 |
| For details and for participation, contact: Kedarnath Jena jenakedarnath |
Monday, 29 January 2018
Workshop on Writing at IIMC, Dhenkanal, Odisha
Sunday, 28 January 2018
Column | Window Seat
Window Seat |
Mrinal Chatterjee
Hoisting National Flag
Every year I unfurl the National Flag twice and
every single time I feel the goose bumps. I feel proud to belong to this
country, to be a part of it. I know, it was not me who decided to be born here,
it could have been any place in the world. But I have grown my roots here, I
draw my sustenance from this soil, I owe to this land.
Tricolured flag is the symbol of this land to
which I am grateful to bring me up. When I unfurl the flag, I feel that warm
flush flow down my spine, eyes moisten, chest swell. I have a spring below the
feet. I feel good. I feel as if the ‘I’ has transformed into ‘we’. I see myself
as part of the multitude of people around me, as part of the sea, the rivers,
the hill , the forests, the green paddy field stretching till the horizon, the
sand dunes of the desert, the speck of the dust hanging over open coal fields.
Exit the Grand Old Cartoonist of Bengal
Chandi Lahiri, often referred as the Grand Old man of Indian
cartooning breathed his last in Kolkata on 19 January 2018 after a brief
illness. He was 86.
Born on March 13, 1931, in Nabadwip, West Bengal, Lahiri was one of foremost cartoonists of
Bengal. He was the pioneer of ‘pocket’ cartoons in Bengal. His success in this
sphere led others to follow in his steps. His cartoons have an easy charm,
although they could be at times severely pungent.
Like his flowing cartoons, his life was also full to turns and
twists. He got involved in active politics at a very tender age of 13. In 1952
he started work as a journalist with the Dainik
Lok Sevak but it wasn't until 1961 that he started drawing cartoons and
writing humourous and satirical pieces.
He started contributing pocket cartoons to the Hindustan Standard,
the English daily from the Ananda Bazaar Patrika Group. His pocket cartoons
immediately became a huge hit with the readers. Subsequently, he joined the ABP
group as a cartoonist in 1961. Chandi Lahiri was one of the youngest avant garde cartoonists when he started
drawing his ‘Third Eye View’ for the Hindustan Standard. Later on, he started
contributing pocket cartoons in the Bengali daily Ananda Bazar Patrika, under the title Tirjok (angular). His
cartoons covered a wide field- social, political, sports, civil life, etc. Some
of his political cartoons created uproar in Parliament and the State
Legislature.
Lahiri has written several books on cartoon and cartoonists in
Bengali and English both for children and for adults. He has extensively drawn
comics for children. He has created two unforgettable characters: Michke and Nengti. Generations of
Bengali kids grew up adoring these two lovable characters.
An anthology of his cartoons has been published titled Chandi looks around, Visit India with Chandi. He has also
contributed to several foreign journals and drawn illustrations for many books.
He has also written and compiled serious research-based books on
cartoons and cartoonists: ‘Since
Freedom: A History in Cartoons 1947-1993’, Cartooner
Itibrita, Gaganendranather Cartoon O Sketch and Bangalir Ranga Byanga Charcha. He documented cartoons and
cartoonists of Bengal like no other researcher did.
Chandi Lahiri has always been ‘young at heart’, never shying away
from the application of new technology to enhance the visual appeal of his
art. He has made several animation films
including ‘Under the Blue Sky’. He made a popular television serial (Chandipath). In an interview with Mumbai
Mirror he said, “Chandipath is a frontrunner in terms of creating a new format
of a comic show on television and awaits the day when national television will
replicate its style to make the country laugh at its follies and foibles”
Lahiri was a symbol of grit and determination.
Quite early in his life, he had lost his arm in a tram accident. But he
overcame that hurdle with his immense inner strength.
He was married to the batik
artist Tapati Lahiri. They had a daughter, Trina Lahiri, who was a mass
communication teacher and a paper filigree artist. Despite his advancing age,
Lahiri was very active in drawing cartoons and was engaged in various social
activities till his death.
With his death Bengal lost its Grand Old Cartoonist.
Water
Grandfather saw
it in River.
Father saw it
in Well
I see it in the
Tap
Our children
will see it in Bottle.
Where will our
grandchildren see it?
In Capsule!
If we still
neglect, it will only be seen in Tears.
(Courtesy:
Social Media)
***
The columnist, a journalist turned media academician lives
in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. He writes fiction and plays. English
translation of his Odia novel Yamraj
Number 5003 is shortly being published.
Saturday, 27 January 2018
Essay | Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development
Dr. Mrinal Chatterjee
The Earth is a little over 4.5 billion years old. The history
of life on Earth began about 3.8 billion years ago, initially with
single-celled prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria. Multicellular life evolved
over a billion years later and it's only in the last 570 million years that the
kind of life forms we are familiar with began to evolve, starting with
arthropods, followed by fish 530 million years ago (Ma), land plants 475Ma and
forests 385Ma. Mammals didn't evolve until 200Ma and our own species, Homo
sapiens, only 200,000 years ago. So humans have been around for a mere 0.004%
of the Earth's history.[1]
But the homo sapiens had one thing that other creatures did
not have: intelligence to transform one thing to the other to accomplice a task
or find a solution to a problem; and utilise/exploit nature. Call it
technology.
The roots of civilization
reach back to the earliest introduction of primitive technology and culture. Humans
make the first tools from stone, wood, antlers, and bones some 10 million years
ago. Prehistory begins in the Paleolithic Era, or "Early Stone Age," which is followed by the Neolithic Era, or New Stone Age. Humans
discover fire 1–2 million years ago. Humans first wear clothes in 25,000–
50,000 BCE. Earliest boats are constructed sometime in 10,000 BCE. Humans begin agriculture and settlements in
8000– 9000 BCE.
Agricultural
Revolution (between 8000 and 5000 BCE)
followed. The latter period marked a change in human history, as humans began
the systematic husbandry of plants and animals. Agriculture advanced, and most humans
transitioned from a nomadic to a settled lifestyle as
farmers in permanent settlements. No wonder that hand-made
bricks were first used for construction in the Middle East during 6000– 7000
BCE.
As farming developed, grain agriculture became more sophisticated and
prompted a division
of labour to store food between growing seasons. Labour divisions then led to the
rise of a leisured upper class and the development of cities. The growing complexity of human societies necessitated systems of writing and accounting. Many cities developed on
the banks of lakes and rivers; as early
as 3000 BCE some of the first prominent, well-developed settlements had arisen
in Mesopotamia ("the Land between the
Rivers"),on the banks of Egypt's Nile River, in the Indus River valley, and along the major rivers of China.
Iron was used for the first
time in decorative ornaments during 4000 BCE. However, iron age began in 1000
BCE as it was widely used for making tools and weapons in many parts of the
world by 1000 BCE. By that time wheel had already been invented (3500 BCE). From
then on gradually man started inventing machines that made life easier by
making tasks and chores easier.
By 18th century
man was inventing machines and processes more frequently. Italian Alessandro
Volta made the first battery (known as a Voltaic pile) in 1800. In 1801
Joseph-Marie Jacquard invented the automated cloth-weaving loom. The punched
cards it used to store patterns helped to inspire programmable computers. In
1814 George Stephenson built the first practical steam locomotive. Between 1820
and 1830 Michael Faraday built primitive electric generators and motors. In 1880s
Thomas Edison opened the world's first power plants. About the same time Carrie
Everson invented new ways of mining silver, gold, and copper and Charles
Parsons developed the steam turbine. In 1908 American industrialist and
engineer Henry Ford launched the Ford Model T, the world's first truly
affordable car.
In less than 250 years, an
industrial revolution swept the world and it changed human being’s relationship
with nature. Human being, who was dependant on nature for its survival and
sustenance thought of mastering it. As
technology progressed, anthropocentricism became the norm. Cosmocentrism took
back seat, or summarily rejected. Human development happened at the cost of
environment. Natural resources
were utilised, as if the resources were infinite. Rivers were dammed, forests
cleared, wiping out hundreds of species of flora and fauna. Minerals extracted.
Fossil fuel burnt like there was infinite supply. Human beings went on an ever
increasing consuming spree.
Natural
resources, including materials,
water, energy and fertile land, are the basis for our life on Earth. All of
these were threatened by the wanton misuse and mindless exploitation.
And then, gradually Mother
Nature began to react. Rivers changed its course. Rivulets and streams dried.
The sea rose and cyclones struck with greater frequency and destructive power. Rain
fall became erratic. Summer became harsher. So did winter. It was a warning
bell.
Scientists could hear it, even
as millions began experiencing it across the world. Scientists and philosophers
could realise what was on the offing: apocalypse, unless the present rate and
manner of consumption was contained. The world is already experiencing a severe
potable water shortage. By the year 2025, an additional 2.9 billion people will
strain tightening water supplies, and the world's energy needs will go up 60
per cent by 2030, according to the United Nations. Fossil fuel will exhaust in less
than 50 years. Large tracts of land will be gulped by rising sea. The future of the planet seems dark.
Wasteful energy policies, overuse of resources, water supply
shortages, global climate change, and deforestation are just some of the issues
experts say need to be addressed for humans to achieve sustainable living on
this planet.
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Saturday, 20 January 2018
Media Jobs
Desk Jobs in DB Post, Bhopal
Position / Designation:Desk opening at various levels (Sub-editor, Senior Sub-editor).Name of the Company: DB post (English daily- Dainik Bhaskar group)
Full-time / Freelance: Full-time
Location: Bhopal,Madhya Pradesh
How to Apply: Send your resumes along with cover letter here: Kumar91debvrat@gmail.com
Posted on 17.1.18
Column | Window Seat
Window
Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee
Realism in Art and Literature
As Encyclopaedia Britannica puts it, realism in the arts
means, the accurate, detailed, unembellished depiction of nature or of
contemporary life. Realism rejects imaginative idealization in favour of a
close observation of outward appearances. As such, realism in its broad sense
has comprised many artistic currents in different civilizations.
In the visual
arts, for example, realism can be found in ancient Hellenistic Greek sculptures
accurately portraying boxers and decrepit old women. The works of such
17th-century painters as Caravaggio, the Dutch genre painters, the Spanish
paintes Jose de Ribera, Diego Velazquez and Fransicsco de Zurbaran and the Le Nain Brothers in France are realist in approach. The works of the 18th-century
English novelists Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding and Tobias Smollett may also be called realistic.
Realism
was not consciously adopted as an aesthetic movement program until the mid-19th century in France, however.
Indeed, realism may be viewed as a major trend in French novels and paintings
between 1850 and 1880 in which the artists and writers attempted to portray the
lives, appearances, problems, customs, and mores of the middle and lower
classes, of the unexceptional, the ordinary, the humble, and the unadorned.
Realism was stimulated by several intellectual developments in the first half of the 19th century.
Among these were the anti-Romantic movement in Germany, with its emphasis on
the common man as an artistic subject.
Theme
of Realism in modern Indian literature is an outcome of the creation of a
reading public which was trying to construct an identity in the context of the
anti-colonial struggles and nation-building. This attempt combined
liberal-reformist ideology with an affirmation of an 'Indian' cultural
specificity. The realist novel's focus on growth and individual freedom is
transformed in the Indian context with the economic conditions of uneven capitalism.
Thus the economic, political as well as the social conditions served to provide
the basis for Realism in modern Indian literature
Historical
novels or tales on historical characters have always taken liberty with
physical facts to heighten the drama or to highlight nuances of characters.
Realism in literature more often than not relate to a social phenomenon or
milieu or condition than details of physical facts.
The
recent controversy over Padmavat as the depiction of Rani Padmini must be seen
from this perspective. In a work of fiction, the author has the discretion to
take artistic liberty, it being part of his freedom of expression- the fact
reinforced by recent Supreme Court verdict.
The Role of Persuasion in Governance
Good governance has
major characteristics like participation, rule of law, transparency,
responsiveness, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness, efficiency,
accountability and strategic vision and consensus orientation.
The task of governance is difficult in a
developing society like India with vast size and population, linguistic
diversity, culture, religion and ethnic groups coupled with illiteracy,
ignorance, superstition, diverse beliefs and faiths. Because, in a democracy,
public opinion and will get primacy and ill-informed or uninformed people will
hardly have informed and rational opinion. Disagreement gives rise to conflict,
which turns ugly and spirals into major crisis. Therefore governance needs
instruments of persuasion, which will impress the public about the legitimacy
and benefits of the plans, programmes and schemes. Persuading people to agree
or at least to be in sync with the policies and programmes of the government is
important for the party in power.
However, persuasion is a tricky
task. Overdoing can and often do turn
counter-productive. Like people get weary of hyperactive salesperson- over
persuasion can make people edgy. It rarefies the belief-threshold.
Tale piece: How to take bath on a winter morning
Everybody knows the woes of taking a
bath on a cold winter morning. Here are three modern ways of taking bath that
bypasses the problem areas.
a.
Online Bath: Search for a
photograph of river Gangess at Haridwar. Click your mouse thrice on the photo
and use that photo as your facebook background.
b.
Mirror Bath: Stand before the mirror in the bathroom. Take
water in a mug. Throw water on the mirror.
c.
Virtual Bath: Sit outside
with your back towards the sun. Take water in a lota. Pour water on your shadow.
(Courtesy:
Social Media)
***
The author, a journalist-turned media
academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. He also writes fiction.
English translation of his Odia novel Yamraj Number 5003 is being published
shortly.
21.1.18
This column appears every Sunday on Gangtok based English daily Sikkim Times and posted on www.orissadiary.com
Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Column | Window Seat
Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee
Graffiti
You can see it practically everywhere- on the walls of the toilets of a train, on walls of historical temples, on large rocks on hills and mid-stream, on tree trunks at the park, even on leaves, yes leaves as I found at Rana Pratap Memorial Park in Moti Magri in Udaipur, Rajasthan. People have etched their names and probably their lover’s name on cactus and aloe Vera leaves. People have declared their love, described in lurid details their carnal desire, advertised products and services, professed their bhakti, declared their support for some ideology or organisation or simply predicted the future of the world. From love to sex to politics to worldview- content wise graffiti has them all.
In most places it looks ugly. It defaces the historical monuments, damages the dignity of the place (consider ‘Sonu plus Monu’ or ‘Bobby loves Ruby’ scrawled on the wall of a temple), dirties the place. More often than not the bad handwriting and drawing or both and atrocious spelling mistakes are visual torture.
I often wonder why do people etch their names and scrawl such profanities or such philosophical thoughts on walls, rocks even tree trunks? Is it the urge to express oneself or one’s emotion or is it the desire to advertise oneself- the ‘me’ within getting the better of civic sense? Is it suppressed sexuality that makes them scrawl profanities? Is it some kind of skewed creativity trying to find expression? Is it plain and simple madness?
Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti, almost always falls on January 14, except in rare years when the date shifts by a day for that year, because of the complexity of earth-sun relative movement
It is one of the few ancient Hindu festivals that has been observed according to solar cycles, while most festivals are set by the lunar cycle of the lunisolar Hindu calendar. It marks the end of winter and beginning of summer.
Makar Sankranti is an important pan-Indian solar festival, known by different names though observed on the same date, sometimes for multiple dates around the Makar Sankranti. Different festicals are celebrated on this day, or during this period across the country in different names: Lohri in north India, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Pedda Panduga in Andhra Pradesh, Bhogali Bihu in Assam, Magha Mela in parts of central and north India, as Makar Sankranti in the west India, and by other names. Besides the rituals and puja, the festivals are often associated with fun, frolic, dances, kite flying, bonfires and feast.
Makar Sankranti in Mayurbhanj
I lived in tribal dominated Mayurbhanj district, Odisha for about five years and worked there as a journalist. Makar is a big festival there, especially among the Santhal tribe, marked by community feasts, games and cockfighting, known as ‘kukuda pada’ in local terms. For hours people would gather round a place where two enraged cocks would try to kill each other with sharp blades tied to their legs. People would excitedly gamble on which cock would win. The loser cock loses its life and the respect of its owner. The winner gains respect and some money for its owner and continues to fight more. Local made booze flows like water. The festivities would continue for about a week. The urban areas look deserted as people go to their villages to celebrate makar.
Volunteering
Please don’t drink and drive in the cold evenings. If you want to drive safely, we can help you…! We are non-government organisations working for the safety of our citizens.
Pleae call us.
We have experienced people of all ages.
Our volunteers will go and drink for you.
You drive safely.
(Courtesy: Social Media)
***
14.1.18
Mrinal Chatterjee is a journalist turned media academician, who also writes fiction. He lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. English translation of his Odia novel Yamraj Number 5003 is shortly being published.
This column is published every Sunday in Gangtok based English daily Sikkim times and posted in www.orissadiary.com
Friday, 12 January 2018
Thursday, 11 January 2018
14 Jan | Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti, almost always falls on January 14, except in
rare years when the date shifts by a day for that year, because of the
complexity of earth-sun relative movement
It is
one of the few ancient Hindu festivals that has been observed according to
solar cycles, while most festivals are set by the lunar cycle of the lunisolar
Hindu calendar. It marks the end of winter and beginning of summer.
Makar
Sankranti is an important pan-Indian solar festival, known by different names
though observed on the same date, sometimes for multiple dates around the Makar
Sankranti. Different festicals are celebrated on this day, or during this
period across the country in different names: Lohri in north India, Pongal in
Tamil Nadu, Pedda Panduga in Andhra
Pradesh, Bhogali Bihu in Assam, Magha Mela in parts of central and north
India, as Makar Sankranti in the west India, and by other names. Besides the
rituals and puja, the festivals are often associated with fun, frolic, dances,
kite flying, bonfires and feast.
12 Jan. National Youth Day
National Youth Day.
National Youth Day is celebrated in India on 12 January on the birthday of Swami Vivekananda. In 1984 the Government of India declared the day as the National Youth Day and since 1985 the event is celebrated every year across the country.Swami Vivekananda, known in his pre-monastic life as Narendra Nath Datta, was born in an affluent family in Kolkata on 12 January 1863.
In many ways he was a modern thinker and brought about changes in the ways religion used to perceived and practiced.
To know more about his contributions and teachings, see this:
http://www.belurmath.org/swamivivekananda.htm#Teachings
Tuesday, 9 January 2018
Monday, 8 January 2018
Friday, 5 January 2018
Thursday, 4 January 2018
Monday, 1 January 2018
Column in Hindi
विरूष्का
डा.मृणाल चटर्जी
ओडिया से अनुवाद- इतिश्री सिंह राठौर
इस शीर्षक को देखकर अन्यथा न लें । हिंदी शब्दकोष में इस तरह का कोई शब्द नहीं । यह मीडिया का आविष्कार है । विराट और अनुष्का को जोड़कर बना है शब्द 'विरुष्का' । आज की तारीख में इन्हें कौन नहीं जानता ? और अगर गलती से भी अापने किसीसे पूछ लिया कि यह कौन हैं ? तो लोग आपको एेसे देखेंगे जैसे कि सच में आप चिडियाघर से आए हैं । फिर भी मैं बता देता हूं यह कौन हैं (पत्रकारिता में एक चीज सिखाई जाती है कि 'नेवर एज्यूम' । खुद कुछ मत सोचो । लोगों को कईं बातें पता नहीं होती । उन्हें पता नहीं होती इसीलिए किसीको बताना नहीं चाहते ) । विराट हैं विराट कोहली। भारतीय क्रिकेट टीम के कप्तान और अनुष्का शर्मा हिंदी सिनेमा की लोकप्रिय अभिनेत्री । क्रिकेट जगत के साथ हिंदी सिनेमा का रिश्ता बहुत पुराना और गहरा है । क्यों मालूम नहीं लेकिन हिंदी सिनेमा की नायिकाएं अक्सर क्रिकेट खिलाडियों से शादी करना पसंद करती हैं । उनके साथ रोमांस करना उन्हें अपना जीवन साथी बनना उनकी पहली पसंद होती है । दूसरे खेलों के खिलाडी अक्सर मन मसोस कर रह जाते हैं । हमारे नवघन का बेटा भीमसेन तो खास इसीलिए क्रिकेट खेल रहा है । वरना उसकी जितनी हाइट है वह बास्केट बाल बहुत अच्छा खेल लेता । उसके कोच ने भी यही बात कही लेकिन वह मानने को तैयार ही नहीं ।
उसकी बात छोडिए । विराट और अनुष्का का अफेयर कईं महीनों से चल रहा था । उनकी शादी के बारे में इससे पहले मीडिया में खूब अफवाह फैलाई गई । बीच में यह भी सुनने को मिला कि दोनों का ब्रेक आप हो गया है । इसके बाद देश की लाखों विराट प्रेमी लड़कियां और अनुष्का प्रेमी लड़के खुशियां मनाने लगे । उसमें नवघन का बेटा भीमसेन और बेटी लबंगलता भी शामिल थी लेकिन दोनों की अचानक शादी से बेचारों का दिल टूट गया । दुखी आदमी बहुत काम करता है । उसमें से एक बड़ा काम है गलतियां निकालना । भीमसेन ने कहा, वो भी क्या शादी थी ! सिर्फ 50लोगों को बुलाया था । अरे! इतने लोग तो हमारी शादियों में नाराज होकर बैठे होते हैं । लबंगलता ने कहा, अनुष्का ने क्या घटिया लेहेंगा पहना था ! उससे अच्छा लेहेंगा तो दिल्ली के सरोजिनी मार्केट में मिल जाता है । फिर उसने जो झूमके पहने थे, दीपिका ने भी तो वैसे ही झूमके पहने थे । एेसी लड़की से शादी कर विराट का क्या फायदा हुआ ? मुझसे शादी की होती, तब दिखाती कि डिजाइन किसे कहते हैं...
हमारी मीडिया क्रिकेट और सिनेमा से कुछ ज्यादा ही प्यार करती है । विरूष्का इन दोनों का संगम हैं । इसीलिए मीडिया में दोनों की शादी को इतनी कवरेज मिली कि लगा, दुनिया में इससे बड़ा काम तो कोई हो ही नहीं सकता ।
विराट और अनुष्का ने इटली में क्यों शादी की इसे लेकर भी चर्चाओं का बाजार गर्म है । इसमें नरेन्द्र मोदी ने कहा- मित्रों, कांग्रेस जब सरकार में थी तब से विराट और अनुष्का का प्यार शुरू हुआ...तब क्या वह शादी कर पाए थे क्या...नहीं..लेकिन जब हमारी सरकार आई तभी दोनों ने शादी की । तो बताइए भाइयों और बहनों यह क्या अच्छे दिन नहीं हैं क्या...मोदीप्रेमी जनता ने कहा- हां...
राहुल गांधी ने कहा- प्यारे देशवासियों! विराट और अनुष्का के प्यार की शुरुआत कांग्रेस सरकार के समय हुई । उन्होंने शादी कहां की...इटली में । इसका मतलब क्या है...मोदीजी का 'मेक इन इंडिया ' फेल...यहां शादी में भी 'मेक इन इंडिया ' लागू नहीं हो पा रहा और दूसरी चीजों की बात ही क्या करें...राहूल के समर्थकों ने कहा, बिलकुल ठीक ।
अब केजरीवाल ने कहा विराट और अनुष्का की शादी इटली में करवाना केंद्र सरकार की साजिश है । विराट दिल्ली का लड़का है । दोनों की शादी दिल्ली में होनी चाहिए थी लेकिन दिल्ली में शादी न कर दोनों ने विदेश में शादी की..इसमें मोदी सरकार का हाथ है । इसके विरोध में हम धरना देंगे...
(डा.मृणाल चटर्जी फिलहाल भारतीय जनसंचार संचार पूर्वी क्षेत्र के आंचलिक निदेशक हैं ।
डा. चटर्जी ओडिशा के जानेमाने लेखक और प्रसिद्ध व्यंगकार हैं । )
Dec. 2017
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