look out for shells, collect them and study them. They have many uses and many interesting tales to tell. I’m sure that many of you like to go to the beach. An interesting and popular hobby that many young persons, and grown-ups pursue is shell-collecting. With each sweep of the tide, a huge mass of material comes up the shore, including shells, living things, dead wood, bits of plants, skeletons, bottles and the inevitable pile of rubbish! Looking through all this, or beach-combing as it is popularly called, can be fun! The scientific…
What is loneliness? Is it a desired state of being? Many people confuse loneliness with solitude, says A. Radhakrishnan. Loneliness is a longing for social acceptance and friendships, whereas solitude is self-imposed and desired. Loneliness is a feeling of emptiness inside you; a feeling of isolation or separation from everyone; cut off from those you would like to have contact with. However, you may also feel emotionally isolated, though surrounded by people; you have difficulty socialising with them. Like it is in all emotions, people who are lonely might feel unwanted, unloved, undesirable, insignificant, insecure, or abandoned. It can make…
Teach For India (TFI) is an NGO and a movement that is working towards alleviating educational inequity by placing leadership Fellows in government and low-income private schools. Its vision is, “One day all children will receive an excellent education”. Siddhant Sharma was my student at Jai Hind College (JHC) in Mumbai. He went on to volunteer in TFI from 2014 to 2016. I visited his school and attended the Forum Theatre recently in Ahmedabad. Anuradha Kalhan in conversation with Siddhant Sharma. Siddhant, when and how did you volunteer to be a Fellow teacher for TFI? This is something that happened…
Gauhar Jaan was a Hindustani classical singer who was also the first Indian woman to cut a gramophone record. But her name, like many others, was lost in the mists of time, till the play Gauhar has once again introduced her to a new generation and audience, says Shoma A. Chatterji. She reviews the play and talks to the people behind it. Very little is known about Gauhar Jaan, the first Indian woman to have cut a gramophone record in India in 1902. This is strange, because her life story could define the script of a powerful Indian film. Vikram…
The human computer (1929-2013) Who can forget Shakuntala Devi, the ‘human computer’? A writer, mental calculator and a child prodigy, she earned a place in the 1982 edition of The Guinness Book of World Records. Born on November 4 1929 in Bangalore, into a very poor Brahmin Kannadiga family, her father who instead of becoming a priest opted to be a circus artiste, could ill-afford her school fee of Rs. 2, and so she never attended school. However, the 3-year-old, accompanying her father to the circus, was mesmerised with his performances. Later, he introduced her to the world of mathematics,…
Author : Shoma A. Chatterji Publisher : Harper Collins Price : Rs. 350 Shoma A. Chatterji’s recent book on Suchitra Sen, who is considered a legend in Bengali cinema, informs and entertains. It also analyses certain aspects of gender identity, and the cinematic times. When conceptualising the book, the author admits that she stayed away from the gossip and controversies that often plague stars, and Suchitra Sen had her fair share of these. Her long and fruitful career notwithstanding, an unhappy marriage and later, self-exile and total withdrawal from public life for nearly three decades, added grist to the rumour…
Indian cities like Mumbai and Bangalore are today leading a movement, albeit nascent, to reclaim public spaces for their citizens. This is a much-needed reprieve for the people of these busy metropolises. Vandita Morarka reports on this welcome trend. Infectious. Vibrant. Warm. Glittering. Entrancing. Remind you of Mumbai? Jostled in the train. Almost got hit by a bike while walking on the footpath. Peak hour traffic. Overcrowded, congested. Still thinking of Mumbai? Public spaces in Mumbai have increasingly shrunk, reducing access to open viable public spaces for Mumbaikars. “Open spaces in Mumbai are often either inaccessible, offer only partial access…
The state of women in the police force is abysmal indeed, as they have to deal with fewer facilities at police stations and absolutely none while on bandobast duties. Add to this, long commutes and household worries, and the picture is indeed very grim, says Prabhat Sharan. Will this ever change? She is not a la Priyanka Chopra in Prakash Jha’s Gangajal, striding in starched clothes with a coiffure hairdo; she is the next door girl who has taken up a job to walk the mean streets of cities and towns in a uniform, but continues to remain trapped in…
Peter Brook’s Mahabharata had taken the world by storm when it was staged 30 years ago. His re-telling of the great story, especially of the philosophical last segment, has created the same ripples today. Prof. Avinash Kolhe reviews the play which was staged at Mumbai’s NCPA recently. The internationally renowned team of Peter Brook, Marie-Helene Estienne and Jean-Claude Carriere together visited the great Indian epic The Mahabharata 30 years ago. That legendary production took world theatre by storm. The team had carved out a nine-hour-long play of the epic. Back then the team was young and full of hope for…