Film festival Nazariya and talk on Trafficking of women

 A three day film festival Nazariya, focusing on women was held in Hyderabad and today the last day on 30th April, 2017, saw the film leeche's on Trafficking by Arab Sheikhs in Hyderabad. This was followed by a discussion on Trafficking of women. Jamila Nishat of Shaheen  an NGO working in Old city,  Payal Sethi the film maker, Pooja a student doing her Ph.D under my supervision on Trafficking of women in the borderlands and I participated in this.Pooja spoke very well and I felt a great pride in seeing my student articulate her views so clearly on a public platform.

Ganga Aarti ar Rishikesh

 The Ganges has always fascinated me for standing on its bank I feel a connect to our civilization from the past to the present and time really stands still. I was lucky to have participated in the Ganga arti at Rishikesh on 18th April, 2017. It is a beautiful ritual with a lot of singing of bhajans and I could see a large number of foreign nationals enjoying every moment of the prayers by even dancing. I found this prayer more interesting than the one in Haridwar where only a priest comes and does the pooja but here there was the participation of the people at large and the pooja  Aarti (lights) were circulated to the people present.

Meeting Divya Rawat in Dehradun

 On 18th April, 2017, met a very young, smart and dynamic girl Divya Rawat in Dehradun. She is passionate about Mushrooms and is spreading the cultivation of mushroom as a technology that can reverse migration in the hills and provide livelihood to people. We visited her centre and admired her entrepreneurship and her dedication to the cause. In fact we sat in her class and were very impressed with her dedication and teaching methods to spread awareness . This was one class that I  attended as a student and enjoyed a lot. She has received many awards for her work and is the Brand Ambassador for Mushrooms. Indeed a meeting worth remembering and one marvels at the youth and feels happy for having met some one with so much dynamism, dedication and passion to do some thing for the region of Uttarakhand.

Lecture of Suresh at Guru Ram Rai College

 In Dehradun, Suresh was invited to deliver a lecture in Bio Technology and Micro Biology at the Guru Ram Rai College on 17th April, 2017. I had a pleasant surprise to see that the lecture was organised in the Centre for Women's Studies. The Director of the Women's Studies is on leave and they told me this Centre had good facilities.  I found the  college dress of the girls, Pant and shirt was very practical and forward thinking.  I saw this dress for girls in a second college  after Sikkim Namchi college. It gives so much flexibility to the girls in their movements. This is an undergraduate and post graduate college and few departments also have a research programme.

Seminar in History Department Srinagar University

 On 16th April, 2017, had a  seminar in the History Department and interacted with the research scholars at Srinagar, Gadwal University. This is one of the very strongest department in archeology and they have done some wonderful work and excavations in this region and in Himachal.

Kali Math Temple

 On 15th April, 2017, traveled to Kali Math temple which is close to Kedarnath, which is about 45 Km from Kedarnath. Also saw Okhi math on the way which becomes the abode of Shiva during the period in winters when the Himalayas are covered with snow. Thanks  Annpurna Nautiyal for sending Girish Bhatt as an escort. Having worked in a Project and now doing his Ph. D on the Natural disaster of Uttarakhand he brought the disaster in these hills of 16th and 17th June, 2013 very close to us and we could see the vast amount of destruction and the aftermath and fallen debris on the roads. It is sad that the disaster came due to our playing with nature and exploiting it and now in the aftermath of the destruction and all the roads that are being laid and the construction that is being done we are again cutting into the mountains. It is a catch 21 situation and a major question that has always loomed at large is once again relevant as to how do we balance nature and development. After all the people here too need roads and other benefits of modernisation and cannot stay in isolation. It is sad to hear that most of the villages are now deserted in the aftermath of the disaster and families have migrated to the plains for their safety and security. This part of the Himalayas is a very fragile ecological zone and there is so much faith in God's and their powers and I only pray that that God is with them and this region  and let the disaster of 2013 be the last one to haunt this region.

Centre for Women's Studies at Hemavati Nandan Bahuguna University, Srinagar.

 Spent the morning of 13th April, 2017, at the Centre for Women's Studies at Hemavati Nandan Bahuguna University, Srinagar. It was a nice interaction with all the faculty and students.