DesiPundit

The Revolution Will Be Sung

Fri, 11 May 2012 11:51:01 -0400

The shifting sounds of the Dalit movement in Maharashtra

Why my Mother is worried about Right to Education (RTE)

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 12:09:00 -0400

Why my Mother is worried about Right to Education (RTE):

Now with RTE, she will have to keep 25% of her so far limited school seats to children from the community for free. She will probably have to increase the class sizes and also the fees to make this viable, affecting the quality of education and the closely nurtured relationships between students and teachers. But it’s not just about the fees. It’s also about academics. My mother tells me that her understanding of the rules is that she will have to give admission to students from poorer families (how poor is defined is not clear) but cannot ask for any documentation for age or academic performance. So basically, a kid from a family classified as poor, can come and ask for admission to any class, but he could be any age, and have passed or failed any exam.

21 Sikhs at the Battle of Saragahri

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:32:17 -0400

21 Sikhs at the Battle of Saragahri:

The middle-finger-u-death response of the ferocious 21 men who bravely held their ground against impossible odds is often held up as the ultimate example of Sikh badassitude, which is really saying something considering that these balls-out Indian hardasses have stories about shit like the dude who ran around pureeing enemy soldiers apart even after being mostly decapitated by a broadsword to the throat. Yet despite this epic showdown being the basis for a national holiday among Sikhs and a valiant, head-cleaving last stand worthy of the Spartans at Thermopylae, this insane tale of 21 warriors going Horde Mode against roughly the entire male population of Central Asia in a single battle remains largely undocumented in Western military histories. This is their tale.

Under A Dangerous Motto

Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:42:36 -0400

Under A Dangerous Motto:

Two years ago, as district collector of Namakkal, he voluntarily declared his assets: a bank balance of Rs 7,172 and a house in Madurai worth Rs 9 lakh. Once, when his baby daughter, Yalini, who had breathing problems, was suddenly taken ill, he did not have the Rs 5,000 needed for admitting her to a private hospital. At that time he was deputy commissioner (excise) in Coimbatore and there were 650 liquor licences to be given out. The going bribe for each was rumoured to be Rs 10,000.

How Google Earth in India Can Fight Apathy Against Slums

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:34:12 -0400

How Google Earth in India Can Fight Apathy Against Slums:

Before Google Earth existed, the slums of Sangli, a city of 550,000 in southwestern India, was acknowledged on government maps by nothing more than some clumsily outlined, empty spaces. But then, from high in the sky, the eye of a satellite saw what no municipal geometer had taken the trouble to show: small islands of huts with dilapidated roofs spread throughout the city.

Thanks to the satellite images available on Google Earth, a full picture of these forgotten slums has emerged. They now have borders; they are mapped; they have an identity. And using these images, Shelter Associates, a Pune-based NGO, has begun rehabilitating the slums. For the first time in their lives, 3,900 families in Sangli are going to be moving into apartments.

A Rant About Poverty Numbers

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:09:41 -0400

A Rant About Poverty Numbers:

We can argue till kingdom come over whether you are rich or middle-class, or we can recognize that some things are objectively determined, while others are a matter of classification. The objective fact is that you travel to work by car while Ambani does by helicopter. Whether your commuting by car makes you rich is a matter of terminology and classification, which may differ from person to person. The criteria for classification shouldn’t be entirely arbitrary – what criteria you use should depend on what you want to measure.

In India, History Literally Rots Away

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:57:52 -0400

In India, History Literally Rots Away:

In 2004, for example, items in Rabindranath Tagore’s collection, including his 1913 Nobel Prize for literature, were pilfered from Vishva Bharati University while security guards were supposedly watching an India-Pakistan cricket match.

This is a part of a four-part series in which a historian examines the appalling condition of India’s archives.

Rahul Dravid: The Tribute Montage

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:48:22 -0400

Rahul Dravid: The Tribute Montage:

Dravid evoked great emotions from not only Indian fans but also fans of the game worldwide. Masuud, our editor from across the border said, that only Dravid can come close to his other revered cricketing gods– Wasim and Lara. Over the last few days we have read multiple tributes about Dravid and we have tried to collate the best ones around and keep them in one place for posterity.

"One Rahul is considered, at 38, too old in his profession. Another Rahul, at 41, is just an upstart..."

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 09:51:00 -0500

“One Rahul is considered, at 38, too old in his profession. Another Rahul, at 41, is just an upstart in his.”

- Twitter / @supersam5

(via UnCommon Holi wishes :) on Vimeo)

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:38:14 -0500

(via UnCommon Holi wishes :) on Vimeo)

For my newborn son. With love, from baba

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 23:46:01 -0500

For my newborn son. With love, from baba:

You announced your arrival in this world by screaming and furiously moving your arms and legs. I understand, son. Each life is bookended by two traumatic events – and even though the central character involved in these events never retains memories of them– they define us all. You experienced one such defining moment: the curtains were just raised in an act in which the rest of us only play supporting roles.

A lovely welcome message from a father to his newborn son.

How Bollywood Teaches Literacy in India

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:44:19 -0500

How Bollywood Teaches Literacy in India:

We don’t always need shiny new technology to do amazing things around the world. As this edition of Mobile Message shows, with some imagination everyday technology can be re-purposed to do extraordinary things. Brij Kothari of Planet Read shares how he got Bollywood to marry karaoke, and how it doubled the number of readers in Indian primary schools.

I’m sure everyone in India now knows how to write ‘soniye’ and ‘maahi ve’ :)

Deathly Altar Of Tatu Ajja

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:41:44 -0500

Deathly Altar Of Tatu Ajja:

Was Basavaraja’s death plain murder or a gruesome enactment of a tantric ritual?

A truly WTF news story.

"But for Twitter I would have still continued to respect so many stars from the media firmament."

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:04:08 -0500

“But for Twitter I would have still continued to respect so many stars from the media firmament.”

- Twitter / @nikhilnarayanan

(via 500px / Photo “Harvest” by Rob Kruyt)

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:54:54 -0500

(via 500px / Photo “Harvest” by Rob Kruyt)

Surfing at Ramchandi, Puri

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:50:29 -0500

Surfing at Ramchandi, Puri:

Surfing took a baby step or the first dip at the first India Surf Festival in Puri this month. Indian surfers, from states along India’s long coastline, came together for the first time, in one place. From fishermen’s sons to professional surfing instructors, they do not fit the classic, global image of surfers we have. They are uniquely Indian. Meet the first generation of Indian Surfers. Some day, if the sport takes off India, these guys will be the one’s responsible for making it happen, sprinkled as they are along our coastline.

I wish there were more surfing picture but excellent portraits.

(via Mother India Father Surf)

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:56:35 -0500

(via Mother India Father Surf)

21 Tips On Surviving Life in Modern India

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:48:23 -0500

21 Tips On Surviving Life in Modern India:

1. Be rich. Very rich. Money may not buy happiness, but a Crore or two lying around doesn’t hurt.

2. Don’t buy anything without bargaining. Nothing. It is just against the Indian spirit. If your kid asks for a school trip to Egypt, propose Jaipur. If he turns out to be a bargainer, raise the offer to Aurangabad.

3. Have lots of kids. You must have a doctor, a lawyer, an police officer, and a magistrate in the family. Cant rely on outsiders anymore.

Step by Step to Assembling Indian Fast Food

Sat, 18 Feb 2012 15:43:21 -0500

Step by Step to Assembling Indian Fast Food:

Tucked between a strip mall Starbucks and a Jamba Juice, at the back door of a Chipotle Grill, Bombay Bowl is one of a number of Indian restaurants whose owners are thinking big no matter how small they are. Borrowing the assembly-line format, customized service and chipper style of national chains like Subway, they plan to make dals, curries, chutneys and flatbreads into fast-food choices from coast to coast.

DesiPundit

The Revolution Will Be Sung

Why my Mother is worried about Right to Education (RTE)

21 Sikhs at the Battle of Saragahri

Under A Dangerous Motto

How Google Earth in India Can Fight Apathy Against Slums

A Rant About Poverty Numbers

In India, History Literally Rots Away

Rahul Dravid: The Tribute Montage

"One Rahul is considered, at 38, too old in his profession. Another Rahul, at 41, is just an upstart..."

Read more at Niti-mandala – The Indian Political Spectrum at The...

(via UnCommon Holi wishes :) on Vimeo)

For my newborn son. With love, from baba

How Bollywood Teaches Literacy in India

Deathly Altar Of Tatu Ajja

"But for Twitter I would have still continued to respect so many stars from the media firmament."

(via 500px / Photo “Harvest” by Rob Kruyt)

Surfing at Ramchandi, Puri

(via Mother India Father Surf)

21 Tips On Surviving Life in Modern India

Step by Step to Assembling Indian Fast Food