Articles by Guest Author



Why Nepalis are offended with “Just a Dialogue” in Amazon’s new series Paatal Lok

Feature cops, underworld, a mysterious Guruji aka Masterji, use “high-profile” in dialogues, let a prominent character cheat on his wife, get the hero-cop suspended in the mid of the investigation, and there you have it, “just another great Indian procedural drama.” But that would be the kind of great that people relish and forget. Say Sacred Games. So, why not make it unforgettable aka a “classic?” Sprinkle a bit, nay, a lot of controversies, and there you have it- “just another great Indian procedural drama” raking high ratings, thanks to baffling dialogues such as “Nepali Randi.”


COVID-19, Kalimpong and The Play of Power and Politics

During this formidable COVID19 crisis, Kalimpong, a small town in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya became an unexpected hotspot. Kalimpong’s infamous and unfortunate COVID19 victim, 49 years old Sunita Devi Singh, who had travelled from Chennai, ended up passing the infection on to 15 other individuals before she herself succumbed in a hospital in Siliguri.


Time to Make “Universal Public Health a Fundamental Right” – Addressing Faultlines in Public Health Services

The COVID19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability in our Public Health System. It has opened our eyes to the importance and needs of a robust Public Health Service in our country. At present Multiple fault lines along with a plethora of Laws, that have no clear cut demarcation as to who shall, in times of such exigencies, exercise real authority, exist. This has lead to a weakened and fragmented approach in dealing with the crisis.


Anna Jarvis: The Mother of Mother’s Day

In the contemporary world, many countries celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May. The culture of celebrating this day began from America when Anna Jarvis decided to honour the humanistic contributions made by her mother Ann Mary Jarvis. Anna’s mother was an American nurse during the time of the American Civil War. Professionally, she was neutral and took care of the wounded soldiers of both the camps fighting with one another during the wartime. She even organized Mother’s Picnic Day and invited mothers who had lost their beloved sons in the war. Ann Mary was against the war and fought for peace and unity. Finally, the American government under President Woodrow Wilson declared second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day and made it an annual holiday.


Home Quarantine is Dangerous for Darjeeling Hills

In this crucial time of the COVID 19 that rendered thousands of migrant labourers, students, medical patients as well as travellers in a difficult situation outside their home, many states including Sikkim has already taken an initiative to bring them back home but with strict norms of 14 days quarantine at designated quarantine centres.


Role of Teaching Fraternity in Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic

Never before have we seen a lockdown of such scale and magnitude, at least in our lifetime. It is our only way to fight the virus and prevent its spread, at least for as long as we don’t develop a vaccine for it. Until then, we have to find ways to carry on our work from the confines of our homes. Technology provides us with the means to do that in a very successful manner.


Rishi Kapoor and Me – A Personal Account

I clearly remember that I had walked into the house late one Saturday afternoon in the autumn of 1985. I was in class six then. My mother asked me if I had sneaked out to watch ‘the’ film. I said no. She gave me an uncanny look and then went on to believe what I had said reminding me it was “A” categorized film and was ‘not good’ for me. I spoke the truth. I had not seen the film. I also saw that Siliguri town was suddenly gripped by a fever. It was Sagar, the film which was the talk of the town. The bold posters that were plastered across the city were enough to raise quite a few eyebrows. It was much later that I actually got to see the film. I did not know that it was Rishi Kapoor then.


Digitalization of Class for Students – Challenge or Blessing

We are students, we come from a diverse background. We have friends who have almost everything which one can buy, but we also have friends who do their livelihood on their own. Though, we never complained because we believed that our day may come, as said: “if you are born poor it is not your fault, but if you die poor it is.”