Book Review - The Armenian Champa Tree, Mahasweta Devi

I am surprised that this little gem of a book is categorized as a work for children. No, not because it is in anyway inferior, but because it is too intriguing and intense to be read by children. A precious little work of fiction by one of the celebrated authors of India – Mahasweta Devi, this book will leave you in a poignant state.

Mato is a young kid from the deep rural areas of Bengal. Young and kind, he loves his little goat Arjun a lot. So much so that when a tantric asks the village people to slaughter the goat to appease the goddess or face the risk of extinction by flood, little Mato sets out alone to protect his quadruped friend, seeking the refuge of an old padre.

Though it is touted as a work for children, the passing notes about the British presence, subtle depiction of the wily zamindars and their cruelty, prevalent superstitions and, above all, a mother’s love for her young one will all keep you engrossed throughout. Simple narrative that will captivate elders and young minds alike, this work is bound to leave a deep impression on you.

Worth one hour of your time!

Book Review - The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron

Phew! I have completed this book at last - after three long years of effort.

Whether you are a budding artist struggling with low confidence levels, or an experienced artist suffering from artistic blocks and crippling doubts, this book has got some wonderful wisdom for you all. If only the author had not buried all that goodness beneath the mountain of flowery words and gooey sentences! Couldn't help my concentration falling away after every page or two.

The purpose of this book is good, even noble. But paragraphs are all lengthy and get too tiring on your mind. Read it if you must.

When Will Our Women Be Safe?!

1. 'Bihar shelter home girls alive: CBI to SC.'

2. 'Kochi girl found murdered near Valparai, friend held.'

3. 'Three held in connection with changing room video clip.'

4. 'Gang rape victim commits suicide.'

5. 'Dalit woman raped, murdered in Gujarat.'

Found these five headlines on a single day - in today's newspaper (The Hindu). If these many events get reported by a single newspaper on a single day, how many crimes must be happening against women and how many would have gone unreported?! What is India if not its famed culture and morality, if not its emphasis on values and ethics???

On one side, we are bragging about the greatness of India, while on the other, all the values and morals that defined India are trampled upon every other day. 

I was remembering this shloka with pain -

'Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata, 

Yatraitaastu na pujyante sarvaastatrafalaah kriyaah'

(Gods find their abode where women are respected, and where the women are disrepected no action bears fruit).

 

Enough of shouting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'. Can we first stop molesting and murdering her daughters?! 

Book Review - Notes from the Hinterland, Shashi Tharoor & Others

Reading this book will help you understand why Indian movie makers prefer producing remix songs out of old classics instead of new, original ones - tried and tested product, guaranteed success, easy money. Books like these are published for the same reason - the publisher wants to make some quick money, adding to the count of books published and making hay while the old sun is still shining warm. 

I see no purpose for the existence of this book, except for the publishers' desire to mint some quick and easy money. This book is a collection of 10 already published works by authors from a medley of backgrounds. While RK Narayan, Sainath and Tharoor are all established names, the book carries the works of lesser known authors like Snigdha Poonam as well. But there is no uniformity in the genre of these 10 chapters. The last couple of chapters also reveal - yet again - the anti-BJP agenda of the editor. And that is the only string that ties these beads ogether. 

If you are reading this as a sampling of works by various authors, this book serves a purpose. Else, just ignore this. You are losing nothing by not reading this book. 

3 stars for the quality of the content, none for the usual cheap trick of republishing the already successful  works under a new combination, passing them off as fresh books.

Happy New Year 2020!

Well, it is that time of the year when stationery shops, fitness clubs, pizzerias and fancy pubs do roaring business. It is also that time of the year when the Internet gets choked with people sharing messages and images with one another - part sincere, many mere formality. Yup, I am talking about the 'new year' celebrations. Our lovely little planet has completed one more orbit around the Sun and we are only happy for it.

On this joyous occasion, please allow me to wish you 20 little changes in all sincerity.

1. May you have a year without TV. Trust me. Watching TV with all its 'reality' shows, serials and rabid news anchors is an insult to the common sense that we humans are all blessed with. Shun TV and thank me later for the positive changes you will feel within.

2. May you start focusing on your health. No, I am not asking you to enroll in a gym or bath in gallons of green tea. Just start respecting your body. Monitor the quality of your food intake. Start doing basic exercises. After all we are blessed with just one delicate body to live in.

3. May you start reading books. You need not start reading Nietzsche or Tolstoy right away. You can end up reading just one book in this whole year but please read. In this age of junk forwards, fake news and boring memes, a good book can help you retain sanity.

4. May you stop wasting life on work. Nope. I am not asking you to resign your job and go scuba diving. Just that I am asking you to stop taking in so much stress and pains on your jobs. We work to make a living. Not live to work for some corporate boss to enrich his stock value.

5. May you hug your parents. Kiss your spouse. Hold your children close and play with them. Appreciate your good friends. Life flows lightning fast and things all change rapidly. Appreciate the people when they are around.

6. May you learn a hobby. Pursue a passion. We may not all compose like Mozart. We cannot all paint like Da Vinci. But we can all be better than how we would be if we did not even begin our pursuits. Let loose that creative beast within you. 

7. May you learn about a new religion. In fact, first learn about your own religion to a good extent. Then learn about one more religion apart from yours. What you don't understand always scares you. Understanding about other religions, cultures and races is the only way to stay united in these perverted times. 

8. May you travel. We are all little frogs fond of our own wells - area, culture, food and language. Try visiting a new city, a new state or even a new country. Be a stranger, a foreigner. Spend your time fumbling for words, seeking directions and with a tinge of uncertainty and enthusiasm. Those sort of experiences stay with you forever.

9. May you declutter your homes and decorate them. Buy a nice vase and fill it with flowers. Spread aroma in your rooms. Stock up on comfy cushions. Place works of art around. Richness isn't just about money. It is a way of life. Surprisingly such a lifestyle is easily affordable.

10. May you look up at the night sky more often. All our festivals, calendars, religions depend on the events transpiring up there. On a rational note too, looking up at the night sky fills one's mind with awe and contemplating on the cosmic scale fills one with veneration and humility.

11. May you let go of the fear of 'what others will say'. The others are too busy with their own travails and thoughts to pay you any attention better than they pay to the YouTube commercials. They care either about your grand successes or crippling failures. The rest don't much matter to them. 

12. May you listen to music. All genres of it. Not just the ones composed by your favorite music directors, but also by all those little nondescript names. Listen to Baroque. Listen to Jazz. Listen also to the songs of birds. Nothing else heals and puts you back together like music does. 

13. May you stop postponing your dreams and desires. Sloppy beginnings and slow progress are on any day better than regrets over lost opportunities and bygone times. Start anew now. Start afresh every day.

14. May you take a sabbatical from your smartphones and electronic gadgets every now and then. It helps in detoxifying your mind and in turn your body. Trust me. You need not respond to every cinematic scandal, every stupid political statement and senseless gossip. Sanity is in knowing what to avoid.

15. May you stop trying to save the world. Start doing little acts of kindness. Begin by feeding the animals and birds in your area. Offer a packet of food to the beggar you meet on the road. Plant one tree. Just one in the whole of 365 days. That will do. For now.

16. May you take a sabbatical from the social networks too. Neither are you missing anything great nor are the people there going to miss you big time if you leave. Use it constructively. Use it wisely. And, use it sparingly.

17. May your political party, your religion, your favorite actors all count to nothing. How you behave with your fellow human beings is all that matters in the end of the day. You know nothing about your religion. You don't matter much to your favorite politicians and actors. But how you respond and respect one another is going to make a huge impact on the people you meet in your day-to-day life.  

18. These may be the fast-changing modern times, but certain quaint concepts still hold high value - chivalry, politeness, respect to elders, courteous behavior are all still appreciated by everyone. And, they cost almost nothing. May you be a beacon of all these qualities and more.

19. Aspiring to be richer is basic human tendency. Nothing wrong about it. But practise being content with what you have. May you appreciate all that you have which most others can't even afford. Once in a while, learn to live with the least possible possessions and see how you start feeling richer already, without even buying anything new. Aspire to be poorer every now and then. For a change. 

20. Last but not the least, may you invest in yourself. Your mental health. Your physical health. Your wants. Your needs. Your desires. You may love your family and friends to the moon and back, but let the beginning be the love for your own self. After all, you can't give others what you yourself don't have. Take care.

Stretching ahead are 52 weeks holding 52 new opportunities to become a new, better you. Here is wishing you well to succeed in at least half of those.

Happy New Year 2020!