THE COGNITION TREE November November 01 - 15th2018 Issue 2018 Issue Volume 1 | Issue 2 AN INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM INITIATIVE Reviews... Page -2 | Tete-a-Tete... Page - 3 | Photostory of Maddox Square... Page - 4 | Through Lenses... Page - 5 | Literary Wisdom... Page - 6 | Vernacular... Page - 7 | Interview Corner... Page - 8 NEWS IN BRIEF ‘Commercialization’ Swallowing The Mores China Inaugurates World’s Samayeta Kanjilal to puja organizers by corporates for their Longest Sea Bridge excellence in various fields. For example, Berger Paints will present ‘Priyo Pujo 2018’, Asian Paints will give away the ‘Sharad Somman 2018’, and the list goes on too long. The sponsors and advertisements provide the monetary aid behind these huge productions. In fact, this year there will be no GST charge for putting up advertisements Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Tuesday offi- on pandals. Also, the state Government cially launched the world’s longest sea took initiative this year, by giving 28 crore bridge linking Hong Kong, Macau and Picture courtesy: Google Rupees for the puja committees. Each Mainland China. This 55km long bridge with Picture courtesy: Google club will receive 10,000 rupees. The ‘Biswa an approx 14 billion budget is expected to Puja has everything larger-than-life about Bangla Sharad Samman’, an initiative he most vibrantly cherished festival in it. But, year after year, it is losing the by the State government, will honor puja benefit trade economically and reduce West Bengal full of pompous joy and essence, the entity of real Puja. There is no committees with different grand titles. travel time. Moreover it is also seen as Textravaganza for the whole of Bengal more the enthusiasm of the fragrance of an attempt to integrate ties with Hong is, of course, the Durga Puja. Goddess “Shiuli” or the aestheticism of the “Kaash” Even though this festival generates income Kong when trade relations with the US are Durga, the epitome of goodness and among the children of this generation. for thousands of artists and artisans and already tumultuous. virtue, wages war against the Asuras (the they get an opportunity to showcase evils) and defeats Mahishasura, the Lord of Puja today is a hi-decibel, hi-profile, pan- their skills and talents, people should not Simplifying Transactions the Asuras in an epic battle. But besides this Indian carnival. The puja that we used to forget the actual purpose of the festival battle, there gradually emerged another look forward to, today has been reduced and maintain its originality. The community With the rise in use of e-wallets, the RBI in battle in these recent years. The battle to a flippant circus. Business analyst participation cannot be replaced by a recent guideline issued interoperability here talked about is the battle between Suvankar Pramanik showed his contrariness the event managers, the amateur of different e-wallets. This means users will the Puja committees. Yes, in Bengalis much about this and said “Today everything is performances cannot all be replaced now be able to transfer money between awaited festival Durga Puja, we now wait commercialized, why not Durga puja? It’s by professional artists. It is obvious that various e-wallets like Paytm, Freecharge, for the Puja committees battling for their totally fine. It gives rise to creativity and everything will change with times or rather glory and fame. without money, it is not going to succeed. must change, but the purpose of novelty and Mobikwik among others. This will should remain like a bolster to keep with ensure growth of e-wallet segments and the tradition and not shatter it. aid further ease of cashless transaction. Wedding Bells for Deepika Ranveer Tinsel town is buzzing with excitement Picture courtesy: Google as the most awaited wedding of power couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Slowly but steadily, the festival has become Nothing is worse on little commercialization. Singh is round the corner. After making a mega corporate event. And with each It is a chance for people to express and fans guess much, this couple has formally passing year, the “commercialization” has show their work. It’s getting people in the become rigid. The market forces have announced their wedding dates in mood to celebrate it like an event”. come into play now. It is now more a November. Now, it’s for us to wait for the battle of brands as corporates take it as a The trend started with awards being given Picture courtesy: Google much glamorous wedding to be unveiled. marketing and business opportunity. Durga The Millennials Riya Jagdev we know, has a lot to offer, yet due to our mechanical your ex”. crusts, we are looking for it on the internet. How often do we feel drawn to nature? The answer is that our We, as teens are afraid of commitments. Not because we generation is preoccupied with these social sites having can’t handle them but our instability adds to our notion. lost the kinship of real meetings. We find ourselves losing There are solutions that demand time and patience. to the technology. Thus, for this very reason, we want a If only we look deep into ourselves and understand our chance now and then, to get away from it occasionally emotions. Let alone we have so many aspects of our lives and delve deep into nature. Enjoying everything we’ve we need to handle. So, it is only fair if we take a pause missed at our own abode. from our usual presence to understand what truly resides within us. As I further continue, let’s talk about the filtering of things! We, like the teens, filter our lives. But, it is great to show As millennials, we could be proud then, of ourselves and everyone how “dope” our lives are and how “chilled true to the whole of humanity and mankind. Picture courtesy: Google out” we are as individuals. This attitude of hypocrites has n this era of technology and virtualization, the first changed our vision of what truly lies ahead of us and meetings have lost their meaning! Have you ever heard more often we blur the lines between our filtered lives and Isomeone these days, not on a social media site? I guess the real one. Confused as we are, we seek answers from not! You see, the times are changing and the world is different areas of the internet landing back to square one getting open to these new ideas and stories that people where feelings are shown in status updates and fights in have to offer! And more so often we’ve now found a texts! We often forget that sometimes we need to open place where we can find the answers to all our questions up about our feelings to people and not through the without any judgments. Life and the world in reality, as internet and that is when we’ll find closure not by “stalking Picture courtesy: Google 2 November November 01 - 15th2018 Issue 2018 Issue Volume 1 | Issue 2 I am Malala: Powerful tale of grit and determination in the face of religious extremism Sindoor Khela and the bur- er with the social and historical milieu in of her actions. As Malala’s prominence ris- Ayush Maskara which the book fits to show the signifi- es and her actions get more coverage in den of being a Goddess cance of her actions. newspapers and television channels, her life too is at a higher risk. The Taliban is al- Prof. Anuradha Deb I Am Malala is a beautiful piece of chron- ways out to kill her. ological state of events; from Malala’s urga puja, besides being the most birth to her being shot by the Talibans. Yousafzai talks about all the other death awaited festival of the year for A girl child’s birth is not a matter of cel- threats that she had received and her fam- Dthe Bengali community, is also a ebration in Pakistan, given the feudal ily’s decision to keep her enrolled in school moment of celebration and glorification mindset of the people in northwestern despite the Taliban making an attempt to for Indian womanhood. The ceremonial of the country. But Malala’s father took bomb many other schools in the previous worshipping of the mother goddess – Dur- an initiative; he insisted on a small gath- weeks. Yousafzai’s discourse on the history ga— who is understood to be empowered ering with relatives because he was sure of the culture of the Swat village in north- through the weapons and tools bestowed that she would be special. How we know western Pakistan and the social context upon her in all her ten hands, is revered in Malala today was because of her father. in which her story takes place allows the the embodiment of her possessing a holy Her father went against societal norms reader to have a more informed perspec- strength of some immeasurable kind. to celebrate her daughter’s birth, set up tive on the issues at hand. a school to propagate women educa- She is opulently decorated into a feminist tion and empowerment amidst adversi- In short, I Am Malala is a well-written sto- icon during the pujo days. She is described ties. For instance, after finally starting the ry about a girl’s determination to fight for as the protector, mother, slayer of demons school and gaining traction with the lo- education for women in a region deep in all its pop feministic symbols. When the cal villages, there occurs a flood in the steeped in patriarchal notions of women festival season arrives, the saree and or- region and his school gets wiped out.