Assam, Bihar, and parts of North-East are reeling under the double impacts of devastating floods and a deadly virus. They need your immediate attention and generous help!
For Assam: https://cm.assam.gov.in/relieffund.php https://www.actionaidindia.org/assam-flood-relief-2020/ https://www.akshayapatra.org/donate-to-guwahati-flood-relief https://www.rapidresponse.org.in/assam-floods.html For Bihar: http://www.cmrf.bih.nic.in/users/home.aspx https://www.actionaidindia.org/bihar-floods-relief-2020//
0 Comments
Humanity scored a zero! Yet again. May the animal kingdom still retain their faith in us. Although we don't deserve it.
"যে দেশের পেটেই জ্বলে
লক্ষ কোটি চিতা, সে দেশে অন্নই ঈশ্বর ধর্ম বিলাসিতা।" which roughly translates to "In a society where millions go hungry, food is a necessity, and religion is luxury". How apt, relevant, and thought-provoking is that!!! Thanks to poet Srijato Bandyopadhyay. Different shades of grey. We have all committed sins against each other. We have all wronged from time to time. However, despite cultural differences, we have stood together, and have withstood the tests of time.
In these dark times, much beyond our individuality, we must strive to imbibe within us a sense of national identity, which is nothing but the all-encompassing idea of shared unity and inclusive thinking. This idea of nationality certainly doesn’t demand any documentary validation, but rather corroborates our right to call ourselves as Indians. The frame may look crowded, but the idea is to provide breathing space to all – irrespective of religion, caste, colour, creed, and gender. That's the India I know of. That's the India I grew up in. That's the only idea of India I believe in. Nirbhaya... Unnao... Kathua... Hyderabad... and thousands in between, which have had gone unreported, subdued by force, or dropped by media for want of TRP. Asking "When will it stop?" is pointless. The pertinent question is "Where are we headed!!!"
Victim's age doesn't matter - even new-born babies and months-old children are not spared!!! Victim's dress doesn't matter - from Sari, Salwar to Jeans and, even, Diapers!!! Losing faith in humanity with each passing day... Road rage and Delhi go hand in hand. Inseparable. Perhaps because, over here, everybody is somebody. Or because of the heat. For some strange reason, almost everybody on the streets is super-angry. It's not only the roads that are filled up with vehicles. Even the pavements are not spared. Poor pedestrians!!! Of late, a new element got added into this awesome landscape. Nowadays, you can find cows everywhere, be it the narrow neighbourhood roads, or the wide Ring Roads. Even on top of flyovers. Perhaps they are also enjoying this electrifying atmosphere. Or just looking for grass and feeling lost. (Bengali, Hindi, and Hinglish versions) In recent years, vigilantism related to basic aspects of life, such as food, clothing, etc., has gained momentum. One hot-favourite topic is Valentine's Day, where, every year, social fanatics take to the streets to educate couples found romancing in public spaces. This year, it was raining on 14th February. Here's a funny take.
About 80 years ago, another sort of "Swachch Bharat Mission" was initiated by a defiant, fire-brand nationalist - a movement to get rid of the oppressive British establishment in India. Happy Birthday, Boss !!!!
After the successful launch of the Chandrayaan 2 mission, preparation for a warm welcome by the host has begun.
PS: As per local folklore and stories here in India, the Moon is often referred to as 'Mama' (maternal uncle). For details about the launch, please visit: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/science/chandrayaan-2-launch-all-you-need-to-know-about-indias-new-space-mission/articleshow/70325272.cms?from=mdr Two recent incidents/news have invoked polar-opposite emotions amongst Indians.
Firstly, as per government estimates, tiger population in India has doubled. Secondly, the victim of the Unnao rape incident, along with her family members and lawyer, were mortally wounded during a road accident. For details, please visit: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pm-modi-releases-tiger-census-report-their-population-doubles-since-2006/articleshow/70430292.cms https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49160546 While Chennai is reeling under acute water shortage, regions in Assam are terribly hit with devastating floods. To actually deal with these extreme situations, serious interventions are required, which our decision-makers and their allies either fail to identify or intentionally ignore. Thus, year after year, we see these same visuals getting repeated.
For details, visit https://www.ndtv.com/chennai-news/why-water-trains-to-chennai-may-not-quench-parched-citys-thirst-2068808 and https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/43-lakh-affected-as-assam-flood-situation-turns-critical-10-points-2070064 Soon after India lost to New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Note: Indra, riding the mighty white elephant 'Airaavat', is the Hindu god of heaven, thunder, and RAINS !!!! All jokes aside, the NZ team really pulled off a stunner. On the day of the contest, they simply were the better team. Team India nearly pulled it off, but fell short in the end. Gritty performances by the Indian middle order. On 15 July 2019, the historic launch of the Chandrayaan- 2 mission to the moon was delayed due to technical glitch.
For details, visit https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/chandrayaan-2-launch-cancelled-new-dates-to-be-announced-soon-1569042-2019-07-15 International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and promote multilingualism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mother_Language_Day |
ConceptThis section portrays my understanding or take on the various situations / nuanced struggles faced by common folks in their day-to-day lives. And what's life without a bit of politics? Archives
August 2020
|