Popular culture- site for reiteration & reinforcement of sexist, gendered, racist and ethnically discriminatory stereotypes- “Perspective of a Nepali-speaking woman.” The title itself might seem…
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.”
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.
Video shared by Prem Thapa where a noted Nepali historian Professor Ramesh Kumar Dhungel explains the basis of historical Nepali claims. He makes maps produced till 1856 as the basis for Nepalese claims. And implies that India made changes which earlier Nepali administrations did not challenge. What he does not mention, for reasons best know to him, is that 1879 map of British India corresponds to present boundary.
The filmmakers try their best to make their contents as real and as intense as possible, also at the same time weaving subtle messages around the scenes. The colloquial conversations say more than what is actually being said. The scenes of violence and abuse too speak volumes
A small state like Sikkim can turn dictatorial very fast, we know, as we have lived under semi-dictatorship for decades. In the past 30 years or so multiple newspapers have been banned in our Darjeeling hills – Sunchari was banned, later Aja Bholi, later Himalaya Darpan – all because the ruling dispensation wasn’t pleased with what was written. Even today, in their desperate bid to shut us up or shut us down, the powers that be have filed against TheDC too over concocted charges , but irrespective of it all, we will continue to write the truth, because Freedom is worth taking a stand for.
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.
A recent report in a newspaper concerning the efficient handling of COVID19 by Sikkim inspired me to share my thoughts on the subject. Rightly so, the state has been lauded for its efficient handling of COVID19 from many ends. Sikkim and Nagaland are officially the only states in the country to maintain zero COVID19 cases inside their administrative boundaries, so far. Two Union Territories — Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep — have also maintained zero COVID19 cases so far.
“GTA should follow same procedure as testing lab in North Bengal is situated in Siliguri only. This way, anyone who enter Siliguri can be tested there itself. There won’t be a need to transport collected swab from the hills to the plains, and result will come back quicker. All they need is to arrange team for data entry which they are doing, and swab collectors designated for Darjeeling and Kalimpong to be based out of Siliguri itself,” said the source.
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.