Nelson Mandela

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918. His father was Hendry Mphakanyiswa of the Tembu Tribe. Mandela himself was educated at University College of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand where he studied law. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 and was engaged in resistance against the ruling National Party’s apartheid policies after 1948. He went on trial for treason in 1956-1961 and was acquitted in 1961.

After the banning of the ANC in 1960, Nelson Mandela argued for the setting up of a military wing within the ANC. In June 1961, the ANC executive considered his proposal on the use of violent tactics and agreed that those members who wished to involve themselves in Mandela’s campaign would not be stopped from doing so by the ANC. This led to the formation of Umkhonto we Sizwe. Mandela was arrested in 1962 and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour. In 1963, when many fellow leaders of the ANC and the Umkhonto we Sizwe were arrested, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the government by violence. His statement from the dock received considerable international publicity. On June 12, 1964, eight of the accused, including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment. From 1964 to 1982, he was incarcerated at Robben Island Prison, off Cape Town; thereafter, he was at Pollsmoor Prison, nearby on the mainland.

During his years in prison, Nelson Mandela’s reputation grew steadily. He was widely accepted as the most significant black leader in South Africa and became a potent symbol of resistance as the anti-apartheid movement gathered strength. He consistently refused to compromise his political position to obtain his freedom.

Nelson Mandela was released on February 11, 1990. After his release, he plunged himself wholeheartedly into his life’s work, striving to attain the goals he and others had set out almost four decades earlier. In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after the organization had been banned in 1960, Mandela was elected President of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organisation’s National Chairperson.

Early life and work

Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in the tiny village of Mvezo, on the banks of the Mbashe River in Transkei, South Africa. 

His birth name was Rolihlahla Mandela. “Rolihlahla” in the Xhosa language literally means “pulling the branch of a tree,” but more commonly translates as “troublemaker.”

Mandela’s father, who was destined to be a chief, served as a counselor to tribal chiefs for several years but lost both his title and fortune over a dispute with the local colonial magistrate. 

Mandela was only an infant at the time, and his father’s loss of status forced his mother to move the family to Qunu, an even smaller village north of Mvezo. The village was nestled in a narrow grassy valley; there were no roads, only footpaths that linked the pastures where livestock grazed. 

The family lived in huts and ate a local harvest of maize, sorghum, pumpkin and beans, which was all they could afford. Water came from springs and streams and cooking was done outdoors. 

Mandela played the games of young boys, acting out male right-of-passage scenarios with toys he made from the natural materials available, including tree branches and clay.

Education

At the suggestion of one of his father’s friends, Mandela was baptized in the Methodist Church. He went on to become the first in his family to attend school. As was custom at the time, and probably due to the bias of the British educational system in South Africa, Mandela’s teacher told him that his new first name would be Nelson.

When Mandela was 12 years old, his father died of lung disease, causing his life to change dramatically. He was adopted by Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the acting regent of the Thembu people — a gesture done as a favor to Mandela’s father, who, years earlier, had recommended Jongintaba be made chief. 

Mandela subsequently left the carefree life he knew in Qunu, fearing that he would never see his village again. He traveled by motorcar to Mqhekezweni, the provincial capital of Thembuland, to the chief’s royal residence. Though he had not forgotten his beloved village of Qunu, he quickly adapted to the new, more sophisticated surroundings of Mqhekezweni.

Mandela was given the same status and responsibilities as the regent’s two other children, his son and oldest child, Justice, and daughter Nomafu. Mandela took classes in a one-room school next to the palace, studying English, Xhosa, history and geography. 

It was during this period that Mandela developed an interest in African history, from elder chiefs who came to the Great Palace on official business. He learned how the African people had lived in relative peace until the coming of the white people. 

According to the elders, the children of South Africa had previously lived as brothers, but white men had shattered this fellowship. While Black men shared their land, air and water with white people, white men took all of these things for themselves.

Political Awakening

When Mandela was 16, it was time for him to partake in the traditional African circumcision ritual to mark his entrance into manhood. The ceremony of circumcision was not just a surgical procedure, but an elaborate ritual in preparation for manhood. 

In African tradition, an uncircumcised man cannot inherit his father’s wealth, marry or officiate at tribal rituals. Mandela participated in the ceremony with 25 other boys. He welcomed the opportunity to partake in his people’s customs and felt ready to make the transition from boyhood to manhood.

His mood shifted during the proceedings, however, when Chief Meligqili, the main speaker at the ceremony, spoke sadly of the young men, explaining that they were enslaved in their own country. Because their land was controlled by white men, they would never have the power to govern themselves, the chief said. 

He went on to lament that the promise of the young men would be squandered as they struggled to make a living and perform mindless chores for white men. Mandela would later say that while the chief’s words didn’t make total sense to him at the time, they would eventually formulate his resolve for an independent South Africa.

Presidency

Due in no small part to the work of Mandela and President de Klerk, negotiations between Black and white South Africans prevailed: On April 27, 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections. Mandela was inaugurated as the country’s first Black president on May 10, 1994, at the age of 77, with de Klerk as his first deputy.

From 1994 until June 1999, President Mandela worked to bring about the transition from minority rule and apartheid to Black majority rule. He used the nation’s enthusiasm for sports as a pivot point to promote reconciliation between white and Black people, encouraging Black South Africans to support the once-hated national rugby team. 

In 1995, South Africa came to the world stage by hosting the Rugby World Cup, which brought further recognition and prestige to the young republic. That year Mandela was also awarded the Order of Merit.

During his presidency, Mandela also worked to protect South Africa’s economy from collapse. Through his Reconstruction and Development Plan, the South African government funded the creation of jobs, housing and basic health care. 

In 1996, Mandela signed into law a new constitution for the nation, establishing a strong central government based on majority rule, and guaranteeing both the rights of minorities and the freedom of expression.

Retirement and Later Career

By the 1999 general election, Mandela had retired from active politics. He continued to maintain a busy schedule, however, raising money to build schools and clinics in South Africa’s rural heartland through his foundation, and serving as a mediator in Burundi’s civil war.

Mandela was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer in 2001. In June 2004, at the age of 85, he announced his formal retirement from public life and returned to his native village of Qunu.

Movie and Books

In 1994, Mandela published his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, much of which he had secretly written while in prison. The book inspired the 2013 movie Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. 

He also published a number of books on his life and struggles, among them No Easy Walk to Freedom; Nelson Mandela: The Struggle Is My Life; and Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales.

Mandela Day

In 2009, Mandela’s birthday (July 18) was declared Mandela Day, an international day to promote global peace and celebrate the South African leader’s legacy. According to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the annual event is meant to encourage citizens worldwide to give back the way that Mandela has throughout his lifetime. 

A statement on the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s website reads: “Mr. Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. All we are asking is that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time, whether it’s supporting your chosen charity or serving your local community.”

Importance of games and sports.

Resistance towards sports is often affected by modern forms of entertainment like video and online gaming. Therefore, the drive for sports activities has lost its entertaining allure as the younger generation tends to lean more towards virtual online gaming worlds. Developing entertainment outlets like social media has only made sports events much less popular. Nevertheless, this move is disappointing given the substantial advantages of engaging in sports activities. For this, parents can become role models in their children’s life. The parents should not make them addicted to the techie-gadgets and be active in their lifestyle so that their kids can also become physically sound and active.

Photo by football wife on Pexels.com

Studies have demonstrated increasing vulnerability to illness, allergies, and even mental health problems as younger generations develop. Although there are several possible reasons for this jump, the absence of regular exercise routines plays a major role here. The sport will offer an effective but indirect means of exercise for students and youth in general. It greatly strengthens the body, improving the body’s defensive system to hold any of the diseases alone.

The importance of games and sports in student’s life is immense. It has proved to be very therapeutic in nature. Sports help improve stronger social skills, such as dispute management and sport-based interaction. This makes it quite convenient as modern society spends a lot of money on therapeutic services.

Active participation in sports and games can have many benefits in students’ life. It gives a student a chance to enhance the physical and social skills. It offers a child a change from the monotony of a daily routine. It keeps the stress and anxiety away. It’s a smart way to iron out frustration in most individuals. Students can quickly learn to cope with their lives by extending their grievances on the playground, mostly in their early learning days. However, a proper balance has to be maintained between a child’s maturity, skills, and interests.

Importance of games and sports in Student’s life

Importance of sports and games is often undermined by the parents as well as the students. They tend to go for video games and online games but fail to realise the value of games and sports that are physical in nature. Now, in today’s era, students are more vulnerable to various health issues, illness, and other such problems. The main reason behind it is that they do not devote sufficient time to playing and exercising. Thus, it becomes imperative to at least devote an hour in doing physical activities to keep their body fit and fine.

Further, researches and studies highlight that with constant involvement of the students in the games and sports, they tend to increase their immune system and thus are better able to fight against the diseases. So, in today’s era where people want their children to stay at home thinking it is beneficial, you should be the one who is sending their children to play outside for their well being.

Not only this, while playing a team sport, you get to learn various skills and sportsmanship which is not possible to gain sitting at home. Social skills are reflected in them and thus, they are better able to cope up with stress and anxiety issues. 

Nowadays, sports and games are taken to be a good career option as well. It plays a pivotal role in shaping a child’s interest in his profession. In developing nations, a substantial number of disadvantaged children receive grants, and financial assistance through success in sports, which consequently changed their lives dramatically. In the more developed nations, sport can be the one thing that distinguishes students from the rest, especially in competitive scenarios such as college placements and even securing scholarships or funding for education.

Sports and games also help in character building and provide strength and energy. Sports and games not only involve the development of skills but it also stimulates competitive behavior among students. It builds confidence in the minds of the students. It not only strengthens the physical growth rather it also contributes towards the mental growth. Therefore, it plays an important role in a student’s life.

Not only this, while playing a team sport, you get to learn various skills and sportsmanship which is not possible to gain sitting at home. Social skills are reflected in them and thus, they are better able to cope up with stress and anxiety issues. 

Nowadays, sports and games are taken to be a good career option as well. It plays a pivotal role in shaping a child’s interest in his profession. In developing nations, a substantial number of disadvantaged children receive grants, and financial assistance through success in sports, which consequently changed their lives dramatically. In the more developed nations, sport can be the one thing that distinguishes students from the rest, especially in competitive scenarios such as college placements and even securing scholarships or funding for education.

Sports and games also help in character building and provide strength and energy. Sports and games not only involve the development of skills but it also stimulates competitive behavior among students. It builds confidence in the minds of the students. It not only strengthens the physical growth rather it also contributes towards the mental growth. Therefore, it plays an important role in a student’s life.

Lastly, to conclude, the role of games and sports in students’ life is major in developing a human personality. A student should be allowed to actively participate in the sports of his or her choice. A student should not only be good in a study but also in the games for the overall development. To make our youth participate in sports and games, please check your locality’s nearest sports club and your child’s school authority.

How to develop a rich mind?

When Malcolm X was in prison, he discovered the power of books. He was physically caged within the walls of the prison, but his mind was free. 

He spent most of his six and a half years in prison reading books—day and night. In The Autobiography of Malcolm X, he wrote about his nightly reading habits: 

“At one-hour intervals the night guards paced past every room. Each time I heard the approaching footsteps, I jumped into bed and feigned sleep. And as soon as the guard passed, I got back out of bed onto the floor area of that light-glow, where I would read for another fifty-eight minutes—until the guard approached again. That went on until three or four every morning. Three or four hours of sleep a night was enough for me. Often in the years in the streets I had slept less than that.” 

That’s the power of a rich mind. No matter how isolated you are, your mind will never be alone. It will be rich of knowledge and ideas. It will never be bored or feel lonely. 

 knowledge is the key resource of the mind. A mind full of knowledge is rich, while a mind that lacks knowledge is poor. We know how people say, “It takes money to make money”? 

The point is that once we have money, we can invest that money to generate more of it. At some point, you’ll have enough money that it’s actually hard to lose your wealth. The same is true with your mind. Once you have a rich mind, it can only get richer.  

How much do we enrich your mind every day? 

We don’t need to sleep 4 hours like Malcolm did and spend the rest of our waking hours reading books to develop a rich mind. The truth is that you only need to spend one hour a day to improve your mind. 

The Munger Technique, inspired by the investor Charlie Munger. He believes that if you dedicate your best hour of the day to improving your mind, you’ll improve your life on every level.  

Developing a rich mind is the most important thing you can do. But I want to take it one step further. If you’re stuck in life, just lost your job, failed at your business, you name it; spend at least 4 hours a day enriching your mind. 

Here’s what improving our mind looks to me: 

  • Reading books—This one is obvious. If you want to learn about a topic, buy the best books and start reading. 
  • Take courses—Books are great for ideas but they often lack instructions. If you want to learn practical skills like programming, writing, building websites, and so forth, I recommend taking courses. 
  • Listen to audiobooks/podcasts—Even while I’m running or driving, I keep learning.  
  • Watch interviews or documentaries—Sometimes you don’t feel like reading or taking a course, but you still want to keep learning. That’s why I like watching interviews on YouTube. I also enjoy watching documentaries about inspirational people. 
  • Journaling—I always write about what I’ve learned in my own words. That helps me remember it more. 
  • Share your knowledge—When you talk about your ideas and knowledge with others, you’re not only being helpful, you’re also enriching your own mind.  

This is all straightforward. We all know what it takes to enrich our minds. The biggest problem we have is that it’s hard. It’s easier to spend hours on Instagram, spying on the lives of celebrities and your former classmates and lovers. Isn’t that weird? We all do it.  

But it’s a waste of time. What’s the impact of those activities on your mind? If you’re lucky, it’s zero. If you look at other people and compare yourself to them, get jealous, and start feeling bad about yourself: The impact is negative. Just stop that nonsense. 

Why is reading important?

Reading is good for you because it improves your focus, memory, empathy, and communication skills. It can reduce stress, improve your mental health, and help you live longer. Reading also allows you to learn new things to help you succeed in your work and relationships

Books are everywhere. Libraries big and small and bookstores are splattered all over college campuses and larger cities. They are all filled with one of the most important things of all time—books. Those who read books appreciate the multiple places to find books. Those who aren’t fans of books, don’t understand what could make readers want to obsess over books. There is a reason for their obsession, though. You hear it all the time: read every day.

Though reading might seem like simple fun, it can be helping your body and mind without you even realising what is happening. Reading can be more important for these reasons and not just knowledge.  For those who don’t enjoy reading, you might change your mind after hearing about the benefits. Can something so easy and fun as reading be so helpful in your life? Of course, it can! Reading can be a great benefit to you in many different ways—such as sharpening your mind, imagination, and writing skills. With so many advantages of reading, it should be an everyday occurrence to read at least a little something.

1. Buy books in advance.

When trying to form a new habbit, it pays to remove any obstacle that could get in the way of you keeping to your new routine, no matter how trivial. So those looking to start taking their vitamins might move the bottle to eye level, or new runners might invest in better sneakers. For would-be readers, this principle dictates you don’t wait to finish one book to buy another. You should always have books lying around and easy to grab.null

“If you have more books in your house, you’ll have more choices, and this will help you read more,” insists Foroux. “Here’s why: Most of the books you read are not planned in advance. You don’t sit down in January and say: ‘The first week of June I’ll read this book.’ You finish a book, look you at your inventory, and decide what to read next… Having an inventory of books keeps up the momentum. You also never have an excuse not to read.”

2. Always be reading.

It’s as simple as ABC — always be reading. Nope, you’re not miraculously going to find unfilled hours to devour that novel. Instead, you need to make a conscious choice to use the odds and ends of your days to reach your reading target.

“Find a way to read around your schedule and your life situation,” says Foroux, who suggests you could read on the train, while waiting at the doctor’s office, while breastfeeding your baby (I can personally testify you can get through quite a lot of books this way), or during breaks at work. It might sound like simple advice but Foroux’s math is compelling. “Most people read 50 pages an hour. If you read 10 hours a week, you’ll read 26,000 pages a year. Let’s say the average book you read is 250 pages: In this scenario, you’ll read 104 books in a year,” he calculates.

3. Read what you like.

Want to read a lot? Then don’t force yourself to read books you’re not interested in at that particular moment. This isn’t Literature 101, with a set syllabus. Anything you pick up and enjoy will offer you some value.

“Not all books are for everyone. A book might be a bestseller, but maybe you can’t stand the writing. Or maybe it’s not the right time to read a book,” observes Foroux. “If you can’t flip through the pages, put the book away and pick up something you are so excited about that you tear up the pages.” Life is too short (and the supply of potential titles too plentiful) to make yourself read boring books.

Importance of Reading Books

Reading is important because it develops our thoughts, gives us endless knowledge and lessons while keeping our minds active. Books can hold and keep all kinds of information, stories, thoughts and feelings unlike anything else in this world. The importance of a book to help us learn and understand things cannot be underestimated.

Can words, paragraphs, and fictional worlds be all that great for you and your health? It definitely can, and reading is a timeless form of entertainment and information.

In fact, for years reading was the only form of personal entertainment, and perhaps this is why reading has been in the spotlight for such a long time. Reading has survived the years, and luckily, the benefits have survived right along with the books. So let’s talk about some reasons why reading is so important.

Four year celebration of gst

 

India recently celebrated 4 years of completion of GST since its implementation. 1 july has been selected as GST Day by ministry of Finance as GST was enacted on this day 2017. GST (Goods and services tax) is a single indirect tax regime eliminating compounding effects of various taxes at various levels. It was labelled as a game changer by many experts. But the question is how far it has accomplished its goals. 

Photo by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com

 The Good

The GST has brought the number of taxpayers to almost double the taxpayers before the implementation of GST 

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/gst-reduced-tax-rates-doubled-taxpayer-base-to-1-24-crore-finance-ministry-11598278072466.html

There is a substantially positive change in tax to gross domestic product ratio which signifies a positive impact on Indian economy other than this the process to file taxes and register for GST have been digitised making it convenient for taxpayers. Taxpayers can easily track all their dues and process for GST

The Bad 

Even though the GST has made startup culture easy for some it still has some drawbacks to be tackled. Registering in every state to trade has been tedious and puts a financial burden on the taxpayers. The businesses have to face technical issues in IT platforms of the GST portal that brought some delays in the business. Not separating the micro enterprises from the tax regime has put a burden on small business owners. 

Still India has impressed the world by enacting a history making tax regime in the nation. Steps taken by the government have been appreciated by many nations. The overall success of the GST lies in the schemes made keeping the welfare and interest of the stakeholders in mind. 

the tourism industry

Today’s article aims to ruin yet another thing people like- travelling. Who doesn’t love vacations We get to take a break from our daily monotonous lives and experience different cultures, see the beautiful local architecture, eat local food etc. Not only is it relaxing for the tourist, but also beneficial for the locals. Many countries around the world depend on tourism. It brings in money and supports local economies. In 2019, about 4.2 crore jobs were created by the tourism sector alone in India, which accounts for 8.1 % of the total employment in the country. However, there are two sides to every coin, and the other side is unknown to many.

Let’s start with travelling. Getting to your destination requires some sort of travelling by planes, trains, cars etc. The main problem with the aviation industry is of noise and air pollution. In 2010, the aviation industry carried 2.4 billion passengers and that number is predicted to increase to 16 billion by 2050. It also produces 2% of all human-induced carbon dioxide emissions globally. Choosing to avoid flying and taking a cruise instead? Good luck with that. A week’s worth of travel on a cruise is responsible for depositing about 210,000 gallons of human sewage into the ocean. It is also accompanied by many other problems like air pollution and destruction of coral reefs. If that isn’t enough, they also mistreat their workers. Cruise ship workers suffer many problems like long work hours, terrible pay, and inadequate healthcare.

Now, assuming that you’ve reached your destination, the troubles don’t end there. Often the locals have to go through hell, just so that the tourists can live luxuriously. Although it cannot be denied that the employment bought in by this industry is necessary, people fail to look at the kind of jobs being created. The main kind of employment created is low wage and seasonal, with no hopes of any promotion in them. Tourism is also expensive, and prices tend to be higher in tourist destinations. This means that the locals have to pay exorbitantly high prices for daily products like petrol, vegetables, fruits etc. The governments sadly pay more attention and give more importance to the tourists rather than their people.

Even animals cannot escape the adverse effects of tourism. Wildlife tourism is a multimillion-dollar industry and causes great harm to animals in their natural habitats. Endangered animals are drugged just so people can take photos with them, to flaunt their lifestyles on social media. Scuba diving is an activity enjoyed by many on vacations. Yet, its impact on marine life cannot be ignored. Breakage of coral colonies and tissue damage from direct contact such as walking, touching, kicking, standing, or gear contact and water pollution is common in tourist destinations.

There are many problems with this industry which are overlooked. However, we simply cannot shut all forms of tourism as many countries are dependent on it. The COVID 19 pandemic has shown us how some countries can be negatively impacted if tourism is stopped. So, reform in our methods of travelling is crucial. Some ways by which we can achieve this are:

  1. Minimise waste generation 
  2. Support family-owned and local businesses by buying merchandise and souvenirs from them
  3. Try to find out ways to minimise your impact on wildlife 
  4. Do not travel by cruises. Try trains instead 
  5. If no travel alternatives are available to airplanes, then choose direct flights

Sources : https://www.atag.org/facts-figures.html

https://www.businessinsider.in/transportation/working-on-a-cruise-ship-can-be-brutal-but-two-lawyers-who-rep-cruise-line-workers-explain-why-even-terrible-cruise-ship-jobs-can-be-attractive/articleshow/66797307.cms

all about sarees

You Can’t Live an Indian Life without a saree - 4 different saree you should know about!!

City Of Joy – Kolkata yes we are now talking about the tant saree which is famous in all over West Bengal. It is originally made from Bengal cotton handloom, it is also known as taant, tat, taat . This saree is not only worn by west Bengals but also women in Bangladesh is also fond of tant saree. This saree is has a speciality as it is light as airy texture and very suitable for the warm weather. These saree has a thick border and decorative pallu and is decorated by floral pattern.

Photo by Nripen kumar Roy on Pexels.com

BACKGROUND –
The word “Tant” indicate the handloom in Bengal that are used weave cotton garments like saree, dhoti and other garments. the background of this saree took place in the 15th century in shantipur.
The art gave wave during the Mughal rule 16th – 18th century when it became an extreme favourite among Muslim and jamdani weaving. This beautiful art continued during the British rule and decades before independence. After the partition of Bengal in 1947, many weavers from Bangladesh migrated to India and started living in neighbouring town shantipur, now it became a new home for Tangail weavers of Bangladesh. today both Bengalis and Bangladeshi weaver are well known for the varieties of tant saree.

WEAVING TECHNIQUE –

  1. A massive quantity of cotton threads comes from the mill are first washed to remove any chemicals, dried in the sun, bleached and again dried.
  2. Then they are put in boiling water which contains colour to dye them.
  3. After this, they are then starched and processed some more times to make then stronger and subtler. The threads are wound on bamboo drums for weaving.
  4. Every saree has a design on its border, pallu and body . These design made by the artist on a soft card sheet by perforating them which are then put up from the loom.
  5. The simplest saree takes about 10- 12 hours to weave, and saree which have complex design takes 5-6 days to get complete.

State Of Jewels – Gujarat, which is famous for bandhani work derived from the Hindi/Sanskrit word “ bandhna” and “bandha”, which means tying or to tie. Traditionally in India tie and dye art known as bandhani. According to the design and motifs each pattern has its special significance.

BACKGROUND –
It is an ancient practice done by people. People used the technique of picking the cloth with fingernails and tying before dying, this was first found in Indus valley civilization, back to 4000 B.C. even the Buddhist painting, and Ajanta caves have bandhani design in it.

MAKING PROCESS –

  1. Here the selection of cloth plays an important role. The artist starts with the unbleached white fabric.
  2. Then they have block printing design in other words it is senticels for printing on saree they give impressing by designed blocked on saree
  3. Later they grab some amount of cloth and tie with thread tightly, they also use some kinds of pebbles, motis , stones to give design to the saree.
  4. Then they dip the cloth into normal water to soak the saree so that colour can easily stick to the cloth.
  5. After this, they put the saree in the boiling water which contains salt and colour.
  6. Again they put the saree in the cold water and at last they dry the saree. And after untying you will find beautiful designs on saree.

State of Caves – Maharashtra. Every bride in Maharashtra dream to wear paithani saree at her wedding, one of the most beautiful saree in India. Paithani gives the reflection of rich Marathi culture and tradition. Paithani is woven with very fine silk which makes them one of the richest saree in India.

BACKGROUND –
Paithani is extracted more than the 2000 year back from statvahana dynasty. it is said that paithani is originated from the city called pratishan now it is known as paithan. At that time paithan was the centre of silk and zari ( gold yarn) and they even exported cotton and silk to the roman empire. So this is how paithani gots its name.

MAKING PROCESS –

  1. At first pallu or padar of paithani is weaved it is either woven either with zari work or silk warp. Traditionally zari work has silver coated with wash gold. Pallu is designed with akruti, asawali, banddimore etc.
  2. Next step is to weave its body. The body has bordered on the edges which are handwoven by gold and silver zari. As the border is made by gold zari body also has floral design and zari work is done.
  3. After all the zari work is done, it is polished with a mixture of water and gum to give saree a stiff texture. They also used methi and jaggery used in the mixture.
  4. They use various colours of bana and tana to get colours of the paithani saree. Tana bana means a mixture of two colours to give a single colour. ex- blue bana and red tana will give a shade of purple. This is how colour is given to paithani. After this, a perfect paithani is made.

State Of Temples – Tamil Nadu, kanjeevaram got its name from a village Kanchipuram. This saree owns thick fabric and dark shades of colours mixed with hints of gold. Women in India love to wear saree during festivals, weddings, occasion and celebrations then kanjeevaram is the best outfit to look classy.

BACKGROUND –
The history of kanjeevaram silk saree started from Hindu mythology. It is said that Kanchi silk weaver is descendants of sage Makanda, who was considered to be the best weaver. It is considered that two weaving communities from Andhra Pradesh, the devangas and the saligars came to Kanchipuram. As we know the city is full of temples and weaver cleverly used temples’ architecture in kanjeevaram saree to give details.

MAKING PROCESS –

  1. Mulberry silk is used to weave Kanjeevaram saree and the gold, silver zari which is used in the edges of the saree comes from Gujarat.
  2. Silk threads then dipped into rice water and dried under the sun to make the texture of silk thick and stiff.
  3. This silk thread is interlocked within a thin silver wire and woven
    with the help of golden thread to complete the process.
  4. To weave this fabric a wrap frame is used which has approx of 60 holes, in which there are 240 threads in the warp and 250 to 3000 threads in the weft.
  5. Saree is popular for vibrant colour and impressive designs which borrowed from designs of temples.
  6. Usually, weaver weaves pallu and body separately and they are pretty different from each other and later than are interlocked by pinti which is a zig-zag pattern where pallu meets the body of the saree. This is how a kanjeevaram saree is made.

The despicable face of fast fashion

In the present times, everything is fast paced, and what might be trendy one day, is kicked  to the curb the other. The most common example of this is fashion, specifically fast-fashion. Fast-fashion is used to describe cheap, trendy clothing, which makes the journey from the runway, to your closet and then to the garbage dump, in the blink of an eye. These include brands like, H&M, Forever 21, ASOS, ZARA etc. They  pump out new designs regularly to stay relevant amongst the younger generations, and you cannot escape it. Chances are, the clothes you’re wearing right now are from fast-fashion brands.

Now why is this problematic? By putting out new clothes every month or so, and using extremely clever marketing tactics, they’ve convinced the average consumer that their clothes are “outdated” and they need to keep purchasing from them to stay in trend, thereby maximising their profits every single time. But that isn’t even the worst part. To quench their never ending thirst for money, these brands utilise sweatshops for production of their clothing. A sweatshop is a factory where workers are severely underpaid, and the working conditions are inhumane, ranging from excruciatingly long working hours, to unsafe and unhygienic work environments. Sweatshops are usually placed in third world countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, China etc. where worker’s rights are minimal, where rich brands can get quick, inexpensive labour at the cost of actual human lives.  

Since these clothes are mass produced and cheaply made, it is not surprising to know that they go bad after a couple of washes, and are no longer wearable. Each year, the average consumer throws away about 32 kilograms of clothing, adding to the already over filled landfills . It is estimated that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all greenhouse gas emissions, which is more than international flights and maritime ships combined. It also takes thousands of gallons of water to produce one cotton shirt and a pair of jeans, as they are made from a water intensive material-cotton. Further, textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water, leading to the fashion industry being responsible for 20% of the worlds water pollution.

As more and more people get aware of their malpractices, fast fashion brands resort to greenwashing, which is basically presenting a company as more eco friendly than it really is. They make false promises about making their products with organic cotton and recycled polyester. However, they fail to provide sufficient and definitive information, and refuse to specify how much of a garment is made with recycled material. Brands like LuLuLemon and H&M have been recently accused of greenwashing, yet their sales remain high.

It is saddening to see how many people are unaware of these evils, and those who are aware simply turn a blind eye to such issues. How can we prevent this? Our strongest weapon in this war against fast fashion is education. Educate yourself and those around you. Watch documentaries, read books and articles, and convince others around you to quit buying from such brands. Try reducing the number of shopping trips you take in a year. Another thing which can help is mending your old clothes, and wearing them at least 30-40 times to make the most out of them. Remember, every little step counts. Gone are the days when we were blind consumers. Now, the time has come for serious reforms.

Sources: https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/the-fashion-industry-emits-more-carbon-than-international-flights-and-maritime-shipping-combined-here-are-the-biggest-ways-it-impacts-the-planet-/articleshow/71640863.cms

https://www.greenamerica.org/blog/factory-exploitation-and-fast-fashion-machine

Work from home:pros and cons.

The pandemic sweeping the world, COVID-19, has rendered a large proportion of the workforce unable to commute to work, as to mitigate the spread of the virus. This has resulted in both employers and employees seeking alternative work arrangements, especially in a fast-paced metropolitan like Hong Kong. Due to the pandemic, most if not all workers experienced work from home (WFH). Hence WFH has become a policy priority for most governments. In doing so, the policies must be made keeping in mind the practicality for both employers and employees. However, this current situation provides unique insight into how well working from home works, and may play a vital role in future policies that reshape the current structure of working hours, possibly allowing for more flexibility. Using an exploratory framework and a SWOT analysis, this study investigates the continuing experience of the employer and employees face in Hong Kong. A critical insight and related recommendations have been developed for future policy decisions. It will also critically investigate if this work arrangement will remain as a transitory element responding to the exceptional circumstances, or whether it could be a permanent arrangement.

As appealing as remote work is to employees, it wouldn’t be such a strong trend if employers didn’t also recognize benefits from their side of the desk. Companies with work-from-anywhere policies can boost employee productivity, reduce turnover, and lower organizational costs, according to recent research at Harvard Business School.1 Telecommuting workers with very complex jobs who don’t require a lot of collaboration or social support can perform better than their office-based counterparts, according to another study.2 Also, in the event of a natural or manmade disaster, a distributed workforce is in a better position to keep operations running, even if some of the group goes offline.null

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • For employers, working from home can boost productivity, reduce turnover, and lower organizational costs, while employees enjoy perks like flexibility and the lack of a commute.
  • To work effectively from home, you’ll need to make sure you have the technology you require, a separate workspace, internet service that meets your needs, a workable schedule you can stick to, and ways to connect with others.
  • Top fields for remote work include IT and healthcare; positions include customer service reps, sales reps, project managers, and more.
  • A variety of top firms, including CVS Health, Dell and Salesforce, offer remote work opportunities, but it’s also important to be aware of scams.

Advantages for Employees:

  • Travel time to and from the office will be saved.
  • They can spend more time with family. This is beneficial for many especially for parents of young children.
  • Even in modern times, women are expected to take care of home and children. With this responsibility, several women are forced to leave their jobs. The rise in WFH culture is a boon for them. With this more women can join in jobs again.
  • The location will not be a barrier. Employees can get a job, even if the office is located in another city.
  • If they want to get to know their office and colleagues better, they can attend the office at regular intervals like once a week.

Disadvantages for Employees:

  • The line between work and home will be blurred. In general, employees leave work tensions at office and come home to relax. But this opportunity will be lost and it may cause anxiety. If work and personal life are not balanced well, work will extend to longer hours. This can create WFH burnout.
  • Employees have to set up a work environment at home, which will incur extra expense. Even then, some people may not focus on work due to the lack of a professional atmosphere.
  • Some companies are giving so much work just because their employees are working from home.
  • Teamwork is a bit difficult while working from home.
  • Working from home from a long periods of time can hamper social and interpersonal skills.
  • Continuously staying at home may make some people feel isolated.
  • For some people, setting up office space at home may not be an option due to lack of extra space in the home.
  • Some jobs may require employees to be online during work hours and the continuous power supply may not be available to many.
  • It can be difficult to establish connections with new colleagues because the opportunity to meet and talk with them during coffee breaks will be lost.

Advantages for Companies:

  • Less expense for office maintenance.
  • Can hire talented people, even if they reside in another city.
  • Employees may not ask for much leaves.

Disadvantages for Companies:

  • Training new staff can be tough with all the employees working from home.
  • Have to deal with WFH specific challenges like information security and hacking of video calls etc.
  • It’s difficult to monitor work from home employees.
  • It’s hard to establish connections among employees.

Conclusion:

Even though work from home culture is on the rise due to COVID-19 situation, work from home opportunities will increase in number to adapt to the changing times. With time, companies and employees will take steps to reduce the disadvantages.

A review of “David Copperfield”


“David Copperfield” is probably the most autobiographical novel by Charles Dickens. He uses many incidents of his childhood and early life to create a considerable fictional achievement.

“David Copperfield” also stands as a midpoint in Dickens’ oeuvre and is at least somewhat indicative of Dickens’ work. This novel contains a complicated plot structure, a concentration on the moral and social worlds, and some of Dickens’ most wonderful comic creations. “David Copperfield” is a broad canvas on which the great master of victorian fiction uses his entire palette. Unlike many of his other novels, however, “David Copperfield” is written from the point of view of its titular character, looking back on the ups and downs of his long life.

Overview

“David Copperfield” traces the life of David, the protagonist, from a happy early childhood through a miserable span of cruel surrogate parents, harsh working conditions, and crushing poverty to an ultimately wiser, contented existence as a happily married adult. Along the way, he meets a memorable cast of characters, some hateful and selfish and others kind and loving.

The main character is modeled closely after Dickens’ life, especially since his hero finds later success as a writer, The story, published as a serial in 1849 and 1850 and as a book in 1850, also serves as Dickens’ critique of the bleak conditions for many children in Victorian England, including its notorious boarding schools.

Story

Copperfield’s father dies before he is born and his mother later remarries the frightful Mr. Murdstone, whose sister soon moves into their house. Copperfield is sent away to boarding school after he bit Murdstone when he was undergoing a beating. At the boarding school, he becomes friends with James Steerforth and Tommy Traddles.

Copperfield doesn’t complete his education because his mother dies and he’s sent to work at a factory. There he boards with the Micawber family. At the factory, Copperfield experiences the hardships of the industrial-urban poor until he escapes and walks to Dover to find his aunt, who adopts him.

After finishing school, he goes to London to seek a career and reconnects with Steerforth, introducing him to his adoptive family. Around this time, he falls in love with young Dora, the daughter of a renowned solicitor. He is reunited with Traddles, who also is boarding with the Micawbers, bringing the delightful but economically useless character back into the story.

In time, Dora’s father dies and she and David marry. Money is tight, however, and Copperfield takes up various jobs to make ends meet, including writing fiction.

Things aren’t well with Mr. Wickfield, with whom Copperfield boarded during school. Wickfield’s business has been taken over by his evil clerk, Uriah Heep, who now has Micawber working for him. However, Micawber and Traddles expose Heep’s misdeeds and finally have him thrown out, returning the business to its rightful owner.

Copperfield can’t savor this triumph because Dora has become ill after losing a child. She dies following a long illness and David travels abroad for many months. While he’s traveling, he realizes that he’s in love with his old friend Agnes, Mr. Wickfield’s daughter. David returns home to marry her and becomes successful writing fiction.

Personal and Societal Themes

“David Copperfield” is a long, sprawling novel.In keeping with its autobiographical genesis, the book reflects the ungainliness and largeness of everyday life. In its early parts, the novel displays the power and resonance of Dickens’ critique of a Victorian society, which provided few safeguards for the poor, particularly in the industrial heartlands.

In the later parts, we find Dickens’ realistic, touching portrait of a young man growing up, coming to terms with the world, and finding his literary gift. Although it portrays Dickens’ comic touch, its serious side isn’t always apparent in Dickens’ other books. The difficulties of becoming an adult, marrying, finding love, and becoming successful feel real, shining from every page of this delightful book.

Full of lively wit and Dickens’ finely tuned prose, “David Copperfield” is an excellent example of the Victorian novel at its height and Dickens as its master. It deserves its sustained reputation into the 21st century