 |
| Samay, 9.7.23 |
Saturday, 8 July 2023
Living in the Now | Weekly Column | 7.7.23
Living in the Now 7.7.23 | Mrinal
Chatterjee
Learning and Knowledge
Learning
is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behavior, skills,
values, attitudes, and preferences. Learning can be of different types. It can
be physical skills (psychomotor learning). It can be learning new emotional
responses, attitudes and values or affective learning. Or, it can be acquiring
intellectual skills or cognitive learning.
The
ability to learn is possessed by humans, animals, and thanks to artificial
intelligence, some machines. There is also evidence for some kind of learning
in certain plants. However, there are differences in how a human being learns
or engages with learning and how an animal or a bird learns.
Learning
effects relatively permanent change in human capabilities that is not a result
of growth process. These capabilities are related to specific learning
outcomes. The capacity of learn varies widely, depending on several factors,
including cognitive ability, application, perseverance, even genetic lineage.
American
author Brian Herbert says, the capacity to learn is a gift, the ability to
learn is a skill, the willingness to learn is a choice. One must choose to
learn. One who chooses to learn must willingly put in the effort required to
learn. Capacity to learn is a gift. Some
have it, others do not. Those who have it can learn quickly and with ease.
Those who do not have that gift have to put in an extra effort.
Learning
has to be joyful. One should get pleasure out of it even if it is physically
painful and mentally exhausting. French philosopher Simone Weil who influenced
Camus to a large extent said, “The joy of learning is as indispensable in study
as breathing is in running.” Remember
how we learnt cycling. We fell down, bruised ourselves. But as we pedalled and the cycle moved, a
surge of pleasure flowed through us. Despite the pain and bloodied knee we
continued, and thus learnt how to ride a bicycle.
One
good thing about learning, as Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) said, “it never exhausts the mind.” In fact the
more you learn, your mind gets more reenergized. George Courus the author of
‘Innovator’s Mindset’, writes: “Learning is creation, not consumption.
Knowledge is not something a learner absorbs, but something a learner creates.”
Learning
leads to knowledge. But learning is not knowledge.
Learning
is like plowing the field, tending the plants, watering them. Knowledge is the
fruit of all the efforts. How does learning turn into knowledge? Through
reflection. Thinking. Confucious said, “Learning without reflection is a waste.
Reflection without learning is dangerous.”
And what is the ultimate goal of knowledge? There is a beautiful
Sanskrit sloka in our ancient text: Sa vidya ya bimuktaye. Knowledge is
that which liberates. It liberates us from ignorance and also from the
arrogance of ‘I know all’.
++
Friday, 7 July 2023
Sunday, 2 July 2023
Saturday, 1 July 2023
Window Seat. My weekly 'slice of life' column, 2.7.23.
Window
Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 2.7.23
Rain in
Indian Literature and Culture
Rain in India brings respite
from the heat of the summer months, and water for agriculture, which has been
the mainstay of livelihood of majority of the Indians. Besides its impact on
ecology, agriculture and economy, it has had profound impact on literature and
culture of India.
 |
| Photo: Depiction of rain in the Rajput miniature painting tradition |
In
the mythology and folklore, the story of Lord Varun, the god of rain and Indra,
the king of Gods and also of the thunderstorms, is frequently depicted in
various tales. Rain is often associated with the life-giving powers of nature
and is believed to be controlled by divine beings.
Rain
has been a popular theme in Indian poetry for centuries. The ancient Indian
texts, and the classical Sanskrit poetry of Kalidasa, often describe the beauty
and power of rain. The monsoon season, known as "Varsha" in Sanskrit,
has inspired countless poems that capture the joy, romance, and melancholy
associated with rain.
Rain
has often been used as a metaphor in Bhakti literature, which is a devotional
form of poetry in Hinduism. Poets like Mirabai, Surdas, and Tulsidas frequently
use rain as a symbol of divine love and longing for the beloved deity. The
sound of raindrops is compared to the sweet melodies of spiritual ecstasy and
the tears shed in devotion.
In
the ancient Indian treatise on performing arts called Natya Shastra, rain is
considered one of the key elements in creating the atmosphere and mood of a
play or dance performance. It is used to evoke various emotions and portray
different dramatic situations.
Now
to go with the mood of the rain, here is a sher
by Nida Fazli (1938-2016), celebrated Hindi and Urdu poet and lyricist on rain
barsāt kā bādal to dīvāna hai kyā jaane
kis raah se bachnā hai kis chhat ko bhigonā hai
(The rain cloud is crazy. How does he know,
which road to avoid, and which roof to rain on)
100
years of Journalism in J&K
It was on June 24, 1924, Ranbir, the first newspaper of Jammu
and Kashmir was published. It was an Urdu daily published by Lala Mulk Raj
Saraf. It played a stellar role in setting a very high benchmark in
public-focused independent journalism.
 |
| First issue of Ranbir |
The story of Ranbir which literally means “knight of the
battle field”, as well as its founder-editor is both interesting and inspiring.
Lala Mulk Raj Saraf was born on 8 April 1894 in
Sambal district to Dayanand Saraf and Jamuna Devi. He completed his graduation
from the Government Gandhi Memorial Science College in Jammu. He started his
career in journalism as a sub-editor at Bande Mataram, the daily nationalist newspaper
started by Lala Lajpat Rai in Lahore. He was inspired by the powerful
personality and equally powerful pen of Lala Lajpat Rai.
However, he returned to Jammu and planned to start a
newspaper. It was not easy. He was told by well-wishers that any attempt to
bring out a newspaper in the state might be regarded as an hostile act against
the State. But Saraf was not an easy man to be dissuaded. Arranging funds to
start the newspaper and setting up a printing press was a problem. To make ends
meet, he worked as an accountant during the day and spent hours in the public
library, finding ways to make conditions favorable for a newspaper in the
state.Securing permission to start the newspaper also proved to be a herculean
task.
After years of relentless efforts, he finally launched
Ranbir, which became a relentless crusader voicing the grievances of the people
and championing social reforms. Over time, Ranbir gained the reputation for
“absolutely trustworthiness”. Ranbir carried out campaigns against several
social evils of the time. Suppression of infanticide, abolition of
untouchability and the forced labour, prevention of infant marriage and removal
of many other social evils formed chief plank of the Ranbir and resulted in the
enactment of several reforms during the regime of Maharaja Hari Singh.
Saraf had to face trials and tribulations
including confinement, banishment, security demands and even threats of closure
for his nationalistic views and objective reporting which were hard to digest
by those motivated by other considerations. During the partition of India in
1947, when Ranbir vehemently opposed attempts to keep Jammu & Kashmir separate
from India, the former Prime Minister of J&K infamously ordered to “Starve
Mr. Saraf into submission.” The captivating saga of the many battles he waged
and won as a fearless journalist has been vividly captured in his
autobiography, “Fifty years as a Journalist”.
The vision of free press that was set in motion nearly a
century ago has sustained through the turmoil that J&K has endured, though
Ranbir ceased publication on 18 May 1950.
He wrote, “The power of the press is neither a gift bestowed
on us by any capitalist nor an estate conferred us by any government. It is a
trust placed in our hands by the people and to use it honestly is our
conscientious duty” These words, along with his life story, serve as a timeless
inspiration for journalists.
Tailpiece:
Trick
CIA: Yo, Pri! Need a few
billion?
Prigozhin: Da..da. Tell me what
to do?
CIA: March on Moscow. Kill or
capture Putin. Take over. Declare NATO victory. We’ll support you as new boss
of Russia. Half money now, half after Moscow win.
Prigozhin: Da. I march now.
Call disconnects.
Prigozhin calls Putin.
Prigozhin: America gives me
billions to march to Moscow and kill or capture you. They give half now. What
do I do?
Putin: Take the half. Bring
some vodka along.
Both laugh.
Call disconnects.
(Courtesy: Social
Media)
++
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)