Reflections from the Village Bard
There is a culture of impunity that exists everywhere for those who abuse others and get away with it. The post looks at the root cause and the ways an abused person may learn to defend himself or herself. I have written about the depredation of women who are subjected to sexual abuse in the…
Xenophobia is the baseless fear of other people who are not like you but it can be overcome with knowledge and understanding of others and their culture. Xenophobia is a crime against humanity. I had a very interesting experience in Sicily once when I walked into a campsite by mistake near Messina that was for…
This treats the subject of mental depression that affects humanity in a significant way and offers some solutions to overcome it. Depression is a common mental disorder that causes people to experience depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. Depression…
International students in class with laptops Studying in prestigious universities abroad remains a dream of many students because only a few get admitted while others get discouraged due to high cost. I look at the growth of private universities that are being run as businesses that cater to the rich but leave behind many brilliant…
A man helping another to climb up the mountain All relationships need maintenance meaning you have to work hard to maintain any relationship be they within the family or outside. Just like a newly planted seedling, you have to water it and care for it but human relationships are more fragile that need more care…
album cover of Antara Chowdhury Bengali children have grown up to the songs of this child prodigy singer, trained by her famous father. Antara Chowdhury is a household name in India, but very few outside…
We often think of what shall we leave behind for others to appreciate when we have faded away. Will it be something noble or ignoble? The choice is ours to make but how many of us make the right choice? There was a young man who loved to draw. He made sketches and paintings and…
All over the world the tribal people are under pressure to give up their tribal lands for the encroaching development or from other people so they are slowly changing their culture and losing all that defines them including art and crafts, clothes and even music. This is very sad. Some NGOs are now trying to…
Night club dancers imitating Western culture The blind imitation of the Western culture that contradicts your own values and traditions is something to be avoided unless you are rebellious of your own values. There is always something beautiful in your tradition of dance, music or some form of entertainment that has been practiced since…
Tribal, storyteller in Africa The oral tradition of storytelling among some people is still practiced where no written language is available because it is the only way to pass on the past history to the next generation. But we see now this oral tradition is on the decline due to technological changes and spread…