-
Parenting – The Unexpected Task
Parenting for most couples is something that they are ill prepared for. Everyone acknowledges that to bring up children to be responsible citizens is a primary task but there is no formal instruction about how to do it. Parents are given the rare privilege of scripting whether their children will be winners or losers, but…
-
The Problem with the C – Word
One of the things that I have been very fond of, is trekking, especially climbing mountains. I have done a good bit of that in the Western Ghats in Southern India, climbing on one occasion through thick forest straight up the side of the mountain, 4500 feet. I went up to Singampatti from Kanyakumari. 4500…
-
Tera Kya Hoga Kaliya?
Tera Kya Hoga Kaliya? That line from Sholay is what comes to mind listening to Rajnath Singh’s ‘apology’. The antics of politicians never fail to amuse but BJP is giving full value for money. First come the senile prattlings – Hindus must have at least 5 children – We will give shelter to Hindu Bangladeshis…
-
If I were President of Egypt
The first thing that I would remind myself is that in politics facts mean nothing. Statistics less than nothing. Spectacle, impression, symbolism and communication mean everything. Symbolism, visibility and public eye are the platform on which politics runs. In politics being truthful is less important than being believable. That is the basis of all mythology.…
-
Easy to kill
30thJanuary, 1948 – Nathuram Godse fired a bullet which ended a life that impacted millions of others and continues to do so 66 years later. Gandhiji was perhaps the only Father of the Nation to be killed by his own people. We all share the shame. Easy to kill. Impossible to forget. So what do…
-
Same Chairs, Different Bottoms
An over 12 year old cartoon that featured in the national media to mark 50 years of India’s independence: the situation is as grim Once upon a time there was a beautiful land in which clear rivers flowed through lush forests. Birds flocked to the trees which were heavy with fruit until one was almost…
-
Differentiating between ‘Saying’ and ‘Doing’
Speaking against the law is freedom; breaking it is a crime I had a very interesting conversation one morning. A very dear friend called and said in effect, “Renuka Chowdhury is after Pramod Mutalik because his people beat up girls in Mangalore pubs but did you know that someone has given a fatwa in UP…
-
Reading, A lost habit?
Quick self-test: 1. What are the books you have read until now? Please list them with the authors. 2. What are the books you read in the last 3 months? 3. How much TV do you watch daily? Can you write down what you learnt from the TV program you watched last night? 4. …
-
Where did it all go?
A very dear old friend, David Ramse, a ‘lay’ person with strong religious convictions enough to make him a missionary; a scientist, teacher – sent me this picture taken in 1980 when he used to live in St. Lust on the Berbice River. David and Miriam had a house literally on the river with its…
-
Living your Message – Be the change you want to see ~ Mahatma Gandhi
If there is one thing that stands out with respect to Gandhiji, it was his willingness to live by his principles – irrespective of the consequences to himself. He was a classic example of what today we call, ‘Walk the talk’ and that was the secret of his enormous credibility. I recall a story that…