Reflections from the Village Bard
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 India have heard of her and her songs. She is the daughter of Salil Chowdhury who is a legend in…
The Ram temple in Ayodhya It is always difficult to read the pages of history books where you learn about the injustices people suffered all over the world who only wanted to claim freedom to live the life they wanted and to practice their faith in peace. When it was denied, they took to the streets…
Two very brave women who gave their lives for the independence movement in India are remembered here because they made the ultimate sacrifice that made them heroes that the succeeding generations should never forget. The struggle for freedom in India started long before 1857 and culminated in the uprising in 1857…
Jatindra Nath, a freedom fighter Jatindra Nath Das was born in Kolkata in a Bengali middle class family. Bankim Behari Das and Suhasini Das gave birth to Jatin Nath Das on 27th November 1904. Jatin was brilliant in studies from his childhood. He passed the matriculation and the intermediate exams with flying colors by…
Source : Google photo of Begum Wilayat in her last abode. You often come to know of a terrible injustice done to some people in the name of indifference, lack of compassion, negligence of epic proportions and stupidity that resulted in death and misery. But no one takes the responsibility or is brought to account…
Anarkali and prince Salim Have you ever heard of Anarkali? Chances are you have not, so today I will write about a very beautiful girl in King Akbars harem. Akbar saw her return prince Salims smile, and as a punishment she was buried alive in 1599. Her tragic life is a testament to what some…
Evening worshipers at a ghat The hometown has a special place in the heart of all who claim it as their own, even if they do not live there anymore. My hometown is also special to me after all these years, although I now live in another country that has no resemblance to it in…
Hyderabad landmark is known as Charminar How an honest leader who is fierce in his determination and resolve to bring development to his people succeeds through hard work gives an example to the whole nation to follow and gives inspiration to others as is evident in Telangana in India. How many of you have even…
Painting of Nur Jahan There have been many illustrious women in the history of India about whom we were taught when we were kids because they were extraordinary women who created history hundreds of years ago. But unfortunately, their final resting places did not receive the same attention and care they deserved. The story of…
A time comes in every generation when some youngsters and adults come forward to challenge the rigid society where they live under harsh laws imposed on them by the outdated religious leaders who prevent their aspirations of freedom to choose their faith and a new way of life. Moslems no matter where they live in…
We often read the stories of great people who sacrificed their lives so that we could be free but can not imagine what they sacrificed and how much pain they suffered in the process. Indian history is replete with such great men and women who are the national heroes. The story of King…
The history of the colonialism of the British is stained with atrocities committed in India, but the massacre of innocent people in Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar surpassed all the rest in its sheer brutality and the magnitude. This looks at the day of infamy and the reasons for the massacre in 1919. We in India…
Sri Aurobindo (Bengali: [Sri robindo]) (born Aurobindo Ghosh; 15 August 1872 5 December 1950) was an Indian nationalist, philosopher, yogi, guru and poet. He joined the Indian movement for independence from British rule, for a while was one of its influential leaders and then became a spiritual reformer, introducing his visions on human…
These are simply two stories that show some light on the ancient practice of female abductions, when they were sold as slaves into the harems of the rich and powerful. Sadly, this practice is still in use in some parts of the world that needs to be eradicated and strongly repudiated. I read these two…
I look back at what we have discarded in the process of development and remember many things the British brought to India that we do not see anymore. The modern era has ushered India into the computers and cell phones, digital world of TV and communication at a breakneck speed. No one can foresee what…
The poor and landless farmers are the hardest hit in India, who are exploited by the rich landowners in many parts. Now the government of India has come up with measures to help them so that they too can get some relief from their hardship. Recently a new bill was proposed in the lower house…
A great man was born in India who had the vision, the courage and the wisdom to steer the country in the right direction after its independence in 1947 so he was rightly called the Iron Man. This is the story of Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel whom all patriotic Indians venerate. The British did not…
We are inundated with news about the war in Ukraine or the riots in India on the ban of hijab or the loudspeakers in mosques daily but rarely we hear the extraordinary story of a child who ran 210 kms to meet with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh who invited her to listen to…
We have seen that in spite of political repression, jailing of activists who dare and the police brutality to suppress people who only want to know the truth, there are brave-hearts who come forward fearlessly knowing the risks involved. Such a man was Rajeev Dixit in India. Rajeev Dixit (19672010) was an Indian social activist.…
This is about the plight of the untouchables in India and elsewhere who are slowly gaining their rights that have been denied them for centuries by the upper caste Brahmins and what the future holds for them. There was a time when the Hindus stratified their society based on the trade the people were involved…