Dear friends, I am a baby elephant living in a camp made by human beings to rehabilitate orphaned ones like me, train and prepare me to be of use. I can see questions in your eyes about how I became an orphan. Though I do not claim to remember all the details there are moments I recollect walking close to[Read More…]
Dear Sisters , Today 5 of us women have left our homes to participate and sit as Satyagrahis in the small pandal near Thiruvannathapuram Domestic terminal where the Anti Adani Vizhinjam Port struggle reaches its 50th day. Many of you may wonder why we are here and what we are trying to communicate by this Satyagraha. Titled the Indefinite Satyagraha[Read More…]
I am the Agar wood or Oud tree that has been growing for more than 5 decades in the green campus of the heritage space in the city –the Residency and Guest house . It would be better to say that I “was the agar tree” because now I am just logs with little or no life left in me.[Read More…]
The 14 year old brother and 10 year old sister hurried with their mother across the crowded city to reach their grandmother’s shop by the road side . Most evenings they came here to help the grandmother pack up the containers and other materials, untie the long chain of masks that she sold ever since Covid phase and also drop[Read More…]
People’s Voices against the project 1 The Chief Minister of Kerala who is now on a stint meeting the “ prominent citizens “ in each of the 11 districts through which the Silver line project will pass should instead turn off the alarming signal lights and sirens of his car and step out in the streets masquerading as an ordinary[Read More…]
Since 2018, we in Kerala especially those of us living in mountainous areas or the coast are afraid when clouds darken the skies and there is possibility of rains. This is because for 2 years in sequence we have faced torrential floods when dams, rivers and lakes (all water bodies ) overflow and take away everything that we possess, sometimes[Read More…]
Little Muthu was used to her mother returning late and narrating issues and causes that none of her friends mothers are even aware of. She was slowly and steadily understanding the meaning and reason for her mother to be near the oppressed and the needy. This time she closely followed the issue because it involved the rights of a baby[Read More…]
Dear all, Since a few months, the days have been special and strange for me – not special like a birthday or festival celebration. But special and strange because for the first time in the 14 years of my life I saw my grandparents, parents and many others sitting inside homes and fasting. So many “ firsts” for me since[Read More…]
Dear sisters, We write this in deep anguish and fear. We fear for our community, the land we belong to and a special way of life. We live in one of the islands in the U.T of Lakshadweep which is very much in the news for the wrong and most cruel details . We should be in the news for[Read More…]
The tough and totally strange situation that we are being pushed into because of the pandemic makes one rethink and reassess a lot of things and feelings we have been taking for granted. The most important being freedom of movement, the ease at which we gather and share life’s simple moments, the intensity with which we argue and disagree face[Read More…]
To the Kerala Government which assumed power on 20.05.2021 In 2018 when Kerala was struck by the worst ever flood of the century, beyond and above the tragedy and catastrophic consequences were raised many questions and suggestions about how this small State should be rebuilt. In 2021 a month ago before we queued up before the polling booths the same[Read More…]
We live in the most tumultuous times when exit from the world and life we have taken for granted is determined by a small being. As a woman living in Kerala ridden with patriarchal norms sugar coated as liberal progressive novel thought, it is but inevitable that one feels concerned about what one leaves behind, what will be the reference[Read More…]
There are some human presences in life that you are unable to trace the beginning. It is like they have been with you always- like a tree whose silent, yet significant presence you notice with shock and remorse only when it is gone. For me, Sugathakumari teacher is one such presence in life. A small attempt I made to scan[Read More…]
How can one let go of a person who has lived just five and a half decades? The only reason why Sheena’s family-her mother Gracy, her sister Neena, her niece Bhoomi and nephew Kannan, her brothers , her partner Santosh along with scores of friends across Kerala did so was the intensity and cruelty of the terminal illness that devoured[Read More…]
He was the apple of the eye for whom ever met him. It was only after we lost him that every one realised what that usage meant “apple of the eye”. To his mother, K was the baby boy who never ever grew up though he was 6 feet tall and had a striding gait. To his sister, he was[Read More…]
Dear Baiju, Wonder where you are…but somewhere inside the minds of some of your friends we know that you are there walking your gentle and quick steps like the swift barking deer in the dense undergrowth of the cool evergreens of Vazhachal along the Chalakkudy River close to your family – your mother, wife and 3 children you gifted to [Read More…]
June 5th 2020 dawned clear and bright, rain-washed and hauntingly beautiful in their tribal hamlet of Sambarkodu in Attapady region of Palakkad , Kerala. Appu and his friends were all prepared to participate in the outdoor activities being planned today by the elders including their mothers and aunts. Amidst the lockdown that had taken away their freedom and lightness of[Read More…]
A FABLE FOR TODAY Five year old twin brothers Udit and Sooraj loved hearing stories, in any form and length – real life stories, fairy tales, animal and wild ones with songs and action…Knowing this, their grandmother who was a primary school teacher set up a small space in their city home where children of their age could gather and[Read More…]
Lockdown tryst with Biodiversity – Episode 1 Serious and sincere, little Aadi walked the hot and burning slope of the hill opposite his suburban home with his parents – he was happy that the trio could be together after a long time because of the lockdown. Not fully aware of the impact of this pandemic, Aadi did realise that his[Read More…]
Lockdown Series 5 As lock down moves to 50 days, there is a “new normal’ emerging. Human beings have the amazing and scary capacity to adapt and endure in myriad ways to crisis and tribulations maintaining the minimum “ business as usual” attitudes”. The days of lock down and Corona scare have brought out this fortitude and coping strategies of[Read More…]
Little Chinchu was in the much loved space of her grandparents home in a city far away from where she and her parents lived. She had come here two months back for the birth of her baby brother born a month ago. By the time words like COVID, Corona and Lockdown were household names. Chinchu was intrigued by the anxiety[Read More…]
Another Day In Paradise: Lock down Series 4 Dear Jamlo , This is not a letter or a conversation that I never ever want to do again in my life. And this is not the language in which I should be talking to you, a 12 year old girl. But times are such that one has not much choice. Or[Read More…]
It is unbelievable that two months have passed since the dreaded word LOCK DOWN became part of our lives- 2 months of staying indoors, making oneself believe that this is safe and secure, 2 months of not meeting friends and family, 2 months of physical and social distancing, 2 months of a new kind of social discrimination where the[Read More…]
Lockdown Series 3 Little Aadi is always most happy when his father and grandmother stayed home not going to the “office”, which is where they both vanish early morning long before he wakes up. He has tried many tricks in his books to stop them from going which includes hiding his father’s bag, his granny’s footwear and purse and so[Read More…]
There are times when a darkness sets in your mind that is associated with lack of contact with your loved ones, with sharing of ideas and dreams, a poem or experience not just virtual but actual. As I write this that these 2 apparently similar sounding words are so far apart in their meaning and impact. The small invisible microorganism[Read More…]
Lockdown Musings Series 1 As the reality about Corona related Lockdown and Stay indoors deepens and intensifies, the social and political atmosphere around one acquires a rarefied feel with each and every moment bearing subtle and powerful insights and realisations. The experiences and real life stories that one comes across throws light into the fragility of human existence in a[Read More…]
Certain phases in one’s life remain etched in indelible colours for the simple reason that they are a combination of “the firsts”. For me my 20s were when so many “firsts” happened – the first time I met someone from Delhi who wore a safari suit in pastel colours, the first time I got a corduroy jeans as gift, the[Read More…]
All Nature Conservation Activities/ Struggles Will have the nature of Nature itself The coolness of trees The calmness of rivers The ability of wind To set in a motion all that it touches A person devoid of kindness Love and care A person without a rainbow and a song in his/ her heart Can never be part of a Nature[Read More…]
Dear Sisters, I am…I could be Subaida, Shameema, Khurshida…I could be living in any of the districts of Pulvama, Shopiyan or Bandipura…but I am the woman, one of the tens of thousands of women living in Kashmir. Mine was a quiet life with a security and safety many of you might not even dream of. Yes, the picture postcard beauty[Read More…]
The little boy smiled charmingly through the evening just before the surgery.His young parents were dumb with fear about the impending operation the next day when his tiny pelvic girdle would be realigned to enable his almost atrophied limbs to move. With bright lovely eyes that focussed on your face and an ever willing capacity to smile and respond, he[Read More…]
Ammini( Amminichechi to many) sat looking at the turbulent Athirapally falls through the meshed window of the teashop which has been the source of her livelihood for many years. A face withered by the turmoils of life, she came across as a woman bound to her convictions and life experiences. What made her strong was the lessons she learnt from[Read More…]
I can never forget or fully recollect that morning when I was taken in a trolley to the Surgical Out patient section of the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College famed for its exemplary service since[Read More…]
Today is April 22..we, a group of children are sitting in a room after a sultry morning with rain clouds in the skies and a silence in the air. We are discussing the theme of this year’s Earth day which is PROTECT OUR SPECIES. This theme means to draw attention to the rapid rate of extinction of living beings- plants,[Read More…]
Dear Sisters, As the golden light of dusk falls and the roosting cries of birds eager to settle in the branches of trees all around reaches a crescendo, ,the harsh and piercing sound of the piling engines and cutters also slows down…..but I know it will start all over again tomorrow morning waking the birds, the mongooses, the tiny butterflies[Read More…]
Dear all, It was only a few months back (August 2018) that I wrote to you all, soaked and wet after the scary and devastating floods that wrecked havoc on this tiny piece of land known for its forested hills, rivers, waterways and long coastline. Now I write this burning and hot, dry and life less after the fires that[Read More…]
A month after 1000s walked the roads of the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram in a SORROWFUL MARCH to express their dissent about the upcoming Waste to Energy plant near their homes at Peringamala, Kerala saw 3 more rallying together of people for just and relevant causes. The Kandankali paddy land near Payannur has been in the heat of debate as[Read More…]
The 10 year old walked bold and fast along the main roads of Thiruvananthapuram. She had no fears as her mother held her hand and she could see her father and grandparents close by. The green leaves of the trees that gave shade on that hot afternoon seemed to be waving at her. For she was part of the SORROWFUL[Read More…]
The sleepy, cool village of Peringamala nestled in the biodiversity rich hills of Southern Western Ghats woke upon 3rd December morning to the slogans and songs that brought together the villagers all set for a walk to the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram. They were united by the urgent need to raise their protest and concern about the upcoming Waste to[Read More…]
On a day when the skies had opened up in Thiruvanathapuram on the eve of the beginning of the crucial month of Vrischikam, along the outskirts of the urban world, 500 children from different schools were preparing to travel into the city. They were carrying in their minds the tunes and words[Read More…]
Dear All, I know this letter is a bit late, but I have always been a bit late in responding, as for eons I have tried to be the epitome of the patient, suffering feminine image that has been attributed to me. Now I have been pushed back to the wall and though late I need to make certain things[Read More…]
Noted river protection activist and ecologist, Dr.A.Latha who passed away in November 2017 left behind a special collection of essays and writings on a even more special subject related to the right of the river to flow and fulfill its ecological niche along with the rights of human communities with deep links to a life dependent on the[Read More…]
Dear Asifa, I have lost count of the endless letters I have written in my mind’s note pad to you since last month. There were so many moments when thoughts about you, the special life you led in the short time you lived and the memories shared by your parents and friends made me want to talk to you. But[Read More…]
Little Aami held tight to her mother’s hands as she rushed to get the bus that would take them to the city. From the excitement of the children of the Vacation camp her mother was coordinating she knew that they were going to witness some event that would be unusual.Aami was game for any fun as long as it was[Read More…]
The general ward of a Government Medical College is equated to hell with mosquitoes,flies, bed bugs and the real proverbial hospital stink! When I overheard while lying on the trolley after the first “merciless cutting “,that I would be in Ward 25, it came as a more painful shock than the actual pain. I wondered what crime I had[Read More…]
Dear Asifa, It is not quite right that we meet like this…a girl like you so far away in cold Jammu and Kashmir and me down in the warm, tropical state of Kerala. It is not right because I would have loved to see the “chirping bird” that you were with nimble fingers and agile feet like a[Read More…]
I compose this letter in my mind’s scribble pad sitting in the eastern verandah of the wild refuge you adopted as your home 2 decades back. Beyond the Diwi-Diwi tree, the path leads to the small pond that you always used to invite me to join for a dip as a break from my urban home. I can hear racket-tailed[Read More…]
The word pain literally means “ a highly unpleasant physical sensation caused by illness or injury”. If so, what I experienced during the first 3 months of my treatment was something much more than unpleasant or physical. It was a constant affliction that pervaded from the site of injury ie.my right foot upwards to my head. The most agonising[Read More…]
My name is Appu.I am studying in 4th Standard in a school near my hamlet Sambarkod in Attapady. I want to share with you the story of a wild elephant who has been the friend of us children for some years. We share the waters of the river Shiruvani with many animals, the grandest one being this huge tusker and[Read More…]
Dear Gauri, It is many days since I wrote to you. This must have been the longest month in my life- the days since I first heard about your killing. I should say you were very much in my thoughts as each day brought news about events and happenings in this “great” country of ours that is fast losing humane[Read More…]
Dear Gowri, Hope my letters are not disturbing you… but as days pass and events that disturb and confuse multiply, how can I not write and share with you?… Please pardon me! The first 2 letters (Letter 1, Letter 2) have had different kinds of responses…most of the readers took to the emotional aspects that it was filled with, some[Read More…]
Dear Gauri, It is 10 days since I wrote to you…2 days ago- September 15th was the International Day of Democracy with the theme Democracy and Conflict Prevention focusing on strengthening democratic institutions to promote peace and stability through strong leadership, strengthen civic society and empower women…it goes on. Somehow this day as many other days, I miss you…want to[Read More…]
Dear Gouri.. A few hours ago, above the loud and deafening sounds of the guns that fired into the air to give you a “honourable state farewell”, I heard the calls of the parakeets frightened to flight by the noise. I felt you squirm even in the coldness of the murder that fate and human intolerance brought on your frail[Read More…]
Men, masculinities, and gender equality 
EU Warns After Russia Plans To Place Tactical Nuclear Weapon In Belarus 
A Hazardous Decision: Supplying Ukraine with Depleted Uranium Shells 
Media and the March to War 
The Basic Issue is not of Taking Sides in Superpower Rivalry, it is of Durable Peace to Save Earth’s Life 
The Pentagon’s Budget from Hell 
“…I want poetry to be detonated like a bomb!” -Nathalie Quintane 
Bundelkhand Must Choose its Priorities Carefully 
Citizenship: Beyond the Forked Vision 
Caste-wise census is necessary for balanced development 
Tribal woman murdered after rape in Rohtas and strong protest demanding punishment of culprits 
Why Avoiding Catastrophic War is the Biggest Priority Today 
Labor in market, and the mainstream economics 
Serbia Shall Never Forget NATO Aggression, Vows Serb President 
Kerala’s New Public Health Bill 2023: Subservient to Market Forces rather than Deliberative Democracy 
The Piracy of Development – The 3-Ds: Dispossession, Displacement, Destitution 
The Contemporary Relevance of Rosa Luxemburg 
Does Court Judgement on Rahul Gandhi Breach Human Rights (Freedom of Expression) 
From Oslo to Sharm el-Sheik 
Is Washington now Khan’s Buddy? 
Nord Stream sabotage was to undercut Germany, says Seymour Hersh It Will Be Hard And Cost A Lot Of Blood For Ukraine To Kick Out Russians, Says Top U.S. General 
Saudi – Iran rapprochement: A chance for peace 
Day 30 of the NREGA Protest: Students and Activists Detained by the Delhi Police An Irrational Verdict? 
Trump Rot at the EPA 
AUKUS, the Australian Labor Party, and Growing Dissent 
Palestinians Don’t Exist? 
The Long Arm of Washington Extends Into Africa’s Sahel 
Radio Fatherland!! 
Bellies of the Rich Swell Further on the Back of Hunger 
The Big Picture And The Small – Part II 
2500 people urge Chief Minister of Karnataka to protect farmers, pastoralists and Dalits from Supreme injustice 
Our Global Water Crisis 
3.5 Million March Across France Opposing Macron’s Pension Reform 
Election Commission of India must question the presence political nominees on BEL’s and ECIL’s Boards 
Ihan Omar Introduces Legislation to Combat Islamophobia 
Narendra Modi’s Cricket Coup 
The Big Picture And The Small 
Prophesies, Then and Now – My Life at World’s End 
Our beloved K.P.Sasi is no more. Filmmaker, cartoonist, writer, mentor, friend and above all tireless activist championing the cause of every underdog, Sasi breathed his last, mid-afternoon this Christmas day – after battling a medical condition for months. I remember the last time I met him, almost exactly a month before he passed away, at the ayurvedic healing center in[Read More…]
