Very interesting experience of joining a webinar, which was streamed live on you tube and sharing with more than three thousand people across different parts of the country. Indeed the reach of technology is amazing and it does connect and we become one in a globalised world.
Is this the end of the Big Fat Indian Wedding!!!!!
Has Carona Virus done, what social reformers , activists and the Law has been trying for ages
Wishing all my Friends, well wishers and students a very happy Eid and hoping,
या खुदा! अपनी रहमतों से सबके दिलों को नेक कर दे…
इस ईद पर मेरे मुल्क के लोगों को फिर से एक कर दे
Oh God, with your blessings bring good nature in every ones heart . On this Eid again make my country one.
अपनी ख़ुशियाँ भूल जा सब का दर्द ख़रीद
'सैफ़ी' तब जा कर कहीं तेरी होगी ईद
- सैफ़ी सरौंजी
Forget your happiness and buy the pain of all. Only then Saifi , will you have your Eid.
A thought for those too who never reached home for Eid.
The Uttrakhand Academy of Administration is organising a webinar on 27th and 28th of May.I am going to speak on Looking at Covid19 with a gender lens. It is interesting to see how the Conference scene have adjusted to the present situation and work still continues, with out travel and moving out of the room. Thank God for the technology for reducing time, distance and space.
A CUP, Publication in the times of Covid -19. Very happy to share that today, I got the information that the book, Cambridge International Handbook on the Psychology of Women, ed by Fanny M. Cheung and Diane F. Halpern and , published by Cambridge University Press will finally be available from June onwards. My article ( along with two other feminists), Feminist Theory and Methodologies Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries, is a lead article in this. After more than three years and several revisions this is finally seeing the light of the day. There are several books on Feminist theory and methodologies but most are based exclusively or largely on western views and data, and thus cannot be representative of the psychology of all women, especially given the growing research literature across the world. This book rejects an approach that has been used by other authors that consists of a single chapter from different countries and regions. A short chapter on psychology of women from a single country is necessarily shallow and does not promote an integrated and deeper understanding of the scientific foundation of the specific topics. Instead this work draw up a comprehensive list of topics in psychology that are critical to understanding the gendered lives of women. Each chapter has a lead author—a recognized authority on that topic and two other with a different region/ culture in the world. There is no other book that has taken on the task of internationalizing our knowledge about the psychology of women, from a non western perspective , like this book. It provides a much-needed comprehensive reference to Theory and Methodologies in Psychology of Women, that are relevant across cultures. In the present article, given the different context, region and culture, Prof. Rekha Pande from the University of Hyderabad, India, Dr. Wen Liu,University at Albany, State University of New York, Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Dr. Hsunhui Tseng, M.A Programme Director,Gender Studies Programme, Chinese University of Hong Kong,Sha Tin, New Territories, get together and write about the feminist theories and the methodologies and the development of the Women’s Movement in India, China, Taiwan and Hongkong. Though very challenging, it was fun to write on Feminist theory with two totally new scholars and getting to know the women's Movement and theoretical prerspectives from China, Taiwan and Hongkong. I only hope a large number of women's studies students and scholar, interested in non western theories , will find this a useful resource.
Trying a hand at the traditional laddu. So many friends have been sharing their recipe on face book during the lock down that to night, I was also tempted to try my hand at making something. Not a great cook or a foodies, and the big joke that my husband has is that I like every thing. It was fun to try this It took me an hour and a half and three times my son came in saying, what is this,why are you wasting your time. I am not going to eat it. I told him do not worry, it is for me. I realised at the end of it that it does gives one a lot of satisfaction and at home after all the labour spent, one does get a good result and definitely, it would be much better than that we can buy in any sweet shop, at least for me. I am only hoping others in the house also like it.
A second Covid Ph.D. Today, my Gender studies student Pooja Chetry had her Ph.D viva on line in Skype, during the lock in period and became the second student to get her Ph.D in these difficult times.Very happy to share that the network from Assam also supported us during this period and things went in smoothly. A very sensitive girl by nature Pooja has done wonderful work on , Trafficking of women- in the Borderlands of the Eastern Himalayas. We have published a paper on one of this aspect in South Asian review a Sage Journal, which is freely available online. I am very happy to state that Pooja has now joined as an Assistant Professor in the Cotton University in Assam in the Centre for Women's Studies, before the lockdown began. Thanks Prof. Vindhya, Dr. Sheela and Dr.M.N. Rajesh for all your support. Congratulations Dr. Pooja Chetry. Very proud of your achievements and wish you many more such success in the future.
The mango season is here. Nearly twenty five years back we had planted two mango saplings in front of our gate. Except giving water there was not much attention that they needed. Down the road they grew along with my children. When the children were in school and College they would climb it and be so excited collecting the mangoes which could number in thousands. Today, the birds have flown the nest and the children have left the home and the son who is with us, is, very busy in his work and does not think it exciting to collect the mangoes. So except the few which are reachable most of the mangoes are eaten by birds and parrots. There is a regular chirping of birds in the garden, thanks to Suresh spending so much time in it and keeping water and grains on a regular basis for the birds. When, I see these beautiful trees, it is but natural to become very philosophical and admire nature for giving us so much and asking nothing in return. The trees teach me that no matter how big you grow one has to be rooted on the ground.
