March 23, 2021March 23, 2021 by hitherkusum

Manifestation of the Truth

The past two weeks have been challenging…mainly because of the manifestation of the truth that the world is no more free. I have been spending my time at home reading and educating myself about the facts that we will like to not accept outright…rather pretend that everything, yes every damn thing, is okay and fine. This superficial feeling can help us in overcoming the anxieties that refuse to calm down. Well, as a follower of the Buddhism, I really do see end to the rapidly rising incidents of violence, intolerance, prejudice and other dehumanizing emotions across the length and breadth of the world, especially in my own country. I know everything has an end, for sure. However, to not act and voice one’s deep fears and concerns is equivalent to cowardice, a stigma that haunts the person till his or her last breath. Right now as I speak, I am sure, many might be silently debating in their own minds and might also be trying really hard to build up their courage to stick to their values despite all odds. It’s never easy becoming courageous, it’s never easy embracing kindness, and it’s never going to be easy to remain physically and emotionally sturdy even when faced with difficulties.

Man Booker Prize Winner Arundhati Roy’s fearless essays on the recent political churnings of India

Raghuram Rajan’s book The Third Pillar rightly highlights the importance of the empowerment of the community as an agency of change and development

Though I do not always agree with the ideas of the Man Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy’s writings, her books are eye openers and a warning of a future that we might refuse to foresee. While her novel “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness” has a poetic and heart-touching plot that makes readers aware of the world of the deliberately marginalized communities along with the striking changes in the Indian politics, her latest collection of essays titled “Azadi” speaks the truth without any fear of punishment. She without any hesitation and fear uncovers one facet after another of the current Indian government. She discusses the deliberate transformation of a socialist and secular country into a majoritarian country through strategic marginalization of the minorities, especially Muslims, by distorting the concept o citizenship and increased free capitalism. Though she might particularly target the incumbent government, she nevertheless criticizes the past Congress-led government for laying the foundation of free market that eventually led to crony capitalism and privatization of the national institutions. She interestingly highlights the way language has played a crucial role in the concept of nationhood and creation of a separate state. The unacceptability of the people speaking another language has been heavily misused by the political powers for their own gains, whether it is the colonial powers, far right political groups, nationalist political groups, etc. At the same time, I am reading the book named “The Third Pillar” by the renowned economist Raghuram Rajan. It seems both Arundhati Roy and Raghuram Rajan are ultimately aiming for the same goal, i.e., empowerment of the community though via different yet similar methodologies. Raghuram Rajan underlines the importance of the community in creating a comparatively much safer and developed society through collaboration and cooperation. Rather than looking up to the state for intervention, people should empower themselves to empower the society.

The novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is all about vulnerable and marginalized sections in tough political and social times

When surrounded by such writings, one is undoubtedly likely to get disturbed over things not working rightly. They force readers to question the status quo and the shortcomings of the government which are often masked by stoking religious sentiments. The reduction in the proportion of affirmative action for the citizens should be a warning signal for anyone who cares for his or her nation. It is essential that political groups and pressure groups create an environment for growth and safety. However, it seems the world has been suddenly pushed backwards, with the celebration of the far right sentiments. It seems none of those progressive movements ever existed as the world seems to be once again divided between haves and have nots, women and men, white and black, etc. Sometimes I sit back and try understanding these changes and find no relevant answers. Probably, at the end, people want power, they want it by any means. The glorification of the man made differences and stigmatization of the natural differences seem to be gaining much popularity lately than even as per my opinion. We need to seriously reflect and understand the political churnings around us to comprehend the magnitude of the dystopian world thatw e are walking into.

March 16, 2021March 16, 2021 by hitherkusum

A Book Review – My Arctic Journal: A Year among Ice-Fields and Eskimos

The book My Arctic Journal: A Year among Ice-Fields and Eskimos, written by the woman explorer Josephine Peary, is a lucid memoir of a woman who opts to travel with her husband, the North Pole explorer Robert Peary, to the mysterious, rough and unexplored ice fields of Greenland, rather than being confined to the four walls of her home. Penned in the late 19^th century, this memoir becomes a seminal work for the folks motivated to explore the untouched and undocumented landscapes of the earth, especially woman. Let’s not forget that Josephine undertook such a challenging and path-breaking exploration journey when women were commonly being groomed merely for a suitable wedding. She also succeeds in breaking the existing divide between men and women in the field of exploration and laying the foundation for the future generations by undertaking this journey.

What really impressed me about Josephine’s writing are her unfiltered accounts and opinions pertaining to the weather, natives of Greenland, Eskimos, etc. Rather than masking her real feelings, whether it be her first thoughts about the appearance of the natives, their low cleanliness standards due to ignorance, their customs and rituals, etc., she accepts them and documents them to project the exact picture of this challenging project. I call this project as challenging because such explorations aren’t fancy and luxury travels undertaken to pamper oneself. These back-breaking, mentally stressful and unpredictable exploration journeys are rather full of unimaginable climatic and environmental dangers capable of breaking your spirits and bringing you closer to death any moment. Therefore, I would avoid making any comment on her feelings about the natives whom she without any premeditated approach called ugly. Let’s not forget that language has undergone a lot of revolutionary changes since the time this book was written, and the current writers definitely try avoiding the usage of biased and inegalitarian words for any particular community, particularly words that define appearance or beauty.

Josephine was not just a bystander in the entire exploration. Despite accompanying the team as a wife of Robert Peary, she never shirked from participating in all kinds of demanding activities, like cooking, hunting seals for food, facing all dangers bravely, strategically deciding the dress according to the climatic changes, etc. As a multitasker, it seemed she had more workload than at home. It was unimaginable for me to think that Josephine’s journey was full of hardships right from the starting of the journey. She had to not only endure the roughness of the weather and the ship trying to make its way through bergs and thick ice sheets, but also look after her husband who fractured his leg when the ship almost went out of control in the tussle with bergs. This incident exacerbated her hardships by leading to sleepless nights spent nursing her husband moaning in pain. Josephine comes across as a highly sincere and hard working woman who endures all pain and does not glorify them to gain attention. One can also feel her strong attachment with her husband when she spends many nights worrying about his well being and simultaneously managing other activities with so much dexterity.

Josephine clearly played a vital role in motivating her husband and other members by keeping things in order especially food, shelter and clothes. Therefore, one cannot strike off her contribution in this exploration. What struck me personally the most was her endurance capacity in arranging and cooking food for so many men using whatever hunt was available in the store. It’s definitely not easy and I as a reader and a woman can absolutely comprehend her nostalgic soliloquies wherein she clearly expresses her yearning to see her family and friends. Whether it’s keeping a happy and brave face in odd times or making others feel at home by celebrating their anniversaries, social events like Thanks Giving and Christmas, Independence Day, etc., Josephine just succeeds in keeping everyone emotionally together. She is equally adept at hunting and shooting local animals like seals, reindeer, birds, etc. and proves to be an asset for the exploration team. She remains practical and chimes in with others as per the need of the hour. Therefore, one can see how easily she overcomes her inner inhibitions and feelings to connect with the natives and work along with them in stitching weather friendly clothes, arranging other safety equipment, learning the local ways of cleaning animal skin, collecting bird eggs on plateaus, overhauling large stinking seals, living with other locals in the igloo, etc. Josephine’s account of Arctic region journey is kind of sociological and ethnological survey of the region and its inhabitants. Her memoir enables readers to understand the landscapes, anatomy of the locals, their social and cultural customs, their myths, their language, their problems, etc. This book is definitely a must read for people looking for a mix of adventure and knowledge about such far flung regions.

June 1, 2019June 3, 2019 by hitherkusum

Vagabond – A story of a woman who eliminated her fears

A scene from the film Vagabond directed by Agnes Varda

The dichotomy of public and private space seemed just a jargon until I realized how far a woman remains controlled, especially in the public space. Unlike men, women are supposed to be more coy and mindful in the public space. It is really difficult to conduct a debate over a topic focusing on the division of behavioral pattern on the basis of gender that has been normalized by the society. Raising an eyebrow against such a societal pattern is like creating a storm. When I started growing up, I was exposed to classic cinema and literature unlike many girls of my age. They made me realize that women are not mere agent to pacify others’ wishes and longings. In fact, they like any man long to have her own time and fun. Unlike what many men wrongly believe, every woman has a restless soul and critical mind until unless her intellect has been purposefully subdued to such an extent that she remains ignorant and unaware about her own inner desires and feelings.

**When Mona spends time with a goat farmer**

Women tend to define and limit their idea of adventure to just fit in the common framework of the society. The society loves to control their mind and body by categorically mentioning the appropriate and inappropriate indulgences for women. There are judgmental eyes roving all around to label a woman as a slut, whore, sinful, goddess, etc. by merely scrutinizing her from head to toe and not paying any damn attention to her thinking mind and perturbed heart. Many readers after reading this might say, “Well, you are not saying anything new. So, why don’t you stop blabbering and speak something new.”

There have been times when I have looked out through my window in the darkness and dreamt of walking in the empty streets of my city. I have also dreamt of sitting under a tree and watching the sky turning from crimson red to pitch black to the shades of yellow and red. I also yearned to travel alone in a train running past beautiful landscapes dotted with trees and huts, getting down any random station to sip a cup of coffee, start a conversation with a stranger, among others. However, it is difficult to be absolutely free to indulge in our dreams, especially when one is born as a woman. She needs to take steps toward her dreams by ensuring safety. If she has no money, she cannot dare to live her dreams. If she has to exercise total freedom, she must be ready to witness disruptions and hurdles that may range from molestation, assault to characterization as a whore. In sum, a woman with desires is seen as nothing more than a willful woman. This has been well presented by none other than the renowned French woman director, Agnes Varda.

Through her path-breaking film, Vagabond, Agnes succeeds in portraying the innate emotions and desires of a woman so far not presented by anyone in the celluloid world. I remember talking about this film during my college days. Even in those days, the fate of the protagonist immensely disturbed me. Raised on classic cinema and literature, it had always been difficult for me to accept the division of role among women and men on the basis of gender. Therefore, it was totally impossible for me to comprehend the extremely discriminatory behavioral patterns imposed on women in the society. So, somewhere down the line, the film Vagabond resonates my and innumerable other women’s feelings.

This poetic tale of a beautiful and thoughtful woman who one fine day decides to throw away her job of a secretary and wander around the French countryside will make every woman to contemplate about their life and yearnings. The protagonist of the film chose the toughest season of the time, i.e., winter to camp around, which is enough to draw attention of the locals and strangers. Though her decision and step may sound erratic and not worth taking risk, her journey and encounters and experiences widen her horizon as an individual by bringing her closer to the truly free life that she wanted to live. In between, some of the women who happened to meet her felt more connected to her than freely sympathetic toward her miserable condition. They feel as if she is living the dream that they too wanted to live one day. However, nothing comes for free, so even the protagonist had to witness assault, humiliation, poverty, etc. to live her dream. Though she meets a fatal end, her journey remains inspiring and thought-provoking. It’s difficult for me to pen down the exact emotions that surged within me while watching this film. I can define them to be closer to poetic, longing, dreamy, etc.

Beyond the mundane structures of the society, the protagonist, named Mona, truly lives her life by meeting and observing the world. She met people who loved her, detested her, humiliated her and used her, yet it’s Mona who stands taller than others. Some of the beautiful scenes of the film include when she passes her time by blissfully sleeping in the arms of a new lover, indulging in wine and sumptuous food, and lazing around the backyard of an empty mansion.

Sometimes she traded her body to earn her living and sometimes she just wandered around with her backpack. She learns new trades to survive when she meets a Tunisian farmer who truly cared for her. If I can put my heart into my writing, then I can say that I loved her uninhibited life devoid of any ambition and the feeling of loss or pain. She is truly a survivor and dreamer. It also seems that she is not living her dreams rather living her life by eliminating her fears. She has no fear of living on streets, no fear of any man, no fear of not leading a normal life, which makes her more fascinating and interesting than all of us.

January 13, 2019January 13, 2019 by hitherkusum