By Amartya Banerjee
Jana-Sanskriti, has been working in these areas since the mid-1980s and through its untiring efforts, it has been able to instill a sense of belonging, a sense of responsibility amongst the people. This responsibility refers to the belief that things and situations will not change if one gives up hope. It will change only when they themselves unite in their efforts and harness the collective energy for constructive work.
By Lopa Banerjee
Constructing a vivid picture of the ‘women’s culture’ that Austen herself was surrounded by, Kaplan directs us towards a central question: “What made it possible for Jane Austen to write?” Seeking an answer to this question, she illustrates the contemporary female friendships that represented the socio-cultural context of Austen’s novels.
Compiled by Mosarrap H. Khan
Here is a compilation of R.K.Laxman’s ‘The Common Man.’
By Sonnal Pardiwala
What made us at ease was the outlook of these parents – instead of judging their kids through the eyes of a teacher or through their own notions of what the child “should do,” they focused on actually taking a peek into who their child was. If he/she does not like reading Hindi, maybe he does not. If he does not like a certain math problem, he does not. This philosophy says “the child does have a right to not like something. Does he have to be compelled and made guilty for getting it done?”
By Nilanjana Dey
A poem on Fatehpur Sikri
“The red sandstone burnt in the scorching heat
Holding memories of the city that was.
Engulfed by vague curiosity and idle hours
The city is no more than a distant spectacle today.”
By Mary Ann Chacko
In this interview, filmmaker Ajay Raina speaks to Mary Ann Chacko, about Kashmir Oral History Project (http://kashmiroralhistory.org/). This project intends to record the stories of ordinary Kashmiris, both in the valley and in exile, who have witnessed violence and misery since Independence (1947) and in an accentuated way in the 1990s.
By G. Mathew & E. George
Butterflies are highly fragile organisms with diversified habits, and require specific ecological conditions for survival. Natural forests, grasslands, canopies of trees as well as wet areas along the banks of rivers and streams are the typical habitats of butterflies. Habitat loss, commercial collection, and incidence of parasites and predators are the major threats for the survival of butterflies.
By Mary Ann Chacko
As part of my doctoral dissertation I am studying a cadet program designed by the Kerala Police for school children. My field work, thus, takes me into police stations for interviews with police officers. After one such interview the police woman I had been speaking to offered to take me to visit a sub-jail adjacent to the police station. Just as we were about to go to the jail, we met an advocate, the parent of a student at the school I am conducting my fieldwork.
By Mohsin Maqbool Elahi
The first generation of Jewish settlers in Kolkata spoke Judeo-Arabic at home and adhered to their Arabic style of costumes. The next generation of Jews adopted European dress and lifestyle and English as their language of communication. The Jewish population had grown to 5,000 in Kolkata by the 1940s. Now only 27 remain; most of whom are in their 60s or above. With the creation of Israel in 1948, Jews started moving out.
By Soumya Sundar Chowdhury
The initial viscera report suggested, it was a drug overdose followed by high alcohol consumption, and also might have been a case of suicide. However, the final autopsy report suggested that she had multiple injuries including in her private parts, neck, and intestine. There were some reports of her psychological problem, which has been subsequently refuted by her doctor. Most of the mainstream media disregarded the report.
By The Editors
Numbers never say much. Yet, they could be quite revealing at times. Here we quote a part of the year-end report that we received from Wordpress, our website host: “The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. Café Dissensus Everyday was viewed about 23,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 9 sold-out performances for that many people to see it…The most popular post for the year was An Interview with Actor, Nandita Das.”
By Lopa Banerjee
She floated alone like a weightless bubble in space. The moon became her pilot light; she danced to the softest of music, a quiet, unperturbed dance in her dreams, hand-in-hand with her unloved little girl. Together, they swirled and twirled, a wild fury of light, till the wake of daylight burned their fire away.
Cafe Dissensus Everyday 