tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83465389394093998902024-03-10T03:46:51.592+01:00Arre Kya Baat HaiA blogger from Schio (north-east Italy) writing about India, Italy, Arts, Books, Culture, History, Travels ...Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.comBlogger487125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-19573784845921303672024-01-01T07:41:00.004+01:002024-01-02T10:40:02.676+01:00Books I liked in 2023<p class="MsoNormal">This post is about some fiction and non-fiction books that I had liked reading in 2023. I want to start with a book which had a strong impact on me.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b>“How I Rescued My Brain” by <a href="https://davidroland.com.au/" target="_blank">David Roland</a></b></h4><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I loved this book. Often, I had to stop, reflect, go back and re-read. It made me think of long-forgotten episodes from my life and how they had shaped me and my life-choices.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Uv6r6kEyLRsx6t-tVEEdc1DKp4v0KUM9xS3e_XEPeRJOn97RQ4y7mRiThwMlQTOE1iHT_O8cOIsX4WQWyLcCg-zNc1LlVr7zqfTo747nFMQmzrjm4k0CsSJrN4i3C0Fzx6OaLmgOukWr1i1tMLo-mg7gTtdP2Y70_XsmrD3-zr2rbtFWMAE2WaPFmKM/s400/9781922247421_0_536_0_75.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Uv6r6kEyLRsx6t-tVEEdc1DKp4v0KUM9xS3e_XEPeRJOn97RQ4y7mRiThwMlQTOE1iHT_O8cOIsX4WQWyLcCg-zNc1LlVr7zqfTo747nFMQmzrjm4k0CsSJrN4i3C0Fzx6OaLmgOukWr1i1tMLo-mg7gTtdP2Y70_XsmrD3-zr2rbtFWMAE2WaPFmKM/w131-h200/9781922247421_0_536_0_75.jpg" width="131" /></a></div><span lang="EN-GB">The book was published in 2014 and I had it in my “<i>waiting to read</i>” pile since 2020. It is a memoire of an Australian psychologist about his personal experience of neurological and psychological disturbances, including stress & burnout from listening to stories of extreme violence and suffering, facing financial ruin and finally, a brain stroke, which was not immediately diagnosed.</span><div><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div><div><span lang="EN-GB">The second half of the book is about his attempts to regain control over his life, to recover some of his lost neurological and cognitive capabilities and to come to terms with his new body and self, even while he has to negotiate through relationship difficulties with his wife.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">This book resonated with me in a personal way. Professionally, as a doctor, I could understand the difficulties of dealing with the pain and suffering of people. I also used to swing between over-empathy and complete detachment in similar situations. David's ideas about compassion made me reflect on those periods and wonder if I could have dealt with them differently.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I have also seen the impact of progressive cognitive decline in persons dear to me, and wondered about its inevitability, as I grow older. Thus, the cognitive challenges faced by David in the book and his attempts to find ways of dealing with it, also resonated with me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">Finally, his ideas about the episodes of deep psychological trauma, which we carry unresolved in our minds, sometimes from childhood, also stimulated me to think of different ways in which we deal with them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">It also has a lot of stuff, especially in the second half, about the potential role of meditation, mindfulness and Buddhism in dealing with psychological & cognitive challenges. I think that it can be a wonderful tool in our paths of self-discovery and development. As I look back on the year gone by, it was the most important book I had read in 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><i>Next part of this post starts with the fiction books and then continues with Non-fiction books that I had liked reading in 2023.</i></span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB">PART 1: FICTION BOOKS</span></h2><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>3 Books About Bees and Bee-keepers</b></h3><div style="text-align: left;">It was my year of reading about bees and bee-keepers. I didn't plan it, it just happened. I still have 2 more non-fiction books about bees in my "<i>waiting to read</i>" pile of books.</div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCKKQIcakfJEYYpLNvHt3-N190gG6jYp5vfO9QLUvzlbr0wmEzazjb2hk2JnJrsOizt3-NV3igI3EycqD60ZNgSzI5ntHxWpUiATzlGn_yPurxqltvr6mIgXxjAUI_CCzTUildxfknKsKpKOY-72ayUrG16sASGX8ueGN0hIR4yrQ_RBYHan50FZRqNs/s400/60784449.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKCKKQIcakfJEYYpLNvHt3-N190gG6jYp5vfO9QLUvzlbr0wmEzazjb2hk2JnJrsOizt3-NV3igI3EycqD60ZNgSzI5ntHxWpUiATzlGn_yPurxqltvr6mIgXxjAUI_CCzTUildxfknKsKpKOY-72ayUrG16sASGX8ueGN0hIR4yrQ_RBYHan50FZRqNs/w129-h200/60784449.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-GB">“<b>The Last Bee-Keeper</b>” by <b><a href="https://juliecarrickdalton.com/" target="_blank">Julie Carrick Dalton</a></b> is based in a dystopic future-world where all the bees have died and food-grain production can only occur in special green-houses where people work as pollinators.</span><div><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div><div><span lang="EN-GB">A young woman called Alexandra is travelling, looking for her home, where she lived with her father Lawrence, who was one of the last bee-keepers in the world. Many years ago, there was a big scandal, when the last remaining bees were lost, Lawrence was sent to prison and Alexandra to foster care. Since then, talking about bees is prohibited.</span></div><div><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div><div><span lang="EN-GB">Alexandra travels under a pseudonym Sasha and does not tell anyone that she is the infamous Lawrence’s daughter. She finds her house is occupied by a group of squatters (young people) and starts living with them. One day she finds out that some wild bees are still alive and they come to meet her in the forest. The bees bring hope to this dystopic world.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">There was a time when I used to read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy books. While I like films set in future dystopic worlds, I am not so fond of reading about them. However, this book was an exception, it drew me in and didn't let me go till the end.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzg_Z0hfqHd4xC6wtAnVrxQunZSGm2H5qzDd0m2fAMZ2MUrDDyRo7nXYGjW8GozuTLeoZ3yDqBRx-Ba8wLfWA2FxbketA3GSk7O2kl6rMaTPw1GH4EZJxVhm3qP9R4KXt33iumt_-iDsoUBTqb_wbUlSdjxUannzn6OJrjeSAB3jeFyzSzqS6k176Ols/s1500/91S7NhMKYqL._SL1500_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="998" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzg_Z0hfqHd4xC6wtAnVrxQunZSGm2H5qzDd0m2fAMZ2MUrDDyRo7nXYGjW8GozuTLeoZ3yDqBRx-Ba8wLfWA2FxbketA3GSk7O2kl6rMaTPw1GH4EZJxVhm3qP9R4KXt33iumt_-iDsoUBTqb_wbUlSdjxUannzn6OJrjeSAB3jeFyzSzqS6k176Ols/w133-h200/91S7NhMKYqL._SL1500_.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-GB">“<b>The Murmur of Bees</b>” by <b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/sofiasegoviawrites/" target="_blank">Sofia Segovia</a></b> has been translated from Spanish and is about the Mexico of early 1900s and its war of independence. Written in lyrical prose in the magical-realism style, the book tells the story of Simonopio, a boy born with a cleft lip and palate deformity, who has a special relationship with the bees. The book has a rich cast of characters from his adopted family called Morales, and the people working for them, including some superstitious peasants who think that Simonopio is the incarnation of devil and brings bad luck.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I loved this book's slow pace, and its rich exploration of different characters. From the first chapter, about an old woman who seems to live on a rocking chair, the story grabbed me immediately and did not let me go till the end.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The Morales family persons in the book are too good to be true, always kind and attentive to each other and to their servants, with no trace of prejudice against the deformed child and respectful of his gift of communicating with the bees, while the only evil lies in the heart of illterate peasants. These stark characterisations, gave the book a fairy-tale kind of feeling. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTufZ0EKOGkYfIgU4_XQUqffJrYsVIIE-osfzcFnp-eeRP25RyTEsxZh2noqUHZ9VqPcV_IBmURkl31D0O6bdluZbIOgZVpR5BOtqpMQ4ng9GKXxCjyK68RWOU5Irpi2X4WUTZ2Yc5CwDcqT1-Utc3MEdDU8koG7TmhxSqveeHCUEq4Vei36z8GCsgaQ/s1250/715p46rvtHL._SL1250_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="812" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTufZ0EKOGkYfIgU4_XQUqffJrYsVIIE-osfzcFnp-eeRP25RyTEsxZh2noqUHZ9VqPcV_IBmURkl31D0O6bdluZbIOgZVpR5BOtqpMQ4ng9GKXxCjyK68RWOU5Irpi2X4WUTZ2Yc5CwDcqT1-Utc3MEdDU8koG7TmhxSqveeHCUEq4Vei36z8GCsgaQ/w130-h200/715p46rvtHL._SL1250_.jpg" width="130" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-GB">“<b>The Last Bee-Keeper of Aleppo</b>” by <o:p></o:p></span><b><a href="https://twitter.com/christy_lefteri" target="_blank">Christy Lefteri</a></b> - It is a book about being a refugee and the challenges of starting a new life in a far-away land after a huge personal tragedy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Nuri and his wife Afra live in Aleppo in Syria when the bombings and war arrive in their lives and brings destruction. They start on a difficult journey, passing through the refugee camps in Turkey and Greece. Afra has lost her ability to see and must be helped by her husband. The refugee camp hides other dangers, including persons waiting to pounce and prey on vulnerable people like Nuri.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Finally they reach England, but they still need to find their cousin Mustafa who is also worried and searching for them. Mustafa teaches bee-keeping to the refugees. In the story, bees are the connection between the past and present of Nuri and Afra. It is a book about hope and happiness, even after facing huge tragedies.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>“Pavilion in the Clouds” by <a href="https://www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/" target="_blank">Alexander McCall-Smith</a></b></h3><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9hq4njdozXo9bUwGq45Sp8i8iTt8y1tz8gDjNRB7KvXtOQt9KTD8-1JaFJIt-39XJoIhtdl3HXZUu1XR5G2F23ekXbd71AEx44c4uMS7CcDXzpo2V_lp235SIommqwFarf9d3Drf8kU3U8WFGBmkp7K16OFjOaZ3X__HNlg4NQ_HXRE2t44TytlbO6Y/s578/Pavilion-in-the-Clouds-Rough-31-350x578.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="350" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9hq4njdozXo9bUwGq45Sp8i8iTt8y1tz8gDjNRB7KvXtOQt9KTD8-1JaFJIt-39XJoIhtdl3HXZUu1XR5G2F23ekXbd71AEx44c4uMS7CcDXzpo2V_lp235SIommqwFarf9d3Drf8kU3U8WFGBmkp7K16OFjOaZ3X__HNlg4NQ_HXRE2t44TytlbO6Y/w121-h200/Pavilion-in-the-Clouds-Rough-31-350x578.jpg" width="121" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-GB">Some 15-20 years ago, I had read a series of mystery books by the prolific Scottish author Alexander McCall-Smith, known for his detective and crime stories. Isabel Dalhousie was a very unsual detective in that series because she was a middle-aged philosopher-professor in Scotland, who edits a journal on ethics. I had loved reading those books.</span></div><div><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div><div><span lang="EN-GB">Alexander is famous for his series of mystery books based in Botswana (the series of Ladies Detective Agency) - However, I did not enjoy that series. He has also written many other series of detective books including a Scandinvian series, but I have not read them.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">This stand-alone book “Pavilion in the Clouds” was an exception and I was happy to finally find one of his books which I liked. </span>It is about a colonial family living in a tea-estate in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in early 20<sup>th</sup> century. Bella, the family's daughter has a English governess Ms White. The wife thinks that her husband is having an affair with the governess. The girl, influenced by her mother, tells a lie and creates the circumstances so that Ms. White can be sent away from their tea-garden. Only, some decades later, a meeting with Ms. White, will make Bella understand what had really happened during that period.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">It has a gentle and unhurried kind of story and the surprise revealed near the end was very effective and satisfying.</span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Remarkably Bright Creatures</b> by <b><a href="https://shelbyvanpelt.com/" target="_blank">Shelby Van Pelt</a></b> </h3><p>This book is about 3 main characters in a small American town - an octopus called Marcellius living in a marine acquarium, a Swedish immigrant woman called Tuva, who had lost contact with her son some decades ago, and a good-for-nothing young man called Cameron.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_hAjddAFC5PSYNRaUbRofxUV0rdBbvLG-GVjOYcXmhybn_bc8SwVVRUhbTgdComISo-1ChQKQs3xd57lerW91Z3Y3QtMOay0v-lPeCS5uS8lW2z6IwjwuH22Wb0elaDkvZF3y6uHEDD0bNOTAlYnckYN86FtAUPzDwQ5QcVcAukh07hIJG8Hf6go0CU/s1500/71K8K06uy9L._SL1500_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="977" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim_hAjddAFC5PSYNRaUbRofxUV0rdBbvLG-GVjOYcXmhybn_bc8SwVVRUhbTgdComISo-1ChQKQs3xd57lerW91Z3Y3QtMOay0v-lPeCS5uS8lW2z6IwjwuH22Wb0elaDkvZF3y6uHEDD0bNOTAlYnckYN86FtAUPzDwQ5QcVcAukh07hIJG8Hf6go0CU/w130-h200/71K8K06uy9L._SL1500_.jpg" width="130" /></a></p><p>Tuva has a special connection with Marcellius and feels that he is very clever - for example, she knows that at night, he can open the lock and go out of his enclosure, then come back and relock the enclosure, just like a crafty teenager.</p><p></p><p>Cameron, the young man, is going around in his camper looking for his father. He reaches that town and since Tuva has sparined her ankle, finds temprary work in the acquarium. Marcellius can immediately make-out that Cameron is the son of Tuva's long-lost son. The book is about the efforts of the octopus to help Tuva to reunite with her grandson.</p><p>It is a feel good book, not always very consistent with its characterisations, but I still liked reading it.</p><p>Last year I also saw a Netflix documentary about a sea-diver who makes friends with an octopus and discovers that they are intelligent creatures. Because of that documentary and this book, I don't like the idea of killing and eating octopuses.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>Beyond that, the Sea</b> by<b> <a href="https://www.lauraspenceash.com/" target="_blank">Laura Spence-Ash</a> </b></h3><p>This book tells the story of a young girl called Beatrix, who lives in London, and is sent to live with a American family in Boston (USA) during the second World War. Initially angry and unhappy, slowly Bea becomes a part of her new American family and falls in love with one of the boys. Heart-break comes when the war finishes and she has to come back to London.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMLkZr17mH3dVb3U-lH6pBCUtfWfmybBzt4PFspYWX35dTK_GjJgtDGmaDNnfCrLVO1u-SfFhplqLe9IMoxqHuzKteBQAMbUS98RduSWOBK8LZKspk_DHzkBVmqCiS7hddUjxE08AK4HEShZ5AFzGsrkrekcokxj1azXwsZNhfx7GW83SB1Ud4M85FKQ/s1500/81C1rEG58VL._SL1500_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1007" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMLkZr17mH3dVb3U-lH6pBCUtfWfmybBzt4PFspYWX35dTK_GjJgtDGmaDNnfCrLVO1u-SfFhplqLe9IMoxqHuzKteBQAMbUS98RduSWOBK8LZKspk_DHzkBVmqCiS7hddUjxE08AK4HEShZ5AFzGsrkrekcokxj1azXwsZNhfx7GW83SB1Ud4M85FKQ/w134-h200/81C1rEG58VL._SL1500_.jpg" width="134" /></a></p><p></p><p>It is a family story and a little love story. The book tells about the events from the point of views of different characters and is very well-written.</p><p>In an interview, the author had explained about the inspiration for this book, "<i>Over 20 years ago, I read an article in The New York Times about a group of British adults returning to the States to see where they had spent time during World War II when they were young. I was fascinated by this — I was aware that children in London were evacuated to the country, but I hadn’t known that children were sent so far afield and often traveled alone</i>."</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>One good thing</b> by <b><a href="https://www.alexandrapotter.com/" target="_blank">Alexandra Potter</a></b> </h3><p>My last fiction book from 2023 is about Olive, a divorced, unhappy and depressed woman who decides to shift to a Yorkshire village where she used to go for holidays as a child. On an impulse, she has sold her city house and bought an old cottage in the village, hoping to make a fresh start.</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YgwpeTbu3a8j1cXFw-rbXM8ElhyphenhyphenqcXJXsa7ODqJ19zW1QzPY-2ep-L7U7Oa_ReQBb2kwolDmUnbbaOI7xWicz3juKDU3sLzM_aPUbe_ryMOSx6uo0btiALhqX1Sjy5V776BrlbvqZLlufh4473JAMJGs27jE4xWR6m6tbx-q_BgPpO7gz95IV5-8Eyw/s400/9781529022865_0_424_0_75.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YgwpeTbu3a8j1cXFw-rbXM8ElhyphenhyphenqcXJXsa7ODqJ19zW1QzPY-2ep-L7U7Oa_ReQBb2kwolDmUnbbaOI7xWicz3juKDU3sLzM_aPUbe_ryMOSx6uo0btiALhqX1Sjy5V776BrlbvqZLlufh4473JAMJGs27jE4xWR6m6tbx-q_BgPpO7gz95IV5-8Eyw/w130-h200/9781529022865_0_424_0_75.jpg" width="130" /></a></p><p>The book is about her life in the village and in a new community, the challenges she faces and her decision to adopt an ill-treated disabled dog called Harry. The dog helps her to find friendships in the village community and leads to her healing.</p><p>The last quarter of the book was a little predictable with everything turning out to be perfect, including Olive finding her long-lost sister and the beginning of a new sentimental relationship. However, in spite of this, the book is very enjoiyable.</p><p><i>Reviewing my list of my favourite fiction books from 2023, I can see that it was an year of mostly reading books about family-dramas, relationships and love stories, instead of my usual preference for thrillers and action books. In 2023, I was a bit disappointed by the new books of many of my favourite thriller-and-action-book-writers. Or, perhaps, it means that my reading preferences are changing. </i></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">PART 2: NON-FICTION BOOKS</h2><p>About non-fiction, I tried reading a lot of those books in 2023, but most of them bored me. Often I read them in bits and pieces and then, left them. Here are a few, which I liked.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>The Invention of Yesterday - A 50,000 year History of Human Culture, Conflict and Connections</b> by <b><a href="https://www.mirtamimansary.com/" target="_blank">Tamim Ansary</a></b> </h3><p>This was one of my favourite books this year. It introduced me to the concept of social constellations, which are created by narriatives and meta-netarratives that we use to understand and explain the events and the world around us.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBwPR3ImjL0xoOrOQdtEsMzGcwIfs3aZ8TCgloSgkMXdKdiAUpMHBwsvwME3_S-_okP1S6gZP1i6e6QZYCRkC6Av2_pAiLxMMOR_Vo7mwHPAJE9EtYyNyU4yYE-8o6qezixpTgwKAAn11RzD5-U-5ZDlZmaw5PinNXgRyTOhUupMns-BTYTAyqeUBI38/s400/9781610397964_0_424_0_75.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="258" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBwPR3ImjL0xoOrOQdtEsMzGcwIfs3aZ8TCgloSgkMXdKdiAUpMHBwsvwME3_S-_okP1S6gZP1i6e6QZYCRkC6Av2_pAiLxMMOR_Vo7mwHPAJE9EtYyNyU4yYE-8o6qezixpTgwKAAn11RzD5-U-5ZDlZmaw5PinNXgRyTOhUupMns-BTYTAyqeUBI38/w129-h200/9781610397964_0_424_0_75.jpg" width="129" /></a></p><p></p><p>This book takes a wide overview of history, focusing on the inter-connections between events occuring in different places.</p><p>For example, the book explains the links between the policies of the Ming emperor in China and the tea-party revolution in Boston, leading ultimately to the independence of USA. America imported tonnes of tea, but the British started charging them big taxes for its sale, because of their trade-imbalances with the Ming regime in China, leading to the tea-party revolution. </p><p>Another interesting part of the book is where the author looks at the reasons for the industrial revolution and the rise of the west. There were three Islamic empires around 1500 CE - the Ottomans in Constantinaples, the Safvids in Persia (Iran) and the Mughals in India. Ansary concludes that all three of them were backwards looking empires which didn't produce any significant innovation and inventions.</p><p>On the other hand, the situation was different in China and Europe. China made some interesting inventions like the printing-press and gun powder. In Europe, after the crusades, inquisitions, and the plague epidemics, the social control of the church was lost and thus advances in science could be made. For Europe, learning from the Chinese inventions was the first step, but even more imporant were the incremental innovations, which Europeans added to the Chinese inventions. For example, Europe learned about the gun-powder from the Chinese and added the innovations of guns and bullets to it.</p><p>I often wonder about the orthodox-dominence in most Islamic countries. Ansary is from Afghanistan and in his opinion, over the past few centuries, the middle-eastern worlds of Islam, with its subjugation of women, have been moving against scientific progress and innovation. He feels that this situation is bound to be changed by the people over the coming decades, because it excludes them from the benefits of the scientific progress which is helping improve the lives in the rest of the world.</p><p>I felt that the last parts of this book dealing with the future - role of machines, biotechnology, climate-change, etc., were a little confused and repeatitive. Still, at almost 500 pages, it was a rare non-fiction book for me, which I didn't skip in parts and read till the very end.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Two Books by Charles Duhigg </h3><p><b>The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do</b> by <b>Charles Duhigg</b>: I liked this book which talks about how our habits are formed, how we can analyse and understand them, so that we can change them.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZMNPiJMhwCf2LgUxJxMB8Z9bKEP6wK_hCSofB5csuAfVSs7DN6yNWAemsiiEJSeeXfedI1DAEsqph3pUZCNKIOx7f7B6Z97vMS9F_b-FAMfJuT_3ROgMmOgUrpMzqccG55LmwbFHNv4sUQha37ONQXsnPy0fLoaEsKiQ8RQexFOc66haWUAiSPPPDJ0/s400/9780812981605_0_424_0_75.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZMNPiJMhwCf2LgUxJxMB8Z9bKEP6wK_hCSofB5csuAfVSs7DN6yNWAemsiiEJSeeXfedI1DAEsqph3pUZCNKIOx7f7B6Z97vMS9F_b-FAMfJuT_3ROgMmOgUrpMzqccG55LmwbFHNv4sUQha37ONQXsnPy0fLoaEsKiQ8RQexFOc66haWUAiSPPPDJ0/w129-h200/9780812981605_0_424_0_75.jpg" width="129" /></a></p><p></p><p>I especially liked the first part of this book which focuses on the habits of the individuals, such as - how each habit is associated with its cues and triggers, what is the role played by the rituals in habit-forming, and, the idfferent kinds of pleasure/satisfaction that a habit provides. It is imperative to understand all of these before we can try to change our habits.</p><p><b>Smarter, Faster, Better - Being Productive in Life</b> by <b>Charles Duhigg</b> - Duhigg writes in a clear and uncluttered way and brings in psychological insights by giving real-life examples. He does not use the psychology-jargon, which is a big plus. I wish I could write as clearly as he does.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-rhRR5CHRnga0MRXlfdWgclVdDpKIOnB8JG2xkELM7FHPNEztYPXsqLAV28UtFLusS9_NjqLMuEeIS26A1q-6NpeTOIgpyWbbHjGYpK7wdY-qoyWwVK_Ks5cNHG2Q7782nDy-BHQqP_5IwRrFNzkW7_Ur-LCCMz-m7lKUX4ygwzEff-X8EP5qtMNl1I/s450/9780812993394.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="296" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-rhRR5CHRnga0MRXlfdWgclVdDpKIOnB8JG2xkELM7FHPNEztYPXsqLAV28UtFLusS9_NjqLMuEeIS26A1q-6NpeTOIgpyWbbHjGYpK7wdY-qoyWwVK_Ks5cNHG2Q7782nDy-BHQqP_5IwRrFNzkW7_Ur-LCCMz-m7lKUX4ygwzEff-X8EP5qtMNl1I/w131-h200/9780812993394.jpg" width="131" /></a></p><p></p><p>Like the "Power of Habit" above, I liked the first part of this book where he talks about 8 areas which can influence our productivity, such as motivation, working with teams, focus and power of mental models, goal setting, innovation and working with data.</p><p>The second part of the book where he has shared his own life experiences and his struggles for improving his research and projects-writing was less interesting for me (in fact, I skipped large parts of it).</p><a href="https://www.charlesduhigg.com/" target="_blank">Charles Duhigg</a> is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist, involved in writing, doing podcasts and giving talks. I appreciated his books because of his clear way of writing. Most of the time I am bored by the self-improvement and self-learning books because they focus on easy formulas for bringing a change and in my opinion, those easy formulas do not work. However, I enjoyed some parts of these 2 books.<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>We the Scientists</b> by <b><a href="https://twitter.com/AmyDMarcus" target="_blank">Amy Dockser Marcus</a></b> </h3><p></p><p>Finally, this last book in my list, is about the coming together of doctors, scientists and the parents of children with a rare fatal condition called Neyman Pick's disease. It talks about the impact of the disease and the challenges faced by doctors and scientists to try to find a cure for it.</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJedf5TT4dmAFNsJ2EDKO1p4cI2-hCGSG1DszU1oaQ3rKJAZpyCXGkCxygozxBu6vNWdt8MpOTof4HLe337PFbIhOiTKkRX7LHnXI5QbGoxLwVmvnS0-4omL8o-5Q0HrLGEfzzA4bAXsZrEDb1pP39Iwx316hS89gqBDGDRhH-axe93uF1b_s1Noi0HM/s1500/71Ztg8Wv+kL._SL1500_.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="993" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUJedf5TT4dmAFNsJ2EDKO1p4cI2-hCGSG1DszU1oaQ3rKJAZpyCXGkCxygozxBu6vNWdt8MpOTof4HLe337PFbIhOiTKkRX7LHnXI5QbGoxLwVmvnS0-4omL8o-5Q0HrLGEfzzA4bAXsZrEDb1pP39Iwx316hS89gqBDGDRhH-axe93uF1b_s1Noi0HM/w133-h200/71Ztg8Wv+kL._SL1500_.jpg" width="133" /></a></p><p>It tells the stories of children as they try the new and experimental treatments, their hopes and tragedies. It focuses on a new drug called Cyclodextrin, which initially seems to be effective but is difficult to administer (a cathetor must be put in the children's brains, leading to infections and strokes). After all the difficulties, the results so far did not seem to have clear-cut benefits.</p><p>A big challenge in finding treatments for rare conditions is that all the data about those conditions and their treatments remains scattered in different places. The book talks about the challenges in sharing that kind of information.</p><p>There were positive aspects in these stories, which show that scientists and doctors, with the help of parents, were able to overcome many barriers and start communicating with each other, but the individual stories of the children described in the book still have tragic endings. It was like reading a thriller with a sad ending.</p><p>It is a short book (137 pages, plus notes) and I read it in one go. It left me feeling sad and yet hopeful. If we can improve the communication between clinicians and scientists working on identification of drug molecules and sharing of data, perhaps an answer can be found for rare conditions. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3><p class="MsoNormal">Increasingly I find it difficult to read most books - I start them and leave them after 20-50 pages. This happens to almost 90% of the books I try to read. At the end of the year, to have this list consoles me!</p><p class="MsoNormal">So I am keeping my fingers crossed for my book-reading in 2024. I have just started reading a new biography of Martin Luther King and it looks promising.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2024 and happy reading of books that you like!</p><p class="MsoNormal">If you have come so far, please do write a comment with a suggestion about a book that you have read and liked. I like communicating with my readers.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">***</h3>@sofiasegoviawrites @christy_lefteri @MirTamimAnsary @AmyDMarcus @cduhigg @40somethingfkup @shelbyvanpelt @McCallSmith </div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-37855912425748873972023-08-15T17:28:00.047+02:002024-01-16T08:20:32.389+01:00Sculptures & Art About BooksI love reading and as a chld I had started reading very early. There was a time when I read everything. I used to say that I will even read toilet paper if it has something written on it! I no longer try to read toilet papers, but I still read a lot. I am a part of a Booking-Readers' Group in Schio in the north-east of Italy, where I live. Finally, earlier this year I completed writing my first fiction book in Hindi.<div><br />This photo-essay is about those works of art from across the world which celebrate books and their authors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufFWpn1gnRU3x3b0XwR0YROh3wX-UD71zlfM8ByndsQDyC4Bfx5fRWG5TlkxVlYfgJXudMkR4SY6dGLdhGaXvYYFdLNefzNPU0JHjM5b8WKEVSreYQ8tLna0EqMe21Fi-RBLOOVPMOWasrGY-bB-uyofvL6xp2zfrY9Gp_mTEJPk-t2T94ZYwsZwuA5A/s620/01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Artist Pitero Magni - Image by S. Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="620" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufFWpn1gnRU3x3b0XwR0YROh3wX-UD71zlfM8ByndsQDyC4Bfx5fRWG5TlkxVlYfgJXudMkR4SY6dGLdhGaXvYYFdLNefzNPU0JHjM5b8WKEVSreYQ8tLna0EqMe21Fi-RBLOOVPMOWasrGY-bB-uyofvL6xp2zfrY9Gp_mTEJPk-t2T94ZYwsZwuA5A/w640-h442/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I am starting this post with a sculpture from the <b>Brera Museum of Conteporary Art in Milan</b> (Italy) - it has marble statue of a young woman reading a book by the Italian sculptor <b>Pietro Magni</b>. (Image above)<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"> My Favourite Authors</h3>Most of my favourite authors from my childhood were from my father's collection of Hindi books - <b>Krishen Chander</b>, <b>Nanak Singh</b>, <b>Shivani</b>, <b>Chatur Sen</b>, <b>Rangey Raghav</b>, <b>Asha Purna Devi</b>, <b>Bimal Mitra</b>, <b>Shanker</b>, <b>Muktibodh</b>, and many more. Those were not books meant for children, but that did not stop me from reading them!<br /> <br /> Growing up, I discovered English books. Then, over the last decades while living in Italy, apart from Italian writers, I have also discovered many Latin American and European writers. Through the images of this photoessay, I hope to make you think about your own favourite authors and books.<br /> <br />The next image in this collection is from the <b>Innocenti building</b> in <b>Florence</b> that hosts the UNICEF office and shows a boy sitting on a paper boat. I think that it wonderfully illustrates the capacity of a good book to transport you to far away lands of imagination. I don't know the artist of this sculpture.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - From Innocenti Building, Florence - Image by S. Deepak" height="495" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_03.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The next image is of an unusual tower made of one hundred white coloured books by the Italian sculptor <b>Lorenzo Perroni</b>, who specializes in sculptures of white coloured books. I had clicked this picture during the visit of a group of American astronauts to the Sala Borsa hall in Bologna in 2011. So you can see the astronauts in the lower right corner, with people sitting on the ground in front of them and the white columns of books towards the left.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_04.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The next part of this photo-essay is divided according to countries where the pictures were taken.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">America (USA)</h3>There are two images from the <b>Central Park</b> in <b>New York</b>. The first one has a statue of <b>Robert Burns</b>, also known as Robbie Burns. He is considered to be the national poet of Scotland. According to the Wikipaedia, "<i>He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement, and after his death he became a great source of inspiration to the founders of both liberalism and socialism, and a cultural icon in Scotland and among the Scottish Diaspora around the world. Celebration of his life and work became almost a national charismatic cult during the 19th and 20th centuries, and his influence has long been strong on Scottish literature</i>".<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Robert Burns' statue in New York - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_05.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The second image is of a sculpture showing two characters of one of the most famous and enduring love stories of the world - <b>Romeo and Juliet</b> - by the British playwright <b>William Shakespeare</b>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Romeo-Juliet sculpture from N. York - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_06.jpg" width="640" /></div> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> Austria</h3>The next image is from Vienna and shows the writer and playwright <b>Ferdinand Raimund</b> (1790-1836) near the opera building. He is credited with a number of important books and plays in German. I find his story very tragic - bitten by a dog and afraid of a painful death due to rabies, because no treatment existed for this disease at that time, he had committed suicide at the age of 46 years. When I hear people complaining about vaccines and refusing to vaccinate their children, I would like to remind them of this story.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Ferdinand Raimund in Vienna - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_07.jpg" width="640" /></div> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> Belgium</h3>The next three images are from Brussels, the capital of Belgium. The first one shows two lovers at the lake - they are <b>Thyl and Nele</b>, the characters of a book by the Belgian writer <b>Charles De Coster</b>. De Coster is considered to be the father of Belgian writing. This monument is the opera of the sculptor Charles Samuel, a fan of De Coster. The monument also has many other characters from De Coster's books on its sides - a cat, a cooking pot, a spinning rod.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Literary world of Charles de Coster, Belgium - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_08.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The next image shows two of the principle characters (<b>Captain Haddock and Tintin</b>) from the iconic comic books about the adventures of a boy called Tintin. These comics were written and illustrated by the Belgian author and artist called <b>Hergé </b>(his real name was "<b>Georges Remi</b>"). Tintin is considered to be one of the most popular European comic books and these have been translated into different languages.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Tintin and Hergé, Belgium - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_09.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The third image from Brussels shows a statue of <b>Charles Buls</b> (also known as <b>Karel Buls</b>) placed in the Agoraplein square, close to the Grand Place square. According to Wikipaedia, "<i>He was a Belgian politician and mayor of the City of Brussels. Buls was an accomplished and prolific author, not merely on educational and artistic issues but also publishing accounts of his travels abroad. Buls became Mayor of Brussels in 1881. However, along with these reforms, his most lasting achievement was the result of his opposition to the grandiose architectural schemes of King Leopold II, and the resulting preservation of old parts of Brussels</i>. "<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Charles Buls, Belgium - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_10.jpg" width="640" /></div> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> Brazil</h3>The next five images are from Brazil. The first one has the bust of famous Lebanese writer <b>Khalil Gibran</b> in the city of Goiania. He was 12 years old when his family emigrated from Lebanon to USA. He died at 48 years and wrote in both Arabic and English. His most well known book is "<b>The Prophet</b>".<br /> <br /> Many of the words of Khalil Gibran have been quoted infinite number of times and will be familiar to readers across the world. For example, you must have heard these - "<i>If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were</i>." Another of his quotes that I like, says - "<i>I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers</i>." You can check <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6466154.Khalil_Gibran">many other quotes from Gibran at Goodreads</a>.<br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Khalil Gibran, Goiania, Brazil - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_11.jpg" width="640" /> <br /><br /></div><div> The next image is from Pelorihno, the old city on the hill in front of the port of <b>Salvador do Bahia</b>, where the well known Brazilian writer <b>Jorge Amado</b> lived. His house in Pelorinhno hosts a museum and shops around sell his souvenirs including his paintings showing him with a pipe in his mouth.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Jorge Amado house, Bahia, Brazil - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_12.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The next two images are from the medical college in Pelorihno, showing two ancient Greek philosophers, writers and scientists - Hippocrates and Galen.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Hippocreates, Bahia, Brazil - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_13.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Galen, Bahia, Brazil - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_14.jpg" width="640" /> <br /><br /></div><div> The last image from Brazil shows the house of <b>Cora Coralina</b>, an Afro-Brazilian slave during Portuguese occupation, in the historic city of <b>Goias Velho</b>. The house is located next to the river Rio Vermelho and there is a statue of Cora standing at the window, looking over the river. Cora was a poet, who wrote about the degradation of slavery and her poems inspired hundreds of other Afro-Brazilians to seek a life of dignity.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Cora Coraline, Goias Velho, Brazil - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_15.jpg" width="640" /></div> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> Czech Republic</h3>The next image of this photo-essay is from <b>Prague</b> and shows the statue of a women writer - <b>Bozena Nemcova</b> (real name "<b>Barbora Panklova"</b>). Writer of fairy tales and legends, she is best known for her novel Babicka (Grandmother), an autobiographical book about her childhood with her grandmother.<br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Bozena Nemcova, Prague - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_32.jpg" width="640" /><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">India</h3>The next four images are from India. The first image has the iconic figure of poet-saint <b>Basvanna</b> from Basavkalyan in <b>Karnataka</b>, who is known for his Vachana-sahitya. According to Wikipaedia, "<i>He spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas. Basavanna used Ishtalinga, an image of the Śiva Liṅga, to eradicate untouchability, to establish equality among all human beings and as a means to attain spiritual enlightenment. These were rational and progressive social thoughts in the twelfth century</i>."</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzgweLF3lPggg00G6p4QYbaylxhpCxHrjV6zHi9pIaQ081YHxV1clnMG8M7Ox7DTAUtG1TEvyUSIxlRXybcb6XgW6UGeLQarsQWtBeWond6q13D0cKbkMQqKvi-Ek0mc4_M8oYI8fYCISvUFvXTwyR_Gc08OwqV8-_zmGGpp6c4zFytOgehU1juCgbGI/s620/03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Basvanna, Karnataka, India - Image by S. Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="620" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzgweLF3lPggg00G6p4QYbaylxhpCxHrjV6zHi9pIaQ081YHxV1clnMG8M7Ox7DTAUtG1TEvyUSIxlRXybcb6XgW6UGeLQarsQWtBeWond6q13D0cKbkMQqKvi-Ek0mc4_M8oYI8fYCISvUFvXTwyR_Gc08OwqV8-_zmGGpp6c4zFytOgehU1juCgbGI/w640-h442/03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> The next two images are from the <b>Hindi Bhawan</b> in <b>Lucknow</b> (Uttar Pradesh) and present two important personalities from the world of Hindi literature - national poet of India, <b>Maithili Sharan Gupt</b> and the iconic writer <b>Munshi Prem Chand</b>. My aunt, Dr Savitri Sinha, was close to Maithili Sharan Gupta, affectionately called him <i>Dadda</i> and had written about him.<br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Maithili Sharan Gupt, Lucknow, India - Image by S. Deepak" height="444" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_17.jpg" width="640" /> <br /><br /></div><div>Munshi <b>Prem Chand</b> was the writer of many stories that I loved as a child. He was the founder-editor of Hans, a literary magazine in Hindi, that continues to be active even today.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Munshi Prem Chand, Lucknow, India - Image by S. Deepak" height="444" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_18.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /> The fourth image from India shows Nobel laureate poet, writer, playwright and freedom fighter, <b>Rabindra Nath Tagore</b>.<br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Rabindra Nath Tagore, India - Image by S. Deepak" height="444" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_20.jpg" width="640" /> <br /><h3 style="text-align: left;"> Italy</h3>The images of writers from Italy are more numerous than all the other countries in this photo-essay. This may be because I have travelled widely in Italy. Perhaps, this has also to do with greater willingness in Italy to honour artists and writers in the public spaces.<br /> <br /> The first three images are from the gardens of <b>Villa Borghese</b> park in <b>Rome</b>. The first image shows the Ukrainian born Russian writer and playwright <b>Nikolai Gogol</b>. In her book "<b>The Namesake</b>", <b>Jhumpa Lahiri</b> had paid homage to Gogol by giving his name to her hero.<br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Nikolai Gogol, Rome - Image by S. Deepak" height="495" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_21.jpg" width="640" /> <br /><br /></div><div> The next image has the Peruvian writer <b>Garcilaso de la Vega</b> known as <b>The Inca</b>, from Villa Borghese gardens of Rome. He wrote about the Spanish colonizers of Peru. The son of a Spanish conquistador and an Inca noblewoman, he is recognized primarily for his contributions to Inca history, culture, and society.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KNd9-Yc0CbM35X4BQipnaSkgG6JUEfT-Icre71Ig38nHZyHh3mCEajdpKSU58HfXn6ASVij1EAVl-LqxkGT4jLb2iiKvljIlhkyk1vpLSZRV5bG5YGMOHPBRsM7JFHq5yFgCOiz_MOizvHtpEwFPu2RLGjsVt1CgjhBo00PuBALHrABxcf2530zBX-8/s620/04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="620" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KNd9-Yc0CbM35X4BQipnaSkgG6JUEfT-Icre71Ig38nHZyHh3mCEajdpKSU58HfXn6ASVij1EAVl-LqxkGT4jLb2iiKvljIlhkyk1vpLSZRV5bG5YGMOHPBRsM7JFHq5yFgCOiz_MOizvHtpEwFPu2RLGjsVt1CgjhBo00PuBALHrABxcf2530zBX-8/w640-h496/04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div> The third image from Villa Borghese gardens of Rome has a writer from a tiny eastern European country called Montenegro - <b>Petar Petrovic Njegos</b>, who was a nobleman and a poet. As the Prince-Bishop of Montenegro, he is credited with modernization of his country.<br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Petar Petrovic of Montenegro - Image by S. Deepak" height="495" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_23.jpg" width="640" /> <br /><br /></div><div> The fourth image is also from Rome, from the ruins of Traiano's baths near the Colosseum, and shows the statue of Italian journalist and writer Alfredo Oriani.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Alfredo Oriani, Rome - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_24.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The next image is from Santa Croce square in <b>Florence</b> and shows the most well known Italian poet <b>Dante Alighieri</b>, famous for his epic poem "<b>Divine Comedy</b>".<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Dante Allighieri, Florence - Image by S. Deepak" height="495" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_25.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The next four images are from a garden near <b>Cavour square</b>, close to the Brera museum of art in <b>Milan</b>. This garden has many statues of writers, journalists, philosophers and scientists.<br /> <br /> The first of these images shows the well known Italian journalist and newspaper editor <b>Indro Montanelli</b>, writing on his old typewriter. He is shown as a young man, his severe face is focused on his writing. It is a remarkable piece of art.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Indro Montanelli, Milan - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_026.JPG" width="640" /></div> <br /> The next images have 3 Italian writers - <b>Ernesto Teodoro Moneta</b>, <b>Gaetano Negri </b>and the playwrite <b>Giuseppe Giacosa</b> from the Cavour square park in Milan. <br /> <br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Ernesto Teodoro Moneta - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_27.jpg" width="640" /> <br /> <br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Gaetano Negri, Milan - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_28.jpg" width="640" /> <br /> <br /> <img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Giuseppe Giacosa, Milan - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_29.jpg" width="640" /> <br /><br /></div><div> The next image is from the city of <b>Vicenza</b> and it shows the writer, editor and publisher <b>Neri Pozza</b>. The sculpture is close to the bridge on the river Bacchiglione, just behind the famous Basilica built by Andrea Palladio. Neri Pozza is one of the reputed contemporary publishing houses in Italy, who have published the Italian translations of different Indian authors including <b>Alka Saraogi</b> and <b>Anita Nair</b>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - Neri Pozza, Vicenza - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_30.jpg" width="640" /></div> <br /></div><div> The last image of this photo-essay shows the statue of Irish writer <b>James Joyce</b> and is from the city of <b>Trieste</b> in the north-east of Italy. Joyce is shown walking, crossing a bridge in the centre of the city. Joyce had lived in Trieste for many years. He is famous for his books like <b>Ulysses</b> and <b>Finnegan's Wake</b>.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Art & Sculptures about books - James Joyce, Trieste - Image by S. Deepak" height="443" src="http://www.kalpana.it/blogpics02/blogs/books_and_art_31.jpg" width="640" /></div> <h3 style="text-align: left;"> In the End</h3>I have loved putting together this photo-essay, even though identifying the pictures for this post took me hours of going through my vast picture archives. It was frustrating that from many countries, I could not find any image related to a book or a writer or a journalist. For example, I could not find any such image from my image archives of UK or Switzerland. No country of Africa is represented in this photo-essay for the same reason.<br /> <br /> Many countries do not put statues of writers in prominent public spaces, probably because often writers speak against their governments! Also because compared to national leaders, military persons and freedom fighters, for many countries writers and artists are not considered important enough to be remembered through art and sculpture. Finding images of art related to women writers is even more difficult - for this essay I could find only two of them.<br /> <br /> I hope that you will enjoy going through these images and perhaps share with me your experiences of finding the statues of your favourite authors during your travels! I would love to hear about any art works related to writers and/or their books, especially from countries not represented in this post.<br /> <br /> ***</div><div>#artaboutbooks #artaboutwriters #artistsandwriters #authors #booksculptures</div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-55025438126576722082023-08-04T15:14:00.001+02:002023-08-04T15:14:18.239+02:00Life Beyond Us - Science Fiction & EssaysRecently I have read a very interesting anthology of Science Fiction writing with an euqally interesting twist - it also has essays about the science behind those SF stories. The book is titled "<b>Life Beyond Us</b>", it is edited by Julie Novakova, Lucas K. Law and Susan Forest (2023, Laksa Media).<div><br /></div><div>It has stories by some of the well-known names of science fiction and is presented by the <a href="https://europeanastrobiology.eu/">European Astrobiology Institute</a> (EABI).<div><br /><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSMCLei3AlSsSf5MZzwdv4Kjkww63EZzk8WHa_wB8s3tIp0SF0DOhVdlmWrlZd834gw-SlHva0sVUyumUKgjOGVoTTfJ6YpA2Hz3Ro17SNzKZ0cD5fiLhSnXPubYyZyEIo918WY1CgJMBokPn9_3IjtBittqix-tiDJsEHCyc4NHGOxdF1hzZROIXTo4/s577/Life_Beyond_Us_Book_Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Science Fiction and Science Essays - Life Beyond Us - Book Cover" border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="449" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrSMCLei3AlSsSf5MZzwdv4Kjkww63EZzk8WHa_wB8s3tIp0SF0DOhVdlmWrlZd834gw-SlHva0sVUyumUKgjOGVoTTfJ6YpA2Hz3Ro17SNzKZ0cD5fiLhSnXPubYyZyEIo918WY1CgJMBokPn9_3IjtBittqix-tiDJsEHCyc4NHGOxdF1hzZROIXTo4/w156-h200/Life_Beyond_Us_Book_Cover.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://europeanastrobiology.eu/life-beyond-us/" target="_blank">EABI on its website presents this book with the following introduction</a>:<br /></div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div>What would life be like if it evolved in a cold ocean beneath an impenetrable shell of ice? Or on a world whose haze obscured any view of the universe beyond? Is there a common template for life, or can we expect to find preciously fragile silicon creatures drifting in seas of liquid nitrogen? How would finding alien life change our society? </div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;">Life Beyond Us, a new anthology by the European Astrobiology Institute and Laksa Media, depicts the timeless quest for finding alien life in 27 science fiction stories and 27 science essays, aiming to imagine, inspire and illuminate.</div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I loved reading this book and would like to share some of its aspects which I found illuminating.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Science in the Science Fiction</h3></div><div style="text-align: left;">SF is based on science and is different from fantasy. In SF writers can imagine the future or distant worlds, but they do so based on science or on scientific hypothesis.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However,understanding the science behind each SF story is not easy because it can come from different and specialised fields of expertise, from technology to physics to chemistry to medicine and innovation. I loved this book mainly because each story is followed by an essay which discusses the basic science behind that story. I loved some of the stories, but I loved even more some of the essays explaining those stories because they made me think in unexpected directions.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Below are some examples of the information in the essays which were new for me and which made me think.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Safety of Humans and All Aliens</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.giovannipoggiali.eu/" target="_blank">Giovanni Poggiali</a> in his essay about a SF story by <b>Erik Choi</b> wrote about the fears of humans to make sure that we don't import alien life forms to earth because we may not have immunity against them and they can decimate human and/or animal life. This is something we all understand.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">However, I had never thought about the vulnerability of aliens to the pathogens from earth. When we send space-ships to moon or mars or to some other star outside our solar system, is there a danger that some of our bacteria or virus can go with them, and then infest and kill the alien life forms?</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Poggiali's essay about ensuring the safety of all life forms on earth and on other planets, made me think about the difficulties of limiting contacts with our bacteria and viruses. We can't sterilise our intestines, also because our gut organisms are fundamental for our well-being and survival. In the long-term colonisation of other planets, I am not sure how this would play out.</div></div></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Star-Forming Cocoons</h3><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://twitter.com/stefacrono" target="_blank">Stefano Sandrelli</a> in his essay about a SF story written by <b>Renan Bernardo</b>, talks of an astromical discovery by Bart Bok and Emily Reily in 1940s about a small black cloud which they called globule. They proposed that new stars were being formed inside that globule.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>Sandrelli talks about Bok Globules to explain that the space is not empty and that approximately 2% of the total mass of our galaxy, the Milky Way, consists of low-density matter, mostly as a gas, called the interstellar medium (ISM). ISM is 91% Hydrogen and 8.9% Helium. However, 1% of ISM is made up of dust. I have always thought of space as being empty and this information was very unexpected.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Titan, Saturn's Moon</h3><div>The essay by <a href="https://ess.uw.edu/people/fabian-klenner/">Fabien Klenner</a> about a SF story by <b>G. David Nordley</b> explains that Titan is an iceball, with a thick atmosphere (4 times as dense as earth's atmosphere) and very low gravity (around 14% of earth's gravity). This information has been used to plan a Dragonfly mission to Titan in 2027 which should reach its destination in 2034.</div><div><br /></div><div>On earth we have carbon-based life which needs water as a solvent. Titan does not have the conditions for a carbon-based life but it may have conditions for a nitrogen-based (azotosome) life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Can azotosome based molecules create life and what kind of life it would be, is a tentalising question.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Really Hot Venus</h3><div>Sanjay is the hero of the SF story by <b>Geoffrey A. Landis</b>, who wants to go down from his space-ship to visit Venus. <a href="https://www.dhoening.de/" target="_blank">Dennis Honing</a>, in his essay about this story explains that Venus is so hot that it cannot host earth-like life. It is hot because it is closer to sun and because it has a lot of CO2, a greenhouse gas.</div><div><br /></div><div>He explains that on earth the long-term maintenance of climate is due to the carbonate-silicate cycle. CO2 in the atmosphere is dissolved in rainwater, forms carbonic acid, which interacts with silicate minerals. Its product, calcium carbonate, is deposited on earth in areas where tectonic plates converge. As it reaches earth’s interior, those carbonate sediments melt and CO2 is released back into the atmosphere. A main requirement for the whole cycle is the presence of liquid water on earth's surface.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had read about acid-rain but it was the first time that I was reading about CO2 cycle and wondering if carbonic acid contributes to acid rain? Does this carbonic acid go into water bodies such as lakes and rivers? What impact does it have on the climate? It was a chapter, which left me with a lot of questions.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">In Conclusion</h3><div>The above are some examples of reflections and questions induced by the scientific essays in this book, written mostly by young European scientists. It was a long time that I had read a book like this one, which surprised me so much and made me stop and think so often!</div><div><br /></div><div>If you like reading scinece fiction and are generally interested in science, this is the book for you.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>*****</div><div>#sciencefiction #science #bookreviews #europeanscientists #anthologyofsciencefiction </div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-2471992170421121522023-07-31T11:53:00.006+02:002023-07-31T17:05:06.245+02:00Writing Choices (1)<p>I am writing my second novel - it is in Hindi, because after trying for about 20 years, I found that I was more comfortable writing my books in Hindi. I still do not have a publishing house for my first book but I am keeping my fingers crossed.</p><p>It took me almost two and a half years to write that first book, and during that period, I rewrote it 3 times before finding a structure that I liked. It is about a young man who discovers that the woman he had thought of as his mother was not his birth-mother and then for the rest of the book he tries to find more about and locate his birth-mother.</p><p>I had a basic idea but once I started writing, new ideas came all the time, some of which I tried. The final structure of book and many of its characters and scenes, which came out in the final version, were very different from my initial ideas.</p><p>However, when I think back about the writing of my first book, I can hardly remember all those changes and the experimenting with different ideas.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8L8q_vFhvz4deudc7Y6IelNT2rOlxdmwf1-GNaSANhycCSp_naGcMkqZ6_Ui52Dzoph1eWGyPOIrOq0CcV3jONgm-JGETMVcBWDfEwu6_xn71IYjSycHAacP-MH3voCEAExGJHw8jrSsLHROuYrGSA_qbHeC1IKLINDQGZc3r6Z_rWsUlmydctnuicEo/s820/imageedit_2_6466961125.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="I (Sunil) with my grand-daughter" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="820" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8L8q_vFhvz4deudc7Y6IelNT2rOlxdmwf1-GNaSANhycCSp_naGcMkqZ6_Ui52Dzoph1eWGyPOIrOq0CcV3jONgm-JGETMVcBWDfEwu6_xn71IYjSycHAacP-MH3voCEAExGJHw8jrSsLHROuYrGSA_qbHeC1IKLINDQGZc3r6Z_rWsUlmydctnuicEo/w640-h500/imageedit_2_6466961125.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><b>It is the same with my second book</b>. I am doing the second rewriting. It covers a long time period, more than a hundred years, and is spread across different countries. I think that I might need to do at least 2 more rewritings before I will have a proper draft. While I work on it, there are so many ideas which come to my mind and I try to incorporate some of them in my writing. </p><p>So I have thought of occasionally noting down in this blog about my writing process. This book revolves around 4 generations of a family involved in a tea garden.</p><p>The first version of this book had alternating chapters focusing on different characters from different countries and time-periods. I wrote around 80% of it but felt that its basic premise of the story focusing on a woman of the 3rd generation was not working, it seemed kind of flat and not very exciting.</p><p>In the second version, I have grouped together the chapters according to the time-periods, to make it easier to follow. Now, its focus has shifted to 2 characters from the second and fourth generations.</p><p>I had started writing it with longer chapters and fewer voices telling the story. After writing about 70% of this version in this way, one day I changed my strategy - now the chapters are shorter and the story is told by a larger number of voices. I still have about 10% of the book to complete but I like this second approach more, though it probably has too many events all reaching their culminations in the last few chapters, so it is kind of chaotic.</p><p>My plan is to finish this version, read it and then decide if I prefer it with longer chapters and fewer voices or shorter chapters with more voices.</p><p>While writing, sometimes some characters suddenly take form, come alive and become more complex, sometimes asking for greater space in the story. For example, some old photographs taken in 1930-1940s played a key role in the story in the first version. In this second version, I have a French guy as the photographer and a few scenes with him. Then, a few days ago, while going for a walk, I thought about that French guy and I felt that he is an interesting character and thus, it is possible that he will have a bigger role in the third version.</p><p>I love writing my book. For a few hours every day I get lost in the worlds of my characters and their stories. It is an amazing feeling.</p><p>*****</p><p>#authorsunil #sunildeepak #sunil_book #writingprocess</p>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-18484270936987877112023-06-11T09:00:00.003+02:002023-06-11T11:14:06.153+02:00Art, Books & Friends<p> Our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/2249676425265918" target="_blank">reading group in Schio </a>in the <b>north-east of Italy</b> meets once a month to talk about a book. Our "reading season" starts in September and ends in the following June, because in the summer, many group members go away for holidays.</p><p>This year, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/michela.colbacchini" target="_blank">Michela</a>, coordinator of our reading group, proposed a different way to end our reading season - "Let us go out somewhere and do something different." One of our group members, Carla, suggested that we go to the house of her friend Lello, who lives on a hill in Malo, a few kilometres south of Schio.</p><p>Lello (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/raffaello.rossi.16" target="_blank">Raffaello Rossi</a>) is a retired physical-education school teacher. His house is on Montepiano mountain, at an altitude of about 500 metres. Parts of the road leading to his house are narrow, but it is a motorable road. The house stands at the edge of a precipice looking down at a valley covered with a dense forest.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jdBoV8Kw3Znn5wtFE5lTINmXCsQzh1z-pxi102H-TXr0-f1owg5QYL0TzuY4JAuiIEaZPSMhH8pqsXYxcnjpUIUM5h-Jgcjnd5inTZorX1iErA1BRlhWoi13rE92WRTDwyk3xBoqLC3NUFV4zZplfFHGZyB00W7UiHEcurxvkImTRuF2nuIAL6EJ/s620/B3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="620" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jdBoV8Kw3Znn5wtFE5lTINmXCsQzh1z-pxi102H-TXr0-f1owg5QYL0TzuY4JAuiIEaZPSMhH8pqsXYxcnjpUIUM5h-Jgcjnd5inTZorX1iErA1BRlhWoi13rE92WRTDwyk3xBoqLC3NUFV4zZplfFHGZyB00W7UiHEcurxvkImTRuF2nuIAL6EJ/w640-h390/B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Life and Works of an Artist: Sem Giovanni Rossi (M. Rinaldi)</h3><p>Our group meeting started with an introduction by Lello about his father, Sem Giovanni Rossi, who was a painter living in Rome. Seventeen years old Sem had participated in the first world war and risked dying in an Austrian prison. A self-taught painter, Sem worked with oils and tried different painting styles and subjects. He became known for his sea paintings, which he produced in large numbers, and which are today scattered across continents, especially in Italy, Germany and USA, and are signed under a paseudonym, as "<a href="https://www.arcadja.com/auctions/it/author-lots/cmkquhyb/" target="_blank">M. Rinaldi</a>".</p><p>After the introduction, Lello took us around a tour of his home where he has a permanent exhibition of about 40 paintings of his father. I love looking at the art works through the eyes of the artists, as they explain the background stories about their works. In this case, we were looking at artworks through the eyes of a son, who had seen his father make those paintings and it was fascinating.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAi5Q5lDbJC2b0kYI5c0P6Rc02fSmZ-JpGW5EUGpe89w1G1e1JfEthfc65AjVFrKbCbivVDgJKwl4f0DzoF8lM4yb8LT1dKy97RIbiGa_tgbnlKMio_GO_5ga1bNYnXlGR6yeQEBcyH_uZFYqyyO2EZGC5DYyCShVqj4R5hulk_AgQM11aQQI1xTx/s620/B2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="620" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAi5Q5lDbJC2b0kYI5c0P6Rc02fSmZ-JpGW5EUGpe89w1G1e1JfEthfc65AjVFrKbCbivVDgJKwl4f0DzoF8lM4yb8LT1dKy97RIbiGa_tgbnlKMio_GO_5ga1bNYnXlGR6yeQEBcyH_uZFYqyyO2EZGC5DYyCShVqj4R5hulk_AgQM11aQQI1xTx/w640-h390/B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">For example, one of the paintings has a young woman sitting and sewing. Lello explained that the young woman was Alina who worked in a sewing workshop next door to his father's art studio.</p><p>For another painting of a house at the Spanish Steps in Rome, he explained that it was the house of Giorgio de Chirico, who was a friend of his father and a well known artist and writer, "de Chirico wanted this painting but my father refused", he said.</p><p>As Lello talked about the still-life, the old-walls, the old men sitting and the tiny rays of light illuminating corners of mostly dark and malinconic paintings, it said something about the time gone by, about his relationship with his father and his understanding of his father's art, that was at once very moving, deeply personal and intimate.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Walking and Talking About Books</h3><p>After the visit to Lello's home and talking about his father's artworks, we decided to go for a walk along a mountain track. For this walk, Michela had prepared sheets of papers for the group members, with brief extracts from the books we had read over the past year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ln31vvIi2i2gJCa2DtCvrPhWXxSYtjhvBZQWySSDSG3LWmn_SIC3JV2efx4rftUHJpDHOuJwDY_k-tDs7AM_ajiVHzKDYrlq-7s51pxB1orSYOGXP4EhLdpdb7tnbQjPYTE8OFygFpjwKEDW0u7CLV7gvYTlKcM7hSMMtn_X8jRd4lGlxuYJbes8/s620/B5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="620" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Ln31vvIi2i2gJCa2DtCvrPhWXxSYtjhvBZQWySSDSG3LWmn_SIC3JV2efx4rftUHJpDHOuJwDY_k-tDs7AM_ajiVHzKDYrlq-7s51pxB1orSYOGXP4EhLdpdb7tnbQjPYTE8OFygFpjwKEDW0u7CLV7gvYTlKcM7hSMMtn_X8jRd4lGlxuYJbes8/w400-h244/B5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">As we went out, we stopped occasionally for someone to read aloud his/her paper to the others, to try to guess the name of the book and sometimes to talk about the experience of reading that book. The extracts chosen for this exercise were very different, some funny and light-hearted, some emotional and touching.</p><p>We started from a tiny church dedicated to San Valentine and then entered a mountain path, initially lined by mulberry trees, loaded with dark and inviting mulberries, full of tasty juices which coloured red our fingers and mouths.</p><p>It was not a long walk, perhaps a couple of kilomteres and did not have big altitude differences, so that everyone could do it.</p><p>Reaching back at Lello's house after the slow and lingering walk, it was time for drinking and eating. Some of our group members had prepared cakes and snacks, others had brought drinks, so we sat down to eat while Lello shared some other memories about his arrival in Schio, some forty years ago.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Friendships and Connections</h3><p>As the evening arrived and we prepared to leave, I was thinking about the afternoon spent in so many intense experiences - the beautiful terrace overlooking the green valley, covered with vine trees with budding grapes, Lello's stories about his father's artworks, our walk between the mulberry trees, the taste of fresh mulberries, and the pleasures of listening to the words from the books we had read, evoking memories of their story-worlds.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLnMVjV-U88nQ1CZQkt7RpBj1VuvPvfK8-4Iqc-XymC9Qsdg3bqqItPi04hHL0LIaJqTyrWSdcUDNMOtq-YYrWRBEoQeioXV2UYIhP_Q7LjZ3kKGQ3S8P6T5lDbROXBc5ftz7HZF8FJJNpE9c_35xDgCimlJMi5aA2zaxUoQRDdWtkhiJntWfSpKf/s490/B4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="470" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLnMVjV-U88nQ1CZQkt7RpBj1VuvPvfK8-4Iqc-XymC9Qsdg3bqqItPi04hHL0LIaJqTyrWSdcUDNMOtq-YYrWRBEoQeioXV2UYIhP_Q7LjZ3kKGQ3S8P6T5lDbROXBc5ftz7HZF8FJJNpE9c_35xDgCimlJMi5aA2zaxUoQRDdWtkhiJntWfSpKf/w384-h400/B4.jpg" width="384" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">A key part of the beauty of this experience was made up by the conversations, sometimes long and sometimes brief, we had with friends in the group, as we walked or sat around, sharing about our lives, our plans, our big or small sufferings and challenges. Memories of this afternoon will remain with me for a long time.</p><p>*** </p>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-41397369177947438632023-02-13T11:23:00.002+01:002023-06-26T13:29:15.243+02:00Understanding and Promoting Empowerment<p>I have been involved in Emancipatory Disability Research (EDR) initiatives in different parts of the world. The goal of Emancipatory Research is to promote empowerment of marginalised people. Therefore, it is important to ask ourselves what is empowerment? Can it be promoted? If yes, how?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuhz7ZfFGIs4tNWm9g6t6PGAla6Ola_q3qVJBxEHC5VLaKd0OaeBFQMLp4UM7I69J4tjCGWkhUfj85MirKvZRnHK7wvKdK9j3w7KwSnGYkQdyEf9Wj9yzR4nFXDcCuSsHqEqrSmtUeVQpIRR1LIQNrttjZU74cJNvS-Y2WsYrIl8sSO-ho3EEiC7TMY8/s620/er04_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Persons with disabilities in Mongolia" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="620" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwuhz7ZfFGIs4tNWm9g6t6PGAla6Ola_q3qVJBxEHC5VLaKd0OaeBFQMLp4UM7I69J4tjCGWkhUfj85MirKvZRnHK7wvKdK9j3w7KwSnGYkQdyEf9Wj9yzR4nFXDcCuSsHqEqrSmtUeVQpIRR1LIQNrttjZU74cJNvS-Y2WsYrIl8sSO-ho3EEiC7TMY8/w640-h496/er04_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>This post talks about some ideas of empowerment and how it can be promoted. It includes ideas from some of my discussions with young persons with disabilities in Mongolia during 2017-2020, who had taken part in an emancipatory research.<br /><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Emancipatory Research (ER)</h3><div><div>Normally the main goal of a research is to gain new knowledge or new understandings. The main goal of a Emancipatory Research (ER) is to help marginalised persons to gain understanding about factors which cause or worsen their marginalisation.</div><div><br /></div><div>ER can be done by individuals (IER) or by groups or communities (CER) of marginalised persons. My professional experience relates mainly to ER conducted by groups of disabled persons.</div><div><br /></div><div>From my experiences, my understanding is that each kind of marginalisation and thus, each specific group of marginalised persons (for example, persons with mental health issues, sex workers, persons with alternate sexualities, persons with disabilities, etc.) is associated with specific kinds of barriers - such as attitudinal, social, economic, legal, cultural and physical barriers. Each kind of marginalised group also also needs to understand its own internalised barriers (barriers located in the persons themselves).</div><div> </div><div>I would like to see more research in this area of differences and similarities in barriers faced by different marginalised groups.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The ER process can help in promoting a systematic collective examination of the different barriers in understanding how they affect their individual life-experiences. The ER process conducted jointly by a group of persons facing similar marginalisations can also help in finds ways and strategies to overcome those barriers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Apart from its impact on the barriers, this whole ER process is also expected to promote empowerment of the participants. I asked a group of 34 young persons with disabilities in Mongolia about
the meaning and significance of empowerment for them. The following
ideas came out from these discussions. <br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Meanings of Empowerment</h3></div><div>Empowerment can be at individual level and collective level (of groups of people or communities) and of their organisations and institutions. Empowerment of an individual usually means taking control of his/her own life, having opportunities and abilities to make their own life-choices, and, the capacity of speaking out and making their voices heard.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, persons from different cultures can different expectations from their empowerment because they may make very different life choices. For example, in an individualistic culture, living independently and ability to say whatever we wish may be seen as an important (or even the most important) part of empowerment. In other cultures where family values are seen as more valuable, empowered persons may still prefer to stay with their parents or listen to their elders, instead of insisting on making their own choices, and empowerment may be perceived in their family status and roles.<br /><br />Zimmerman (1995) proposed that empowerment is both a process and an outcome. He identified different contributing factors of empowerment, such as - control and access to resources, participation with others, and critical understanding of socio-political environment.<br /><br />I feel that empowerment is a never-ending process and it relates to different facets of life, so that while we may be more empowered in one life-domain, we can still be less empowered in other life-domains. It also means that our life-circumstances can lead to a reduction or strengthening of our empowerment. For example, finding a job or receiving pension and improving our economic independence may strengthen our empowerment.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Meanings of empowerment for Persons with Disabilities</h3><div>Different groups of marginalised persons may have different ideas about empowerment. For example, for persons with disabilities, physical and material barriers such as lack of wheel-chairs, lack of ramps and lifts, lack of sign language translation, and lack of Braille materials are a very significant barrier and findings ways to overcome these barriers will play an important role in their empowerment.</div><div> </div>For an Emancipatory Disability Research (EDR) project in Mongolia conducted during 2017-2020, I asked its participants (young adults with moderate to severe disabilities of different kinds) about the meaning of empowerment and what were the barriers to empowerment for them. <br /><br />For some of them, empowerment meant overcoming fear of the negative views and opinions of others, in their families, among friends, among peers and in communities. For them the biggest barriers to empowerment were the negative attitudes in the family and in the community.<br /><br />Others looked at positive qualities to define empowerment, such as having self-confidence, having courage, and to be able to hold responsibility. One person said, “We have to first recognise our own skills and show our skills to others. If we change, we can change attitudes of the society, like Stephen Hawkins did, even if he can’t speak or move.”<br /><br />For most of them, making independent decisions was a key to empowerment. Most felt that having a work and being financially independent helped in the process of empowerment.<br /><br />Some persons shared their life stories to explain how they had fought against family attitudes to assert their need for making their own life-decisions. This raised the question about the links between personalities of the persons and their empowerment. Some persons are born fighters, they do not give up and insist on following their decisions, so they are naturally empowered. Others do not have fighting personalities and need help in developing their empowerment skills.<br /><br />For some persons, parents' love and protectiveness were the barriers to their empowerment. One person said, “Barriers are also inside us, we are sensitive and feel hurt. Lack of accessibility restricts us, forcing us to depend upon others. Going to school is important for empowerment, not only to learn to read and write, but it is an opportunity of meeting others, talking, expressing ourselves, and having friends.”<br /><br />How would you define empowerment?<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Some Questions</h3>One question in my mind is: does collective empowerment automatically lead to individual empowerment? If a group of persons undertakes a joint action to correct an injustice and through their efforts they manage to change the situation, I think that it will promote feelings of value and self-confidence among all members of the group. Thus, it will promote both collective empowerment and individual empowerment. However, I feel that those persons who play a more active role will gain more self-confidence and become more empowered. Therefore, group action may promote different levels of empowerment among the group members.<br /><br />On the other hand, I think that when unjust situations change, this may help other persons to become empowered by showing that a change is possible, even if they did not take part in the fight to change the situation.<br /><br />Another question I ask is: does individual empowerment automatically lead to collective empowerment? If a group of empowered persons agree and come together to fight, then they can be more effective in changing the unjust situation. However, if persons are individually empowered but do not agree with each other, and do not come together to change the situation, then probably there will not be any collective empowerment. I see collective empowerment as a process of inter-action and exchange between persons.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3>Empowerment can have different meanings for different groups of marginalised persons and across different countries and cultures. It is not a question to which you can answer with a yes or no - it is a process. It starts when we become aware that we can also make our own decisions. It is easier for us if we are economically independent and educated, but that does not mean that without education or financial independence we can’t be empowered.<br /><br />Empowerment means not just getting respect for your decisions, but also respecting the others by listening to them and allowing them to make their decisions. It also means accepting that sometimes, some of us can also decide that we do not wish to make our own decisions.</div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq6YI5VVQh6mAHkOmrAmC4-kYcXUQCOPC5asVKzzdyAObuJ14SH7boG1IddNb0hwikUKSyYk5AgCGmuu41VS6EbkLTGmNo3YxSEmzu_A9SKWK4gP__XiWCv4opRKFYfPzqgNAlFFvFiLBEk8sReqTIivE2q9RAgnGMVzqUJh_GOqo0R_yt-ClnkJYILQ/s620/er05_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Conducting EDR in Mnadya district, India" border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="620" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq6YI5VVQh6mAHkOmrAmC4-kYcXUQCOPC5asVKzzdyAObuJ14SH7boG1IddNb0hwikUKSyYk5AgCGmuu41VS6EbkLTGmNo3YxSEmzu_A9SKWK4gP__XiWCv4opRKFYfPzqgNAlFFvFiLBEk8sReqTIivE2q9RAgnGMVzqUJh_GOqo0R_yt-ClnkJYILQ/w640-h442/er05_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> </div><div></div><div>Meeting others, learning from their life experiences, sharing our doubts and fears are all steps towards empowerment.<br /><br />As Zimmerman (1995) wrote, “asking why” is a key part of promoting empowerment. Emancipatory Research (ER) approach facilitates groups of marginalised persons to come together, ask questions and understand the reasons behind their life situations, to discuss how to overcome the obstacles they face and thus promotes empowerment.<br /><br />*****</div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-49250070697805523932023-02-11T10:31:00.003+01:002023-06-26T13:30:24.370+02:00"Eliminating" Infections In India<p>In today's <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/" target="_blank"><b>FirstPost</b></a>, an online newspaper from India, there is a cover story on <b><a href="https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/neglected-tropical-diseases-how-community-level-awareness-can-help-reduce-vulnerability-12138902.html" target="_blank">Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by Kalikesh Singh Deo,</a></b> "<i>a member of the Biju Janata Dal party. He is the Convenor of the National Coalition on Neglected Tropical Diseases and Malaria</i>".</p><p>I have some concerns about the use of term "<b>elimination</b>" for reducing the number of certain diseases like Kala Azar and Lymphatic Filariasis, under the guidance of the World Health Organisation (WHO). I hope that bodies advising the Government of India would have discussions with stakeholders to ensure a reduction in the negative fall-out from the use of such terminology.</p><p>Let me explain why I think that using terms like "elimination" in such campaigns is a double-edged sword. (The image below presents some ASHA workers from Maharashtra, India - all public health programmes reach people through these front-line workers in India - without them no campaign or programme can work).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlWZmskf9Uxn-O7RkmafCJfqdko4pwicswkZHLID1JP6ah5Crp5c2WSb-GkCYitacXMx9PAJKbjft7y1bGz2ZLNO1zWFTxobNJEXy1fvxBzzeTu9VB4AdwXngB0lWeeKXGOoNYJxDJ73cJ5K0-_lM_fznWL-xFZC9W15gxaKbuKAiMXDA_1RMIJcu/s620/2016_April25_Dhule_ShindhKheda_Dhamane_ASHA_HarshelJhalte%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ASHA Workers, the courageous frontline health workers of India" border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlWZmskf9Uxn-O7RkmafCJfqdko4pwicswkZHLID1JP6ah5Crp5c2WSb-GkCYitacXMx9PAJKbjft7y1bGz2ZLNO1zWFTxobNJEXy1fvxBzzeTu9VB4AdwXngB0lWeeKXGOoNYJxDJ73cJ5K0-_lM_fznWL-xFZC9W15gxaKbuKAiMXDA_1RMIJcu/w640-h454/2016_April25_Dhule_ShindhKheda_Dhamane_ASHA_HarshelJhalte%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">WHO's Definitions</h3><p>In 2016, <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/205080/WHO_HTM_NTD_2016.6_eng.pdf" target="_blank">WHO produced a document about the use of terms like "elimination"</a>. According to this document, the following terms have following meanings for the infectious diseases (page 3):</p><p><b>Control</b>: Reducing the number of cases of a disease</p><p><b>Elimination</b>: Reducing a disease to zero new cases (incidence) in a country or an area</p><p><b>Eradication</b>: The causative organism has been eradicated from nature and laboratories so that it can not cause any new infection</p><p>In addition, there is a 4th definition, which is called "<b>Elimination as a Public Health Problem</b>" - this means reducing the numbers of cases of a disease so it is no longer a problem for the health services.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Advantages of Using terms like Elimination</h3><p>In his article, K.S. Deo explains: "<i>By December 2023, the Government of India plans to reduce kala-azar cases to less than one per 10,000 people at the block level and, by 2030, to eliminate haati pao as well.</i>"</p><p>Reading the strategy and such explanations, the readers feel that the problem is going to be solved. In this article, he does not use the term "elimination as a public health problem" because he understands that this won't make much sense to ordinary readers.</p><p>There are different advantages of using words like "elimination", including getting more resources from the Government and greater commitment from health services and health personnel.</p><p>There are real gains on the ground as well. For example, Deo writes: "<i>10 February 2023, India will conduct Mass Drug Administration (MDA) rounds in Mission Mode in 10 affected states</i>". This means that a large number of people will receive medicines to treat and to prevent new infections.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Disadvantages of Using Terms like Elimination</h3><p>The first time the term "elimination as a public health problem" was used was in 1991, when WHO had launched its <b>Leprosy Elimination Strategy</b> (LES) - to reduce leprosy by the year 2000. At that time I was a member of the the medical commission of the <a href="https://ilepfederation.org/" target="_blank">International Leprosy Associations Federation</a> (ILEP) and many of our members had concerns that people will not understand the term "elimination as a public health problem" and will think that the disease has been eliminated, they will believe that it no longer requires resources and services.</p><p>The LES had a huge impact in India. In most of north India very few public health services were reaching leprosy patients and most of them were being treated by older lesser-effective medicines. For example, due to LES, by 1998 even states like Bihar and UP managed to provide almost 100% coverage with newer and more effective anti-leprosy drugs to all those who needed them.</p><p>The problem came after India had reached the LES goal (in 2005). Many states reduced their support for leprosy services. It was not only decision-makers or general population who had thought that leprosy will be actually eliminated and there won't be any more new cases, even doctors and public health specialists believed it.</p><p>For example, 4 years ago, <a href="https://microbiologycommunity.nature.com/users/20892-madhukar-pai" target="_blank">Dr Madhukar Pai, director of McGill International TB Centre</a> and a well-known and influential public health specialist based in Canada, in his article "<a href="https://microbiologycommunity.nature.com/posts/51659-archive-of-failures-in-global-health" target="_blank">Failures of Public Health</a>" wrote the following:</p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #222222; font-family: Lora, Palatino, Times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 17px;">In 2005, India declared leprosy to be eliminated and scaled-back on its leprosy programmes. Today, according to WHO, India harbors 60 percent of the world’s cases, with more than 100,000 new diagnoses each year</span></p><p>I can tell many anecdotes of people coming up to me with questions about why governments had declared "leprosy is eliminated" when they still had the disease. I have even seen a sociology thesis from a country in Africa, which had a theory about the LES declaration and a national conspiracy to marginalise the poor persons for the benefit of the rich.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3><p>I think that it will be good if Mr. K.S. Deo and his team will bring together different stakeholders, including representatives of leprosy-organisations to find ways which allow us to use the term "elimination" for the advantages it provides and at the same time, find alternate ways to mitigate the damage caused people's expectations that these diseases will disappear.</p><p>For example, it might be important to use some other word and not use the word "elimination" in the <b>local language translations</b> about the campaigns.</p><p>18 years after Eliminating Leprosy as a public health problem in India, it continues to be a public health problem and is a part of NTD strategy about which Deo has written. LES had an impact, the number of new cases of leprosy in India has been halved (partly this may be due to covid-related reduction in services, so that many new cases were not detected) but the disease is still there and it requires services. It is crucial to avoid mistakes of the past.</p><p>*****</p><p><br /></p>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-41169332804881525492023-02-05T09:09:00.003+01:002023-06-26T13:38:38.409+02:00Theyyam: When Gods Descend on earth<p>India has many rich religious traditions during which the Gods are supposed to come down to the earth and express themselves through some persons. Examples of similar traditions can be found in different parts of India. <br /></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTJCOKrWwesGs4aPewKAAFB9Ps-mn4Hx1wcdhKQUd0m5ciLM6N9nu0Rxl7jMKmhXQdDkmKKf1FsYXXo36k3JirfKOcU9SPA793cT8S89xvKQ8vW2mZS9vg56Yc_QVY3s3_kBGiQb6P_9lgwXSmXI_r_5lkQiF45Vtzw-NFKTrL1O_Fh3FTQkprasswWg/s620/theyyam_gods_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Theyam - the sacred dance of Gods in Kunoor, Kerala, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYTJCOKrWwesGs4aPewKAAFB9Ps-mn4Hx1wcdhKQUd0m5ciLM6N9nu0Rxl7jMKmhXQdDkmKKf1FsYXXo36k3JirfKOcU9SPA793cT8S89xvKQ8vW2mZS9vg56Yc_QVY3s3_kBGiQb6P_9lgwXSmXI_r_5lkQiF45Vtzw-NFKTrL1O_Fh3FTQkprasswWg/w640-h444/theyyam_gods_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>This post focuses on one such tradition called <b>Theyyam</b>, which is celebrated in northern Kerala in south India.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Gods Speaking Through Humans</h3>Hindus believe that the Divine is present in each living being as universal consciousness. At the same time, they have a pantheon of a huge number of Gods and Goddesses, one for each of life’s different forms. The Gods, animals and plants are all inter-linked through the sacred stories and myths.<br /><br />The religious ceremonies in which Gods speak through humans has 2 main functions – (i) as a part of celebration of specific religious and social events; and, (ii) to answer questions and to give blessings to people.</div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxNCNCKAp4Bukvq7jrfD8C8PNA0RbC855sDE0iq8ZS-EqVo5iKwaYlQ7DInk_SJzAYsYbI7hD4E5kg6fySWkBVdZAeOAq7M5mpw8xIBkufTIXke2bCHvTmpJQPEcaSD6_6oR1EPbNhEAFgLSnVcoF1nwStVegY53jJsMsZoJe48QzlYO-EKrKaHKtcAE/s620/theyyam_gods_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Theyam - the sacred dance of Gods in Kunoor, Kerala, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmxNCNCKAp4Bukvq7jrfD8C8PNA0RbC855sDE0iq8ZS-EqVo5iKwaYlQ7DInk_SJzAYsYbI7hD4E5kg6fySWkBVdZAeOAq7M5mpw8xIBkufTIXke2bCHvTmpJQPEcaSD6_6oR1EPbNhEAFgLSnVcoF1nwStVegY53jJsMsZoJe48QzlYO-EKrKaHKtcAE/w640-h444/theyyam_gods_03.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div>All over India, especially in small towns and villages, there are persons who are known in the communities as “carriers of God”, who can go into a trance, and invoke a God spirit to come and speak through them. In north India this process is called “<i>Devi ka aana</i>” (arrival of the Goddess). Usually they do it by sitting down in meditation with their eyes closed and then go into trance. The arrival of the God in their bodies is marked by signs like convulsive shaking while their voices turn rough. After that others can ask questions or ask for blessings and make an offering. This role can be played by both men and women.<br /><br />In many parts of India, there are also elaborate make-up, costumes and rituals linked with this tradition. For example, in <b>North Dinajpur district of West Bengal</b>, persons manifesting the Gods wear colourful wooden masks during the sowing of fields – this tradition is known as <a href="https://www.sahapedia.org/gomira-mask-dance-of-north-bengal" target="_blank"><b>Gomira</b></a>. In <b>East Burdwan district</b> of West Bengal, the men invoking the Gods, paint their bodies with blue colour and transform into <b>Shiva</b> – this tradition is known as <a href="https://www.firstpost.com/long-reads/becoming-shiva-the-gajan-sanyasis-celebrate-the-blue-gods-marriage-to-harkali-6405251.html" target="_blank"><b>Shiva Gajan</b></a>. <b>Satyajit Ray</b>'s film <b>Devi</b> can be seen as one representation and exploration of similar ideas.<br /><br />While God-manifestation roles are mostly enacted only by men, usually they are about Goddesses, the different forms of Shakti. In some places, persons of other religions, especially Muslims & Christians, are given specific roles to play during these ceremonies image below with Muslim characters in a Theyyam), which could be linked with specific historical events and indicate processes of religious inclusion.</div><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Theyyam Tradition in North Kerala</h3>The word “Theyyam” probably comes from “Devam” (God). This religious tradition is common in villages of northern Kerala, especially around the district of Kannur and surrounding areas of Kerala and Karnataka. Between October to March, every village holds one annual Theyyam at the village temple. In each temple, there can be different Gods/Theyyams, depending upon the presiding deity and his consorts. Bhagwati is one of the principle deities of the Theyyam.<br /><br />The persons playing Theyyams usually belong to specific lower castes in villages. The responsibility belongs to specific families and is hereditary, so that male children watch and learn from their fathers and uncles putting on the make-up, making specific ritualistic dance movements and conducting specific rituals in the temple. For the duration of the Theyyam, persons of all castes, bow in front of Theyyams.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ceremonies continue day and night for 3-4 days and are usually carried out in the open courtyards around the temple. During the celebration, sometimes there can be an occasional animal sacrifice, especially a hen. After their rituals and dances, each Theyyam receives devotees who pay obeisance, and ask questions or their blessings.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Visiting Theyyam ceremonies</h3>I had seen a few Theyyam dancers in a cultural festival in Guwahati some years ago and had been struck by their elaborate make-up and costumes. Then, a few years ago, in a museum near Fort Kochi, I had seen the masks showing specific make-up face-patterns for different Theyyams, which had greatly intrigued me.<br /><br />It is easier to see Theyyam performances as part of cultural shows, but I was interested in seeing them <b>as a part of a living religious tradition</b> of a village.<br /><br />In February 2018, during a visit in Kerala, I had gone to Kunnur, where I had hired a local Theyyam guide. You can find online the calendar of Theyyam celebrations in different villages. However, more specific information is available only in Malayalam. Finding and reaching specific villages where the celebrations are being held is not very easy unless you know the local areas. Thus, a local guide can make things easier.<br /><br />With my guide Chandran, I had visited Theyyam ceremonies in 2 different villages and seen different Theyyams, each with their special make-up and costume. As you can see from the pictures, both were colourful ceremonies filled with beautiful rituals, dances and faithful. Even elderly persons touched their feet and asked for their blessings.</div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rxydDYiOARaoDN6usg-nXFzASa-3Q1gw6jVfnDSC4C5aYHhlN50KbyEvn998duRjZwPn6k6ADJNXN-IjyIn56-VjOMxJ5EMcviFW9rvW0c2_2M1Uj9112cs8CwOCwKVe0-eznAhV1oduk8ut4vPrtHks4osiJV4lUuevEaE4VS4c1D8FMYzg4P4frCQ/s620/theyyam_gods_04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Theyam - the sacred dance of Gods in Kunoor, Kerala, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2rxydDYiOARaoDN6usg-nXFzASa-3Q1gw6jVfnDSC4C5aYHhlN50KbyEvn998duRjZwPn6k6ADJNXN-IjyIn56-VjOMxJ5EMcviFW9rvW0c2_2M1Uj9112cs8CwOCwKVe0-eznAhV1oduk8ut4vPrtHks4osiJV4lUuevEaE4VS4c1D8FMYzg4P4frCQ/w640-h444/theyyam_gods_04.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> </div><div></div><div>In my opinion, they are not just a rich and colourful tradition, they are an expression of people’s faith. I found the ceremonies emotionally moving. Unfortunately, with changing times, some young persons feel that these are just old superstitions and are dismissive towards them. Though the Government is supporting some of the families engaged in Theyyam by making them a part of cultural festivals, I feel that to see them as part of people’s living traditions and faith, is a completely different experience.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3>In one of the villages I visited, I watched a young man patiently lying on the ground for a couple of hours, while the make-up of God Narsimha was being put on his face. While he was getting ready, his uncle, Mr. Narayan, who was one of the drummers and had come home from Delhi, especially for this ceremony, had explained to me the significance of different steps of his preparation.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most beautiful moment for me had come when after getting ready, the young man had moved away from the group and walked up to a small hill (image above). There he had bent down to touch the ground and then stood there with his eyes closed in a silent prayer. When he had opened his eyes and turned towards people, there was a subtle difference in him – he had transformed into Theyyam. Moving with a feline grace, he had walked to the courtyard of the temple, a God descended on earth.<br /><br />That transformation had touched me deeply. Gods and humans, together and separate, are bound together in the sacred stories of human imagination - Theyyam is an illustration of this bond.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>*****</div><div><b>Note</b>: Post originally written in 2018, updated in 2023</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-14403278007496045902023-02-03T11:30:00.004+01:002023-06-26T13:47:59.467+02:00Celebrating Dalit Struggles & PrideEver since the advent of metro network in Delhi and surrounding regions, I have started to explore unfamiliar parts of the city and NCR. Every time I visit Delhi, I try to visit some new places. In 2019, I decided to visit the <b>Dalit Prerna Sthal Park</b> and <b>Okhala Bird Sanctuary</b>, near the eponymous metro station on the Magenta line of Delhi metro.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWj4kCWzvKDvQfpvqAQZOPKmpWsbd3VBfBJjdOPFv23nzrxc3UaMZ2zFo9kUuDvaQiYZ60L6XV6jzVM8AaZld8Eeo9b-1qqaji2FnwuTgm_X1rfqekAxRHhluNHJE4lbpI3II9w3JpQLKDLIRQ96XSA92QHVq5oag0uNd9plchea0TpvVL9LAYTBB2KJw/s620/dalit_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dalit Pride Park, Noida, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWj4kCWzvKDvQfpvqAQZOPKmpWsbd3VBfBJjdOPFv23nzrxc3UaMZ2zFo9kUuDvaQiYZ60L6XV6jzVM8AaZld8Eeo9b-1qqaji2FnwuTgm_X1rfqekAxRHhluNHJE4lbpI3II9w3JpQLKDLIRQ96XSA92QHVq5oag0uNd9plchea0TpvVL9LAYTBB2KJw/w640-h444/dalit_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>This post is about my adventures while trying to visit these two tourist venues located in NOIDA (UP) close to the Delhi border. I take this opportunity to also reflect on caste discriminations in India.</div><div><br /></div><div>While independent India opted for laws against caste-based discriminations and affirmative action for persons from lower and backward castes, I thought that continuing deaths of persons asked to clean the sewers was a big blot on nation's dignity. It is only in 2023 that Government of India has decided to allocate specific funds to stop manual cleaning of sewers - I hope that efficient action will be taken on this point and make sure that no one dies due to this act anymore. <br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal</h3>RDPS or the <b>National Inspiration Memorial of Dalits </b>was commissioned in 2011 by Ms. <b>Mayawati</b>, a Dalit leader, who was at that time the chief-minister of UP state. The word “Dalit” literally means “Downtrodden” and denotes persons belonging to the so called “lower” castes in India, who have been marginalised and exploited for centuries by persons of other, so-called “higher” castes.<br /><br />Before Mayawati, dalits have had some other famous representatives, who have left a mark in Indian history. <b>Dr. Ambedkar</b>, one of the most important dalit leaders during the independence struggle, is considered the father of the Indian constitution. <b>Babu Jagjivan Ram</b>, a dalit leader belonging to Congress party, had been a famous minister in the Indian national government for more than a couple of decades. Another dalit leader from Congress party, <b>K. R. Narayanan</b>, had become vice-president of India in 1992 and president in 1997.<br /><br />After the independence of India in 1947, gradually Dalit population groups had also started organising themselves politically. A dalit leader, <b>Mr. Kanshi Ram</b>, had founded a political party called <b>Bahujan Samaj Party</b> (BSP) in 1984 to represent their political aspirations. Mayawati, a leader of BSP, formed the state government in UP in 1995, the most populous state of India with more than 200 million population at that time. After more than a decade of coalition governments, Mayawati formed her first majority government of dalits in 2007. By becoming a symbol of Dalit power and visibility, Mayawati has represented the collective rise of dalits.<br /><br />Construction of the <b>Dalit Prerna Sthal</b> (Dalit Inspiration Memorial) in NOIDA close to Delhi, was a way to remind the people about this transformational journey of marginalised dalit people. For this reason, many persons also call it <b>Dalit Garv Sthal </b>(Dalit Pride).<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Reaching Dalit Pride Park</h3>The first Delhi Metro station had opened in 2002. Since then it has grown into one of the biggest metro network in the world with more than 250 stations and covering about 350 kms. The Magenta line going to <b>Okhala Bird Sanctuary</b> station had opened in 2017. It connects Janakpuri in west Delhi to Botanical Garden in UP in the east, covering a little more than 38 kms with 25 stations.<br /><br />Check the latest metro map to see how you can reach Okhala Bird Sanctuary metro station from your home/hotel.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">My Adventures in visiting Dalit Pride Park</h3>My first motivation for this visit was the Okhala Bird Sanctuary. It was January and I had read about thousands of migratory birds visiting the Okhala area around the river Yamuna. On the Google map I had seen that Dalit Pride Park was very close so I had decided to visit both these places.<br /><br />My journey had began in Gurgaon and I had taken the magenta line from Hauz Khas, reaching Okhala Bird Sanctuary Metro Station in a little more than one hour.<br /><br />Getting out of metro station I had my first encounter with the reality – the exit stairs crossed a wide and busy road, full of fast traffic, and came down to a narrow platform in the middle of the road. There were <b>no signs </b>about how to reach the Bird Sanctuary or the Dalit Pride Park around the Metro Station. Crossing the road to reach the sidewalk was my first dangerous adventure. There was no sidewalk and the shops occupying the area, were not able to tell me how far was the Dalit park, except to indicate the general direction.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">A 20 minutes of walk, with an occasional sidewalk that was covered with garbage in places, including a bridge over a canal carrying foul smelling refuse waters, finally brought me to the gate of the Dalit Park.</div><div><br />My satisfaction was short-lived, as the children playing there told me that this gate was locked and to enter the park, I needed to walk to the next gate. Another 15 minutes of walk brought me to the next gate, but it was also closed. Resigned I walked to the successive gate, where a young man selling the spicy fruit-chaat explained to me that all the park gates were closed and the <b>only gate open to public was gate number 5, another half-an-hour of walk away</b>.<br /><br />By that time, the sun was up and it had become warm. I had been walking for more than one hour and was already tired. I tried looking for an auto but after 10 minutes gave up the idea. Finally, deflated and defeated, I started my walk back to the metro station.<br /><br />Along the outer wall of the Dalit Park, there were narrow openings from where I could look inside and take a few pictures. It looked green and lovely with a lot of columns in a pink stone, with elephants at the top, which are the electoral symbol of BSP. In the centre of the park there was a monument with statues of Kanshi Ram, Mayawati and other Dalit icons. Through the narrow openings, the pictures have not come out so well and all the statues looked grey or black.<br /><br />Looking from outside, I did not see any visitors in the park except for a few uniformed men sitting in the shade near the locked gates, looking bored.<br /><br />Back at the metro station, frustrated and tired, I half-heartedly asked persons about the way to the <b>Okhala Bird Sanctuary</b>. They pointed vaguely towards the bridge on the river. To reach that part, I needed to cross a wide road full of fast-moving traffic without any place for pedestrians. In the end, I thought that it was time for me to lick my wounded pride and retreat from this visit. My only consolation was that I had seen some parts of the park from the outside.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Need for Dalit Pride Parks</h3>Caste is a huge and deeply rooted issue in Indian society. Caste related reservations in educational institutions and government jobs are sources of resentment among persons of "higher" castes. Proposed as a temporary measure at the time of India's independence, it has now grown into a multiple-headed hydra with different caste groups claiming backwardness and right to reservations.<br /><br />On the other hand, in spite of the equality guaranteed by the Indian constitution, marginalisation and oppression of Dalits continues to be a serious issue in many parts of India, especially in small towns and rural areas.<br /><br />Yet, there is no systematic way of promoting discussions on this theme in India. During my school years, the only mention of caste discriminations had come during discussions on Mahatma Gandhi and perhaps during the lessons on medieval bhakti poets of India. There was no lesson on how caste discriminations work systematically across our daily lives and nothing about continuing inhuman treatment of specific "lower" caste groups even today. For example, manual scavenging was declared unlawful long time ago, yet there are still places where human beings are forced to carry excreta on their heads and unprotected men are forced to go down in the gutters and manholes to clean them manually, even in the national capital. Many educated Indians growing up in big cities feel that caste discriminations was something belonging to the past because they do not believe in caste distinctions, and have no idea of its continuing terrible impact.<br /><br />In such a situation, I feel that Dalit Parks can play important roles in promoting public discussions on castes and its negative impacts. For example, they can help in informing public about the reality of caste discriminations through testimonies, films, art and sculptures. They can also showcase important contributions made by dalit leaders to create positive role models. School children should be taken to these Dalit museums, to learn about India's history, its continuing social disparities and to make a vow to fight these.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">To Uttar Pradesh Tourism Board</h3>Metro is an accessible public transport that brings tourists to different parts of the city. UP Tourism Board should make an effort to make it easier for persons reaching the <b>Okhala Bird Sanctuary Metro Station</b> to visit the Dalit park and the bird sanctuary. It will be good if a tourism department official actually travels by Metro to understand how difficult it is for people to come out of the metro station and to visit these 2 places. <br /><br />Allowing only one gate of the park to be open and choosing that gate which is most far away from metro station for this purpose, seems not only illogical, but also against poor and middle class persons, who do not have their own cars or vehicles for travel.<br /><br />The tourism board should also put relevant sign boards at the metro station to guide the interested persons. Finally, if they can also make arrangements to facilitate visits by persons with disabilities and old persons (like me), it would be wonderful.<br /><br />I can guess that the reason why only one gate of the Dalit Park is kept open for public, is to sell tickets and control entry. However, if you check how much money this park is earning from the visitors and if it is a small amount, make the entry to Dalit Park free so that more persons can visit it, experience what it means to be Dalit and face caste discriminations and learn about the pernicious effects of caste-system in India.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3>I believe that visiting Dalit park and learning about discriminations and inhuman treatment of dalits in India is a great idea – similar to visits to holocaust sites and genocide museums in Europe and monuments to Black-resistance sites in the USA. Often, people and government seem embarrassed to accept that India still has caste-related discriminations. Instead, we need to openly talk about it, make it a prominent discussion point and highlight all that which has been done by national and state governments as well as, by activists to fight it. I hope that UP Tourism Board and Government of India will wake up to its importance and make it an essential part of visits for tourists coming to India.</div><div> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArqKK0qLOm4Y8PAoRd_0qKrH9CZWM-jI4gLZ-Vyf4XMNtZQvMEaJoBoLJqqucdqUXjknzG_6ooSLIoAWO27GohHRRfGHjfP1OCf5bMdlcW-39rDwYFw2Dnd8NQ-hk5ZPjESEPbaccQbm9M5-lWOOwW7VffGYsQo91HEnZRc4kLVP_OrNtDHBoOX9VYuw/s620/dalit_04.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dalit Pride Park, Noida, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgArqKK0qLOm4Y8PAoRd_0qKrH9CZWM-jI4gLZ-Vyf4XMNtZQvMEaJoBoLJqqucdqUXjknzG_6ooSLIoAWO27GohHRRfGHjfP1OCf5bMdlcW-39rDwYFw2Dnd8NQ-hk5ZPjESEPbaccQbm9M5-lWOOwW7VffGYsQo91HEnZRc4kLVP_OrNtDHBoOX9VYuw/w640-h444/dalit_04.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /> </div><div></div><div>Hiding our difficult past and the uncomfortable parts of our present reality because we feel ashamed of it, does not help us in tackling it. We need to talk about it openly, so that we can understand it better and find ways of overcoming it.<br /><br />There are still many aspects of caste-related exploitation that are not well understood. For example, while oppression and exploitation of “lower” castes by “higher” castes is a big problem, I feel that hierarchies and intra-caste inequalities and discriminations among the “lower” castes is also an issue. Unless we talk about these aspects, how can we hope to transform India into an equal and progressive society?<br /><br />Our Upanishads, the ancient Hindu sacred texts, say that there is the same universal consciousness in all living beings. Similar messages from all different religions of India also need to be celebrated in the dalit parks to promote a change in mentality.<br /><br />Like the queer communities across the world celebrating GLBTIQ pride parades, perhaps one day all cities of India will have colourful and joyful dalit parks and dalit pride parades, where people can learn about our social history and express our pride in our identities.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Note: Post originally written in 2019 and updated in 2023</div><div><br /></div><div>*****</div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-15333509398959814712023-02-02T07:32:00.002+01:002023-07-11T13:48:38.627+02:00Most Beautiful ExperiencesWhat makes some memories so special, that we can't forget them, even after decades? I was thinking about my memories of my most unforgettable evenings and wondering about what had made them so special.<div><br /></div><div>In this post, I want to talk about 5 of my most unforgettable evenings and what made them special.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">An Evening at the Taj Mahal, India</h3>Talking about a beautiful evening at the Taj Mahal is a cliché, but since it was one the most incredible evenings that I had ever had, I decided to start with it. I had been to Taj in Agra a few times, the first time in 1967 on a school trip. This particular visit was in 2012, when I was in Agra for a conference. One afternoon, as I came out of a tiring meeting, I decided to walk and ended up at Taj Mahal. When I reached, the sky was already turning pink.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYrykzjSUJ9bBeqnNrm1mZ7QVzv-PhEeGxmnhYEtQxzC9EtWMjL5y4sYXSE-oXwcIU7cI9v2zic0PzZRe1q3YvyCpOgxftlVUGACaVn9_wWa9BwzR-oaWmLuaS6gSHxF50I5R33x23l8ldvFxlbQsSUM-LVjG7vdH_2AHYoBH6wTFk0-q7Ib9MVIEJd4/s1020/11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Taj Mahal in India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1020" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYrykzjSUJ9bBeqnNrm1mZ7QVzv-PhEeGxmnhYEtQxzC9EtWMjL5y4sYXSE-oXwcIU7cI9v2zic0PzZRe1q3YvyCpOgxftlVUGACaVn9_wWa9BwzR-oaWmLuaS6gSHxF50I5R33x23l8ldvFxlbQsSUM-LVjG7vdH_2AHYoBH6wTFk0-q7Ib9MVIEJd4/w640-h442/11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>It was still crowded and I decided to sit down on a bench on one side, to wait for the evening. Slowly the crowd thinned and it became quieter. There was an azaan, I think from the mosque on the side of Taj or may be from outside. In that quiet, listening to that azaan and watching the silhouette of the familiar shape of the monument against the darkening sky, it was absolutely divine. It was the combination of beauty, colours and the music/sounds which made this evening so special.</div><div><br /></div><h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYri56REP4Pn_TlRYhEIk69KNPr5yzb-_i1q9tFOUcEZmqoMsdOR6LOWnIdZz055nE72sCRsSUjep1JaB1Uxf1iMhGrbNrneH9BVVtcXxXXUkmLYxhJTjIfmMs-7SNZ5TAE4vYhoj1IlT7EA7RFs6xVJVPPiKzJdn8S4RHyMjX8icOZ1F6v5AGPvaaX0/s1020/12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Taj Mahal in India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1020" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYri56REP4Pn_TlRYhEIk69KNPr5yzb-_i1q9tFOUcEZmqoMsdOR6LOWnIdZz055nE72sCRsSUjep1JaB1Uxf1iMhGrbNrneH9BVVtcXxXXUkmLYxhJTjIfmMs-7SNZ5TAE4vYhoj1IlT7EA7RFs6xVJVPPiKzJdn8S4RHyMjX8icOZ1F6v5AGPvaaX0/w640-h442/12.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">The Uvs lake in Mongolia</span></h3><br />I have also been to Mongolia many times. This particular evening was in 2008. We had travelled in a jeep from Bayan Ulgii to Uvs in the extreme west of Mongolia. In Uvs, I had one incredible afternoon in the stadium in Ulaangom where a Buddhist lama had led a special session of prayers.<div><br /><div>One afternoon, after we finished our meetings, my friends accompanied me to <b>Uvs lake</b>, about 60 kms away from Ulaangom. The lake forms the border between Russia and Mongolia, which means that the mountains you can see in the image below on the other side of the lake were in Russia.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioz3Ie9c1LeDD4rJN_XyXv1dtbgRPQ_jWBqU2ddQR0oL5JrdIgnMXo_BOiJMjqNbJyQp5kd24JR9kn-AzvcfSfMNBSSoUd_0xggRkHRElrdgY_GRhGG4qjqKs40aE9GOVsLasOEuIvVekk1wXQrBPLn6xLVXOlppNEuPgODBs2MtWBKl74dkgkQBb9am0/s1020/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Uvs Lake in Mongolia - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1020" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioz3Ie9c1LeDD4rJN_XyXv1dtbgRPQ_jWBqU2ddQR0oL5JrdIgnMXo_BOiJMjqNbJyQp5kd24JR9kn-AzvcfSfMNBSSoUd_0xggRkHRElrdgY_GRhGG4qjqKs40aE9GOVsLasOEuIvVekk1wXQrBPLn6xLVXOlppNEuPgODBs2MtWBKl74dkgkQBb9am0/w640-h496/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>It was cloudy and windy that day. The contrast between light and dark shades of the dry grass, land, lake water and the snow covered mountains was very striking. A row of white round gers (tents) for the tourists, stood out. There were noisy seagulls and black and white lapwings. There, a few of my Mongolian friends sang polyphonic songs, which is a special Mongolian skill. The singers can simultaneously make multiple sounds, some in a wonderful bass and others, more acute.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupzEWjQXh06cZw5WS1gAqlCnQSB5nGzQbHvXlthRKfYCDLkLIAu6guODFG1uw_AWscAulQsEFybVCEgWaJ8QVHUT7gx3zoMHM05X8W_ynMHUIOrbugYDku3wDUCww6R9XSbOpV81VE19Mnx2OfeZcxD7N-vv8K2a5ebcM5ccyFd3nhvT2KeM1kaYsWvk/s1020/09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Uvs Lake in Mongolia - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1020" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupzEWjQXh06cZw5WS1gAqlCnQSB5nGzQbHvXlthRKfYCDLkLIAu6guODFG1uw_AWscAulQsEFybVCEgWaJ8QVHUT7gx3zoMHM05X8W_ynMHUIOrbugYDku3wDUCww6R9XSbOpV81VE19Mnx2OfeZcxD7N-vv8K2a5ebcM5ccyFd3nhvT2KeM1kaYsWvk/w640-h496/09.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The colours of the nature, the wind and clouds, the cries of seagulls and the polyphonic sounds of the Mongolian songs, together created something unique, which made that evening unforgettable for me. Even now, when I listen to polyphonic music from Mongolia, I remember that evening along the lake. If you have never heard a Mongolian polyphonic song, take a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx8hrhBZJ98" target="_blank">few minutes to listen to one on Youtube</a>.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Pasubio Mountain, Veneto, Italy</h3>Pasubio is the dolomite mountain of Schio, the little town in the north-east of Italy where we now live. Its highest peak is at more than 2,200 metres. From our home, a 20-25 minutes drive takes us to the mountain pass known as Pian delle Fugazze, at a little less than 1,200 metres. This was the border between Italy and Austria where the First World War battles had taken place. Hundreds of young men from different parts of Italy, but specially from all the towns of our region, had died here. At this mountain pass, visible from miles all around, is an <b>Ossario</b>, where bodily remains of those young men are kept.<br /><br />We often go to the Ossario of Pasubio (in the image below). There are may mountain paths marked by the Italian Alpine association, where you can go for trekking. There is a hanging bridge there, about 2 km away, which makes for a nice walk. The evening at Pasubio which I remember is from a visit in 2012 evening. It was December and very cold. There had been different snowfalls, but on that day the sky was clear.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzgVBVcKqaI2mk96dYouVIJxEpRunKLm_M8NW45cImosClNMKfzwcy4I2HPheQtGbOikoqAzRIJcTXmjSag4IB1XP-ga7bNZ2q11ezwIzOi_clIjItOo_LmNQHZfYLWk62bIfbHUzKIqy_iuMdUCZTmdkhdGP-j8ulVT-HC5iBRwpEgZJeEKjV--CLfQ/s1020/04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Ossario of Pasubio near Schio in Italy - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1020" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzgVBVcKqaI2mk96dYouVIJxEpRunKLm_M8NW45cImosClNMKfzwcy4I2HPheQtGbOikoqAzRIJcTXmjSag4IB1XP-ga7bNZ2q11ezwIzOi_clIjItOo_LmNQHZfYLWk62bIfbHUzKIqy_iuMdUCZTmdkhdGP-j8ulVT-HC5iBRwpEgZJeEKjV--CLfQ/w640-h442/04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Soon after we arrived, the sky turned pink and orange, lighting up the snow with a strange glow. The moon was already out, not yet a full moon, but still glowing nicely. There was no one else at Ossario, just I and my wife. We stood there admiring the beautiful views till it turned dark. I think that it was special because we were alone and surrounded by incredible beauty.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5tiJTw45kQXb9koEXQWZQhaMYckQqkV3JpYJ6ZB2wPGoE4u3VfnSL200bskyzjc1zmqLXTUTvL5_WvfwNfgYs1hMqE276nboItbofj38ynqslyIItBJ_4imDUQyWRlEzU4amXlFhtMKpaOJA8tOqYqGdOeGk9NckCtVkCdA8iXlt4qtqUSH3iUFoqGg/s889/06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Ossario of Pasubio near Schio in Italy - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="889" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5tiJTw45kQXb9koEXQWZQhaMYckQqkV3JpYJ6ZB2wPGoE4u3VfnSL200bskyzjc1zmqLXTUTvL5_WvfwNfgYs1hMqE276nboItbofj38ynqslyIItBJ_4imDUQyWRlEzU4amXlFhtMKpaOJA8tOqYqGdOeGk9NckCtVkCdA8iXlt4qtqUSH3iUFoqGg/w640-h444/06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">An Evening in the Petrified Forest, New Mexico, USA</h3>In 2018, I went on a road trip with my sister and one of her friends, in USA. We started from <b>Santa Fe</b> and finished our journey in <b>Phoenix</b>, visiting places like <b>Grand Canyon</b> and <b>Sedona</b> on the way. There is just a 2 years gap between I and my sister and I have a level of comfort with her, which is different from all other relationships. For much of our adult lives, we meet once in a while, usually with our families. Only now, with our children grown up, we can meet without our families and spend our time talking, as we used to do in our childhood.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisW7Z-P7ghvYxc4p1vwVBET-KErDtN_ORbp5aHCAjCGBaPWeplpdgeUcHKNaErT0NrYs3hnV6Fpn6grmHRN5Wupb61BEtpS9zrm239w0mJgTniCyBKPoBipqg3HfzTS0wtcgP1EkVdELjCJpGajlNRpbxRPHfKzqwIWxVlbQtdGFzkkd6ahW7jSXiCxrw/s767/07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Petrified forest in Arizona, USA - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="767" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisW7Z-P7ghvYxc4p1vwVBET-KErDtN_ORbp5aHCAjCGBaPWeplpdgeUcHKNaErT0NrYs3hnV6Fpn6grmHRN5Wupb61BEtpS9zrm239w0mJgTniCyBKPoBipqg3HfzTS0wtcgP1EkVdELjCJpGajlNRpbxRPHfKzqwIWxVlbQtdGFzkkd6ahW7jSXiCxrw/w640-h500/07.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>That road-trip gave some wonderful memories, one of which was an evening spent in the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. The beautiful shades of the earth, the amazing landscapes and our constant bickering (which sometimes irritated my sister's friend), made it a wonderful evening.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSXp0N0bBVf4hby7m_u-WjaYCGcKKhFuLDulyAuFgPKY38VAR97ZBohcwfl9OiZ_8lEDhy4Li92KKuxExrbBr_x-398aauI8w6U5S5vdnGCQt7dAWJRl1_uRhiWYCHnCs7e1uBGyrJ-FuEDtmuVpMleZakYsUBDxfa4AmkjqkfH4DnDzI2yEd3gxggoE/s884/08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Petrified forest in Arizona, USA - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="884" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiSXp0N0bBVf4hby7m_u-WjaYCGcKKhFuLDulyAuFgPKY38VAR97ZBohcwfl9OiZ_8lEDhy4Li92KKuxExrbBr_x-398aauI8w6U5S5vdnGCQt7dAWJRl1_uRhiWYCHnCs7e1uBGyrJ-FuEDtmuVpMleZakYsUBDxfa4AmkjqkfH4DnDzI2yEd3gxggoE/w640-h498/08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Baja beach on Tapajos river in Amazon region, Brazil</h3><div>I have also been to Brazil many times, most recently in 2019 when I had a wonderful visit in Rio de Janeiro. However, my special evening memory is once again from 2012. I was with my friend and colleague Deo, and we were visiting a project in <b>Abaetetuba</b> town in <b>Para</b> state in the north-east of Brazil. One evening, we went to a shack on the Baja beach on the Tapejos river, a few kilometres away. We had some beer, and while Deo chatted with some friends, I wandered alone.<br /><br />Tapejos is a huge river, its other shore was probably a few kilometres away. It changes with the sea tides of Atlantic ocean. The retreating high tide had left its marks on the sand. A group of children was playing football. Strips of land alternating with streams of water, created a wonderful background.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt9_gE56ISXzKwo18w4XFRLq_XA4UvfPNR0gq1G41bD4cmw7El_ARlKyRLDCMoJnz3vcNtMF8Sb2hkZWPrBTz_sMcU8T_O3gfp0UX_pNP_rCgr5ZeDdqjHgmhOAKUOrrWpshy1APKdnSRAwiP8QwNsQfZBVNJyoRVly21ImNTAf9glr5eE3H_0mhZrpM/s1020/01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Baja in Abaetetuba, Para, Brazil - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1020" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZt9_gE56ISXzKwo18w4XFRLq_XA4UvfPNR0gq1G41bD4cmw7El_ARlKyRLDCMoJnz3vcNtMF8Sb2hkZWPrBTz_sMcU8T_O3gfp0UX_pNP_rCgr5ZeDdqjHgmhOAKUOrrWpshy1APKdnSRAwiP8QwNsQfZBVNJyoRVly21ImNTAf9glr5eE3H_0mhZrpM/w640-h442/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I walked to the edge of the river. A few families with children were there, including a man with a baby boy, who had parked his motorbike and was playing with the child in the water. Slowly the sun went down the sky turned yellow and orange. As I walked back to the beer shack, the man and the baby boy left on their motorbike. The river, the colours, the families chattering, it all created something magical.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLvVtdN88Jua3gzu7avwX7sPW-kmPHUWd_TUUcuWG-RFfmqcJE2hjiOhbtrhjCpCdAe5FxBHQRi8BfbxJqflpCg7kFE1h8hS5z-sSqnrd2_1cpc4k08LHm9rwhUTNKzymeGPVtrxF5Mk3N4r8-E36KbbCM6MhwwLPplFawzTG7lTQqrNFNvT3DmRuXxw/s811/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An unforgettable evening at Baja in Abaetetuba, Para, Brazil - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="811" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqLvVtdN88Jua3gzu7avwX7sPW-kmPHUWd_TUUcuWG-RFfmqcJE2hjiOhbtrhjCpCdAe5FxBHQRi8BfbxJqflpCg7kFE1h8hS5z-sSqnrd2_1cpc4k08LHm9rwhUTNKzymeGPVtrxF5Mk3N4r8-E36KbbCM6MhwwLPplFawzTG7lTQqrNFNvT3DmRuXxw/w640-h446/03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3>I love writing posts like this, which give me an opportunity to revisit forgotten journeys and to remember places and persons, some of whom are no longer alive. I hope that you have also enjoyed this journey, and that it has made you remember some special moments from your own life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Writing such posts is also about understanding ourselves and our desires. I have hundreds of beautiful pictures of sunsets. Why did I choose these five? Thinking about it, makes me understand myself - what is important for me, and what touches me deeply. I that it is a way of meditating or may be a way of more mindful-living.</div><div><br /></div><div>Because of smart-phones, most of us have hundreds or even thousands of pictures. Try to make them count - think which pictures matter to you and why? It will help you to learn about yourself.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>I think that many factors contribute to making some memories special for us - </div><div><br /></div><div>(1) Beauty or aesthetic pleasure is an part of it.</div><div>(2) The persons who are with me contribute to making it special.</div><div>(3) A dash of music or art can also contribute to it.</div><div>(4) Possibility of remembering it through photographs or a diary or talking about it with friends</div><div><br /></div><div>What makes some moments of your life unforgettable for you?</div></div><div><br /></div><div>*****</div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-35542935580284397612023-02-01T10:46:00.002+01:002023-06-27T12:57:25.773+02:00Reforming Hindu Traditions<p>In 2018, I had spent a few days in Rishikesh where a chance meeting with a young Swami ji (ascetic) had led to some interesting discussions about how to bring reforms in <b>Hinduism</b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIYBsadL_HK5BEPGx3wSsVzJQzsVM3iWIfA7RnwlnjpIQq6y78RGIf2TFTred5valAtxrNamOIuVEiXgHmJrYqQ-VObmItVAm9nF92A8qB_4wM_OSUZQuSZZsuNLbkLs5cuEVtctV52Fn9OKY2aidjb8hQs9zFFNop468JFAUC0EaP9TdPEeUSbY_-p4/s620/rishikesh_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hindu rituals and reforms, Rishikesh, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIYBsadL_HK5BEPGx3wSsVzJQzsVM3iWIfA7RnwlnjpIQq6y78RGIf2TFTred5valAtxrNamOIuVEiXgHmJrYqQ-VObmItVAm9nF92A8qB_4wM_OSUZQuSZZsuNLbkLs5cuEVtctV52Fn9OKY2aidjb8hQs9zFFNop468JFAUC0EaP9TdPEeUSbY_-p4/w640-h444/rishikesh_01.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><div><br />In terms of discussions around Hinduism, it is strange how a new aggressive narrative of Hinduism is being pushed in some traditional and social media (especially in English). Hinduism (along with Buddhism and Jainism) is predominently seen as a religion of peace which accepts people of different religions and creeds, as shown by the millennium-long Indian traditions of accepting people persecuted in their own lands including Parsi, Jews, Armenians, etc. International image of Hinduism is also associated with spirituality and Mahatma Gandhi including elements such as Yoga, meditation, non-violence and vegetarianism. However today, there are many persons in India and outside, who talk of Hinduism exclusively in terms of hate, violence and discrimination.</div><div><br /></div><div>This post is about a discussion with a Swami ji from Rishikesh about how to reform Hinduism, it does not go into the new narratives being built around it.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Rishikesh</h3><div>Rishikesh is the last mountain town where the river Ganges passes before reaching the plains in Haridwar. I had been to Rishikesh a few times as a child. My most memorable visit was in early 1968 with my maternal uncle. At that time, the <b>Beatles</b> had just visited the ashram of the <b>Guru Mahesh Yogi</b> and this had brought international spotlight on this obscure town. Last year when I went to Rishikesh, I had vague memories of those old journeys. I went to look for the old ashram of Mahesh Yogi but it was closed and covered with overgrown vegetation. This part of Rishikesh has now many new ashrams and there is a new huge white statue of Shiva built in the middle of the river.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiw8hEkdU9YOCBvX_LUqKn1tFG6zVPyHafVpLflemKmlqC4ReBcqvifP3Fa3-yo3wR9HK8jlAL4wj_mlNPp25bDoboebenUVR3x-qzPTvBs_DpLMtHFA-cFGBtANL29mcgJlFuxVErzwQx0Rj_9qxtU69YV9uNdMEgbz8qzKqvUtKzmpndsvPXRW46FI/s620/rishikesh_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hindu rituals and reforms, Rishikesh, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXiw8hEkdU9YOCBvX_LUqKn1tFG6zVPyHafVpLflemKmlqC4ReBcqvifP3Fa3-yo3wR9HK8jlAL4wj_mlNPp25bDoboebenUVR3x-qzPTvBs_DpLMtHFA-cFGBtANL29mcgJlFuxVErzwQx0Rj_9qxtU69YV9uNdMEgbz8qzKqvUtKzmpndsvPXRW46FI/w640-h444/rishikesh_02.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>As the river Ganges comes down, the <b>old town</b> of Rishikesh is located along its left bank, near the area of <b>Triveni Ghat</b>. All the new ashrams and yoga centres of Rishikesh are located to the north of the old town, along the opposite side of the river.</div><div><br />I was staying near Triveni Ghat and spent a great deal of time sitting along the river bank, with my feet in the ice-cold river waters, talking to old men and women who had come here on pilgrimage from different parts of India. Every afternoon, underneath the trees of Triveni Ghat, persons gathered in small groups and discussed. These discussions were usually very down-to-earth and mixed an earthy humour and occasional obscenity with the spirituality.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Meeting the Swami</h3>The Swami ji was much younger to me, probably around 40 years and was clean shaven. He wore the saffron cloth of renunciation and seemed well educated. I met him near Bharat temple, which is one of the oldest and most beautiful temples in Rishikesh. He was from West Bengal and I talked to him about my experience of living in Assam. I was curious to ask him what had brought him to the path of renunciation, but felt a bit embarassed, it seemed like a very personal question to ask to an occasional acquaintance.<br /><br />We started talking about <b>Upanishads</b> and I explained to him my fascination with <b>Katho-Upanishad</b>, which tells the story of Nachiketa's visit to Yama, the God of death and their discussions about the meanings of life and death. He was very knowledgable and recited different shlokas from that book, explaining his understanding of it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZysEZZc1khAtARI5jPbB_nhoJ3hhJaOzkVFsrgG8y4jyrV0gFB5aDWi-5QUhlsmE23CpBRpCmg1pxBm0b7kmoQlloBFIdEw31VrgllV4mRXnd9JIsTJZ7eHashiWNzbS882ocBizEYO1Rr_5YeNQr19Z1FyKbjfN-UtF21GPtBku7933sjGDJmx9QNI/s620/rishikesh_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hindu rituals and reforms, Rishikesh, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZysEZZc1khAtARI5jPbB_nhoJ3hhJaOzkVFsrgG8y4jyrV0gFB5aDWi-5QUhlsmE23CpBRpCmg1pxBm0b7kmoQlloBFIdEw31VrgllV4mRXnd9JIsTJZ7eHashiWNzbS882ocBizEYO1Rr_5YeNQr19Z1FyKbjfN-UtF21GPtBku7933sjGDJmx9QNI/w640-h444/rishikesh_03.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Then he asked me if I had been to the Ganga-aarti? During this aarti a group of young Brahmins do a choreographed dancing prayer holding metal lamp-stands full of burning lamps, which has a great visual impact. I explained to him that for me, the teachings of Upanishads held the real meaning of Hinduism and I did not have much faith in rituals like aarti. I had found aesthetic pleasure in the choreography of the burning lamps and prayers sung by the faithful, but not any spiritual connection to it.</div><div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV9h8mtSfp6giBKBNv_u1xN90YUjDmZzp75mSiVM_28xSv8YSHX_8VuYALCbwYM2fu4em4gbfg_Lg3S47gqcpZs0HlEihwYW2a5SScG44MoViWIKdN3LByRLvv2W26e96Anm9SchsntbaWPnHhO8gD4Tz7gp_FW9ny2A_065cHq4bg160KRKdp-nB_Po/s620/rishikesh_05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hindu rituals and reforms, Rishikesh, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCV9h8mtSfp6giBKBNv_u1xN90YUjDmZzp75mSiVM_28xSv8YSHX_8VuYALCbwYM2fu4em4gbfg_Lg3S47gqcpZs0HlEihwYW2a5SScG44MoViWIKdN3LByRLvv2W26e96Anm9SchsntbaWPnHhO8gD4Tz7gp_FW9ny2A_065cHq4bg160KRKdp-nB_Po/w640-h444/rishikesh_05.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>My comments about the aarti provoked a discussion during which Swami ji explained to me his understanding of Hinduism. He said, Hinduism is like Ganges, a river made of a lot of different streams. There is the <b>Spiritual stream</b> of Hinduism with an abstract view of God, and this stream finds a value in the sacred books of Veda and Upanishad. There are many other streams. Like the <b>Vaishnav stream</b> of belief which is practiced in Assam by the followers of <b>Shrimanta Shankar Dev</b>, which focuses on <b>Bhagwat Puran</b> and does not have any idols. However, according to him the biggest stream of Hinduism is that of simple persons who believe in the different Gods, in the different avatars of Vishnu and in the stories of Ramayan and Mahabharat. For them, the stories of Ram, Krishen and Shiva are the bedrock of their faith, these are felt as true in a material sense.<br /><br />Swami ji felt that many of the present problems of Hinduism were caused by the disconnect between persons believing in different streams of the religion. According to him, most of the highly educated Hindus among the thinkers, writers, academics and other influential groups are like me, who appreciate the higher teachings of Gita, Veda and Upanishad but do not have the simple faith of common persons in their Gods.<br /><br />"<i>Persons like you, they dominate the society and what they say is taken up by TV and newspapers. You do not believe in Gods and Goddesses but you give your advice on what should be done about Hinduism. How to celebrate our festivals, where to make our temple, how big should be the statue, how to reform our traditions, you know everything and you want to take all the decisions for all the Hindus. The simple people for whom Ram, Sita, Krishna and Shiva are real, their opinions are considered as inferior and unimportant. This is creating problems in our society because they are the majority but they do not have a voice and people like you are a minority but you have a big influence</i>", he said.</div><div><br />My point was that if a festival like <b>Diwali</b> creates <b>pollution</b> because of crackers or if we use Plaster of Paris statues covered with chemical paints at <b>Ganesh Chaturthi</b> and <b>Durga Puja</b> and after the festivals, throw them into rivers & create pollution, then something has to be done. Why can't we find another way to celebrate these festivals without feeling that others are persecuting us? Our religions need to change with the changed reality of the world.<br /><br />He said that reforms in Hinduism must come from within, they can't be imposed by others. According to him we need persons like Mahatma Gandhi, or a Guru who understand the bigger picture and who share the faith of common Hindu - they can bring a change from the grassroots.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3>The words of that Swami ji have remained with me and I have reflected on them. I can see that I have a certain intellectual way of being a Hindu, I do not really believe in temple-rituals or Gods. I like visiting temples, just like I like visiting churches, museums and art exhibitions, for an aesthetic pleasure.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWFdzVv-Jn4VoJauQOdgpvWbk1KNOfF4GV0BTyUcZIvAdQbLlgJd7PZ_GWxczxpGQ3TACvFHFGe_DXlEooHff6JIVGTmiQqlQg_CWg8WtR7Qj-Y68pZYwNuqBja9PaODOc0q7wLUVowsFfRVoZmPbOFYFurPKPu9qZ_ubJGPt_GQZafY9OsMPXKEOfxA/s620/rishikesh_06.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hindu rituals and reforms, Rishikesh, India" border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="620" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWFdzVv-Jn4VoJauQOdgpvWbk1KNOfF4GV0BTyUcZIvAdQbLlgJd7PZ_GWxczxpGQ3TACvFHFGe_DXlEooHff6JIVGTmiQqlQg_CWg8WtR7Qj-Y68pZYwNuqBja9PaODOc0q7wLUVowsFfRVoZmPbOFYFurPKPu9qZ_ubJGPt_GQZafY9OsMPXKEOfxA/w640-h444/rishikesh_06.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>There is a lot about Hinduism in India, as it is lived by millions of persons, which I don't really understand - from <b>Kanwariyas</b> who walk for hundreds of kilometres to collect water from Ganges for their temples, to the pilgrims who spend weeks on the road for festivals like Ambubashi or Kumbha Mela - I understand all of it in an intellectual way but I can't understand the simple faith which moves these people.<br /><br />The question is how can we promote a grass-root change in them? According to the Swami, the reformist movement has to come from them, and from their gurus and other persons in whom they have faith. These can't be forced by laws. In a way I understand this point, I had written about it in relation to the Sabarimala judgement.</div><div><br /></div><div>But I am not convinced about the role of persons like me, who believe in Hindu spirituality but do not have the simple faith in rituals and prayers, do we have any role in promoting reforms related to that way of faith in following Hinduism? What do you think? Please do share your point of view in the comments below.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>(Originally written in 2019 and updated in 2023)</div><div><br /></div><div>*****</div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-7469049440502804932023-01-19T07:44:00.001+01:002023-01-19T07:44:09.330+01:00Wonderful Magic Realism of Jacquet<p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span face="Open Sans, sans-serif, Arial, serif" style="color: #212121;">I have always loved art ever since I can remember. As a child, I loved painting with water colours. In early 1990s, while living in Imola (Italy), I had done a short introductory course on oil paintings. At the same time, I love looking at art and knowing the artists.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span face="Open Sans, sans-serif, Arial, serif" style="color: #212121;">This post is about a French artist called <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/philippe.jacquet.146" target="_blank">Philippe Charles Jacquet</a></b>, whom I discovered some time ago and whose art-style I like very much. Apart from talking about Philippe Charles Jacquet and why I like his art, this post briefly touches on some other artists whose work I like. </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNXBVltOcwg_bDsRWsdvFJ84v2peJp5oq3bKWYCYmr4cCUIFlHJ17Mxcp4lixDJgepqO-HkWlu60rftlida4BAgWrzvfd47GRx1sXHXroIHJYNJHncSzk_5OdzCCBDn-GqzID8qFFI8mgkjBFqrRxEoPeqg8cmA9zR6299Oudo3FDYUwHgy3EVagk/s920/Philippe%20(4).jpg" style="font-size: 15px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNXBVltOcwg_bDsRWsdvFJ84v2peJp5oq3bKWYCYmr4cCUIFlHJ17Mxcp4lixDJgepqO-HkWlu60rftlida4BAgWrzvfd47GRx1sXHXroIHJYNJHncSzk_5OdzCCBDn-GqzID8qFFI8mgkjBFqrRxEoPeqg8cmA9zR6299Oudo3FDYUwHgy3EVagk/w640-h498/Philippe%20(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><br /></span><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span face="Open Sans, sans-serif, Arial, serif" style="color: #212121;">Philippe Charles Jacquet</span></span></h3><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span face="Open Sans, sans-serif, Arial, serif" style="color: #212121;">Here is some information about Jacquet which I have gathered from internet:</span></span></p>Jacquet, born in Paris in 1953, studied architecture at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. After working as an architect for about 20 years, in 2000 he decided to focus exclusively on painting. His background in architecture is reflected in his artwork in the symmetrical and geometric landscapes as well as in the way he sculpts rocks and designs houses. Brittany coasts and estuaries feature commonly in his works.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjONgxdWdJ1nF3m-dUxd4xLklsDjOJSAVbVL-qzip9k3GCv8OBeCS8L2seoNlACfg_tjyLVn6h1OMLsnb1Pp88jLKor5BE1egpNY4r3nVQ4NOPTmYZplF7esDzCuZLzpuqvR1ywlVqECtgDQU44N11vJ35KJrJHM5CefUg7zdekghxjScbdosBWcK3/s454/01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="454" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjONgxdWdJ1nF3m-dUxd4xLklsDjOJSAVbVL-qzip9k3GCv8OBeCS8L2seoNlACfg_tjyLVn6h1OMLsnb1Pp88jLKor5BE1egpNY4r3nVQ4NOPTmYZplF7esDzCuZLzpuqvR1ywlVqECtgDQU44N11vJ35KJrJHM5CefUg7zdekghxjScbdosBWcK3/w400-h329/01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212121;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">He did not have any foral training in art</span></span>. He works with industrial gloss paint, an unusual medium for artists, which gives a sheen to surfaces as it dries. He begins by painting his plywood surface with a uniform base of an off-white color. Creating a variety of textures is an important part of his paintings, for which he uses different techniques such as creating several transparent layers and using a razor blade to scratch the surface.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcy4797DSG1I3ZFIBCSdx0ZlvsY0Watmy63Qy_IT9Xlazh_knMtUvMYuZiiQJ1TldiroJ8M1xikRQFeS5DH4_aKxEjhni6Zw9rEYOj8KNFh-dcjUBePJRJRnqfC1mhNnXk6BAuejUBS1F84P651FvDEl1UY0o8rYdRQvT3t_SzsPIKJRWlljCZ8YK/s1020/Philippe%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1020" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcy4797DSG1I3ZFIBCSdx0ZlvsY0Watmy63Qy_IT9Xlazh_knMtUvMYuZiiQJ1TldiroJ8M1xikRQFeS5DH4_aKxEjhni6Zw9rEYOj8KNFh-dcjUBePJRJRnqfC1mhNnXk6BAuejUBS1F84P651FvDEl1UY0o8rYdRQvT3t_SzsPIKJRWlljCZ8YK/w640-h496/Philippe%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Jacquet currently lives and works in Pantin, a suburb north of Paris, in France.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">What Captures Me in Jacquet's Works</h3><p>I prefer traditional approaches to arts and I am not much of a fan of the concept art. Liking or not liking an artist's work can be very subjective - something which touches me very deeply, may leave you cold or indifferent, so I don't know if looking at Jacquet's works would affect you the way it does to me - I can look at his paintings literally for hours.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiak1oJsG3BLjsECO2nt1iIfYtJdJs8fVyE4Cbc7UbrvZz5Ss2De09iMw5xYAX_qzVCHESJSjUAMH6meydjdWZnNxB5U2wfw_XvRaJLwSGTUtF0fjmpyF73Lo2F48bW7GHKE13Y910k6VP0Dm-LhUF4zSauDApePylOELy4cgPNpaxfe2GB9W02pKMu/s920/Jacquet%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiak1oJsG3BLjsECO2nt1iIfYtJdJs8fVyE4Cbc7UbrvZz5Ss2De09iMw5xYAX_qzVCHESJSjUAMH6meydjdWZnNxB5U2wfw_XvRaJLwSGTUtF0fjmpyF73Lo2F48bW7GHKE13Y910k6VP0Dm-LhUF4zSauDApePylOELy4cgPNpaxfe2GB9W02pKMu/w640-h498/Jacquet%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Jacquet's art calms me down and sometimes they draw me into a meditation-like trance. Looking at some of his paintings make me feel as if I am in a tunnel, going deep inside myself. Some of his works make me experience a kind of silence - I love books and words, and perhaps because of that, the voices in my head are always talking, thus, I love this experience of silence.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FWNPFfY_tno3qRI0ysFrLigA942Juh_6G30hkGrz1inBXt4l-yCLEA35oOr0c6SLK3lWLm08nOYlgILEWKFa21Aw3nXsuci2pYQjTvRIzJTSi3F58sGU54WJbcGoyEGJmziaCtujqf2w7mq05uOWugqlhqK6KxBYMJ9Rab_TQAw1WBYIiL328Iwp/s920/Philippe%20(6).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FWNPFfY_tno3qRI0ysFrLigA942Juh_6G30hkGrz1inBXt4l-yCLEA35oOr0c6SLK3lWLm08nOYlgILEWKFa21Aw3nXsuci2pYQjTvRIzJTSi3F58sGU54WJbcGoyEGJmziaCtujqf2w7mq05uOWugqlhqK6KxBYMJ9Rab_TQAw1WBYIiL328Iwp/w640-h498/Philippe%20(6).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">I love the colours he uses - a lot of pale colours, a lot of greens and blues and an occasional red. I like the early mornings or late evenings of his paintings where a lighted window, often with a vague presence of someone inside, calls me like a beacon. I like the pebbled surfaces underneath the water and along the sea-shores, and the thousands of blades of grass which seem to be moving in a gentle breeze. I like the boats anchored or floating gently on still water. I like the lonely figures standing still, lost in thought, waiting for something or someone. I like his lone bicycles moving along the edge of the water. And, I like the stairs cut into the rocks which come down towards the water.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88-zG20y2kzVI9-vKjUZPEonCxY9AHA0qBOl0uL-jNU7lKHGyxshrIWk6GvAsGhtymEpb-ylFrQ6e5O6DFVMmPJNNvQV_lKoU8g9Bqo50F2ed2hPrAj5sjTHoY6wXaGJLKPXAIm8XWNPQ2dXstfu6bhBneAtBkCl8EyOaukkkdmfOEky2McwAeJ9N/s920/Jacquet_Femme-au-Foyer-scaled.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88-zG20y2kzVI9-vKjUZPEonCxY9AHA0qBOl0uL-jNU7lKHGyxshrIWk6GvAsGhtymEpb-ylFrQ6e5O6DFVMmPJNNvQV_lKoU8g9Bqo50F2ed2hPrAj5sjTHoY6wXaGJLKPXAIm8XWNPQ2dXstfu6bhBneAtBkCl8EyOaukkkdmfOEky2McwAeJ9N/w640-h498/Jacquet_Femme-au-Foyer-scaled.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">There are some of his paintings which I wish I could have on a wall in my room, so that I can look at them when I fall asleep or when I wake up. However, I love the fact that I can find a lot of images of his paintings on internet, so that I can have them as backgrounds on the screens of my computer and tablet and I can keep on changing them.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TQ2Bg7fbAsROUgWVNCEeaxVkOjtgKUzFPS2vC5GUtdKHkMQK4lisOeiwqE71NaOKy93yikBJgSjw5Nip3kzsS2cfnV0CF0zgio4d6Bp0qDX_pglsG4BVnu6l96UjEXA7WF42ZJdBwhxAYKiwAbGvJp2bYJ_WuMZ4OIZWGw6RlGve-MUBXKp1jNCA/s920/Philippe%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TQ2Bg7fbAsROUgWVNCEeaxVkOjtgKUzFPS2vC5GUtdKHkMQK4lisOeiwqE71NaOKy93yikBJgSjw5Nip3kzsS2cfnV0CF0zgio4d6Bp0qDX_pglsG4BVnu6l96UjEXA7WF42ZJdBwhxAYKiwAbGvJp2bYJ_WuMZ4OIZWGw6RlGve-MUBXKp1jNCA/w640-h498/Philippe%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">So thank you Mr. <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/philippe.jacquet.146" target="_blank">Philippe Charles Jacquet</a></b> for your wonderful magic realism and for giving me so much joy. I am glad that in 2000 you decided to follow your passion and devote full-time to paintings.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span face="Open Sans, sans-serif, Arial, serif" style="color: #212121;">My Other Favourite Artists</span></span></h3><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span face="Open Sans, sans-serif, Arial, serif" style="color: #212121;">Philippe Charles Jacquet is not the only artist whose works I like!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;"><span face="Open Sans, sans-serif, Arial, serif" style="color: #212121;">One of the first artist whose work I loved was <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._Prabha" target="_blank">B. Prabha</a></b>, whose paintings of peasant-women and fisher-women with elongated bodies were published in the Hindi weekly <b>Dharamyug</b> during 1960s. I think that her art-style was somewhat inspired by the Mannerism school, which had developed in post-renaissance Europe in 16th and early 17th centuries. During renaissance, artists had developed techniques focusing on realistic representations of human bodies, ensuring life-like proportions and perspectives. In Mannerism, artists started to move away from realistic towards more emotional representations, giving rein to their imagination and fantasies. Perhaps, she was inspired by the works of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) who had used similar elongated bodies in some of his portraits.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #212121;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">Through my father, who was active in Socialist Party of India under Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, I had met some well-known Indian painters such as <b>Makbool Fida Hussein</b> and <b>J. Swaminathan</b>, whose works I used to like. I remember sitting as a child with Hussein saheb at India Coffee House in Connaught Place in Delhi in early 1960s, which was located in those days where today there is the underground Palika Bazar - at that time, it had the coffee house in the centre surrounded in a semi-circle by the different state emporiums in wooden buildings. I also remember walking towards Triveni Kala Sangam with Hussein saheb to see his exhibition and meeting Dr Zakir Hussein, who was then the vice-president of India. I also remember the dismay of all the socialist friends of my father a decade latter, when Hussein saheb had defined Ms. Indira Gandhi as Durga and painted a whole series of paintings on that theme.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #212121;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">In Europe, I have been absolutely smitten by the paintings of <b>Caravaggio</b> and the surrealism of <b>Salvador Dalì</b>, both of whom do not need any introduction and have enormous fan followings. At the same time, in more recent times, I like many lesser-known water colour painters, some of whom I follow on Instagram - I love to watch their Reels where they show the development of a painting.</span></span></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #212121;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">In The End</span></span></h3><p><span style="color: #212121;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">I hope that through this post you can understand why I like the art of Philippe Charles Jacquet. If you also get a special feeling when you look at these, do share about it in the comments below.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #212121;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">I am passionate about water-colours but they don't affect me like the art of Mr Jacquet. I think that to be so affected by art is a gift, a special way of communication between me and the nature through its forms and colours.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #212121;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #212121;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4LNycTurcJnyGSPiMAVmNR4BwOs4BzbOkjXPVCPStoZmNwSpMD13hb6Kny8gzzc1rouKMM5a1LOsuO3jtiemeTa7csOmJcqKgI3ijsKR7oN1H6hbfFKCPsgDzBQSQz_S2qVjNxCC5qnoj25v1qDrqTisS7u1yMyccxOLVltIFOEGz3g2SU9NFpY8/s1020/Philippe%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1020" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4LNycTurcJnyGSPiMAVmNR4BwOs4BzbOkjXPVCPStoZmNwSpMD13hb6Kny8gzzc1rouKMM5a1LOsuO3jtiemeTa7csOmJcqKgI3ijsKR7oN1H6hbfFKCPsgDzBQSQz_S2qVjNxCC5qnoj25v1qDrqTisS7u1yMyccxOLVltIFOEGz3g2SU9NFpY8/w640-h496/Philippe%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #212121;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px;">I dream of having time to dabble with water colours though I suspect that I like expressing myself more through words than through colours, so that dream will continue to be only a dream. But I can imagine the kind of art I would like to make even if the reality never matches that fantasy. In the mean time, I can enjoy the works of artists like Philippe Charles Jacquet!</span></div></span><p></p><p>***</p></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-48462322677831329382023-01-17T15:53:00.001+01:002023-01-18T07:28:21.202+01:00Museo - The Camera Museum of Gurgaon<p><b><a href="https://www.museocamera.org/" target="_blank">Museo, the camera museum</a></b> of <b>Gurgaon</b> in NCR (India) is a vibrant cultural space in a rapidly growing urban area, which needs many more such spaces. An initiative of the well known photographer <a href="https://www.adityaarya.com/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Aditya Arya</a>, who is passionate about<b> </b>photography conservation, restoration and archiving, it formally belongs to the <b><a href="https://www.indiaphotoarchive.org/" target="_blank">India Photo Archive Foundation</a></b>. (Image: Aditya Arya in the lobby of Museo)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6N3dQ-neW2cBoivdo4rBcvvUnMlrsdcpCC-mEPc9TfjpvwQcW8qt36wweWyeXcHZ1IU_k1Xv39WhiojM5SI5QWJ6Gry4jWiB4JGceWDO6XWHpk4kpAmS_NVKmfkmg96H62RiYzsu6sNrB-aQEvXPRoSITRoq5hxLSX4_6nKBMffX1pKBZZHUSGMzM/s620/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(95).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Aditya Arya in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="620" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6N3dQ-neW2cBoivdo4rBcvvUnMlrsdcpCC-mEPc9TfjpvwQcW8qt36wweWyeXcHZ1IU_k1Xv39WhiojM5SI5QWJ6Gry4jWiB4JGceWDO6XWHpk4kpAmS_NVKmfkmg96H62RiYzsu6sNrB-aQEvXPRoSITRoq5hxLSX4_6nKBMffX1pKBZZHUSGMzM/w400-h316/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(95).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">During my last visit to India in late 2022, most of the time I was unwell and bed-ridden. The highlight of this stay was a visit to Museo during which I had a brief encounter with Aditya.</p><p>This visit to Museo was also an opportunity to visit and on-going art exhibition organised by <b><a href="https://oxygenartguild.com/" target="_blank">Oxygen Art Guild</a></b> and curated by <b>Tarun Das</b>. I was lucky to meet and speak to Tarun as well.</p><p>Thus, this post is about both <b><a href="https://www.museocamera.org/" target="_blank">Museo Camera Museum</a></b> and the<a href="https://oxygenartguild.com/" target="_blank"><b> Oxygen Art Guild</b></a> exhibition. I am not going to repeat the information about the backgrounds of Museo museum, Aditya Arya and Oxygen Art Guild , you can check those on their respective websites. This post is mostly about the things which had especially struck me during this visit. Before I start, I would also like to recommend you to check the different old-pics collections at the <b><a href="https://www.adityaaryaarchive.com/" target="_blank">Aditya Arya Photo Archives website</a></b>.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Museo Location</h3><p>Museo is located off a small road in front of the Galleria market (DLF phase 3, Nathupur) in downtown Gurgaon. The nearest Delhi Metro stations are IFFCO Chowk and HUDA City Centre, from where you can take an auto or a cab to reach Museo. It has sufficient parking space but its location on a narrow and busy road can be tricky to navigate.</p><p>If you are visiting Gurgaon and are wondering about places to visit, do visit and spend some time in Museo.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Museo Activities</h3><p>Museo is a vibrant cultural space with some permanent exhibitions and areas for temporary exhibitions. Photography is encouraged in all the museum spaces.</p><p>For example, it has weekend classes on photography (and other cultural activities such as dance classes) including the one year photography diploma course as well as different workshops (when I visited, there were posters of workshops about cyanotype, film and analog photography, salt print process, environmental portraits by Sundeep Bali and street photography).</p><p>There were also some on-going exhibitions, about which I have written below and there was a live music performance by Ruchika and Deepak Castelino. The ground floor of the museo building has the camera museum while upstairs are the different exhibition and workshop spaces.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PKpxL9dF-7f1vCaSQQt-rn_YHSzj_yVjjq4VpuLH5oPTYsG2bTsN-jZA1cjpR88fAsY8sY5oooWjoRTOGcvQORi688xy5AJNsZ8H4vixjFvFpLlT4X4UF9apbELulP74YEydq5QvO8kaY3Z5kiaNZ_ghhH7CTq4ZHztPhS0rwbe0aTFEP9_lRSnL/s621/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(79).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="An overview of Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="621" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8PKpxL9dF-7f1vCaSQQt-rn_YHSzj_yVjjq4VpuLH5oPTYsG2bTsN-jZA1cjpR88fAsY8sY5oooWjoRTOGcvQORi688xy5AJNsZ8H4vixjFvFpLlT4X4UF9apbELulP74YEydq5QvO8kaY3Z5kiaNZ_ghhH7CTq4ZHztPhS0rwbe0aTFEP9_lRSnL/w400-h316/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(79).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Camera Installations</h3><p>There were some installations made out of old cameras or in which cameras played a significant role scattered around in the building.</p><p>One striking installation was the "Hug Me" man by the well known Gurgaon artist <b><a href="https://gopalnamjoshi.com/" target="_blank">Gopal Namjoshi</a></b> made from junk metal and old analog cameras. Namjoshi is known for his monumental installations in which often junk metals play an important role.</p><p>Another installation which I liked, had a mannequin surrounded by all kinds of carrying bags for the old analog cameras. (Image below has the 2 installations - the Hug Me man and the camera-bags)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggmrueGdMMcuz66z1uD7W33hCVofhD6IndrHfd0X-fODyAkDcYnzM8RYXF-1E-HTelcb0fDbvxmZMC4VoLEPI15Zh4-Vo0OBdSsCGCzJFK_8P347DwcBr3v5Ja51G-NgBruI9e91b6w5nbOCKgHDM2PtapDuvkvarvhrQeha-2rdnZGevY-QxR2gI/s620/01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Camera art installations in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="620" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggmrueGdMMcuz66z1uD7W33hCVofhD6IndrHfd0X-fODyAkDcYnzM8RYXF-1E-HTelcb0fDbvxmZMC4VoLEPI15Zh4-Vo0OBdSsCGCzJFK_8P347DwcBr3v5Ja51G-NgBruI9e91b6w5nbOCKgHDM2PtapDuvkvarvhrQeha-2rdnZGevY-QxR2gI/w400-h248/01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">The third camera installation which particularly struck me was the inverted pyramid handing above the central gallery. There were also some big old cameras from early 20th century.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Temporary Exhibitions</h3><p>Among the temporary exhibitions, I especially loved "Nirvasanama", which documented the life in exile of Dev Shumsher (1862-1914), the "liberal" Prime Minister of Nepal, who was exiled in India in early 20th century.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjRBg7HDov51LQsJ9WbOOY2sZPftoUhVCuaobwQ_2W5dcEx1AKjt6yWPMa_JZNzrzXmc_-qAgZ517sotTjOaSZkIsTVLsXvz5V-xO7BNV5TgfoiUFViHPfLyi_vajoHp_liHZN7jdGys2eruoGs_11XWFhdATEsPhmV7am3j86vCcGKMRj43U2WLo/s491/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(24).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nirvasanama exhibition in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="471" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEjRBg7HDov51LQsJ9WbOOY2sZPftoUhVCuaobwQ_2W5dcEx1AKjt6yWPMa_JZNzrzXmc_-qAgZ517sotTjOaSZkIsTVLsXvz5V-xO7BNV5TgfoiUFViHPfLyi_vajoHp_liHZN7jdGys2eruoGs_11XWFhdATEsPhmV7am3j86vCcGKMRj43U2WLo/w307-h320/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(24).jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Colours of Convergence</h3><p>In the art exhibition "Colours of Convergence" organised by Oxygen Art Guild and curated by <b>Tarun Das</b> I liked the works of - watercolors by <a href="https://www.sensitivite.com/artist/sudhangsu-bandyopadhyay/" target="_blank">Sudhangsu Bandopadhyay</a>, woodcut on paper by Jintu Mohan Kalita, oil painting by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aniruddha_contemplate" target="_blank">Aniruddha Mukherjee</a>, acrylic on canvas by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/apurbakarati77/" target="_blank">Apurba Karati</a> and very especially the Cityscapes of cows by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/artjiban/" target="_blank">Jiban Biswas</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6gBNKhfB-oE038VnOIlyXG44isPta-0Yu5qcOpdQlMADaGoR8k9s3YtAy0YrJqlditCvN2ET9OX77JMX4CoPBGIzsaPZQHkZY1vQhQVOsHPtseOvnjrQb_Gt0sK_4p67OyHtWx2HkrHUYOLC1Kspv5yfXo2_-vOvyoYKjHIRQCUf4vy3KiDUTJaf/s592/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(57).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Art by Aniruddha Mukherjee in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="592" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6gBNKhfB-oE038VnOIlyXG44isPta-0Yu5qcOpdQlMADaGoR8k9s3YtAy0YrJqlditCvN2ET9OX77JMX4CoPBGIzsaPZQHkZY1vQhQVOsHPtseOvnjrQb_Gt0sK_4p67OyHtWx2HkrHUYOLC1Kspv5yfXo2_-vOvyoYKjHIRQCUf4vy3KiDUTJaf/w320-h254/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(57).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJp541P4cbm3QdfYSzqHBcbG-O1lGR5F3_J0uuWE9gJ8RYMvfM9ExZDEGGbuGCe1yFpP4kUEnFg41KlsZRIzqxI43e8e0fYaQWHxR7thmVTzV6iOBEx5eg9pbKzcdmW0XtxOHNaWpqUgZ0fkF0LdOVOR1Mvq2xUrr-L8d-Bb9Qyobtu2IuDBGaYkEP/s597/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(62).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Art by Apurba Karati in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="597" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJp541P4cbm3QdfYSzqHBcbG-O1lGR5F3_J0uuWE9gJ8RYMvfM9ExZDEGGbuGCe1yFpP4kUEnFg41KlsZRIzqxI43e8e0fYaQWHxR7thmVTzV6iOBEx5eg9pbKzcdmW0XtxOHNaWpqUgZ0fkF0LdOVOR1Mvq2xUrr-L8d-Bb9Qyobtu2IuDBGaYkEP/w320-h254/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(62).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIkGXMsQ0A-xmJnAaJoSMCAc8z43gdKT4ZWnghNupBwuEoo1VU8ODQQeoQSRxSMo1QO2vYq_GCCO3u4IXmgWisrMWclbURSWLhXsaBYPoXt_rTvHWKvSFkU4xNe0KrwlYsF3o4MbfTVxA1MoDJapEjHJDZFeaveCEaJw-dX0IT7Jdj940nS_UVmhA/s575/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(65).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Art by Jeeban Biswas in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="575" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIkGXMsQ0A-xmJnAaJoSMCAc8z43gdKT4ZWnghNupBwuEoo1VU8ODQQeoQSRxSMo1QO2vYq_GCCO3u4IXmgWisrMWclbURSWLhXsaBYPoXt_rTvHWKvSFkU4xNe0KrwlYsF3o4MbfTVxA1MoDJapEjHJDZFeaveCEaJw-dX0IT7Jdj940nS_UVmhA/w320-h254/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(65).jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Last year, I had met <a href="https://www.facebook.com/valeria.bertesina" target="_blank">Valeria Bertesina</a>, an artist who curates the <b>Paper Art Biennale</b> in Schio and that had been my introduction to understanding the meaning of "curating art exhibitions". In <b>Museo</b>, I had an opportunity to talk to Tarun Das (in the image below), who had curated the exhibition "Colours of Convergence", which was another opportunity to reflect on the different ways in which individuals can "curate" exhibitions, imprinting it with their dialogues with the artists in selecting and deciding what gets exhibited and how.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aygP9ISYQTVw_8aZPLQwXi6J5O_V4jUikrOC7h5-hV-tGQD2T9TVQ9l16vy2Boq7G_Vtzd5TqM_-1L6yr6JfB6kuI24UxiFO4jRSG5tDD32Qp_HA7gxVGopZBU1CTAY67Pi0VV0i0RpZN69ZfyIbchFAkVp7QQlMAlSgjLzl8dZLBHdOkmZhrCCa/s620/2022_OxygenArts_TarunDas%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tarun Das, curator of art exhibition in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="620" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0aygP9ISYQTVw_8aZPLQwXi6J5O_V4jUikrOC7h5-hV-tGQD2T9TVQ9l16vy2Boq7G_Vtzd5TqM_-1L6yr6JfB6kuI24UxiFO4jRSG5tDD32Qp_HA7gxVGopZBU1CTAY67Pi0VV0i0RpZN69ZfyIbchFAkVp7QQlMAlSgjLzl8dZLBHdOkmZhrCCa/w400-h316/2022_OxygenArts_TarunDas%20(3).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Vintage Analogic World</h3><p>As we go deeper into the digital world, it is not just analog cameras and photographic prints which are disappearing but the whole world is changing. This nostalgia for the disappearing world is represented in Museo by a painted ambassador car, an old lambretta scooter, a biscope and a colourful three-wheeler.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeTLHaro0ATZP9xieiaNsGCAAmODcykQHyiUybxU8EyFCbIrguG9H1dH9s8HguHavGXobZcJHKfcGBMhW2_EhRRc7cMqT_Qxr3YLF0mkM-MfefJ0VHZbC5p4IivVtOBJ3cJOXlMrCfSG1tB4bPpkSYq3PJOsWHusi52zz6mJs5res2OsDRhDziGQD/s490/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Analog vintage in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="470" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeTLHaro0ATZP9xieiaNsGCAAmODcykQHyiUybxU8EyFCbIrguG9H1dH9s8HguHavGXobZcJHKfcGBMhW2_EhRRc7cMqT_Qxr3YLF0mkM-MfefJ0VHZbC5p4IivVtOBJ3cJOXlMrCfSG1tB4bPpkSYq3PJOsWHusi52zz6mJs5res2OsDRhDziGQD/w307-h320/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(4).jpg" width="307" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sculptures in Museo</h3><p>There are also a few sculptures scattered in the open area surrounding the Museo, which are worth looking at. These include 2 sculptures of boys reading a book.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRburj13qJ4kc2uXVBkmNS8-LOZISJ-sX3dfqSULvlzHPx5sI15nLGOd-ACGdHLbRss3KKZ3McHjKPNgIMcZEtVjCPYOjkg8Up-svA9NruloSt5hKSCOAs5CdeEe4WmJ_Z3b48woEXOKlEKEZ2PxgdwvgIW-1c5ePlR0dgh_oz17cjhC8Pj5UsmK3/s620/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(85).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A sculpture in Museo camera museum, Gurgaon, India" border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="620" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRburj13qJ4kc2uXVBkmNS8-LOZISJ-sX3dfqSULvlzHPx5sI15nLGOd-ACGdHLbRss3KKZ3McHjKPNgIMcZEtVjCPYOjkg8Up-svA9NruloSt5hKSCOAs5CdeEe4WmJ_Z3b48woEXOKlEKEZ2PxgdwvgIW-1c5ePlR0dgh_oz17cjhC8Pj5UsmK3/w400-h316/2022_Museo_and_Art_Exhibition_Gurgaon%20(85).jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">In the End</h3><p>Except for the malls, which have a primary commercial purpose, Gurgaon has only a few cultural spaces. Another such local cultural space is the <a href="https://www.sanskritifoundation.org/museums.htm" target="_blank"><b>Sanskriti Museum</b></a>.</p><p>I hope that the next time you are in Gurgaon and are wondering about places to visit and things to do, you can visit the Museo Camera Museum! </p>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-63900115295641692432022-12-22T17:37:00.004+01:002022-12-22T17:37:44.465+01:00My favourite books from 2022<p>Over the past decade or so, my reading choice had been restricted to fast-paced books, such as mysteries, thrillers, action and adventure books. Often I started introspective fiction books but most of the time, I was unable to finish them. Finally, this year, especially in the last quarter, something seems to have changed, I can again appreciate different kinds of books (except for the fantasy and horror genres, which I continue to avoid).</p><p>All together, there are 8 fiction books in my 2022 list - the first 5 of them belong to the action-mystery genre. My favourite book this year was the meditative and lyrical "<b>Touch</b>" by the Icelandic writer <b>Olaf Olafsson</b>.</p><p>The last part of this post is about my own book, which I have finally finished writing this year, after trying for almost 20 years. First, before I start, wishing you all a happy Christmas with the Santa Claus and his two elfs from the central station in Milan.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjftCs9Et8LbjOmfqfMifsnFSBvz5MoTg-a5opsHS9slqEvXRPi1XkaHVK3Zzpg7VVvvtCFrfdaOFsfVGnN75ob5Uwq4SVq7uYPxpinNx37859ct_AWs0Gl1eP7fyFR25GmCy8xXfJnsW5rmQMCQSd9vvOpYG7LEHAAQFMiK822jy-tMBDh777AXc/s920/IMG_20221221_112541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjftCs9Et8LbjOmfqfMifsnFSBvz5MoTg-a5opsHS9slqEvXRPi1XkaHVK3Zzpg7VVvvtCFrfdaOFsfVGnN75ob5Uwq4SVq7uYPxpinNx37859ct_AWs0Gl1eP7fyFR25GmCy8xXfJnsW5rmQMCQSd9vvOpYG7LEHAAQFMiK822jy-tMBDh777AXc/w400-h311/IMG_20221221_112541.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Absence of Mercy by <a href="http://www.smgoodwin.com/" target="_blank">S. M. Goodwin</a></h3><p>This is a historical murder mystery set in the New York of 1857. It brings together some very nicely drawn characters. The two detectives - Lord Jasper Lightner, as a British aristocrat and a war veteran struggling with opium dependence, who has been learning about scientific forensic investigations in Paris; and, Hieronymus Law, an Irish pleb in a jail, have very interesting interactions. Paisley, the haughty and correct butler of Jasper, is another likeable character. The theme of the book about the maltreatment of sex-workers including that of minor girls set against the historical context of the fight against slavery, is a bit too graphic and gritty, but interesting. So, if you like well-written historical mysteries, do read it.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Chaos Kind by Barry Eisler</h3><p>This is an action thriller with a child-trafficker, who can't be touched by the law because he has incriminating videos of some of the powerful Americans having sex with minors and if he will be taken then all those videos will be released.</p><p>However, the attorney general refuses to back down, she is determined to get this man. So killers are engaged to kill her. Another group of killers-turned-into-good-guys are out to safeguard her life. The book reminded me of the Japanese film "7 Samurai" and the Indian film "Sholay", where a group of rogues-turned-good guys come together to save the innocents from the villains. It has nice action sequences and is fast-paced.</p><p>This book is part of a series about the "good-guy killers". It was the first <a href="https://www.barryeisler.com/" target="_blank">Barry Eisler</a> book for me and I enjoyed it even without having read any of the previous books in this series. However, I am planning to read more of his books.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">When Darkness Calls by Mark Griffin</h3><p>I liked this book for its graphic descriptions of the forensic and psychological aspects of serial killers. The book is about finding a serial killer and has a criminal-psychologist Holly Wakefield as the story teller. She works in a prison and teaches students, and is called by the police to help the profiling of the criminal in an investigation. The detective, Bishop, with an artificial leg, is also characterised very nicely. <a href="https://www.markgriffinauthor.com/" target="_blank">Mark Griffin</a> is a new author, but he seems to have a flair for writing psychological thrillers.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">We Know You Remember by Tove Alsterrdal</h3><p>It is a Scandinavian police procedural about 2 crimes, separated by a gap of decades. Olof was convicted for rape and murder of a girl 20 years ago, when he was only 14 years old. Since he was a minor, he was sent to a reform home.</p><p>On the way to a work, he stops at his old home and discovers that his father, whom he has not seen for 20 years, has been murdered. He is the obvious suspect. It is a book which builds slowly and then gains pace to finally conclude in a nice ending.</p><p><a href="https://ahlanderagency.com/authors/tove-alsterdal/" target="_blank">Tove Asterrdal</a> has been writing since 2009, but was probably not translated into English earlier - in any case case, it was her first book for me.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Darkest Sin by D. V. Bishop</h3><p>Last year (2021), <a href="https://dvbishop.com/" target="_blank">D.V. Bishop</a>'s book "The city of vengeance" was my favourite read.</p><p>This year, Bishop is back again, with medieval Florence during the Medici family era and his detective Aldo Cesare, who needs to protect his gay identity. While Aldo looks for the killer of a naked man found inside a nuns' convent, his constable Carlo Strocchi is looking for the killer of a body found in the river. Strocchi's investigation points towards Aldo as the killer. Once again, a very nicely done mystery with great reconstruction of life in medieval Florence. It was a joy to read it.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Sea of tranquility by Emily St John Mandel</h3><div>It is difficult to classify this book, probably it would fit in best as science fiction or speculative fiction. It has inter-connected events in different eras spread over 500 years, starting from 1912 when the second son a British aristocrat is sent in exile to Canada. One of the eras in the book is in future and is about a writer from a moon colony visiting earth for a book tour.</div><div><br /></div><div>This book is built like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces scattered over different time-periods, which come together very nicely in the end. <a href="https://www.emilymandel.com/" target="_blank">Emily St John Mandel</a> is from Canada and has been writing books of different genre.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Lovers by Paolo Cognetti</h3><div>It is a small and lyrical book. Its original title in Italian "The felcità del lupo" means "The Happiness of a Wolf".</div><div><br /></div><div>The book follows a year in the life of Fausto, a 40 years old man from Milan, who is in crisis because the woman he loved has left him. Fausto, running away from his old life finds refuge in a small mountain community, where he becomes a cook. During the summer tourists come and the ambience changes. During his mountain year, Fausto passes through loneliness and despair, has an affair, makes friends and rediscovers hope and his humanity. I loved reading it.</div><div><br /></div><div>If you can read Italian, you can check <a href="http://paolocognetti.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Paolo Cognetti's blog</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>This year, I had read another beautiful book set in the Alps in northern Italy - it was "<b>Fiori nella Roccia</b>" (Flowers in the Rock) by <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ilariatutiufficiale/" target="_blank">Ilaria Tuti</a></b>. It is not in this list because it has not been translated into English so far.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Touch by Olaf Olafsson</h3><div>This is the book I liked most this year. It is about a 75 years old Icelandic man Kristoffel during the Covid pandemic, who receives a message from Miko, a Japanese woman, he had briefly known and loved in London, about 50 years ago. Miko had disappeared one day suddenly and Kristoffel had never forgotten her.</div><div><br /></div><div>He starts on a journey to Japan to meet her as she is very ill. It is a beautiful love story which connects the atom bomb in Hiroshima in the second world war to the Covid pandemic of our time. Like The Lovers above, it is not very long and written in a simple, sparse but lyrical language, it was a very satisfying read and has a beautiful ending.</div><div><br /></div><div>I found an <a href="https://www.islit.is/en/promotion-and-translations/icelandic-literature/interviews-with-icelandic-authors/nr/3257" target="_blank">old interview of the writer</a> whose actual name is Olafur Johann Olaffson- it seems that apart from being a writer he is a successful manager in a big multinational and lives in the USA - the interview touches on his background, his carrier and his books. In some ways, he reminded me of myself, except that he is younger and has many books to his credit while, till now, my writing so far has been restricted to a blog and a few short stories.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">In Conclusion</h3><div>During 2001, I was based in Geneva for a few months, while I was working with the World Health Organisation. I was alone as my family had stayed back in Italy. It was there that I had started writing a book. Since then, I had tried completing that book a few times and tried writing other books - mostly in English but a few times in Italian - but I was unable to finish any of them. Finally, in 2020, with my retirement and the Covid-related lockdown, I tried once again, this time in Hindi and I have finished writing it recently. I am keeping my fingers crossed that next year it will find a publisher in India.</div><div><br /></div><div>I have 2 more books to write. I think of these 3 books as my "Amar Akbar Anthony" trilogy, the well-known film by Bollywood director Manmohan Desai, because like that film, all of my books deal with separated siblings and lost mothers and fathers.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think that writing my book has given me back the ability to appreciate calmer and more introspective books. The writing process this time has been very fulfilling and enriching - often while writing I forgot the passing of time.</div><div><br /></div><div>While wishing all my friends and readers a joyful Christmas and a fulfilling 2023, I am also hoping for a productive 2023 for my writings!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAcg2ttDwimYSHAzk9CnFDVhBSIa_0nvJjb628uVhM9YuIPfIvVTzlQpCAGNMGw38oIRl_FezVmxAt7aF66XO3VK1GdxcIEOGYBOuC4EWA-l4scipwel8_HTblmhynQsq_kqIn4D0MFhAaFX7dUbycOhKDtMDnzt9qgn3bkCMRmL6nDvKAbRp7H_N/s920/IMG_20221220_110908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAcg2ttDwimYSHAzk9CnFDVhBSIa_0nvJjb628uVhM9YuIPfIvVTzlQpCAGNMGw38oIRl_FezVmxAt7aF66XO3VK1GdxcIEOGYBOuC4EWA-l4scipwel8_HTblmhynQsq_kqIn4D0MFhAaFX7dUbycOhKDtMDnzt9qgn3bkCMRmL6nDvKAbRp7H_N/w400-h311/IMG_20221220_110908.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>***<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-2002893469658072532022-09-09T08:30:00.002+02:002022-09-09T08:44:47.587+02:00My Spiritual Journeys I grew up in a non-religious family. However, I have always been interested in spirituality. This post is about the meaning of spirituality for me and some of my more significant spiritual experiences.<div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr2rBaMVMCTV0_tMmrjLk4XO10Ly55hTjwvhfNY9xsWyUUmL3NyyY0P2wzPZvq73tkZVwDjB8X7qrhkLRsjZXtkZ1HpPilHROwbGY31lZupzQ9fTOkIYNFcfsD9OEIn_mJxDDGJkZQrXdp8d7bPmT10HQn_MUaHilWzD_3VN54EuiLI6TviiTmefr/s820/2009_feb15_Ayuthya%20(67).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="820" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirr2rBaMVMCTV0_tMmrjLk4XO10Ly55hTjwvhfNY9xsWyUUmL3NyyY0P2wzPZvq73tkZVwDjB8X7qrhkLRsjZXtkZ1HpPilHROwbGY31lZupzQ9fTOkIYNFcfsD9OEIn_mJxDDGJkZQrXdp8d7bPmT10HQn_MUaHilWzD_3VN54EuiLI6TviiTmefr/w640-h446/2009_feb15_Ayuthya%20(67).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>By "spirituality" I mean the ideas about the nature of soul, consciousness and reality. For me, spiritual experiences are usually related to reading, meditating, listening to music, watching stars and being in nature. They induce in me feelings of being connected with others and with the universe, as well as, feelings of peace and joy.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Spiritual Gurus</h3><div>The Indic traditions place a lot of emphasis on the role of a Guru, a spiritual teacher. For me, my spiritual teachers are the books and my favourite spiritual readings are the <b>Upanishads</b> of Hinduism.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was in 1968, when I had first met <b>Mahesh Yogi</b>, during the days when the Beatles were visiting him. Suddenly he had become The Guru for the world's famous. I had liked his smile and his explanations about transcendental meditation.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the 1970s-80s, I had become very interested in reading the books of <b>Acharya Rajneesh</b> (Osho). </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, during the early 2000s, I had visited the ashram of <b>Sree Sree Ravishanker</b> near Bangalore and then in 2015, I had gone to listen to him when he had visited Guwahati.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMnckIOIgymcUtAnf8-Uff_g_qvNSnfBAaJhaMOIPjXb0NPQOHKhGHetHVIYnn5ua-ZHU7BcUjIyzZMLPg4NlQfwr86HggUdqCagRM9oRa4PkrI_9Uafxol1M3CM3LO4qA3XnbXQoCtxwk39KGOT0gY6u0B00Z3RHEcxwpHjxVHugg_3LamKMbO1j/s746/2015_Dec16_SriSriRavishanker_Guwahati%20(187).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="746" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMnckIOIgymcUtAnf8-Uff_g_qvNSnfBAaJhaMOIPjXb0NPQOHKhGHetHVIYnn5ua-ZHU7BcUjIyzZMLPg4NlQfwr86HggUdqCagRM9oRa4PkrI_9Uafxol1M3CM3LO4qA3XnbXQoCtxwk39KGOT0gY6u0B00Z3RHEcxwpHjxVHugg_3LamKMbO1j/w640-h450/2015_Dec16_SriSriRavishanker_Guwahati%20(187).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>However, so far I have had no desire to follow any Guru. Perhaps, it means that I don't need a Guru, or, may be it means that I am not yet ready for a Guru.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead, about 40 years ago, I was fortunate to meet <b>Don Silvio Favrin</b>, a Catholic priest from Castel Franco V. in the north-east of Italy. He died earlier this year (April 2022). He was a friend for me, and at the same time, he was a great spiritual being - some of our conversations had a deep influence on me. He had the capacity to share the most profound ideas in simple words, often tinged with irony along with an ability to laugh at himself.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2yHDUz0eq8u4aervt33dHPYY7Mke5EiuWo-abntuQBiXQ5AiZsoZgIQ9XxuZndaPmfdqNQ9xj9A_SHsfALnX3CQuApzeKFmtW3QWDCwY89zd8OSTmn2j4UHo1-Pw6WhXHNgpiRwaCSgrJOKn08fidCES7yELnSb6BoU8AWtVbun0U6u4csHW-vCr/s920/090907%20095.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2yHDUz0eq8u4aervt33dHPYY7Mke5EiuWo-abntuQBiXQ5AiZsoZgIQ9XxuZndaPmfdqNQ9xj9A_SHsfALnX3CQuApzeKFmtW3QWDCwY89zd8OSTmn2j4UHo1-Pw6WhXHNgpiRwaCSgrJOKn08fidCES7yELnSb6BoU8AWtVbun0U6u4csHW-vCr/w640-h498/090907%20095.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Unexpected Spiritual Interactions</h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many of my memorable spiritual interactions with people have been unexpected. For example, during 2014-16, while I lived in Guwahati, I had a couple of spiritual experiences.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Sadhu in the Forest</b>: The first encounter was in the forest behind the Bashishtha temple, where I had come across a Sadhu, who had built his home beneath a rocky overhang. He told me about his wanderings across India. I asked him why he had chosen that particular place to set up his home and he started talking about the subtle energy that comes out of the earth and how he felt that energy in that rock.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNg7D9sfBxnVdRRX9PcDpbd4tY5IpQoqitPD6pXppKjPpes-TtjYi75IaL48TDZyt-u91IoDEaAfQ5i0iP6PEu5zzeUwu_0sAqGJmvLnw97QYlit2WvO8WocM5py6rbbJw8mMUsMEBjgvxw89sWrb5TshQGAX_ShnmLAdTCiHZ40BfZK5iR3xsWpj/s833/2016_Jan03_Bashishtha_Trek_SriSriHarGauriGaneshKund_NobinBaba.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="833" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcNg7D9sfBxnVdRRX9PcDpbd4tY5IpQoqitPD6pXppKjPpes-TtjYi75IaL48TDZyt-u91IoDEaAfQ5i0iP6PEu5zzeUwu_0sAqGJmvLnw97QYlit2WvO8WocM5py6rbbJw8mMUsMEBjgvxw89sWrb5TshQGAX_ShnmLAdTCiHZ40BfZK5iR3xsWpj/w640-h448/2016_Jan03_Bashishtha_Trek_SriSriHarGauriGaneshKund_NobinBaba.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>"<i>Put your hand in this place</i>", he pointed to the rock, "<i>then close your eyes and try to feel the energy</i>." I tried but did not feel anything. So, he said that I needed to quieten my mind, then may be I will be able to feel that energy.</div><div><br /></div><div>He was a simple person but listening to him talk about the universe and our connection with nature was a wonderful experience.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ambubashi in Kamakhaya</b>: Another intense spiritual experience for me was during the Ambubashi festival at the Kamakhya temple. Kamakhya is a Shaktipeeth, it celebrates the feminine principle of the nature and the Ambubashi festival celebrates the metaphysical mentruation of the mother-godess.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vmSm6kL95S3KubYzKnQFpciSfe41at1M39AScscEstmQkdUcLlII7cwgvKiDq1M4s4TRexiRQABqdRsNWvB4dOaAdbq0i1f29T8NTgJUwalVNU8K6Zr2ayqYe-7r2-mSlUjqk-fv3vifvPHe9YYz8G4vQdw4NVpISaUwIA7G274jtOSY_Wj6G8tI/s920/2015_June22_Ambubashi_02_Kamakhaya_temple%20(154).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="920" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vmSm6kL95S3KubYzKnQFpciSfe41at1M39AScscEstmQkdUcLlII7cwgvKiDq1M4s4TRexiRQABqdRsNWvB4dOaAdbq0i1f29T8NTgJUwalVNU8K6Zr2ayqYe-7r2-mSlUjqk-fv3vifvPHe9YYz8G4vQdw4NVpISaUwIA7G274jtOSY_Wj6G8tI/w640-h446/2015_June22_Ambubashi_02_Kamakhaya_temple%20(154).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>In a courtyard on the hill near the temple, I came across a group of Baul singers. Some of them were smoking cannabis. Others were dancing and singing Baul songs. At a certain point, a thin old man stood up, his eyes closed in an ecstatic trance, a box in the right hand and a bottle of talcum powder in the other, and he started dancing. It was one of the most amazing and emotionally touching spiritual experience that I have ever had.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>The Mendicant in Orchha</b>: I was staying with a family in a village just outside Orchha in Madhya Pradesh. A local NGO had organised my stay. One morning, I was walking towards Sundar Mahal, the dargah of a Sufi saint called Sundar Shah, when I met a poor mendicant, who was sitting on the ground.</div><div><br /></div><div>I stopped to talk to him. He had left home due to some mistreatment by his daughter-in-law and had decided to wander around and to live on charity. We talked about his preivious life, his home and children, and his present life as a wandering mendicant. I felt very sorry about his plight that in his old age, instead of sitting and resting, he was forced to go around, ask for alms and never be sure if he will find a place to rest for the night.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4pVJxLO1rmZKcWfQKPI_8ubr7w47ddOgsa_sCncz4fKIU2n6hzq726jpHXTVdNQKWDwO7jktlnsWkM-B0p34CNEzbr3nNzLC33YjFVoYYDzPjOm0dj6nrW2z91_owBNHu5Q9d0adz5pXN7qWDOO08QkGWxnlQSKFaYogu_teEtUZAjP79yVN84-o/s756/2016_Oct27_Orchha_01_PyaredasOfChhattarpur.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="756" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ4pVJxLO1rmZKcWfQKPI_8ubr7w47ddOgsa_sCncz4fKIU2n6hzq726jpHXTVdNQKWDwO7jktlnsWkM-B0p34CNEzbr3nNzLC33YjFVoYYDzPjOm0dj6nrW2z91_owBNHu5Q9d0adz5pXN7qWDOO08QkGWxnlQSKFaYogu_teEtUZAjP79yVN84-o/w640-h502/2016_Oct27_Orchha_01_PyaredasOfChhattarpur.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>"<i>So, what do you wish for, what do you want now</i>?", I asked him. He smiled and shook his head, "<i>Nothing, I have found everything I need</i>", he answered.</div><div><br /></div><div>To remember that meeting and his words, can still make me emotional. As you can see, what I think of as "spiritual" experiences can be very different things.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Spiritual Places & Broken Statues</h3><div>I have been to a lot of pilgrimage places of different religions in different countries. I am not religious and I do not go anywhere to pray. However, I like to visit the religious places in search of spiritual experiences.</div><div><br /></div><div>In India, I have travelled widely, from the Vivekanand rock in Kanyakumari to the Kumbh mela in Prayagraj. There have been many beautiful moments and it is always fulfilling to see the beauty in temples, mosques and churches.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet, when I think of my unforgettable spiritual moments, they are usually not associated with any of these places. However, I love the Hindu idea of creating statues out of mud for specific festivals and at the end, immerging those statues in the sea or a rivers. The divinity is thus an expression of nature, which goes back to nature. I love the sight of old broken statues left near the rivers.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsKehpQM-WmeWqqG_snUla5apGC-14l3rOFlhI4CUoiKP7oYgtdLfM5ZXhGL8yIXjgUFSNJlKQjLZJNqsfwZmUxRDxhxS3v6GqndV5Z18ILy_sVtjwPxsO8cdq1Ryanihh8mmnzfNhiZdAaBypKQ8_5lbJPvwgy4j9_wKGKhkOpgLWQYs7bf5Xn_W/s820/2014_dec31_Bashishtha_05_Road%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="820" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsKehpQM-WmeWqqG_snUla5apGC-14l3rOFlhI4CUoiKP7oYgtdLfM5ZXhGL8yIXjgUFSNJlKQjLZJNqsfwZmUxRDxhxS3v6GqndV5Z18ILy_sVtjwPxsO8cdq1Ryanihh8mmnzfNhiZdAaBypKQ8_5lbJPvwgy4j9_wKGKhkOpgLWQYs7bf5Xn_W/w640-h448/2014_dec31_Bashishtha_05_Road%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>While travelling in Assam, it was common to find statues of Durga, Kali and Saraswati left near the rivers and invariably, I used to stop to look at them.</div><div><br /></div><div>One evening, I was walking along the Kolong river in Nagaon and I came across an old broken statue of Saraswati lit by the rays of the setting sun. For a moment, I felt as if the Goddess was speaking to me. That experience was so powerful that for about another 10 minutes or so, as I walked, it seemed as if everything was lit by an internal light.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Music and Spiritual Experiences</h3><div>One of the most profound spiritual experiences which I can remember was in Mandya in Karnataka, when I was staying with some Catholic nuns in a convent. One early morning, I listened to them gently singing hymns in a small chapel. The rise and fall of their voices was like the tide of an ocean, washing over me like waves, a truly wonderful spiritual experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once, I was visiting a project in West Bank in Palestine and I was staying with some friends. I usually wake up early in the morning. I remember waking up in his guest room, listening to the sound of azaan coming from different mosques. They were not synchronous, the timber of their voices were different and together it created a wonderful spiritual experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another occasion when music touched me deeply was in Bologna in Italy during a dance recital. <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/alealeale.1977" target="_blank">Alessandra Pizza</a></b>, the Bharatnatyam teacher, was singing a Ganapati prayer accompanied by the rhythmic beating of a gong on a wooden block. We were sitting in a gallery, under a high dome so that her voice had a little echo. It was so amazing that it brought tears to my eyes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrZZdgzGe5zX5bm3A4deIR1RIDE_Lkw8a0YNYHKoFRJxoS-gzrfNBgk6l3Dji2XJspVt1b5ReT00YA8qsq2kYkv8xph3mmIFA5aEmuSviIadWjGxIkOB0v0A8R9IECR7VIOJzR42ggcssa8Wr8t5UGYzLPWmLTL5fFzkYWZY1Ek15V5Ae65jpZQ8C/s715/DSC_0194.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="715" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrZZdgzGe5zX5bm3A4deIR1RIDE_Lkw8a0YNYHKoFRJxoS-gzrfNBgk6l3Dji2XJspVt1b5ReT00YA8qsq2kYkv8xph3mmIFA5aEmuSviIadWjGxIkOB0v0A8R9IECR7VIOJzR42ggcssa8Wr8t5UGYzLPWmLTL5fFzkYWZY1Ek15V5Ae65jpZQ8C/w640-h502/DSC_0194.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I also love listening to the singing of Gurubani in the Sikh gurudwaras. Often the <i>Raagi</i> (singers) in the gurudwaras are trained classical singers and their prayers have simple and yet profound words, that I find very moving.</div><div><br /></div><div>As an adolescent and young man, some of my musical-spiritual experiences were listening to famous classical singers like Bhimsen Joshi, Pandit Jasraj, Kumar Gandharv and Kishori Amonkar. For example, even today listening to "<i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKc3gy-SHmE&ab_channel=SwapnilVirendraChalwadi" target="_blank">Ud jayega hans akela</a></b></i>" (The swan alone will fly away) by Kumar Gandharv can touch me deep inside.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, some years ago, during a music concert in Bologna (Italy), Ms. <b>Ashwini Bhide Deshpande</b> sang my favourite bhajan "<i><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyaiuIU7eLc&ab_channel=MusicToday" target="_blank">Ganpati Vighnaharan Gajanan</a></b></i>" on my request. The acoustics of that place were wonderful and I felt surrounded by her voice. Just thinking about that experience makes me feel a great joy.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcshCZIigUe0IiUdT_6TcBguLJPsm8AE16zS_t7rBTBCT1qdxiM5BrwZhzxJU8g7mOHGOpsRqS4hoagzySM_7a-dpfwjUHQwoa3gH-Hy4_PI4DH5IKT70FiGxc3xI7F8e2-FTh_W02MafNhalMGjEpzpkHLLJush8Ud-dieIDH_upyPz7CWft-UzI9/s862/DSC_0041.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="862" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcshCZIigUe0IiUdT_6TcBguLJPsm8AE16zS_t7rBTBCT1qdxiM5BrwZhzxJU8g7mOHGOpsRqS4hoagzySM_7a-dpfwjUHQwoa3gH-Hy4_PI4DH5IKT70FiGxc3xI7F8e2-FTh_W02MafNhalMGjEpzpkHLLJush8Ud-dieIDH_upyPz7CWft-UzI9/w640-h446/DSC_0041.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">In the End</h3><div>Writing this blogpost has been a wonderful experience. I wrote it originally for my Italian blog and then decided to translate parts of that into English. When I had started writing it, I had a completely different idea in my mind. However, as I started writing, a lot of forgotten memories came up in my mind and this post has gone in an unexpected direction.</div><div><br /></div><div>Re-reading it, I can see that it is very much linked with India and Hinduism, which is natural since I grew up surrounded by these ideas. A person growing up in another culture and other religious traditions would have other kinds of spiritual experiences.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope that reading it would make you think about the meaning of spirituality for you and remind you of your own spiritual experiences.</div><div><br /></div><div>***<br /></div></div></div></div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-17376220043533009792022-09-01T10:42:00.001+02:002022-09-01T18:27:01.983+02:00The Roman Town: Concordia SagittariaConcordia-Sagittaria is a tiny town in north-east of Italy, not far from the port-city of Portogruaro. Though it is a tiny place today, it is an important part of the Roman history and it has some good archeological places to visit.<div><br /></div><div>It's history illustrates how the rise and ebbs of time change the fortunes of places and their people. Once an important transit point for the Roman empire, today it is a small but charming agricultural town of about ten thousand persons.<div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb87bQhIesYRapsf-J-GL2yRkBjHKZX8ojBtIHm24UWrqUqZPjBzlIEmxFTy8psQ5o993EfcvkDukPMkcT775LGl-pw3zFY9qnSWYj0OYEJGTnePKgVogVIUXLv-_ULPG078_4WlDOOe5F8LOMyhMNoNvAGXt1fWenXySPcedAyJJnFuuqbGLrXxbY/s820/03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A view of Lemene river in Concordia Sagittaria" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="820" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb87bQhIesYRapsf-J-GL2yRkBjHKZX8ojBtIHm24UWrqUqZPjBzlIEmxFTy8psQ5o993EfcvkDukPMkcT775LGl-pw3zFY9qnSWYj0OYEJGTnePKgVogVIUXLv-_ULPG078_4WlDOOe5F8LOMyhMNoNvAGXt1fWenXySPcedAyJJnFuuqbGLrXxbY/w640-h500/03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>If you are staying in one of the seaside holiday towns along the northern Adriatic coast of Italy like Jesolo, Caorle, Bibione and Lignano, you might like to spend a day visiting Portogruaro and Concordia-Sagittaria.</div><h3>Roman Town of Julia Concordia</h3><div>The town existed as a small pre-Roman area since 9th century BCE, as confirmed by some archeological finds shown in its museum. Romans gave it the name of Julia Concordia.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>The Roman empire had started as the Roman Republic in the city-state of Rome around 150 BCE. Julia Concordia was founded in 42 BCE, during the last years of the Roman Republic (Roman empire period started in 31 BCE). By that time, all of northern Italy was part of the Roman Republic. Foundation of Julia Concordia coincided with the northwards expansion of the Roman empire towards northern and central Europe.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the second century BCE, the Romans had already built their biggest port in Acquileia, around 300 km north of Julia Concordia. The Annia road connected Acquileia to the town of Padua, south of Venice, while the Postumia road connected Acquileia to the Genova port on the west. Concordia was chosen to be the Roman city because those two key roads crossed here while the Lemene river provided an entrance to the Adriatic coast and to the inland port of Portogruaro. Over the next centuries, Julia Concordia became an important Roman town with the construction of bridges, an amphitheatre and baths.</div><div><br /></div><div>The local legend says that the Roman legionaire who had shot Jesus Christ while he was on the cross in Jerusalem with his arrow, was from Concordia. Later on St Mark was supposed to have stayed in the house of the same legionaire while he was writing his version of the Gospels. Still later, a chapel was built at that location, which was close to the present location of the St Stephen cathedral.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the fall of the Roman empire, Concordia was destroyed many times, first by the army of Attila the Hun and then by the Lombards.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the Roman period, the town of Julia Concordia was known for its arrow-making (Sagitae). Thus, in early 20th century, its name was changed to Concordia-Sagittaria. Probably, it was done during the Mussolini period, when remembering the glorious Roman past was considered as important for the nation-building. </div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Archaeological Ruins in Concordia </h3><div>Remains of the Roman times dot the landscape in and around Concordia-Sagittaria. There are ruins of mosaic floors, amphitheatre, ancient baths and tombs of the soldiers. Most archeological finds from Concordia-Sagittaria are kept in the national museum in Portogruaro, some kilometres away. Some of the archeological finds are also shown in the local museum of Concordia-Sagittaria.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukrM_XVSQMlmCmu1WSunOjwdooUKiDKm2fUsKFYnABP3a5V-IA8tIotEqm-5ZLbCsqIGsrbCoatyr717OUt58MUypLJ89G-rXK6xW84Oz15Se2Z04XV7nNpKxM3kNF4AcyH4FIQjUer5NXQ-DHPHXs_g-tFQcBDyKT9WHPlYiF5f_rS7XYc3TCRxJ/s820/06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Roman ruins in Concordia sagittaria" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="820" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukrM_XVSQMlmCmu1WSunOjwdooUKiDKm2fUsKFYnABP3a5V-IA8tIotEqm-5ZLbCsqIGsrbCoatyr717OUt58MUypLJ89G-rXK6xW84Oz15Se2Z04XV7nNpKxM3kNF4AcyH4FIQjUer5NXQ-DHPHXs_g-tFQcBDyKT9WHPlYiF5f_rS7XYc3TCRxJ/w640-h500/06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Underneath the tenth century cathedral dedicated to St. Stephen near the city centre, you can visit the old ruins with a beautiful mosaic floor (the entrance is inside the cathedral).</div><div><br /></div><div>The nearby Baptistry (in the image below) made in the form of the Greek cross on a square base, is from 11th century while the bell tower is from 12th century.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IM_6HZiiq57LGsLLvkDbWGPaKv4DVaiC5D-DvwMOUVG0KyJRSa7MmXM2E-fS7QXmoteQCMyuD-HgilI-dFpkUgwx61bnEgd3GvVM-pa-elVwA1ieLjOH4z-Bt2tyPkt3fk22mnwBSgOnr_PRwiZRAoHijDiyMMmCKrXm0dHF-9nkCRjPS2EAOyiU/s820/05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The 11th century Baptistry of St Stephen church in Concordia Sagittaria" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="820" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4IM_6HZiiq57LGsLLvkDbWGPaKv4DVaiC5D-DvwMOUVG0KyJRSa7MmXM2E-fS7QXmoteQCMyuD-HgilI-dFpkUgwx61bnEgd3GvVM-pa-elVwA1ieLjOH4z-Bt2tyPkt3fk22mnwBSgOnr_PRwiZRAoHijDiyMMmCKrXm0dHF-9nkCRjPS2EAOyiU/w640-h500/05.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I was told that some ruins of an old Roman bridge and the amphitheatre were located in the countryside, just outside Concordia town but I was unable to go and look for them.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Walks in the City Centre</h3><div><div>The city has a tiny and quaint centre with its historical municipal building, colourful houses and simple trattorias for a relaxed lunch of local cuisine. The Bishop's house from 1450 CE, built in Venetian style and the Town Hall from 1526 CE are two beautiful buildings, to be visited in the tiny city centre. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lemene river passes through the city centre of Concordia-Sagittaria. The whole area along the river is wonderful for a leisurely walk or a picnic, while admiring the ducks and geese in the water and the beautiful panoramas.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu4IOEnmzV7Fb8OnZcpPMtCO_xXvk9OMmQJiVtGJIINE8qyKfe7Y3ts3gOI2zqW2rcwX8u_3CcOBzm5ZAdCL51kVT6H0q-FDKZd-M68OsXrsx2zjtY61ebYO8WJN_mSw2TaNfp4ogR_gDNQsJfEbc4r6UVJwB0x1O20mdXJrHjP3nOvf0TCbRdH6x/s801/01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lemene river in Concordia Sagittaria" border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="801" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu4IOEnmzV7Fb8OnZcpPMtCO_xXvk9OMmQJiVtGJIINE8qyKfe7Y3ts3gOI2zqW2rcwX8u_3CcOBzm5ZAdCL51kVT6H0q-FDKZd-M68OsXrsx2zjtY61ebYO8WJN_mSw2TaNfp4ogR_gDNQsJfEbc4r6UVJwB0x1O20mdXJrHjP3nOvf0TCbRdH6x/w640-h500/01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The city hosts a famous annual local fair dedicated to the city's Patron saint, it is called "la fiera di Santo Stefano" and is held around the end of July each year.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Finally</h3><div>Italy is full of beautiful historical towns. Most tourists coming to visit Italy hardly ever manage to go beyond Florence, Venice, Pisa and Rome. However, if you are visiting the Adriatic coast in the north-east of Italy for the summer holidays, you can also visit the nearby smaller towns. In that case, it might be worthwhile for you to combine the visits to Portogruaro and Concordia-Sagittaria.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xakYpyD9abUmQk6dfzZddnfDdGOUCmaovdNtMEFQhm78foz3XgZDtRQkPZlH2YMHn-cgj99BGINXTHCVcM1OoLmtFFC-2d3SWVPfhbrOthkeFY4yIG_xlGP5Y9SArXIosH3DqaP0ED1i0xdU4MjDkxw3uBl4hK43v7QM2ix4h3MzFAeUbRFShbtl/s1000/Concordia170708.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1xakYpyD9abUmQk6dfzZddnfDdGOUCmaovdNtMEFQhm78foz3XgZDtRQkPZlH2YMHn-cgj99BGINXTHCVcM1OoLmtFFC-2d3SWVPfhbrOthkeFY4yIG_xlGP5Y9SArXIosH3DqaP0ED1i0xdU4MjDkxw3uBl4hK43v7QM2ix4h3MzFAeUbRFShbtl/w640-h480/Concordia170708.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I am not very fond of the seaside holidays, but they are loved by my family. We usally go to Bibione for these holidays. For me the seaside holidays are an opportunity to visit the smaller towns, such as Concordia-Sagittaria and to explore thier histories. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>***</div></div></div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-60970697917745642832022-06-14T16:47:00.000+02:002022-06-14T16:47:37.633+02:00Remembering Dr Usha Nayar<p>My dear friend Usha died last year in February 2021. I heard about it only today, when I saw a message from her daughter Priya. A very nice <a href="http://www.usnayar.com/" target="_blank">website has been created for remembering Usha</a>, her life and her work, where you can find many of her writings. While I process that she is no more, through this post I want to share some of my memories of her.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2jPsfDa-hzN6ycEaJikw6yIP7QFXOkcL_DddkWiEveNxwywSdfAdI4Zr9rwfBv-OJb-USHhg5LTi6U-9pUGd2LUTrTI5cwKQ8lt2AdK2GVjMo4S7o1KOy8rvt9LBS6Y4uHUF3mLpQzhkHY2Chj1ehJavviXPyzZxxzyvUsnsOZkDmFo3CH2VWbiA/s852/TASH%20team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="852" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2jPsfDa-hzN6ycEaJikw6yIP7QFXOkcL_DddkWiEveNxwywSdfAdI4Zr9rwfBv-OJb-USHhg5LTi6U-9pUGd2LUTrTI5cwKQ8lt2AdK2GVjMo4S7o1KOy8rvt9LBS6Y4uHUF3mLpQzhkHY2Chj1ehJavviXPyzZxxzyvUsnsOZkDmFo3CH2VWbiA/w400-h335/TASH%20team.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">I had met Usha through an Italian friend, <b>Dr Enrico Pupulin</b> in 1996. At that time, Enrico was the head of the Disability and Rehabilitation (DAR) team at the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva. He was keen to conduct a multi-country research on implementing community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programmes in some urban slum communities. In CBR programmes, disabled persons themselves, family members, and local community persons are trained in providing support to children and adults with disabilities. Enrico wanted to see if this approach would work in the poor communities living in the slums.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQrWSkJonOgvfJXkiMPUKO-v-6z-RA8h5ZipaRfc0mDw_9FSlGPRdDanR2MUJYoOpsxKN4yniipTA8lYm11RLhTirD5kI3Tol1Gs0sJKa_6cWg_GccjjLSSdqKah9Z2G2ohpdc2achw8pG-0jGNjJSpQo0UvyocV66j3TuaQ41HjCT3NRng1Quya4/s620/Exchange%20visit%20Bombay%20group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="620" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQrWSkJonOgvfJXkiMPUKO-v-6z-RA8h5ZipaRfc0mDw_9FSlGPRdDanR2MUJYoOpsxKN4yniipTA8lYm11RLhTirD5kI3Tol1Gs0sJKa_6cWg_GccjjLSSdqKah9Z2G2ohpdc2achw8pG-0jGNjJSpQo0UvyocV66j3TuaQ41HjCT3NRng1Quya4/w400-h279/Exchange%20visit%20Bombay%20group.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Enrico had gathered some really committed persons from seven countries for this research, including Fr <b>Alex Zanotelli</b> from Nairobi, Kenya and Dr <b>Eduardo Scannavino</b> from Santarem, Brazil. Usha was also one of them. In those days days she was the professor of child and adolescent health at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Mumbai, and together with her husband <b>Chandran</b>, she was also the founder of a voluntary organisation called Smarth, which was active in some slum areas such as Bhiwandi and Dharavi areas in Mumbai. I was asked to coordinate that research project.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsHkKShrv5f-4d_FEODlhPz9SpDB7CMWpTnp59Q4vXuGocSv_aU8gkMBs6Z0KrHkdpeoPiI0AdyI8NMp5RatyzTYvrrGvxmzfd-d_17iNM2Bbu5pEMxD_Y_m8CgNyLuo6RVnCgN1AjhZLe9hi4p7UuuVpCtqitprbZniCCAOGExA4oLb2yXVuTZc3/s620/meeting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="620" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsHkKShrv5f-4d_FEODlhPz9SpDB7CMWpTnp59Q4vXuGocSv_aU8gkMBs6Z0KrHkdpeoPiI0AdyI8NMp5RatyzTYvrrGvxmzfd-d_17iNM2Bbu5pEMxD_Y_m8CgNyLuo6RVnCgN1AjhZLe9hi4p7UuuVpCtqitprbZniCCAOGExA4oLb2yXVuTZc3/w400-h289/meeting.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Over the next 10-12 years we met many times. In 1999, we were together in Brazil. In 2001, we all converged in Mumbai, when we visited the Bhiwandi and Dharavi areas. Not long after that visit to Mumbai, Usha told me that Chandran had been diagnosed with a cancer. In spite of all their efforts, he died some time later. That was a difficult period for their family.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaKlpF5AtfkjvYo_w_AVfQmH1w-9XRm7f9mNKklLy4K9sJ4sNUeqOp8rIESZ_JOGy9KMBELwS6RIfSR8jIv1WIr3Kvb516c-hKea9rNxHzbhA6yOmTdNQf4UcqMlKI2DL0OZFX92vl4hGLCDfQ_KIr2d8deYaGA-24oOe1G3lSmoxCepALw6qeFtJ/s620/Chandran%20India.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="620" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwaKlpF5AtfkjvYo_w_AVfQmH1w-9XRm7f9mNKklLy4K9sJ4sNUeqOp8rIESZ_JOGy9KMBELwS6RIfSR8jIv1WIr3Kvb516c-hKea9rNxHzbhA6yOmTdNQf4UcqMlKI2DL0OZFX92vl4hGLCDfQ_KIr2d8deYaGA-24oOe1G3lSmoxCepALw6qeFtJ/w400-h296/Chandran%20India.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">In the following years, we kept on meeting on and off. Usha came to Italy for a couple of workshops. Then we were both involved in the organisation of an international workshop in Helsinki, Finland. Usha also did the compiling of responses for an international survey on disability and rehabilitation for the WHO. Her warmth, humility and humane approach made her an ideal colleague, who was appreciated and loved by everyone.</p><p>Some more years later, another difficult period for Usha came when some persons from their voluntary organisation accused her of improper use of the donors' funds. Though all the financial controls showed that the funds had been used properly and no evidence of any wrong-doing was found, it took a toll on her. Even more unfortunately, it led to a decline and then closure of that organisation which she had started with Chandran.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWY-i5oJetmMY_AjS-MexVEJeGNUzytnhyuicEf8SKflA6HrpgN4ZW637hsqxqHwHQHmlVQlOy7kmJAhZXSzuSMxRyHa5sUGgzHeX50hkoHv8TD71Z00Xs9hes57P67V7Zccbw-SImwQ2GTmOY1CtsPwkQyJD8gCtt7j1RCyaCjm5FBKMoiI5HqfK3/s620/Chandran%20office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="620" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWY-i5oJetmMY_AjS-MexVEJeGNUzytnhyuicEf8SKflA6HrpgN4ZW637hsqxqHwHQHmlVQlOy7kmJAhZXSzuSMxRyHa5sUGgzHeX50hkoHv8TD71Z00Xs9hes57P67V7Zccbw-SImwQ2GTmOY1CtsPwkQyJD8gCtt7j1RCyaCjm5FBKMoiI5HqfK3/w400-h279/Chandran%20office.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">In August 2012, as she reached 65 years, she retired from TISS as a senior professor. Few days later, in September, she left India and came to the USA, where she started a new phase of life as a professor in the New York State University. It also meant that she could be closer to her daughter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThxbCfwIwokyPjWpuyYoB_NfCC4cjPvdf7aKtjlGSapXCXVABDMA38FEi9fQwG4kBrZdR0uHoSVGvBvcnzPdO3zdvMu_8EuZduKBkI8fwOiMY63YhIUVs5_5wBkl2x8IeL19FO4LC-QvpIVN1KPuPl6UKQqA0CW84c-RAg0yrB2YgYFAfxaXtNqDS/s620/2003_Helsinki_ReviewofCBR_Sunil_Usha_PamZinkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="620" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThxbCfwIwokyPjWpuyYoB_NfCC4cjPvdf7aKtjlGSapXCXVABDMA38FEi9fQwG4kBrZdR0uHoSVGvBvcnzPdO3zdvMu_8EuZduKBkI8fwOiMY63YhIUVs5_5wBkl2x8IeL19FO4LC-QvpIVN1KPuPl6UKQqA0CW84c-RAg0yrB2YgYFAfxaXtNqDS/w400-h291/2003_Helsinki_ReviewofCBR_Sunil_Usha_PamZinkin.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Once we were sitting together and talking, I don't remember in which country it was, when I had told her about some personal set-back which was worrying me at that time. Usha had told me, "<i>Have faith in God, sometimes what you see as a set-back, can become an opportunity for a new direction in life</i>." Then she had told me about an episode from her own life. She had completed her gradutation, post-graduation and PhD from Allahabad university and she was very keen to have a job in that university. "<i>The job that I had wanted so much, it was not given to me, it was given to someone who had family ties to some big-wigs</i>", she had said, "<i>I was so disappointed, I felt that my life was over and I will not achieve anything in life. Some time later, there was an opportunity in TISS, I applied and was successful. If I had not had that set-back in Allahabad, I would not have had the good fortune to work in TISS. Only afterwards I understood that God works in different ways</i>." I still remember those words.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyp2xGm6XIz3d77SL1rLp--TApg0dX7CtMLlr1D7oY8sIZgJyeFWihCskQlBzt-2A5uzzmszlWxahVHgKnOPyG1mp63JT4KU64IM5s63zbzkzUnbg8apJscxCo0xVQf0IMc0LcsqqVURCGXzGqQXl_8RXlR0-D_zgGoC0fT4lU3U4Gzr3w92lS66HS/s664/Mira-Usha-Gerladine-Suniletc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="664" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyp2xGm6XIz3d77SL1rLp--TApg0dX7CtMLlr1D7oY8sIZgJyeFWihCskQlBzt-2A5uzzmszlWxahVHgKnOPyG1mp63JT4KU64IM5s63zbzkzUnbg8apJscxCo0xVQf0IMc0LcsqqVURCGXzGqQXl_8RXlR0-D_zgGoC0fT4lU3U4Gzr3w92lS66HS/s320/Mira-Usha-Gerladine-Suniletc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: left;">Over the last couple of years, Usha had also become more active with Yoga and the teachings of Upanishads, which had long been my area of interest as well. We had sometimes exchanged messages through Facebook and I had told her that I looked forward to an opportunity for talking about spirituality with her.</p><p>Instead, destiny had other plans. In February 2021, she died a couple of days after receiving a Covid vaccine, but I never heard about it. A few months later, after the second dose of a Covid vaccine, even I developed a cardiac arrhythmia, which took a few months to improve. My doctor in Italy said that it was probably a coincidence and not due to the vaccine. Ever since the pandemic started, health sertvices have worsened and there is no way to know for sure. However, no one can deny that so many of our lives have been changed by that pandemic.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qVfaH7pUVZ0wogxX3pSguCIJVRrHdlKoCx_zQKoj5sqt18DXAKckHPFGbeNu7bWr600KJdU71G_LnBN-iAtGia8niTOyOHGo5IUfIHY1yz9K5zTym5_b_PB9havWaIPoTDg4CbaEJN5UjZDLkiiw8NnEMejKfAVgME9CdNAgwcUwXzoOthMxRPCZ/s620/Gruppo%20corso%20CBR%202003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="620" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qVfaH7pUVZ0wogxX3pSguCIJVRrHdlKoCx_zQKoj5sqt18DXAKckHPFGbeNu7bWr600KJdU71G_LnBN-iAtGia8niTOyOHGo5IUfIHY1yz9K5zTym5_b_PB9havWaIPoTDg4CbaEJN5UjZDLkiiw8NnEMejKfAVgME9CdNAgwcUwXzoOthMxRPCZ/w400-h316/Gruppo%20corso%20CBR%202003.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p>Dear Usha, perhaps one day we shall meet and have our discussion about spirituality on the other side and laugh about it. Goodbye my friend, I am glad that our paths crossed.</p><p> </p>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-58544437395887388942022-06-06T18:15:00.001+02:002022-06-07T16:32:33.454+02:00Schio's Cosplay MeetI had my first encounter with the <b>Cosplay world</b> a few years ago, when I saw some persons dressed like cartoons in our little town <b>Schio</b> in the north-east of Italy. I was fascinated with those costumes and the strange young people wearing them.<div><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL_P_HP9FmZ20goctsQah67zKvVr977BmPHpEuCx-0Fc8cMvwgWmUHBgxzJs5bWSCRRh1Xw1ZT4HHXrfVRHDd67hQn-V2p0ii7Wl6bHl9eIEDb6RyBVUZ7YNWN3cKvF7d6DMhF2rqfr_q06pOOUGkj7gnMw5jYaQ8zf0Ueo25___-NTgqQyFvznzX/s920/Schio_Cosplay_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL_P_HP9FmZ20goctsQah67zKvVr977BmPHpEuCx-0Fc8cMvwgWmUHBgxzJs5bWSCRRh1Xw1ZT4HHXrfVRHDd67hQn-V2p0ii7Wl6bHl9eIEDb6RyBVUZ7YNWN3cKvF7d6DMhF2rqfr_q06pOOUGkj7gnMw5jYaQ8zf0Ueo25___-NTgqQyFvznzX/w640-h498/Schio_Cosplay_13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I feel a little jealous of the Cosplayers. I think that it would have been great fun when I was young, to have purple and green hair along with an Arabian Nights kind of costume. Unfortunately, it is too late for that and the only costume that can fit me now is a potato-sack! So sour-grapes and all, I try to think of these guys as a new species, <i>Homo comicans</i>, who are a bit of narcissistic nerds, a little clumsy in their social relationships who can only find fulfilment in imaginary worlds. </div><div><div><br /></div><div>Schio had started organising an annual Cosplay meet some years ago. The Covid-19 outbreak had interrupted this tradition in 2020. This year (2022) finally it is back. This post is about ths year's Cosplay. It also talks about a group of graphic and comic book-enthusiasts called Breganze Comics, whom I met in the meet.<div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02iKMG3uhtU2LXJdWWfdE290TAB_5Tim0XJxh-Rj---utZtbp0p0DS0LA2OkpIXnpReHG1jzZ4YIkS4vrU0Fg1xfztOwPEZvzgkKkFDr0JuvhDDakgg-tnB6ityrJeqMG2nsrWPANBZQK87ZwDHJR2TZOkLrOHoVvN6xwKzzjcgU-bHGZb98rSaS1/s920/Schio_Cosplay_08.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02iKMG3uhtU2LXJdWWfdE290TAB_5Tim0XJxh-Rj---utZtbp0p0DS0LA2OkpIXnpReHG1jzZ4YIkS4vrU0Fg1xfztOwPEZvzgkKkFDr0JuvhDDakgg-tnB6ityrJeqMG2nsrWPANBZQK87ZwDHJR2TZOkLrOHoVvN6xwKzzjcgU-bHGZb98rSaS1/w640-h498/Schio_Cosplay_08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">If you like costumes, fantasy worlds, comics and graphic novels, then this post is for you. This post has a lot of pictures, which will give you an idea about Cosplay.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Cosplay Meet</h3><div>The word Cosplay comes from Costume + Role-Play and is linked with the fantasy games, comics, graphic novels, science-fiction TV serials and films inspired mainly from Japnaese and Korean cultures, especially the Manga comics and Anime. For these meets, Cosplay enthusiasts dress and behave like their favourite characters. They often spend months to design their looks and to make their own costumes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QSGAS1ozODQ8SL0qDPMPSkqeRk-TBALz-aYvSFFrfiLkgN3uBQkavQsHenFWYekF7uBCgFct1H1UI9bQoVf_ZZESTC_PMU3LN-_6noPklMxNlVYO2I1oXlKahgf9bRE67nasG3DOBRyFhA49UOjG63fQrKqr4PVsTS71Vf7ShIje-kq2I775xTFj/s820/Schio_Cosplay_03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="820" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QSGAS1ozODQ8SL0qDPMPSkqeRk-TBALz-aYvSFFrfiLkgN3uBQkavQsHenFWYekF7uBCgFct1H1UI9bQoVf_ZZESTC_PMU3LN-_6noPklMxNlVYO2I1oXlKahgf9bRE67nasG3DOBRyFhA49UOjG63fQrKqr4PVsTS71Vf7ShIje-kq2I775xTFj/w640-h500/Schio_Cosplay_03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The Cosplay meets bring together the Cosplayers as well as, the artistic, creative and commercial worlds which support them. These include fantasy board games, miniatures of different fantasy story characters, comics and graphic book creaters and publishers, and cosplay clubs. The commercial entreprises supporting them run shops and clubs where you can 3-D print miniatures, or assemble and colour the miniatures, and print special T-shirts, mugs and other memorabilia. Collecting, exchanging and selling specific materials linked to Cosplay is another area of interest.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Schio's Costumes' Culture</h3><div>Veneto region where Schio is located, has different cultural-costumes' traditions, such as those associated with Carnival, where people wear medieval costumes and masks. To those old traditions, new traditions of costumes inspired by literary worlds or by other cultures have been added such as Halloween, Steampunk and Cosplay.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC2gjq3yOVXAt4474zoyCy-P6ZSdJ6XJahhM_GOQaNoNh1qfvnbynCpU5v-bi5QjdyjuVLX7aamMNvGmVohhxeu356elPI9PDnhBqRHPc7_07bXmspZKyWFcdZFnwgHJjuuc7DxYFlO3Ml-QkbnxA6NUDKhLwrlbwMHw8naLSnbTbJdu5rvZB5yxe/s920/Schio_Cosplay_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWC2gjq3yOVXAt4474zoyCy-P6ZSdJ6XJahhM_GOQaNoNh1qfvnbynCpU5v-bi5QjdyjuVLX7aamMNvGmVohhxeu356elPI9PDnhBqRHPc7_07bXmspZKyWFcdZFnwgHJjuuc7DxYFlO3Ml-QkbnxA6NUDKhLwrlbwMHw8naLSnbTbJdu5rvZB5yxe/w640-h498/Schio_Cosplay_15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Even the Indian Holi festival is also becoming popular and an annual Holi meet is organised in Vicenza.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Schio's Cosplay Meet 2022</h3><div>This year's Cosplay meet was held on 5th June in the gardens of Fabbrica Alta, which used to be one of the biggest wool mills of Schio and is now used for cultural events. There were all kinds of stalls setup by the Cosplay enthsiasts in the park.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfR0clVBtxrxjBPgSIjjgVPKQzY0Esiv-qKELnPP__aef0iBSBpn0wcNDCqNGGY70l5oeWkfxqw9Pevo492PYc1TCiymj_35mvSqPpIGeoDCwrh1T5W_0auq5nS8Bk7ssoj_kYzx0b-s6UUoC4EvfoPF0QgNgXZg3fepQHl7YKo2gStIxD0NdJwNG/s920/Schio_Cosplay_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="920" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAfR0clVBtxrxjBPgSIjjgVPKQzY0Esiv-qKELnPP__aef0iBSBpn0wcNDCqNGGY70l5oeWkfxqw9Pevo492PYc1TCiymj_35mvSqPpIGeoDCwrh1T5W_0auq5nS8Bk7ssoj_kYzx0b-s6UUoC4EvfoPF0QgNgXZg3fepQHl7YKo2gStIxD0NdJwNG/w640-h380/Schio_Cosplay_11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The afternoon saw the competition for the best Cosplay costumes. Though it was a hot day, it had a big audience.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Breganze Comics</h3><div>During the event, I met some persons who have a passion for writing and illustrating comic books. Their group is called Breganze Comics.</div><div> </div><div><b>Breganze</b> is a small town around 20 kms from Schio. During 1970s, a young writer-artist of comic books called <b>Alberto Simioni </b>started this group. It brought together young persons who were interested in creating comics and graphic novels. Simioni died young, but his legacy lives on with the group. It has had its ups-and-downs but so far, it has managed to be active.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkHe9kjb3-Qcf7nUR2zfyVEWSMZDNKzfPTIm-GbaI4Rh10BeW1-cOvW6cIDKNr5fbHQEuvhxjr-2kFErg8a1rcZ3KHjqOcppErx_LDzGQLuaxYdBt4N0-0WtK5zNrNr9epYTVwFeESPGGU_vK2lQH0GW8pJcd74rXvQjQrVoXVmS6Q8BpUpNtiwjX/s820/Schio_Cosplay_01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="820" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkHe9kjb3-Qcf7nUR2zfyVEWSMZDNKzfPTIm-GbaI4Rh10BeW1-cOvW6cIDKNr5fbHQEuvhxjr-2kFErg8a1rcZ3KHjqOcppErx_LDzGQLuaxYdBt4N0-0WtK5zNrNr9epYTVwFeESPGGU_vK2lQH0GW8pJcd74rXvQjQrVoXVmS6Q8BpUpNtiwjX/w640-h500/Schio_Cosplay_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">At the Schio Cosplay, I met three artists and members of <b><a href="https://www.breganzecomics.it/" target="_blank">Breganze Comics</a></b> - Eleonora Bresolin, Martina Becky Schena and Lorenzo Malandrin, who explained to me about their passion for designing and publishing their comics. Cosplay and comics-related events are opportunities for them to meet other enthusiasts, show their work and sell their comics. Their creative works use some of the original characters developed by Alberto Simioni, and at the same time, they keep on experimenting with new characters. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Brainkiller-The-graphic-novel-561795450673319/" target="_blank">Brainkiller</a>, one of their new Veneto-horror comic about zombies, had come out in 2020.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Franco Carrara, the coordinator of Breganze Comics, was one of the young boys who had joined Alberto Sirmioni in 1977, said: "<i>I had taken over and promoted this group in the memory of its founder Sirmioni, so I am very happy when I see these young persons take over and be active in the activities of our group. They are its future.</i>" </div></div><div><br /></div><div>At their stall I also met <b><a href="http://www.madebymika.com/" target="_blank">Michela Mika Fusato</a></b>, who is part of the Breganze Comics and has an independent contract with EF Edizioni for her romantic comics based on a character called Alicia. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100039873047553" target="_blank">Mika also a Facebook page</a> where you can check her illustrations. Seven volumes of her books, all in Italian, are already available on Amazon and book-shops.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzP4fCmJ0zy5e5oBiiAPoyw7qB8ntYzQLB5Zpfj_oO2g8q99-ITodvDv2maYm0Zd9dpGq2bN-7QEqcRITp0WlR12bjLKsdYOrAv1TuzzMQkYEUgExOVcmO34Enmb0YyKCuIsLaISiSOFgqvHY-tEYB5M9D3R1w0YowGG_vI39-46066H6GYbxndkN/s940/Schio_Cosplay_02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="695" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifzP4fCmJ0zy5e5oBiiAPoyw7qB8ntYzQLB5Zpfj_oO2g8q99-ITodvDv2maYm0Zd9dpGq2bN-7QEqcRITp0WlR12bjLKsdYOrAv1TuzzMQkYEUgExOVcmO34Enmb0YyKCuIsLaISiSOFgqvHY-tEYB5M9D3R1w0YowGG_vI39-46066H6GYbxndkN/w296-h400/Schio_Cosplay_02.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">In Conclusion</h3><div>I am happy that finally the Covid-19 restricts have been lifted so that we can have events like this one.</div><div><br /></div><div>I feel that different factors contribute towards the popularity of Cosplay among the young people. Partly, it is about creative expression in a unique and personal way - individuals can choose a character which appeals to them and with whom they can identify. It is also about the need for magic and fantasy in our lives, which are increasingly dominated by rationality and science. It may also be linked to our feelings of solitude and the need to feel a part of a community.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2wapxwedZT665ovHenAtSFeNAc78Coj6it-Nv21UZK2MUfZZNwukefhYQtfXWijTkSrwVOtryPf-LzrqAxCUMBA5oUXWUOEgutgtDnRM7R16QF_p6hnn9mxRMX5Olro8puf3rnooMBtB2piDYqZbfMCmIwToQrbOboFpBVrsIdsqGQZWzol5buo9/s920/Schio_Cosplay_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="920" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2wapxwedZT665ovHenAtSFeNAc78Coj6it-Nv21UZK2MUfZZNwukefhYQtfXWijTkSrwVOtryPf-LzrqAxCUMBA5oUXWUOEgutgtDnRM7R16QF_p6hnn9mxRMX5Olro8puf3rnooMBtB2piDYqZbfMCmIwToQrbOboFpBVrsIdsqGQZWzol5buo9/w640-h498/Schio_Cosplay_14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>My knowledge about Cosplay is very superficial - I hardly know about the different Manga, Anime books, shows and games which inspire the Cosplayers. I can't tell you the name of any of the popular characters of Cosplay. Still I like their colours, creativity and vivacity.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was told that one should never click pictures of cosplayers without first asking them and letting them strike a proper pose according to their character.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our Cosplay meet in Schio is a small blip among the bigger and better known events like the <b>Comic-con</b> in San Diego and <b>Anime-expo</b> in Los Angels. Italy's biggest Cosplay meet is held in Lucca in Tuscany, while Japan, the original cosplay destination, has a famous event in Nagoya.</div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-56803361751252126272022-05-20T16:07:00.002+02:002023-07-11T14:03:01.660+02:00Importance of Alternative MedicineOver the past couple of years, ever since we have broadband internet with unlimited use, I often watch some YouTube video channels including lessons on cooking and about the use of specific software. I also like some channels on politics, health related issues, Indian classical music and dances.<br /><br />One of health related channels which I often watch is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/MedlifeCrisis/about%20The%20Medlife%20video%20from%202020%20-%20https:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eqf_Go1kxE&ab_channel=MedlifeCrisis" target="_blank">Medlife Crisis</a> by Dr Rohin Francis from UK. Recently, I came across one of his older videos, which was about "alternative medicine". In this video he had explained about the importance of evidence-based medicine and how this scientific approach ensures that we can truly understand the efficacy of treatments and make rational choices about medicines. The other aspect of his intervention was that alternative medicine lacks this evidence-based approach and thus for him it was mostly hogwash.<div><br /></div><div>In his intro on this channel he also says that "<i>There's a lot of bad science on YouTube, especially medicine, with quacks and clowns peddling garbage</i>", which probably also refers to alternative medicine, apart from other conspiracy theorists and No-Vax groups. The image below shows a person receiving a traditional treatment in Mongolia.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIT_cF5UgZWDaoiCjDf_0ptSl727s4Bs0eZp3pLNmb5dOiWB3E_Dw8lEzy9oKh5AnutXPviscpW4nCfDgDLlRePDNTe8dJh1igr5d3BSpuz5Qj0U68A93tbXOgd-9AGZKOq8nMGfziPbIC_e205PFvZwSz4IscDujSfJ0v0ZChyeS1FYdTEsu2JKiINo/s620/alternative_medicine_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alternative medicine treatment in Mongolia - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="620" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIT_cF5UgZWDaoiCjDf_0ptSl727s4Bs0eZp3pLNmb5dOiWB3E_Dw8lEzy9oKh5AnutXPviscpW4nCfDgDLlRePDNTe8dJh1igr5d3BSpuz5Qj0U68A93tbXOgd-9AGZKOq8nMGfziPbIC_e205PFvZwSz4IscDujSfJ0v0ZChyeS1FYdTEsu2JKiINo/w640-h390/alternative_medicine_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>In another tiny video titled "<i>How does Homeopathy work?</i>", he has a short no-nonsense answer to this question - "<i>It doesn't</i>".<br /><br />Rohin Francis is not the only one who speaks out against wasting money on alternative medicine. Some of my other doctor friends have been very active against quacks and untrained persons masquerading as doctors in India. Some doctors on Twitter regularly rant against homeopathy and alternative medicine practitioners.<br /><br />I understand from where all these persons are coming from. However, I do not agree with them that alternative medicine is all about non-evidence based quackery. In this post I want to share some personal experiences and some opinions regarding the role of alternative medicine in today's world.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Disclaimer: Quacks & Clowns Peddling Garbage</h3>I know that there are persons who claim to have miracle-powers and who can cure all kinds of conditions. They prey on people when they are most vulnerable and psychologically fragile and they do it to earn money and gain power. Some of these frauds may be mentally ill and may actually believe in their supernatural powers. This post is not about justifying any of them. They do need care and treatment for their delusions and if needed, deserve law-suits and prisons.<br /><br />I also do not wish to say that alternative medicine can cure everything such as conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes or cancer. People who give up their blood pressure or diabetes medicines because of their beliefs in alternative medicine, often end up with irreversible body damage to their vital organs like kidneys or eyes. Conventional (western) medicine is a better choice for most such persons.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Origins of Alternative Medicine</h3>For thousands of years, ancient humans have tried looking for treatments for common health conditions. They did it mainly by looking for plant-based treatments. The plant-based medicines they identified, did not have the backing of double-blind studies on random samples of carefully chosen groups, but to call those "non-evidence based" would be a bit of stretch. Many of our common modern medicines from Aspirin to Quinine and Artemisia come from those traditional experiences. Guys looking for the next blockbuster drugs have often stolen the knowledge of plants and herbs from traditional healers. Scientists carry out experiments with synthetic derivatives based on those same plants and herbs and then do scientific trials to show their effectiveness. Many of them call as quacks the traditional healers in villages who are using those same herbs, simply because they base their knowledge on the oral transmission of experiences and tradional learning.<br /><br />In countries like India, China and Mongolia, people practicing traditional medicine, study in their medical collages just like students studying modern medicine. For example, in Ayurvedic medical collages in India (I have visited 2 of them), students study for their medical degree for 6 years and their curriculum includes all the subjects such as anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology, taught in conventional medical colleges.<br /><br />However, a part of their studies is based on beliefs which modern science does not accept. For example - the Chinese beliefs about meridians running through the body with the energy points and the balancing of Yin and Yang forces; or the Indian beliefs about the three body humours (vayu, kaffa and pitta); or the homeopathy belief about using "like to counter like" and the power of dilutions of medicines. These beliefs do not fit with the understanding of modern science, because they do not follow the logical-thinking paradigm but follow some other esoteric or intuitive paradigms.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Shaping of Our Beliefs - Personal Experiences</h3>Our beliefs are predominantly shaped by our own life experiences. Scientists say that our experiences are anecdotal evidence and are unreliable and usually biased. So we should only believe in what scientists and experts tell us. However, from personal experience I know that if I have experienced something, I may accept scientific opinions but I will also find a way to keep my own opinion based on my experience, even when the two are contradictory. This seems to be a common human trait.<br /><br />Let me share a few experiences regarding alternative medicine, which have shaped my ideas on this theme.<br /><br />My first experience with alternative medicine was with homeopathy in 1980s, when I was a community doctor. I had developed a strong pain in my left shoulder and had difficulty in lifting that arm. For many days I had taken anti-inflammatory and pain-killer medicines. In those days my paternal aunt had high blood pressure and I often visited her house for her check-ups. My aunt's husband, my uncle, had retired and taken up homeopathy as a hobby. He gave free homeopathic medicine to anyone who came to him. During one visit, after checking my aunt's blood pressure, I told my uncle about my shoulder pain and that I was tired of taking pain-killers as they were giving me gastric problems. He asked me numerous questions about the pain and then gave me a small dose of small sweet-tasting pills. He also wrapped in an old newspaper, two more doses of those pills and told me to take them after some hours. In less than 15 minutes after the first dose, my shoulder pain had disappeared and I had no difficulty in raising my arm. It was like a miracle and it changed completely how I felt about homeopathy.<br /><br />My second experience of alternative medicine was more recent. In 2015, while living in Guwahati in India, I developed a severe knee pain. It became so bad that it curtailed my walking. I stopped going out for walks and took frequent anti-inflammatory and pain-killing tablets. In 2016, back in Italy, I went to an orthopaedic specialist for a few visits. A scan of my knees showed myxoid degeneration of Cruciate ligaments. I was given Hyaluronic acid injections in my knees, wore knee supports and took pain-killers. But nothing seemed to help me. After a few visits, the orthopaedic specialist told me that I had to learn to live with the pain as I was too young for knee replacement surgery. I was also told to reduce weight and do physiotherapy. I shared my scan results with an orthopaedist friend in USA and even his opinion was the same. Talking about it with a Catholic priest, who had become my friend in Guwahati, he suggested that I should try Ayruvedic treatment in a hospital in Kerala.<br /><br />In January 2017, I went to the Ayurvedic hospital suggested by my friend for a one week of treatment. The treatment consisted of daily massages with oils containing different herbs. After a week's treatment, I was advised to rest for a few days. After that one week of treatment, my knees improved greatly and I could again walk without pain. I went back to that hospital for a week in 2018 and 2019. However, in 2020 and 2021, because of Covid-19, I have not been able to go there and lately, I have again started to have some knee-pain after walking for a few kilometres, though the situation is yet not as bad as it was in 2015. I am hoping to go back for this treatment later in 2022. The image below from 2019 shows Dr Vijayan, the chief Ayurvedic doctor of this hospital, together with his 3 students from the Ayurvedic Medical College who were doing internship with him.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPsYOpxjncwadhLGWH1cIW_WwaVkhKDsgMIt3h1CBhMCfqNx1dMSwgEYp8TAl3Znpi_LA-FqQijmqY0ehJ0WIPEgOgxX8n7P3F7oVVz3Sep1GPd8YAb3PGCFwADl7BUxM1QLYa4wZne5h22aNNkz6gS_hSNO2ouwV753EICNoJ4EeX0hvNmP3bmdtFc8/s620/alternative_medicine_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dr Vijayan and Aurvedic treatment in India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBPsYOpxjncwadhLGWH1cIW_WwaVkhKDsgMIt3h1CBhMCfqNx1dMSwgEYp8TAl3Znpi_LA-FqQijmqY0ehJ0WIPEgOgxX8n7P3F7oVVz3Sep1GPd8YAb3PGCFwADl7BUxM1QLYa4wZne5h22aNNkz6gS_hSNO2ouwV753EICNoJ4EeX0hvNmP3bmdtFc8/w640-h454/alternative_medicine_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>A couple of years ago, I had talked to an orthopaedist friend to explain what had happened, to try to understand why I had responded to the Ayurvedic treatment. His answer was that it was possibly a placebo effect. According to him, another possibility was that the effect of medicines taken in Italy had arrived after a few months.<br /><br />Perhaps it was indeed a placebo effect, but I would like to know why I didn't have this placebo effect after treatment in Italy and after the injections in my knees? Are traditional treatments likely to induce more placebo effects? If yes, why?<br /><br />Finally, a friend from Mongolia told me about her experience with traditional Mongolian traditional medicine. We are working together for a project and communicate frequently. Last week she told me that her mother was very unwell due to Biliary colic caused by stones in her gall-bladder. Her mother is quite old and she was in a great deal of pain. However my friend was hesitating to take her to hospital due to Covid-19 fears, so she was visited at home by a doctor and was given pain-killers. He had suggested that if the pain would not pass, they might need to do surgery for removing the gall stones. After 3 days of injections, her conditions had continued to be serious, so the family invited a traditional healer to visit her. The traditional doctor visited her and wrote some herbal medicines. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it was not easy to buy the traditional medicines but somehow they managed. That night, after taking the herbal medicine her mother slept well after many days of pain. The morning after, it was the day of Lunar new year, she woke up completely pain free - she got up from bed as if she had not been seriously ill till the previous evening. My friend who had been so worried was overjoyed. She said that it was like a miracle. Once again, I am sure that if we ask, most doctors in the hospital will explain it as placebo effect or some kind of psychological effect.<br /><br />These are all anecdotal stories without any scientific value, they do not prove anything. But if any of these had happened to you, will you be able to forget them? Such experiences illustrate why so many persons, especially in traditional and rural societies, continue to go to traditional healers even when experts tell us that there is no proof regarding their usefulness.<br /><br />For persons like me, strongly anchored in the Western Medical Paradigm, alternative medicine may not be the first line of treatment for any problem, but I will seek it if modern medicine are not able to resolve my health condition.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">A Role for Traditional Medicine</h3>Even for persons who feel that alternative medicine is not effective or is illogical, I feel that in today's world there are some functions for which it can be very suitable. For example, think of illnesses like flu and viral fevers. Doctors say that these should be given only some symptomatic treatment and not treated with antibiotics because they are not useful. Still a large number of people take antibiotics for such conditions. I think that taking alternative medicines for such illnesses is a good strategy to discourage the antibiotic abuse.<br /><br />There are so many chronic non-infective conditions accompanied by pain, like the ones I had in my knees or in my shoulder, where long-term treatment with conventional medicines can have many side-effects. So if persons can feel better with alternative medicines, why not encourage them to try?<br /><br />When modern medicines can do little because we have not found treatments for some conditions, I feel that people should be given the option of trying alternative medicines. The image below shows a modern pharmacy plant for making Ayurvedic medicines based on herbs and oils in India.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6W1m0-4_ylQjFrSm1xaKZBbvwbkq1V8qiP3lInG5n2W_E1SEES9B8KDbjfdhIopbrBq0YWtgbEfP9kN5t9IUweoNjJmEk21ccG_rknuFsOleOvapzQ24amyNx2TCS_PDmsMcFLehCRVUOJj5a2Z11uRdo5BX8OMARDYdhovDEoqIhX8RkC6H6Un79b5U/s620/alternative_medicine_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alternative medicine treatment in India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="620" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6W1m0-4_ylQjFrSm1xaKZBbvwbkq1V8qiP3lInG5n2W_E1SEES9B8KDbjfdhIopbrBq0YWtgbEfP9kN5t9IUweoNjJmEk21ccG_rknuFsOleOvapzQ24amyNx2TCS_PDmsMcFLehCRVUOJj5a2Z11uRdo5BX8OMARDYdhovDEoqIhX8RkC6H6Un79b5U/w640-h432/alternative_medicine_03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I know the situation in India - alternative medicine is usually cheaper and is much more accessible to persons. Unless it is a life-threatening condition, often alternative medicine can provide psychological support and even serve as placebo and reduce suffering. In many villages, traditional medicine is all they have because modern medicine is costlier and located far away.</div><div><br /></div><div>I feel that demonising alternative medicine as fraud and quackery and to think of people preferring it as gullible or stupid, is not the right approach towards it.</div><div><br /></div><div>(An earlier version of this post was first published on my blog in 2021)</div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-91277511702673654662022-05-19T17:57:00.006+02:002023-07-11T14:25:00.856+02:00Schio’s Old Water CanalThe north Italian town called Schio, where I live, has a one thousand-years' old water-canal. It starts from Leogra river and ends in another river called Timonchio. On its way it passes through different suburbs to the north and south of Schio, going underground for a brief part in the city centre. It is called Roggia Maestra (Master Canal).<div><br /></div><div>Over the centuries, this canal has played a key role in the city’s life and history. Today, it has lost its importance for the city’s industries, however it accompanies some of the most beautiful walking areas around the city and continues to be important for the farmers.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdO5rOjoed-d2RfV7XujSauC2llfr95StLFC0sdJdnPG8d0eijn1I2TTkTfRDxJBFpzZ62ruMnzhsKKU_ON58yA4TdW5krZstPmmBOzn4ZEbyHJ0qoZEJdzI7V0MkL7sRJgQe32-4ixaM39M2rginWtj6F-GlEihq_NSvLHM9EK8GOYW8mFF-Ux79TcA/s620/canal_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beginning of Roggia Maestra canal at Pieve Bel Vicino, to the north of Schio - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="620" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcdO5rOjoed-d2RfV7XujSauC2llfr95StLFC0sdJdnPG8d0eijn1I2TTkTfRDxJBFpzZ62ruMnzhsKKU_ON58yA4TdW5krZstPmmBOzn4ZEbyHJ0qoZEJdzI7V0MkL7sRJgQe32-4ixaM39M2rginWtj6F-GlEihq_NSvLHM9EK8GOYW8mFF-Ux79TcA/w640-h390/canal_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>I am always interested in discovering the history of old places. This post is a result of my search for information about this canal. I had found some information on internet, but most of it came from some books in the Schio library. There are some bits of information which are still missing.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">The River-Crossing Canal</h3>Schio’s water canal has one peculiarity, which I think is rare among the water-canals – it comes out from one side of the river, after a few kilometres it crosses over the river in a tube-bridge and then continues on the other side of the river. Have anyone heard of any such river-crossing canal in another part of the world? Do share information in the comments below.<br /><br />Originally there were two water canals on the river Leogra. One was built on its western bank along the little town of Pieve Belvicino, a few kilometres to the north of Schio and it ended in a place called Ponte Canale (canal bridge), which had a wood-bridge for crossing the river. This was the old canal built around 1000 AD. The image below shows this part of the canal.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67r-JfMz8KQkfe-WzGq7gzIEVOUZaZg-CxC9ivB1Q0st9tb_OvSrWlXqLHSuuRxoAgg89Wm3bzwlR-pk8hDLIvSRxj615qWBgE-UvZ5kLluRv2LUkKjL5siJAoWgUGdJ3MHAY9KG83J6A49sbu4fG4KNgvRsA4SNpWrCYf3RY1wgtw5sdgAFhM9ReIJw/s620/canal_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Initial part of the canal on the western bank of Leogra - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="620" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67r-JfMz8KQkfe-WzGq7gzIEVOUZaZg-CxC9ivB1Q0st9tb_OvSrWlXqLHSuuRxoAgg89Wm3bzwlR-pk8hDLIvSRxj615qWBgE-UvZ5kLluRv2LUkKjL5siJAoWgUGdJ3MHAY9KG83J6A49sbu4fG4KNgvRsA4SNpWrCYf3RY1wgtw5sdgAFhM9ReIJw/w640-h506/canal_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The second canal one was located along the eastern bank of the river, starting near Poleo area at the northern edge of Schio. It was much longer, it proceeded to the south of Schio towards a suburb called Giavenale where it accompanied the river Timonchio for a distance and then joined it. This canal was probably built later (after 12th century) though I could not find specific details about its construction.</div><div><br /></div><div>During the second half of the 19th century, when the industrialist Alessandro Rossi was setting up his wool factory in Schio, he decided to combine the two canals by building a tube bridge because there was not enough water in the second canal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thus, the western branch of the canal in Pieve was deviated and connected through a tube bridge to the eastern canal. (The image below shows the starting of the tube-bridge where the canal from Pieve crosses over the other side).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn4VtPIUXAEV3xO1LCXg-CRZUbTow7bpy7EES-OX389uQs7b0JH-f8Hn-fcvtPo2zJbZn-XP51QMXpsFevSQKyM_Eh7cBT4pZoIBF_msVTNAXK7Mfhq742lANjOdR76MwbRYn8rxzt5M0VKqS-qF4QjhddVsoHU7qq8nM-m3C8otDrvWqzip6QdM3N5M/s620/canal_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Crossing of the Roggia Maestra canal - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="620" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn4VtPIUXAEV3xO1LCXg-CRZUbTow7bpy7EES-OX389uQs7b0JH-f8Hn-fcvtPo2zJbZn-XP51QMXpsFevSQKyM_Eh7cBT4pZoIBF_msVTNAXK7Mfhq742lANjOdR76MwbRYn8rxzt5M0VKqS-qF4QjhddVsoHU7qq8nM-m3C8otDrvWqzip6QdM3N5M/w640-h390/canal_03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>On the other side, ruins of an old sawmill covered with vegetation marks hide the exit of the tube-bridge. At this point some water-basins and closes are also located, so that at times of high water levels the excess water can be diverted back to the river. (In the image below, water coming out of the tube-bridge on the eastern side).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YsVJ3wrWB1WsqO2cTIuh-2gQ-w5Ii6bcekv1HkZ-hF8GMRMvVYtePbgwq4N3vu678D8sT4vhsLFpp2rNpzux_P8fvXMj1pOa-wc4-_0rNl51YDpc3sHb6L_7U2hAUfDkF8y4ofZYLh9y6KjfHPNb_PzAseHYx9u7uMCqHGXtM8ijsrBunaMG0n7uQ20/s620/canal_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Exit of Roggia Matra to the east of Leogra river - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YsVJ3wrWB1WsqO2cTIuh-2gQ-w5Ii6bcekv1HkZ-hF8GMRMvVYtePbgwq4N3vu678D8sT4vhsLFpp2rNpzux_P8fvXMj1pOa-wc4-_0rNl51YDpc3sHb6L_7U2hAUfDkF8y4ofZYLh9y6KjfHPNb_PzAseHYx9u7uMCqHGXtM8ijsrBunaMG0n7uQ20/w640-h454/canal_06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Northern Part of the Canal in Pieve Belvicino</h3>“Pieve” was the first important urban settlement of the Schio area. It had come up during the first millennium on the western bank of Leogra. It was connected to the settlements of Magre, San Vito, Malo and Vicenza on the south through a Roman road. It had the mother-church, an old fort and a tower. The people living on the mountains around it, came down here to sell their wool and dairy products. It still has an area called Valle dei Mercanti (Valley of the merchants) from those early days. At that time, Schio was a little settlement, cut off from the Roman road by the Leogra river. (The image below shows the Pieve part of the canal)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvhLUqJHmBeubV7jFgXmNVDzC8Q4lmcfD6zAoGbwck9Zb6_32Opzk17bzjY-Rmhgeg2SRKNtgYN_LfdAzBV7N0RSD9U7cGYmG_0UWy0-CCHv-QVSSgiP7AkH2nUgKYdNGySvB1nIljp6YXv2kvf5lbp7ckC7nhaZ_f2UYJzalA203pUNTv6a1XYZE6Io/s620/canal_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Pieve part of Roggia Maestra - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="620" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbvhLUqJHmBeubV7jFgXmNVDzC8Q4lmcfD6zAoGbwck9Zb6_32Opzk17bzjY-Rmhgeg2SRKNtgYN_LfdAzBV7N0RSD9U7cGYmG_0UWy0-CCHv-QVSSgiP7AkH2nUgKYdNGySvB1nIljp6YXv2kvf5lbp7ckC7nhaZ_f2UYJzalA203pUNTv6a1XYZE6Io/w640-h506/canal_04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The Republic of Venice (Serenissima) and the Holy Roman empires (from Charles the Great to Fredrick Redbeard) competed for power in this area. In the 11th century, it belonged to the Malatraversi family, the Counts of Vicenza. At that time, the old St. Mary church of Pieve was the principal church of this whole area. The first water canal of Pieve probably pre-dates this period. It still passes next to that old church, though it seems that its specific course was changed over the centuries. It provided hydraulic energy through the use of water-wheels for setting up flour mills and wood-sawing mills. It also provided water for agricultural use.</div><div><br />Building the canal must have needed a lot of money – who had paid for it? The church or the Malatraversi family? There are no clear answers to this question, though it seems likely that the costs were covered by the noble family.<br /><br />Schio's development had suffered as it was located between two rivers, Leogra on the east and Timonchio on the west. It only had small foot-bridges over the two rivers. Probably a carriage-bridge on Timonchio was built in 14t-15th centuries, which allowed it to be connected to Thiene and Vicenza. Thus, In late 15th century, a new cathedral was built in Schio while Pieve lost some of its importance. The arch-priest also shifted from the old St Mary church of Pieve to the new Duomo church of Schio.</div><div><br /></div><div>The area had many flour mills and weavers, which used the force of the water-torrents coming down from the mountains. In 18th century, the "Council of 150" approved the production of "Panni Alti" (fine clothes) in the valleys around Schio, so this activity increased. In the 19th century, wool mills arrived in the city.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKdJN9SrMqHFzgfUZt9mAKA9ELDCRm_5kfMKKqms9nsV7FmAISTBXbzGqltVP8W_ejIS7xSFLN3iLJtPP815E8MD_pmuAc_WighvvgpdZyQXqxa2uYFplUkGF-_dRG5xgoC4W9KbQy6XMEa0x1qEAjNuj1hZab3pDCy8dCYf_Gqm-QWYhts7B6e6FRoI/s620/canal_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old Roaai wool factory in Pieve - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="620" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKdJN9SrMqHFzgfUZt9mAKA9ELDCRm_5kfMKKqms9nsV7FmAISTBXbzGqltVP8W_ejIS7xSFLN3iLJtPP815E8MD_pmuAc_WighvvgpdZyQXqxa2uYFplUkGF-_dRG5xgoC4W9KbQy6XMEa0x1qEAjNuj1hZab3pDCy8dCYf_Gqm-QWYhts7B6e6FRoI/w640-h390/canal_05.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Among the wool factories set-up in Schio, there was the factory of Francesco Rossi. His son, Alessandro Rossi, took over the factory management in 1849 and slowly became the biggest wool producer. (In the image above the abandoned Rossi wool factory in Pieve, which once had its own rail line). </div><div><br /></div><div>Pieve regained some of its importance in 1870s when a Rossi wool factory was opened there along the old canal. Electricity had not yet arrived and thus wool-factories used the water-power to run their machines. However, by the end of the 19th century, gradually steam and hydro-electric powers had replaced the simple hydraulic power of the water-flow and thus the canal slowly lost its importance for the wool factories.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Canal in Schio’s Centre</h3>The water-canal in Schio was built in the 12th centuy CE. Most of the early churches of Schio including the Duomo came up two centuries later along its western bank. The Schio part of the canal starts in the northern end of the city where the Gogna torrent coming down from San Martino merges with Leogra river.</div><div><br /></div><div>Soon after it enters the old Cazzola wool mill, which was converted into a war hospital during the First World War, where a young Ernest Hemmingway had worked for a few months as an ambulance driver. (In the image below, the old Cazzola mill, where my mother-in-law also used to work)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2mtpPR4MUcCt20vfKHjwNvwqUWTHaDIsIHaFT768ygAV0lilT3LQqxv4IUx15kXKjeGJIRwmqrKeeKGRlaXH0rp7-lExVGtoLaVJza0RchgiLH3X20rDQR8wMhaeQSK4t8djpVXs5bv_-vajAG8y1PxGVDjEySmqYgT1PEO2GU6kA-NyQdGtIuJ7B84/s792/canal_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old Cazzola wool factory which was a hospital during WW1 - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="792" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2mtpPR4MUcCt20vfKHjwNvwqUWTHaDIsIHaFT768ygAV0lilT3LQqxv4IUx15kXKjeGJIRwmqrKeeKGRlaXH0rp7-lExVGtoLaVJza0RchgiLH3X20rDQR8wMhaeQSK4t8djpVXs5bv_-vajAG8y1PxGVDjEySmqYgT1PEO2GU6kA-NyQdGtIuJ7B84/w640-h384/canal_07.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The canal then proceeds towards the Rossi and Conte wool mills, which were also built along its western bank, near the city centre. Building of the big wool mills brought immigrants from surrounding countryside to Schio. My wife's grand-father had also arrived in Schio to work in the Rossi wool-mill around the end of 19th century. Thus, in late 19th and early 20th century, new houses were built and the urbanisation of Schio increased. New housing areas for the mill-workers were built on the agricultural lands on the eastern bank of the canal. Thus, new bridges were also built in the city and some parts of the canal in the city centre were covered and it became underground. (The image below shows the canal under the old Conte wool mill).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlG0FnoU9g2J4p99PHGdZNHLdYunLbvNIUKUmsQ1KsG-yipXzj_ScrL4I5SFORS8RRIX90ZGs3IJfFW2km-dfA8ehpcqHzEBNLoS7CYmSdHI4xVC8K5t2RZrtqCnFzFQoP0faqgJ6v-JFe9FN60q-vQ89C0TS-YN6VN3Mf4-1NC9tQ5xNK_aR7btMddQ/s620/canal_08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Water canal under the old Conte wool factory - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlG0FnoU9g2J4p99PHGdZNHLdYunLbvNIUKUmsQ1KsG-yipXzj_ScrL4I5SFORS8RRIX90ZGs3IJfFW2km-dfA8ehpcqHzEBNLoS7CYmSdHI4xVC8K5t2RZrtqCnFzFQoP0faqgJ6v-JFe9FN60q-vQ89C0TS-YN6VN3Mf4-1NC9tQ5xNK_aR7btMddQ/w640-h454/canal_08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Some of the old names of city areas are the only memory of those early days of urbanisation along the canal. For example, Via Pasini, the main street in the centre of Schio today, was once called Via Oltreponte (Beyond the Bridge street) as it had a bridge over the canal - this part of the canal was later covered and today many persons passing from there are not aware of the waters passing underneath the street. <br /><br />Towards the end of 20th century, with the advent of a new phase of the globalisation, the wool factories of Schio gradually lost their markets and closed one after another. With urbanisation of the past 2 centuries, most of the agricultural use of the canal water had also decreased. Thus, the water-canal has lost some of its importance.<br /><br />The last part of the canal located in the city centre of Schio still has the old “lavanderia”, the community washing space, where a wooden sculpture of a washer-woman remembers those days when women used to gather here to wash clothes.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3Z0BajMhZK74ATHxhea5Fp5HAdJVkRtcyStKGt8Yq0yq6SfApD-N3B-TaTZdKkT0NPHaBa-fYwnNkAZF6b3jTACcmkGCE03v38AsMqmVGMG7hVz5iOLkHr5dtJqpW90CpVNrrrMI_rNM9VmJyotjNpB8e3FYLGnxcxGk5aGR-YJZDRHLm4s178zsdrQ/s620/canal_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old washing place with the Lavandaia statue - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="377" data-original-width="620" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ3Z0BajMhZK74ATHxhea5Fp5HAdJVkRtcyStKGt8Yq0yq6SfApD-N3B-TaTZdKkT0NPHaBa-fYwnNkAZF6b3jTACcmkGCE03v38AsMqmVGMG7hVz5iOLkHr5dtJqpW90CpVNrrrMI_rNM9VmJyotjNpB8e3FYLGnxcxGk5aGR-YJZDRHLm4s178zsdrQ/w640-h390/canal_09.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Southern Part of the Canal</h3>After passing through the Schio city centre, the canal comes out near Via Paraibo and proceeds to the rural part of the periphery along Via Mollette. The old ruins of the Cavedon sawmill are located here. The last tract of Via Mollette running along the canal has been converted into a beautiful walking/cycling area (in the image below).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQo8m-1rNZSwA_y2FSG-A0yhdTza8luaJHJpWCPjDdvgh4jkr02wLJBFjemWzkSVZi7PWXtt7wQrIPBoR-f6YoTxf9AbG0k6wQArEW2Huj4wpRp9Pj378FOJsyS5aTwS7n2q9I3ZYyOw0IFD0ngm2PFEoZHbxISW0tjaW3ApKCUfzxsc4hBeKJ20ttIMI/s620/canal_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Water canal near Via delle Mollette - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="620" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQo8m-1rNZSwA_y2FSG-A0yhdTza8luaJHJpWCPjDdvgh4jkr02wLJBFjemWzkSVZi7PWXtt7wQrIPBoR-f6YoTxf9AbG0k6wQArEW2Huj4wpRp9Pj378FOJsyS5aTwS7n2q9I3ZYyOw0IFD0ngm2PFEoZHbxISW0tjaW3ApKCUfzxsc4hBeKJ20ttIMI/w640-h506/canal_10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>From here, the canal comes closer to Timonchio torrent and runs alongside it to the area known as Giavenale-Maglio. Another new cycling and walking path has been created along this part of the canal. (The canal in Giavenale in the image below)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThso0ukgbNhKHY9exE6du5pjIYZ-tsyxHPQ_zGC11-qBx0ipWVb4cXO1o41dVaTe3LXaiWk6qnTU38pheIfktvoXG6_fYQKr7_4mOmhLr94m2bJdrp-Z9NGPp43vZe8DBTgROvJkNpkoKaHBIsYSC0o0quFn2sRFE_gUqI0jw4Vvk7Lig6RelArtXm2w/s620/canal_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Water canal in Giavenale-Maglio - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="620" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiThso0ukgbNhKHY9exE6du5pjIYZ-tsyxHPQ_zGC11-qBx0ipWVb4cXO1o41dVaTe3LXaiWk6qnTU38pheIfktvoXG6_fYQKr7_4mOmhLr94m2bJdrp-Z9NGPp43vZe8DBTgROvJkNpkoKaHBIsYSC0o0quFn2sRFE_gUqI0jw4Vvk7Lig6RelArtXm2w/w640-h506/canal_11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>A few kilometres down this walking/cycling path, finally the water-canal ends in Timonchio. The image below shows the last part of the canal along the cycling-walking path).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vikvvUtVXM1M9Y4hwO_5wb5HdlUuLWMusoAZEbZGya04_l5uVhxvt_OmyR1mvP7XBNQ6qfn4jH_r9tb5aNRW16N9P7xjjncHGOb81a-OklVdzzW6Lk-lawc3nvVqtIw1HKDYLmGmFA4s9JDZaNY54oV4Ig21S4xo4TRGZBgAvGcySBNLDU7Dd-pBhiQ/s620/canal_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Terminal part of Schio's water canal - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="620" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vikvvUtVXM1M9Y4hwO_5wb5HdlUuLWMusoAZEbZGya04_l5uVhxvt_OmyR1mvP7XBNQ6qfn4jH_r9tb5aNRW16N9P7xjjncHGOb81a-OklVdzzW6Lk-lawc3nvVqtIw1HKDYLmGmFA4s9JDZaNY54oV4Ig21S4xo4TRGZBgAvGcySBNLDU7Dd-pBhiQ/w640-h506/canal_12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3>Today the economic and industrial importance of the old water-canal of Schio has decreased, yet it has become important in other ways. Evolution has taught human beings about the importance of water. Schio and its surroundings are full of beautiful walking and cycling areas that are located next to its two rivers, Leogra and Timonchio, and its water-canal. It also continues to supply water for agricultural use.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5Edtor0B-nwC7bJLKewIKwAHIcVgFGciOMcPjwbwAHtXdWgt-e43f5G1c3qHBCRjNWemzAK2b5bVvdBwKvQ_uiOyQ9pt4o2dZs54_-ol7bZJJe0GWCUQivoWSgduC3rtMbZoK0iWQMAsATgc4uPNbw8A-0K_NBazHdsRTFD14oDAg8qWixbOLg62qj8/s620/canal_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Schio's water canal Roggia Maestra - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="620" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5Edtor0B-nwC7bJLKewIKwAHIcVgFGciOMcPjwbwAHtXdWgt-e43f5G1c3qHBCRjNWemzAK2b5bVvdBwKvQ_uiOyQ9pt4o2dZs54_-ol7bZJJe0GWCUQivoWSgduC3rtMbZoK0iWQMAsATgc4uPNbw8A-0K_NBazHdsRTFD14oDAg8qWixbOLg62qj8/w640-h390/canal_13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Perhaps one day the cycle of the history will turn once again and the water-canal of Schio will restart play an important role in the city’s economic life. Till then, the aesthetic pleasure of its beauty and its importance for the nature are its contribution to the city life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Researching the history of the canal and exploring its passage through the city was a rewarding exercise. It made me aware of how our landscapes change along the passage of time and events. For thousands of years, this landscape was only changed by the nature, but over the last few centuries, humans have accelerated the pace and scope of this change. Schio and its surroundings are beautiful and I am glad that the city could use some of those changes to improve its beauty through the old canal.</div><div><br /></div><div>(An older version of the post was first written in June 2021 in my blog)</div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-33037360622024660062022-05-18T11:44:00.004+02:002023-07-11T15:34:20.628+02:00Failures in Global Health?<p>Three years ago, in July 2019 <a href="https://twitter.com/paimadhu" target="_blank">Dr. Madhukar Pai</a>, Associate Director, McGill International TB Centre in Canada wrote an article on "<a href="https://naturemicrobiologycommunity.nature.com/posts/51659-archive-of-failures-in-global-health" target="_blank">Failures of Global Health</a>". In this article he had written:</p><p></p><blockquote><i>In global health, we love to talk about success stories and publish interventions that seem to work. Eradication of smallpox, dramatic decline in polio incidence, reduction in child mortality, etc. But we also know global health deals with huge, complex, challenges. And involves several agencies and stakeholders with their own agendas and political instruments. So, failure is guaranteed. Failure is a powerful tool for learning, and we can always learn from failed interventions and projects.</i></blockquote><p></p>Then Pai went on to list some of the major failures in Global Health: "<i>I do not see a similar openness about failure in the global health arena. To be sure they are discussed in hushed tones in the corridors of global health agencies in Geneva, New York and Seattle, but not quite publicly, in a way that facilitates learning.</i>"<div><br /></div><div>I think that Pai was a little superficial for at least 2 of the failures (leprosy elimination in India and the goal of health for all) on his list. I feel that it is simplistic to give summary judgements of success or failure without taking the time to go and study what had really happened and the documents from that period. IMO, such views could have been understandable in past but in the internet age, so much information is openly available, such a judgement from Pai is less defensible.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Background</h3><div style="text-align: left;">During the 1990s and 2000s, I was active in the discussions about Global Health at international level, for example, in the <a href="https://phmovement.org/" target="_blank">People's Health Movement</a> (PHM). In that period, I was collaborating regularly with the <a href="https://www.who.int/" target="_blank">World Health Organisation</a> (WHO) in Geneva. Around 2004-05, for a couple of years I was also the president of <a href="https://ilepfederation.org/" target="_blank">ILEP</a>, the international federation of organisations fighting leprosy. Thus, I witnessed firsthand most of the things about "Health for All" and "Eliminartion of Leprosy", I am writing about in this post.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xlCYqGrZ8xTCKDHTJGEpxaTKAcfBP1e45qbA0jZhy3AhBvEIZUK3_6dfTjlPfnvn20vFGKmn6eO817F0sl0FN5_i3Ohws-OamY99AETr77YtJMILkgKi-mCMreUJnHTF9h1oXyDmZmaZ6E5WuSxjYpyaldFuBLEhltn7Wp4IcNQuWykiN_iVj_X7y_0/s620/global_health_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A girl for a check-up for leprosy in a primary health care centre in India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xlCYqGrZ8xTCKDHTJGEpxaTKAcfBP1e45qbA0jZhy3AhBvEIZUK3_6dfTjlPfnvn20vFGKmn6eO817F0sl0FN5_i3Ohws-OamY99AETr77YtJMILkgKi-mCMreUJnHTF9h1oXyDmZmaZ6E5WuSxjYpyaldFuBLEhltn7Wp4IcNQuWykiN_iVj_X7y_0/w640-h454/global_health_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Failure of Leprosy Elimination in India?</h3>Point number 9 on Pai's list of Global Health failures is about leprosy control in India. He says that it was a failure because, "<i>In 2005, India declared leprosy to be eliminated and scaled-back on its leprosy programmes. Today, according to WHO, India harbors 60 percent of the world’s cases, with more than 100,000 new diagnoses each year.</i>" He links his judgement on this point to an article from New York Times, "<i><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/17/health/leprosy-india-disease.html">In India, a Renewed Fight Against Leprosy</a> - Health workers thought they had vanquished the disease in 2005. But it lived on, cloaked in stigma and medical mystery.</i>"<br /><br />I believe that this is an unjust and superficial judgement about the leprosy services in India and its achievements. The "failure" in this case, if we can call it that, should be attributed to the World Health Organisation (WHO), which had set up the "Leprosy Elimination Goal - to reduce the prevalence of leprosy to less than 1 per 10,000 population by the year 2000".</div><div><br /></div><div>The WHO goal was actually for "<i>reducing</i> the leprosy burden" but it was called "<i>elimination </i>goal" for political reasons. In 2000, WHO had declared that the elimination goal had been reached at the global level, but India was not included as a success at that time. India had managed to reduce its leprosy burden to the level of WHO's elimination goal only in 2005.<br /><br />Declaration of "Global Leprosy Elimination" did lead to premature closure of many leprosy programmes around the world, but fortunately not in India.</div><div><br /></div><div>Instead of asking about the "failure of India's leprosy programme", we should be asking - "<i>What is the impact of setting international disease-control targets and what can we learn from the experience of WHO's Leprosy elimination goal?</i>" I want to answer that question in this post.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am writing this post from my memory of the events, but a lot has already been written about it, as can be seen from a simple literature search.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">WHO's Leprosy Elimination Goal</h4>The goal of "Eliminating leprosy as a public health problem by the year 2000" was decided by the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 1991. This goal was aimed at a reduction of leprosy-prevalence to less than 1 case per 10,000 population and was not aimed at reducing the incidence of leprosy (number of new cases). Thus, in this goal, the word "<i>elimination</i>" did not mean how ordinary people understand this term. Everyone involved in setting up the "elimination goal" knew that it was not possible to actually "eliminate" leprosy in the sense of "<i>not having any new cases of the disease</i>".</div><div><br />What was the rationale behind the decision of setting up this goal? The official reason was that if we could reduce the prevalence of leprosy in a population, the pool of infected persons would decrease and gradually the disease incidence will also decline. People and organisations working in leprosy control such as ILEP had opposed the "elimination goal" but were over-ruled (some of those discussions never really stopped and even today continue in some form on <a href="http://leprosymailinglist.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">LML</a>, 30 years after the decision of WHA).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFUreV8rrzx7iZHssUkcjEkua8kEBcUSxRkjztK64lHjFuZa1zAJ-w6Gk0fsRNSG6Ngh5_Lj99XxxKXI5NEMaZNFVpsINXr5K2YXf32DshCN4-ecDyZYldoQ1GcLuv6s7TPveJX8ogaRIad1O5IRDPnhqqNPF3kOuEHmxrpKckmXB6pWmDyrjU1XifUg/s620/global_health_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ASHA community workers showing materials used for leprosy diagnosis and awareness in the communities - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="620" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijFUreV8rrzx7iZHssUkcjEkua8kEBcUSxRkjztK64lHjFuZa1zAJ-w6Gk0fsRNSG6Ngh5_Lj99XxxKXI5NEMaZNFVpsINXr5K2YXf32DshCN4-ecDyZYldoQ1GcLuv6s7TPveJX8ogaRIad1O5IRDPnhqqNPF3kOuEHmxrpKckmXB6pWmDyrjU1XifUg/w640-h464/global_health_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Need for the Leprosy Elimination Goal</h4><div style="text-align: left;">There was another reason, a more important one, for setting the Leprosy Elimination Goal. MDT, a new combination of drugs for treating leprosy was recommended by WHO Expert Committee in 1982. A review meeting organised by WHO on the progress in the implementation of MDT was held in Brazzaville (Congo) in 1990. It had shown that after 8 years of recommending and promoting MDT, globally less than 15% of the leprosy patients were being treated with it, while the remaining persons were still taking only Dapsone (in many endemic countries, the percentage was less than 5%).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I believe that this situation was linked to 2 other issues - (1) most of the leprosy programmes were being run by NGOs and missionaries, while the governments played little or no role in them; (2) the programme decisions were made by clinicians, who focused on individuals and not on the collectivity. Thus, while the WHO had been pushing for the adoption of MDT, doctors working in leprosy programmes felt that MDT administration needed their personal supervision and were hesitant to start it in rural areas where doctors were not available.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>The "Elimination goal" was targeted at the governments, asking them to assume greater responsibility and, simplify and expand the use of MDT without requiring supervision of doctors and it achieved great success in reaching both these objectives - MDT coverage increased across the world and national governments took over the responsibilities for running their leprosy programmes from the NGOs and the missionaries.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">International Pressure to Reach the Leprosy Elimination Goal</h4>Fixing international targets and goals can motivate governments and people but it also has some side-effects. For example, for the leprosy elimination goal, once the target was fixed, there was a lot of pressure on countries to reach the goal. If a country did not reach the goal then this meant that their programme was not good or their health staff were not working properly. On the other hand, there were insufficient discussions about the strategy itself, that reducing the numbers in high endemic areas within that period was not feasible because the other instruments to control leprosy (such as a simple serological test for diagnosis or a vaccine for its prevention) were missing.</div><div><br /></div><div>When it became clear that many countries like India and Brazil would not reach the elimination goal by the year 2000, there were other effects. So, under the new WHO guidelines, treatment duration was reduced, active search for new cases was stopped and countries were encouraged to quickly integrate vertical leprosy programmes into their primary health care systems. All these measures helped in reducing the identification of new cases, the numbers decreased and India could reach the goal in 2005.<br /><br />I remember the press-conference during WHA in Geneva in 2005, during which the announcement about "<i>elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in India</i>" was made as a triumph of the global health.</div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Impact of the Leprosy Elimination Goal</h4><div>As explained above, the "elimination goal" was actually a "reducing the disease burden goal" and its objectives were to expand MDT and to improve government run leprosy control services. The elimination goal was successful in both these objectives. Expansion of MDT had a huge impact and millions of persons could be treated effectively and a large number of complications such as disabilities were prevented. Thanks to the goal and expansion of MDT, individuals affected with leprosy could be fully treated in 6-12 months and avoid most of the complications. Finally, for the health workers leprosy was like any other disease.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once it achieved those results, ideally WHO should have clarified it and explained to the countries that we had not eliminated leprosy, we had only reduced the disease prevalence. However, that was not possible due to political reasons. Many persons involved with this issue in WHO had also started to believe that with reduction of disease burden, the disease transmission will be interrupted and the number of new cases will start deceasing, and were very optimistic. Unfortunately that did not happen and the fall in the number of new cases over the past 20 years has been much slower. The image below shows the participants in a WHO meeting in 2005 (Dr Lee, DG of WHO is in the centre, while I am the first on the left ) to talk about the leprosy elimination goal.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlgSGzM101fJgOHqptTp0iTYxePLuG4q1QuXX4gL1LEbqBMkMaMp0GDnpWekgqXZfdOr5m27TE4Thy4xUoewUvPnjyxF03rLvdnvl1SDyaquIuF6S8cX9_jPUMRMK10A2RC5Z92C97zkP78scrmvovvlkt67T-yYl-3eZfijpdOC01rJotDgGqD5AZ1k/s640/global_health_03.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Participants in a WHO meeting on leprosy elimination in 2005" border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="640" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlgSGzM101fJgOHqptTp0iTYxePLuG4q1QuXX4gL1LEbqBMkMaMp0GDnpWekgqXZfdOr5m27TE4Thy4xUoewUvPnjyxF03rLvdnvl1SDyaquIuF6S8cX9_jPUMRMK10A2RC5Z92C97zkP78scrmvovvlkt67T-yYl-3eZfijpdOC01rJotDgGqD5AZ1k/w640-h560/global_health_03.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Reaching the "leprosy elimination goal" had consequences. Thus, in different countries across Asia, Africa and South America, reaching the goal led to many countries to scale-down their leprosy control programmes, even when they still had many new cases. Fortunately for countries like India, Indonesia and Brazil, their health professionals knew that leprosy was still a big issue and they could continue the leprosy programmes, but for many smaller countries, especially in Africa, achieving the elimination goal led to elimination of their leprosy programmes for many years.<br /><br />This leads us to the question of the need for goal-setting and international pressure for reaching numerical targets. When your country is lagging behind in reaching an international target, what happens to its health workers? The answer is easy to guess - if they do not show the required impact on the disease condition in their work areas, they will be labelled as a bad workers and their programme will be called a badly-run programme, without looking at the real situation on the ground. So what are the options for them? In many leprosy programmes across the world, when their new cases did not decrease, many of them stopped registering new cases and therefore, manipulated their data.<br /><br />For example, at the African Leprosy Congress held in Johannesburg in 2005, it had come out that Tanzania which had apparently reached the elimination goal in 2000, had actually manipulated its data for achieving the goal and the actual number of cases was still high. </div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, the negative impact of the term "leprosy elimination" for this goal continues to create problems even today, because countries and health workers start beliving that do not have a significant leprosy problem.</div><div><br /></div><div>For example, in 2016, I was involved in the evaluation of a leprosy programme in a couple of districts in central India. The evaluation showed that eleven years after reaching the WHO goal, district health officials were still confused about its meaning and many health workers complained that if they find "<i>too many new cases</i>" it created problems for them because the districts with higher number of new cases were seen as "<i>bad districts</i>".</div><div><br /></div><div>Over the years, WHO keeps on finding new goals for the leprosy programme but the confusion created by "leprosy elimination programme" continues to exist and to create problems.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let me now touch briefly on the "Impact of Health for All" goal of WHO. <br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Failure of Alma Ata Declaration</h3>Pai's list of failures of global health also includes the failure of the Alma Ata declaration and the goal of "Health for all by the year 2000". In his article, he had written that, "<i>Failure to deliver on the Alma-Ata declaration: Despite the 1978 Alma Ata declaration on "Health For All by 2000", nearly half the world's population lacks access to essential health services.</i>"<br /><br />Alma Ata declaration on the Primary Health Care in 1978 with its goal of "Health for All by the year 2000" was one of the biggest utopias which has motivated and mobilised the health activists all over the world for almost five decades. Even today, the echoes of that call continue to reverberate among us. I think that a summary judgement that the goal of Health for All was a failure, does not take into account the impact it had and continues to have even today, for example its influence on the discussions about the Universal Access to Health.<br /><br />Fifteen years ago, I had some opportunities of talking about Alma Ata with <b>Dr Halfdan Mahler</b>, who was the director general of WHO during the Alma Ata conference and one of its main inspiring figures. Dr Mahler, originally from Denmark, had been working in the TB programme in India, before taking up the role with WHO (in the picture below, from left - Hani Sareg/Egypt, Armando/Brazil, I and Dr Mahler in Geneva during a World Health Assembly).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS9xYudisMBgOnossxfTOjvhvFb1WuX8LqbmH-Bfj5g2o-2gngJWgn1uAoBw7HQMRf-QdXVmmyyhMi2EzA9w_XB1l-suJh8MRUocAwr6IfUhV3vamARcvZ_O-RoVVjA9283nnUP2We29GDF2mAOyi97CPzOhTXnJA9ew5mIAn06CGiN5ZeRMRxNag8Uw/s620/global_health_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="620" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS9xYudisMBgOnossxfTOjvhvFb1WuX8LqbmH-Bfj5g2o-2gngJWgn1uAoBw7HQMRf-QdXVmmyyhMi2EzA9w_XB1l-suJh8MRUocAwr6IfUhV3vamARcvZ_O-RoVVjA9283nnUP2We29GDF2mAOyi97CPzOhTXnJA9ew5mIAn06CGiN5ZeRMRxNag8Uw/w640-h516/global_health_04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Some Achievements of Alma Ata Declaration</h4></div><div>I think that Alma Ata declaration was an impossible dream but it was an important ideal at that time because it was so inspiring. I would not call it a failure, I think that it was and continues to be one of the most successful ideals of Global Health. It helped in achieving some important services - from my personal experience of working in international health programmes, three elements are mentioned below as an example:</div><div><br /></div><div>(1) Alma Ata declaration and health for all was not a single goal. It had many elements in it, and many of them were implemented successfully. For example, the essential medicines and the programmes for fighting against different infectious diseases, both of which had a huge impact.<br /><br />(2) For 30 years, I was involved in Community- based Rehabilitation (CBR) programmes (also known as Community-Based Inclusive Development or CBID) aimed at persons with disabilities in rural areas of lesser developed countries. The CBR approach was a part of the Alma Ata dream, which had developed independently because PHC approach was struggling for its own implementation. CBR also had a positive impact on thousands of lives of persons with disabilities and their families all over the world.<br /><br />(3) Another related programme, which was inspired from Alma Ata and has been finally realised in the past couple of years is that of Priority Assistive Products list, which brings assistive technology to persons with disabilities and elderly persons.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am sure that others can come up with many other examples of successful programmes which were inspired by the spirit of Alma Ata declaration. May be they were not fully achieved in 2000. Certainly, a large number of people still do not have access to essential health services, even in rich countries like USA. But a lot has been achieved since the Alma Ata declaration as shown by the evolution of global morbidity and mortality data across countries.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Impact of Other Factors</h4><div>In terms of learnings from the Alma Ata declaration and the "Health for All by 2000" goal, for me a key take-away point is that health services and related goals can't be seen in isolation, they need to be looked at against the background of everything else happening in the world, including wars, famines and the role of international institutions.</div><div><br />I remember many discussions in People's Health Movement during which one reason had come up repeatedly for not having achieved a full primary health care (PHC) services approach across the countries - the decision by UNICEF to implement selected elements of child care because they felt that countries did not have sufficient resources for a full implementation of the PHC approach. Looking back, I don't think that UNICEF was to be blamed because in any case, the idea of providing free primary health care to everyone everywhere was an impossible dream in a world which was controlled by forces that did not see this as important or feasible.<br /><br />During the debt crisis of the 1990s, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, by promoting austerity policies, had hammered a big nail in the PHC's coffin. Since then, over the last 30 years, looking at health services purely in terms of numerical calculations of costs-benefits, cost-cutting and privatisation across countries, including those which had a good model of universal health care such as UK and Italy, has further taken us away from the Alma Ata trajectory.<br /><br />A second Alma Ata conference was held in October 2018, which agained called for universal health coverage and sustainable development goals. However, I doubt that it is going to stimulate the dreams of activists around the world like the Alma Ata declaration had done in 1977. This may be also because today we live in a different world, a world of climate change, AI and internet, where new goals are set and forgotten all the time. The Millennium Goals have gone by, the Sustainable Development Goals are coming and setting international goals is a business strategy and not an exercise in idealism.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3>Pai's list of "global health failure" provoked me to write this post. As my explanations about leprosy and Alma Ata show, each of these points can be subjects of debates, and the answers may not always be negative. I think that similar provocative statements can be very useful to stimulate us to go deeper, study what had happened and reflect on the lessons we can learn from those expereinces.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxAXxRM7-ApHusvexRhwoy3_8E1yhkVH_iRTQ4RDfVHSKqIzxqvfCgX2mpJDuWUIrXri0b5GGsX-VaGeSgoYtQem3j0lcDmdCxFCvWCi_sGHTmXKp-61od8xYRoOvex_tOBYm19Z9nkanMRk3MgJCsxHrG4gBceSde8zbrxTgdQXWP0Pf-HHGOz2Ai8g/s620/global_health_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leprosy check-ups in PHC in India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxAXxRM7-ApHusvexRhwoy3_8E1yhkVH_iRTQ4RDfVHSKqIzxqvfCgX2mpJDuWUIrXri0b5GGsX-VaGeSgoYtQem3j0lcDmdCxFCvWCi_sGHTmXKp-61od8xYRoOvex_tOBYm19Z9nkanMRk3MgJCsxHrG4gBceSde8zbrxTgdQXWP0Pf-HHGOz2Ai8g/w640-h454/global_health_05.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>A key point of Pai's article was that we don't learn from our failures. I am not sure if it is true. I think that the professionals involved in each of these "failures" must have debated and reflected on what happened and why for a long time, like we did about leprosy elimination. However, as time passes, all those discussions are forgotten and unless one takes the trouble of going back and reading through different point of views, the lessons learned can be easily lost.</div><div><br /></div><div>(Note: an earlier version of this article was published in my blog in October 2021)</div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-47077129107981545802022-05-13T11:50:00.002+02:002023-07-11T15:54:05.284+02:00Liberal Dilemmas<p>I have always thought of myself as a liberal. However, increasingly I feel confused when I am faced with competing liberal values. Often, I am not sure, which values should be chosen and why. Most of the times, the more I try to read and understand about these issues, the more complex they seem to become. In the end, it leaves me frustrated because I can’t make any decision.</p><p>Even a decade ago, if somone had told me that I will be confused about my liberal values, I would not have believed it. It is not just me. Many others I know, face similar dilemmas, while some others, wh seem to have taken a positio, can't really explain their choices in a logical way.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1X4IaNmQLNj-4QSArGSQVKZCNFGbhAueHALEAbjGNKhMX0yG7JaDCooXuUTIX0IEsELQRTQJuEYcTeBVonwl0qjJ1-mFeKJM4FQ2dPYgH9orrdnUvfn_CSlLXhqT-isgTbkFVQ-7c3HDCsZiCXgWujO-y5DY46Ha4dXd6t2Y7ujShDznm9et_KXHyeo/s620/liberal_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="LGBTQIA Pride Parade, Guwahati, India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="620" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb1X4IaNmQLNj-4QSArGSQVKZCNFGbhAueHALEAbjGNKhMX0yG7JaDCooXuUTIX0IEsELQRTQJuEYcTeBVonwl0qjJ1-mFeKJM4FQ2dPYgH9orrdnUvfn_CSlLXhqT-isgTbkFVQ-7c3HDCsZiCXgWujO-y5DY46Ha4dXd6t2Y7ujShDznm9et_KXHyeo/w640-h452/liberal_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>So, lately I am not very sure, what kind of liberal I am or if I am really a liberal! One thing is sure, compared to some people’s certainties, I feel like a sand-castle whose walls fly off in all directions at the first sign of the wind.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Liberal Struggles in the Past</h3>The identity struggles in the past were simpler. For example, fighting for the LGBT rights used to mean that countries and societies had to accept persons who identified themselves as LGBT, and that they were citizens like everyone else. Those struggles are still not over in many parts of the world. For example, in some countries, to be gay or lesbian or a transgender person can lead to blackmail, rape, prison, torture and even death. In addition to the specific anti-LGBT laws, in some countries, it is socially accepted that families and communities can force individuals into marriages, undergo conversion therapies, get raped or even be killed.<br /><br />Countries which accept the individuals with different sexual orientations, might have other struggles. For example, their right to live with or to get married to the persons of their choice or to adopt children.<br /><br />Often, most of our liberal struggles were framed in terms of limiting the role of religions and traditions in our lives. For example, when these impacted the lives of women and other marginalised groups such as "lower" castes in terms of where they could go, how they could dress or the professions they could choose.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">New Directions of the Liberal Struggles</h3>Over the past couple of decades, in the developed world those fights for the rights have branched out into new directions. Often, in these new fights, the rights of one group of persons start competing with another, and we have to decide which rights and whose rights are more important.<br /><br />One big arena of fight is about the words we use to talk about things, especially in English. Thus, it is no longer about the intentions of the persons, or their histories of work in challenging the oppression and marginalisation of people – the moment they use some “<i>undesirable</i>” or "<i>politically incorect</i>" words and terms, they can be attacked, sometimes viciously, even to the point of destroying their reputations, jobs and lives. Every time this happens, it leaves me dismayed. People playing victims because their "<i>dignity has been outraged</i>" by the politically incorect terms are full of rightous anger and can be extremely unforgiving and vindicative. However, this article is not about the use of politically correct language.<br /><br />Instead, in this post I want to share some of my doubts about some other liberal values - gender identities, religious/cultural identities, women’s rights and the rights of the persons with disabilities. Let me start with the dilemmas about gender identities in sport.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Identities and Sports</h3>In the 2021 Olympics held in Tokyo, the New Zealand’s women’s weight-lifting team included Laurel Hubbard, who is now a transgender woman. 43 years old Laurel had transitioned to become a woman in 2013. In the past, she had participated in other Olympic games as a man. Many women weight-lifter teams from other countries protested against her inclusion since they felt that Hubbard will have unfair advantage. However, she failed to win any medal and in the end the polemics died down.<div><br /></div><div>Lia Thomas, a transgender woman swimmer from Pennsylvania university has been in news in 2022, for her repeated wins in free-style swimming events. Thomas had previously competed in the men's team for three years before joining the women's team, the last time as a man was in 2019. Many persons had expressed anger at her success in the women's swimming events and called it as "<i>unfair advantage</i>". According to the local rules a trans woman must complete one year of the male-hormon suppression treatment before she can take part in women's events in Pennsylvania University.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Another story was that of Santhi Soundarajan, a middle-distance runner from Tamil Nadu in India, who had grown up as a female. In 2006, when she was 25 years old, her silver medal in the Asian Games was revoked because her DNA test had shown that instead of the “XX” chromosomes of women, she had “XXY” chromosomes. It didn't matter that Santhi had no idea about being genetically an intersexual person.<br /><br />How do you feel about the stories of Laurel, Thomas and Santhi? Should they be allowed to take part in the women's events? In 2006, when I had read about Santhi, I had felt that the organisers had been cruel and unjust towards her. However, when I looked at the pictures of Hubbard and Thomas, I saw broad, tall and muscular bodies, and I could understand why the other women in the championship had felt that it was unfair. <br /><br />We have separate sports competitions for men and women, because men and women have different bones and muscles because of their hormones. Somewhat similar logic is used for the participation of persons with disabilities in sports – separate sport events are organised for them and they are asked to compete against other persons with disabilities, for example in Paralympics.<br /><br />So, a person who has grown up with male hormones with a certain kind of bones, muscles and bodies, and who decides to transition to become a woman, should compete against other women or men? Women protesting against Laurel’s inclusion should be seen as persons’ fighting for women’s rights or as trans-phobic?</div><div><br /></div><div>As a liberal, what should be my position on this? I have to confess that I am not so sure. For sports where body strength is not the most important variable, for example for playing tennis or badminton, I think that transwomen athletes won't have unfair advantage, but for something like the javelin throw, it can be an issue. While reading about Thomas's own behaviour at a swimming meet where she had won the title, I think that she herself is also conflicted about it. <br /><br />I have not seen similar discussions around trans-men's participation in sports and they seem to be accepted more easily, which is understandable because other men do not see them as "unfair advantage". For example, Moiser (Lake Zurich, USA) had taken part in the women's team of triathalon in 2009. A year later, he decided to transition to become a man and in 2016 became selected in the men's team.</div><div><br /></div><div>Trans-men usually take the male hormone (testosterone) as part of their transitioning and on-going therapy while its use is prohibited among male athletes. So, I am not sure how does that work when they try to qualify for Olympics and Paralympics.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Defining the identity</h3>There are many on-going debates around the issues of gender and sexual identities. For example, in some countries, transgender persons when they transition, can ask to be legally recognised as a man or as a woman.<br /><br />In many countries, women transitioning to become a man must get operated to remove their uterus before they can be legally recognised as a man, while men transitioning to become a woman must get their testicles removed before they are legally recognised as a woman. This is done to avoid that a legally recognised man can become pregnant or a legally recognised woman can father a child.<br /><br />However, many transgender persons feel that they have a right over their bodies and being transgender is more about how they feel in their hearts and not about compulsory removing of their body parts. Thus, there are trans-men who have their uterus and trans-women with functioning male genitals, and both these groups are fighting for the right to be legally recognised as men and women.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the other hand, some other trans-men and women, who have been through surgical operations and have got legal recognition, feel that it is problematic if for being recognised as a trans person it is enough only to declare that you are one.<br /><br />There are also debates about “real woman” versus “transgender woman”. Last year, in June 2020, a huge controversy had erupted about an essay written by the <a href="https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/" target="_blank">writer J. K. Rollings</a>, who was called trans-phobic for differentiating between biological women and trans-women. Some weeks ago, Nigerian author <a href="https://www.chimamanda.com/" target="_blank">Adichie Chimamanda</a> has also been criticised for the same reason.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0867f_JrA2PhtXunVPFuqoPcPJG0V7KgdYT3Lk8tqJeQIDSEPctLDsuT5SxclRYvP18N1XN51vIHOM3xA2JoQdZ_-wiAhfXK_b66EkOC6iIrn735EN6dPTJmXDojmRLnb9biGR4mkAm7YF7RTlnCOfVjWXGwWosFqGxb1K8y8Yv4N_i9uUT26jtNAIY/s620/liberal_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="LGBTQIA Pride Parade, Guwahati, India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="620" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS0867f_JrA2PhtXunVPFuqoPcPJG0V7KgdYT3Lk8tqJeQIDSEPctLDsuT5SxclRYvP18N1XN51vIHOM3xA2JoQdZ_-wiAhfXK_b66EkOC6iIrn735EN6dPTJmXDojmRLnb9biGR4mkAm7YF7RTlnCOfVjWXGwWosFqGxb1K8y8Yv4N_i9uUT26jtNAIY/w640-h452/liberal_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>For not discriminating against the trans-women, some persons are advocating the use of more "inclusive" terminology, such as "chest-feeding" instead of "breast-feeding", and "birthing parent" instead of "mother". Many women have spoken out against these terminologies as they seem to negate women's rights and spaces.</div><div> </div><div>I feel that these discussions about trans-women and biological women have implications for another liberal value – the respect for diversity. When we ask for trans-women to be seen as women, are we asking for negating the diversity of their experiences? The struggle for recognition of diversities has become very complex over the years. For example, many groups feel that the term “LGBT” is restrictive. Some ask that we should use the acronym LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans-sexual, Queer, Inter-sexual and Asexual), others prefer LGBTQ+. Some persons do not feel comfortable in any of these labels, they feel that they are somewhere in between. Some feel that their gender identity is fluid and can change, so occasionally they might fit one label, but not always.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thus, on one hand we are advocating for increasing recognition of our diversities. On the other, we are asking of cancelling the diversities of terminologies between trans and cis women (many men and women do not like the term "cis"). As liberals, which value should be considered more important - equality or diversity? I am confused.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Religions, Traditions and Modernity</h3>I grew up surrounded by discussions about patriarchy and women’s rights. In those discussions, the traditional Hindu wife, her face covered with her sari or a scarf, walking two steps behind her husband, was a symbol of women’s oppression under the guise of traditions. We agreed that women have a right to dress as they wish, choose the profession or work they like and marry the person they wish to. In those discussions, fights against the traditions were not seen as fights against the religions and in my mind, those discussions applied to all the religions. Thus, the fight for a common civil code, a uniform law that applies to all the persons of different religions in multi-religious societies, was seen as an important liberal value.<br /><br />Over the past decade, suddenly such discussions have become more problematic. For example, the ban on wearing of full veil covering the face among Muslim women in some countries of Europe. The liberal position has sided mostly with the more orthodox groups by insisting that “<i>Hijab and veils are cultural symbols and a free choice of Muslim women</i>”. However, discussions with the cultural mediators working in the immigrant communities show that peer, family and community pressures and expectations play a large role in use of veils and hijabs, and sometimes, young girls face violence for rebelling against those pressures.<br /><br />For example, Italy has a large Pakistani immigrant community. Last year, a young girl of Pakistani origin went missing while she was rebelling against family pressures. Police suspects that she was killed while the rest of the family went back to Pakistan. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/southasianitaly/">Debates among the Pakistani</a> community on this theme underline the difficulties of talking about women's attempts to escape the social control on how they dress and the persons they wish to marry. Some girls insist that modest dressing including hijab is their free choice; others, usually men, at best talk of "<i>not washing our dirty laundry in public because there is already so much discrimination against us</i>" and at worst, threaten the few dissenting Pakistani women's voices about the perils of not obeying the "<i>fundamental values of our religion/culture</i>".</div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes, even in a European town you can find very young girls from Muslim background being covered from head to feet, while some see it as "sexualisation of young girls". The community spokespersons often talk of veils and hijabs as important for their faith. Recently in Afghanistan, the Taliban authorities have made maindatory the use of full veil by the women. So in such a situation, can hijab and veils be seen as "free choices"? Liberals refuse to talk about this because they see it as reinforcing the negative stereotypes about Muslims. <br /><br />Similar dilemmas face immigrants from Africa. Black persons in Europe are often stereotyped as drug peddlers and criminals. At the same time, many black women face domestic violence. Liberals often refuse to raise the issue of violence experienced by black women for not reinforcing negative stereotypes against the black communities.<br /><br />Thus, how do we talk about the negative stereotyping faced by Muslims or blacks in Europe, without closing our eyes to the rise in conservative Muslim forces which increasingly force women and LGBT persons into silence or the black women victims of domestic violence? Is there a way to talk about one without negating the other? While talking about patriarchy is encouraged among Christians and Hindus, in relation to Muslim women it may be seen as Islamophobia.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Right of Choice and the Right to Life</h3>The women’s right of choice to say no to unwanted pregnancies and to have safe spaces for abortion was another of the progressive struggle with which I had grown up with. When I read about conservative groups, which oppose women’s right to have safe abortion, because their church says so or because Bible says so, I have no doubts about which side I am on – I support women’s right to make the choice.<br /><br />However, over the past decade, increasingly there are groups of persons with disabilities, which fight is for the right of children with disabilities to be born and not be aborted. For example, one of the common reasons for abortion is when tests show that the child will be born with a disability such as Down’s Syndrome.<br /><br />So, should we continue to support women’s right over their bodies and their wombs and only they can choose if they wish to go ahead with a pregnancy or should we be on the side of persons with disabilities asking for life for children with disabilities?<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">In the End</h3>There are no easy or blanket answers to these dilemmas. At the same time, I feel that it is important that we continue to talk about them, without being trolled or called names by those who feel that they already have the answers.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIe64ky_0L0U2rK5aOCbLeVATG-M6-ua__ywE_fnm6xFKQ49-Z6t3RQ83yRJXOIrddncnCil4qBDt3rm0Xw7RmGFg-qd3CYXf7Wzq-8friJ87xFpYaol3cb_DsHrk5MZ8wCEZlvvD5_Y6MGOPi64PB5PzfflJm55WUEiJyTGhIhcpLchGLYdp766ziQY/s620/liberal_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="LGBTQIA Pride Parade, Guwahati, India - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="620" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifIe64ky_0L0U2rK5aOCbLeVATG-M6-ua__ywE_fnm6xFKQ49-Z6t3RQ83yRJXOIrddncnCil4qBDt3rm0Xw7RmGFg-qd3CYXf7Wzq-8friJ87xFpYaol3cb_DsHrk5MZ8wCEZlvvD5_Y6MGOPi64PB5PzfflJm55WUEiJyTGhIhcpLchGLYdp766ziQY/w640-h452/liberal_03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Let me conclude with a couple of additional issues, which I believe are important liberal values – (1) not labelling people, and accepting nuances and complexities of peoples’ beliefs and affiliations; and (2) freedom of expression.<br /><br />The moment we say something, there are people waiting to stick labels to our foreheads – right wing, left wing, fascist, communist, follower of this or that. I find this extremely tiring. I refuse to label people and I try to have a dialogue with everyone - when I find that I don’t like some of their positions or opinions, I can always ignore them. My motto is "<i>the world is big and there is enough place here for people who don't think like me.</i>"<br /><br />Finally, I believe in freedom of expression, even of people with whom I do not agree, as long as they are not actively inciting violence. I believe in people’s right to raise questions about every thing including religions, gods, and prophets. I do not agree with trolls and fundamentalists who want to cancel all the voices they don’t like.<br /><br /><br />*****<br /><br />Notes<div><br /></div><div>01: The images used in this post are from the Guwahati (Assam, India) LGBT Pride Parade in 2015.</div><div><br /></div><div>02: An earlier version of this article was published in my blog in June 2021<br /> <div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-72266515080328151302022-04-23T18:20:00.002+02:002023-07-11T16:02:09.588+02:00Meet the Artist - Eva Trentin<p><a href="https://evatrentin.it/" target="_blank">Eva Trentin</a> is an artist from Marano Vicentino, a tiny commune a few kilometres away from Schio (Veneto, Italy), where I live. Her art is closely linked to the nature and the natural world, such as flowers, leaves, plants and trees. Her works combine the organic world with UV photography and some special techniques of imprinting on paper and clothes, creating designs which look like rain-washed shadows of fossils.</p>I am always very keen to meet artists and to understand the ideas underlying their artistic evolution. Recently, I had an opportunity to talk to Eva and to visit her art-studio. This article is an introduction to her and her art-world. Let me start it by showing you an artwork called "289" which had a profound impact on me when I had seen it at the <a href="http://www.deepaksunil.com/2021/epochal_mutations.htm">Mutazioni exhibition</a> in Schio in 2021.<div><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcv4N_-hCpQbo6x1hnqndKhEt4kByjIm1R3Mr1gs1jDO9x3QITQQKVvlZeb47CZbbA_dHJbLO1ba5ef5Uc_X2nCnHjTlYk01SxLt_YkYiIoEn4I8wI-pHwCJooqwxCsP2snK5jZj-_4YAthkmLWvdZcTJFu7ya62mySupl_TQfEgZCDyDGbWLa9NBBlCM/s620/eva_trentin_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eva Trentin and her art - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="620" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcv4N_-hCpQbo6x1hnqndKhEt4kByjIm1R3Mr1gs1jDO9x3QITQQKVvlZeb47CZbbA_dHJbLO1ba5ef5Uc_X2nCnHjTlYk01SxLt_YkYiIoEn4I8wI-pHwCJooqwxCsP2snK5jZj-_4YAthkmLWvdZcTJFu7ya62mySupl_TQfEgZCDyDGbWLa9NBBlCM/w640-h328/eva_trentin_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Meeting Eva</h3><div>This work "289" was my first real encounter with her at the Mutazioni art exhibition held in Palazzo Fogazzaro, our local venue in Schio for important art events. I was captured by it and in an article about that art event, had described its impact on me with the following words: "<i>I want to close this article with the work I liked most in this exhibition - I absolutely loved the mosaic like works of Eva Trentin from Marano Vicentino, with each piece of the mosaic expressing nature, places and moments of life. I felt that I could look at them for hours, find new points of reflection and at the same time, feel an emotional connection with them</i>."</div><div><br /></div><div>The image below of her another artwork titled Mare (Sea) is also from the same exhibition.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1umc4tdXb--V4_LstB5kqcUs-YstPmNNIDxxda9zNUOh3dtzWOCPZ7Ogw89Ebg35Rq7v7pdnE5JCnPpT2xWY3e1UTCpJoVlVS6-ByReTWv38AfS0AY9VgdiF8m7onaT15j9oFfzWvji65vhIzin6LSOc4fdak4M3TQ8o7EkyE-CDAELEce4WNuwYnms/s620/eva_trentin_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eva Trentin and her art - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="620" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs1umc4tdXb--V4_LstB5kqcUs-YstPmNNIDxxda9zNUOh3dtzWOCPZ7Ogw89Ebg35Rq7v7pdnE5JCnPpT2xWY3e1UTCpJoVlVS6-ByReTWv38AfS0AY9VgdiF8m7onaT15j9oFfzWvji65vhIzin6LSOc4fdak4M3TQ8o7EkyE-CDAELEce4WNuwYnms/w640-h328/eva_trentin_04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>My second encounter with Eva came during a visit to the <a href="http://kyabaat.blogspot.com/2021/12/favourites-from-5th-paper-made-art.html" target="_blank">fifth Schio Biennale on Paper-art</a>, when I was invited by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/valeria.bertesina" target="_blank">Valeria Bertesina</a>, the curator of the Biennale, for a special guided tour of the exhibition. Eva was also invited to it. We were together in a small group for a few hours. We spoke briefly but at that time, I didn’t realise that she was the same artist whose work I had liked so much.<br /><br />Fortunately, some weeks later Eva saw my article on this blog and contacted me. So, recently I went to visit her home and her art studio in Marano Vicentino, where she lives with her husband and twin daughters. It was an opportunity to talk to her about her artistic journey and the ideas underlying her art.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Eva’s Artistic Journey</h4>Her artistic journey started in an art institute when she attended the G. de Fabris artistic school in Nove (VI), which was followed by a degree in interior design at ISAI Academy in Vicenza. For many years Eva worked in a studio of interior designers and architecture, till about 6 years ago when she started a new phase of her life as an artist, after her husband gifted her some plastic art materials, which led her to taking up art more seriously. Soon, she gravitated towards the use of flowers in her art.<br /><br />During the last couple of years, she has started experimenting with botanical printing inspired by the works of Australian artist <a href="https://www.indiaflint.com/" target="_blank">India Flint</a>, who uses leaf printing, eucalyptus dyes and botanical alchemy, garment cutting and stitching, paper-folding, bookbinding and a little poetry; and by the Israeli artist <a href="https://iritdulman.com/" target="_blank">Irit Dulman</a>, who makes monochromatic and colour botanical prints on silk and cellulose fabrics.<br /><br />Thus, Eva started experimenting and combining different techniques which use organic materials such as tree-barks, leaves, flowers and resins for paper-printing and then combined them with photography, cyanotype and fabric-printing.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Art Techniques of Eva Trentin</h4>Eva has developed her own art techniques which I call “delicate imprinting” - it involves organic matter such as leaves and flowers which leave their imprints on paper and tissues such as silk, and which look like fossils drawn in gentle lines and soft colours. These imprinted papers and tissues can then be combined with resins or cut into different shapes, can be placed on different surfaces covered with gold-leaf or cyanotype, sometimes combined in mosaics of hundreds of small pieces, which look like scrolls telling stories like the two works presented above.<br /><br />I am not sure if these techniques of imprinting organic matter (Botanical Prints on Paper or fabrics) to create art have a specific name.<br /><br />She explained to me about the Cyanotype technique, as I was not aware of it. Later, I searched for it online to understand it better. Wikipaedia defines it as “<i>is a slow-reacting, economical photographic printing formulation sensitive to a limited near ultraviolet and blue light spectrum, the range 300nm to 400nm known as UVA radiation. It produces a cyan-blue print used for art as monochrome imagery applicable on a range of supports, and for reprography in the form of blueprints. For any purpose, the process usually uses two chemicals: ferric ammonium citrate or ferric ammonium oxalate, and potassium ferricyanide, and only water to develop and fix. Announced in 1842, it is still in use</i>.”</div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Over the years, Eva has made a conscious choice of moving away from chemical products and using only natural materials in her art. For example, she experiments with the extraction of natural colours from the flowers, barks and leaves for her art. She defines these natural colours as being “multi-vibrational with specific mutating tones, because every colour is composed of different shades whose vibrations combine together, and which transmit a sense of equilibrium and aesthetic pleasure”.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMH_k6hY2Yc5nemv6UaGc4eJgtpDdLLN4jOJqRzgBqIovtN84SjMjfr7UtORwIXy0QXck4H7x6AVwQOy2zKdb9UnuhchZf0CaYTFNitW9XNBQyWRWWX0nS2Y5V2SdQqstOKhTeZrPj8fWrMrS6BeOeSRYXmTzO4YzTqYqQbpEuSmF-2M6Ta3lbdihqRU/s620/eva_trentin_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eva Trentin and her art - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMH_k6hY2Yc5nemv6UaGc4eJgtpDdLLN4jOJqRzgBqIovtN84SjMjfr7UtORwIXy0QXck4H7x6AVwQOy2zKdb9UnuhchZf0CaYTFNitW9XNBQyWRWWX0nS2Y5V2SdQqstOKhTeZrPj8fWrMrS6BeOeSRYXmTzO4YzTqYqQbpEuSmF-2M6Ta3lbdihqRU/w640-h454/eva_trentin_03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Eva’s Studio</h4><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7hLdB2eBM-kKUbO5uXe9L2N3HZ6jM0mJkEbGi6ccaFoxLH_qMeLPGWv8L-h06SEn2MVIVVaD7Vy-1aqsAxQXwfhE_aHlRlpUzQ9Igpxl-6pq9O7IslpoUd-7uR2nYy56ZxUZylnc_t-1EFBBKV6eJKUIj4ouQcbgqNFRNdqEf_ZBp8K8TfSrvI_RJWc/s615/eva_trentin_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Eva Trentin and her art - Image by Sunil Deepak" border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="615" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd7hLdB2eBM-kKUbO5uXe9L2N3HZ6jM0mJkEbGi6ccaFoxLH_qMeLPGWv8L-h06SEn2MVIVVaD7Vy-1aqsAxQXwfhE_aHlRlpUzQ9Igpxl-6pq9O7IslpoUd-7uR2nYy56ZxUZylnc_t-1EFBBKV6eJKUIj4ouQcbgqNFRNdqEf_ZBp8K8TfSrvI_RJWc/w640-h326/eva_trentin_02.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />Her studio is a workshop where she keeps her collections of leaves, flowers, tree-barks and their extracts. “<i>I am not very orderly, sometimes, I forget to label the things and then I have to throw them away</i>”, she confesses candidly, while showing off a box full of barks of different trees which her father had collected for her.<br /><br />Actually, her studio, located in the attic of her home, seemed to be in perfect order, everything was labelled and placed in boxes, though the fridge was kind of overflowing with them. A microwave oven and a couple of steam baths are part of her art equipment as she needs to keep her leaves and flowers wrapped in the paper for many hours at a time, while they leave their imprints.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVsJtziK6Ci1wEshK1PKx0NGkkJvHbG9AmqRiJtfygVXizA88_XjSSQKEwRBbDaIAf3Bca6an04uvExMGQaUmrmbL8CpOzAnEc6ZxLxarXERIiwKUoUu7CcUhveJjgR4TT7dutpE_HiglmAXBZrrq4PiTA9XmPWmdIPyU8KsETmzY6YsmhTKzm47FeME/s540/eva_trentin_05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eva Trentin and her art - Hand-pained kimono" border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="420" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVsJtziK6Ci1wEshK1PKx0NGkkJvHbG9AmqRiJtfygVXizA88_XjSSQKEwRBbDaIAf3Bca6an04uvExMGQaUmrmbL8CpOzAnEc6ZxLxarXERIiwKUoUu7CcUhveJjgR4TT7dutpE_HiglmAXBZrrq4PiTA9XmPWmdIPyU8KsETmzY6YsmhTKzm47FeME/w311-h400/eva_trentin_05.jpg" width="311" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Eva is also experimenting with other ways to use her art for making daily use objects. She is collaborating with a jeweller for making ear-rings while her imprints on silk are being used for making unique kimono-like jackets (image above).<br /><br />For learning more about Eva’s art and for buying her art works, ear-rings, textiles and kimonos, you can check her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/eva.trentin" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/evatrentinarte/" target="_blank">Instagram Page</a> and <a href="https://evatrentin.it/" target="_blank">her website</a>.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Conclusions</h3>Meeting Eva and learning more about her artistic process was like opening a door and discovering a new world of conceptualising and experimenting with art. It was a world where nature and natural processes, some what similar to the those which lead to the making of fossils, are used to create art. It also made me think of the prehistoric artists who had left their hand-prints and drawings in the caverns and rocks in different parts of the world.<br /><br />Every encounter with a new artist is a journey for discovering new ways of expressing artistic impulses, sometimes through new materials and/or techniques. That artistic expression can be seen as a continuum on a spectrum, which goes from sparse lines drawn on sand or rock, to paintings using different materials, to sculptures of stones and metals, to new ways of combining emerging technologies. Eva's work are located on that spectrum close to nature where dream like delicate figures in soft colours become manifest through her imagination.<br /><br />I love meeting artists and trying to understand their specific gaze and thinking which underlies their creative expressions. Meeting Eva was a wonderful part of that journey.</div></div></div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-21369244947326611812022-04-02T11:02:00.001+02:002022-05-09T11:14:53.203+02:00The Kashmir StoryOver the last couple of weeks, I have been reading about the film “<b>The Kashmir Files</b>”, its box-office success, its impact and the heated discussions it has generated. Perhaps, after a few weeks, it might become available on some streaming platform and then I will be able to watch it, though I am not sure that I will – from what I have read, it has some very graphic violence and I have no stomach for watching violence.<br /><br />However, reading about “The Kashmir Files” has reminded me of another film about Kashmir and the Kashmiri Pandits – the film was “<b>I Am</b>” (2010), and it was directed by <b>Onir</b>. I think that it was a good film that merited greater attention. I had translated its subtitles into Italian, when it was shown at the <a href="https://www.rivertoriver.it/?lang=en">River-to-River film festival</a> in Florence.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSj4eRfTZOCIw1v0RIxc9lsZQE3nXv7yoS12K1vFthnpfuqE8h74oAbrI9JgFMCaWE6IJZOcRSxDsB5_1q6WN61nbFuW9l0SwTAcVxRNyOcZOcuxxkoJIsIDqg6Q8QHaFjRe5j3DLLSGuGgZFa2pSp_sxVvbZ5YNaTf9P2jn3TfCZEyleXZ7mRrFp/s620/kashmir_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="620" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSj4eRfTZOCIw1v0RIxc9lsZQE3nXv7yoS12K1vFthnpfuqE8h74oAbrI9JgFMCaWE6IJZOcRSxDsB5_1q6WN61nbFuW9l0SwTAcVxRNyOcZOcuxxkoJIsIDqg6Q8QHaFjRe5j3DLLSGuGgZFa2pSp_sxVvbZ5YNaTf9P2jn3TfCZEyleXZ7mRrFp/w640-h474/kashmir_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Kashmir Story in “I Am”</h3>“I Am” was an anthology of four short films, loosely connected with each other. Among those four stories, the Kashmir short film was the second story of the film. It had beautiful performances by Juhi Chawla as Megha, a Kashmiri Pandit, and Manisha Koirala as Rubina, as her childhood Kashmiri Muslim friend.<br /><br />This part of the film started with Megha’s journey to Srinagar to sell her house. Rubina comes to the airport to pick her up and is happy to see her old friend. Megha is by turns, angry and anguished, at the memories the return has brought back. She is unwilling to give in to romantic nostalgia about the city, and maintains some distance from her friend.<br /><br />During the 24 hours of Megha’s stay in Srinagar, there are only a few scattered moments of nostalgia for her childhood home. A visit to the ruins of her uncle’s home who was killed by neighbours, brings back the memories of her terror of those days when they had abandoned their home and ran away to the refugee camp.<br /><br />An encounter with a group of youth on the road, brings out that the story of the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits has been changed and retold by the locals. In this new retelling, they were the cowards and villains, who had run away from the valley.<br /><br />At the same time, Megha’s dispersion of her father’s ashes in the river, brings out the attachment of older generations for Kashmir and their dreams about the day when they will return to their original homes.<br /><br />Those 24 hours also show Rubina’s changed life in the Kashmir valley – she is lonely, living closed at home and is unmarried, while the guy she used to love has left India. Her brother, who had become a militant, has repented and come home, but is disabled and a shell of his former self. Police comes to their home frequently to check because they are a militant family. The city is divided by barbed wires and check-points, which gets deserted as the evening falls and people rush to their homes.<br /><br />Megha’s righteous anger and resentment at the fate of Kashmiri Pandits, has one final moment of push back from Rubina. A brief exchange between the two friends, brings out the tragedy of changed lives of Kashmiri Muslims, especially those of the women and youth. The awareness that in the end there were no victors among the ordinary persons on the two sides plants a little seed of mutual understanding.<br />Impact of “I Am”<br /><br />“I Am” was a film dealing with other difficult themes along with the Kashmir story. Perhaps that is why its Kashmiri section did not receive proper attention. It had a strong impact on me because in the process of doing its Italian subtitles, I had spent a lot of time with each of its scenes.<br /><br />This part of the film gave precedence to the view-point a Kashmiri Pandit. It was shot in dark and drab colours. It showed a Srinagar of barbed wires, road-blocks and sad people, and not the romantic town of lake and gardens from 1980’s Bollywood.<br /><br />The whole sequence of Megha visiting the ruins of her killed uncle’s house, had a very strong impact on me. Its background score was filled with the shouts of slogans by angry people asking all kaffirs to leave Kashmir or be killed. I could identify with her refusal of Rubina’s sympathy, when she responds, “<i>Don’t worry, I am not going to cry</i>”.<br /><br />The film also shows the impact of the events on the other side, through Rubina’s family. They have also suffered and continue to suffer due to the militants on one hand and Indian army on the other. However, I felt that it was more difficult to empathise with them, because their pain was closely linked to issues related to militancy and its violence.<br /><br />For example, there was a sequence when Megha is accompanied by Rubina’s mother to a neighbourhood shop for buying saffron. The elderly shop-owner remembers that he had accompanied Megha’s pregnant mother to the hospital when she was born. However, their discussion also brings out that it was that same person’s son who had killed Megha’s uncle and later, died as a militant. Megha comes back from the shop full of indignation – “<i>You only had that shop to take me, whose son had killed my uncle?</i>” she asks bitterly.<br /><br />While I could see the dismay, regret and frustration on the faces of the local Kashmiris, I also had a feeling at the back of my mind that “it was their sons and families who did it”! I think that is the biggest difficulty when we look at victims of Islamic terror, that we are less willing to acknowledge the pain of its Muslim victims.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Elephant in the Room</h3>I remember talking to Onir in Florence about the Kashmir portion of the film, expressing my appreciation and saying that it was a great pity that this episode of our recent history had been allowed to be forgotten.<br /><br />To write this post, I watched again the Kashmir portion of “I Am”. I think that there is an aspect of the Kashmir situation which had remained untouched in the film – the rise of more conservative Islam which was linked with militancy. Traditionally, the Kashmiri Islam has been moderate and open, and it had a history of a peaceful co-existence with Hinduism. Over the past couple of decades, the more conservative version of Islam has become more common, but its role and significance in the Kashmiri Pandits' exodus was never mentioned in the film.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Whose sufferings need acknowledgement?</h3>As far as I understand about the events in Kashmir, the problems worsened with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan at the end of 1979. To counter that the Americans started supplying money and arms to Mujahideen through Pakistan, which contributed to strengthening of the more conservative ideas of Islam in the region and reached Kashmir through Pakistani militants in the 1980s. Apart from the militants, it impacted different groups of persons, such as -Militants from Pakistan along with radicalised Kashmiri youth killed many Kashmiri Pandits and provoked their mass exodus in late 1980s and early 1990s.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrCH1Tg-cf9h5H9fMscPFKnPrqoY4PWQpuwt1AwNmbAmDTZO4msiiuNAODleyo15DhowHIQQRM3glqBYu8WhWWDhFd0ncqX_976W2z54w-93PoBVYEdYwBz-DsDNR62S2kTbHMgFAWxsQTY6hqaYHjcXR4UfDOvIWYjWntdtUMFQySsz-C1pqOOFi/s620/kashmir_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="620" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzrCH1Tg-cf9h5H9fMscPFKnPrqoY4PWQpuwt1AwNmbAmDTZO4msiiuNAODleyo15DhowHIQQRM3glqBYu8WhWWDhFd0ncqX_976W2z54w-93PoBVYEdYwBz-DsDNR62S2kTbHMgFAWxsQTY6hqaYHjcXR4UfDOvIWYjWntdtUMFQySsz-C1pqOOFi/w640-h494/kashmir_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br />Militants and hardliners from Pakistan along with their companions in Kashmir started killing moderate Kashmiri Muslims and those seen as sympathetic or collaborating with India, starting from early 1990s and continuing even now. Around 7000 Kashmiri “political opponents” have been killed, though some say that the Kashmiri victims have been many times more. They specifically target the intellectuals and they can abduct or rape their families.</div><div><br />Since the 1990s, Indian army has been fighting the Kashmiri separatists and militants and once again, a large number of victims have been reported, not only among the militants, but also among the civilians. The army rule has also affected general life.<br /><br />Each of these groups have their own stories to share. I have read of Kashmiri Pandit families weeping at the shows of The Kashmir File - they are happy that finally their sufferings have been acknowledged through cinema. Onir’s film “I Am” did not show that violence directly, it focused on its aftermath.<br /><br />I think that one of the good films about the impact of army in Kashmir was <b>Shaurya</b> (2008), which touched upon the human right abuses.<br /><br />Stories about the situation in Kashmir involve different and complex issues. The views of the Islamic hardliners and militants may not be acceptable or understandable for most of us. However, I think that our cinema needs to explore these different areas and view-points so much more. For example, little is known about the violence against moderate Muslims in Kashmir and it would also benefit from a greater exploration in literature and cinema.</div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8346538939409399890.post-53833770019999092582022-03-25T11:15:00.001+01:002022-05-09T11:30:50.780+02:00The Angry IndiansThere are some persons on the Social Media, whom I call the "Angry Indians". They can be broadly divided into 2 main groups. One group is of persons who claim that they are trying to safeguard Indian culture and Hinduism. Often they have furious fights amongst themselves and some of them are full of hate. They often act in ways contrary to the beliefs they claim to defend.<br /><br />The other group of that of persons who define themselves as progressives or liberals. They claim that they are trying to safeguard India's plurality and diversity. However, their main aim seems to be to counter BJP-Modi, and they are not really concerned about anything else. Like the first group, often they also act in ways contrary to the beliefs they claim to defend.<br /><br />I call these 2 groups, the Hindu Cultural Warriors and the Progressive Cultural warriors. They are also co-dependent on each other, creating spaces for their fights and constantly, feeding-off each-other. Here are some recent examples of issues around which they fight.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuwl4PbhHj5XEtxqwPxjHKLmnVTn6kOAqurBEkiTVgwpW-fT7ONjm8d6uPiegEXFC_Slho1WeSEy4vjh_lGdCgulZ2-CDgEKTAUcQ3JCBxE34_vnHdpuHJCMq6_h85pELNPpsIE_UqcOMe3cyCKuj8jNIgqfztp-aLVwdVISeBS-93ixgpc7FVYwj/s620/indians_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTuwl4PbhHj5XEtxqwPxjHKLmnVTn6kOAqurBEkiTVgwpW-fT7ONjm8d6uPiegEXFC_Slho1WeSEy4vjh_lGdCgulZ2-CDgEKTAUcQ3JCBxE34_vnHdpuHJCMq6_h85pELNPpsIE_UqcOMe3cyCKuj8jNIgqfztp-aLVwdVISeBS-93ixgpc7FVYwj/w640-h454/indians_01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">India Versus South Asia</h3>Recently the American vice-president Kamala Harris greeted the "South Asians" on the Holi festival and the Hindu Warriors erupted in protests. Don't you know that Holi is a festival only of Hindus of India, they asked. They don't like to be grouped together with India's neighbours, especially with Pakistan. On the other hand, Prograssive Warriors love using the term South Asia, I think mostly because Western progressives like it and even more, because they know that the other group hates it.<br /><br />I need to confess that I am partial to Kamala Harris, since she has my mother's name, but my defense of the term "South Asian" has nothing to do with her name. I feel that the term "South Asian" acknowledges the common cultural identity of what was once known as Indian subcontinent. It is an identity which is shaped mostly by Indian culture, by its tradition of creating and accepting, even encouraging, blurred boundaries between the religions and its basic idea of "<i>all the different paths lead to the same God</i>".<br /><br />All countries of South Asia have some Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhists - in India and Nepal as majorities and in other countries as minorities. So wishing "Happy Holi" to all the people of these countries, did not seem like a bad thing to me and I can't understand why the Hindu Warriors don't like the term South Asians.<br /><br />I can understand if conservative persons of other religions in "South Asia" resent Harris' greetings, because that is happening in some parts of the world. For example, there are many persons in Europe who get offended if you wish them for festivals which do not belong to their religions (for example, some Muslims get offended by the widespread Christian symbols in public spaces around Christmas and Easter times. So they are coming out with ideas like hiding Christmas trees in private spaces and saying "Season's greetings" instead of "Happy Christmas").<br /><br />However, in India, festivals of all the religions are holidays for everyone and I have grown up in an environment where we wished everyone for all the festivals. For example, we always said "Happy Eid" or "Happy Gurupurab" and not "Happy Eid to Muslims" and "Happy Gurupurab for the Sikhs". So, if Harris is treating all South Asians as "people who celebrate Holi", why should the Hindu Warriors get offended? They should be jumping with joy!</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Indian Festivals</h3>Another issue which often leaves me confused is when Hindu Warriors get offended if someone dares to say anything about an Indian festival. I can understand the irritation about the extreme positions of some Progressives, who may be motivated by virtue-signalling - for example, their calls for "water saving" at Holi or for not making bonfires on Lohri and Holi. I can also understand the irritation because Progressives seem to focus only on Hindu festivals. However, I don't see the need to feel offended if someone says that Deewali can be hazardous for environmental pollution or the Durga and Ganesh statues pollute our rivers and lakes - I think that we need to look at these seriously and search for solutions.<br /><br />Compared to other religions, Hinduism is not bound by any one book or any one tradition, so it is easier for us to question our old cultural practices and start new ones. For example, over past decade, I have seen different variations about the way we celebrate Rakhi, the festival in which sisters tie a rakhi on their brothers' wrists. Now, for promoting greater inclusion, some of our family celebrates it by sisters tying rakhis on the wrists of both, their brothers and their wives; and, at Karvachauth, both husbands and wives together keep fast. If we can change our rituals and practices according to the changing times, it is good for us as a community, and is certainly better than to remain with outdated practices and ideas.<br /><br />Therefore, if the fire-crackers of Deewali cause horrendous increases in pollution and problems for people with breathing difficulties, especially in the big cities, and there are calls to limit their use, why should that be seen as an attack on Hinduism? IMO, it does not matter that traffic or industry or crop-burning are more polluting. On Deewali evenings, even 30-40 years ago, when traffic and other kinds of pollution were much less than today, the doctors' clinics used to be full of people with asthma attacks and breathing difficulties. I can vouch for it because I practiced medicine in Delhi in the 1980s and saw it every year. So why can't we use this opportunity to find alternative joyful and fun ways to celebrate Deewali? BTW, even Europe has campaigns around Christmas and New Year to limit the use of fire-crackers.<br /><br />If chemical-based colours used in Holi can cause skin allergies or dermatitis, they also end up in our sewage waters and rivers. Our rivers and lakes are usually in terrible shape at festival-times. Use of chemical colours painted on the Durga and Ganesh statues, are bad for our environment in the same way. The answer for Hindu Warriors should not be to shout about these as "attacks on Hinduism" but to think of how to promote a wider use of plant-based natural colours. If we can promote our local artisans and organic colours' and dyes' industries by doing that, it will be even better. It can become an economic opportunity and also in line with our scriptures, which ask for the respect of nature.<br /><br />BTW, the fun of Holi and the joy of covering people's faces and clothes with colours is increasingly finding emulators in Europe. Vicenza, the provincial town near which I live, has been organising "Holi celebrations" during summers, where it is an opportunity for people to drink, dance and play with colours.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Hinduism - Hinduttva</h3>Many of the Hindu Warriors are promoting a version of Hinduttva which seems to be inspired by the ultra-conservatives of Christianity and Islam. Progressive Warriors are their partners in this, they also agree that Hinduttva means only that and nothing else. In fact for Progressives, the word Hinduttva belongs only to BJP, so they are fighting against it (they also think that the colour saffron belongs only to BJP and it should not be used).<br /><br />I personally think that the word "Hinduttva" or the "essence of Hinduism" can not be reduced to only one meaning. Hinduism has developed along thousands of streams of ideas and practices across different parts of India, which have a lot in common and at the same time, an incredible amount of variations. Thus, if our ideas about Hinduism are infinite, the meanings of Hinduttva should also be infinite. So, why do we accept to let the idea of Hinduttva be hijacked by these 2 groups?<br /><br />IMO, a wide public debate on the meaning of Hinduttva would be beneficial to India. It might help us to understand which cultural values are shared by the majority of Hindus and by majority of Indians. Though I don't think that we shall ever reach a consensus, this discussion would be useful. Probably, this commonly shared idea of Hinduttva would be closer to the results of the PEW survey in 2021 on the Religions of India. This survey report had shown that in spite of different religions, most Indians hold similar common beliefs. The "common shared cultural values of India" should be valued and safeguarded. Such an understanding of Hinduttva will be forged by the encounters of different religions of India and it will acknowledge the blurred boundaries between the religions, as one of its key characteristics.<br /><br />The more conservatives among the Hindu Warriors do not accept anything except their ideas about traditions of Hinduism. At the same time, the ideas of blurred religious boundaries and common traditions shared across religious diversities are increasingly non-acceptable also to Progressives. They often talk about India's past and how it gave a home to persecuted minorities of the world, to cry about the lost Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb and the lost traditions of accepting religious diversities in ancient India. However, for today's world they do not want to look at the norms and processes governing the acceptance of other religions in India's past. Instead, they would like to follow the ideas of secularism developed in the west, which are based on separation of religious identities. In India, the Progressive Warriors seem most concerned about how to safeguard the more conservative ideas of minority religions. I personally feel that the ideas of identity-politics developed in the west are problematic for a harmonious multi-cultural living in India because they destroy the blurred religious boundaries which has been a fundamental characteristics of Indian cultural world. For the same reason, Progressives defend maintaining separate specific laws for minority religions and fight the idea of common civil code.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Insulting Religions</h3>Some of the Hindu Warriors are always looking for people insulting Hinduism, to fight with them. If you use a Sanskrit verse from a Veda in a rock-song or if you print the picture of a Hindu God on a bag or god-forbid, a pair of shoes or underwear, they are waiting to rise up and start a campaign to destroy you. The Progressive Warriors are willing to overlook all insults to Hinduism but are very careful in making sure that you do not insult the minority religions.<br /><br />I think that the idea of "insulting God" is stupid because it does not fit in with the basic ideas of Hinduism, which include the belief that God is within each of us. "Aham Brahm asmi", "Aham Shivam asmi", "So Hum" - all mean "I am" or that "God is inside me". In Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta, Krishna shows his <i>Virat Roopa </i>to Arjuna to explain that he is there in every particle of this universe. These fundamental ideas should guide Hindus to the respect of nature and respect of every human being.<br /><br />So, how can anyone justify killings in the name of Gods or religion if one believes in this teaching? If one believes that God is inside every being, how can anyone justify discrimination towards any person because of his caste or his religion? And, once you accept that God is there in every particle of the universe, how can anyone offend God?<br /><br />Recently, I had read about people being killed in Punjab for "offending" the Sikh sacred book Guru Granth Sahib. I wondered if they had forgotten the story of Guru Nanak's travel to Mecca? The story says that some men complained that Guru Nanak was sleeping with his feet pointing towards Mecca and thus offending God. So, Guru Nanak told them, shift my feet towards another direction where there is no God. The story says that in which ever direction they shifted Guru Nanak's feet, Mecca appeared on that side. Therefore, the idea of Sikhs who get offended because someone disrespects their holy book and kill those persons, seems incomprehensible to me.<br /><br />It is a pity that such messages of "offending God" are also spoken by people wearing saffron, who talk of beheadings and killings. Their saffron clothes should signify spirituality and learning. Yet, they can refuse the temple drinking water to a thirsty boy, because he belongs to another religion and say that they are defending Hinduism. How can they defend Hinduism if they do not believe in the ideas contained in the Veda and Upanishads?<br /><br />IMO, Progressives have facilitated this rise in the Hindu chauvinism by closing their eyes to similar ideas and practices of conservatives of minority religions by suggesting that only the majority bigotry matters. Every time, there is violence or aggression involving persons of different religions, it seems that the Progressive speak out only if victims are from the minority religions.</div><div><h3 style="text-align: left;">In The End</h3>The Hindu cultural warriors are convinced that if they don't save Hinduism then it is in great danger. The progressive cultural warriors believe that the problems lies only with the Hindu chauvinists and they are blameless. The thinking of both the groups is a problem.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGxFGhKnqeBfNFeUlHU-HcLb04hmuUCUpGbVu0420OBYvQphNWV_DVbiCyonkehgO5Kn1htf3TxNZ5erJsTWuOuxM8KDJ1UUEuXozaqexDtPsAppYv2bKoIz7QuaOPGjn0DkIqfDBwrRJqQrbdHpFohtyKTwhwBl52uYHST4rAJaEflkbqoAiOS3I/s620/indians_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="620" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGxFGhKnqeBfNFeUlHU-HcLb04hmuUCUpGbVu0420OBYvQphNWV_DVbiCyonkehgO5Kn1htf3TxNZ5erJsTWuOuxM8KDJ1UUEuXozaqexDtPsAppYv2bKoIz7QuaOPGjn0DkIqfDBwrRJqQrbdHpFohtyKTwhwBl52uYHST4rAJaEflkbqoAiOS3I/w640-h454/indians_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Fortunately, in spite of everything, life goes on. I have great faith in common Indians, as shown by the findings of the PEW survey. I think that in spite of all the mutual hate expressed by the two groups, common Indians will find the right balance and a way to go forward.<br /><br />Day before yesterday was 23rd March, the birthday of Doctor Saheb (Dr Ram Manohar Lohia), the iconic socialist leader, whose ideas had so much impact on me as a child. Today it is 25 March, the day on which papa had died 47 years ago at the age of 47. He was an associate of Doctor Saheb. If he was alive today, he would have been 94. Even after so many years, I miss him. I think that I would have loved to talk about the subject of this post to him and to Doctor Saheb - though I am not sure if they would have agreed with me!</div></div>Sunil Deepakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05781674474022699458noreply@blogger.com0