Day: April 7, 2021

Khilokri- A lost city

“Oh, King! You’ve built such a wall around Sher-i-nau

That stone can reach the moon from the pinnacle (of its towers)”

– Amir Khusraw

Delhi is known for its proverbial seven cities albeit it lacks precision. The ruins of the city of Khilokri, however, have not survived the wrath of time. However, the city has significantly helped in the socio-cultural development of the Sultanate capital of Delhi. The city came to the limelight when it was favoured for residence by Sultan Kaiqubad. 

The early settlements in Khilokri are, however, not insignificant. Qutubuddin Bhaktiyar Kaki was staying in Multan with his preceptor, Bahauddin Zakariya when the city was besieged by the Mongols. Consequently, he set off for Delhi and settled at Khilokri. Two leading theologians of Iltumish’s court visited him frequently but were troubled by the distance. With Iltumish’s help, they brought Kaki to Qutb Delhi (The present-day Old Delhi or Shahjahanabad) and got a house for him next to the Izzuddin’s mosque. Firishta writes that Kaki had settled in Khilokri due to ‘proximity to water’ and was unwilling to move to Old Delhi but he eventually gave in and settled there. 

Ruknuddin Firoz succeeded Iltumish as the Sultan of Delhi. A conspiracy against his rule was held in Khilokri by several officials of the old sect/dispensation. Khilokri was no longer a Sufi city and had shed all the vestiges of Kaki. Now, the city was a cantonment-like town. To suppress the rebellion, the Sultan marched with a multitude of armed men to Khilokri only to be executed. Razzia Sultana, the first and the only woman claimant of the Delhi Sultanate festooned the throne. However, she was sacked for showing signs of rebellion against the entrenched Iltumish’s military commanders or Shamsi sect and three more Shamsi puppets were placed in quick succession. 

When the emissaries of the Mongol conqueror of Iran and Iraq arrived at Delhi to meet Sultan Nasiruddin Mahmud, the entire route from Old Delhi to Khilokri was embellished with an array of soldiers and civilian militia. Juzzani twice mentioned the city as the ‘sher-i-nau’ or the ‘new city’. The riparian plains of Khilokri was indeed an excellent location far from the hustle-bustle of the overpopulated Qutb Delhi. 

The fresh founding of the city comes from the accounts of Ziyauddin Barani in his magnum opus, Tarikh-i-Firuz Shahi. He credits Sultan Kaiqubad as the founding father of Khilokri. He describes him as a ‘handsome young man of excellent qualities with a heart filled with the desire to enjoy the pleasures of life’. On the banks of river Yamuna, Kaiqubad laid foundations of a large palace and a splendid garden. He moved there and started living with his auxiliaries. The nobilities started building palaces in the quarters they occupied and the heads of each profession moved from Delhi–i-Kuhna or the Old Delhi to Khilokri, making it populous and flourishing. Eventually, singers, jesters and performers started migrating to the city. In the due course of time, wine houses became full and recreational places came up in the city. Sources suggest that the price of wine increased ten-fold. Everybody was busy seeking the sensual pleasure of the materialistic world supplemented by an enormous demand for wine and perfume. 

However, there’s no evidence suggesting that Qutb Delhi ceased to be the capital of the Sultanate. The imperial mint continued to be located in Qutb Delhi and the coins mentioning the name of Sultan Kaiqubad were found from Qutb Delhi. 

Nau Roz is celebrated to mark the beginning of the Iranian Solar year. A long poem by Amir Khusraw describes the celebration of the same in Khilokri. 

Eventually, Kaiqubad was murdered and the intra-dispensational conflict placed Jalaluddin Khalji on the throne of Delhi Sultanate. Barani mentions that fearing the hostilities of the city residents to the new ruler, Jalaluddin Khalji chose to reside in Khilokri. The nobles of Qutb Delhi travelled to Khilokri to offer allegiance to the newly enthroned emperor. The reign of Jalaluddin Khalji witnessed a new round of construction activities in Khilokri. Firstly, he ordered the completion of the palace commissioned by Kaiqubad. Secondly, he commissioned a splendid garden in front of the palace by the banks of the river Yamuna. Thirdly, a fort was built inlaid with stone walls and watchtowers each of which were placed under the control of a noble. In consequence of the imperial favour conferred to Khilokri, markets began to be built on all sides of the city. Another layer of houses was built by the nobles and officers of the new Khalji dispensation. Merchants started to migrate to Khilokri and started building markets. The population of Khilokri was increasing to an extent that a new mosque was built especially for the Friday congregational prayers. It is further evident that the term ‘sehr-i-nau’ for Khilokri reclined the Qutb Delhi to the status of Delhi-i-Kuhna or Old Delhi. 

Furthermore, Sheikh Nizammudin Auliya built his hospice in Ghiyaspur guided by a ‘divine voice’. After the founding of Khilokri by Sultan Kaiqubad, the population of Ghiyaspur started rising substantially. The distance from Ghiyaspur to Khilokri was close to half a kuroh or 1.458 kilometres. Sources suggest that Sheikh Nizammudin Auliya would walk from Ghiyaspur to Khilokri for the Friday prayers. It is also found that Sheikh Nizammudin Auliya got a house in front of the Friday Mosque at Khilokri. Finally, Ghiyaspur became a suburb of Khilokri on its northward extension. 

References 

  • Ali, Athar. (1985). “Capital of the Sultans: Delhi through the 13th and 14th Centuries”, in R.E. Frykenberg, ed., Delhi Through the Age: Essays in Urban History, Culture and Society, Delhi: Oxford University Press, pp. 34-44
  • Kumar, Sunil. (2011). “Courts, Capitals and Kingship: Delhi and its Sultans in the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries CE” in Albrecht Fuess and Jan Peter Hartung. (eds.).Court Cultures in the Muslim World: Seventh to Nineteenth Centuries, London: Routledge, pp. 123-148
  • Kumar, Sunil. (2019) ”The Tyranny of Meta-Narratives; Re-reading a History of Sultanate Delhi”, in Kumkum Roy and NainaDayal.(Ed.).Questioning Paradigms, Constructing Histories: A Festschrift for Romila Thapar, Aleph Book Company, pp 222-235.
  • Haidar, Najaf. (2014). ‘Persian Histories and a Lost City of Delhi’, Studies in People’s History, vol. 1, pp. 163–171

Lack of Government support

“ ‘Freedom’ means a lot to conservatives, but they have such a narrow sense of what it means. They think a lot about freedom from – freedom from government, freedom from regulation – and precious little about freedom to. Freedom to is absolutely something that has to be safeguarded by good government, just as it could be impaired by bad government. ”
– Pete Buttigieg
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in India was at the district of Thrissur in Kerala – a student who had returned home to enjoy a vacation from the Wuhan University in China. Since then, it has been several months. Most small business are expected to fail to endure the pandemic and in the process, shut down completely. Most of the owners of these small businesses have stated that they will require financial aid in case they are to reopen or continue to stay open. These small businesses and companies mostly do not possess the necessary funds and assets required in order to survive the pandemic. It is widely believed among the small business owners that restaurants took the brunt of the effect due to the pandemic. All restaurants regardless of size had been ordered to be closed by the Government. While on the other hand, gyms are allowed to operate at full capacity, restaurants have to continue to face such difficulties.
Every year, several events are held across the globe. Some of the popular events among these are the Olympic Games, World Cup, World Expo, Art and Culture festivals, performances and charity fundraising. These events along with several other local events may be a source of earning of several locals. Due to shortage of funds, these events often fail, leading to severe losses for the locals. The Government’s financial support would make it easy for these events to take place. Other events such as Art and Cultural festivals do not create economic benefits, but they do have cultural as well as environmental benefits. Even such events require Government aid in order to function in a healthy manner. These events can also be a source of income for the Government. Since it is a win-win situation, the Government should assist in the hosting of such effects. However one must not forget that the original aim of some of these events is not to make profit, but to take forward the sports culture across generations.
“ A constant stream of ‘free’ money is a perfect way to keep an inefficient or simply bad government in power. As aid flows in, there is nothing more for the government to do – it doesn’t need to raise taxes, and as long as it pays the army, it doesn’t have to take account of its disgruntled citizens. ”
– Dambisa Moyo
Even today for many children, education remains just a dream. The Government needs to provide sufficient funds in order to make these dreams a reality. Government schools barely have the adequate equipment required in order to equip students with proper practical skills. Books and other such materials are also missing from most schools. Most teachers do not possess sufficient training to teach the students. The Government should strive towards making changes in these schools. They should start by providing financial aid to children in need. Books and other study materials should be provided by the school, free of cost, as such things can be recycled year after year. Throughout the ages, the major social problems such as deteriorating education, lawlessness and crime, homelessness, the collapse of family values, the crisis in medical care – have been produced by well-intended actions by the Government.

Indraprastha: Between Myth and History

Indraprastha is believed to be the very first evidence of power politics in Delhi. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, in his magnum opus Asar-al-Sanadid, believed that Yudhishtira founded the city on the banks of River Yamuna in 1450 BCE. [ref; End of ‘Adi Parva’, Mahabharata (400BCE-400CE)]. The Mahabharata describes Indraprastha as a city as beautiful as heaven blessed by the presence of a fort surrounded by an ocean-like moat. Festooned by massive walls, the city’s architectural splendor is raised with huge double-hung gates with imposing towers, festooned with spears and javelins. Magnificent white buildings find their place at the sides of the well-planned streets and the city is further embellished by pavilions, pleasure hillocks, ponds, lakes and tanks and beautiful gardens with peacocks and cuckoos. According to the Mahabharata, the city was built after the episode of Khandavadahana, the burning of Khandava forest. This episode finds its place at the end of Adi Parva. The forest was burnt with the help of Agni, the God of fire; Arjuna and Lord Krishna. And this episode is venerated as the first evidence of mass deforestation- clearing forest land for settlement with deadly conflagrations engulfing the entire forest and systematic destruction of all animals, birds and fish. Lord Indra attempted to end the massacre. And finally, six creatures survived the fire: Ashvasena (The son of the serpent king Takshaka), Maya (A demon, the architect of Indraprastha) and four Sharngaka birds. Sabha Parva of the Mahabharata continues with the subsequent melee where Maya wants to thank Arjuna for helping him escape the fire. Maya was a talented architect and Krishna suggested him to build a magnificent assembly hall in Indraprastha, A golden pillared hall and a lotus pond inside the royal hall filled with lotus, turtle, fish and aquatic fowl. 

B.B. Lal conducted a trial excavation in Purana Qila, the contested site of Indraprastha to identify the age of the site and whether it could be related with the Mahabharata or not. The oldest piece of the artefact unearthed was a Painted Grey Ware dating around 1,000 BCE. The 1969-70 excavations revealed Northern Black Polished Ware dating 4th/3rd century BCE. However, no structural remains of the Mahabharata, in sync with the description of Indraprastha, were unearthed. 

One can find a series of literary evidence pertaining to the existence of this Mythical city. Firstly, the celebrated Ain-i-Akbari by Abul Fazl suggests that Delhi was first known by the name, ‘Indrapat’. He further suggests that Humayun restored the citadel of Indrapat and renamed it as ‘Din Panah’. Secondly, Shams Siraj Afif in Tarikh-i-Firuz-Shahi suggests that Indraprastha was a Head Quarters of a Pargana. Thirdly, a 14th Century inscription recovered from Naraina village in West Delhi speaks of the village being situated at the West of Indraprastha. Fourthly, Nigambodh, a site situated at the Yamuna banks is identified as the site where Yudhishtira poured the oblations into the sacrificial fire after performing the Asvamedha. Fifthly, Nili Chattri Temple in Delhi is identified to have been commissioned by Yudhishtira. Sixthly, Indraprastha is mentioned in Buddhist Jataka tales as belonging to Yudhishtira Gotra, the Gotra or clan of Yudhishtira. Seventhly, Small scale excavations by B.B. Lal in Tilpat, one of the five villages demanded by the Pandavas, reported the discovery of PGW and NBPW levels confirming the antiquity of the site. And finally, Alexander Cunningham identified Indraprastha with ‘Indrapat’ mentioned in Ptolemy’s Geography. 

Two assertions (1847-1950’s) regarding the origin of Delhi turned the myth of Indraprastha into History. The very first assertion was made by experts, historians and archaeologists and by non-experts, authors and tour-guides. Both of these groups suggested that Delhi’s origin was based on Indraprastha. The second assertion was that the 16th-century fort of Purana Qila was constructed over the ancient but invisible Indraprastha. The claims by a plethora of biographies of Humayun’s contemporaries that Humayun knowingly built his fort over the ruins of Indraprastha gained considerable momentum in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The earliest evidence of the same comes from the celebrated Ain-i-Akbari, the magnum opus of Abul Fazl. Their points were backed by Indologists such as William Jones. 18th Century presentation made by William Jones in the Asiatic Society of Bengal insinuated that Iran has a powerful Hindu monarchy who migrated to India and they established the ancient cities of Ayodhya and Indraprastha. It’s worth noting that he just mentioned the cities but he skips the identification of their location. 

Asar-us-Sanadid (The Legacy of Heroes, 1854) by Syed Ahmed Khan confirms the existence of Indraprastha within the frontiers of present-day Delhi. He suggests that Yudhishtira established Indraprastha in 1450 BCE but he preferred to rule from Hastinapura. He further adds that the capital of Kurus was shifted from Hastinapur to Indraprastha on 1212 BCE by Dushtavana owing to the rising water level in the Ganges. He further identifies Lalkot, built by Anangpala Tomara to be the site of Indraprastha. Syed Ahmed Khan claims that his findings are based on the shreds of evidence mustered from the Mahabharata, Shahjahannama, Ain-i-Akbari, the Old Testament, inter alia. He further claims to have recovered a brick from Pandu Age from Hastinapura and remarked that similar blocks were identified from different sites in and around Delhi. The most unbelievable and out of the blue fact is that he dated the recovered block as belonging to 2,607 BCE but the technology available at that time was not in sync with such precise dating. However, in the following days, it was identified that 2,607 BCE falls in the time-frame attributed to the Harappan civilization and not the epic period. The claims of Syed Ahmed Khan, therefore, can be considered as an attempt to impress the European audience with his scholarship and knowledge about the Indian texts. Also, he must have aspired to find a position in the archaeological society and wanted to come to the public eye. However, the claims of Syed Ahmed Khan was the first step in bringing the rhetoric of Indraprastha into a quasi-historical, quasi-scientific realm. Syed Ahmed Khan lent further clearance to the division of Indian History into Hindu and Buddhist age for the Ancient past, the age of Muslim intervention for the Medieval past and the arrival of British as the beginning of modernity.

In toto, the urban cock-a-doodle-doo of Indraprastha being ancient Delhi is being introduced to the historical arena by a series of textual repetitions. Mention in bureaucratic spaces like history books, archaeological reports and museums conferred a specific gravitas to the existence of Indraprastha. Being backed by a series of literary and inscriptional evidence and being brought up by celebrated historians, authors, tour guides, bloggers and even the common folk, Indraprastha maintains its status as Ancient Delhi even without proper archaeological backing. Series of repetitions facilitated the translocation of this myth and chain of affective longings into the arena of history and archival truths. As it is said, a lie often repeated, becomes a truth. The myth of Indraprastha is the most plausible example of this illusion of truth.

Why do midsize enterprises choose co-working?

To begin with, in my opinion, this article would be pointless without defining the term “midsize enterprises”. Midsize enterprises are organizations having annual revenue ranging from $50 million to $1 billion, employing 100-1000 workers.

Co-working spaces, as we see today, are not products of the modern era. It’s a variant of the centuries-old Bottega system of the renaissance era of the 15th century. Nowadays, most midsize enterprises choose co-working over other alternatives like individual office spaces and more recent ‘work from home. Let’s see what makes such co-working spaces glamorous to the midsize enterprises.

1.An arena of chance and opportunity

Co-working spaces mark a unique blend of people from different workspace cultures converging in a common space. This includes all types of people, including the successful and influential.

What does it mean to you? Well, it means a lot of things. Co-working spaces could be interpreted as an arena offering important and far-reaching connections needed to propel your business forward. Sometimes, what a midsize enterprise probably lacks is proximity to other successful business people.

Therefore, co-working spaces offer enticing networking as well as quick collaboration opportunities.

Furthermore, co-working spaces are factories creating personalities. Along with dynamic collaborations and a vast network web, it offers a space to hone one’s skills and capabilities. It’s worth considering that Leonardo da Vinci acquired his skills as a young artist by working at the Bottega of Verrocchio in Italy.

2. Extracting productivity

Let’s start from the usual scene of our home: Kids crying, pending chores, a club of platters waiting in the sink to be washed and the pressure cooker endlessly whistling in the kitchen. This household cliché could be classified under a broader term- ‘distraction’.

So, what can co-working spaces offer you? Indeed, it offers you a peaceful workplace free from distractions. Such spaces aid us to turn ourselves into a “work-only mode”, offering an indescribable rise in our productivity levels.

A 24×7 accessible workspace along with unlimited coffee supply- highly provocative, isn’t it? Who’ll ever afford to witness such a preposterous offer slipping off from their hands?

3. Bursts of creativity

Co-working spaces are indeed a respite from work from home solitude. It offers not only a peaceful workspace but also mind-refreshing, alternate solutions to keep ourselves physically, mentally and emotionally fit.

For instance, The Playce, a co-working space located in Mulund West, Mumbai where India’s first-ever official Quora meeting was held in India, offers a ‘gaming zone’ to its members.

Such attractive facilities offer their members a break from their jam-packed schedules, creating spaces for self-rejuvenation and relaxation. Furthermore, it acts as therapeutic, moderating workspace stress and a virtually never-ending to-do list.

4. Economic efficiency

Shortage of funds is the most fundamental problem faced by midsize enterprises. Choosing co-working space over office spaces drastically reduces the operational cost of the enterprise. Subsequently, it provides diverse and state-of-the-art office infrastructure including printers, Wi-Fi, conference halls, and coffee corners.

Moreover, co-working spaces are equipped with timely refreshments and beverages at a fixed monthly rate. For instance, The Hive in Chuim village, Mumbai offers a plethora of mouthwatering dishes for its members. Mathias Schuermann in her work, “Co-working Spaces” argues that the cost versus value received is the best in co-working space as the costs are carried by the community as a whole.

What else should make co-working spaces appear more attractive to midsize enterprises?

5. Flexibility and ability to expand

Other than economic competitiveness and collaborating opportunities, what midsize enterprises aspire for is flexibility. Most of the co-working spaces could be rented at short notice.

Furthermore, membership could be withdrawn at any time by the enterprise, ensuring trial opportunity. Some co-working spaces are accessible 24×7 while others offer work during the day and party at night, like Colaba Social in Mumbai.

To sum up, co-working spaces can offer you more than what a monotonous life in an office space or work at home solitude could provide you. Alongside wide networking opportunities, increased productivity and rejuvenating solutions, it also offers cost-competitiveness and workplace flexibility.

The Playce, The Hive and Colaba social are living examples of such modern Bottegas. Spending a day working in these factories producing personalities will be worth it.

Online Classes are Only for the Connected

Waking up after an evening nap at 4.30, I went and sat in the hall near my father, hoping to conquer the TV remote while he was waiting for the Chief Minister’s press meet to start. Three days ago, at the same time, my pockets were vibrating with a WhatsApp notification: I had an examination (online) three days later (I.e. the present day) as I was subscribed to an entrance crash course. It was my second test, whereas I confronted with the first one weeks ago. I’d slept in the melancholy of my sheer failure in the same. Even though I wear a strong armor, impenetrable to the repercussions of an anticipated failure; outside, at the end of the day, every saint will become a sinner no? If not, circumstances will make him. I got an utter 44% against my 84% record last time. You could imagine how miserable I was, how tragic my thoughts were. Time is indeed ‘jealous’. It targets everything that is dearest to us. For instance, think of a situation when a person proud of his hair, visiting uncountable parlors and even sleep with shampoo and oil; witness his head being shaved like a mute spectator, a caged parrot. And ultimately, I’m illuminated here in a standalone manner as a living, breathing, broken-hearted illustration of the same.

Enough of all the fuss. Let’s come to the topic. 20 more minutes for the press meet. My father was sitting in front of the turned-on TV with his frameless spectacles (In which he looked more pretty) at the rim of his Roman nose. His attention was nowhere on the TV. He was engrossed in some accounting. I wanted to catch hold of the remote and was intending to coax him before I could take it. As obvious it is, the only point that attracted the attention of my mind was his unwonted accounting. With no interest in his motive, I asked, “Acha.. have you resigned your job and started accounting?” he started his epic as though he was eagerly waiting for someone to ask. My face was scintillating and my eyes were shimmering. My right arm slowly crawled towards the remote in the sofa beside him. “No”, he replied in a heavy tone. I asked, “Then what are you accounting for? You haven’t bought the reserve bank at least no?” he replied, “It’s for a new project of our office undertaking”. He took a long breath and continued, “we’ve planned to distribute 25 tablets with four-month internet connectivity to those children who couldn’t afford them at XYZ”. After hearing this, my first emotion was true, disdain. Now, my fingers were on the remote. He added, “one of our officer’s residence is in XYZ.His neighbour, ABC is a student of class 12th. He’s preparing for some law entrance examination. His poor parents had managed to remit Rs. 12,000, a heavenly incarnation of their sweat and blood; to a nearby coaching centre for his vacation classes. They were really on cloud nine. And now, in this lockdown season, classes were virtualized”. I had no time for his stories. All my sacred attention was on the remote. Still I remembered amma’s lecture and I thought, “here people are dying of hunger. Leave it. At least they’re poor. But now, those who are born with a silver spoon are forging their bucket list in hospital beds and is it the time to think about tablets? Jobless labourers are yearning for a day’s grain and here….” before I could complete, I asked him, 

“Then? Then what’s the problem? You’re having everything at your fingertips” I pulled out my phone from my right pant pocket, “in this smartphone?” He gave me a close look. I suddenly lifted off my hands from the remote. A practical experience of reflex action maybe. I was out of my wits for a moment. A deadlock. Breaking the silence, he muttered, “that’s exactly the problem. He doesn’t even have a smartphone. Their family can’t afford even that.” These words were a thunderclap for me. I was shocked. I was thinking, “can anyone in this world live without a smartphone?” I continued my ‘thoughts’ as if I’d spoken, I’d have had a hibiscus-cheek before I could’ve completed. “people can live without food for a week, water for a day and not a single second without a smartphone and mobile data and here he’s talking about not having a smartphone?” suddenly, I forgot about the remote. I muttered, “and?” inspecting my abrupt and fortuitous fervour, he replied, “and what? ABC would borrow his laptop for an hour every evening.” He paused awhile and continued, “he only suggested this idea. Our officer’s association held a meeting last week and we all contributed to the cause. We selected 25 children like ABC from that locality and…” He choked. 

I was lost in deep thought. I don’t know if he had completed his broken statement or not. I was entirely lost, “with these 25 tablets, the query of 25 boys in XYZ could be solved. XYZ is not India no? If XYZ has 25 such students, then how many will be there in this magnanimous country with an ever-so-expanding populace striking 1,300 million?” this thought sprouted off an unsung problem in my mind. My conscience was busy traversing this off the beaten track I forgot about the remote. All I recalled was a famous aphorism, “all are equal but some are more equal”. Instead of quacking “digital learning” and “virtual classes”, has anyone thought about a section that is deprived of the key to access these? Indeed Byju’s and Vedantu are doing great with unwavering devotion. It’s unquestioned and undoubtedly true. But, apps won’t work in open-air no? It needs a medium: a laptop, a tablet or a smartphone at least. What is the significance of a bottle of ink without a pen to fill it? Amidst this lockdown season, when our people Gasconade with a hashtag of ‘#India learns’ and ‘#India continues learning”, has anyone ever bothered about those who are deprived of a medium to access them? And this lockdown season added insult to injury by shutting the internet cafes. Where will they go now? It’s not their fault that they’re born poor. If it’s not their fault, then whose? Who has time to think about them? We can only advertise in the name of virtual learning and so. Their learning is now subjected to an indefinite quarantine. 

A plate fell off from the platter stand and I came back to sane. I started thinking again, “how lucky I’m with everything below the sun at my fingertips at ease while others are painstakingly pushing the wheel-less chariot of e-learning and I’m lamenting on my lost marks like a couch potato on the sofa?” It’s 5. The press meet started. My father closed his register with a pen in the middle as a bookmark. The news highlight was about an ordinance approved by the Governor enabling the State Government to hold 25% of its official’s salary after a High Court stay on the same. The reporter exclaimed, “Government officials consists of only 1.5% of the total population of the State. But, 45% of the State revenue is the disguised form of their salaries, pensions and perks”. While I was lamenting on my inability to take the remote, my mind was lost in its world of thoughts again. “Is it that only their children should be allowed to learn? What about the children of the poorest 1.5% of the populace? What sin did they do that……” My thoughts broke.

Now, I’m happy. Indeed I’ve worn brand new pink spectacles. It’s 6. Now, I’m waiting for my phone to ring again with another notification and am mentally prepared to embrace the candied harvest of my next examination. Because, I realized that I’m one I the luckiest who’s getting a chance to learn from my home, my comfort zone. Shouldn’t our education department seriously introspect about this rather than being engrossed in their routine cock a doodle doo? Ah.. whatever Maybe.. one day like others of its kind, this will also become a story to read on, lullabies to feed babies and status to share in WhatsApp. What next? I shouted, “Amma.. coffee”.

Glimpses of Corona in 2020

By mid-February 2020, dragging him out of our home, my father went to stand in long queues in front of XYZ ltd., a spoken-English centre in our locality. He was dead keen to make that poor boy’s tongue flexible to the relatively unknown phrases in English. The boy, my brother, was just about to have his debut, his first step from the world of dreams and magic to the world of reason and cold logic, stepping out from the beautiful world of innocents to the cunning world of hypocrites; like you, like me, like everyone. 

How could his little brain forsee his near future: after barely two months, he’ll be well-familiar with the reasoning ability problems related to “clock and time”, that I do in my Quantitative Ability papers, as he’ll be spending long hours, glancing at a clock in faint hope and ultimate melancholy, in an A/C room, anxiously waiting to escape from the taxing English ‘training’: training in the literal sense, like animals being forced into the loop of fire in a circus ring.

By the beginning of March, the novel SARS CoV-2, lovingly labelled as “Covid 19” shook the foundations of the world- to which even the so-called developed world couldn’t stand a chance. On one hand, it drowned the whole world into an air of desolation: witnessing uncontrollable death rates and armed burial grounds; but on the other hand, it incarnated as a saviour of the children: who brought them blissful memories of an unforgettable holiday season, giving a different, unfamiliar interpretation of the term ‘vacation’; that they might never experience in their entire life again. ‘Vacation’, in an actual sense, free from long, despondent, boring hours of ABCD classes and drawing lessons, granting our children their ‘lost spring’: swinging to and fro from the branches of the old mango tree and making cakes out of the mud- interacting with the forgotten spirit of mother nature. As it’s said, vacation per se is blissful. 

For the first time, I saw him with my cousins, all below the age of 10, experiencing the beau ideal of mother nature. Thanks to the pandemic that our children, who would’ve been stuffed into the A/C halls with keyboards, drumsticks, brushes or books of different colours open with a costly pen in their hands; are now free, experiencing the joy of carte blanche, lashing out in the open air amidst the half-acre compound of our village home, playing under the blissful shade of the old forgotten mango tree: that witnessed my childhood as well as my mother’s and maybe, my grandma’s too. Their hands, which got numb holding computer mouses and pens of all standards, are now enjoying the pulpy juice of the golden mangoes tracing its path through their arms while stuffing it into their mouths.

Edit: However, thanks to the growing technology that after some time, some sort of digital revolution took place that witnessed mass digitization of education from the lowest rungs where nearly everyone is now attending classes, one or the other, via their phones, tabs or laptops.

Five Examinations that a Humanities Student Cannot Miss

If you’re a student of Humanities/Arts stream and completed/ going to complete your +2 from any recognized Board and you are aspiring to kickstart your career from a reputed University, give this article a read and you’ll be familiarized with five All-India competitive examinations you can attempt to secure Higher Education from reputed Central Universities in Arts stream. 

Firstly, let me familiarize you with IIT-HSEE. IIT-HSEE is an annual entrance exam conducted by the Humanities and Social Science Department of IIT Madras. On clearing this examination, you’ll be selected on a merit basis for pursuing a five-year integrated program in Developmental Studies or English. However, what makes it competitive is that thousands of students attempt it every year and only 58 aspirants can clear the same. One has to attempt two papers, the first being subjective and the second, objective. Paper one consists of thirty-six questions from English and comprehension skill, thirty-six questions from analytical and quantitative ability and eighteen questions each from Economy, Society, World Affairs and Ecology. Paper two will require you to write an essay for thirty marks on a general topic within thirty minutes. Hence, the total time for completing the examination of 174 marks is 180 minutes. 

Secondly, one of the most sought-after examinations after class 12th for any candidate aspiring to pursue higher studies in Social Sciences is DUET-NTA. Clearing DUET will land you up at the University of Delhi. The examination is conducted primarily for two courses: Humanities and Social Sciences and Economics. This exam will be of two-hour duration with a hundred objective questions that carry four marks each. One mark will be deducted for each incorrect answer. The questions will be primarily from General Awareness, Current Affairs, Communication Skills, Logical Reasoning and Analytical Ability. 

Thirdly, I’ll introduce you to TISS-BAT. This examination is similar to IIT-HSEE but the examination will be for 100 marks. Similar to IIT-HSEE, the examination will be conducted in two parts- the first part carrying 60 objective-type questions of one mark each that has to be completed within an hour. The second part is subjective comprising two descriptive questions carrying twenty marks each that has to be answered in forty minutes. On qualifying the same, you’ll be granted admission to BA Social Sciences or BA Social Work at Tata Institute of Social Sciences. 

Fourthly, I’ll introduce you to CUCET or Central Universities Common Entrance Test that is conducted annually for admission into various courses in eighteen central universities. The question paper will consist of a hundred objective type questions carrying one mark each where 0.25 marks will be deducted for each incorrect answer. The questions will be divided into three categories with Part A being General Awareness of 25 marks followed by Part B comprising questions from Teaching Aptitude. Part C shall consist of four sub-parts from which the candidate can attempt any one from Social sciences, Language, Physical Sciences and Mathematics and Life Sciences. 
Finally, I’ll introduce you to the SET or Symbiosis University Entrance Test. There will be three categories of this test: Symbiosis Law, Symbiosis General and Symbiosis Engineering. Here, I’m interested in Symbiosis General. The test will have seventy-five objective questions with a written ability test. The former will be of seventy-five marks with four sections viz. English, Quantitative Aptitude, General Awareness and Logical Reasoning. The latter shall be of twenty-five marks. The entire examination shall be of 105 minutes duration.

Free Courses with Free International Certificates

Tired of sitting at home without doing any productive work amidst the lockdown? Wanna convert your free time into valuable certificates? If so, give this article a read and at the end, you’ll be able to collect at least five certificates from a plethora of reputed institutions that you cannot even dream of! The most interesting fact is that these courses are absolutely free. So, what about the certificates? Yes. You’ll get them on successful completion of your course absolutely free of cost! So, doesn’t this article deserve a read? 

To begin with, I’ll suggest bewildering courses from Amnesty International. Being a substantial International Organization working for Human Rights, Amnesty International will offer you a myriad of online courses with certificates that can be claimed free of cost provided you meet the requirements for the same. What are you waiting for? Just click here and navigate!

Secondly, I’d like to suggest the didactic yet interactive courses offered by the US Institute of Peace. They offer around forty courses in English and around ten in Arabic. After completing their courses, you’ll be offered a verified certificate free of cost. Also, the timings of each course may vary from three hours to eighteen hours depending on the course you opt for. Liked it? Just click here and start learning and start earning!

Thirdly, let me suggest you the courses offered by Agora, the global learning platform of UNICEF. This platform will offer you hundreds of courses in different fields and you can choose what suits you the best. The most glamorous feature of this platform is the presence of enthusiastic discussion forums where you can interact with other learners supplemented by beauteously crafted blogs, interactive and interesting assignments and informative wikis.  Also, most of the courses include progress tracking systems and graded assignments based on which you’ll be evaluated for being certified. The digital badges or certificates of completion offered by the same can be a prime-mover in advancing your career. Click here to visit the Agora platform. 

Fourthly, I’m suggesting the free courses offered by the United Nations Institute For Training and Research (UNITAR). It offers you various courses on different topics including Human Rights, Climate Change, Gender, Sustainable Development, inter alia. Also, you’ll receive verified certificates for free if you complete the courses in sync with the directions provided by the same. Some courses are accompanied by graded assignments and multiple-choice tests based on which you’ll be certified. Click here to visit the UNITAR platform


Last but not the least, I’m suggesting Academy Europe. Academy Europe or European Open University has around 15,000 plus courses to offer you in various categories such as Technology, Arts, Computer, Business, Economy, Life Science, Politics, Medicine, Profession, Quality Standards, Science, Social Science among others. All courses are accredited and free of cost. It’s open for anyone anytime from anywhere. In addition to that, Academy Europe also offers online Academic Diploma course in various categories and after completion, you’ll be provided with an official Diploma Certificate. What are you waiting for? Just click here and earn a certificate!

Understanding Approaches to Political Power

It’s not very difficult to conclude that the understanding of power is central to understanding politics. The following paragraphs shall aim to enumerate various approaches to power and relate them with a hypothetical political example i.e. a child complaining to his father because he got fewer chocolates in number than his brother. 

Coming back to the two children, say, X and Y, where X is younger than Y. Now, suppose the father legitimized the situation by claiming that X got more chocolate pieces because he is younger than Y. Since the decision is not in the favour of Y, Y starts to express his displeasure over the same and consequently the father settles Y by the use of force. Implementation of the decision hence made through the coercive form of power exercised by the father explains the first approach to power, i.e. decision-making. This approach overlaps with the concept of Dahl where he defines power as the ability of A (father) to make Y do a task T (abiding by his decision) that he/she otherwise won’t do. 

This approach is known as the one-dimensional or pluralist approach to the understanding of power. It’s worth noting that this approach measures power as an exercise provided the exercise of power is visible, transparent and easily noticeable by the recipients of power. Here, the force exercised by the father is easily noticeable. This approach helps in understanding the visible exercise of power and the transparent use of coercion in the current political ecosystem. 

Now, consider a modified version of the same situation. The father just proclaimed that X got more chocolates just because he gave them to him and it’s unquestionable. Here, the father fails to give a plausible backing or a reason for his decision. This is explained by Carl Schmitt as the divine power of the decisive where the decision/law is legitimized by the lawmaker. I.e. it’s the decision-maker that matters and not the decision. Here, the event where X got fewer chocolates than Y is deemed to be legal and justifiable only because it was the decision of the father. This is known as decisionism.

Now, let’s attribute a specific gender to both X and Y. Consider X and Y as identical twins where X is a boy and Y is a girl. Now, assume that the father gave more chocolate pieces to X only because he’s a boy. And, for the time being, assume that Y accepted his decision and no conflict was triggered. This is what Bachrach and Baratz claim to be the two-dimensional form of power, i.e. power as non-decision making. Here, we cannot notice the exercise of power with ease as it requires precise observation. 

The above example could be easily comprehended by explaining the father’s action to be his contribution to ensuring the future existence of patriarchy. As it’s said, the subjugation of women is central to the existence of patriarchy. The exerciser(s) of power (the father) attempts to keep potential issues (gender equality) out of the political arena. Such potential issues are excluded from the current political scenario as they conflict with the current, dominant, perpetuating norms (patriarchy) and most importantly, these are in favour of the powerful (the father, men in general). 

Considering a larger political environment, this approach helps us to identify the issues that are intentionally kept out of the purview of the public or the opposition. For instance, consider a speech on ‘merits of capitalism’ proposed to be delivered in the erstwhile USSR. The Government will never give consent to the same as it’s against the socialist interests of the Government. It aspires to keep this issue away from the purview of decision-making to avoid any future conflict with their interests. This is also known as the neo-elitist approach to power. 

Again consider the two children, X and Y, where X is younger than Y. Now, suppose they are born in a family that has been inculcating the social value of brotherhood since their birth. Now, consider that the father gave them a full chocolate piece and they’re supposed to divide them amongst themselves. In this case, Y divided the chocolate pieces in such a manner that X gets more pieces than Y. This is what Lukes claimed to be the three-dimensional approach to power, i.e. ideological power or radical approach to power. On analysing this situation, we cannot see a visible exercise of power and it’s noteworthy that even the recipients of power aren’t aware of the fact that some form of power is exercised over them. 

In such cases, the exerciser of power attempts to shape the preferences and mould the thoughts of the recipients of power, ensuring acceptance of certain decisions in the existing order. This can be explained by a simple example- a rustic woman, born in a conservative household will consider the concepts of female literacy, love marriage and wearing the dress of their choice as illegal and unsanctioned. They may not realize the exercise of social power over them that impedes even their basic fundamental rights. On growing up, they will be accustomed to the aspirations of the society that are reinforced on them. As it’s said, one is not born as a woman. It’s the society that attributes womanly characters and thought-process to them. 

Similarly, consider the two children X and Y asking their father chocolate of brand Z. In this case, large scale advertising and glorification of brand Z has created an impression in their mind and successfully shaped their preferences. Therefore, the concept of radical power overlaps with the concept of soft power and ideological hegemony. 

On considering a larger political arena, this helps us in understanding the widespread concept of “McDonaldization” and the cultural impacts of Globalization. It’s also the main element in understanding the concept of Joseph Nye’s ‘soft power’ concerning the US Hegemony. 

Finally, we can derive three more approaches to power from the above three approaches. They’re:

  1. Power as control over resources: The father is considered to be ‘powerful’ because he has money and can buy chocolates (resources) for the children, X and Y. 

During the cold-war era, the USA and USSR were considered to be ‘superpowers’ as they owned vast resources (oil, minerals, water, money, maritime routes, satellites, technology, etc) that were necessary for human survival. Moreover, they owned nuclear warheads and weapons of mass destruction. 

  1. Power as control over actors: The father is powerful as his decisions are binding on both the children. i.e. he has control over their children. 
  2. Power as control over outcomes/events: In the case of X being a boy and Y a girl, the father gives fewer chocolates to Y as he aspires for the continuity of patriarchy. The desirable outcomes are always defined in terms of the more powerful actor. 

Throughout this article, every concept mentioned was explained using a seemingly apolitical situation- the division of chocolate between two children. This alone implies the inseparability of politics from human lives and how even a microscopic issue can be conferred with infinite political dimensions. 

What is Politics?

Beginning with an attempt to attribute a precise definition to “politics”, this article moves forward to contradict the prevalent notions of ‘the political’ being confined to the public life of an individual, the State and its institutions. Politics is not only intertwined with the day-to-day events of one’s life but also it’s present in its private sphere. The first part of this article is concluded by attributing a political dimension to the concept of Nature. 

The entire article defines politics and approaches to power with the help of a simple issue of distributing a piece of chocolate among two children, which is considered to be purely apolitical prima facie. The dynamic dimensions of politics being prevalent in every aspect of human life, however, cautions us from an attempt to generalize the term and attribute a single definition to this undefinable, abstract entity.  

Politics is something concerning the polis. While polis stands for a city-state, it’d be much better if it means ‘a a community’ as city-states can be adjudged as a higher level of social interaction. If so, politics acquires a new definition of ‘something concerning the community’. Whatever concerning the community shall be in sync with the aspirations of the common folk and shall ultimately result in social well-being. Therefore, politics is an act of decision-making keeping in mind the hankerings of the community and formulating policies for the common good. However, this decision-making is not only confined to the term ‘community’ or ‘society’ but it’s also about decisions made by a family or an individual. If politics is about decision making in a society, then it’s also about decision-making in a family because family is the lowest unit of social interaction. 

For instance, consider a child complaining to his father because he got fewer chocolates in number than his brother. This situation can be called political because:

  1. The child is making a ‘claim’ and aspires to ‘equal treatment’.
  2. The father is considered to be a ‘decision-making authority’ who is supposed to take ‘just decisions’.
  3. The decisions are ‘binding’ on both the children. 

On considering the first point, the child made a ‘claim’ because he was free and he has the right to do so. Hence, politics is also about freedom and rights. Freedom comes from self-realization and thus, politics is a path to achieve self-realization. The child made a ‘claim’ because he aspires to equality. Hence, isn’t politics also about aspirations for a better living? 

Coming to the second point, the father is entitled to take decisions on behalf of the two children. Here, the father becomes an authority. Considering a larger unit of social interaction, decisions can be made by an individual or by a group of people. Where it’s impractical for the entire population to make decisions, a group of people make decisions on behalf of the entire population. However, in any of these forms: may it be individual, group or representative; the decision-maker is expected to make just and fair decisions, in sync with the aspirations of the people that make the ideas of justice and fairness intrinsic to politics. 

However, the father is a decision-maker because he is vested with the power to make decisions. Therefore, power is a prerequisite for decision making and so, power and politics are inseparable. This power is a typical form of ‘power over’ someone, in this case, his children. When the concept of ‘power over’ is exercised by a narrow personal interest, it leads to a personality cult and the authority becomes authoritarian. In this case, the decisions taken will be serving the exerciser’s interest and not the interest of the community as a whole. This is similar to the case of ‘bourgeoisie oppression of the proletarian’ and it can be resolved via a proletarian revolution. Hence, politics can also mean political actions like a revolution, protest, demonstration, civil disobedience, or any form of collective action that aspires for the public good. 

It’s already mentioned above that politics is also about aspirations for a better living. If that’s so, politics is also about actions to realize this aspiration. However, power doesn’t necessarily mean ‘power over’. It’s also defined in terms of ‘power to’. However, the concept of ‘power to’ overlaps with freedom as freedom is the power to do something and similar reflections are made with respect to the first point.

Finally, the third point paves the way for defining politics in terms of an obligation. Whatever decision the father makes is morally binding on the children. In a larger sense, the decisions made by an authority is morally binding on the community. If so, what if such decisions are contradictory to the aspirations of the people? What if the decisions are authoritarian? What if the authority exercises his power for his interest? The Communist Manifesto considers power to be all about subjugation and oppression where one class is seen oppressing the other. As mentioned earlier, this issue can be resolved only through political actions. So, when authority becomes authoritarian, power becomes a means of subjugation and oppression and hence, politics also becomes oppression and subjugation. 

Politics is interesting because people disagree. In the above example, the two children disagreed based on which chocolates were divided among them. This makes politics a struggle over scarce resources. It is to be noted that disagreement is intrinsic to a community and if politics, as defined above, is something concerning the community; then politics is also about disagreement and conflicts in opinion. Disagreement makes social interaction political and for the smooth functioning of the community, there shall be co-operation and consensus and disagreement is an obstacle to the same. These disagreements shall be resolved through discussion and deliberation. Therefore, if politics is about disagreement, then politics is also about resolving it. Politics is hence, also about discussions and deliberations. Politics is the phenomenon of conflict and cooperation. 

However, as mentioned in the earlier paragraphs, disagreements are also resolved through the exercise of coercive power and if it’s incongruent with the concept of the public good, political actions serve as an antidote. People protest because they feel that they can be much better off if they’re granted political attention. Hence, they imagine an alternate world where they are lucky enough to receive the aspired attention and where they can lead a more sophisticated living. Hence, politics is an arena of imagination and aspiration for a better livelihood. 

As time progressed, the exercise of power by the authority was confined to the public domain of an individual’s life. This led to the separation of social from ‘political’ and led to the framing of the concept of the state. In the due course of time, ‘political’ came to define the power of the state and its institutions. If so, politics is also about public agencies with power or authority to make decisions that have an impact on every member of society. Chancellor Bismarck declared politics as an art and here, he refers to the art of governance. However, ‘political’ here is only confined to the state and its agencies. It is to be noted that politics also exists in society as deliberated in the earlier paragraphs. Separation of the private and the political doesn’t imply that the private sphere is apolitical. For instance, the conflict among two children in a family, that’s seen as totally private and out of the purview of the state, has a political connotation. For instance, parents have to get their child educated and it’s the inalienable right of the dependent members of a family to be treated with respect. What if a woman in a family becomes a victim of domestic violence? The State cannot merely be a lotus-eater in this case simply because it concerns the private life of an individual. The exploited has to be legally backed by the State and hence, it justifies the legal intervention of the State in private affairs. In line with the famous radical feminist slogan, ‘the personal is the political’.  Therefore, politics is not only about the State but also it’s intertwined with the day-to-day lives of every individual. 

Coming back to the chocolate conflict, on the face of it, the two children who are considered to be ‘apolitical’ get involved in political action. They make claims and consider their father as an authority to make a fair decision. The chocolate they are fighting for is manufactured by a company that is bound by the Companies Act and the Income Tax Act. GST and SGST are appropriated from the price of the chocolate. Moreover, the children have the right to education and are going to schools either funded by the government or run by private institutions bound by the laws made by the State. The children use public roads and public transport to go to school and their father may be a taxpayer and so on and so forth. This is how a conflict between two children that appears to be apolitical prima facie is being made thronged by political ideas and perhaps this made Aristotle declare Political Science as a Master Science. 

From the above discussion, it’s undeniable that politics is similar to a leaf in the bud of one’s life. However, more than being related to the concept of power, authority, society, conflict, justice, protest, governance, privacy etc. Politics is also present in nature. Politics becomes resource geopolitics or politics of resources. Politics is subjected to translocation from ‘political’ to ‘cosmopolitical’. Whereas politics aspires for the betterment of the community, cosmopolitics widens the scope of the ‘community’ to include plants, animals and other living beings. This makes the air we breathe and the water we drink, political. The State intervenes in framing laws to prevent air pollution to an extent that the right to clean air and safe drinking water has been brought under the purview of basic fundamental rights. The State is committed to ensuring that the people are provided with safe drinking water. The State frames laws for waste disposal and stubble burning and gets involved in mining activities and search for natural resources. This makes even nature a political entity.