Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Happy New Year
On behalf of the Literature Club Pune, a very happy and peaceful new year 2009 to you!
Summary of the December meet
Hi friends,
The meeting of the club was held on 14th December 2008 amidst the picturesque surroundings of the Panshet lake, nestling within the folds of the Western Ghats. It was a meeting cum picnic at a resort called Suryashibir.
The drive to the resort was not without its share of excitement. As the car groaned through the narrow potholed track, mistakenly called a road, we often wondered if this was a road to nowhere as each curve revealed just another curve. But soon reassuring signs of Suryashibir winked at us from rock faces along the bends.
After breakfasting on pohas and uppama, we settled down to discussing the first of the two topics, viz. ‘A classic which according to you is most relevant today’.
We may well be a small group, but the views and ideas that come forth each time are as divergent as the legendary diversity of our country. That’s how the juices flow and they flowed once again.
As the title suggests, a number of classics were considered by the members and the relevance of their themes discussed. We talked of child labour as practised many decades ago and now, and the insidious nature of this evil which defies elimination. Light was thrown on the fetters that chain womanhood and her efforts to break her shackles and fly free to realize her potential. This eternally dormant force successfully rears up its head in the case of a lucky few who rewrite the rules and blow the myth that single or married women cannot be powerful and capable of taking charge of their own lives. We reflected on some despicable human traits that twist the law to suit themselves and exploit others with impunity. We discussed how basic human emotions remain unchanged no matter how advanced we may like to call ourselves. Greed and selfishness remain great motivators and the vast majority have to do without a Portia like messiah coming to their aid in times of distress.
Those familiar with the scriptures referred to how Lord Krishna’s exhortation could raise a weak-kneed Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Needless to say it is as relevant today as in the days of the Mahabharat. A little skid from the normal was introduced when a brainteaser was posed and answers sought by a would-be participant.
It was agreed that change is constant, but the basic human emotions remain unchanged. In the fast-paced march of technology we wondered which values as depicted in the classics would endure. Whether marriage as an institution would continue to exist or perish, whether the spirit of friendship - all for one and one for all - would still bind friends as they did in the years gone by, whether the young would pay heed to their elders or will their mental doors open only inwards were some of the anxieties articulated.
After an interlude of fun and games we had an early lunch as the games and the pure air had made everyone hungry. A few games tested our reflexes especially with the ball. Others were purely for fun. Post lunch a few tried valiantly to make themselves comfortable on the hard wooden benches to snatch their forty winks.
The classics that were resurrected were
The Three Musketeers- Alexandre Dumas
The Merchant of Venice-Shakespeare
Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
The Mahabharat
The Lessons of Terror-Caleb Carr
The quotable quotes were:
At the entrance to The Indian Military Academy (and this is not verbatim):
“Country-The security and self-respect of my country always comes first
Men-Security and welfare of my men come second
Self-My own safety and security comes last and always the last.”
At the entrance to the Christian Medical College, Vellore:
“God grant me the courage to change things that I can,
The serenity to accept what I cannot
And the wisdom to know the difference.”
“Conventionality is not morality
Self righteousness is not religion
To attack the first is not to assail the last.”
In the second session we discussed the second topic- ‘Has your yesterday influenced your today?’.
This session was sombre. Terrorism and its implications were discussed and how the repeated attacks by terrorists have affected our psyche, especially when victims happened to be friends. Instances of individual tragedies and their real life sufferings were touching. The financial losses, the trauma, the slow recovery towards normalcy, were all brought alive. Our childhood is our past and the values we imbibe during our formative years make us what we are today. The values of the parents are absorbed by the children who then replicate the same values in their adult life because no other course of action would appeal to them. But what we perceive as wrong, as unjust, would surface again making it a point of rebellion. Children who are brought up in a highly male dominated society will not tolerate it in their own lives as they saw the wrongs it had done to their womenfolk.
The younger group showed how they were influenced by their elders and because of a generation gap between them and their parents, they lean more on older siblings to share their secrets.
The session over, we all trouped in for that ever welcome cup of tea. After our adieus and a promise to meet next mouth we hit the road again.
The return was uneventful. We knew what lay ahead.
Zulekha Merchant
The meeting of the club was held on 14th December 2008 amidst the picturesque surroundings of the Panshet lake, nestling within the folds of the Western Ghats. It was a meeting cum picnic at a resort called Suryashibir.
The drive to the resort was not without its share of excitement. As the car groaned through the narrow potholed track, mistakenly called a road, we often wondered if this was a road to nowhere as each curve revealed just another curve. But soon reassuring signs of Suryashibir winked at us from rock faces along the bends.
After breakfasting on pohas and uppama, we settled down to discussing the first of the two topics, viz. ‘A classic which according to you is most relevant today’.
We may well be a small group, but the views and ideas that come forth each time are as divergent as the legendary diversity of our country. That’s how the juices flow and they flowed once again.
As the title suggests, a number of classics were considered by the members and the relevance of their themes discussed. We talked of child labour as practised many decades ago and now, and the insidious nature of this evil which defies elimination. Light was thrown on the fetters that chain womanhood and her efforts to break her shackles and fly free to realize her potential. This eternally dormant force successfully rears up its head in the case of a lucky few who rewrite the rules and blow the myth that single or married women cannot be powerful and capable of taking charge of their own lives. We reflected on some despicable human traits that twist the law to suit themselves and exploit others with impunity. We discussed how basic human emotions remain unchanged no matter how advanced we may like to call ourselves. Greed and selfishness remain great motivators and the vast majority have to do without a Portia like messiah coming to their aid in times of distress.
Those familiar with the scriptures referred to how Lord Krishna’s exhortation could raise a weak-kneed Arjun on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Needless to say it is as relevant today as in the days of the Mahabharat. A little skid from the normal was introduced when a brainteaser was posed and answers sought by a would-be participant.
It was agreed that change is constant, but the basic human emotions remain unchanged. In the fast-paced march of technology we wondered which values as depicted in the classics would endure. Whether marriage as an institution would continue to exist or perish, whether the spirit of friendship - all for one and one for all - would still bind friends as they did in the years gone by, whether the young would pay heed to their elders or will their mental doors open only inwards were some of the anxieties articulated.
After an interlude of fun and games we had an early lunch as the games and the pure air had made everyone hungry. A few games tested our reflexes especially with the ball. Others were purely for fun. Post lunch a few tried valiantly to make themselves comfortable on the hard wooden benches to snatch their forty winks.
The classics that were resurrected were
The Three Musketeers- Alexandre Dumas
The Merchant of Venice-Shakespeare
Oliver Twist- Charles Dickens
Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
The Mahabharat
The Lessons of Terror-Caleb Carr
The quotable quotes were:
At the entrance to The Indian Military Academy (and this is not verbatim):
“Country-The security and self-respect of my country always comes first
Men-Security and welfare of my men come second
Self-My own safety and security comes last and always the last.”
At the entrance to the Christian Medical College, Vellore:
“God grant me the courage to change things that I can,
The serenity to accept what I cannot
And the wisdom to know the difference.”
“Conventionality is not morality
Self righteousness is not religion
To attack the first is not to assail the last.”
In the second session we discussed the second topic- ‘Has your yesterday influenced your today?’.
This session was sombre. Terrorism and its implications were discussed and how the repeated attacks by terrorists have affected our psyche, especially when victims happened to be friends. Instances of individual tragedies and their real life sufferings were touching. The financial losses, the trauma, the slow recovery towards normalcy, were all brought alive. Our childhood is our past and the values we imbibe during our formative years make us what we are today. The values of the parents are absorbed by the children who then replicate the same values in their adult life because no other course of action would appeal to them. But what we perceive as wrong, as unjust, would surface again making it a point of rebellion. Children who are brought up in a highly male dominated society will not tolerate it in their own lives as they saw the wrongs it had done to their womenfolk.
The younger group showed how they were influenced by their elders and because of a generation gap between them and their parents, they lean more on older siblings to share their secrets.
The session over, we all trouped in for that ever welcome cup of tea. After our adieus and a promise to meet next mouth we hit the road again.
The return was uneventful. We knew what lay ahead.
Zulekha Merchant
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
January 2009 meeting
Friends,
The January 2009 meeting of the Literature Club will be held at the Empress Garden at 10:30 am on Sunday, January 11, 2009.
The topics for discussion are:
1. Patriotism and literature.
2. Social turmoil as depicted in literature.
The summary of the December meeting will be posted here soon.
Thanks
Vasu
The January 2009 meeting of the Literature Club will be held at the Empress Garden at 10:30 am on Sunday, January 11, 2009.
The topics for discussion are:
1. Patriotism and literature.
2. Social turmoil as depicted in literature.
The summary of the December meeting will be posted here soon.
Thanks
Vasu
Thursday, December 4, 2008
December meeting
Hi there,
My apologies for the delay in posting this blog.
First, the announcement of the December meeting. We shall all meet at Mr. Rajagopalan's house at 7:00 am (yes, you read right!) on Sunday, December 14. From there we shall proceed to Surya Shibir, where we will spend the whole day. Among the fun and frolic, we will also have a regular meeting. The topics: 1. A classic which according to you is most relevant today; and 2. Has your yesterday influenced your today?
The cost of the outing (which includes breakfast, lunch and evening tea) is Rs. 150 each for Literature Club members and Rs. 250 each for a relative or friend. The cost of the transportation is extra (Rs. 3000 for the bus) and will be shared among everyone that shows up. So, the more the turnout, the lesser we pay per person! Terms cash, of course!!
Now, for the summary of the November meeting. Here it is:
==========================================================
Date: 9 November 2008
Venue: Empress Garden
It was in the cool confines of the bamboo grove of Empress Garden that we began our deliberations on the pleasant November morning.
Topic 1: East is East and the West is West. Yes, the twain do meet.
The views from the members were as diverse as the East could be from the West.
We stated off questioning the very basics. Is there only one East and one West? What exactly do we mean when we say East meets West? Are we qualified to sit in judgement? Have we had grass-root level experiences of the two cultures to be able to comment on the issue?
Today telecommunication has improved tremendously and shrunk distances to blur the man-made boundaries but even in the days by-gone we have physically lived together and the twain have already met!
Can we slot the West as materialistic and the East as spiritual? East is a treasure trove of spirituality because of the teachings and techniques of the ancient masters. This may be drawing seekers from the West. The average Indian today is vying with the West to be consumerist.
We had a pleasant interlude in the form of the sighting of a paradise flycatcher, thanks to a bird enthusiast amongst us.
We assembled again and viewed the same idea in a new perspective. Let us accept the idea that they are different, and let them be, nay, let us go a step further and celebrate the difference. We are children of the same God in various stages of development; we should help one another get up, steady and walk towards progress.
Here is a poem on the Topic
East is East and West is West, all ways they meet
Be it East or West,
From the womb humanity begins.
Love rises from the heart,
And the evil from the mind,
Nature from cradle of Almighty,
Be it East or West.
Be it East or West,
All lands witness the sun rise and set,
Share clouds and winds flowing across lands,
The innocence of the child, but the same,
Men have been Men and Women have been Women;
Be it East or West.
Be it the helplessness of humanity or the evil designs of few,
Disregard towards nature or the faded moral fabric,
The weakening faith in GOD or the lack of concern for others,
The fear of a dying planet,
And of course the eternal need for love
East is East and West is West, in all ways they meet.
The poverty of gracious thoughts,
The global melt down,
The change in the style of life,
The hunger of material and oil,
The never ending human greed,
Be it East of West they tend to meet of late.
GOD smiled in the far heaven and muttered, “East is East and West is West, never shall the twain meet” rested in the myopic minds of few, For I created one world”
Puru
TOPIC 2:
An adventure you would love to take with a fictional character.
The choice is overwhelming but put on your thinking cap before you embark on your adventure.
You can go this far with a criminal with a guilt complex.(Crime and Punishment). A detective (Sherlock Holmes) cannot take you much farther. He will abandon you at the drop of a hat, err.. a drop of blood.
All the same, we did take a roller coaster ride with Tom Sawyer, the common man, with Jeeves in search of a rich aunt and Papillon, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The most interesting was a real journey through war-torn Sri Lanka with a Paiji who defied bullets to be with his flock.
Before we go, we would like you to take this list of authors/books on your next visit to the library. These books featured in the views our members expressed.
BOOKS IN FOCUS
1) P.G.Wodehouse (Jeeves Series)
2)Fyodr Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment)
3)Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)
4)Enid Blyton (The Famous Five)
5)Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
6)Henri Charriere (Papillon)
7)Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion)
8)Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)
9)R.K.Laxman (The common man)
Credits: Poem by Puru, meeting summary by Renuka, picnic arrangements by Renuka, announcement by Vasu
My apologies for the delay in posting this blog.
First, the announcement of the December meeting. We shall all meet at Mr. Rajagopalan's house at 7:00 am (yes, you read right!) on Sunday, December 14. From there we shall proceed to Surya Shibir, where we will spend the whole day. Among the fun and frolic, we will also have a regular meeting. The topics: 1. A classic which according to you is most relevant today; and 2. Has your yesterday influenced your today?
The cost of the outing (which includes breakfast, lunch and evening tea) is Rs. 150 each for Literature Club members and Rs. 250 each for a relative or friend. The cost of the transportation is extra (Rs. 3000 for the bus) and will be shared among everyone that shows up. So, the more the turnout, the lesser we pay per person! Terms cash, of course!!
Now, for the summary of the November meeting. Here it is:
==========================================================
Date: 9 November 2008
Venue: Empress Garden
It was in the cool confines of the bamboo grove of Empress Garden that we began our deliberations on the pleasant November morning.
Topic 1: East is East and the West is West. Yes, the twain do meet.
The views from the members were as diverse as the East could be from the West.
We stated off questioning the very basics. Is there only one East and one West? What exactly do we mean when we say East meets West? Are we qualified to sit in judgement? Have we had grass-root level experiences of the two cultures to be able to comment on the issue?
Today telecommunication has improved tremendously and shrunk distances to blur the man-made boundaries but even in the days by-gone we have physically lived together and the twain have already met!
Can we slot the West as materialistic and the East as spiritual? East is a treasure trove of spirituality because of the teachings and techniques of the ancient masters. This may be drawing seekers from the West. The average Indian today is vying with the West to be consumerist.
We had a pleasant interlude in the form of the sighting of a paradise flycatcher, thanks to a bird enthusiast amongst us.
We assembled again and viewed the same idea in a new perspective. Let us accept the idea that they are different, and let them be, nay, let us go a step further and celebrate the difference. We are children of the same God in various stages of development; we should help one another get up, steady and walk towards progress.
Here is a poem on the Topic
East is East and West is West, all ways they meet
Be it East or West,
From the womb humanity begins.
Love rises from the heart,
And the evil from the mind,
Nature from cradle of Almighty,
Be it East or West.
Be it East or West,
All lands witness the sun rise and set,
Share clouds and winds flowing across lands,
The innocence of the child, but the same,
Men have been Men and Women have been Women;
Be it East or West.
Be it the helplessness of humanity or the evil designs of few,
Disregard towards nature or the faded moral fabric,
The weakening faith in GOD or the lack of concern for others,
The fear of a dying planet,
And of course the eternal need for love
East is East and West is West, in all ways they meet.
The poverty of gracious thoughts,
The global melt down,
The change in the style of life,
The hunger of material and oil,
The never ending human greed,
Be it East of West they tend to meet of late.
GOD smiled in the far heaven and muttered, “East is East and West is West, never shall the twain meet” rested in the myopic minds of few, For I created one world”
Puru
TOPIC 2:
An adventure you would love to take with a fictional character.
The choice is overwhelming but put on your thinking cap before you embark on your adventure.
You can go this far with a criminal with a guilt complex.(Crime and Punishment). A detective (Sherlock Holmes) cannot take you much farther. He will abandon you at the drop of a hat, err.. a drop of blood.
All the same, we did take a roller coaster ride with Tom Sawyer, the common man, with Jeeves in search of a rich aunt and Papillon, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The most interesting was a real journey through war-torn Sri Lanka with a Paiji who defied bullets to be with his flock.
Before we go, we would like you to take this list of authors/books on your next visit to the library. These books featured in the views our members expressed.
BOOKS IN FOCUS
1) P.G.Wodehouse (Jeeves Series)
2)Fyodr Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment)
3)Paulo Coelho (The Alchemist)
4)Enid Blyton (The Famous Five)
5)Mark Twain (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer)
6)Henri Charriere (Papillon)
7)Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion)
8)Richard Bach (Jonathan Livingston Seagull)
9)R.K.Laxman (The common man)
Credits: Poem by Puru, meeting summary by Renuka, picnic arrangements by Renuka, announcement by Vasu
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