Column | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika 30 Nov-6 Dec. 2019

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 1.12.19

Biography as part of Literature

Recently I participated in Bagdevi literature festival in Bhubaneswar and deliberated on biography as part of literature. Biography, as all of us know, is a story of a person's life written by another person. The subject of the biography is the person whose story is being told and the biographer is the person writing the story. A biography is written in third-person point of view and usually has a more objective and accurate portrayal of the subject than, say, autobiography, which is story of a person written by himself or herself.

Biography is often regarded as kind of scientific document of historical or ethnographic type. However, Biography is a literary genre that provides a life story of a subject, highlighting different aspects of his of her life.

Biographies are often non-fictional, but many biographers also use novel -like format, because a story line would be more entertaining with the inclusion of strong exposition, rising conflict, and then climax. Like literature Biography attempts to tell a story - that is entertaining and inspiring. Inspirational life stories could motivate and put confidence into the readers. Biographies can also document epochal moments of history.

Though biography has several connect-points with literature, they differ in certain ways. Whereas fiction may take liberty with facts, biography cannot. If it takes liberty with facts, then it ceases to be a biography. Biography is essentially the story of a human being who is living or once lived. It is thus closer to history, which should not fictionalize. It may tell the story of a community, a nation at a certain time frame- through the story of a person- but the story has to be based on verifiable facts. Therefore a biographer has to be a historian plus litterateur.

Like in journalism, in a biography facts are sacrosanct. However, when a person tells the story of another person then it essentially becomes a story as seen and narrated by the biographer. It may not be the real truth. It may be truth as perceived by the biographer. Its ok to dramatise some incidents of life to make it more interesting for the readers? It is a null question in case of a fiction. But for a biography it becomes a very important question. Therefore, success of a biography will depend on two factors, besides the quality of the writing. A. how truthfully the person is narrated. B. How accurately it also portrays the time to which the person belongs to.  The biographer needs to do the micro-macro balancing.

As biography chronicles the life and times of a person- it is increasingly been used for explorations in areas including literature studies, sociology, economics and politics.  A book titled The Biographical Turn, edited by Hans Renders, Binne de Haan, Jonne Harmsma, (Routledge, 2016) showcases the latest research through which the field of biography is being explored.

Sudhir Dar: Master of Humour

WHEN Indian political cartoonists are discussed, Sudhir Dar's name usually figures in the list of the first half-dozen. But Dar was never by inclination a political cartoonist.  “Dar's forte”, wrote Rajinder Puri, himself an acclaimed cartoonist, “was humour. Pure humour of the zany kind. His drawing style suited that genre.” For over forty years Sudhir Dar`s pen and brush has captured the different moods and faces of India with an unerring eye for detail, and a delightfully irreverent sense of humour.

With his demise on 26 November 2019, India lost the last of the cartoonists of Golden era of Indian cartooning, which included RK Laxman, O. V. Vijayan, Abu Abraham and Rajinder Puri.

Sudhir Dar (born 1934) hailed from a Kashmiri family. He was born in Allahabad. He earned a masters degree in geography from the University of Allahabad.

Dar started his career with All India Radio, working as an announcer. A sketch he drew of the News Editor of The Statesman during a radio talk led to an offer to work at the paper. Thus in 1960 with no formal training, Dar started a 7-year stint with The Statesman, under editor Evan Charlton, doing a wordless front-page pocket cartoon titled Out of My Mind. The Statesman period shaped young Dar’s destiny. This was what he told about his stint in The Statesman in an interview: “I was working in All-India Radio in the late fifties as an announcer, when I met the News Editor of The Statesman who had come for a talk. During the talk, I drew a portrait sketch of him. He looked at it and said, "Why, you have made me look almost handsome". He asked me if I did cartoons and I said I did. He then asked me for examples of my work. I went to The Statesman's office a couple of weeks later with five cartoons and he told me, "Why don't you leave them behind and we'll have a look at them." The next morning I opened the paper and I saw all five of my cartoons in Page 3 of The Statesman. I was thrilled to bits. I proceeded to work in The Statesman from 1961 to 1967 and created a wordless cartoon series called "Out Of My Mind" which appeared every morning. It was a bit of a challenge because my Editor told me, "Anyone can be funny with words. The true test of a cartoonist is to be funny without words". My Editor also believed that I was modeling my characters on him as he had a rather long nose and my characters had very long noses. He had challenged me to create a wordless series saying that he would hire me if I created a wordless cartoon every day. Incidentally, "Out Of My Mind" ran for seven years!”

In 1967, Dar left The Statesman to join the Hindustan Times, to get into political cartooning. His stint in Hindustan Times continued for 22 years. He drew pocket cartoons and about 3 political cartoons a week.  Dar's This is It, a pocket cartoon appeared regularly on the front page. This was a period when a group of very talented cartoonists were working in different mainstream newspapers: This included besides Dar, Mario Miranda in The Economic Times, Abu Abraham in The Indian Express, R K Laxman in The Times of India, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray in Marathi weekly Marmik, Vikas Sabnis in MiD-Day and several others.

According to Maurice Horn in The World Encyclopedia of Cartoons, Dar's time at the Hindustan Times was marked by acts of resistance against attempts to curtail his freedom, till he resigned in anger in 1989.

After Hindustan Times, he moved to The Independent in Bombay (now Mumbai) where he worked for a couple of years and then joined The Pioneer in Delhi. He was with the Pioneer from 1991 to 1998, until Vinod Mehta, the editor left. Then he joined the Delhi Times. But “that wasn't really my cup of tea and it catered to a much younger audience. So, after a year, I called it a day. I had made up my mind that I would hang up my drafts after forty years.”

Since leaving the Delhi Times, he worked as an illustrator on assignments for the World Bank, Microsoft and various government departments.

Sudhir Dar is among the most published cartoonists of India. Besides a horde of publications in India, his cartoons have also appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and Saturday Review, as well as Mad magazine, which billed him as a 'Tasty Indian Nut'.

Sudhir Dar was very clear about the role of a cartoonist. In an interview with Vineet Gill he said: A cartoonist must have a certain license. A license to bite, and sometimes, you need to bite hard. He should have a sense of what I call naive idealism. He wants to highlight the follies and foibles of human beings, he wants to have a dig at life, and he should be able to do this openly. But he should have his own lakshman rekha, his own limits. Some cartoonists hit below the belt. They should do that once in a while - but you mustn't ever be malicious. Once malice appears in your work, you cease to be a humorist.

Cartoon: K.K.Rath

Tailpiece 1: Onion and Maharashtra Politics

Maharashtra grows most of the onion that India consumes. The rate of the onion has been increasing for quite some time quite like the tension that has been mounting on the question as to who would form the government there. There has been high drama full of turns and twists, more complex than even Balaji teleserials.

Is there any connection between the rising price of onion and the Maharashtra imbroglio?

Tailpiece 2: Paradox

If the woman is always right, and a man is always wrong, then, if a man tells a woman that she's right.

Is the man right or wrong?

***

The author, a journalist turned media academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. An anthology of his weekly column Window Seat, published in 2019 will be published as a book. 

Should you want a copy with introductory discounted price, write to him at: mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com

Column | Sabda Chhabi Akhyara

Nitidina 24.11.19

Column | Pathe Prantare

Samaya Taranga 24.11.19

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | 24.11.19

Pollution in Delhi

I had recently been to Delhi on official work. The moment you land in Delhi, an arid smell hits your nostrils accompanied by a feeling of being chocked. I live in a small town on the valley of a small hill surrounded by forest. I have never ever e4xperienced something like this. Its like- you are in a gas chamber.

In Delhi everybody is talking about pollution. Every middle class home now has an air purifier. No upper middle class child plays outside. Rich men and their wives/concubines are leaving Delhi and setting temporary base at Haridwar/Switzerland, depending on their religious inclination. Poor men living in juggi cannot afford to buy air purifier or leave Delhi. So they continue to live in Delhi and feel nostalgic about their villages.

While in Delhi I heard an Oxygen Bar had opened in Delhi. People would inhale pure oxygen at a minimum price of Rs 299/- for certain length of time. Next, we'll have Oxygen Bar in every city, starting with the metros like Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai. Then we'll have Oxygen Bars in tier 2 cities. And ultimately in every village of the country- probably in my small town up there on the hill. Children will cease to play outdoors, like they have done in Delhi. People have already started living in mental cocoons. They'll live in physical cocoons. Reality and metaphor together at one place.

Cheers to that cacotopian future.

Community health workers

Over half of the world's 7.3 billion people, including 1 billion in rural communities lack access to health care. Compounding this problem is a massive health worker shortage. Dr. Raj Panjabi, Asst Prof. at Havard Medical School recommends engagement and up-skilling of community health workers, who would provide a useful link between the people who need medical care and the highly trained doctors, whose numbers are limited.

In India, this is what is being attempted now. However, some doctors have serious reservations about this line of action to provide health care. Their argument is: quick up-skilling will produce quacks. It takes 5-6 years of rigorous training to make a basic doctor, another 3 years for a specialist and 3 more years to create a super specialist. Imparting few weeks training is not going to be of any use. Instead it will be counter- productive.

I think we need to take a middle way. Looking at the scale and the status of health care, engaging specialist doctors for all for basic health care is njot possible in India. Therefore, we have to engage health workers, train them properly and equip them with proper tools to provide basic health care at places which do not have access to high quality medical service.

National Press Day

On the National Press Day (16 Nov.) I was invited to speak on challenges facing media at Lala Lajpat Rai University College of Law, Sambalpur, Odisha.

Incidentally Lala Lajpat Rai died on 17 November in 1928 in Lahore. He founded and was associated with several newspapers including Young India (published by Home Rule League of America, founded by Lalaji. Later Gandhiji used this title for his weekly),  Punjabee and Vande Mataram, an Urdu newspaper that he started from Lahore.

As a former journalist, I strongly feel among the issues facing media, livelihood and security of the journalists are the major ones. Without addressing those basic issues, any discussion on ‘improving’ news media is meaningless and fruitless.

Press, presently is under tremendous pressure from various quarters: market, political forces, lumpen elements, the changing dynamics of media business… the list is endless. It cannot assert its independence and fight the subversive forces unless the basic issues of livelihood and security are addressed.

Real Hero-Fake Hero

TN Seshan, the most consequential of the Election Commissioners, Sukumar Sen, CEC who oversaw independent India's first election, Metro man E. Shreedharan - they are the real heroes of our times. Unfortunately they remain unsung. Forget, the fickle public adulation, even the govt recognition bypass them. Populism rules.

Unless we learn to distinguish between real and fake heroes, we will continue to worship wrong heroes.

Alternative to Plastic bag

Besides, Dilli ka pollution, everybody, these days is talking about the menace of single use plastic carry bags, which is choking our drainage system across the country and negatively impacting the soil fertility.

We can use leaf plates and carriers to reduce the use of single use plastic. Here are some examples from Kalajhor village in Jharkhand. In Odisha leaf materials are extensively used for these purposes in areas which have forest cover. In Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar sal leaf and bowl making is a cottage industry. In South India banana leaves are extensively used.

These could be up-scaled in terms of machinery (productivity) and marketing (branding, packaging).
Photo: Dibyendu Sarkar

Boon

A woman prayed to God on Karwa Chouth Day so intensely that God appeared before her and granted her five boons. The woman asked:

 1. My husband should not go anywhere without me

 2. I should be the most important in my husband’s life

3. He should always sleep with me at his side.

4. He should look at mke first thing in the morning after he wakes up

5. He should always take care of me.

God said OK. And turned the woman into a mobile phone.

(Courtesy: Social Media)

***

The author, a journalist turned media academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. An anthology of his weekly column Window Seat, published in 2019 will be published as a book. Should you want a copy with introductory discounted price, write to him at: mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com

Column | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika. 23 Nov. 2019

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 17.11.19

Happiness

Happiness, many say, is a state of mind. You can be happy at one moment, unhappy the next. What makes one happy, may not make the other so.

Many people equate happiness with satisfaction. While the two are related, they are still very different. Satisfaction is a more rational, intellectual, thought based process while happiness is more emotional. But paradoxically, over a period of time it is happiness that makes us more satisfied than satisfaction at a given point of time. Similarly pleasure and happiness, though related has different constructs. Pleasure can be short lived and may lead to unhappiness. Pleasure can be transient, while happiness has a ring of permanence.

The process and concept of happiness has been studied from sociological, psychological, theological, spiritual perspective; also from medical angle. It is interesting to note that though we covet happiness, many people are actually scared to be happy, lest it brings something bad on them. This is because many of us have a strong negativity bias. Our minds focus more on anything that is bad than on the good. This trait may have anthropological basis dating back to the ‘cave dwelling and hunting for livelihood’ times, when being cautious and negative was more pertinent that positivity.  With changing time and situation- basis of that trait is losing ground.

In psychology, happiness is being studied intensely for the last 40 years or so. It is called ‘positive psychology’. Traditional psychology looks at everything that can go wrong with our minds – psychosis, neurosis, phobias, depression, etc. – and attempts to find out the causes and how these conditions can be cured. But in the last four decades, some psychologists have started asking the opposite questions: why are we happy, what are the constructs of happiness, can somebody work his/her way to happiness. Research by the positive psychologists has revealed that “since happiness is ultimately about people’s emotional state, it is important to recognize that emotions change constantly and that no person can be happy all the time. However, one can work his/her way to happiness by a. creating more and higher emotional peaks from good experiences; b. reducing the number of depth of troughs caused by bad experiences; c. raising one’s set-point- how happy one feels in absence of external stimuli.

Studies show that positive emotions have large cognitive effects that make one more creative, better able to learn and more resilient in the face of challenges and set-backs. A person’s emotional state over time also affects his/her mental and physical health. Happy people experience less stress, fewer depressions and lower rates of cardiac disease. Even good mood is helpful. Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer found out that if people are in a good mood on a given day, they are more likely to have creative ideas that day, as well as the next day.

One school of psychologists believes that some people are genetically wired to be happy. Some are not. It is a trait. The other school believes that one can learn to be happy. It is a skill that can be acquired. So much so that several known universities across the world are offering courses on happiness that teaches one how to be happy. For example University of California is offering an eight week mooc (massive open online course). For details surf www.edx.org

Leading German science journalist Stefan Clain has written a book titled The Science of Happiness: How our Brains make us Happy and what we can do to get happier. He ranges widely across the latest frontiers of neuroscience and neuropsychology to explain how happiness is fostered in our brains and what biological purpose it serves (and, importantly, how we can control our negative feelings and emotions). In addition, he explains the neurophysiology of our passions (the elementary rules of which are hardwired into our brains), the power of consciousness, and how we can use it. 

Recent research on happiness from psychological and neuro-science domain,focuses mostly on functional neuroanatomy of pleasure. Interestingly, ancient spiritual script of several religions have extensively dwelt on happiness. Sanskrit texts have two words for happiness: anand (more oriented towards pleasure) and such (more oriented towards bliss). Interestingly both modern science and ancient spiritual texts have some strikingly common points:

1.      Happiness does not lie in amassing wealth or materials or even in its complete absence. Research by Diener has shown that once your basic needs are met, additional income does little to raise your sense of satisfaction with life.

2.      Our happiness is deeply connected with everyone around us.  One of the biggest mistakes we can make about happiness is to see it as an individual pursuit, something that each of us must create for ourselves. Humans are an inherently social species and our happiness depends hugely on the happiness of those around us. Several researches have proved this beyond any doubt that we actually derive more happiness from doing nice things for others. Neuroscientists have conclusive proof that empathy has a biological basis, our happiness is deeply connected with everyone around us. This resonates with the ancient Hindu spiritual saying: Basudheva kutumbakam (the world is my family)

3.      Gratitude makes us happy.

4.      Social isolation/rejection causes pain. Good social relationship is a critical factor in happiness.

5.      We do not have to work very hard to be happy. Small, simple actions can make us happy.

Gandhi and Radio

The first and only time Gandhi visited the Broadcasting house, Delhi was on 12 November, 1947, the Diwali Day. He arrived at the Broadcasting House accompanied by Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. A report on this event published in the issue of' 'The Indian Listener' of 22 February, 1948, after Gandhi's death, read: "A special studio was fitted with the 'takhposh' (low wooden settee) which was daily used by him for his prayer meeting addresses at Birla House, Appropriately, the prayer meeting atmosphere was created in the studio. 

Gandhi was at first shy of the radio and it was after much persuasion that he agreed to broadcast from the studios of AIR, but the moment he reached the studio he owned this impersonal instrument as his own and said: "This is a miraculous power. I see 'shakti', the miraculous power of God". He spoke for 20 minutes and his voice was exceptionally clear. His message was followed by recorded music of Vande Mataram" .

To commemorate Gandhi’s maiden visit to AIR studio and to highlight the objective of Akashvani, this day- 12 November is being observed as Public Service Broadcasting Day.

Doctor-speak

After a morning walk, a group of doctors was standing at a road-side restaurant enjoying a cup of tea. Then they saw a man limping towards them.

One doctor said he has Arthritis in his Left Knee

The second said he has Plantar Faciitis

The third said, just an Ankle Sprain
...The fourth said, see that man cannot lift his knee, he looks to have Lower Motor Neurons

But to me he seems a Hemiplegia Scissors Gait, said the fifth.

Before the sixth could proclaim his diagnosis, the man reached the group and asked,
”Is there a cobbler nearby who can repair my slipper?"

This is exactly how the Experts talk on Social Media & Television these days..!!

Tailpiece 1: Conversation in heaven

Syrian: I died because ISIS bombed my house!

American: I died because of a hurricane!!!

Delhiite: Main to pranayam kar raha tha (I was doing pranayam at home)

(Courtesy: Social Media)

***

The author, a journalist turned media academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. An anthology of his weekly column Window Seat, published in 2019 will be published as a book. Should you want a copy with introductory discounted price, write to him at: mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com

Atmanepada

Nitidina 17.11.19

Column | Pathe Prantare

Samaya Taranga 17.11.19

Column | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika 16-22 Nov. 2019

Great Indian Editors 26 | Dr. Radhanath Rath

Image Today Nov. 2019

Column | Pathe Prantare

Samaya TRaranga 10.11.19

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 10.11.19

Chhatt

In India, as in other parts of the world there are several festivals around water bodies- rivers, lakes, sea. Chatt (called so as it is celebrated six- chhe, in Hindi days after Diwali), celebrated across Bihar and wherever there are Biharis- is one.

Former bureaucrat and author Jawhar Sircar writes that “Chhatt is the first celebration of bright light and the sun, after the blackest night of the year, ie, Kartik amavasya when Indians light billions of lamps to dispel the dark.”

Photo: Dipak Samantrai

Chhatt Puja was originally a women’s festival to thank the sun god for all the munificence and the bounty conferred, but it is interesting to note how the menfolk joined later on. They also worship a goddess called Chhatti Maiya, who is equally important and invoked for her boons. She is sought to be identified with Usha, the Vedic goddess of dawn — but these are just weak attempts to sanskritise a popular utsav.          

          The unique character of this festival is that it worships both dawn and dusk, the rising sun as well as setting sun. It is actually a four day festival that starts on the fourth lunar day after the dark amavasya of Kartik, namely, Chaturthi, Panchami, Shasthi or Chhatt and finally Saptami. Chhatt Puja is the occasion for the most colourful dresses to come out and there is a lot of folk songs and dancing as well. Even in distant Mauritius, for instance, Chhatt songs and dances are an integral part of the nation’s culture that was brought in by labourers from Bihar. As fasting is mandatory, people take anticipatory steps by consuming a lot of freshly reaped rice, puris, bananas, coconuts and grapefruits before beginning their rituals.

Chhat like rajo in Odisha, was and remains essentially a very vibrant folk festival, that has no role for the priest and no compulsion to visit temples. There are however, some stories around Chhat linking its origin to mythological stories. Draupadi was advised by the sage, Dhaumya to perform Chhatt puja to Suryadev, to help the Pandavas. There is another legend that Rama and Sita also offered this puja to the sun god during this period of the year when they returned from exile to Ayodhya.  Sita’s origins were in Janakpur of Mithila, which is really the epicentre of this worship. The tradition is, however observed all over in Bihar-Jharkhand and adjoining regions, the Madhesh tract of Nepal, as well as in far off Fiji, West Indies and Mauritius: wherever Biharis went. 

Chhat initially was a folk festival. Brahmans usually stayed away from this economically unviable festival. Nowadays, however, hordes of priests have started occupying vantage points in the water and ritualized  the otherwise simple festival.

What benefits does this puja confer? Many believe in it as a fertility rite for both humans and harvests, while other swear by its curative powers. There is also a theory that ancient yogis and rishis obtained energy directly from the sun’s rays by exposing their bodies to the sun, while on fast. When one observes how when other events and pujas damage or  destroy the environment with chemical paints and other poisonous substances, that include firecrackers, Chhatt stands out as a really commendable environment-friendly worship that uses only bio degradable items.

Kathchampa

Kathachampa in Odia, Kathchanpa in Bengali, Frangipani in Hindi and Nepali, Plumeria in English these flowers are indigenous to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, and as far south as Brazil and north as Florida, but are grown as cosmopolitan ornamentals in warm regions including our campus in Dhenkanal, Odisha and in most parts of India.

Photo by Soumya Ranjan Bihara.

Among the Maya, plumerias have been associated with deities representing life and fertility. However, in Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, the plumeria is often associated with ghosts and cemeteries. See the differences a simple nice looking flower can evoke.

Hair Hair

Suddenly there are a slew of films on hair. To be specific, receding hairline of young male. There is this Ayushman Khurana starrer Bala, and then Abhishek Pathak directed Ujda Chaman and a telefilm Gone Kesh. There is even an Odia film titled Bala.

Good to see films with different storyline besides ‘boy meets girl’ mushy romance or mar-dhad wala revenge saga.

Tailpiece 1: History of Inventions

One day Aryabhatta sat at home and started counting the friends who are not afraid of their wives. 

That’s how he invented zero (0)

Years later Ramanujam started counting the number of people who are afraid of their wives. 

That’s how “infinity “was invented.

(Courtesy: Social Media)

Tailpiece 2: Precaution

Ever since Americans stolen the underwear of Al Bagdadi to confirm his DNA, Hafiz Syed deployed 10 guards to protect his underwear and  Gen Bajwa moved one step ahead and stopped wearing under wears.

(Courtesy: Social Media)

***

The author, a journalist turned media academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. An anthology of his weekly column Window Seat, published in 2018 has been published as a book. Write to him to get a free e-copy. mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com

COLUMN | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika 9-15 Nov. 2019

Column | Pathe Prantare

Samay Taranga 3.11.19

Understanding a Cartoon

Understanding a cartoon

Understanding a cartoon at times is quite like appreciating classical music; you need to have some level of understanding. For example look at this cartoon on the political situation of Haryana some days ago drawn by one of the finest cartoonist of contemporary times in India Satish Acarya.

Unless you know the Dushyanta-Shakuntala story you will not appreciate the cartoon. In case you do not know the story, read it here: https://www.indianmirror.com/history/mythological-stories/shakuntala-page2.html

Appreciate the cartoonists idea of using the story of King Dushyanta to highlight the current political situation involving Dushyanta Chautala.

In the second cartoon(published in Samaja Saptahika, an Odia weekly), Amit Shah is asking Udhav Thakre, 'Udhav, kete tu bicharu? which means how long will you contemplate O Udhav?

Here also the cartoonist (Gyan Rath) uses the name Udhav, to spin a tale. Udhav, as per the Hindu Puranic text is a friend and councellor (some also believe him to be the cousin) of Krishna. His questions and answers by Krishna form the text of Udhav Geeta, much like the Bhagabat Geeta, which is a dialogue/discourse between Krishna and Arjuna.

The point that I am trying to make is: often cartoons in order to be effective and appreciated need some amount of preparation and knowledge of the context on the part of the reader.

***

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 3.11.19

Science Coverage in Regional Media

India International Science Festival is being organized in Kolkata from Nov 5 to 8, 2019. Over 8000 delegates from across the world are participating in this festival, which offers several events- from fun and games to serious discourse.
I am attending the festival and shall chair a session on 'Science Coverage in Regional Media – New Frontiers' on November 7. Science coverage in regional media follow basically two tracks: information and education. Most of the reportage in regional media is about new inventions, products, services and medical procedures. The other kind of reportage relate to- why some natural phenomenon are happening. For example during cyclone and flood- there are reports and write-ups explaining its causes and consequences. The reports normally advise what to do in that situation and what not to do. Basically these reports attempt to educate and make people aware. There are reports regarding superstitious practices. However, in regional media there are also reports that help superstious practices to continue and thrive. I strongly feel- this needs to be addressed. Rural journalists need to be sensitized about such practices and occurances.

ISRO @ 50

On 28 Oct. in 1971 Great Britain, which ruled India for over two centuries launched Prospero, its first Earth satellite. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) built India's first satellite, Aryabhata, which was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1975 - less than four years than Great Britain did.

Founded on 1969, ISRO is celebrating its golden jubilee this year. The year also marks the centenary year of Vikram Sarabhai, the father of Indian space programme.

ISRO has a fascinating history.

The space research activities were initiated in our country during the early 1960’s, when applications using satellites were in experimental stages even in the United States. With the live transmission of Tokyo Olympic Games across the Pacific by the American Satellite ‘Syncom-3’ demonstrating the power of communication satellites, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of Indian space programme, quickly recognized the benefits of space technologies for India.

India decided to go to space. Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was set up by the Government of India in 1962. With the visionary Dr Vikram Sarabhai at its helm, INCOSPAR set up the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in Thiruvananthapuram for upper atmospheric research.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was formed in 1969. It superseded the erstwhile INCOSPAR. Vikram Sarabhai, having identified the role and importance of space technology in a Nation's development, provided ISRO the necessary direction to function as an agent of development. ISRO then embarked on its mission to provide the Nation space based services and to develop the technologies to achieve the same independently.

Throughout the years, ISRO has upheld its mission of bringing space to the service of the common man, to the service of the Nation. In the process, it has become one of the six largest space agencies in the world. ISRO maintains one of the largest fleet of communication satellites (INSAT) and remote sensing (IRS) satellites, that cater to the ever growing demand for fast and reliable communication and earth observation respectively. ISRO develops and delivers application specific satellite products and tools to the Nation: broadcasts, communications, weather forecasts, disaster management tools, Geographic Information Systems, cartography, navigation, telemedicine, dedicated distance education satellites being some of them.

Vegetable Gardens in Schools

When I was a kid, both my ME and High schools had vegetable garden. It was de rigour for the students to work in it. Now, in Odisha, few schools have vegetable gardens. And few students work in the garden. Teachers are scared to ask the students to work in the garden, as it would amount to the charges of employing the students in labour. I have always told that this is wrong and is doing harm to the children and the school. Students need to engage with development activities of the school especially related to growing vegetables and cleanliness.  Every child should be exposed to the process of growing a plant. This would make them better and more responsible citizens.
It is good that the Union govt. has woken up to the idea. The HRD Ministry has sent instructions to Chief Secretaries and Education Secretaries of all states under the guidelines for School Nutrition (Kitchen) Gardens to issue necessary instructions to the state/UT for setting up of kitchen gardens in all schools. As per the guidelines, provision of seeds, saplings, organic manure, training and technical assistance under the scheme can be obtained by tying up with agencies like Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Department of Agriculture/Horticulture, Food and Nutrition Board, state agriculture universities and forest department.
I do not like government attempting to micromanage everything. It kills initiative and wraps everything into bureaucratic redtapeism . Allow the Headmaster of the school to take decisions to develop a garden in his/her school- the way he/she likes. Encourage by all means. And encourage the students to take part in gardening activities with the teachers.

The new dieter’s 10 commandments

From Ganesh Chaturthi, through Durga Puja, Diwali and till Saraswati Puja in February – this period is usually known as Puja season, which in other words is festive season. We Indians associate any festival primarily with food. Now, there are health-conscious young and not so young men and women who are into dieting, who eat with an eye on its calories.

Now here are 10 commandments of them, exclusively for Indian Festive season.
1. If you eat something and no one saw it – it has no calories.

2. When you eat with someone else, the calories don’t count if they ate more.

3. Tasting someone else’s food doesn’t count.

4. If people around us gain weight, we automatically become thinner.

5. If your movie ticket comes with a free tub of popcorn, it doesn’t count as food.

6. Every food you split into smaller pieces will contain less calories.

7. Tasting food while preparing it is essential and therefore – it should not be counted.

8. Foods with similar colors contain the same amount of calories. This is why it’s fine to eat pistachio ice cream instead of spinach.

9. Chocolate has a dedicated area in the stomach, which is why you should have it with every meal.

10. Frozen foods, such as ice cream, contain no calories. The reason is that a calorie is a measurement of heat units.
(Courtesy: Social Media)

Tailpiece: The extinguished lamps

Jara adab se uthana in buje diyon ko

Inhone kal raat sabko roshni di thi

Kisi ko jalakar khush hona alag baat hai,

Inhone khud ko jalakar roshni ki thi

(Please pick up the earthen lamps with respect

They gave light to all yesterday night

It is easy to be happy by burning somebody

They burnt themselves to create light)

 (Courtesy: Social Media)

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The author, a journalist turned media academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. An anthology of his weekly column Window Seat, published in 2018 has been published as a book. Write to him to get a free e-copy. mrinalchatterjee@ymail.com