दैनंदिनी के पन्ने

The Storyteller Who Listened First- Piyush Pandey

 

In the time when ads couldn’t be skipped, not because of the absence of that option, but because of the quality of the ads. There was this Adman behind such ads, making advertisements, thinking not just what his clients would want, but what the audience would connect to. This Adman was none other than Piyush Pandey, the man who played on the front foot to give an Indian touch to the advertisement industry, which was back then just mimicking the western style, with a distant appeal. He connected advertisements to every Indian, by showcasing the creativity and the unfiltered beauty of the basic Indian lifestyle and culture! His notable advertisements for the brands like Fevicol, Cadbury, Asian Paints, Vodafone, Luna and many more made these brands popular in every Indian household, because of the way it was represented! 

Piyush Pandey transformed advertising from merely selling a product to creating a bond, where every ad spoke not to the mind, but to the heart, connecting people through stories. His taglines for products like Cadbury “Kuch Khaas hai Zindagi Mein”, gave the message to celebrate the little and simple joys of our life, and thus made Cadbury Dairy Milk the sweet symbol of joy! The tagline for Asian Paints “Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai”, easily turned houses to homes and the paints to stories! His Fevicol ad with the tagline “Yeh Fevicol ka jod hai, tutega nahi”, gave Fevicol the ability to glue together the trust of the people with that product! His ads were not just filled with persuasive marketing, but were filled with the stories and the emotions of Indians. And these relatable stories and emotions were then followed by persuasion. This man did not just bring logic to the ads but added magic to it! That was what he believed in. He spread his magic beyond the commercials. He helped bring social change through his advertisement for India’s Pulse Polio Programme, with the tagline “Do Boond Zindagi Ke”, starring Amitabh Bachchan. The polio-awareness campaigns turned public-health into a national conversation. This ad drove millions to vaccination booths and played a meaningful part in India’s march to polio-free status. He is also the writer of the song “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara”, the iconic 1988 song that we’ve all heard was a near-anthem for our nation that promoted national integration! This song repeated the main phrase in about 14 languages, “Where my musical note and your musical note merge, it becomes OUR musical note!” This symbolized the beauty of unity in diversity that India is known for! 

Piyush Pandey has done so much for the advertisement industry, for the brands, for the nation, for the Indian audience! His work had earned him a lot of notable awards including The Padma Shri, and other international creative laurels. He also contributed to Ogilvy India’s achievements, making it the most awarded and respected creative agency in India, under his leadership. But all of this did not change his learner and humble attitude. He was a great and inspiring leader to the new creative minds, and helped them play on the front foot and voice their ideas with confidence. That was his motto! He poured a part of his spirit, his vision, and his creative fire, empowering a new generation to dream bigger. From starting his career in this field at the age of 27, as a trainee account executive in Ogilvy to becoming a Global Chief Creative Officer and Executive Chairman India of Ogilvy. He grew the agency, the other creative souls, the advertising field, the brands and the Indian minds with himself, by his evergreen advertisements and his evergreen ideas.

If creativity is the art of making strangers feel known, then Piyush Pandey made the whole country feel recognized. Though we lost this gem on October 24th, he did leave his shine and beauty behind! He will be remembered for his humorous ads with the thoughtful stories, his emotional connecting taglines, his inspiring thoughts and his wide bright smile!

-Shravani Rajguru 

Because Every Life Is Precious...

I still remember that day and it shakes me to my core till date. That evening felt heavier than usual. That day when nothing made sense. I hadn’t eaten, not even spoken to anyone. I had failed UPSC, the exam I had prepared for day and night, the exam that carried not just my dreams, but the expectations of my parents too, their disappointment cut deeper than any wound. I felt like a failure. A thought kept haunting me until it consumed me completely, "Am I not good enough?”. That evening, I went up to the terrace. I felt numb as I stood there, looking down, thinking to myself that ending it all would be easier than carrying this pain, the pain of expectations. All that was left was just one step further and it’ll all be over. 

But just as I was about to, I heard a voice. My friend had followed me upstairs, he looked at me with pure concern, pulled me back, and said, “You don’t have to do this. You’re not alone.” I started sobbing uncontrollably. Just hearing those words saved my life. My friend didn’t stop there, he recommended me a psychologist, and I began therapy. Slowly, I began to understand myself better. I realized that what I wanted wasn’t death, but an escape from the heavy burden I was carrying. Suicide was a mere step to run away from all my problems. I understood that failing an exam didn't mean life was over, rather it was an opening to a new way of how I looked at my own life. But sadly I chose the wrong path back then, but not anymore! With the right support, I began to heal.

This is where I understood something important: people who attempt suicide don’t always want to die. They are crushed by their pain, whether it’s academic failure like mine, family pressure, financial struggles, society's impossible expectations or their own. The mind gets so trapped in darkness that ending life feels like the only way out.

Today is 10th September, World Suicide Prevention Day, and it makes me remind that not everyone is as fortunate as I was. I had a friend who saved me, but many others stand on the same edge, and there is no one to stop them, no one to say “Everything will be alright”. Every person in this society, may it be a farmer or a student like me should know that failure is not the end of life. They should get proper assistance, from a psychologist, a friend or even a family member. 

It's not just about them, but also about us, just being there for someone who is screaming but no one can hear. Sometimes, a kind word, attentive listening, or reminding them that they matter can change everything for a person. So if you ever come across someone who looks disheartened, even if it's your enemy, don’t just pass by. A small 'Are you okay?' or just spending a little time with them can mean a lot more than we realize. As someone who has been on the other end, take it from me that the tiniest effort we show today could be the reason someone decides to hold on for tomorrow.

-Mrunmayee Pataskar 

डॉ. आनंदीबाई जोशी: भारताच्या पहिल्या महिला डॉक्टरांचा प्रेरणादायी प्रवास

डॉ. आनंदीबाई गोपाळराव जोशी या केवळ भारतातील पहिल्या महिला डॉक्टर नव्हत्या, तर त्या शिक्षण, धैर्य आणि समाजसुधारणेच्या दिशेने घडलेल्या महत्त्वाच्या प्रवासाचे प्रतीक होत्या. 31 मार्च 1865 रोजी पुण्यात जन्मलेल्या आनंदीबाईंच्या जीवनप्रवासाने अनेक महिलांसाठी प्रेरणादायी उदाहरण निर्माण केले. त्या यमुना या नावाने जन्मल्या, मात्र विवाहानंतर त्यांचे नाव आनंदीबाई झाले. केवळ स्वतःसाठी नव्हे, तर संपूर्ण भारतीय स्त्री समाजाच्या उज्ज्वल भविष्यासाठी त्यांनी मार्ग निर्माण केला.

त्यांच्या जीवनाची सुरुवात एका पारंपरिक कुटुंबात झाली, जिथे स्त्रियांनी शिक्षण घेणे दुर्मिळ होते. नऊव्या वर्षीच त्यांचा विवाह गोपाळराव जोशी यांच्याशी झाला, जे स्वतः एक प्रगतिशील विचारांचे होते. त्यांनी आनंदीबाईंना शिक्षण घेण्यासाठी प्रोत्साहन दिले. चौदाव्या वर्षी मातृत्वसुख लाभले, मात्र मुलाच्या आजारपणात योग्य वैद्यकीय उपचार न मिळाल्यामुळे त्याचा मृत्यू झाला. हा धक्का त्यांच्या आयुष्याला कलाटणी देणारा ठरला. त्यांनी ठरवले की अशा परिस्थितीत अन्य कोणत्याही आईला जावे लागू नये, आणि त्यामुळेच त्यांनी डॉक्टर होण्याचा निर्धार केला. त्या काळात स्त्रियांनी शिक्षण घेणेच कठीण होते, आणि डॉक्टर होणे तर कल्पनेपलीकडचे होते. मात्र, गोपाळरावांनी आनंदीबाईंना शिकण्यासाठी पूर्ण पाठिंबा दिला. त्यांनी अमेरिकेतील पेनसिल्व्हानिया विद्यापीठात वैद्यकीय शिक्षण घेण्याचा निर्णय घेतला. त्याकाळच्या मानसिकतेनुसार एका हिंदू स्त्रीने परदेशात जाऊन शिकणे हे समाजाला अजिबात मान्य नव्हते. लोकांनी टीका केली, विरोध केला, पण आनंदीबाईंनी निश्चय सोडला नाही. समाजाच्या विरोधाला न जुमानता त्या बोटीने एकट्याच अमेरिकेला रवाना झाल्या आणि सात समुद्र पार करत आपले शिक्षण पूर्ण केले. त्या भारताच्या पहिल्या महिला डॉक्टर झाल्या आणि त्यांनी देशातील महिलांसाठी शिक्षण व आरोग्याच्या नव्या संधी निर्माण केल्या.

शिक्षणाच्या प्रवासात त्यांना अनेक अडथळे आले. अमेरिकेतील हवामानामुळे त्यांचे आरोग्य खालावत गेले. त्यांना क्षय झाला, पण तरीही त्या थांबल्या नाहीत. शिक्षण पूर्ण करून त्या भारतात परतल्या आणि आपल्या देशातील स्त्रियांसाठी वैद्यकीय सेवा देण्याचे स्वप्न पाहू लागल्या. दुर्दैवाने, त्यांच्या शरीराने साथ दिली नाही आणि अवघ्या 22व्या वर्षीच त्यांचे निधन झाले. मात्र, त्यांनी उभारलेला मार्ग पुढील पिढ्यांसाठी दीपस्तंभ ठरला. त्यांचे जीवन आपल्याला शिकवते की, स्वप्नं पाहणं सोपं असतं, पण ती पूर्ण करण्यासाठी संघर्ष करावा लागतो. त्यांनी सामाजिक बंधनांना झुगारले, शिक्षणासाठी कठीण परिस्थितीतही प्रयत्न सुरू ठेवले आणि अपयश आलं तरी मागे हटल्या नाहीत. त्यांची कथा हे दर्शवते की शिक्षण हीच खरी शक्ती आहे आणि कोणत्याही परिस्थितीत आपल्याला आपले ध्येय गाठण्यासाठी झगडावे लागते.

आज, त्यांच्या जयंती निमित्त आपण त्यांच्या कार्याची आठवण ठेवून त्यांच्या धैर्याचा, मेहनतीचा आणि चिकाटीचा आदर्श घ्यायला हवा. त्यांनी निर्माण केलेला मार्ग आपण पुढे चालत राहिलो, तर भारतात आणखी असंख्य आनंदीबाई घडतील. त्यांच्या स्मृतींना विनम्र अभिवादन!

-मृण्मयी पाटस्कर

Verses of Eternity: Cherishing the Soul of Poetry

“That you are here, that life exists and identity; That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse”   -Walt Whitman 

Whitman expresses in the aforementioned lines his appreciation of mere existence and the idiosyncrasy of an individual. With a heart set to inspire future generations, he urges each individual to have complete freedom in selecting their "verse" and carve their name upon the echoes of eternity. March 21st is celebrated as World Poetry Day to honor the diversity in poetry from multiple angles, be it in preserving linguistic diversity and cultural heritage or how it acts as an artist’s voice in dynamic social changes, like Sylvia Plath who used poetry as a medium to challenge patriarchy and oppression. In order to harmonize the spirit’s rhythm, UNESCO declared World Poetry Day in 1999. Through dawns and dusks, the world has beheld those who spun words into eternity’s tapestry. Specifically William Shakespeare, Rumi, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, Pablo Neruda, Homer, Rabindranath Tagore and countless voices that are immortal in the ink of history. 

“Where the mind is led forward by thee 

 Into ever-widening thought and action 

 Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake” 

-Rabindranath Tagore 

The cited text is the closing lines of Tagore’s poem “Where the Mind is Without Fear”. The poet sketches echoes of a society where the young minds are progressive, with a flame that hungers for the oil of understanding. He prays to God to cultivate a nation where the seeds of freedom grow with the zeal of a rising sun. Now allow me to ask you this, when was the last time you read a poem? Not for school, not for a quick Instagram post, but to truly feel its essence, its depth, its soul? Let me guess, probably in the distant yesterdays. Poetry, an art that was once the lifeline of human expression, is being reduced to mere captions and hashtags in an era of short attention spans and viral content. Have we lost sight of its depth? Poetry serves as a gentle reminder to slow down, feel, and connect in a world that often walks over feelings, because every poem is like a lantern in the dark, guiding us back to ourselves. On this World Poetry Day let's celebrate the ability of words to inspire, heal, and remind us that poetry can speak even when all else is silent. 

 "We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion." -Prof. John Keating from The Dead Poets Society

-Arushi Yadav

नवे वर्ष, नवा संकल्प

वर्ष सरत आहे... अनेक सण-समारंभ, अनेक चित्रपट, काही सुखद, काही दुःखद अशा आठवणी; अनेक किस्से, नवीन धडे, आणि दरवर्षीप्रमाणे भरपूर उन्हाचे, पावसाचे, आणि थंडीचे दिवस अनुभवत अनुभवत २०२४ वर्षाचा शेवट जवळ आला आहे. आता आपण सर्वजण नवीन वर्षाच्या स्वागतासाठी सज्ज आहोत. आपल्यापैकी अनेकांनी नवीन वर्षासाठी संकल्प ठरवले असतील. कदाचित २०२४ साली राहून गेलेल्या गोष्टींचाही समावेश या संकल्पांमध्ये असेल. नवीन वर्ष नेहमीच ३६५ दिवसांची भेट घेऊन येतं, पण जसं नवीन फुलं ओंजळीत घ्यायची असतील, तर जुनी कोमेजलेली फुलं ओंजळीतून सोडावी लागतात, तसंच आपल्या मनाचंही आहे. जुन्या आणि कटू आठवणींना निरोप दिल्याशिवाय नवीन वर्षातील संधींना, क्षणांना, आठवणींना साठवण्यासाठी जागा मिळणार नाही.

अनेकदा आपण नवीन वर्षाचं स्वागत आनंदाने, उत्साहाने करतो, पण मागील कटू आठवणींना कायमचा निरोप देऊन नवीन सुरुवात करायचं विसरतो. मग त्या आठवणींचं ओझं आपल्या मनावर राहतं. लांबच्या प्रवासाला निघायचंय, तर जड ओझं घेऊन कसं चालेल? आपल्याला तर पुढील ३६५ दिवसांसाठी सज्ज व्हायचं आहे!

जेव्हा आपण सगळी नकारात्मकता आपल्या मनातून काढून टाकतो, तेव्हाच सकारात्मकतेने, आनंदाने, आणि उमेदीने नववर्षाचं स्वागत करता येतं. कोणतंही वर्ष लक्षात राहतं ते त्या वर्षभरात जोडलेल्या नात्यांमुळे, नवीन मित्र-मैत्रिणींमुळे, अनुभवांमुळे, शिकलेल्या गोष्टींमुळे, चाखलेल्या नवीन पदार्थांमुळे, पाहिलेल्या प्रदेशांमुळे, वाचलेल्या पुस्तकांमुळे, ऐकलेल्या गाण्यांमुळे, केलेल्या प्रयोगांमुळे, मिळालेल्या यशामुळे, आणि प्रसंगी केलेल्या संघर्षांमुळे. या सगळ्यातून मिळालेल्या अनुभवांमुळेच आपण घडतो आणि समृद्ध होतो. म्हणूनच ‘अनुभवाचे बोल’ महत्त्वाचे मानले जातात.त्या वर्षातील चांगल्या-वाईट सर्व अनुभवांमधून मिळालेल्या शिकवणीची शिदोरी घेऊन नवीन वर्ष प्रसन्न मनाने सुरू करूया!

नवीन वर्ष आलं की आपण अनेक संकल्प करतो. त्यातला एक संकल्प असा असावा की नकारात्मक आणि त्रासदायक गोष्टींना फार काळ मनात साठवून न ठेवता त्यांना अलवार सोडून देऊ. त्यामुळे नववर्षात चांगल्या आठवणी, किस्से, प्रसंग, आणि अनुभव साठवता येतील. असं केल्यास येणारं वर्ष आपल्या आयुष्यात आनंदाची भर घालेल.

माझ्याकडून तुम्हा सर्वांना येणाऱ्या नववर्षाच्या खूप खूप शुभेच्छा!

-मनाली देशपांडे

Free Rider’s Problem and the Tragedy of Commons

Imagine, you are sitting on a train, getting a ticket worth Rs. 120. Beside you is a man sitting with the same level of comfort without paying a penny… how fair is it? Should we allow such things in the economy? If not, how can we stop it? How can we identify thousands of such passengers in the Mumbai local daily? How will you punish so many of them?  This isn’t the problem just with trains or buses but this is also the same with natural resources. We all hear about the environmental summits carried out at global levels, be it in COP or Paris Agreement or anything else, the once paying high are not the developed nations but the developing ones because they are supposed to grow by paying for the tickets of these developed countries to the environment for decades. They have been using all the resources for free and when it's our turn to use them, suddenly everything has a price tag now.  These free riders in the internal economy not only disregard the laws and discourage the ones paying for them but also increase the burden on the government. Now they need to take measures like tax increases on public goods to fill that gap and cure the losses. Again, it leads to the loss of the one who is paying for it twice. Isn’t it some sort of inequality towards the others?

These negative effects arising due to the shared resources lead to another economic dilemma, that is the ‘Tragedy of Commons’. When an individual acts for his self-interest which ultimately leads to depletion of public resources, it creates problems. Over-fishing is the most popular example used to show the tragedy of commons. In a selective area, the fish population cannot be increased at the same pace at which it is used. But for individual profits, the fishermen choose to continue fishing in the same area till it’s all vanished and the habitat is dead for the next few weeks as there won’t be any fish in the area. This not only causes discomfort to the occupation but also to the environment, the same is seen in terms of deforestation.

If we think about this problem with a selfless view, today if I have the option to travel without getting a ticket, why would I buy one? If I had the choice to earn more, why would I not? Here comes the answer! Farsightedness. I am thinking about it now. About my current benefits but I must also think about my future. If I am aware enough of its ill effects and future consequences, I might think once before traveling without a ticket. If I know that today’s extra piece of bread will keep me hungry tomorrow, I might not eat it now. 

Of course, these are just assumptions, but the individual incentives will eventually lead to the solution to such problems. No government scheme forcing you to pay extra tax is making you come out of this cycle. Thus, all we need today is a rational consumer!

-Aditi Bhavsar

Stories, Statistics and People

Indubitably, data is the most valuable thing in the world. It can establish or demolish economies, flourish or cause catastrophes, as it's ubiquitous around us, from testing vaccines to funding political campaigns. Undeniably, information accompanies misinformation, and with insights comes distortions. Each data point is a part of statistics, which is just a mere number. Statistics are just raw facts, which are uninteresting until storytelling and visualization bring life into those raw statistical facts. This enhances the message that the statistics try to convey. If the context and crux of the matter are provided pellucidly to society and are received very well by the common people, it proves to be a game changer for society. 

I wonder, if stories, statistics, and society are interconnected.Stories are the things we listen to and visualize; statistics is the collection, analysis, and interpretation of factual data; and society is the community of the people around us. These three things are pivotal when we see changes that have taken place from the previous period to the current era. All we need to do is think and wonder why and what these things actually are and how they influence the overall structure of our outlook towards various things around us. 

Today, data and society are like a double-edged sword. We have seen multiple times that a certain advertisement of a particular brand claims that its product is preferable so much so that 90% of people prefer their brand to that of others. Some toothpaste brands state that 8/10 people prefer their brand. But how many of us have asked what the sample of the people was—was it 100 or 10,000? When we consider these numbers, the story changes significantly. Same goes for political campaigns where cherry-picked statistics are shown with some pedantic data to deceive people and obscure the reality. It's then we realize that we're in jeopardy because of the lack of transparency in those campaigns, which will affect our daily lives from buying groceries to commute expenses. Therefore, it's high time to recognize the importance of data literacy. In his TED talk, Hans Rosling explains how the data is just raw facts, but when statistics, content, context, and appropriate data visualization are applied, it tells a story and gives clarity about the society. When data enters, it's not just numbers; it's also about correct explanation with appropriate interpretation, keeping in mind the full picture. We are human beings, social creatures, and throughout history we have found mediums to convey our thoughts and express ourselves. Stories are one of those mediums. We tend to remember the stories more than the statistics because it's entertaining, but what about facts? When we talk about data and reliability, we trust the statistics and not the stories because statistics are factual and stories are not. Surveys provide facts, but they are a result of societal input, and it's the people who share their opinions and views, which then leads to the realistic crux of the matter and conclusion. 

Stories and statistics are in a symbiotic relationship; both are interdependent for mutual benefit. There are misleading statistics used by the media, like a poverty line may look like there has been a significant decline in poverty, but there are many factors to keep in mind like inflation, recession, bank crisis, etc. Certain media companies only show selective data, which is misleading. So, to detect those misleading graphs, we must see the full picture, look at the labels, scale, and context. It's essential to be data literate, as it affects everything around us, from our personal choices to government policies. If we understand data and can correctly understand its message, only then will we be a data-literate society.

-Yajurved Patil

Honoring a Life Well-Lived: A Tribute to Ratan Tata

Ratan Naval Tata has been synonymous with innovation, philanthropy, and ethical business practices. When he left the globe, he left a mark. His legacy extends far beyond the corporate arena and touches the lives of crores of people through his commitment to social causes and visionary leadership. It is, however, the philanthropic legacy of Tata rather than purely his business acumen, which will serve as a more etched testament to his name. And indeed, in this respect, he was a very true philanthropist who keenly took interest in improving mankind. His philanthropic works could be varied—from health care and education to poverty and environmental sustainability. He made great contributions to the development of India and many other nations through the Tata Trusts, which he spearheaded.

The importance of his philanthropic works is immeasurable, be it to helping street vendors who were affected in the 26/11 attacks when they were working near the Taj hotel, owned by the Tata group, or be it the donation to IISc Bangalore for research on Alzheimer's disease. He not only donated 500 crore . rupees for the Covid relief fund but also opened the doors of the group's luxurious hotels for quarantine purposes to the government of Maharashtra for free of charge. At age  86, he opened a state-of-the-art hospital for small animals. He cared not only about humans but about the living beings, which could not express their problems either. A touching anecdote comes from Mr. Suhel Seth when he narrates that one quality about Tata is absolute compassion. In February 2018, he received an invitation to pick up a high-profile award at Buckingham Palace. He cancelled it in the eleventh hour when one of his beloved dogs fell ill. When King Charles was briefed about this, he said, “That’s a man. That’s the man Ratan is. That’s why the Tata group is what it is." This speaks volumes about his qualities and priorities in life.

Ratan Tata took over the charge of the Tata group from JRD Tata at a time when the country was going through drastic changes in the LPG reforms. The crisis did result in the company’s devaluation, but since then, Tata Group, under the leadership of Ratan Tata, has thrived, marking its presence across the globe. Under his leadership, the Tata group took over leading global companies like Toyota, Land Rover, Jaguar, and Corus. He took Tata Sons to new heights, but the most important achievement for him must have been to gain back the ownership of Air India airlines back to the Tata group. It was his way of paying tributes to his idol and inspiration, JRD Tata, who treated the airlines like his child back in the days when he started this new venture. Today, the Tata group owns more than 30 companies from various segments. He introduced the most affordable car in the world, popularly known as the Tata Nano. Tata’s main concern was about providing a safe vehicle to the Indian middle-class and lower middle-class families so that they didn't have to risk their lives while driving on the roads. So, the Tata group introduced ‘The Nano’, a car costing less than one lakh rupees. Ratan Tata was presented with the Padma Vibhushan by former president Shrimati Pratibha Patil in 2008. 

The day before yesterday, the great man left us at a time when his ideas and guidance were needed the most. Ratan Tata guided many young entrepreneurs, as he invested in more than 35 startups from his own earnings. He also mentored many such young minds that have the potential to write a brighter future for the country.

Each moment of life is a battle to achieve an objective in Ratan Naval Tata's life. He will be a testament to the human spirit for the ages to come and remind us to stick to our principles of ethical business practices, social responsibility, and the pursuit of a better world. Let us celebrate his life and extraordinary contributions to our society during this time of mourning.

A tribute from Vaadasabha...

राष्ट्रीय क्रीडा दिवस

 

नमस्कार! 

आजच्या राष्ट्रीय क्रीडा दिनाच्या तुम्हाला सर्वांना खूप खूप शुभेच्छा !

खरंतर खेळ आणि आपलं अगदी लहानपणापासूनच घट्ट जोडलेलं असतं. आपण सगळेचजण लहानपणापासूनच वेगवेगळे खेळ खेळत असतो पण असे ही काही जण असतात ज्यांच्यासाठी खेळ हा फक्त  स्वतःच्या आनंदासाठी खेळण्याचं साधन नसून तो खेळ ही त्यांची करिअरची वाट बनून जाते. आणि त्यातूनच नवनवीन खेळाडू तयार होत असतात जे क्रीडाक्षेत्रात स्वतःचं मोलाचं योगदान देतात. हरिवंशराय बच्चन यांच्या काही ओळी मला आठवतात,

कुछ किये बिना ही जय जयकार नहीं होती,

कोशिश करने वालों की हार नहीं होती! 

आणि ह्या ओळींना सार्थ ठरवणारी कामगिरी भारताच्या क्रीडापटूंनी करून दाखवली. ह्यावर्षीच्या म्हणजेच २०२४ ऑलिंपिक्स मध्ये आत्तापर्यंत भारतीय क्रिडापटूंनी आपले सर्वस्व पणाला लावून ६ पदकं आपल्या नावावर केली आहेत.  आणि म्हणूनच आजचा दिवस हा 'ऑलिंपिकवीरांची' म्हणजेच अशा क्रीडापटूंची आठवण काढल्याशिवाय पूर्णच होऊ शकत नाही ज्यांनी भारताचे नाव जगभरात उंचावले आणि म्हणूनच त्यांच्याप्रतीची कृतज्ञता व्यक्त करण्याचा हा छोटासा प्रयत्न!

राष्ट्रीय क्रीडा दिवस हा दरवर्षी  २९ ऑगस्ट रोजी  हॉकीपटू मेजर ध्यानचंद यांच्या जयंती दिवशी  भारतामध्ये साजरा केला जातो. हा दिवस १९२८, १९३२ आणि १९३६ मध्ये भारतासाठी ऑलिम्पिकमध्ये सुवर्णपदक जिंकणारे हॉकीपटू मेजर ध्यानचंद सिंग यांचा वाढदिवस आहे. त्यांच्या ह्या अलौकिक कार्यासाठी त्यांना येणाऱ्या पिढ्यांनी ही कायम लक्षात ठेवावे आणि त्यांच्याकडून प्रेरणा घेऊन भविष्यात ही अनेक क्रीडापटू असे घडावेत असा ह्या मागचा उद्देश आहे. आता ऑलिंपिक स्पर्धा आणि भारत यांचं नेहमीच एकमेकांशी गहिरं नातं राहिलेलं आहे. भारतात अनेकांच्या डोळ्यांत ऑलिंपिक्स च्या सुवर्णपदकाला गवसणी घालण्याचं स्वप्न आजही दिसतं. भारताला ऑलिंपिक्स मध्ये सर्वात पहिल्यांदा म्हणजेच १९५२ साली कुस्तीपटू खाशाबा दादासाहेब जाधव ह्यांनी पुरुषांच्या फ्रीस्टाइल बँटमवेट प्रकारात कांस्य पदक मिळवून दिले. तसंच २००० साल च्या ऑलिंपिक खेळांमध्ये, कर्णम मल्लेश्वरी ही ऑलिम्पिक पदक जिंकणारी भारताची पहिली महिला ठरली. तेव्हापासून जी परंपरा सुरू ती अगदी आजतागायत टिकली आहे. नीरज चोप्रा, मीराबाई चानू, पि.व्ही. सिंधू ते अगदी आत्ता याच वर्षी पार पडलेल्या पॅरिस ऑलिंपिक मध्ये मनू भाकर, सरबजोत सिंग, स्वप्नील कुसळे, इत्यादी क्रीडापटूंनी हा समृद्ध वारसा सुरू ठेवल्याचे पहायला मिळते. 

भारतामध्ये खेळासाठीची जिद्द आपल्याला अनेकांमध्ये पाहायला मिळते आणि त्यामुळेच पॅरालिम्पिक स्पर्धेतही भारतातील विविध खेळाडू आपल्याला उमेदीने सहभागी होताना दिसतात. मुरलीकांत पेटकर यांनी १९७२ मध्ये पुरुषांच्या 50 मीटर फ्रीस्टाइल प्रकारात भारताला पहिले सुवर्णपदक मिळवून दिले. २०२४ हे वर्ष तर क्रीडाप्रेमींसाठी पर्वणीच ठरलेली आहे. ऑलिंपिक्स मधील कामगिरी सोबतच भारताने क्रिकेटच्या दुनियेतला एक महत्वपूर्ण किताब म्हणजे ' टी-ट्वेंटी विश्वकप' देखील आपल्या नावे केला आणि हे सुवर्णक्षण आजही प्रत्येकाला आनंदून टाकतात. 

आज क्रीडा दिनाच्या दिवशी ह्या साऱ्याचा आढावा घेताना असं लक्षात येतं की भारताला खेळाची एक समृद्ध पार्श्वभूमी लाभलेली आहे. इथे लहानांपासून मोठ्यांपर्यंत सगळ्यांनाच खेळ खेळायला, पहायला, त्याचा आनंद लुटायला आवडतो आणि हेच येणाऱ्या पिढ्यांना खेळांची गोडी लावतोय. इथे सचिन तेंडुलकर , विराट कोहली , महेंद्र सिंह धोनी, पी.व्ही.सिंधू, सायना नेहवाल हे भारतीय खेळाडूच नाहीत तर मेस्सी, रोनाल्डो, गेल असे अनेक भारताबाहेरील खेळाडू देखील त्यांच्या खेळातील प्राविण्याने भुरळ पाडतात. इथे खेळाच्या दुनियेतल्या अनेक उच्च किताबांना गवसणी घालण्याचं स्वप्नं, ध्येय अनेकांच्या मनात आहे फक्त त्यांना गरज आहे प्रोत्साहनाची‌. प्रत्येक खेळाडूला त्याचा विश्वास वाढवणारा एक प्रोत्साहनाचा हात त्यांच्या पाठीवर हवा असतो आणि तोच विश्वास आपण आपल्या भारत देशासाठी खेळणाऱ्या प्रत्येक खेळाडूवर दाखवला तर येणाऱ्या काळात असे अनेकानेक खेळाडू घडतील. यशस्वी खेळाडू जे मेडल प्राप्त करतात अशांची आपण दखल घेतोच पण त्यापलीकडे जाऊन इच्छा, चिकाटी आणि परिश्रमाच्या जोरावर ऑलिंपिक सारख्या मोठ्या प्लॅटफाॅर्मवर जाऊन भारताचं प्रतिनिधित्व करणाऱ्या पण काही कारणाने मेडल हुकलेल्या ही प्रत्येक खेळाडूचं कौतुक आपण करू शकलो तर यश आणि अपयशाच्या चौकटीपलीकडे जाऊन आपण खेळणाऱ्या प्रत्येक खेळाडू ला मान प्राप्त होईल‌. ज्याने त्यांना धीर मिळेल, त्यांची उमेद वाढेल, आत्मविश्वास वाढेल आणि येणाऱ्या काळात क्रीडाक्षेत्र उत्तरोत्तर समृध्द होत जाईल. त्यामुळे आपल्यातल्या ही खेळाडू ला नेहमी जीवंत ठेऊयात आणि आपल्या आजूबाजूच्या प्रत्येक खेळाडूला प्रोत्साहन देऊन आपलं क्रीडाक्षेत्र प्रतीचं महत्वाचे योगदान नोंदवूयात ! 

-Manali Deshpande

The Undying Spirit of a Soldier: Remembering the Brave Hearts of Kargil

 

The world has seen that we want peace. Now the world will see that to protect our peace we can use strength if necessary.

                                                 - Atal Bihari Vajpayee

When we see posts or reels on social media regarding national security, the general notion is the appraisal of the government’s quick decision making or proposing an action plan, but the efforts of those people, who are on field, doing their best to make that action plan a reality, go unnoticed. Today, let us appreciate and give recognition to those who fought to provide deterrence on such a grave adversary despite any circumstances, which, if not provided quick response on, would have led to one of the worst times of our nation.

The year was 1999, May 3^rd; Tashi Namgyal, a local shepherd, spotted a few armed men in the Batalik digging up bunkers. After informing the army it was evident that this wasn’t just an intrusion but a full-fledged invasion from the Pakistan Army in the Indian terrain. Within no time it was evident that not just Batalik, but more than 130 posts were occupied in the regions of Muskoh, Dras, and Akhsar. There was a single objective by the Pakistani Army: to block the national highway to cut off Kashmir from Ladakh; a direct breach of the 1972 Shimla Agreement, which stated not to violate the Line of Control.

As Pakistan initiated a covert invasion of Indian territory in the Kargil region, India had launched Operation Vijay in response. The war was characterized for its intense fighting in high-altitude conditions. Kargil, Batalik, Dras, Tiger's Hill and Pt. 5180, along with Pt. 4815 (now known as Batra Top), were the key locations that were to be recaptured.

Amidst the war, Vajpayee ji only had one rule: not crossing the LoC. It helped in showcasing India’s retaliation in a defensive position, making it a geopolitical win. The war also helped in regaining some amount of trust from countries such as America, Russia, etc. Despite such achievement, there was a setback: controlling the higher grounds of Dras, especially Tololing, also the coldest region to be ever inhabited, were captured by Pakistan. Many lives were lost to save the lives of millions.

On 14^th July PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared Operation Vijay to be a success, finally ending the war on 26^th July 1999. Later, in October, Pak PM Nawaz Shariff was detained, and Gen. Parvez Musharraf suspended the constitution, followed by the declaration of an emergency in our neighboring country. It was a huge victory for India.

Various movies have also been inspired by the Kargil war, such as Lakshya, LoC: Kargil, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Shershaah, Tango Charlie, Dhoop, and many more. Yet, many people still don't know what actually occurred during such a tense period and how serious its consequences would have been, if not prevented.

Many soldiers from the companies of Kargil missions still believe that those who martyred along the way were the luckiest ones; to die for such a noble cause is only in the fate of a few.  It reminds us when G.K. Chesterton said, “Soldiers do not fight because they hate what is in front of them. They fight because they love what is behind them.”

Civilians like you and I certainly could never fathom the intricacies of the planning, the bravery it takes to be in our armed forces. While on one hand, we try to appreciate their efforts to keep us safe, on the flip side we pass comments, slut shame a martyr's wife. Have we degraded to such a level? That's a question one should ponder upon. A war like Kargil should always be a reminder to us that the only reason we are able to act upon our conscience is due to these brave hearts giving up their own freedom, in order to protect ours.

The war not only helped in understanding India’s resilience but also showcased how powerful the spirit of brotherhood lies in our defence forces. Over time, we’ve seen various obstacles within and alongside the country’s borders, whether it be Uri, the Pulwama attack, infiltration by Chinese soldiers at Galwan Valley, rising Khalistan tensions, the death of Col. Vaibhav Kale in Gaza, or the recent nine terror attacks after elections along with the death of Capt. Anshuman Singh. Today, India’s security also comprises various upcoming factors, such as cyber security, and increasing concerns about internal security.

Amidst all these conflicts, one thing was common that made the country rise back patriotism. This patriotism was, has, and has always been the core of our defence forces. Despite numerous challenges and changes in the sphere of geopolitics with internal politics, one of the main reasons Bharat is still intact is because of such brave hearts, who are always ready to even give up their lives to protect our nation and uphold that peace.

Lest we forget.

-Rajashree Bhide 

Fiction and the Human Need to Weave Stories

Since childhood, as far back as my mind takes me, stories have been a constant in my life. When I was a kid, I needed a story to fall asleep every night. The narrator kept changing; most nights it was my mother, and some nights it was my grandmother. Slowly, as time went by, books and their protagonists became my narrators. But the stories remained an immovable, unshakeable part of life. I traversed different lands, met different people, walked in their shoes, loved them, hated them, and wanted to be them.

The human need to tell stories has always fascinated me. If you observe, you will realize that we are continuously and incessantly telling stories. The book you are reading is a story; the gossip shared between two friends is a story; the emails between two colleagues tell a story; even the lecture that your physics professor delivers on the discovery of gravity is a story. All around us, we keep telling each other things and passing on information. But that is not where we stop; we don't only tell stories; we also create stories.

Stories that aren't true, stories that are but figments of our imaginations. Why do you think we need these stories—these unreal tales of times untold? Why do we need a wizard to save the world, a hobbit to walk for miles, and a maddened lover to dig up the grave of his lost love? Why do we need to create these alternate realities? As someone who has always been drawn to fiction, the stories I read created magical worlds of unforeseen adventures and indomitable challenges. I haven't managed to escape the allure and charm of fiction, and I don't intend to.

I believe that humans are able to express themselves best through the lens of fiction. Without reality weighing down on our shoulders, we can write what we want, say the most outrageous things, live the most brilliant lives, do the most condemnable things, love, haunt, hurt, feel, and even kill. Fiction provides you with an escape from the mundane routine of life. We escape the horror of our mediocrity to revel in the brilliance of the characters. We find in fiction a sense of abandonment, some freedom that being tied to reality does not give us. The world of fiction allows the writer to be his truest self, preach the highest of morals, and fall to the lowest of depths. In Sparkling Redemption and harrHarrowinglGallows follow these characters 'fictional' stories. They fly and fall in their stories, and we fly and fall with them. The worlds built in these fictional stories are so much more fascinating and so much stronger than anything we read in the non-fictional realm.

I read somewhere that the ability to be affected by fiction is rooted in the inability to accept reality. When the actual world around us gets too bleak to breathe, fiction presents itself as a savior; it lets you breathe and helps you believe. This is not to say that fiction is always a comfort. I read somewhere that the purpose of art is to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Many books, through their harrowing stories borrowed from the realities around us and the realities in our minds, disturb us when we need them the most. I believe that discomfort is an important emotion for humans. It is one of our greatest teachers. So, while most would like to believe that all fiction is about fairy lights and magical lands, that is far from the truth. And even in the magical lands that fiction takes us to, we learn things that cannot be learned elsewhere. This is why fiction and the need to create worlds not known to humans are so important. Storytellers and stories save us from the worst of ourselves, and while reality has the power to do so sometimes, fiction most definitely always delivers.

- Yugandhara Barve

The Story of Storytelling

 

World Storytelling Day Logo

March 20 marks World Storytelling Day, which is a global celebration of the art of oral storytelling. The theme for The World Storytelling Day 2024 is ‘Building Bridges’.  Weaving magical tales, captivating listeners with every word, transporting them to new worlds - it's a skill that has been cherished for centuries. If there’s one thing common among the entire humanity - it’s storytelling. What are we, if not the sum of our stories? The experiences we share and our imaginations are the very essence of what it means to be human. Every single one of us has a story to tell. We need a narrative to make sense of the world and the power of storytelling helps us function and piece it all together. Our brains are made in a way to understand stories and pass them on.

Stories have the power to connect people. For me, storytelling reminds me of my grandma. It takes me back to summer vacations when she used to narrate her sometimes mundane, sometimes exciting experiences. One such significant story I remember is of the hare and the tortoise. We all know how the story goes. It's fixed in our brains. This might seem like a pretty plain story and we might not have given much thought to it when we were kids. But now that I look back, it impacted my life a lot. Grandma said that the hare, despite having the natural ability, did not win, only because of being complacent and lazy. Another thing it taught me is to not look down upon people just because they are not performing well. They might just be tired and it gives me no permission to downgrade them for any reason. This thought has stuck with me. Such a mere, simple story. Yet, such a powerful message.

Storytelling has been a natural instinct of humankind since the very start of it. Right from when human societies started forming, the need for communicating one another’s experiences emerged which eventually developed into oral storytelling as we know it today. Stories were first passed on through word of mouth. The invention of writing ensured that these stories were recorded and preserved. The Ancient Epics like Odyssey, Gilgamesh, and our very own Mahabharata and Ramayana were written with the purpose of conveying meaning and wisdom across time. The Mahabharata and Ramayana are written scriptures, but the reason for their popularity is how they were passed on through this powerful tool of preserving culture and wisdom. Other forms of storytelling like cave paintings in the Stone Age, Chitrakathi which means telling stories through paintings, Warli, etc. are proof that we're social beings who always want to share our stories.  What else could be the reason for Stone Age cavemen wanting to imprint their daily lives on the walls of a cave?  It has been a part of every single culture right since the beginning.  Also, all the dance forms, songs, and chants in Indian culture have the aim of reciting stories. In fact, the Indian Classical dance form ‘Kathak’ elaborates that “Katha kahe so kathak kahave”. Which means that it’s a dance form solely based on storytelling. And these traditions have been carried out for hundreds and thousands of years.  It has always been an inseparable part of every culture.

When we think of storytellers, we usually think of authors movie directors, or perhaps poets and songwriters. The melodious stories, the twisted meanings of words in a song, and the magic of storytelling in cinemas are impeccable. They touch our hearts with beautiful stories like nothing else. I would say that historians are storytellers too. They tell stories that we are a part of in some or the other way. These stories create not only an image of the past but also give us a sense of who we are as a collective consciousness. They tell us stories of great leaders, kings, and unsung warriors, whom we take inspiration from. Knowing stories of our leaders, martyrs, and their struggles can move the readers from emotions like apathy to empathy and then eventually action. These stories of the past are a foundation of our present, and consequently, our future. If we never knew the stories of our past, if they were never passed down to us, I don’t think humanity would be where it is today.

The art of storytelling is an integral part of our childhood. It has an important place in our relationships with grandparents and parents. It is immensely important as through those stories children's lives are shaped, information about culture is told and values are given. Though it may seem to be a simple act of oral recital, a story can have a huge impact on the way children view themselves and society, their morals and perspective, which decides what kind of a person they will become. This beautiful art form which used to bond grandparents, parents, children, and generations after generations, is somehow fading away.  Kids are turning towards digital gadgets and that bond with parents is fading. And the art of storytelling has lost its essence now - people are not ready to listen to others and no one to tell stories to the children.

On the bright side, it might just be that the ways have changed now. Numerous online platforms and applications provide audiobooks, podcasts, and people sharing their own short stories, which people do listen to. With fading storytellers, platforms like these give access to people who like to talk about their daily routines and life lessons, almost like having an actual, your very own personal storyteller. For people with no families or the ones staying away, these storytellers are a huge relief. The platforms have a huge audience as well so we can say that this art form is still alive in some form.

What if I tell you that storytelling has science behind it? Have you ever had a dream and thought it was real- or read a book so emotional you broke into tears? That is because our brains can’t differentiate between what is real and what is fictional when it comes to stories. So the mirror neurons in our brains cause us to experience the story as if it was real. This is why we feel so connected to stories and their protagonists. This is why stories matter - because they inject real emotions into us through fiction.

As I said before, we view storytellers as authors, filmmakers, etc. Most people don’t think of themselves as storytellers. But you are. And so is everyone else. We tell the most personal and persuasive stories. Afterall, what is storytelling? A simple way of expressing our side of the story. It’s showing people parts of our lives that are special and unique to us and only us. It's like a blanket made out of small, vibrant pieces, which might seem insignificant individually, but when weaved together, become a beautiful story.

Storytelling is a beautiful art form, and this storytelling day, let us strive to preserve it.

- Chaitralee Indore