We find them at every signal. Every red light. Outside every mosque and shrine. On roadsides and steps of bridges. In busses. Many times at our door steps as well. Most of the times we choose to look away. Claiming theyโre all pretending to be in need and that they do not need our help.…
โI am a citizen of the world.โโย Sylvia Beach In a recent interview, I had put down โidentityโ as an intrinsic part of me, an identity that is devoid of law and religion or other statuses that have the power to affect my identity. I was asked to explain how my identity is bound to law;…
It is not that the meaning cannot be explained. But there are certain meanings that are lost forever the moment they are explained in words. Haruki Murakami, 1Q84 In the beginning, he was my go-to recommendation when people asked for recommendations but over time I realized that Iโm blindly recommending a writer to anyone who…
Dear Father, Whenever I have recollected about you, my heart has burst into an impending longing, my eyes deluged in clueless tears and my face sank in familiar grief. Never ever has your persona visited my memory with joy, maybe this inevitable tragedy befalls every mortal; memories cannot be separated from nostalgiaโa reluctant feeling to…
With uncertainty all around us, the entire world has come to a standstill. Countries across the globe, barring a few, are either under a complete or a partial lockdown. From trade and commerce to politics and education, and even to the closure of places of worship, every aspect of human life has been affected. With…
Earlier in the year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, plead to the global world to abide by the value of unity and brotherhood, by invoking the significance of VasudevKutambakam in his address. VasudevKutumbakam is the philosophy of the entire world being anintegrated, cohesive family, and people from…
โA lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.โ …
At a time when George Orwell was struggling to make sense of the Spanish Civil War in Barcelona in the 1930s, the Himalayan region of Kashmir had made a transition from economic awakening to political awakening. Prior to this,ย the philosopher-poet Dr Iqbal had written a Persian poem titledย Saqi Namaย in the Nishat gardens in Srinagar. The…
Until something doesnโt affect us directly it hardly exists. We, human beings, place ourselves first and foremost in every transaction of life. I came to know about the revocation of Article 35A through Google. Home was thousands of kilometres away. I read the headline and went back to my existential mode of life. There were…
โPassive harassment for people of Kashmir, the unintentional remarks like quoting the infamous statement to justify the ill-bred occupation, is a concerning issue. It goes unnoticed and normally even the listener wouldnโt care to think about it in most cases.โ Kashmir had become stifling. It burdened me to realize that the world wonโt stop for…