106. Has 'climate variability' outlived its relevance?

Weather is to climate as a page is to a book. A few days of weather do not give the entire story of climate, just as a single page does not tell the entire story from a book.

Global warming is indeed a reality of our times, and so is consequent climate change. Yet, direct correlation between warming and many aspects of climate change remain disputed. But a current 430 ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, from the normal of 300 ppm, is reason enough for sustaining several undesirable and unbearable physical and biological changes - predominant being the disappearing islands, thawing permafrost and melting icecaps. A predicted 3-degree rise in temperature by the turn of the current century will make life unbearable.

Upheaval in global temperature has an intriguing history. Some 56 million years ago ambient global temperature had risen by 4 to 6 degrees over an extended period of some thousand years. Even ice core records of the past show that global warming was independent of the atmospheric carbon dioxide, which never exceeded 300 ppm. Climate change skeptics may have reason to rejoice. But global warming had an evolutionary purpose - it triggered mass extinction. What was destructive than, had elements of creativity later. It has kept the evolutionary process alive. 

There is no single metric that explains climate change. At the global level it is understood as extreme events. However, at the local level the dynamism of seasonal change is conveniently referred to as climate variability - the term commonly used to describe the changes that allows us to make sense of our environment. This term is inadequately understood and frequently misused which leads to the incorrect interpretation of data on weather and climate resulting in inaccurate conclusions and misleading claims. 

Weather is to climate as a page is to a book. A few days of weather do not give the entire story of climate, just as a single page does not tell the entire story from a book. A daily weather report (for a place may read like: 'The high today was 42°C, the low was 32°C, with a thunderstorm in the afternoon.' Such weather variability of a place is considered normal. But climatologists use 30-year climate normals to describe the climate of a location as well as the type, intensity, and frequency of extreme events. 

Climate variability is conveniently used to explain any change in weather, because there are many who believe natural processes alone produce changes in climate. Little is realized that humans can also influence climate, because humans constantly interact with important parts of the climate system. In addition, scientists find that recent climate change cannot be explained by natural controls. It is therefore recommended those who wish to make valid assertions of climate change should first seek to understand the critical distinction climate change and climate variability. 

105. My river lessons

Hazy memories of my first crossing a river on a sunny afternoon are still alive in my mind. An army man had walked me across the rocky bed of the river. It was much later that Heraclitus’ most quoted words had occurred to me: you cannot step into the same river twice. Years later, I stood again at the riverfront in Nanded without stepping into the Godavari this time, aware that Guru Gobind Singh had once lived by its banks.

Without a cultural overdose, embedded deep in our psyche is the belief that rivers are goddesses to be revered. No one taught us this explicitly—it was absorbed in subtle and profound ways. My grandmother would postfix ‘Ganga’ to the name of any river, big or small, much to the irritation of my younger, educated sensibilities. The philosophical innocence behind such devotion is still revealing itself to me!

I could never hold rivers in ritualistic reverence, yet the sheer mention of a river has always stirred excitement. The river as a metaphor of human existence—holding answers within its flow to our foibles, loneliness, boredom, anxieties, frustration, and helplessness—has remained intriguing but abstract. I often wish I had lived by a river long enough to unlock its secrets.

One such intrigue relates to Gulzar’s inimitable poetic expression–apna kinara nadiya ki dhara hai. How mainstream could anybody’s ‘destination’ be? The expression is loaded; its essence lies beneath the obvious. I have always felt that the mainstream of a river epitomizes continuum; life and death are mere manifestations along its course and cannot truly be destinations. 

My first lesson on karma, the core philosophy of Gita, came while travelling through the Kosi basin in north Bihar. Why would a mother be furious with her children? Perhaps it was the river’s need to correct her course or, more importantly, more importantly, to perform her karma—the thankless task of land-building for human prosperity.

I knew nothing of hydrological engineering, but after that journey I sensed the worst. Just before the devastating deluge of August 2008, we prepared a report on Kosi’s growing frustration at being unable to fulfil her duties. Liberate the river from, we urged, or she will find her own freedom. Our emotive outbursts were no match for prevailing hydro-hubris!

Even the Brahmaputra has honored no boundaries in its multi-country journey. Travelling 500 kilometers along its vastness was a different experience. A colleague once asked if such a mighty river could be dissuaded from eroding its banks. My answer has always been: engage with the river and it will listen. It is a living system with a heart of its own—we must learn to listen to its heartbeat.

My many journeys along rivers have only exposed my inadequacies. Our understanding is shaped by myopic knowledge that sees a river merely as a resource for manipulation and exploitation. Such restricted vision has held us back from understanding an ecological system that is possibly the very source of life on this planet. Each river carries memories of millennia in its undercurrents. 

First published in Deccan Herald on Dec 5, 2025.

104. Sex is temporary, but Love is permanent

Why did I pick up this book? The title itself was a predominant reason - Dear Alyne: My Years As A Married Virgin conveyed something intriguing but notorious and mischievous. The author asserts it to be a work of non-fiction, with all events and experiences truly represented in this autobiographical memoir. With a little more than four million followers, Alyne Tamir is a digital nomad and content creator.

She graduated from Brigham Young University, got married, and by age 25 was a divorcee. Before you wonder how she considers herself to be married virgin, simply put she learnt to love instead of having sex. "Without even realizing the real Alyne hid closed off from the world, from herself, deep inside me in a little box no one could find." Brimming with honesty and confidence, she overcame her sexuality, and an endless cycle of existential crises. But for 25 years, she put everyone ahead of herself, repressing things that didn’t fit the traditional story. But in reality, she was miserable struggling to reconcile her flawless image with shame around her sexuality, infidelity, and an endless cycle of existential crisis. Dear Alyne is a one of a kind coming-of-age story that is still being worked about. 

"I don't know how other girls were, but the truth was, I had never wanted to have penetrative sex and had never been even slightly tempted." Alyne spent her whole life being inundated by confusing, problematic messages about her body. But the reality was, neither the pills worked nor any of the therapies. Whenever she thinks back, it made her feel sick. Anything vaguely sexual, even conversations, had a huge negative stigma around her.

Alyne could never think about her past with ease. It made her feel furious and horrified. She felt ashamed of her own natural feelings, punished for expressing affection, and self-policing her sexuality as a crime. That having sex meant that she would become literal trash, dirty and discardable weighed heavy on her mind. But divorce opened a new door for her as she found herself finally-free the expectations of her family and faith (Mormon). 

A divorce or a breakup, Alyne learnt, may seem like a death sentence, but is often has a bright beginning. One learns that profound connection(s) is worthy of exploration, and not something to be fearful of. Sex is temporary but Love is permanent. "I'm realizing that perhaps the most important thing in life is to explore the world within."

103. Nostalgia workouts, anyone!

A friend met me after a long time at a little-known restaurant which we often used to frequent for spending those lovely moments. Nothing recent was talked about; the past was recalled with rejoicing. I guess we didn’t reinvent any moment, we only relived the past. Nothing new was talked about, and yet we were not tired of repeating it. It seemed we had started from where we had left that day, many years ago.

We were being nostalgic, and it made us feel good. Not without reason are psychologists trying to analyze the enduring appeal of the past, which, till recently, was considered a sickness. Derived from the Greek nostos (return) and algos (pain), nostalgia no longer means ‘return of the pain’. On the contrary, it now improves mood, increases self-esteem, strengthens social bonds and imbues life with meaning. Else, why would someone forty-plus be ecstatic about an old forgotten moment?

Many acquaintances have gone nostalgic about ‘rim-zhim’, the popular masala soft drink of the 1980s that is now being revived. One of the strong reasons for relaunching the four-decade-old drink rests on a study which concludes that, among other things, the consumers are becoming nostalgic about their taste. As fashion, lifestyle and attitudes of the past stage a comeback, nostalgia is something the market has prepared itself to reckon with.    

However, nostalgia is not just about happy memories; it can also be about longing for a time when things were simpler or for a time when we felt more connected to others. Nostalgia is a relatively new concept. The word was first coined in 1688 by Swiss physician Johannes Hofer, who defined it as a neurological illness of continually thinking about one’s homeland and longing for return. 

Sheer experience tells us that middle-aged people might score better than younger generations in being nostalgic. Maybe for the modern geeks there are gadgets and girlfriends to keep themselves glued to the ‘present’. But for the middle-aged, being nostalgic reminds them that their lives have been worthwhile, that they are happy, and that life has some sense of purpose or meaning. 

Given the monotony of present-day life, nostalgia is seemingly becoming a great escape to the good old days. But there are those, and a good number of them, for whom the past is a flashback of painful memories. For such souls, ‘nostalgia workouts’ are the next big thing that the neighborhood gyms will soon come up with. But for the blissful, those who have had their first brush with love, being nostalgic is for sure a way of life that is not only personal but private too that the market has yet to tap into!

First published in Deccan Herald on July 3, 2025.

102. Dhai akhar prem ka

Many friends think I'm outdated as I avoid responding to digitally circulated messages and greetings. I consign them to the bin before the inbox runs out of space. There are reasons for such an approach. Such digitally generated and widely circulated messages rarely have personal touch. Digital is anything that is convenient and timely nonetheless, but such messages are bereft of human emotions and feelings. 

I value hand-written letters because we are not pieces of hardware driven by software. For me, there is something profound about sending and receiving letters. Much before it reaches the addressee, letter is written with the recipient in mind, its narrative length is conditioned by the paper of choice, the emotive touch is appropriate to the ink used, and finally the letter is on its onward journey. It takes time, effort, and patience to do so, and wait patiently but anxiously for several days for a response.   

I recall the era when writing letters, especially love letters, was a work of fine art. It's a tangible memory, a document frozen in time. And the act of writing has a humane touch. In a world steeped in digital communication the act of writing a missive is inherently human. A hand-written letter is devoid of any AI prompts which interfere with self-reflection and correct erroneous spelling or grammar. Handwriting communicates our personality in a way that Helvetica or Times New Roman cannot.

I am not alone in what is often considered nostalgic (and in crude terms foolish). Only recently, to revive the art of letter writing, Indian Posts initiated a letter writing competition called, Dhai Akhar (inspired by 'Dhai akhar prem ka', Saint Kabir's famous phrase to describe love.). The idea was to evoke love for letter-writing in a digital age.  To everybody's surprise, it received more than 700,000 entries by the closing date of Jan 31, 2025. For flesh-and-blood creatures, there was nothing better than share life experience in all its richness, risk, beauty, and misery.  

This campaign allows us to express our feelings to bring warmth in our relationship. We cannot upload our minds to the cloud and transcend the world. Honest self-expression through letters puts the sender and the receiver on an equal pedestal. Each feels the importance of having been spoken to. When we try to replace that reality with a digital facsimile, we are lost.       

101. Last words yet to be written on a typewriter

A vintage Smith-Corona.

Typewriters are staging a comeback, and that is undoubtedly a breaking news. Everybody who has one and didn't know it had value now all of a sudden knows it has value. The humble typewriter, once a staple of offices, still holds a place of nostalgia and practical use in various cultures even today. Tom Hanks has given a spur to antique typewriter resurgence. 

My proud possession - Smith Corona - is far from being merely a relic of the past. It embodies a rich tapestry of stories, innovations, and customs that vary from time to time, and country to country. When it was sourced from a professor, it had raised my level as a writer. The keyboard sound was like some sort of musical notes.  For me, there could not be any news better to hear than the return of the typewriter. 

The demand is strategic and is no less nostalgic. Initially considered obsolete in the digital age, typewriters are experiencing a slow but noticeable resurgence. German politicians are considering a return to using manual typewriters for producing sensitive documents in the wake of the US surveillance scandal. The Russian government too took similar measures after the spillover impact of espionage was partially revealed. 

At an individual level, however, it is increasing incidents of cybercrime that is compelling people to live an analog life. It is forcing people to stay away from technology, enforcing them to talk less on the mobile. And for this reason, more people meet across the table with goodwill and coffee mutually exchanged. 

The much talked about espionage case may have given the market a fillip, but typewriters had gained a comeback following Richard Polt's 2017 book 'The Typewriter Revolution'. Poets, writers, artists, and even students are putting words to paper and finding pleasure in generating the familiar acoustics. The 20-somethings love the clickety-clack of typewriters. They are using the antiquated machines as a creative escape from computers and the internet.

There is more to it than that meet our eyes. Typewriters use our senses to focus on one thing at a time which demands our full attention, unlike a computer where tabs and screens distract attention. The feel of the keys and the sound of the return wheel produces a unique sensation that is unknowingly transferred onto the words.    

If Global Typewriter Market Report 2024 is any indication, the typewriter market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3% from 2023 to 2030. The tactile and mechanical feel of the typewriters will fuel its resurgence.

Typewriters never really went away, we only did. 

First published in Deccan Herald on March 5, 2025.

100. The shadow(s) of life

It only occurred to Alexander the Great when he accosted the Greek philosopher, Diogenes. Lying in the sun, standing near him with his shield-bearing guards, Alexander wondered if the destitute wiseman had ever desired anything in his life. Ready to part away with his enormous wealth, the response was anything close to it. Diogenes instead wanted the monarch to pull way his shadow from himself "stand a little out of my sun." Dismayed to hear the request, Alexander thought it for a while but at the end admired the haughtiness and grandeur of the man.

What if the monarch's shadow was not present or he didn't have any of his own? Though shadows are known to be useless, but it did help Alexander the Great fulfil a desire. Come to think of it, shadow may not do anything substantive, but it extends unconditional support even as one ventures out or is in the company of others. It is true that people all have shadows with them, whether or not they liked, in different shapes and sizes during the day. Diogenes tried to disassociate the monarch from his shadow, and in doing so made it worthwhile for himself. Alexander was unconscious of his shadow, till he was made conscious of it.   

For psychologists, shadow is a sub-conscious aspect of the personality that one cannot even consciously get rid of so easily. Only once life is bereft of its shadows, one really understands that shadows do carry their own weight. One needs to feel the weight because in reality there might not be any. In the same way as gravity seems part the planet and for reasons is often taken for granted. Same holds good for a shadow, without doubt an essential companion like a faithful canine. One can't step outside without a shadow, especially when you've spent so many years together with it and grown up close. 

However, for a shadow a day is too long for extending an incessant company. Need it be said that a shadow to move along with a body during the long day may be tiring. Therefore, it needs to take a break. And it does so when it is completely dark, the shadow takes complete rest with the body. A person and his shadow are never pulled apart, both merges as one but that the merger is indeed a period of loneliness. It is a common human experience that can affect people of all ages and backgrounds.     

Shadow poses many possibilities. If shadow has only abstract meanings, then why doesn't everyone get rid of it? The trouble is that they don't know how to. But even if they did, I doubt anyone would discard their shadow. Simply put, because people are used to them whether it serves any purpose or not. And if our shadows are allowed to separate from us, shadows will continue to exist without any control. Hard to believe it.

But if it was to separate from the body, it would be hard to imagine how it might I look like. It might be like a pair of discarded old shoes.       

99. The town that was..

It was not a big town, but rather a small one that has been significant enough to remain in memories. It is worth revisiting those vivid, hazy images that reflect the past in detail. Springs emerged at many places that evoked life; streams encircled the town like arteries; bridle pathways connected clusters of houses; small paddy fields dotted the landscape; and sprawling tea gardens adorned the slopes. There was an unwritten harmony in the system.

Over the last few years, the town underwent unimaginable transformation. Five decades have radically altered the town. Many springs have dried up and disappeared; bridle pathways have been replaced by concrete passages; waste-laden streams struggle to flow; and tea gardens have become sparse. The small town has expanded its boundaries and grown as much as it could. There is nothing noteworthy to write about its expansion from a small town to a big one.

The town under reference is Palampur, located in Himachal Pradesh and situated about 4,000 feet above sea level, overlooks the mighty Dhauladhar mountains, which aren't snow-clad year-round. Fans and air-conditioners, once unseen, are now common. With many concrete structures and an expanded road network filled with fuel-guzzling automobiles, this change is neither dramatic nor unexpected.

Local food security is no one's concern as little grows here, or rather, is allowed to grow. Packaged food in colorful plastic bags is everyone's favorite. With the net sown area in the state shrinking from 19.07 percent to 11.81 percent over the last ten years, such a shift, against the backdrop of erstwhile small paddy fields, was expected. Weekend tourists bring their consumptive needs and leave waste for the locals.

The decline in the net sown area is glaring; land once used for farming has been repurposed for non-farm use. In the last decade, non-farm use of agricultural land in the state has increased from a low of 3.55 percent to as high as 16.44 percent. Developmentalists see it differently, viewing it as presenting new challenges and opportunities. Statistics can be misleading, often hiding more than they reveal.

However, the transformation of hilly towns across the hills is a compelling narrative of change and adaptation. Once characterized by pristine natural beauty and self-sustaining communities, these towns have witnessed rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, and shifting lifestyles in last few decades. The evolution of Palampur serves as a poignant example, showcasing how the delicate balance of nature and tradition is being replaced by concrete structures and modern conveniences. 

First published in www.raagdelhi.com, and The Tribune dated Nov 27, 2024.

98. Don't let 'creativity' slip away

'Yeh dil tum bin kahin lagta' 
(Dharmendra & Tanuja)

Howsoever disturbing it is, break up between couples-could-be is the new normal. In the so-called fast-moving world, break-ups have emerged as another opportunity to ‘celebrate/creative’. Come to think of it, it may not be a bad idea. Why plunge in misery when one can explore new opportunities? This approach to life justifies the immense popularity of Pritam’s composition मेरे सैयां जी से आज मैंने ब्रेकअप कर लिया from the movie ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’. But there is more to it, that is often ignored.

Outwardly, it may seem a sane action, but I suspect it cannot be without a psychological cost being paid by affected parties. How such suppressed emotions end-up playing up with life could be anybody’s guess? In past, such emotive moments led poets and shayars to come out with their creative best, heartfelt reflections on the mental state. Cinema used such moments to enhance melancholy, evoke moving moments on screen.

Anand Bakshi expressed such moments as lost opportunity of making things work out - मुझे तेरी मोहब्बत का सहारा मिल गया होता, अगर तूफ़ाँ नहीं आता किनारा मिल गया होता in film ‘Aaye Din Bahar Ke’. Hasrat Jaipuri imagined himself in the situation when he wrote तुम मुझे यूँ भुला ना पाओगे, जब कभी भी सुनोगे गीत मेरे संग संग तुम भी गुनगुनाओगे for ‘Pagla Kahin ka’ (1970). Rather than letting pass the moment, poets worked to give words to suppressed emotions. 

Majrooh Sultanpuri could not accept separation and instead sought to invoke compelling feelings in ‘Pyar Ka Mausam’ - तुम बिन जाऊँ कहाँ,  के दुनिया में आके कुछ न फिर चाहा कभी तुमको चाहके. He went further to assert that रह भी सकोगे तुम कैसे, हो के मुझसे जुदा, ढह जाएंगी दीवारें, सुन के मेरी सदा. For lyricist S H Bihari being in love is the ultimate human vocation है दुनिया उसी की, ज़माना उसी का, मोहब्बत में जो हो गया हो किसी का in ‘Kashmir Ki Kali’. Noticeable in all these compositions is the creative genius of writers who were supported by highly talented composers of those days.

Moments of separation on screen helped poets to give expressions to their personal tragedies as well. Sahir Ludhianvi’s verse ये दिल तुम बिन, कहीं लगता नहीं, हम क्या करें; तसव्वुर में कोई बसता नहीं, हम क्या करें is one such enduring composition from ‘Izzat’. My submission is that even the most disturbing moments of life could spur imagination, something that celebrating break-ups miss out. In a market economy, even emotions are ‘products’ worth trading for. Tragic!

Someone might say that we are a bunch of emotional fools, but for me it is the creative-imaginative aspect in such situations that is important. I leave you with a Rajendra Kishan-Laxmikant Pyarelal composition जो उन की तमन्ना है, बरबाद हो जा; तू ऐ दिल मुहब्बत की किस्मत बना दे from ‘Inteqam’. Noticeable is the fact that actors had to come out with their best in such performances, making it a complete display of embedded emotions.

(Sahir Ludhianvi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Rajendra Kishan, Anand Bakshi, S H Bihari, and Hasrat Jaipuri have been accomplished Hindi poets/lyricists.)

First published in www.raagdelhi.com 

97. Repeat a lie often enough...

2024 marks the year like never before. One of those years in recent memory when at least some noticeable changes have become part of our collective conscience. What was considered once a vice by society is now an emerging virtue. It is not new; it has always been there. In the past, incentives for making it public were neither present nor was the culture supportive to propagate it. Now, it is all it wanted to ever have.          

Lying is what now matters. And it matters how smartly it is uttered in public, and how conveniently it gets reiterated. The task is to change the dynamic - specifically by making lying repetitive and popular. With technology being convenient on our side, a lie is repeated so many times that it becomes the truth. A lie be told a hundred times to become anything but a truth. It becomes an assertion that is anything but a lie.  

If you disagree then you must. But for anyone to denounce a lie, one might expect consensus in our understanding of what constitutes a lie. Since the days of Lenin of saying what he didn't say, a number of principles have been perfected to make a lie into a 'great lie' or a truth. These are: i) make it big enough and people will believe part of it; (ii) repeat it often enough and you will convince some people; and (iii) say it in enough different ways, and you will convince others.      

For over a century or more, it had to wait to turn this misattribution to Lenin a reality. Now is the time and nothing could be better timed than the year 2024. Filled with obnoxious airwaves and pages with attacking ads, are all but powered by lies. Yes, you guessed it right as this is the election year amidst the largest democracies in the world. Roll your eyes and accept lying as an inevitable part of our messy democracy.

It could be easily concluded that politicians lie because it pays dividends. It scores points with their base, and at times with their opponents, and does get rewarded by their donors too. There are few, if any, negative consequences. For once, lies hold a premium currency and are more than their real value. The godi (partisan) media plays its part, it either ignores the lies or repeats them because they stir up anger and keep the ballot box full of speculation. 

With the politics of lying getting social recognition, even technology to promote it has not been spared. Sobering stories of technology interference in elections are common. Mobile technology works against the truth. What we will do with mobile technology, we may never know. It has taken rapid strides from just connecting people, as connection too has gone through sobering meanings and exalted iterations.

Will mobile technology serve us well into the future? Will it connect us any better? Will it enforce democratic norms? It could be a billion-dollar question. Come to realize it, mobile technology is more than just nuts and bolts. It is more cognitive in nature; one would need to change some software for better results. Which means just about the strategy, content, and design. The devil of mobile technology is in the details. 

Lying matters. While it may poison social discourse, fuel cynicism about the government, and make it difficult to have serious dialogues on the compelling issues, but lying does make it easy for the government to sail through odds. Lie is always knocking on the door of the truth. It seems the door of truth is ripe for lies to get a premium. Should mobile technology, and artificial media, be not given a role to reshape geopolitics and democracy!

First published in www.raagdelhi.com