IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS OF LOVE LETTERS

I cannot take names, you may call it professional ethics, but when I look back at some of the love letters I wrote then, I still choke with laugher. I recall a few; one was for a girl from St. Joseph’s Convent by a classmate of mine. After three days of momos and alu-chops and chini-pops, which I received as bribe to write that letter, I wrote a letter which included the line, “I have a disease and it’s only cure is you”. It was carefully copied down by the Romeo in his own handwriting and dispatched through a Postman, not before spraying the letter paper with Old Spice perfume stolen from his father’s bathroom cabinet- the postman was always a junior student who had to be pampered and protected. After several days of restlessness and sleeplessness came the reply. I still remember a fattish envelope being delivered to him. He opened it as quickly as he could and out came his original letter, torn to a hundred pieces, and it was accompanied by a chit which read “MADNESS IS A DISEASE CURED IN MENTAL ASYLUMS, NOT BY LOVE”…

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Dazzling Darjeeling



Latpanchar – Lessons in Citizen Science and Community Stewardship

The village community shares a deep connection with the surrounding forests and the biodiversity it harbours. They have been documenting the natural history of the region for several years now. Some tourist guides from Latpanchar have called for the need to design and implement strict tourism guidelines to ensure minimal disturbance to wildlife and promote ethical tourism practices.