“Sometimes, there’s a pattern to what we do. Sometimes, there isn’t. But life remains the same on the shores,” said Kumar as he stood outside his home. Swept away by a gust of wind, the dunes fell apart in a distance. Wreaths of gritty cloud swayed over town as the tides shot a baleful glance […]
Read more "‘My brother was sentenced to three years in prison’"As we traipsed through the sandy coastland, we could hear them again; the surge and fall of eternal rhythms echoing from a distance. The incantations grew louder and within moments we chanced upon women gliding on the shores with pots of beans on their heads. They were then split into two queues while the caretakers […]
Read more "‘The shores unite us all in body and spirit’"They sallied forth towards the harbour carrying the lord amidst them. The earth scorched their feet as they dragged themselves to the temple where awaited the caretakers of the divine. Worming their way way through the crowd, a group of women soughed out a tuneless chant summoning the spirits to the coast. Their voices began […]
Read more "‘Knowledge without any purpose is meaningless to our existence’"“Some may place their faith in idols. Some believe they will be redeemed by the Goddess. Unless we invoke the deity that resides in our hearts, we may never truly understand the purpose of our faith. There’s a God within us all. And, we tend to forget that,” said Kumar as we walked to the […]
Read more "‘There’s a God within us all. And, we tend to forget that…’"She fretted over her frock. Combing the pink frills gathered at its seams, she twirled her tiny fingers drawing patterns on her legs. A string of pearls lay beside her swaying to the winds. Namboo scrunched her nose as Lakshmi powdered her cheeks. Tears streamed down her brother’s face and he rebelled in silence for […]
Read more "Their dreams might be small but have taken flight on numerous occasions"“I think I was five when I first accompanied my father on a sailing boat. I remember being fascinated with the vastness of the ocean. The skies merged with the water, that day. Everyday had something new to offer. I take my kids as much as I can on my fishing trips. Of course, I […]
Read more "‘No one wanted to marry her because she was dark skinned’"Our tent overlooked the ocean. The day was blistering hot and the searing winds scoured our faces and arms. A few kids walked unsteadily towards heaps of sand wondering what the mighty seas had brought in today. Some looked for riddles hidden in its layers and others searched for treasures between clumps of dried shrubs. […]
Read more "‘It all depends on how you observe life around you’"“Freedom is my biggest income. As long as ‘the humanity’ within my heart never subsides, I will continue to remain happy. This is our home. We will try and make our life better here. We all have dreams but not all of us know how to turn them into reality,” said Kumar as we drove […]
Read more "‘Sometimes, you don’t need to speak the same language’"In March 2015, the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Shriyan Wickremesinghe, sparked off a controversy by claiming that Indian fishermen being shot dead by the navy — if found intruding into Lankan waters — does not amount to human rights violation. While the notorious agenda of clamping down on illegal fishing activity in the […]
Read more "‘We can’t let money govern our lives’"“A group will always have violent and non violent elements. But no good has ever come from hurting anyone. I am Tamilian and my friend is Sri Lankan. And, we are both human beings. Why fight over borders and identities when we can all live in harmony? Today, I get to meet him once a […]
Read more "‘The cyclone changed the character of the place’"