Podcasts about trivandrum

A version of this essay was published by rediff.com at https://www.rediff.com/movies/column/what-made-shaji-n-karun-a-master-film-maker/20250429.htmJust last week, I read in the local Trivandrum papers about Shaji N Karun receiving an award in the name of J C Daniel, an early pioneer in Malayalam films. That's when I realized that the master film-maker had named his house ‘Piravi' in memory of his extraordinary directorial debut in 1988. It brought back a flood of memories of that film, whose title means ‘birth', but whose theme was death and loss.Now comes the news of his own death, aged 73, from cancer. Om shanti, Godspeed, Shaji, as you join the Great White Whirligig in the Sky!I met the director twice: once, about fifty years ago, when we both were volunteers for a local science fair, and he was a student at the Film and Television Institute in Pune; and then in 1988 or 1989, when he spoke at the San Francisco International Film Festival, where ‘Piravi' was featured. The film had won the Cannes Camera d'Or-Mention d'Honneur, among many other prizes, including at Locarno, Edinburgh and so on: possibly more than any other Indian film.What impressed me about his talk was his humility and reticence: even though he was an acclaimed cinematographer and ‘Piravi' was received very well, he was quiet, even shy. He explained his use of the blue tints in the film: it is the color of apasmaram, he said, using the Malayalam/Sanskrit word for madness, which the father of the ‘disappeared' youth in the film falls into.Even though he made several other films, and he was the cinematographer who shot most of the works of legendary Malayalam film-maker G Aravindan, it is ‘Piravi' that marked the zenith of his career. I can say without hesitation that it is stunningly powerful; as an art-film fan, I have seen hundreds of superb, even outstanding films, but this one, alone, spoke to me. I wept seeing it, tears streaming down my cheeks. No other film has ever affected me so much.For a Malayalam speaker and one who had seen the Emergency, it was a viscerally powerful experience, especially because it was based on the real-life story of Rajan, a ‘disappeared' engineering student. As I wrote some years ago in https://www.rediff.com/news/column/emergency-why-rajans-story-resonates-with-me/20150625.htm I could easily have been another Rajan, another number.Rajan's character is never seen in the film, except as a child; his father, played by octogenarian Premji, fills the screen with his presence, his anguish, at the loss of his only son born late in his life. And in real life, the father, Professor Eachara Warrier, who was one of my heroes, https://www.rediff.com/news/2006/apr/24rajeev.htm spent the rest of his life demanding justice from the uncaring State.The film's minimalist dialogue and focus on human despair, grief, and the struggle against systemic injustice resonate universally, transcending cultural boundaries. Its subtle yet poignant exploration of loss makes it relatable to global audiences.Apart from the universal message of grief, there is also the story of the father-son relationship. I was strongly affected by passages from the film where you realize how much the predatory State took from the father, as per the Hindu tradition. I remembered my father 10,000 miles away in India, who too had no son to help him.The film begins with an invocation from the Kaushitaki Upanishad; a dying man bequeaths his life to his son. The son accepts each of his gifts."My speech in you I would place". "Your speech in me I take.""My sight in you I would place." "Your sight in me I take.""My mind in you I would place." "Your mind in me I take.""My deeds in you I would place." "Your deeds in me I take.""My vital breath in you I would place". "Your vital breath in me I take.""May glory, luster and fame delight in you." "Heaven and desires may you obtain."And from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, "Whatever wrong has been done by him, his son frees him from it all... By his son, a father stands firm in this world."Personally for me, I think the film was a catalyst in my decision to return to India, specifically back to Kerala. Another Indian friend (I think he was a Telugu) who saw it with me in San Francisco said, “I'm so tempted to chuck it all and go live in a Kerala village”.Apart from the overwhelming sense of loss, the film is remarkable from two points of view: visual storytelling and innovative techniques.The muted lighting, traditional architecture, and atmospheric elements like rain mirror the characters' emotional turmoil. The film's stillness and sparse dialogue amplifies the actors' expressive performances, particularly their eyes, conveying deep emotion. The monsoon rain is a palpable presence with the sense of anticipation as we wait for its arrival, as the father waits for his son every day at the bus-stop till the last bus; heart-breakingly, we in the audience know he will never return. And then later, when the father falls in the rain, the ferryman's dilemma: if he helps him up, his boat will drift away. The ferryman's compassion prevails and he rushes to help.The film's use of weather, sound (e.g., the bubbling of water evoking anxiety), the simple everyday beauty of Kerala village life, and deliberate pacing created a meditative yet intense atmosphere. The use of color to invoke emotion (as in traditional ragas) is another technical innovation.With ‘Piravi', Shaji N Karun joined the select group of great masters of film: film as witness, sakshi, film as literature. Malayalam once upon a time used to produce such films. Today it is only mindless violence, politics, and grotesque humor: the films have no soul, although they are technically quite good. With Shaji's passing, and earlier with his mentor Aravindan's untimely death, an era is coming to an end.976 words, Apr 29, 2025 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

In this first episode of the new series of A brush with…, Ben Luke talks to the painter Celia Paul about her influences—including writers as well as contemporary and historic artists—and the cultural experiences that have shaped her life and work. Paul was born in 1959 in Trivandrum, India, and now lives in London. She makes intense yet ruminative paintings of people close to her, the spaces in which she lives and works, and landscapes of poignant significance. Her paintings are made from life but are pregnant with memory, poetry and emotion, which she imbues in her distinctive painterly language. Her art possesses a rare tranquillity in which one perceives deep feeling; Paul wrote in her memoir that her paintings are “so private and personal that there's almost a ‘Keep Out' sign in front of them”. At once a singular figure yet also connected to strands of recent and historic figurative painting in Britain, she has been admired widely throughout her career but only recently been recognised as a major figure in British art of the past 40 years. She discusses the fact that she began painting before she knew about art, but when she was introduced to Old and Modern Masters, she discovered El Greco and Paul Cezanne, who remain important to her today. She also reflects on the compassion in Rembrandt and Vincent van Gogh, the stillness and scale of Agnes Martin and the elementary power of the novels of the Brontë sisters. She also describes her response in painting to the artists of the School of London, including Lucian Freud, with whom she was once in a relationship, and Frank Auerbach.Celia Paul: Colony of Ghosts, Victoria Miro, London, until 17 April 2025. Celia Paul: Works 1975–2025, published by MACK, £150 (hb) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A version of this essay was published by firstpost.com at https://www.firstpost.com/opinion/shadow-warrior-comrade-kirillov-and-the-art-of-whistleblowing-13846569.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialOne of the great Raja Rao's slighter works is called Comrade Kirillov: it is what Graham Greene would have called an ‘entertainment', as opposed to the ‘novels' he wrote on themes of some gravity. I was reminded of the title in an altogether inappropriate way when I read of the assassination of General Kirillov in Moscow, allegedly by Ukrainian secret agents.Then I read of the tragic suicide of Suchir Balaji, a whistleblower and former employee at OpenAI, surely the most glamorous company in Silicon Valley these days.There is a thread here: it is not good for your health if you expose certain people or certain companies. You will pay a price.You may just be minding your own business, but you happen to be in the way. This is what happened to Indian nuclear and space scientists over the last few decades. Homi Bhabha's plane crashed in the Swiss Alps. Vikram Sarabhai died mysteriously at Halcyon Castle, Trivandrum, close to the space center that now bears his name.Dozens of lesser-known Indian space and nuclear scientists and engineers died too, inexplicably. The same thing happened to Iranian nuclear scientists. Nambi Narayanan was lucky to escape with his life (“Who killed the ISRO's cryogenic engine?”), though his career and reputation were ruined.My friend Dewang Mehta of NASSCOM died quite suddenly too. I wrote a tribute to him years ago, “The man who knew marketing”. In hindsight, I think he was a friend, not just an acquaintance. I remember some very human details about him: eg. he asked a mutual friend to introduce eligible women to him, just as I did. But I digress: I believe Dewang was as important to the Indian IT story as Bhabha and Sarabhai to nuclear and space: they made us believe, and we rose to the occasion. Then there was Lal Bahadur Shastri. The circumstances of his sudden death remain murky.And Sunanda Pushkar, Shashi Tharoor's wife, whom I was following on Twitter in real time. One night, she promised to make some startling revelations the next morning, presumably about dubious dealings in Dubai by the D Company. And lo! she was dead the next morning.It is hard not to think that there is a pattern. Not only here, but in the trail of dead bodies that follows the Clinton dynasty around. The Obama chef who drowned. The whistleblowing CIA and FBI agents who… just died. The list is long. People who are inconvenient end up in body bags. I remember reading that when Sarabhai died, his family did not even ask for a post-mortem.There are two broad patterns: geo-political assassinations and those for commercial reasons.In Kirillov's case, it was probably both.General Kirillov claimed that there were bio-labs in Ukraine, etc. where the Deep State was cooking up banned biological weapons, in an eerie echo of Peter Daszcak's Ecohealth Alliance and Anthony Fauci's NIAID allegedly aiding and abetting prohibited gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. He claimed biological crises were manufactured on demand to generate profits and increase government control. Presumably he opened a can of worms that the Deep State and Big Pharma didn't want opened. Off with his head!There is the ‘conspiracy theory' that the entire COVID-19 circus was a bioweapons project that went awry. It was intended to depopulate the world, especially of black and brown people, to which the IITD paper (that was forcibly withdrawn) alludes: the genes that seemed to have been inserted into the original virus were from India, Southeast Asia, and Kenya, if I remember right. Of course, the powers that be do not want shocking stuff like this to come out.It is straightforward to make it a false-flag operation with the Ukrainian SBU secret service to provide plausible deniability: much like the bombing of the NordStream pipeline. So exit, stage left, for Kirillov. As Sherlock Holmes might have said, “Follow the money”, or words to that effect. Cui bono?I really don't mean to trivialize human suffering, but to focus on the shadowy forces that organize and execute targeted assassinations. In particular, decapitation strikes can be devastating. In our own history, the loss of Hemachandra Vikramaditya in the Second Battle of Panipat, in 1526, to a stray arrow that hit him in the eye, was a point of inflexion.Similarly, at the Battle of Talikota in 1565, the capture and beheading of the aged Ramaraya by his own troops that had gone rogue turned the winning position of the Vijayanagar Empire into a headlong rout and obliteration for the city-state.The assassination of Ahmed Shah Masoud, the Commander of the Northern Alliance, with a bomb hidden in a news camera, turned the tide in Afghanistan in 2001. The American assassination of Qasem Soleimani of Iran in 2020 led to a significant erosion of Iran's position, for example in Syria.The silencing of whistle-blowers has, alas, become all too common. There were the allegations about Karen Silkwood in 1974, who died in a mysterious car crash as she was driving to meet a NYTimes reporter regarding problems at a plutonium processing plant run by Kerr-McGhee in Oklahoma.In 2003, David Kelly, a British weapons inspector who claimed there were indeed no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, was found dead. The verdict was suicide.In 2015, Alberto Nisman, an Argentine prosecutor known for his work on terrorism cases, was found dead days after he accused Iran of involvement in a car-bombing on a Jewish center.In March 2024, John Barnett, a former Boeing employee, was found dead from a gunshot wound in his truck, just before he was scheduled to testify in a whistleblower lawsuit. There was also Joshua Dean, who died of a strange infection in May 2024, shortly after Barnett's death. He worked for a company supplying parts to Boeing.In November 2024, Suchir Balaji, all of 26 years old, was found dead in his San Francisco apartment. In October, he had made allegations about OpenAI violating copyright laws.The bottom line: if you know something, just keep quiet about it. If you are a person of substance, take no risks, and be paranoid about your security. It's a pretty nasty world out there.The AI-generated podcast about this essay courtesy Google NotebookLM: 1050 words, 19 Dec 2024 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

In this thematic  conversation on S-curves, I am in conversation with my colleague, Coach and serial author, Paramu Kurumathur.In this conversation, Paramu shares some specific S-Curve in his life:School Change: Moving from Trivandrum to Calicut presented challenges like adapting to a new language, culture, and classmates.IIT Entrance and College: Entering IIT brought Paramu face-to-face with high competition, where everyone was a topper.Job Market Challenges: With limited job opportunities for Aerospace Engineers in India, Paramu had to choose between a scholarship abroad with an unrecognized degree or a less promising job.Shifting Gears to Computer Science: This was a major turning point where luck played a role. An available seat in computer science due to others' choices opened a new path for Paramu.Tata Burroughs and Corporate Life: This was another big change, requiring adjustments like dressing professionally. Paramu navigated these changes while building new friendships.Marriage, Children, and Work-Life Balance: These personal milestones presented new challenges alongside professional ones.Job Stagnation and Transition to Digital: Feeling stuck in his US job, Paramu found a pull factor in the challenge of setting up a GCC for digital right Unix development.Startup and NGO: Foray into a startup (Bell Soft) wasn't successful, coinciding with an industry downturn. He then transitioned to a contrasting role at Action Aid, an NGO.Leadership and Scaling: Paramu's roles at Action Aid and Bell Soft involved leadership responsibilities, scaling up operations, and navigating organizational challenges.Entrepreneurship: His entrepreneurial ventures, including the startup, demonstrate his willingness to take risks and pursue new opportunities.https://www.linkedin.com/in/paramu-kurumathur-01489a6/

The Dr B S Harishankar Memorial Lecture, Bharatiya Vichara Kendram, Trivandrum, 27th August 2024.A Malayalam version of this has been published by Janmabhumi newspaper at https://janmabhumi.in/2024/09/01/3258051/varadyam/geo-political-implications-for-bangladesh/It was startling to hear from retired Ambassador G Sankar Iyer on Asianet's program with Ambassador TP Sreenivasan that the celebrated Malayalam author Vaikom Mohammed Basheer (once nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature) said in 1973: “In Bangladesh, we have created yet another enemy.” With his novelist's insight, Basheer understood that the Two-Nation Theory held sway among certain sections of Bengalis.In the current crisis situation in 2024, the ongoing pogrom against Hindus (amounting to a virtual genocide) and the forced resignation of teachers, police officers and other officials based only on the fact that they are Hindus (there are videos that show them being beaten and humiliated even after resigning) suggests that anti-Hindu feeling is running rampant in Bangladesh. It is another kristallnacht.This is coupled with anti-India feeling. For instance, the current floods in Bangladesh are being blamed on India opening a dam in Tripura after torrential rains, although the Indian government has said that it provided all the hydrological data that it always has. The fact of the matter is that the departure of Sheikh Hasina is a blow to India's geo-political ambitions. It now appears as though India erred in “putting all its eggs into one basket” by cultivating only her Awami League, and not the Bangladesh National Party of her arch-rival Khaleda Zia. The indubitable fact that Indian influence in Bangladesh has now been supplanted by forces inimical to India raises the question of who might be behind the regime change operation. Beyond that, there is the question of whether it was indeed a popular uprising based on the suppressed ambitions of the people that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.The third question is what this means for Bangladesh, India and the region going forward, especially as climate change may alter the very geography of the area. It is predicted that as much as 11% of the land area of Bangladesh could be underwater by 2050. This could displace 18 million people, which would lead to unprecedented migration of their population into India. Regime Change operation: Who benefits from it?Cui bono? Who benefits? That Latin phrase is used to consider who might be motivated to commit a crime (the other part is who has the means to commit it). In this case of regime change in Bangladesh, there are several entities who might benefit. Obviously Pakistan. That country has never lived down its balkanization in 1971, and it had a number of its sympathizers already in place at that time. There were many who collaborated with the Pakistani Army in identifying Hindus and facilitating their killing or rape or ethnic cleansing, and also Muslims who were their political opponents. These are the people Sheikh Hasina referred to as “razakars”, and they are essentially in control now. China is a clear winner whenever something happens that hurts India's interests. There is the perennial issue of the Chicken's Neck, that narrow strip of land that connects the Seven Sister states of India's Northeast to the Gangetic Plain. It is a permanent threat to India that somebody (most probably China) will cut this off and truncate India, with the Northeast then becoming part of a Greater Bangladesh, with associated genocide of Hindus and Buddhists. Former Ambassador Veena Sikri spoke to Ambassador TP Sreenivasan about something very odd indeed: Sheikh Hasina made a state visit to China in mid July, and she was thoroughly humiliated there. Xi Jingping refused to meet her; and she cut her visit short by one day and returned to Dhaka. This is an unheard-of protocol violation for a State Visit; what it suggests is that China had decided that Sheikh Hasina was on the way out. This is in sharp contrast to a Xi visit in 2016 when he made grand promises about Belt and Road Initiative investments. The United States also has interests. Sheikh Hasina had alleged two things: * An unnamed Western power wants St Martin's Island (aka Coconut Island) off Cox's Bazaar as a military base to keep an eye on both China and India, * An unnamed Western power intends to form a new Christian Zo nation (for Mizo, Kuki, Chin) just like Christian homelands were carved out in East Timor and South Sudan.The implication was that the unspecified Western power was the US. It is not entirely clear that the US benefits greatly from a military base in the Bay of Bengal but there has been a long-running Great Game initiated by the British to keep India down as a supplier of raw materials and a market for their products. The US may have inherited this mantle.Intriguingly, the US Deep State and its proxies in the Western media had built a narrative around Sheikh Hasina as a model leader for developing Asia, a woman who also succeeded in improving the economic status of her country. That Bangladesh's per capita GDP had overtaken India's, and that its garment industry was doing well were used to mock India's own economic achievements. The switch to Hasina being a ‘dictator' was a sudden change in narrative.There is, therefore, enough circumstantial evidence to suggest that there was a foreign hand in the happenings in Bangladesh, although we will have to wait for conclusive evidence. Was this indeed a regime-change coup or a true popular uprising?It is true that Bangladesh under Sheikh Hasina's fifteen-year rule was not a perfect democracy. But there are mitigating factors, including a violent streak that led to the assassination of her father and independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman just four years after the bloody birth of the new State after the Pakistan Army's assault on its Bengali citizens. The toppling and desecration of his statue shows that his national hero status may not be accepted by the entire population: in fact it looks like friends of Pakistan wish to erase his entire legacy. The history of democracy in independent Bangladesh is checkered and marred by violence. Before he was deposed and killed in 1975, Mujibur Rehman himself had banned all opposition parties. After Mujib, there was outright military rule till 1986, when the erstwhile Chief Martial Law Administrator Hussain Mohammed Ershad became the elected President. When Ershad was deposed after (student-led) agitations in 1991, Khaleda Zia (BNP or Bangladesh National Party) became the PM and after that she and her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina (Awami League) alternated in power. The BNP boycotted the 2018 elections partly because Khaleda Zia was jailed on allegations of corruption. In all of these twists and turns, ‘students' were involved. In 1971, when Yahya Khan launched Operation Searchlight, the Pakistani army went straight for students and professors in Dhaka University, especially if they were Hindus. Later too, ‘student' protests were instrumental in the overthrow of Ershad. The proximate cause of the troubles in 2024 was also a ‘student' uprising. There had been a 30% quota in government jobs for the children of freedom fighters; along with other such set-asides e.g. for minorities and women, a total of 56% of government jobs were ‘reserved' by 2018. This reservation system was largely abolished by Sheikh Hasina's government in 2018 after yet another student agitation. In June 2024, a High Court in Bangladesh overturned the 2018 judgment as unconstitutional. Even though the Supreme Court reversed it, and restored the status quo ante (of drastically reduced reservations to 7% in total), the peaceful ‘student' agitation suddenly morphed into a violent confrontation led by members of the Jamaat e Islami (an Islamist party) and the BNP. There was police firing. The Daily Star, a respected daily, found out that 204 people were killed in the first few days, out of which only 53 were students. It appears the supposed ‘student revolution' was taken over by professional agitators and agents provocateurs, and it rapidly led to the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, with escalating violence, especially against Hindus, and the Army getting involved. Even though the Army is in charge now, there is a smokescreen of an ‘interim government' that allows entities like the UN an excuse to not impose sanctions on Bangladesh. It is hard to take it on face value that this was a popular uprising; circumstantial evidence suggests that there was a clear agenda for regime change, and since it suits both China and the US to keep India constrained, either of them could have been behind it. The diplomatic snub to Hasina in July suggests the Chinese were well aware of the coming coup. On the other hand, the sudden U-turn in the narrative about Hasina in the Western media suggests that the US might have decided to dump her. The process by which the regime change happened is also similar to what happened in other countries that experienced ‘color revolutions'. The actions of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and of some diplomats in supporting the BNP, have been offered as possible evidence of US bad faith.What is obvious is the role of the fundamentalist group, the Jamaat e Islami, which has strong connections with Pakistan. It seems likely that they were the enforcers, and had invested assets within the armed forces. They have called for the secular Bangladesh constitution to be replaced by Islamic Sharia law, and for non-Muslims to be treated as second-class citizens. The Yunus government has just unbanned the Jamaat e Islami.The attacks on Hindus, including large numbers of lynchings, rapes, and abductions of women, suggests that there is a religious angle and the Jamaat e Islami's prejudices are coming to the fore. Notably, the entire Western media, Amnesty International, the United Nations, and the USCIRF, human rights specialists all, had nothing at all to say about the horrific oppression of Hindus. The New York Times even had a headline about “revenge killings” of Hindus, as though somehow the 8% minority Hindus had been responsible for whatever Sheikh Hasina was accused of. Upon being called out, the NYT changed the headline to just  “killings” of Hindus with no explanation or apology.The role of Professor Mohammed Yunus is also intriguing: he had been invited to head an interim government in 2007 but abandoned the attempt and in fact left politics. He had been close to Sheikh Hasina at one point, for instance he got the licenses for his Grameen Phone during her rule, but they later fell out. Yunus' Nobel Peace Prize and his earlier stint in the US have raised questions about whether he is in fact managed by US interests.Given all this, it is much more likely that it was a coup than a popular agitation. It remains to be seen who was behind the coup. What next for India and the region?There are several long-term challenges for India. None of this is positive for India, which is already facing problems on its periphery (eg. Maldives and Nepal). The coup in Bangladesh also makes the BIMSTEC alliance as unviable as SAARC.1. Deteriorating India-Bangladesh RelationsThe overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, seen as a close ally of India, has led to a rise in anti-Indian sentiment in Bangladesh. The new government may not be as friendly towards India, especially on sensitive issues like trade and security. This could jeopardize the gains in bilateral ties over the past decade. The presence of hardliners among the ‘advisers' to the interim government suggests that India will have little leverage going forward.2. Increased Border Security RisksIndia shares a long, porous border with Bangladesh. The political instability and potential increase in extremist groups could lead to more infiltration, smuggling, and illegal migration into India's northeastern states, posing internal security risks. Monitoring the border region will be critical. As it is, there are millions of illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingya residing in India, which actually poses a threat to internal Indian security.3. Economic FalloutBangladesh is India's largest trading partner in the region, with $13 billion in commerce under the Hasina government. A deterioration in relations could hurt Indian exports and investments. The economic interdependence means India also has a stake in Bangladesh's stability and prosperity. Brahma Chellaney pointed out that Bangladesh is in dire straits, and has requested $3 billion from the IMF, $1.5 billion from the World Bank, and $1 billion each from the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency to tide over problems. 4. Climate Change ChallengesBoth countries are vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including rising sea levels, floods, droughts and extreme weather events. Bangladesh is especially at risk due to its low-lying geography. Millions of climate refugees could seek shelter in India, straining resources and social cohesion.  5. Geopolitical ImplicationsThe regime change has opened up space for China to expand its influence in Bangladesh. India will need to balance its ties with the new government while countering Chinese inroads in the region. The U.S. is also closely watching developments in Bangladesh. Instability in the region plays into the hands of Pakistan, whose medium-term ambition would be to detach India's Northeast as revenge for the creation of Bangladesh and for increasing normalization in J&K.6. Quota ImplicationsIndians, especially those agitating for ‘proportional representation' should note that the Bangladesh quota system was abolished in its entirety by Sheikh Hasina's administration in 2018 in response to student demands. India has a constitutional limit of 50% for reservations, but some are agitating for even more, which is a sure recipe for resentment and possibly violence. It is not inconceivable that it could be the spur for regime change in India as well.7. Human rights for Hindus and Buddhists; Citizenship Amendment Act and the Right to ReturnThe Hindu population in Bangladesh has fallen dramatically from about 28% in 1971 to about 8% now, and there is every indication that this is a demographic under extreme duress. Buddhist Chakmas in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are also under stress. India should enhance the CAA or create a formal Right to Return for Hindu and Buddhist Bangladeshis. Writing in Open magazine, Rahul Shivshankar pointed out that Hindus had faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts.In summary, the fall of the Hasina government and the long-term threat of climate change compel India to rethink its Bangladesh policy. Fostering stable, democratic and economically prosperous neighbors is in India's own interest. Rebuilding trust and deepening cooperation on shared challenges will be key to navigating the new realities in the region.2350 words, Aug 26, 2024 Get full access to Shadow Warrior at rajeevsrinivasan.substack.com/subscribe

Podcast guest 986 is Ashwin Vinoo from Trivandrum, India. He is private researcher of extraterrestrial (ET) and paranormal phenomena. He has developed a friendly relationship with many human and ET souls observing him from other dimensions and eventually, these developments brought him brief telepathic contact with multiple ET races, while others occurred through abductions that he doesn't fully remember. Project Mankind: Extraterrestrials and their Involvement with humanity https://amzn.to/3N6nbHr CONTACT: Email: jeff@jeffmarapodcast.com WEBSITE www.jeffmarapodcast.com SOCIALS: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffmarapodcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffmarapodcast/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jeffmaraP/ JeffMara does not endorse any of his guests' products or services. The opinions of the guests may or may not reflect the opinions of the host. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jeffrey-s-reynolds/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jeffrey-s-reynolds/support

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

#Georgia #folktale In this story the prince is unable to find love until he unseals his fate and stabs a sick lady. Source: ⁠Georgian Folk Tales by Marjory Wardrop Narrator: Dustin Steichmann Music: ANDRANIK SARKAVAG TOTIK YAR Andranik sarkavag Manukyan Sound Effects: Hua Hin 4:30am by Dustin Steichmann and XC685015 - Eurasian Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus satunini.mp3 by Ding Li Yong Podcast Shoutout: Reddit on Wiki. Hosts John, the punny pinoy, Josh, the sweet international host, and ya boy Sean, Houston's finest, gang up with a rotating cast of advice givers and work through your weirdest reddit stories and give you the best advice three cis hetero partnered men can give. And it is really good. Like these guys really think it through and are super kind. And so if you like their show as much as I do, go and give them a like, a rating, an ogtha, and a review. Listener Shoutout: And the listener shoutout is to Thiruvan anthapuram (or Trivandrum). It is the capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala. The meaning of the city name is "The City of Lord Ananta” It's distinguished by its British colonial architecture and many art galleries. It's also home to Kuthira Malika (or Puthen Malika) Palace, adorned with carved horses and displaying collections related to the Travancore royal family, whose regional capital was here from the 18th–20th centuries. ― Google It's also where a fun drama called “the good karma hospital” is supposed to be set. And of course, I would love to visit there. I wonder if folks get tired of me saying that. Video by Headliner Photo Credit "Caravaggio Fortune Teller" by rjhuttondfw is licensed under CC BY 2.0. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sandman-stories/message

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Video version: https://youtu.be/bYEqcqHHrQY Hari Sivaram: YouTube: https://youtube.com/@Harisivaraam?si=LSot1nSUEb3VzZ58 Vlog Channel: https://youtube.com/@sivaram-verse?si=c7JbQKl_IeS4PgnM Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harisivaraam?igsh=eWtwb2ZmazBzd2Zy In this episode, the 2 best friends, Zayaan and Sameer, have a conversation with entertaining content creator, Hari Sivaram, about Thoppi and iShowSpeed similarities, Malayalam movies, Kerala's first content creator, The Machan, Trivandrum's food culture, night life, theatres, why Facebook is the best social media app, iPhone vs Android video quality, Animal movie review, best editing in Indian movies, Shah Rukh Khan on fame and success, Hari's school life, funny covid lockdown wedding stories, Hari's opinion on LGBT, why CapCut is the best editing app, the truth about social media influencers and so much more. _____________________________________ Check out Sameer's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sameerroshan6/ Check out Zayaan's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBxNEbiHXcResh_5cA3Zt3Q

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

Live from Trivandrum

In this episode, Lola speaks with Manju Abraham, an Engineering Leader with over 30 years of experience in delivering high-quality Enterprise Products on schedule, building, and scaling high-performing R&D teams across companies like HP, Netapp, and Delphix. She started her career in India as a Scientist at the Indian Space Research Organization. She is currently at HPE and leads Engineering Operations across HPE Storage Array Products. In every role in these organizations, she built a reputation as a bold, effective transformational leader, enabling change, across Engineering functions, to scale and elevate the outcome, productivity, and effectiveness of the organization. She is passionate about growing her team members and helping them to meet their true potential. She has won several awards across each of these companies for leadership affecting cultural, behavioral, and systemic improvements. In this episode, we discuss: The power of asking for help and learning to delegate to uplevel your life The 4 D's of decision making and how you can utilize these touchpoints to streamline your life Giving yourself permission to learn who you are and what you want out of life The power of evaluating your core values before advancing in your career Lessons learned from beating cancer, becoming a mentor for other women going through treatment, and deriving energy from helping others More about Manju: In addition to her role at HP, she is in the Board of Directors of ‘the CLUB - Connect Lead Unite Build'; an incubator for women leaders and a founding member of Shakti, a community for women to rise together , support and create leaders. She mentors South Asian women in the US and MBA Students at CalState East Bay. She counsels cancer patients and their families and supports organizations working on good causes supporting women and children. She is the President of Vanitha Charity Organization which is a non-profit, an Indian American association of women with a mission to provide "Help for the helpless and education for all". She led the Diversity and Inclusion Council alongside the CEO and his staff at Del-phix and sponsored the Women's ERG. She was an active participant and ally in the LGBTQ and Black ERGs. At HPE, she has been organizing and hosting events regularly to build awareness on diversity and inclusion, bringing in guest speak-ers or sharing stories of our colleagues during AAPI, Hispanic Heritage, Women's history, Pride, Neurodiversity awareness months and other celebrations. Manju is a graduate of Berkeley and College of Engineering, Trivandrum. She lives in the Bay Area, CA with her husband and is the proud mother of two daughters who teach her a lot about empathy and inclusion. She enjoys hiking, traveling, reading, painting, and bringing people together to serve a bigger purpose in our community. Connect with Manju: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manju-abraham Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manjuab Connect with Lola: NEW! Join our Membership: https://www.immigrantsincorporate.org/membership Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/428192995622965 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lolaaadeyemopm/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/immigrantsincorporate/ Apply to be on the podcast: shorturl.at/dnyEO More about Thriving in Intersectionality Podcast: Welcome to the “Thriving in Intersectionality” podcast. A podcast created to help you learn from professionals in the workplace who have multiple intersectional identities; from ethnic minorities, veterans transitioning into the workforce, individuals with disabilities, parents, and so many more. Hosted by Lola Adeyemo, who is the CEO of EQI Mindset and the founder of the nonprofit Immigrants in Corporate Inc, her mission is to work with organizations to build more inclusive workplaces. This podcast was built to amplify the voices of leaders and immigrants in the corporate workplace and to give insights and guidance so people can move past their “barriers” and advance in their professional careers. Through interviews and solo episodes, Lola will examine this global world of work. We hope that you can learn a thing or two from our guests, who have a range of experiences and stories to share. Join Lola as we meet new people who are successfully navigating the corporate space. For more information and additional resources, please visit www.immigrantsincorporate.org and www.eqimindset.com

Live from Trivandrum

Dr. G and his team review some of the top plant based protein powder brands including, Sun Warrior, Promix, Ritual Protein, Garden of Life, Shakeology, Vital Proteins, KOS, Organifi, Nuzest, Trivandrum and more. Plant based protein powder is growing in popularity with 40% of young adults incorporating it into their diet.   Many plant based protein powders are made from peas, rice, hemp and soy. You may not be aware that by choosing the wrong plant based protein powder you could be exposing yourself to a serious health risk, ingesting high levels of heavy metals.   In this episode, Dr. G gives you the inside scoop on which brands to avoid and which brands to trust when it comes to quality and transparency. Thank you Birch Living for sponsoring! Click here birchliving.com/healthyself to get 20% off your Birch mattress plus two free pillows. #birchliving Nuzest Good Green Vitality is an all-in-one nutritional supplement crafted with an impressive blend of vitamins, minerals, and superfoods - a true symphony of nutrients designed to support every aspect of your health. It bridges the gap between what we eat and what our bodies truly need, providing comprehensive nourishment. Go to https://nuzest-usa.com/and use code DRG for 20% off all products.   BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough is the best magnesium supplement on the market with 7 different forms of magnesium, this supplement will aid in improving your sleep and stress management. Go to bioptimizers.com/drg and use promo code DRG10 to get 10% any order.   Momentous is offering my listeners 15% with the code DRG. Visit https://livemomentous.com and check out the best collagen and creatine supplements on the market. Be sure to like and subscribe to #HealThySelf Hosted by Doctor Christian Gonzalez N.D. Follow Doctor G on Instagram @doctor.gonzalez https://www.instagram.com/doctor.gonzalez/

"People around me, including my family, they believe that one day, a miracle will happen to me and that will treat & cure my disability. But I don't want that right now. I have accepted myself through my disability. I really care for empowerment; I want to be empowered and I want other people with disabilities also be empowered." Nematullah Ahangosh is from Afghanistan. Nemat studied school in Kabul and from 2014- 2018 worked as a young member with a group of peace activists in Kabul. Subsequently Nemat went to Chennai in India to study a Bachelor of Social Work at Madras School of Social Work where he was awarded the Budding Social Worker Award and the Best Library User Award in 2021. This was followed by a one-year diploma course in Trivandrum, Kerala in leadership and social entrepreneurship. Nemat has been busy writing poems in English since 2017, mainly about the day-to-day life of refugees, women and overall life in Afghanistan alongside studying an MA in Conflict, Security and Development at the University of Sussex. Apart from this, Nemat is a good swimmer and coach. He is the founder of Stretch More, a mobile empowerment parkour that empowers people with disabilities to survive natural and man-made disasters. Parkour (French: [paʁkuʁ]) is an athletic training discipline or sport in which practitioners attempt to get from point A to point B in the fastest and most efficient way possible. Nemat's first and upcoming poetry book, The Color of Peace, will be published by Haley's Publishing, a company based in Massachusetts, USA. He is 28 years old. He says his ambition is to bring about change in the future leadership of Afghanistan, mainly in the social sector. "Of Women and Courage" -By Nematullah Ahangosh "that night when curtains were dancing in the presence of moonlight nobody was watching frogs and dogs outside creating a poetic jingle and anarchic music 'woof, woof' 'ribbit, ribbit' 'woof, woof' 'ribbit, ribbit' 'woof, ribbit, ribbit', woof' this moment! this small happy moment did not last, was taken away! " To stay up to date, follow @SmitaTharoor on Smita Tharoor (@SmitaTharoor) / Twitter or Smita Tharoor (@smitatharoor) | Instagram and follow the podcast on your favorite streaming service.

LINKS His diocese's bio of Basios Cleemis https://malankaratvm.com/welcome/majorarchbishopcatholicos  Christianity in India: The Anti-Colonial Turn (Google Books Preview) https://books.google.com/books?id=xEmMDwAAQBAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT83&dq=Pakalomattam&hl=en&source=gb_mobile_entity&ovdme=1#v=onepage&q=Pakalomattam&f=false  Pakalomattam Family Traditions (apply grains of salt as appropriate): http://pakalomattamfamily.org/history/  The St Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India (full access free w/login via Internet Archive) https://archive.org/details/stthomaschristia0000unse/mode/1up  Baselios Cleemis on FIU's Cardinals Database (by Salvadore Miranda): https://cardinals.fiu.edu/bios2012-ii.htm#Thottunkal  Baselios Cleemis on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/p/3363   Baselios Cleemis on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bthoi.html  Archeparchy of Trivandrum (Syro-Malankara) on Gcatholic.org: http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/mont1.htm?tab=info  Archeparchy of Trivandrum (Syro-Malankara) on Catholic-Hierarchy.org: https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dtrml.html  Code of canons of Oriental Churchs: https://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG1199/_INDEX.HTM   Thank you for listening, and thank my family and friends for putting up with the massive time investment and for helping me out as needed. As always, feel free to email the show at Popeularhistory@gmail.com  If you would like to financially support Popeular history, go to www.patreon.com/Popeular. If you don't have any money to spare but still want to give back, pray and tell others– prayers and listeners are worth more than gold! IMAGE CRED: By Prathyush Thomas - Own work, GFDL 1.2, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47706671  This episode's image is from Wikipedia since they're pretty chill about image-sharing as long as I credit them and I don't have time to go creating a new image-permission request every day, I've got stuff to talk about. Also, yes, I, a degreed librarian, consult Wikipedia during my research as they are generally a solid aggregator of resources. You have my permission to consult Wikipedia as well, just remember they are not a source in their own right or else citogenesis may occur (P.S. Randall Munroe is a treasure). TRANSCRIPT Welcome to Popeular History, a library of Catholic knowledge and insights brought to you daily. To help make this library as useful as possible, this episode includes show notes with links and a transcript. Also, despite my insistence that I'm trying to make my episodes shorter, today needs more groundwork than usual so it will be longer than usual. It wouldn't be very good of me to just say things that are true about today's cardinal without explaining them- this is meant to be a handy introduction, after all, and a lot of what comes up today needs a bit more introduction than usual, because today's cardinal has gotten up to a lot and we've got a lot of new titles and concepts to discuss to help you get your bearings. You'll see what I mean here in a minute. Isaac Thottumkal was born on June 15th, 1959, and I know that a certain percentage of you are already confused as you go to double-check the episode title. We'll get to that. Isaac is part of the overall Pakalomattam family, which is more relevant than you might think because for centuries the Archdeacons [pronounced Arkdiyakons] of India came either exclusively or almost exclusively from this family. And no, I haven't forgotten how to pronounce Archdeacon, it just so happens that in this cultural context that title is pronounced as Arkdiyakon, and it's not the worst thing that it has a different pronunciation, because we're not talking about a deacon as we know it in contemporary western Catholicism, or even an archdeacon. You see, back in the day, the Christians of India were part of the Church of the East, that is, the form of Christianity that came about from the Persian Empire. The Catholicos, that is, the head of the Church of the East, would appoint the Arkdiyakons who would head then the Church in India. Though from what I can tell the Arkdiyakons were not bishops- they were, in the end, deacons- they did have such baller titles as "Lord of the Christians". Now I mentioned Arkdiyakon basically being a family matter, specifically a Pakalomattam family matter, and I mean it. It was apparently straight-up patrilineal succession like you might expect from a traditional monarch, which is weird if you're used to clerical celibacy but as a rule the further east you go tradition-wise the less clerical celibacy applies, and also even in the west keep in mind there's less of an emphasis on that for deacons anyways. I should note that all of this is poorly sourced and there are some discrepancies with the traditions we have, so apply caution especially if you decide to go to the Pakalomattam family website I've linked in the show notes since that is functionally propaganda but it explains the general received tradition pretty well, from what I can tell. Breaking the Pakalomattam monopoly on control of the Church in India was a big priority for the Portuguese when they came onto the scene during colonial times and they were eventually mostly successful despite strong resistance. Obviously there's still a family tradition, but it's no longer the only way to go. Now, as a refresher, the global Catholic Church is made up of 24 sui iuris- that is, self-governing- churches. The Latin Church is the one you're probably most familiar with, and it's active in India, to be sure, thanks to the Portuguese and the Jesuits generally. But we'll set the Latins aside for a minute here. These days there are two indigenous sui iuris churches that serve the needs of Saint Thomas Christians, as India's native Christian community is known: the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Isaac, and I think this is the longest I've gone without mentioning the cardinal of the day, but Isaac is from the Syro-Malankara tradition, which (unlike the Syro-Malabar) rejected Catholicism outright for many years but eventually signed up with the Pope through a reunion movement in the 1930s. If you know the Oxford Movement, it was sort of like that. Now that we're halfway through our target runtime, let's get to what's usually the second half of the first sentence. Isaac was born in Mukkoor, a village in the south Indian state of Kerala. Kerala has long been the heartland of the Thomas Christians, to the extent that I'm surprised when I see a Thomas Christian was born anywhere else in India. Isaac's initial priestly education was a normal mix of theology and philosophy, though I have to note that the seal of the Papal Seminary, where he did his theology training, appears to not only have the papal tiara and Peter's keys, but also in a wonderful touch in what appears to be a lion holding a sword. I mean sure, he'd go on to get a doctorate in ecumenical theology from the Angelicum in Rome, but that doesn't beat a lion holding a sword in my books. Anyways, in 1986 at the age of 26 he was ordained a priest for the recently-established Eparchy of Battery, an Eparchy being the Eastern equivalent of a Diocese, with Archeparchies also corresponding to Archdioceses. You get the idea. Isaac–now Fr. Thottumkal– was made Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum in 2001, Trivandrum being the mother see for the Syro Malankara Catholic Church. At that point he took the name Isaac Mar Cleemis, Mar or you may also see Mor being the normal honorific for a bishop in the Church of the East. He chose Cleemis in honor of the Church father Clement of Alexandria, who I'll get to at some point next year. His first spot as a full-on bishop–Eparch, really–came a couple years later, when in 2003 he was made Eparch of Tiruvalla. In 2006, the Eparchy was elevated to an archeparchy, and Thottumkal rose along with it, becoming an Archeparch. At that point, he added the honorific Baselios to his titles, bringing us to the the most common shorthand for him today: Baselios Cleemis. But his greatest promotion came the next year, and it's not actually him being made Cardinal. You see, in January 2007, the Bishop of Trivandrum passed away, and Mar Cleemis was unanimously elected as his replacement by the Episcopal Synod of Syro-Malankar Catholic Church. Back when Mar Cleemis had done his stint as an auxiliary for Trivandrum at the start of the new millenium, it was an archeparchy- nothing to scoff at. But I mentioned this was a greater promotion than being made a Cardinal. In the time since we last checked in, Trivandrum had been promoted the status of a Major Archdiocese– Major Archeparchy, rather, since we're in eparchy territory rather than diocese territory. According to canon 154 for the 1990 Code of canons of Oriental Churches which governs such things and which uses eparch and diocese interchangeably, quote: "Major archbishops hold the precedence of honor immediately after patriarchs" end quote, which does place them above Cardinals in precedence, given that patriarchs are the only ones above Cardinals, and we're putting them immediately below patriarchs. I know all these titles and terms are, well, a lot, and I am working on getting glossary episodes to link in the show notes. For now, at least you'll have the transcript to give you the spelling. Beyond the titles, Cleemis has gotten up to a lot, from building AIDS hospitals to founding the center of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in North America, to his roles in the Curia as a Cardinal and in India's Bishops conference. Baselios Cleemis was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict in his last consistory in 2012. Cleemis was the youngest Cardinal in the world at that time, and as the first Syro-Malankara Cardinal was one of four Eastern Catholic Cardinals to participate in the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis. Baselios Cardinal Cleemis is eligible to participate in future conclaves until he turns 80 in 2039. That's enough for today. I'm sure tomorrow will be a banger as we begin our Encyclopedia Catholica project with an introduction to Catholic cosmology.. Thank you for listening, God bless you all.

Join us in this exciting episode of Misadventures of a Sneaker as we catch up with Niranjan Prabhakar (popularly known as Ninja or Ninjatalli) who recently embarked on a breath-taking cycling journey through the coastal paradise of Kerala. In this picturesque adventure, Ninja takes us on a virtual tour of Kerala's stunning landscapes, from tranquil backwaters to golden beaches, all framed by swaying banana and palm trees that seem to stretch on forever. Discover the rich cultural tapestry of Kerala through ancient temples, formidable forts, and majestic palaces, as our guest shares their encounters with these architectural gems. And, of course, no Kerala adventure is complete without savouring the mouth-watering local cuisine, from the delectable Sadhya to refreshing lemon juice found around every charming corner. Tune in to this episode and let your wanderlust be ignited by the beauty and flavours of coastal Kerala. Do check out our blog for Ninja's itinerary, trip notes, captivating photographs & many food and acco suggestions (& some tips from the hosts too). For some hilarious behind-the-scenes moments, head over to our Instagram page, where we've uploaded ROTFL-worthy video excerpts. Like our work? Follow, Like & Subscribe to our podcast from wherever you are listening in. We would also love to hear from you, so do write to us at: Email: misadventuresofasneaker@gmail.com Instagram: @misadventuresofasneaker Blog: misadventuresofasneaker.substack.com ---------------------------------------------------------- Want to know the guest better: Niranjan (Ninja) on LinkedIn / TeamBHP / Twitter ---------------------------------------------------------- A recommended itinerary based on Ninja's chat: Day 1: Mangalore to Payyanur (100 kms) - Stop over at Bekal fort - Stop over at Kasargod Day 2: Payyanur to Mahe (80 kms) - Stop over at Thalassery Day 3: Mahé to Kozhikode (85 kms) Day 4: Kozhikode to Guruvayur (80 kms) - Chill by the Ponnani river Day 5: Guruvayur to Kochi (85 kms) - Chill by Kuzhupilly beach enroute Day 6: Halt at Kochi - explore the city Day 7: Kochi to Kollam (120 kms) - Allapuza (or Alleppey enroute) - numerous waterways and canals Day 8: Kollam to Trivandrum (90 kms) - Stop over at Kollam - Stop over at Kappil beach - Stop over at Varkala beach Day 9: Trivandrum to Kanyakumari (90 kms) - Stop over at the Pamanabhapuram palace

Cet État de 33 millions d'habitants gouverné par le Parti communiste indien caracole en tête de tous les indicateurs de développement. La santé et l'éducation y sont gratuites. L'étonnant succès de cette expérience démocratique fait qu'on parle de « modèle du Kerala ». Mais tout n'est pas rose au pays des « rouges ». De notre correspondant à Bangalore, Côme Bastin avec Ashik Sumakaran  Ce jour-là à Trivandrum, la crème du Communist Party of India célèbre les 70 ans de la maison d'édition marxiste Prabhat. « Bienvenue au Kerala, Camarade. Vous savez, les communistes ont été acteurs majeurs de l'indépendance de l'Inde », lance C. Divakaran.  « Influencés par la révolution russe de 1917, nous avons défait les monarques, redistribué les terres, instauré l'éducation gratuite, et la santé pour tous, s'enthousiasme cet ancien ministre de l'Agriculture. C'est pour ça qu'aujourd'hui les Kéralais ont l'espérance de vie la plus longue d'Inde ! » Octobre rouge, camarade, révolution… Un lexique qui peut surprendre. Comme les drapeaux rouges, les portraits de Marx et de Staline dans les rues. Mais c'est bien par les urnes que les communistes sont arrivés au pouvoir au Kerala. En alternance avec le parti du Congrès de Gandhi, ils y ont appliqué des politiques résolument de gauche.  « Ici, le salaire minimum pour un ouvrier est de 800 roupies par jour. Dans le Gujarat, l'État de Narendra Modi, c'est 300 roupies. Beaucoup pensaient qu'un tel modèle allait freiner la croissance, décrit Thomas Isaac, ancien ministre des Finances. Au contraire, le PIB par tête du Kerala est supérieur au reste du pays. » Les chiffres lui donnent raison. Le Kerala bénéficie du plus haut taux d'alphabétisation, à 97%, et de l'espérance de vie la plus longue, à 76 ans. Récemment, c'est dans le domaine de la santé que le « modèle du Kerala » a fait parler de lui. À l'accueil d'un centre de santé publique, dans le village de Poozhanad, Vinod Kumar et sa femme présentent leur carte « eHealth » – ils avaient auparavant pris un rendez-vous en ligne. Celle-ci contient les données de santé de leur fille et lui permet d'être pris en charge immédiatement. « Au Kerala, grâce aux centres de santé familiaux, c'est beaucoup plus facile pour les villageois d'accéder aux traitements, explique le docteur Vinoj, 43 ans, en charge de l'établissement. Avec sa carte, monsieur reçoit des soins à hauteur de 350 euros par an. Nous avons aussi des infirmières qui visitent les domiciles. » Endettement et fuite des cerveaux On trouve dans le Kerala quelque 500 centres de santé comparables. Hématologie, en biochimie ou neurologie : la gamme de soins qui y est dispensée est impressionnante. Ce maillage sanitaire a permis de mieux tester, tracer et isoler la population lors du pic du Covid.  « Où est le hic ? », se demandera le sceptique. « Nous avons la dette la plus élevée de tous les États indiens, parce que les communistes ont tendance à trop dépenser », alerte Shashi Tharoor, célèbre diplomate devenu député du parti du Congrès dans la capitale Trivandrum. Nous n'avons quasiment pas d'industrie. Nous avons le taux de chômage le plus élevé en Inde pour les jeunes : 40% ! » « La bureaucratie entraîne la fuite des cerveaux du Kerala vers des contrées plus capitalistes », regrette Raghuchandran Nair, président de la Chambre de commerce et d'industrie. « Même si la situation s'améliore. » Conscient de l'urgence de séduire la jeunesse, le gouvernement communiste a en effet lancé un des plus grands incubateurs technologiques d'Inde. À Cochin, les gratte-ciel poussent, signe que la classe moyenne trouve racine. Le succès de la biennale d'art contemporain, plus grand festival du genre en Asie, participe aussi de ce nouveau souffle.  « Dans ce quartier, il y avait beaucoup de dépôts d'épices pour les bateaux. Mon rêve était d'y construire un village artistique, raconte Firoz Baba, artiste de 50 ans. Depuis la biennale, artistes et acheteurs du monde entier affluent. On a ouvert treize galeries dans ce bâtiment ! » Une réussite que les communistes aiment revendiquer. Mais pour Shashi Tharoor, le « modèle du Kerala » n'est l'apanage d'aucun parti. « Au XIXe siècle, le niveau d'inégalité était absolument terrible au Kerala. La société [locale] a donc vu naître des intellectuels réformateurs et anti-castes. La culture égalitaire et communiste y a puisé ses racines. » Au-delà des partis, le Kerala est porté par sa société civile. On y trouve le plus grand nombre d'ONG par habitant. Ici, 26% de musulmans et 18% de chrétiens cohabitent en paix avec les hindous. Le parti nationaliste BJP de Narendra Modi a d'ailleurs perdu son unique siège au sein de l'Assemblée en 2021. « Le problème, c'est que les Kéralais réfléchissent trop », a justifié le malheureux candidat.      

Vinu Daniel joins us on Audiogyan. He is an Architect and did his B. Arch in 2005 from The College of Engineering, Trivandrum. After that, he worked with Auroville Earth Institute for the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Post-Tsunami construction. On returning from Pondicherry in 2007 he started 'Wallmakers', an architectural practice that deals with sustainable and cost-effective architecture. Mud bricks, recycled materials, eco-friendly methods of construction, and apt utilization of natural resources shaped Vinu's design philosophy. We'll try and document some of his thoughts on mud as a material and what is truly sustainable. Questions According to BV Doshi, cement is just another material. It depends on how we use it. What's wrong with cement? What's so beautiful about mud as a material? It gives a lot of warmth. What's the extent to which Mud as a material can be exploited? Can we build a skyscraper with mud? In UI design, we have an atomic theory for building design systems. In your case, is brick the foundation block? How do you build foundations? At Wallmakers, how do you ensure Mud is sturdy and stable? How do you ensure that waste doesn't spoil the architecture in a long run? Tell us a little bit about Debris Wall and Shuttered Debris Wall. “Sustainable” is now an overused term. It loses its actual meaning over time. While you have been practicing it pretty religiously / judiciously. What does it mean to you? What is truly sustainable? When we are focused on a particular agenda/approach, we tend to have less focus on other dynamics. For eg: If everything is about sustainability, What about architecture that invests in creating space for conversations? (Like Correa) - How do you balance them in your work? What is the long-term future of housing, shelter, and security according to you? (Do you see any flip side to the name “Wallmakers”?) Reference reading https://www.wallmakers.org https://architectuul.com/architect/vinu-daniel https://www.instagram.com/ar.vinudaniel/?hl=en https://www.gqindia.com/live-well/content/indias-most-radical-architect-vinu-daniel-is-getting-even-more-radical https://www.stirworld.com/think-columns-vinu-daniel-feels-at-home-with-the-brick https://www.beautifulhomes.com/magazine/lifestyle/features/architect-vinu-daniel-creates-sustainable-homes-that-look-good-a.html https://www.designpataki.com/videos/sustainable-design-practices-with-architect-vinu-daniel/ https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/vinu-daniel-sustainable-architect-participates-in-exhibition-on-climate-change-our-time-on-earth-in-barbican/article65353319.ece https://worldarchitecture.org/architecture-news/enfvm/-we-must-give-back-to-the-site-says-wallmakers-founder-vinu-daniel.html

Geetha J is a writer, director and producer from Kerala, India. She is known for her writings and distinctive films on women. Her critically acclaimed debut feature fiction is the mesmerizing Malayalam film RUN KALYANI (2019), a poetic and realist drama about duties, dreams and desire. This film has travelled to many international festivals and received nine awards.   On acquiring her own video camera, Geetha made her first independent film Woman with a Video Camera in 2005 from Kerala that had hardly any woman filmmaker then. She received the Göteborg International Film Festival's Film Development Fund for her first feature script A Certain Slant of Light, about three sisters growing up in 1970s to 1990s Kerala. This was also selected for NFDC's Directors' Lab. Geetha is now in development on three scripts that continue to have women as leading characters.    Between 2008 and 2018, Geetha focused on collaborations with multi-award-winning documentary filmmaker Ian McDonald on all his works most notably the internationally acclaimed Grierson-nominated feature documentary Algorithms (2012) about young blind chess players from India and FREEDOM (2017), a four-screen film installation on the radical legacy of Martin Luther King, exhibited in Newcastle, Brighton and London. Their films have screened at film festivals, galleries, academic conferences, campaign-meetings and in cinemas around the world.   Born and brought up in Kerala, Geetha is trained in classical music and dance. She started her professional life as a print journalist, later moving into television and documentaries. She now lives alternatively in Trivandrum & Chennai, India and Newcastle, UK where she lectures at Film@CultureLab. Geetha is a KV product and is fluent in English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam.  .  You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @eplogmedia, For partnerships/queries send you can send us an email at bonjour@eplog.media. If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us. You can also find us on https://www.eplog.mediaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

••• Bible Study Verses: Hebrews 11:3, Genesis 1:3, Mark 4:39, Romans 11:33, Ezekiel 47:3-4, Matthew 8:26-27, II Kings 1:10, Matthew 7:29, Psalm 42.7, Psalm 125:1, Matthew 7:26-27, Luke 11:21-22, Exodus 3:2, Matthew 7:7, Hebrews 5:14, James 1:25, Timothy 2:15, John 10:27, Luke 22:42, II Corinthians 6:17, I Samuel 15:22, I Thessalonians 5:17, I Peter 1:16 . ••• “There are many beautiful things in the world around us, but pearls can only be discovered in the depths of the sea; if we wish to posses spiritual pearls we must plunge into the depths, that is, we must pray, we must sink down into the secret depths of contemplation and prayer. Then we shall perceive precious pearls”, Sadhu Sundar Singh, Indian Christian missionary, 1889-1929 † . ••• “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” 1 Corinthians 2:10, NKJV . ••• What are 3-important reasons for Spiritual Depth? ••• What does it Mean to have Spiritual Depth? ••• What are the 4-Levels of Spiritual Depth? ••• What are 10-positive reasons Why You Must Increase Your Spiritual Depth? ••• What are 5-negative consequences of not increasing your Spiritual Depth? ••• What are 4-facets of How to Increase Your Spiritual Depth? ••• Why was Our Creator, Christ Jesus not afraid of dying in the storm while on the boat? ••• What happened to Pastor Otuno when a poison snake approached him while he slept? ••• What are 7-life actions of those who Increase their Spiritual Depth? ••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will develop into a Christian with deep Spiritual Depth? ••• Pastor Godwin Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounters Radio Podcast originally aired on July 30, 2022 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcast to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible. ••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes . ••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND photos by anonymous photographer, Sachin C Nair Photography, Trivandrum, Kerala, India and Mathew Schwartz Photography, Weston 675 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ, umcadop@gmail.com, Ph: 973-596-6095, art direction by gil on his mac . ••• † http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Sadhu-Sundar-Singh-Quotes/ . ••• Broadcaster's Website - www.lifelonganointing.com/ . ••• RESOURCE - www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 . ••• RESOURCE - www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/ . ••• FERP220730 Episode #235 GOT220730 Ep235 . ••• Changing Your Level of Command Part-4 - By Increasing Your Spiritual Depth . Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

••• Bible Study Verses: Revelation 3:14-22, Hosea 4:6, Genesis 13:14-17, II Kings 2 :9-12, Habakkuk 2:2, Revelations 1:9-11, Isaiah 6:1, Isaiah 2:1, Exodus 7:1, Luke 10:19, Jeremiah 1:11-12, Proverbs, 29.18, Isaiah 60:1,22, Hebrews 11:33, Ephesians 2:6 . ••• “For He claims all, because He is love and must bless. He cannot bless us unless He has us. When we try to keep within us an area that is our own, we try to keep an area of death. Therefore, in love, He claims all. There's no bargaining with Him."1 There are remnants of the old self within each of us that we cling to and do not want to part with—areas of sin and selfishness. Some we recognize, others we don't. Because God loves us, he brings them to our attention, one by one over time. Whenever he does, we have a decision to make: resistance or surrender. If we resist, we consign ourselves to spiritual stagnation and decline. If we surrender, he prunes it away, allowing the fruit of his Spirit to blossom more fully and bringing greater Christlikeness and intimacy with Him”, C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory. (New York: Touchstone., 1996), pp. 140–41 † ••• “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come” Habakkuk 2:3, ESV . ••• What were 2-reasons why the Laodicean Church was Stagnant? ••• What are 4-life actions in Breaking the Cycle of Stagnancy? ••• What are a least 4-reasons we should lake advice from the Lord Christ Jesus? ••• Why was it important for Abraham to see the land? ••• What type of gold does Christ Jesus recommend buying? ••• Why does the Lord give us advice in the book of revelation? ••• Why was it important for Abraham to see the land? ••• What is the purpose of divine revelation? ••• What are 10-reasons Why Seeing Changes Level? ••• What is a primary consequence of not having a vision? ••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will have a Level Changing vision? ••• Pastor Godwin Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounters Radio Podcast originally aired on July 23, 2022 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcast to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible . ••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes . ••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND photos by anonymous photographer, Sachin C Nair Photography, Trivandrum, Kerala, India and Mathew Schwartz Photography, Weston 675 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ, umcadop@gmail.com, Ph: 973-596-6095, art direction by gil on his mac . ••• † https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/reflections-february-2011/ . ••• Broadcaster's Website - www.lifelonganointing.com/ . ••• RESOURCE - www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 . ••• RESOURCE - www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/ . ••• FERP220723 Episode #234 GOT220723 Ep234••• Changing Your Level of Command Part-3 - Through Clear Vision . Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

••• Bible Study Verses: Daniel 2:1-48, Deuteronomy 29:29, Job 29:4-9, Psalm 25:14, Matthew 2:13-20, Gal. 2:2, John 8:32, Ephesians 3:3, I Samuel 3:1-3, Jeremiah 29:11, I Corinthians 2:9-10, Matthew 1:24, Gen. 41:38-44, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 46:10, James 1:5, James 2:17, Psalm 22:3 . ••• “Closet communion needs time for the revelation of God's presence. It is vain to say, "I have too much work to do to find time." You must find time or forfeit blessing. God knows how to save for you the time you sacredly keep for communion with Him”, Pastor A.T. Pierson, 1837-1911 † ••• “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law” Psalm 119:18, NKJV . ••• What was the Unusual Demand of a Troubled King? ••• What were the 5-results of Daniel's interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's Dream? ••• How did Daniel know the information that only the king had access to? ••• What is Divine Revelation? ••• What is the Purpose of Revelation and What are 7-reasons Why God gives them to us? ••• What are 5-negative consequences of not having divine revelation? ••• What are 4-reasons Why Divine Revelation so important for the changing of our Level of Command? ••• What are some of the Benefits of Divine Revelation? ••• What are 5-life actions to Access the Revelation that will Change Your Level of Command? ••• What happens to the atmosphere when one begins to praise The Name of our Creator, The Almighty God? ••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will be the kind of person who can access God's Level Changing Revelation? ••• Pastor Godwin Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounters Radio Podcast originally aired on July 16, 2022 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcast to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible . ••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes . ••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND photos by anonymous photographer, Sachin C Nair Photography, Trivandrum, Kerala, India and Mathew Schwartz Photography, Weston 675 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ, umcadop@gmail.com, Ph: 973-596-6095, art direction by gil on his mac . ••• † http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/A.T.-Pierson-Quotes/ . ••• Broadcaster's Website - www.lifelonganointing.com/ . ••• RESOURCE - www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 . ••• RESOURCE - www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/ . ••• FERP220716 Episode #233 GOT220716 Ep233 . ••• Changing Your Level of Command Part-2 - Through Divine Revelation . Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

••• Bible Study Verses: Luke 11:21-22, Exodus 2:11-15, Exodus 5:1, Proverbs 24:10, Luke 11:21-22, Matthew 11:22, Ecclesiastes 10:18, Proverbs 13:4, Proverbs 25:28, Hosea 4:6, Luke 15:25-31, Proverbs 24:5, Ephesians 1:18-19, Psalm 19:7, Proverbs 29:18, Psalm 119:130, 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 11:6, II Peter 1:5 . ••• “First of all, you ought to know that the Bible has a supernatural ability to change people...The Bible has a special ability to change people for the better. It doesn't happen immediately...The more you read the Bible, the more you absorb it, the more the Bible will change you into a better person”, www.layscholars.com † ••• “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” Hebrews 4.12, NKJV . ••• What 2-things did Moses seek? ••• What happened to the Prince of Egypt that turned him from a fearful young man to bold deliverer of Israel? ••• What does it mean to Change the Level of Command? ••• Your level of Command, Spiritually, is a function of which Christian attribute? ••• What are 7-reasons Why We Must Change Our Level of Command? ••• What are 4-reasons why it appears that so many Christians not Changing their Level of Command? ••• How do you Change Your Level of Command? ••• What are 4-activities that help Change Your Level of Command? ••• What are the 5-life actions of Changing Levels Through the Word? ••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will be Willing to Engage the Word of God for Your Life? ••• Pastor Godwin Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounters Radio Podcast originally aired on July 9, 2022 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcast to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible . ••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes . ••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND photos by anonymous photographer, Sachin C Nair Photography, Trivandrum, Kerala, India and Mathew Schwartz Photography, Weston 675 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ, umcadop@gmail.com, Ph: 973-596-6095, art direction by gil on his mac . ••• † https://www.layscholars.com/intro1/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_IOdoqOT-QIVz9uGCh3m2ApCEAAYAyAAEgKJYPD_BwE . ••• Broadcaster's Website - www.lifelonganointing.com/ . ••• RESOURCE - www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 . ••• RESOURCE - www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/ . ••• FERP220709 Episode #232 GOT220709 Ep232 . ••• Changing Your Level of Command Part-1 - Through an Encounter with the Word . Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Elephants are among the endangered species in India. Over the years, with demand for ivory, tuskers have been particularly targeted and killed. Despite laws, and bans in place, ivory poaching still continues. When male tuskers are poached for the ivory trade, it also threatens the future population of elephants.  In 2015, an ivory kingpin was nabbed in New Delhi for procuring tusks and creating artefacts out of it, and exporting them discreetly. The massive effort by the name Operation Shikar was all in the media limelight.  For this story, Sharada Balasubramanian, an environment and development journalist, travelled to Trivandrum, Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala, Thekkady and spoke to Jose Louise, Director, Wildlife Trust of India, Dr Surendra Varma, Asian elephant scientist, Manu Sathyan who was the DFO at Periyar Tiger Reserve, and Sajesh Kumar, ACF, and part of Forest Intelligence Unit or FIC. The various sources in the story spoke extensively on various aspects of poaching and wildlife laws prevalent in the system. See sunoindia.in/privacy-policy for privacy information.

Continuing our theme of "Helicopter Month", we interview Capt. P Rajkumar, a veteran of the Indian Navy with over 5,400 hours of military aviation experience. He was awarded a Nao Sena Medal for rescuing four scientists stranded on a mountain in white-out conditions in Antarctica, and a Shaurya Chakra for saving lives of fishermen off the coast of Trivandrum after Hurricane Ockhi in 2017. He speaks of these and other experiences, including Anti-Submarine Warfare, in this interview. 

Episode Notes Show Highlights (0:06:13) Building Mindfullness into Kathak Practice (0:09:47) Transitioning from being a student to teaching (0:15:43) Relationship with the word Guru (0:19:59) The Jaipur Gharana for Swati di (0:27:26) Common misconceptions of the Jaipur Gharana (0:31:15) The relationship with a Bandish (0:34:11) The personality of a bandish (0:36:39) What it means to perform (0:39:30) Being your own teacher and your audience (0:41:43) The common pain points of kathakas (0:43:29) Most memorable performances Swati Sinha is one of the foremost practitioners of Kathak today. Having learnt the nuances of the Jaipur style of Kathak from the great master Pt Rajendra Gangani at the Kathak Kendra New Delhi, she has committed herself to practicing and propagating the art form. She has performed widely all over the globe and her performances have always been appreciated. A bright and vivacious artiste she has gained praise from connoisseurs and critics alike. Sharp yet graceful movements combined with command over deft and intricate rhythm patterns, lithe footwork and subtle, poignant expressions, mark her style. The right blend of 'taalim' and' upaj' i.e. the practiced aspect and improvisational aspect, find a place in her recitals. An 'A' grade artist of Doordarshan she has performed in major cultural events such as Khajuraho Dance Festival; Soorya festival, Trivandrum; Konark festival; Kathak Mahotsava, Delhi; Delhi International Arts Festival; The Danube Carnival, Budapest to name a few. She has also toured China, South Africa and South Korea for performances sponsored by ICCR. Swati also gives Lecture Demonstrations in schools in rural areas besides the major cities for organisations such as IRCEN and SPIC-MACAY thereby contributing to creating an awareness about our culture in the far flung villages as well. Carrying the mantle of a tradition forward as a performer, choreographer and guru Is indeed a daunting task: but she does it all with elan. Her creative streak led her to explore various themes which she presented through her choreographic work, such as 'Anvarat', based on the cosmic cycle; 'Chand Pravah', based on the grammar defined in Natyashastra for the choreography festival in Delhi; 'Of love nature and devotion' based on the poetry of Guru Rabindranath Tagore for his 150th year celebration. She choreographed on the poetry of great Sufi saints such as Bulle Shah,Kabir and Shah Hussain for the ICCR tour to South Africa in 2012 and directed “SAMPRAVAH an amalgamation of four classical dance styles of SWATI SINHA performer choreographer guru India for the Sarang festival in South Korea. She has also performed duets with Flamenco. All her productions aim to keep the sanctity of the style intact. For her contribution to the field of Kathak she has been awarded the “Women Achievers Award” by the Women's International Network and the “Glory Award” by the Jalota Welfare Foundation and the Guru Kelucharan Mahapatra Yuva Prativa Samman by Srjan, Bhubaneshwar. A complete artiste is the one who understands and accepts the responsibility of Carrying a tradition forward. She has established ‘Sampada' where a perfect blend of the traditional, and institutionalised training style is followed. Knowledge of Yoga, Classical music and Literature along with study and understanding of cultures beyond our own, are provided to the students. A holistic approach is undertaken for creating not merely performers but artistes who can preserve and add new dimensions to Kathak. Swati is the founder Secretary of Ras Raj Foundation for the arts which aims to take our classical dance and music to the grass root level. Ras Raj Foundation works with the underprivileged section of the society and organises performances and lec-dems of the traditional art forms of India. Title Track Audio Credit: Doug Maxwell | Bansure Raga