Special Issue September 2019 An NSHM Knowledge Campus Initiative

Culture & Society...Page 2,3 | Photo Gallery, Infotaiment Page 4,5 | Review & Profile...Page 6 | Poets Corner ...Page 7 | Know How...Page 8

Festivities and Celebrations: Realities, myths and beyond Firoz Mohammed ed cultural experience. In a Bollywood movie, ited or no significance. Who can ‘spend more’ and celebrations are highly commercial and Agneepath, the ‘Deva Shree Ganesha’ a trib- and who can ‘flaunt more’ are the emerging entertainment-driven. Consumerism in the ince time immemorial, festivities and cel- ute to Lord Ganesha through mesmerizing norms during festivities and celebrations. The name of celebrations is becoming the domi- ebrations have been an essential part of dance moves; the euphoria of the joyous festi dirty display of wealth and power is killing the nant culture. People do not realize that con- S our social and cultural existence. Fes- val, Ganesh Chaturthi travelled far beyond the real essence of festivals and celebrations. The sumerism denies the essential simplicity of life tivals probably emanated from the amalga- streets of Mumbai into large celluloid screen. strong sense of ‘spiritualism’ to get closer to ethos. The real happiness lies in our abilities to mation of the culture and religion of primitive the ‘divine’ is being lost in the struggle to show find joy and meaning in harmonious relation- tribes and as time passed by festivals besides There are some festivals which are also cele- ‘my pandal is bigger, brighter and shinier than ship with communities and nature. becoming part of our psycho-social realities brated with mourning and tears. Shia Muslims yours.’ also became more diversified as a result of across the world mourn the martyrdom of Haz- The current competitive and aggressive poli- cultural advancements. Festivities and cel- rat Hussein and his family to respect their ulti- The ‘killer deals’ accompanied by ‘frenzied buy- tics in India besides impacting all spheres of ebrations are not unique to one society. We mate sacrifice. Dussehra and Ashura (the 10th ing’ and the way in which e-commerce market- our lives has also entered our religious and humans across the globe spend countless day of Muharram) are the celebrated events ers are luring customers for online shopping spiritual domains. Festivals and celebrations precious hours in celebrating birthdays, anni- which mark the victory of ‘good’ and the ‘evil.’ and sales are killing the entire spirit of festi- are becoming a significant platform to set versaries, religious festivals to create linkages And vals and political agendas and narratives. The world’s and build communities. most celebra- most prominent religious festival India, the impor- tions. Kumbh Mela, where the spiritual message for The functional aspects of festivals and cele- tantly, Festi- the faithful is deep and profound, according to brations are praiseworthy and commendable. in either vals and critics was used to set a political narrative. Re- Festivities and celebrations join together dif- case, celebra- ligious identity politics which thrives on com- ferent elements of society that are otherwise such tions munal politics, vis-à-vis, divisive politics are not directly connected by interpersonal chan- festivi- have exploiting outer manifestations of religion such nels of communication and interactions. Geo- ties and started as festivities and celebrations to the hilt. And graphically separated culturally diverse groups celebra- contrib- this politics of ‘vote-bank’ is taking away thw share a sense of enhanced joy and happiness tions uting to real essence of our festivals and celebrations. through festivals and celebrations. Thus, fes- bring the rise When Lord Shri Rama after fourteen years of tivals bind communities together by bringing people of con- exile returned to Ayodhaya; the residents cel- them together and enabling them to become togeth- sumer- ebrated his return with lighted lamps with rows an integral part of an enhanced shared ex- er; and ism in of ‘diyas’ (earthen clay pots) on the dark night perience. And this ‘shared experience’ and a contrib- the soci- of ‘Amavasya.’ The idea behind lighting of ‘sense of togetherness’ and belongingness ute to ety with lamps signifies the ‘spreading of light’ and ne- create a base for a vibrant, inclusive commu- society Picture Courtesy: Atanu Majumdar potential gate the darkness of negativity. Thus, the es- nity and a nation. becoming negative sence of festivities is to share, give, help, and more inclusive and cohesive. fallouts. Consumers plan purchases and com- celebrate to create communities of light and As festivals are universal, celebrations reflect panies go far ahead in terms of promotions spread the message of unity and uncondition- diverse shades of our socio-cultural realities. But lately, the real ethos of festivities and the and offers which at times leads to mindless al love towards one and all; and also absolute People express their faith in the divine; they celebrations are being eclipsed by two sig- buying and this works on a simple premise: love of nature. We must go back to the basics express their joys and happiness, dancing, nificant factors. Globalisation and consumer- it’s a festive season, and so we must buy. The of festivities and celebrations, that is, festivals greeting, and hugging. And these celebrations ist culture have fragmented societies. Now it corporatised media for their own deep-rooted must create an inclusive and cohesive society do not remain confined to community neigh- seems that the ‘spiritual’ part of the festival and vested interests tries everything possible to based on true spiritualism. And through festi- bourhoods. Media transports these celebra- celebrations are either diminishing or have lim- pursue this agenda. Contemporary festivities vals, we must celebrate humanity. tions, which later becomes part of our extend- Long live “Kermis” These festivities still in place in the form of fun- the dodo in 1598, in reference to fowl fattened handiwork for charity. Debanjan Banerjee fairs, while the old allegorical representations for the Kermesse festival, which was held the are now uncommon. Whereas nearly every vil- day after they anchored on Mauritius. As such there is no such festival in this sub- lage has a kermis once or twice a year, the continent specifically in India comes in the no- large Zuidfoor or Foire du Midi (South Fair) of Impact on other languages and cultures menclature of “Kermis” or “Kermesse” but on SOMETIMES you will never know the Brussels and Sinksenfoor (Whitsun Fair) of the contrary, this land is made for hundreds Antwerp entice many visitors during several The term Kermess is applied in the United and thousands of Kermesses. So many reli- “true value of A MOMENT until it becomes A weeks. States to any entertainment, especially one gion, caste, creed, community, ethnicity lead MEMORY The funfair on the Vrijdagmarkt in Ghentco- organized in the awareness of charity. The to multifaceted, multi-dimensional carnivals incides with the 10-day long Gentse Feesten Dutch-American Village of Little Chute, Wis- throughout the year. Indeed, these carnivals hree words but spelt and pronounced in (Ghent Festivities) which are held across the consin celebrates Kermis annually since 1981. do play the role of an apt catalyst of integra- different ways, Kermesse,” or Kermis, or entire inner city around the 21st of July (Bel- The Wallonian settlements in Door County, tion, brotherhood, livelihood and above all the TKirmess. Basically these are Dutch lan- gian national holiday). Wisconsin, also celebrate a “Kermis” with tra- spirited cycle of life altogether. guage terms derived from ‘kerk’ (church) and ditional Belgian dishes and events. Besides ‘mis’ (mass) that became hired in English and American polity that celebrates this holiday is Long live “Kermis” French. The old history authenticate this is an La Kermesse of Biddeford, Maine. anniversary of the foundation of a church (or the parish) and in honor of the patron. Such In the City of Halifax (Nova Scotia, Canada), a celebrations were regularly held in the Low city with a limited Dutch heritage, Kermesses Countries, in Central Europe and also in north- have been held since 1907 as fundraisers for ern part of France, and were accompanied by the local children’s hospital. The École Fran- feasting, dancing and sports of all kinds. The çaise de Vancouver (ÉFIV) in North Vancou- church ale was an English equivalent. ver, British Columbia (Canada), holds an an- nual Kermesse with games, food, a pétanque Debatably the primary Kermesse was an an- tournament and community participation. nual carnival to mark the events of the Brussels massacre of 1370 (some believes it happened The standard Dutch language countenance The term has also had an immense influence in 1369) in the Belgium capita Brussels, when Vlaamse kermis (Flemish kermesse) once on Ibero-American culture. the whole Jewish population of the city were referred to the native village kermesse (as burnt alive or expelled after being accused of pronounced in the former County of Flanders) In the countries like Paraguay, Mexico, Peru, profaning a basket of communion hosts, which though its modern custom is mainly limited to Bolivia, Argentina and Chile, “Kermeses” are were said to have bled when stabbed. Accord- privately organized fairs open to the public, held by churches and schools to raise funds. ing to another source, those Jewish residents often for fund-raising, such as by schools or In Lithuanian language “kermošius” (kermoshi- who could prove that they did not sacrilegious youth organizations in the Flemish Region. us) means a fair after the mass in the church. the hosts were not killed, but were merely ban- In Italian “kermesse” means party. In Romani- ished from Brussels. The horde of the Dutch ship Gelderland used an “chermeză” means party or banquet. In the the names “griff-eendt” and “kermisgans” for Turkish language “kermes” is a sale of ladies’ Special Issue September 2019 Culture & Society 2

Not your Everyday Deity Migration of Tribals

his study concentrates on the influence of modern values and ery often in Indian households, when a girl is During the seventeenth century, poets of Bengal among institutions in the day to day life of the tribal migrants. The differ- praised, she is compared to Goddess Laxmi having others attempted to turn the fierce Goddess into a caring, Tent varieties of tribes used to migrate towards tea-gardens and Videal qualities or ‘Sarv Gun Sampyan’. Newlywed feminine force with much focus on her nurturing charac- other places of work since ages. But in recent years, the volume of such brides are labelled as ‘Ghar ki Laxmi’ - a metaphor, which teristics. They made her domestic in appearance, adding migration has intensified due to growing socio-economic hardships of may be linked to the element of dowry associated with mar- ornaments on her and changing her skin colour to a calm members of this marginalised community. Today, the tribes migrate to riage. How often would you find her compared to the rus- blue. However contemporary feminists see this as an in- various industrial and agriculturally rich areas with the sole idea of sus- tic and fierce Goddess Kali? The answer lies at the very tentional move to pacify the staunch orthodox segment of tenance of the change in their livelihood. Thus, there is a change in the root of the ideals that have shaped Indian society for cen- the society who felt threatened by such a dominating wom- social, economic and cultural life of the tribes due to migration. turies. Not one of your regular deities, Kali is summoned an. Women are expected to calm their male counterparts only when there is extreme an- and prevent them from going We attempt to identify the areas of changes in the life and culture of nihilation in the Universe. She down the path of rebellion. migrants. Interestingly, respondents acknowledging the impact of mi- has a raging persona, devoid of They are to absorb all kinds gration have asserted that it is difficult for them to sustain the age-old inhibitions and affections com- of annoyance and irritation belief and practice in society today. On the other hand, these migrants monly related to the ideal Indian into themselves. However, have realised that the process of migration has helped them to fight woman. in the case of the Goddess, starvation and various economic problems. Even it has directly influ- it is Shiva who has to pacify enced them to accept certain aspects of Bengali culture at Bankura Analysis of Indian literature re- her all destructive rage. Such and Hooghly districts of West Bengal leading to deteriorating traditional veals that the history of God- instance of a divine being is culture. dess Kali dates back to 2500 not always considered ideal BCE, during the Indus Valley for women to follow. Hence, It is clear that migration has several direct and indirect impacts on the civilization. She is identified as these stories are given dif- traditional culture, social norms and tradition of their particular tribal a dark-skinned woman, scantily ferent interpretations to mis- caste. The impact is evident in their day to day activities. The process clad in animal skin, holding up guide the masses, essentially of migration has helped them to learn about the new method of agricul- an aggressive posture. Adorned women from taking the road ture, cooking style, and food habits, the various languages, dress pat- with skulls and sharp weapons, to freedom from chains of pa- tern, getting accustomed to readymade clothes, aware of political mo- she does not come as a symbol triarchy. bilisations, learn habit of savings etc. Through the seasonal migration, of goodness. In the southern re- the migrants could learn about other needs of migration i.e., the need gions of the country she is even Therefore too much inspira- of education for their children, get exposure to modern health practices seen as a symbol of human dis- tion from such an unorthodox and could doubt superstitious practices like witch-craft, sorcery perfor- comfort. deity might alter the balance mances by the ‘priests’ and ‘Ojhas’. of power in society. That is All women, at some point, envi- why perhaps Kali is stereo- sion within themselves a divine typed as a symbol of death feminine. However few perceive and destruction. However this themselves as the angry god- eternal entity is much more dess. Commonly pictured as a than just aggression. While frightening figure wearing a gar- most people call her the an- land of severed heads, Kali shat- nihilator of all things evil, ters the conventional assuring she is also a fierce Mother, image of other female divinities. protecting her children from Much like the indomitable wom- adversities. In fact, accord- en of today, she does not adhere ing to modern-day feminism, to the societal rules. She, in her she may even be an icon of frenzy of wiping out the evil, Picture source: Artstation female liberation. With the steps on her husband Lord Shiva ongoing issues of gender in- who is the most powerful celestial being of the Hindu be- equality in most sections of the society, one should look lief system. Upholders of patriarchy state that the Goddess beyond the ordinary and embrace the unshackling traits of bit her tongue out of embarrassment. Here the tongue, an Kali. Hence for all the undaunted souls out there who are icon of power smeared with the blood of demons is con- searching for an opportunity to break free, it might be high verted into a symbol of shame. Much like the Goddess, time to include the unconventional Kali on your wall for the women who defy patriarchal norms are compelled to feel divine. guilty about their actions. They are portrayed as disorderly Picture source: Pinterest women who do not make good wives or caring mothers. Rapti Mukherjee, PG Media, 2nd Year

Recently I’ve come across to these people in one of the brick kilns and got to know about them, their way of living life, their work, their lifestyles, The Diwali Connection their daily routine and most importantly their reason for migration from their villages. There are around 100 to 120 migrants who come to this uting Indian sweets and lighting diyas (earth- brick kilns every year and at the end of the working season they travel en lamps). With whatever resources available, back to their villages. They are brought here by “Thikedars”, who divide people try to make their Diwali celebrations as them into groups and allow them to different organisations. They are lively and as possible, like masses back home given all the basic needs that they need for living. They are paid on weekly basis, and as compared to their village they earn here more for do. Since several cities in the States are now sustaining life. They are even provided with clothing by the municipal home to a large number of Indian communi- corporation. But, the government should take some more steps to pro- ties, there are many temples where people can vide them a better life free from poverty. There are people coming to offer prayers during Diwali. various brick kilns from the outskirts of Bihar and Patna especially from Similarly, in Wembley, London, there is a Gaya, Newada, Lakhisarai, Lalunagar, Barbariya, Barbigha since a long large Indian community which is dominated time for about 20 to 22 years. They work here as fireman, moulders and by the Gujratis and celebrate this festival of daily-wage workers like carrying the bricks arranging them. They earn lights in the grandest manner. Surely, abroad here more as compared to their village. They get all kinds of help like does not provide one with the luxury of burst- medical help, water supply, electricity, equipment for making food. The Municipal Corporation of that particular area also helps them by distrib- ing n number of crackers throughout the night, uting clothes and other basic needs. They also arrange for mass lunch. but people here do burst a sparkler or two, to keep in line with the customs. With the growing development and change in our society, these people In Dubai, which has a thriving Indian popula- Picture source: Pinterest have started to send their children to schools and colleges, where they tion, the community living there is able to cel- are treated with equal love and respect. The children are provided with ebrate the festival in style. A big event is being planned at all sorts of help like medical help, schooling and even entertainment. or the large community of Non-Resident Indians liv- Dubai creek which is one of the most happening places They are provided with houses for each family within the brick kilns ing in various countries like USA, UK and UAE, the in Dubai. The whole of Indian Consulate in Dubai, along to stay. But there are many children who even work with their parents festival of Diwali is a way to connect with their tradi- with Dubai authorities will be celebrating Diwali. There to lead a sustainable life. After having a good conversation with them, F when they were asked whether they would continue in this profession or tions and the Indian roots. will be bursting of firecrackers, lighting up of LED lights To the Indians working in San Jose or Cupertino, (which not? They very happily said that they will continue here to live and earn and many other events. and also because they get the privilege of getting their daughters and are considered to be the hubs of the Indian community in Surely, the celebrations abroad are no match for the cel- sons educated free of cost, which will in future help them to overcome California), Diwali calls for a way to connect with fel- ebrations in India. But for thousands and thousands of In- poverty and lead a good life. low countrymen. Since Diwali is mostly a working day in dians settled abroad, the festival of lights is a way to revisit USA, festivities are organised when people return home in their cultural and religious heritage. . Snighdha Bakshi, PG Media, 1st Year the evening. Thanks to globalisation, people based outside India gener- Ayan Chatterjee, PG Media, 2nd Year ally do not find it difficult to follow traditions like distrib- Special Issue September 2019 Culture & Society 3

Euthanasia Prolific. Victorious. Sindhu Choice of life or death? he day was near, and it was meant to be. the country’s foreign coach also put in a lot ef- gest in world Badminton. With total earnings PV Sindhu’s triumph on the global stage fort to train the Olympic silver medallist, with of $5.5 million (ranked 13th in the list), she is hen does life become so unbearable was just a matter of time, and August 25 special focus on the world championship and the lone athlete from the country to be named that you want to give up T marked the day when she went on to etch her the upcoming Olympic games. Sindhu went in Forbes’ 15 highest-paid female athletes in W name in the nation’s sporting history. In a little through rigorous training to sharpen her skills the world. Those who have taken occasional trips to more than half an hour (37 minutes), Pusarla and improve physical fitness and endurance. the hospitals to visit their relatives or friends, Venkata Sindhu became the first-ever Indian Without any doubt, PV Sindhu is the face of The BWF World Championship is a huge boost know one thing for sure that it is quite normal shuttler to win a gold at the BWF World Cham- change in a cricket-obsessed country which is to India’s hopes from PV Sindhu at the forth- for people to bond with others who are visit- pionship in Switzerland, by defeating Japan’s an established fact. In 2017, a report published coming Tokyo Olympics next year. As Sindhu ing their relatives or friends as well. It’s natu- Nozomi Okuhara. To state that Sindhu merely by the Economic Times said that PV Sindhu finds a rejuvenated self at the big stage, fans ral because you resonate with the battles and defeated her opponent will be an understate- was second only to Indian captain Virat Kohli and admirers around the globe wait for India’s the struggles they go through. Something like ment, as the latter was no match for Sindhu’s in terms of earnings from endorsements. In maiden Olympic gold at a badminton singles shared pain and misery. On one such visit of prowess and the scoreboard which read 21-7, February 2019, she signed a four-year sports event. mine, where I went to see an uncle, I came 21-7; was a testament of a dominating perfor- sponsorship deal of $7.2 million with Chinese across an elderly woman whose husband had mance by the 24-year-old. She didn’t let her sports brand Li Ning, making it one of the big- been admitted here for a very long time. When Purbasha Pal, PG Media, 2nd Year guards down for even a second, channelling it was time for him to sit back and enjoy his her aggression to play shots and move around second innings of life as a retired officer, he the court, and subsequently demolish her op- was stuck between life and death, mostly on ponent. Record-Breaking the side of death though. Doctors gave up on him months ago but his wife was bent on Sindhu! Not many have forgotten the BWF World keeping him alive through life support. Tears Championship final in 2017 when Sindhu suf- Here is a quick look at her acco- welled up in her eyes when expressed how fered a heart-wrenching loss against the same gradually he has reduced from a beautiful lades and achievements over the opponent. The new world number 3 Okuhara, man to just bones and skin. She also told me known for her speed and endurance, beat the years. how the hollow eyes of her husband accused current fifth-seeded Sindhu in an epic 110 min- her of keeping him alive without his will and 2009- bronze medal at Sub-Junior utes long clash. But this year, Sindhu buried that they begged for death. Ultimately she will her demons of the past to produce a demol- Asian Badminton Championship have to make a choice - life in worst conditions ishing performance. Without any doubt, PV or death that gives relief? Sindhu is the face of Indian badminton, but this 2012- winner of Asian Youth Under hasn’t stopped her from receiving criticism- This choice is what makes Euthanasia so 19 Championship particularly for losing hold in tournament finals. complicated, yet so simple! Whether we dis- In fact, it took her six BWF appearances to win 2013- first Grand-Prix gold by win- pense mercy to those who don’t want to live her first gold, after winning two bronze in 2013 anymore and where death seems more al- ning Malaysian title; becoming In- and 2014, and two silver medals in 2017 and luring than precious life or keeping the incur- 2018. dia’s first medallist in women’s sin- able forcefully bound to Earth. Hope is a good thing, but sometimes it is better to let it go. We gles at world championship; won However, the lanky shuttler from Hyderabad must muster the courage to bid them farewell, has never stopped anything from getting in to be brave enough to set them free from life, Picture Source: Getty Macau Open Grand Prix gold and her way. Although she has been called out when it becomes a burden. for her inability to win gold in finals, Sindhu bestowed with the prestigious Ar- has a reputation of stepping up her game on Manjari Ray, PG Media, 2nd Year juna Award for badminton. the big stage. PV Sindhu wasn’t in the best of form, coming into the world championship 2014- first Indian to win two back-to-back medals in the BWF World this year. In the quarter-final against Chinese Badminton Championships after her bronze medal finish. Taipei’s Tai Tzu Ying, Sindhu was trailing by Chief Mentor - won her third successive women’s singles title with the Macau Cecil Antony 12-21 after the first set, and it appeared as if 2015 she was set for a pre-mature exit. However, Open Grand Prix Gold; awarded with the Padma Shri award, India’s she fought back to win the next two sets by 23- Managing Editor 21, 21-19 and there was no looking back. In Debanjan Banerjee fourth-highest civilian award. the semi-finals, she defeated second-seeded Chen Yufei from China in straight sets of 21-7, 2016- won the Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold women’s singles title; Editorial Advisory Board 21-14. Consequently, the Padma Shri winner Marisha McAuliffe made history by becoming the youngest and first female individual to has successfully maintained a 100% record Firoz Mohammed against Chinese shuttlers in world champion- bag an Olympic Silver medal representing India; won the Rajiv Gandhi Krishnendu Sarkar ships. With her win, PV Sindhu has become Naveen Das Khel Ratna award. the second woman after former Olympics and Subhashis Maity world champion Zhang Ning of China to win 2017- won Indian Open Superseries; won silver at BWF World Cham- the most number of medals at World Cham- Editorial Board- Mentors pionship. pionship; runner up at Dubai world superseries final Sayak Pal 2018- won gold for mixed doubles in Commonwealth games, silver in Srija Naskar A lot of credit for Sindhu’s turnaround should go to her coach Pullela Gopichand. In fact, it the Singles event, silver in world championship, first Indian to win the Design & Illustration was Gopichand’s success that inspired Sind- season-ending BWF World Tour Finals tournament; clinched a historic Sayak Pal hu to take up badminton as a profession. The chief national coach of the Indian badminton silver medal in Women’s Singles Badminton event to became the first Photographs-Mentors team was always impressed by Sindhu’s nev- Indian to finish second on the podium in the Asian Games. Suman Bandyopadhyay er-say-die spirit, and it is under his guidance Anwar Ali that Sindhu went on to become India’s most successful badminton player. Kim Ji Hyun, Editorial Board- Students Shubro Mukherjee Purbasha Pal Bleak in the Festival of Illumination iwali has been a festival elucidating fear since childhood days. Al- nor do the ordinary people around us (young and old alike) who go about Contributor- Students though friends in the locality would enjoy burning firecrackers of vari- merrymaking all night long on Diwali. Abhijit Dhar, Anubhab Chaudhary, Anurag Ghosh, ants, the wreath of smoke would choke one and all. Diwali since time Atanu Majumdar, Ayan Chatterjee, Debangana D immemorial trumpets the victory of Lord Krishna over Narakusara and the For us, Kali puja is the equivalent of Diwali in the eastern part of India, Chakrabarti, Indranil Banerjee, Kaustav Mazumdar, day before Diwali is often celebrated as Naraka Chaturdasi. Such mytho- which is held on the night of the New Moon in the Bengali month of Kartik. Manjari Ray, Nirmalaya Banerjee, Priyadarshini logical anecdotes have always enriched the essence of festivals and our She is not only an embodiment of Shakti but also Tantrism or Indian black Mukherjee, Purabi Chatterjee, Purbasha Pal, Rapti childhoods. My grandmother used to narrate these tales to me. Our genera- magic. The main purpose of kali puja is to seek the help of the goddess in Mukherjee, Sayani Banerjee, Shiny Kar, Shubro tion has been lucky to savour the essence of such festivals with an elucida- destroying evil—both in the outside world and within us. The rituals of the Mukherjee, Snighdha Bagchi, Souradeep Dalal, tion of the myths and sagas. puja ought to be very simple but we end up preparing elaborate meals, Subhashri Dutta, Swastika Paul, Tirthankar Das mostly puritanical, as “bhog” for the goddess when in mythology Kali is said Gradually as the years passed, Diwali has come to be known less as the to have consumed som ras or wine. Kali was always an aboriginal goddess, festival of lights and more as the festival of air and sound pollution. No earliest to have been worshipped by the Austric tribals. Much later she was wonder every year it makes a big hole in our pockets and turns the Chinese incorporated into the Brahminical pantheon. Printed and published by NSHM Market in Calcutta a hub of thriving commerce. The local vendors who make earthen lamps also suffer from our consumerism, as we choose to buy glint- As with Diwali and every other religious festival, we mostly obsess over Knowledge Campus, Kolkata, 60(124) ing rice lights over aesthetic diyas. And it is based on such consumerist rituals and use such occasions to make a dirty display of wealth and power B.L. Saha Road, Kolkata 700053. No choices of ours that poor children from several parts of India continue to be rather than spiritual exploration. What gets lost is a basic human essence. part of Ytimes may be used or re- employed in the firecracker-manufacturing business; one such being the Si- produced in any manner whatsoever vakasi Firecrackers factory. The higher the use of firecrackers, the higher is without written permission. the employment of these vulnerable children who also often lose their lives Priyadarshini Mukherjee, PG Media, 2nd Year as it is a hazardous profession. The corporatized media does not pay heed; Special Issue September 2019 Photo Gallery 4 “ The more pictures you see, the better you are as a photographer.”

1 2 3

4 5

6 7

8

1. Souravdeep Dalal, UG Media, 2nd Year 2. Abhijit Dhar, UG Media, 2nd Year 3. Pallavi Laha, PG Media, 1st Year 4. Abhijit Dhar, UG Media, 2nd Year 5. Souravdeep Dalal, UG Media, 2nd Year 6. Atanu Majumdar, UG Media, 2nd Year 7. Anubhab Chaudhary, UG Media, 2nd Year 8. Tirthankar Das, UG Media, Final Year Special Issue September 2019 Infotainment 5 Rock music is dying and the Millenials don’t have a clue

usic is everywhere, one only needs to As the grunge legend, Kurt Kobain said, “the table and it is the only constant thing but Rock that is a completely different topic but rock mu- have the ear for it. Coming to rock mu- duty of youth is to challenge corruption” and didn’t deserve to die. The powerful lyrics that sic is not the same anymore. Even the great- Msic, people who were born in the pe- that is where it all began. The birth of rock and could drive thousands of people in a positive est bands of all time are releasing new albums riod between the 50s and 80s have witnessed its subgenres had everything to do with rebel- direction is no longer effective. The millennials that lack the essence of pure rock. They call it a lot of changes in the genre. The changes lion, protest and not giving in to the challenges don’t care about what ‘Stairway to Heaven’ or post-rock and incorporate electronic samples were prevalent and have left several marks in life. The fans used to ‘Comfortably Numb’ or ‘Pur- which is absolutely disturbing to rock lovers. in the history of rock and roll. No sooner than believe in the particular ple Rain’ conveyed; they are the late 2000s, things started taking a differ- genre and had a differ- only interested in dancing to From an artist’s perspective, the world is de- ent turn only to smother the existence of ener- ent philosophy towards electronic music. In an inter- manding change and in order to be in the getic tracks with powerful vocals, pumped up life making rock and view, Dave Grohl, the former charts, the compositions need modern touch. drums and distorted guitars. The millennials roll something more drummer of Nirvana and the On the other hand, the listeners do not have might have other views but one question re- than just music, they frontman of Foo Fighters ex- any clue what real rock is. The millennials mains unanswered; why don’t we see another said that rock is a reli- pressed his concern on the won’t go back in time and buy a Led Zeppelin Kurt Kobain, Freddie Mercury, Jimi Hendrix or gion to them. state of present-day music in record, they would rather stream a trance track Bruce Springsteen in this era? the US. He said, “pop music on Spotify and dance to the beat. Cut to 2010, the scene in America right now is so One of the most commonly found explana- started looking a bit superficial”. He is absolutely As the adage goes ‘Old is Gold’, changes have tions for the change in rock music is time and different. Many record disappointed by the blooming affected every art form, be it music, cinema or generation. People say the time has led to the companies fell to the musicians and their inability anything else. The concern is, will the youth emergence of newer genres that have slowly prey of bankruptcy, to write good music. Grohl ever know what rock music is all about? Rock minimized the impact of rock music on listen- sale of records de- added on pop music, “It’s fun is extremely powerful, it can cure pain and ers. Others say it is about the generation and clined, musicians started Picture source: Google images to listen to, to turn up in your give strength. Alas! The millennials don’t have the millennials do not know what real music is. working and publish- car when you’re in traffic, but a clue. Perhaps both the statements are relevant. Ac- ing their music independently, and the major there’s no substance at all. It’s devoid of any cording to a survey done in the United States, change was the emergence of electronic mu- meaning. I’m not just saying that as a 45-year- Nirmalaya Banerjee, PG Media, 1st Year the sale of rock records has declined drasti- sic. old rock musician, I’m saying that as a human cally over the years and only 14% of the US being. If the Number One song is about your population is listening to rock and its subgen- Pop, Hip hop, EDM, Trance, etc., took the butt, that’s a problem.” res in 2019. world by storm and the youth started relating themselves with the genres. Change is inevi- Is it worth listening to modern-day music? Well,

India Turns to Electric Vehicles to Beat Pollution he Union Budget has announced a bold issued guidelines and standards for this in De- move to make a transition to electric cember last year, setting technical parameters Tvehicles and offered a tax incentive for for public charging stations that can enable the early adopters. Its stated vision to leapfrog normal and fast charging. into an era of electric mobility and domestic With price competition, a speedy spread of vehicle manufacturing, led by public transport electric two-wheelers can be expected, given and commercial vehicles, is forward-looking. that over 80% of conventional vehicles sold It is also inevitable because poor air quality in India come under that category. Affordable and noise pollution have sharply affected the charging will make these vehicles and com- quality of life, and pose a serious public health mercial three-wheelers attractive because challenge. operating costs are a fraction of petrol and diesel equivalents. Yet, longer range travel will As the NITI Aayog has stated, the goal of shift- require more than a charge-at-home facility, ing to electric vehicles cannot make progress and this wouldw have to be in the form of fast without deadlines, and a market-driven ap- charging at parking lots, retrofitted fuel outlets, proach sought by some sections of the auto- new public charging stations, hotels, offices motive industry will leave India’s capabilities and so on. Swapping the battery at convenient and infrastructure for e-mobility trailing others, locations with one that is pre-charged, espe- notably China. With 2030 as the outer limit, cially for commercial vehicles that run longer the imperative is to fix a realistic time-frame and need a quick turnaround, is worth consid- by which scooters, motorcycles, three-wheel ering. A longer-term policy priority has to be carriages and later, all newly manufactured the setting up of lithium battery production and vehicles will be battery powered. An additional solar charging infrastructure of a scale that Picture source: Tata Power income tax deduction of ₹1.5 lakh is now being matches the ambition. The Centre has accept- offered on interest paid on loans to purchase ed some of the demands of the auto industry lier. There is a significant outlay under the sec- The budgetary measures will have an immedi- electric vehicles, and the GST Council has to popularize EVs. ond iteration of the Faster Adoption and Man- ate impact on the pricing of electric vehicles been moved to cut the tax on e-vehicles to 5% ufacturing (of Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles and bring in more models, but it will take a sus- from 12%. (FAME) plan of ₹10,000 crore, to give a fillip tained effort by the Centre, in partnership with Kaustav Mazumdar, PG Media, 1st Year to commercial vehicles and to set up charging State governments, to enable a fast rollout of Both demands were made by the industry ear- stations. charging infrastructure. The Ministry of Power Artist’s Block

tive theory of the world and dissatisfaction take over for the “MY HEAD WAS FULL OF WORDS, hose words then why the same peo- most part of time, space and sinews. YET THE SHEETS ARE NOT are we looking ple are contradicting the For an artist, art is the only way to ana- SCRATCHED BY THE INDIGO Where? Whose basic theorems? lyze, adapt and express the inner feel- STREAKS. I FAILED THIS NIGHT.” thoughts are we div- Well, the answer lies ings. When the only way to do so is ing into and seeking out within the skeletal hampered it takes a significant toll upon “MY MIND SEEKS THE COLOR TO- words draped in grey? framework of two words them. The expectations from self shatter NIGHT, YET THE CANVAS STARES These are the words of “ARTISTS BLOCK”. down the inner capabilities and a feeling AT ME VACANT LIKE SOME PROM- the ones who dare to To an ordinary person it of hopelessness prevails all over. dream, who dare to leap ISES UNFULFILLED. I WATCH IN might not ring the alarm When the neighbourhood sleeps, a sole amidst chaos and take HORROR AS MY WORLD CRASH- bell of consolation, but compartment stays up, the light of fad- out a sector of serenity for the ones who face it ed yellow tearing through the glistening ES IN FRONT OF ME.” and serve it to the world. and dread it they know black of the cityscape, feeble enough The ARTIST Picture source: Google how not to make his presence among the “THE MOMENT WAS THERE, I WAS who doesn’t much chaotic aberrations of time, and while NOT. IT EXPIRED. WHAT REMAINS necessarily do different things but does agony and pain and disappointment everyone peacefully sleeps, holding IS AN EMPTY FAÇADE OF REAL- things differently. But then one must hides beneath it. onto the fear, he weeps. ITY OF MY ABILITY TO LOWER MY- put forward this question as to what It’s a phase where the need to produce SELF OVER AND OVER AGAIN.” was the purpose of these statements? new projects increases exponentially If they are the driving force of imagina- while the productive output decreases Pallavi Laha, PG Media, 1st Year Special Issue September 2019 Review & profile 6 Sacred Games Season 2 Review: Disappointment or a piece of gem?

giving us deep in- Other positives from the season include an- of Trivedi and father of Sartaj Singh; and sights into characters tagonist, Shahid Khan (played by Ranveer their cumulative nexus monitored by their and plots, the other Shourie) and his storyline connecting with ringleader, Guruji. might look at the pro- the protagonist from the story. longed narrative, mo- Anurag Kashyap delivers his directorial notonous. Kalki Koechlin, who plays the role of Guruji’s magic in some of the scenes involving hal- disciple Batya Abelman, did a half-decent lucinogens, coupled with extraordinary im- ‘Guruji’, played by es- job herself. provs from the dynamic duo of Nawazuddin tablished actor Pan- Siddique and Pankaj Tripathi. kaj Tripathi, now has The surprise factor from the season comes quite an impressive from Suvreen Chawla, who plays on a dark, Viewers shall also to witness picturesque battalion of following, intriguing character while portraying Jojo views of Kenya and South Africa. The se- post his extraordinary Mascarenhas. Her narrative will help view- ries may be divided into two halves. The first execution of the said ers to look at her as a layered artist hence- four episodes build-up for the subsequent role. forth, unlike the clichéd roles she played in action in the latter half of the series. Sen- commercial movies previously. sational writing from Varun Grover engages Analogous with the the audience until its last breath. first season, the story Recurring characters Zoya Mirza, Malcolm revolves around the Mourad, Bipin Bhosale, and DCP Parulkar Overall, the season lives up to its prolonged life story of ‘Ganesh remain in the periphery of all the action build-up and its network of character devel- Gaitonde’, played by throughout the narrative. opment. Picture source: Google veteran actor Nawa- zuddin Siddique, However, the increased airtime for the new Unlike other Indian series on Netflix, Sacred while formidably characters and their development comes at Games Season 2 does not taper off in the fter a riveting first season last year, prancing around with timelines through the the expense of the old ones. Kanta Bai and end, instead, keeps the viewers hanging for Sacred Games Season 2 was one of central storyline of Inspector Sartaj Singh Bunty only appear in cameos, leaving the the next season. Athe most highly anticipated events, and his bid to save the city from an imminent audience in splits. along with the ultimate season of Game of apocalyptical event. One can only help but wait for the next up- Thrones. The only undesired comedy scene appears date from the already established franchise. The gem created by Anurag Kashyap and right at the climax when one of the analysts Bookworms claim that there is more than Unlike the action-packed first season, the Vikram Motwane smartly refer to the epics wears a bulletproof vest while detonating a what meets the eye. Readers of Vikram narrative of the following season might be from Hinduism, thoughts provoked by the nuclear bomb, trying to hack into the system Chandra’s novel have claimed that there perceived as dull and elongated in parts. controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree by drawing ‘Z’ pattern, much like a smart- still is a room for a third season. Fingers Rajneesh (Osho), and also throws light on phone. Crossed. While one school of thought firmly back the the ongoing issue of lynching in the country. intricate details enveloped in the airtime, The sequel finally explains the involvement Shubro Mukherjee, PG Media, 2nd Year A Tete-e-Tete with the prodigy Rhythm Shaw

Mumbai being the hub of Bollywood, runs very do not lose hope. There are always good times It’s not necessarily that way. You always have t is said that you see the signs when they well because of the commercial Bollywood and bad times, but you got to fight throughout. to give your best to impress your audience are young. And that’s what exactly happened music. Honestly, I will say Kolkata has some of Even in the good times, do not stop practis- and that’s what exactly happened. I was re- Iwith Rhythm Shaw from Kolkata. 23-year-old the most amazing musicians when compared ingthinking yourself to be great. Instead, don’t ally happy to see the reaction from the other Ridu as he is popularly known among friends to the rest of India. At times it is the sheer num- think that you are great and keep on doing side of the world, where guitar owes much of and family has performed and worked with the ber of musicians, who dedicatedly practice the what you love. This is something I have been its origin to. best musicians in India and abroad. Having art. Kolkata being a culturally rich place, music taught by my parents from a very young age. already worked with stalwarts like AR Rah- literally flows within you. Of course there are It was a great moment for me sharing the man, Ranjit Barot, Peter Finger, Clive Carroll, other great cities in Northeast and cities like Which has been your most memorable per- stage with international artists. I got a chance Thomas Leeb, John Lunn, he started out at a Bengaluru, Delhi, which have great musicians, formance outside India till date? to interact and perform with stalwarts like Pe- very young age under the able guidance of his ter Finger, Clive Carroll, Thomas Leeb, John father, the legendary Nepal Shaw who has It is really dif- Lunn. worked with the great RD Burman. Rhythm ficult to say be- tells us about his journey so far. cause I have You are so young and occupied, what lost count of the keeps you going and motivated? How did music happen in your life? number of gigs I have performed. My life, in general, keeps me motivated. I like It wasn’t a very difficult decision for me to Outside India, to take motivation from things around me. make because I belonged from a family which if there’s one I used to watch Moto GP, biking and stunts had music in its core. From early childhood, place I love per- interest me. I admired Valentino Rossi and my dad knew that I would be a musician, forming would watching his videos motivated me greatly and therefore my name ‘Rhythm’. So right from the be in Germany. I brought a smile on my face. They inspired time I had consciousness about my existence, have performed me so much that I almost became a junkie in I was already strumming my small guitar be- in 28 concerts terms of practice. The passion is such that at fore I started understanding anything else. I re- in 28 days in times there is no sleep and rest but my mind member once my dad (Nepal Shaw) was com- Germany for keeps focused and calm. I always keep think- posing something and me, being a little kiddo the International ing about new ideas and upcoming projects. I took the small ‘ukulele’ kind of instrument Guitar Night The mind plays an active part in your growth. along with a drawing book and sat beside my Festival which I You need to build your own self so that you dad scratching, scribbling trying to write music. was a part of in can climb up. Knowing myself better not only I feel that it all started there. Picture courtesy: Rhythm Shaw 2016 and 2017. I helps me get better in music but also as a hu- but Kolkata significantly has been a more pop- came up with my album Opening Act in 2015, man being. As I go around the world meeting You were introduced on stage by your ular cultural hub. The only problem with Kol- which was a huge success. It felt great ex- people, learning different cultures and making father who is a legend in himself. Tell us kata is a lack of proper system of distribution pressing your emotions and playing your own music is such an amazing feeling. I am playing about your first performance with him. of remuneration, whereas Mumbai has more music to an international audience. They ap- the guitar because I love to and while doing regularity in a number of gigs which are at the preciated it so much that they came back ask- that I get to earn money, meet new people and I don’t think anyone can be a better guide than same time economically rewarding. This is one ing for the second album which I am currently also travel the world. my dad. The way he guided me, he didn’t let of the basic reasons why more number of peo- working on. me perform a lot but he made sure that I got ple tend to come to Mumbai. That being said, Nowadays when most parents discourage the right opportunities, grabbed them and I am still a Kolkata-r Bangali and a true Mumbaikar Finally, how did AR Rahman happen and extracurricular activities, how was the situ- flourished. I am not sure how much Ihave at the same time. what exactly did it feel like? ation at your home? flourished, but I am happy to have reached where I am now. I performed for the first time How does it feel being a youth icon and Mohini Dey and I have been very good friends It was just the opposite at my place. My friends with my dad at a hall named Rangana Theatre, representing India at different music festi- for a really long time. She showed some of my were always envious of me having such amaz- the unusual thing being I was playing the tabla vals worldwide? videos to Ranjit uncle who really liked it and ing parents who always supported me. My dad and my dad played the acoustic guitar. It was gave me a call. I was asked to come over for and mom being musicians themselves were a very dicey situation thinking about which in- It feels really great and I am honoured to get a recording. He gave me a second call and always supportive. But then again at times, it strument to take up for my career. Both of the the opportunity to represent India. I feel really asked me whether I would like to play with Re- was difficult. I didn’t have many friends and did instruments were close and dear to me and happy that I have been chosen to do so by hman sir. It all happened in a jiffy and it felt not go out much and the focus was more on making the decision to choose one was really people who had their trust in me, who thought really out of the world. Everyone around got a building a career. tough. that I had it in me to present myself in front of little excited and the rest is almost like history. the world. But then again, it took some while How different is the music scene in Mumbai for this to happen. Hours of practice, constant How was it releasing your first album out- in comparison to Kolkata? dedication and focus have helped me through. side India? Does it increase expectations Anurag Ghosh, PG Media, 2nd year That’s what I would like to share with everyone, when you go out of your homeland? Special Issue September 2019 Poets Corner 7 POETS Wise Knocks CORNER Shiny Kar, UG Media, 3rd year For a life, I was sure, those words were genuine,

Smile that caressed souls, eyes sanguine...

But, life you see, has upgraded itself to difficult levels,

Deceiving you with serpents behind honey smothered fables.

All spiced up chiseled words, curtained at their best,

Ready to hammer you, right there, right at your weakest.

Thus unveils the fantasies carved within reality,

Innocent swears, shameless laughs, uncalled sympathy...

For all that’s into existence is a mirage of love,

Wringed hearts, dimmed smiles, but hey, that isn’t enough!

Tortured, silent cries, submersed under noisy lanes,

Hopes evaporated and trust smashed to grains...

But yeah, life goes on with its million plays staged,

The serpent wrapped in a new skin, the victim trapped and caged.

For a life, I thought those words were genuine,

But now I know, that smile bred poison, eyes sanguine.

Emotions of a Poem Farewell Debangana Chakrabarti, UG Media, 2nd Year Saptadyuti Kar, PG Media, 2nd Year What am I, if you ask? You see I’m not much of a task! With oceans in my eyes and thunders in my heart, I bid I am those feelings inside your soul, you adieu my home sweet home... Emotions that might be darker than coal. Oh!my roots! The sunshine that casts you light Let me forever endure the ache of parting Words that make your day bright. Enwrap me not in your blanket of affection, For I must That which might bring a smile to your face leave, Or mark guilt when you find that trace. The belligerent world awaits me! Shed some tears, And remove all your fears. The chords of nostalgia will strike from time to time Your worries stay with you only, The pages of indelible memory will be turned over and You can help yourself more than anybody. over Sentiments might be quite revealing, Our memory lane will forever be guarded by lights Don’t take it to your heart, am just saying. Lane, where no dust will rest, You play with me, with my words indeed Only fond memories for recollection. At the end of the day, you do succeed. You scribble on me with your pen, On a weary day, on a cloudy night Writing about you and other men. When fog and mist surrounds my mind Or else you choose to type me down I will visit the lane Making me feel great through your words as a Craving some solace. crown. When everyone else leaves you, Oh!my roots! I will be there as your only crew. Let me behold you for one last time, Slipping the last glass of wine, Let my eyes witness your charm for one last time I feel so good to call you mine. For I must take your leave For a journey unknown The hostile world awaits me. Special Issue September 2019 KNOW How 8 Five common mistakes that you should avoid during Email Marketing Campaign

-mail is effective only when it is clev- made; they don’t usually include the bla- 2: Focus on the customer, not the prod- vices. This quality is known as “responsive erly written. The prior objective is to tantly misspelt words or misplaced graphics uct design”. Eunderstand its purpose & its goals. that feature the wrong promotion. They are Digital clients have busy schedules and ‘little’ and sometimes ‘big’ mistakes that are It should be kept in mind that the purpose of 4: Be yourself inboxes. Therefore in order to make an im- easy to overlook but cost you email opens an e--mail is to serve the customer and not pression, we must ensure that the informa- and click-throughs. Let us look into five of the product/service that your company pro- One of the biggest email marketing mis- tion we pass on is short, convincing, precise these common mistakes that you should vides. Getting short-sighted and overlook- takes is not to be yourself while you are and most importantly presentable. avoid while sending emails to your clients. ing the demands of your client would put communicating with your client. Your client your company’s reputation at stake. In order might develop boredom from reading your We do receive newsletters and automati- 1: Don’t overhype your subject line to serve your client, it is important to repeat responses, therefore instead of being an e- cally generated e-mails in our inboxes on the services that your company provides but mail marketing bot trying to sell something, a daily basis. Some of them do live up to The common mistake that e-mail marketers that should be a solution to the problem and let your personality shine. Being yourself our expectations while we tend to ignore the tend to make is overhyping the subject line. it should be more than what your client ex- might create a noteworthy difference and rest. In fact the ones that meet the eye are The brand trust factor is an important ele- pects of you. spark your way through all obstacles. Your not only visually attractive but are also ac- ment and overhyping your subject line would client’s interest level may rise with the way knowledgeable with authentic, precise and lead to your association being spammed. That would certainly raise the brand trust, you deal things. Individual differences do interesting content. It is important to under- so much so that if the necessary demands matter. stand the perception of a customer before In that case, it is certain that this activity are met then you might even be rewarded sending emails to subscribers. would lead to disrupting the brand trust and with the client sharing about your compa- 5: Use adequate images to support your that would affect your company’s goodwill. ny’s profile over social media. That would content Marketing e-mails can be classified into two lead to a silent promotion. Do provide au- broad categories; Engagement e-mails and Various analytical studies have concluded thentic links that link to your association’s It would not be wise to use all images in the Transactional e-mails. E-mail marketing that when a consumer is intrigued by the digital content. But make sure the links are entire email. Not all users optimize their de- completely drives its focus on marketing a subject line and the hyperlink attached with not broken. vice with image content. It should also be commercial message to a group of individu- the email contains insufficient information or kept in mind to use adequate images to sup- als. content which does not relate to the subject, 3: User-friendly/Responsive design port your content. Understanding your cus- the consumer’s psychological approach to- tomer is an important way to be an efficient It also involves developing successful mar- wards the email changes or should we say Most of the E-mail Marketing Campaigns marketer. It helps you analyse the priority keting strategies. With the advent and rise drastically declines for that matter. are designed for all devices on which us- levels and also the demands. Your email in digital media, the cyber era offers plenty ers can read their emails such as desktops, should fill your client with sufficient textual of resources to craft our communication Therefore it is to be kept in mind that the tablets, smartphones etc. E-mail campaigns and graphical content. It shouldn’t be too strategies. Even with the wide array of suc- subject line must be precise, relatable to the designed for smartphones and tablets get long either. cessful marketing techniques available over content and should be written using only more priority as studies show that 67% of the internet, mistakes and errors are still lower case letters. emails are viewed or read via these de- Indranil Banerjee, PG Media, 2nd Year

Lines on a chosen aspect of the country Politics and Criminalization onsidering the con- less you have that redlin- amount of rural popula- Blaming women’s cloth- emembering an episode from childhood, watching Tom dition of women in ing in your forehead. tion where girls are objec- ing: There are 1,00,000 and Jerry show- when the remote was snatched and Cour country, being a There is no sex educa- tified. Right after 14 or 15, more Soma Chakroborty channel switched. The screen turned into a bloodbath responsible citizen and a tion, but porn is available they are forced to marry who blame women’s at- R with the criminals hurling bombs to scare away the voters in woman who is conscious for free. The proper util- even before they realize tire for rape. Our politi- some election booth. Being naïve, unable to comprehend, of the violence revolving ity of sexual what sexual cal figures are different somehow the word ‘rigging’ etched in my memory and re- around a women’s life, I intercourse is intercourse than her, who believe and mained with me ever since. Only today, I fully understand would like to emphasize never clear is. Lack of have quoted publicly that what the word means and it’s ugly consequences. the rape culture that our to an individ- literacy rate, it is a women’s fault for country is struggling with. ual right from the portrayal getting raped. They are During the first General Elections in 1951, no one with a crim- Rape is the fourth most their child- of women in no different than Mukesh inal background was either given nomination or got elected. common crime against hood. Some their house- Singh, Delhi gang-rape Politics was then dominated exclusively by middle-class as women in India. think that it hold and convict who has stated well as by the Rajas and other elites. is something family, the in a documentary that the According to the National to shy away dominance victims must stay quiet The scenario started to change from the ‘70s, with crimi- Crime Records Bureau from, some- of patriarchal while getting raped, that nal infiltration in politics. Various socio-political movements (NCRB) 2013 annual re- thing which chauvinism a girl of a reputed family started to take shape throughout the country. The reliance port, 24,923 rape cases they are are some of shouldn’t roam around in on people that they would support their agenda gave way to were reported across In- not supposed the reasons the streets- they should dia in 2012. The mention to discuss for marital manage household work. coercion and threat. Greed, force, fraud had then gradually of the year 2012 sends with parents rape and I wonder how do these entered the system. Hence, the rank-and-file of every politi- a shiver up and down and to be pre- other forms butchers justify the rapes cal party got tainted as crime infiltrated the echelons of pow- my spine- with ‘Jyoti’, formed rather of rapes. of two-year-old and four- ers and started dictating terms. the entire country bled stealthily. Having year-old. on that fatal day. Every talked about Today we are no longer talking of the politics-crime nexus. year movies are made on As a result, the notion the rural population, ur- These are some of the The crime in many cases has become politics. It is no longer women’s safety women’s of healthy sex never ban population is no reasons that deserve the henchman of any political boss-it has become the boss. rights, but the percentage reaches children, and good not get mentioned. a mention. Be it a man The general perception today is that Indian politics is a fen that gets positively affect- they grow up to believe In urban population also or a woman, violence is of dirty water. Only germs can breed there. Nothing good can ed is very low. that sex is something to there are people who ob- not acceptable. Rapes survive in this dirty world. have fun. India has the jectify women. There are are not acceptable- any- They watch it for enter- highest rate of population females of urban culture thing about you that is Fortunately, the Indian judiciary has taken cognizance of this tainment purposes and growth in the world; one that are victims of physi- without your permission increasing and alarming criminalization of Indian politics. The digest it with their regu- of the highest rates of cal violence and molesta- is not acceptable. No Supreme Court had passed an order that debars politicians lar thali and excrete it in teenage pregnancy and tions. matter how many times from participating in politics if he is convicted in any criminal the usual process. Noth- HIV/AIDS infection; and we trend ‘#nomeansno’, case. This order has certainly made the Raja Bhaiyas and ing remains inside. From a shockingly high rate of Failure of law: Every until and unless we re- Pappu Yadavs of Indian Politics a little apprehensive. Jyoti to Asifa, what did sexual abuse amongst rape case is a failure of ally implement this say- they do to deserve such children and adults – men our constitutional laws ing, nothing is going to Another silver lining was found in the reaction of civil society excruciating death? Rape and women. The leading that states everyone has change. No matter how against the legitimization of corruption and criminalization is an acute pesticide of cause: reluctance to edu- equal rights. Every rape much progress our coun- in Indian politics. In today’s date, there are several move- our country that no pest cate our youth about their case where convicts are try achieves in terms of ments and bills that are passed against this corruption that control can really vandal- bodies, their urges, and not hanged immediately economy, science, for- has gained tremendous public support. Perhaps the corrupt ize. Enlisting some of the the meaning and impor- after they are proven eign policies and in other politicians have read into this movement the disgust of the points that are responsi- tance of safe sexual prac- guilty showcase the loop- aspects, as long as your ordinary Indians against them. Perhaps they have learnt to ble for the rampant rape tices. Children at a very holes of our system. Un- mothers and sisters are be afraid of the common man. cases that are being re- early age must be taught til and unless there are not protected, will there ported, some are not re- how to control their body some strict and rigid laws be a difference? At last, what we can do is to take heart from these move- ported but the causes are urges and what is the against rape and physical similar. difference between con- acts of violence, noth- The famous quote re- ments and sincerely hope that through them our country sensus and in consensus ing is going to change. minds ‘a woman brought would get the appropriate weapon to remove this menace Lack of sex education- sexual intercourse. The number of heinous you into this world, so from the face of Indian polity. In our country utterance crimes against women you have no right to dis- of the word ‘sex’ is con- The portrayal of wom- will continue to escalate respect one Subhashri Dutta, PG Media, 1st Year sidered offensive and en- en: Marital rapes are ex- if strict laws are not made gaging into it is far more tremely common in our immediately. Saptadyuti Kar, PG outrageous until and un- country. India has a huge Media, 2nd Year