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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