Antardrishti

आज काफ़ी दिनों बाद दिल्ली की हवा में एक अजीब सा नशा महसूस हुआ। अपने रात के सन्नाटे में, दीवाली की रौशनी को खुद में समेटती हुई दिल्ली ने जैसे मेरे बेचैन  और अंधेरे रूह  को एक पनाह दिया। एक घर दिया जिसकी तलाश थी कबसे और कुछ अपना सा महसूस हुआ। बहुत अपना। और फ़िर याद आया  की यही तो इसकी नियत है। सबको अपना सा महसूस करा कर खुद ख्वाबों के तले दब जाती है दिल्ली। कुछ हमारे ही तरह शायद। एक ख्याल आया फ़िर ये भी, कि शायद कुछ हमारे ही तरह कहीं थक तो नही गयी होगी दिल्ली? मैंने कोशिश की कि पूछूँ उससे भी उसके जज़्बात ओ हालात। कि कहानी सुनूं कुछ उसकी भी जो शायद किसी को बताने के लिए बेताब होगी दिल्ली। कुछ चाय हो, कुछ बातें हों। कुछ ग़ालिब ओ मीर के शेर  कुछ मुग़ल दरबार के राज़, कुछ बगावत की बातें कुछ बटवारे के एहसास, मेरे साथ बांट कर, बयान कर शायद अपना भी दिल हल्का करना चाहती थी दिल वालों की दिल्ली।  लेकिन वक़्त शायद थोड़ा कम था मेरे पास। मंज़िल आ चुकी थी, जाना था। पर इतना तो तय है कि किसी रोज़ मजबूरियों से फुरसत ले कर रात के सन्नाटे में, दीवाली की रोशनी में, एक चाय का कप हाथ में लेकर दूसरा ...

  Clothes veil the body. They are part of a cultural politics by which nations are actively produced. [1] They are a form of social control, a mechanism of inclusion and exclusion, mirroring social hierarchies and moral boundaries. [2]   British imperial presence in India had introduced not only new forms of government, language, education and social etiquette, but also a new set of criteria of civilisation with a new set of clothes to go with it. It was only in the early Twentienth Century India that the nationalist movement begun to perceive cloth and clothing as central symbols in the struggle to define a national identity. Women, as such, emerged as important bearers of this identity.   While the dress of British women who came to live in India were conformed to sartorial conventions of a memsahib, draped clothes (Sari, in this case) were of prime importance in the Indian nationalist discourse. However, many women from elite families began adopting the stitch...

  On 4 th October 2020, The History Department of Kirori Mal College along with the Internal Quality Assurance Cell of Kirori Mal College organized a 5-day International Webinar on the topic RELEVANCE OF MAHATMA GANDHI IN THE 21ST CENTURY: PHILOSOPHY, POLITICAL IDEAS AND SOCIO-SPIRITUAL DIMENSION to observe the 150 th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In the 2 nd day of the Webinar, we have had with us Professor Priyankar Upadhyaya, UNESCO Chair for Peace, Benaras Hindu University, Global Fellow, Peace Research Institute Ohio (PRIO), who spoke on the 4 th October 2020 at 3pm IST on the Gandhi in Contemporary Peace Continuum . Prof. Upadhyaya holds M.Phil. and Ph.D from the Jawaharlal Nehru University and holds Advance International Diploma(s) in Conflict Resolution from Uppasala University, Sweden. He is also a scholar of University of London and the Woodrow Wilson Centre for International Scholars, Washington DC. He is a recipient of many...

Everybody asks how is Barani, nobody asks how are you? So, how are you? Were you okay? Was it all okay and insane this entire lockdown period? Is it just the GDP or your mood too, which went down? Did you feel that nothing is right? Did you miss somebody? Did you cry all alone? Was it really so hard to express? Did you fight? Did you scream? Was it really so hard to get up from the bed?  Did you just lie on the bed whole day long? Did you tell everybody you have nothing to wear and nothing to read thus, its not your fault that you don't feel good and lie on bed the entire day? Is it really about the clothes and the books? Come on! you wear the same two-three t-shirts and you hardly study!  Do you miss college? I do. Do you miss meeting you friends? You really miss that cute sense of freedom where you could do anything without explaining your parents, don't you? Do you feel burdened with thoughts?  Do you end up overthinking all the time? Did you fight with your parents? D...

While 12 th March, 2020’s order to extend the mid-sem break till 31 st March, 2020 was embraced by many, there was also a group of people who were hoping and praying that the University of Delhi will not agree to the Delhi Government’s order and colleges will remain open. Unfortunately, that was not the case. For many, the Lockdown begun with trying out new things, exploring personal interests, trying hands on things they like: cooking, painting, gardening, making dalgona Coffee, etc. while for many the Lockdown imposed unwanted duties and burden. For them cooking, gardening was not a choice, rather the mere duties which were imposed on them only because of their gender. Pandemic and Patriarchy. They go hand-in-hand. Patriarchy is a system that favours male, patriarchal lines over female and gender non-conforming groups. This piece is very close to my heart, as being a woman; I have been exposed to folds of patriarchy in this pandemic. I am certainly aware that there have been ...