Culture

Greedy little worlds: Need to reconsider ‘responsible consumerism’

- by India Writes Network

The “greedy little world” that Shania Twain alludes to in her superhit single is not something which we can unfortunately hum along and forget about. The World Environment Day, celebrated globally on June 5, passed by with nothing much happening in India, except the usual call for planting more trees. An interesting comment, however, was made by Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr Harsh Vardhan, who bringing in the theme of this year’s global events (‘Seven billion dreams. One planet. Consume with care.’), called for “a culture of responsible consumerism”.
Given that revisiting the past glories (imagined and real) of India is in vogue, it may be worthwhile to recall that the pursuit of ‘the good life’ through practice of renunciation of material goods- Vairāgyara (loosely translated as detachment towards worldly possessions) – and respect for all forms of life (with animism surviving even in mainstream religion) has a strong lineage in several socio-religious-cultural traditions of the subcontinent. Invoking these cultures of sharing, community living and responsibility towards all living creatures rather than a watered down Western ideal when giving a broad brush theme for environmental conservation, could then be more useful.

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Holocaust course in Hungary: Remembrance and national identity

- by India Writes Network

A news item likely to go unnoticed by most is that of a university in Hungary making a course on the Holocaust compulsory for all undergraduate students. It is not the content of the course (which is no doubt very important for a discussion on its possible impacts) but a larger context of remembrance- how it shapes national consciousness and its international ramifications- that this article deals with.

Recently, the Peter Pazmany Catholic University, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Hungary, made a course on the holocaust, titled ‘The Holocaust and its Remembrance’, compulsory for all students in its undergraduate program. It’s the kind of news report that is likely to go unnoticed by most, but such an initiative deserves closer reflection and need to be placed in the larger context of remembrance – how it shapes national consciousness and its international ramifications.

Hungarian Jews, too, suffered terribly during the Second World War, with several thousand being sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps, into forced labour camps and summarily executed on the banks of the Danube.

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Ni Hao, China: Modi visit to remap India-China ties

- by Manish Chand

Ni Hao, China. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden visit to China promises to be a captivating show, high on optics as well as substance, and is expected to coalesce diplomacy, culture, business, geopolitics and outreach to the Indian diaspora. When PM Modi touches down on the Chinese soil May 14, the Chinese people can hope to see and hear an Indian leader who has a flair for using innovative methods to connect and forge a new narrative of win-win opportunities between the two Asian giants.
Ahead of his trip, PM Modi has struck all the right notes that should endear him to the Chinese leadership and ordinary Chinese people. He has become the first Indian leader and only the second world leader to sign on to Sina Weibo – the Chinese version of microblogging platform twitter. “Hello China! Looking forward to interacting with Chinese friends through Weibo,” said the prime minister in his first post on Sina Weibo.
A journey of a thousand miles, as a Chinese proverb says, begins with a small step. The two Asian giants have gone beyond inches and are now making rapid strides to clock MILES, what Prime Minister Modi has famously called the Millennium of Exceptional Synergy as they walk hand-in-hand in the unfolding journey of an Asian century. This is, after all, the journey of two and a half billion people and their soaring dreams.

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