Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from January, 2013

Manovikas-IGNOU Community College - People who chose to take action

When I was invited to the Ist Convocation Ceremony for the students of Manovikas-IGNOU Community College for Developmentally Delayed, I was delighted. In the past as well, I have attended events where Manovikas, founded by Dr. Alok kumar "Bhuwan", played an important role and I have always come back enriched and humbled. So I was looking forward to this event.  The convocation took place in the India International Centre on January 13th, 2013 at 1:45 PM. The event started with invocation of "Om Tat Sat", which means " Supreme Absolute Truth", or more literally "all that is". This was followed by a beautiful dance performance by the students of the Community College. The theme of the dance was National Intergrity and the unity amongst all religions. Through this dance performance,  I got the first glimpse into what these children were actually capable of. I was touched by their elegance and grace. On the dais, sat eminent people from v

2012 Nights by Vipul Rikhi: Stories that make you think

Even though the book is categorized under short stories, it has a very strong central narrative that runs through these short stories and connects each to another. All tales in the book pivot around the narrator's crumbling life in the backdrop of the seemingly inevitable disintegration of the entire realm of existence. The drunk narrative sucks the reader into its hallucinatory vortex and relentlessly makes one confront the very real questions one would rather avoid. The imagery used is powerful, disturbing, and beautiful at the same time.  The themes that the stories and the central narrative touches are at the core of many problems plaguing the world today. Without being didactic or preachy, the author effectively makes the readers stop in their paths and wonder about where the world is coming from and where it is headed. Even though the book is a serious work and deals with serious topics, the author's matter-of-fact vocal tone is refreshing and provides a much-need