Football fever
This article on Brazil’s football team beautifully described the mood in the football-crazy nation after a shocking upset in 1950 and how the team resurrected itself (“Paradise lost and found: How Arsenal FC nudged Pele towards the 1958 World Cup”).
It was brilliantly explained and the writer clearly took a lot of efforts to get into the skin of a true Selecao. Srijandeep Das' articles have always been intriguing and this was yet another interesting piece on Brazil's rise as a national team. With it being published soon after the demise of one of Brazil's loved sons, Carlos Alberto, it evoked the sweet memories that innumerable teams from Brazil have given us. – Sumedh Pande
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Reading this article was like taking a journey back in time. Srijandeep, I congratulate you for being able to portray so beautifully Brazil's journey of regaining their status and the story of a little boy who went on to become a legend.– Arka Tarun Mukherjee
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I am not a football fan – far from it. The technicalities of the game are foreign to me, and except for a few oft-repeated names, there is not much I know about the world of sport.
However, it is very easy to relate to some human emotions – passion, camaraderie, fervour, pride, the delirium of victory and the disillusionment of hitting rock-bottom.
Which is why I so enjoyed this article on Brazil's fall from grace, and its eventual redemption. It speaks to the reader at a primal level, appealing to the most elementary of human emotions, and shows how this sport is more than just mechano-tactical footwork.
Taking something as intricate as a nation's history and talking the reader through how a culture was moulded around a sport, is refreshingly different from what one regularly sees on the sports pages.
Thank you for this wonderful read. I hope to find more articles like this in the future. – Radhikaa Sharma
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I particularly enjoyed reading this article. It was well written and helped create a visual image of the events that transpired during one of the nations greatest football tragedies, which ultimately ended with redemption eight years later, and gave rise to an era of world domination. I look forward to more such articles. – Pranav
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I've always enjoyed reading Srijandeep's pieces, right from his LFC360 days, and this is another one on the list!
What fascinates me is how adversity makes for a great opportunity for winners like Pele. What a player! (Even though I am a huge Maradona and Argentina fan) – Abhishek
Rest in peace
The demise of former Chief Minister Shashikala Kakodkar has left a deep void in not just the political but also the socio-cultural life of Goa ("Goa's first woman chief minister Shashikala Kakodkar dies at 81"). Kakodkar led Goa as the first woman chief minister and created a record of sorts by ensuring the victory of a Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidate Luta Ferrao from the Benaulim constituency. It was during her tenure as chief minister that the equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was inaugurated at Farmagudi Fort by the then External Affairs Minister, AB Vajpayee.
Kakodkar’s efforts led to the election of Sanyogita Rane Sardesai as the first (and till date, only) woman MP from Goa. A lifelong lover of the Marathi language, Kakodkar took to the streets even at an old age, for the cause of Indian languages. Right from the Marathi Raajbhaasha Aandolan to the Marathi Bachao Aandolan (during Luizinho Faleiro’s tenure as education minister) and the latest Bharatiya Bhasha Suraksha Manch protest; Kakodkar, despite her age, participated in the activities with great enthusiasm. – KB Dessai
Helping hand
This is an extremely rounded and well-written article (“Too little, too late: Why palliative care is vastly inadequate in India”).
All us doctors and health care professionals trained in palliative care should stop saying “Palliative care should begin at the time of diagnosis” – this seems intimidate our colleagues!
If we want to spread awareness about the importance of palliative care throughout the disease trajectory, we should, instead say that palliative care should be available to any patient who needs it at any stage of the disease, or that it can be given whenever needed, alongside treatment, as a supportive care. Any institution treating cancer or other chronic diseases should also have a facility for palliative care or direct patients for it. – Mallika Triuvadanan
Smooth sailing
This is great news for commuters using the DND flyway (“Delhi-Noida Direct flyway will be toll-free until further orders, rules Supreme Court”). The present toll is atrociously high, given that many people use it daily. Given the number of vehicles plying by that bridge, I’m sure the agency has recovered costs and made lots of profits already. – Anmol Kumar
Meeting matters
Why did Yashwant Sinha meet separatists (“Kashmir unrest: Yashwant Sinha, four others meet separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani”)? This gives oxygen to their movement. The government and the law should deal firmly with lawbreakers. The separatists are challenging the authority of the government and running a parallel establishment of sorts in Kashmir, so they should not be dealt with leniently. – Gopal Das
Grand show
Mughal-e-Azam was Indian cinema at its grandiose best (“The stage production of ‘Mughal-E-Azam’ is a faithful tribute to the classic film”). This movie took the industry to the next level. I am big fan of classic Hollywood and Bollywood movies. This was the first theatrical show I wanted to watch because of the big names associated with it. This is the first time that theatre of this scale is being performed in India .
It was a mesmerising experience – the music, the sets, the costumes, the performances and the direction were just spectacular. – Divyansh Mahajan
Last mile
Apoorvanand’s otherwise thoughtful commentary left out the most important ingredient – a representative analysis of the Bari committee report – which diminished its usefulness (“The surgical strikes on Teesta Setalvad continue with the Bari report, and we should all be ashamed”).
It would have been interesting to follow the arguments made by the committee to arrive at the conclusion that the work of Sabrang Trust promotes communal discord and disharmony.
If the hollow and torturous arguments used by the Bari committee to arrive at this conclusion were exposed thoroughly, then the report would have been discredited. Such a forensic examination would have possibly avoided at least some of the adverse readers’ comments the article elicited because facts would have spoken for themselves. – Sadanand
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The author doesn't seem to have any common sense. Comparisons between Gandhi and Teesta Setalvad are nonsensical. It Teesta hasn't done any wrong she will stand proven, but don't encourage people doing illegal activities. – Murahari Babu
Miscalculated call
This is a very poor explanation for the retraction of an article by Professor CK Raju (“Retraction: Why an article about the history of maths was removed”).
Scroll.in should have used its independent editorial judgement. The Conversation could have had other reasons beyond what they said for retracting the article.
I am outraged with the humiliating behaviour towards the author and I did not expect this from Scroll.in. It seems like Scroll’s editors are also influenced with by the colonial and pro-West mindset. Scroll.in should review their decision to remove the article just because the Conversation, from which it was republished, pulled it down. – Vineet Tiwari
Shallow pool
It is one thing to make tall claims and another to actually measure up to them (“From Tata Sons to Infosys, why does India Inc find it so hard to find talent from within India?”).
We failed an entire generation or two because of our very weak higher education system and the controlling ways of the licence Raj. Now, even though the economy has been opened up, the controlling spirit still remains.
A seamless free enterprise system with quality liberal education system which fosters spirit of enquiry and enterprise is a prerequisite to develop leaders and managers of quality. – KV Simon
Keeping us safe
Raghu Raman's thoughts and suggestions are very valid and lucidly expressed in this article on the Indian military ("Indian Army can take care of the border. Can we take care of the Army?").
I hope the corporate sector will take note of this and act. The government is unlikely to do anything beyond what it is doing at present.
The writer has a rare understanding of military matters as well as political and economic issues and how they relate to India and Pakistan's relationship. That you may be a veteran is indicated by your twitter handle. – Ashok Coomar
Musical memories
The piece on Bob Dylan was well-written (“What did Bob Dylan sound like, a day after his Nobel win? I was there from Mumbai to find out”). Welcome to the club, Dilip DSouza! Your piece was nuanced and gently teased out the unsaid, hinting at the deeper and sometimes troubling waters of our past, our mythologies, and the often avoided confrontation of our present. And yes if there ever was an essay on aging that I enjoyed that was also a coming of age story, it was this.
There was a pathos to it, a certain sadness. It also brought to mind the cyclical questions: When should an artist stop milking that which brought them fame? Is their vast fandom largely to do with the baby boomer generation that is still around?
But its the nuance and the unsaid that made this an interesting read. In some ways, the takeaway is left to the reader.
Having seen the Stones, Dylan and others several times since I got to New York City 35 years ago, I’ve found that even the most original and marvelously innovative artists soon lapsed into milking their greatest hits...and I haven't bothered to keep up with them. I am still in awe of Dylan though.
I though it surprising that Dylan stuck to his greatest hits and didnt go with the material from Fallen Angels and Shadows in the Night (where he covers jazz Standards and Sinatra) but for the paying crowd, I guess, that is not Dylan (even though some his early songs they love are Woody Guthrie covers!) No wonder he had nothing to say to the audience...it’s a paid gig.
Thanks for bringing up these memories. – Susheel J Kurien
In memoriam
Thank you for this wonderful tribute to Veenathai (“Veena Sahasrabuddhe (1948-2016) was one of the most authentic Gwalior gayaki exponents”). This tribute has been written with so much love, respect and sincerity — it is a great way honour one of the most brilliant and elegant women in Hindustani music.
I miss her very much and think of her often.
By god's grace, I saw her perform in Philadelphia some years ago.
Veenathai will forever be missed, but her music is here with us forever and for that, I am grateful. Apart from beng a wonderful musician, Veenathai was also a wonderful human being.
She is rare and we were blessed to have her on this earth. – Seetha
