tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11964715539277457752024-02-19T22:57:30.856-08:00rajarshirajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-13742355437686304762014-07-20T08:08:00.000-07:002014-07-25T04:08:45.910-07:00VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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With every passing day crimes against women are on the rise.
Every day when we open the news paper or turn on a news channel we are brought
face to face with news of rape and murder of the rape victim. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Sita_Bhum_Pravesh.jpg/220px-Sita_Bhum_Pravesh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/Sita_Bhum_Pravesh.jpg/220px-Sita_Bhum_Pravesh.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sita returns to the earth's womb with her mother. <br />
(A Raja Ravi Varma painting, credits Wikipedia)</td></tr>
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From the days of the Vedas and the Upanishads women are
being violated. Since the society became patriarchal women have been at the
receiving end. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata have chronicled the hapless
plight of women.</div>
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Sita had to prove her chastity in front of all and sundry.
Dushashana dragged Draupadi by her hair into the crowded courtroom where the
game of dice was being played. Then he tried to disrobe her in front of all the
great men of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. No one but Bheema protested against
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Rape and violence against women were there before probably
in the same numbers. In India, every second, a woman or a girl child is being
violated upon. Some incidents get reported while most remain out of our notice.
Fear, trauma and social stigma bar the victim from reporting the crime. </div>
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People should be
encouraged to come out and report such incidents. These cases need to be
handled carefully and with compassion. The trauma, the victim and the family
suffer, is immense. It should be taken into consideration while handling these
sensitive cases.</div>
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Earlier, the media was present only in print form. But now,
with the influx of media – both electronic and print – more incidents are
being brought forth. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thegreatindianperformance.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/cheerharan_rrv.jpg?w=460" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://thegreatindianperformance.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/cheerharan_rrv.jpg?w=460" height="320" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draupadi's Vastraharan <br />
(A Raja Ravi Verma Painting, Credits Wikipedia)</td></tr>
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This increased expansion of the media has also resulted in
the women and social rights activists becoming more vocal on the subject. They
are coming out and protesting against these heinous acts. As more incidents are
being brought to light, the complaints to the concerned authorities have also
increased.</div>
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People are now becoming more and more aware of their rights
and duties. Women are taking an active role in all the spheres of the society.</div>
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Empowerment of women is a revolutionary aspect of the
society. The government, the media and the powers that be are trying their
utmost in disseminating the message of development. Protection of mother and
girl child, pre-natal care, neo-natal care, post-natal care, child infanticide
are given due importance. Strict laws
and regulations have been framed to protect the girl child. Child marriage has
been almost done away with, at least on paper.</div>
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Throughout the world “gender in development” and “gender and
development” are being made the focus of all developmental programmes. Now there
are strict regulations on the practice of dowry in our country. In spite of
this, dowry is very much in vogue in the country. The powers that be turn a
blind eye to the fact. This practice needs to be eradicated comprehensively.</div>
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Crime and violence against women are the most
heinous and despicable acts in the world. These can be treated from a
sociological aspect. The woman is the most vulnerable member of the family.
Whenever anything untoward happens in the family, the woman becomes the most
affected of the lot. Either she has to forego her morsel of food or the girl
child has to leave her school or college. Similar other deprivations are borne
upon the female member of the family. But the same does not happen to the men
or the boys. These must be put to an end. </div>
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Development and growth is the call of the day. Poverty need to be eradicated – not only in
papers but physically. India has enough natural and agricultural resources and
more than adequate cash reserve to see to it that no one goes starved. No one
wants to live in poverty. No human being deserves humiliation and denigration. </div>
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<br /></div>
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It is the mother who feeds the family. It is the woman who
does the household chores. It is the lady of the house who actually gives
education to the whole family and brings up the children. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When one woman is violated upon every individual should
think about his mother, sister, daughter and the women folk back home. During
these despicable acts the society goes back in time. Development retards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hence
the average level of consciousness of the society has to be brought up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Materialism has led to unrestrained want – want
for goods and services beyond one’s means. This has given rise to the habit of
downplaying hard work, diligence, camaraderie and fellow feeling. People look
down upon those who are not resourceful. In general, disrespect has become a
national disease. This results in disrespecting even one’s own kith and kin. Everywhere
there is an ambiance of mistrust and hoodwinking. The common people are being
fleeced of their money, property and possessions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Sati_ceremony.jpg/220px-Sati_ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Sati_ceremony.jpg/220px-Sati_ceremony.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sati Ceremony - A Hindu practice, whereby <br />a widow immolates herself on the <br />funeral pyre pf her husband (pix credit, Wikipedia) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As charity begins at home, crime also begins at home. The
rapists and criminals get the first taste of crime within their own family or
within the surroundings they inhabit. This calls for a large scale drive to
enhance the social consciousness of the society as a whole.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our country is infected with criminalization of politics. It
has been the bane of our society for long. Power corrupts. Absolute power
corrupts absolutely. The political leaders cutting across party lines cater to
their vote banks. They therefore fail to take honest, positive and drastic
steps to enhance the societal conscious level.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The media and the information network have to take the onus
on themselves to spread the message of respect, humanity and the virtues of
life. But that again is a tough ask and who should come forth to bell the cat. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></div>
</div>
rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-87690540838203543642014-06-18T09:10:00.000-07:002014-06-18T09:10:29.304-07:00AJANTA, ELLORA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Ajanta_caves_aurangabad_14.JPG/270px-Ajanta_caves_aurangabad_14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Ajanta_caves_aurangabad_14.JPG/270px-Ajanta_caves_aurangabad_14.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stupa in cave 10 (pix credit wikipedia)</td></tr>
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In February, 2014, we decided to visit Ajanta and Ellora. One
of us was going to Mumbai to shoot a <span id="goog_716201567"></span><span id="goog_716201568"></span>documentary. The second member of our
group was in Mumbai, working. I was going to Mumbai to look for betterment in
my career. </div>
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Our trip was scheduled for the third week of March. We, in
Calcutta, did not realize it was probably not the best of times to be in Ajanta
and Ellora. It dawned on us later. It is apt to visit Ajanta and Ellora in the
months of November, December, January and February till the first half of
March.</div>
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We browsed the net. We talked to friends and acquaintances for
inputs. The website of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) provided
us the necessary information. We learnt from this site Fardapur is about 5 kms.
away from Ajanta. MTDC has a resort at Fardapur. This is the place to stay if
we are to invest adequate time to see the Ajanta caves thoroughly.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Meister_des_Mah%C3%A2janaka_J%C3%A2taka_001.jpg/290px-Meister_des_Mah%C3%A2janaka_J%C3%A2taka_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/Meister_des_Mah%C3%A2janaka_J%C3%A2taka_001.jpg/290px-Meister_des_Mah%C3%A2janaka_J%C3%A2taka_001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">scene from cave 1 (pix credits wikipedia)</td></tr>
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One can visit Ajanta from Jalgaon. Ajanta is 60kms from
Jalgaon. It is a two hour journey by road. The Ellora caves are in
Aurangabad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were not sure about where
to start our journey from. Would it be Jalgaon or shall we move on to
Aurangabad? Here again the MTDC website came to our rescue. The site advices
tourists to visit Ajanta from Aurangabad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The caves of Ajanta are about 105 kms from Aurangabad.
Aurangabad has a good bus service run by the State Government of Maharashtra.
It takes around two and a half hours to three hours to reach the caves. We booked
the MTDC resort at Fardapur for two days.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We took the Tapovan Express from Mumbai CST to Aurangabad.
The train starts from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal at 6.10 A.M. It is
supposed to reach Aurangabad at around 1.15 P.M. That fateful day the train
reached Aurangabad at 3.30 P.M.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were in a reserved compartment. Inspite of the fact that
the compartment was meant for passengers with reservations, common people and
daily commuters thronged the compartment. We had a torrid time. The burning sun
along with the barren, dry and rocky country took its toll on us. We were
exhausted and fatigued. One of us suffered heat stroke while another was
feeling giddy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Ellora_cave10_001.jpg/200px-Ellora_cave10_001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Ellora_cave10_001.jpg/200px-Ellora_cave10_001.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the buddhist "carpenter's" cave at ellora(cave 10)<br /> pix credits wikipedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had previously decided to bide our time in Aurangabad,
take rest for a while and proceed to Fardapur in due course. But now this
became a compulsion on us. We took a long rest in Aurangabad.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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We refreshed ourselves at the waiting room at Aurangabad
railway station. After a late lunch at the cafeteria inside the rail station, we
waited patiently for the daytime heat to subside. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At around quarter to 5 we went to the Aurangabad bus
terminal. Our bus for Fardapur started at 5 o’clock. The conductor of our bus
informed us that it stops just in front of the entrance to the MTDC resort at
Fardapur and that it would take around two and a half hours to reach.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was a pleasant journey. A cool wind had set in. The
rocky terrain of the Western Ghats provided scenic landscapes. The weather was
comfortable and soothing. In the western parts of India, the sun takes time to
set. The setting sun provided adequate light for us to see and enjoy the
nature. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the bus dropped us at Fardapur, near the MTDC resort, it
was 730 P.M. The sun had long gone to rest. Evening had set in. It was dark.
This journey was not as taxing as the morning travel. We checked into our room,
had tea and took turn to bathe. We had an early dinner at the resort’s
cafeteria. It was a beautiful ambience. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We spent the next day at the Ajanta caves. Visitors had come
from all over the world to visit the caves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our eyes feasted on the Buddhist sculptures and wall engravings. The etchings
and drawings were impeccable and the sculptures were immaculate. The toil was
worth it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day after, we started for Aurangabad at 8 in the
morning. We reached the MTDC resort near the Aurangabad railway station at
around 11 o’clock. We had our lunch and moved on to visit Ellora.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Ellora-Jain-cave.jpg/150px-Ellora-Jain-cave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Ellora-Jain-cave.jpg/150px-Ellora-Jain-cave.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a jain cave in ellora. pix credit wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The caves of Ellora are situated 30 km from Aurangabad. We
went to the Aurangabad bus terminus and took a bus to Ellora. It was a one hour
journey. One crosses Daulatabad on the way.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ellora is all about carvings, sculptures and wall paintings
and engravings from the Jainism period. It is an exhibition of stupendous Indian art at its
peak. The Kailas Temple is a magnificent piece of architecture of the period.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Indian history, architecture, sculpture and art reminded us
of the rich legacy of our country. All the sweat, grime and our quest for ways
and means to see the remnants of our country’s opulent past was paid off in
cash and kind. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We went back to Aurangabad to prepare for our journey back
to Mumbai. We had our reservations on the Jan Shatabdi Express which was
scheduled to leave Aurangabad for Dadar at 6.00 A.M. the next day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-30934762091309148892014-04-28T08:36:00.000-07:002014-04-28T08:36:09.709-07:00VALENTINE'S DAY - A POTENT TOOL FOR MARKETING<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Valentine’s Day has gradually turned
out to be a very potent tool for marketing in the Indian sub-continent. It
probably has a greater impact on the South East Asian markets.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSx1w4ZA1LwkZe4p_5pwIb8B2M1cSL4TqE2J-HiUqLIsCNNkPDKlQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSx1w4ZA1LwkZe4p_5pwIb8B2M1cSL4TqE2J-HiUqLIsCNNkPDKlQ" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pix credit wiki images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In India, the festive season, which
starts in September/October, comes to an end early January. From then on till
the financial year end in March the markets become dry. The sales happen in the
government sectors – the public sectors. The annual budgets need to be exhausted.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They then add to the sales of bulk and
wholesale markets.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>The annual year end sale season – the Chaitra
sale in West Bengal and in Maharashtra happen at the end of March. The period
from January to March – the three months used to be a lull period for the
retailers throughout the country. Of late the situation has changed
drastically.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Since the last decade of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century the markets have had a fresh lease of life around the concept of the
Valentine’s Day. The marketing campaigns have targeted almost every age group
from the teenagers to the old, from the illiterate to the literate. Anybody and
everybody are aware of the day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Valentine’s Day, which is
observed on 14<sup>th</sup> February every year, is the harbinger of romance in
the season of spring. You name <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>any
market, any product, anything that comes to your mind in the retail market – be
it a fast moving consumer good to a consumer durable has seen considerable rise
in its sale on and around the day.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ__bI282iA5sK0ZE9dxZ9PfgfoBzjmMUiBSlbQstEhNOysvIvgdg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ__bI282iA5sK0ZE9dxZ9PfgfoBzjmMUiBSlbQstEhNOysvIvgdg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pix credits wiki images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The essence of any marketing campaign
targeting the Valentine’s Day has primarily been romance, love, warmth, a sense
of being there and a feeling of well being. This has egged on the average
person, the commoners to buy and gift things to their friends, lovers and
family.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As a result the coffers of the
retailers have fattened up during an otherwise lull season. The economy has
become more energetic during these months. The investment and savings patterns
have also been subsequently influenced.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Valentine’s Day is also known as Saint
Valentine’s Day or the feast of Saint Valentine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day is celebrated in many countries
around the world. But it is not a holiday in most of them. The Halloween is more
important than Valentine’s Day in USA, UK and similar advanced nations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The customs of Valentine’s Day
developed in early modern England. It spread throughout the world in the 19<sup>th</sup>
century. Then in the later 20<sup>th</sup> century and early 21<sup>st</sup>
centuries it caught up very well in the so called third world countries. These
customs have also spread to other countries along with other aspects of
American pop culture.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUr31QmbpMcpP0FFy4IJpuRUGckdVAcTgZN5Bv2cVrRRWPldHKPA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUr31QmbpMcpP0FFy4IJpuRUGckdVAcTgZN5Bv2cVrRRWPldHKPA" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pix credit wiki images</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Poets like Geoffrey Chaucer and John
Donne had symbolized the day with the idea of Love and Romance. Even the great
Shakespeare has used it in his writings. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, we find
Ophelia mentioning the day with remorse. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A very well orchestrated and concentrated
marketing effort has initiated the celebrations of Valentine’s Day in some East
Asian countries with Chinese, South Koreans and Indians spending the most money
on Valentine’s gifts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Though sociologists and certain
politicians have scoffed at the concept of merchandising of love, the concept
of Valentine’s Day has caught on in a big way in this sub-continent. The
economic effects it has brought on to the country are positive. People bask in
the warmth of a good feeling about themselves. It has now become a social
event. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In a way it has done well to the
people and has augured in a fresh lease of air to the mundane day-to-day lives of
the common man. </div>
</div>
rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-7723917068461022352013-12-22T05:26:00.001-08:002013-12-22T05:26:20.370-08:00DEULTI<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Samta_-_Madanmohan-jiu_Temple_(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Samta_-_Madanmohan-jiu_Temple_(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madanmohan Jiu Temple, Samta (pix credits Wikipedia)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On 9th of June, 2013, a Sunday, two
of my friends and I went to Deulti, a nice, quiet hamlet on the banks of the
river Rupnarayan, in Howrah district in West Bengal. It is located about 6kms
towards the western part of Bagnan.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It was summer and it was June.
Everyone, we talked to, dissuaded us from travelling in this sweltering heat.
It is definitely uncomfortable. But we were bored with life in the city. We
needed some fresh air and a change from the day in and day out trundle.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After pondering over different
destinations, the time at our disposal and the money involved, we zeroed in on
Deulti. Deulti is one of the oldest stations of Bengal Nagpur Railway. It was
built in 1890. One can reach the place by train from Howrah. It is also
accessible by car. It is a drive of around one and half hours from Kolkata.
There are places to stay at Deulti. One can find them on the internet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
We started early in the morning. We
drove along the Jessore Road, crossed the Nivedita Bridge and took the Kona
Expressway till we came onto the Bombay Road or the NH6. At Bagnan we asked our
way around and learnt Deulti was 4kms ahead. From the crossing of Deulti we
turned right to Mellock and were greeted by a statue of the famed novelist
Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Deulti station was to the left of the crossing. We
booked ourselves into a resort. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Samta_-_Sarat_Chandra_Chattopadhyay's_House_in_Samta.JPG/200px-Samta_-_Sarat_Chandra_Chattopadhyay's_House_in_Samta.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Samta_-_Sarat_Chandra_Chattopadhyay's_House_in_Samta.JPG/200px-Samta_-_Sarat_Chandra_Chattopadhyay's_House_in_Samta.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarat Chandra's house at Deulti <br />(pix credits Wikipedia)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After breakfast, we set out for
Sarat Chandra Kuthi, the house of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. It is a two
storied Burmese style house. When it was built, the river Rupnarayan used to
flow right outside the window of Sarat Chandra’s study. Now the river has
changed course and has moved far away. The house was destroyed in the floods of
1978. The Zilla Parishad repaired it. It has now been declared a heritage site.
In front of the house is the village pond which had been immortalized by the
great novelist in “Palli Samaj”and other writings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Sarat Chandra was born into
abject poverty in Devanandapur, in Hoogli district in West Bengal. They were
four siblings. His eldest sister Anila Devi was married in the village of
Samtaber. Sarat Chandra used to frequent this place. The serene, tranquillity of the place on the
banks of the river Rupnarayan fascinated him. When he returned from Burma and
settled in Calcutta Sarat Chandra bought a piece of land near Anila Devi’s and
built a house for himself. He lived here till his death, with his wife and his
brother Swami Vedananda.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
We left the house and walked to
the banks of the river Rupnarayan. The river is famous for the Ilish or Hilsa fish
that abound in it. It is a popular Bengali cuisine. The river starts in the
foothills of the Chhoto Nagpur plateau northeast of the town of Purulia. It
flows south east past Bankura, where it is known as Dwarakeshwara. In the town
Ghatal it is joined by the river Silai. The Rupnarayan finally flows into the
river Hoogli. At Kolaghat, on its banks, is the West Bengal Power Development
Corporation Limited (WBPDCL) power plant.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Deulti has a regular flow of
tourists throughout the year. Kolaghat is nearby. One can also go to Garchumuk
and Gadiara. Here the summers are tough. During monsoon the Rupnarayan floods
its banks. It is better to come here in winter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/17/Jaggery_Preparation.jpg/800px-Jaggery_Preparation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/17/Jaggery_Preparation.jpg/800px-Jaggery_Preparation.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional preparation of jaggery, Samta <br />(pix credits Wikipedia)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Deulti is rich in its heritage
and culture. It is famous for its temples. In the village of Mellock near
Samta, there is a very old temple built by Mukundaprasad Roychowdhry. He was a
famous wrestler. The temple dates back to 1651 AD. The Madan Mohan Jiu temple
is locally known as Gopaler Mandir (the Temple Of Gopala). It is one of the
largest atchala (Eight Roofed) temples in West Bengal. The temple is large,
beautiful and ornamented by terracotta carvings. Now it is dilapidated and
under renovation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Ma Shitala temple, the temple of
Baba Lokenath, the temple of Lord Shiva at Shibtala and the temple of Ma Chandi
at Shubho Chandi Tala are the other famous temples in and around Deulti. These
temples have initiated a lot of myths around them.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The rains came late in the afternoon.
They were accompanied by thunder and lightning. The unbearable heat of the day
was gone. As evening set in the rain came to a stop. The climate cooled down.
Our journey back was comfortable. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We were
refreshed and ready to face the following week’s work. The short tour added to
our knowledge of history. We came face to face with our tradition. </div>
</div>
rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-36927201721969088662013-12-22T04:49:00.004-08:002013-12-22T05:27:20.841-08:00REMINISCENCES OF A THEATRE WORKER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Vienna_-_Vienna_Opera_Backstage_-_9729.jpg/800px-Vienna_-_Vienna_Opera_Backstage_-_9729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/Vienna_-_Vienna_Opera_Backstage_-_9729.jpg/800px-Vienna_-_Vienna_Opera_Backstage_-_9729.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vienna Opera Backstage (pix courtesy wikipedia)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
My tryst with drama started when
I was in kindergarten. I had the chance to perform on one of the oldest stages
of Kolkata – Biswaroopa. Thereafter, I
grew up and saw the IPTA and the Group Theatre movement in Kolkata. I saw Utpal
Dutta, Shambhu Mitra, Sabitri Chatterji, Tripti Mitra, Keya Chakraborty, Shobha
Sen, Soumitra Chatterji, Kumar Roy perform on the proscenium. I saw Ajitesh
Bannerji perform Brecht’s Three Penny Opera, Pirandello’s 6 Characters In
Search of a Playwright, and Chekhov’s Cherry Orchard. I saw Badal Sarkar’s
Third Theatre plays. I participated in workshops by Badal Sarkar.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gradually, I was drawn to
theatre. I joined a professional theatre group. I worked with the Indian
People’s Theatre Association. I did street plays. I did dance dramas. I
participated in choirs. I worked backstage. I was part of crowd scenes. I sold
tickets. I went out with fellow theatre activists sticking posters of shows on
the walls, lampposts, railway stations, trains, buses and trams. I distributed
leaflets and handouts. I helped in setting up the sets of plays. I dabbled in
everything from music to light to make up to costume.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then came a Central Theatre
Workshop organised by the Paschimbanga Natya Akademi under the Department of
Information & Culture, Govt. Of West Bengal. I passed the grueling
interview session and qualified for the workshop. The workshop started at
Girish Mancha, in Kolkata. Almost all the stalwarts of Bengali Theatre were
there. They were kind, empathetic but very strict and disciplined. They put you
to your place. They never spared to call a spade a spade. I found my calling. I
decided whatever I do, I must do theatre. I might get into films, I might work
in corporate, I might get into teaching but I must do theatre.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started to work freelance and
worked with numerous groups in Kolkata. I used theatre as a means of social
communication and worked among the marginalized people of the society. I worked
in slums and villages, with street children, the residents of correctional
homes, the destitute and the sex workers. My work in theatre challenged me
mentally and physically. I had to study. I had to improvise. I got to know my
society better. I became a different person.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Theatre drove me to learn. It
moved me out of my comfort zone. It made me think out of the box. I met new
people – people from diverse backgrounds. Theatre made me face new challenges.
It enabled me to be at the side of people come what may. Theatre and my work in
it have given me immense satisfaction. I have derived pleasure from it. It has
given me respect and recognition. It has taught me to move on in life, to
accept new challenges. Hence I wish and desire to work specifically in the
field of drama. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-67240010881092499722013-08-21T13:28:00.000-07:002013-08-21T13:28:35.275-07:00HEGEMONY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photodivision.gov.in/writereaddata/webimages/special_features/12295099731_DSC_2407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://photodivision.gov.in/writereaddata/webimages/special_features/12295099731_DSC_2407.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sepoy Mutinee 1857<br /> (photo credits wikipeia)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The end of the telegram services
in India on July 15, 2013, a month prior to India’s 67<sup>th</sup>
Independence Day on 15<sup>th</sup> August, is significant in many ways. It was
instrumental in establishing British hegemony in the Indian subcontinent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In 2007, India commemorated 150
years of the 1857 Revolt, which was coined the First War of Indian Independence
by Karl Marx. The telegraph service survived 163 years from the day of its
introduction in the country in 1851. Since then it had been the basic means of
communication in India. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Literature, be it classical
literature, whodunits or the espionage genre - is agog with the use of the
telegraph service. Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Byomkesh Bakshi in our
very own backyard have used the service to telling effect. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited,
early in 2013, stopped the telegram service for overseas communication.
Thereafter, it decided to discontinue it in the domestic market from July 15.
The BSNL Board approved of the decision. Subsequently the Telecom Board gave
the final clearance to the withdrawal of the “dot dash” service.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/L-Telegraph1.png/200px-L-Telegraph1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fd/L-Telegraph1.png/200px-L-Telegraph1.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AMorse Key<br />(photo credits wikipedia)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The “dot dash” or the Morse Code,
named after Samuel Finley Breese Morse, the American artist inventor who was
the brain behind the Telegraph and the code, used to move through a device that
again sent them through wires to another device which in turn typed them in
normal letters on strips of paper. In the USA the first telegram message was
sent by Morse using the Morse Code in 1830. The USA discontinued the service in
2006.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Financial constraints compelled
the BSNL to wound up the services. It had taken up the service from the Indian
Post and Telegraph. For a long time, the common Indian considered the telegraph
a symbol of imperial rule. However, the services brought this vast country
together. Eventually it became an integral part of everyday life. In the long
run, it emerged as the oldest milestone of modern India. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The telegraph service was
inexpensive and quick. It was used at random to send emergency messages and
birth and death news. The rapid increase
in the use of mobile phones and exposure to the World Wide Web accelerated the
decline in the usage of the telegraphic service.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
There was a time when several
hundred thousand telegrams used to move over the wires of the telegraph system
in India in a day. As the number of telegrams sent in a day reduced, the losses
incurred by the BSNL escalated. But the end of the telegraph service in India
will put a major section of its population to disadvantage. There are
innumerable Indians who have no access to phones. Withdrawal of the service
will put these teeming millions at the receiving end. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Kolkata’s association with the
telegraph goes back to 1850. It was here in November 1850, the first telegraph
line of India was laid between the Alipore Telecom Factory in Kolkata- then Calcutta
- and the Diamond Harbour Post Office covering a distance of around 45 km.</div>
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Sir William Brook O’ Shaughnessy
was the man behind the initiation of the telegraph service in India. Sir
William was an eminent physician. He carried out experiments with the telegraph
on his own. He was successful in laying a seven mile long telegraph line from
the Botanical Gardens in Howrah. This was in 1839. But his efforts had no
significant impact.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Felice_Beato_(British,_born_Italy_-_Two_Sepoys_of_the_31st_Native_Infantry,_Who_Were_Hanged_at_Lucknow,_1857_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="249" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Felice_Beato_(British,_born_Italy_-_Two_Sepoys_of_the_31st_Native_Infantry,_Who_Were_Hanged_at_Lucknow,_1857_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hanging of 2 sepoys of the 31st<br /> Native Infantry. <br />Albumen Siver Print by Felice Beato, 1857<br /> (credits wikipedia)<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In 1848 Sir William succeeded in his effort to
convince Lord Dalhousie, the then Governor General of India, about the importance
of the telegraph system in this vast country. He made Lord Dalhousie realise
that the telegraph would be speedier than rail. The telegraph system came to
the rescue of the British Empire during the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, thereby,
cementing the British domination over the Indian subcontinent. </div>
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<br /></div>
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In March 1851, the first test
telegram message was sent by the British East India Company from the Alipore
Telecom Factory in Calcutta to the Diamond Harbour Post Office. The service was
opened to the public in December the same year. By 1854, telegraph lines were
laid across the country, in Delhi, Bombay and Madras. </div>
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It was with the help of telegraphic
communication that the British suppressed the revolution that broke out against
their rule under the East India Company in 1857. From telegraphic messages the British
army got advance information of impending attacks and troop movements of the Indians.
These gave the British forces ample time to respond and put away their women,
children and the sick to safety.</div>
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<br /></div>
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As Babur, with his motley group
of soldiers, used the artillery to defeat the huge army of Ibrahim Lodi, in
1525, at the First Battle of Panipat, and establish the Mogul dynasty in India,
the British established their control over this country with the help of the
telegraph system.</div>
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rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-39217937847830365782013-07-31T22:15:00.001-07:002013-07-31T22:15:59.572-07:00THE VILLAIN WITH A HEART<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://drop.ndtv.com/albums/ENTERTAINMENT/pran-life-in-pics/3-pran-khandaan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://drop.ndtv.com/albums/ENTERTAINMENT/pran-life-in-pics/3-pran-khandaan.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PRAN IN KHANDAAN. (photo credits to NDTV.) </td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">On 13 July, 2013, a huge crowd gathered at the Shivaji Park Crematorium in Central Mumbai to bid adieu to Pran Sahaab. His last rites were being performed here. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;"></span><span style="text-align: justify;">Pran Kishan Sikand, who was born in Delhi on 12 February, 1920, breathed his last on 12 July, 2013, at the Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai. His body left the Lilavati Hospital in Bandra, a western suburb of Mumbai, at 10.30 am on 13 July, 2013. It reached the crematorium at Shivaji Park half an hour later. </span></div>
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Pran was an exemplary actor, a thorough professional by his own right and a gentleman in every respect. He had a prolific career spanning 6 decades in the industry.</div>
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According to, the famed director, Subhash Ghai, Pran Sahaab had completed his journey gracefully, with dignity, accomplishment and achievements with the best of honours – he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2012.</div>
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Pran was in control of his craft. He brought different shades to his roles as villain. He made the art of villainy his very own and did carve a niche for himself. His portrayal of Gajendra, the tyrannical brother-in-law to Dilip Kumar’s hero in Ram aur Shyam, catapaulted villainy to the focal point of Indian cinema.</div>
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An actor par excellence, Pran was the highest paid actor in Bollywood from 1969 to 1982. During this period he was paid more than the heroes of some of the films he acted in. Pran appeared in every super hit film of the time.</div>
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Vyjyanthimala reminisced, Pran Sahaab was multi faceted and very talented. He could sing, dance, do comedy , in fact do anything. Though villainy was his trademark, he never overacted. He was a matured villain. Pran was courteous and, says Vyjyanthimala, a wonderful person. She says, “ He will always remain one of the biggest icons of the Hindi film industry.''</div>
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As Hindi cinema rolled through the 70’s and into the 80’s the definition, the style, the manner and representation of villains went through a gradual metamorphosis. Pran also transformed himself in the process.</div>
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Pran was a versatile actor. His performance in Manoj Kumar’s Upkar, Raj Kapur’s Aah, Gulzar’s Parichay and Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer amply prove his acting prowess.</div>
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Subhash Ghai recalls, Pran would arrive before the call sheet time during the shoots. He would definitely bring something to the table about the scene he was going to shoot that day. Pran had the ability to accept rejection. He used to take it gracefully in his stride saying “You are the captain of the ship.” Thereafter they would share a good laugh over it. Pran was a delight to work with for every director. He was generous to his producers too.</div>
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He was neither ostentatious nor was he ever obtrusive and never let fame dictate his behavior. Ghai remembers, every time he narrated a story, Pran would listen, smile and react as if he was a new comer, begging for a good role. This was in spite of the fact that at the time Pran was a huge star and films were bought and released on his name. “His face was bigger on the posters than Amitabh Bachhan”, says Ghai.</div>
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In early 1960, Pran played a real hero to Waheeda Rehman. They were attending a party in Chennai. Some of the revelers got inebriated and tried to misbehave with Waheeda Rehman. Pran, reportedly, came to the starlet’s rescue.</div>
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Pran had a great sense of humor. He was well read and had keen interest in Urdu poetry and literature. An avid sports lover, he kept abreast of all sports events. He would often be at the Cooperage to watch soccer matches. </div>
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Kapil Dev, the cricket legend, said – “If I had a son I would have named him Pran.” In 1980, Kapil had to undergo a knee surgery. He was having problem arranging the money. The Indian Cricket Board was cash strapped those days. Kapil received an unexpected call from Pran, who told him that he would bear the entire expenses for the surgery. "Don’t worry about anything. Just don’t compromise on your health,” Pran had said. Kapil Dev was touched by that call. Eventually Kapil tided over the impasse with help from the Indian cricket board and his family. But the care and concern for sports expressed by Pran remain etched in Kapil’s heart.<br />
<br /></div>
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Amitabh Bachhan, in his blog,
paid glowing tribute to this legendary actor.
“A gentleman of the finest order, an admirable colleague, a thorough
professional, a master of disguise in the characters he played, a delightful
companion after office hours and a considerate human” – is how he describes
Pran.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In his early days, Pran wanted to become a
photographer. He started assisting a professional photographer in Simla. His first film was Dalsukh M Pancholi's Yamla Jat in Punjabi. It happened from an accidental meeting with writer Wali Mahmood Wali in Lahore in 1940. </div>
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When he came to Mumbai, after Partition, Sadat Hussein Manto, the famed litterateur, along with the actor, Shyam helped Pran get
a role in Ziddi (1948), a Bombay Talkies film, directed by Shaheed Latif. It starred Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal. Thereafter Pran
did not have to look back.</div>
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As the legendary actor moves on to his heavenly abode we have respect and admiration for the villain who had a big heart. Our hearts echo the words of Amitabh Bachhan on Pran - “we
don’t make the likes of them anymore.” </div>
</div>
rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-34825587367699674552013-07-12T04:53:00.001-07:002013-07-12T04:55:21.370-07:00FOCUS ON WORK <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Krishna_Arjuna_Gita.jpg/220px-Krishna_Arjuna_Gita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Krishna_Arjuna_Gita.jpg/220px-Krishna_Arjuna_Gita.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krishna counselling Arjuna at Kurukshetra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Focus on the work in hand and not
on the result and its outcome.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>“KARMANYE VADHIKARASTE MA FALESHU
KADACHANA”</i> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
– do not think about the result or its outcome just keep on doing
your work. Thus spake the Gita or the Bhagwad Gita. To be specific this was
what Krishna told the third Pandava – the warrior prince, Arjuna.</div>
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The Karma Yoga chapter of the
Gita enunciates the principle of work – selfless work. But what does it really
mean to say?</div>
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<br /></div>
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If one asks Andy Murray, the
reigning Wimbledon and Olympic Champion, to go on training and participating
in tennis tournaments without thinking of winning the Grand Slam, shall he
adhere to it?</div>
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It was the beginning of the epic
battle at Kurukshetra between the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Arjuna was the
Commander-in-chief of the Pandava army. Krishna was Arjuna’s charioteer.<br />
<br />
As
Arjuna drove into the battle field, he looked at the rank and
file of soldiers on both sides. He saw that he was going to
fight against his own brothers, friends and revered teachers. He was appalled. He put
down his arms and declined to fight. </div>
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Responding to Arjuna’s confusion
and moral dilemma, Krishna explained his duties as a warrior and a prince and
elaborated on a variety of philosophical concepts. He counselled Arjuna. Krishna imparted him wisdom, the path to devotion and the doctrine of selfless action.</div>
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The Bhagawad Gita, or simply, the
Gita, begins here, at the start of the start of the war at Kurukshetra. The Gita is a part of the Hindu epic the
Mahabharata. It upholds the essence and theological tradition of the
Upanishads.</div>
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In Karma Yoga, Krishna elucidates
how the performance of prescribed duties, but without attachment to results, is
the appropriate course of action for Arjuna.</div>
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The Karma Yoga upholds
the necessity of action. However, this action is to be undertaken without any
attachment to the work or desire for results. The Bhagwad Gita terms this
“inaction in action and action in action.”</div>
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The concept of such detached
action is also called “Nishkam Karma” or actions performed without desire. In
the following verses, Krishna elaborates on the role actions performed without
desire play in attaining freedom from material bondage and transmigration:</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“To action alone hast thou a
right and never at all to its fruits;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> let not the fruits of actions be thy
motive;</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> neither let there be in thee any attachment to inaction.” </span></div>
</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Way back in 2011, when Andy Murray roped in Ivan
Lendl as his coach, did he focus on the result or he did so
to improve his performance? The day Lendl started coaching Andy Murray was he certain that Andy, his pupil, will become the first British man to win the singles at Wimbledon in 77 years!<br />
<br />
They fixed a goal and worked towards it. Day in and day out, training session after training session, they honed their skills, polished their technique, improved upon their fitness and hoped for a positive end.<br />
<br />
When one embarks upon a project
one has to look at the result. Result is of utmost importance. The Sales Manager has to deliver sales. He
has to increase revenue. Or else both he and the organisation he works for has
to face the worst. In order to increase sales he has to work for it. He has to
plan for it and execute the plan.</div>
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A sale is the outcome of the
sales process. Winning or losing the Ashes is the outcome of the cricket series
between England and the Aussies.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
But one has to work towards it. One has to
plan for his goal. One has to follow the plan. One has to execute the plan on
field. </div>
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It is like Algebra. If one
follows the steps correctly, does not flounder with the digits and is strong in
BODMAS the sum has to be correct. One must move step by step. Each step is important. Each step needs focus and extreme
concentration. Each step has to be covered meticulously. The result, then, is
sure to be favorable.</div>
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That is what Krishna said when he
spoke to the warrior prince Arjuna about selfless work to focus on the work at
hand and not to think about the outcome. If one works towards it, follows one’s
steps diligently, without heeding to the result and its outcome, one is bound
to succeed in one’s endeavor. </div>
</div>
rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-48177441099567908282013-07-08T22:21:00.002-07:002013-07-08T22:21:37.938-07:00RITUPARNO<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/multimedia/dynamic/01471/BL30_RITU_1471524f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/multimedia/dynamic/01471/BL30_RITU_1471524f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Rituparno Ghosh died on 30 May,
2013. It was too early for him to call it a day. The sudden demise of Rituparno,
of all persons, was a surprise to all and sundry. He had so much more to contribute
to the industry as well as to the society. He was primarily the next generation
of film makers, a very important one by his own right.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Ritwik Ghatak, Satyajit Ray,
Mrinal Sen, Nemai Ghosh, Tapan Sinha were filmmakers of the post independence
era. Buddhadev Dasgupta, Utpalendu Chakraborty, Gautam Ghosh were the product
of the fiery turbulence that wracked West Bengal and India from the mid 60s to
the mid 70s. Aparna Sen, Anjan Dutta, Raja Sen came into film making much
later. But they also are the fall out of the volatile ultra left Naxalite
movement. </div>
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Rituparno started making films in
the nineties. Hirer Angti, his first film, based on a story by Shirshendu
Mukherji, was released in1992. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
He lived in Kolkata, worked here. He saw
Calcutta being transformed to Kolkata. He saw the Metro Rail slowly expand its
network to span the length and breadth of the city. While he thought his films
and wrote scripts for them, he saw the coming up of multiplexes, the coming
into being of malls in and around Kolkata. He saw the upwardly mobile Bengalis
leave their ancestral homes and get into condomiums. He observed the mass
exodus of Bengalis from the city. </div>
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Rituparno saw the advent of Sector V, the
sprouting of the IT hub in the Eastern Metropolis. He felt and observed the
facade of the decaying left politics in West Bengal. He also observed the fall
of the Soviet Union, Romania, and the continuous struggle of the Serbs, the
Bosnians and the Croatians. These he
saw, observed, comprehended, absorbed and assimilated and evolved to become perhaps
the most important Indian film maker of the recent times – a milestone by his
own right, in the realms of intellect and film making per se.</div>
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The subjects he brought into film
making, his treatment of them were inevitable. He had to speak about them.
Those were the subjects relevant to the then society, the milieu he lived in,
the ambience he belonged to. One would not call him bold. One would rather say
he followed his compulsion, his commitment to his art, intellect and legacy.
All the film makers he inherited and thereby disinherited were trailblazers. Each
of them - Ghatak, Ray, Sen – were path breakers. They were forthright. They
were bold. Rituparno, by his own admission, was inspired by Ray. He also had
another very important influence – Aparna Sen.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Aparna Sen is an institution by
her own self. She is a successful actor and has a big fan following. She was
immensely successful as a heroine of the Bengali commercial cinema. She was a
bankable actor who created a niche for herself. She had been a youth icon. She
did theatre with Utpal Dutt. She did professional theatre. She is a journalist
of commendable stature. She makes socially relevant films. Rituparno found a
mentor, a confidante in her. She was a big influence to the late filmmaker.
Rituparno moved ahead with his subjects, his treatment of them and thereby the
statement he made on them.</div>
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Rituparno was an icon of the LGBT
community in India. He cross dressed. He explored transgender lifestyle. He
openly confessed his homosexuality. Rituparno was a necessity of the then
society. He was bound to happen. As a creator, as a performing artist, as a
film maker, he stated what the society made him say. Others hold themselves
back thinking about conventions, about being ostracised or it might be so they
lack in craftsmanship.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Rituparno was not pretentious. He was a master story
teller. He broke conventions but never compromised with aesthetics. He was a
cultured craftsman who was in control of his art. The society we live in needs
him. He had much to give, such a lot to say. That is why his death is untimely.
That is why we all will rue his absence.<br />
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rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1196471553927745775.post-6968068453081060652013-06-02T23:55:00.001-07:002013-06-02T23:55:55.766-07:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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rajarshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08973408725253675578noreply@blogger.com0