Interrogating Identities: Tribals in Bengali Short Stories published by the Centre of Excellence, Department of Odia, Visva-Bharati, Santinketan and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India, New Delhi and translated by Dr Saptarshi Mallick aims at unveiling the lost and suppressed voices of the subaltern. The book has simultaneously worked as a guide that has stimulated scholars in to venturing deeper into the world of ‘the other’ and as a delightful read for book lovers covering all genres. The book admits that it is only a medium through which the subaltern is speaking and does not claim to be their messiah or savior. It moves methodically, showing us census and data and by looking at them we realize the immense poverty and poor standards of living in which the indigenous people reside. In spite of being a research project, it also appeals to our emotion. The narrative moves effortlessly and as a reader it can be affirmed that the translator has done a phenomenal job in translating and to certain extent trans-creating the subject matter. In my review I have tried to emphasize how the book, with the help of textual examples, has facilitated to voice the unheard stories from the margin and acknowledge it as an insider.
The nexus between migration and disaster has commonly been referred to in previous researches. In particular, previous studies often describe migration as a coping strategy for climate and water-induced disasters (WID). Yet, limited studies have explored the role of migration in triggering disaster and intensifying the risk and exposure of communities to such events. Considering this research gap, this study aims to assess the linkage between internal and external migration and disaster events. Employing qualitative research methods and taking the Extended East Rapti River Watershed located in Chitwan and Makwanpur districts of Nepal as a case, this study indicates that unmanaged internal migration in the study area has increased the prospects of WID and its risk in the region. These instances were mainly due to over-exploitation of resources and change in land-use practices in the Chure region and Tarai. Likewise, haphazard growth of urban and semi-urban areas, expansion of settlements in hazardous areas, and an increase in built-up areas in the watershed have further contributed to an increase in incidences of WID as well as the risk, exposure, and vulnerability of the residents to such events. The research also reveals that poor governance to manage the process of migration and urbanization is largely responsible for this phenomenon than the migrants alone. Finally, this article suggests not undermining the role of different types of migration and their governance while studying the migration-disaster nexus.
This is a short essay that pays tribute to the Pulitzer Prize winning poet Charles Simic who turned 92 on 9th May.The article looks at one poem by Simic routed through the vision of Van Gogh and the reality of the 16 deaths of migrant workers on the railway track in Maharashtra, India, on 8th May. The article looks at one poem by Simic routed through the vision of Van Gogh and the reality of the 16 deaths on the railway track on 8th May.
When two cultures come into contact with each other, there is a play of power and supremacy. This is a social reality and something that people have to deal with not only in the socio-political sense, but also in emotional states. Gandhi and Slade’s relationship shows the reality of emotional unrest. This perhaps is overlooked when there are bigger social and political problems lurking around. This paper attempts to understand the journey of Gandhi and Madeline Slade though the correspondence they shared.
