Wandering Jogi Flowing Pani

Faces from City of Joy.

2010-12-27T19:23:00.000-08:00

Seldom do I see a photo where the artist has crossed his personal boundary to get close to the subject and wait for them to reveal themselves. Few like Soham have the patience to let their human subjects reveal themselves as would like to. Take look at his work...

The “Ugly face” of the ECI: Arrest of Hari Prasad for “sting demonstration”

2010-08-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Election Commission of India. It is the safety valve of the largest democracy machine in the world. The recent arrest of a scientist exposing the weakness of electronic voting machines was arrested for not revealing the source from where he had acquired the machine to test. The fear of few officials because theycould lose their job might eventually destroy a Democracy at its roots.

GVLN Rao Blog » Blog Archive » The “Ugly face” of the ECI: Arrest of Hari Prasad for “sting demonstration”

Sonia Gandhi

2010-08-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Soon all of us will be eating genetically contaminated food. The Cabinet has just approved the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) bill which will allow genetically modified food into the country. The bill can be tabled in the Parliament anytime.

The BRAI will be a body of technocrats whose decisions will remain unquestioned. Our state governments and people like us will not be able to question this body.

To stop this, Greenpeace, a civil society organisation working on varied issues including sustainable agriculture, is sending an open letter to the National Advisory Council (NAC) Chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi. The letter asks her to make the Government re-draft this bill after consulting the public. I have already signed this letter and more signatures will make the case stronger.

Can you also sign this letter to Sonia Gandhi?

www.greenpeace.in/safefood/change-brai-bill-stop-gm-food-india/

Thanks!

saugat.datta@gmail.com

You are receiving this email because someone you know sent it to you from the Greenpeace site. Greenpeace retains no information about individuals contacted through its site, and will not send you further messages without your consent -- although your friends could, of course, send you another message.

Updates on net neutrality

2010-08-21T09:17:00.001-07:00

YouTube - Biggy - Praja Foundation

2010-01-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

A beautiful stop motion animation with desi social media initiative. the power of public, the power of unity, the power of web 2.0.

Experiments with Mobile phone Photography.

2010-01-03T16:10:00.000-08:00

My Tryst with Science

2009-11-25T17:47:00.000-08:00

Silently I weep
My Tryst with Science

Beneath a smiling face
Silently I weep
When I put my little boy to sleep
In the scented fragrance of pyretheroids

Beneath a smiling face
Silently I weep
When I feed my little boy
With lethal genes of GM food

Beneath a smiling face
Silently I weep
When I clothe my little boy
With lethal genes of GM cotton

Beneath a smiling face
Silently I weep
When I failed to nurture my boy
The priceless natural air, food or clothing

Beneath a smiling face
Silently I weep
Enshrouded in languishing science
Pushed away miles from nature

Beneath a smiling face
Silently I weep
Tear by tear falling down in vain
Like pearls thrown before swine

Beneath a smiling face
Silently I weep
Hoping for a silver lining
In our tryst with science

- Chitra Narayanasami

(I thank Devindar Sharma from Ground Reality for sharing this poem with us)

--
Saugat
Media Artist
604.725.9263
Skype: saugatgiri
http://saugatdatta.blogspot.com/

Reposted due to internet censorship.

2009-11-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

"The Voiceless India
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Governments of free India, one after the other through their acts of omissions and commissions, have divided the Indian society in two segments far apart from each other in lifestyles and economic conditions. About 15 percent population consisting of political leaders and government servants have, through their corrupt practices, amassed 85 percent of the total wealth of India, leaving only 15 percent of it to the balanced 85 percent population of the country. This has been achieved gradually during the last 60 years of free India, and this degenerative process is still going on.

Democracy is said to be forming a government for the people, by the people and of the people, but it is a farce in India due to defective election process and highly defective Constitution of India. Because of concentration of wealth in a few hands, the balanced population is facing problems of survival and votes to a person for minor financial returns for voting. Thus, votes are openly purchased and democracy is openly played with. Thus, 85 percent population of India has no say in formation of governments and hence running of administration of the country. This component of India is thus totally voiceless.

On this basis, a Prime Minister of India for a few days, Ch Charan Singh, used to say that the country has two faces - India and Bharat, the rulers and the ruled, respectively. This makes the country a mockery of democracy. Just see current costs of getting elected to an office -
Village Pradhan (President) INR 200,000 to 500,000
Block Pramukh (President) INR 5,000,000 to 10,000,000
District Chairman INR 20,000,000 to 50,000,000
Member State Legislative Assembly INR 50,000,000 to 100,000,000
Member of Parliament INR 100,000,000 to 500,000,000

So much of money can be spent by a few selective persons only and this all goes for buying votes directly or indirectly, of the voiceless people of India. This is no secret, everybody from a common man to those sitting in the highest offices of India are knowing this and contributing to take this into practice. All political parties gear up themselves, through corrupt practices when in power, for the next election for votes purchase programs. Thus, democracy in India is worse than a capitalism."

as posted by Ram Bansal, the Theosoph
V.- PO. Khandoi, Dist. Buland Shahr, U.P., India
Born in the family of India's Freedom Fighter, I am an Engineer by education and profession, and now diversified to Authorship on a variety of subjects including Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Science and Technology etc. As a result, a dozen books are published in Print Media, and now devoted to online writings throug Blogs and Articles.

The Voiceless India

2009-11-17T07:03:00.001-08:00

The Voiceless India

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Arundhati Roy: What Have We Done to Democracy?

2009-09-28T13:06:00.001-07:00

Arundhati Roy: What Have We Done to Democracy?

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INDIA SOUNDSCAPE: DJ Cheb-i-Sabbah Mix (Part Three)

2009-09-28T11:45:00.001-07:00

INDIA SOUNDSCAPE: DJ Cheb-i-Sabbah Mix (Part Three)

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What does home mean to you?

2009-09-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

“Ajami” is named for the eponymous Jaffa neighborhood where the story unfolds. Written and directed by the Arab-Jewish team of Scandar Copti (a resident of Ajami) and Yaron Shani, “Ajami's” complex storyline reflects a popular narrative style in Israeli literature and film.

"It hits you in the face, Scandar Kopti's and Yaron Sheni's movie “Ajami”‘ bluntly. It's overpowering. And yes, this is where i live. It's about “my” neighbourhood. Of course this is not going to be an objective film review. I know most, no, almost all of the actors, at least by face and some are very good friends. The cast has been trained, but they are not professional actors, just my neighbours, more or less playing themselves, situations they know, reacting naturally as they would have done were the story real. It could have been real." - Yudit of OCCUPIED

अहम नगर : महानगर मानव मग्ज की तरह अयोजित है

2009-09-21T14:21:00.001-07:00

विज्ञानं रोजाना के अनुसार Rensselaer पॉलिटेक्निक संस्थान में शोधकर्ताओं ने एक नए अध्ययन से स्थापीत किया की हमारे नगर व्यवस्था, प्राचीन तथा आधुनिक, शायद हमरे मग्ज के कोशिकओं के उद्भेद एक दुसरे के अनुकरण है. तो क्या काशी जैसे नगर की व्यवस्था हमारे मग्ज के बारे में का बताते है?
"ScienceDaily (2009-09-19) -- Cities are organized like brains, and the evolution of cities mirrors the evolution of human and animal brains, according to a new study."

www.riseindustries.org

2009-09-15T02:40:00.001-07:00

www.riseindustries.org

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Missing you Dida

2009-09-15T02:32:00.001-07:00

Gronmama

I am not myself

until my blood

is infused with you

in all of my veins

I am not myself

until my roots

sink down, shoot

into you, my earthmother,

I am not myself

until I manage

to keep, to carry

your image in my soul

I am not myself

until you cry out

with pleasure, or pain

in my voice

- Trefossa
दुनिया के में हर तरफ यह इल्म कुद्राती है, हम सब मिटटी से है और बस एक दिन मिटटी में मिल जाने के ओर बह चले है.

affluent Indians watch Tele more in their Local languages

2009-09-10T15:24:00.001-07:00

http://trak.in/tags/business/2009/09/04/rich-affluent-indians-factfile/

--
Saugat
Media Artist
604.725.9263
Skype: saugatgiri
http://saugatdatta.blogspot.com/

Aboriginal Youth Group from India Wins Best Doc Award

2009-09-09T00:41:00.001-07:00

Loha Garam Hai, won the Best Environmental Film Award from IDPA (Indian Documentary Producers Association) Mumbai, in July this year. Meghnath and Biju Toppo, two founders of Akhra ( An Aboriginal Youth group from Ranchi, India) , directed the film jointly. Loha Garam Hai (When the Iron Is Hot) tells the story of how people struggle with India's most polluting industry - the sponge iron industry.
When grassroots people make their own media I see glimpses of revolution through information.

"The film opens with live footage of a protest against a sponge iron plant; a local woman is seen raising her voice. Slogans like "We will fight, we will win" "we want food, not iron", "close down the Siddhi Vinayak Company," fill the air. From these protests, the film moves back to trace the history and data on the industry's growth in India. The voice-overs begin with a male voice, alternating with a woman's as the film progresses. Among the protestors too, one finds women are aware, vocal and angry. " -Shoma Chatterji, IndiaTogether

A day with Rickshaw pullers!!!

2009-09-02T20:46:00.001-07:00

A giant market opportunity for micro credit banking in urban centers of India.

Sent to you by Saugat via Google Reader:

A day with Rickshaw pullers!!!

via India Development Blog by Deepti on 9/2/09

One of our MRAP participants has received funding to study how Rickshaw pullers from Delhi manage their money. Last week, I participated in interviewing several groups of Rickshaw pullers.

The study focused on understanding where these pullers migrated from, what kind of life style they lead, how much they make and spend, what kind of items they spend on (such as alcohol, tobacco etc), how many meals they take per day, etc. Most of the Rickshaw pullers I met that day were from Bihar and shared similar stories. On an average day, they made Rs. 200-250, out of which they paid Rs. 50 to the owner, spent Rs. 20 on alcohol and/or tobacco and Rs. 20 on food and the rest they used on paying loans or saved the money. Not surprisingly, none of them had bank accounts. Some of the interesting observations that I made that day were:

None of them skipped their meals in order to save for the future.
They had a very strong social network, however, only within their village group. Some pullers have been in Delhi for 10 years, yet, they never talked with any other pullers from other places even though they operated in the same neighborhood. They preferred borrowing and lending among these few trusted friends only.
Only one had a rental apartment as he had recently got his wife and children to Delhi. The rest of them slept under the bridges or the rickshaw garages, used public toilets, skipped meals if failed to make enough money on any day, and surprisingly, one of them mentioned that he preferred having alcohol than food.

The only way for them to transfer money to their loved ones in their respective villages was through local travelers who came to the city from their villages to collect money from them. Obviously, such money collectors charged for their services. Whenever such people came to the city, these Rickshaw pullers borrowed money from the local moneylenders. One group relied on a manager of a local motel, and the other group relied on an owner of a tea shop. They viewed these moneylenders as saviors and had high regards for them.

It was interesting to understand that in order to send money to their families, these Rickshaw pullers paid interests to two parties - one to the moneylender and the other to the person who came from the village to collect money from them. Most of them realized this problem and expressed their desire to open bank accounts. The following were some other observations:-

Most of them knew about smart cards, ATMs
One puller even knew that money could be transferred through the internet
All of them mentioned that they wanted to open bank accounts. All of them asked how we could help them in opening bank accounts.

It was interesting to find out that all of the Rickshaw pullers I met that day expressed the importance of bank accounts and talked how they could just deposit whatever they save and transfer money to their families without paying anything to the moneylender and the traveler (money collector!). However, none of them knew the procedures to open bank accounts. Alas!!!

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Freestyling On the Internets.

2009-08-26T15:17:00.001-07:00

i talk to you to talk to you~ it is not bad
im not trying to win
nor achieve some enlightened state
this is more natural when all the BS drops way
so to allow that is my grace
it is
naturally occuring phenomena
and when im at "my best"
my life isnt as easy as most outsiders would presume
i have one very conscious conscience
and this world is full of fucked upness
i dont have to look far~ to see the arrogance
ignorance
and where i can lend a helping hand... isnt africa
its my own temple
its my dad
its my street
its the misconceptions floating in whirlwinds through my friends, which eventually become my responsibility~ or they did..
so i felt
to bring me to this point now
now i just want to retain all i have learned and not utilize it within egos realm
but go the final steps
and im wondering
what is my big lesson this lifetime
what have i not clearly transcended
im close to finding out
when i do itll be my greatest gift
for i will be free
to play as i work
and work as i play
in service of the greater good
and oneness
i want to know what ive missed, theres something aloof...
cuz i know ive never intended to hurt anyone unless it was self defence
so why should i feel all this hurt
itsundeserving
call it biased but its my truth
pluto is whispering something .. time for me to listen

- By Jordan Tal,
Male 26, Urbanista, as written in the wee hours of the night over a electronic chat application

Kamera Kamera

2009-07-30T15:23:00.001-07:00

Nicole Jaquis and numerous Sanyasi's have started a movement of their own documenting the interesting times we live in. I was associated as active media mentor with this project.

What would you want Article 31 to be?

2009-07-10T11:29:00.001-07:00

60 years and most human rights declaration has stood unmoved cause it is still relevant and far from being universal(?). However our predecessors forgot to mention about few fundamental right like the right to Clean drinking water. Or do we support the right to do whatever the hell I want with no concern for impact. Article 31 is an attempt to update our cherished human rights declaration by the United Nations. Help the vision with signing a petition.

so here's my wish list

मुझे हक है ... ब्रमण करने का?.... साफ़ पानी पिने को? ... बिना रोक के संचार का उपयोग?

क्या मानव अधिकार में सुधार करने पर हमारे आने वाला कल सुखद होगा? वोह मासूम आखें भविष्य में हमें माफ़ करेंगे?

कोसिस जारी रहेगी... जब थक एक आवाज़ हरकत में होगी.
--
Saugat Datta
Media Artist

Rise of 'The Global Village-City'

2009-06-22T13:21:00.001-07:00

Are we going through a phase by phase rise of homogeneous society based out massive social contracts in a collection of global City culture. Headed by the western Cities from Berlin to SauPaulo a common lifestyles. As Rajesh writes in an article...

The 'city' is a truly global phenomenon, and modern cities whether in India or Nigeria or Europe are the most globalised elements of the world economy. Indeed it can be argued that a global city civilisation is emerging in which cities the world over are breaking away from their immediate surroundings and connecting with their peers globally. It takes about the same time to fly from Bangalore to Boston as it takes to travel from Bangalore to Dharwad.

The global city-civilisation has New York and London at its apex, Bangalore and Mumbai at intermediate stages, and Lagos as the dregs. While we might not have the unredeemable squalor of Lagos, the position of the Indian city in the global ladder is not enviable. The nature of resource extraction and social hierarchy being what it is, we have a local elite that would rather hobnob with its counterparts abroad (notice ads for cars and paints; all the houses and roads and even people look western), while trying their best to simultaneously exploit and stay away from their not-so-fortunate neighbours.

क्या होगा हमारी चोटी चोटी रिस्ठो का ?

Is Iran Twitter Happy or just made up noise?

2009-06-19T03:13:00.000-07:00

'Out of the few hundred real twitter users in Iran recently before fake twitters from Tehran showed hundred actively released the news of mass organising. Gaurav of the following blog questions

'Calling the Iran protests a 'Twitter Revolution' is not only distracting but also dangerous because it reduces a legitimate broad-based grassroots movement to what's quickly becoming a cliche, after Moldova.'

The new fuss about how technology driven revolutions become milestones of twitter and social media band wagon is illusionary and sometimes as the above blog mentions overshadows the real ground effort and organizing.

Is it possible that the free form of internet is leaning towards a certain idea of global lifestyle and becoming a propaganda grounds for media analyst and oppurutnist to get attention while the real news gets sidelined?

--
Saugat Datta
Media Artist
<a href="http://saugatdatta.blogspot.com/">Wandering Jogi Flowing Pani</a>

What is "Development"?

2009-06-18T19:09:00.001-07:00

As I stand witness in my wanderings how often the word 'Development' is being used in every academic arguments around cafe tables, between frustration to wait in front of a machine to a world map based on development. Everyone seems to agree we need development like we need as one blog states.

'Lant Prichett gives a pretty precise definition of development as rapid "modernization" giving examples of the West's development in the 19th century, Japan's Meiji Restoration and Korea's modernization in the 60's.'

What value does the word carry in our lives today? An attempt is made by reaction article by Najim in India Development blog through a social experiment through answering three questions

1. What is my definition of development? (3 lines)

When change occurs by confluence rather than conflict, development is the measure of that change.

2. One word definition for development?

Convergence

3. If country X (any developing country you can relate to) is said to have achieved development Y years from now, what features of the country constitute your definition of a developed country?

Human culture, Self Governance, Food security, Carbon offset, Water security,

--
Saugat Datta
Media Artist
<a href="http://saugatdatta.blogspot.com/">Wandering Jogi Flowing Pani</a>

A SpiritBear 'Masala' ... Rare White Bear.

2009-06-16T00:33:00.001-07:00

Negative impact of sudden popularity. Rare white bear amid black bears popularly known as the spirit bear has create uncontrolled bear watching endangering the bears themselves in Princess Long Island, B.C. Local Git-ga'at people of the island traditionally give Masala, "the white bear," comparatively high status, also called Kermode Bear after 20th century naturalist from BC Francis Kermode.

Travelwatch produced by National Geprgraphic says

"scores of cruise tourists prowling the inlets in day boats and Zodiacs, seeking a glimpse of a spirit bear and disturbing stream valleys and sacred Git-ga'at sites. Many of the Git-ga'at live in Hartley Bay, closest mainland village to the new conservancy. "We want to make sure tourism development is respectful of our own traditions and of the bear itself," says Art Sterritt, a Git-ga'at elder. He helped draft the conservancy agreement. Hartley Bay does want tourism; the community is building a cultural center and feast hall, and has already welcomed a number of "pocket" cruise boats, liners with fewer than 250 passengers."

Princess Long Island has in recent years acquired great popularity due to 'spirit bear' which otherwise as the article continues is best described as raw wilderness of B.C.

"to visit Princess Royal Island. During one four-day stay, you can watch salmon thrash in streams of amber water; duck for cover as black bears (yes, black ones) plunge in to fish for those same salmon; marvel at humpback whales dancing in Grenville Channel or a family of river otters gamboling along the shore; and admire the mile-high granite faces uncloaked as afternoon sun burns off the morning mist. You can go through rolls of film at a haul-out rock where Steller's sea lions carouse; with a rod, you can cast fuchsia flies to catch crimson-splashed cutthroat trout. You may never see a spirit bear, but you'll find something far more significant: spirit of place. If the forests and waters are kept from harm, thousands of visitors can experience that in the future."

To read the full article .

--
Saugat Datta
Media Artist
<a href="http://saugatdatta.blogspot.com/">Wandering Jogi Flowing Pani</a>

Looking for a new Home.

2009-06-09T13:06:00.001-07:00

The wandering brotherhood of Saugat Datta, Omar Shaikh, Sam and Ben Cooper are looking for a new house to live and work from. 5 or 6 bedrooms ideally located in East Van or West Burnaby for Aug/Sept. We are bunch of media artist who live, share, work and play together. In the coming couple of months we need to find a new home. Little word about us Saugat is crazy food junkie, and media wallah, Omar Shaikh ( yes he is the youger sibling of Adham Shaikh) works in the tourism industry and fixes his motercycle obcession and The Cooper Bros- Ben is a media guru and bad jokes manufacturing mafia and Sam is our beloved happy buddha, coder and genius mad scientist. Please spread the word and, of course, the love
--

--
Saugat Datta
Media Artist
<a href="http://saugatdatta.blogspot.com/">Wandering Jogi Flowing Pani</a>

Geo Rahi / Digonter Pipasha

2009-05-21T12:59:00.001-07:00

Geo Rahi / Digonter Pipasha

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Profit works better than Charity.

2009-05-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

A very useful project Called Bushproof... a bunch of strong willed individuals have created products for the bottom of the pyramid marketing techniques it is a WinWin situation. Might be of a interest to many who are working on grassroots level for development.

Donations of used underwear to African women - Would you support this?

2009-05-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

Reminds me of my roommates who concerned about their guilt stuff the fridge with half a fruit or take out leftovers. They felt they were doing the right thing except in practical universe it was forgotten by all parties and results in science projects on moulds.

Are this enlightened women trying to take weekend clothing swap to next level? Or do women in africa need used underwear more than education or rights of their own?

The Art of Action (Karma)

2009-05-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

"We must be active and energetic. When our thoughts, speech and action work together in harmony, it brings success automatically. That is the art of action"

VANCOUVER against Grouse Mountain from Queen Elizabeth Park. Early Spring 09.

2009-05-14T15:22:00.000-07:00

I thought you should see this story

2009-05-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

> Irish student hoaxes world's media with fake quote
>
> http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_7772/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=3NwDxGT5
>
>

Voting in the Province of BC -a poster mix.

2009-05-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

People of Canada living in the province of British Columbia enjoyed their freedom to choose their representative through voting today. It was a unique occasion as people of the province were not only voting for their favored candidate but also for a referendum to change their voting system to a single transferable voting system or STV-BC as the campaigners are calling it in multi media platform from street campaign to web . The joy of liberty and bright faces of the future could be scene taking their time off their busy life to vote and ensure a good conscious life.

From a 21st century democratic citizen it was a very interesting marketing mix. Most of the campaign around from billboards to lawn signs were all done in a organised professional approach from major parties and their PR agencies. In between BC-STV campaign team of PR agencies had to promote their message which also had all the touch of a organised creative team. End result in an Urban scenario like Vancouver is confusion of message for an average citizen even though using most forms of mediums from electronic or print.

As one can notice everything is in bright primary colors, very bold typefaces or fonts used it almost gives the appearance of a certain unified unwritten design guidelines for political posters. If you notice the amount of content is minimal, my guess the target audience is a moving one like driving or preoccupied. The similarity between a product placement with a marketing mix and a political campaign is unavoidable.

In a haste to capture the attention span of a modern democratic being the media designers forgot to separate issues like candidate campaign with voting mechanism in their promotions. Many citizens where surprised that BC-STV wasn't a political party on their candidate list while few were surprised at the listing of Sex Party in the ballot.

Moral of the story is people are busy and getting their attention for even the most important issue for them is hard. Mixing messages of social importance and make the campaign look like Realtors Ads or Soap Box Ads lead to misinformation. As one young BC resident expressed his disappointment that he would not have voted against STV if he knew STV was not a electronic voting system like campaign posters made it look like.

Hopefully for the citizens of BC hope STV would be accepted by the majority of the people and does not get crushed just cause of one misinformed vote.

The Church as a foundation hidden in Modern Science.

2009-05-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

The charkha and the naturalist
Not only is the division between an outer world of 'things out there' and an inner world of 'thoughts and feelings' a false distinction rooted in a particular historical trajectory, it is also pernicious, writes Rajesh Kasturirangan.

About Me

2009-04-29T10:19:00.001-07:00

Now I won't sing
the tunes of sadness,
Because I've sung enough
of my part.
The soundless sound is
yearning around now,
and the song of eternal love is
flowing from my heart to the world.

Now I won't paint
the colours of somberness,
Because I've brushed enough
of my part.
the colours of emotions are
changing the aura outside and
I can see them around
me, my love and all thy' creations.

The search of my life is fullfilled,
& wisdom of mankind is revealed.
While travelling the time
through ages,
I had him besides me always.
No one can separate me from my past...
neither present nor the future,
neither me nor you,
As I've realized
we are bound to meet
in every incarnation,
whether you it want or not,
whether I want it or not,
because we are Soulmates.

lakshi, 29/04/09

those particals of universe.

2009-04-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

Have u ever noticed-
how dust of life swifts down from ur hand,
how a cloud of imagination diminishes in a second,
how water of trust flows down from ur palm,
how silently a heart cries over ignorance,
how the road beneath ur feet bifurcates,
how we change our destiny....
destiny of good into not so good times
and vice-versa,
how love feels when it has to wait for ages,
and when that age comes
how we dont understand for whom this love is...
We humans have become those particals of universe
who dont know even their own orbits.

written by a friend I don't know

Kashi

2009-03-24T00:19:00.001-07:00

May Heaven keep the grandeur of Benaras

Arbour of this meadow of joy;

For oft returning souls -their journey's end.

In this weary Temple land of the world,

Safe from the whirlwind of Time,

Benaras is forever Spring.

Where autumn turns into the touch of sandal

On fair foreheads,

Spring tide wears the sacred thread of flower waves,

And the splash of twilight is the crimson mark

of Kashi's dust on heaven's brow.

The Kaaba of Hind;

This conch blowers dell;

Its icons and idols are made of the Light,

That once flashed on Mount Sinai.

These radiant idolations naids,

Set the pious Brahmins afire, when their faces glow

Like moving lamps..on the Ganges banks.

Morning and Moonrise,

My lady Kashi,

Picks up the Ganga mirror

To see her gracious beauty,

Glimmer and shine.

Said I one night to a pristine seer

(who knew the secrets of whirling time)

'Sir, you will perceive

That goodness and faith, fidelity and love

Have all departed from the sorry land.

Father and son are at each other's throat;

Brother fights brother.

Unity and federation are undermined.

Despite these ominous signs

Why has doomsday not come?

Why does the Last trumpet not sound?

Who holds the reigns of the final catastrophe?'

The hoary old man of lucent ken

Pointed towards Kashi and gently smiled.

'The Architect', he said, is fond of this edifice

Because of which there is colour in life.

He would not like it to perish and fall.'

Hearing this, the pride of Benaras soared to an eminence, untouched by the

wings of thought.

(From Pawan Varma's Ghalib: The Man And His Times)

Saugat

Media Artist

604.725.9263

Saugat's Blog

Wall

2009-03-17T13:53:00.001-07:00

Walking around my neighbourhood I came across this fence of a house.
First by the texture and then through the waist height window I could
peep in. The lawn was like a miniature playground with toys, tricycle
and a small bench.
In this world where we are racing to raise our walls higher than the
other here was a wall which was becoming transparent inside out. The
child inside or the pet inside that lawn could also see outside. New
reality.

Sailing into a Reality.

2009-03-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

" if someone dreams alone it is just a dream but a dream shared together, it is a start of a new reality"

The sun rises alongside the west shore of Kootenay Lake where the crews of the four boats spent the first evening of the 2.5-day journey.

Four sailboats started sailing from Nelson along the Kootenay lake, British Columbia. A popular pastime in Nelson but on March the 5th 2009 it became a lot more than just another sail trip to sailor David Oosthuizen and his crew. David and few other sailors volunteered to transport grains from Creston to Nelson for the members the local Grain CSA using sailboats. This maiden voyage intended to reduce dependency of local food on fossil fuels was documented on board by radio host, journalist and fellow food lover Jon Steinman from Deconstructing Dinner for full story in Audio.

Jon Steinman (right) records the journey on board the boat of David Oosthuizen.

Grain CSA is an experiment started when Matt Lowe of West Kootenay Ecosociety during a Local Food challenge for a month realized there wasn't any grain grown locally. Following the model of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) an experiment was launched to create a local grain market in the middle of the mountains of BC.

Matt teamed up with Brenda Bruns from Wildsight, Creston and gathered number of farmers, processors, bakers and eaters, to see if it was possible. Creston area farmers commit to growing five types of grain and 200 member shares issued between the residents of Nelson and Creston each of 80 pounds value for the first year.

Next came the idea of making the process less dependent on fossil fuel and in came the local Kootenays sailing club members to transport the grain from the nearest harbour from Creston farms. The team along with Jon on board sail away into 56 hour journey to get grains for their community. Their confidence had a fragrance of flowers yet to bloom. Their journey was a journey into the past due to absence of power engines yet not guided by the stars or mercy of nature. The team kept in touch with mobile phones, computers and used GPS for navigation. Many lessons were learnt along the way when grain bags while loading almost went down to the depths of Kootenay lake.

Bags of grain at Kuskanook harbour and Farmer Drew Gailius standing at Kuskanook harbour alongside grain grown at Full Circle Farm.

Result was way more than expected their were proud local farmers with their produce alongside excited community members eager to participate. People all around the world are looking for freshest, tastiest and most nutritious product available. As one of the farmers involved in the project put to words we all are looking for clear evidence of value they can connect with.

A chain of enthusiastic volunteers help unload grain from the sailboats docked in Nelson.

Matt Lowe carries grain from the dock in Nelson.

Photo Source: Deconstructing Dinner.

Young Looks Back

2009-03-11T00:45:00.001-07:00

The month of March has always been special apart from celebrating my
birthdays inside an exam room or yearly festival I am always
surrounded by spring. Vancouver this year has a bit of winter left.
While looking into whatever I can gather of my last three decades I
have lost quite a bit of childish wisdom and yet retained my dreams. A
sudden connection between a moment of clarity in the past to a moment
in the present. Two rare occasions yet same in the sense of vastness
called life. I recently had an opportunity of a similar journey.
In our imperfection lies the key to our eternal connections.

We, the People of Video Republic.

2009-02-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

Having complete a report review for Samas Media I have realised the impact and the permanent stay of a space digitally created. I would love to hear your feedback on this.

To read the article We, the People of Video Republic.

"I realised I am not western at all, I am not eastern at all. I am something in between, a mixture. I'm a foreigner in Asia, I'm a foreigner in Europe. I'm at home here. I have my own values." - Film maker, Istanbul.

To mind when Voting.

2009-02-06T10:40:00.001-08:00

The interval between the 15th and the 16th general elections, let us
promote bipartisanship in foreign policy, encourage talented
professionals to enter government, restore the integrity of
Parliament, send old politicians into a dignified retirement, and add,
to the right to vote, the right not to vote as well. By Ramachandra
Guha 2009

Debut Production.

2009-01-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

Photos

2008-11-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

East Vancouver Art Crawl is outpouring into the streets.

Eco City.

2008-11-05T10:43:00.000-08:00

Education System

2008-10-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Seems like it has been stirring a lot inside each one of us like we all knew it but never faced it. I agree to disagree with Samir.

The system of education we are validating is a there for standardising our intellectual resource and quick absorption into market place economy.

Coming back to Samir, if remember grandma stories like Panchatantra we had a natural learning systems just like the modern alternative education systems.

If one wished to learn rather than apprentice a craftsmen he or she left to live with a monk. Took their sweet little time to graduate out or their masters decided. These were intellectuals, traders or warriors.

Todays education system dislikes critical thinking and tries to treat humans as a standardise units in a assembly line. Now many of my friends here would defend themselves without suspecting that we might have knowingly given up our potential. We are not aware of the fact that by following yard sticks od standard we are like the fish scientist in a fish tank who thinks the world is cube and never dares to look beyond.

we are not a fish and we are not letting standardisation and testing guide and control our education is giving up our freedom and allowing ourselves to be robots and slaves.

May be it is time we question why are we getting educated like this?

1. May be we want to know and be like a Gora.

2. May be education system borrowed 50 years ago is crumpling.

3. Human resource is the greatest potential resource for any country today, is our government selling secretly by giving its citizens free will.

4. Are we suffering from inferiority complex as a Indian in 21st century we constantly try to do stuff to be equally cool to the 1st world!!

5. Or just trying to catch with world in a frenzy race of progress that we too don't see the problems we face as a resident of this only rock from the sun.

6. Does alternative education like Self Design appeal to designers as the concept of Swaraj does to political science?

Myself on a Fall Afternoon

2008-10-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

Theory Of Nothing.

2008-10-21T03:39:00.001-07:00

Theory of Everything.

2008-10-21T03:13:00.000-07:00

Theory of Everything.

Shubho Bijoya to all my loved ones far and near.

2008-10-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

শঙভ িবজ‍্যা্র পূীিত ঙ
শঙেভছছা

The worship of goddess Durga in the autumn is the year's largest
festival in West Bengal, Orissa, Tripura, Assam and other parts of
East India as well as in Bangladesh. Durga Puja is also celebrated in
Nepal and Bhutan according to local traditions and variations. Puja
means "worship," and Durga's Puja is celebrated from the sixth to
tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of Ashshin, which is the
sixth month in the Bengali calendar. Occasionally however, due to
shifts in the lunar cycle relative to the solar months, it may also be
held in the following month, Kartik. In the Gregorian calendar, these
dates correspond to the months of September/October.

The pujas are held over a five-day period, which is traditionally
viewed as the coming of the married daughter, Durga, to her father,
Himalaya's home. It is the most important festival in Bengal, and
Bengalis celebrate with new clothes and other gifts, which are worn on
the evenings when the family goes out to see the pandals (temporary
structures set up to venerate the goddess). Durga Puja in Bengal is a
carnival, where people from all backgrounds, regardless of their
religious beliefs, participate and enjoy themselves to the hilt.
Worship of goddess Durga has now been done all over the world, where
there is a Bengali community.

Shubho Bijoya – these two golden words brings about a wide smile on
every Bengali's face. It is an occasion of tremendous joy and
happiness. The term Bijoya , literally means Victory and Shubho Bijoya
means "The Auspicious Victory". Shubo Bijoya is celebrated from the
last day of Durga Puja, i.e., Vijaya Dashami to Kali Puja (Diwali). It
is celebrated for about a period of one month.When Maa Durga destroyed
the demon Mahishasur in a ten daylong battle, the day was christened
as Vijaya Dashami – the day of victory. This victory is a celebration
of good and end of evil era. Shubho Bijoya is not just a traditional
greeting, but also a way to celebrate the auspicious victory over evil.

Bomb our way to a feminist world.

2008-06-04T12:28:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I had to witness two teenage girls on the street I work during my break. They walked calmly past me and before I could realize I heard a loud crashing noise of a window breaking. I noticed the two girls running away into the darkness. The store next door had its display window crack wide open with the guilty lump of concrete bejewelled by bits of glass.

As the video displays the other side of 21st century continued battle of 'feminism'. My question is does media have a sex? Does ignorance have a sex? Does cowardice have a sex? Does toughness have a sex? Does violence have a sex?

The change of Habitat

2008-05-12T15:32:00.001-07:00

On the day of the workers around the world I changed my residence from 15th E Ave. to 12th E Ave. As they say in Vancity I made my artistic east van move.

My new Postal Address would be

1875 E 12th Ave.

Vancouver

British Columbia

Canada

http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=117242498433125013589.00044d100393a75cbc099&ll=49.259396,-123.066718&spn=0.002003,0.004828&t=h&z=18

My Snowman and renegade Angela

2008-01-31T14:53:00.000-08:00

This is my first snow man ever, and my fellow conspirator is Angela
Gentili making her renegade snow angel.

Snow

2008-01-29T13:56:00.000-08:00

A tiny little flake falls from the cloudy womb.
As it floats down to its final bed,
the miniscule life it was granted
it wasted in happiness.
Watched the pellet cousins hail down
while it swirled in fun.
Unknown to its fate
keeps hitching ride on the mod air drifts.
I want to fall
Fall like snow in Vancouver.

CommercialDrive

2008-01-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

This is the street I sell falafel ( middle eastern snack of Kabuli
Chana) from a eclectic store Desert. The runs north to south as you
will notice the mountains at the back silhouetted in the evening sky.
Commercial drive has its own life within itself with various
characters and their eclectic ways of living and thinking. Reminds me
of a old Doordarshan TV series called 'Nukkad'. The street constantly
lives in its own bubble. Creating a small town vibe within the big
city of Vancouver.
Gradually i will putting their photos and stories online.

AMI MAMA HOYE GECHI

2008-01-09T01:51:00.000-08:00

I am proud mama from the day onwards and I do welcome the newest
member to the clan. I am so happy that I forgave the Aussie cricket
team.

Anumaan Nahi Anubhav

2008-01-06T23:05:00.000-08:00

An attempt to reach fellow Indians for a desperate message which might
decide what we may recognize ourselves in the future. The world is
growing state of assumption and assertion as more and more information
becomes free.
My personal journey to understand India has reached far away from it
and yet I repeatedly see it outside me in form of constant diverse
urban centers I have been. So I say this to anyone my age or younger
we still a have time.

Life in general.

2007-12-21T12:13:00.000-08:00

A thought passed on reminding me at the least we all are story
tellers. Every little thought we think of is a little story we build
to to constantly readjust ourselves. Just like a blink, referred from
Malcolm Gladwell's book blink.
As this Micro-storyteller builds our entire life as a cinema while we
live it. The only opportunity perhaps we get is the eternal last few
moments of time of our life when we see ourselves and the entire film
in one go but as a audience.
Having said we are storytellers dosn't that make everything around us
from religion to different gods just a cast of actors in our Brahman
mind of imagination.I happen to like myths and stories of magik.
Someday I want to retell the stories of people around me with some
magikal angle to it. Here's a picture of HanuMan, a story retold.

The Crow Says

2007-11-19T11:54:00.000-08:00

The way the crows gather from all over the city into a single stream
of dark mass just before the sunset is a sight to be seen and
experienced in Vancouver city. While I have to dig deep inside myself
to face a group of people called the twelve tribes. http://www.twelvetribes.com/

Unshaven faces with their woman following them in faces untouched by
makeup, they almost remind me of my days in in Assam filled with
people teeming with life. They become quite attractive in contrast to
the world around them where everybody is trying to be different. Check
print shirts and dark pants with leather shoes and woman with long
hair and skirts. They all look the same, in fact like we do in India
where fashion is not a way of life but a way to blend into other
people. The simplicity and structured family makes them interesting
for me but not something out of common.

While they are really unique to environment here. They simplicity is
something which is unheard of here while their structure family system
without any conditions is huge affair by western standards. Nobody has
ever heard of a group having no individual bank account but a single
family account. And sell it well too, present themselves through their
publicity material in extreme odd places where they will find people
who are at crossroads or self doubt to recruit.

Desi Soap Opera or My Dream Life

2007-11-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

Prof. Kuthiala proclaimed Human communication is 'sharing of
Experience'. Seven years later I recall my masters degree teaching in
the most unlikely place. Today I had to go and give the final edit of
the punjabi soap opera to the director, after pulling a all nighter I
realised I wouldn't be able to make it back to my desi Hippy
restaurant on the drive at 2pm. Total failure to recall the fact that
my shift now began two hours early made me over commit. So I had to
cancel the director's appointment and head straight for the restaurant
few hours before.
So here I am listening to the local punjabi radio waiting for my shift
while I set up laptop editing suite on one of the tables editing soap
opera while I sip my deadly chai. The place could be easily identified
as backpackers joint in some sleepy town in the himalayas. May be it
is the reason of the cult following this place has and more so why I
fit in as bridge between the shy punjabi lady who owns the place and
the memory stricken westerners trying to relive their backpack trip in
India.
Picture this, sitting on one of the tables, joking with the auntie in
punjabi as I edit an episode, right outside the windows is the trendy
commercial drive bustling with trendy Vancouver artist Diaspora in
hippest part of the city called Commercial drive. The inside is the
chaos of India which I am addicted and proud of while outside is the
mundane and predictable life of the first world.
All I can state to my Prof. you were right I am living it right now,
trying to document every passing moment and ending with bag full of
rich experience. Thank you my family each one of you are somewhere
responsible for initiating me in this uncommon path.

Uncommon Nation

2007-11-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

In time we will discuss in public how today's life swings between odds
or Uncommon. Most of us would agree how we wish to be different and
connect to other wish to differ.
In today's post modern world of the Common where everything is getting
homoginised. A symptom of our present economic condition none the less
prevalent life style of humanity of 21st century. Hence the generation
of deviants who find undisputed pleasure at getting attracted to
another who has deviated.

Most commonly noticed among backpackers who travel for cheap within a
large group of people belonging to their travelling nation to a
boardroom meeting where two subtle prints of the tie fabric as
momentary exchange of glances of acceptance. There lies my imaginative
nation of Uncommon nation. A space within the face of encroachment of
public space in our society. More and more people realising that they
truly differ from others are becoming more receptive of each other.
Efforts of such amounts upto creating a space which inn time will a
nation within a nation.

Somewhere within this lies our inert nature to be huge mass of
diversity or just to be part of team and yet be ourselves. How much we
decide to differ and where do we draw the lines? When can we say
connecting as a differing with physical appearance and being racist
could be separated in morality? Why do the answer seemed to be lying
in the line in-between the line of Common and Uncommon? Is it just a
mere battle between similar experiences?

My Karma Areas

2007-10-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

The inside of the restaurant 'Deserts' on Commercial Drive, I work
here for 30 hours a week under the table arrangement. Very in place
for cultural parasites. I like the artist 'Jordan' who did the menu
with chalk on the black board. His work can be seen all over Vancouver.

A scene from the set of the punjabi soap opera 'Teri Meri Duniya' I work for in the weekends for under the table rates, it is almost like shooting home video except it is broadcasted. You will notice the mayhem breaks down once we switch of the camera in the photo below.

Shobhu Bijoya Janalam

2007-10-24T02:07:00.000-07:00

Guddu shared this for me. Very touched.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G1T5F_r0HI

The Last Few Endless Days of Magik

2007-10-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have started working in a eclectic restaurant on commercial drive and still hunting for houses in Vancouver. The owner of the place i work for met with an accident the day i joined the place and since then i have trained myself while the place runs itself. the owner is a Fijian lady who raised three of her kids till college after her Hindu husband abandoned her in Canada. A success story perhaps till i showed up in her life.

The the weekends I work for a local South Asian Soap Opera telecasted on cable network where drama is more offscreen then screen. The Director has been making soaps non stop since last few years on a very very low budget. I like the fact that a orthodox housewife without having to reject her family responsibilities makes soap based on her life and the life of others around. I agree it is cheap since you can shoot anywhere in her house with no extra props needed. The actors are all from the local community with other jobs, the crew is one DOP, one sound guy cum everything and her. Her work seems to be very popular and revolves around what a south Asian wife's life would revolve around.

Lastly the guys who hang around the restaurant I work the server with me is young father who got tossed out of his wife's house, in the middle of getting a divorce. Lets call him Aditya. Aditya has two year old daughter, white causcian who has travelled in bihar and was a brilliant cadet before he turned into a yoga instructor with dreams. the second is Jerald much older guy who has been supported by the restaurant with food and shelter sometimes in tradition of dhaan followed by the hindu Fijian owner. He never fails to claim his food and question in the driest moments of conversation, however, why he isn't working there instead me for money? the answers is not clear.

For now working 7 days a week, I still owe a lot of money, urban society always makes you feel you are falling behind or compromising on your closet dreams so trying to wade through that. Living on couch of freinds parent for now as we search for a house and the so called happy American life.

Test Blog

2007-10-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

straight for publication

Around the corner from my other side.

2007-10-10T13:23:00.000-07:00

Still in the phase one of starting life anew around blue mountains of the western America. Vancouver reminds me of Mumbai in lot of ways yet less sophisticated at first glance. Though I still duel in self gratification in conflict of culture and region. I am gradually accepting myself no matter where I am.
On a lighter note I am almost becoming a cook in a electic restaurant run by a Fijian family. This photo was taken by my friend Sam Cooper around the Slocan Valley,British Columbia. Keeps reminding me how precious family is. So inspired by Sam and how internet is changing the world I decided to launch a blog to reach out my clan my family. Dadu's tradition of journaling also gets a revival.