Category: Mamata Pandya

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

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

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

Stars in the Forest: Fireflies

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Photo source: https://www.firefly.org/

Poets have celebrated them, children have been awe-struck by their magic, scientists have not yet unravelled all their mysteries …These are fireflies that glow and twinkle in the dark of the night, like the stars come down to earth.

What makes a firefly? The ‘fly’ part of the name is misleading as these insects are not flies but soft-bodies beetles.

The ‘fire’ in the name is more self-explanatory. It comes from the flashes of light that these insects naturally produce. This phenomenon is called bioluminescence. It is caused through a chemical reaction by two enzymes in a firefly’s tail: Luciferin which is heat resistant and glows under the right conditions (in Latin the word Lucifer means ‘light-bearing’), and luciferase, an enzyme the triggers light emission. The two enzymes combine in the presence of magnesium, oxygen and ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), to emit light.

This bioluminescence in fireflies is nearly 100 per cent efficient, in that very little energy is wasted to produce their light. By contrast, in an incandescent light bulb 90 per cent of the energy is lost as heat. Because it produces no heat, scientists refer to firefly lights as “cold lights.

Like most insects, fireflies have four life stages — egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. Their average lifespan is around two years, most spent of this is spent as larvae. But fireflies emit light at all stages of their life. Their tiny eggs glow in the darkness underneath leaf litter; the worm-like larvae glow as they crawl around the forest undergrowth, and the adults shine as they fly around among the forest foliage.

Scientists believe that fireflies evolved the ability to emit light to avoid predation, warn predators (like bats, birds, and toads), and signal that they are distasteful. Fireflies release drops of toxic, foul-tasting blood, and their light is an early warning that keeps predators away.

Over time, adult fireflies began using this ability to emit light as a mating signal. Every firefly species has a unique flash pattern, much like Morse code. When a male firefly wants to communicate with a female firefly, he flies near the ground while he flashes his light every six seconds. Once he’s near the ground, a female can more easily tell if he’s from the same species as she is. (Most female fireflies can’t fly.) She answers his flashes by turning on her lights. Then the male finds her. That’s how males and females of a species identify each other and mate.

After the twinkling courtship, an adult firefly lives only long enough to mate and lay eggs in the soil or on aquatic plants. The larvae hatch in around 25 days. The larval form lasts two months to over a year (depending on the species), before becoming adults and giving birth to the next generation. The larvae eat snails, worms, and slugs, which they inject with a numbing chemical to disable. An adult firefly’s life span is just one to three weeks.  Not much is known about what the adults eat; they may feed on plant pollen and nectar, or they may eat nothing.

Presently there are about 2,000 firefly species globally, although there may exist many more which are not yet known to science. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, and inhabit a wide range of habitats: forests, grasslands, marshes, coastal mangroves, and even vacant plots and city parks which meet their two important requirements: adequate food for their larval form (slugs, snails and small insect larvae), and darkness so that adult fireflies can use their light signals to find mates. At least 50 species have been reported in India, distributed across the country.

Fireflies have been on earth for at least 100 million years. Sadly in this  anthropocene epoch firefly populations are in decline. This is because the natural habitats where the adults fly and mate are destroyed or degraded, the pesticides in agriculture fields kills firefly larvae and the insects that they depend on for food. Artificial lighting from streetlights, buildings and vehicles creates light pollution and wipes the darkness that is necessary for the firefly’s signalling during mating season.

A recent year-long study carried out by Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (Research, Training and Education) about the insect’s genetic diversity, distribution, habitat and their ecology, and seasonal changes in population, as well as the environmental conditions at ten different locations within the Annamalai Tiger Reserve identified at least eight distinct species within different micro habitats. The studies aimed to understand the health of the ecosystem and develop strategies to conserve firefly habitats.

The study reinforced the concern that human activities, especially those that create a lot of artificial light (headlights, floodlights from religious festivals, and even the glow of mobile phones) in buffer areas around protected areas are adversely affecting fireflies. This affects synchrony, the phenomenon where thousands of fireflies flash in unison and which is an ecological marker, an indicator of habitat health.

At the same time there are also opportunities for non-scientists to enjoy the pure magic of firefly illumination at some places in Maharashtra which hold Firefly Festivals in May-June every year. Two of these are in Bhandardara (Kajwa Mahotsav) and Purushwadi.

But one can always be on the lookout for even a little spark of the magic in a dark park or garden (even your own) between May to July when adult fireflies emerge. And if you are lucky enough to spot fireflies you can become a citizen scientist by becoming a part of FireflyWatch (https://citsci-india.org/projects/project/fireflywatch/)

–Mamata

Follow the Child: Maria Montessori

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Montessori is a word much-used today in early education and there is an explosion of what are self-described ‘Montessori’ schools. These are often housed in modern buildings, equipped with a surfeit of the latest ‘equipment’, and accordingly charging high fees. Perhaps not many of the parents who rush to book admission for their child in such a school, almost as soon as it is born, may know much more about Montessori than the name.

The original story behind the schools, and the name that distinguishes these schools is very different. It is the story of Maria Montessori an educator, scientist, physician, innovator, philosopher, feminist and humanitarian.

Maria Montessori was born on 31 August 1870 in Chiaravalle, Italy, the only child of Alessandro and Renilde Montessori. Her parents moved to Rome when she was five years old. A curious, strong-willed girl, Maria, from a young age took paths that defied the norms of her times. After completing high school, instead of going in for teaching, a conventional occupation for girls at the time, she applied to medical school but was refused admission. So she enrolled in the university where she studied physics, mathematics and natural sciences; and reapplied to medical school. She was eventually admitted in 1890, one of the first women in medical school in Italy. In the face of many obstacles because of her gender, Maria qualified as a doctor in 1896. She was also beginning to get involved in the movement for women’s rights.

As a practising doctor Maria became known not only for her skills in treating patients but equally for working with the poorest, and the respect she showed to patients of all social classes. She also joined as a volunteer for a research programme at the psychiatry clinic of the University of Rome, where she became deeply interested in the needs of children with learning disabilities. She went on to become co-director of a new institution called the Orthophrenic School which focussed on such children. During her work here she became convinced that instead of writing off such children as ‘retarded’, they needed the right support. This theory was radical for that time. She also travelled to London and Rome to learn more, and when she came back she spent hours in developing and experimenting with materials and methods, using ideas from the founders of kindergarten, Froebel and educators Itard and Seguin. Her experiments began to show positive results.

Maria continued her academic pursuits with studies of educational philosophy and anthropology, and from 1904-1908 she was a lecturer at the Pedagogic School of the University of Rome. During this period Rome was in economic decline, leading to widespread poverty and the growth of many ghettos. One such was an area called the “Quartiere di San Lorenzo” which was known as the shame of Italy. Here children of desperately poor parents who were out all day trying to earn a living, were left to their own devices in unsanitary and chaotic conditions. These children ran wild, destroying property, and indulging in anti-social behaviour. The authorities were looking for a solution to this huge problem. Maria was offered the opportunity to work with these children, using the materials that she had been developing when she was working with children with special needs. Maria took up the challenge.

As Dr Montessori recalled later: “One room was set aside for this purpose, resembling in every way a children’s prison. It was hoped that a person would be found with enough social courage to tackle the problem. I in my capacity of medical officer of hygiene was approached to take an interest in the work. Having considered the situation I demanded that at least the commonest aids in hygiene, food and sanitation be made available. On the 6th of January 1907 this room was inaugurated to collect the 50 children

But while everyone had had the idea that by giving houses and sanitation, the people would be purified, no one had taken in consideration the children; no one had thought to bring toys or food for them. When the children, ranging between the ages of 2 to 6 entered, they were dressed all alike in some thick, heavy, blue drill. They were frightened and being hindered by the stiff material, could move neither arms nor legs freely. Apart of their own community they had never seen any people. To get them to move together, they were made to hold hands. The first unwilling child was pulled, thus dragging along the whole line of the rest. All of them were crying miserably.”

Thus opened the first Casa de Bambini (Children’s House). A pioneering experiment in working with 50 poorest of poor and illiterate two to six-year-old children. Maria began with using the activities and materials that she had developed at the Orthophrenic School. She closely observed the children with a scientist’s approach, noting which ones engaged them and discarding the ones that did not. Her observations led her to realize that children who were placed in an environment where activities were designed to support their natural development had the power to educate themselves. As she said when recalling the opening of the first Casa di Bambini: “I don’t know what came over me but I had a vision and inspired by it, I was enflamed and said that this work we were undertaking would prove to be very important and that someday people would come from all parts to see it.”

The results that followed were so surprising that working for children soon became her life’s work. As she later wrote: “In order to follow them, I changed my whole life. I was nearly 40. I had in front of me a doctor’s career and a professorship at the university. But I left all because I felt compelled to follow them and to find others who could follow them, for I saw that in them lay the secret of the soul.”

By 1909 Maria gave her first training course in her new approach to around 100 students. Her notes from this period provided the material for her first book published that same year in Italy, appearing in translation in the United States in 1912 as The Montessori Method, and later translated into 20 languages. The rest, as they say is history. The experiment at Casa di Bambini grew into a movement. Montessori societies, training programmes and schools sprang up all over the world. Dr Montessori herself travelled across the world, giving talks. But through her life she emphasized: “It has nothing to do with any educational method of the past, nor with any educational method of the future. It stands alone as the contribution of the child himself. Perhaps it is the first of its kind, which has been built by him step by step. It cannot have come from an adult person; the thought, the very principle that the adult should stand aside to make room for the child, could never have come from the adult.”

Today as young parents are faced with choices of educational institutions, and inundated with invitations from expensive Montessori schools, and toys and equipment, it is a good time to recall that the roots go back to very opposite circumstances. And remember Maria Montessori’s words: “Anyone who wants to follow my method must understand that he should not honour me but follow the child as his leader.”

–Mamata

Dashri and Kasturba: Teacher and Student

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Tribal communities have long inhabited India’s lands, living in close proximity with their natural environment and following their ancestral ways of life, culture and traditions. At the same time these peoples were always considered to be on the fringes of mainstream society; socially and economically exploited,

and deprived of fundamental rights. Dashri Chaudhary was born in one such community in the Vedchhi region of south Gujarat on 3 October 1918. Her father Rumsibhai and mother Ambaben belonged to one of the tribes which were collectively called ‘rani paraj’ or ‘people of the forests’, and later known as ‘adivasis’.

https://www.epw.in/engage/article/dasriben-chaudharys-testimony-struggle

Although traditionally these communities were deprived of education, Dashri’s father as well as her grandfather Jeevanbhai had both received education. This was because the Vedchhi region was then under the Gaekwad rule of Baroda which encouraged compulsory education for all. Jeevanbhai Chaudhari was a school teacher and social reformer. Dashri was brought up in a progressive environment, and studied up to class 4 in the government school in her village.  

In the meanwhile her father and grandfather were coming under Gandhi’s influence. They began to organize the local adivasi community to oppose the socio-economic exploitation by the British as well as the local moneylenders. They started an organization named Kaliparaj Parishad for the upliftment of their community. The organization started taking shape in 1905 with the convening of the Raniparaj convention where the issues of exploitation of adivasis and social and educational reforms were discussed. The women formed bhajan mandalis, and travelled from village to village singing songs inviting people to join the satyagraha movement.

After Gandhiji’s return to India from South Africa in 1915, Dashri’s grandfather invited him to attend the convention but he could not do so at that time. However Kasturba came in 1923, the first non-adivasi woman to attend. Gandhiji himself attended the next convention in 1924. Dashri was then six years old. Her family had already adopted the khadi movement. Little Dashri was keen that she should also welcome Gandhiji with a garland of handspun khadi thread. The story goes that Gandhi picked up the little girl who was wearing gold bangles and anklets. He told her “Child, we are slaves. We cannot wear jewellry.” The six year old immediately took off the ornaments, and never again in her life, wore any again.

Dashri completed class four in Vedchhi and joined class 5 in the government girls’ school in Valod. However responding to Gandhi’s call to boycott government school education, she left the school.

She moved to Ranipara Kanya Vidyalaya a nationalist school (Rashtriya Shala) imparting basic education, started by Kasturba, Mithiben Petit and others in Pune town in Mandvi district. Kasturba was there at the time. Dashri barely completed one year here when the school was shut down. All the students got involved with the freedom movement which was gaining momentum in the light of the Dandi March in 1930 which sparked a nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement. Dashri was an active participant. She and her friends picketed liquor shops, they protested against the British policy of prohibiting tribals from producing and selling toddy which was locally brewed. 

On 26 January 1933, she was arrested while picketing a shop that sold foreign cloth. She was only 14 years old. She was tried. When asked what work she did, she replied “To free India”.  She was asked if she knew the consequences of such activity, she replied “Yes, I know. If I die I will be called a martyr”. The magistrate is believed to have commented “This is girl is dangerous.”

Dashri was sentenced to one year in Yervada jail. Kasturba was already imprisoned there. She was surprised to see the young student who had been in the Rashtriya Shala. “How you have grown, and now you are in jail”, she said. The two became close. Dashri spent the year in jail doing all the manual tasks that the prisoners were assigned. Kasturba usually requested fellow prisoners to write letters for her, as she herself could not do so. During the time when they were in jail, Kasturba requested the young Dashri to teach her how to read and write. Dashri herself had only completed primary school and here she took on the role of teacher. In the time that they had free from the arduous prison tasks, the young teacher and elder student attentively worked with the slate and chalk, learning Gujarati letters and moving ahead. It is believed that Dashri successfully taught her student in four months! The first letter Kasturba wrote was to Gandhiji who was delighted. He wrote to Kasturba ‘Tell this girl that “you could do what I could not!”

After her release Dashri continued with her studies at Gujarat Vidyapith. She also learnt music from Pandit Narayan More, and learnt to play several instruments. As the Quit India movement gained momentum in 1942, she once again gave up her studies and joined. She added spirit to the protests and processions with her powerful singing of patriotic songs.

She was arrested once again, and sentenced to a year’s imprisonment. After her release, in 1944 she married a fellow satyagrahi Kanjibhai Chaudhary. She continued to be actively engaged with the activities at Vedchhi ashram.

After Independence she resumed her interrupted studies, completing her Matric and Primary Teachers Course. She started a school for children of very backward communities and continued to contribute to the field of education. She was not interested in getting into politics. She herself never gave up learning, and was always active in social causes. She lived in Vedchhi, where one of Gandhi’s close associate Jugatram Dave established an Ashram dedicated to upliftment of the adivasis in the socially and economically backward area through constructive work and education. 

Dashriben passed away in 2013 at the age of 95 years. A long life dedicated entirely to the cause of the nation.   

–Mamata

Feisty Freedom Fighter: Aruna Asaf Ali

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“Do or Die. We shall either free India or die in the attempt,” Mahatma Gandhi told fellow leaders of the movement for India’s independence on 8 August 1942. These words launched the Quit India movement. Although Gandhi and many other leaders were arrested within hours of his speech, with the expectation that without their leadership the resistance movement would be rudderless, the effect was the opposite. Thousands of Indians, young and old, heeded this call and plunged into the movement, each contributing in their own way.

The sweeping movement continued to gain strength in many forms, culminating in India becoming an independent nation on 15 August 1947. Even today, after almost eight decades there are as many stories as there were people then, about how every Indian played his or her part in this movement.

One of the women who picked up the mantle of leadership in the vacuum left by the arrests following Gandhi’s speech on 8 August was Aruna Asaf Ali who went on to play a significant part in Indian politics, even after Independence.

Aruna Ganguly was born on 16 July 1909 in a liberal upper class Bengali family which had migrated to the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh). After graduating from a missionary school and college Aruna started working as a teacher at Calcutta’s Gokhale Memorial School. It was here that she met Asaf Ali, a progressive barrister. Despite family opposition on grounds of differences in age and religion, Aruna married him in 1928. Her family practically ostracised her. 

Asaf Ali was a prominent member of the Indian National Congress, and Aruna too soon began to meet and mingle with many nationalist leaders of the day. It was natural that she became actively engaged in the ongoing freedom struggle. Two years after her marriage, she was jailed during the Salt Satyagraha. Her popularity and leadership qualities were already emerging. Apprehensive about this, the colonial authorities did not release her when other political prisoners were released in 1931. They did not anticipate that her detention would raise a great public outcry; and that all the women prisoners would refuse to be released unless Aruna was released. It took Gandhiji’s personal intervention to secure her release.

The following year Aruna was again arrested and imprisoned in Tihar jail. Here too she led a hunger strike to protest against the treatment to political prisoners. She was moved to solitary confinement in Ambala jail.

By the time Gandhiji gave his Quit India call, Aruna had already been active in the movement for over a decade. The country-wide crackdown against nationalist leaders in 1942 left a leadership vacuum which could have aborted the momentum. Aruna stepped in; she presided over the rest of the Indian National Congress (INC) session, and on 9 August she rushed forward and unfurled the flag of Independence at Gowalia Tank Maidan in Bombay. News of this flag-hoisting spread like wildfire. Aruna and a group of INC workers went underground. The British government posted a reward for her capture but she successfully evaded arrest for three years. Her property was seized and sold.

Even in hiding, Aruna continued to contribute to the movement through use of underground radio, pamphlets, and the Congress’s monthly magazine Inquilab. During this period she was unwell and became frail. When other Congress leaders came out of prison, Aruna refused to come out of hiding and give herself up. Gandhiji wrote her a personal note expressing concern about her frail health and urging her to surrender and use the prize money offered by the British for the cause of Harijans. Aruna respectfully declined to do so. Gandhi always had great respect for Aruna’s personal bravery, but did not always approve of her tactics. She had a strong independent streak and high ideals.

Aruna finally came out of hiding in 1947 and returned to active political life. She was elected president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. However she quit the Congress party in 1948 and joined the Socialist Party, and later became a member of the Communist Party of India. She went on to leave this in 1956, but she retained her leftist leanings and spent the rest of her life in fighting for causes of the unprivileged, underrepresented, and exploited sections of society. She supported with revolutionary zeal the upliftment of women through education and better health care. Her politics was always more a matter of the heart than the head. Her frail physique belied her incredible inner strength. 

Aruna was elected Delhi’s first woman mayor in 1958, and led the way for major civic reforms. But unable to handle the petty politicking, she resigned. She never again contested elections or took up a government post. She passed away in 1996 at the age of 87 years. Till the end of her life she lived in a one-bedroom apartment. She continued to mobilise support for social reforms, working for the rights of women, the poor and downtrodden. She actively helmed the Patriot newspaper and weekly magazine Link. She was awarded the International Lenin Peace Prize in 1964. She was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan in 1992, and posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1997.

Aruna Asaf Ali, frail but feisty, was one of Gandhiji’s Women Warriors, part of an inspiring band of women from all walks of life who fought not only for the freedom of their country, but equally for the rights of its women to live as free, fearless, and empowered citizens of India. 

–Mamata

The Cream of Swadeshi: Boroline

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https://boroline.com/about-boroline/

It finds its place in every home, on all travels, and as a trusted friend at work. The green tube is its timeless identity and it is virtually a panacea for all ills—chapped lips, small cuts, pimples, grazed knees, as soother or smoother… It can be found in first aid kits, home medicine cabinets, handbags, and suitcases. It is Boroline, unchanged over time, and with faithful fans across all generations.

While most of us have grown up taking its presence for granted, this unobtrusive but ubiquitous tube is more than just a cream. It is an early manifestation of the spirit of Swadeshi, and continues to be a lasting symbol of Make in India. I recently discovered this, and many facets of this comforting cream.  

The non-cooperation movement against the British Rule embraced many strategies to demonstrate peaceful resistance including marches, rallies, boycott and bonfires of foreign goods. There was a demand for goods which were locally made, but not much availability of these. It was in this climate that Gourmohon Dutta, a prominent member of the business community in Calcutta decided that he would play his part in the movement against foreign goods in a different way than simply through protests. He established a company called GD Pharmaceuticals which aimed to produce high-quality medicinal products to replace similar products being imported at the time.

In 1929, GD Pharmaceuticals Pvt. Ltd began to manufacture a cream which was visualized as an ‘antiseptic cream’. The formula for this included tankan amla (boric acid) which is an antiseptic; lanolin which is a soothing agent; jasad bhasma (purified zinc oxide), which is a sun screen and astringent; paraffin; oleum (essential oils) and perfume. The cream was packaged in a green tube which had the symbol of a small elephant as its logo.

The name Boroline was derived from its ingredients: ‘Boro’ from boric powder, and ‘olin’ as a variant of the Latin word oleum, meaning oil. The logo symbolized the qualities of steadfastness and strength that an elephant stood for, as well as its auspicious significance, to bestow luck and success. It was so successful that in rural areas Boroline was known as the ‘hathiwala cream’ (cream with the elephant).

Perhaps the most ardent adherents of this cream were the Bengalis for whom the brand represented dependability and nationalism. One of the advertising radio jingles for the cream, originally in Bengali, and then adapted to Hindi, became an earworm that even today, can transport a generation to another time.

There was a brief period when, due to shortages during World War II, the cream could not be marketed in the familiar packaging, but an accompanying note reassured customers that the product was the same.    

In the years leading to Independence, Boroline emerged as a symbol of resilience and self-sufficiency. A true blue swadeshi product which would go on to become an intrinsic part of households across the country, even in the decades following Independence.  

By 1947 Boroline had become a household name that besides its multiple uses, stood as a symbol of patriotic entrepreneurship. As a tribute to this customer support, on India’s first Independence Day, 15 August 1947, the company is believed to have advertised that it would distribute one lakh free tubes of Boroline.

Today, almost eight decades later the swadeshi cream has its faithful followers, even under the deluge of high-end skincare products, which promise miracles. A recent piece by a young model in the fashion magazine Vogue describes Boroline as the ultimate ‘go-to’ in all situations, reinforcing the unwavering role that this cream continues to plays even today. The company has also diversified into a few other products, but none has the same kind of brand recall as Boroline.   

While the basic packaging, colour and logo of this cream have not changed, its mother company GD Pharmaceuticals has moved with the times. Starting with production in a small manufacturing unit in a hamlet just outside Kolkata, and which continues to function today, there is a second facility near Ghaziabad. The factories are fully automated, and production processed are meticulously monitored. The company adheres to all mandatory government regulations and complies with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). All packaging materials used are recyclable and the waste produced is biodegradable. Just as the brand denotes integrity, the company also takes its social responsibility role seriously, and continues to be committed to serving the nation.

August is a significant month in the history of India’s freedom movement. The first Swadeshi Movement was officially launched in Bengal in 1905, on 7 August. The Quit India movement started on 8 August 1942. India became an Independent nation on 15 August 1947. This is a good time to celebrate Boroline, the swadeshi cream.

–Mamata