tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-294087212024-03-18T06:19:14.240-07:00Anuja Chandramouli: The Hopeless Blogger!Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.comBlogger310125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-82141333626806101092024-03-18T06:18:00.000-07:002024-03-18T06:18:30.949-07:00Interview with Shinie Antony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBsAzoGeCvRtIujGmdSUaOQKk2XpkOYPInWiV4MLlNPDdcpu6yyh8mbImeh-2lVeP-veIZIXMBfmtlZQHorDizC1t_DXKidQCyw2zYqqdRd-PgGeBBdi71jv8yBQL7FO9tAYb49MU_iWRXH-yJtaZs8-j7B697NeB9LAi5bHV-FcJXyRTROs/s1279/Shinie%20latest%20pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="816" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBsAzoGeCvRtIujGmdSUaOQKk2XpkOYPInWiV4MLlNPDdcpu6yyh8mbImeh-2lVeP-veIZIXMBfmtlZQHorDizC1t_DXKidQCyw2zYqqdRd-PgGeBBdi71jv8yBQL7FO9tAYb49MU_iWRXH-yJtaZs8-j7B697NeB9LAi5bHV-FcJXyRTROs/s320/Shinie%20latest%20pic.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Shinie Antony - writer, editor, novelist, and columnist, is the winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Asia Prize, co – founder of the Bangalore Literature Festival and has the dubious distinction of inflicting Chetan Bhagat on India. Her latest novels, <b>Can’t</b> and <b>Eden Abandoned: The Story of Lilith</b> were released this year. In a freewheeling chat, this wordsmith is every bit as witty and wicked as the fierce ‘fallen woman’ from her tales.</p><p>1. Most authors hereabouts are jealous that you have managed the incredible feat of releasing two exquisitely crafted novels back-to-back, especially since AI has prompted many a writer to throw in the towel. How did you pull this off?</p><p><b>It was emotional crafting vs. ‘thinking up’. With Lilith I had readymade texts to refer from: Gilgamesh to Talmud, Ben Sira, Genesis 1, Hebrew Bible, George MacDonald… Lilith told her own story, I was like a stenographer taking it down. With Can't I was on my own. I thought both Nena and Tata up, what they wore, what they spoke, their quirks, eccentricities, back stories. Writing Can't was a more complex and conscious process. Lilith happened on its own.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>2. <b>Can’t</b> features a woman in her seventies traipsing off into the unknown with a seventeen-year-old, on a quest to track down her husband’s illicit bed mates. What is it about straying spouses and incompetent lovers that unleashes the rabid beast within?</p><p><b>Gender equations are lopsided. We are all going by that one old sepia portrait of womanhood hanging on a peeling wall in a mouldy haveli somewhere. In The Girl Who Couldn’t Love, Rudrakshi looks on from the other side. She will dump a man before he dumps her.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>3. In your subversive take on Lilith, the original witch and ‘something which rhymes with it’ from the Bible, lasciviousness is rendered luscious while depravity is downright delicious. What drew you to Lilith, reimagining her as an indomitable force of nature, who refused to surrender, not even on pain of spiritual death and worse?</p><p><b>Like all mythological vamps, Lilith is bold. She has this dangerous beauty that lures men to their doom, and she snacks on little babies. Middle-aged women are proverbially considered invisible. After forty, they say, poof, you’re gone, you no longer exist. Male anger is celebrated, made much of. It is macho and presumed protective. ‘Angry woman’ is supposed to be an oxymoron – even the way we laugh is prescribed in the syllabus: softly, without noise, into your fist etc. if you must be so vulgar as to laugh at all. But this is the thing, ageing is a superpower. Being single is a superpower. Not having kids is a superpower. Female anger is a thing of beauty. An articulate woman in a temper is a work of art.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>4. Nena from <b>Can’t</b> as well as Lilith are dealing with the nuclear fallout of a failed relationship. Previously, you wrote about the <b>Girl Who Couldn’t Love</b>. Have you declared war on coupling since most swear by marriage and love despite the damning evidence on hand?</p><p><b>Both books are about female resurrection. Women resurrect all the time. Life leaves them for dead – and each time they are like I’m here, still here. Female foeticide, infanticide by midwives with salt in their fists, honour killing, dowry deaths, widows thrown wherever. As a nation we don't know where to dump our garbage, but we always knew where to dump widows... The planet is divided not into men and women – we are the animal kingdom, after all – but into the powerful and the powerless, predator and prey. If women go take a nap the sati system will be back.</b></p><p><br /></p><p>5. What do you think is stopping women from channelling feminine rage and agency to live life on their own terms without having to live in mortal terror of consequences?</p><p><b>Women stop themselves, because they buy into the rumours about themselves. They want to conform and toe the line, do the done thing, say the said thing. But one day they get it. And then heaven help Earth!</b></p><p>An edited version of this interview was published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2024/Mar/16/female-anger-a-thing-of-beauty-says-author-shinie-antony" target="_blank">TNIE magazine. </a></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-60872450425199869542024-03-18T06:04:00.000-07:002024-03-18T06:04:11.890-07:00Rendering Religion Redundant<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMW4Yb7Ey9BIXcl2oSYGFgxYmNl2fB9ftPSpzdP6YU0UPTOIlHeBSFL5I1TRG-aeY3x4bKmJZl-Tlj7lAfYDbcW6wzcdfHeYMr9zvw4TSYOv5CK_yGV_wLmmyVK2kxIUbl66Ozcx0MMCZ3kiUfkjcagHMR7hn3AnsGbpk_ZOIg3jfmjXDMS4/s618/religion.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="618" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLMW4Yb7Ey9BIXcl2oSYGFgxYmNl2fB9ftPSpzdP6YU0UPTOIlHeBSFL5I1TRG-aeY3x4bKmJZl-Tlj7lAfYDbcW6wzcdfHeYMr9zvw4TSYOv5CK_yGV_wLmmyVK2kxIUbl66Ozcx0MMCZ3kiUfkjcagHMR7hn3AnsGbpk_ZOIg3jfmjXDMS4/s320/religion.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Karl Marx famously disparaged religion as “the
opium of the masses”. Though my German is even poorer than my Hindi, I take it that that
Marx felt religion was a clever tool wielded by the powerful to not only oppress the overworked
and underpaid majority but to make them feel better about their oppression by
encouraging them to fixate on faith – based fixes since they couldn’t afford opiates and float their way
out of poverty and pain on a pleasurable cloud of oblivion. Since Marx’s time,
politicians and their billionaire backers have come up with many innovations to further subjugate the
suppressed with liquor guaranteed to end suffering via cirrhosis of the liver, freebies
and pornography to delight the heart and loins, and cheap entertainment accessible 24/7 on
mobile phones. Religion, however, remains the favourite with the ridiculously and rabidly
religious rapidly becoming a plague on an already diseased civilized world.</p><p><o:p></o:p></p><p>Ironically, though the core doctrine of most
religions endorses love, peace and compassion, the revival of faith-based conflict and violence
witnessed in recent times has seen religion commonly associated with hate, intolerance, and
heightened aggression. Even as the situation worsens in Gaza and people across the world are
slamming Israel and its allies as perpetrators and enablers of genocide, the slaughter of the
Islamist population in that contested strip of ‘holy land’ continues unabated. Religious
fanaticism has raised its ugly head elsewhere too.</p><p><o:p></o:p></p><p>In China, Uighur Muslims are routinely
persecuted and herded into labour camps, as are the Rohingya in Myanmar. In the middle East, Sunni
and Shia Muslims battle it out for domination as do the Muslims and Catholics in
Bosnia and Kosovo. Islamic extremists wage their global jihad undeterred by concentrated
efforts to shut them down. Hostilities have increased against religious minorities be they
Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and Catholics in many parts of the world. Closer
home, in India the ruling party has been accused of actively promoting Hindu and Hindi interests
to the detriment of all else.</p><p><o:p></o:p></p><p>To be fair, religion and the religious leaders
who are not actively invoking violence in the name of faith have done some good in this
divided world. The devotees who have not become radicalized or taken up terrorism have
actively involved themselves with helping the poor, marginalized and victims of war. Relief
and charitable efforts have been made possible through the efforts of the faithful mobilized by
temples, churches, mosques, synagogues working in tandem with humanitarian agencies and
welfare organizations. Interfaith dialogues have also facilitated initiatives to
promote peace, human rights and non – violence.</p><p><o:p></o:p></p><p>Even so, if the security blanket of religion is
taken away it is possible that people wouldn’t be so preoccupied with the futile effort to secure
a ticket to paradise using the currency of blind faith, prayer, and ritual worship. Without the
highs and lows of religious relief they may be forced out of their collective torpor to address
the widening wealth gap and income inequalitythat impacts them directly. Combined effort
might even create a better world where all are equal and there is absolutely no need for a
toxic drug like religion.</p><p><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p>This article was published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2024/Mar/16/rendering-religion-redundant" target="_blank">TNIE Magazine.</a></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-68697558532107185902024-03-10T22:37:00.000-07:002024-03-10T22:37:37.901-07:00MAHASHIVARATRI 2024<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jzcO-lCg402uRpXZbgXanlS0S55EOoJgbSYod_-y9yYBi5D3F8sDvTuX7L1Z8J7N7sY3HkQoY32lZOkFWIdyS61rdgP9awT1rN3a7jaJmO-UCW3pMHUtWL43vvstDJNV_Qalm86-r-uq3qCHVnmDUpJ1yPb0huJb5cZDkCRZN66oI0yEHMw/s2048/Shivratri.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jzcO-lCg402uRpXZbgXanlS0S55EOoJgbSYod_-y9yYBi5D3F8sDvTuX7L1Z8J7N7sY3HkQoY32lZOkFWIdyS61rdgP9awT1rN3a7jaJmO-UCW3pMHUtWL43vvstDJNV_Qalm86-r-uq3qCHVnmDUpJ1yPb0huJb5cZDkCRZN66oI0yEHMw/s320/Shivratri.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Mahashivaratri
2024 was a tremendous experience. Nityanjali, our dance troupe performed in
Thiruvaiyaru (10:00 pm) and Thiruvidaimarudur (4:00 am). As always, it was a
lovely experience. The insane travelling with the packed schedule and
rehearsals can be gruelling but the entire process is never less than amazing
thanks to the good company, yummy food (which included homemade murukkus), surprisingly
clement weather, live music, dance, and a taste of the divine in all its sacred
and scary glory.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">While
people’s faith is entirely private and all are entitled to their beliefs it has
to be admitted that the faithful, especially when they turn up in droves for
religious celebrations can be a public nuisance. I was appalled by the surging
crowds at the temples and the terrifying lack of crowd control or event
security which would guarantee the safety of the heaving masses which included
the elderly, babies, and disabled people. There was zero consideration for others
as I witnessed folks forcing their way into narrow entry points which doubled
as exits, uncaring that they were shoving and hurting others. Traffic snarls were
apparent in every road at all hours of the night and the lack of civic sense
was apparent in the way people discarded paper cups, plastic bags, and
unfinished food across every inch of available space be it a temple or toilet. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66W5J204_e9ifNjMWXIPo50rjUgfQC56OAtGsVkfKuGjwVawcVbOQdg7DTZsdJ1Iv6E9hm2OfI_DvSZII3RfFsRA9nniFJYs6BZLwtI9c6OUrX6VT4kYURn2L-OOkXLEwn_eo8Uze2Nj2M53oqZIpFtVmYnR1J7P0z3vkzDw15JxjXXazeJQ/s1213/MS2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="1213" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi66W5J204_e9ifNjMWXIPo50rjUgfQC56OAtGsVkfKuGjwVawcVbOQdg7DTZsdJ1Iv6E9hm2OfI_DvSZII3RfFsRA9nniFJYs6BZLwtI9c6OUrX6VT4kYURn2L-OOkXLEwn_eo8Uze2Nj2M53oqZIpFtVmYnR1J7P0z3vkzDw15JxjXXazeJQ/s320/MS2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">The risk
of a stampede loomed over our heads although, it felt like I was probably the
only one who was deeply concerned about getting crushed beneath the filth
encrusted feet of the faithful. (On a related note, why are holy places in
India such an unholy mess?) The devotees seem to think that just because
temples are sacred spaces nothing bad can happen never mind that history and
recent news is filled with tragic events where hundreds lost their lives in
stampedes which occurred during large gatherings at temples when religious
festivities were being observed. Examples include stampedes in Vaishno Devi
Temple (2022), Rajahmundry (2015), Andhra during the Pushkaram festival, Gandhi
Maidan (2014) in Patna after Dussehra, Ratangarh temple (2013) in MP during
Navratri. Incidents have also been recorded in Puri Juganath, Kumbh mela,
Sabarimala, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxJsymHPp08Dgns-LW9Wq0k7TieO5XQROxYgYujVGlP7dOGBJn19frVrVRG-E3nv_rX65sAw622hyY9tvXkS-qmu4eiLmbEuE0hSBCRbe1w1xfW_Pn32SkpqLeNBmgFdZUA5QPSFc-wgRvegG8DfB-m6m_xLmOJZMcnk6w3clKAXYrMJwNYI/s2048/MS3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYxJsymHPp08Dgns-LW9Wq0k7TieO5XQROxYgYujVGlP7dOGBJn19frVrVRG-E3nv_rX65sAw622hyY9tvXkS-qmu4eiLmbEuE0hSBCRbe1w1xfW_Pn32SkpqLeNBmgFdZUA5QPSFc-wgRvegG8DfB-m6m_xLmOJZMcnk6w3clKAXYrMJwNYI/s320/MS3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mercifully,
our dance troupe stuck it out by taking care of each other and keeping a wary
eye against the more aggressive of God’s fervent followers of all genders who
are not above using their chests, elbows, and stomping feet to clear a path. There
is always the risk of chain snatchers, pickpockets, and perverts as well.
Surely there is a way to celebrate religious occasions without endangering life
and limb? The divine can be truly experienced only in silence, solitude and space
not in cramped enclosures where hapless deities are caged in sanctum sanctorums
almost as a defence against the insane crowds who will literally kill for a
glimpse of their God.</span><p></p><br /><p></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-5479864194984015102024-03-10T22:26:00.000-07:002024-03-10T22:26:42.814-07:00FRUSTRATING FOMO AND FINDING FULFILLMENT<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoHtprQ6iXULPqXkK2n7KjyEFsOmDvRZQS_XYWS7SKrxACwKg65F1e7yggR66BlwTaKQAcoW6csYfkxWe_lorzA-4EteLZEEb0riZTPr2TpxL8Axg8FgumsStezjLESt6ibmvR1YfOJj9vj-Lz3ThT14eU599NTtOMm-OjFOeILtIs99pDik/s628/fomo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="628" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQoHtprQ6iXULPqXkK2n7KjyEFsOmDvRZQS_XYWS7SKrxACwKg65F1e7yggR66BlwTaKQAcoW6csYfkxWe_lorzA-4EteLZEEb0riZTPr2TpxL8Axg8FgumsStezjLESt6ibmvR1YfOJj9vj-Lz3ThT14eU599NTtOMm-OjFOeILtIs99pDik/s320/fomo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">There is
only one thing worse than being inundated with invitations to an endless array
of ‘happening’ events I feel compelled to attend even though I would rather be
chilling in bed with a show and cheese popcorn on the side and that is not
being inundated with invitations to the aforementioned shindigs. That is when I
find myself staring morosely at the Pringles, I am going to hate myself for
scarfing down while watching Mike Flanagan’s latest attempt at elevated horror
on Netflix, liking him a lot and hating him a little for having such a
happening career, forcing me to contemplate the many boxes left unticked on the
achievement front. Between episodes, I scroll aimlessly through social media feeds
where everyone seems to be doing something that could pass for exciting,
aggravating the ever-present FOMO. For the uninformed, that is the ‘fear of
missing out.’<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Some of us
are preoccupied with ageing and the terrifying inevitability of it prompts us
to counter this by packing every single moment with momentous activity, because
nobody wants to confront death, filled to the brim with regret. As some
tiresome wiseacre unwisely said, once upon a time, you only ever regret the
things you didn’t do. Which is why I am forever trying to push myself out of
comfort zones with the intention to broaden the horizon a bit just so I can
feel that I am doing something worthwhile with life’s finite supply of time.
This commitment to future me who is on the brink of kicking the bucket and
needs to be comforted by a barrage of memories celebrating glowing achievements
and epic milestones is exhausting and endlessly frustrating. What is the point
of berating myself for not doing enough when it ends up feeling like it is all
too much? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Nowadays,
I am teaching myself to do little things that generate fulfilment even if it
does not qualify as useful or productive enough to be featured on my resume or
Insta post. I might be missing out on doing something awesome by saying no to
an invitation because my gut registered a protest but that no longer feels
awful. Nor does it seem like a catastrophe of earth – shattering proportions
because invitations aren’t forthcoming, except when it does. But that is
nothing a soul – satisfying activity like an extra hour of yoga, playing with
my pups, or a long conversation with a good friend can’t fix. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">As a
society we have become fixated with using time efficiently to rack up economic
as well as experiential gains, that will allow us to fully flourish. We are
expected to maximise not just work but leisure time, because our value is
calculated by the things we do or at least seem to be doing. All the damn time.
This ‘let us live life to the fullest’ and ‘make every moment the best one yet’
business is a crock of crap guaranteed to kill us quicker via hypertension.
There is nothing wrong with ambition and aspiration, but it is also okay to
simply survive without feeling the need to thrive all the time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This article was published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2024/Feb/17/frustrating-fomo-and-finding-fulfillment" target="_blank">TNIE Magazine</a></span></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-75413326720935822882024-01-27T22:04:00.000-08:002024-01-28T18:56:13.442-08:00A QUESTION OF MEAT AND MORALITY<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAovLFryc3zN2P_xQXbLHGjz0k8PuYGLFWRcxAdzdlKj28pLoXfSKF5RnlwyhWkeImnXsAO_vgNRIG41m98Qhy0-8eZgyG3rw42ktdQud6csTEmJgyQDcT1-K1rDRZusQXlHmqxkFjE5FU3HGq2sohH-wdcETLceRSDObB2LDdUJUeJ8a9g4s/s602/Rama%20meat.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="602" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAovLFryc3zN2P_xQXbLHGjz0k8PuYGLFWRcxAdzdlKj28pLoXfSKF5RnlwyhWkeImnXsAO_vgNRIG41m98Qhy0-8eZgyG3rw42ktdQud6csTEmJgyQDcT1-K1rDRZusQXlHmqxkFjE5FU3HGq2sohH-wdcETLceRSDObB2LDdUJUeJ8a9g4s/s320/Rama%20meat.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">An abiding love for mythology can never be a bad
thing and yet, somehow, we seem to have found a way to take something
wonderful, toss it into the blender with faux Hindutva dogma, distort it past
all recognition and use it to serve vested interests keen on divisive politics.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">How did it come to this?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">For starters, everybody, it seems, is an expert
after glancing through a book or two and listening with half-an-ear to granny’s
tales, speed – reading a lengthy Whatsapp forward or having returned from a
session with the friendly neighbourhood storyteller who likes to expound at
length on Puranic lore while high on bhang. Considering themselves scholars who
know everything there is to know about the veritable sea of obscure, oftentimes, contradictory facts that constitutes Indian mythology, uber-patriotic pests
feel free to clump together and lynch or abuse those who are not infected with
whatever it is that has turned their brains to mush and hearts to lead.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nobody is exempt from the excesses of these
modern-day rakshasas, but the so-called ‘evil eaters' of meat in general and
beef in particular have been targeted with tragic results. While there is no
denying that the cow is revered in Indian mythology, there is plenty of
evidence to suggest that meat—any meat—was consumed with relish by the
ancients, including the Brahmins. In fact, there is a tale from the Periya
Puranam, which reveals how Shiva paid a visit to his devotee, Siruthondar, in
disguise as a poor but haughty Brahmin and insisted that he must be served
non-vegetarian (maamsam) cuisine. Being a poor man, who could not afford to buy
any food let alone meat, the great man, slew his son, made his wife cook the
choicest cuts and serve it. For this act of faith, which in this day and age
would be considered to be the foulest kind of murder (rightly so), he received an
express pass to partake of the vaunted delights of heaven and remains revered
as one among the 63 Nyanmars. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sage Agastya, similarly, according to a tale from the Mahabharata, was a gourmand with a
partiality for meat, and consumed the demon Vatapi, with great gusto. This
rakshasa had a weird fetish for taking on the form of a goat, which his brother
Ilvala would chop up and serve with misleading generosity to the Brahmins, some
of whom would regularly bully their way into homes demanding 'maamsam' meals
uncaring whether their unwilling hosts had the means to serve up such lavish
feasts featuring meat as the main course. As for the rakshasa brothers hellbent
on teaching the Brahmins a lesson, once the mutton had been greedily consumed,
Vatapi would tear his way out from the entrails of the gluttonous Brahmins
killing them instantly. They carried on this murderous sport for many years, till
Agastya, famed for his iron constitution and superior powers of digestion put
paid to their serial killer ways and prompted his fellow Brahmins to re-examine
their dietary preferences.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">In fact, there is reasonable evidence to suggest
that it was not till after the Bhakti movement believed to have taken place in Medieval times which saw a large-scale
reformation and revival of Hinduism, that Brahmins adopted vegetarianism as a
way of life. Prior to that it was the Jains and Buddhists who endorsed vegetarianism
in the interests of upholding the rights of all living creatures, although by that logic plants should also be spared in this writer's opinion and we should all learn to subsist on love and not - so - fresh air.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chew on that for a bit before forming erroneous
notions about how best to enforce the glories of a distant past that may or may
not have even existed!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">If cannibalism in the case of Siruthondar and
Agastya was not exactly frowned upon back in the day, then couldn’t there be a
remote possibility that more than a few of the ancients especially revered
beings born into the Kshatriya race had a partiality for meat? And surely, it is probable our famously compassionate gods would have partaken of
the non - vegetarian fare offered to them in worship mainly because they cannot possibly be the
jerks their extremist devotees clearly are?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Recently, a furore was raised over the question of
whether Rama ate meat. As a Kshatriyan Prince, it would appear to be in the
affirmative. The warlike caste’s preferred pastime was hunting and since waste
was the only thing that was considered a criminal offense in those days, it
goes without saying that slain game was cleaned, cooked, consumed with the hide,
claws, horns and every bit of the carcass stripped for parts to make sure that nothing went to waste. When
Rama, Lakshmana and in a later age, the Pandavas, were sent into exile, they
were allowed to take only their weapons and a basket into the forest so that
they could live off the land using their skill as hunter gatherers. And it goes
without saying that meat was part of their diet. However, insisting that the
Princes subsisted solely on fruits, roots, nuts and berries which may have been
included in their meals but not limited to it is pushing the limits of credibility. For all we know, even the fabled Akshaya Patra gifted to Yudhishtra by Surya, the Sun God might have produced a dish to delight the tastebuds of the true carnivore!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Some scholars point to a verse in Valmiki Ramayana
where it is suggested that Rama took an oath with his mother, Kausalya, bearing
witness that he would not touch meat for the duration of his exile. This is
hardly definitive proof of anything because Valmiki’s Ramayana was never ever
set in stone. Originally, narrated orally, the epic was verbally handed down
for generations before written texts as we know it today emerged. The narrative
must surely have undergone many changes over the eons in keeping with ever
changing norms and codes of conduct, that are inevitable with the passing of the ages. Therefore, insisting that there is only one
authentic version of Valmiki’s Ramayana, preserved exactly the same as when it emerged from his lips, disregarding the many regional texts
and folk tales based on the Ramayana is an inaccurate as well as fanatical, extremist way of looking at things, bereft of
the spirit of tolerance, compassion and acceptance that is one of the most
beautiful aspects of Hinduism.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Surely, the gods in all their infinite wisdom would
not see it fit to abuse, mistreat, or condemn to the thousand hells of Yama
those among their mortal offspring who consume meat or live life as they see
fit? Would they condone the senseless violence, hatred, intolerance and killing
that is carried out in their name? I should certainly hope not.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ultimately, anybody who knows anything at all about
mythology will tell you that it is a constantly shifting narrative that is
metamorphosing even as this is being written, and 100 years hence will be
unrecognisable from what we know of it today. Therefore, it would be lovely if
people stopped using mythology, religion, morality, or any of the flimsy
excuses being bandied about for their insupportable and unconscionable
behaviour that is a disgrace to this nation.</span></p>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="padding: 0cm 12pt; width: 33pt;" valign="top" width="44"></td>
<td style="padding: 0cm; width: 691.5pt;" width="922"></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">P.S:
I have written many versions of this over the years. This piece contains bits
and pieces from older ones (links below) and I have added inputs based on
current issues, which is mostly more of the same old crap.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2017/Jul/15/from-rakshaks-to-rakshasas-when-mythology-is-misunderstood-and-misused-1628566.html" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;" target="_blank">When Mythology is Misused and Misunderstood</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><a href="https://anujachandramouli.blogspot.com/2019/03/" target="_blank">Vegetarianism does not Equal Virtue</a><br /></p><br /><p></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-61293476055888752462024-01-27T21:48:00.000-08:002024-01-27T21:48:28.346-08:00Mom Myths and Murder<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJc4NfZO1o7ikRansiFnXaGfZfvGLMOL1zMdwWMhLEVaQO91fn5ze-FdfSEkJ38sptiqIT6bjZEwUYRZlAZadlVfIKitT2t_8_orLgUH-s-lfWTIUfdj-Ipt5M02rTA24dpmc7QCxmX5QOWOZ1ZVzj1gLDvoRfMZBWOY4__6GTrs8QW3mpXM/s828/IMG-20240121-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="535" data-original-width="828" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJc4NfZO1o7ikRansiFnXaGfZfvGLMOL1zMdwWMhLEVaQO91fn5ze-FdfSEkJ38sptiqIT6bjZEwUYRZlAZadlVfIKitT2t_8_orLgUH-s-lfWTIUfdj-Ipt5M02rTA24dpmc7QCxmX5QOWOZ1ZVzj1gLDvoRfMZBWOY4__6GTrs8QW3mpXM/s320/IMG-20240121-WA0000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Few things can
shake us out of our collective apathy, but the death of a 4-year-old, murdered
by his mother has done the job. Public fury continues to mount as gruesome
details are dutifully doled out by the media around the clock. People find it
impossible to process the fact that a mother could do this to her child. After
all, in India, we firmly believe that all mothers are miracle workers capable
of juggling a billion demands, candidates for goddesshood, and master chefs who
can whip up mouthwatering feasts in seconds. We turn a blind eye to the fact
that it is a thankless, gruelling job which requires superpowers that no woman
is blessed with or that few if any can do it without breaking down on a daily
basis or plotting desperately to open a portal into an alternate dimension
where newborns become fully – functioning, toilet - trained adults within
seconds of birth so that their moms can get back to having a real life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Yet, murderous
mothers are not as rare a phenomenon as we conveniently like to think. A quick
Google search reveals that there are too many cases where children have been murdered
by their not so loving mums. In 2023 alone, an unmarried teen mother from Navi
Mumbai allegedly killed her newborn by throwing the baby from her bathroom
window; an 8-year-old was poisoned and killed by his mother, for having seen
her in a compromising position with their neighbour; in Uttar Pradesh’s Shamli,
a mother poisoned three of her children, following a domestic dispute; at Halvi
village near Kurnool, a 3-year-old and 6-month-old were<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>killed by their mother following a domestic
dispute. If one has the stomach to go back further in time, there are many such
harrowing cases featuring killer moms. Some like Indrani Mukerjea (who allegedly
had her daughter, Sheena Bora, murdered by throttling) are famous and far from
languishing in prison may be spotted at literary festivals while others don’t
quite manage to capture public fancy but may have also eluded the less than
exacting arm of the law. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Murder by mom, is
not the only issue plaguing our poor kids. Different forms of child abuse are
prevalent with child pornography and sexual exploitation of minors for
commercial purposes on the rise. Millions of children across India are denied
access to education, healthcare, clean water, or a home that is not a
biohazard. The issue of childcare and child rights hereabouts is lamentable at
best and the situation gets grimmer by the day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In the meantime,
we are content to pretend that it is mainly a mother’s job to ensure the safety
of her child and that ‘natural’ maternal instincts will suffice to work
miracles and keep the forces of evil at bay. If that were not bad enough, we
will also pressure people to bring forth babies by the dozen irrespective of
whether they have the emotional or economic resources to do the hardest job in
the world, uncaring that the stakes are too high, and we cannot carry on
allowing children to pay the price for adult folly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>This column was originally published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2024/Jan/21/of-moms-myths-and-murder" target="_blank">The New Indian Express.</a><p></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-71435704532440615662024-01-14T06:15:00.000-08:002024-01-14T06:15:10.664-08:00Before Breaking News Breaks<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZTUvhlRCDUyait5J9Bu_m1tL88TKAfG2F4bMhRmYEHzMPNgsh3jeVaUmOZxscP9oPHNiTuw6gCD-H4umA2AWCq5CxGbLmdKfpyjtoBXtCV0gd5ilkLYaYWSTRoYWqpVcN9iarxq-g3hNwy_wiEen-F90G8dJJgLEJERUTFkmFbqlifqCm9Q/s1024/IMG-20231224-WA0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="1024" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZTUvhlRCDUyait5J9Bu_m1tL88TKAfG2F4bMhRmYEHzMPNgsh3jeVaUmOZxscP9oPHNiTuw6gCD-H4umA2AWCq5CxGbLmdKfpyjtoBXtCV0gd5ilkLYaYWSTRoYWqpVcN9iarxq-g3hNwy_wiEen-F90G8dJJgLEJERUTFkmFbqlifqCm9Q/s320/IMG-20231224-WA0004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thanks to false modesty, I did not show off. But that
is no longer an excuse because it is finally acceptable to brag about mediocrity
across every available platform. In fact, if you are willing to embrace the
holiday spirit, and discard the wise teachings of Scrooge pertaining to
parsimony, you can Tom-tom the fact that you won an award (that you paid for) declaring
you the International Human of the Year, and make sure it reaches the furthest
reaches of the galaxy. My talent on the other hand is tremendous news. And it
is related to the news. I can predict the news with pinpoint accuracy, long
before it happens or supposedly happened. Feel free to share this news with
everyone, so that I can get the recognition I richly deserve.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For sticklers who demand proof, I am happy to provide
the same, provided you are willing to set aside disbelief, scepticism, and the
tendency to think the worst of human beings just because most are fraudulent
tricksters who will shove their kids or pets off the roof to make a viral video.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The breaking news tomorrow and in the days to come
will be outrageous and defy all belief, which is precisely why people will
believe it implicitly. Especially since they are not going to read anything
beyond the headline. Readers are a critically endangered species, and nobody
reads anything longer than 280 characters without the liberal use of emojis to
hasten comprehension. Believable or not, this news will be forwarded on
WhatsApp where more will hit forward, without reading it first.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You might already be gobsmacked, but I have more to
ensure that your head is dangerously close to exploding unable to withstand my
brilliance… In future, news will be bad. Much worse than today’s and
yesterday’s news which was also bad, but since we have become immune to bad
news, we will only respond to worse news which is on the way to becoming
horrifying. If that is not exactly good news for people praying for peace in
Gaza and an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, it can’t be helped. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is all true, because as a columnist for a major
news publication, I cannot lie. Unless I am paid to. Which I am not, because the
truth is, writers were paid peanuts long before they agreed to work for less since
AI types don’t demand salaries or benefits. It is a good thing I am gifted.
Now, I know. And thanks to me, you do too. It will rain again in Chennai and
there will be flooding because politicians are too busy playing the blame game
and siphoning away funds allotted for damage control and preventive measures.
Tennis fans will argue over who is the GOAT and things will get ugly when
Thalapathy Vijay and SRK fans jump into the fray. Bollywood will continue to
make movies featuring nepo babies with less and less to recommend them by way
of talent. I could go on… but what is the point? It is bound to get worse from
here. Just like I predicted. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This column was published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2023/dec/24/before-breaking-news-breaks-2643719.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express. </a></span></p><br /><p></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-19841810323094000872023-12-17T09:47:00.000-08:002023-12-17T09:47:55.065-08:00Stop the Step – Motherly treatment of the Seven Sisters!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWvGvXp-hGmgL2RLRDHjPHDpNkHKMm8bf5RT7Z-hdUObone4yKQDxNpCvqrEcSDzx6OKfRIGA8wXJTv-BNAkVIh5Cb24pJb9zXu2CAAklsS9AXF9IkzCmGw9hbeea65oPnXXvtSMg5x1KUWpUeYZCH9FWLTmLiTnFGFhFm9Ot19iwi_QAPJk/s631/facebook_1702835038657_7142207813983189124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="631" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWvGvXp-hGmgL2RLRDHjPHDpNkHKMm8bf5RT7Z-hdUObone4yKQDxNpCvqrEcSDzx6OKfRIGA8wXJTv-BNAkVIh5Cb24pJb9zXu2CAAklsS9AXF9IkzCmGw9hbeea65oPnXXvtSMg5x1KUWpUeYZCH9FWLTmLiTnFGFhFm9Ot19iwi_QAPJk/s320/facebook_1702835038657_7142207813983189124.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was at the Arunachal Literature Festival, held
recently, and enjoyed the ‘author life’. But this piece is not about the things
authors do to convince themselves that despite the advent of AI, writing as
they know it is not entirely redundant. Rather, it is about the things that
struck me as I made the arduous, 7 – hour trip by car to Itanagar (after
schlepping from Madurai to Chennai to Guwahati) because the flight thither from
Guwahati had been cancelled at the nth hour. Some big-name authors used the
excuse to absent themselves from the event, but not this author, who will do
just about anything to convince people in far flung parts of the country, that
they should read books in general and mine in particular. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was appalling how little I knew about the Northeast.
I was ashamed to realise that I didn’t even know which language was spoken in
Arunachal Pradesh. I was told there are between 30 – 50 tribal groups in the
state, who have their own distinct language, dialects, and sub – dialects. Most
spoke Assamese, Nagamese, English and a smattering of Hindi which served as
link languages. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">During my session on ‘Reimagining Mythology’, I
realized that my knowledge of folklore pertaining to the region was non –
existent. My only exposure to it was from Easterine Kire, the award-winning
author from Nagaland, whose work I have read and admired. Members of the
audience wanted to know about the representation of tribal folk in the itihasas,
and I was happy to answer though it must be conceded that the limited narrative
is almost entirely problematic and needs to be part of a corrective discourse.
Rama justifies his abhorrent slaying of Vaali, a Vanara by saying that a
kshatriya is well within his rights to hunt and kill animals using any means
necessary! We agreed that indigenous legends and myths must be reclaimed. You
must be the ones to tell your own stories, I pointed out. Yes, they conceded,
but nobody listens to us!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The main issue is that this part of the country has
been treated shoddily. There is limited connectivity with the rest of India,
poor infrastructure, and a criminal negligence of the needs of the people. Most
Indians have vague notions about insurgency and security issues cropping up in
these parts, the imposition of the controversial Armed Forces Special
Protection Act (AFSPA) leading to many human rights violations and vociferous
protests led by the likes of Irom Sharmila. The AFSPA was withdrawn from parts
of the region between 2022 – 23, but the Centre keeps a wary eye concerned
about security threats from Myanmar and China. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is not enough to pay attention only when gifted
athletes from the area like a Sunil Chettri Mirabai Chanu, Hima Das and mighty
Mary Kom emerge, though it is not like India deserves credit for nurturing
these talents. We must do more for our brethren hailing from the seven sisters
so that they can take pride in being Indian without being made to feel like
unwanted children. It is to our eternal shame that we haven’t done so already. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This column was originally published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2023/nov/26/the-distant-disconnected-seven-sisters-2635612.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express. </a></span></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-16709823470268253272023-12-17T09:42:00.000-08:002023-12-17T09:42:51.717-08:00Diwali Celebrations: Sugar, Sins and Salvation<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3kTHuANVTeGrUVvO-YudnY144T9g813NpXmBQmYxdoQPEjGG4ZFSlkgKnQHdD8DMhVMmLSPxbnc7eq9xFjCTxut7lCCM5fGoqtyfkCp_75EBKVyKnqLy-Zf68yvmMVt2WoHgCtJVOz3g0CekAnVyY9Rx6IGsHBacGjdjwdZpTWx83V9Cihc/s1018/Screenshot_20231217-230746~2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="991" data-original-width="1018" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3kTHuANVTeGrUVvO-YudnY144T9g813NpXmBQmYxdoQPEjGG4ZFSlkgKnQHdD8DMhVMmLSPxbnc7eq9xFjCTxut7lCCM5fGoqtyfkCp_75EBKVyKnqLy-Zf68yvmMVt2WoHgCtJVOz3g0CekAnVyY9Rx6IGsHBacGjdjwdZpTWx83V9Cihc/s320/Screenshot_20231217-230746~2.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The festival of lights is upon us! That time of the
year when we overdress, overspend, overindulge on ghee laden sugary treats, and
argue about whether we ought to burst crackers or not before doing it anyway.
Feeling guilty over the excess, we wonder if there is a point to all this…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This is the moment when we dredge up legends of yore
for their entertainment and edification value. My favourite Diwali story is the
one where Narakasura, a legit villainous type whose every pore supposedly oozed
evil was slain in a twist worthy of Hitchcock. Naraka was born at the end of
Krita Yuga when Vishnu in his Varaha (Boar) avatar took out Hiranyaksha,
another legendary baddie whose shocking shenanigans ensured that Bhumi Devi
sank to the bottom of the ocean. While Varaha bore her to the surface on his
tasks, a single drop of sweat which was the only sign of his mighty exertions,
landed on her, impregnating the Goddess. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Besotted with her boy, Bhumi Devi, asked Lord Varaha
to grant him immortality. She was gently refused but told that Naraka could
only be slain by her hand. Breaking off his tusk, Varaha offered it to Naraka,
urging him to stay true to Dharma. This advice was disregarded and Naraka,
armed with the promise of invincibility began his reign of terror. His
stronghold – Pragjyotishapura, was impregnably fortified and guarded by the
deadly Mura. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Naraka eventually went too far, when he raided Indra’s
capital – Amaravathi and carried away 16,000 damsels but not before snatching
the ear - rings mother Aditi was wearing. Krishna was asked to set him
straight. He was with Satyabhama, who had just been complaining that he was always
too busy for her. Playfully, grabbing her by the waist he placed her on Garuda,
and they took off on a date/perilous mission. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Krishna made short work of Pragjyotishapura’s vaunted
defences and slew Mura, earning himself the title of ‘Murari’. Naraka acquitted
himself more respectably and using the tusk gifted by Varaha, managed to strike
Krishna in the chest. Seeing her husband drop in a dead swoon, Satyabhama
realized her date was officially ruined. Enraged, she picked up a bow and
released an arrow, which to their combined surprise, mortally wounded Naraka.
It was then, that Krishna rose and allowed the truth to shine through. Naraka understood
that Varaha’s weapon could not be used against an avatar of Vishnu and that
Satyabhama was an incarnation of Bhumi Devi, his mum. Prostrating himself
before his parents, he died peacefully having been cleansed of his sins,
embracing dharma in his dying moments, fulfilling his purpose in the grand
design of the universe, and achieving moksha.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A tearful Bhumi Devi asked Krishna to ensure that
Naraka’s memory be preserved for all of time, his life and death celebrated
with lights and sweets so that his legend may remind humanity to dispel the
evil in their hearts and stay true to Dharma in order that someday, they too
may be deemed worthy of redemption. Krishna acceded to her request. True to his
word, Diwali has been celebrated ever since and we continue to fight the demons
within and without, knowing that damnation is always closer than salvation, but
that is no reason to stop trying to be better than we are. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An edited version of this piece was published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/2023/nov/12/tale-of-tales-celebrating-diwali-through-epics-and-mythology-2631586.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express. </a></span></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-18996659141112171002023-12-17T09:35:00.000-08:002023-12-17T09:35:43.462-08:00A Simpleton’s Guide to Smart Solutions<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRmjzMufzn01jm0ZlSamO4pn5WzMPK__9x5fkh9otsPdTiNheL8SjVlV2UXfRhyphenhyphenIrVBINefIBgIf2z23tgunqg8brdxptWDglsV0-7eGXAXurOKq3wvOhv7bu6TKMoloO8vYYfbFnRVmQy96ugXMpSEsCM5kn9rVwpEkwnAaPpYiajKOhHEs/s1024/facebook_1702834215656_7142204362064195603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1024" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyRmjzMufzn01jm0ZlSamO4pn5WzMPK__9x5fkh9otsPdTiNheL8SjVlV2UXfRhyphenhyphenIrVBINefIBgIf2z23tgunqg8brdxptWDglsV0-7eGXAXurOKq3wvOhv7bu6TKMoloO8vYYfbFnRVmQy96ugXMpSEsCM5kn9rVwpEkwnAaPpYiajKOhHEs/s320/facebook_1702834215656_7142204362064195603.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Perhaps being an ignoramus is indeed bliss. Especially
in a Fools’ Paradise which some compelling but not entirely credible types
claim is what our planet has become. In this blasé and not so brave new world
it is not necessarily the height of folly to be foolish. It might even be for
the best to be a top of the drawer numbskull who has sworn off all forms of
intelligence to better endure the travesty that is life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Take the global warming crisis for instance. George
R.R. Martin fans are not the only ones waiting in vain for The Winds of Winter,
his long – awaited book, for their Game of Thrones fix, which it is hoped will
make amends for the large-scale trauma inflicted on the unwary by that
disastrous final season of the infamous show. This year has remained face -
meltingly warm in October, which is definitive proof that global warming is not
a conspiracy theory eco warrior nuts pulled out their grass – fed backsides but
an unfolding reality. The intellectuals would no doubt have ingenious and
commensurately mind – numbing solutions for averting an end – of – the – world
crisis but it is better to ignore it in favour of doing something more
enjoyable like wiling away rapidly dwindling time by logging in endless hours
on handheld devices. Whoever said fools have more fun was not kidding!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The heat must be getting to everyone. It could explain
why Russia and Ukraine have been slugging it out without a definitive outcome
barring the burgeoning body count. Hard as that was to stomach for those
invested in world peace, things worsened when a deadly terror strike launched
by Hamas escalated into a full blown catastrophe with Israel, the aggressor and
occupier of Palestine, receiving carte blanche from powerful allies like the US
and UK to engage in genocide and ethnic cleansing which is what they have been
doing to lesser and greater degrees for decades with impunity. Brainiacs with a
firm grasp of the geopolitical situation and awareness that Hezbollah is not a euphemism
for Hamas, would have some inkling on how best to restore peace. But for the
rest of us dingbats, it makes more sense to tune into the cricket world cup
because it hurts too much to see children slaughtered and civilians die en
masse with the ringing endorsement of the so – called civilized world. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Speaking of cricket, while the performance of the boys
in blue has been most heartening, the jingoistic misbehaviour of some of the
home crowd evidenced during the matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh has
been less so. Smart folks have been equating this with the hyper muscular
Hindutva nationalism prevalent today but the fool’s move has been to dwell on
preferred reality shows between matches and mine the harrowing footage of
tragedy livestreamed worldwide for vacuous entertainment. Exploitation, intrusion,
and voyeurism has become the opiate of the moronic masses because it allows you
to snicker at suffering rather than become a part of it. Long live the dunces! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">This article was originally published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2023/oct/29/a-simpletons-guide-to-smart-solutions-2627278.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express. </a></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-50318970021818103702023-10-22T17:41:00.004-07:002023-10-22T17:41:24.912-07:00Sweep and Swab more for a Swachher India!<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Loving your country is a lot like loving your spouse.
It is complicated. You get mad at him for responding honestly to your query
about whether your grey hair is noticeable. But you wouldn’t be too pleased if
he flattered to deceive. Honesty is a damnable thing because you are damned if
you do and doubly damned if you don’t but according to some famous white and
therefore indubitably wise dude, honesty is the best policy especially if money
and the future is at stake. Which means, you have to be truthful, even if it makes
people accuse you of being anti – national and ask you to remove yourself to a
hostile neighbouring nation we play the occasional cricket match with and make
a killing via jacked – up ticket prices but not before inundating you with
death threats. Of course, I am spared all this because barring a few bots who can’t
be bothered to bicker with me, nobody cares about my carping.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Therefore, I can complain about an oft ignored issue
that has rendered our country grotesque. India is not just an EYESORE but an
EXCRESCENCE upon the face of this planet. Of course, this nation is blessed
with an abundance of natural beauty, but we have only Indians to blame for
literally crapping over it and begriming the bounties of Mother Earth with our
disgraceful tendency to prioritize godliness and just about everything else
over cleanliness and making a godawful mess. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of the millions of tonnes of garbage India generates,
precious little is segregated, treated, and responsibly disposed. Carelessly
discarded trash that does not choke up every inch of available public space
ends up in hastily erected dumps conveniently close to slums where they become
the problem of the poor. The responsibility for dealing with detritus rests on
rag pickers who receive no formal training and no safety equipment to protect
themselves from hazardous wastes and safeguard their health. Indiscriminate
burning in these sites causes pollution and the cancer – causing smoke which
lingers thickly in the vicinity for days is a menace. A lot of the debris is
discharged into sewers, drains and rivers poisoning our water and food. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A majority of the populace has no concept of waste management
that requires you to reduce, reuse and recycle. There are too few dustbins for
public use and even these are always overflowing. Worst of all, are the
citizens who are forever littering, spitting, pissing, and defecating wherever
they please. Our government has introduced solid waste management rules and
apparently there is improvement in door – to - door collection of garbage,
measures have been implemented to install waste processing and recycling
plants, convert landfills to parks and preserve our water bodies but there is a
lot more that needs to be done for stricter enforcement of hygiene measures
over and above the nattering about Swachh Bharat by celeb types on social
media. Otherwise, it is only a matter of time before India is submerged in a
sea of sewage. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This article was originally published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2023/oct/08/sweep-swab-more-for-a-swachher-india-2621171.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express.</a></span></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-32029026408328172122023-09-20T11:30:00.001-07:002023-09-20T11:30:40.305-07:00How do you Solve a Problem like Tragedy?<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bad things happen. And all the positive thinking in the
world cannot change that. We know that. Even so, when tragedy strikes, none of
us are remotely prepared for the raw grief and sheer extent of the devastation
it unleashes. If heaven forbid, the victims are in our personal or social
circles, one is never certain about the correct response. How can we help those
reeling from the aftershock of gut – wrenching personal loss? Do we even want
to be encumbered with such an onerous task in these dark times when our hearts
are no longer in the right place and have long since been swallowed up into the
bulging gut of the internet and regurgitated into the bottomless depths of
digital dreck?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One supposes
that sensitivity, compassion, kindness, and empathy always helps, even if the
aforementioned are in short supply nowadays and therefore, absolutely essential not to
mention invaluable. But how much is too much? And how little is too little? Even
genuine concern can be cloying if it is constant and alloyed with awkwardness.
Lending a shoulder for the aggrieved to cry on and all the ice cream in the
world can feel pathetically, hopelessly inadequate. But only because it is. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the face of overwhelming sorrow, hope for a better
tomorrow is the first casualty because it seems sacrilegious to even think it,
when someone we love or even only vaguely know is trapped in a quicksand of infinite
pain and endless sorrow, marooned there by the sudden onset of misfortune. At times
like that, it is hard to believe in the healing power of time, when every
agonized second feels like an aeon and a half. What is one to do? Who has the inclination
and the much-needed patience to let trouble run its course? To wait for a wound
to stop bleeding. To refrain from worrying it. To let the scabs form and allow
the healing to proceed at the inevitably lackadaisical pace which is so hard on
the nerves. To be there for the ones we care about. To give them all the time,
space and care that can be managed without being intrusive, invasive, or insensitive.
That is hard. And few can manage the feat, even if inclined to make the effort
demanded, especially if truth be told, we’d rather expend it all on ourselves. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It is far easier to go on with our lives, putting
aside the guilt over the gratitude and relief we feel that the dreaded bad
thing has happened to someone else. Most of us are fully convinced that we can
ameliorate a nagging conscience simply by putting up what we consider a poignantly
worded post commiserating over the injured party’s loss and suffering. We might
even throw in a prayer or two for aggrieved parties and hope that it helps them
get back on their feet so that we can all put it behind us and try to move on. Preferably
to admittedly insipid and fleeting pleasures which have been rendered even more
attractive because we have been confronted with the possibility of our own
mortality and the impossibility of holding on to our already limited hoard of
happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t help
that tragedy brings out the jerks and trolls in droves. Every family and friend
circle has its unwanted share of insensitive, rude pricks who always say the
wrong thing, ask probing or inappropriate questions, and with a depth of cruelty
that defies belief do not demur at all from inflicting further pain on those
who are already hurting. We see this everywhere and up close and personal, but it
becomes even more horrifying when well – known figures suffer from personal
trauma which quickly explodes into a public spectacle. It is truly nauseating
to see the massive pile – on as internet crazies get busy with conspiracy theories
and news outlets have a field day generating provocative headlines, indulging
the ever-growing public taste for sordid sensationalism, scandal, and endless
speculation.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">All the content in the world cannot compete with real life
drama for sheer entertainment value especially when played out on a scale comparable
to the elaborately gruesome and macabre spectacles mounted in the infamous Colosseum
of ancient Rome to keep the masses appeased and conveniently distracted with an
unhealthy overload of blood and gore. Even if we have been reduced to
genuflecting before the purveyors of entertainment, does it entitle us to tear
them apart when they are down? Why have we allowed ourselves to become such
base creatures whose only requirement is the constant appeasement of a ravenous
appetite for pleasure uncaring that it comes at the cost of someone else’s happiness
or peace of mind? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">By incessantly seeking little more than instant
gratification we are no longer governed by basic decency or even reason. Perhaps
it wouldn’t hurt to detox a little bit, practise austerity, and abstain from amusing
ourselves all the time. With a little time and effort, it stands to reason we
may just find our souls again and put the human back in humanity. At the very
least, we will no longer allow ourselves to grow fat on the misery of others and
join the feeding frenzy every time we scent blood in the choppy waters of this
great tragedy we call life. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-24799663758990906972023-09-08T01:02:00.007-07:002023-09-08T01:11:01.471-07:00CRASS CASTE POLITICS BEHIND THE SANATANA DHARMA CONTROVERSY <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlAhEPzPey2IaSduWt0QUuCQeDxoidu-Q7RCGcBjD--h9bvo4-lrB6iyHIR5oa5d-kJX7mOO_rXJLQnv2J1cQZvLnFbBro8G56iH1cG2jv1AgXjz_9g1mti3BEynq7uM5qw5qx0wG0U1DEUkovsk1gjFSyaLOt4MjKSqUbfxO-w9VZL9FeD8/s690/file-photo-of-udhayanidhi-stalin-and-a-raja-photo-facebookindia-today-084114356-16x9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="690" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizlAhEPzPey2IaSduWt0QUuCQeDxoidu-Q7RCGcBjD--h9bvo4-lrB6iyHIR5oa5d-kJX7mOO_rXJLQnv2J1cQZvLnFbBro8G56iH1cG2jv1AgXjz_9g1mti3BEynq7uM5qw5qx0wG0U1DEUkovsk1gjFSyaLOt4MjKSqUbfxO-w9VZL9FeD8/s320/file-photo-of-udhayanidhi-stalin-and-a-raja-photo-facebookindia-today-084114356-16x9.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Long before generating outrage became the rage for
those looking to make a big splash, politicians were doing it with incendiary
speeches and rabble – rousing rallies. They still do it, and the ramifications
are as bad as they have always been times three in the big bad world of social
media with its exaggerated focus on clickbait headlines and emphasis on ‘going
viral’ to capture the fickle public’s fleeting attention. It makes sense from a
political standpoint since divisive politics always serve to muddy the waters
with misinformation and draw attention away from a typical politician’s
multitude of misdeeds. From a practical perspective though, such ill –
considered words and deeds do a lot more harm than good. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Even a demagogue like Udhayanidhi Stalin, son of Tamil
Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, who claims to have called out an issue for the
purpose of liberating the downtrodden, has not managed to achieve anything
beyond arousing the anger of a large section of the populace. In addition to
being ineffective considering the larger problem he tried to address, the
minister (he holds the youth affairs and sports department portfolio) may have
just shot himself in the foot with his sally against Sanatana dharma.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Dissecting a dirty business<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Udhayanidhi, the scion of the DMK party, put himself firmly
in the eye of the storm and stirred up controversy with his problematic
statements on Sanatana Dharma which he equated to malaria, dengue, and
mosquitoes, before calling for its complete eradication. In the face of
mounting fury and a Rs.10 crore bounty placed on his head (an unconscionable
and unpardonable call to violence by the chief priest of a temple in Uttar
Pradesh’s Ayodhya), Udhayanidhi held firm, refusing to apologise or retract his
remarks, insisting that he had only condemned caste discrimination and his
statements had been made in the interest of upholding humanity and human
equality. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On examining his provocative pronouncements at length,
one is forced to wonder why the honourable minister, if acting in good faith and
seeking to eradicate the caste system had simply said as much instead of using
the term ‘Sanatana dharma’ with its profound relevance to Hinduism, which in
turn has guaranteed that clarity be decisively removed from the equation setting
off a chain reaction of confusion and chaos. Hinduism’s overt and covert
endorsement of the caste system is a glaring issue but our collective persistence
in perpetuating this evil, despite knowing better is the bigger problem and the
minister is being disingenuous by refraining from saying it as it is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As always, the great majority who have taken to social
media platforms to register their assent or dissent over this fracas in the
most flavourful language imaginable seem to have very little understanding of
Sanatana dharma and what it stands for in relation to Hinduism as well as the
critiques against it by social reformist stalwarts like E.V. Ramaswami aka
Periyar and Baba Sahib Ambedkar, whose teachings Udhayanidhi referred to in his
ill – advised call to eliminate Sanatana dharma and by extension an entire
religion. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sanatana dharma vs Periyar and Ambedkar<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A deep dive into the finer points of Sanatana dharma
as well as the teachings of Periyar and Ambedkar is beyond the band – width of
most who are too attention deprived to do anything other than form their
opinions based on headlines and even quicker to censure on the strength of a
succinct if misleading WhatsApp note. But it is important to do so to fully
understand this controversy and form an opinion that is not entirely lacking in
sense and sensitivity, all conspicuous by their absence not just in the
statements of Udhayanidhi but others like DMK’s A. Raja and BJP’s Home
minister, Amit Shah, and spokesperson, Amit Malviya. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In the simplest terms, Sanatana dharma refers to the
‘eternal way’ and implies the timelessness of the soul as it journeys through
multiple incarnations via the cycle of births and rebirths. Believers will talk
about the inherently diverse, tolerant, and pluralistic way of life embodied by
this faith which is traditionally in favour of incorporating noble ideals into
its belief system even if from other faiths. Detractors will point out that
Sanatana dharma emphasizes belief in the caste system as well as faulty notions
of purity which has subsequently resulted in the oppression and suppression of multitudes.
Neither side is incorrect though both are inaccurate if they fail to see what
Sanatana dharma stands for in its entirety. Choosing to adhere blindly to
everything it purportedly conveys without weeding out the problematic parts or
callously insisting on throwing the baby out with the bathwater are equally
worthy of condemnation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As for Periyar and Ambedkar, the former was the
founder of the self – respect movement who advocated strongly against Sanatana
dharma which according to him was being used to keep the lower castes chained
to the needs of the privileged. He discouraged blind obedience to rites,
rituals, and superstitions, urging his followers to cultivate a spirit of scientific
enquiry, and a critical outlook bound by logic and rationale. Ambedkar, the
brilliant lawyer and scholar who played a key role in framing the constitution
blamed Sanatana dharma for the evils perpetrated against the ‘untouchables’. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Both men advocated strongly against the Vedas,
Upanishads, Puranas, Shastras, and Manusmriti while calling for a truly
democratic society where human dignity and equality would be upheld at all
costs. A lot of people today quote these two fiery thinkers and activists who
condemned the discriminatory nature of Hinduism but unlike Periyar, an avowed
atheist and Ambedkar, who embraced Buddhism, the intention does not seem to be
to eliminate the caste system but merely use it as fuel to keep the flames of
unrest and hatred burning bright in the interests of safeguarding a corrupt
system that has made a laughing stock of the true principles of democracy. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Excising caste from the core of Hinduism<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Udhayanidhi’s statements could have made a powerful
case for the need to annihilate caste which is entirely doable if we come
together as a united nation against this ancient evil but by conflating caste
based oppression solely with Sanatana dharma believed to convey the essence of
Hinduism as opposed to viewing it as a preventable injustice wrought by
prejudiced and self – serving human agency which has cherry – picked through
and subverted the sacred texts for unscrupulous reasons of enslavement, he has
taken a Quixotic tilt at Hinduism itself which is ineffectual at best and hate
mongering at worst. Calling for the eradication of a religious way of life through
a sustained attack on one of its core tenets does nothing other than hold up a
mirror to the fact that we as a nation have little interest in tackling the
problem of caste with a firm hand. Instead, we content ourselves by saying
things for shock value, get bent out of shape over the inanities uttered by the
inept and carry on being uncaring about a pressing problem that is a matter of
national shame. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The caste – system championed by some has contributed
to endless exploitation and it cannot be glossed over or rationalized any more
than the latent homophobia and misogyny evidenced by other religions. This is a
many – headed Hydra that needs to be decapitated with Herculean labour. This is
a cancer festering away at the beating heart and soul of Hinduism that needs to
be excised immediately before it becomes even more malignant. This is what
needs to be done at the earliest but by persistently participating in screaming
pseudo wars over religion, genocide and the rest of the ridiculous rigmarole
foisted on us by self – serving politicians we are missing the forest for the
trees and have become equally complicit in preserving the very evils that have
enslaved us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">An edited version was published in <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/opinion/story/opinion-crass-caste-politics-behind-the-sanatana-dharma-controversy-2432892-2023-09-08" target="_blank">India Today</a></span></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-37185178832772683242023-09-02T22:17:00.004-07:002023-09-02T22:18:49.657-07:00TO MAKE ROOM FOR A VIEW OTHER THAN OURS<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V-8hEiBFsv3MfWOaKOgg9O_P0lbefNesuovmF0ott8_hbrfbzAgGetCvf6KGw3Neg2dRS_FTeQ4taTE0-bKXRyLs_k2WliA3vnvCLJbQ4HCd2DOeK8ojmrgZh5r1BKH0KQLx1-UCsRYnqRpgkbpqyOosykQKG5be3uvWL64d4wEshyp-wao/s1064/IMG-20230903-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="741" data-original-width="1064" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2V-8hEiBFsv3MfWOaKOgg9O_P0lbefNesuovmF0ott8_hbrfbzAgGetCvf6KGw3Neg2dRS_FTeQ4taTE0-bKXRyLs_k2WliA3vnvCLJbQ4HCd2DOeK8ojmrgZh5r1BKH0KQLx1-UCsRYnqRpgkbpqyOosykQKG5be3uvWL64d4wEshyp-wao/s320/IMG-20230903-WA0000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A quick scan of trending news feels like deja - vu.
Those of us not over the moon with joy with the successful landing of
Chandrayaan – 3 and taken off to the weird new world of Elon Musk’s mysterious X
to celebrate the heroics of chess prodigy, Praggnanandhaa as well as Neeraj
Chopra’s gold at the World Athletics Championships are busy lamenting the state
of a country where a teacher egged on her students to beat up one of their own
while harping on unforgivably about his Muslim identity. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In fair Madhya Pradesh, a Dalit woman was stripped,
and her son killed by a mob, hellbent on pressuring her daughter to withdraw a
sexual assault case she had filled. Those who had tuned out the news preferring
to binge watch season 2 of the hit Amazon Prime series – <i>Made In Heaven</i>
could not help notice the very public feud provoked by a controversial episode
featuring a Dalit wedding where the protagonist played by a fiery Radhika Apte
asserts her rights to have a ceremony that reflects her roots. The kerfuffle
was between the Dalit director of the episode – Neeraj Ghaywan, Dalit author
Yashica Dutt, who argued that her life and works had been appropriated without
recognition or renumeration and Dalit legal scholar, Sumit Baudh who claimed in
a tweet that Dutt herself had not given him credit for an idea she had
appropriated from his article.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In all these instances, one can see the familiar pattern
of charged encounters along the divides of national pride, caste identity,
political affiliations and religious sentiment which has led to escalating
conflict in a divided society where nobody gives an inch, and everybody spews out
volcanic rage. Worse, there seems to be no resolution in sight but that doesn’t
seem to deter anyone because these public altercations ensures that the people
involved get some much-desired visibility and an army of like – minded followers,
which appears to be a somewhat self – defeating and morally dubious end goal
which nevertheless has the potential to be leveraged for big bucks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The mainstream news media has long been playing its
part in generating chaos and pandering to a simplistic, tidy narrative where in
the interests of coherence and brevity, complexity and compassion has been
severely compromised, creating a warped reality where one side is purely good
and the other is entirely evil. We seem to have deliberately forgotten that all
human beings are complex, contradictory creatures with varying views and moral
ambiguities. This Us versus Them mentality has sucked the oxygen out of every
heated discourse leaving us gasping for air, in a perpetual state of agitation with
its ugly sister, aggression for company and our brains deprived of good sense.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In this era of slavish devotion to a politically
correct narrative formulated by self – serving activists more committed to
looking good rather than doing good, it is not surprising that we all have
leaned into an innate confirmation bias where we increasingly choose to believe
news and Whatsapp forwards that confirm our personal beliefs while dismissing
all evidence to the contrary. Many no longer trust formerly respected news
outlets because they are tired of being afraid and have had it up to the gills
with the endless cycle of rage, rebuke, and recriminations that leads nowhere
and does little to empower the downtrodden while bringing about the betterment
of society at large. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If we wish to excavate deeper, life affirming truths
instead of grappling in the dirt at a very superficial level, where core issues
are concerned, it is necessary to make room for complexity and nuance with the
view to listen and understand the motivations of those whose views are not
necessarily aligned to our own. It won’t change the world, but we can hope that
this might lead to a future where we are all polite to each other, choose to be
nice rather than nasty and make room for real conversations on dicey subjects
where everybody feels listened to and understood rather than condemned and
scorned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-88558048238920584562023-08-06T04:59:00.003-07:002023-08-06T04:59:33.479-07:00 Bewitching Barbie and Bread Pudding for Brains<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiVFyrSjEbaGdDaqmEDZccOHzquPY5K8CQZFpL9Tn2ZuioGCR7tBUURFODh57bdJvWxbMHbfpPQyzNyDknrPud6HjrH03kEFXY3PI7dfbiIIzb49UnwB9X9Ow9z3mqiT18KZr3NBAa3NkM-uj8GXwuJcqdb1EPB2VPGKnYMQfBBKnGhaoAe8/s1500/Barbie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiiVFyrSjEbaGdDaqmEDZccOHzquPY5K8CQZFpL9Tn2ZuioGCR7tBUURFODh57bdJvWxbMHbfpPQyzNyDknrPud6HjrH03kEFXY3PI7dfbiIIzb49UnwB9X9Ow9z3mqiT18KZr3NBAa3NkM-uj8GXwuJcqdb1EPB2VPGKnYMQfBBKnGhaoAe8/s320/Barbie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p>The feminist dream of a world where women and men work together to reduce and gradually topple unequal social structures to ensure equal rights and social justice for all is an improbable fantasy. Too many men and women are too committed to the existing status quo where the benefits are manifold for those who sell their souls and silence their conscience to better kowtow to entrenched patriarchy. It is also the reason crimes against women and minorities persist with alarming regularity with no hope of justice for victims; wars continue to be fought in the interest of preserving the interests of the oligarchy; global warming and its implications for humanity will be brushed aside, because plastic needs to be used and sold so that fat cats can grow fatter and so on and so forth. </span><p></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It takes gut wrenching effort and soul crushing sacrifice to bring about lasting change. Who the hell can be bothered with all that when it is so much easier to be a part of the problem in a benign way? Where you can bow down before the Gods of capitalism in exchange for their benevolent assurance that you remain ever wrapped in the cold embrace of materialistic excess. When it is okay to lean into your inbuilt narcissistic tendencies and call it individualistic altruism because PC lingo is everything. Where it is perfectly acceptable to allow your brains to become bread pudding from the constant bombardment of exquisite imagery on your preferred screen crafted by those who have been paid to tell you what to think.</div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In this climate, of course Barbie – the movie would be a humongous blockbuster. Even though the explosion of pink, which despite being my favourite colour makes me feel like I have been chained and imprisoned in Dolores Umbridge’s basement. For the uninformed, she is a character in Harry Potter who uses pops of poisonous pink and a sickly sweet manner to disguise the extent of the hatred, intolerance and cruelty that actually defines her. While I have no intention of watching the movie, thanks to Greta Gerwig, who made the extraordinary Lady Bird, I have no doubt that Barbie is now funny, smart and endearing but pernicious as ever. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">After all, the truth is women, like Barbie herself, can be whatever they want to be as long as they expend all they have to be pretty and perfect as a doll. It is the surest way to guarantee success and be valued. Talent, intelligence, and aspirations count only if it is wrapped up in a glittering package that includes a gorgeous smile, great hair, glowing skin, a hot bod and overall compliance. It is only to be expected in a world where the feminist dream has been traded in to sell IP for Mattel and the rest of their ilk. Now if you will excuse me, I am off to buy a pink dress, shoes and accessories. Later, I’ll watch La La Land and let Ryan Gosling do his thing, so I can just stop thinking about impossible dreams. </div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">This column was originally published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2023/aug/06/bewitched-by-barbie-in-age-of-fake-feminism-2601611.html" target="_blank">TNIE magazine.</a></div>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-84177483938983002982023-08-06T04:50:00.001-07:002023-08-06T04:50:27.915-07:00Book Review: Mandodari <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQf_aaeNgyzyqlZ0v10ALQriASwDuGMBv9a7tWtK3rNmJnezF_imsW-fEOQ3pj0lv7BJiNyY69JhcRNGwCqZxzpmkMnQeYOwTTI3W7CCVVu0FnStruzae_ZgJbx-tf6MgdcfbLa-Gze-90tmR7lCYixVkzCycHs1Y5iwqIHqsD6dTtth-xVcc/s640/Mandodari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="640" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQf_aaeNgyzyqlZ0v10ALQriASwDuGMBv9a7tWtK3rNmJnezF_imsW-fEOQ3pj0lv7BJiNyY69JhcRNGwCqZxzpmkMnQeYOwTTI3W7CCVVu0FnStruzae_ZgJbx-tf6MgdcfbLa-Gze-90tmR7lCYixVkzCycHs1Y5iwqIHqsD6dTtth-xVcc/s320/Mandodari.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Koral
Dasgupta’s, Mandodari, fourth of the Pancha kanyas in her highly acclaimed Sati
series attempts to rescue from obscurity, one of the most fascinating
characters in the Ramayana who has traditionally been eclipsed, by her infamous
husband, the mighty Ravana. Born to Maya, the architect of the Asuras and Hema,
a celebrated apsara, Mandodari went on to become, the Queen of Lanka and the
mother of the invincible Indrajith. Not much space is allotted to this
enigmatic character in Valmiki’s Ramayana or the umpteen versions that followed
and Dasgupta does a tremendous job of making up for this oversight. In her deft
hands, Mandodari reemerges as a force to be reckoned with, blessed with
extraordinary powers of her own and a fierce will, committed to bringing to
life her husband’s impossible but unimaginably daring vision. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Narrated
with insight and imagination, Mandodari’s tale is captivating. Forced into a
union with the magnetic, masterful, and magnificent Asura King, though all it
would have taken is persuasion, Mandodari is not without agency. For Ravana
knows that his dreams would remain just that without her creative powers,
architectural genius, and inspired innovations to see them take shape as the impeccably
sculpted and Golden Lanka. Theirs is a caring relationship but also a fraught
one, which is gradually pulled apart by conflicting ideologies, which come to a
head, when Ravana makes the ill – fated decision to kidnap the wife of another
man, who just happens to be an avatara of Vishnu, born for the express purpose
of slaying a Rakshasa King with colossal ambitions and the reckless skills and
preternatural talent to realise them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Not one to
pamper the male ego and enable rapacious conduct, Mandodari is a clarion voice who
doesn’t hesitate to call out her husband when he breaches the code of Dharma.
She speaks up for the rights of women in general and Sita as well, becoming an
unlikely ally for the beleaguered Princess. It is thanks to her efforts,
veering between the compassionate and conniving that the worst excesses of her
husband are undone, ultimately preserving his legacy as a fatally flawed but
innately admirable soul.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">Dasgupta’s
treatment of Surpanakha is far from sympathetic though. This much – maligned
and often misunderstood character is further villainized as a spoilt, savage
creature with an outsize appetite for lust and deceit without a single
redeeming trait. Though the Princess of Lanka was treated abominably and
horribly mutilated by the Princes of Ayodhya, when she frankly declared her
desire for Rama, Surpanakha is subjected to a bit of victim – shaming here.
This is a pity, and it feels unfair to cast poor Surpanakha as the evil
antagonist to Mandodari.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This complaint
notwithstanding there is much to recommend Mandodari with its lyrical prose and
philosophical moorings that conjures up visions of a mesmerizing world where so
much is made possible by a lone woman’s resilience and unswerving commitment to
do the right thing not just in the interests of her loved ones but the greater
good.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;">This book review was originally carried in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2023/aug/06/book-review-mandodari-2601610.html" target="_blank">TNIE Magazine</a></span></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-90564928657890931732023-07-09T11:10:00.005-07:002023-07-09T11:10:44.755-07:00Good, Bad and Ugly News<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJi1-pVNH4vx4XKqQrGCDQv68RO01VrzFLbflzxH4aq9n0w4T-qsZKQMg7YUUWO2aciiHcVGT4wgtzkaMvlL9_lSQOUFFU_S4zaucC2rHteOeFAqUZSbSDswrKoSmdNvF0dDz0GuGnYQ1gEP-IgT0m8FBBhPovz_fDm1F9qILjaW3REbHoKoQ/s1035/IMG-20230709-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="662" data-original-width="1035" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJi1-pVNH4vx4XKqQrGCDQv68RO01VrzFLbflzxH4aq9n0w4T-qsZKQMg7YUUWO2aciiHcVGT4wgtzkaMvlL9_lSQOUFFU_S4zaucC2rHteOeFAqUZSbSDswrKoSmdNvF0dDz0GuGnYQ1gEP-IgT0m8FBBhPovz_fDm1F9qILjaW3REbHoKoQ/s320/IMG-20230709-WA0000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I like receiving notifications from News apps. This
way, I can pretend I know exactly what is happening in the world. Thanks to
these timely alerts, I know that Meghan Markle is no longer as loved as she
used to be, because too many have taken on her brand of self - pity politics,
grievance – hawking and aggressive self – marketing to ensure that her success
exceeds her meagre talents and made it their own. I have also been made aware,
despite repeated hints that ‘news’ of this nature does not really rock my boat
that Vijay Varma and Tamannaah Bhatia are dating post their ill – advised
forays in Lust Story 2. Cricket lovers are gung-ho about whatever is happening
at the Ashes series. While I myself have no idea about what constitutes the
difference between white, red and blue balls, (although I think Kookaburras, a
bird that may or may not be mythical is involved), I do know that Virat Kohli
thinks that Ben Stokes is the most competitive bloke he has played against. I
have also been informed, that political players across the world continue to
generate all kinds of drama. But I’ll be damned if I know exactly what that is
all about. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One such notification, informed me that a Jo Lindner -
Bodybuilder and influencer had died at 30, from a sudden aneurysm. His many
fans have compared him to Arnold Schwarzenegger while his critics hated on him,
insisting that he was a steroid user. Jo himself had admitted as much in a
candid YouTube video.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In a sea of negative news cycles, which reiterate our
secret fear that we are all doomed, something like the passing of a good –
looking, gym – ripped hunk of youth is deemed newsworthy because the tragedy is
strangely comforting to a great majority who can’t be influenced into working
out and eating right, just so they can get skinny, post pics of themselves
sipping green smoothies and flaunting washboard abs to gain a devoted fanbase
on Instagram. Most of us would rather tsk at Jo’s untimely demise because it is
reinforcement of our preferred belief that the societal standard of physical
beauty is hardly ideal and certainly does not mean that the fit and fabulous
are healthier than their chubby counterparts even if the latter may be
committed couch potatoes with a partiality for the guilty pleasures of Nutella
and Lotus Biscoff.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Let’s face it. The benefits are many for those who
wake up at 5 am, meditate, practise hot yoga and intermittent fasting, derive
satisfaction from small pleasures, embrace positivity and appreciate sunsets
and the many phases of the moon. But it might not be the worst thing in the
world to work out by reading a hefty book, eating ice cream and making peace
with your choices even if they are perceived to be imperfect. Who knows it
might just prolong your life. Or cut it short. But it might not matter, just as
long as you are happy and comfortable in your own skin. And avoid the news in
favour of discerning, topical columns written by yours truly. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">An edited version of this piece was published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2023/jul/09/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-of-news-2592092.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express.</a></span></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-46148336598123943082023-07-02T07:24:00.004-07:002023-07-02T07:31:46.013-07:00A Soaring Triumph of Storytelling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoL2tFIgrB4zV6BrOf0QOpHh9pTqU43lwQWYAx84bRwgSYcHfMypyULd1_x9zYa8TZ54hgwHLs_F9Eo5rxsTNVZoNIzlbmfcMtzHRdp1pw_iEtR5g_jrF2vf5Wh5zrWT-OaFBUmJEVbvK_rPcLWS-BriCOS9QEkd7rH4XLiaxKcmzaA5ORpus/s900/first_flood.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="900" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoL2tFIgrB4zV6BrOf0QOpHh9pTqU43lwQWYAx84bRwgSYcHfMypyULd1_x9zYa8TZ54hgwHLs_F9Eo5rxsTNVZoNIzlbmfcMtzHRdp1pw_iEtR5g_jrF2vf5Wh5zrWT-OaFBUmJEVbvK_rPcLWS-BriCOS9QEkd7rH4XLiaxKcmzaA5ORpus/s320/first_flood.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> Kalki’s beloved Ponniyin Selvan is a sprawling Tamil epic, that since its serialized publication in the author’s magazine in the 1950s, holds a special place in the hearts of Tamilians and continues to captivate modern readers. A stupendous feat of storytelling, the novel explores a turbulent period in Chozha history. The ageing emperor, Sundara Chozha is bedridden after a stroke has deprived him of the use of his legs. Ominous portents seen in the sky foretell momentous events. The ailing King’s eldest son, Aditya Karikalar has won a tremendous victory against the Pandyas, their traditional rivals, after beheading their King, Veerapandian. He is the obvious choice to succeed to the throne. But the Apathuvadigal, elite bodyguards of the slain King have sworn vengeance, aided by the exquisite Nandini, who has a personal vendetta against the Chozhas. As the wife of Periya Pazhuvettaraiyar, who along with his brother hold the reigns of power in the Kingdom, Nandini is well placed to strike. Meanwhile, the Pazhuvettaraiyars are conspiring to place Prince Madhurantakar, Sundara Chozha’s elder brother’s son on the throne, convinced that Aditya is too volatile and his younger brother,Arulmozhi Varmar, whom history venerates as Raja Raja Chozha is too unconventional.</p><p>Kalki spins an enthralling yarn that is a soaring triumph of storytelling. It is filled to bursting with memorable characters like the impish Vandiyadevan, through whose eyes, we witness the intrigue, adventures, and romance aplenty in this epic saga. Kalki is also famed for his powerful female characters like the Princess Kundavai, who is clever, resourceful and a game changer in the political landscape and fan favourite, Poonkuzhali, the daring boat girl. The author had a penchant for combining historical facts with fiction and blending both to create a truly magnificent tale that keeps the reader hooked from the very beginning and begging for more at the conclusion of every chapter.</p><p>Nandini Krishnan has an uphill task in her English translation of Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan as she strives to recapture the magic of the original and present it in a contemporary format for today’s readers, without losing the charm and essence of the masterpiece. Her efforts are a triumph and First Flood, Book 1 is masterfully crafted with loving attention lavished on every nuance. Krishnan meticulously stitches together the narrative, taking care to retain the descriptive beauty of the Tamil text which goes a long way in evoking the grandeur of the past, the lush beauty of a land held in the multi-limbed embrace of the River Goddess,</p><p>Kaveri, the lives of a hardy people from a harsher age who nevertheless loved, laughed and fought their battles just like us and bringing to life an important chapter in the history of the Tamils. Her retention of Kalki’s love for onomatopoeia and verses in Tamil are lovely touches. Her readers will no doubt be grateful to her for throwing open the doors to a glorious realm made accessible by Kalki and beg for more instalments in this excellent series.</p><p>This book review originally appeared in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2023/jun/18/first-flood-book-review-triumph-in-translation-2585374.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express.</a></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-58460257013384637042023-07-02T07:18:00.006-07:002023-07-02T07:27:01.771-07:00Laws by Men, For Men, Stacked Against Survivors<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR31SZh4t5vcYU3FjoIeWTxkN3EnxAFcLfho9igZmx6K_JrvgEh9NAv9EbPlPZe432cNIgnWeB6X92EkSXQWRTKHOjP01SME648LRwve335ez8HXHFBocf7A6VdD5jp9tHEeFyiS-1By3qxJMVc5Mn_v1Y6jx4RC2jwc7Hwg1MEhMqwira83k/s1170/IMG-20230611-WA0005.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="1170" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR31SZh4t5vcYU3FjoIeWTxkN3EnxAFcLfho9igZmx6K_JrvgEh9NAv9EbPlPZe432cNIgnWeB6X92EkSXQWRTKHOjP01SME648LRwve335ez8HXHFBocf7A6VdD5jp9tHEeFyiS-1By3qxJMVc5Mn_v1Y6jx4RC2jwc7Hwg1MEhMqwira83k/s320/IMG-20230611-WA0005.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Prosecuting sex crimes is starting to seem
like an impossible business. Just ask Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, the victims
in Kalakshetra or the hundreds of other women who have reported cases of sexual
assault and harassment only to run into a wall of resistance designed to grind
them down till they are silenced for good. This is not a problem unique to
India. Even in the post #MeToo world, there are those like Judge Robin Camp aka
the ‘Knees – Together Judge’ who in 2017, ruled against the 19 – year old complainant
citing that she could have prevented being raped if she had just kept her knees
together! This mind – boggling verdict was upheld in a retrial with a new
judge. There are others like Camp who find in favour of the aggressor brazenly
spouting bilge along similar lines. The issues resulting in the miscarriage of
justice when it comes to sex – related offenses are easy enough to pinpoint. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The abysmally low conviction rate is due
to how rape is largely perceived. Thanks to movies and cheap pornography, where
the violation of women is either mined for maximum titillation or the gore
factor, victims are either believed to be into it or are expected to kill
themselves, since suicide is the only ‘honourable’ course of action for a woman
whose ‘purity’ has been sullied. Those ‘unnatural’ creatures who refuse to shut
up, opting to file cases against perpetrators, demanding justice are seen as
uppity harridans who are routinely retraumatized, accused of promiscuity,
threatened, and disbelieved. It doesn’t help that in a world where fake news is
peddled as the truth and increasingly leftist/rightist ideology – driven
journalism where the detached commitment to reporting the facts alone has
become an obsolete practise, it is easy enough to dismiss survivors as making
it all up for their five seconds of fame or levelling false charges as revenge
against former boyfriends after ugly breakups.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The burden of proof rests with the accuser
and in most cases, bulletproof evidence that sexual violence occurred is
impossible to produce. Mostly, it comes down to a ‘He said, She said’ scenario.
Many powerful defendants have no trouble quashing the cases even when there are
multiple complainants and strike back by filing defamation cases against those
who named and shamed them publicly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">The legal system designed by men for men,
is stacked against the survivors. It takes forever for a case to make it to the
courts, requiring the expenditure of money, time and effort. Most back off
unable to withstand the bullying of aggressive lawyers and public censure.
Those who don’t are more likely to be claimed by old age before a verdict is
delivered. And even, then it is unlikely to be favourable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt;">Women fighting for justice face
insurmountable challenges worsened by caste bias, illiteracy, poverty, rank
corruption and a legal system that fails them repeatedly. But now more than
ever it is imperative to keep fighting the odds. To do that we must never give
up and add our voices to those of the brave women who refuse to be silenced though
they have everything to lose. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2023/jun/11/laws-by-men-for-men-stacked-against-survivors-2583150.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express. </a></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-74092582884383517592023-05-27T23:24:00.002-07:002023-05-27T23:24:42.472-07:00Dazzling Damayanti Redeems Toxic Tale of Love<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA8Ebxd25quxknXgM-UuNlU_0ZSUVQssEW-9FYdRQtuHBEtHI7GJDPTB7Ctm0tksS8FRqrmgpQX7PhcS3dPDdKjlJYflqa3KEuWrO3ZgZzf1TA3ceJFtx1h4xtcszuQcGEXH78NYrxVIFAB6Eqar6cEhT4iRWIkgMIhMglKY2ngIMcQ62/s200/Nala%20dama.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaA8Ebxd25quxknXgM-UuNlU_0ZSUVQssEW-9FYdRQtuHBEtHI7GJDPTB7Ctm0tksS8FRqrmgpQX7PhcS3dPDdKjlJYflqa3KEuWrO3ZgZzf1TA3ceJFtx1h4xtcszuQcGEXH78NYrxVIFAB6Eqar6cEhT4iRWIkgMIhMglKY2ngIMcQ62/s1600/Nala%20dama.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nala Damayanti is
a timeless tale of love from the Mahabharata that seeks to impress upon
impressionable young girls, that they must love their spouses unconditionally. Even/especially
if, said spouse is a whiny, weak loser who irresponsibly gambles away his
entire Kingdom before abandoning her in the forest, to fend for herself. Husband
dearest might be a rapist, murderer, and afflicted with every kind of awful
trait there is but the wife must put up with his crap not just with superhuman
stoicism but with a loving heart and devote every waking moment of her
existence to pandering to his unworthy whims, enduring his gross embrace, and
bringing forth sons by the dozen. She must also refuse to entertain even the
thought of another man let alone his advances, because according to the ancient
incels who wrote the scriptures while under the influence, a woman’s chastity
must be safeguarded at all costs even if it entails eking out a miserable
existence without an orgasm in sight, leave alone happiness or fulfillment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Anand Neelakantan
takes this material, and working within these crippling limitations does his
utmost to redeem it. The fate of humanity, which is dangerously close to
extinction, thanks to Brahma, the original dirty old deity, rests in the dainty
hands of Damayanti, and her ability to love a man, who is hardly worth her
toenails unconditionally, while fighting her way past the many barriers, that loom
on their way to a doubtful happy ending. She is aided in her hopeless quest by
Hemanga, a golden swan with a beak that just won’t quit jabbering. The lovers
face untold hardships, thanks to the wily machinations of Kali, a God of
darkness, who emerged from the sum of humankind’s fears and insecurities as
well as Indra, Agni and Yama who toy with humans because they can and since
immortality does not seem to have rendered them immune to boredom. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The story chugs
along pleasantly enough. Here, as in the epic one wonders what Damayanti sees
in Nala. We are told that the way to Damayanti’s heart is through her stomach
and Nala as an amazing cook, manages the feat with a little help from Hemanga,
in whose wake chaos usually unfolds. This isn’t quite convincing, but the
reader goes along because of the charming mirth present though the proceedings.
Nala is a self – made, irritatingly noble soul who has made a better life for
his people but his achievements notwithstanding, he suffers from a severe
inferiority complex on account of belonging to the Nishada tribe. He and his
people are constantly dehumanized over their lower caste status. Neelakantan
explores this recurring theme common to most of his books with the sensitivity
and sharp wit he is known for, making Nala a sympathetic figure when he is not
being an insufferable one. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In contrast to the
self – pitying and almost ineffectual Nala, we have King Rituparna of Ayodhya
who towers over the story with his brashness, bawdy tastes, and ferocious
appetite for life. A truly memorable character, he appears to be a stand – in
for the author himself with his irreverence and impatience for those who are so
filled with fear about the torments of an afterlife that may see them in hell
for their sins, that they forget to savor the joys of the single life allotted
to them and fail to fill it with love and worthy deeds. He is the perfect
answer to false Godmen and priests who play on the human penchant for being
foolish for personal profit. Too bad, Damayanti doesn’t ditch Nala for
Rituparna, but an epic tale can only go so far and thanks to Neelakantan, the
modern reader will hopefully emulate Damayanti’s intelligence and gritty
resolve to extricate herself from impossible situations in which she lands up
thanks to idiot males without ever losing sight of the power of love to fix
almost anything. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">This book review originally appeared in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2023/may/28/nala-damayanti-book-review-an-epic-redemption-2578576.html" target="_blank">The New Indian Express. </a></span></p><br /><p></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-26494868426147327522023-05-27T23:15:00.003-07:002023-07-02T07:11:52.765-07:00Hashing out the Harsh Truths behind Hashtags<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRQkuY9NhzMAU3G-QdP0_VjaVDr6dxWksvVwpFjfNQD7jG2LLSudAPjAsGBcLZikX-B74YIS0cP6aV6okF32EwYuKjT5OmYq19terUIPwhlWuqyu5XfCdMtyvnpKUQmv0AzsaqJaMJ6nrazCcOml_ruPDzVHWix9H7dIOsbe-FCnB6_9i/s1170/harsh%20truths%20hashtags.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1170" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRQkuY9NhzMAU3G-QdP0_VjaVDr6dxWksvVwpFjfNQD7jG2LLSudAPjAsGBcLZikX-B74YIS0cP6aV6okF32EwYuKjT5OmYq19terUIPwhlWuqyu5XfCdMtyvnpKUQmv0AzsaqJaMJ6nrazCcOml_ruPDzVHWix9H7dIOsbe-FCnB6_9i/s320/harsh%20truths%20hashtags.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Hashtags that set social media ablaze tend to be ominous beings that mutate into somethingbigger and uglier in seconds. They lurch along in true monster style dividing people into opposing camps who shovel s**t at each other before piping down, since the creature that stirred up such divisive sentiment has simply vanished in a puff of digital smoke, having achieved its mission to divide without conquering or liberating. Besides being almost entirely useless, hashtags serve a sort of purpose. They reveal much about those of us who generate these thingamajigs and waste our lives watching them play out in virtual time, preferably in the form of easily consumed reels or tweets as per our personal penchant for prejudice.<p>Take the #TheKeralaStory for instance. It reveals that though we mindlessly consume content which has been hastily assembled with the view only to make a profit, without caring a crap for political or social consequences, folks will still argue about whether Bollywood and the patented brand of balderdash with a heavy helping of baloney it belts out, has the capacity to divide people along the lines of religion and endanger secular India and everything it stands for. In the meantime, most of us still in pocession of a semblance of sense have little patience for indifferent Gods and the more moronic of their followers because we'd rather watch #GuardiansoftheGalaxy3 since Superheroes are sexier and don't bore us with tedious talk of sin and shame.</p><p>Speaking of shame, #WrestlersProtest tells us that sexual harassment remains an inconvenient truth which we Indians insist on burying under the carpet because who amongst us has the bandwidth to deal with the whole He said She said hoo-ha which is destined to remain inconclusive though protestors carry on protesting till they are fit to burst? We prefer to wear them out with indifference and further abuse till they can protest no more. And when the issue persists and victims continue to be victimized by powerful predators giving rise to further hashtags, we merely shrug in exasperation or blame the victims for being falsely implicated in their victimhood before turning to #IPL2023 for more mindless entertainment. Like the #KohliGambhirFight. It confirms what we already knew. Most Delhites are angrier and more aggressive than most and think the rest of us are worth less than the dirt beneath their shoes. We bristle with outrage and feel better about ourselves by treating those we consider beneath us worse than dirt.</p><p>The advocates of #SameSexMarriage will certainly attest to being treated horrendously in the land where the Kamasutra which was light years ahead of its time in terms of addressing gender as well as sexual fluidity was written. We know that love can never tear apart the fabric of society but who wants to get involved in this farcical fracas when it is simpler to fixate on our own love lives and marital problems or Malaika Arora's vacation pics with Arjun Kapoor?</p><p>Hashtags themselves come and go too quickly to be too harmful but what is far more alarming is the hopelessness of the human condition they so clearly elucidate.</p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-6519680699469493642023-05-27T23:12:00.004-07:002023-05-27T23:12:51.222-07:00FLIGHT OF FANTASY FAILS TO SOAR<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdx5x2zkRQFzWGaBdiLetOwGrta4pwGc4A7LmvBUMH16PyBgwO-cic9YvdSYsTg9HGI6Agv7ITvRiTCudOFdeSjrrXlB1zABURPX9G4Hx1DSgbABbLfc81oeOT0llrpJl0nsTLrtmegtBSefGYiGdFXIbrlF1qcqbcBpzDdUF5nuOpFkX/s278/pledge%20adventure%20to%20Sada.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="181" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdx5x2zkRQFzWGaBdiLetOwGrta4pwGc4A7LmvBUMH16PyBgwO-cic9YvdSYsTg9HGI6Agv7ITvRiTCudOFdeSjrrXlB1zABURPX9G4Hx1DSgbABbLfc81oeOT0llrpJl0nsTLrtmegtBSefGYiGdFXIbrlF1qcqbcBpzDdUF5nuOpFkX/s1600/pledge%20adventure%20to%20Sada.jpeg" width="181" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Pledge:
Adventures to Sada, co – written by Madhulika Liddle and Kannan Iyer, has lofty
ambitions as it strives mightily to create an epic fantasy of Tolkienesque
grandeur. The land of Mandala where this saga unfolds is a troubled one, with
the empire having been split in two and the people being forced to weather the
gale winds of hate, intolerance, and greed. In the midst of the tumult where everyone
is suspicious about the activities of everyone else and people languish in
prisons for no discernible reason, Jaadum, an aged prisoner and former magician
who is also a chronic do – Gooder makes known his dying wish and sets in
motion, the rickety plot.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Raibhu, the
magician’s son, Afhash, his childhood buddy and Inosa, whose personal history
is closely related to Jaadum’s secret activities for the greater good, find
themselves facing down the forces of evil, led by the warlord, Umur Naash. This
material calls for swashbuckling characters, rollicking pace and rip – roaring
adventure. But all these requisite elements are sorely missing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The characters are
unbearably bland. Raibhu is noble, angst – ridden and supposedly talented but
mostly he is commendably kind while also coming across as clueless and lacking
in smarts. Some of his actions put the innocent in grave danger which makes it
hard to root for him or his companions. Afhash is supposed to be the funny
sidekick with a tortuous past, but this bromance is never convincing. Inosa is
one of those jaw – droppingly gorgeous, tough yet tender women, favored by most
novelists whose spectacular looks can be used to spark tantalizing romance as
well as treachery. Umur Naash as the soulless, merciless ‘evil incarnate’, mass
- murderer villain is straight out of a particularly bad Bollywood movie.
Naturally, he has an eye for beauty and commits fully to destroying any
semblance of it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The plot plods
along as the authors expend a lot of effort and words on world building. Some
of the descriptive passages are not entirely lacking in charm. The co – authors
explore the theme of religious intolerance and the people of Mandala
occasionally find themselves at loggerheads over their right to worship either
the land, sky, or water spirits, and one wonders why they don’t get their
period underwear in a twist over the other two elements of nature as well.
There are some ideas here that are intriguing, but the premise does not hold up
thanks to the lackadaisical pace, clunky writing, and stilted dialogue. For
people who have a monstrous war lord and his minions breathing down their
necks, the protagonists follow a lumbering path through the wildlands, stopping
once too often to eat, rest and tend to the superficial wounds inflicted on
each of them at various points, when they can ill afford to. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">There is a
contrived twist in the epilogue which appears to have been hastily tacked on to
whet the reader’s appetite for the inevitable sequel. This flight of fantasy is
headed for a crash landing. <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-8969891162395320502023-05-27T23:02:00.009-07:002023-05-27T23:02:53.171-07:00On Monstrous Men Who Create Merciless Machines<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I once read a book by Terry Brooks, where the powerful
Druid, Walker Boh is trapped by genius machines created by foolish men.
Victimized by the soullessness of the true machine, he is pinioned on a sterile
table with invasive tubes attached to him, and fed lifelike visions where he is
fleeing from repeated attacks by relentless creepers of steel that seek to cut
him up and is forced to use magic to defend himself. The machines then siphon
away the potent energy expended and use it to power their cells. Poor Walker is
helpless to defend himself, and the machines are perfectly content to let him
keep at it, without respite, till even his formidable mind, cracks under the ceaseless
strain. This is somewhat like the Matrix movies, but scarier. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sometimes, I am convinced that we are all doomed to
suffer the same fate as Walker, except, we choose to be trapped in an alternate
reality, expending our vital life force on infinite inanities, so that we don’t
have to cope with the evils of a broken world. How else do we explain the
unvarying nature of crime and consequences? Of life’s predictable pattern of
chasing highs which plunge us into fathomless lows? We are being fed the same
stories with only a few variables altered, to trigger us into responding with
incoherent rage. We flail at shadowy oppressors with all the ‘weapons’ in our
arsenal, believing we are slaying them and making a difference. We keep tilting
ferociously at nebulous nothings hoping that something will change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was only as recently as 2020, when the molten rage
of the public spilled over when Bennix and Jayaraj became victims of custodial
torture in TN. Now, we are directing our ire at ASP Balveer Singh, accused of
torturing as many as ten suspects, two of whom were minors at the Ambasamudram
police station. Apparently, he yanked out teeth using pliers, crushed testicles
and used the police baton to devastating effect. Elsewhere, in the hallowed
premises of Kalakshetra, a bastion of culture and tradition, founded by the
legendary Rukmini Devi Arundale, allegations of sexual harassment have flown
thick and fast, not long after the #MeToo movement, promising positive change, ran
out of steam. Meanwhile, a video of the Dalai Lama asking a little boy to suck
on his tongue has gone viral. In all these cases, there has been condemnation
aplenty. But a familiar pattern has emerged with higher ups demonstrating a
fierce commitment towards protecting the accused while leaving the victims to
deal with the nuclear fallout. The same as always.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Clearly, things will never change if we stick to tried
and tested non – solutions for societal ills. Where we allow our deep-seated
fear of tackling the powerful, for fear of ruination, rule us to the point
where we are happy to kowtow to a system designed to let the strong thrive
while the weak are crushed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Perhaps, it is best to let the machines take charge.
The hope is that we can program them to do better than us. While we sink deeper
into a morass of merciful oblivion. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">My Sunday Column for <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/magazine/voices/2023/apr/16/case-for-mean-machines-over-monstrous-men-2565648.html">The New Indian Express</a></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-40269842861509340292023-04-02T04:39:00.002-07:002023-07-02T07:37:25.404-07:00The Maharaja who was the Best of Men<p> Maharaja Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo, born to a royal family in the Bihar and Orissa Province of British India was adopted by the Maharaja of Patna state and served diligently as its last monarch. What is even more impressive is that he became the first ruler of a princely state to sign the merger agreement for accession into the Union of India, indicating a measure of dignity and grace that seemed to have characterised his political and personal life as well. His is a story of duty, temperance and compassion that makes for interesting reading thanks to the painstaking efforts of Pabitra Mohan Nayak and V.R. Singh. </p><p>The reader is treated to a fascinating glimpse of the turbulent history of Odisha in the aftermath of Independence, the bloody upheaval that came in its wake and intermittent power struggles that followed which came to define the political and cultural landscape as we know it today. The Maharaja’s ascent to the throne itself was not without drama. A particularly harrowing passage outlines the palace intrigues that plagued this highly desired seat of absolute power, the path to which seemed riven with bloodlust, betrayal and unspeakable tragedy. The authors eschew unnecessary sensationalism and steer clear from scandal which is a tasteful touch, preferring to let their subject’s meritorious conduct and exemplary record speak for itself.</p><p>Affectionately addressed as the Maharaja, even after he stepped down, Rajendra Narayan was a progressive thinker who worked hard for socio – economic and cultural reforms in his state. He continued to serve his people by entering politics and eventually becoming the CM, a hugely popular and effective one at that. What is even more impressive as narrated by the authors is the Maharaja’s earnest appeal to lend his voice in support of the most downtrodden in society be they poor farmers, exploited women or the untouchables. It is to his credit that while addressing the rights of a Brahmin widow, he went on record to state: ‘The harshness of the social laws on the weaker sex is so obviously inequitable that one cannot help wondering whether these are laws of a civilized nation or narrow prejudices.’ He similarly believed that ‘if man was indeed the temple of the living God, there was no place for discrimination.’ </p><p>The Maharaja was also a man of action. It was he, who welcomed the Harijans into Patna and threw open the gates of Raghunath temple, the main Palace temple to let them in, in a move that was the first of its kind in the state. In addition to this, the Maharaja worked to eradicate child marriage and was instrumental in implementing better healthcare services, quality education for all, modern infrastructure, and farm reform among other things, he deemed would be for the betterment of his people. </p><p>Based on the existing evidence, Rajendra Narayan appears to have been a man of sound principles and good sense. However, despite his erudition and determination, he wasn’t always successful in his endeavours. A particularly painful defeat was the failure to restore the broken limbs of Orissa, which was the loss of the districts of Seraikela (where he was born) and Kharsawan which had formally been merged with Bihar, though many felt that historically, culturally as well as linguistically, it made more sense to integrate them with Orissa. The Maharaja worked hard to restore these lost districts to his state and made a powerful case but all efforts by him and others like another famous CM of Orissa, BijuPatnaik were in vain and to this day, they remain outside Orissa and come under the jurisdiction of Jharkhand.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC2bjf16C1iqSh7Ib7x2s7-fWvMRac8HMC__stvAKnRrUfKAVAdj-ERNX7QH2ttx3p3tfZqh41oVZQHoc-5R4fsM2CocfBAxzahvK4LaFPX22Yq4ulmx_-BaxaCX1k_q8cYHYoe6ZLWL86AyaWo5BZTGKxC9AK-ak1uoK_VTwSGiNQjvW/s640/Maharaj.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="640" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmC2bjf16C1iqSh7Ib7x2s7-fWvMRac8HMC__stvAKnRrUfKAVAdj-ERNX7QH2ttx3p3tfZqh41oVZQHoc-5R4fsM2CocfBAxzahvK4LaFPX22Yq4ulmx_-BaxaCX1k_q8cYHYoe6ZLWL86AyaWo5BZTGKxC9AK-ak1uoK_VTwSGiNQjvW/s320/Maharaj.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Maharaja and his wife</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>In their bid to do justice to this remarkable person, the authors tend to treat the Maharaja with a level of reverence that makes this a hagiography. He is even credited with being a practitioner of esoteric Tantric arts who could cure snakebites, while remaining a secular Hindu. One cannot help but think that it impossible for even the saintliest of saints to be as saintly as their devotees insist, they are. An unflinching portrait with the warts and all might have served the Maharaja better. Even so, there is no denying that he clearly was a legend.</p><p>An edited version of this book review was published in <a href="https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2023/apr/02/maharaja-rajendra-singh-deo-a-man-among-princes-book-review-2561060.html" target="_blank">TNIE Magazine</a></p>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29408721.post-71771570070039944202023-03-20T03:41:00.001-07:002023-03-20T03:41:08.206-07:00COVER GIRL!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMYnRX7tRh8HajKdnd_V60t92-fmGtqxcMDra0eSaabN4lp2qxdVs1P_yQUfaHKbLRdt6sgV_EQs2Mrf-V_KammvBfUjz9jaSMS6wK__yoItLC5aTbd_0mROlAjXDTvg1xAc77hIDLtIqAj-mxWfvmJ2bdybs4Ye16nv0GpBp72ICQMYt/s2000/Storizen%20Magazine%20March%202023%20Cover%20-%20Anuja%20Chandramouli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpMYnRX7tRh8HajKdnd_V60t92-fmGtqxcMDra0eSaabN4lp2qxdVs1P_yQUfaHKbLRdt6sgV_EQs2Mrf-V_KammvBfUjz9jaSMS6wK__yoItLC5aTbd_0mROlAjXDTvg1xAc77hIDLtIqAj-mxWfvmJ2bdybs4Ye16nv0GpBp72ICQMYt/s320/Storizen%20Magazine%20March%202023%20Cover%20-%20Anuja%20Chandramouli.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><p></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xdj266r x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Touched and thrilled to be featured on the cover of <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/storizenmag?__cft__[0]=AZWumHuIQws2ugVZWVW5YRd3buw1VPSE91ar4Ipri3ltdNUPZCIcN7fjcw1YCkFT5eDsKdZceWmiPcT61MhKNIxBMQZXWSJ9x98Ud5xjZrkwk1FSkxddEU7YYnY0pscC8yzKNNctpmu7WzmOsZuqQZAGCqM5osfgSMOw_UNWjYahM2_7noVi2ncxhHaXe6kiVTo&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Storizen Magazine</span></a></span> Sharing a short extract from the interview where I take a shot at explaining why I do what I do. Will share the link in my stories. Many thanks to <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1qq9wsj xo1l8bm" href="https://www.facebook.com/Saurabh2486?__cft__[0]=AZWumHuIQws2ugVZWVW5YRd3buw1VPSE91ar4Ipri3ltdNUPZCIcN7fjcw1YCkFT5eDsKdZceWmiPcT61MhKNIxBMQZXWSJ9x98Ud5xjZrkwk1FSkxddEU7YYnY0pscC8yzKNNctpmu7WzmOsZuqQZAGCqM5osfgSMOw_UNWjYahM2_7noVi2ncxhHaXe6kiVTo&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><span class="xt0psk2" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">Saurabh Chawla</span></a></span> </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">and Pria Raiyani for making this happen! </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">What inspires you to write? </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">A <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>bolt of lightening from the sky! Pixie dust! </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHJvwdUPf2QR132PmzhQurichqceOHqVGhHmxOxzSxXVdqcNOoRO4ktSop8n5moYqB617X1r4p6X20rAsKWBDBR6EKgcKPaWDx0lsdvscrsyEBpnct_lG2MApUzYxo3eQiMD3pAoFCQjbrX8Z9LC2_bzwu9sQX4xpXAlvs4idjPSodo_C/s2000/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQHJvwdUPf2QR132PmzhQurichqceOHqVGhHmxOxzSxXVdqcNOoRO4ktSop8n5moYqB617X1r4p6X20rAsKWBDBR6EKgcKPaWDx0lsdvscrsyEBpnct_lG2MApUzYxo3eQiMD3pAoFCQjbrX8Z9LC2_bzwu9sQX4xpXAlvs4idjPSodo_C/s320/4.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />All kidding aside, I think writing keeps me sane. I am actually happy when the words are doing their mystical dance on the laptop screen. Reading and writing are my conduit to a magical realm ruled by beauty, truth, fantasy and imagination. Whatever, I gather from my sojourns into this fabled land, I try and share with my readers, hoping they derive something they can use in their own lives, the way I have in mine. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Can you give some insights on the book – Abhimanyu? What kind of research and factors<b style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> did you consider when writing the character?</span></b></span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Abhimanyu is very special. He is one of the most beloved characters in Indian mythology and with good reason because he was the best among the best, in every sense of the term.</span></ol><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In a lot of ways, he is the pulsing heart and soul of the Mahabharata. TheGolden Prince was blessed with all the strengths of Arjuna, Krishna and the
other Pandavas yet possessed none of their weaknesses. A rare hero who was
every bit as good and kind as he was great and that is no small thing. It was a
pleasure to unearth lesser-known nuggets of information about him and share the
story of the Mahabharata entirely from his perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">As regards research I went back and explored the epic I have loved all my life by putting myself in Abhimanyu’s place. Thanks to him, the familiar material felt fresh, and I got</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">to plumb the psyche of fascinating characters like Subhadra, Draupadi’s twin -
Dhrishtadyumna, his charioteer – Sumitra, Nakula, Sahadeva, the Upapandavas,
his cousins in Dwaraka – Pradyumna, Samba, and his wife, Uttara, who usually
get eclipsed by the razzle dazzle of more famous characters. But of course, the
spotlight was on Abhi himself and being by his side from his birth to his
untimely death. It was a heartening, often harrowing experience and I cried my
eyes out while working on the manuscript, but in the end, it was entirely worth
it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">How did you change as a person after publishing these many titles? What did you learn and unlearn from your experiences as a writer?</span></p></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Writing my books has definitely been a transformative and life – affirming experience. Every single book that I have written and read has helped me navigate a particular chapter of my life, helping me traipse across the good and challenging times with a modicum of courage and grace. For that, they will always have my gratitude! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP1JNtYYnMXV02onPilu88EN8eVgYTp2LYVlUSLt4yu9AnYu9CH1gYuC-_g8Fdx4ORfA4y6Dv_U-m__wIH6YEfAz6jXtTr6oTZ2Dy69w5HpvOpOUwlm5WuLf9tVYjqH7g9MRC8gsSzfiidG-juc4LuX5tCa5LvNFVZkwSSOVUwmhR_6Tn/s2000/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="1545" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP1JNtYYnMXV02onPilu88EN8eVgYTp2LYVlUSLt4yu9AnYu9CH1gYuC-_g8Fdx4ORfA4y6Dv_U-m__wIH6YEfAz6jXtTr6oTZ2Dy69w5HpvOpOUwlm5WuLf9tVYjqH7g9MRC8gsSzfiidG-juc4LuX5tCa5LvNFVZkwSSOVUwmhR_6Tn/s320/1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">As a writer, I am constantly learning and unlearning only to relearn ad – infinitum. But it is part of growth and change and it is what it is. My main takeaway is to not strive so hard for control and to learn to trust and surrender to a higher process, the mysteries of which I can comprehend only in patches. But when I can pull it off, there is always a measure of peace and tranquility to be had. Getting into the zone is hard, but staying put in there, is the hardest thing to do of all. Someday, maybe I will pull it off!</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">You can check it out here: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fissuu.com%2Fstorizen%2Fdocs%2Fstorizen_magazine_march_2023_-_anuja_chandramouli%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2hik8j1n5p4yjgaVV4wemIo_YG7c0LexpBjSTplv9LKXDpRJUhWDxhb5c&h=AT1ev15v1mmHA3v59HMCJF1RQ_mw2vk3d8PznUtJWxwJIg1GmnECa685kjl9GrocyAiUBJFagszqUWs1tAknV2rSdRNb8h_qmUSfo94ZJRo4D2iHJiFLovVKHeV484XKVrhjD3LWQSqoCnU3sQ&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT2VJnJyIhYFls_Rf4qd_y3x90i73VZHOu2GNZi7siqtl1WijvVDqzfcfhGMZJJnGC-40K0rNfjBXqxP7JpBYB82d6X_Kg4aTXZ7rQ5kMcuBuEQLuQu8Qay8bWoVjT57i5qj5J8jQ-iuJjZ3u4eV9X8fusUs2iPNl9vFUNOFsAmzRDBOLjzGzqaI5LzV3UAWNfdB6APszB3BXfI" target="_blank">Storizen Magazine. </a></div></div>Anuja Chandramoulihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08460933276218197123noreply@blogger.com0