New Concept Calendar
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From the innocuous marigold to the conch shell, from the CALENDAR deep sea to the bees, the birds and their complex abodes, to the intricacies of the human body, to the incredible geometry 2018 of the solar system, all things big and small in this universe reveal superlative design. New Delhi Injecting the rhythm, the balance and harmony displayed in [email protected] nature into the human environment remains a vital quest and Bhubaneswar one of the challenges of this millennium. [email protected] With over 30 years of collective experience in transformational Chennai research and communication, we at New Concept are geared [email protected] to meet this challenge head on! Hyderabad New Concept specialises in: [email protected] > Rigorous quantitative, qualitative and evidence-based research; Lucknow [email protected] > Analytical documentation of processes and outcomes; > Supportive monitoring and evaluation, impact Patna assessments; [email protected] > Web-based monitoring systems, content management, resource centres, repositories; > Researching into knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of communities; > Developing effective communication strategies for behaviour change; Concept, design and production > Capacity building for grassroot, frontline and managerial New Concept Information Systems Pvt. Ltd. functionaries and stakeholders; and Log on to http://www.newconceptinfo.com for > Producing artistic communication materials that our earlier calendars on different themes. mobilise communities. https://www.facebook.com/newconceptinfo/ Indian poetry as an agent of social change Poetry and the myriad forms of literary art that employ Compare this with Basava’s mild, yet firm admonition the aesthetic and rhythmic qualities of language, of orthodox elements in society resisting change: “The imprint their creator’s world on the minds of readers. standing will perish | The moving will stay on.” and the The effortless flow of words in a poem, with its clever women in Subramania Bharati’s poem exulting, “To use of literary devices, have captivated listeners since rule the world and make the laws | We women have risen the time of civilisations long gone. The world treasures up”, and we realise that the poets used different tones the Iliad, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Sangam era poems, to bare society’s ills in the hope we learn and correct Mahabharata, Meghadootam and numerous other ourselves. lyrical epics, and regards them as its literary heritage. These poets primarily had people’s interests and Strewn amongst these literary gems are poems that humanity’s common heritage in mind. As the unknown are often little known outside their provenance. writers of the Prithvi Sukta, the hymns from the Atharva New Concept’s calendar for 2018 acknowledges the Veda, pray on behalf of all creatures: “Earth, may thy contribution of poems that attempted to bring about summer, and thy rains, and autumn, thy winter, and thy social change under different societal contexts, in dewy frosts, and spring-time. | May thy years, Prithivī! India. Their creators empathised with the human and ordered seasons, and day and night pour out for us condition and dwelt on different aspects of living. abundance.” Some sought to change people’s attitudes towards their fellow men, while others praised their intimate New Concept's calendar for 2018 puts the spotlight connection with the universe and nature. They on such poems from different parts of India. The exulted in people’s joys and commiserated when English translations taken from various sources, make they suffered. Many brought into focus people’s frailties an attempt to capture the spirit of the poem that that tend to keep them off the straight and narrow path. doubtless, is best appreciated in its original form. The accompanying visuals portray the poetic mind and So, we have Kazi Nazrul Islam’s ‘Rebel’ proudly asserting its richness, in line and form, so that we can partake of the overthrow of the old, repressive order with: “I shall their verses with a visual treat. uproot this miserable earth effortlessly and with ease | And create a new universe of joy and peace.”, or a The calendar page for each month celebrates the verse Ramdhari Singh “Dinkar” warning indifferent rulers: in its original language. The preceding page presents “Hark the strident call of (changing) Time’s chariot! the English translation. Make way! | Vacate the throne, for the people approach.” Me Chhem Aash Paghuch – Voices against war I dream of tomorrow es Ne vk'k ixgqpA ixkg 'kksfy nqfu;kgAA When the world will be beautiful! }gl xk'k gqfj xqy r xqyt+kj izt+yu O how bright the day, how green the grass! t+Wehul l lj yfx rW lCt+kj izt+yuA Flowers paradisal, earth aching with joy, oNl eat+ Wgqfel yksy W Qaokj izt+yu And dancing fountains of love in his breast! ixkg 'kksfy nqfu;kgAAW The world will be beautiful! dtqy ykx u; es xN+u vWN dt+kWyh A rare confluence of happy stars! oL;e }n rW cfc VsaMî xN+u es Oot+kWyhA With my eyes sparkling without collyrium. W Rose-red nipples, breasts swelling with milk r nfg ogq;Z n'kgkj f;f; lksu lkWyh The world will be beautiful! ixkgW 'kksfyW nqfu;kgAA Kashmiri poets and writers have, for long, expressed their angst against hunger, poverty, social injustice and subjugation. They wrote in Kashmiri, Dogri, Ladakhi and also in Urdu, Persian and later in Hindi. Writing in their native languages and dialects helped them commune with the masses. Ghulam Ahmad "Mahjoor", Abdul Ahad Azad, Amin Kamil, Rehman Rahi and others reflected on the state of society and voiced people's hopes and aspirations. Dinanath Nadim (1916–1988) was one of the enthusiastic voices of the progressive movement in literature that found a foothold in India and Kashmir around the early 1930s. Dinanath Nadim’s poem "Me Chhem Aash Paghuch" (I am hopeful of tomorrow), is considered a powerful anti-war poem. JANUARY 2018 es Ne vk'k ixgqpA ixkg 'kksfy nqfu;kgAA }gl xk'k gqfj xqy r xqyt+kj izt+yu t+Wehul l lj yfx rW lCt+kj izt+yuA oNl eat+ Wgqfel yksy W Qaokj izt+yu ixkg 'kksfy nqfu;kgAAW dtqy ykx u; es xN+u vWN dt+kWyh oL;e }n rW cfc VsaMî xN+u es Oot+kWyhA r nfg ogq;Z n'kgkjW f;f; lksu lkWyh ixkgW 'kksfyW nqfu;kgAA Verses from "Me Chhem Aash Paghuch" in Kashmiri by Dinanath Nadim. January 2018 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 *Translation of verses and narrative are available on the page preceding the corresponding calendar page 29 30 31 Prithvi Sukta – A hymn to the Earth O Prithivī, thy centre and thy navel, all forces that have issued from ;r~ rs e/;a i`fFkfo ;Pp uH;a ;kLr ÅtZLrUo% lacHkwo q%A thy body rklq uks /ksáfHk u% ioLo ekrk Hkwfe% iq=ks vga i`fFkO;k% itZU;% firk l m u% fiirqZ AAƒ„AA Set us amid those forces; breathe upon us. I am the son of Earth, Earth is my Mother. ;r~ rs Hkwes fo[kukfe f{kça rnfi jksgrqA Parjanya is my Sire; may he promote me. (Sloka 12) ek rs eeZ foe`Xofj ek rs ân;efiZie~ AA35AA Let what I dig from thee, O Earth, rapidly spring and grow again. xzh"eLrs Hkwes o"kkZf.k 'kj)seUr% f'kf'kjks olUr%A O Purifier, let me not pierce through thy vitals or thy heart. (Sloka 35) _roLrs fofgrk gk;uhjgksjk=s i`fFkfo uks nqgkrke~ AA36AA Earth, may thy summer, and thy rains, and autumn, thy winter, and thy dewy frosts, and spring-time. May thy years, Prithivī! and ordered seasons, and day and night pour out for us abundance. (Sloka 36) Our forefathers wrote many hymns enjoining human beings to live in harmony with nature. They constantly sought the blessings of the five elements of life or the pancha mahabhoota of nature: akasha (firmament), vayu (air), tejas (fire), apahh (water) and prithvi (earth). The Prithvi Sukta (Hymn to the Earth) is a collection of incisive slokas from the Atharva Veda, which prick at the conscience of today’s society tottering on the brink of an environmental disaster. The enduring filial allegiance of humankind to Mother Earth is declared solemnly in the first verse. In the second, the seers prayed for forgiveness for any inadvertent FEBRUARY 2018 action causing damage to the source of life. Will the third sloka move governments across the world to bend in submission to Mother Earth? ;r~ rs e/;a i`fFkfo ;Pp uH;a ;kLr ÅtZLrUo% lacHkwo q%A 2018 February rklq uks /ksáfHk u% ioLo ekrk Hkwfe% iq=ks vga i`fFkO;k% itZU;% firk l m u% fiirqZ AAƒ„AA Mon 12 26 ;r~ rs Hkwes fo[kukfe f{kça rnfi jksgrqA Tue 13 27 ek rs eeZ foe`Xofj ek rs ân;efiZie~ AA35AA Wed 14 28 xzh"eLrs Hkwes o"kkZf.k 'kj)seUr% f'kf'kjks olUr%A _roLrs fofgrk gk;uhjgksjk=s i`fFkfo uks nqgkrke~ AA36AA Thu 1 15 Verses from the "Prithvi Sukta" of the Atharva Veda in Sanskrit. Fri 2 16 Sat 3 17 Sun 4 18 Mon 5 19 Tue 6 20 Wed 7 21 Thu 8 22 Fri 9 23 Sat 10 24 Sun 11 25 Pengal Viduthalai Kummi – On the emancipation of women Gone are those who said to the woman, Vl;ilAk; ngz;fs; njhLtJ jPiknad; "You shall not open the book of Knowledge" nwz;zp apUe;jtu; kha;e;J tpl;lhu;;;@ And the strange ones who declared that tPl;Lf; Fs;Ns ngz;izg; G+l;bitg; Nghnkd;w Women must be confined within the home tpe;ij kdpju; jiyftpo;e;jhu;.