Jadoo ki Jhappi
A few days back when Ratan Tata said, "You don`t know what it is to be lonely, until you spend time alone wishing for companionship"; to many of us that was happening to someone, somewhere else.
A common description of loneliness is the feeling we get when our need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met. Loneliness is a state of mind. Loneliness causes people to feel empty, alone, and unwanted. It is marked by feelings of isolation despite wanting social connections. It is often perceived as an involuntary separation, rejection, or abandonment by other people. There is a difference between Loneliness and Solitude. If the latter can be therapeutic at times the former is corrosive.
Sustainable Living – We are facing the consequence of ignoring our traditional values.
A recent UNEP article stated “To combat the climate crisis and secure a safe future below 1.5°C, the world needs to cut emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gasses by 50 percent within the decade. Individuals and policymakers can help secure a healthier planet through their sustainable choices. Research shows that lifestyle changes could help the planet slash emissions by up to 70% by 2050. For many, ambitious targets such as this can induce a sense of dread and paralysis. But experts say there is a lot we can do as individuals to counter climate change.”
Celebrating Men Seen Cycling to Moon
Are you planning to cycle today too?
4th June, early morning, after being fed an overdose of pictures of people cycling with their friends the day before, I, in my churlish best, threw this question to the air on my social media walls – many responded. Many in the picture wore that MeToo happy smile, and many wore those cycling gears making them practically unrecognizable.
The Sleep-Restfulness Conundrum
The thing that we secretly desire to do on a Sunday is ‘Not Doing Anything’ which in common parlance broadly comprises a post-lunch siesta and a good night’s sleep.
The symptom of the need for rest usually starts showing up in our minds from Wednesday. That is why Wednesday is called The Hump Day. Because if we had started our week on a Monday, we would have reached our peak by midweek and are expected to drag ourselves till Friday and take rest on the weekends and revive.
That Missing Credible Voice
Two incidents and vitriolic exchange of words between two interest groups kept the media space filled towards the second fortnight of April. The one at the national level was the high fuel price and closer home it was the Puri Heritage Corridor Project.
The fuel price kerfuffle was centered around whether the center or the states should reign it in by reducing the percentage of taxes that they are collecting per liter of fuel. The rigmarole of Puri was around the huge opacity around what is being planned to be done to the heritage site – people demanded facts be presented.
Climate Change: Can we afford to be the ostrich when the storm is not temporary?
[Science is unequivocal about the impending danger the world faces and the proofs it has presented. Our own experience of the last few decades corroborates that. When the crisis is knocking on the door and the knowledge to deal with it is available; what are the factors at the level of general attitude and belief that is preventing mass climate action? It’s our life and it’s our planet. Do we have any alternative? My take on Earth Day]
The Smart City Administrators and It`s Over-smart Citizens
Let there be no mistake about the age of Bhubaneswar. It’s not 74 years young.
It existed for centuries and was known by many names like Toshali, Kalinga Nagari, Ekamra Kshetra, Krutibasha Katak.
Let there be no mistake about the age of Bhubaneswar. It’s not 74 years young.
It existed for centuries and was known by many names like Toshali, Kalinga Nagari, Ekamra Kshetra, Krutibasha Katak.
The Temple City part and the new city whose establishment we are celebrating today are two different entities culturally speaking. While the former is fondly called Bhonsar and the latter by its more formal name Bhubaneswar. The residents of the temple city call the other part Capital and the denizens of Capital City Bhubaneswar identify the other part as Old Town.
Baby-Seat, Gas and Peta Garam And Our Resurgent Brethren
Flight 6E 785, from Hyderabad to Bhubaneswar took off 45 minutes late.
At 9.45 PM as soon as the seat belt signs were turned off, I chose to steal some sleep. The day had not been particularly kind to me. My eyes closed, and in a few minutes, I could realize that I am sitting amidst a bunch of men who were returning after a wild vacation.
Rows 9, 10, and 11 were almost taken over by them. The harder I tried to stay detached from their conversation, the more I was getting drawn into their world. How to miss the ringside view when I was at the center of the ring?
Similar Slaps and it`s Different Echoes
At a time when the deafening noise of the Russian bombing of Ukrainian cities has been relegated to ambient music status, two small incidents created some noise in the media. One was a slap by a celebrity actor at the Oscars and the same act by a faceless Swiggy Food delivery boy at a crowded footpath in Bhubaneswar.
It`s interesting to analyze the two incidents for their similarities in the action and justifications of it and the dissimilarities at the level of echo it created. Both the perpetrators had their personal reasons but there was a vast difference in the way the organizations they are members of responded to it.
The younger brother I never had
The lump in my throat when I shared this news with my wife surprised me. When a classmate asked me how well I knew him, to which I told him that I knew him more in the last 5/6 months and knew him socially since the last 5/6 years; this was his turn to get surprised.
My degree of grief defied the conventional logic of proportion.
His passing away didn’t take me by surprise. Since morning I was dreading to face this news and by noon it was all over and by early evening, I was seeing his mortal remains a few minutes before it was about to be consigned to flames. With tears welling up and lumps in my throat I chose to leave the place. At this same place, I had bade farewell to many of my dear ones in close succession in the last few years.
About me .
Entrepreneur · Researcher · Communicator
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