“Who are we to decide: what will be the outcome of our actions? It is God’s domain. We are just simply responsible for the actions.”
Geeta
“हम अपने कार्यों के परिणाम का निर्णय करने वाले कौन हैं? यह तो भगवान का कार्यक्षेत्र है। हम तो एकमात्र कर्म करने के लिए उत्तरदायी हैं।”
गीता
Many of us claim to be genuine seekers of new knowledge. But how good are we in absorbing new knowledge? Let’s take the example of human behaviour. There is no doubt that policymakers are keen to find new ways to manage our behaviour, be it be how to make people drive safely or ensure that citizens take their much-needed vaccinations in time. In the past few decades, lots of new knowledge has emerged that could help develop new strategies to deal with many behaviour-related problems. But much of this new knowledge about human behaviour have not been absorbed by policymakers and practitioners. Why? Gerald Zaltman, professor emeritus at Harvard Business School, was among the first in recent times to put forth genuinely new knowledge about human behaviour. In his 2003 book, How Customers Think, Professor Zaltman announced that more than 95% of human decisions occur at the non-conscious level. He pointed out that existing tools of consumer research, like focus group techniques and questionnaires, tap only 5% of the human decisions that are conscious. He went on to propose a new consumer research technique called Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique ( ZMET) to decipher many more decisions made at a non-conscious level.
A paper titled ‘The Nervous System in the Context of Information Theory’ by M. Zimmerman went few steps further. He pointed out that of the human brain’s 16 million bits of processing capacity, only 77 bits work at a conscious level. More than 99.99% of brain processes, according to the paper, occur at a non-conscious level, and so consciousness has a very small role to play in human decision making. While human consciousness deals with a tiny proportion of all incoming stimuli, the rest is processed at the non-conscious level, which is more than 200,000 times the capacity of the conscious.
The 46th edition of the Wangala Festival commenced on November 10 this year.
Wangala Festival is a popular festival of the Garo community in Meghalaya. It is also known as a 100 drums festival. It is a harvest festival that honors the Garo tribe’s main deity, Saljong – the Sun god of fertility. The celebrations of this festival mark the start of the winter season and the end of the period of toil, which brings profitable outputs.
Presently, this festival is seen as a means to preserve and promote the cultural identity of the Garo tribe in Meghalaya. It provides the opportunity for Garos to showcase their culture and traditions. During the 2022 celebrations, tourists from France, Gujarat, Bengaluru, Kerala, Assam, Sikkim, and other places witnessed this festival.
The celebrations usually last for two days and sometimes continue for over a week. Rugala (pouring of rice beer) and Cha·chat So·a (incense burning) are the rituals performed during the first day of the festival. They are performed by a priest known as Kamal inside the house of the Nokma (chieftain).
The second day of the festival, known as Kakkat, is when people dress in their colorful attire and play traditional music on long oval-shaped drums. Traditional dance forms are also performed during this festival.
Dama Gogata – the dance with drums, flutes, and various brass instruments – is performed on the last day of the festival. Katta Doka (talking in a singing style), Ajea, Dani Doka (describing Wangala by singing), Chambil Mesaa (the Pomelo Dance) feature during the celebrations.
The Garo are Tibeto-Burman ethnic tribe who mainly live in the Indian states of Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, and Nagaland as well as in the nearby regions in Bangladesh. The religion of the tribe’s ancestors is known as Songsarek. Their language belongs to the Tibeto-Burman language family. It is not traditionally written down. The tribe’s customs, traditions and beliefs are passed down orally.
In an increasingly globalised world, shaped and controlled by rampant digital technology and market forces, abundant misinformation over data and confusion about what to choose for ourselves has become very prominent. The present education system is in search of ways to inculcate analytical skills in our learners. The ability to look at things from different positions and perspectives will be a much sought-after skill in the future. Writing is always an act of harnessing more clarity, and as such, writing a dissertation paper can be one such way to prepare our learners for the future.
Importance of dissertation writing
Dissertations are vital not just for the creation and dissemination of new knowledge but also to keep oneself updated about the chosen field of study. It is a double-edged tool in the sense that it provides an in-depth awareness of a particular topic and enables researchers to find problems, while also enabling them to problematise the present context and look at something from different perspectives. For example, Sir Isaac Newton’s famous dictum, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”, points to the insights he gathered from the existing knowledge system.
Dissertations are useful to analyse the present situation and offer a better framework or tool to understand the challenges faced by society, nation(s), or international establishments. Let’s take a look at six essential tips to ace your dissertations:
1. Start with a Question
I always say that questions are seeds of life. They are vital to our understanding of the phenomena around us. A good question leads to creative activity, frameworks for generations to follow, providing impetus to society and nation, even the global world. A perfect example could be the discovery of gravitational law. It was always there but no one knew of it until Thomas Newton discovered it for the world by questioning the fall of the apple. Questions must precede any human activity, and dissertations as well. They need to connect with the dissertation analysis in mind for new possibilities and findings.
2. Identifying a topic
One must have a purpose behind writing a dissertation. A lack of purpose will make it increasingly difficult to identify a topic, find materials, and establish facts, not to mention the challenge faced in framing a working hypothesis for the dissertation. One must never go for a broad dissertation topic; it must be precise and new. It always works better if the dissertation topic matches the researcher’s interests to avoid the push-and-pull play during the writing work. Identification of a topic leads to analysing reviews of available research work on that topic, visualising the pathway that one has tread, thus helping any researcher to arrive at a hypothesis and proceed with the journey of dissertation writing. The best way to identify a topic is to problematise the available findings.
3. Introduction and Hypothesis
Treat the introduction part of the dissertation as a window that offers your audience an opportunity to see what the work has to offer. Hence, it must clearly mention aims, objectives, and research questions, leading to the establishment of a hypothesis towards the end.
A hypothesis is a research statement, also known as visaya (statement) in the Indian knowledge system. In simple words, a statement must qualify to serve as a hypothesis to be tested through research in the dissertation. The caveat is not to draw too many hypotheses in any dissertation, which then runs the risk of formulating unconvincing and opposite arguments to the established hypothesis. The analysis of the research work must remain singularly focussed on the hypothesis, thus establishing the provenance of the data used. Hence, it is advisable to keep a check on validating/invaliding outcomes.
Also, it is advisable to specify the relevance of the hypothesis–in what ways it differs from the existing scholarship, and its contributions to societal context, if any. Good dissertations must make an appeal to the audience with convincing arguments. It is always more welcoming if the dissertation is done keeping others’ needs in mind, and not as an individual exercise.
4. Literature Review
This is the most crucial part of any dissertation work. The literature review is an exhaustive exercise and may lead to a sense of complacency. While it is important to research old works on the chosen topic, it is equally important to keep a track of the latest available research work. Many dissertations seem to suffer from this problem and end up offering arguments which have already been advanced, may be beaten to death, and thus end up as unoriginal dissertations. The literature review helps us to identify unresolved questions, establishing the newness of our work, and hence it is like a canvas on which the dissertation could offer innovative insights. Make use of it. Therefore, this section must demonstrate convincing arguments in a balanced way. A neutral voice is vital to avoid any display of prejudices and preconceived notions.
5. Methodology
The methodology is a concise explanation of frameworks and pathways that the dissertation will work on and follow to establish the provenance of the hypothesis. The term methodology has its genesis in the Greek word, methodos, a compound of meta-hodos, which means “journey after”. Hence, the methodology section in the dissertation must focus on using available data, resources, and theories to build new ones. The basic idea of methodology is to help one get across. The methodology must always remain in conversation with the dissertation hypothesis, while also pointing out the relevance of the chosen methodology.
6. Conclusion
Dissertations need to have a conclusion to establish the results of the findings. The conclusion section must be short, precise and to the point, not resulting in several findings. It must establish the provenance of the research question/hypothesis. The section must follow with a Bibliography, and all the citations should go here to avoid any charges of plagiarism.
About the author: Om Prakash Dwivedi is presently a Visiting Researcher at Linnaeus University, Sweden.
Source: The Telegraph, 17/11/22
Drag is assumed to be a Western import in India but it has been a part of Indian art, folk, and religious traditions for centuries
In all nations and civilisations, one feels the pressure to be either masculine or feminine. But what if you are both and you are neither?
Drag is a gender-bending art form that challenges socially constructed gender stereotypes through gender displays that are usually associated with traditional femininity and institutional heterosexuality. The artists dress up and wear make-up to exaggerate a specific gender identity, usually perceived to be that of the opposite sex, and it is performed not just for entertainment but also as a form of self-expression and celebration of LGBTQ+ pride. According to Judith Butler, “...[D]rag is subversive to the extent that it reflects on the imitative structure by which hegemonic gender is itself produced and disputes heterosexuality’s claim on naturalness and originality.” It forces the audience to explore the nature of their own sexuality while assisting the performers in their activism.
Drag is assumed to be a Western import in India but it has been a part of Indian art, folk, and religious traditions for centuries. The major difference between the drag cultures of India and the West is in the context in which it emerged. Unlike the underground drag subculture that evolved in a largely homophobic environment in the West, in the Indian context, contemporary drag is emerging in a milieu where some civil rights have already been extended to queer and trans individuals. With the recognition of transgender individuals as citizens by the Supreme Court and the decriminalisation of homosexuality, drag became more visible and competitive but India, unfortunately, does not have enough venues for drag performances.
The absence of information on gender-subversive practices in India notwithstanding, gender and sexual non-conformity were never subject to legal laws until India encountered a colonial governance. The ancient Hindu treatise on dance, Natya Shastra, refers to a variety of performative techniques that were not restricted by the performer’s gender or sex. Numerous indigenous and folk performative traditions in India— Kaniyan Koothu in TamilNadu and Launda Naach in Bihar — also question conventional gender roles. ‘Neodrag’, however, is different from the more established forms of gender-disruptive performance traditions. The majority of contemporary drag performers reside incities and are members of upper-caste groups unlike the performers of Launda Naach who come from underrepresented castes and rural areas. Modern drag shows have a sizable LGBTQ+, metropolitan audience while the traditional gender-subversive arts draw country folks and a straight male audience. It would be incorrect to ignorethe diverse drag traditions deeply ingrained in India’s history and culture as well as LGBTQ+ artists who have been performing drag. Keshav Suri popularised drag by opening a chain of nightclubs in various cities for drag performances. However, its dominance over the drag scene led to elitism as well as the marginalisation of other drag performances.
Queer people have been the target of violence for their sexuality throughout history. Interestingly, the world of drag constitutes a little pocket untouched by the shame and the stereotypes imposed by cultural norms. Drag aids in dismantling the categories that people choose to categorise one another, thereby shattering stereotypes, injustices, patriarchy, social constructs, and misogyny. The concept of drag is itself a form of rebellion. Many Indian drag artists have claimed their space without letting go of the Indian culture that they represent through their performance. One doesn’t have to be queer to do drag. The whole idea behind drag is to create an inclusive space. Since the art form is essentially centred on gender, performing drag can better our understanding of how we comprehend gender and how much of it is conditioned. The drag culture is yet to become well-established in our nation. It’s time to bring Indian drag into the open as we have incredible drag performers laying the groundwork for upcoming queens.
Source: The Telegraph, 17/11/22
“Put your positive thoughts honestly and untiringly into actions and you don’t have to strive for the success, you will be inundated by it.”
Anonymous
“अपने सकारात्मक विचारों को ईमानदारी और बिना थके हुए कार्यों में लगाए और आपको सफलता के लिए प्रयास नहीं करना पड़ेगा, अपितु अपरिमित सफलता आपके कदमों में होंगी।”
अज्ञात
Gandhi’s moral weapon was the initiation of "Change of Heart”, a very effective and potent weapon that he had used efficaciously to achieve several successes. It’s not known why this powerful weapon did not find its due place in our Constitution. It is imperative that this Change of Heart transformational concept finds its legitimate place in the Indian Constitution.
Experts, across the globe, have discovered a new management icon in the Father of our nation. The Mahatma is now being recognised not only as a political leader who gained independence for the nation but also as a master strategist whose work, philosophy and actions - all three of which were in extraordinary ethical synchronicity, have valuable lessons for reforming the administrative culture, particularly in India.
Gandhi believed that actions, founded on moral authority flowing from the "inner voice", should constitute the bedrock of conduct of any public functionary. This ethical conscientious touchstone, which the saintly "Bapu" made his credo, and embodied in every domain of his life, led Albert Einstein to assert: "Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon the earth."
Gandhi's concept of non-violence and his iconic moral standards are what today's public functionaries and administrators must emulate in order to truly serve the masses and make our nation a true democracy.
Gandhi laid tremendous emphasis on “heart change” and advocated differential treatment towards those public servants/officials who admit their mistakes and want to move forward on an ethical path.
In this context, an incident narrated by Gandhi, of an Indian businessman, Parsi Rustomji, who was a client of Barrister Gandhi and his closest associate in South Africa, is extremely relevant. Rustomji always used to seek and act as per Gandhiji’s advice, but he had the tendency to hide some facts about his business. All the goods that he was trading in, were freighted through Calcutta and Bombay, where he habitually evaded some custom duty on those goods, but he never revealed it to Gandhi. Once, the customs officials caught this theft and Rustomji was sent to jail. Rustomji rushed to Gandhi and narrated the entire episode to him. After hearing it, Gandhi reprimanded him and advised him to admit his crime, even if it meant being imprisoned. Following Gandhi's advice, Rustomji immediately approached the tax authorities and admitted his wrongdoing, vowing never to commit such a crime again in the future. The tax officials were pleased with his courage to accept his misdeed, and his change of heart, and abandoned the idea of prosecuting him. The officer just imposed double the custom duty that Rustomji paid as part of his atonement. After that, Rustomji never repeated any such malpractices and lived a dignified and stress-free life thereafter.
Gandhi valued repentance. To err is human, but not showing remorse is a venal sin. The compassionate message of the Mahatma was those who accept their mistakes and are willing to repent- need to be dealt with differently.
Currently, even if a government official accepts his mistake and is willing to repent, there is no specific provision in the Constitution or law to deal with him differently and give him a chance to reform. As the current provision in Article 311 throws no light on how such a person should be dealt with, it is necessary that the law should make provisions for such an eventuality.
Our country is celebrating “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav” currently and on October 2, we will celebrate the birth anniversary of Bapu. We need to remember that we are still very distant from attaining the vision of "Swaraj” enunciated by Mahatma, who taught us to walk the talk and we need to work indefatigably towards that goal eschewing hatred, negativity and violence.
Source: Hindustan Times, 1/10/22