How do we communicate with our children? Are we often dismissive of them or do we really attempt to see and hear their point of view? Shammi Nanda shares his experience of practicing and conducting workshops on Nonviolent Communication(NVC) with children as well as parents, and his beautiful takeaways from them. MI have been practicing and sharing Nonviolent Communication (NVC) for the last five years.This process that has been created by Marshall Rosenberg,is about engaging with the world in a way that everyone matters and we try to find solutions which work for each one of us. Partnership parenting My…
Author: oiop
Versatile actor and performer (1937-2015) One of the most prolific and versatile actors of Tamil cinema, the legendary Manorama passed away at the age of 78, as she succumbed to a multiple organ failure on 10 October 2015, casting a pall of gloom over the entire South Indian film fraternity. Affectionately called ‘Aachi’, the 78-year-old is survived by her only son, actor/singer Bhoopathy. A powerhouse performer, Manorama was a household name in Tamil Nadu. Born as Gopishantha, the youngster’s passion for theatre led her to S.S. Rajendran, a noted drama artist of the 1950s. Impressed by her flawless dialogue delivery,…
How often have you been troubled by what you think is a corn on the foot? Only on consulting a doctor do you understand if it is a harmless corn or a viral infection called warts. So what is the difference? Dr. T.D. Rajan helps to unravel this mysterious skin infection. Warts are dirty looking growths on the skin which multiply without causing any pain or itching. They seem harmless over most parts of the body except when it appears on pressure-bearing areas of the feet or the fingers. These are caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which enters the skin…
There are many small, vulnerable, forest communities in India, which are facing threat to their very existence because of depletion of forests and their livelihoods based on these natural resources. How can we help them? In 1982, when three youngsters motivated with high ideals but having nil resources settled down in a village inhabited by the weakest and the most vulnerable community of their area, they could hardly have imagined that their small hesitant step would one day become the biggest hope for this community. But yes, this is exactly the reality after 33 years of dedicated work. Now ‘Sankalp’,…
In the last couple of decades, school enrollment has gone up in India thanks to various measures taken by the central government. But has the quality of education improved? Dr. Madhav Chavan does a succinct review of the primary education scenario in India. The problem of education in India was always one of quantity and quality. It is easy to see that as the population grew nearly three-fold since Independence, the quantitative challenge grew that much or more. The education system in different states responded at various speeds to keep up with the increasing child population. Bihar (and Jharkhand), Madhya…
In this day of HD TV and hundred plus channels, here is a mother who has chosen to have no TV in her house. Her children are also not exposed to Bollywood movies or violent cartoons, even in others’ homes. How does she work this miracle? “It was not a conscious decision, but is today the best thing to happen to my children”, says Nidhi Jamwal. A peek into their unique childhood. AMy earliest memory of broadcast media is waking up to a painfully slow music on Akashvani (radio), which was followed by the Sunday morning English news: “This is…
Valiant soldier (1923-2006) Narayanrao Shitoley (popularly called Nanu by friends) was born in December 1923. His father had served in the Gwalior State Army and had taken part in World War I. He studied at the Royal Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun, from 1935 to 1941. The Indian Air Force (IAF) had not been getting good officers and an Air Force officer visited the RIMC in 1941 to recruit suitable cadets. Nanu was selected and after passing the medical tests at Royal Air Force (RAF) station at Lahore, carried out his military training at Lahore and Pune. One year’s training…
The practice of wearing bangles is an age-old one in India. Each region has its own speciality and traditional designs. Some of these practices are being discontinued in the name of modernity though, rues Shoma A. Chatterji. Hopefully, some traditions will endure. AMere haathon mein nau nau choodiyan hai is only one of the many refrains picked from songs in Hindi films that are very popular among the masses. Another famous number is Bindiya chamkegi, choodi khankegi from another film. Bangles (choodiyan) are an integral part of the Indian woman’s wear, especially after she gets married. Bangles are traditionally a…
Given the increasing load on exisiting cities, the concept of Smart Cities has gained a lot of currency. So, what is a Smart City? How will Smart Cities foster inclusive development? Avani Jain attempts to answer some questions. APicture this. Every minute for the next 20 years, 30 Indians will migrate to cities. By 2050, 70 per cent of Indians will live in cities. Nearly 500 cities will be needed in the next 20 years. Well, these are some true hard-hitting facts or rather, results of growing urbanisation. Whatever one may feel, happy for the growing urbanisation or dubious about…
Tamasha and Lavani are two very easily identifiable dramas of rural Maharashtra. Very popular, and with some risqué elements, these theatrical art forms are sometimes looked down upon by the elite, says Dr. Kanak Rele. But the rest enjoy them to the hilt. AOnce the night falls, the atmosphere of rural Maharashtra throbs to the beat of the dholki (percussion instrument), ghunghroos (ankle bells), tuntune (a string instrument), halgi (a large daff) and manjeeraa (little cymbals). Soon is heard the singing – the main singer accompanied by another singer called surtyaa (the provider of the sur or drone, whose singing…