Wednesday 20 May 2020

Governance Deficit


#GOVERNANCE_DEFICIT
1.All problems of our industries, in real time, could have been fixed; had at the right time we had vouched for the need to fix the "Governance Deficit"!
(Idea: Half the war is won with the identification of strength of enemy!)
2.When leaders don't have the right information to answer right questions at the right time, the questions become overwhelming overtime in the absence of a leader—not #sublime!
(Idea: Much more than a fancy MBA degree is required to lead that inspires awe. Don't you agree?)
3.The so called Leaders or such whimsical masters of slaves lack 'visibility' from multiple #vantage_points; the #pivots of mobility must act like a pivot where all spokes converge and join.
(Idea: Leading by example should be a constant exercise, and not a quarterly phenomenon— occuring every four months at board meetings.)

4. If they can't respect the 'tone and tenor' of #communication and collaboration anymore, then the gravity of situation will become graver, in no time, for sure!

(Idea: Devise mechanisms to come to a common platform to discuss the common concerns...no one can grow forever at the cost of other..."#Symbiosis" is all we need. )

5.The catch word for the #Modern_Governance from now on should be #Speedy_Effective_Visible_Communication; As," No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it".-H.E.Luccock.
(Idea: Communication is all!)

Monday 18 May 2020

Impact of Covid-19 on Museums!


Impact of Covid-19 on Museums: May-18-2020
Before arriving at the discussions about the challenges posed by Covid-19 or the 'Impact of Covid-19 on Museums', we need to reason why in itself this domain of "Art" became a theme of concern in the first place??? 

As we all know, that necessity to save something arises, only when one knows its umpteen worth! Right?

In this narration I have discussed, why "Art" is important, in the first place. And secondly where does 'Museums' fall in our efforts of preserving and conserving our culture, and how this eventful Covid-19 scenario pose a critical challenge towards Museums survival.

Art can change opinions, instill values and help translating experiences across space and time; Art is considered to be the repository of society's collective memory, expressed through—"Folk" & "Fine" (there are two forms of Art, Folk: tribal expression and Fine: contemporary expression.)

Art does have a utility ,for the threefold uses it beholds: One- fosters self expression & fulfillment, Two - creation, management & distribution employs many, Three - inspiring Children for the future by the stories of the past it has told.

Where as, the portrayal of the "story" of Bio-Cultural evolution & variation of humankind in time and space is done by 'Museums'.

A Museum acts as a "window" to look into the rich cultural heritage—bestowed upon the present—is no less significant. As it plays a crucial role in preserving the local culture with careful documentation & artifact preservation, so that a culture can be recorded & remembered regardless of its future.

Accordingly, the 'Museum Directorate of India' accommodated three main Sections under its ambit, namely: Art, Archaeology & Anthropology. And within this parent framework, Eight coordinating 'service units' are functional such as— Preservation, Publication, Presentation, Modelling, Education, Library, and Security. Which is in itself depicts the plethora of task with planning  that has been put in so far to make it reach to current level.

But, unfortunately, in this unprecedented event of "Covid-19 pandemic", world over nearly 60,000  Museums are shuttered down. Such a Novel-crisis has presented a tough challenge before the authorities with regard to Protection of invaluable antiquities, Financial issues, Public engagement and last but not the least Safety of Staff.
Amongst all sorts of institutions, 'GLAM' institutions are most badly hit! GLAM: "Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums", and refers to cultural institutions with a mission to provide access to knowledge. GLAM collect and maintain cultural heritage materials in the 'public interest'. As collecting institutions, GLAM preserve and make accessible primary sources valuable for researchers, apart from catering to other educational and aesthetic objectives.

In India, the earliest necessity to house the objects of 'antiquarian remains' dates back to late 1796 CE when the Asiatic Society of Bengal felt the need to house the enormous collection of archaeological, ethnological, geological, zoological pursuits. However, the first museum by them was started in 1814. The nucleus of this Asiatic Society Museum later provided the Indian Museum, Calcutta.

This long period of more than 200 years must have demanded a humongous amount of human efforts (physical, mental and financial) behind collection, storage, preservation, maintenance etc.,of antiques and artefacts of historical significance.

The inception of this idea of scientific examination and collection of artefacts of cultural significant is credited to the first Director-General of 'Archaeological Survey of India', Alexander Cunningham

And the idea of "Achaeological Site Museums" was further initiated by the then Director-General Sir John Marshall who conceptualised the establishment of 'ASM' under the 'ASI' in 1905 to display excavated antiquities in the close vicinity of their provenance to empower visitors with comprehensive vision of the site, its context and treasures so that the site as well as the artefacts can be evaluated holistically.

The concept of site museums is well elucidated by Hargreaves, one of the former Director Generals of ASI – ‘it has been the policy of the Government of India to keep the small and movable antiquities, recovered from the ancient sites, in close association with the remains to which they belong, so that they may be studied amid their natural surroundings and not lose focus by being transported’. A separate Museums Branch in ASI was created in 1946 by Sir Mortimer Wheeler.

.After the independence, eventually, the natural momentum was automatically gained by such virtuous exercise of collection, storage and display such totems of cultural significance , and then what!?
There was this spurt in the growth of such site museums in ASI.
At present, there are nearly fifty or so 'Archaeological museums" spreading over the length and breadth of India.

India also boasts of eighteen (18) Tribal Research and Training Institutes which run fourteen (14) "Ethnographic" Museums with a combined collection of nearly 30,000 artefacts such as paintings, ornaments, costumes, hunting and agricultural implements, pottery, toys and religious objects; with each museum having collected artefacts from its own area of activity. Viewed collectively, these artefacts present a unique picture of the diversity and cultural richness of Tribal India. Amongst which Bhopal's "Tribal Village" stands tall, by the virtue of being the host of largest population of tribes situated in Madhya Paresh .
Although there are multitude of institutions that cater to the need of keeping the regional identities intact by recognising the local cultural traditions; "Tribal museums" especially stand out in reassuring us to uphold the virgin ways of tribes and preserving their uniqueness from contamination.

Post World War II, the "Anthropological" concept of culture has started putting  more and more emphasis on "networks"—integrated story of evolution of man and culture with special reference to India—rather than on bounded (localised) entities. Anthropology thereby acquired the distinction of being an instrument of social development. And the best specimens of such a distinction is held by "Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) or Museum of Man-Bhopal", which has resorted to, time and again, a number of strategies to face the "twin challenges" posed to contemporary museums i.e. of 'taking Museums to the communities' and of 'bringing communities to Museums'.

Covid-19 poses a special challenge, as to take down that, none of the Institutions was prepared( marriage, education, entertainment, amusement ,etc.); this sabbatical must not break our spirit of preserving the notion that one's culture must be shared, meant to be known and cared!

We can fight back  this Covid-19 scare effectively and restore the faith in our cause by standing resolute than ever before.
New safety guidelines can come as saviours like: temperature screening of all the visitors, implementing contact tracing measures, ensuring that all visitors wear a mask and maintain social distance, and suspension of large event, etc.,

All these "New  Safety Guidelines" would work wonders during the reopening of museums in a phases manner, provided they are wholeheartedly and strictly implemented and adhered to.

After all, word ”Culture" means a shared pattern of behaviours and interactions—with the contemporary times that has been in tune; & a "Museum" per se is an 'Institution' that curates the best specimens of knowledge from history, to feed the 'Present' with a cultured spoon...

Culture in a way depicts the cognitive constructs and worthy understandings that the 'process of Socialisation' bestowed upon us; & a Museum in fact displays the basic tenets of strengths that has held the evolving societies together, by removing the accumulated temporal dust...

Every structured stable society stands and remains so only when—all are ready to do for one  and one is ready to do for all; this Crisis has made us realise the fundamentals—upon which it is built—by its eventful call!

I hereby reiterate the fact, that Necessity to save something arises, only when one knows its umpteen worth; but when the 'saving of lives' has become paramount, "social distancing" becomes only option by desisting social gathering—the basic instinct of a herd!

18th May is celebrated all over the world by Museums as International Museum Day; let's hear for the undaunted spirit of mankind standing together as saviours of our culture and museums for Equality, Diversity and Inclusions' sake.

-Praveen katiyar







Time is just a perspective!

Wednesday 13 May 2020

A TWO FACED COIN


A two faced coin!
#lockdown_4
1. One should fear #birth and not #death for the arduous task this life bestows; breaking the world & then preparing it afresh— long back this need arose!
(Idea: #Corona: A Blessing In Disguise! #20_Lakh_Crore_package is a welcome move. Now the real task begins...first Tell us how it is going to be different than the budget of this year. )

2. India is a mess of contradictions, you see...where democracy and feudalism grew hand in hand; potent #land_reforms could have been the single solid blow to the roots of this faulty castle of sand!
(Idea: Have-nots have always been obliged to choose a lesser evil , now there is this need to raise the level of their choices . Whole hearted 'land reforms' implementation and sincere streamlining of 'Labour laws' is a need.)

3.Soft-power of India is over-rated in a scenario where real powers like USA—rule the roost; it's not wise to count on our 'Apples' yet , when the trunk of our nation is weaker than its shoots...(Idea: Build the economy from the scratch. Every paisa out of #20_Lack_Crore package should be accounted for!!! If economy is solid then we can wield Real Hard Power. )

4.In India, One set is 'wastrel'—busy in collecting antiques, and another set is 'miser'—busy managing two square meals everyday; the "set" that lies in the middle (middle class) is so confused in this quagmire of dismay...
(Idea: Being ambitious and prosper, and excel in respective fields is a right and duty as well. Make sure your ambition is not at the cost of other's exploitation.)

5.The insecure '#Marginals'( the so called labourers, who live at the periphery of development) are constantly converging towards the already crowded '#Core'(centres of perceived development); allured by the traps of the poachers there, who defraud them of their prospects that their future will soon be secure...(Idea: Urban spaces are made on a heap of broken dreams...#Village in itself need to be self sustainable. #20_Lack_Crore package is a welcome move. Let's hope for the best!!! )

6.Everyone enjoys to have an upper-hand over other, while more the suppressor tightens the grip the quicker slips the sand; the desperate shouldn't be pushed against the wall so hard or else a #Revolution will be next to fend!
(Idea: #20_Lack_Crore package is timely, and the intension of Modi ji seems right. Let's hope all the  #State_Governments follow the suit properly and with utmost regard to the underlying notion of the same. But every penny should be accounted for. RTI culture should go to the next level. Hail #labour_Class!)

7. Compulsions of a 'fast life' but with 'meagre income' (of Indians ),caused the champions of #aviation business to lick the dust; business models catering to the mob mentality are like the  'flash in a pan ', that when put to real trial seldom work!
(Idea: Tourism and amusement industry has never been the real industries... It is just a myth like #Mirage. Need to Work upon the substantial yet sensible productions and consumption models of development, rest will follow...).

8. Some become law-enforcers and some end up as #criminals; good or bad decision in a moment can prove to be seminal!
(Idea: It is all about timing, you see...)

9. 'Ignorance' used be a bliss in a true sense when the untoward 'trivia' had never wrecked havoc; knowledge is power, I admit that, but 'information-overload' often gives me anxiety stroke...
(Idea: If this subtleness of a balance between ignorance and knowledge is understood then half the war is won. One should always be observant of what one is reading, talking and doing, and their respective usages and aftermath...#Education_curriculum should be revamped on a war footing!!!)

10.Every effort towards 'altruism' seems to come to rest, when one has earned one's leverage; real 'game of thrones' starts there infact, for mending and fending societal cleavage...
(Idea: Opportunism is a basic tenet of Kaliyug. It is nothing but a survival instinct. It is ok if it doesn't hurt anyone, as every 'Dog' has its day! )

11. Don't steal from the people who can not afford it and don't ever hurt a person who didn't deserve; there has to be a break in this cycle of compounding grudges, if at all we want the evils of 'ego-feeding' spree to be nipped in a bud...(Idea:  Concepts like 'Rule of Law', 'Equality before Law' and 'Equal protection of law' should be ensured in letter and spirit. With no exceptions! True internalisation will happen only when it is taught and learnt at elementary level of schooling. Need to Empower our upcoming generations to be able to ask right and reasoned questions... )

12.Definitions of perversion (depravity) change, as per the limits of a society to cope; the Codes of Ethics are dysfunctional today, to fix the unfixable-Rot!
(Idea: #Hypocrisy must end! I know, that every untoward 'kick' later knockingly withdraws; but sensible use & not abuse shouldn't raise any eyebrows... Say, psychedelics like LSD, Coke, Pot etc.are all banned today but why not #Alcohol (liquor) !? Either ban everything that arouses unsocial behaviour or legalise everything to deliver at least a controlled measured dose of 'pleasure' to society. Enduring Pain is a sin in itself, and seeking pleasure is a right! Right?)

13.#Cultural ethos of India have been immune to such decadence, otherwise cynics like 'Osho' would have thrived in here; thanks to a timely response by the powerful #leader of the time or else his perverted dupery would have proven to be too beautiful to the gullible, who were standing in line to just meekly adhere...
(Idea: Counter-culture sprees are for those who are shallow and weak, and not for Indians. Our heritage is simple and sound+ rich and profound.)

14.The charm of something #imported will douse down slowly, so will the excitement from an exotic platter; Indians have never been so fancy at their hearts, as for very long our palate satisfiers had been simple salt & pepper...(Idea: Simple living high thinking- Mahatma Gandhi.)

15. The bonds of love are far more stronger in India as fetching the nuances of real happiness has been painfully hard; the roots of our culture are deeper than thought as we have had the earliest head-start...( Idea:Our Culture is the oldest thus strongest and profound— clichéd but true. Indians are one of a kind, have always been and will always be..Jai He!)

16.The more we evolve the less we seem to learn from the lessons of the past; the real #Gem is the one that has grown slowly,  rather than forced to be made so, fast!
(Idea: We were obliged to let them (The "P5": USA's-Money might, Russian- Weapons, Chinese- Cheap products, Japanese- High Tech, Franch- Fashion ) corrupt our understanding about #success because we wanted to catch up with the ones who were already at the finish line... The Compulsions of energy for our industries and to feed a large populace compelled us to bend to their whims and fancies to unreasonable proportions...Alternatives are needed to remove the dependency.)

17. #Communism was an attractive idea, but failed miserably because people wanted to give away what they didn't have; #Capitalism thrived on the insecurities of the masses— who chose to buy endlessly out of the choices  those Capitalist gave...
(Idea: This 'market economy' should also have an element of 'Humanism'... 'Corporate Social responsibility' should equate with the word #Magnanimity and works of NGOs can also be made more efficient. Proper vigilance, monitoring and reporting is the need of the hour... every #Paisa of a rupee should be accounted for(Pai Pai Ka hisaab)! Make way for a SUPER-DUPER COMPUTER if need be...  )

18. #Religion is just an expression of "evolutionary adaptations", I guess, but whether or not God is there, I am not sure; at once the creator of this Universe is known, I won't believe in my God anymore!
( Idea: apni apni श्रृद्धा है।  )

19. It is not the #religion per se that's a rift between us rather language, caste, & class are also that divides; only a miracle of sorts could hold India together for long  & make Indians— reasoned, seasoned and morally  upright..
(Idea: Hoping for a miracle from Modi ji right now, as he holds the largest support ever received by a #leader in India... )

20.History is replete with examples of civilised societies descending into depravity very often than not; the shocks of desperation ascends the savagery off-the-hook without any token or permission of sorts...
(Idea: Our faith binds us all,  our culture holds us together...so, respect it for the sake of our existence! )

21. There is no problem in trying the old apparatus in this new guise, like shifting the liberal tendencies to a little conservative one; so far we have just learnt to copy their(western) business models, but now the time's right to boost our own #creative_sons!  (Idea: Swadeshi Samriddha Sarthakta —#SSS. Ideas like #Make _in_India, #Skill_India should be mobilised at the earnest!)

22. Had there not been substance in here, all this would rather sound a hollow narrative; to all the serious issues I have raised in here, deserve answers (solutions) in affirmative...

23.The word '#Triumph' starts with 'Try', & ends with 'Umph'; so, our trials should be such that our critics would get some serious goosebumps ...(Idea: #Jeet_Jaenge_Hum!)

24. Language is not just a medium of expression as what matters most is how it is used; sometimes it is used to arouse the 'rage' and sometimes just to 'amuse'...
(Idea: Here, I mean to do the both. Arouse and amuse you at the same time. You can be indifferent though, I won't mind, because I have had this terrifying experience with some #Stone_Hearts as well.  )

25.This sort of expression I use just to put in perspective, the underlying relation between the things that apparently seem a disconnect; and use of "English" language is just a compulsion, for making sure that my resonant voice widely reverberate.

26. I don't clamour for appreciations as I already know my worth, the shattered ones can be remade to a 'crystal' when pressure, heat and time is not in dearth...

27. Only two kinds of journeys inspire people the most, one is of 'Rags-to-Riches' or of a 'Prince who became Monk'; the drive to idolize such extremes is very solemn, but don't  consider the failed ones as a piece of #Junk.(Idea: Everybody has a story. You never know...)

28. #Struggling_student can be a prolific teacher by taking down life-lesson's meticulous notes; but his failures can make up interesting stories for others, only when he becomes worthy of personifying such anecdotes...
(Idea: Picture abhi Baaki hai mere dost...)

29.When I am put to choose out of Odd & Even, I always prefer the Odds; it kindles my hunger to perfect the ways of sharpening my Pen cum Sword!

30. I can be as rocky as a #Raging_Bull, yet as smooth and raw like a rare #Whiskey on the Rocks, such a rare combo is rare as a rarity like finding Subtleness within a shock!!!

31.#No_offence intended, as I have just tried to speak up my heart & as a fledgeling writer ample liberty I took; if this lockdown continues any further , you might as well be gifted by a #Book!
Thanks for Reading....
Regards, Praveen katiyar.

यहां हर एक 'जुमला' एक पहेली सा है, और हर 'आयत' में छुपी है एक कहानी; नाहि यहां कोई राजा था, और नहीं थी कोई रानी।।
जय हिन्द!
#a_two_faced_coin
#Praveen
@cosmo_2014