The Shravan (17.7.16) Issue-
Agnishatdal and Agnijaat- a little glimpse in Shraban (17.7.16) Issues
Posted on by Sharmishtha Basu
Author: Sharmishtha Basu
A bookworm transformed into an addicted writer. I love to write and illustrate them myself. By love I mean love, no half-hearted relationship, a full-fledged, passionate love, I can’t pass two days in a stretch without writing/painting (cyber), just feel empty like lovers do when their lovers are away on a tour! Even though I am thoroughly enjoying self-publishing with amazon, but if you like my work and want to publish my works in your magazine, books or better if you want to publish a book of my works please make me very happy by contacting me. Or if you want to sell my works on commission basis only!! contact me, I will be quite relieved. Honestly writing and selling your own work is a very BORING combination. So you are more than welcome! Mail me @sharmishthabasu@hotmail.com, sermistabasu@gmail.com or go to- my blog (I have 16 blogs in wordpress, all active, some on daily basis, every one on weekly basis screaming and vowing my LOVE for writing and painting- this one is first-born, so special) mydomainpvt.wordpress.com (You will get the link to my remaining blogs there) or you can check out my ezines- monthly- Agnishatdalezine.wordpress.com And Agnijaat.wordpress.com if you want fb you can go to my page facebook.com/sermistabasu, linkedin- linkedin.com/authorsharmishthabasu my email id sharmishthabasu@hotmail.com and sermistabasu@gmail.com I am in goodreads and completelynovel too http://www.goodreads.com/sharmishthabasu http://completelynovel.com/sharmishtha-basu http://amazon.com/author/sharmishthabasu I guess I said enough about myself, right? You will forget if I stuff too much here, so if you are curious to know this humble creature just join me in my blogs :) View All Posts
Agnijaat - A Monthly Ezine by Sharmishtha Basu 
My critique for this issue:
A good introduction, with evocative cyber-paintings and photos throughout. I especially liked the discussion of the Vedas, coming from an insider to the culture (so-called ‘emic’ perspective) and not just Western or non-Hindu scholars (an ‘etic’ perspective). I found the description of the various components of the Vedas, their purpose and relations illuminating. I must add that along with a very good font selection, the headers for each section stand out well.
Famous Men and Women: I liked the illustrations of the differing roles of men and women as portrayed in ancient literature, and couldn’t help but notice the profound effect that portrayal has had in relations between the sexes until fairly recently. I’m reminded of the unfortunate practice of widow-burning ( ’sati’ isn’t it?) that was only officially outlawed within the last couple of centuries, and that at least partly due to the actions of native Indians pushing for change.
Privacy @ In My Private World: This was good. It made me think of your book The Charons, and gives me chills in thinking about the sorts of things you go through no matter where you seem to go in India. Such intrusions would probably drive me mad. You are brave to deal with it the way you do.
The articles are concise and well-spaced, brief yet complete in themselves. Well-done! A few stood out to me in particular.
Farmers of India: When I read this, I immediately looked up a reference on Wikipedia on Indian farmer suicides, here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farmers%27_suicides_in_India, and found that a number of unfounded reasons have been proposed for those (like Bt cotton growing), when your explanations have a much broader, much more realistic approach that explains all of the data, rather than relying simplistically on a single root cause for all of it. Your solutions are much more realistic as well, and you note several very good explanation why those are not implemented.
Indian Subcontinent….Glimpses of Indian History: Also notable. The last part made me think of a likely exception to traditions of Indian spirituality, a materialist sect called the Charvakas that was active in ancient India, ca. 6th century B.C.E. with its Wiki entry here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charvaka As I understand it, their central text now exists only as fragments in the commentary and criticism of their opponents. They are to my knowledge unique in India as a philosophical school.
I read through all of the stories and found them delightful. Two of them, I couldn’t help but notice, each involved werewolves, and that makes me jealous 😉 as I’ve written only one such tale, here: kestalusrealm.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/frigas-day-flash-fiction-howl-at-the-stars/.
I loved the verses, and Galactic Gypsy stood out as scientifically insightful as well as poetic; If you don’t mind me saying so, I’d even compare it to the writings of one of my favorite authors, Carl Sagan.
Excellent!
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Yes, burning the widows alive with their dead husbands was really common in my province, Bengal till some messiahs in coalition with British government got rid of this horrible, macabre practice, Lord William Bentinck and Raja Rammohan Roy to be precise.
You are an angel! A priceless (enviable) treasure for anyone who writes 🙂
much, much love and thanks.
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