Window Seat | Mrinal Chatterjee | 27.2.22
Bob
Dylan
As the world comes to a flash
point with Russia and Ukraine going to war, we remember Bob Dylan’s iconic song
titled Masters of War:
Come you masters of war
You that build the big guns
You that build the death planes
You that build all the bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks
Known
for his anti-war songs and often regarded as one of the greatest song-writers
of all times Dylan wrote this song in 1963 in criticism of American leaders and
officials. It was meant as a realization of the times, what war was coming to
and why war became a pointless act, rather than a means of defense. In this
song he condemned the world's power brokers and the way (according to him and
many others) manufacture international conflict.
Read
the song, or better still hear it. It is as relevant today as it was when it
was written.
CSMVS@100
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati
Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) turned 100 this January. Opened as the
Prince of Wales Museum of Western India on 10th of January, 1922, (it was
renamed in 2001) it has grown as one of the finest museums of South–East Asia
and has established itself as the foremost cultural institutions in the
country.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Mumbai
It
has an interesting history. On the 14th
of August 1905, a number of prominent citizens of Bombay including Pherozeshah
Mehta, Justice Badrudin Tyabji, Narotamdas Gokuldas, Justice Chandavarkar,
Sassoon J. David and many other dignitaries who were known for their
outstanding contribution in their respective fields ,and also in the
development of the island of Bombay gathered at the Town Hall. They resolved to
erect a Memorial to the visit of the Prince of Wales (later King George V) in
the form of a public museum.
It
was erected on a plot of land known as the ‘Crescent Site’ on the southern tip
of the island. The Foundation Stone of the Museum was laid by the Prince of
Wales on the 11th of November, 1905. It was established through public
contribution aided by the then Government of the Bombay Presidency. The
building was completed in 1914, but opened its doors to the public 8 years
later. Until then it was used by the military as a hospital and for Children’s
Welfare Exhibitions.
'Pagri Sambal Jatta’
Remember the song, 'Pagri Sambal Jatta, Pagri Sambhal Ooi (Take
care of the Turban, O peasant, Take care of it), featured in several films on
Bhagat Singh!
These lines were written by Banke Dayal, the editor of the Jang
Sayal newspaper. On 3 March 1907, Banke Dayal sang the song for the first time
at a peasants rally in Lyallpur (present-day Faisalabad, Pakistan). The song
soon became an anthem against three British Laws-- the Doab Bari Act, Punjab
Land Colonisation Act and the Punjab Land Alienation Act.
Banke Dayal
The rally was organised by Sardar Ajit Singh (Bhagat Singh's
uncle), Kishan Singh (Bhagat Singh's father) Ghasita Ram and Sufi Amba Prasad.
Sardar Ajit Singh, was born on 23rd February on 1881 at Khatkar
Kalan village of Jalandhar district in a family of freedom fighters. His
grandfather Fateh Singh was part of Maharaja Ranjit Singh army and continuing
the tradition all three brothers Kishan Singh, Ajit Singh and Swarn Singh were
part of freedom struggle, for which they suffered long jail terms. Ajit Singh
remained exiled for 38 years and returned to India only in March 1947 at the
invitation of Jawahar Lal Nehru. He passed away at Dalhousie on the early
morning of 15th August 1947, after listening to PM Pandit Nehru's Tryst with
Destiny speech. Sardar Ajit Singh
The Owl
During my late evening walk around our wooded campus bordering a
reserve forest the other day, I found a solitary owl on a bamboo bush. It was
not a rare sight. Usually we find owls at night sitting on lampposts or on tree
branches. They fly away as soon as we approach them. But, this particular owl somehow did not budge-
probably because he found me an innocuous being or probably he was not in a
mood to go anywhere. So I stood there, and took a good look at it.
Parliament! I exclaimed. In Hindi an owl is known as ‘ullu’ and
its connotation is stupid. However my young artist friend Gorvachove Pothal
enlightened me.
“Most collective nouns for groups of birds date back to the
middle ages and are usually based on a bird’s characteristic or trait. In
ancient Greece, owls were a symbol of higher wisdom and associated with Athena,
Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy. There are no set numbers for what determines a
parliament of owls, since these birds rearely congregate in large groups,
smaller numbers are considered special and would be referred to as a parliament
or congress.
The term originates from a children’s book in the 1950’s called
The Chronicles of Narnia. In this book, the author describes a group of owls is
a parliament of owls, and with the book’s popularity sealed their fate in
popular culture and literature alike.
Tailpiece: Indian Media
According
to Indian media Russia will attack Ukraine in 24 hours….
Russian
President Putin has requested Indian media to give more time to prepare.
(Courtesy:
social Media)
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Journalist turned media academician Mrinal Chatterjee lives at the valley of Paniohala Hill at Dehenkanl, Odisha. He also writes fiction and plays.
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