Column | Pathe Prantare

Samaya Taranga 25.11.18

Entries for Film Festival

IGNITE 2019 is dedicated to the social issues prevailing in our society with the theme ‘any of the social issue’. The last date for the submission of the films is 31^st December, 2019. All the entries of the films will be accepted through emails. All the winners will be rewarded with cash prize in a prize giving ceremony which will be held in month of January, 2019 and will be communicated to the winners through email and phone call.      

The participants are requested to submit their films or communicate or send their queries to our email id ignitefilmfestival@gmail.com. For further details of the festival one can visit our official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/igniteff

Column | Satrangi Batein

सतरंगी बातें

गुरुज्ञान

मृणाल चटर्जी

अनुवाद- इतिश्री सिंह राठौर

1- भगवान को छोटी-छोटी बातों पर आवाज लगाकर परेशान नहीं करना चाहिए । अगर कभी उनका मूड खराब हुआ और वह आपको ऊपर बुला लें तो क्या होगा कभी सोचा है !
2- एेसा काम करो कि  लोग बोलें, रहने दो तुम्हें ओर कुछ करने की जरूरत नहीं , बाकी काम हम कर लेंगे ।
3-आज के डेट में जो व्यक्ति नौकरी, पत्नी और मोबाइल को एकसाथ संभाल रहा है वह ही असल में महापुरुष है ।
4- वर्तमान समय में सबसे बड़ा आत्मत्याग क्य़ा है ? चार्ज होने से पहले अपना मोबाइल फोन चार्जर से निकाल कर दुसरे का मोबाइल फोन चार्ज करना तथा सबसे बड़ा दान है अपने घर का वाईफाई पासवर्ड दुसरे के साथ शेयर करना ।
5-याद रखो तुम अगर अच्छा काम करोगे लोग तुम्हें याद नहीं रखेंगे । लोग उन्हें ही याद रखेंगे जिन्होंने उनसे उधार लिया है और वापिस करने का नाम नहीं ले रहे ।
6-आजकल मातापिता की दो ही चिंताएं हैं कि बेटा इंटरनेट से क्या डाउनलोड कर रहा है और बेटी का उपलोड कर रही है ।
7-जंगल घास चरने गया सांड, ब्यूटीपार्लर गई लड़की, दोस्तों के साथ पार्टी करता लड़का और लंच पर गया अधिकारी कभी भी जल्दी नहीं लौटता ।
8- हर बात बोलने का एक सही तरीका होता है । बेवकूफ पति पत्नी से कहता है -चुप करो । बहुत बक-बक कर रही हो । चालाक पति कहता है- तुम जब चुप रहती हो न खुदा कसम कहर ढाती हो ।
9-एक पुरुष अपने घर में केवल दो ही परिस्थितियों में खुश रह सकता है-पहला जब पत्नी नई हो और दुसरा जब पत्नी नहीं हो ।
10- ह्वार्टसआप का सबसे बड़ा फायदा क्या है जानते हैं- इतनी महिलाएं एक साथ बातें करती हैं, फिर भी शोर-शराबा नहीं होता । असंभव को संभव बनाने के लिए व्हाट्सअप  प्राधिकरण को धन्यवाद ।
11-जिंदगी में कम से कम एक सच्चा दोस्त होना चाहिए ताकि तब घर में लौकी या बैंगन की सब्जी बनें तो उसके घर जाकर खाना खा सकें ।
12-अगर प्रवचन सुनने जा रहे हो तो देखो वहा खानपान की क्या व्यवस्था है । जहां खानपान की व्यवस्था हो वहीं जाओ वरना आजकल प्रवचन भी आनलाइन उपलब्ध है ।
13- धूर्मपान न करना, शराब न पीना, तेल-मसाला न खाना यह आपकी जिंदगी में और कुछ दिन जोड़ सकते हैं मगर वह दिन आपके  बुढ़ापे के होंगे जवानी के नहीं ।
14- नींद टूटने के बाद भी घंटों विस्तर पर लेटे रहने को आलस्य कहते हैं और रेस्तोरां में खाना खाने के बाद सौंफ और मिश्री ले आने को लोभ कहते हैं ।
15- गुपचुप वाले से बार-बार शुखी पापड़ी मांग कर खाने की आदत को शोषण कहते हैं और फल वाले से कुछ केले खरीदने के बहाने अंगूर की कीमत पूछते हुए सात-आठ अंगूर चबाने की आदत को छल  कहते हैं ।

(मृणाल चटर्जी ओडिशा के जानेमाने लेखक और प्रसिद्ध व्यंग्यकार हैं । मृणाल ने अपने स्तम्भ 'जगते थिबा जेते दिन' ( संसार में रहने तक) से ओड़िया व्यंग्य लेखन क्षेत्र को एक मोड़ दिया । इनका एक नाटक संकलन प्रकाशित होने वाला है । )
19.11.18
This column is published here: http://www.hindikunj.com/2018/11/guru-gyan.html

Column | Jagate Thiba Jetedina

Samaja Saptahika 17-23 Nov. 2018

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee

National Press Day

16 November is observed as the National Press Day. This was the day on which the Press Council of India (PCI) started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that not only did the press maintain the high standards expected from this powerful medium but also that it was not fettered by the influence or threats of any extraneous factors. Though there are several Press or Media Councils world over, the Press Council of India is a unique entity in as-much-as this is the only body to exercise an authority even over the instruments of the state in its duty to safeguard the independence of the press. Therefore, the day in which PCI started functioning It is symbolic of a free and responsible press in India.

Recommending the establishment of Press Council in 1956 the First Press Commission had concluded that the best way of maintaining professional ethics in journalism would be to bring into existence a body with statutory authority, of people principally connected with industry whose duty it would be to arbitrate. To this end the Press Council of India was established and the body that was evolved since November 16, 1966 has not belied the objective.

However, PCI only encompasses print media and news agencies. Television, radio and digital media do not come under its purview. Now that all media have more or less converged and digital technology is creating newer platforms- it is time PCI makes an attempt to expand its domain of operation.

Preserve Water Bodies

Many of our religious festivals and rituals are integrally associated with water bodies. Consider Chhat Puja (in picture; location: Kuakhia river at the outskirt of Bhubaneswar), Kartik Purnima Boita Bandana, Mahalaya Shradha, etc. It shows the close association our religio-cultural life has had with water bodies.

But of late we are destroying our water bodies both by reducing the water flow and depth and by polluting it. It is like digging our own graves.

It is time to stop destroying water bodies and start caring and nourishing them. Our ground water level is depleting at an alarming rate. We need to reduce drawing more water from ground and use flowing water. For that we need to keep it clean and flowing. It's time we take our water bodies more seriously.

Children in India

As yet another Children’s Day was celebrated on 14 November, here are some hard facts about  Children in India. It seems despite our professed love for children, they are the most vulnerable lot. One lakh fifty eight thousand one hundred and seventy six children died of pneumonia and 1,02,813 perished in diarrhoea in 2016 as per 'Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report' released on 9 Nov. by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC) at the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
If we want to build the nation, we need t0 look after our children first. Their health and education should be our first priority.

Passing of an icon

Prabhat Nalini Das died a quiet death on 14 November 2018, Children’s Day at an age of 91. She was a teacher par excellence with a heart beating for children.

Born in 1927, she had the distinction of topping every university she attended. She was a gold medalist at the Ravenshaw College. She earned her M.A. in English at the University of Allahabad, where she topped the university, earning three gold medals. She earned another Masters in English at the University of Minnesota as a Fulbright Smith-Mundt Scholar, and topped that university as well, winning several honours, including being the Best Graduate Student of the year (1954) from the Department of English, the Delta Phi Lambda Award, and a special medal for proficiency in writing.

In her uninterrupted career of 40 years, she taught at Ravenshaw College and Sailabala Women's College, Cuttack, Odisha before being appointed, at age 31, as head of the Department of English at Lady Shri Ram College. She turned down the post of principal of Lady Shri Ram College to move to the IIT Kanpur, as the first Director/Dean of its Humanities Division, at the age of 35. She was, afterwards, head of the Department of English at Ranchi University, a senior research fellow at the American Studies Research Centre, Hyderabad, and founder-professor and head, Department of English, Utkal University for almost nineteen years. She also served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the North Eastern Hill University Shillong.

Das has translated several major Oriya works into English including two of the most well known plays of Manoranjan Das: The Wild Horse and Nandika Keshari.

Together with her husband, Professor Bidhu Bhusan Das, she supported and patronized Odissi dance and music, and Odia and English theatre, right from the early 1950s. They helped Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra, Guru Pankaj Das and Guru Debaprasad Das in substantive ways when their career trajectories were evolving.

Prabhat Nalini Das has been a pioneer in resuscitating ikat and southern Odisha’a Berhampur silk saris, as well as its tussar (raw silk) saris. So prized and rare is her collection of saris that part of it was requested for display at The Smithsonin during the Festival of India in the US, in 1985.

I was her student for a very brief period, just before she retired from Utkal University, Bhubaneswar. But along with hundreds of other students, I’ll miss her. She will continue to live in the collective memories of her students.

Tailpiece: Legends

Men smoke cigarettes. 

Real men smoke cigars. 

Legends live in Delhi NCR

(Courtesy: Social Media)

***

Mrinal Chatterjee is a journalist turned media academician. He lives in Dhenkanal, a central Odisha town. He also writes fiction and plays.

mrinalchatterjeeiimc@gmail.com

This column is published every Sunday in Gangtok based English newspaper Sikkim Express and www.orissadiary.com

New Book

Will be available in the market shortly

Column | Window Seat

Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee

Public Service Broadcasting

November 12, is observed as the Public Service Broadcasting Day in India to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi’s maiden visit to All India Radio (AIR) studio. On November 12, 1947, Mahatma Gandhi spoke on radio to the refugees from Pakistan, stationed at the camp at Kurukshetra. It was Gandhi’s first and last visit to the studio of AIR. He was a communicator par excellence. He had always emphasised on the service and advocacy aspect of media, two important pillars of public service broadcasting.

Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) is the broadcasting made, financed and controlled by the public, for the public. It is neither commercial nor state-owned. It is supposed to be free from political interference and pressure from commercial forces. Through PSB, citizens are informed, educated and also entertained. When guaranteed with pluralism, programming diversity, editorial independence, appropriate funding, accountability and transparency, PSB can serve as a cornerstone of democracy.

The roots of public service broadcasting are generally traced to documents prepared in support of the establishment of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) by Royal Charter on January 1, 1927.

All India Radio and then Doordarshan had adopted the Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) model from their inception. However there have been challenges to this model, mostly from financial aspect. With the proliferation of cable and satellite television from late 80s, market-driven content began to gain prominence. Mainstream media tried to cater to the want of paying public and not to their need. This created a situation, where it is difficult to find a sane voice amidst cacophony. PSB is and will always be relevant and required as a watchdog of democracy.

Manali

Located at 6398 feet above the sea level and little above 8,000 population as per 2011 census Manali ought to be a quiet small town; ‘honeymoon capital’ that is what some websites say. Film actress Kangana Ranaut has a bungalow there- says another website. Rohtang Pass is just about 50 odd km and you can ski there, says yet another website.  Now I can’t really tell what enticed me to plan a trip there with family including my 77 years old mother. At first site Manali seemed to have far too many hotels and tourists that it can possibly accommodate. So you can see civic amenities bursting at the seams.

We stayed at a wooden log house at the PWD Circuit House, located adjacent to a small forest of Deodar and Chinar trees, walking distance from the Mall Road, the main shopping centre of the town. We explored the town by foot, which I believe is the best way to explore a place you have never been to. We went to Hidimba Temple, stopped at every bend of the road to look at the snow-capped mountains, also at roadside tea shops to strike conversation with the locals, who were courteous and friendly, tried to buy trinkets, which we found priced very expensively. We saw the Ramleela procession in which the characters danced and also did acrobatics. We found couple of restaurants serving Bengali food, which was cooked very badly and was prohibitively high-priced.

And then my wife demanded, “Show me some real ice, which I can roll into a ball and throw at you.” We were advised to visit Rohtang Pass to do that. So next morning off we went to Rohtang Pass.

Rohtang Pass

At 13050 feet, Rohtang Pass that connects Kullu valley with Lahul and Spiti valley is not an easy place to go. In fact the name Rohtang means 'ground of corpses' due to the number of people who lost their lives trying to cross it. This pass is an ancient trade route between the people on either side of Pir Panjal.

But though travelling to Rothang Pass is still difficult, given the erratic weather and heavy snow fall in the winter months- now it happens to be one of the most popular tourist spot in Himachal Pradesh attracting over two hundred thousand tourists per year.

From tourism point of view, this place is amazing. You can roll on snow. Throw ice balls. Ski. In fact Rohtang Pass is all about soaking in nature’s might and beauty. Apart from trekking across the rustic terrain, there are a plenty of adventure activities in and around Rohtang Pass.

Once at this place, live your dreams to be on the alps in Switzerland. However, one note of caution: there could be altitude sickness. So take adequate medicine and drink plenty of water.

Diwali in Delhi

I was in Delhi just about a week before Diwali. The bazars were preparing for Diwali bass. My friends in Delhi were apprehensive about the pollution on Diwali evening, despite Supreme Court directions and guidelines.

Pratyush one of my former students, presently working in mainstream journalism in Delhi wrote in his social media page:

 If you live in NCR, are literate enough to read newspapers, old enough to understand the implications and yet burst crackers, here's my Diwali wishes for you - may you die sooner than later because you are digging a grave for all of us.

As I am writing this column, just after Diwali- I found Delhi is full of graves dug recently.

Tailpiece: Importance of Documentation

A Bank Manager was travelling by train. When the train started, He was traveling alone in the AC-I coupe. Sometime later, a beautiful lady came and sat on the opposite berth! 

Bank Manager was pleasantly happy. The lady smiled at him. This made him happier. Then she went and sat next to him. Bank Manager was bubbling with joy.   

She then leant towards him and whispered in his ear, "Hand over all your cash, cards and mobile phone to me , else I will shout loudly and tell everybody that you are  harassing and misbehaving with me" 

Manager stared blankly at her. After a while he took out a paper and a pen from his bag and wrote, "I am sorry, I cannot hear or speak. Please write on this paper whatever you want to say" 

The lady wrote everything what she said earlier and gave it to him! 

Banker took her note, kept it nicely in his pocket...got up and told her in clear tones...”Now shout and scream !!” 

Moral of the story: DOCUMENTATION IS VERY IMPORTANT IN "ME TOO" AGE !!

 (Courtesy: Social Media)

***

The author, a journalist turned media academician lives in Central Odisha town of Dhenkanal. He has co-edited an anthology of lectures and essays on ‘Mahatma Gandhi: A Journalist and Editor’ with Snehasis Sur, which has recently been released at Delhi.

11.11.18

This column is published every Sunday in Gangtok based English daily Sikkim Express and www.orissadiary.com