Author: millennialmatriarchs

Food for Thought

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October 16 marks World Food Day—the day in 1945 that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was set up. FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. FAO’s goal is to achieve ‘food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives.’ 194 countries and the European Union constitute its membership and FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.

World Food Day aims to raise global awareness about food security and hunger, promoting actions to eradicate hunger and malnourishment. The day focuses on sustainable food systems, healthy diets, and equitable food distribution to ensure a better future for all.  The theme for World Food Day 2025 is “Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”.

One would hope that with world attention on this critical issue, things would have gotten better in the decades since the establishment of FAO. Well, in fact measures of world hunger over time do show a general decline from that time. But the bad news is that progress has stagnated and reversed in recent years due to factors like conflict, climate change, and the pandemic.

Food Sufficiency

One area of concern in this turbulent world of conflicts and tariff wars is a country’s food self-sufficiency. The alarming fact is that as per a study reported in Science Alert, carried out by researchers from the University of Göttingen in Germany and the University of Edinburgh, only ONE country in the world can is self-sufficient in all seven key food groups (Fruits, Vegetables, Dairy, Fish, Meat, Plant-based protein, and Starchy staples).

And is Guyana! China and Vietnam were the runners-up, producing enough food to meet their populations’ needs in six out of the seven categories. Less than 15% of countries are self-sufficient in five or more food groups. Half a dozen countries– Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Macau, Qatar, and Yemen – are unable to meet self-sufficiency in any food group.

This is bad news in a world which cannot count on peace and fair trade across borders. Governments have to urgently re-think their agricultural policies.

India

India’s agriculture has come a long way from the days of ‘ship to spoon’ when we dependent on the largesse of developed countries. Today, we are net strong in staples (cereals including rice, wheat and coarse grains) and dairy.

But we have our vulnerabilities. The weakest points are pulses and oils.

We depend on pulse imports because production fluctuates.We produced around 24-25 million tonnes of pulses in 2024-25 and imported about 4.65 million tonnes. Domestic production fluctuates due to weather etc.

India meets only ~ 40-45% of its edible oil demand through domestic production. The rest is imported (for oils or oilseeds). In 2023-24, imports we imported approximately16 million tonnes of edible oils. Domestic production is increasing but yield gaps, land use, and competition with other crops are constraints.

The issue is not just the macro-numbers. The context of persistent malnutrition and food insecurity due to rising food prices, food wastage, farmer distress and the increasing impact of climate change on agricultural production must be kept in mind.

Respect Food and Farmers

While we hope our governments and institutions will sharply focus on this, as individuals, this World Food Day is an opportunity to think about where our food comes from; how we can eat healthy without imposing enormous costs on the earth; how we can bring food-waste down to zero. And renew our respect for the farmers who feed us, often without due return.

–Meena

A Moon of Many Names

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This week offered a rare celestial phenomenon which also coincided with the festival of Sharad Purnima, the full moon heralding the beginning of the winter season in India. This was the appearance of the Harvest Moon. This was one of the Supermoons that are scheduled to appear this year.

The Moon’s orbit around the Earth is not circular but elliptical, meaning that the distance between the two varies throughout the year. A Supermoon is when the moon is full at its closest point to the earth, called the perigree, or within 90% of its closest point. When it is at this point, the full moon appears noticeably larger and brighter. The term Supermoon was first coined by astrologer Richard Nolle in 1979.

The recent October full moon is known as the Harvest Moon. The Harvest Moon is the name given to the full Moon that rises closest to the Autumn equinox which is usually around 22 September, but aligning with the time between late September and November. During these weeks, the full moon tends to rise earlier than usual for several nights in a row, causing the evening sky to stay illuminated for a longer time. The name dates from the time before electricity, when farmers in the northern hemisphere depended on the Moon’s light to harvest their crops late into the night. The Moon’s bright light and extended period of illumination was particularly important during fall, when harvests are the largest in America.

Over time different cultures, have traditionally given names to full moon across the lunar calendar. The cycles of lunar phases were also a method of timekeeping. For example, in many Native American tribes, names of full moons reflected what was happening in Nature at that time. For example: January: Wolf Moon named after the howling of hungry wolves lamenting the scarcity of food in midwinter. February: Snow Moon reflecting the month’s typically cold, snowy weather. March: Worm Moon after the worm trails that would appear in the newly-thawed ground. April: Pink Moon after a species of early blooming wildflower. May: Flower Moon as thanks for the abundant blooming of spring flowers. June: Strawberry Moon to reflect the time for harvesting of strawberries. July: Buck Moon for the time when male deer, which shed their antlers every year, begin to regrow them. August: Sturgeon Moon which is when this fish species appeared. September: Full Corn Moon when crops are gathered at the end of the summer season. It is often the nearest full moon to the autumnal equinox, earning the title of ‘harvest moon’. October: Hunter’s Moon which gives hunters enough light to be able to stalk prey and hunt at night. November: Beaver Moon which refers to both the time when beavers are actively building dams, and also when hunters set beaver traps. December: Cold Moon which marks the setting in of winter.

The moon and its cycles have fascinated people from time immemorial. While the Native American tribes found a close connection of these cycles with their own life and work cycles, the mystery of the moon has also been the staple of folklore and fantasy. Several Asian cultures have tales about the moon. In China and Japan one of the zodiac animals–the rabbit—also has links with the moon.

There is a popular folktale in Japan about the Moon Rabbit which is believed to have its origins in the Buddhist origin tale. As one version of the story goes:

Many years ago, the Old Man of the Moon decided to visit the Earth. He disguised himself as a beggar and asked Fox (Kitsune), Monkey (Saru), and Rabbit (Usagi) for some food.

Monkey climbed a tree and brought him some fruit. Fox went to a stream, caught a fish, and brought it back to him. But Rabbit had nothing to offer him but some grass. So he asked the beggar to build a fire. After the beggar started the fire, Rabbit jumped into it and offered himself as a meal for the beggar to eat.

Quickly the beggar changed back into the Old Man of the Moon and pulled Rabbit from the fire. He said “You are most kind, Rabbit, but don’t do anything to harm yourself. Since you were the kindest of all to me, I’ll take you back to the moon to live with me.”

The Old Man carried Rabbit in his arms back to the moon and he is still there to this very day exactly where the Old Man left him. Just look at the moon in the night sky and the rabbit is there!

The rabbit on the moon is called Tsuki no Usagi in Japanese. People imagine when they look up at the full moon that they can see the shape of the rabbit pounding rice cakes with a pestle. At Jugo-ya the Japanese mid-autumn festival, people gather to watch the full moon, and children sing a song about Usagi the moon rabbit.

There is a similar legend in Korea where the moon rabbit is known as Daltokki, and also pounds rice cakes. In Vietnam, in a similar legend, the white rabbit is named Tho Trang. All these are celebrated at the Mid-Autumn festival.

The legend has also captured the fantasy of modern artists. A Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman created a giant moon rabbit as part of a display at the Taoyuan Land Arts Festival in Taiwan in 2014. It was made of 12,000 pieces of Tyvek, a kind of high-density polyethylene fibre, and placed in the open where it looked as if it was staring at the clouds in the sky and daydreaming, as the breeze ruffled its tyvek ‘fur’.  

India too has its share of moon legends. Whatever we may imagine we see in the shadows on the moon, the sight of a full moon is always breath-taking. This year the Harvest Moon which usually occurs in September, was on 6 and 7 October, a rare occurrence. Sadly many missed a clear viewing as many parts of the country had rain or cloud cover. But not to despair, this year will still allow us to enjoy two more Supermoons—on 5 November and 4 December.  

–Mamata

Jane Goodall: Teaching the World to Care

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Jane Goodall’s story begins, as many extraordinary stories do, with an ordinary girl and an unlikely dream. As a child in England, she carried a toy chimpanzee named Jubilee everywhere. No one could have guessed that this early fascination would lead her to the forests of Gombe, where she would change not just how we look at chimpanzees, but also how we think about our relationship with nature.

When Jane set off to Africa in 1960, she had no formal scientific training. What she did have was patience, an open mind, and an eye for detail. Those qualities led to her ground-breaking observations: chimpanzees using tools, showing complex emotions, and displaying social bonds once thought to be uniquely human. These revelations turned the world of primatology upside down, but more importantly, they shifted how the public perceived animals. No longer were chimpanzees just “creatures” in the wild; they were kin.

Jane Goodall was truly path-breaking as a woman scientist at a time when the field of primatology, and indeed most of science, was dominated by men. In the early 1960s, she ventured into the forests of Gombe, Tanzania at a time few women undertook intensive fieldwork. For countless young women, she became a role model who showed that passion and persistence could break barriers, and that it was possible to be both rigorous and compassionate in research. By sharing her journey widely, she inspired generations of women to believe that they, too, could pursue careers in science, venture into the field, and shape the questions that redefine our understanding of the natural world.

Jane’s greatest contribution may not lie in her scientific discoveries alone. It lay in how she chose to use them. From the 1980s onwards, she began to move away from research and into advocacy and education. She saw forests vanishing, wildlife populations declining, and young people growing increasingly alienated from nature. She knew that science alone could not stem the tide of environmental degradation. What was needed was education—education that could inspire empathy, action, and hope.

This vision gave birth to Roots & Shoots, her global program for young people. Starting in 1991 with just a handful of students in Tanzania, it has now spread to more than 60 countries, empowering thousands of young people to become change-makers in their communities. The premise is simple: every individual matters, every individual has a role to play, and every individual can make a difference. Roots & Shoots projects range from planting trees and cleaning up neighbourhoods, to wildlife conservation and social justice initiatives. Jane wanted children to see themselves not as passive inheritors of a troubled world, but as active participants in shaping a sustainable future.

Her approach to environmental education is distinctive in three ways. First, it is grounded in hope. At a time when climate anxiety is widespread, Jane insists that hope is not naïve optimism, but a call to action. “Without hope,” she says, “we fall into apathy. With hope, we find the courage to act.” Second, she emphasised connection—to animals, to the land, and to each other. In her talks across the globe, she reminded audiences that the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems is intertwined. And third, she led by example. Even in her late 80s, Jane travelled around the world, tirelessly addressing schools, communities, and governments, showing that passion has no retirement age.

What makes Jane Goodall so compelling as an educator is that she does not lecture; she told stories. She talked about the moment when a chimpanzee she named David Greybeard accepted her presence, breaking the barrier between human and animal. She recalled village children in Tanzania planting trees that now tower above their schools. Through these narratives, she drew her listeners into a shared emotional space where science and spirit met.

For us, as parents, teachers, and citizens, there is much to learn from her style. Environmental education, she shows us, is not about overwhelming children with statistics on melting ice caps. It is about nurturing wonder, building empathy, and giving them the tools to act. It is about ensuring that the animals the children see today do not become just relics of lost species tomorrow.

Jane Goodall often said that every day we make an impact on the planet, and we can choose what kind of impact that will be. That simple truth is perhaps her most enduring lesson. She taught generations not only how to care about the environment, but also how to carry that care into action.

In a world crowded with crises, Jane stands as a reminder that education is not about filling minds, but about lighting fires. And hers is a fire that continues to spread, quietly but persistently, across classrooms, living rooms, and communities worldwide.

When I worked at Centre for Environment Education, I was lucky enough to meet her to introduce the institution and its work to her. She had very little time, but focussed intently on the conversation. It was indeed a memorable moment!

Thank you Jane Godall for all you have done and all the people you have inspired. RIP.

–Meena

PIC: My ex-collegue Ramjee is lucky to have got this signed pic of her’s when he met her.

Educating for Head, Heart & Hands: Gujarat Vidyapith

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2 October marks the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. On this day much is written and spoken about Gandhiji’s movements to free India from the shackles of British rule. The non-cooperation movement, the Swadeshi movement, the Salt Satyagraha and other non-violent movements were all part of the nationwide stir to lead India to become an independent, self-reliant nation. Amidst all this, not much is discussed about Gandhiji’s deep thinking and initiatives in the field of education.

Gandhiji began experiments with education with younger children in the Kochrab and Sabarmati Ashrams during 1915-1920. In 1920, when he launched the non-cooperation movement, Gandhiji appealed to everyone to boycott schools and colleges imparting British colonial education propounded by Lord Macaulay. There was a huge response to this call, and thousands of students quit studies to join Gandhiji’s movement. But Gandhiji was equally concerned that the youth of the country were not deprived of education, but rather were offered an option that would provide an all-rounded education which could prepare them for the task of national reconstruction, and usher in Hind Swaraj, the India of his dream. The process towards this began with the formation of a National Education Committee which was chaired by Gandhiji. The committee felt that the path could be the establishment of what was envisioned as Rashtriya Vidyapiths (National Universities) which would promote educational institutions run by Indians for Indians outside the financial and governing control of British authorities. Five of these were established during this period. One of these, was Gujarat Vidyapith which was established by Gandhiji himself on 18 October 1920 (the only university set up by Gandhiji). Its foundation was an important event in the Satyagraha movement.

Gandhiji’s vision for the institution was to prepare a generation of dedicated, sincere, fearless, and honest students who contributed to a self-sufficient, non-violent, and egalitarian nation.

On 15 November 1920, Gandhiji launched Gujarat Mahavidyalaya, an affiliated college under the aegis of the Rashtriya Mahavidyalaya. The inaugural event was held  in the compound of Dahyabhai Mehta’s bungalow in Kochrab village at 8.30 a.m.   Dahyabhai had provided his bungalow for setting up the university. The historic photograph of the group present for this was taken by artist Ravishankar Raval who was the only one in Ahmedabad then who could operate a camera. Raval recalled the event in his memoirs. The proceedings began with a Punjabi song sung by Saraladevi Chowdhrani. It was followed by Bapu’s speech. After speeches of the registrar, and a few teachers, the event ended with the pledge “Bharat Hamara Desh Hai”. By 1923 more than 30,000 students were part of Gujarat Vidyapith.

Gandhiji was declared as the Chancellor of the University for life. Professor A T Gidwani was its founder Vice-Chancellor. After Gandhiji, the post of chancellor was held by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr. Rajendra Prasad and Morarji Desai. Later, many more institutions, colleges and schools were affiliated to the Vidyapith.

Today Gujarat Vidyapith itself functions as a university dedicated to holistic Head, Hand, and Heart education based on Gandhian principles, whereas Gujarat Mahavidyalaya serves as a specific academic unit for students within that framework. 

Up to 1930, the languages like Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Sanskrit, Persian and English and the subjects like History, Arithmetic, Philosophy, Economics, Accountancy, Music, Political Science, Pharmacy, Archaeology and Indian studies were taught in Gujarat Vidyapith at graduation level. The Vidyapith stopped functioning temporarily during the civil disobedience movements of 1930 to 1935, both the students and faculty members participated actively in the freedom struggle, many of them courting arrest. Again, during 1942 to 1945, during the Quit India movement the functioning of Vidyapith came to a standstill. After the year 1945, the Vidyapith started its activities once again.

Since then Gujarat Vidyapith, as it is called, has expanded considerably. But its main objective continues to be preparing workers of character, ability, culture and dedication for the conduct of movements connected with the regeneration of country in accordance with the ideals shared by Mahatma Gandhi. According to Gandhi, the aims of education are the holistic development of the individual, encompassing the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual dimensions (hand, heart, and head). Education should lead to self-reliance, cultivating character, truth and non-violence. Participation in productive work with a sense of dignity of labour should foster self-reliance through practical skills; acceptance of equality of religions; priority for the need of village dwellers in all curricula should engage individuals in service to society have been guiding principles.

The emphasis is on more than the academics (through use of mother tongue as a medium of instruction); it is the cultivation of the heart and hands. This involves regular participation in community work, social service, community prayers, simple and self-reliant living, study tours and field studies, hand spinning and training in craft work, physical exercise and training in manual work.

For more than a century Gujarat Vidyapith has nurtured generations of learners who have been inspired by the life and teachings of Gandhiji to carry forward the legacy of truth, non-violence and social change, following the path of dialogue and understanding. The Vidyapith has strived to keep alive Gandhiji’s philosophy of education which prioritizes holistic development, self-reliance and service to humanity. Character, compassion and community, and inclusivity remain its cornerstones. Today more than ever before, we need such institutions, and our young people need to be reminded that education should encompass Head, Heart and Hands.

–Mamata

Reflecting on the Five Laws of Stupidity and praying Ma Saraswaty sheds the light of wisdom!

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Have you ever shaken your head at someone’s actions and muttered, “How could they be so stupid?” Economist Carlo M. Cipolla, a professor at UC Berkeley, took that exasperation and turned it into a razor-sharp essay in 1976, later published as The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity. What began as tongue-in-cheek satire has, over the years, gained the weight of wisdom. His framework is quoted in boardrooms, military strategy papers, and even risk-management seminars. It is, at once, funny and sobering.

So, what are these Five Laws?

  1. Inevitability – Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation.
    No matter how cynical you think you are, Cipolla assures us the world contains more stupidity than you can fathom. It’s a reminder not to be caught off guard when irrationality rears its head.
  2. Ubiquity – The probability that a certain person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person.
    Education, wealth, power or even high degree of capability in one dimension offer no immunity. History is replete with examples of brilliant scientists, decorated generals, and wealthy tycoons making catastrophic blunders. Stupidity is democratic—it spares no class or group.
  3. Damage Principle – A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses.
    This is Cipolla’s key insight: stupidity is not mere ignorance, it is destructive irrationality. Unlike the clever or the criminal, who may at least benefit themselves, the stupid spread harm without return.
  4. The Underestimation Trap – Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals.
    We often brush off foolishness as harmless. But Cipolla insists it is a potent force that can derail institutions, movements, or nations. Underestimating stupidity is, itself, stupid.
  5. The Supreme Law – A stupid person is the most dangerous type of person.
    Why? Because unlike the bandit (who robs you but at least gains something), the stupid person leaves everyone worse off, including themselves. They are unpredictable, immune to logic, and capable of pulling entire systems into collapse.

From Satire to Serious Lens
Cipolla originally wrote the essay as a whimsical interlude in his career as an economic historian. Yet, his classification gained traction because it resonated with lived experience. Management theorists mapped his “laws” onto organizational behavior. Military strategists saw in it an explanation for the chaos of battle. Behavioral economists quietly nodded, recognizing parallels with cognitive biases and irrational decision-making.

Interestingly, Cipolla illustrated his framework with a simple 2×2 graph, plotting human behavior along axes of personal benefit and social impact. The quadrants neatly categorized people as helpless (hurt themselves but help others), bandits (help themselves, hurt others), intelligent (help both), and stupid (hurt both). That little diagram has since found its way into PowerPoint slides across the world.

Echoes Through History
History, as Cipolla loved to remind, is propelled not only by heroes and villains but also by the stubborn weight of stupidity. The fall of empires, disastrous wars, or economic collapses often show a pattern: decisions made against all logic, driven by pride, short-sightedness, or blind conviction. From letting in the Trojan Horse to the Maginot Line, human folly has had a starring role.

Practical Uses Today
At first glance, Cipolla’s laws feel like cocktail-party philosophy. But they’ve been pressed into real-world use:

  • Risk Management: Financial firms use “Cipolla’s Matrix” to flag policies or behaviors that could destroy value for no clear reason.
  • Leadership Training: By distinguishing between stupidity and malice, leaders are taught to manage teams with sharper judgment.
  • Public Policy: Some commentators even apply the laws when analyzing bureaucratic inertia, or social media misinformation.

A Mirror, Not a Weapon
It’s tempting to wield Cipolla’s laws as a judgmental hammer—branding others as “stupid.” But the real power of his essay lies in self-reflection. How often have we acted against our own interest, or underestimated the ripple effects of our actions? If stupidity is so pervasive, perhaps humility is the antidote.

Another thinker came out with the The Bonhoeffer Law of Stupidity describes stupidity not as a lack of intelligence but as a moral failing where individuals surrender their inner independence to power structures, groupthink, and simplistic slogans, becoming “mindless tools” incapable of critical thinking or moral judgment. It is a sociological problem, amplified by rising political power and fostering conditions where people become susceptible to propaganda and blind obedience. Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is more dangerous than malice because it is immune to reason and force, making it a more insidious threat, especially within groups. which describes stupidity not as lack of intelligences, but as a moral failing where individuals surrender their inner independence to power structures, groupthink and simplistic slogans, becoming incapable of critical thinking or moral judgement.  It is a sociological problem, amplified by rising political power and fostering conditions where people become susceptible to propaganda and blind obedience. Bonhoeffer argued that stupidity is more dangerous than malice because it is immune to reason and force, making it a more insidious threat, especially within groups. 

On the occasion of Dusshera, let us pray to Goddess Saraswathi for to rid the world of stupidity!

–Meena

Happy Dusshera!

Image: artandhome.net/quotes-about-stupidity/

Pencil in the Dates: Stationary Fairs around the World

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Two weeks ago, we dipped our toes into the pastel-hued wonderland of Japanese stationery. This week, starting from Japan, we do a world-trip of Stationery Expos.

Japan: Two Shows, Two Personalities

Japan doesn’t just have one stationery expo—it has two, each with its own character.

The Japan Stationery Show, held every November in Tokyo, is the country’s premier industry fair. Here, manufacturers reveal their latest innovations: notebooks that open perfectly flat, mechanical pencils that never break lead, and pens that glide like a brush. It is also home to the coveted Stationery of the Year awards, which often set the trends for the year ahead. Though businesslike in its purpose, the show is open to consumers too, making it a buzzing space where industry professionals and stationery fans meet.

The Stationery Girls Expo (Bungu Joshi Haku), by contrast, is pure celebration. Launched in 2017, it caters to bungujoshi—literally “stationery girls,” a term now used for anyone who adores stationery as a lifestyle. Here, washi tapes in hundreds of designs, pastel highlighters, limited-edition pens, and playful planners dominate the stalls. The mood is festival-like—queues of eager shoppers, arms full of bags, and excited chatter about the season’s “must-have” notebook. If the Japan Stationery Show sets the industry agenda, the Stationery Girls Expo captures the culture of stationery—personal, expressive, and joyful.

With the cheerful tagline “the most enjoyable event for stationery lovers,” this expo is playful, creative, and community-driven. Its name might suggest it’s just for girls, but the event welcomes anyone with a soft spot attractive staionary. Spread across several days in Tokyo and Osaka, it has grown into Japan’s largest stationery festival, drawing nearly half a million visitors cumulatively.

The expo is also known for its Bungu Joshi Awards, where visitors vote for their favorite products—categories range from Tokimeki Design (heart-fluttering design) to Heart-throbbing Convenience (products that spark delight through functionality). The audience becomes part of the show, giving the event a democratic, festival-like atmosphere.

What’s especially interesting is the shopping system. Each visitor is given a transparent bag at entry. As they wander through stalls, they pick up treasures and drop them into their bag, paying for everything at a central cashier. It’s a clever system that avoids long queues at individual stalls and keeps visitors free to browse. The expo also offers exclusive merchandise only available on-site—tiny rewards for the true devotees.

Germany and USA

Germany’s Paperworld (now merged with Ambiente), has for decades set the global benchmark. Here the focus is on sustainability, efficiency, and innovation. Think paper made from stone, packaging that biodegrades in weeks, and pens that feel like sleek machines. It is vast, professional, and very B2B—corporate buyers and distributors scanning stalls with intent.

Then there’s the US National Stationery Show (NSS) in New York. This one feels closer to Japan in spirit—independent designers, hand-illustrated journals, greeting cards that are art in themselves. The joy of paper and pen as a form of self-expression is what binds the NSS community.

India: Now taking Mainstage

And, did you know, India has its own Expos too—two of them!

A Stationery Fair has long been part of the well-known Delhi Book Fair. Last month saw not only the 28th Delhi Book Fair, but also the 24th Stationery Fair at Bharat Mandapam. “Besides promoting books of all genres, the aim is to focus on providing students with educational books and stationery,” says Hema Maity, general manager, India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).

The newer entrant is the Stationery & Write Show which debuted in 2019 in Mumbai, co-located with gifting and lifestyle fairs. That first edition saw 272 exhibitors and over 12,000 visitors—a remarkable start for a new platform. By 2022, the event had grown into a three-in-one showcase—Paperworld India + Corporate Gifts Show + Interior Lifestyle India—drawing nearly 15,000 trade visitors and 215 exhibitors. Fast forward to 2025, and the growth is striking: 18,000+ visitors from 285 Indian cities and 49 countries, with 340+ exhibitors. The annual fair, usually held in late January at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, now rivals international events in scale. It has a Delhi edition too.

And the highlights? Eco-friendly stationery made from recycled paper, cork accessories, even moss-covered desk décor. Alongside these, educational toys, quirky notebooks, and premium pens jostle for attention.

What makes India’s fairs unique is the mood—serious business buyers walk the aisles, but so do college and school students and stationery lovers. It is equal parts trade fair and festival.

The Magic That Endures

Whether in Tokyo, Frankfurt, New York, or Mumbai, expos remind us that stationery is not just about function. It is about beauty, culture, even memory. And perhaps that is why, year after year, these fairs continue to draw thousands: they affirm that ink on paper still carries magic in a screen-dominated world.

–Meena

The Game of Life: Monopoly

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This year is supposed to mark 90 years of one of the world’s most popular board games—Monopoly. It is estimated that the game, translated into 47 languages, has been played by one billion people worldwide. Hasbro, the company that produces the game is marking the milestone with events and publicity that retells the story of the invention of the game, and its subsequent success that made history.

According to this version, the game was originally created in 1935 by Parker Brothers. As the story goes, in 1932, a Philadelphia businessman named Charles Todd and his wife, Olive, introduced their friends Charles and Esther Darrow to a real-estate board game they had recently learned. The board game involved rolling dice to move tokens across the board while buying up properties listed on the board. The game did not have a name, and was not marketed but passed from friend to friend who all enjoyed playing it. Charles Darrow, who was at the time unemployed and in need of money, saw a potential opportunity, and asked his friend Todd for the written rules. There were none, friends made up rules as they played. It was informally known as the ‘monopoly game’.

Darrow however put together these ‘rules’ and hired an artist to design a board, and tokens and began to hand produce sets which he sold to a local department store with the name Monopoly. The game was a hit. Darrow sold this version to the toy manufacturer Parker Brothers in 1935, claiming that it was entirely his invention. He was granted a patent for this in 1935. And thus the official time line for the origin of game was pegged by Parker Brothers at 1935, and Monopoly was marketed with the story of how a struggling salesman created the game in his basement to support his family during the Great Depression.  

However, the real origin of the game goes back much further, to the beginning of the century, and its creator was a woman who was a pioneer in more fields than one. Born in Illinois in1866 to Scottish immigrant parents Elizabeth Magie moved to Washington DC in her early 20s. Lizzie, as she was known to her friends, lived as a single woman supporting herself, working as a stenographer and typist, both unusual for a woman in those times. Not only did she live on her own, she saved up and bought her own home, and went on purchase some acres of property. She also wrote poetry and short stories, and did comedic routines onstage. Lizzie had strong and radical political views. This was a time of mighty monopolies which led to huge income disparities. Lizzie became interested in the anti-monopolist policies of Henry George a politician and economist who propagated the concept of a single “land value tax”. The general idea that instead of taxing income or other sources, the government should only tax land, based on the usefulness, size, and location of the land, thus shifting the tax burden to wealthy landlords. The government should use the money from the collected taxes for its essential functions and distribute the rest to people in the lower socio-economic segment. His message resonated with many Americans in the late 1800s, when poverty and squalor were widespread in the cities.

Magie’s original board design for the Landlord’s Game, which she patented in 1903. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/11/secret-history-monopoly-capitalist-game-leftwing-origins

Lizzie was looking for an interactive and creative way to teach Henry George’s economic theories to friends and colleagues. The twentieth century had just dawned, and board games were becoming popular in middle-class homes. Many inventors realized their potential not just as a form of recreation, but as a means of communication. Elizabeth Magie felt that a board game could do what she visualized. After her office hours, Lizzie sat at home night after night thinking and drawing, rethinking and redrawing the grid and messages that would communicate these radical concepts.

Most of the board games at that time had a linear path design. Lizzie’s game had a grid that went round the board. The game featured play money and deeds and properties that could be bought and sold. Players borrowed money, either from the bank or from each other, and they had to pay taxes. In one corner were the Poor House and the Public Park, and across the board was the Jail. Also included on the board were three words scrawled across: GO TO JAIL.

Lizzie Magie created two sets of rules for her game: an anti-monopolist set in which all were rewarded when wealth was created, and a monopolist set in which the goal was to create monopolies and crush opponents. Her dualistic approach was a teaching tool meant to demonstrate that the first set of rules was morally superior. Ironically it was the monopolistic version of the game that caught on.

Lizzie called this game the Landlord’s Game. She described the new concept thus: “It is a practical demonstration of the present system of land-grabbing with all its usual outcomes and consequences,” she wrote in a political magazine.

She was in her thirties when she applied for a patent for her game in 1903. At that time she represented the less than 1 percent of all patent applicants who were women. And this was three decades before Parker Brothers started manufacturing Monopoly for which Darrow claimed credit as inventor, and Darrow’s story of a fluke invention by an unemployed man grew into the legend of Monopoly (and earned him millions). 

While some people noted the similarity between Monopoly and the Elizabeth Magie’s Landlord’s Game, the Darrow legend continued. A newspaper story in 1936 aroused interest when it reported on the similarity, and also that in 1935 (when Monopoly got its patent) Lizzie had sold her board game patent rights to Parker Brothers for only $500 and no royalties. Elizabeth Magie never got due credit for her invention, and she died in relative obscurity in 1948.

With its iconic design elements, the paper money, the property names, the tokens and the rush of ‘buying and selling’, ‘making deals’ and ‘undisguised competition’ Monopoly’s popularity continues even a century later. Its origins which were based in the critique of landlords have been obscured as the game has come to represent the blatant pursuit and accumulation of wealth. The words of the mother of its invention Elizabeth Magie still resonate: “It might well have been called the ‘Game of Life’, as it contains all the elements of success and failure in the real world, and the object is the same as the human race in general seem[s] to have, i.e., the accumulation of wealth.”

–Mamata

Civil-Society Seshan: A Tribute to Jagdeep Chhokar

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Mr. TN Seshan’s tenure as Election Commissioner (12 December 1990 to 11 December 1996) changed how we Indians viewed elections—he made free and fair polls a public expectation rather than an exception. The revolution he brought about was to enforce the Rules, provisions and systems that already existed, but no EC before him had acted sufficiently on. The Model Code of Conduct for instance, which political parties routinely flouted, with EC looking in the other direction. He cancelled or postponed elections where the MCC was blatantly violated. He took action to drastically reduce booth capturing, and clean up electoral rolls and reduce bogus voting. He made candidates and parties accountable for their campaign spending and took strong action against black money in elections. He strengthened monitoring of polling stations, and deployed paramilitary forces in sensitive areas. He laid the ground for Voter ID cards. He increased transparency by publishing election schedules and guidelines well in advance.

The man who ‘ate politicians for breakfast’ helped strengthen and deepen Indian democracy.

If Mr. Seshan brought about all these changes through rigorously using his given power as a bureaucrat, Jagdeep Chhokar, did it purely from the outside. He co-founded the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in 1999 along with his colleague Prof Trilochan Sastry and others as an NGO.

ADR’s primary mission is to improve governance and strengthen democracy by bringing transparency and accountability into India’s political and electoral processes. Over the past two decades, it has become one of the most credible civil society voices on issues of electoral reforms, political funding, and the integrity of candidates and parties.

One can see echoes of Mr. Seshan’s work–one of ADR’s most significant contributions has been its role in disclosure of criminal, financial, and educational background of candidates contesting elections. Following a landmark Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by ADR, the Supreme Court of India in 2002 mandated that all candidates must file self-sworn affidavits disclosing their criminal records, assets, liabilities, and educational qualifications. This judgment fundamentally changed the way Indian voters access information about their representatives. Since then, ADR, through its platform MyNeta.info, has been collecting, analyzing, and disseminating this information for every state and national election, enabling citizens to make more informed choices.

ADR has also been active in examining political party funding and expenditure, a highly opaque area of Indian democracy. By studying income tax returns and donation reports of political parties, it has consistently highlighted the growing role of unaccounted money in politics. ADR’s reports show that a large proportion of party funding comes from unknown sources, often via electoral bonds or cash donations, which raises concerns about transparency. These findings have been widely cited in media, parliamentary debates, and reform discussions.

Beyond data disclosure, ADR has worked to strengthen electoral reforms in collaboration with the Election Commission of India (ECI), civil society organizations, and policy experts. Its advocacy has covered areas such as decriminalization of politics, regulation of inner-party democracy, curbing misuse of money and muscle power, and improving voter awareness.

Another major initiative is citizen empowerment through voter education. ADR conducts voter awareness campaigns, disseminates easy-to-understand report cards on candidates, and organizes debates and dialogues to promote ethical voting. It also collaborates with other organizations on programs like the National Election Watch (NEW), a network that monitors elections and promotes democratic accountability.

ADR has been central in challenging the electoral bond scheme in courts. In February 2024, the Supreme Court of India struck down the electoral bond scheme as unconstitutional, ordering disclosure of donor identities, amounts, etc.

In essence, ADR’s work has created a data-driven framework for citizen engagement, holding both candidates and political parties accountable. While challenges remain in implementing deeper reforms, ADR has significantly advanced transparency in Indian democracy and continues to push for systemic change.

Recent Initiatives of ADR

  • ADR has published updated data (as of July 2025) on how parties redeemed electoral bonds from 2018-24, including comparison with State Bank of India RTI responses. Their analyses show that in FY 2022-23, 82.42% of the income from “unknown sources” declared by national political parties came from electoral bonds.
  1. The report also examines the financial disclosures of Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (those registered with the Election Commission but not recognised as state or national parties).  There was a 223% rise in declared income during FY 2022-23 among these parties.
  2. ADR and its network National Election Watch (NEW) analysed the affidavits of 8,337 out of 8,360 candidates in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections
  3. Among findings:
    • Around 20% of all candidates had declared criminal cases; for state party candidates it was ~47%.
    • 46% of the winning MPs declared criminal cases, up from 43% in 2019.

A Friend

For Mamata and me however, he was Jagdeep, husband of colleague and dear friend Kiran. For me, he was also the colleague of my husband, and neighbour for decades.

What I recall very fondly is how caring of older people Jagdeep and Kiran were. Often when my parents were visiting and they knew I was travelling, they would ensure to drop in and chat, and solve any little problem they might have. The affection was mutual. He was a particular favourite of my mother’s who would rush to make rasam if she heard he had a cold.

Jagdeep did his Law when he was teaching at IIM. And he never did well in exams at all, because he did not follow the quarter-baked kunjis from which examiners expected students to mug and regurgitate answers. He would regale us with the regressive and misinterpreted answers that featured in crib-books, and while we laughed, we also worried about what lawyers were learning.

All of us who knew Jagdeep personally will of course miss you. But the whole country will miss you. Thank you for everything you have done for India’s democracy. We know it was your consuming passion and commitment for the last 25 years. And we also know it took an immense amount of courage.

Thank you Jagdeep. RIP.

Wish you all strength, Kiran.

–Meena and Mamata

Also see: Close encouters with Al-Seshan at https://millennialmatriarch464992105.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1106&action=edit

Beauty in Imperfection: Kintsugi

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This week Meena wrote about the Japanese reverence for precision and perfection with reference to sationery. Many aspects of Japanese life, as well as products, display the concept of kirei that refers to ‘clean’, ‘beautiful’ or ‘elegant’. While the Japanese revere perfection, they equally celebrate imperfection. Nothing personifies this better than the concept of kintsugi. This word combining the Japanese words for ‘gold’ and ‘joinery’ translates roughly to mean ‘joining with gold’ and refers to a 500 year-old art in which broken pottery is repaired with a seam of lacquer and precious metal. The repair is done not with the aim of disguising the crack, but rather highlighting it to create a piece of art.  The joining is involves fine craftsmanship.

Traditionally, kintsugi is entirely based on the use of urushi lacquer. Urushi refers to the tree sap of the lacquer tree, a type of tree that can be found in Japan, China and also on the Korean peninsula. It is widely used for various crafts in Eastern Asia, such as Japanese lacquerware. Urushi is a natural material that has outstanding protective and adhesive properties. Urushi lacquer is used at all stages of the joining process from sticking the pieces together to the gold finish. While urushi lacquer has been used for thousands of years as an adhesive to create or repair objects, the use of gold and lacquer for restoration is believed to have evolved later, dating back to the Muromachi period (1336 AD to 1573 AD).Historically it is craftmen specializing in lacquerware who also did kintsugi. This was their side activity during the winter when the lacquerware business was usually slow.

There are several stories associated with how this began. In one version a Japanese shogun sent his cherished tea bowl to China for repairs after it had been broken. It was returned stapled together with metal which was the common technique then. Disappointed at the clumsy outcome, he asked Japanese artisans to restore the bowl in a way that honoured the craftsmanship of the object. The craftsmen put together the pieces by repairing the cracks with lacquer mixed with powdered gold. The effect was beautiful, restoring the aesthetics as well as functionality of the bowl.  And so, the story goes, kintsugi came to be–the technique that highlights flaws rather than disguising them, creating a new piece of art that retains the functionality of the object. As a craft and an art form, kintsugi challenges conventional expectations. This is because the technique goes further than repairing an object but actually transforms and intentionally changes its appearance.

Kintsugi is more than an art and craft form. It is inextricably linked with the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. This comprises two core concepts – wabi and sabi. Though related, each has its own distinct meaning in the Japanese language. Wabi represents a rustic, understated form of elegance that avoids extravagance and embraces the authentic, the modest and humble, and avoids anything ostentatious or overdesigned. Sabi refers to reverence of the naturally aged and organically withered objects which have acquired a special character over the passage of time.

Put together the concept of wabi-sabi centres on the philosophy that nothing stays the same forever, and the acceptance of transience, imperfection, and beauty in simplicity. It urges us to celebrate the changes over the passage of time. This is a uniquely Japanese sense of imperfect, impermanent beauty in contrast to the values of perfection and permanence.

The kintsugi technique is an extension of the philosophy of wabi-sabi. The restoration of the broken pieces is a slow and painstaking process, carried out with love and respect. It is literally a labour of love, love for the fragile beauty and age of something that deserves due care and reverence. While the word refers to this specific process it is a reflection of the philosophy of a culture that values the old and imperfect, (including a population which has the highest number of centenarians!).

In an age of mass production, conformity, and “use and throw” we are quick to reject anything that does not fit the mould, and even quicker to throw away something which has outgrown its use, is even slightly chipped or dented, and perhaps not ‘in fashion’ any longer (including putting our elders in the care of others).

Going back to where I started, as an avid collector of stationery all my life, I have wonderful memories of going to a shop called Chimanlals and selecting a variety of writing paper and envelopes, and the joy of writing on these with a carefully-filled fountain pen, sealing it in an envelope, and going to the post office to attach stamps and posting the missives. The period of anticipation of the letter reaching its addressee, and the sweet impatience of awaiting the response was a treasured part of a life that moved at a slower pace. I feel sad for a generation that will not know these simple pleasures. In the ‘virtual’ exchange of communication at the speed of sound, we have lost the mindfulness and ritual that is a part of the zen of stationery. It is heartening that Japan still has a Stationery Expo. I would so love to be there!

–Mamata

The Irresistible World of Japanese Stationery

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Japanese stationery–it’s not just about paper and pens. It’s an entire universe of meticulously designed (and over-engineered, some people say)products that blend functionality with a sense of artistry. From perfectly engineered mechanical pencils to pastel-hued notebooks that feel like an experience rather than just stationery, Japan’s stationery game is on another level.

Japan’s obsession with stationery is more than just a passing trend or quirky fascination. There’s a deep cultural history and a respect for craftsmanship that informs the country’s relationship with its stationery products. It’s not about pens, paper, or notebooks—it’s about reverence for beauty, functionality, and attention to detail.

At the core of this lies the cultural reverence for precision and perfection. The concept of kirei—a Japanese word that means “clean,” “beautiful,” or “elegant”—is key to understanding the stationery obsession. In everyday life, the Japanese strive for beauty and simplicity, and this aesthetic extends deeply into the design of their stationery. Minimalism is at the heart of many stationery designs: neutral colors, sleek lines, and a focus on function over excess.When it comes to everyday tools like stationery, the emphasis is on creating items that are not only practical but also exquisitely refined.

There’s a conscious focus on making something beautiful out of the mundane or utilitarian, a concept that transcends into stationery. Pens aren’t just about writing—they’re carefully crafted to deliver the perfect writing experience. Paper isn’t just a surface for notes; it’s a tactile experience that enhances the act of writing itself. Craftsmanship plays an enormous role. Many high-end stationery items, like Uni-ball pens or Midori notebooks, are created by artisans who bring decades of expertise to their craft. Stationery is an extension of this artistry.

The Zen of Stationery: Mindfulness and Ritual

Japanese students are encouraged to use their stationery in an almost sacred way. Their school notebooks are often neatly organized with an emphasis on clean, legible handwriting. Calligraphy—known as shodo—is still a highly respected art form in Japan, and the skills learned in this practice often extend into daily life.

The slow, deliberate process of choosing a pen, selecting the right paper, and finding the perfect notebook to match your mood is an act of mindfulness. It’s about being present in the moment and honouring the process of creation.

The Japanese Stationery Expo and Awards: A Celebration of Craftsmanship and Innovation

This devotion to elevating the everyday reaches its peak each year at two marquee events which take place in June every year in Tokyo: the Japan Stationery Expo and the Japanese Stationery Store Awards. Together, they showcase the best of design, functionality, and sheer creativity.

The Japan Stationery Expo is where stationery enthusiasts, designers, and brands converge to showcase the best of what the industry has to offer. (More on this expo and another interesting one next week).

If the Japan Stationery Expo is where products are showcased, the Stationery Awards are where the best of the best are recognized. They honour the incredible craftsmanship and innovation in Japanese stationery, celebrating both traditional designs and newer, boundary-pushing concepts. It’s the Oscars of the stationery world, but without the drama and red-carpet couture. Products are judged based on various criteria, including design, function, innovation, and overall quality, with awards in several categories, from Best Stationery Product to Best New Brand, and even a category for environmental sustainability.

The 2025 Awards went to:

  • Grand Prize: Pilot Kirei-na Highlighter — engineered with a guiding plate that keeps lines neat and smudge-free.
  • Design Award: Luddite THE POST Sustainable Leather Bendy Pen Case — chic, durable, and eco-friendly,
  • Functionality Award: Uni Jetstream Single Ballpoint Pen (Lite Touch Ink) — celebrated for its smooth flow and comfort, turning everyday scribbles into a silky experience.
  • Idea Award: King Jim Hitotoki Kori Jirushi Ice Stamp — a playful yet practical reinvention of a classic tool.

35 other winners were recognized, from elegant fountain pens to ingenious pen cases, and even a “tea-time notebook”.

Some of the Most Innovative Award Winners in Recent Years

1. Pilot FriXion (2006) – Erasable Ink Pen: This was one of the first pens to use thermosensitive ink, which could be erased with friction.

2. Midori MD Paper (2011) – Premium Paper Notebooks : Known for its exceptionally smooth texture, these revolutionized notebook writing with its soft, cream-colored, bleed-resistant paper

3. Lihit Lab Teffa Bag-in-Bag (2017): A unique product that allows people to organize their small stationery, gadgets, and accessories inside a larger bag. It has pockets of various sizes to fit pens, notebooks, chargers, and other essentials.

4. Kokuyo Campus Sticky Notes (2019): This product took the classic sticky note and reimagined it with a special adhesive that works even on rougher papers.

5. Karuizawa Stationery – Plantable Paper (2020): A sustainable stationery innovation that uses plantable paper embedded with seeds. Once you’ve used the paper, you can plant it and grow flowers, herbs, or even vegetables from it.

I will be content if I can read my own handwriting after a few hours. No loftier ambitions!

–Meena

Pic: .jetpens.com/