Victims step up #MeToo campaign

Transcription

1 STUDENT PAPER OF THE SCHOOL OF MEDIA & LIBERAL ARTS GREATER NOiDA october 27, 2017 VOL 1, issue 4 PAGES 12 Victims step up #MeToo campaign WRITAVA BANERJEE Future of standup comedy Sarthak Patil takes stand-up comedy to new heigths in Nagpur PAGE 4 Colours of Lodhi Colony Photo feature on colourful street art in New Delhi PAGE 12 2-in-1 man of Ranchi DEEP DAS BARMAN An online campaign, #MeToo has been doing the rounds on social media to create awareness about Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and sexual crimes against women. The hashtag originated from Twitter and has spread to other social platforms. This movement was originally created almost a decade ago by Tarana Burke to aid women of colour who are survivors of sexual assault. But the movement actually took a trajectory when Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano put up a tweet urging women who faced sexual assault to write me too in their posts. Her tweet followed the sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Following this, a large number of people put up #MeToo as their status. People young and old feel very strongly about the issue. Kusum Kali Pal, a student said, Six characters #MeToo took the collective societal consciousness to task and the outcome is overwhelming. Through different experiences of men and women, what #MeToo illustration by Vibhuti Bharti came to the forefront was not a blame-game but a realisation of the information gap, ignorance and an urge to introspect, both for the victims and culprits. Pal said that the narratives of the victims that were heralded by #MeToo instilled a sense of solidarity. This solidarity in turn begins to nudge or slightly overwhelm culprits who are questioning their conduct, jokes and even how they see another person. The spectator in me is excited about the collective learning and unlearning that will unfold, but the victim in me gets angry Huge number of people put up #MeToo as their status update at every comment which condensates a victim. The journey is long, but hey, it is not a bad start! Pal said. Smita Tripathi, a teacher, explained further that the problem is closer home than we think it is. Sexual harassment then too but it was not discussed thereby making it easier for the perpetrator to escape but today with these types of drives on social media has emboldened the girls/ women to unburden the baggage they have been carrying for so long. Usually the perpetrators are close relatives, friends or someone whom the victim trusts and is so not willing to testify or report against. Not only women but also men have come forward to share their stories about harassment during childhood. Children are the softest preys. Sweta Pandey talked about how such incidents haunt her till date. I have watched over my shoulder since I was 5-6 years old. Fear engulfs me every time I am in a similar situation. I have felt every terrible emotion a human being is capable of feeling in the last 20 years. Years spent trying to make sense of so many things; years spent being my own confidante because no one would probably believe me and a lifetime of living with issues that make life terribly difficult. While I get punished every day the people who did this have a happy prosperous life. she said. Continued on Page 3 Ashok Ram 2-in-1, popularly known as Mr 2-in- 1, was born in Bihar and brought up in Ranchi. He was raised like a normal kid but was destined to be extraordinary. He is a twoin-one man like a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He lives with his family of seven, five kids, his wife and his dog Chotu Duranga. They completely support and encourage the spirit of Mr 2-in-1. He is quite famous in his locality, having starred in a local movie in which he played the role of both the villain and the hero. He has appeared on a talk show with Rakhi Sawant as well. He runs a paan shop where people stand Mr 2-in-1 s dog, Chotu Duranga The 2-in-1 man with one of his seven scooters in queues to get a glimpse of him. Mr 2-in-1 believes that nature loves symmetry and every natural thing in this world is symmetrical. He says, People wear clothes of two different colours at a time, but they do the division of colours horizontally, I do it vertically. He started this trend 11 years ago. His first attire was black and white. Later he added more colours. Every colour Mr. 2 in 1 wears has a meaning. Red symbolises mother s love, since red is called Laal in Hindi and a beloved mother also calls her son Laal. The blue-and-black combination symbolises day and night. Also his dog Chotu Duranga is painted half black with a body paint. continued on Page 3 Zardozi continues to mesmerise KRITIKA LALWANI Zardozi has flourished and survived till date and will even flourish and survive in the future, says Irshad Ali, a Zardozi worker of Lucknow. While explaining the history of Zardozi Irshad says, Zardozi is one of the oldest and most beautiful form of hand embroidery. It is known that Zardozi has been brought to India by the Mughal conquerors. He further says, Zar means gold and dozi means embroidery. Irshad says, Originally the embroidery of Zardozi was done with pure silver wires coated with real gold. Pure gold was beaten into fine metal taar (thread) and was used to embroider motifs on silk, satin and velvet. Due to rise in price of gold and silver, Zardozi workers started using copper wires polished with gold and silver. In India Zardozi work is mainly done in the various regions. Irshad said, Lucknow is the hub center for zardozi. Stitching and embroidery is considered to be a woman s work but it has been seen that more men are involved in doing this zardozi work than women. Zardozi is not only used in clothing s but also in home decorations, says Huzoor another zardozi worker in Lucknow. He further talks about the plain wire badla and the tiny dots made of badla called mukaish. He says dabka, sitara, sequences, shiny stones and zari are used for zardozi work. Huzoor says it takes around two days to complete a light zardozi work and the price is varies from Rs2000 to Rs Irshad says his eyesight is getting weak day by day and creating problems while doing zardozi work. Irshad even points out the fact, Machine will never be able to take the place of man. Zardozi work can be Zardozi worker with his cloth and needle done manually only. Tools required for doing zardozi work are needles, scissors and different types of frames commonly known as Addas. Irshad visiualises the design to be traced on a tracing sheet and then he makes holes along the traced pattern using needle. After this, fabric is placed in the holes on which the embroidery is to be done on a flat area. Then he makes a solution of kerosene and robin. He dips a piece of cloth into this solution and rubs this piece of cloth over the tracing paper positioned on the cloth to be embroidered. Afterwards he ties the cloth to be embroidered to the addas or the frame and starts embroidering on the traced design with the help of a needle. The twisted gold thread used for embroidering and is known as Gijai. The range of products using Lucknow zardozi today are endless they include dresses, coats, purses, etc. Artisans see bleak future in Dilli Haat VIBHUTI YADAV The shops at Dilli Haat are soon going to be all empty. Due to high rent and almost negligible footfall, the shopkeepers are shifting from the Haat. After the usual pre-diwali Mela, the Haat again wears a deserted look. The shops are filled with glowing lanterns, scented candles, wooden handicrafts, a variety of flowers etc, but all their skills are getting wasted and they even find it difficult to run their households as there are hardly any customers to purchase their goods. The management of Dilli Haat has also hiked the rental of the shops, from Rs 250 to Rs 550 per day. When asked, Rajinder Singh a shopkeeper at the Haat, said, log toh bahut bargain kar lete hain, jitna daam batao uska aadha bhi karna padta hai kai kai baar (people tend to bargain a lot, sometimes we even have to sell the commodity at half the price). Shopkeeper at a stall in Delhi Haat, during the pre Diwali mela The major problems that the shopkeepers are facing is the increasing rental of shops, decreasing customers and the maintenance of their goods. On asking the profits he earns during festivals, he said, kabhi kabhi ho jata hai par vaise toh hamesha hi khali hi rehta hai, Diwali se teen din pehle bhi dekho koi nahi hai (sometimes the Haat is empty even three days before Diwali). All the members of his family are working and most of them are in this profession. His runs his shop with the help of his cousin and many of his relatives work under him in manufacturing the decorative items. When asked about his own Diwali preparation he said, kuch nahi kiya hai, bas saaf safai he huyi hai, ghar me meethai bhi nahi aayi hai madam (nothing except the cleaning has been done, even sweets haven t been arranged till now). Why men wearing pink are questioned about their masculinity? TANVI MISHRA Have you ever imagined blue as a feminine colour and pink masculine? Unlikely, because the world follows a simple rule, blue for the boys and pink for the girls. Wait a minute. Do colours need a gender? And if they do when did they become male and female. In the 1918 edition of Earnshaw s Infants Department, a trade publication, the colour pink is suited to men as it is more decisive and resolute whereas blue is for the women because it is subtle and graceful. Well, then pink was male and blue female once upon a time. When did the two colours swap their genders? PINK! The colour loved by all little girls world over, thanks to Walt Disney, who dressed up princesses in pretty shades of pink and the princes in dark and bold colours, making little ones believe all colours have a gender. Over the years, A colour that conveys a message larger than life cannot be demurred the gender dimension to colours has gained further ground. Carrying it in our subconscious minds, we question men and mock them when they wear pink. But we don t object to women wearing a colour tagged as masculine? Ms. Sakshi Virmani, a journalist, said, Men wearing pink shouldn t be questioned about their masculinity. One should have the confidence to wear any colour, it is about how you carry it. No colour is male or female. Colours didn t come with stickers, they were put by us humans. As time passed, every emotion got associated with a colour; black depicts anger, red shows love, green for peace and so on and so forth. This year s edition of Pinkathon, a marathon started by Milind Soman in 2012 to spread awareness among women to live fitter and healthier lives, became the subject of controversy when earlier this year women who took part in the marathon stood up against its nomenclature. We talk about giving wings to women but why do these wings come filled with a particular colour? Pooja Shrivastava, a feminist and a Facebook critic, wondered. Pink is yet another classification to personify femininity like bangles and vermillion. It has become a menace, added Pooja. But should the colour-gender link be so undesirable? Pink has been recognised as the official campaign colour for the breast awareness campaign by the WHO, which apparently sends a positive message worldwide. People have universally accepted this colour to promote a cause. Why was there no protest against it? Dibyajyoti Sarma, a journalist and creative writer, said, Commercialisation is the sole reason behind the uproar over Stereotypically portraying men in blue and women in pink pink being called a feminine colour. People failed to realise that the promotion of the colour was a mere marketing strategy and therefore, they accepted the forced fact that pink is a girls colour. He said that, in a country like India with its diverse cultures and customs, every state has its own colour to denote happiness and grief. Dibyajyoti took the example of Maharashtra, where women wear green. The colours change as customs and traditions change. During the Nazi regime, the masses were given different colours according to their class, the poor wore pink triangles and that did not mean they were less masculine, it was meant for only classification of the population. Again, in the Elizabethan era, the people who wore colour pink in their clothing, be it men or women were dictated to do so by English Law. The colour reflected their social standing. We can see two instances from two different eras using the same colour but in contrasting ways, Dibyajyoti said. A colour that conveys a message larger than life cannot be demurred. It holds a valid fight, expressed Mr. Dibyajyoti. Pooja said every woman demands an equal say in the decision-making process rather than being merely associated with a colour. The men are told not to express emotions openly and taught to dominate. Pink is becoming a taboo, Pooja said. Continued on page 3

2 2 Wheel spins for a brighter Diwali SHIVANSHI TOMER With colourful pots of all shapes and sizes properly lined up to catch the eye of the customer, Vishal Singh is all set for Diwali. Vishal recalls how pot making has been transferred from one generation to another in his family. Though people now resort to lightweight and machine-made pots, the beauty of handmade pots can t be matched, added Vishal. The whole family is engaged in the process, from making the pots to selling them. While, Kavita Singh, Vishal s wife, paints the pots, Reema, their nine-year-old daughter assists her grandma in arranging the pots for sale. Making pots is only an auxiliary business that starts just a month before Diwali. Vishal works in a plywood factory while Kavita assists in a boutique. Reema is a fourth grade student and likes vibrant coloured pots. Vishal is quite happy with the sale this year as people have boycotted Chinese products and are buying products made in India. He thanks Narendra Colourful pots of different shapes and sizes. Photo by: Shivanshi Tomer Modi for the Make In India campaign and Jan Dhan Yojana, which provided him enough funds to start the pot business. Right now he is thinking of expanding his business and becoming a full-time potter. Vishal is in his family business since past 14 years and from the past four years he has also started making diyas. The whole family divides the work, Vishal and his mother sell pots, while Kavita and her daughter sell diyas. Little Reema is the most enthusiastic as she talks about the importance of celebrating Diwali. She tells us how she was taught in school to just use clay diyas instead of LED lights. She is against crackers that make loud noise but likes fuljhadi. She also assists her family in painting the pots during her Diwali holidays. Kavita is the one with the creative streak in the family. She has also done a course in pot making and also comes up with innovative ideas to improve the traditional styles. She likes to go off the beaten path and always experiments with colours and shapes. She is keen to help her husband to grow their business. The education of her daughter is her priority. Kavita wants her daughter to live a better life than her. She wants Reema become a teacher when she grows up. Vishal recalls how he used to assist his father when he was a kid. He was fascinated by the spinning wheel which turned clay into beautiful shapes and Govt not helping potters survive AANCHAL SINGLA The sales of traditional art works are decreasing as people are switching to machine-made products. Today, people do not value the traditional art and so we don t get the reward for our hard work. Though our prices are always reasonable, people still complain and bargain, complained Bijhu, a craftsman selling diyas and other craft items for Diwali. People are no longer fond of these traditional items. It is only Diwali when we are able to earn some money. We do not have much work for the rest of the year. On Diwali as well, the sales are declining, he added. The market is full of fancy items. People are attracted towards them. They do not purchase the clay items anymore. It is very hard to survive in this industry. I will not make my kids work in this industry. The industry is not going to survive for more than ten years, he continued. Moreover, the work we do is very tough. A lot Woman potter creates magic VRINDA GOYAL Diya makers selling diyas at the roadside on Diwali eve. Photo by: Aanchal Singla of hard work is required and the reward is negligible compared to the efforts involved. Machines might help in the production process but at the same time it adds up to the problem. It s not only the high cost and electricity issues, but people often get electric shocks. The machines are not in good quality and In the lanes of Old Delhi, there are many artisans who sit all day long, in the hope of selling their products. After talking to one of them, one can figure out how difficult it is to make the product and convince the customer to buy it. Kheermai Sattu, a 42-year-old woman potter describes her work. She said she makes pots out of clay in various shapes and sizes. She makes unique pieces also as per the demand of the customer. Once she also participated in a Pottery Competition in Tamil Nadu and there one of her pots got selected for display in India International Art Meet. Her mother taught her how mitti is used and how different items are made out of it. She makes simple articles like a clay fish, designer pot, diyas, tree houses to complex and alluring articles like a huge seraphic picture hanging on a wall. Kheermai never thought she could take this skill to another level and achieve happiness and success out of it. She makes solid items of clay which can be used to adorn one s house. First she picks up good clay from the market which is soft and fine to be moulded in any shape. After this, the clay item is heated to make it hard and solid so that it does not break. Once the article gets in shape, it is painted accordingly. Before selling it to the customer, buttermilk is sprayed on the terra-cotta pot to prevent any moss or fungus from developing. The potter also said, sometimes she gets special orders in bulk which she has to send in at a specific time. She is happy about the fact that she has a few loyal customers who come to her often and buy her pots. Sometimes she also makes a few things for herself like a little clay statue of Lord Ganesha to keep in her home during Diwali. She enjoys working because she earns love and blessings from people while selling her articles and also because she does it out of her own will and not just a lineage. we cannot afford higher quality machines, he told. On being asked about the initiatives taken by the government, he explained, The government is not taking any steps to ensure a livelihood for us. They are not concerned about the industry. We need a place in the market so that we get customers. The ones who cannot afford shops have to sit on the roadside to sell their handicrafts. The government needs to arrange melas and exhibitions for handicrafts, at least at the time of festivals. This will not only solve our problem of arranging shops, but also increase our customers, he said. he decided to become a craftsman. Books never appealed to him, which is why he dropped out after class eight. The whole burden of the family came on Vishal s shoulders after his father s death. He then learnt pot making and expanded the business to ceramics too. Talking about the range of products, he shows different varieties with a twinkle in his eyes. The pot size ranges from very small to small, medium and large. Different sizes have their prices which vary according to the size, range from Rs Rs 5,000. He is excited for the Diwali sale this year and anticipates more customers as they have introduced more designs and shapes as compared to the previous year. GREATER NOIDA Plaster of Paris replacing environment-friendly mud REETI AGARWAL Different types of diyas. Photo by: Reeti Agarwal Pappu is the fourth generation diya maker in his family, but he is now worried about items made of Plaster of Paris taking over the market. He is against the use of PoP items because they are non-biodegradable. Mud is the purest substance, said Pappu. He believes that mud is more precious than gold, and talks about the benefits of mud. For example, people used to make mud houses to keep their homes cool or drank water in clay glasses rather than in plastic glasses. Even though mud has several benefits, people still prefer PoP because they are more polished, said Pappu. He further explains that items made of PoP are machine-made whereas items from mud are selfmade without any technology. Therefore they can t be given intricate designs. Items made of PoP are not the only threat to his work. Sale of chikani mitti, which he uses to make diyas and statues, has been banned by the government. This mud is extracted from the mountain river s bed. Because of environmental issues and excessive extraction in the past ten years, the government has banned its sale. If the sale of mud will stop, our work will end, says a dismal Pappu. He doesn t wish his children to follow this tradition. Traditions die with time; maybe it s time for mud items to end as well, believes Pappu. Creativity blossoms by the roadside ABHIMANYU SHARMA We probably see them every day on our way to colleges, offices or when our mother wants oil lamps. They sit by the roadside, selling handcrafted masterpieces made not just with passion but also with hope to sell enough oil lamps to buy a meal for the day. These are the people we look for when there s any festival - Holi, Navratra or Diwali to decorate our homes with their diyas or beautifully made pottery. They are who we know as roadside potters. One such roadside potter is Rajesh, who owns a stall surrounded by hundreds of pots in Kota, Rajasthan. Rajesh s family includes his wife and his four children. He is a second generation potter as his father Ram Kumar moved to Kota from Bundi. Rajesh is a 40-year-old man and has been in this profession for almost just as long. He used to work with his father when he was five and now he himself is a father and is helped by his wife Manju who brings his creations Pottery is not my passion but a family tradition VISHESH REDHU Sher Singh working on his wheel. Photo by: Vishesh Redhu Pot making is not my passion, it is my family tradition, says 25- year-old, Sher Singh, who belongs to the Kumhar community and is a resident of Jind district. He started making pots at the age of 15 when he was studying in class 8. He studied up to class 10 and then started making clay pots. Singh said that the business of pottery is mainly in the months of January-March and August-November. During Diwali days, he make 2,000 diyas, working 8-10 hours per day. He starts making diyas 15 days before Diwali. During summers, he makes gullakhs (coin banks), cups, plates and glasses. His annual income is about Rs 1,50,000; of which Rs 70,000 to 80,000 is used in buying the raw material for making clay pottery. He has four siblings three sisters and a brother. Despite having so many financial limitations, he helped his younger brother to carry on his studies, who is studying polytechnic from a private institute in Kethel. I was not good in studies but my younger brother has interest in studies. His annual fee is Rs 90,000 per year which is very hard to pay. I will help him study to the level he wishes to study, said Sher Singh. Looking at the condition of his house, he started working as a wood designer. He is able to earn Rs 50,000-60,000 per year. I have no pleasure in doing this work. This work is very frustrating for me but I have to do it for my family, said Sher Singh. Taking about his dreams, Sher Singh said I want to become a singer but never found any opportunity of converting my dreams into reality. My family never supported me to become a singer as they were not sure about my future. They wanted me to follow the old family tradition of making mud products. alive by her painting skills. They both had a love marriage. They have known each other since childhood and it is almost like they were meant to be together. Fighting with the odds which seem abnormally tough for them, they have struggled and survived so far. Their smiles make it seem as if they haven t let the circumstances took any toll on them; they are fighters. They are determined to give all of their children a better and brighter future and have never forced them to work against their will. Shiksha, the eldest of the four, does really good painting just like her mother and also helps her when she isn t studying. Harsh, the second child, is in seventh grade and wants to become a police officer when he grows up. He also owns a toy gun with which he practices catching criminals. I will be better than everyone at the training camp, he quoted excitedly stressing on the fact that he already knows how to catch thieves. Diwali seems to hold a very different meaning for Rajesh. Apart from new Rajesh making pots with hands. Photo by: Abhimanyu Sharma clothes, sweets or crackers, Diwali brings a source and an opportunity to probably earn a little more. To fulfill the increased demands of oil lamps and needs to work harder than other days. This selfless work, which some might refer to as a necessity, but Rajesh describes it as his love for the family and pots during Diwali, he hope for a better future. Handmade lanterns lighting homes this festive season Mahesh s stall with beautiful lanterns. Photo by: Kabeer Solanki KABEER LANKI Selling Diwali lights and handmade lanterns pays well only once a year and it is not enough for Mahesh s family of five which includes his wife, three sons and his brother-in-law. Even though his brotherin-law Rahul runs a separate business of selling newspapers in Chandni Chowk contributes to the family but still the family, it is only just enough to tide over for a month. Tears swell up in his eyes as Mahesh narrates his childhood: struggles has been a part of his journey since the beginning. Orphaned at a young age, Mahesh has had too many job to count. From working as a sewer cleaner to a craftsman, Mahesh has never had a day off. But then too he is not able to save enough for his family members. For a business that is productive only once a year, Mahesh has to selling CFLs and lighting solutions which does not attract many customers. This further worsens the financial stability of his household. The only time his business experiences notable footfall is during the Diwali. Even then customers haggle and pay Mahesh inadequately for the products they buy. Mahesh has only one objective: to provide proper education for his children, so that they do not have to go through what he did.

3 GREATER NOIDA 3 Mouth-watering makhan malai beckons you to Lucknow KRITIKA LALWANI Makhan malai a speciality of the city of Nawabs is a sweet dish made of milk and cream.brijesh Kashyp who is a makhan malai seller says, It is made only in Lucknow and is transported to other places. This desert is as light as air and melts and vanish as soon as it enters the mouth. It is only available in the winter season from October to March because of its secret element.kashyap says it takes about five hours to make makhan malai. The process starts with boiling of cow milk in a huge pan over a stove. After that fresh cream is added and the mixture of cream and milk is boiled again. After this, he leaves the mixture ATISHA GUPTA I m from that section of society which barely manages to make both ends meet, said Maya, a potter. She lives on the outskirts of Lucknow and does pottery part-time during Diwali. Maya does her pottery in the courtyard of her small hut. She said, I am a construction labourer but I do pottery during Diwali not just for extra money but also because my mother was a potter. I learned pottery from my mother when I was a kid. I learned it as a hobby but it is now helping me to earn a living. Maya got married at the to cool down.next day at 2 am he wakes up when the mixture has cooled down to add the secret element. He fills the mixture in a clay pot and hangs the pot under the winter sky for at least three hours.the secret element is the dew from the atmosphere.he churns the dew exposed milk for about two hours until the lather tender age of 18. Her husband was 13 years older to her and an alcoholic. He didn t have a job and it was his second marriage. He already had two daughters is formed with the help of mathani.further boils the mixture to make malai.after it he adds sugar, cardamom powder, yellow color, saffron,almonds,pistachios and lastly it is decorated with chandi ka work(silver coating). After this Kashyap on his motorcycle carries this makhan malai to Chowk where he puts up his stall with his other 10 to 15 co vendors. He covers his dish full of makhan malai with a big conical glass funnel.he says he sells approximately 15 kgs daily. He starts selling from 7 in the morning and almost within two to three hours his big bowl is all empty.the price of makhan malai prevailing in Lucknow is 360 Rs per kg. He says it is his Khandani business. His father Ram Saran, his grand father and his great grandfather all used to make and sell makhan malai. Another vendor of makhan malai says that he sells makhan malai in Chowk and his son on his bicycle carries a bucket full of makhan malai covered with a red cloth and goes from home to home to sell. Rajesh, a customer at Kashyap s stall says, I come here everday after my walk to have makhan malai, I even carry it home for my family. All of them love it.it s the lightest sweet you can ever have.anoher customer Shiv says, You try eating as much as you can it s so soft and light that your stomach will never give up. Even makhan malai reflects the culture of Lucknow as Lucknowapan. Making diyas for generations LAKSHAY KUMAR While it may only take three seconds to mould a diya, it takes an entire night for it to solidify. Anil Kumar Bansiwal, a potter from village Bajgheda in Gurugram, Haryana, does this every day. I make a thousand diyas in one day said Bansiwal. It is his family business of pottery and diya-making that drives his desire to do the job. Many might leave their family businesses in order to find variety and to realise a dream in their lives. Bansiwal, however, said that the business of pottery has been running in his family for over 400 years. He is the fifth generation Continued from Page 1 Not just women, but even men came out to tell stories of harassment from their childhood. Ramanuj Mitra had a story to tell. He talked about some incidents which could classify as an assault, but his only intent as a child of 11 was curiosity. When I understood the sexual differences between males and females, I recalled these incidents and realised that it could interpreted as a sexual encounter. In 2004, a 45-year-old relative abused me (he has a child and all, and is a doctor, so I am sure what he did was abuse). I am not Special makhan malai Photo by Kritika Lalwani of diya makers in his house and wants his to continue the family lineage. Festivities, especially Diwali, are always a great time to sell diyas, and Bansiwal looks forward to this year s celebrations because he believes that instead of the 60,000 diyas he usually sells in a week, he will sell more than 80,000 this time. This, he believes, will be due to the ban on Chinese firecrackers and products whose sales were abundant in the markets everywhere. Due to the time it takes for him to make diyas, Bansiwal has to start working on his diyas at least two months before the Diwali season in order to make asking for sympathy here, but just want to know that if you felt the same as I did, then I am really sorry. Also, I don t want to be anyone s apple of the eye or be respected by others by hiding facts about my life, he wrote in his post. the required number of units. My son is young right now so he cannot help me enough. I work alone to make these diyas, said the tired man. Selling his diyas at an absolute minimum of 40 paisa per diya, Bansiwal also has to haggle with customers over the price. They don t understand the amount of work that goes in the making, were his words. He added that the people want good quality but don t want to pay higher price for anything. While he makes six different types of diyas, Bansiwal said that people generally buy the simple and small diya and only some take the fancy approach Continued from Page 1 Mr 2-in-1 has a special affinity towards black and white. He said I ask one simple question, How did you start your academics? after a pause he continued Nobody is able to answer this question correctly. 2 in 1 says with slate and chalk is the right answer; I am trying to remind people of the two basic things which laid the foundation of their lives. This is why my first attire and Chotu are black and white. He has seven scooters, all painted in two colours. Every morning he chooses the ride that matches the and buy the big deepak. He said he sells upwards of 800 diyas a day in the festive season. Every customer buys at least 21 diyas from me. This is because of the customs that people follow that you need to light at least 21 diyas in your homes on Diwali otherwise it is a bad omen. Because selling diyas cannot be a sustainable business round the year, Bansiwal also works as an air conditioner repair mechanic. His alternative career takes centre-stage during the summer months of May and June when air conditioner sales go up and many people face problems due to prolonged use of their products. from her first wife and then had another from Maya. Maya was not just taking care of her daughter but also of her step-daughters. One fine day, her husband Mukesh went out in search of work. Maya was happy and thought that finally she would get some financial support from her husband as well. She said, It s been seven years since he left but he has still not returned. I have no idea if he is dead or alive. All I know is I have three kids and my mother-in-law to take care of. Maya has been working day and night single-handedly to provide for her kids and to ensure a secure future for them. Maya said, I am not a construction labourer by choice. It s the only thing I can do. She said she was married when she was young and had received almost zero education because of her parents poor financial condition. Construction labor may not be her choice, but pottery is. Maya was always fascinated by the smell of wet mud, so she decided to make different kinds of pots. She is in love with the different kinds of pots that she creates. Maya said, The way I can mould clay to create whatever I feel like, I wish, I could do the same with my life as well. Handmade fails, Chinese prevails ANUKRITI KANDPAL It has become hard for Sanjay as the candle industry is in danger of being snuffed out. In his 50 years of making handmade candles the sales now have dampened as the competition has increased not only from the local vendors but from the Chinese candles too. The sales have fallen by 90 percent now, said Sanjay. Sanjay learned the art of making candles from his father. The temperature at which the candle is made, how to give it different shapes. When his father died in 1995, he continued the business started by him Sanjay s father started the first candle shop, Anil Candles in Nainital 1970s when Sanjay was 20 years old. His father imported machines from Germany SHIVANSHI TOMER From Kaju katlis to barfis, gulab jamuns to sohan papdi, ladoos to milk cakes, one can see a plethora of sweets all around the market when it is diwali time. Sweets have always remained an integral part of diwali celebration. Despite the popularity of fancy chocolates, cakes and cookies wrapped in attractive wrappings, sweets are something which have not lost their limelight. Diwali happens to be the only festival which Hindus celebrate with great pomp and show. The festival which symbolizes victory of truth over evil and celebrates Lord Ram 39s homecoming which cannot be celebrated without sweets. People are somewhere connected to traditional sweets morally as it is something which is bought first of all when something good happens. A month before Diwali sweet shops are loaded with sweets of all shapes and sizes which are itself a treat to the eyes. People flock in large numbers to buy sweets to exchange with friends and family. Diwali is probably the best time to catch up with friends and a box of sweet adds more warmth to it. Sweets like RIDDHI DWIWEDI Mahesh sells diyas and products like karwa pots on festivals but finds it difficult to make both ends meet. He has to work as a labourer in the off-festival season to support his family. My eldest daugher studies in tenth grade and I am not able to pay her registration fees. I ve talked to her principal to allow me to pay the registration fees after Diwali. I am hoping for better sales so that I will be able to pay her board s registration fees on time, said Mahesh. Mahesh, a resident of Piavali village, near Dadri, started making diyas and to start the business. They used to get the raw material in their quota from the government, which used to cost them Rs less for each bag, at that time. Sanjay said, We used to sell candles at a nominal price, which did not yield much profit. A few more candle shops opened after them. The first candles they used to sell were of the taper and spiral variety, which used to come in varied sizes and colours. Taper are candles thin on the top and thick in the Kaju Katli, Patisa and Gulab jamun are the top selling sweets this year, says Bikaner sweet shop owner Mr. Gopal Aggarwal. We offer over 200 varities of sweets made with pure desi ghee, he added. The variety in the sweet shop ranges from tardtional sweets to fussion sweets. Mr. Aggarwal takes care that the they maintain a standard of their sweets by making them purely unadulterated. We expect more customers this year as the number of customers is constantly increasing pots at the age of eight with his father and grandfather. Now he buys all the stuff he sells like diyas, karwas from village locals and then sells them in the city market. He bottom, it burns for about 7 hours. The local people and the tourists were attracted by the candles. That was the time when Nainital was not that famous, so we used to write Nainital on all our candle boxes, thereby enabling more people came to know about Nainital, said Sanjay. Slowly through the years Nainital became known for its candles. Sanjay and his father had a goodwill in the small-scale industry for their candles. each year, he added. Talking about the best sweet in his shop, he proudly shows the different variety of Kaju Katli available. More than 10 variants of the same sweet could be seen lined up beautifully on the shelf. " It has been an age old tradition to buy Kaju katli on Diwali which makes it the best selling sweet of the season said Aggarwal. We are always worried about the adulteration in sweets but the quality this shop delivers is unmatchable which makes us their stopped making diyas himself on the chaak (potter s wheel) after his grandfather passed away, due to insufficient time. Sometimes the items he purchases break due to transportation as they are made up of clay. Other than diyas with various designs and karwa pots he also sells bandanwars, chokras, and other decorations at his outlet.he and his family work together during the festive season to make good use of time. We all work together but still there are many problems like that of price, breaking of our stuff since it is mostly made of clay, said Mahesh. Talking about his sales he Sanjay faced a difficulty when the government stopped the quota system in 1998 and everyone got the raw material in the same price. Many new people got into the industry. The new people used to make the wax of different quality which decreased the worth of the product but made it cheaper. Sanjay maintained the quality of the product but his price was higher than the others. The main drawback in their business was their making the candles by hand that of China got new machines which made it very easy to manufacture fast and easily. That was a misfortune for the small industry of Nainital. All their customers were stolen by the less costly and more attractive candles. Diwali incomplete without sweets colour of his clothes. Mr 2-in-1 regularly sends out greetings to his fans. He said, One message I want to spread across the world is there is not just one God but two. They are one s parents. Mr 2-in-1 is very religious and popular. Although strangers mock him every day, Mr 2-in-1 is not upset. It s all about how one reacts to it. A lot of people appreciate the work I am doing so, I do not pay attention to the negatives. He concluded with a Hindi song, Jo muskurahat tumhe de raha hu, wo muskurahat tum sabhi ko dena. Jin nazro se tumhe dekhta hu, unhe nazro se sabhi ko dekhna (Pass on my smiles to the people you meet Also share my worldview with as many people as you can) Continued from Page 1 The use of pink by girls only, is deeply ingrained in the minds of the people restricting them to sport the colour. One cannot talk about equality if feminism rules the minds of the stakeholders of the world, Sakshi said. Sumedha Iyer, president of People for Animals (PFA), who was a part of Pinkathon, was also upset with the nomenclature of the marathon. She said, We were running with the motive of empowerment and it cannot be categorised into a colour. We regular customer said a customer. Another customer who bought 2 kgs of Kaju katli describes how she buys the sweet specially for her children as they really relish it. We also buy sohan papdi to exchange with friends and family, she added. The festival of light has its own importance in everyone& 39s life. While some celebrate it by bursting crackers and contributing to the already high levels of pollutions while some celebrate it by lighting earthen diyas and candles. Worker for survival, potter by choice Potters feel the pinch of falling sales Maya. Photo by Atisha The voice of victims The 2-in-1 man of Ranchi 2-in-1 with his entire family Sanjay in his shop, Anil Candles Photo by Anukriti Kandpal Colourful sweets adding flavours to diwali. Photo by Shivanshi Tomer Mahesh and his pots Photo by Riddhi said, Our sales are nearly Rs.6,000-8,000 during the festive season, but our profit is around Rs.2,000. Mahesh misses his life as a potter. I want to go back to my life as a potter. Due to lack of time and more responsibilities I had to do other jobs to support my family. I will get back to making clay items next year. Manju, 46, another artisan also has the same problem. She says, Me and my husband both are potters. Our earnings peak during Diwali because people have to buy diyas in the festival of lights but after that we have to find other sources to supplement income. Why men in pink are considered feminine are not restricted to colours anymore, ladies wear khaki, green and white as police and army officers and pilots respectively. Sumedha wanted the marathon to be called Powerathon, since women are a major power of the country.

4 4 Future of stand-up comedy is bright ADITI GIRI It s difficult to stand alone on stage, tell jokes and rant on a current topic at times, but when an 18 year old introvert does that, it becomes interesting. Being a stand up comedian as well as a writer, Sarthak Patil has made a name for himself in Nagpur. He even directed a short film on YouTube, I hope there are people like me, which has won many hearts. I ve always wanted to make people laugh, since my childhood days but whenever I tried being funny, my jokes felt flat, says Sarthak when he shared the reason of choosing this profession. His first big opportunity came at an Open Mic in Nagpur where he was given a chance to prove himself at a big platform. It is rare when comedy succeeds in Nagpur, says this budding comedian as this was a major turning point in his life. Eventually the comedian within him took birth with more open mics and performances. With strong support from his family and friends, he improved with every performance. Now he performs almost every month, winning millions of hearts in the city. Constructive criticism, has helped me in improving my matter and content says Sarthak, who is always trying to make himself better. A self confessed word addict, Sarthak talks about every topic under the sun, as he explains Taking Indian culture, craft overseas MUSKAAN JAIN A craftsperson, Neeraj, 23, is planning to establish a market for Indian cultural handicrafts outside India. He wants to promote traditional mural art and sculpture. He is planning to go to Canada possibly by June He said, I m in touch with some people in Canada with whose help I will go there and sell my work. I ve planned to go to Canada because it can provide a great kickstart. There are many Indians over there and I ve noticed that they are interested in colourful craftwork. Currently, his work is put up for exhibition there. He is self-taught and never took any training for this art from anyone. He makes many kinds of craft work including wedding packing, puppet making, clay moulding, face-painting, sculptures, wooden and handmade jewellery etc. He designs his items according to different themes like Diwali decorations, wedding, Jaipuri or Rajputi styles etc. He can make a puppet in about 15 minutes and can teach the making of the same within half an hour. His sculptures are made of clay obtained from molten paper. Neeraj also has membership in the khadi mela for which he makes handicrafts. He also hold exhibitions in Pragati Maidan, Delhi where he conducts workshops for the same too. He can copy anything made from iron or wood etc. into clay free-handedly. He once got a prize for the same which he says encouraged him to convert his hobby into his job. He can make articles on-the-spot for customers in a few minutes. He is doing this craftwork for the past eight years as a freelancer. He worked as a special educator for the Tapovan trust where he taught daily chores and provided vocational training to mentally retarded children and children with conditions like thalassemia. He taught them making candles, notebooks, chalks etc. He has completed his MA in fine arts and has taught craft to more than 2,000 college students. He is currently teaching fine arts in a local school on a monthly salary of Rs. 22,000 and is also giving craft making classes to people including NGO children too. He said, I cannot do craftwork in boundations. So, I only do freelancing. He works for hours a day. Also, he said that when he has to work with the same colours for a long time, it makes him phobic to those colours as he cannot let out the specific colour from his mind which makes it difficult for him to visualise a good colour contrast. about his writing style, I first decide the ending of my story, and then write it from the bottom. He adds up saying how ideas pop up in his mind at the most unexpected times. Don t pretend to be something you are not, find yourself through your own created path says Sarthakwho has recently written a short story on WordPress, which has inspired other aspiring writers with his language. Presently, he is an engineering student, working vigorously towards his dream and passion. 19-yr-old girl doesn t want money for her art MANYA KASHYAP I believe everything happens for a reason, be it good or bad. Life hardly turns out the way we expect it to, believes 19 year- old, Rani Bauri. Rani was born and brought up in Dhanbad. She now lives with a family in Lucknow and sells paper accessories. My father is a labourer and we re financially weak. I came here in 2008 when I was 10 years old. In the beginning it felt really bad as I was very young but got used to it slowly. Her interest has always been towards arts. Before making paper accessories she used to make paintings and mehandi designs. She joined a summer workshop in KK Academy in Lucknow held for underprivileged children. It s a one month workshop where they teach you how to paint and make things. The duration of the workshop is 3 hours per day. It s been two years since she has been making paper accessories. She gets ideas from day to day materials. I put exhibitions in KK Academy and even in the apartment where I live and work. People appreciate my work and often come to my home to take earrings, diyas and envelopes. What sets me apart from other people making the same material is I love what I do and I don t do it for money. There are days when there is high demand and good sale but sometimes there are days when there is no sale at all. She takes all the products to her home town and sells it there. She keeps the prices very low so that everybody can buy it. She has learnt all the skills from her teacher and she said, My ma am, who taught me this art is deaf still such a great teacher. She is a positive soul and I want to be like her once I grow up. A lot of people have asked her to sell her products to a local accessory shop so that she could earn decent money but she s happy with whatever she s doing. Carpentry is a mathematical art form ASHISH SINGH A good carpenter and a wood worker is one who can easily solve mathematical problems, said Chaman Lal Gupta, a carpenter who has a shop in Kirti Nagar. Chaman lal with an experience of 26 years is from Jaunpur city, Uttar Pradesh. He studied till class 12th and has a broad knowledge of constructing buildings, tools, techniques, equipment, materials and most importantly safety. I can help builders AKSHARA NAIR Vilji Bhai A.S Kamlia, is a tailor who comes from Saurashtra, Gujarat. He has been in the tailoring business for the past thirty-five years. His store, Jyotalika Tailors has been running in Mumbai for the past twenty-five years. Vilji Bhai s parents were farmers and couldn t afford to spend more money on his education, so he had to drop schooling in eighth grade. He didn t want to become a farmer like his to understand blueprints and instructions too gupta added. He works alone as his team of 6 employees who used to work with him and help each other left his shop for better job opportunities. Sarthak performing stand-up at Stint Studio CoWorking, Nagpur. Photo by Aditi Giri Earrings, envelopes made by quilling. Photo by Manya Kashyap. I would love to work with my team, but they are not with me now He won a regional creative award in Jaunpur in 2013 for making an innovative study table. He knows how to use all the equipment such as drills, saws, planers etc and his main job is to install and repair windows, doors and cabinets for kitchens and bathrooms. My father worked in a wood factory for several years and carpentry is our family occupation now and we are known for this work, he said. He believes that his confidence and decision-making ability is strong, and he rarely makes mistakes. Now I had to do everything alone which increases the workload on me. Said he. He had worked in almost every sector of industry such as transport and glass industry and believes one can learn from their experience. He is currently working in Ramprastha Greens society in Vaishali. His favourite type of wood is Sangwan which is also known as teak wood which is best for making doors and windows as it is durable, needs low maintenance and is termite resistant. According to gupta It is hard to make a living from carpentry. Interestingly his shop remains closed in August because once he faced a huge loss of 20 lakh rupees due to excessive rain. His order which was ready and about to be delivered was destroyed by rain. After that huge loss he pledged that he will not work in rainy season instead he will go to his hometown to meet his parents and wife, spend time with them. Stitching dreams from Gujarat to Mumbai Vilji s botique: Jyotalika Tailors in Mumbai. Photo by Akshara Nair Face painting by Neeraj. Photo by Muskaan Jain parents so, he found himself stitching clothes. Initially he found it difficult and was about to give this dream as well but his parents were really supportive and encouraged him to continue. He then decided to move to Mumbai and try his luck there. He found a place where he could start his shop which is now below Indraprastha Apartments in Malad. He only stitches Punjabi clothes like Salwar Kameez and Churidar and Kurti. When asked for how much does he charge for stitching clothes he said that, If I am asked to stitch a kurti it would be around 120 rupees and if its suit 220 rupees. If it s a lining for a cloth then its 420 rupees which includes the price of the lining cloth. He isn t worried about his future but he awaits for what the future has to give him. His children and wife also help him in his shop. Vilji Bhai also said that his children like stitching clothes and helping him. Spreading sparkles of happiness with diyas Vaibhav moulding diyas out of clay. Photo by Lalit Dhawan LALIT DHAWAN Vaibhav 17, works really hard with his family to run this diya making business and manages his studies as well. To earn a living the whole family works hard. Diwali is the only festival for these diya makers to make some profits. Usually they have their own machines at their homes to manufacture products such as diyas,chirags,piggy banks,pots and some statues but during the festival time they even import some products from Jaipur vendors as their business gets quite vast during some festivals like Durga puja, Navratri and most importantly Diwali. Diwali helps them to increase their daily wages and helps them to make some profits. Usually they earn around Rs.1,500-2,000 per day but during diwali time their sales go higher to Rs.10,000-15,000/day. It is the only time for them to earn some profits and do some savings. For Rs. 20 they sell 25 diyas. Since these items are delicate they face difficulty in transporting them. Diyas are damaged, sometimes even the weather creates problem for them and sometimes they even get electric shocks and burn themselves. Last year Vaibhav lost his grandfather while working with machines due to an electric shock. According to the needs and wants of the consumer they even colour the items accordingly. They colour them on their own and they do it so beautifully showing their creativity. GREATER NOIDA October 27, 2017 Diwali through the eyes of diya makers is the festival of savings and earnings. It is the only time when they try to make some profits at the time of festivals. They even make some beautiful statues of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Laxmi on the occasion of Diwali.Ixn spite of facing such hardships they still manage to live a contented life with what they have. Though they have a lot of competition now, each and every potter have their own skills. Some have their manufacturing units at their home and others who have been in this profession for a long time. These people still manage to live in unfurnished temporary houses(kacha houses) no matter what the weather might be. My passion is my future VIBHUTI BHARTI Virender Verma, an artist who started making his first drawing with the help of leaves now is a drawing teacher in St. Theresas Convent School, Karnal. While explaining his life Virender said that when he decided to choose drawing as his career, his father believed that it won t take him anywhere. Only his teachers helped him to grow his carrier over there, his interest in this field make his dream come true. Virender started drawing in 10th grade, his first drawing was of a leafy hut which he made in an art and craft competition. He got first prize for that which inspired him a lot to go further in this line. He completed his graduation and then stepped into the world of artists and decided to make his carrier in this field, then his continues practice made him successful. He is now a professional from last 10 years and also a guide for NATA, BFA and Fine Arts exams. While drawing Virender prefer to sing songs which relaxes him. Songs and Drawing are directly connected with each other. Songs help me to concentrate on my drawings, it help my mind to stay fresh. Virender said. Making drawing is very interesting passion but everyone would not be able to do so until unless one would not attach his feelings with it, he said. Drawing was the only passion of Virender into which he found his future. The only thing his believe throughout his life till now is, Where there is a will there is a way. Selling diyas, a way of survival for many homes NIKHIL NAIR Lali Devi, a 70 yr old woman, living in Mahil Nagar in west Delhi with a family of six. She sells all types of Diyas for a living with the help of her family. These diyas are mostly bought during festive occasions such as Diwali, karva chauth etc. This is their family business, their son and daughter also contribute by helping them in painting the pots. They Virendra sketching. Photo by Vibhuti Bharti showed the process of making of pots and making colours. They used to make pots by hand but now they buy pots from Ahmednagar that get delivered to Delhi.They always look for a way which helps them to make there shipment of pots more cheaper. Her family then collecting paint the diyas with a mixture of glue and colour. They also look for cost efficient delivery methods. On an a average, they are able to make 100 diyas in half an hour. These diyas are sold during the festive season. The unsold diyas are then stored until the next sale. Other than that, Bali devi s family also runs a small grocery store, close to their house. Her son Lali Devi s kids helping her in her business by colouring the diyas. Photo by Nikhil Nair. handles the shop while she sells the diya s. With this they run their household and meet their needs.they are happy with there work and are living a happy life.

5 GREATER NOIDA October, Stay positive and work hard MUSKAN BABUTA Our work is all about playing with different colours but if people will look into our life they would understand that our life is full of struggle says 35 year old Ghulfam Khan, a white washer. Ghulfam khan is in this profession for the past 20 years. Ghulfam Khan came to Delhi to learn the work of gas welding but he was not interested in that work so he left that work and with the help of his father s friend he came into the white washing profession. While Ghulfam Khan is working in Delhi, his entire family is in Bihar. He said that living away from his wife, children and parents is very difficult task but he doesn t have a choice. Gulfam is the father of two children and further he wants them to study and not to struggle in their life. He said that I don t want my children to struggle, I even don t want them to become a doctor or a lawyer. I just want them to be successful in life. Ghulfam Khan is physically disabled his left leg is very weak. One year ago his left ankle s nerve got hurt so after that he was not even able to walk properly, he face problems when there is bulidng at hight to be paint but still then he says that I am strong enough to handle my problems. I know that my leg is weak but I will work because I know that hard work pays. He even said that his strength and weakness is hard work and further he will make sure that his children will also learn the lesson of hard work. He said that after having the leg problem people started demotivating him, they use to say that he wont be able paint as to paint the ceiling, one needs to climb up the stairs or stools, so he won t be getting any work but he said, I am strong enough to fight against all these situations he even added to his lines that these up s and down s are the part of life. Khan spoke highly of his customers. Some of his customers are so kind that they even give them proper food including lunch and tea - biscuits to eat. However, some are so rude that they even refuse to give them a glass of water and ask them to bring their own water bottle. Many behave very rudely and pay less than what was decided. But he also said out of 100 people there are few such kind of people. He exclaimed that it is very unethical of people not to pay the amount of money they promised. But some people are so generous that they even give extra money and even sweets and gifts during festiv seasons. Khan is undeterred by all this and follows his matra of staying positive and working hard. Hobby became his career PARKHI RAWAT Ghulfam Khan Photo by Muskan Babuta I choose my happiness over my education qualifications, said Mahinder Singh, a craftsperson. He did his MA from Radhe Hari Degree College, Kashipur. After completing his MA he realised that he never wanted to do a job so thinking of bright future, Mahinder started his own business by opening a framing shop. It was my passion which made me decide my work. No work is big or small in this world. Only one thing that matters in my life is satisfaction which I always get from my work. Mahinder says that whatever he is now just because of his wife Rinki Singh who supported him in every phase of his life. She also helps him in his business. His family consists of his son, wife, mother and one sister. We are common people living below poverty line. Our government needs to look into our problems. Our problems are related to livelihoods, health and safety of our family members, Mahinder said. Mahinder charges Rs 500 for each framing. There are different sizes of frames. All these frames are of different colours, textures and designs. Sometimes he makes frames on his own but mostly he orders frames from big cities like New Delhi, Lucknow and Jaipur. He is an ideal example of the hardships these local craftsmen are facing. Sometimes Internet also helps me in coping up with the competition and to choose thousands of frames online. Mahinder always completes his work on time. His creativity and obsession makes his work unique from other frame makers in the city says Hardeep Kaur Seedha, Mahinder s customer. I feel blessed. I m very happy and proud of my work said Mahinder. The hands of a craftsman enngaged in his craft is always pure Photo by Parkhi Rawat Busy from Puja to Diwali No big school for this jeweller, he s a self-taught designer from Dausa UMYA SRIVASTAVA It takes between 1-2 days to complete a single Vinod Khandelwal, a 35 year old, artisan hails from Dausa, a small district in Rajasthan. He is a jewellery designer and has made many designs from beads, semi precious stones and precious stone. He belongs to a place where people decide their career on the basis of their ornament depending on the style of jewelery. These handicrafts, traditionally made by the rural artisans radiates a charm of their own that has been long admired by the world, this tradition has been there since his ancestors and he believes in following his traditional path which brings him horoscope. At the age of nine, he started his journey closer to his birthplace. Exquisite beads on display Photos by Soumya Srivastava in the line of jewel- lery making. He is his own master. He learned these It is important to keep these traditions alive because mainly throughout and origin is visible. He agrees to teach them only after observing the interest techniques throughout the years it has promoted of the person. It de- the years of experience by working at different places. He has worked at emerald industries and suppliers of color stones to acquire the skills in recognizing types of semi precious and precious stones and later on cutting and polishing them to make it fit for use in jewellery. employment for women and provided them a sense of courage and confidence to come out of their houses and contribute to work instead of spending their life in the gloominess of their homes, he said. He was born in the times where passion and dedication was the key pends on the capacity and stamina of the person and what conditions they can work with. There is never not a place for whoever Vinod selling quartz choker to a customer Chinese lights still an option The statues of Indian God and Goddesses for Diwali sale Photo by Mansi Jain MANSI JAIN Gautam, 15, is struggling hard to earn a living for his family. He deals with handmade diyas, statues of Gods and Goddesses, piggy banks and pots. He and his family first make the goods using clay and then hand paint them before putting them on sale. The 15 year old boy reaches beyond his capabilities to support his family. Their peak business time is during the Diwali season, when all the people buy diyas and statues to decorate their houses. But this season, Gautam and his family kept on waiting for the retailers for Diwali orders but very few turned up. Normally, Diwali sales are worth Rs , but this year it came down to Rs 8000 to Rs The reason for his is the shift to Chinese products. He said, Chinese products are choking my business. People nowadays prefer buying Chinese diyas and candles instead of earthen goods because Chinese goods look more attractive and cheaper. Some people also avoid buying earthen goods because of leakage problems and Chinese products seem a convenient option money in this business decreasing over the past years. Earlier, the problems faced by the craftsmen was only the damages but now they have to compete with the Chinese goods market. Now Guatam plans to come up with new creative ideas to meet the Chinese challenge. to success in the industry. Looking back at those years and comparing them with the present time, he feels that current generation lack patience and concentration, has anger management issues, poor judgment of decisions and is fast working but this traditional form of jewellery making requires time and patience or the industry will lose its value. Being an experienced artisan himself, he has taught many beginners the skills on how to make a good craft. The beauty of good jewellery is seen when the maker hasn t disturbed the nature of the gemstones, Keep it real, he added. All the variety of gems for the design should be natural so that the true price approaches him, be it less stamina or more. There is always a place for whoever is willing to do the job. He feels that passing on this tradition will keep alive the beautifull history and culture of Rajasthan. Passionate about woodwork MEGHNA PUSHPAM I ve been working here for pthe sast seven years now and ever since I started with the work of making furniture I have only worked for this shop, Apna Furniture, said Shan Mirza. He works in a local furniture house and makes all types of furniture, beds, sofa sets, or dressing table. He s been working since the age of 22 along with his younger brother Javed Mirza. Both of them work as a duo, where the elder one makes furniture the younger one polishes it and gives it a final touch. They both have been working from a very early age since they both got married at the age of 21. In order to support and expand their family it was important to work. Shan said, We have a big family to take care of, on top of that our elder brother can t work ever since he met with an accident. He lost both his legs in that. It was a hit-andrun case. Both the brothers had taken the responsibility to support their eldest brother s family as well. They work really hard in order to make a perfect piece of Vinod making a choker from pink quartz furniture. They don t work on salary basis but are paid according to the number of fully furnished furniture they make. Since it s Diwali time they have a lot of work. Javed said, Diwali is the time we get the maximum number of orders and monsoon is the time we get the least. While Javed said that he Bad luck kicked in and my dream of building a home was dashed was content with his work Shan dreams of having his own furniture house. Shan wants to be his own boss and wants to do something of his own. Javed said, The fact that someone after having a tiring day at work surrenders himself to sleep on the very bed that I have polished gives me a sense of satisfaction. I feel as if I have contributed to someone s peace of mind. 5 Whereas his elder brother, Shan, still has this feeling that no matter how hard he works, fortune never takes his side. He said, I was collecting money to have my own furniture house but as I said misfortune kicked in and my brother met with an accident. He had to be taken care of and I contributed all the money I had for his treatment. He added, I don t regret having paid for his treatment but I feel if I had already opened my furniture house then all this could have been managed way more easily than it was. That s why I say fortune never takes my side but I have still not given up hope. Things sure are not easy as they work all day long and what they receive is barely enough to meet the daily necessities. Shan said, We both together earn Rs40,000 at max. This figure is also achieved only when it s Diwali or the wedding season. Where the younger one is content, the elder one dreams for more. But something they have in common is the fact that they love making furniture. Shopkeeper selling his Ganesh and Lakshmi idols Photo by Tejus Kishore TEJUS KISHORE The Diwali season is just round the corner and everyone is busy with their festive shopping. It s a tradition in Hindu families to change their Lakshmi-Ganesh idols every Diwali so they can buy a fresh pair for their homes. I take a peek into the life of an idol-maker living in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, earning his livelihood through his craft. Here is the conversation with him, while taking a tour of his workshop. Q. When did you start making clay idols? A. I was eight years old, when I started helping my father in his work. He was the real artist of the family and due to our weak financial conditions I too, started at a very young age. Q. How long did it take you to get comfortable in this craft? A. My father made me practice for three years before I could even touch anything that is going to sold. Q. Is there anyone else in your family who knows this craft? A. No. After they father passed, I was the only one left whom he had taught this craft. Since then, I m running this business quite by myself. Q. What are the minimum required things to get started in this craft? A. Mostly all the work is done by hand here so one doesn t need any particular tool when starting to learn this craft. First, you need is the correct type of clay which you can find near small water-bodies like lakes and ponds. You have to dig at least 5-6 feet. below the surface to get the perfect soil. Next, comes all the raw materials to give the clay that perfect density and volume like hay, bamboo-shavings etc. Q. What kind of competition do you face? A. A lot. Competition is fierce in this market. During festive seasons, one market can have hundreds of idol shops, each one selling some new designs or sizes. We have to start working six months in advance. Q. Why did you choose to open your shop at this location? A. This location is the hub of the Diwali-shopping-market. All the major idols from 6 inches to 6 feet are sold here and my workshop is also just nearby so there is not much fuss about the transportation too. Q. Do you keep your business open through out the year? A. The nature of this business is mostly season-based. There are normally three major seasons in a year for this business. Clay pottery not child s play AKANKSHA YADHAV Clay pottery is one of the most beautiful and toughest jobs. It is one of the oldest forms of art. Using clay and making different pots, vessels of different shapes and sizes with it is the art of pottery. The pricing of these pots and diyas is not that much compared to the hard work which is required to make them, so selling in quantity gives us sufficient earning, said Rajjan Prajapati, a clay potter in Jhansi. Prajapati said that he is working in this pottery profession for the last 25 years. When he asked that how he got into this profession, he simply answered, I am from potter s family. I learnt this work from my father and grandfather. Nowadays the sales have come down. We hardly sell hundred pots now. Earlier we used to sell five hundred to six hundred pots, said Prajapati. He said that the earthen vessels are used by people to keep water during summer season. Earthen vessels are in high demand during summer season because they are natural refrigerators. Water kept in the vessels has muddy taste and remains cool in summer. I make hundreds of pots and vessels from raw clay, of different shapes and sizes. My wife also helps me in this work.we take different varieties of clay and mix them to get the proper homogenous mud which is used in pottery. We make six seven different sizes -the smallest priced at Rs 20 and the biggest we sell for Rs My wife is very good in colouring so she paints the pots because the customers are attracted easily by the colours and designs, said Prajapati. Talking about the making of pots, Prajapati said that the bottom of the pot has to be perfectly round. The circumference of the pot and the neck of the pot should be proportional so that the pot sits pretty on the ground. Prajapati is feeling the pinch from Chinese goods invading the marker. He said, Earlier, we made around Rs 2500 per month and in Diwali and Dussehra season, we made around Rs But now with so many Chinese products available it s very difficult to make Rs 4,000 even during the festive season. Those products are more expensive than our products still people are buying those Chinese products. God leads my life DAKSH GOGIA Yassir Mustaq, a 55-yearold man who works with his son and colleagues on a contractual basis. They are doing famous Calcutta embroidery on sarees and suits in a very artistic ways and supplies to various states. Mustaq belongs to West Bengal. He has been in this profession for 35 years. He started this work at the age of 15 with his guruji in West Bengal. He shifted to Delhi for earning better livelihood. Working in a different region and with a different language is not an easy task. Mustaq bought his first house in Chandni Chowk. He worked there for 6 months and then shifted to Nangloi village. He always had faith in himself. He is supplying his material to other states. He is a self-made person. Every month he earns around Rs15,000. He is the only permanent worker in his family. His wife works as a maid in several houses of the locality and earns around Rs15,000-20,000. The entire Mustaq family has good reputation in the society. He said, Khuda always gives me strength to face the obstacles in life and makes me a strong man. Yassir Mustaq at work Photo by Daksh Gogia

6 6 VAIBHAVI GHOSH Khaleesi Komi enjoys her massive fifty-six-year career as a master potter. Born to Rajasthani parents in Kutch, Gujarat she escaped the ordinary and came to the city of Mehsana where she began her career at the age of 10. She lost her parents in an accident at the age of 12, and reluctantly took up the responsibility of rearing her younger brother and immigrated to Mehsana to her grandmother in the year Throughout her lengthy career she followed one rule, If there is any way you can make your piece of artwork any better, then do so. Meri dadimaa hi meri bhagwaan hai, mujhe bhagwaan mein vishwaas nai hai but meri dadimaa ne mujhe khada kiya aur unki vajahse mein jo aaj ho unki kripya hai, said Khaleesi with tears flowing down her cheeks. At the age of 62, she is still energetic about the job she is doing and puts in all of her effort. She has mastered various techniques and has created over a hundred forms. I come here every Diwali to buy diya s and a few decorative pots for authentic and unique looks. The trust and bond between me and her has been strong since the past few years, said Palak Desai, a regular customer. She learnt the skills of pottery from her grandma, and gained expertise. She lost her grandma at the age of 24, that was when she was about to get married. Her betrothed denied to get married and insulted her saying that she has no family, hence she would not know what a family is. Emotionally drained and exhausted, Khaleesi stood up along with the support of her brother and began classes for young kids for pottery and earned her living. The students back then focused on the process of making and gained knowledge and skills instead of finishing the product. The rest of her life, till today she focuses on creating pieces varying from teapots to vases and tiles which are distinctly designed. What is so unique about Khaleesi is that she is known for her earth-coloured, eco-friendly and semimatte ceramics. She has also travelled to countries like Bhutan and Nepal and held exhibitions and also won two awards for her pottery along with a recognition award from Gujarat tourism. All her artworks display exceptional professionalism. Going through the hardships, and tackling life every single day, her love and passion for pottery never faded. Jab tak mein zinda hoon, mein apne haathon ko is dharti maa ki mitti se jodh kar rakhungi, said Khaleesi. Her love for pottery began at a very young age, and she developed the skills eventually with time and proceedings. I am younger than her, but I have always acted as GREATER NOIDA 72-year-old woman makes light work of spinning potter s wheel A man fulfilling others dreams NISHITA BUNDELA While the city was busy lighting the earthen pots around their homes, this man was planning to light up the lives of children who aren t able to do it themselves. This man who had completed 60 years of his life was aged, but only physically. To all appearances, Jitendra Kumar was an ordinary man working as a technician for the past 30 years but there were layers of nobility in his story. Belonging to a small village in Haryana, Kumar never had adequate opportunities. Despite this, he was a topper till class 10 but after his parent s sudden death in a road accident he had to leave his studies and take up a job in order to support his four younger siblings, two sisters and two brothers. Jitender s father was a farmer and wanted to see his son become an engineer. But due to unfavourable circumstances and the responsibility of supporting his family, Kumar had no option but to move to a city and take up a job leaving his higher studies. When Jitender first came to the city it was difficult for him to find a job and a place to live. He recalled having cried everyday missing his family and regretting having left his village. Later, Kumar found a job as an assistant technician and in the meantime, got his two sisters married and sent his other two brothers to a university. After a while, he too got married and was blessed with a daughter. When she was born all i could wish was she should be a successful career woman, said Kumar. By the year 1987, Jitender had a permanent government job as a technician with a salary of Rs.500 a month. Kumar now has a salary of Rs 15,000 and wishes to open a school for children with special needs by the time he is 70. Today i couldn t be happier as my two brothers are settled, one of them being a farmer and the other a professor, Jitender said adding, My daughter is my pride she is a successful engineer at Infosys now earning Rs 50,000 a month. Despite his modes background and humble nature, Jitender is an inspirational person. Sacrificing his own dream s in order to fulfill other people s dreams. Kumar is nothing less than a hero. Khaleesi Komi and her brother Kamlesh Komi Photo by Vaibhavi Ghosh SAKSHI GARG Diwali or Deepavali, is one of the most awaited festivals of India. It is celebrated with lights, fireworks and lots of sweets. So, what does Diwali mean to you? A long break for quality family time? A chance to shop? An opportunity to give gifts and be curious about what you will receive in return? An excuse to fill your tummy with sweets? Or good times to make memories? For some people, it is the hectic time of the year. Such is the story of Rajesh Kumar, 45-year-old craftsman who works day and night making diyas to add sparkle to the festive season. A resident of Naharpur village in Rohini, New Delhi, Kumar works long hours. He make the diyas, let them dry and later set the diya under sun and thereafter paint Potters hope for a bright Diwali season SHREYA CHAKRABORTY Before you begin your hunt in the markets for attractive pocket- friendly diyas (lamp) for Diwali decorations, explore the heaven of pottery in East Delhi. Located in Dilshad Garden, the place is the hub of potters who create intricate patterns in pottery, for Diwali artefacts. Working for several generations, these potters use clay to create diyas for festive decorations. They not only make diyas but also make other varieties like matkis (spherical earthen vessels used to store water), gamla (flower WRITAVA BANERJEE VANI KAUL New Delhi, October 16, 2017: Dilli Haat, run by Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, is not just a market place, but a forum where rural life is brought closer to the urban clientele. It provides the ambience of a traditional rural haat, or a village market. Its entrance leads to the craft bazaar followed by pots), gullak (piggy banks), kulhar (famous chai glasses) here on manual potter wheels. Gopal, a third generation potter, regrets that the progress in technology has not touched the lives of potters. Even in the digital era, there has hardly been any progress in our community, he says while perfecting the shape of a diya. There are 15 potters in this colony, yet most of them are unable to make a profit. We sell a diya for Rs 2 to the shopkeepers who further sells it for Rs 10. If we had a proper platform, we could have earned a better price for All through the street, Chitar Oli, the sound of the chisel doesn t stop. Initially, what seems to be a colourful delight with lights and idols finally ends in dark dingy workshops with low flickering lights. Raju runs one such shop in Chitar Oli, where he sells idols throughout the year. We sell throughout the year. We make items based on the occasion. Right after Diwali, we shall start making the open-air food stalls. Jahangir, 26, is a Pashmina weaver, who deals with the making and handling of handmade and handloom Pashmina shawls and stoles. He transports Pashmina shawls and stoles made by 30 Pashmina weavers from Kashmir to Dilli Haat where they are sold. Pashmina, which is popularly known as Cashmere, is a fine type of Kashmiri our creations, says Meena, a fourth generation potter. She adds, Buyers do pay a good price for the pottery products that we make, but the profits never reach us. things for weddings, he said. We make idols either out of Plaster of Paris or clay. Customers prefer idols made from PoP as they last longer, he said. Environmentalists have cried hoarse for promotion of clay models, but in vain. PoP models simply sell more, so idol makers prefer PoP. Some shops sell only PoP idols. Materials are easy to come by. Then we start preparing the idols. We have to start early, because we change our products to suit the occasion. But we plan right and it works for us, he said. wool. It is known to be the finest wool and is softer and warmer than any other wool. It is meant to be worn even in temperatures as low as -50⁰ Celsius. The price range of the handmade products is higher than that of the handloom products, this price difference is a result of the hard work that goes into the making of these products. The price of handmade shawls Diya maker snuffs out threat from candles A typical potter purchases around three tonnes of soil or a tractor full of earth for Rs 1,000. This lasts for around a month and is moulded into 800-1,000 diyas on an average. He also said, Since these are religious objects, we have to be happy while making them, or it will reflect on our work, and the idols will not come out good. We take great care while making these idols to ensure customers get only the best product. This idol business runs in the family. My whole family is in this business. My father used to sell idols too, he said. I got it from him. I ve lived my childhood among artisans, chisels and idols. The art has fascinated me since then, and I learned it from my father and the other workers, he said. starts from Rs 6,500 and stoles start from Rs 3,000. Whereas handloom shawls them with the help of his family. Kumar does not earn any stable income, still he manages to sustain his family comprising a wife and two children. His daughter(20) and son(18) have studied in a government school. He works hard to serve his family the best. Their pottery, down the narrow lane of NDPL office in the village, is where he spins the wheel injecting life from a lump of clay. His wheel, like all of us, gets a leave on Sundays. The potters sieve the soil and mix it with water to make it dough-like. The dough is placed on an electric wheel to mould it into desired shapes. A diya is typically ready in 15 minutes on the potter s wheel after which it is dried under the sun for a day then red soil is used for adding colour, Gopal said. Another artisan, Sunita Rani, whose family has been making clay artefacts for more than 85 years, says, This year, the situation is a bit different. Already, we have seen interest from organisations and wholesale dealers for purchasing diyas. There s still a market for idols made from clay Raju selling the idols ; Photo by Writava Potters selling their products Photos by Shreya Chakraborty Earthern diyas on display He felt there has been a huge difference in production of idols. Earlier, we used to make primarily clay products. But we have switched to PoP. Like I said earlier, people prefer PoP models to clay, so we have no option but to make more of them, he said. Raju said that there are still many people who are conservative in their choices and choose to buy clay models. Some others choose clay because they are environment conscious. We still produce clay idols. Some customers still want them, he told at the last. Collection of world-famous Pashmina shawls Photo by Vani Kaul start from Rs 4,600 and stoles start from Rs1,600. A handmade shawl Kumar has started designing new diyas in pastel colors from last couple of years. He said, Now that I have started making colourful and designer diyas, most of my diyas are sold to a retailer in Rani Bagh in New Delhi. Only the simple and classic ones are left with me. The rates are the same as last year, says Vaishali, a customer who bought 400 diyas from Rohini s DDA market on Sunday evening. She added, They are usually SHREYA DHAKAL Vinod Gamlewala is a potter hailing from Rewadi district in Haryana. For the past seven years he is selling pots and showpieces by the roadside in Chandigarh. Currently, he is residing in Gwala colony in Chandigarh Vinod along with his six workers. He makes pots, diyas, lanterns, wall hangings, showpieces, Idols and laughing Buddhas using mud. The chikni mitti which is the main raw material, is specially brought from Majra village in Punjab. Coloured in different shades and shaped into beautiful pieces, these artworks take six long months to make before they reach households. We start making them six months before the festive season and after they are ready it takes about 15 days more to get them baked. This makes them strong and durable, Vinod added. He owns a 5-marla plot in Chandigarh where all his artwork is painted to perfection. Since the process of making pots require a lot of space these potters find it very hard to do their job in such a limited area. We require at least a plot of 20 marla to bake these takes seven days to complete as it involves embroidery, needle and hook work whereas 2030 handloom shawls can be made in a day. Fully embroidered shawl sirf buzurg log banate hain kyunki uske liye experience chahiye hota hai, aur voh dedh lakh tak ka bhikk jata hai, said Jahangir. He, along with his 30 workers, earns Rs 70,000 per month. He is Rajesh Kumar selling diyas Photo by Sakshi Garg on sale in various handicraft stores. Candles had forced out the traditional diyas made of mitti (clay). But this year, after the ban on the Chinese products, people are going back to the mitti ka diyas lit with mustard oil, said Kumar, as he thinks that people are becoming eco-conscious and in the absence of Chinese products, has forced them to buy more Indian diyas. Shyam Lal, another Diwali a business bonanza for potters Exquisite showpieces on display Photo by Shreya Dhakal Into the magical world of Indian culture, art and cuisine happy with what he is doing and believes in preserving the art and tradition. He expects the expansion of his business in future and looks forward for more exhibitions, as he sees them as an opportunity for his business to expand. He is looking forward to the technology where the buyers can track the weavers who made the products through a tag on their purchased product. an elder brother, in the end I want her to be happy and safe, pottery makes her happy and I am at all times helping her with this,said Kamlesh, Khaleesi s brother. Fascinated by her life, she decides on continuing her skills of pottery all her life. Celebrating happiness and developing a life long relationship with this form of artwork she said if I am alive and surviving it is only for the reason being my work and my brother, if i die, I would die in peace. potter from Avantika, also says that the demand for his diyas has pickedup. He said, The amount of raw materials is decreasing whereas the working costs are high, but still we are selling the diyas on the same rate as last year s. These potters wait for Diwali to sell their diyas. The rest of the year they make different colourful clay idols of Goddess Laxmi, Hanuman, Krishna, various dolls, kitchen tools, etc. showpieces with proper chimneys. Since there is so little space, these pots are made in our villages by our family members and later brought here, said Vinod, when asked about problems they face. Since sale peaks during Diwali, Vinod sits by the roadside every year for past seven years. Even though they are forced to vacate the roadside pavement by Municipal Corporation but still they pitch their stalls again the next day. I sell cheapest gift to people every year still the MC officials destroy our stalls. They don t let us sit here, he continued. His hard work is evident in his work. He manages to paint pots in an hour while he makes five-six statues and showpieces per day. His pottery prices range from Rs. 1.5 to Rs 1,500. Though his pots and diyas are sold every day, but only for two days of Diwali he starts preparing six months before. This involves his entire family. What makes their work challenging is the limited space available. We request PM Narendra Modi to provide us with 20 marla plots. Every potter here requires at least that much space. The entire roadside was an epitome of hard work and perfection that was visible in every creation of his. The main challenges he faces in this business is that of product duplicates, which are similar to the original but inferior in quality and cheaper are preferred. Customers who have incomplete knowledge about the making of the products often drive a hard bargain. He is upset with the fact that the weavers don t earn enough despite their backbreaking work.

7 GREATER NOIDA Celebrating light, love and happiness Walking through the markets of Lucknow during Diwali is a task. It appears that the whole of Lucknow converges on the markets during the festive season. The shopkeepers decorate their shops to attract customers. The potters also display their work in a creative manner. Photo Feature by TRIYA GULATI 7 Temples dressed in Diwali lights Hanuman Temple Jagannath Temple Diwali symbolises the triumph of good over evil. Just as we decorate our homes with lights and diyas, temples all around the city of Faridabad were beautifully decorated with lights to celebrate the festival. Photo Feature by TARU MEDHA Shiva Temple Ganpati Temple Capturing India s diversity from a running train India is a land of diversity and that is clearly visible during train journeys. Moving from the rural to urban areas, from lush farmlands to concrete jungles, one can learn many things about its diversity and unity. Photo Feature by ANURAG KUMAR

8 8 Weaving beauty with thread ANMOL THUKRAL Family traditions are longings that define and shape the whole life and I am glad that my family tradition introduced me to such an amazing art form. said Pratika Kashyap, 29, from Surat who s been running a successful hand stitched clothing business for the last seven years. The tradition of weaving has been there in her family for generations. The wide variety of clothes that are available at her store are suit, sarees, anarkalis and lehengas. She material for these clothes are made of pure cotton, Assam silk, Ari silk, Malwary silk, Muga and Chiffon. It is fascinating to see that MAHIMA GOYAL Coping with financial crucnh and being independent, Prem Sharma has been selling handmade diyas and lamps for the past 15 years. Earlier she used to make earthen pots on her own but from 7 years she has been buying from another potter. She has been coming to Dwarka from 15 years for her sales. She said that, she is capable of only selling these items so she does this work in all seasons. Both her sons are working as drivers and are earning quite good but she doesn t want to leave her GURBANI SINGH Mehendi is a prominent part of Indian culture, used by women on various occasions and festivals. Beautiful designs are created by the henna artists and are all their own. In a conversation with Santosh, a local henna artist in Noida, it was found that they stick to the basic designs and then improvise on the spot, according to the wants of the customers and sometimes even the occasion. Flowers, peacocks and paisleys are patterns found most commonly in the designs. It s interesting to know that unlike other forms of body art, that is taught in several institutions, the art of Mehendi isn t. When asked where learned this art, Santosh said, we don t have schools for this like others, we just learn from each other. Family traditions define and shape life Photo by Anmol Thukral people are still using the old traditional techniques, that is a needle and a thread to manually stitch clothes around the state of Surat and reaching massive sales of Rs 50,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per day. The sales are highest between January and April, work. She sits on the pavement with her material all day long. Also, she said, It has been very difficult to get permission to sell on the roadside because police are against this. Now she is the only one to do this work and she isn t able to get any help from her children, that is reason why she stopped pottery. She added, in off seasons her income is only Rs but then also she does it. She is a hardworking lady. She got married at an early age and after 13 years her husband died. In her childhood her main struggle was to convince her parents to allow her to Myriad designs are original Santosh displays his works of art Potter turns entrepreneur Photo by Gurbani Singh It s amazing to see how, without any professional training, they are able to make such complex detailed designs, that they remember by heart. When further asked about henna, Santosh, and his partner said there are two kinds of henna, the Arabic one, and the Herbal one. the only difference is that there is a chemical present in the Arabic henna. The price of the two kinds also vary. He charged Rs. 500 per hand for the herbal mehendi. This included the cost of the henna and the labour that went into making it. The cost depended on the Magic from terracotta mud Prem Sharma burning the night oil Photo by Mahima Goyal go to school but they never did. So, she decided to earn by herself and show her parents that she is capable of so much. And she made her sons study so that they could earn more. Diwali always brings happiness which according to her is the busiest time of the year for her. When asked how she was able to grow the business to such huge numbers she said Every handloom product that we produce is very unique and has no resemblance with the other. That is the reason for why we are able to grow our sales drastically and we have come shere to widen the horizon for the company so that we can reach to more parts of the country. she uses draft paper to design patterns and then weaves them on the cloth. The average number of customers who visit her shop reaches to around every day and she has developed a healthy relationship with customers as they come back to purchase products again. She has proven to be a great source of inspiration and provides employment opportunities to people of her state so that they can be a part of her journey to become the biggest handloom producers of Surat. to her house as there are great sales, also her sons come back to the town. Indeed, this festival is all about lights, sweets an happiness. I found her confident and polite. length (along the hand) and the intricacy of the henna applied. When asked a lady who was getting herself hennaed on her opinion, she said they drastically increase the prices, based on their footfall. However, the reason Santosh gave fo this was the rise in the cost of things in cities. Artists like Santosh often have no choice but to charge higher prices to their customers to meet their demands. This art has been prevalent in the Indian culture for several years now, most prominently seen in weddings when the bride covers her arms and sometimes even her feet in henna, it is believed in the Hindu culture that she doesn t have to help in household work until the time her henna fades. Like yoga, the concept of Mehendi is also spreading globally. It s a huge attraction for a lot of tourists who visit India. Chiselling life out of stone DEBOMITRA DAS The people in India have a strong belief on gods and goddesses. The idols made by the sculptors during festivals are worshipped by everyone. Kali Pooja is celebrated just after Durga Pooja and the people are excited about the festival. Goddess Kali is considered a strong mother and is also the symbol of a strong woman. Kali Pooja is also done during the time of Diwali which the crackers and lights highlight beautifully. The sculptors use their skilled hands to bring the moulded clay to life in the form of an idol. But most fail to recognise the people behind such hard work. They are the ones who build the models from scratch and sculpt them into the beautiful Gods and Goddesses that many are so eager to see. Shyamal Das, an idol maker who hails from Murshidabad, West Bengal had come to Kolkata for better prospect. Coming to the City of Joy, he slowly learned to shape the idols and started making beautiful sculptures of Ma Durga. He has been working in this field for the last 12 years and he loves his job. There is another level of enjoyment sculpting an idol of Ma Durga, he says, there is hard work but there is more satisfaction. Shyamal was unable to continue his studies from grade 6 because his family couldn t afford the fees. AKRITI SARASWAT The famous Henna Aunty of Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, Ramti Singh, 42, wife and a mother of five creates magic with her skills on a daily basis. She works day and night during the festive seasons. Her henna is different from what you usually see and it gets better every time.when she started learning it, she had no idea that she d fall this much for the art. The art provides her livelihood and most importantly happiness. I always had my mom s and grandmother s hand to practice on. I spoiled my elder sister s hand with henna once and it was the last time she asked me to do the henna tattoos. she said with a smile. She comes from a small village near Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, where people think it s wrong for a woman to go out and work but that hasn t stopped her. An almost complete project Photo by Debomitra Das Shyamal Das, the idol maker Photo by Debomitra Das He had to start working at an early age in order to contribute to his family s economic situation. He worked as a labourer in the fields but didn t earn much money. Then Shyamal decided to take risk and entered into big metropolitan city with huge hopes and dreams. It was in Kolkata that he was introduced She still works throughout the year to support her husband and her family. She s really strict when it comes to studies of her children as she believes that one can only be successful in life if he/she s educated only. She wants her three daughters and two sons to stand high in life. She s constantly torn between the norms of society and her children s future but she doesn t compromise when it comes to the latter. Ramti always wanted to learn designing in college but due to the poor financial conditions, she could not even complete her school and had to drop out of college. Her daughter, Pallavi, 17 shares the same interest as she. With tears in her eyes, she said I ll make sure that my daughter is able pursue her dream of designing. I don t want her to leave her dreams like I had to so I ll do everything I can make into the world of idol making. Seeing the beautiful Durga models fascinated him and decided to try his luck there. Now he is grateful to have chosen to sculpting idols because according to him, There is no greater joy in seeing your idols being celebrated in Pooja pandals. His skilful and artsy Ranti singh during a ceremony Photo by Aakriti Saraswat GREATER NOIDA hands paint wonders on the sculptures. As he effortlessly glides the brush strokes over the idol, he explains that the demand of idols is at its peak during September to October because of the festivals. But they start making the idols six months in advance as they have very little time to rest after the festivals and the demand for a better version of the idol goes up higher for every upcoming year. Shyamal visits his family at his hometown once a month on the weekends and spends a day with his family. His children study in government schools and he proudly claims that his daughter is on top of the class. Shyamal loves doing his work and he cheerfully exclaims, aasche bochor abarhobe! (Coming year, Pooja will happen again!). Henna Aunty can t stop learning her dream come true. My husband is very supportive of this even when my inlaws aren t. Even after doing the henna tattoos for more than 30 years now she says she ll still learning something new everyday. Henna is mostly for fashion, so you ve got to learn what s new every now and then. she says. She does different jobs throughout the year, but during festivals, it s the time for her to do what she loves to do. It s her passion and her dedication of getting better and better which has gained a name for her. She learned this art when she was years old as her mom thought that henna tattoos, sewing and cooking were the things a girl should have expertise in. Her passion and her kids have been the driving force of her life and she believes that it ll be all fine if they all keep on hardworking with passion and honesty. She wants to get better at making henna tattoos every day and dedicatedly tries learning the beautiful art form daily. KARTIK SHUKLA Making pots, vases, statues, paintings and wall hangings in Khoda and selling them in Vaishali, Ghaziabad, Usmaan says that he has been in the business since his childhood. Since the time I started to remember things, I ve only seen mud of various kinds getting moulded into beautiful objects, said Usmaan. Our house of bricks stands on mud, he said as he cleaned one of his broad pots. He has set up all the handmade pots and statues on the road opposite to Ramprastha Greens. He lives in Khoda and has an area where he and all his family members and relatives make these pots and vases to sell. We use Terracotta mud for making all the items, said he. Initially when he started the job, he would always fail to give the right Our objects do not break easily, said Usmaan s son, who assists his father after he gets time from school. shape and structure to the objects but with the course of time, he has become an expert in his job. After moulding with mud, the objects are allowed to get dried in the Sun. Then to make the objects attain strength and a solid shape, they are kept under a small furnace for few hours. Our hands get burnt several times while carrying out this procedure, said Usmaan as he showed his hands with scars and bruises. After the objects turn red hot, they are then allowed to cool down for a while followed by painting them with special colours which Usmaan didn t wish to reveal the name of. We have been using these colours since my grandfather started this business, said he. The women in the house help in designing the pots. Usmaan believes they are the best with the updates of latest art and designs. Our objects do not break easily, said Usmaan s son, who assists his father after he gets time from school. When asked what the range of prices of these objects is, he said, from Rs 100 to Rs Diwali season also brought in customers purchasing Lord Ganesha s statue. A lot of preciseness and care is required while forming the statue of the deities because sentiments are attached with them, said he. He also said that all the faulty made items are drained off in the rivers. He has been selling at this place since a decade by now. With urbanisation coming up in Vaishali, his customers have only grown. He says, We do not compromise with quality and we keep on meeting the customer s demands with changing trends. Usmaan could be seen engrossed in detailing the customers about his products and has also trained his son in the same who was attending the other customers. He was selling Ganesha s, Buddha s and Rajasthani musician s statues. Pots are his strength and he has a tremendous collection of them. A lot of customers could be seen there even at the noon time. The variety you have is amazing, said a middle aged lady who bought a big vase. A glimpse of Usmaan s workplace Photo by Kartik Shukla

9 GREATER NOIDA 9 No one writes about art any more Ensure healthy hair this winter SAKSHI GARG HAARIS BEG Mohammad Shakil is a well-known painter in north India and has been practising his art for more than 50 years now. In recent years he has been a part of more than 30 exhibitions across India and has hosted more than 20 solo shows. A member of the Lalit Kala Academy, Lucknow, he has mastered several styles of painting such as mural painting and digital painting. However, his favourite style of painting still remains oil painting, for which he has won many awards, most notably in 2005 when he received the Artist Mohd Shakil showing one of his oil paintings. Photo by Haaris Beg National Award from then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for an oil painting of Lord Krishna. When asked about what is the significance of these awards to him, he said that awards are like the perfume a person puts on before going to an event, they feel good but don t actually have any substance because for a true artist there is no finish line. A true artist would never stop painting even after receiving the most honourable of awards, the only satisfaction an artist can receive is dying with a brush in his hand, Shakil said. There is no one in India who writes about art, Shakil said, expressing his concern about the lack of art critics and connoisseurs. There is no discussion about art in the newspapers. Even when there is an article about an exhibition, it focuses more on the people present than on the actual paintings. Shakil thinks if the newspapers and the other media houses have a more mature discussion about art in this country, more and more people will be interested in it and the pre established notions about art being abstract will be done away with. True art is never abstract, there is always some meaning behind every painting or sculpture. A painting without a message is not a painting, it s just lines drawn on a canvas, Shakil said. He also said that paintings are rarely discussed in the open because of which people don t get the time to understand and appreciated real art. Art cannot be taught, Shakil said. He said that colleges and schools can only teach the techniques required, not how to make art. Art is self-made, it comes from within. He then added, A teacher can only teach the students the craftsmanship required to make art. No matter how advance a computer is, it will not create true art. Swedish designer aims to help weavers in Tamil Nadu TARU MEDHA The handmade textile industry of India has attracted people from all over the world. Karin Kock, a textile designer from Sweden, was among those who were so impressed by it that they set up a shop in India. She owns Sunbird, a company that deals with organic and handmade garments. Her company is based in Hauz Khas, New Delhi, and she is currently running a stall in Dilli Haat, a handicraft market in Del- Textile designer, Karin Photo by Taru Medha hi as a part of the Women of India Organic Festival from October 1 to October 15, The festival celebrates women empowerment and concentrates on crafts made by women. Karin was invited to the festival as her work also concentrates on providing employment and empowerment for women in Tamil Nadu. Her company sells organic and handmade garments made of completely natural fibres. Karin designs the clothes on her own and works with women weavers and artisans from Tamil Nadu. Talking about the organic textile industry in India, Karin said, Even though organic fabrics are available in the market, there are a very few that are handmade also. The clothes she sells are Skilled hands bring clay to life DEBOMITRA DAS Artisans are said to have the universe s skills in their hands. Their fingers work to make something so raw into something new and unique. Shiv Santh, a potter originally from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, came to Kolkata with the hopes of earning a better life for him and his family. Shiv Santh followed into his fathers footsteps and has now been working as a potter for almost 35 years. After his father retired, his brothers were not interested in making pots so Shiv Santh left his education in order to master his skills in pottery and take over the business. He did not do this out of self-interest, because the prices in the market are going up but the pressure of continuing and keeping his father s wishes was still there. It was more of a compulsion rather than interest, he says.he works with 2-3 people in huts where all materials required to make the pots are kept. They work hard together towards a goal to complete a certain number of pots within a specific time period. First, clay and soil are bought and then Shiv Nath making diya s in a hut. Photo by Debomitra Das are moulded together with water. The soil is then put on the potter s wheel to be moulded into pots of different shapes and sizes. These men work in shabby huts, dim lights and under the worst conditions but they still have the motivation to toil and get involved in endless days of labour. Shiv Santh has 4 daughters and a son. Three of his daughters are married and the fourth one is in school. His son is pursuing an M.Tech degree in a college in Delhi. Santh adds, It took me a lot of time to get money for my son s college. But I know, one day he ll earn money and then repay me and take care of me. It is his days of hard work and labour that brings food, education and shelter the family. He visits his family in Uttar Pradesh three to four times a year and cherishes the moments that he gets with his children. When asked whether this profession was enough to keep his household going, he replied saying, there is never a hearty meal, it is very difficult to get good food and a nice day of rest but somehow we manage to bring food to the table. Even our additional land and fields don t earn us money. Nobody wants to work in the fields. There s no enjoyment in that anymore. Santh enjoys putting his skills to the table but also wishes pottery could stay relevant in the world as before. mainly made of organic cotton. She also uses hemp in some of her work which she exports from Nepal. The dyes she uses are 100 percent natural and are extracted from plants and minerals. Karin expressed her concern over the highly polluting methods used in the textile industry in India and that she wanted to take responsibility and ensure that her work is eco-friendly. The cost of the garments in Karin s stall range from Rs to Rs She says that the sales in Dilli Haat have been good. Tourists who visit Delhi form the majority of her clients. The decline in the number of production units of handicrafts in Europe brought Karin to India. Talking about the main reason behind choosing to produce in India Karin said her interest in yoga and her keen desire to help women and the environment. Karin wishes to continue working in India and contribute to women empowerment. From soil to shop: A beautiful journey SANDALI SINHA The beauty of diya s cannot be defined in words. It goes through a long process before its ready to be sold. Eklavya is a diya seller but he also does other jobs like selling fruits and driving an ambulance in hospitals. Despite that, he makes beautiful diyas. He said he has been in this business for 4 years now and he is the only one in his family. When asked about the profit in selling diyas, he said, it gets him around ten to 15 thousand. However, this figure isn t fixed, there are times when there is no sale. Every year, the venue for sale is different and it has been like this from the beginning. All the work is not done by the same person during the process. Different people are involved at different stages. One person makes the structure, another does the cutting and that is followed by painting and finishing. This whole process takes upto 5 days. He had a large variety of simple and intricate diyas, giving the customer a wide range to choose from. Each single diya in his stall costs about Rs 1. The most expensive item in his stall was a wind chime made of mud that costed Rs 450. When he was asked about the sales this year, he said, it has been moderate till now, because the actual sales happen on Diwali and the day before. He enjoyed his job of making and selling diyas at the time of Diwali compared to the rest of the work he does. He is planning on leaving all the other jobs and making diya making his primary job. Winter is around the corner and we know it can often become difficult to manage our hair. It loses moisture due to the polluted surroundings and frequent hair styling practices. The hair patterns observed today are degraded as compared to the patterns seen 15 years ago. Hairstyles requires heat, resulting in a lot of tension for your hair, says Dr. Manjul Agarwal, Dermatologist, Gold Medalist in MD from Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi. Dr. Agarwal answers some questions to ensure healthy hair. What are the essential things needed for good hair? The two most important basis of having healthy hair is a diet rich in iron and protein. Make sure that there is a proper intake of these, it depends on your lifestyle too, active people need to have more proteins in comparison to those who have sedentary jobs. How important are hair products? The right kind of shampoo or conditioner is essential because different hair patterns require different kinds of products. Using a silicone-based product is advisable for dry and rough hair as it coats the hair and adds protection. Always check the list of ingredients on the shampoo/conditioner and look for silicone or its derivatives. Other than that, use a leave-in-conditioner for protection Any special treatment required for wet hair? Hair is most vulnerable when wet. Do not brush wet hair or use an iron. Let it dry naturally. If in hurry, blow dry your hair on a low setting first and then use heat. Is it advisable to self treat hair? Styling at home sounds fancy but most people ignore the problems their hair faces because no one else is looking. Often people cause damage during straightening, curling, hair colouring etc. Doing such things at home demands more advanced hair care habits. What are the best ways to keep hair in place? Try to avoid tight ponytails as they create tension on the scalp, which can cause issues later on. Diwali brings succour for painter TANMAY SHARMA Bheru Singh, is a 48-yearold school dropout from Ramgarh who works as an electrician but turns to painting during the festivals to earn a few extra bucks. He left his village seventeen years ago, to shape his future but is still struggling. I do have dreams but due to this profession, I m unable to achieve them, says Singh. He is the only earning member in his family. He has two children who go to Rawat Public School, a private institution in Jaipur. Sometimes his wife helps him in making the paintings but due to their young children and unsafe environment, she has to stay home and take care of them. The best time to make good money is during Diwali season. But for that you need have an innovative approach towards your work because everyone has a similar product to offer. I try to do something different at a cheaper price, says Singh. During the festive season, he earn up to Rs 25,000 which helps him in purchasing the things that his family couldn t purchase throughout the year. After the festive season it gets hard to even pay the children s school fee and get ration for the house. In this field, sometimes you will get paid and sometimes you wont, Singh said. My ambition now is just to make my children study and stand on their own feet so that they live a better life than I did, he added. Dedication to passion pays off MONIKA THAKUR How many vendors in a market as crowded as Shahdara of New Delhi catch the buyer s attention? Just a few. One such jeweller, with a very small stall, can never have enough of jewellery because of the endless demand from the customers. Sanjay Kumar, a 40 Year old handmade jewellery vendor, residing in Bhajanpura, lives in a family of 4 members. He is a master, with 20 years of experience. He started jewellery making at the age of 20. Most of his mastery has been achieved on the job. The main tools of a bench jeweler according to him are good eyesight, Hammer, passion and hard work. When asked why he chose this profession he said, The only thing that Sanjay Kumar selling handmade jewellery. Photo by- Monika Thakur attracted me to this profession was a good margin. But soon I discovered how much passion I have always had for my job. He works from 8:30 in the morning to 9:00 in the evening and earns about Rs. 20, 000 per month. As a bench jeweller I had to face a lot of problems because of my weak eyesight. His advice to people in the business of jewellery making is to take good care of their eyes. He is a family man; he tries his level best to give everything that he can to his family. Being able to fulfil all the needs of my family, gives me immense contentment and the motivation to do even better every day, every time at work he said. Sanjay is a man of integrity with a sense of duty towards his work. Contented with his job, Sanjay is doing really well in life. Asked if he had any regrets, he said, After all the rough and bad times, my passion paid off. Before the station arrives: The journey of a train passenger VIREN TAK We all, on every station, can catch another train and enjoy another ride of life The old Delhi railway station must have been the venue of a billion stories. This man travelling in the B2 compartment of the Ashram express was yet another passerby. Looking as ordinary as any other 26 year old unmarried engineer, Ashish Tiwari, was full of ambition, liveliness and humour. Ashish, a project engineer in ABB Pvt. Ltd. was travelling from Dehli to Ahmedabad when he shifted to flashback mode and recalled his journey from being a boy to a man. The boy, who was once the brat of his college, had today become an earning man thinking about buying presents for his parents as he goes home for Diwali. I never cared much about other s opinions or feelings two years ago he said, but the struggle of an earning man had made him mature. Talking about his life, he gave away some harsh secrets of every teenager s life. He also revealed a reality that every young girl and boy should be aware of. As we become mature Photo by Sandali Sinha Ashram Express at New Delhi Railway Station, Photo by Viren Tak Photo by Lakshay Kumar adults, our parents keep growing older he said. Now aware of so many truths of life, Ashish has a history of failed relationships. My girlfriend left me midway, he confessed, which made my beliefs in love fade eventually. Furthermore, coming from a science background, he was passionate about physics, which brought him to the kind of work he was doing today. He earned Rs 40,000 per month and was willing to accomplish enough in the years to come that he could have a business of his own. He strongly believed that before getting the opportunity to order somebody, you yourself should be aware of what goes into following that order. Now tired of fake people around him, Ashish talked about how popular he was back in his school days. Every relation starts fading away as you start working he sighed. These days he didn t have many friends and was planning on getting married soon. The journey up to where I am right now has been very beautiful, though, he explained but now the station has arrived where I will no longer be able to survive on the money of my parents. He also talked about how college students should have most fun of their lives in the journey to their careers because once the station arrives it s all a catastrophe. But before his destination arrived and he was about to take a leave he said, but we all, on every station, can catch another train and enjoy another ride of life.

10 10 A musical journey of dreams TARU MEDHA Rating: 4/5 Director: Damien Chazelle Actors: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend Duration: 128 minutes LA LA LAND is the story of two lovers brought together by their desire to follow their dreams. Sebastian and Mia met each other in a phase when they were struggling with their careers. Over the course of time, as success comes their way, circumstances drift them apart. The movie is another masterpiece by Damien Chazelle, the director of the award winning film, Whiplash. This time he gives us a soul stirring musical telling the story of Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a jazz pianist and Mia (Emma Stone), a struggling actress. As the movie is a musical, the most integral part of the film are the songs. Justin Hurwitz did a beautiful job in composing and orchestrating the entire RUDRA PRATAP SINGH Rating: 3.5/5 Director: Sean Penn Cast: Emile Hirsch, Kristen Stewart, Zach Galifianakis Duration: 148 minutes Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama Christopher McCandless wanted to be free. Free from the bonds of this doomed society. Free from the materialistic expectation of his parents. Free from himself. To accomplish the same, he sets out on a journey idolised by many dared by few. This, in brief, is the plot and story of Sean Penn s most ambitious and daring project, Into the Wild (2007). Into the Wild, a travel biographical film based on a book written by Jon Krakauer s novel which goes by the same name. The movie tries to portray the trials and tribulations of a hitchhiking traveller in a very realistic way, stating the fact that travelling is beautiful and the journey can be almost life changing but it has it s experiences and incidents which can almost change you as a person. WRITAVA BANERJEE Rating: 3/5 Author: Dan Brown Genre: Mystery, Conspiracy fiction, Thriller Publisher: Doubleday Pages: 461 Price: Rs. 729 (Hardcover) score of the movie. The composition and placement of the songs is such that it conveys the mood of the movie without getting repetitive. The most iconic song of the film is The City of Stars, a soft romantic Starting with the direction, Sean Penn, who we all mostly know as an actor delivers a very typical, travel/adventure direction which we have seen in many movies of the same genre before. Although the direction isn t something spectacular, it is decent enough and Sean Penn does manage to bring out the best out of the actors. Talking about the acting - the lead, Emile Hirsch does a great job. He does justice to the individual he depicts. With micro-expressions and subtle acting, Hirsch brings to us a Christopher McCandless. A student with a troubled childhood, seeking to baptise himself by going on a journey of solitude making us fall in love with the very same. The supporting cast like Kristen Stewart and Vince Vaughn deliver great performances but it is, Hirsch, who at the end of the day steals the show. Moving on to the more technical aspects of the movie, the cinematography is what makes Into the Wild a gem that it is. Making the best out of the picturesque locations like Alaska and Portland, the cinematography adds to track which perfectly summarises the story of the protagonists. The movie beautifully showcases the journey of the characters, and concentrates on how achievements in life tend to affect Chronicle of introspection the wildness that the movie tries to present. Screenplay doesn t do much for the film as the performances and cinematography do most of the magic but it is very tonal and adds to the output in the most subtle way possible. Overall, the movie is in mine and many others Dan Brown is known to make stories out of theories, add facts not known to the masses, write about organisations that are lost in the pages of history or are highly controversial. He did the same in the book Inferno. Inferno is the first part of Dante Alighieri s three part poem Divine Comedy. While you get all the characters you expect from Brown s novel, it is extended and slow paced beyond any measure in some parts, failing to impress with the climax. Climax is something for which many people read Brown s novels. When you start reading it, you re immediately sucked into the fast-paced story that doesn t let you put down the book. You re not only amazed by the overloaded scientific advances that Brown put down in his stories but also by the immense detail of an artistic history of Florence. Add to that an ancient poem which is the only key to save the world. But this artistic narration beats down heavy on you in the middle. The story in turns focuses completely on the art pieces that they come across. The serious tone of the novel could have definitely done with some less art. It would be an exciting read for an art buff, but maybe not so for others. The pace of the story almost ceases in this part. The overall story line isn t that bad. Its pace changes variably and has twists and turns that your personal relationships. Both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have portrayed their characters to utmost perfection and have been able to bring out the essence of the movie with their performance. Their subtle yet powerful acting adds to the wonder the movie brings for its viewers. The dance sequences in the movie have been conceptualised and shot well. The most striking of the dances is the sequence in the song Lovely Night, a beautiful tap dance on the top of a cliff overlooking the majestic city below. The movie brings back the long lost glory of musicals and instantly reminds you of the Broadway shows in New York. It carries a touch of nostalgia but still is not irrelevant to today s audience. The movie is a must watch especially for music lovers. It is also the perfect movie for someone who is looking to watch something that is light and visually pleasing. opinion a gem of cinema and is highly recommended to those who are overwhelmed by wanderlust and aspire to explore. It ends in a manner that slaps the audience with the reality of life and how things never usually go as planned and that, in the end, is the beauty of it all. Inferno: Thriller dressed in art Brown is well known for. Robert Langdon gets chased by WHO and Consortium (a pseudo name) which was just an excuse for Brown to give a fullblown description of Florence which is quite interesting (except the middle parts). Threatening situations are placed intelligently that you are forced to read on and on for most parts of the book. And finally when you reach the climax, it is completely devastating. The story promises a shocking climax, but ends in a synthetic virus. Its effect is not what a biological weapon brings to mind. And how many times does WHO randomly recruit people to help them solve problems? All in all it is not the best by Brown. The concept was really good. Dante s poem is a masterpiece and there is nothing to comment there. But perhaps connecting it to population problems wasn t the best of ideas. The chase and a story that needed huge scientific attention get lost in long descriptions of famous art pieces. It turns out to be more of a travel journal for Florence, than a story about destructive application of science. From a citizen to a prisoner VAIBHAVI GHOSH Rating: 4/5 Cast: John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Katrina Kaif, Irrfan Khan Direction: Kabir Khan Genre: Spy Thriller Duration: 2hrs. 33 mins. The story revolves around a 9/11 detainee, Sameer (John Abraham) who is married to Maya (Katrina Kaif) and have a mutual friend Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh). This film leaves you hanging till the end and keeps the viewer thinking about what will happen next. The September 11 attacks were a sequence of four terrorist attacks by a group called Al Qaeda. According to The Guardian, almost 3,000 people were killed and over 37,000 were recognised as sick. There were a number of people suspected of being terrorists, and were tortured to death until the officials realised that those people were not involved to this tragic event in any Is Rustom a patriot or murderer? TANVI MISHRA Rating: 3.5/5 Direction: Tinu Suresh Desai Cast: Akshay Kumar, Ileana D Cruz, Arjan Bajwa, Esha Gupta Duration: 2hours 30mins Genre: Drama/ Mystery Three bullets that shocked the nation, Rustom, a movie directed by Tinu Suresh Desai is a capturing courtroom drama with Akshay Kumar as the protagonist who played the role of Rustom Paveri, a decorated naval officer. The movie takes us back to the sensational KM Nanavati case of The story revolves around the murder of the short-tempered millionaire, Vikram Makhija played by Arjan Bajwa. Rustom fired three bullets killing Vikram in his house. The murder took place after Rustom found out that Cynthia, his wife, played by Ileana D Cruz, had an affair with Vikram. The Commander fights his own case and pleads not guilty in front of the court and the jury. The local newspaper plays a vital role in the case and SHREYA DHAKAL Rating: 4/5 Author: Paula Hawkins Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Fiction Pages: 395 Price: Rs. 327 (Paperback) Written by British author Paula Hawkins, The Girl on the Train, is an American psychological thriller told from the point of view of 3 women in first person. The story revolves around a divorced 32-yearold alcoholic woman named Rachel Watson. Unable to bear a child, Rachel s husband remarries a woman named Anna. Rachel had got herself fired from job due to her drinking problem. Now, she being an aimless train commuter, travels daily to observe her husband Tom Watson and his wife Anna along with their neighbour Scott and Megan Hipwell whom she considers an ideal couple through the train s window. She is seen creating her own perceptions about the couple while the shock of losing Tom keeps her wandering on streets. Everyday she travels through the train to observe them. To her life of Megan was a way. The movie is entirely dedicated to the ones who lost their families in this tragic event and the ones who have been through this terrifying stage. Enclosing the movie with a handful of information about the number of people killed and injured along with the after effects is a smooth icing on the cake by Kabir Khan. Karan Johar s My Name is Khan and Rensil D Silva s Kurbaan had a similar movie with the same concept of the 9/11 attacks. In comparison, New York spreads the word of Rustom being innocent. The case is investigated by Inspector Vincent Lobo, who is also seen perplexed with the turn of events. The movie takes a 360-degree spin, and the opinions of the whole nation goes with the accused Naval Commander. Vikram Bajwa s sister, played by Esha Gupta, has been portrayed as an evil and cunning character. She, throughout the movie, is seen trying to downgrade Rustom Paveri and hired the most influential lawyer to have Rustom hanged to death. She perfect one since she could bear kids and has a loving husband. Until one day she notices something. It is for a second but enough to change lives of not only Rachel but all the others she observed. Unable to hide she approaches the police. But what now bothers is what if she has done more harm than good? This starts a web of crime, secrets and lies with made a larger impact. The music by the well known artist, Pritam Chakraborty took several hearts away because an individual could connect themselves to each song and also its lyrics. The idea of focusing on one family was quite eerie for the fact that 9/11 trauma has disrupted over 3,000 families. The good part of the movie was that the viewer could certainly laugh keeping a positive mindset of being entertained. The movie didn t get too serious, but it showed the insights very well. was the one who insisted Cynthia to socialise after Rustom left for his sail in the international waters for six months, which led to Cynthia having a liaison with Vikram. Cynthia is shown as a timid character which develops slowly yet is driven by the characters around her. The movie unravels not only the murder case but also other controversies which unfolded in connection to the victim. The film keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats in the second-half whereas the first-half is only slightly intriguing when the story plot twists in every page. An addiction to thriller lovers, the story is kept a mystery until the very end. The dramatic unfold of lies and truth leaves its reader with jaw clenching experience. The character of Rachel has been portrayed as a typical drunkard oblivious to the real world. She is lost with red dizzy eyes. Dressed shabbily she is seen always with a liquor GREATER NOIDA In particular, the music stood out. All the actors deserve applause for the acting and also the crew for the impressive effort behind the camera. Katrina Kaif in the shoes of Maya performed an outrageous show and looked gorgeous too. Neil Nitin Mukesh, the new-age actor, put in a lot of effort which showed quite evidently. John Abraham, stole the show, keeping the emotions intact. Irrfan Khan, as an FBI agent should be given special recognition for his outstanding acting. is building. But the entire movie has the spectators engrossed and captivated with the setting and the story line. The characters are wonderfully portrayed. Commander Rustom Paveri in his crisp white decorated uniform with an always erect spine shows determination and respect for his duty in his persona. Ileana D Cruz and Esha Gupta, are shown like the typical 50 s ladies with curled hair and the authentic dresses of the 50 s. The entire movie gives the perfect touch of the late 50 s along with the courtroom set up and the jury. This case was the last to have the jury system, it was abolished thereafter. With the intensity developing in every scene, it becomes nail biting but lacks novelty. The screen play is written and delivered phenomenally. The movie is a must watch and is strongly recommended. It is completely on the viewers to decide whether Commander Rustom Paveri was a patriot, a traitor or a murderer. The slow unwinding of the judicial proceedings will surely have you on your toes. Mystery of relationships explored bottle either in her hand or bag. When drunk Rachel is seen wandering on streets and railway stations. Like an incident from the book where Rachel is so drunk that she falls on the railway stairs and is helped by one of the commuters to board the train. Rachel s character clearly shows how much Tom s second marriage affects her. How desperate she is to have a child. In the book, she is often seen calling her husband late at night in drunk state crying. And even in one extreme case she broke into Tom s house and kidnapped her which led to police charges filed against her. The book targets the harsh realities of marriage and how it affects both the partners. It manages to highlight issues like extramarital affairs, sexual assault and harassment faced in certain marriages. The story gives its readers a great message leaving a deep impact on mind. Written in simple English, The Girl on the Train is now a major motion picture as well. Released in 2016 by DreamWorks production starring British actress Emily Blunt as Rachel.

11 GREATER NOIDA 11 Making a living out of bamboo DEEP DAS BARMAN My work is my independence said Ankit Murmu, a 32 year old bamboo crafter from Ranchi. Ankit along with his sister Neelam runs an Art and Handicrafts shop in the narrow streets of JP market, Ranchi. They started off working as labours for the government organisation Jharcraft. Later they decided to quit and open up their independent business. As a child Ankit always dreamt of working for himself, as he belonged to a family whose generations have worked as labours in the fields. Ankit and his sister got an offer to train as bamboo crafters in a state government organisation. Our mother was not sure but our father saw hope said Ankit. Three years ago he along with his sister completed their training and started working for Jharcraft. I still remember when I saw the process of carving bamboo for the first time. The sound of the blades attracted me the most, I still love to hear that sound when we work but in the present day we use machines more than blades. Ankit manages the store while his sister manages the art work. My sister is a better artist and I am a better businessman says Ankit. Sarita and Manju are the two employees who work with Neelam and produce the handicrafts. We are thankful to Artists in Kolkata face a lot of competition HIA BASU Every profession on this planet is tough, and so no one can categorise someone inferior or superior according to the work they do. Palash Paul, 35, an artisan residing in Kumartuli, Kolkata, said that he has a great knowledge in this field, since he is in this field for the past 20 years. He can easily understand what his customers want.he has built a strong interpersonal, communication and relationship building skills. He said that to become a good artisan, one has to be very good in art. When he was asked about his strengths and his weaknesses, he said that his workaholic nature can be tagged as his weakness as he is too focused towards his work and he thinks that he should take out time for himself. As far as his strengths are concerned, he is hardworking, perfectionist and ambitious. He stated that he has faced innumerable challenges till now in his profession. Being an artisan in Kolkata can be very tough Making jewels out of stones NEEHARIKA AWASTHI The craft of cutting and polishing precious and semi-precious stones and giving them glamorous face is something artistic. Emeralds, rubies, garnets, amethysts, corals, sapphires, and turquoises are among the stones which are used for the enhancement of gold and silver jewellery. Being a jeweller is one of the profitable business if you have the talent and creativity to give shape to your imagination Sheela Jamwal who s working as a jeweller has a lot to share about how beautiful jewellery making is and the efforts required to get their work accomplished. She started 4 years ago partaking in an evening course at a local Art Centre Ankit Murmu with his craft displays Photo by Deep Das Barman An idol of Durga in making.photo by Debomitra Das and continued this for 2 years, before taking up the full time National Diploma at Sindhar Institute of Gemmology. At that time she had given up an established career in teaching, to follow her dream of jewellery making and designing. She s currently working on her own idea Inspired by the repetitive motif seen in Indian architecture. She added that all Indian jewellery is flat so she designed her collection in 3D form. Lastly she mentioned that as a practitioner, she wants to keep learning and developing her skills so thereby creating new and interesting collections. Not only would she like to develop herself as an independent designer-craftsman but also as a community based jewellery artist. as the pressure is very high in this city as compared to other cities, as there is always some puja occasions going on in Kolkata. So keeping up with the pressure really gets tough sometimes. One has to work especially during major festivities like Durga Puja, Saraswati Puja, Kali Puja. The demand for idols has no limit during these festivities. And along with everything, great work is expected. One can see the different challenges one faces at the end of the day from their profession. thgovernment for giving us the opportunity to learn but all the credit of our success goes to our father for his support. said Neelam. She specialises in weaving and the speed of her hands are like lightening. When asked what makes an artist Neelam said All the pieces I make have something original of mine, I feel originality is art and that is what makes me an artist. Acoustic Chandeliers are the favourite item of Neelam as she can improvise while making them. Outside art and craft Neelam also enjoys music and she often sings at their community functions. On the other hand Ankit is highly passionate about football. He follows all the local matches and even plays football once in a while. When I was young I was the best player of our batch, I can still play like a young man in the field said Ankit. The most memorable incident for the sibling duo was when Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwary appreciated their artwork in the Jharcraft trade fair. Manoj ji was very kind, he bought several pieces of chandeliers and lamp stands for his new house. said Neelam. People who are passionate and are willing to take risks always succeed. Ankit and Neelam are an example of this. They chose to break the norms and succeeded. With their Father s support they flourished and they wish to support their coming generations. Time for women to snatch rights MANVI SINGH Really, is this what you call evolution? How have we evolved if violence against girl child in our country starts in the womb, infants are raped, and grandmothers and teens are being molested, asks Vinita Singh, a social activist and is relentlessly working at the grassroots level to bring about a change in the way women are treated in the country. Vinita believes that, a country rises when women get literate and when the doors of opportunity open for them. She thinks that the time when women had to be given their rights has passed, now women need to snatch their rights. New Delhi was described as the world s worst megacities for women in a recent poll conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Delhi, the world s second-most populous city, with an estimated 26.5 million population, was ranked in the survey as the worst megacity in the world for rape, sexual Keeping his family s pottery tradition alive during Diwali RUDRA PRATAP SINGH Dharmendar Phoolsingh works at a dairy in the small town of Bhiwani, Haryana but during the festive season of Diwali he does what his forefathers did all their life- pottery. He resides in a place of dusty market street with all his work on display. I learnt this craft at an early age. My mother helped my father with the same but after her pregnancy, she could no longer perform those duties, I decided to step in and learn pottery in order to assist him. Dharmendar has a family consisting of his wife and two children. When asked about his business this year, he said that it was the same as it has been for the past five years and moreover he always worked because he TRIYA GULATI It s Lucknow s most popular chikan work store and certainly, owner Anand Diwedi is proud of this fact. The owner of Sadaf Chikan, sells various types of chikan work clothes here for men, women and kids. Comparing his chikan work with other famous brands of India and abroad, he said, We do not need to advertise our chikan work like other brands because when people think of Lucknow, the only thing which comes to their mind is chikan, one wanted to keep this tradition alive, not for money. Although the extra cash helps, I believe that it is my family s lineage and it is upon my shoulders to keep it going. On asking him about his craft, he said it is a craft of discipline but while creating a pot one needs to feel the clay, to be the clay. One needs to get away from the rest of the world and focus on that piece of clay only. My father used to say that the clay is like your child, you need to nurture it, shape it, guide the whole process to turn it into the perfect pot and these words of his are the only thing I think about while pottering. He says that performing the craft, reminds him of his father and it makes him feel closer to him even though death has set them so apart. which they can eat and the other which they can wear. He added, When it comes to increase footfalls on my store, I prefer word of mouth advertising and that is why we try to give best service and product to our customers. So if they are satisfied they will go and talk to ten other people outside and promote my chikan work. At present, of the 23 types of work, approximately types of work are at peak. He said that not only in India but also in abroad, chikan work is very famous and the most famous work outside is Conversation segwayed to his children whom he talked very fondly of. When asked about what he wants to be when they grow up he said that they study hard and become respectable individuals who never forget the craft that has been in their family for attacks and harassment of women alongside Brazil s Sao Paulo. Delhi was ranked the fourth most dangerous megacity for women in the world overall. I m not surprised by the results, I see what came out in those sheets of paper practically, more or less everyday while walking murgi, mukesh and jalli work. Diwedi said that the work on clothes is never done by any machine instead is done by the people living in the nearby villag- generations and pass it on to their kids as well. Dharmendar Phoolsingh s life is an example of never forgetting one s roots because no matter what we do or where we go, we are all children of our ancestors, we are the children of our soil. through the streets, said Vinita. Vinita also narrated an anecdote through which she tried to elucidate the deplorable state of self sustaining women in rural India. I met a woman in Asaidapur a village in Uttar Pradesh. At first, she seemed quiet reluctant to talk but soon when she es and they are paid on the quality and quantity of work done by them. Although demonetization and GST made the market slump, but still the demand for chikan work did not lose its hold in the market, he said. Diwedi said that there are around 23 types of work in this industry. And it is quite tough to bring variations in it; therefore, we make a fusion of Indian and western culture. We take western outfits and do chikan work (with variations) on it. The aim is to maintain the Indian tradition with little spoke it felt as if she has stripped the society, she said. The husband of this lady had died so the lady and many other self sustaining women, had no say in major decision taking processes of the village. They weren t allowed to participate in election and not only this even their voter IDs were kept safely with the gram sarpanch. When I went ahead to ask the sarpanch about the matter, the very rational reason given by him for this act was that these ladies were manhus (ill-fated) and if they somehow manage to win they would bring bad fortune to the village, she said. Vinita says women are deprived of a civilised society and she also held criminal laws responsible for increasing crimes. Not all men, but all women I know have experienced gender violence or molestation one way or another. This shouldn t it be the only way of life women know, she said. An unexpected career choice RISHIKA SINGH Ramesh Kumar, 26 year old man, wanted to become an engineer but unfortunate death of his father pushed his family into poverty and he was unable to complete his education. With the pressure to earn a living he was forced in doing chikan embroidery. Ramesh came all along from Lucknow to Kashipur to start his work.initially he had to struggle a lot.he worked hours a day at that time. Ramesh with his monthly income 2500 continues to find it difficult to meet his daily expenses. He said, Majority of the workers are women between years of age and only do hand work and decide the cut and colours.it is a rural home based industry. bit of western culture variations. He also added that we never compromise on the quality of the clothes. On his journey of 16 years, he said that there is no other industry in Lucknow except this and working in it one feels to make a fusion of Indian and western culture. He said, Our daily aim is to satisfy our customers and stand on their expectations. Diwedi said, I only aspire to make a successful international market of chikan work. He aspires to make great progress in the upcoming years as well. One festival, different perspectives HARSHIT MANSUKHANI Kicking off the festive period before Diwali, Ambience Mall at Vasant Kunj, South Delhi was decorated beautifully with lights and a magnificent statue of Lord Ganesh. Shoppers from every corner flocked in to avail the best that mall had to offer. There is something for everyone in the mix, it is a place for everyone. On one hand where people are happy to welcome the festive season, there are some of us who feel the need of being with family and simultaneously earn a bread. Everyone wants best of everything and in this hustle the one who serves and protects is left behind. Every day could be a normal day or a festive one, it depends on how you treat your visitors, said Ramesh Raj, Senior Officer at the helpdesk of the mall,feels that if the visitor is treated well and they are happy with the services provided then every day is a festival for him and his team. Illustration by Manvi Singh Chikan-embroidered clothes are still most preferred by customers worldwide Anand Diwedi,owner of Sadaf Chikan Photo by Triya Gulati Diwali or any other festive season brings no good for me, since I am away from family, celebrating a festival without them means nothing.we are not paid any bonus or given any gifts for our families which really makes me sad, I want every day to be a normal one, said Mithilesh Mishra, A security guard who hails from Varanasi. Speaking to Pawan Kumar, Cashier at Home Centre; he says that Diwali brings more people to their store which means more Dharmendra with his crafts on display Photo by Rudra Pratap Singh buying and more spending, Who doesn t want laxmi to be sitting on their billing desk, Diwali means that people want to gift their family and friends on the occasion hence they buy more and spend more. The previous customer had spent more than Rs only on gifts, which is an ideal situation for us as we try to reach our sales target during this time of the year, I personally want every day to be a Diwali. Speaking to him on tax reforms and consumer behaviour, Tax reforms couldn t stop people from buying since one tax has been put up, household things have become cheaper although it affected all of us for first few days but it soon became of part of everyday transactions He added. The mall looks absolutely amazing with LED lights, grand statue of ganesh and decorated corridors; it clearly tells you about the beginning of something good said Niharika Singh, who was at the mall with her family to roam around. Housewives also take up the work as a part time job to make some extra money for the family.by working as a group in one room the work is divided that helps in their work to complete faster. He explained about the process of his work starting from cutting to finishing.then he said that after cutting and stitching the fabric printing is done by using wooden blocks that are dipped in dye and then followed by embroidery. Then he told about the last step that is washing and finishing which used to take around 10 days and all this process involves bleaching, ironing, stiffening, and acid treatment. He says, The stitches of Chikankari are unique which are divided into flat stitches and embossed stitches jail work.

12 GREATER NOIDA 12 Colours bring Delhi s humdrum Lodhi Colony to life Photo Story by Kabeer Solanki and Harshit Mansukhani Suddenly, dull residential areas in the centre of the capital, with their typical box-shaped, whitewashed government housing, have come to life. The area around Lodhi Road has now come to be known as perhaps the country s first public-art space. The once poster-defaced walls of the colony are now painted with graffiti and the artists have found a new canvas, taking art out in the open for everyone, instead of restricting it within the four walls of a gallery. The affair between Lodi Colony and art began in December 2015 because of Brazilian artists Douglas and Renato, who were roped in for this project by a local group. The Brazilian Embassy in India & the St+Art India, along with Asian Paints, partnered to promote their street art in India. There isn t any particular pattern for the wall art. The plot of the art revolves around the flora and fauna of India. The project, done under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan banner, is to make the walls cleaner in Delhi which are most often ugly with red paan stains on them. At a time when good art and appreciation for it are scarce, these graffittis open up a whole new dimension for artists and how the public perceives their art. Graffittis have been popping up around the city since long, but earlier they were treated as a nuisance but since the initialisation of this project in Lodhi Colony people s attitude towards public art has taken a positive turn. The once-boring white façade buildings have now got a whole new look which brightens up the area and surrounds it with a new strange positive energy. For those who haven t been there, get down at Jor Bagh Metro Station and take a rickshaw (or walk) down to Khanna Market and admire the wall art that has been so lovingly created. They lack eyesight, not vision MUSKAN JAIN Being visually impaired should not be a hurdle, preventing someone from fulfilling their dreams and living a normal life. Students of Jagdamba Andh-Vidyalaya in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan, bear testimony to this phenomenon. Students of this institute can operate computers, play musical instruments, sing and play chess. They are unable to see colours but they can enjoy life way more than many. Deepak, an alumnus of Children of our school have become teachers, lecturers, bank managers and artists. the school who had studied there till Class 10, won a second prize in a tabla competition in The government presented him a mobile phone. Deepak is now back in the school to be trained as a teacher for the visually impaired children. He said, Children from our school have become teachers, lecturers, bank managers and artists. Children are taught music, computers, chess etc in the Deepak, ex-student of Jagdamba Blind School Games designed for visually impaired children school. Visually impaired children use mobile phones and computers with the help of talking software. Jagdamba Andh-Vidyalaya was started in 1981 with one teacher and two students. Now, it has two teacher training centres, hostels for girls and boys, separate buildings for visually impaired and deaf children and an eye hospital. The school, which has a printing press for Braille books, was founded by Paramhans Swami Brahamdev and runs on charity and funding by the government. Deepak joined this school in 2008, learned Braille in six months and was promoted to Class 6 in He is visually impaired since birth and was turned down by every doctor he approached for treatment of his eyes. Though he still faces some problems due to this impairment, is still satisfied with whatever he has learned. He said, I ve enjoyed every festival in this school. I never went home for Holi or the winter break and this year, I m here to celebrate Diwali too. Visually impaired children are taught the same way other kids are. First, they are taught the alphabet and made to memorise the dot numbers of each letter in Braille. Then, they learn to recognise the alphabet based on the number of dots by touching and feeling every dot. People sometimes mock at visually impaired people, Deepak said, adding that when people laughed at them, they were actually laughing at themselves. He said that whenever they needed anything while in school, the founder, addressed by all as Babaji, was always there for them. He treats all the children equally. And the school has helped me a lot. I will always try to give the school my best. Slum kids get better schooling A student of KK Academy MANYA KASHYAP The Right to Education (RTE) Act was implemented in 2009, making children s education compulsory. Since then many schools have taken the initiative of teaching thousands of underprivileged students, in order to give them a better future. KK Academy in Lucknow is one such school. Out of 225 students, at least 40 students come from slum areas. The school is run by an IIM Bangalore alumni, Lakshmi Kaul who has been into social services for a long time. They provide students with all possible facilities like, books, uniforms along with a pick and drop system. Lakshmi, a teacher who has been associated with the school, said, We mix up students in our classes. There s no discrimination, children coming from various sectors of society study together. We ensure that there is strength restriction as it helps us to provide attention to every child. Children coming from slums get extra two hours to cover everything. However, many parents are not willing to send their children to school. RTE act stated that all students should go to school and no school can refuse admission but many schools said no because of their reputation and also because the parents were not literate. We organize summer workshops for such students where they learn craft work, perform Eng- lish skits and sing patriotic songs. It s a 1 month workshop, 3 hours everyday. said Lakshmi. She even added, We don t tell students from where the slum children are coming from. We want them to treat each other equally. Sometimes there are problems like language barriers but we keep a check on them. We send a progress report of every child in 3 months and if there s no progress observed we make them repeat the class but as of now no such case has been recorded. Indigo Airlines have come forward to help the school financially in their noble act. The school even got the Malala Award for their hardwork and dedication. OCTOBER 27, 2017 VOL.1 ISSUE 4 SUB EDITORS ADITI TYAGI, VISHESH RADHU (Page 1), MANYA KASHYAP, FI TYAGI (Page 2), SAUMYA TEOTIA, ANUKRITI KANDPAL (Page 3), REETI AGARWAL, SHIVANSHI TOMER (Page 4), PARKHI RAWAT, VIBHUTI BHARTI (Page 5), LAKSHYA SHARMA, UMYA SRIVASTAVA (Page 6), KRITIKA LALWANI, MOHD. LARAIB (Page 7), KABEER LANKI, MUSKAN BABUTA (Page 8), GURBANI SINGH, DEVSHREE GAURI SHUKLA (Page 9), ASHISH SINGH, TEJUS KISHORE (Page 10), ABHIMANYU SHARMA, ADITI GIRI (Page 11), AANCHAL SINGLA, RIDDHI DWIVEDI (Page 12) REPORTERS ANUKRITI KANDPAL, ATISHA GUPTA, DAKSH GOGIA, LAKSHAY KUMAR, LALIT DHAWAN, MANSI JAIN, MEGHNA PUSHPAM, MONIKA THAKUR, MUSKAAN JAIN, NAGMA BANU, NIKHIL J NAIR, NISHITA SINGH BUNDELA, RAMIT SHARAN, SAKSHI GARG, SHREYA CHAKRABORTY, SHREYA DHAKAL, TANVI MISHRA, TARU MEDHA, VAIBHAVI UJJAL GHOSH, VANI KAUL, VARNIKA SHARMA, VIBHUTI YADAV, VIREN TAK, WRITAVA BANERJEE, AKANKSHA YADAV, AKRITI SARASWAT, AKSHARA RAMSHANKAR NAIR, ANMOL THUKRAL, ANUBHAV TYAGI, ANURAG KUMAR, DANISH NAQVI, DEBOMITRA DAS, DEEP DAS BARMAN, HARSHIT MANSUKHANI, HIA BASU, KARTIK SHUKLA, KUDRAT SANDHU, MAHIMA GOYAL, MANVI SINGH, MOHAMMAD HAARIS BEG, NANDINI BISHNOI, NEEHARIKA AWASTHI, RISHIKA SINGH, RUDRA PRATAP SINGH, SANDALI N.A SINHA, SRI RAM POORNA, TANMAY SHARMA, TRIYA GULATI Published by Sunil Saxena on behalf of School of Media and Liberal Arts, Bennett University, Plot no 8-11, Tech Zone II, Greater Noida, and printed at Veekay Printers, 140 Patpar Ganj, New Delhi The Times of Bennett is a training paper which is written, edited and produced entirely by students as part of their academic work. It is for internal circulation only.