The Versatile Blogger

Making Sense of a Newfangled Politics ASHWIN KV NAMBOODIRI listens to the various panelists at a talk show on the politics and ideology of Aam Aadmi Party and reports. Politics is a much complex phenomenon and ideologies make them further difficult to analyse. The soul of any political thought sprouts from the spark of fire for a change. Labeling an individual as a good or bad politician would be unfair, in most of the cases. These dilemmas together constituted the positive mileage of SIAS MCJ department’s talk show on ‘Making Sense of Aam Aadmi Party: Politics, Ideology and Future’. In a global sphere, surrounded by identity politics, discussions happen to fall on to the mainstream as an engaging catalyst of forming variant political manifestos. That was how the panelists and the audience were driven in to the debatable show, moderated by Nisha K,IV Semester MCJ. The Great Debaters:Panelists of the talkshow Explaining the sudden set of unanticipated factors which le...

ASHWIN KV NAMBOODIRI spends time in different venues of the 53 rd  Kerala State Youth Festival recently held in Malappuram. Photographs by SHAMNAS RAHMAN.  Malappuram: Leaving the rhythm and pace of a Pooram of arts, the curtain of Asia’s largest festival of youths fell here at Malappuram. When Kozhikode bagged the overall championship, the 53 rd  Kerala State School Youth Festival sowed seeds of hope for the next year to be held in Palakkad. There was an umpteen number of performers: young artists from across the state, all with a zeal to triumph. As usual, many performances were clichéd. However, the seven days from January 14 – January 20, 2013, remain etched as shining and glorious visual feast to the land of Mappilas. The judges as well as the viewers from every nook and corner of the world were eagerly looking for outstanding performances of students from High school and Higher Secondary sections, particularly on 15 newly introduced items ranging from  M...

          I don’t know where it all started. I don’t know how it developed its roots. I’m ignorant of how I was introduced to it. At first, it was only a door, being lighted up ‘indecently inside’. The door was opened and someone pushed me in-The lucky, called everyone. I didn’t know why I was so ‘lucky’. Yes, maybe a ‘lucky contestant’ of an unheard ‘competition’. Knowingly or unknowingly, I received awards and honors for exploring new phases in the competition. There were many people competing with me; but in different ways, roles, appearance etc. Why this diversity in the same competition? , I thought.           Out of numerous questions, answers were few. Promotions were few, but transfers were huge. Sometimes, it feels like, there is equal distance from the beginning and towards the end (from the present).           It was really shocking to know tha...

“We live, we die, and the wheels on the bus go round and round.”           This is what the ‘followers’ of ‘The Bucket List’ love to share with the world audience after experiencing one of the most touching and powerful visual projections by Rob Reiner on an unusual journey of two characters from life to death.           As the name suggests, ‘The Bucket List’ introduces a wish list of things to do before they ‘kick the bucket’ (as metaphorically presented in the film).           Carter Chambers is basically an amateur historian, but his world was confined to the job of a blue-collar mechanic at the McCreath body shop. His favourite TV show is ‘Jeopardy’. Edward Cole is a four time divorced billionaire and hospital owner who enjoys teasing and tormenting his personal care taker Thomas. Though Thomas reveals his name as Matthew at a point, Edw...

          It is highly disgusting to witness such a miserable situation in the God’s own country where the judging tables are becoming victims of ‘Silent Verdicts’. Huge variety of versions for a single case; diverse opinions on a single verdict. Orators always preach about our unity in diversity. But it is a question that where is this unity? The situation is getting worse in such a way that Kerala is being plunged into the path of an unlawful state. Citing the series of incidents such as the Ice cream parlour case, T.P Chandrasekharan murder case, Soumya murder case etc., as a malayalee, I feel myself insecure to live in this so called God’s own land. Silence is a basic rule during court procedures. But what if silence becomes a judicial principle? Don’t be deaf and dumb in front of a civil society. Rise and Respond! 

I wonder about the miserable situation of the God’s own country, being driven by price hikes in all sectors of market. Let it be petrol, gold, food or anything like that. It is really sad to watch us from outside becoming silent victims of such irresponsible decisions of public as well as private authorities. I strongly feel that the situation demands a change from harthals to timely pressures and actions at the earliest. As a journalism aspirant, I assure my complete support, being aware of the duties of a citizen as well as a social individual.