With civil activism at its height, how could I not devote a few moments to it? In India, we have been generally respectful of authority and this has its pluses and minuses. Activism has not been a transforming element of the social fabric, as it has been in many other parts of the world. We have looked upon dharnas, bandhs, chakka jams, rail rokos as forms of protests and more often than not, it is always ‘their’ battle, the doctors, government employees, the truckers or the Jats, who from time to time have had their grievances addressed in such fashion.  Our activism has never been channelized, as in campus reforms in Japan or opposition to the Vietnam war in America. Reforms in Education and Health, badly needed in India, have not yet been taken up by activists and voices are never raised for changes in curriculum, working conditions for teachers, youth issues and of course, affordable health care for all. We even don’t protest against unsuitable and imported changes in wor...

I noticed the two trees, in front of my balcony, as soon as I moved into my flat two years ago. There were many trees all round our flat, but these two were similar, yet different from the other trees in the area. They appeared more geometrical than the rest, the trees growing upwards, perpendicular to the path, with branches extending outwards at sixty degrees!   My mornings would begin with a good look at those trees, and one fine day, I was surprised to see three nests, balancing precariously on its arms! They had been built with scraps and bits, which I had discarded after unpacking. Birds will use any available material that they can carry away to build their nest! As soon as I cleared up one carton and placed it out on the balcony, three crows would swoop down to retrieve all they could, pieces of broom stick, bits of cloth, and strands of plastic and coir.  And when I looked up, I saw all those ugly things hanging from the nests in the trees. As the days went by, t...

Last Sunday, as I left the Tatanagar railway station, for home, I breathed in the familiar Jamshedpur air! The chaotic entrance and departure at the railway station, the horses munching away at the makeshift stable nearby, the vegetables spilling on to the roadside as the vendors screamed noisily in Hindi and Bengali! I was home, and it appeared just the same as I had left it behind 10 years ago! The Golden Ray-RIVER SUBARNAREKHA- covered with water hyacinth!  How sweet it felt to inhale that Jamshedpur air once again! It was yesterday..once more! Jamshedpur, the place where I was born and the place where my father was born, too. Jamshedpur had been my karmabhoomi , till  not so very many years ago! There was sheer joy and laughter in the air, and also nostalgia and sadness for all things left behind. The outline of the Tata Steel Works came into view and my heart filled with gratitude for it had sustained three generations of my family! We took a detour and passed ...

Towards the end of December, I started pondering over my New Year resolution. I had one every year, but broke it more often than build on it. I used to resolve – to be happy always, to be cheerful and friendly …only to realize that none of it worked, when I wanted it the most! With time, my personal battles grew….the death of my mother, loneliness, a semi-retired life, foreign shores, relocating permanently in unfamiliar surroudings, loss of familiar chores and roles, boredom, all within the year and it took its toll! One is familiar with the adage - only change is constant, but it requires that much effort to cope with constant change! I was hurt and bitter by turns, sometimes angry and frustrated and these emotions came in the way of my resolutions! How I wished to maintain my sanity, and at the same time enjoy myself, savor life and indulge in all her variety! I could do it all if only I could make some life style changes! I decided to do it at once! It is one mo...

I spend a lot of my time these days, just surfing the internet and I find that I am greatly interested and attracted to topics on decluttering! In fact, I seem to have taken a fancy to organizing and organizers and then I remembered my big to-do box and that surely could do with a lot of organizing! Files, diaries, books, magazines, notes, chits of paper with articles written and marked for later use! It had to be sorted now, else it never would get done. So today, I decided to go after it! And what a Pandora’s box it was…..recipes, more recipes and still more and more recipes! Along with a lot of articles on exercises, paper-hobbies, embroidery, knitting, sewing, gardening and tips on how to manage one’s home.  So one last time, I travelled back, down memory lane, to recollect, remember and relish those moments before reassigning them to the dustbin forever!! Let me first acknowledge those who inspired and motivated me to take up the arts. My sister-in-law, Padma, helped me to...

DECEMBER DIET! A strange name for the last month of the year! For us, December was all about food---indirectly of course. Because it was a month of celebrations! and the best way to celebrate --- meet friends and family over food and drink! here are all the photos - and the common thread in all of them… eating! Drinking! Merry making! So that was our December diet! So...what did we celebrate in December..? 1. Arrival of Nanu and Varsha, on their annual holiday! 2. Our 33rd Wedding Anniversary 3. The third engagement anniversary of Varsha and Narayan 4. Family get-together at Suryakumar's 5. Family get-together at Ramani's And so..in that order...let the celebrations begin!!! OUR HOME READY FOR THE OCCASION .. WITH NARAYAN AND VARSHA! FRIENDS THROUGH THE YEARS! 33 AND BEYOND! Varsha, Narayan, Mania, Ranjini, CK, Indu....thanks for being there and making the years meaningful! December 26th 2011 - Happy Birthday Varsha! The photos say it all! A G...