Ira Pradhan, Author at The Darjeeling Chronicle

Ira Pradhan April 2, 2020

The Great Thing about Communities

I grew up in a small community village in Darjeeling, where we were strewn together with the rest in an unbreakable bond – with similar values, language, likes and dislikes and almost similar surnames – and yet we were all different. I remember in 1986, my father was in a hurry to get us a television set. We would be the first one in our village, but that wasn’t his motivation, of course. The World Cup football was afoot and he wanted to make sure our village gets to watch it at our place.

Ira Pradhan March 19, 2020

1986, Lockdown in Darjeeling – Down the Memory Lane

The word “quarantine”, takes me back to 1986 when I was a little girl during the Gorkhaland agitation in Darjeeling. A 40-day strike was declared, which meant a lockdown with no movement of vehicles, no movement of people, rationing of essentials and no schools – a dream come true for us, children and the worse nightmare for parents. While it wasn’t exactly like being caught in a health pandemic, but it has its similarities – working from home, no schools, restriction on transport and the worst one – stocking up on essentials.

Ira Pradhan March 16, 2020

How to Stick to Your Fitness Goals

Being thin my whole life, I had taken my hilly physique for granted. I could eat together with the boys and still would be the last-woman standing – happy, on the weighing scale. It was only once that I had gone overboard with my weight. I was in college in Kolkata and had a can of cola and ‘kheer-kadam’ every single day for six months. First time in my life I had gained a whole lot of five kilos and suddenly found myself lethargic and fatigued by the end of the day. I checked my eating habits and found the two culprits and was easy peasy for me to get back to being energetic after I quit having these.

Ira Pradhan February 23, 2020

Hygiene on Professional Social Media

While there are guidelines and policies for usage of professional social media – external (Linkedin especially) or intranet, there is always a profile/ name/ organisation related information about the person who is connecting or commenting. Naturally, as a communications person, I assume that this is a good enough reason for people to be more wary about their own personal branding and reputation. However, every so often, I receive a connect request or a direct message on professional social media, I am always surprised at those (especially from the senior professionals) that seem downright ‘unprofessional’ online. Perhaps it is ignorance, but once you are out there, there are certain things we must get right.

Ira Pradhan December 26, 2019

Now Trending: #NewYearsResolutions

Usually, when the year is passing by to make way for the new one, I sit down, deliberately, in a reading corner, to look back. Usually, what comes to my mind are the big topics at work that made an impact or were close to being damp squibs. Or family holidays which either relaxed me or made me want to take another one right after. This year was different because I took the leap and tried different things.

Ira Pradhan November 29, 2019

Sharing Economy and Sharing Stories

Keeping all arguments, pros and cons aside, I believe in the merits of the ‘sharing economy’. It paves the way for sustainable living and helps not only people but the planet as well. Which is why when the four-letter, app-based ride-sharing cabs were introduced, I immediately took to it. It makes me feel independent especially when travelling out of town, and free when visiting local places. I have been using it daily for about two years now. But of all the benefits, it was heartwarming to see how the ‘sharing economy’ has liberated people on the supply side as well.

Ira Pradhan October 19, 2019

Not Every Masterpiece Hangs in the Louvre: A Tribute

The painting was so thorough that if you kept one of the flowers side-by-side the art, you’d notice every single line, fold and hue were detailed, and it even had the exact same ‘old man’ look about them. It was oil on canvas. It was a masterpiece. The painting was completed with a sign at the bottom. A name in Nepali – P Kovid. When asked about the unusual name, my mother said that Kovid wasn’t exactly a surname but it meant ‘poet’. I didn’t quite understand it because the person seemed to me, a brilliant artist instead.

Ira Pradhan September 28, 2019

Read the Spine

I grew up in a small community area in Darjeeling where there were and still are, no motorable roads. There were no taps in our houses because there was no water. You could only ‘play with water’ when it rained. I still remember the day I played in the rain for three hours, it was the best day of my life, ever.