Artists across the world at some point in their lives have channelled their creativity for raising charity towards greater causes.

But when children as young as seven are motivated by the idea, we know that not only a budding artist is in the making but also one who has a greater consciousness towards human welfare.

Sanjana Bhosale, a standard 2 student from OES International School, Vasai knew that she had a proclivity towards painting and had a greater purpose to serve through her talent.

Having recently taught the nuances of art by a private instructor, Sanjana was quick to grasp the hues and shades and started etching out artworks ranging from portraits to landscapes.

Blown away by the paintings that her daughter had crafted, Sanjana’s mother Madhavi considered the possibility of donating the works that could help educate poor children.

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When she asked her little one, Sanjana jumped at the idea of helping the underprivileged. “She was so happy and excited about using her talent for a good cause”, recalled Madhavi to MidDay.

Reaching out to Debabrata Auro Foundation, which is run by Dr Debraj Shome and Dr Aparna Govil Bhasker, the family has donated five of Sanjana’s paintings, which were exclusively painted by the young artist for the auction.

“As the paintings are meant to help poor children, all her drawings are themed on the message of hope. For instance, the painting of the dancing girl represents ‘free spirit’, while that of the flying bird symbolises ‘following one’s dreams’,” Madhavi added.

At an age where most children prefer on keeping their artworks to themselves, the seven-year-old has truly imbibed the true meaning of ‘joy of giving’.

“Generally, children are very attached to their paintings and don’t like to give it to anyone. But, Sanjana, our youngest donor has surprised us. Small acts of giving have a ripple effect and eventually lead to a big impact on communities”, said Dr Aparna.

“I want to help people through my art. Everyone deserves a good life. And, we can work together to help them live a happy life”, said Sanjana.

You can find all of Sanjana’s paintings on the foundation’s website and can write to the organisers at info@daf.foundation.

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Different people turn to therapy for a plethora of reasons, and over decades, a range of therapeutic practices have developed that can help one cope with different forms of unease.

One such method is the incorporation of art, or more precisely, doodle art.

Remember doodling on your school and college notebooks? It was the escape from boring lectures and seminars, wasn’t it? Well, it felt good because it’s therapeutic.

That’s what the art of Zentangles is all about – a therapeutic method discovered in 2004 that has been helping people boost their self-esteem and concentration through art all over the world. One Bengaluru couple is on the pursuit to extend this practice in India.

Dilip P. Patel and Malathi Karpur, who have the credit of being India’s first certified Zentangle teachers, have been organizing workshops and classes across various cities in the country, helping people with no artistic background find peace through this simple technique.

Zentangles, derived from the Japanese word ‘Zen’ for meditation and English word ‘Tangle’, was discovered by a US-based couple Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts.

While filling up blank spaces on her calligraphic assignment with simple pen strokes, Maria experienced a sense of timelessness, freedom and well-being – losing the track of time and being completely engrossed in what she was doing.

Terming her experience as being in a meditative state of mind, the couple found the simple and elegant system called the Zentangle Method, where one got a sense of satisfaction through the repetitive pen strokes that have the potency to arrest the mental activity or thoughts in the brain.

The method is as simple as it gets. Meant to be completed using black ink on white paper, none of the Zentangles are created with a rock-solid plan in the mind, thus, allowing the pattern to reveal itself as you draw.

The entire process is intended to be without judgment, where the mind is free to traverse a path free of any sort of inhibitions.

“The classic Zentangle art piece would flow out on paper without any intervention by the mind. Something that was created without any planning (by the mind), would never require any criteria for judgement during its creation”, says Dilip, who had the privilege of learning the method directly from the founders.

Meant to be abstract, a Zentangle does not have a start or an end point. With each deliberate stroke, one is encouraged to refrain using erasers so that stray marks end up creating interesting, unexpected patterns.

“Learning from one’s own mistakes can be foundations for new patterns and takes one to unexpected and exciting new directions”, he explains.

So how does any of this fit into therapy?

Dilip clarifies that just the way practising traditional meditation could work as therapy, so would the practice of making Zentangles.

“Therapy is different for different people with different needs. To tackle stress, dejection, depression, or even pangs of loneliness, the mind requires snapping out of its reverie constructed out of negative thought processes. The more one dabbles in the Zentangle method, the more easier it is to pull out of the constant negativity buzzing in one’s head,” he elucidates.

Anyone can create a Zentangle, including those who shy away from art, feeling not talented enough. Something that seems intricate and complicated at first glance, its creation is more like a magic trick that seems to be mind-racking at first, until the moment you learn of its secret.

Owing to its meditative qualities, the Zentangle Method is slowly being adopted as a means for therapy worldwide, helping liberate people with an increased sense of personal well-being while providing artistic satisfaction all along the way.

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Among many people who have been part of Dilip and Malathi’s workshops, one of the most enriching experiences for the couple was in 2015, when they came across a group of young girls at a remand home who were hapless victims of trafficking.

“The first time we met them, they looked more like zombies with no absolute interest towards living. But as we progressed with the sessions, we could see them blossoming in front of our eyes – disassociating themselves from the grief they’d experienced and reaching a greater state of mind while dabbling with Zentangles”, Dilip reminisces.

Starting with the home city, the couple has been invited to conduct workshops in cities like Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad since 2013.

To know more about Zentangles or the workshops, you can write to Dilip at dilip.patel@gmail.com.

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Have you heard of the ghost villages in the state of Uttarakhand?

Lack of employment resulting in excessive migration has pushed the rural regions of the state to the extent of having almost no inhabitants in its villages.

Out of 16,793 villages in Uttarakhand, a total of 1,053 villages have been emblazoned with the tag of ghost villages for not having a single person left to tell the tale.

Located in the Garhwal region of Tehri district in Uttarakhand, the 300-year-old village of Saur was declared a ghost village after only 12 families remained.

Much of the village rattles in a sad state of abandonment with old and dilapidated houses sans people.

A group of people decided to venture in a project that involved documenting the life lessons along with the folk tales from the ghost village of Saur and paint these time-tested anecdotes on the exterior of every house walls including the abandoned ones.

The Wise Wall Project is an initiative of Project FUEL in collaboration with RoundGlass. Spearheaded by Poornima Sukumar, a wall muralist, the art for the entire village was derived from the Gharwal school of painting, laced with Mughal miniature style influence.

Here’s a glimpse into the ghost village of Saur, now resplendent with yesteryear yarns interspersed vivid hues and shades:

Interestingly, as part of the project, a new font was crafted by Niteesh Yadav, who is a typography artist. After studying the handwriting of the remaining 12 families, he created the font using which all the life lessons were painted on the walls.

Project FUEL, which was founded in 2009 by Deepak Ramola, aims at documenting the life of the people through the life lessons, and passing them on for every human to live their best, where FUEL stands for Forward the Understanding of Every Life lesson.

You can get in touch with the folks behind Project FUEL at contact@projectfuel.in.

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Diversity is another word for India.

How else would you describe a country that is home to over a billion people with different ethnicity, religion and language?

One artist’s pursuit in documenting the diversity of India in terms of its architecture, festivals, lifestyle, culture and the contrasting natural landscapes gave birth to the 100-days project or #100daysofincredibleindiabyinktrails.

Archana Pereira, an architect and an alumnus of University School of Design, Mysuru, took up the challenge in April and has been posting one illustration each day that gives an insight on the different facets of India.

Artworks embellished with pen strokes and a splash of colour, some illustrate places that the Bengaluru girl has already visited, and some that she intends to.

From the blue city of Jodhpur to the backwaters of Kerala, here are some of the hand-drawn illustrations from the 100 days project, which will give you major wanderlust feels:

More illustrations depicting the rest of India are to follow soon!

You can check the rest of Archana’s work on her Instagram handle. Her works are also up on Facebook that goes by the name Ink trails.

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From being touted as a “landmark cinematic achievement” to being called one of the best war films ever made, Christopher Nolan’s war epic Dunkirk has been getting glowing reviews across the world. The movie (which tells the story of the evacuation of Allied troops from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk in northern France during World War II) also wove its magic on the Indian audience – it grossed over ₹15 crore in its opening weekend itself!

However, while Dunkirk has received much critical acclaim, it has also been criticized by many for ignoring the significant contribution of Indian soldiers in Dunkirk. According to historical data, nearly 2.5 million soldiers from the Indian sub-continent served with the Allied army during World War II. In France, 1,800 Indian soldiers and 2,000 mules were tasked with transporting arms and ammunition to battle zones that weren’t accessible by vehicles.

As Oxford historian Yasmin Khan writes in her book, ‘The Raj at War’, “Britain did not fight the Second World War, the British Empire did.”

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A record of the contribution of brave Indian soldiers on foreign shores is incomplete without the mention of the little-known Operation Khukri. A daring mission in which 223 UN peacekeepers (held captive by rebels) in Sierra Leone were rescued and evacuated by the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force, Operation Khukri is one of history’s most successful rescue operations.

Interestingly, this little-known mission is being recreated on celluloid by Red Chillies Entertainment (Shah Rukh Khan’s home production banner). A celebration of the unsung heroes of the Indian Armed Forces, the high-budget film will be shot in real locations in Africa and will have real-life armed combat sequences.

Here’s the story of Operation Khukri, a remarkable rescue mission that remains a feather in the cap of Indian Armed Forces!

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The year was 2000. A potentially rich country kept in a state of poverty by successive corrupt and power-hungry governments, Sierra Leone in west Africa had become a hot spot of violence, strife and rebellion. The armed rebel groups of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) had taken control of large swathes of territory that were rich in diamond deposits, leading to the collapse of the country’s economy and trapping ordinary citizens between the cruelty of RUF troops and starvation.

The escalating unrest had left the UN no choice but to intervene by sending peacekeeping troops. India accepted the responsibility of stopping the brutal civilian killings in the strife-torn country. Soldiers of the Indian 58th Gorkha Rifles, the 14th Mechanised Infantry and the 23rd Mechanised Infantry (together designated as INDBATT-1) were sent to join the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and help the local government disarm the notorious rebels.

In April 2000, two companies of INDBATT-1 were deployed in Kailahun, while the rest of the peacekeeping unit had been dispatched to Daru. That’s when things started going wrong. On May 1, the trigger-happy rebels attacked the soldiers at Makeni and Kailahun.

Over 200 soldiers of the 58th Gorkha Rifles and 11 military observers of various nationalities were taken hostage, with armed cadres of the rebel forces setting up a siege around their base camp. For the next 75 days, the UN negotiated for the release of the captive peacekeepers. The international community looked the other way as the negotiations dragged on, with the American and British governments advocating ‘patience and restraint’ in the face of the hostage crisis.

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With no results emerging from the negotiations, the Indian government decided to take charge of the situation and gave the responsibility to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army. As such, Operation Khukri was launched to break the rebel siege at Kailahun and extricate the Indian soldiers being held hostage 10,000 kilometres away in the sultry tropical forests of west Africa.

Under the leadership of Major (now Lt Col) Harinder Sood, 120 special force officers of the IAF and the Indian Army were airlifted from New Delhi and flown to Sierra Leone in what was dressed up as a multinational UNAMSIL mission (logistic support was provided by Britain, Ghana, Nepal and Nigeria).

On July 15, two British Chinook helicopters carrying Indian para commandos landed in the dense equatorial forest surrounding the camp were the soldiers were being held hostage. As per plan, the Chinooks were to be followed by three IAF MI-8 attack helicopters (AH). However, these helicopters could not take off due to bad weather.

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Beginning the assault, the para commandos detonated explosive charges to breach the walls of the military camp and rapidly entered the camp at Kailahun. One team advanced to rescue the hostages, while another (accompanied by the Ghatak commando platoon) used armoured reconnaissance vehicles to engage with and neutralize enemy check posts.

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Aided by two teams of heavily-armed para commandos, the rescued Indian soldiers used the jeeps and trucks in the military camp to fight their way out through the breach. Progress was slow as the tyres of the vehicles frequently got stuck in the marshy, muddy land of the forest and the soldiers had to get down to push them out of the rut. Continuous sniping and rocket fire from rebels (who were in hot pursuit) added to the convoy’s troubles.

To protect the rescued soldiers, the para commandos took up posts on all the vulnerable positions around the convoy and responded to the heavy enemy firing with their own. As they escaped towards the town of Geihun, the team also laid booby traps and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to delay and deter the pursuing rebels. As the forest cover thinned, IAF’s Mi-35 helicopter gunships swung into position to provide additional security for the convoy.

As the convoy entered Geihun, they were greeted by the 18 Grenadiers of INDBATT-2 who had been airlifted from Daru to provide cover and support. One hour later, the rescued hostages were airlifted to Daru by IAF Mi-8 helicopters.

With no Indian casualties and no injuries other than a few shrapnel wounds, Operation Khukri’s resounding success was a testimony to the prowess of the Indian para commandos and the IAF contingent (which flew an impressive 98 sorties over 66:05 hours during the operation)!

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An unequivocal Indian military success, Operation Khukri holds a special place in the history of independent India. Here’s hoping that the upcoming movie provides a rare window into this little-known mission!

Also Read: Akshay Kumar’s ‘Gold’ Tells The Untold Story of Independent India’s First Olympic Gold Medal

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Madhubani, Phad, Warli, Kalamkari, Tanjore are some of the rich art forms that have survived the wreck of time. Chikankari straight from the royal courts of Lucknow is just one of them which adds up to the list. Believed to be introduced by Nur Jahan, wife of Emperor Jahangir, this intricate methodology of embroidery dates back two centuries.

A delicate needlework comprising of 32 stitches, this craft has well defined gender specific roles. As per Paola Manfredi’s book, ‘Chikankari; A Lucknawi Tradition’, men do the tailoring, printing and laundering while embroidery is predominantly women’s work.  This gender division was never that rigid, particularly not in the last thirty years which have seen some changes such as the entry of NGOs to address the appalling conditions of the home-based female chikankari embroiders.

Further Paola mentions that despite the various private initiatives and government schemes to revive chikan embroidery and to address the problems of the sector, mainly abysmal low wages and health related issues affecting the craftsperson involved in it, there is no proper documentation and almost no samples are visible or accessible.“The exploitative and the villain like role of the middleman have often been highlighted though it is rather an essential role within this system to move the pieces around.

The relationship that exists between the middleman and the artisans is more complex than the generations can encompass” Manfredi adds.

With the objective of ensuring that crafts women engaged in this embroidery industry get sufficient and regular work at fair wages without exploitation by middlemen, manufacturers and other entrepreneurs, SEWA has been extensively involved in organising women engaged in the chikankari industry and has built up a network of over 7,000 women who are supported by the organisation not just in securing minimum wages and creating a market for their products but also in getting education for their children as well as better health services.

Established with 31 women in 1984, the USP of this organisation was rejuvenation of Chikankari and it has remarkably succeeded in restoring the dignity of the craft.

Shilp Sadhna is another NGO which has been working towards the amelioration of the conditions of the artisans. This society has formed 15 Self Help Groups of grass root level women artisans of Chikan craft in the Lucknow district.

Capturing the sophistication and intricacies of the art from the land of nawabs, Paola Manfredi has immensely contributed to the sparsely existing literary sources on this ancestral art and craft by coming up with ‘Chikankari; a Lucknawi Tradition’. Published by Niyogi Books, her extensive research of 30 years has been beautifully compiled in her book. It is the right step towards preserving the age old tradition to be embraced by the future generations as well.

Despite the global appeal of this handicraft, the carriers of the Lucknawi legacy, the skillful artisans need a lot of support. To preserve the art of indigenous needlework, it is necessary to increase its visibility in the markets.

In addition to that, the government must take measures to organise the sector of Chikankari in Lucknow.

To get a deeper insight of this surviving art, buy ‘Chikankari; a Lucknawi Tradition’ by Paola Manfredi here http://amzn.to/2rSskHi

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