I AND MY WORDS

How Much Longer - Kud is a Dance Form That Very Few People can Practice Now (credit: Daily Excelsior) Narratives are foundational to building myths and legends. More often than nott, state narrative building is an army unto itself as an entity, working with the operators and managers for shaping people's thoughts. If you ask CHATGPT for the definition of state narrative building, as I did, chances are you'll get the following curt response: State narrative building refers to the deliberate crafting and promotion of a particular story or perspective by a government to shape public opinion, identity, or national image. This narrative may involve promoting certain values, historical interpretations, policies, or ideologies to create a unified vision of a nation's past, present, or future. It can be used to legitimize the government's authority, foster nationalism, and influence both domestic and international perceptions. State narratives can be disseminated through variou...

 The recent story of the death of a young girl due to stress and overwork at a reputed firm isn't new for some of us. But what it does tell us is that we as a society are screwed. We are wasting ourselves to oblivion. No, it's not about fame, but about becoming insignificant even to your own children and family members to the point of indifference. Your so called sacrifices and efforts will mean nothing to them. Be honest - do your kids have the same connect with you as yours was with your parents? No.  Technology isn't the sole factor, as many of us want to assert - it's a mere distraction. The real problem is broken families, broken hearts, disappointed children and saddened eyes that lead us up the wrong bark of the value judgment tree. Yes, we want money, but for what? The day you die, no one will be there to speak a few good words at your memoriam. There will be none to even undertake your final rites because you were not there for them, having slogged to “provide ...

2019 का वर्ष भारत किए एकता और अखंडता के इतिहास में एक विशेष महत्त्व रखता है। धरा 370 को संशोधित कर एवं जम्मू - कश्मीर और लद्दाख को दो केंद्र शासित राज्यों का दर्जा देकर केंद्र सरकार ने इतिहास की एक बहुत बड़ी गलती को सुधारने की दिशा में पहला ठोस प्रयास किया। दशकों के अंधकार के पश्चात जब एक आशा की किरण दिखती है, तो संभवतः प्रताड़ित जनमानस के मन में असंख्य भाव जागते हैं, अपेक्षाएं जागती हैं। ऐसा ही कुछ जम्मू के लोगों के साथ भी हुआ, जो अंधकारमय तूफ़ान में आशा की किरण की प्रतीक्षा में खड़े रहे। जम्मू प्रजा परिषद् का आंदोलन हो या अमरनाथ संघर्ष समिति, हर अवसर पर जम्मू के लोगों ने "भारत माता की जय!" का उद्घोष करा और भारत की अखंडता के लिए बलिदान दिए। अलगाववादी सोच वाले चरमपंथी नेताओं के दबदबे के विरूद्ध सदैव खड़े रहे, और विचारधाराओं के टकराव में बराबर की टक्कर देते रहे। कितने कुठाराघात के बावजूद जम्मू के जनमानस ने भारत, उसके संविधान और उसके न्याय तंत्र में अपना अटूट विश्वास नहीं छोड़ा - तब भी जब उन्हें कश्मीर घाटी के अलगाववादी नेताओं के साथ जोड़कर देखा गया। किन्तु ३७० के संशोधन पश्चात् जम्मू...

As devout Hindus around the world in their millions celebrated the return of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya in a new mandir , it is fitting that Jai Shri Rama is the new zeitgest. People greeting each other with the name of Rama sets a new standard of vocabulary. And this is what gets me thinking about a less discussed incident in the mists of time that makes me wonder every time - what if...? Orchha in the ravines of Chambal on the Madhya Pradesh side of Bundelkhand has been the stronghold of Bundelas for long. The beautiful but haunting hamlet today was once the capital of the Bundelas, and housed many such amazing structures, The historic town sits on the banks of river Betwa. Founded in the 16th century by the Bundela Rajput Chief, Rudra Pratap, the city is a major tirtha for its Rama Raja Mandir, where Shri Rama is worshipped as the King of Orchha and gets a 21 gun salute every evening after the aarti . Rama Raja Temple of Orchha (credit: Kandukuru Nagarjun  ) The story of the temp...

Erstwhile Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, K. Karunanidhi, launching the free colour TV scheme in 2006 (source: Rediff ) Recently, a storm unleashed itself on Twitter, as a famous YouTuber came on a popular podcast and made a bizarre claim. Free television distribution, it seems, led to improvement in the outcomes of women. And that is good economics. While I don't watch things all the time, what caught my fancy was the defence of the absurdity since. One journal paper was quoted by the YouTuber in question, and was touted as proof of good economics also being associated with freebies. Again, I usually don't comment on freebies, because I think all freebies as a rule are bad. Freebies raise the cost of service across the economy, create greater entry barriers for the poor that they are supposed to serve, and eventually distract from actual welfare spending on such issues as healthcare and education. However, the absurdity on this was so high that I wanted to write for a change. On...