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| Three plays by Vijay Tendular translated in Odia.. 7-9 March 2019. Bhanja Kala Mandap, Bhubaneswar. |
Wednesday 27 February 2019
Plays by Vijay Tendular in Bhubaneswar
Tuesday 26 February 2019
Fellowship for journalists
Citizen Matters Reporting Fellowship for journalists based in in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune.
Deadline 2-Mar-2019
The Fellow shall explore, in depth, the various concerns, initiatives and potential solutions in relation to the most pressing sustainability issues - from water shortages to air pollution, to unplanned sprawl to rising inequality.
We are looking for strong stories, that compel citizens as well as current and aspiring leaders to pay attention this election season. These stories will focus on issues that impact millions of lives daily, as well as present fresh approaches and equitable solutions from civic groups and policy makers.
More at https://oorvani.org/citizen-matters-sustainable-cities-reporting-fellowship-2011
Column | Window Seat
Window Seat | 3.3.19
100 years of Malayalam Cartoons
Kerala is known for many things
including backwaters, coconuts, spices and cartoons. This year the state is
celebrating 100 years of Malayalam cartoons. It was in 1919 that the first
cartoon in Kerala was published in a Kollam-based
Malayali magazine titled
Vidushakan. The cartoon titled: The ‘Goddess of
Famine’ depicted the famine situation in post-World War I Travancore. The drawing depicted the hapless subjects being crushed
by the ‘famine goddess’ under British rule. The Cartoonist was P S Govinda Pillai. The magazine was edited by P S
Neelakanda Pillai, the nephew of Govinda Pillai. It was not easy for a magazine
to print cartoons as the printing technology was not at a stage to print
graphics easily. Credit must also be shared with the print setter who would
have taken numerous hours and skills to make cartoon printing possible.
‘The Goddess of Famine’ set a trend
that continues unabated till date. In fact Kerala has produced many of the
finest cartoonists of the country. Almost all publications from Kerala have
encouraged this art form with entertains and ridicules at the same time.
To commemorate 100 years of Malayalam
Cartoons Kochi based Kerala Cartoon Academy and Bangalore based Indian
Institute of Cartoonists are organizing cartoon exhibitions featuring iconic
cartoons by Malayali cartoonists across the country. Visit one, if you get an
opportunity. Or visit the website of the organisations.
Train
The other day I came across a full page advertisement in a
newspaper about the progress made by Indian Railways. The advertisement
highlighted the newly introduced Train 18, which is
capable of touching 200 kmph ‘provided the other systems like tracks and
signals support the speed’ and upscaling of several other
trains.
Railways have been and still are the
life line of many states, despite improvement of roads and slicing of the price
of air travel. The invention of the train in early-nineteenth century (The first full-scale working railway steam locomotive
was built in the United Kingdom in 1804 by Richard Trevithick, a British
engineer born in Cornwall) coincided with and accelerated the
industrial growth of such major nations as Britain, Japan and America, its
importance was massive. It changed overland travel, transforming journeys that
took months and weeks to days and hours. As technology advanced, the speed, power
and dependability of the trains also increased. Steam gave way to diesel and
then electric and now to other energy sources and other technology like magnetic
levitation (maglev). Trains in countries like Japan, USA
and other countries trains zoom between destinations in incredible speeds. Japan
is celebrating the 55th anniversary of high-spped train travel this year, since it was way back in
1964 that the Hikari high-speed train launched service between Tokyo and Osaka.
Presently the fastest bullet trains can travel at a speed of over 500 km.
There is this train
that runs from Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport to the
Longyang metro station on the outskirts of Shanghai at a speed of 431 km per
hour. In Taiwan also there are trains that travel at a speed of 300 km per
hour.
Dependance on Mobile Phone
Over
the last decade or so, the degree to which we depend on phones to complete
basic tasks and to fulfil important needs such as learning, safety and staying
connected to information and to others have increased many folds. Smartphones have increasingly become the tool
we use to navigate and organize our daily lives. From keeping our calendars,
getting directions, and communicating instantly with others, to helping us
answer any questions we might possibly have about the state of our world or the
people in it, our dependence on devices is clearly increasing.
This dependence has important psychological consequences.
For example, research on transactive memory finds
that when we have reliable external sources of information about particular
topics at our disposal, then this reduces our motivation and ability to acquire
and retain knowledge about that particular topic. In other words, if my wife is
an expert on tennis statistics then I will be worse at remembering facts about
tennis, since I know I can always ask her. In the past, the primary sources of
information on which we could depend to outsource our knowledge have been other
people. But now we have a source of near omniscience in our pockets. Why bother
remembering anything when you can always just ask Siri? Indeed research finds
that when it comes to the
acquisition and retention of information, our brains treat our devices like
relationship partners. So perhaps it is not surprising that we should
experience such distress when this relationship is lost because your partner
has slipped out of your pocket or just not there with you.
Matriculation Examination
As
Matriculation exam begins- I remember my adolescent days. Our teachers took
double care to scare us about this particular exam. A HSC certificate was
posited as a passport to enter the college life, which again was posited like a
xanadu.
Kolkata
Kolkata
has amazing creativity. Kolkata has unspeakable sqalour. It is a creative
artist's paradise, a professional's nightmare. Kolkata is the ultimate land of
paradox.
Many
things do not function there, But some work- exceedingly well like say the
Metro and the Ferries across the Ganges river. You get the cheapest bus and
taxi ride here in India and incredible food at incredible price. You still have
good Samaritanism here and you also have people who would any day value
education more than prosperity.
***
Monday 25 February 2019
Saturday 23 February 2019
Days in March
Days in March
Media friends may plan stories around the theme/issue
March 3: World Wildlife Day
March 8: International Women Day
March 15: World Consumer Rights Day
March 20: International Day of Happiness
March 20: World Sparrow Day!
March 21: World Forestry Day, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 22: World Water Day
March 24: World TB Day
March 27: World Theatre Day
Friday 22 February 2019
Workshop for Theatre Enthusiasts
For Information for Theatre Enthusiasts:
#National_School_of_Drama_New_Delhi has approved a collaboration project - To conduct a 30 days Production Oriented #Theatre_Workshop at #Natygram_KHURDHA_Bhubaneswar emphasising tribal artists of east zone of India.
From 5th March to 5th April 2019.
It will be a certificate course for only 20 learners.
Please write to:
natyaindia@gmail.com or 9437522389 / 9437055590
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