This week we present two mothers, Vini and Dimple who share an interesting history. They are both alumnae of The Department of Human Development and Childhood Studies at the Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, which is also our alma mater. To add to that, they have sons who are around the same age. It […]
The Itinerant Indian Elder Every summer huge numbers of Indian senior citizens cross national borders to be with their children, grandchildren and other relatives abroad. To these numbers, a more recent addition has been group excursion arranged by travel agencies to exotic locations that are sometimes considered more comfortable, convenient and more glamorous than exploring […]
For India’s children, schooling came to a sudden and serious halt in March, with no clear idea about the future course of action. Everyone was impacted, but for children who were displaced or otherwise disadvantaged, the disruption would have been complete. In this post, Vimala Ramachandran discusses the consequences of the suspended schooling for children, […]
Part Two In our commitment to the study of childhood in different parts of India, today we feature children of the Changpas from our Himalayan series. We hope that through these essays, we can reaffirm the importance of diversity and mutual respect for others. For a moment, let us stop and think about another pressing […]
Part One: The Place In these strange times, remote areas of the country seem to have receded even further into the wilderness, and one wonders if and when they will be accessible again. For a while at least, the travel industry will be hit by the restrictions. Perhaps this is an opportune moment for a […]
Keynote Address at Conference Psychology and Global Crises organised by the American University of Paris 20-30 May, 2020 Link to the YouTube video of the Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auVW-Ue-HYA&t=50s
This week, we break our regular schedule to announce an online conference by the American University of Paris. Registration is open and it starts this morning (20th May, 2020). May 20–30, 2020#PGC2020 – Virtual Conference “The Psychology of Global Crises: State Surveillance, Solidarity and Everyday Life” discusses the impact of past and current, global and […]
The opportunity to reflect on pre-Covid days has provided important insight into the blind spots in contemporary social structures, both local and global. Aspects of existence that we had taken for granted have been challenged and we are now aware of how precarious our world can be. The greed and selfishness that guided our decisions […]
As I reflect on pending tasks like attending to unwashed dishes, a pile of sweaty clothes, or proposed projects, finding the mindspace for writing posts for Masala Chai has become a serious challenge. By the time there is some semblance of domestic order, the most productive hours have slipped past and the heavy heat of […]
In this week’s essay, we bring you lighthearted stories about children under lockdown. The extended uncertainty of physical (hopefully not social) distancing from other people can set-off different reactions. Alongside, we are constantly being bombarded with information and opinions from which taking time off can prove beneficial. There is no doubt that we need to […]
“What the lockdown teaches us is that we have much less control over the external world than we realise, but much more control over our internal world than we suspect.” Pico Iyer, April, 2020 Times have changed A lot has happened since we last posted an essay on Masala Chai. It has taken us a […]
Dear All, Thank you so much for writing in and continuing to visit our blog. These last several weeks have been challenging to say the least and we really appreciate your messages. Our team met virtually and we resolved to get back on track despite the challenges. I must admit that emerging from this shutdown […]
