Category: Art, archaeology, city

The Day Freedom Was Won and Lost

They both stood vigil

Just like lovers

With surgical precision

Lines were drawn

And lives got thrown

Into disarray

One thought Nation did not belong to them

Other was too young and weak to claim or protect

The two great lovers

Stood and watched

As a Nation got ripped into two

And precious lives ebbed away

No one realised

It was the very idea of love and freedom

They had aborted that day

As the Nation bled

Along with lives

Homes

Identities

Peace

Love

Humanity

All was lost

And alleged lovers stood vigil

Arrogantly announcing

Their Nation’s tryst with destiny!!

Legacy

I stand tall

In the pages of history

And in city landmarks

You cannot ignore me

Because I thrive

Because I survive

Despite all odds

I linger

As a citadel

A memorial

A grave

Marking my presence

In Space and Time

You cannot

Wipe me

Forget me

Abhor me

Hate me

Because I tell a story

Of the Times gone by

Of our entwined histories

A Palace in Ruins

I saw this huge mansion lost among trees and roots growing through it couple of months ago. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to revisit it again.

Palace of Raja Subodh Mallick is in absolute decadence. Apart from some care takers, there is no sign of human existence though there is abundance of green life.

Is this how human existence going to end? It seems even our legacy cannot save us. Nothing can salvage us when our morals erode us. When right to title, profit and propriety becomes the ultimate goal, we turn a blind eye towards history, legacy and beauty.

Humanity

Humanity

I see humanity cuddled on footpath
Dehydrated in summers
Shivering in winters
Tattered and battered
Seeking shelters

Oh, humanity, what a tender child
Staring with wide eyes!
Or at times a wrinkled face
With toothless grin
At times, a young girl
Bold and vulnerable

As we drive away
Avoiding the eye
And the sympathy
Humanity stares boldly
And walks away

We have our battles to wage
Days to face
And a future to create
Humanity has no place in it
We have learnt to look away

And Humanity?
Round the corner
Evil finds her and
scoops her in its arms
For it’s victory dance

We did not save her
Yet we lament
Triumph of evil
And death of Humanity

Evil did not kill humanity
It was our collective apathy!
We held on to our survival
While our soul was killed!

Olivia Arthur and Philipp Ebeling – Linking Past to the Present

It was a rare opportunity to listen to the tales told by Olivia Arthur and Philipp Ebeling through photographs at Harrington Arts Street, Kolkata on 7th November 2015. The event was organised by British Council, Kolkata. Both the photographers were presenting their books/projects self published by their venture Fish Bar. Photojournalism is at its best phase now thanks to the evolving digital technology and it is a very competitive field. It was indeed heartening to see thematic representation of places, people and the era by these two splendid artists.
Olivia Arthur’s latest work – “Stranger” is about Dubai and narrates a tale of a fictitious survivor of a 1961 shipwreck in which many lost their lives. This survivor from the troubled past returns to connect to the modern Dubai full of dichotomies – unprecedented growth and development while being trapped in conservative society where women have to wear a veil and live their free lives alienated behind the curtains. It is a very interesting work on women which also connects to her previous work on Saudi Arabia, Jeddah and India – a commentary on how culture, past defines a city and its people.
Philipp Ebeling’s book “Land Without Past” is a personal tale of growing up in a German neighbourhood and connecting it to the troubled history of Germany – pre and post Nazi era and the very recent reunification of Germany.  It was rare experience to listen to the anecdotal context in first person.
It was very inspiring to see these linkages made through photographs to the significant past of two culturally very different cities. The book “Stranger” also experiments with the design, layout and even paper. The transparent paper adds to the commentary of a ship wreck survivor who was traveling to Dubai with dreams on a ship but destiny turned out to be different.The under water photographs of the remains of the shipwreck printed on a transparent sheets makes the whole experience surreal.