SquareShooter

Through the week one heard “Saundarya as Saubhagya” during the course of several lectures on Indian aesthetics. It was not very difficult for me to catch it, though I might just have an iota of understanding of Saundarya or Saubhagya. When I say it was not difficult for me to catch the essence of “Saundarya as Saubhagya” it is because of the way I have seen my grandmothers live, speak, dress and lecture us on the lakshanams of a woman. If we go by the plain English translations of the word, it can simply be beautiful and prosperous. But, their connotations in the Indian, or the Sanatanic tradition is deeper. Saundarya is not just “beautiful” but there are qualifying concepts to it, definitions on probably what is Saundarya and what is not. Similiarly Saughbhagya may not be just “prosperous”, but more than that. This Saubhagya had several symbols attached to it, and still has for majority of the non-metro women in India. From the Sindoor in the parting of the hair, t...

நெடுவாசல் நில குத்தகை குறித்த ஒரு கட்டுரை , மற்றும் முந்தைய தமிழக அரசு ONGC நிறுவனத்திற்கு வழங்கிய மைனிங் உரிமம் , கனிமம் எடுப்பதற்கான உரிமை   இரண்டும் பார்த்த   பின்பு   எழுந்த  ஒரு எண்ணம் . ஜல்லிக்கட்டு நடுத்த தீர்வு தமிழக அரசிடமே இருந்த போதும் ஒரு பெரிய போராட்டம் வெடித்த பிறகே அந்த முயற்சி எடுக்கப்பட்டது . நெடுவாசல் விஷயத்திலேயும் விவசாயிகளும் , தமிழக அரசுமமே இந்த திட்டத்தை நிறுத்த முடியும் . விவசாயிகள் நெடுவாசல் நிலத்தை ONGC நிறுவனத்திற்கு குத்தகைக்கு மட்டுமே வழங்கியுள்ளனர் . குத்தகை விதிமுறைகளை ONGC பின்பற்றாமல் இருந்தாலோ , அல்லது   புதிதாக   இந்த திட்டத்தை நிறைவேற்றப் போகும் நிறுவனத்திற்கு குத்தைகை தர மறுத்தோ விவசாயிகள் இந்த திட்டத்தை கைவிட செய்யாலாம் . நீதி மன்றத்தின் துணையை நாடலாம் . முந்தைய தமிழக அரசு ONGC நிறுவனத்திற்கு Exploration அதாவது எண்ணெய் அல்லது எரி வாயு இருக்கிறதா என்று தேட மட்டுமே கனிம   உரிமம்   வழங்கியுள்ளது . இப்போது இந்த நிலம் , த...

Footnote to Neduvasal blog: After seeing an article about the land lease for the project and the copies of exploration licenses issued to ONGC by the state government, have this to say on scrapping of the project. Like the Jallikattu issue, it is well within the scope of the farmers and the State Government to get the project cancelled. One, the farmers can either ask for the land lease to be scrapped legally if they find the lease clause has been violated, or if they do not want to give fresh lease to the new operators who would be taking over after the recent bid round and awards.   Second, the earlier mining license issued by the State was for exploration to ONGC. Now, the new operator has to seek fresh mining license for production, and the State can deny the rights. So, effectively in two simple steps they can put a full stop to the Neduvasal project. This is not a large or a prolific field that any operator can and rake in profits, so this is no big upset t...

In the world of many literature festivals, sorry LitFests India hosts, some get noticed, some get written about, but many a times it is the brand and the association with particular media houses that gets them the coverage. Unfortunate though that a particular LitFest if not co-hosted or sponsored by a particular media house doesn’t get covered, or what is sponsored by one media house would be ignored by others. I still rue the day I missed Ben Okri in Mumbai. He was here to receive a lifetime award, and well I didn’t see that listed in any engagement columns of the newspapers I bought. Two days later, when I read his interview in The Indian Express I cursed myself for not having followed the LitFest schedule independently. Same way I also missed the first edition of The Gateway LitFest or the LIC Gateway LitFest that brings together the non-English or language writers of India. Luckily for the second edition my friend and ex-colleague Sabari called me, gave m...