Window Seat | Weekly 'slice of life' column in English | 26.2.23.

 

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 26. 2. 23

One year of Russia-Ukraine war

The Russia-Ukraine war marked its first anniversary on February 24, 2023. The war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine from the North, East, and South. Over the next couple of days, the two biggest cities, Kyiv and Kharkiv, came under intense shelling and missile attacks. Many including the Russian army thought, the war would be over in a matter of days, or at the best within a couple of weeks. They were wrong. One year after, the war shows no sign of ending.

The Russia-Ukraine war, like all wars has a history and  background. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014 and has been ongoing for several years. The conflict began in the aftermath of the Euromaidan protests in Ukraine, which led to the ousting of the pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. In response, Russian forces annexed Crimea from Ukraine and began supporting separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, where fighting has been ongoing. In April 2014, pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine began to seize control of government buildings and declare independence from Ukraine. This sparked a conflict between Ukrainian forces and separatist groups, which continued despite efforts by international community for de-escalation.

On February 24, 2022 Russia attacked Ukraine, President Putin asserted that the attack was needed to protect the civilians in eastern Ukraine.

The war is continuing even as Ukraine is being destroyed, thousands of soldiers are losing their lives, the world economy is on a tail-spin.

Trauma and Tension in Literature

 

Bhubaneswar based ASBM University recently organized a literary symposium on ‘Trauma and Tension in Contemporary Literature’, to which I was invited as a speaker.

Trauma can refer to a wide range of experiences, from physical and emotional abuse to war, natural disasters, and other life-altering events. Tension can arise from a variety of sources, including interpersonal conflicts, societal pressures, and existential questions about the nature of life and death.

Trauma and tension have been prevalent themes literature, since the time human beings attempted creating literature. The Ramayana, one of the greatest epics of world is said to have its origin in an incident of a byadha (hunter) killing one of a couple of birds, and the remaining bird crying for the slain one. Writers often explore the human condition and the impact of life experiences on the psyche and weave it in their narrative.

Many contemporary writers use trauma and tension as a way to explore deeper themes related to identity, memory, and the human experience. For example, Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) explores the trauma of slavery and its lasting impact on African Americans, while Cormac McCarthy's The Road (2006) portrays the tension and struggle of survival in a post-apocalyptic world.

Contemporary literature also often explores the ways in which trauma and tension impact individuals on a personal level. For example, in Jesmyn Ward's Sing, Unburied, Sing (2017) the main character deals with the trauma of her past while also grappling with the tension of raising her children in a difficult environment.

I, however, dwelt on trauma and tension in Partition literature, which refers to works of literature that address the 1947 Partition of India which saw mass migration of people and widespread violence. had a significant impact on the social, political, and cultural landscape of the region, and its effects are still felt today.

Trauma and tension are central themes in Partition literature. The trauma of displacement, loss, and violence is explored in many works, as is the tension between different communities and groups that were once neighbors but were torn apart by the Partition.

Tailpiece: Amazing English

Many parts of the body can be used as verbs in either a physical or a metaphorical sense.

You can head a company, but if things go wrong you'll have to shoulder the blame, or face your investors.

A good leader will back his employees, but if you don't toe the line, the management can skin you.

Did you muscle your way into that job?

You might eye someone suspiciously, or wait for the police to finger a suspect.

But if you need to get out of town, you can thumb a ride or you can ride with me if you can stomach the thought.

Use strong arm tactic if you want to elbow out someone.

I don't always sing along with the radio, but I sometimes do mouth the words.

Tailpiece 2: Boys do not change

Ek ladka ek ladki k saath baitha tha.

Second day doosri ladki k saath dekha gaya .

Third day koi aur ladki thi.

Fourth day kisi nayi ladki ke saath tha

Moral: Ladkiyan badal jaati hain, ladke nahin badaltey.

A young boy was seen chatting with a pretty girl one day. Second day he was seen with another girl. Third and fourth day also he was seen with different girls.

Moral: Girls change. Boys do not.

(Courtesy: Social Media)

 

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