yet again ... getting lost ... then enjoying self-discovery ...

This piece finds place on Vikalp Sangam here . Thanks are due to Swaraj University and Vikalp Sangam.  Originality, quality and fun were reasons enough to appreciate the efforts of the khojis . I also enjoyed the spirit of the journey being as much, if not more, important as the destination. What blew me away, however, was the sheer honestly and simplicity with which with they shared their experiences. I was glad to have experienced the presentations by khojis at Swaraj University. This sharing was a part of their first year activities. Image Credit: Swaraj University Facebook Page The learning program at Swaraj University is a two year journey. The aim of the first year, to quote the website is , “to unlearn the dependence on external sources of knowledge and to engage in co-creating their self-directed learning path. There are various explorations and experiments to understand the meaning of Swaraj, and the core principles related to it, which a...

By insisting on using these Latin or scientific names, are we missing the forest for the trees? The article was published by First Post on 20 th May, 2017. Thanks are due to the team at First Post. The article on their website here . Trips to our forest areas often raise questions. These range from the absence of functional interpretation centres to the presence and spread of exotic species and monocultures. From the need for civil engineering in the form of boundary-walls and water-holes to the energy and interest levels of the forest-department personnel. A recent addition to this list of questions, for me, has been the use of Latin names! I came across trees, in one of our managed forests, with small metal tags nailed to their trunks. My appreciation for the effort turned to bewilderment when I noticed that the names were Latin ( or as commonly referred – scientific ). Was I supposed to remember these? FreeDictionary refers to scientific name as “ A name used by sc...

"I Don't Give A Damn": Our Motto in the Public Space Published at The Citizen on 17 th May, 2017   Thanks are due to the team at The Citizen The piece on their website here Text of the unedited version below Our disrespect for public spaces or common places is now legendary. We have reached a stage where one of the initial orders passed by a chief minister of our largest state (population) focused on spitting of pan and guthka. We strive to keep our homes spotless clean but of our common places the lesser said the better. We many a time behave as if we are proud to disrespect them. This disrespect is more apparent when one is on the move. A Delhi we got out of a friend’s place and walked the foot-path towards the main road. We had to repeatedly jump on the road for the foot-path had been occupied by large generators and guard booths. Both of these were meant for a privileged few who can afford and are happy to usurp public spaces for personal comfo...