156 items in this section. Displaying page 13 of 16
The Woman who was Not Afraid of Guns
Six years ago, a very brave woman called Gloria Cuartes decided to fight the election for the town mayor’s post. So, what was so brave about that, you may ask. Women all over the world have been fighting some election or the other. But, 33-year-old Gloria’s case was different. You see, she came from the town of Apartedo, where there was violence everywhere. Apartedo is in the South American country of Colombia. And, for about 17 years, there has been continuous fighting in that country....
The Bittersweet Story of Chocolate
Many, many centuries ago, sometime around 400 BC, in the jungles of South and Central America, the Cacao plant was discovered which in the ages to come would become the most desired foodstuff in the whole world. The plant was found to have hard pods with each pod containing brown beans that later became the main ingredient in the making of chocolate. Cacao was a very important plant even then as it was actually used as money by the Mayans and later by the Aztecs....
Going to School
I am sharing a small, yet the most important part of my life, with you. You may think “What the dickens have we got to do with her life?” After all, even I used to think the same way when I was a child but sometimes other’s lives can be interesting depending on how you see it. I can’t forget the date. It was January 25th, 1987. The temperature was around 5 degree Celsius in Moradabad, my hometown, in India....
When a Whacky King Turned Serious
As a young emperor, Akbar seems to have had a whacky sense of fun. Since he was very fond of cock fights, he once announced that anyone coming to see him must bring a fighting cock with him. One person who got a real taste of Akbar’s sense of humour was the governor of Punjab, Shamsudin Atka. He was on his way to meet the emperor when he received an order from Akbar that he should have his head shaved....
The School Teacher and the Dacoit
Nirmala is a primary school teacher in the Rajiv Gandhi Shiksha Mission for universal education, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. Every day at 11.30 am, her husband Malkhan Singh, drops her to the school in an autorickshaw. In the evening, at 4 pm, he is there to pick her up as well. Slung across his shoulders at all times, is a rifle during these rides. So, what is so unusual about this couple? The School Teacher and the Dacoit [Illustration by Sudheer Nath] The answer is their past....
From Cave Drawings to Floor Drawings
See this drawing? It was painted by our early ancestors on the walls of the caves in which they lived. Often they would draw bulls and bisons. These were the animals they went out to hunt. Drawing them was a way of getting the courage to go and hunt successfully. They knew that if the animal did not die, there was a chance that one of them might. Drawing the pictures of bulls and bisons was a way of overcoming fear to get what they wanted: food and a long life....
The Gift of Wonder
Eleven years ago, under the sequinned sky on a warm summer day, on the roof of his palatial home in the town of Vrindaban, my grandfather introduced me to wonder. As I lay on a mattress surrounded members of the family, my grandfather or “Nana” as I used to call him, asked me to look at the sky and try to spot the patterns and the constellations. “What does that look like?” he would ask, pointing to the Little Bear....
Holi – The Colours of Spring
Quick, think of spring and what comes to mind? The festival of Holi, of course!! Think of Holi and what springs to mind? ‘Gulal’ or dry colours in bright shades, ‘pichkaris’ or water pistols, and buckets of water to drench people, right? For, winter has finally come to an end, and the friendly mischief of spring is in the air. And so, on the day of Holi, huge armies of children and adults come out on the streets....
The Boy who Lacked Sight but Had a Vision
It was like any other day in school for six-year-old George Abraham. He went to La Martinere school in Lucknow, where he lived with his aunt. The school was open to boys till the fourth standard. That day, as usual, the teacher found that the little boy was holding the book next to his nose. She complained and George had to undergo several eye tests. The doctors found that his retina was damaged beyond repair, and said he would lose most of his eyesight....
Smart Ones and Fools
This morning we got a call in our office from a friend who gave us us the news that the Taj Mahal had collapsed in an earthquake in the wee hours of dawn. As soon as we let out shocked gasps we realised that we had all been made fools. For it is April 1 or Fool’s Day today! Last year, one of India’s most well known TV networks put out a news report that left the viewers speechless....