Musing

Fellows share their reflections, thoughts, expressions,musing and introspection from their own journeys while exploring the intersections and complexities on the ground

When Charity And Kindness Meet Complexity

When Charity And Kindness Meet Complexity

This particular incident unfolded on a Sunday around 10 am, when the sun radiated as if it were noon. It was a crowded junction in the city, where six roads converge. The place was teeming with people, particularly around the vegetable and fruit shops. Each person was...

The Train Journeys As An India Fellow

The Train Journeys As An India Fellow

"Not all those who wander are lost" - J.R.R. Tolkien I resonate with this line and find it suitable for people who travel. In the last few months, my relationship with Indian railways has deepened. I never got a chance to take the trains so much before coming to India...

Peacetime King Versus Wartime King

Peacetime King Versus Wartime King

A few thousand years ago a king and his son, the next king, led completely different lives. The father lived a life of conquests and campaigns, defense and attack. On the other hand, the son prioritised economic growth planning along with maintaining and forging...

एक इंडिया फ़ेलो अपनी नोटबुक में क्या लिखता है

एक इंडिया फ़ेलो अपनी नोटबुक में क्या लिखता है

कुछ हफ्तों पहले मेरी दोस्त और को-फेलो आकांक्षा मेरी ऑफिस की नोटबुक पढ़ रही थी। हम कुछ लोग बस यूँ ही बैठे गप्प लड़ा रह थे की बोरियत में उसने इस नोटबुक को खोला। पन्ने पलटते-पलटते आकांक्षा को जो कुछ भी मज़ेदार, अजीब-ओ-ग़रीब या दिलचस्प लगता था वो उसे ज़ोर से पढ़ देती।...

Work, Worship And Waterbody

Work, Worship And Waterbody

Dear Reader, You probably don’t know me. But if there was one thing I’d like to tell about myself, it's that I worship work. At the cost of sounding like a terrible person, I have to confess that I've judged people based on how much they work. The more time they spend...

Her: The Story Of A Beautiful Creation

Her: The Story Of A Beautiful Creation

The role of women in my life has been invaluable and transformative, shaping my perspective on various things, including resilience and determination. My mother, though not formally educated, showed an unwavering commitment to our education, ensuring that all her...

Unplugged Candlelight Days In Rural Uttar Pradesh

Unplugged Candlelight Days In Rural Uttar Pradesh

Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh is known for its hand-knotted carpets. However, I was there for something completely unrelated - to document stories of people practicing multilayer kitchen gardening. It was during the calm of winter earlier this year. Out of...

A Journey Through Ecosystems, Reflections, and Unseen Connections

A Journey Through Ecosystems, Reflections, and Unseen Connections

My last visit to my hometown in Kerala had been a year ago. I decided to set off on a small vacation this time that would be unlike any other, one that would take me to the picturesque Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. I could feel the excitement building as I...

A Day In My Life As An India Fellow – Part 2

A Day In My Life As An India Fellow – Part 2

Read part 1 here We took Riya’s father to a hospital in Udaipur and I tagged along to oversee the referral process. When we have patients in emergency situations or requiring treatments beyond our capabilities at AMRIT clinics of Basic Healthcare Services, we refer...

A Great Lesson In Quality Manufacturing

A Great Lesson In Quality Manufacturing

At my home sits a wet mixer grinder since 25 years, manufactured by Butterfly, made in India. It still works like how it worked on day one. The outer plastic is perfect, the colour hasn’t faded, the wire has never split, and the motor hasn’t failed yet. The grinding...

Kotra: An Introduction To Monsoons And Change

Kotra: An Introduction To Monsoons And Change

What's the first things that pops up in your mind when you think of Rajasthan? Camels? Deserts? Women carrying water from afar? Regional tunes and daal-baati-chuurma, perhaps? Until recently, I would have echoed something similar if you'd have asked me this question....

लखनऊ में वो सत्रह दिन

लखनऊ में वो सत्रह दिन

दिन-ब-दिन गुज़र रहे हैं, न पल ठहर रहे हैं, और न ही समयअंजान हैं इस अनजाने सफ़र में ,मंज़िल का पता नहीं, पर मुसाफिर होने में ही मजा आ रहा है! अब न जाने क्यों सब अच्छा लगने लगा है। अंजान लोग और जगह में भी अपनापन सा महसूस हो रहा है। जिंदगी में एक ठहराव आ चुका है और उस...

Kushinagar : A Mental Revisit

Kushinagar : A Mental Revisit

"... it is in the nature of all things to decay." Gautama Buddha As I stumbled upon this saying, it struck me as more real than ever before. Perhaps the mood of the day and my recent visit to Kushinagar had something to do with it. Some sort of comfort and normalcy...

Taboo And Anger : Where Is The Space For Empowerment?

Taboo And Anger : Where Is The Space For Empowerment?

The image of the prime minister posing with his scepter, juxtaposed with the sight of police lathi-charging women wrestlers outside the new parliament, baffled me - like many others. Every time the image popped up on my screen, it ignited a simmering rage that served...