Soma Basu

Southern Asia

@TheHindu. Studied @UnivofDelhi @IIMC_India @thomfound @Laadli_PF winner. Climate change, Health, Women Child Safety, Travel, Books. RTs not endorsements

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Articles

Treating the dead with dignity

2 weeks ago | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

In the pre-privatisation era, public hospitals faced huge challenges in managing patients due to overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure such as beds and equipment, and limited resources. The 1990s were also the time when frequent epidemics of gastroenteritis and cholera hit Delhi, claiming lives across hospitals in the city. In 1992, I was sent to Safdarjang Hospital to report on the condition of gastroenteritis-affected patients and the status of the government hospital.
A free-wheeling chat with Prof. Don Norman on design and education

3 weeks ago | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

Design is changing the world, whether one notices it or not, says Don Norman, American researcher and author popularly known as the man who designs designers. “To address every challenge of modern living, from climate change to resource scarcity and social inequities, it has become necessary to rethink education with human-centred designs.
WAVES 2025: An amalgamation of Bollywood, classical ragas and folk songs

2 months ago | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

After the success of Battle of Bands India round, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, has now opened the event to international bands who can register and showcase their skills in playing and singing Hindi songs, from Bollywood to classical ragas to traditional folk. Interested music groups are required to submit a video of maximum two minutes in MP4 format containing an original piece of music and lyrics composed by them in Hindi.
The 82-year-old Swedish multinational furniture company and home furnishings retailer, IKEA, in New Delhi now

2 months ago | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

The 82-year-old Swedish multinational furniture company and home furnishings retailer, IKEA, had studied Delhi’s diversity and consumer behaviour for the past four years before stepping in with e-commerce from March 1. North India is the country’s largest home furnishing market.
Stories of political incarceration, censorship and unlikely solidarities

2 months ago | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

Under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression, citizens have the right to dissent. But throughout Indian history, jails have bulged with political dissenters. Dissent is not just about anger, but about having a rival articulation of the world, argues American historian Timothy Snyder.
An interview with British educator Claire Horsburgh

2 months ago | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

Imagine a class full of children in rural Punjab singing their own version of ‘Kolaveri Di’ in classical Punjabi. “It is possible because they learnt the original Tamil song and its meaning without stress, and understood the song’s essence and its elongated drags to be able to produce their own version,” says British educator Claire Horsburgh.
Art in geometric abstractions

2 months ago | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

Neerja Chandna Peters, a self-taught artist, gave up her career in medicine to explore the world of abstractionism with colours and fine lines drawn to accurate mathematical measurements. “It is in this world of creating expressions that I find my peace and joy,” she says. Art, says Neerja, became her way of life as she got deeply invested in the process of ideating forms with geometric symbolisms.
Curated selection of Amitabh Sengupta’s retrospective

Feb 7, 2025 | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

Inside one of the smaller halls in Bikaner House, the sheer magic of a master’s pliant brush fills you up with awe. The fascinating palette of Amitabh Sengupta’s select canvases at Odyssey, his solo show, offer a spectrum of interpretations as they compel every viewer to pause and reflect on the artist’s exploration of form, texture and emotion. His works transcend borders, drawing from his experiences in Paris, Nigeria and the United States and yet retain a distinct and deeply personal identity.
Viveek Sharma’s paintings of Naga Sadhus reflect silence and solitude

Jan 31, 2025 | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

Annual visits to his nanihaal (maternal home) in Allahabad (now Prayagraj) during his childhood gave Viveek Sharma an early peek into the lives of ascetics and helped him to fathom the quintessential spiritual lives. “I would accompany my grandfather to the congregation of sadhus during Kumbh and he would tell me about these men who abandon worldly attachments and seek enlightenment,” says Viveek.
The Hindu Lit for Life 2025: Sunitha Kohli and Ruth DSouza Prabhu cook up recipes to make the process of cooking, feeding and eating enjoyable

Jan 19, 2025 | thehindu.com | Soma Basu

Cooking is a life skill, not a task. Once this is understood and executed, both cooking, eating and feeding can be fun. This sentiment shone in the session on ‘Secrets of the Indian Kitchen: Stories About Food,’ when architectural conservationist and designer Sunita Kohli who has published The Indian Cookbook, a compilation of recipes, and food writer Ruth DSouza Prabu who has authored The Legendary Restaurants, talked food at The Hindu Lit for Life on Sunday.