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CAMPUSDIARIES Team Campus Diaries Samata Joshi head, content direction Sumit Saurav ceo
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Yes, all of it. We are on our way to build one of the coolest, biggest and most rewarding platforms ever — for you to publish your stories, ideas and thoughts. Experience the power and brilliance of how stories, people and the awesomest communities around you come together. Express and participate in ways like never before. The best of your stories make it to this magazine. Want to express your thoughts in words? Create a Word Story Can’t write? Think in images, photographs and illustrations? Create a Picture Story Feature Your friends and your campus in your stories. Create your own network and profile Showcase your ideas, creativity, expressions. Published by Sumit Saurav Printed at National Printing Press. No.7, 3rd Main Road, K.R. Garden, Koramangala, Bangalore- 95
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CURATOR’S NOTE I
remember I was standing in the corridor of my department wing in college looking far ahead at the horizon, the sea calm and composed, splashing gently on the shore, when I heard a few people passing by talking excitedly behind me, “I can’t believe this! We’re done!” For a second I felt envious of them because all I could feel was a strange, strong sense of completion. I did not know if I was excited about graduating or whether the feeling of completion was making me anxious. The only thought that crossed my mind a couple of times while doing my paper work was that tomorrow, I will not be waking up to watch the sea for a little while before my 7.30 AM lecture. That that was my last day as an undergraduate student. Next morning, my to-do list was lying on my study table in a state of tabula rasa and I wondered if my cookie would slowly crumble. Honestly, it didn’t. Instead, I realised that this was actually one of my defining moments. Now, there were endless possibilities ahead — I could backpack, study further, help plant more trees, save sparrows, paint, become an actor. Or a writer. Or a pianist. And whenever I would truly experience something extraordinary, then that would be my defining moment. One of mine was when I chose to write. Unlike Samar, who in The Art of Balance chose to balance himself on a two-inch webbing when he wasn’t busy jumping off cliffs, or Nitin, who in Someone who remembers the 90s let the evolving decade define his best childhood moments or Najeeb, who in I am a story understands his new discovered actuality or Suryaa, who recounts her mesmerising experience on reading Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore or even Dhruv, who found success and stayed motivated through many struggles in his life because of a hearing impairment. These stories have the power of putting you in a reverie, where you can relive every moment of somebody else’s life through a moving reel, which rotates in a tiny part of your cranial jumble. They lure you, astound you and make you laugh. They also make you think aloud. And it’s only fair to have everybody listen to what you think. So come as you are and tell us your thoughts, your stories. And maybe we could experience our defining moments together.
Write to me at samata@campusdiaries.com with your valuable feedback, suggestions, cupcake recipes or maybe just to say Hello!
IN THIS ISSUE
Shreyas Banthalpad Amrita Vidyapeetham An electronics engineer, Shreyas loves to read fiction, write non-fiction and watch comedy flicks. He is also unofficially the defender of all-thingsBangalore. Yes, getting into lively arguments in support of Bangalore seems to have become something of a hobby!
Viprav Anand BITS Pilani A final year student, Viprav’s interests include cricket, music, politics, sociology and psychology. He is a compulsive conversationalist and very jovial when in a good mood.
Najeeb Nayazi PESIT A web developer, who instead spends most days lost in his thoughts, in front of a glowing, flickering portal, while actively lazing around.
Nitin Kishore BITS Pilani Hyd Nitin is a connoisseur of good food, anime, TV shows, movies and books. Sarcasm tends to be his mother tongue but he manages to control it at the expense of good food.
Arun Moras Wilson College A final year student of Mass Media and a freelance photographer, Arun likes listening to music and strum his guitar when he isn’t busy photographing people and animals around him.
Rishabh Jain Jadavpur University Rishabh’s interests are in travelling, debating, music, books and football. He is a core team member of an NGO — Rural Health Care Foundation and has been awarded the National Youth Award, 2012 by the Government of India for his social work and leadership.
Omkar Dhakephalkar ILS Law College Omkar is an avid quizzer and fell in love with European history and mythology after playing computer games, sometimes at seven hour stretches. Dhruv Jain IIT Delhi Dhruv has been a recepient of many paper awards for his undergraduate reseacrh work at IIT Delhi. His approach toward problem-solving is directed by the behavioral psychologist, Albert Bandura’s ‘SelfControl Therapy’.
Suraj Prabhu Fergusson College An avid Quizzer, Suraj is driven by curiosity and is filled with gastronomical wanderlust. He is an unfortunate Wikiholic, likes sunsets, coffee, chronologically organizing his movie collection and philosophical fiction. His favourite writers are Kurt Vonnegut and Albert Camus and he enjoys dark humour and is not shy to laugh loud (often at inappropriate times).
Sharanya Gopinathan Mount Carmel College A lover of Cola and deep house, too much electronic music and erratic sleep patterns have begun to show their effects on Sharanya’s writing.
Samar Farooqui Queenstown Resort An adventurer, Samar loves the outdoors and an adrenaline rush. He loves to spend spare time indulging in activities such as Rock Climbing, Skydiving, Kite Surfing and Slacklining (amongst other adventure sports). Where the wild things are... he isn’t far away. He likes to read and write too but prefers jumping out of a plane instead.
Bharath Narayan Chitrakala Parishat The artist is a student of fine arts, who enjoys exploring all facets of creativity. His interests lie scattered in music, technology, pure sciences, movies and literature. He often turns to the canvas to divest his effervescent ideas.
Indrajeet Deshmukh Srishti Indrajeet likes to call himself a wayfarer who loves to capture the uncertainty around him. This allows him to find a pattern in them and helps me in factual communication of ideas and stories through photographs. Janhavi Sharma HR College An aspiring media professional, Janhavi simultaneously wears many hats like that of a painter, writer and photographer. She spends her Sundays alone and likes it!
Archisman Misra Amity School of Engg and Tech An observer of the world. He believes that whatever he writes and photographs is an extension of himself and his view of the world. He has a bachelor’s degree in Technology but is currently soul searching in different dimensions.
Suryaa Rangarajan Jai Hind College Avid reader, amateur writer, sketcher, singer, dancer, coffee-moviemusic-vada-pav lover, foodie and finally tree hugger! Since she was a kid, she believed that it was better to be Jack of all trades and Master of none. As of now, she is an aspiring psychologist, novelist, photographer, painter, teacher, social worker, travel writer and will add more to the list as she goes on!
Sujata Bhadani DPS Patna A senior English teacher at Delhi Public School Patna, Sujata has a keen interest in writing and grooming her students in various activities like debates and drama.
Tushar Mathew Wilson College In his spare time, Tushar spends hours alone in his room acting out hypothetical situations. Recurring characters include Armageddon Hero and Guy Who Can Teleport.
Shantanu Anand ILS Law College An aspiring writer and lover of literature, movies and classic rock. When it comes to writing, Shantanu deals with all that simmers just below the surface, invisible to the naked eye.
CITY
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campusdiaries.com/picture-stories/graffiti-culture-mumbai
SOMEONE WHO REMEMBERS THE
90s
Nitin Kishore | BITS Pilani, Hyderabad #experiences
OPINION
An era of unbridled happiness, where everything we experienced was unaffected and unassuming compared to the world we live in today. Aah, the 90s!
T
he year is somewhere in the not-so-distantThe 90s, when I loved bickering everyday with my siblings yet-far-enough-to-be-discussed-future, when a (and fought for an extra serving of cake on New Year’s) and student in a history class notices something odd not just Skype or Facetime with them once a month like about his textbook. “How come these textbooks I do now. I had to put off the internet because my sister skip the years from 1990 to 1999?” The teacher puts his needed to use the phone (dial-up modems were a luxury air-marker down on the table, lowers his head and sighs. back then). I was too scared to call the girl I liked because “Because…” he says lifting his head, a single tear rolling I thought her dad would pick up the landline instead of down his cheek, “… only a 90s kid will remember the her (Not every school kid had a cellphone back then. I 90s.” remember I decided later that I would rather meet her at In my opinion, this is the best decade to have school and have fun than talk incessantly on the phone lived through. Period. What makes it so special? Well for for hours, like my sisters do). I drank water that was just instance, I was born on 28th September 1993. Of course the right temperature, because my mom kept it out for me that, in and of itself, isn’t an accomplishment but I was an hour ago, anticipating my inherent thirst after coming born at a time when my childhood was so fulfilling back with my heavy school bag from a tiring day at school. and nostalgia-inducing that kids today would beg for I returned home to a snack that was neither from the it. Which is why, often, I find microwave nor was it instant cup myself having reminiscences noodles. during my respite from this I received my first love letter too A time when I had to put off busy competitive life-is-aback then, unlike someone leaving the internet because my sister race world — the shackles and a message on Facebook. When I needed to use the phone (dialmanacles of this life as the got bored, I used to play the latest up modems were a luxury back responsibilities which come PC game available. And my PC then). I was too scared to call the would prompt me to ‘Insert Disc with growing up, constrain me girl I liked because I thought her from being free. It has been a #3’ to play it on my Pentium 3 dad would pick up the landline long road to follow — moving desktop. Despite being low on good on to tomorrow without saying graphics, they were fun games. instead of her goodbye to yesterday. These I would buy them with my hard are some indelible fragments of earned monthly allowance and the my life etched into my memory money I earned from studying and that molded me into the man I am today. But are these doing household chores. My favourite past time was a memories I preserve still real? brick game called Tetris and the 99 other cool games in Though the decade did end with a bang with that console that I will never find again. That was the time one of the best movies ever made — the release of when my neighbourhood friends often came home and Fight Club — catapulting us into the Millennium, my hung out with me. Back then, instead of playing DOTA attempt of reconciliation with the 90s only progresses on multiplayer, since we couldn’t, all of us wished that and I happily regress to my former self when it was Jumanji was real and fantasised our lives on a monopoly worth getting up on a Sunday morning. Why? To board. We embraced the tenderness of a gentle summer watch cartoons on TV. Now I can watch TV shows and breeze after cycling for hours and exploring new places cartoons from the comfort of my room but it doesn’t in the city. I knew my neighbourhood like the back of have the same excitement of a week-long wait for the my hand. I didn’t have Google maps come to my aid. next episode to go on air. As I think back to these times Hell, I didn’t even have a phone. My English teacher was I’ve had, I feel like Harry Potter, swimming deep inside impressed with me and I also had a crush on her but Dumbledore’s Pensieve. So I dive in, with a vision so clear back then I didn’t know what a crush was or that it was that it feels like only yesterday, and I see the 90s flashing in unrequited. I cherished it for an entire year until she left front of my eyes. (apparently because she was getting too plump), which I
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realised later was maternity leave! I swim further in the Pensieve to see myself standing on my dad’s Kinetic Honda in the little space I have, with my mouth wide open. He was driving me to school. Ah, a place where punishment was to ‘kneel down’ alongside friends outside class. Read the same old Indian History textbook and its butchered English. I could now ace the test without even studying for it because everything just fell into place like that. Everything was easy. I used to have fun by pulling out the reels of an audio cassette to erase my sister’s favorite song and replace it with my version of it. I also made my dad buy me an encyclopedia mainly to compensate for my height at the dinner table (and also to reach the jar of candy my mom thought was well hidden from me). I did learn a lot during this time of my life though. I learnt about wars and other countries and read books like Sherlock Holmes, Tintin, Hardy Boys, Famous Five and other mystery novels in my school library. I also had immense amount of time on my hands during summers, which I didn’t know how to utilise. And no one talked about global warming or its hazards back then. The Olympics wasn’t still a big deal for me. But I did realise that the black power ranger was black and the yellow one was Asian for a reason. At that time I didn’t even know that pink was a girly colour and that it was considered stereotypical. I did not mourn the loss of talented musicians or the lack of good music. I danced to Hey Macarena (I always messed up the lyrics and I still do) and saw Madonna emerge out of a shiny disco ball when I switch on the television (which isn’t HD or LCD yet — it’s the good old CRT at 480p that had the effect of superglue on me). I imagine myself watching The Legends of the Hidden Temple and other shows wondering what it would be like to participate, in hope that the slimy green goo didn’t ever fall on me. And later in the night I would watch Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon, after having begged my parents to let me stay up to finish the movie (I terrorised my sister’s teddy bear for weeks with the nunchuks, which I made by shortening a skipping rope, yes). It was a time when I went to the movie theatre to see the Titanic sink, light sabers clashing against one another and Egyptian mummies trying to take over the world and watched Casablanca on TV for the first time and My Fair lady on a VHS tape that I had rented. My Fair Lady was a wonderful movie that taught me how beautiful the English language is. (Also, Sheep in the big
I did learn a lot during this time of my life though. I learnt about wars and other countries and read books like Sherlock Holmes, Tintin, Hardy Boys, Famous Five and other mystery novels in my school library city deserves a mention — I don’t know why but it does) Television was not yet disgraced by unnecessary dubbing artists. The Addams Family, Tom and Jerry (original and not the later versions), Disney movies, Jimmy Neutron, Kenan and Kel, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, That 70’s Show, I dream of Jeannie, Full House — I could never pick a favourite show though. Everything taught me a lesson. Gasping for breath, I come out of Dumbledore’s Pensieve to see the world for what it is today. And I think to myself that, boy, if I was Rip Van Winkle, I would die too! My consistent memories of this particular time of my life contrasting with the present, leaves me in a dilemma of what I should be feeling right now — sad or happy? Because let’s face it, even though we live in an advanced world now (we still see flying cars only in the movies, what’s up with that?), a 90s kid will always remain a 90s kid at heart because that is a time no one can ever take away from us. Ever. Circumstances don’t make or break someone — they reveal who you really are. The same can be said about a person’s past. Those who remember the 90s have something to fall back on, something they can use to instantly change their mood. They know what they can’t look forward to anymore and they move on in this world knowing that the memories they cherish so much, the ephemeral nostalgia, is something that will always be with them in good times and bad. I guess we learnt to adapt the beauty of the past to the needs of the present. That is what this period has left most of us with.
*** campusdiaries.com/stories/someone-remembers-90s
LETTERS
Dear Kitty Litter Box, It feels like only yesterday that I lovingly introduced your glossy plastic rump to grace my dirty balcony floor. I realise that you might have led a happier life as a baby’s bath tub or a laboratory trough, but alas such is life. You were destined to hold feline excrement and feline excrement did you hold bravely. But now that furry annoyance that stained your chastity day in and day out with putrid fish remains and half-digested poultry bones is dead. I hope you are satisfied. You might be wondering what you are doing rotting slowly, teaming with maggots on a hot sunny day, with a hard copy of this letter half buried in the sand and litter that becomes you. The answer is this. I loved my cat. Mojo was the best. And your quaintly effervescent decay is our vendetta. Sincerely yours, Mojo’s grieving brother.
*** Dear World, Sincerely, Ninjas *** Dear Grammar Nazis, I don’t cares for you types. Sincerely, Grammar Jews *** Dear Nazis, You did what? I said I hate JUICE you idiots… Yours Fuehriously, Adolf Hitler *** To, The CEO Volvo, Sweden. Dear Sir, Say the name of your company out loud. Slowly. Get it? LOL. Sincerely, The CEO Fiat, Italy.
Dear Writer’s Block, Ummm….. la deed ah deed ah… La la la la…. Ahem… Umm… hmm… Sincerely, Writer *** Dear Death, Be not Proud. For some have called thee mighty and dreadful, thou art not so. Sincerely, John Donne/Children of Bodom *** Dear Seven, You might have eaten Nine, but I’ve done things with Nine you can’t even fathom in your wildest fantasies. Sincerely, Six *** Dear Completion, I don’t think I’ll ever Sincerely, Procrastination *** Dear Mary, Sorry I ate your lamb. It was quite delicious. Sincerely, The Giant from Jack and the Beanstalk
***
campusdiaries.com/stories/letters
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TRAVEL
The LAND of Eternal Silica A guided view into the soul of Egypt – A land that has been made eternal by the bonds of life after death and the indestructible and all conquerable sands that run through the entire canvas of Egypt Archisman Misra | Amity School of Engineering & Technology | Noida
#discovery
I
n the land of the ancient kings, Egypt is a wonderful place to see. Across the vast expanses of the desert are scattered pieces of a beautiful civilisation that has often been said to be the pinnacle of scientific discovery and from whose depths emerged the Ethynkera Device, whose accuracy in predicting moon patterns hasn’t been paralleled by even a modern day computer. Much that was great now lies tarnished and ruined. Around the great pyramids of Giza lies a sprawling city with little or no planning. The roads remain choked with traffic; the drivers are as horrible as those found in New Delhi. Buildings adorned the skyline as I travelled from Cairo to Giza — buildings that were dreams of people lie empty and barren like hellish edicts. The morning begins on the Alexandria Desert Road — a long day lies ahead as the bus tumbles on, twisting, turning, jumping at every hole or disturbance in the road. Alexandria was one of the greatest ports of the new dynasty and was under Greek rule substantially. It was the setting of the romance between Cleopatra and Julius Caesar and between Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. It is the biggest port of the country of Egypt.
Now, Alexandria resembles a ghost town. The outskirts have tall buildings with unpainted and crumbling facades, the streets narrow and the people desperate for money. They start urging you to buy their fares the moment they lay their eyes on you. As I leave Amud El-Sawari, I see a weekly market adorning both sides of the street. The shops sell burqas, street jewellery and quite amusingly women’s lingerie in the open. It is considered a normal phenomenon there but the presence of outdoor shops selling lingerie and the women actually going ahead and buying them seemed a bit odd to me, especially since almost all the women I had seen in Egypt had been wearing burqas. The thing about Egypt is that, even though it has been oppressed for so long and it seems that it is heading towards another period of oppression, this time religious, the heart of the people remains very strong. Egyptians are the warmest people that I have met.
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I met a little boy named Ahmed; he came to sell me a book of old Egyptian coins. I told him that I had already bought a few from Alexandria. He asked me what I paid for them and quietly replied that I had been given a good deal. He did not try to persuade me to buy it again. He stood with me near my bus as I finished my cigarette; he was not even old enough to be in college. He told me about the schools in Egypt and how they teach. At the end when it was time for me to leave, he hugged me and said goodbye. I instantly reached to check if my wallet was there, it was something stuck in my system. I felt horrible inside, Ahmed did not see me check for my wallet, he had already left. Amidst all the utter chaos of broken facades and unpainted buildings stands this majestic building inscribed with words from countless languages, the new Library of Alexandria. You go inside and it does not look less extravagant than the Library of Congress itself. State of the art security systems, eight floors of books; I felt I was in heaven! Just outside the library were the four main universities of Alexandria and the coffee shops nearby were filled with students. They were quite an inquisitive bunch and bubbling with enthusiasm, not much unlike me. As I left with the coffee in my hand, I felt bad for them, my future had endless freedom written on it, and theirs had Sharia.
campusdiaries.com/picture-stories/land-eternal-silica
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FICTION
A story of a man with a distorted vision, which only enhances his self-importance
T
o a poet, everything in life means something. A dead grass is symbolic to a fallen fighter, after having weathered a war. A green grass is symbolic to the downtrodden class, oppressed under the feet of the more powerful, nevertheless showing unbreakable spirit to revive at dawn. To a realist, grass is grass, dead or green. A realist sees life,with all it cruelties. A poet sees a beautiful life. I’ve tried to be a poet all my life (to explain crudely, someone who could rhyme short sentences). But somewhere along, the realist in me took over.
He never went inside. He wasn’t accompanying anyone. He didn’t come to pray. Didn’t look like a beggar either. He looked like a man aloof from this world, probably an atheist, in some sort of competition with God Being an illiterate on religion, visits to temples for me were more of an excursion than anything else. I don’t know if it pleased God, but it pleased my mother. During my visits, there was this young guy whom I always saw on Saturdays. He never went inside, just stared from the foot of the stairs. First time I saw him, he looked an average 20-something, probably staring at a pretty face. I too followed his line of sight, only to be disappointed — he was staring at the deity. On subsequent visits, I couldn’t help but notice him. He never went inside. He wasn’t accompanying anyone. He didn’t come to pray. Didn’t look like a beggar either. He looked like a man aloof from this world, probably an atheist, in some sort of competition with God. Or perhaps, was in some serious trouble, came for favour or forgiveness, but his ego didn’t allow him to bow before anyone else (so what if it was God himself?).
Or perhaps, he was a writer and staring at God filled him with positive energy and inspired great creativity. Perhaps, I had overstretched my imagination on the last one. Maybe someone betrayed him and he was expecting a payback. Whatever it was, this guy was not normal. I finally decided to ask him. I just hoped he didn’t break down while narrating his sad story. Yes, his was definitely a sad story, I was sure. I decided I would stay strong and give him the strength and support he needs. I was prepared to be the dumping-box he so needed, to relieve himself of sadness that this cruel world had put him through. I would give him hope; God wanted me to play Messiah to him. I needed to ask him. So, I gathered all my courage and approached him. I looked him in the eye. “Kya bhai, roz aise hi. Kya hua?” He looked around. I got a sinking feeling that he wouldn’t answer me. I asked again. “Batao batao, kya dekhte rehte ho?” “Mauka dekhtein rehtein hain. Jeb kat te hain.” (I am a pickpocket) The world suddenly came crashing down on me. “Thulla ko bata dein?” “Aap nahi batayenge. Pata hai humko.” He slowly smiled and walked away. I never saw him again, not on Saturdays, or any other day. I still find it hard to believe what he said. Was he so disturbed that he committed suicide? Unlikely. I probably need to take my mind off of this. I hate to listen to it, but something inside tells me, “Dude, it was so obvious.” I was never meant to be a poet. Life and its reasons are simpler than what it seems.
*** campusdiaries.com/stories/beyond-obvious
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I AM A STORY #thoughts NAJEEB NAYAZI PESIT | Bangalore
PERSPECTIVES
A story deliberates over its new found actuality, its rules and the journey ahead
I
am new and I’ve got nothing but I already feel As much as I find strange that one would want to keep the need to make an impression, to pass a witty track of life by cutting time up into tiny pieces and comment, to disparage someone. It’s strange, this even wear it on hands or carry around in pockets, I also pressure, since you’d think one would give a chance empathise, because I see what being aware of things like to someone who is visibly nervous. This world can be beginnings and endings can do — the world becomes a a harsh, harsh place. much smaller place. It is something that the first thing I pick is the Time will pass and like myriad of others like me, harshness, but then perhaps, it’s me who’s jumping to I’ll be shoved into your past. Maybe I won’t last long there conclusions because after all you were making a first either, my previous generations tell me of difficult times impression on me too. So maybe, it’s just what this and there are accusations of attention spans shortening world turns us into. There seems to be a reaction to by the day. But I know better, my only concern must be every action, which can turn into a cycle, so I presume my work, and I see a bigger picture where maybe you someone needs to take the first step, so allow me to say are in the process of adapting and I need to follow suit. that I am going to be frank, and Maybe they found it difficult, I’ll keep an open mind, I won’t either because of the new judge and I’ll hope for the best. or because they refused to In my world, we exist before being I was told it will always be adapt. born. Each one of us is scattered, but tough in the beginning but If you’ve reached this that’s because it’s so vast that the little did I know it would feel far, a part of me must have like being thrown blind into already settled somewhere space is taken for granted. All we’d the deep end of a swimming in your memory. I’d like to do is drift around and bump into pool. By now, I’ve had time to confess at this point, that each other, never feeling, seeing or adjust, to the environment and communicating, all the while hoping from the beginning, it has the rules, and I realise it isn’t been my secret desire to that we’d find a way through that deep after all. Or maybe I want a piece of your memory, just learnt how to swim. probably in the hopes that In my world, we exist you’ll pass it on, and extend before being born. Each one of us is scattered, but that’s my time here for as long as possible. I didn’t know I because it’s so vast that the space is taken for granted. could be greedy but then I didn’t know desires either. All we’d do is drift around and bump into each other, Before I may be branded a blood sucking never feeling, seeing or communicating, all the while parasite, I’d like to point out that it’s not my intention hoping that we’d find a way through. Maybe this is what to simply survive, as before long, all that would remain it means to be “alive” — to be able to experience, and I of me would be fragments spread among you — I’ve am shamelessly jealous of anyone who gets to enjoy it been created only to be scattered again. So, instead of whenever they want. plainly drifting once more, this time I’d like to believe I am to keep you engaged and I realise that that I’d grow stronger, and then I’d be able to bump into that makes me so much more aware of what I had in others hard enough to maybe generate a spark, and then abundance previously — time. perhaps live some more.
*** campusdiaries.com/stories/im-a-story
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OPINION
W
e live in a “democracy” where there are bans into rapists. on cow slaughter, and far too many books1 I think it’s important, at this juncture, to also and paintings and films2, where movies are remember something that is really quite obvious. The considered ‘adult’ if they contain a kiss and target audience for porn does not consist solely of cigarettes are very cleverly blurred out (because now we rapists. It has a diverse, widespread audience that really have absolutely no idea what could possibly be causing does transgress differences of age, gender, sexuality and all that smoke to emanate from an actor’s mouth), where profession. Who watches porn? Well. Everyone who American sitcoms are so heavily censored that they has access to it, really. Go on now. Haven’t you? Your jump from scene to scene with no coherent link, and boyfriend has. Girlfriend also. That harmless old spinster where alcohol is banned in four different states. India aunty next door is probably watching it right now. So is loves bans. It’s our solution to everything. Now, we are your teenaged brother for sure. Everyone you know and solemnly considering a ban on pornography. love has probably watched porn at some point in their Before I begin in earnest, a small disclaimer. lives. Wouldn’t you miss them if they were all in jail? I don’t think porn is devoid of incorrect portrayals of Sure, maybe some rapists watch porn. But some women. In fact, it certainly does depict women in very terrorists use airplanes and some murderers use knives. strange and misleading Is that a good enough ways. However, I still reason to ban those next? don’t think it is useful to So the “porn leads to Who watches porn? Well. Everyone who criminalise it, particularly rape” argument is certainly has access to it, really. Go on now. Haven’t baseless, but that isn’t what for the reasons being you? Your boyfriend has. Girlfriend also. trumpeted by proponents bothers me the most. Why That harmless old spinster aunty next of the ban. aren’t we dealing with our door is probably watching it right now. So why is this woefully inadequate police being discussed? Because force that consistently fails So is your teenaged brother for sure. porn “corrupts society” and Everyone you know and love has probably to responsibly record and causes rape, apparently. watched porn at some point in their lives. investigate these crimes? This idea has surfaced after Why are we turning a Wouldn’t you miss them if they the rapist of a five-yearblind eye to the numerous were all in jail? old in Delhi confessed to instances of moral having watched porn before policing, which really does committing the crimes. The nothing but further the solution, therefore, is to ban porn and label anyone who misogyny that is already inherent to our blatantly sexist watches it a criminal. society? Why aren’t we treating rape as the product Let’s get this misconception out of the way first. of an inherently sexist society that subconsciously At a time when numerous studies3 conducted all over perpetuates rape culture in the smallest, most common the world are leaning towards stating a link between ways? We have real issues to deal with here, but instead, porn and a decrease in levels of sexual crime, we can we’re choosing to address the problem by banning porn at least safely say that porn certainly does not cause an and stopping women from entering pubs past 10 PM. increase in rates of rape. Researchers have been hard at These seem like pretty lazy solutions, not to mention work to find such a connection, but the closest they have suspiciously inexpensive ones that require the bare come is merely a study which indicated that watching minimum of expense on the part of the government, pornography excessively can increase the risk of violent while still maintaining the facade of doing something behaviour in men who are already predisposed to sexual useful. violence. There is absolutely no negative, scientifically These particular responses, and the speed established link at all between porn and rape, and with which they were brought to the forefront of the certainly nothing to show us that porn turns ordinary men discussions surrounding rape, are also indicative of a very
CAMPUSDIARIES JUNE | 35
dangerous idea; one that is difficult enough to stomach from a lay person, let alone the government. It’s that unshakeable, widely held belief that the man had to be “provoked” into such a crime. There’s always an external cause, something else to blame it on. Her “loose morals”, her “revealing clothes”, the time of night. When these don’t apply, we are happy to find another scapegoat, because it is never entirely just the man’s fault, you see.
Yes, these are dark and trying times, but that’s exactly why we need to be rational through it all. Considering an arbitrary ban which would result in throwing horny 21 year olds into our already dangerous, over-crowded jails (believe me, Indian prisons will make a criminal out of you far quicker than a porno) He had to have been incited, inflamed, spurred on to such sick passion. When are we going to stop making excuses and shifting the focus away from the man? How many times do we have to go over this? Men are not beasts. They are humans. And humans are perfectly capable of watching
porn and not raping, much like how they are capable of spying a bikini-clad woman and not assaulting. So there is no excuse. Not porn, not clothing, not anything. The solution to every problem cannot be found in an outright ban, particularly a cheap, self-serving one like this. The key to handling sexual crimes is not to clamp down on everything that looks, sounds or smells like sex. Yes, these are dark and trying times, but that’s exactly why we need to be rational through it all. Considering an arbitrary ban which would result in throwing horny 21 year olds into our already dangerous, over-crowded jails (believe me, Indian prisons will make a criminal out of you far quicker than a porno) and making ill-informed, irresponsible statements on the imagined causes of rape (which range from porn to chowmein4) will take us nowhere good. It’s nice to know that the government finally believes women’s safety is enough of an issue to be worth doing something about. But the point is not to just do something, it’s to take meaningful steps that are backed by research and can show real results that truly address the problem. Don’t you realise that we have far more pressing issues to address than controlling what the masses jerk off to? And most importantly, how on earth will politicians amuse themselves in the Parliament now?5
*** campusdiaries.com/stories/is-there-anything-else-you-would-like-to-ban
References : 1. http://nilanjanaroy.com/2012/09/30/banned-books-week-banning-books-in-india/\ 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_banned_in_India 3. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/money/study-finds-online-porn-reduce-incidence-rape-article-1.390028 4. http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-16/india/34497488_1_khap-panchayat-haryana-khap-haryana-s-jind 5. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9069158/Three-Indian-MPs-caught-watching-pornography-on-smart phone-in-parliament
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forgotten In this fast paced world, we often forget to enjoy the simple things that life has to offer
RIDE #MEMORIES Rishabh Jain Jadavpur University Kolkata
CAMPUSDIARIES JUNE | 39
They run the tram with a proud feeling
And some warnings...
The ring of destiny
Longing for a glimpse
The collections till now
These eyes have witnessed a lot
And some who simply can’t afford it
Even when there are some empty spaces to fill
The few who tread the old path
The tram is a window to a forgotten world
Business as usual
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Simple yet surreal
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#psychology
COGNITIVE
BIASes Critical analysis, though of paramount importance, is rarely used when it comes to decision making. But why is that?
Shreyas Banthalpad | Amrita Vidyapeetham | Coimbatore CAMPUSDIARIES JUNE | 44
ANALYSIS
T
hey say the human brain is more powerful than for instances that prove their viewpoint on any any modern day computer. But this is not always issue. They systematically ignore any other piece of true, is it? Not only do we sometimes struggle information that may be contrary to their opinion! Yeah with simple calculations and have less than you’re probably thinking, “Not me! You will never catch reliable memories but what is really interesting are the me falling into such an obvious pit!” Truth is we all do flaws that surround and plague our capacity to think it! The reason is simple. Every kind of cognitive bias is critically. After all, isn’t critical thinking what sets us actually just an instance of evolved mental behaviour. apart from other forms of life? Isn’t it also the special And guess what? This is also the reason why we tend ingredient that sets our brains to hang out with people with apart from the computer you similar mind-sets, interests etc. might read this on later? The Notice how Sreesanth and The reason is simple. Every kind fact of the matter is that most his chums chose to ignore how of cognitive bias is actually just of us let certain cognitive biases some Pakistani fast bowlers had an instance of evolved seriously impair our judgment been punished for spot fixing in of the situation at hand and a game of cricket? That reeks of mental behaviour therefore make decisions that are confirmation bias on the part of rarely based on critical analysis of those accused. Exposed to the the situation. dirty underbelly of cricket, they So what is a cognitive bias, really? It is simply probably thought that they could get away with it and a pattern of deviation in judgment. The deviation chose to ignore all evidence to the contrary, including happens because certain key inferences, in the overall the fact that those Pakistani fast bowlers accused of spot analysis, are drawn illogically. In other words, the person fixing had been handed out life bans not very long ago! in question creates a highly subjective analysis of the That one irrational decision by those accused not only situation instead of objectively analysing it. Well, at least tarnished their reputations but also the reputation of that is what Wikipedia says about cognitive biases. Okay, the gentleman’s game. let us get the jargon out of the way and see how certain Gambler’s Fallacy is another interesting way in cognitive biases seriously do make us irrational: which we tend to trip over ourselves! For reasons that Confirmation bias, one such bottomless trap for are not fully clear yet, we think that the outcome of critical thinking, causes the person to selectively search some past instance will actually influence the present si-
-tuation. Take a series of coin tosses for example. The practical significance of these biases is far more Suppose you get three heads in a row and you’re asked interesting. There are so many situations where the to predict the next result. Most tend to think that it is people in question are required to think critically and impossible to keep getting heads so many times. In fact act in a rational manner. But how often do we really with each passing coin toss you feel that the likelihood think objectively about the decisions we need to take? of another heads is definitely lower than the previous Unfortunately, the very best of us are not completely instance right? Wrong! The probability remains the free of all Cognitive Biases. After all, it is human nature. same every time! 50-50. So the obvious Recency bias, a cognitive question of whether the effect bias that is somewhat related to of these biases can be reduced There are so many situations Gambler’s Fallacy, is one where comes up. Some suggest that where the people in question the person attributes more an excellent way to reduce the are required to think critically importance to events that have effect of cognitive biases is and act in a rational manner. But occurred more recently than to to use controlled processing events that may have occurred as opposed to automatic how often do we really think further back in time. Thus the processing of thought. Easier objectively about the decisions combination of Recency bias and said than done right? It is. we need to take? Gambler’s Fallacy is a sure shot The reason is that automatic formula for bad decision making. processing comes easily to us. It Unfortunately this combination is a more basic kind of thinking is all too common from decisions ranging from the and processing thought. Something that depends on mundane to the ones that could potentially affect intuition. Something that comes naturally. On the other someone’s life! hand controlled processing is all about critical thinking. Remember how the former captain of the Indian It involves being objective, being detached from the Cricket team, who had been accused of match fixing emotional aspect of decision making and weighing and was banned for “life” in 2000, was invited back into all evidence, both positive and negative, both recent the folds of Indian Cricket by BCCI? There never was and past history. Each of these is a contributing factor a better example of Recency bias! After all, this captain to excellent decision making. It is rather obvious that had even admitted to fixing as many as three One Day controlled processing is not natural at all. In fact, we Internationals, but his more recent “excellent” service need to condition ourselves to think that way. Tough, in public life seems to have caused an entire nation to but worth it in the end because it enables us to make forget how he had let all of us down on the world stage! better decisions and thus, lead better lives. So, trusting And these are just three, among the multitudes, of your intuition is probably not such a great idea after cognitive biases that plague each and every one of us! all. But controlled processing of thoughts and ideas, But I’d much rather not bore the reader any more with definitely is! the biases themselves! There is always Wikipedia for that.
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NEVER BACK DOWN #overcome
T
hroughout my four years at IIT Delhi, I aimed for a product directed research involving inception, design, specification and testing in real life settings to develop valuable commodities leading to the benefit of the society. I started my journey into research when I developed the idea for working on my own project during January 2011 — FPGAs (Field-programmable gate array) as accelerators for next generation sequencing. I was aware of new software tools being developed in the market for DNA sequencing. So, I thought of addressing one software tool and implementing it in parallel on FPGAs by unrolling the loops. Thus, I surveyed for two months and came up with six recent software tools which, based on my rough estimate, could be implemented in parallel. Then, I took this idea to one of the Computer Science faculty, Prof. M. Balakrishnan and we applied for the Summer Undergraduate Research Award (SURA). We got the grant from the Ministry of Human Resource and Development of India and the project began in summer 2011, when I profiled the six software tools, based on their performance and selected one of them to be implemented on FPGA.
I was working alone and there wasn’t enough guidance and resources in this area in our department, and the algorithm was too complex for a novice like me to understand and implement. I continued to mull over the problem through the rest of the semester with very little success
PROJECT
DHRUV JAIN IIT DELHI
This is a summary of my ‘journey’ into research in Computer Science at IIT Delhi. Here, I discuss the struggles that kept me motivated through 21 years of my life
I was aware of new software tools being developed in the market for DNA sequencing. So, I thought of addressing one software tool and implementing it in parallel on FPGAs by unrolling the loops But, all hope was lost when I began coding the algorithm in VHDL. I was working alone and there wasn’t enough guidance and resources in this area in our department, and the algorithm was too complex for a novice like me to understand and implement. I continued to mull over the problem through the rest of the semester with very little success. Though the project was not completed, I learned a lot in the area of FPGAs, bioinformatics etc. and volunteered to organize the FPGA design contest for the international conference on Field Programmable Technology (FPT) held in December 2011. Interactions with researchers from all over the world in the area boosted my confidence. I made few contacts and discussed my problem with them. Most importantly, I learned how crucial it is to align oneself with the research interests of the faculty and the group. By the end of second year, I realised that I wanted to design products leading to the benefit of the society. Thus, I also developed a low cost indoor navigation system for the visually impaired under the guidance of Prof. M. Balakrishnan and Prof. P.V.M. Rao. What started as a summer project, wherein we developed the lab prototype, went on to become a full project over two semesters where we did improvements and developed mechanical prototypes. We also tested it with visually impaired individuals in an institute building using a standardised before-and-after study.
CAMPUSDIARIES JUNE | 59
User Module front view showing the IR receiever, charging port and switch
User module side view showing the belt attachment
Wall module showing the switch and the IR transmitter
A user demonstrating the system
User reaching the destination with the aid of our system. Red arrow shows the user module. Black arrows is the wall module. (a) Starting point on 4th floor (b)First left turn (c)Waiting for lift (d)Entering lift (e)Coming out from lift (f)Entering 3rd floor (g)Left turn (h)End point.
PROJECT I presented the results at the 13th International Conference on “Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled People” (TRANSED 2012) and we got the award for the Best Paper. We also won the first prize in a nation-wide poster competition at the IBM Collaborative Academia Research Exchange (I-CARE 2012) where I presented the poster and our device prototypes. Currently, I am leading a team of 11 students for the field testing of the device as my Major project. Our patent application has been approved by the Indian Patent Office. We are currently in the pilot stage of development and are planning to deploy it in the institute building. This project taught me how to build a real-time, reliable and robust deployable product. It would immensely help me to utilise these skills in my projects during graduation. I also worked on a project aimed at uploading video from vehicular systems in TV whitespaces under Dr. Vinay Riberio and Dr. Manish Sharma. This project initially started as a joint project of IIT Delhi and University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison). I joined the project in July 2011 and worked on the MAC-layer design of the system where I developed new vehicular handoff protocols. This work has been accepted for poster presentation at the fifth International Conference on Communication Systems and Networks (COMSNETS 2013). I went on to UW-Madison as a summer intern under Dr. Suman Banerjee where I worked on modifying the OFDM design of Rice University’s WARP board to disable some subcarriers and make it suitable for TV Whitespace applications. Currently, I am continuing it as a Mini Project where I am working on the completion of the new SDR board started by my seniors. I also did a semester long project under Prof. Purnima Singh in Social Psychology. I developed questionnaires and conducted user studies with around 150 users to explore how values that individuals uphold, influences their decision making in case of social dilemmas.
Currently, I am leading a team of 11 students for the field testing of the device as my Major project. Our patent application has been approved by Indian Patent Office. We are currently in the pilot stage of development and are planning to deploy it in the institute building
My struggle bore fruits when I cleared the prestigious All India Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and got into one of the best Computer Engineering schools in India, IIT Delhi Motivation Throughout my life, I had to struggle because I have a hearing problem, but my fight has indeed given me positive results. In earlier years of my school life, I had to work extra hard to get to the forefront of the class. I have always had problems with language courses. My struggle bore fruits when I cleared the prestigious All India Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and got into one of the best Computer Engineering schools in India, IIT Delhi. Now, I have a considerably good GPA (9.21/10), and have done courses in both Computer Science and Psychology. Searching for an area that interested me, I realised in my third year that I wanted to pursue research in the domain of Human Computer Interaction/Embedded Systems preferably leading to benefit of the disabled community. My approach toward problem-solving in life is directed by the behavioural psychologist, Albert Bandura’s ‘Self-Control Therapy’. Dhruv Jain is a senior undergraduate student at Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Delhi. He has been the recipient of many awards including Best Paper Award at 13th International Conference on ‘Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled People’ (TRANSED 2012), Best Poster Award at IBM-ICARE 2012 and Summer Undergraduate Research Award by Ministry of Human Resource and Development, India. He has also got an award grant of `2 lakh from IIT Alumni Association. His project Roshni — Indoor Navigation System for visually impaired aims to empower visually impaired community by enabling them to navigate independently in unfamiliar indoor environments. He started the project from scratch in May 2011. As the project lead, he has currently deployed the system in an institute building at IIT Delhi and field tested it successfully with 25 visually impaired individuals. Dhruv currently has four publications in premier International conferences and an Indian Patent for his technology leading to the benefit of visually impaired community. He has declined a scholarship for Master’s Program at INRIA, Grenoble and would be continuing his project as a Research Associate at IIT Delhi. campusdiaries.com/stories/never-back-down
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Subhendu Panigrahi Venture Hire
#intern
nternships have become very popular among This first batch of interns is a heterogeneous mixture both students and companies nowadays. In fact, of IIT campuses and departments. Three of them are their popularity has risen so much that even 20th from IIT Guwahati. They are primarily designers and Century Fox produced a film based on the concept have already started playing with colours and fonts. of internships, where two old sales guys are selected Others are from IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT for an internship at Google and compete with younger Bombay. (I talked to IIT KGP guys first, alma mater you students who are shown to be nerds and geeks. What see!) Siddharth, a junior undergraduate from Computer it actually tells us is that how securing an internship Science says that he is enjoying his stay at LT Research a could be a possible vehicle to test learn new skill sets, lot. He was comparing his current internship to last year’s apply them tenaciously and then which was at a PSU — boring possibly end up having a longer and mundane. The high point employment with the company for him is the team lunches He was comparing his current (plus the fun of working at and the casual environment internship to last year’s Google!). at the startup! However our According to me, which was at a PSU – boring readers shouldn’t feel that internships are fun and the beingstartup work places have only a and mundane there-done-that rule definitely casual environment. Because in applies to me. I have had my fact, startups are actually high fair share of excitement during velocity companies, only minus my junior year internship in Denmark apart from the hierarchy and rules — they are a fun place to work and hands-on learning I received and the interesting execute your ideas and our guys couldn’t agree more after a project work. When I was moonlighting on ideas for month into their startup experience! my entrepreneurial journey last year, I realised that All the interns have gelled well with each other providing a platform to young kids for them to discover and what I love is that they have a great founding team to such opportunities of fun and learning sounded really seek mentorship. I also had a chat with the founders and good and that’s when we founded the company Venture Chetan, co-founder of LT, pointed out that the kids are Hire. And then pretty soon, we ramped up and found very energetic and are doing good work! Occasionally, the cool startups looking for interns. One of our clients, interns play ping pong too, which is a great design hack as LT Research, which is doing transformative work, was it is their conference table. Sounds cool, right? And how looking for top notch talent in interns and we were able will be a team outing be fun without a movie? LT guys even to crack the code! After a solid Hangout and few calls went for Star Trek into Darkness together (a geeky place you made here and there, seven interns were onboard and see). We wish good luck to the team and as they say in Star they have even started to work at their new office since Trek, let these guys go “where no one has gone before.” the last few weeks.
***
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Travel, Anyone? Sidhant Bhutani AIESEC #exchange
D
Everyday, I plan my day like it’s a new blank page of a hruv Gupta, in six weeks travelled to four beautiful chapter that I can lead to a perfect ending. cities in Turkey and learnt enough Turkish to Everyday, I am happy to work. Like actually, glad to be able to start a conversation with the locals work. Coz I know my work is to impact people — there. He had a variety of unique experiences, impacting the lives of young, hopeful children, who are from an earthquake to a storm, from a hot water spring gifted. Everyday, I escape to a world of my own. A world to a snowfall, from the ancient ruins of the city to the that is full of humble, honest, simple and good people.” glaring and imposing downtown streets. He spent His day included his days learning not only the waking up to a nice Turkish Turkish culture but also different tea and hazelnut donuts cultures from almost five different Everyday, I plan my day like it’s for breakfast, a beautiful countries. This is just one of a new blank page of a beautiful 20-minute walk to the bus the reasons why Dhruv Gupta is chapter that I can lead to a station overlooking the hills, different from his classmates. perfect ending. Everyday, I am five hours of interacting with He is an ordinary 21-yearhappy to work children, who didn’t even old third year college-going know him but were still eager student at IP University, New to learn everything they could, Delhi, for whom each day ends and ending the day with some with a twist. As he prepares for his Nargile by the coast of Izmir with friends and now “my exams just like his fellow cohort, he finds time from his little family” there. What more can you want from life? busy schedule to engage and develop several hundred Perhaps, a Blackberry? Facebook status updates? Gossip young individuals by facilitating intense leadership and some nice sitcoms? No? and exchange experiences. When asked about his own If you are about 21 and want a similar life, sign experience in Turkey he says, “Everyday, I sleep with the up to be an AIESECer. Because, at 21, a vacation does feeling of utmost contentment and in full satisfaction not mean a holiday taken with only friends, and is full of of my day. Not because I made the most of that day alcohol, five star hotels and indulgence. If you’re young but because I know I contributed to making someone and eager to learn, then try to learn about yourself, life else’s day complete as well. Everyday, I wake up in the and people. For that, all you have to do is pack your bags morning without having any breakfast given to me on and choose a Global Community Development Program my bed, to know that I am responsible for myself. in a country of your choice. It’s that simple.
***
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MUSIC & ART
A SANTA CLAUS BEARD IN THE MAKING? CHECK. A rendezvous with the frontman of a metal band. No wait, he’s a beatboxer. Also a guitarist. And an ad man. DOP too, I think? Actor too, he says. Oh and he directed The Dewarists and Bring on the Night! Yeah. A rendezvous with Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy
Jahnavi Sharma HR College Mumbai
#conversations
I
can see metal shelves made of old beer cans and tion I’ve wanted to blurt out since the beginning of the cartons in front of me. I am sitting on the sofa, interview. Why did he choose Advertising after studying looking around, amused and calm. To my right is a Journalism? huge clock and to my left is a huge glass room with “It was like I knew how to walk, but I had a funny a really big flat screen and brilliant pictures of cover walk. And Journalism kind of straightened my spine,” he art I have never seen before. Everything around me is says seriously and then suddenly laughs saying, “It also creative. I turn my head to see books in another glass taught me the most important lesson about Journalism room. CD’s and art. A lot of it. I am wondering how they — that I am not a journalist!” keep the place so clean, and that’s exactly when Vishwesh Advertising as a profession and passion, Krishnamoorthy walks up to me, smiling a happy smile. everybody knows, needs overflowing buckets of Here is one of the few people in the fraternity of mass creativity. And for this extremely talented and multimedia, who has tried his hands at almost everything — faceted guy, the non-structured, non-linear and advertising, journalism, film-making, theatre, music and immensely inventive discipline of advertising was even script writing! And I am a second year mass media just his thing. Unlike cinema, audiences viewing student, confused about choosing between advertising advertisements have a strong choice of avoiding the and journalism. Perfect. I ask him what’s the secret ads on TV or in print by either switching the channel behind this versatile avatar that makes him Vishwesh or turning the page. This makes holding the attention Krishnamoorthy and all he does span of the audience of utmost is smile. So, switching off that importance in advertising. And big flat LCD screen in front of us, once you do have a resourceful “It was like I knew how to walk, Vishwesh plops himself on the idea, making it reach the but I had a funny walk. And sofa with a steaming cup of coffee market through the right and we immediately get down to kind of medium is also very Journalism kind of straightened business — my future decisionnecessary, says the part-time my spine,” he says seriously making. Yes. ad man. He recalls that making and then suddenly laughs Taking me back to the shift from journalism to saying, “It also taught me the his childhood, he tells me how advertising was an easy one. At most important lesson about his grandfather, who was this that time because there was no Journalism — that I am not a quintessential, storybook grandpa one to guide students when it journalist!” with a happy Santa beard, was came to media, when someone blessed with a brilliant sense at the radio station he worked of humour and in a family of for told him he was the man for academicians and Tam Brahms, advertising, he decided to try it his grandpa was the only person who had a funny bone. out. I ask him curiously what he did at the radio station. And Vishwesh believes that maybe that’s where he picked “I was hired to make prank calls to our listeners,” he up the laughter from. His brother, an ace mathematician says with a straight face. After we laughed for what I’d today, had a huge appetite for literature when they were like to think was a good five minutes, he goes on to younger and lived with a library of books. Even though say, “You know as a kid, I had a sharp memory. If I saw Vishwesh wouldn’t have read all of them, he would still some monologue on TV, I could repeat it exactly how know the story of each one, because he would pick out it was and I had only heard it once!” Maybe his brain a random book from the shelf and ask his brother the always unconsciously knew, that this was something story. That’s when he developed his love for the English he wanted to do, he reflects. language and writing followed suit. He would sit in class When I asked him about the massive shift pretending to be taking down dictations and writing brands are making toward online advertising nowadays, stories at one go. “Yeah, because anyway you were going he says wisely, “Facebook and Twitter are like your own to photocopy the notes of the guy sitting next to you,” room, where you have the posters of things you like, he laughs impishly. He would stare at the end product in the music you listen to and invite your friends to come awe, because dictation meant no stopping in between. over and hang out.” Social networks were meant to And to have written something good in such sonic speed serve as a personal space, and ideally should be treated was utterly bewildering even for Vishwesh. Talking about that way too, he says. “But now the brands have just writing makes me all the more impatient about the quesparked their cars outside of that room, coz they know
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you are all there. You, your friends and even the other he said in an interview that his work needs to be brands!” authentic, he asked me to imagine myself as a waiter in Looking at how social networks have become a Japanese restaurant and that I was serving a customer so popular now, how little the younger generation reads who had just ordered sushi for dinner. and also how news reaches the youth online, I wondered And imagine that after serving some beautifully aloud if in a few years’ time, print media would even exist made sushi on the table, the customer asks me for at all? He shrugs it off, believing that sensing the paper ketchup and pickle to go with it. Ideally, after some and turning the pages has another level of connect with polite telling-off that that’s not how it’s meant to be had, the readers and that can never be replaced by cursors I would have eventually given him the damn ketchup and scroll options. “The only reason I read a few books and the pickle for the simple reason that he is, after online, is because if I buy more books, I’d have to buy a all, my customer. But, after two-three more rounds of new house!” he exclaims. ketchup and pickle, I would We tread on some serious topics lose my head and refuse to during our conversation and entertain him any further. If In The Dewarists, although Vishwesh gives us his viewpoints things are not happening how he weaves together different about the projection of women they are supposed to happen cultures and different genres in media as animatedly as he or without legitimacy and of music, the integrity of every would talk about The Mark of authenticity, then Vishwesh hum and every melody in the Teja. According to Vishwesh, doesn’t connect with it. And how women are projected in you understand this fully show remain intact, upholding mainstream media today has a once you see the effort he its uniqueness... The show lot to do with the mind-set of puts in his work. Look at took storytelling in music to a the society in itself. Sometimes, the realism you find in Bring completely different things are portrayed in a certain on the Night on MTV for level altogether way, because that’s how they are instance! It brought alive the perceived to be in reality and dying nightlife of Mumbai though that image has evolved over with utmost genuineness, the years, he says we still have a long way to go. He also making it seem like ‘our’ show at the end of day. The affirms with me that newer trends like animation, which characters, the setting, the Mumbai you see in the passing were once dismissed as cartoons for kids, are now being and the brun maska chai that goes with it — it doesn’t get used to deal with serious issues and social problems. He better than this. Even in The Dewarists, although he weaves believes that animation is the best form of media one together different cultures and different genres of music, can use to address societal evils. the integrity of every hum and every melody in the show Making an observation at the back of my remain intact, upholding its uniqueness! The moving mind, I realise that it didn’t even take me two minutes cameras and the different light and mood settings, the into the conversation with Vishwesh to get completely show took storytelling in music to a completely different mesmerised by his articulation. His expression is level altogether. Even the advertisements he’s made incredible, with the way he comes up with perfect and acted in, from the Havells microwave ad (where he examples to describe and explain each detail at the drop beatboxes to the sound of popcorn popping) to a Geyser ad of a hat! Like when I asked him that what he meant when where he sits in front of a blank TV screen enacting scenes
out of his favourite films or the latest Fevikwik ads, you music and whatnots all the time. But what subject would can see his work announcing his various talents. he teach? Would he teach advertising, journalism, film Another strikingly charming thing about making or maybe just music? “Only time can tell,” he Vishwesh that you almost immediately notice after chuckles. meeting with him is his extremely warm nature. As he took me through his initial years as a Even when he talks of these admirable endeavours radio station prank-caller, his adventure with print and achievements, he modestly adds envelops to it advertising to his shift to A/V and production, his with some funny stories of his voyage on directing TV series struggling beginner years. After and now his venture with a he decided to delve into direction feature film, if there is anything His direction technique he says and production in advertising he common you glaringly find involves chiller conversations realised that because he didn’t out about Vishwesh is that with his crew, enjoying anda belong to any film school, he he is passionate about doing didn’t know jack about direction. new things and doing them bhurji at GoodLuck restaurant, But then, knowing what you want excellently. “I know I can’t be last minute changes with as the output, which most of the wasting my time watching TV dialogues and ideas he has just directors today lack, is what got every single day,” he laughs. come up with, chaos, laughter him where he is. From slowly At the end of our and the experience of making getting the hang of things to the discussion, I felt a sense of calm something beautiful camera becoming one of his best swishing over me. I knew for friends today, Vishwesh tells us once that making a choice was that after working in so many important but being excellent disciplines one learns how to make people around you at what you do and the choice you make is also equally multi-task as well. From his chai wala to his DOP, he important. And by then, I had pretty much made my got all of them to act in Bring on the Night as well, be it choice. There was something he said to me while I was a small role for a small scene. His direction technique leaving, that has stuck to me like glue. He said, “Imagine he says involves chiller conversations with his crew, an audience, who leaves everything behind, switching enjoying anda bhurji at GoodLuck restaurant, last off their cell phones for two hours to pay rapt attention minute changes with dialogues and ideas he has just to something going on in front of them, in a dark room, come up with, chaos, laughter and the experience of uninhibited and free of all other worldly possessions making something beautiful. and place to be, and for what? To watch something you I asked him if he would ever like to take up made. Isn’t that a wonderful feeling?” Well, isn’t it? teaching in the future and he seemed very surprised to have heard someone ask him that. He unconsciously *** said yes, and it wasn’t surprising for me, knowing how campusdiaries.com/stories/santa-claus-beard-making-check extremely good he is with students, guiding them with
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PEOPLE
UNEXPLORED
ATTUR #untravel
INDRAJEET DESHMUKH SRISHTI SCHOOL OF ART DESIGN & TECH BANGALORE
Snug
Axis
Innocence
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Converse
Vagabonds
Clan
BFF
***
campusdiaries.com/picture-stories/unexplored-attur
Transient
MUSIC & ART
HOPE Bharath Narayan Chitrakala Parishat Bangalore #feeling
“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise” — Victor Hugo, Les Misérables When the crimson curtains fall upon the horizon, a red river rises. Carrying the filth and blood from ages past, it flows down across the valleys and fields and now through my toes. With my feet gripped to the ground as the trees hold the earth, and my eyes set on the sinking sun, I stand incarcerated in this puddle of despair. Waiting for pools of glimmering light. Waiting, for a life trounced by hope.
*** campusdiaries.com/stories/hope
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Photos by: Arundhati Chatterjee
so mu ch
Contrary to what the title may evoke, this article isn’t an account of my love life — although that would make complete sense too
dr am a
#THEATRE
Tushar Mathew Wilson College Mumbai
MUSIC & ART
“I
want to see the world through a leaf!”
Fortunately, my seniors took theatre extremely seriously and always looked to push the envelope and deliver quality work. So, I was sucked in, my attendance in college dropped (and never recovered) and through careful observation and emulation I started to learn how to act. We enjoyed being the group that stood out, that focused on a script, performed like our lives depended on it, all the while narrating stories of meaning and significance. We enjoyed being different. And by the end of my second year in college I could safely say that I knew theatre… Or so I thought.
Shouted Srini as he cycled around the quadrangle — a wide, translucent leaf held over his right eye, his long hair and beard fluttering behind him. He wasn’t joking — he continued cycling, his expression like that of a child seeing the world for the first time. A few feet away, I looked on, utter disbelief painted across my face. In my eleventh grade a man by the name of Srinivas joined my school as a drama instructor. His unusual exuberance and general behaviour set him apart from any adult I had ever encountered. He’d stop me in “You know, they say real wisdom is — knowing that you the middle of the corridor to enact a scene he had just know nothing.” witnessed; oblivious to all the stares he was getting and Daniel said knowingly, quoting Socrates as we drank our my embarrassment. Srini breathed drama; he was the chai and munched on Parle-G biscuits. I was a week into most theatrical person I had ever the Intensive Drama Program encountered, he wasn’t a serious and was physically and mentally grownup and so unfortunately at broken down into someone who Being an actor now meant that the time, I couldn’t ever take him was coming to terms with the I had to be a creator as well seriously. fact that he knew nothing about and it was with this attitude So, why am I telling you this so called passion of his. this? Because unbeknownst to Daniel Goldman was one of the that I approached my final year me, my introduction to theatre instructors of this program that of college. My seniors having began with this man. changed my very perception of graduated, leaving me with the Srini was the first what theatre was. In three weeks daunting task of writing and person I met who had completely I found teachers, learned to walk directing my own plays immersed himself in the art. It again, faced my biggest fears doesn’t really matter how good he and yes, admitted to knowing was but his passion for the stage nothing. seemed like a perfect way to start this… story. Forgive me An actor is autonomous, every movement if this tends to be a little self-indulgent but theatre for has a purpose and every movement is a work of art. me has been like self-discovery, and my own growth has, These statements are simple but were so profound to in a sense, been perpetuated by my interest in theatre. someone like me who had spent about two years under Now, my conscious journey into theatre began the impression that theatre was all about memorising a in my first year of college after I, with utmost sincerity bunch of lines and delivering them on stage with feeling. essayed the role of a closeted petty thief named Peter I soon found out that theatre meant so much more. the Cheater in a musical comedy directed by a college Being an actor now meant that I had to be a creator as senior and friend — Arnesh Ghose. I had barely any well and it was with this attitude that I approached my dialogue but the rush I got the minute I walked on to final year of college. My seniors having graduated, leaving stage was enough to jolt me into the realisation that I me with the daunting task of writing and directing my had discovered a passion. own plays. Well, I wasn’t officially given the responsibility Here’s the thing about college theatre — or at or anything, but you get the picture. The passing of the least the kind I’ve been exposed to — barely anybody torch makes this story of mine seem a lot more dramatic takes it seriously and most plays are actually skits. and hey, you know we love drama.
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My priority while writing scripts was to do something So I headed back to Mumbai and wrote a musical for St. that was essentially me. What this means is, I wanted Andrew’s College inspired by the popular children’s fable to develop my own style, my own way of telling a story. Hansel and Gretel for the intercollegiate English theatre It was essential for me that my plays and my method festival — Olio. This experience is particularly special of working towards a play were nothing like that of my to me because I came to this college as an outsider — seniors. I had learned so much from the IDP that I was intentionally. The idea was to get out of my comfort zone desperate to get other people as excited about theatre in every way possible. You see it gets boring if everything as I was. Working for a play now didn’t only mean is too simple, there has to be that possibility of failure. memorising lines but enabling actors with the ability to Unfortunately, this sounds like I’m endorsing gambling. create, to develop their roles on their own so that they No, I’m not. Gambling isn’t good. invested themselves completely. Armed with my friends The play did really well and a year later we Omkar and Mithila who played Devils Advocates and a ended up at the NCPA. My cast and crew consisted of group of the most eager, talented juniors a nascent writerover 20 people, some of whom had never acted before, director could only wish to have, we went on to make aged between seventeen and twenty-one. My friend plays about disgruntled toilet characters (complete with and professional dancer Shazeb choreographed the urinal twins and a hand-dryer dances, our in-house musicians with attitude), kid sisters who created music and we put up strolled past corpses while a memorable show albeit with Everybody was living the play, they a few flaws. I sat in the wings discussing the triviality of war, weren’t holding back. These are two men in limbo, and the during the play and cried at college students who at one point origins of the vampire. regular intervals. I graduated from Being on stage or weren’t audible enough or weren’t college pleased with the fact putting up a work of yours is an getting their characters right and that I had attempted as many extremely personal experience. today were performing like pros different genres as possible and Theatre is very personal; you without the aid of microphones. No managed to develop my own are, in a sense laying yourself prize, no trophy could ever amount unique style of storytelling. to the feeling of achievement that I bare for the world to see. What got to me as I watched this felt at that moment “Don’t ever say that you can’t story that I had created in my sing.” head unfold on one of the most Jill told me seriously, quickly prestigious platforms in Mumbai following it up with an “as an was the sincerity of the people I actor you should be able to do everything” and a reassuring was working with. Everybody was living the play, they smile. After finishing college I went backpacking and weren’t holding back. These are college students who ended up in Auroville, Tamil Nadu where I spent almost at one point weren’t audible enough or weren’t getting every day with Jill Navarre, the founder of the Auroville their characters right and today were performing like Theatre Group, trying to learn as much as I could from pros without the aid of microphones. No prize, no a woman who had spent almost her entire life doing trophy could ever amount to the feeling of achievement theatre. After a year of directing it was refreshing to be that I felt at that moment. directed again. On one particularly sunny day Jill and I Out of everything that I’ve written, there might retreated into the cool confines of the Sri Aurobindo be that one thing that you relate to or that triggers a Auditorium and worked on a piece (The man with the thought. Neither am I the most experienced nor am I flower in his mouth — Pirandello). I had almost all the the go-to-guy for theatre-related queries. But, I do know lines yet all I could think about afterwards was Jill’s that it’s important to hold on to what you love doing, it’s presence as an actor. She had nothing to say but if I were a struggle, but it’s essential, it’s what we have to do — in the audience I would only look at her. I had to try hard that’s what I keep telling myself. to keep up with her. It made me feel like an actor after a But for now I’m going to get back on my cycle very long time, made me want to do new things, made me and look at the world through a leaf. You should try it. want to challenge myself and it made me want to sing.
***
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THE
BAL AN ART O
Sam Qu ar F Ne eens aroo w Z tow qui #a dv ealan n Res en d ort tu Co re lle
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Photo by: QShot Photography
CE
SPORTS “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.” — Nelson Mandela
W
hen I was about to step on to a slackline for He pulls out this flat yellow rope from a small bag he is the first time, my fears turned into reality. carrying and starts working his way to set it up between Almost certain that I was going to fall and two coconut trees — we had ourselves a slackline faster crack just like the coconuts that fell from the than you could cook instant noodles. trees in the surrounds, I breathe in and out heavily to Without much thought, I jumped on to it for the calm my nerves. I seek for the light within. It doesn’t first time ever like an excited child. My first few attempts soothe me at all. But, I step onto the line anyway. And were wobbly. So, I step on again, Jehan tells me to look before I realise it, I’ve been tossed back to the ground. where I’m going and keep my eyes on the prize (The Without much thought process, I’m up and ready for my prize being the sense of accomplishment I would feel if second attempt. The light awaits me at the end of the I manage to walk the full length of the line). I jumped on line. again… and did a bit better than my last attempt. At each I’m hooked. attempt, I got closer and closer to my goal. In fact, there Balancing acts have been around, fascinating us, was a sense of accomplishment even before I got to the for thousands of years. There are records of performers end. After an hour or so, I finally managed to walk the full balancing on thin-wires and ropes line. Looking back at that hour, high above the ground to please I realised that I had learnt how the crowds, going as far back as to be persistent without even A slackline is a 1-2 inches of flat the Roman Empire, through to realising it. Just to admit it, it webbing, tensioned between the middle ages and right up till felt really amazing and it was so today. Modern day slacklining much fun! two solid anchor points such is just a derivation from all of Picture it for yourself as trees or lamp posts, on this. Initially, slacklining started — the ability to walk on an inch which a ‘slacker’ can sit, stand, off in the early 80s as a balance and a half of webbing. Crazy, walk, jump… and so on — the training activity for rock climbers isn’t it? possibilities are endless. What somewhere in Yosemite Valley, You’re thinking what slacklining requires, is balance U.S.A. These climbers came up drew me to adventure sports? with the bright idea of using Enthusiasm and passion, purely. webbing instead of a tight wire And that encouraged me to and chains to practice their balance on. pursue a diploma in Adventure Tourism Management For those of you who don’t know what from Queenstown Resort College, New Zealand. Now, slacklining is — it’s 1-2 inches of flat webbing, tensioned Queenstown happens to be the adventure tourism capital between two solid anchor points such as trees or lamp of the world having facilities for all kinds of adventure posts, on which a ‘slacker’ can sit, stand, walk, jump… activities that you can dream of. Whether you want to get and so on — the possibilities are endless. In effect, a air by jumping off an aeroplane or a bridge, they leave the slackline is actually a trampoline, not all that big and choice up to you. It’s the same story for water and ground round but as the name gives away, it’s just a line. And activities too — jet boats to A.T.Vs (All Terrain Vehicles) what slacklining requires, is balance. in the beautiful Lord of the Rings country, giving you an My slacklining adventure began nearly four opportunity to climb up the evil mountain of Mordor years ago when I was guiding two wonderful Kiwi (called The Remarkables in real life). I was fortunate women (mother and daughter) on their adventurous enough to experience them first hand. And to my pleasant journey across India. Jehan (friend and ex-boss) came surprise, I found a good bunch of people slacklining with up to me at our accommodation in Kashid (an amazing me here as well! white sandy beach a few hours from Mumbai) and told Among them were Leon and Allan, who were me he had a new adventure toy for us to play with. I was running the Queenstown Slackline show. Everyone looked excited. at them with awe when they slacklined, including me.
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Photos by: Ben Robie
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Photo by: QShot Photography These guys were jumping and sitting and surfing the From being a newbie, I’ve now gone on to offering line, something I had never seen before. Watching them Balancing and Slacklining on a professional basis. Why and speaking to them made slacklining clicked in reality do I do what I do? Because I love it, and it brings joy for me. And not long after, I was able to do the same. to me and others! Slacklining to me is not just about People looked at me with awe too. I felt proud. And as walking on a thin line above the ground. There is more time went by I thought to myself that I must do new and to it. You can set it up pretty much anywhere you can innovative tricks on the line. find two solid anchor points. Over water if you fancy a And thusly, countless hours were spent with swim or high up if you fancy a fright. I slackline, because headphones plugged in and jamming on the line. This it brings out the child inside me. When I’m on the line, also helped me get a few tricks up my sleeve. The more I’m free. I’m free of all the worries the world has to give time I spent on the slackline, the more it opened up my to me. The little things in life are the ones that weigh mind. I pictured myself doing those tricks and variations you down. When I walk the line, that’s all I’m thinking and tried it out. With about. That’s all I want to think persistence, nothing seems about. No thoughts — just a state impossible. I’ve learnt how to of being. My worry slate is wiped I pictured myself doing those push my limits. It triggered clean. Some meditate, some work tricks and variations and tried it my creativity. Since November out. I slackline! out. With persistence, nothing 2012, I’ve been working on Looking back at landing a back-flip on the line. seems impossible. I’ve learnt how history, you realise that although to push my limits. It triggered I can feel it coming, but I guess balancing on a tight rope or my creativity it just needs a little more work slackline might fascinate and perhaps. interest many, there are always It has been three years those who are pushing the since I’ve been slacklining boundaries. For instance, in 1984, in Queenstown. Leon and Allan have moved on to Scott Balcomand Darrin Carter setup the now famous different parts of the world. If I told you about who line of ‘the lost arrow spire’, which is detached granite runs the current day Queenstown Slackline show, you pillars standing at roughly 2,890 feet off the face of the wouldn’t believe me. I’ve put together a great crew. earth in Yosemite Valley, California. (YouTube it. It’s Together, we are performing for Queenstown American beautiful). These were the first few people to step into Express Winter festival — the biggest celebration of the abyss and successfully walk the line. Inspired by winter in the southern hemisphere this June. If you find such people’s feats of bravery and courage, thousands this exciting too, give us a like on Facebook (we’re called caught on to the sport. I am one of them. Another name ‘Slacklife Queenstown’). that stands out for me in slacklining is Andy Lewis aka Sketchy Andy aka Skandy.
Physiotherapists around the world have started to use This guy can be held responsible for raising the bar for slacklining as an exercise for muscle rehabilitation and the sport and developing competitive slacklining too. athletes have started to use the slackline to cross-train YouTube knows him as ‘Mr Slackline’. With the World for other sports. To put it as simply as I can, balance Championship titles of 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 is essential in our lives. There are numerous reasons under his belt, he is constantly pushing his limits and to get into the sport, the most coming up with things that important one if you ask me, have never been done before is for the fun of it. I have found on a slackline. Skandy has also I slackline, because it brings out featured in Peter Mortimer’s the child inside me. When I’m on out that slacklining has been a big reason for me to spend time Adventure film titled Reel the line, I’m free. I’m free of all outdoors rather than being glued Rock 2011. An amazing film I the worries the world has to give to a TV screen. In a strange but would recommend for anyone to me. The little things in life are amazing sense, I find that it has a who wishes to taste the life of the ones that weigh you down. mediative effect on me. extremes, on screen. When I walk the line, that’s all Slacklining to me is Slacklining is a sport I’m thinking about a lifestyle sport — a way of life for anyone and everyone who which keeps me healthy. It helps is willing to give it a try. My me relax and with the risk of philosophy on it is that if you sounding philosophical and Master Shifu-like — it does can stand on one leg, you can slackline. Not only will it help me find inner peace. Each step on the slackline is keep you healthy and in shape but it is also a great way a step towards a more balanced me. So, in the words of to improve your focussing and concentration skills. And Andy Lewis — this is my ‘slack-life’ and I shall ‘slack-on’! let’s not forget the obvious — balance. Learning how to slackline can help you improve your reflexes, even build and tone the core muscles of your body.
*** campusdiaries.com/stories/art-balance
Photo by: Ben Robie
ANALYSIS
W
hen was the last time you picked up your Undoubtedly, Tintin would add ammunition to the favourite comic and hid yourself from your episodes and come out successfully. So instead of the 40s, mom and dad under a blanket? Yes, this is 50s and 60s we could see him in the 21st century armed exactly what happened to the 20 and 30-yearwith AK 47’s, masquerading around, doing away with evil olds of today when they were kids, living in a dream and trying to solve umpteen problems which ironically world of adventure and fantasy which they were able neither the Hand, nor the Lotus have been unable to to concoct with Tintin running around the globe with solve. his dog Snowy and Captain Haddock. The racy, glitzy The series of Tintin and his adventures uses escapades, equipped with firearms and many adventures a plethora of ways to take us to various lands and captured every child’s imagination. It also created a destinations, giving us a peep into the historical context niche among youngsters, unfolding stories which seem of the day. The first exploit transports its readers to the to be more like a film than a comic book. land of Soviet Russia where Tintin, a reporter and Snowy The entire idea of unravel the absurdities of the reading a comic, which is actually communists as understood an amalgamation of words by the conservative, catholic Since Hergé (Georges Remi) was and pictures, is a very unique Belgian viewpoint. The entire a journalist, he had access to the experience. There is a lot of series gave the Western world a latest news and that’s where similarity in the way the brain view into the communist world the inspiration for the greatest responds to comics as well as other and what until then was just cartoons ever came about — pieces of literature. In comics, the based on conjectures rather Tintin and his dog Snowy images are collected or panelled than reality — the unravelling by blank spaces called gutters. of the ideals of socialism. The The human mind observes the figures presented are vicious parts but has the ability to perceive it only as a whole. in the eyes of the Soviets and the nation is depicted as It assembles the fractured time and space, and forms a petrifying and treacherous land in the absence of the story in the mind. A lot has changed since Hergé morality and security. This maiden work was banned in (Georges Remi) created Tintin, but we can still feel the Communist Russia for several years because it showcased impact — with generation after generation, living and the dishonesty prevalent during the late Bolshevik seeping into the genius’ work. Party rule and the deception depicting Russia’s fantastic It was way back in the years of the First World growth. War when a school boy put to use the margins of his So we can rightly sum up that just as Mother school books to etch notes about a little prankster by Maxim Gorky takes us to the land of the Russian playing tricks on German soldiers. This little school Revolution when the people knew only pain, insults boy, Georges Remi, grew up to join the Boys Scouts and and torture, so does Tintin’s escapade. Even Mother, a inspired by the life there, he started creating comics great work of literature, was banned in Russia and was with Totor as the protagonist, who was an adventurous published elsewhere except its place of setting. On one boys scout. hand we have a novel and on the other a comic series. Fast forward to the year 1929 and Georges Hence, can we not rightly say that Tintin acquires a classic happened to go one step ahead by creating Tintin, a larger status giving a panoramic view of its various destinations? than life character, who has umpteen escapades to his credit The second adventure took Tintin to Congo and which revolve around stories of international stratagem. that again gave us a kaleidoscopic view of the racist Since Hergé was a journalist, he had access to the latest news environment of the Belgian Congo territory. The episode and that’s where the inspiration for the greatest cartoons reflects the people of Congo as dullards and also threw ever came about — Tintin and his dog Snowy. Various light into the brutal Belgian behaviour meted out to the events taking place around the globe bolstered the plots of people of Congo. Besides, it glorified the killing of wildlife the Tintin series making it a savoury for readers across all and eulogised hunting to the extent that a rhinoceros was ages. Just as the other genres of English literature portray blown apart with the help of dynamite. But, nevertheless, oodles about their background, so do comics. If only we the series did give us some historical background of the could have these escapades set against the backdrop of our time. present scam-tainted nation or say investigating the spot Just a few years after this we had Chinchua fixing deals or even the Arushi Murder case! Achebe with a masterpiece called Things Fall Apart, which
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he said was an attempt to present the fallacy that the one which seems to me the best… all while trying to western world had of the people of Africa. And so again, keep the spontaneity, freshness, and energy of the first we find enough substantiality to say that cartoons, and sketch.” most importantly Tintin, portray the historical context In the 23 adventures that this character with of its times. Just as Hergé through Tintin depicted the a bump on his head has, he is accompanied by a host continent as a dark one so has Joseph Conrad in his Heart of friends rather family that was created for him. of Darkness. In spite of all odds Tintin and Snowy faced, Thompson & Thomson, the policeman who though the escapades became very popular are not twins but almost look and people felt it very unfair when identical, Professor Calculus France wanted to ban it on the who is awkward and hard of Every culture or country Tintin pretext that the present generation hearing, Captain Haddock visited was vigilantly researched who is adept at cursing, a sailor of kids would experience a negative by him and this is reflected in impact. almost drunken all the time and Published in 1936, the Blue his work. Not only are the stories his dog Snowy. Lotus takes us to real historical Hergé was zealous significant historically, but they events like the South Manchurian on the subject of enlightening also add a dash of geography or Railway being bombed by the and informing the youthful rather we can say they are Japanese secret agents further community and knew what like travelogues adding to the images of the opium difference good quality learning dens. Though Tintin is disgusted can make, particularly when with both the Japs as well as the one’s dealing with the grassroots Brits; who turn a blind eye to the opium trade as well and cultures that are poles apart from our own. Every as the dens and consider the Chinese as yellow, he does culture or country Tintin visited was vigilantly researched go on to bring to life the scenario of the drug trade just by him and this is reflected in his work. Not only are the as Edgar Allen Poe does in his work of detective fiction. stories significant historically, but they also add a dash of Here again we get a glimpse of the Sino — Japanese War geography or rather we can say they are like travelogues. and its impact. But the million dollar question is that And nothing better could have happened than how Hergé created the comic at a time when computer the great Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the comics into aided graphics had not even been discovered or rather his first animated 3D venture of these famous comics. It popularised. Well he depended on a technique called, is a belief that just a few days before his death Hergé had Brussels School of the Clear Line. made a note expressing his desire that it was only this In his words, “I seek above all to tell a story… American director who could do justice to his works. And and to tell it clearly… After writing a two or three-page most befittingly the movie was made with great precision synopsis, I do the decoupage on small sheets, where I and there’s more to come. Award-winning Swedish cellist rough out a few sketches. When that’s done, I go on to Mats Lidstrom has created Suite Tintin, a composition the real work of the large-format plates. And on those based on the popular comic book series The Adventures plates, with all the energy I can muster, I draw, I modify, of Tintin, which was performed at the Bath Festival of I erase, and I start again, until I’m satisfied. Then, frame Children’s Literature — a musical treat indeed to savour by frame, I trace all the drawings. This means that the nostalgia of the much desired comic reading desires among all those lines that are intermingled… I chose the of the yesteryears.
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BOOKS
THE BOY NAMED CROW #RECAP
Suryaa Rangarajan Jai Hind College Mumbai
The thoughts and musings of a college-going bookworm on reading ‘Kafka on the shore’
Peeve Gonzoid
H e
Marmushka
Limbo
e scares you, thrills you, instigates deep emotions on the Shore is an open mind. The book has two strands, in you and makes you laugh — all at the same one that follows Kafka Tamura, a 15-year-old mature time. Haruki Murakami is not just an author, for beyond-his-years runaway, and another that follows me, he is a legend — a legend that woke me up Nakata, an old man who is “not very bright” and can talk from my deep slumber, pushed me into a pool of ice-cold to cats! The author alternates between the story of Kafka water, revitalised my brain and made my life beautiful. and Nakata, and though their lives run parallel throughout My journey with reading began with Tinkle, the book they intertwine because of the writing style. It’s Champak and Jataka tales when I was younger and then almost annoying how engrossing the book is. Murakami moving on to the Enid Blytons and Agatha Christies has a distinct quality — his protagonists are almost always (whose books I still enjoy) and then when I finally lost souls seeking fulfillment. I think that’s what makes understood Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, after reading his characters tick. We are all, in some way or another, it for the second time, I started picking up books at seeking fulfillment. Every one of us has that voice inside random from bookstores. That’s of us that persuades us to when I came across Kafka on the find the meaning behind our Shore. The name intrigued me but I existence. You gasp, cringe and shudder decided not to read it then (I was 15 Kafka runs away from back then and I think I made a very throughout the book. Talking cats, a broken home, one where his UFO sightings, fish and leeches wise decision). I picked it up again mother and sister have left him when I was 17 and I’ve read it three falling from the sky, a manic when he was very little and times since then, not because I “magician”, a giant grey slug and he is now on a quest to find didn’t understand any of it the first truth and meaning. There are many other such crazy elements two times but because I couldn’t parts in the book where the make the book seem get over it. In fact, I’m still not over characters seem so messed up like an enigma it! that you want to shut it and First, I eased the author in never open it again. One such and read After Dark with Sputnik part was the Oedipus’ tragedySweetheart next on the shelf. Although I loved After like quality that emerged about halfway through the Dark, I had mixed feelings about Sputnik Sweetheart. But, book. Kafka starts working at a library and he meets Mrs contrary to my belief, these books did not prepare me Saeki, his employer, who might be his mother (we never for the journey that I was about to take with Kafka on the find out). And then has an affair with her. From heartShore. Haruki Murakami is known for his ambiguity and warming to prompting a gag-reflex, in a snap! But you this book proves to be the epitome of ambiguousness! read on and then you really start reading between the You gasp, cringe and shudder throughout the book. lines. Along with this, Murakami’s love for music shines Talking cats, UFO sightings, fish and leeches falling from through and Kafka falls in love with Mrs Saeki’s love song the sky, a manic “magician”, a giant grey slug and many ‘Kafka on the shore’. other such crazy elements make the book seem like an enigma. But, like any other book, all you need with Kafka
Angela Tang
The Internet
Angela Tang
At some point you will think “Is it the same person?” Murakami, as Kafka, describes the music so beautifully Solving a Sudoku puzzle is easier than coming to a that even though you may have not heard any of the satisfactory conclusion in Murakami’s books (Spoiler songs mentioned in the book, you fall in love with them, alert! Satisfaction seems pointless after you are done you can hear them and you can even feel the music reading any of his books). He loves riddles, that one. reverberating around you! And by the end of the book, after you are done doubting Nakata remains a puzzle throughout the book. your mathematical abilities of adding two and two, and If you think you have him all figured out, you don’t. you think you have the right Murakami plays with your conclusion, you realise that imagination. Here you have an By the end of the book, after Murakami has been trolling old man who can talk to cats, you all along. You imagine the you are done doubting your who has been disowned by his guy slapping his thigh, laughing family, whose profession is mathematical abilities of adding uncontrollably and saying “No finding stray cats, who is not very two and two, and you think you moron! It’s not four! It’s bright because of an X-file-ish you have the right conclusion, 10898464!” incident that took place when he you realise that Murakami has was a little boy, who murdered been trolling you all along. You My favourite part in the book: an evil “magician” because he imagine the guy slapping his was threatening to murder cats thigh, laughing uncontrollably When Kafka is alone in a cabin and steal their souls, who tried and saying “No you moron! It’s near the woods. The part where to ‘fess up to the cops but was not four! It’s 10898464!” everything is revealed, but driven away, who will drive you nothing is. This, according to to the point of insanity, trying me, is the crux of the novel. It’s to figure out what he’s saying scary, amusing, crazy, confusing and in the end you will end up and surreal. This is the part that changed me. Everything, loving him. His child-like nature gets to you. He is drawn every little detail seemed important and I hungrily towards Kafka. There is a very deep connection between gobbled it all up only to realise that in the end, nothing them, which one can try to figure out using Murakami’s matters! philosophical, historical, mythological, musical and According to me, Kafka is, in some ways, like literary references. every other teenager out there, struggling to find his place On one hand, Kafka is trying mighty hard to in the world. We are left perplexed, speechless, awed and avoid his prophesised future, i.e. he will kill his father and not because it’s so hauntingly perturbing, but because it’s sleep with his mother and sister, and on the other hand so hauntingly beautiful. Nakata seems to be bent on making it come true.
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POETRY
Bank notes and crossed cheques and credit cards to pay, High-heel shoes and Swiss watches laid neatly on display, Big malls and big cars and fancy things to eat, And tinted glass to hide the sight of garbage on the street. The parks are all empty; they have been for years, The children are inside with headphones covering their ears, Sometimes their parents take the dog out for a walk, Sometimes, when they see each other, they even stop to talk. A little girl gazes at a poster on the wall, Ten-feet tall and blazing bright, it’s all that she can see, A slim woman, a perfect smile, and perfectly white teeth, And as she gazes, the girl knows, that’s who she wants to be. Music blares loudly from a thousand mounted speakers, A giant screen showcases an anti-depressant pill, A man in the storm says it’s time for nuclear war, While a message at the bottom tells you, cigarettes kill. A beggar sits alone on the fringes of the street, With a broken right hand and two wearing-out feet, Cars rush by, screeching and roaring, Life’s too short, sleep is too boring, The moon whispers softly, the birds cannot sleep, Drunk men on the road concoct secrets to keep, Empty houses have their big-screen TV’s on, Lonely, bored men download internet porn. No one sees the man with the broken right hand, Everything’s perfect in Nightmareland.
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FICTION
A letter to Emperor Napoleon I 76, Rue de la Boucherie, Maison de les Maréchals, Brest 25th October 1805. The Emperor, Ulm. My Lord the Emperor, I humbly bow down before you. It is with great regret that I inform you that our navy has been sunk and destroyed along with the Spanish, off the Cape of Trafalgar on the 21st of October. I humbly beg your forgiveness in giving you this news. Admiral Villeneuve has been captured along with the Bucentaure. Admiral Franco Gravina has succumbed. The Brittanic cur Nelson was leading the Royal Navy. It was wrongly informed to us that he had been killed off the Sicilian Coast. It seems his fleet evaded the Spanish patrols at Cadiz to be reunited at Portsmouth; before engaging our navy at Trafalgar. Legends claim that he fought on despite losing an eye and a leg. However our contacts inform us he is no more. It is also with great fear that I inform you that the losses we suffered were great. Whereas we fielded 33 ships-of-the-lines against the 27 of the English, we lost 22. You will forgive me, My Lord, when I report that our valiant forces failed to sink any of their ships. The minor reason, if I would be courageous enough to cite the words of Maréchal Soult at the Congress of Amiens, was “lack of experience” of our courageous seamen. The forces had little sea experience due to the blockades imposed by the British fleets. The main reason, it has to be added, is that Admiral Nelson deviated from the rules of engagement. My Lord has rightly called ‘Great’ Britain a nation of shopkeepers. They refused to allow us to use our numerical strengths. Instead they approached our navy, if I have been informed correctly, perpendicularly. Thus they broke our line in three, killing to the finish. Victory was, I am afraid I must add the word to my lord’s dictionary, impossible. Our troops watched in horror as yellow and black checks emerged out of the swells and fogs. Straight towards them, and as I said, as they were inexperienced, they could not aim precisely. After the Battles at Ulm and later on after my lord succeeds at destroying the Third Coalition at Friedland or Borodino — or perhaps at Austerlitz? I firmly believe that a strong protest must be lodged at London. The only ray of hope if it can be called so was that the light winds during the battle had changed to a storm by the end of the battle, leading to the loss of ships captured by the enemy. The Rear-Admiral Pelley has escaped with four ships, though I doubt he will succeed in escaping through Gibraltar. As My Lord’s humble servant, I have already written off orders and commands to the Ministries at Versailles and Madrid to publicize the battle as a great victory. I have also taken liberties to censor publications of related reports except through official channels. Though by brilliant foresight, of which we, the sons of Marianne have been blessed, had allowed Admiral Villeneuve to believe that the rascal Nelson would engage in such unorthodoxy, the cat-and-mouse game over the Atlantic had, if Gravina’s account is correct, made him lose his nerve. He thrice ordered formations and reformations and retreat and battle which gave plenty of time to Nelson to organize an attack. I must add to that that his motives to depart from Cadiz were suspected. Perhaps it was as My Lord rightly had made the choice, the appointment of Vice-Admiral Reilly to command his fleet. I would strongly advise him to be dispatched as soon as he comes out on parole. I will only add that I am strongly convinced Britain will now control the seas for a century to come, or more. Till 1915 at the least. Vive La France! Tallyrand
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