VoxPop

Sikkim Darjeeling

Articles June 23, 2020

Mountain Farmers of Sikkim-Darjeeling Dealing with COVID & Nature

Although Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal and the state of Sikkim have been projected predominantly as tourist sites, the mainstay of the rural population continues to be agriculture. According to Census 2011, the majority of the population here are rural (60.58% in Darjeeling-Kalimpong & 75.03% in Sikkim) and agriculture is the main occupation. Here farming communities depend on wage labour, small businesses and tourism (homestays) to augment their income from agriculture and all these were also closed during the lockdown period.

Heads I Win

Articles, News June 23, 2020

Heads I Win, Tails They Lose: 𝑀𝑒, 𝑀𝑦 πΉπ‘Žπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ πΌπ‘›π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘› π΄π‘Ÿπ‘šπ‘¦

One day a friend’s father told me that I should join the army. He told me that it was great to serve the nation at the forefront. Well for that I had to sit for an exam and then I would be called for an interview at SSB at Bangalore, Allahabad or Bhopal. The journey and stay would be all sponsored by the Indian Army. Well the second part was more exciting for me rather than the first…

St Philomena's Kalimpong

Articles June 23, 2020

To Those Green Chairs of St Philomena’s Hostel, Kalimpong.

You were my very first friend in the hostel, when I was all new and had no one by my side. It was you who’d always given me company. After the tea break, when my frock’s pocket would be full of sweets but my eyes fixed to the gate, with the hope that someone would come and take me back home.You’ve seen me crying, laughing and running like a lunatic in the lawn.

Casteism

Articles June 16, 2020

Casteism is a Disease – Make sure you don’t Suffer from It

Casteism is a weird thing and I still can’t wrap my head around it. I have been way more privileged than my ancestors who struggled to be a part of the society so driven with hatred against the ‘lower castes’. I went to a convent school where I wasn’t made aware of my caste for a really long time because we didn’t talk stipend or reservation. My family was quite well to do, too and I grew about without realising the complexities of this oppressive system.

Axone

Articles June 16, 2020

Representation of the Nepali Language on Axone: Unauthentic and Disrespectful?

At a time when the people of Northeast India are facing the brunt of anti-Chinese sentiments in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic, the movie Axone comes as a breath of fresh air. This satire on racism and stereotypes by Northeastern director, Nicholas Kharkongor premiered on Netflix on the 12th of June 2020 and it generated quite a buzz! On the morning of the 12th June, my Instagram story feed flooded with posters of the movie, comments on the aptness of the movie at this point of time and snapshots of the racist comments from the movie – unfortunately ones, we as an ethnic minority, are well acquainted with. I will admit, I was equally excited for this premiere. My friends and I had been awaiting it since the beginning of the year. We even went as far as to coax our Naga friends to bring Axone for us.

COVID19 Delhi Migrant

Articles June 5, 2020

Global Epidemic Coronavirus: A Contemplation

It is a well-known fact that corona virus is now affecting homes across the country. Thousands and millions of young people of our hills and lowlands are being held captive in various states of the country for employment. At this time, they are living in a lack of money to pay rent and raise food. Factories, hotels and restaurants are closed due to the lockdown. Their current condition is very pathetic.

no to racism

Articles June 4, 2020

A Pandemic of Disease or a Pandemic of Hate?

In December 2019 a cluster of pneumonia-like cases was reported in the Wuhan district of China for the first time. Five months later, this previously unknown contagious disease has wreaked havoc across the globe. The COVID-19 aka SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2) pandemic has affected – directly and indirectly – almost every individual in the world. It has crashed entire economies, tested healthcare infrastructures, and caused havoc and general panic among the global public. The modern world has come to an uneasy and uncertain standstill.

Loreto

Articles May 28, 2020

LORETO – My Alma Mater – My Home

The first group of Loreto nuns came to India in 1841 and opened a school in Calcutta the same year. Five years later, Loreto came to Darjeeling during the British Raj and started a school at a temporary site in 1846. The school was relocated to the current site in 1847, exactly 100 years before India was to gain independence. At the time of its foundation, the school was the only educational institute at Darjeeling. It is nothing short of a miracle that given the time and place, the Loreto Sisters within a few weeks of their arrival had opened a school with provisions for residential and day scholars. I have often wondered how did they ever manage the logistics?