 By Samir Shukla
I grabbed the flag from the closet and placed it on a pole on the deck. There was hardly any breeze. The flag hugged the pole most of this July day. The fireflies hovering about the yard in the late evening seemed like distant fireworks nudging the flag to flutter. That night, the stars and the moon goaded the wind and the red white and blue happily fluttered. An hour further a gaggle of stars sprinkled the sky, as if trying to outnumber the stars on the flag.  By Samir Shukla
On this morning in early May, the daylight slapped me through the blinds. I rose from the bed while a mini orchestra of cracking and snapping bones emanating from my body soundtracked the scene. I parted the blinds and squinted at the fiery day. The sun was already on its way around the block, waiting for my sloth-mimicking self to come join it. Come on dude, get moving. I stumbled into the bathroom for the morning ritual, thinking of the soon to be consumed hot cup of chai that is so essential to fully awaken the senses. While walking out, I smacked my elbow on the bathroom door rim and cursed my clumsiness while caressing the buzzing bone on each step down the stairs into the kitchen.  By Samir Shukla
Milestones and Markers Humans love marking milestones. Birthdays, Independence Days, family traditions, anniversaries. We ride the daily breezes with the ups and downs of life, the unrelenting roadblocks strewn into our paths by nature, by others, sometimes by our own stumbles, and we trek on, into the slithering, sliding and slippery alleyways of life. We persevere. These challenges make us stronger, more alert, seasoned, to handle the unknowns headed our way tomorrow or the next day. It’s called experience, but also it is innate in our species, the wily ways of getting through the day, not just surviving but thriving and moving forward.  By Samir Shukla
The documentary Writing with Fire looks at the intrepid reporters of Khabar Lahariya—India’s only all-female news media organization. These journalists, armed with their smartphones, work to expose corruption, racism, crime, assaults on women, nationalist politicians, and myriad other topics all while working to give a voice to the voiceless and fighting for press freedom. They fearlessly question local police forces and politicians. Khabar Lahariya is an independent, digital news media network based in Uttar Pradesh. Writing with Fire follows this group of women and showcases their work. The organization’s chief reporter, Meera, is one of the women unflinching and tireless in her reporting. Khabar Lahariya once published a chain of local language newspapers and now enters its 20th year this year. They have shifted from print to the digital realm via their website (www.khabarlahariya.org), YouTube channel and social media presence. Directed and produced by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, it’s a beautifully filmed documentary. The film has been nominated for an Academy Award for feature length documentary. The Oscars will be telecast on Sunday March 27, 2022. Whether it wins or not, it is worth watching. You can stream Writing with Fire for free anytime through April 26, 2022, at www.video.pbs.org and on the PBS Video App. It will also be shown at RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, NC from April 21-30, 2022 (www.Riverrunfilm.com).  By Samir Shukla
Riding in a car on a snow dusted highway, in mid-January, I gazed at the blue grey sky above, while the highway passed below. The distant hills were a mix of white and dirt brown, leafless trees mingled with a few patches of evergreens. It had snowed a day earlier, not a heavy snowfall, but one that splattered white dustings on the surroundings. I dozed off while sitting in the back seat. The moving scenery on either side of the car lulled my heavy eyes into slumber. The past, present and future all swirled in my brain while the hum of the car engine and the passing drone of the road dropped me into an instant dream. It began as a blend of semi-sleep and thoughts squirming around in my head, then a story unfolded, compressed into a short sleep. The car became a moving music venue accompanying the hazy dream. |
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