Just how much is enough?

In my artwork, an earth mover machine is shown drilling a hole into the land alongside colossal, fresh mango fruits. The fruits appear to be engaged in a poignant conversation. This imagery tries to nudge humanity's conscience about its relentless pursuit of progress, which has led to rampant concretization, technological advancement, and consumerism, ultimately threatening to annihilate our very existence. It poses a profound question: just how much is enough?

The artwork offers multiple layers of interpretation. The imposing, fresh, and healthy mangoes symbolize the resilience and cultural significance of indigenous communities, who cherish the fruit as an integral part of their heritage. The mangoes also represent these communities' bravery in resisting the destruction of nature, despite facing forced evictions and land acquisitions that cater to the interests of the wealthy and powerful. The mangoes' imposing size serves as a testament to nature's inherent power.

In the background, a stark strip mining landscape reveals the devastating consequences of iron ore extraction, underscoring the artwork's themes of environmental degradation and the clash between progress and preservation. The painting signifies the imminent threat to the land, as iron ore is transported away, leaving the land bereft of soil – the lifeblood of its people.

The mangoes hold a deeper significance, representing a universal love and appreciation that transcends socioeconomic boundaries. Both the rich and the poor, even those responsible for destroying the land, cherish the mango. However, this shared love is paradoxically overshadowed by the destructive forces of greed and the lust for wealth. This conflict highlights the struggle between those who seek to preserve the land for the benefit of all and those who prioritize profit.

Loretti Joyce Pinto

Travel through Sunderbans mangroves

Book: Paro of the Sundarbans (Paro & the Jungle)

Published: May 2023

Author: Vaishnavi Giri 

Illustrator: Pallavi Jain

Publisher: Karadi Tales 

For Age group: 4+ 

Number of pages: 36

In the vast mangroves of the Sundarbans, little Paro the mudskipper is lost. Far from her marshland home, she has to find her way back through a forest full of busy silver rhesus macaques, a scheming checkered keelback snake, a sinister terrapin, and the fierce, majestic tiger.

This is a beautiful nature-centric picture book. Vaishnavi Giri doesn't make it a preachy environmental lesson — she makes it an adventure. Children learn about a very unique ecosystem (mangroves, mudskippers, Sunderbans) while rooting for a tiny, brave hero.

The real star is the art. Pallavi Jain's watercolours make the Sundarbans leap to life — lush green, muddy, mysterious and alive. The long 14x7 inch format feels like you are travelling through the mangroves with Paro.

What I loved:

- A female protagonist who is small but courageous

- Introduces Indian wildlife beyond lions and elephants

- Perfect for read-aloud, rich vocabulary but simple story

- Production quality is excellent, as expected from Karadi Tales

For whom: 4-8 year olds, nature lovers, and for your library collection of Indian picture books. A great addition.

Rating: 4.5/5 — Short, sweet and visually stunning. Goes slow where it needs to.

Apeksha R. Tandel

The Fisherman and The Sea

The fisherman and the sea is not just a relationship, it is a story written by time itself. Long before farmers started farming and builders started building, there was a man standing near the water with a net in his hand. That was the first fisherman.

The Daily Life

The life of a fisherman is one of the hardest lives in the world. His day does not start at 9 AM. It starts at 3 or 4 AM, when it is still dark. He wakes up while his wife and children are still sleeping. He drinks his tea, checks his boat, checks his nets which he repaired the previous evening with his own hands. Then he goes to the sea or the river, like our Tungabhadra river near Koppal.

For a normal person, the sea is for holidays and photos. For a fisherman, the sea is his office. It is a place full of secrets. He can read the water. By looking at the color of the water, the direction of the wind, and the sound of the birds, he can say if today will be a good day or a dangerous day. No school taught him this. The sea itself taught him, and his father taught him.

The Struggle and The Lessons

His work is full of risk. Sometimes he goes 10 kilometers inside and catches nothing. Sometimes his net tears. Sometimes a big storm comes suddenly. Many fishermen have lost their boats, and some have lost their lives. But still, the next morning, he goes again. That is why we respect him.

A fisherman teaches us the greatest lessons for life:

1. Patience: In today's world we want everything fast. Fast food, fast internet, fast money. But a fisherman can wait for 5-6 hours just sitting silently with one fishing rod. He teaches us that good things take time.

2. Hard Work Without Guarantee: A software engineer works and gets a fixed salary. A fisherman works the hardest but there is no guarantee he will get anything. He teaches us to do our duty without worrying too much about the result.

3. Living With Nature, Not Against It: He never takes all the fish. Traditional fishermen like our people know to leave small fishes so they can grow. They know not to fish during breeding season. They are the real protectors of the river and sea.

4. Courage and Faith: To go alone into a huge sea in a small wooden boat needs unbelievable courage. And to go every single day believing that today will be a good catch, even after failing for a week, needs deep faith.

The Modern Problems

Today the fisherman's life is even more difficult. The water is polluted with plastic and factory waste. Big companies come with huge trawler boats and take all the fish with big machines. Due to climate change, the rains and winds have changed, and fishing has become more dangerous. The fish are becoming less and less.

Despite all this, he smiles. He comes back to shore, his children run to him, and whatever small catch he has, he shares with his family and neighbors.

Conclusion

In the end, the story of the fisherman and the sea is a love story. Sometimes the sea is angry, sometimes it is kind, but the fisherman never leaves her.

I feel so proud when I think of this. I am happy to be the daughter of a fisherman because my father is not just a man who catches fish, he is a brave man who fights with nature every day to feed his family with honesty.

This is why we should all respect fishermen. They feed the whole country.

Apeksha R. Tandel

When The Caged Bird Sings...

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou 

This book is Maya Angelou's first autobiography, covering her life from age 3 to 16. It is one of the most powerful memoirs ever written.

The Story:

Young Maya and her brother Bailey are sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. There, in the deep American South, they face the brutal reality of racism - white people treating them as less than human. Maya is a smart, sensitive child who loves reading Shakespeare and Dickens, but the world around her constantly tries to break her spirit.

Later she moves to St. Louis, San Francisco and faces even deeper trauma, including assault. After that trauma, she becomes mute for almost 5 years. She believes her voice is dangerous. During this silent period, a kind teacher named Mrs. Bertha Flowers helps her fall in love with poetry and the spoken word again. That is when the caged bird begins to sing.

Why this book is so mportant:

On Racism: It shows racism not just as a big event, but as a daily insult - how it makes a child feel ugly and unwanted. Maya's journey is about reclaiming her beauty and blackness.

On Trauma and Silence: The most moving part is how Maya stops speaking and how she heals. It teaches us that silence can be a wound, but also a place where we grow.

On Womanhood: It is about a young girl becoming a young woman in a world that does not respect either. Her courage to become a mother at 16 and still graduate is inspiring.

Writing Style: Maya's language is like music. She writes simple scenes that feel like poems. You can feel both the pain and the humor.

Final Thought for a Talented Reader:

This book is for anyone who has ever felt caged - by people, by society, by self-doubt. It tells us: You may be caged, but you were still born to sing.

Your talent, your drawing, your crafting - that is your song. Don't ever stop singing it.

Rating: 5/5 - A classic that stays with you for life.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Sharavati river and the life of fishermen

 

Photo: Raju D. Tandel

I am very connected to the Sharavati River because during the rainy season, boat do not go to sea for three months, during that time small boats go in the Sharavati waters. The Sharavati River gives us fish during the rainy season. Like my mother, the Sharavati River, I don't want to lose it. The Sharavati River is our lifeline.

Sharavati is the lifeline of Honnavar. It originates at Ambuthirtha in the Western Ghats, creates the world-famous Jog Falls, and flows 128 km to meet the Arabian Sea at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada.

Where the river meets the sea, a very fertile estuary is formed. This estuary is everything for the local fishermen. For hundreds of years, around 6000 fishermen families from Tonka, Kasarkod, Mallukurva and Honnavar have depended on it for fishing, clam collection and women-led dry-fish business.

The health of the river is directly linked to the life of fishermen. When Linganamakki and Gerusoppa dams were built, the freshwater flow changed. The river mouth shifted 3.5 km to the north. Due to change in salinity, clams, mussels and special estuary fish decreased.

Now the big discussion is about HPPL - Honnavar Private Port Limited. The company has proposed to build a private commercial port right on the sand-spit where the river meets the sea.

Concerns of fishermen:

- Space for fishing: Fishermen have expressed concern that the breakwater built for the port may affect boat movement and fish breeding grounds.

- Coastal erosion: Experts say that if the natural movement of sand is obstructed, there is a possibility of increased erosion in Tonka and Kasarkod villages.

- Environmental sensitivity: This Tonka beach had several Olive Ridley turtle nestings and dense mangrove forests. In Honnavar, the dense mangroves are not exactly on the open beach - they are inside the Sharavati estuary behind the sand-split. It is important to maintain ecological balance.

What fishermen say is - "Along with development, our livelihood and environment should also be protected."

Currently discussions and legal processes are going on regarding this project, and everyone is focused on saving the Sharavati river and the sea.

Apeksha R. Tandel

When waste turned into secret garden at Chandigarh

 The Boy Who Built A Secret Garden: Nek Chand

by Lavanya Karthik - Duckbill / Dreamers Series (48 pages, 2020)

This is part of Duckbill's Dreamers series - short, illustrated biographies for young readers.

The Story:

Before he built a world-famous garden, Nek Chand Saini was just a boy in Barian Kalan village with a dream of home. He made his first garden from sticks, stones, clay, and bits of his sister's broken bangles - inspired by his father's stories and his mother's songs.

Then Partition in 1947 forced his family to walk for 24 days into India. He became a road inspector building Chandigarh - the new planned city designed by Le Corbusier for "rules and order, straight lines and hard edges". 

While building the new city, he saw how much was being thrown away. In 1957, in a secret forest clearing near Sukhna Lake, he started collecting that waste - broken pots, glass bangles, ceramic sinks, scrap - and turning it into kings, queens, gods, monsters and animals. 

For 15 years his 40-acre garden remained a secret. When the authorities discovered it, it was threatened with demolition, but the people of Chandigarh rallied to save it. Today it is open to public since 1976 and draws visitors from across the world. 

Why it works:

Theme: It's not just about art. It's about displacement, memory, and upcycling long before it was a buzzword. Each stone is a story of Partition.

Writing: Simple, warm and engaging. Lavanya Karthik keeps the focus on Nek Chand's imagination and perseverance.

Illustrations: Mosaic-style art that mirrors the Rock Garden itself - bright, textured, made of fragments.

Perfect to inspire kids that you don't need expensive materials to create something magical - you just need to see value where others see garbage. The book also beautifully tells the importance of following a dream and the transformative power of art. 

Rating: 4/5* - A must-read if you've ever been to Chandigarh's Rock Garden or want to introduce kids to sustainable creativity.

Apeksha R. Tandel

When curiosity in birds turned life calling

The Boy Who Loved Birds - Salim Ali by Lavanya Karthik

It's part of the Dreamers series from Duckbill (Penguin). Small book - 48 pages, made for 6-9 year olds, but honestly adults love it too.

The story:

Before he became the Birdman of India, Salim Ali was just Saloo - a boy with an air-gun who loved to hunt birds.

One day he shoots a bird he cannot identify. It looks like a sparrow, but different - with a yellow throat. That mystery bothers him. That bird was the Yellow-throated Sparrow, now called Chestnut-shouldered Petronia.

To find the answer, little Saloo gathers courage and goes all the way to the Bombay Natural History Society in British-era Bombay to meet W.S. Millard. Millard doesn't scold him, he shows him the room full of stuffed birds and tells him it's a kind of sparrow. That one moment changes Saloo's life from hunting birds to watching them.

The book beautifully shows how curiosity becomes a life's calling. From a trigger-happy boy to India's first systematic bird surveyor who wrote The Book of Indian Birds (1941) with just a notebook and binoculars.

What I loved:

Art: Dark green, black and white with Mughal miniature inspired patterns. The silhouette of Saloo holding a bird against the jaali window - very striking. Each Dreamers book has a different art style.

Storytelling: Very simple text, not preachy. It doesn't hide that he was bad at maths and failed at business. It shows failure is okay if you find your wonder.

For your work: This is perfect for the Keri kids. It tells fisherfolk kids that you don't need wealth or connections to become a scientist - just observation. Like Salim, your fishermen know birds, winds, tides by watching daily. That's potential for Ornithology too.

Rating: 4.5/5  

A must-have for any small library.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Damage Caused by Honnavar Port access Road Construction to Tonka Village

Damage Observed:

* Heavy movement of trucks and machinery has caused severe dust pollution, affecting health of villagers.

* Vibrations due to construction have led to minor cracks in houses near the roadside.

* Existing village approach road is damaged, making it difficult for school children, elderly and two-wheelers to commute.

* Natural water flow / drains are blocked, leading to waterlogging in low-lying areas.

* Noise pollution and restricted access to agricultural fields.

Likely Future Damage

* Permanent damage to village houses and structures due to continuous heavy load and vibration.

* Long-term dust and air pollution leading to respiratory issues.

* Loss of agricultural land and livelihood due to dust settlement and blocked water channels.

* Increased risk of accidents due to damaged road and no proper diversions / signage.

* Groundwater and environmental impact due to improper drainage and waste dumping.

Apeksha R. Tandel

What it takes to make dream come true

Book Details:

Title: The Girl Who Climbed Mountains

Author: Lavanya Karthik

Series: Dreamers Series by Karadi Tales

Based on: Real life of Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to summit Mount Everest (1984)

Genre: Children's Biography / Inspirational Non-fiction

Pages: 40 pages, fully illustrated

The Full Story:

This book starts in a small, remote village called Nakuri in Uttarakhand, in the lap of the Himalayas. Bachendri was not your typical girl. While other girls were taught to cook and stitch, she was climbing trees, fighting with boys, and staring at the snow-covered mountains with wonder.

Her family was not rich. Her father made a living making wool, and like most families in the 1960s, they believed education for girls was a waste. But Bachendri was stubborn. She walked for hours to go to school, she studied hard, and she never let anyone tell her what a girl can or cannot do.

Her real journey started when she joined the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). Imagine this - a classroom full of strong, trained men, and one small girl from a village. Everyone doubted her. The training was brutal - carrying 20kg bags, waking up at 3 AM in -15 degree cold, learning to survive on ice. She fell, she got injured, she cried, but she never quit.

In 1984, she was selected for India's first mixed-gender Everest expedition. This was historic. On May 23, 1984, at 1:07 PM, she stood on top of the world - Mount Everest, 8,848 meters high. She was just 29 years old. She spent hours on the summit, praying and looking at the world below her feet.

This Book Stands Out:

Writing Style: Lavanya Karthik doesn't write like a boring textbook. She writes like a storyteller. The sentences are short, simple, and powerful. A 4th grader can read it, but a 40-year-old will still get emotional.

Artwork: The illustrations by Debasmita Dasgupta are stunning. The mountains look majestic, Bachendri looks fearless. Each page is a painting.

The Core Message: It's not just about climbing a mountain. It's about three big lessons:

 Gender is not a limit: Society said "girls can't climb." She climbed the highest peak in the world.

  Poverty is not an excuse: She had no money, no fancy equipment, but she had willpower.

  Dreams need discipline: Dreaming is easy, but she woke up every day at 3 AM to make it real.

Who Should Read It?

- For Kids (8-15): If your daughter ever feels scared or says "I can't do it," give her this book. It will change her.

- For Parents: To understand how to support your daughter's crazy dreams.

- For Adults: When you feel stuck in life, this 40-page book will give you more motivation than 400-page self-help books.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Recommendations:

This is not just a children's book. It's a reminder that the highest mountains are not in the Himalayas, they are inside our minds - fear, doubt, and what society says. Bachendri climbed both.

If you have this book in your hand right now, don't keep it on the shelf. Read it tonight. It will take only 30 minutes, but it will stay with you for years.

Apeksha R. Tandel

When "Lights Out" comes alive at Tonka, Honnavar

In the book Lights Out a village decides to switch off all its lights for a small sparrow. It sounds like fiction about sacrifice and kindness.

Here at Tonka-Kasarkod beach in Honnavar, Uttara Kannada, this fiction is happening for real but here, it's not for a sparrow. It's for the Olive Ridley turtle.

ALAN is deadly

ALAN is an acronym for artificial lighting at night.

1.  For mothers: Olive Ridleys nest only on dark, quiet beaches. Bright white lights from high-mast lights, harbour development and beach tourism scare the mothers away. If they feel light, they return to the sea without laying eggs.

2.  For babies: Hatchlings are born with one instinct - crawl towards the brightest light, which for millions of years was the moonlight reflecting on the sea. Today, artificial lights from the shore are brighter than the moon. The babies get disoriented, crawl towards the road and buildings, and die from exhaustion, dogs, or vehicles.

Research indicates that we must control artificial lighting along turtle nesting beaches because it disrupts hatchling orientation.

What is heartening is that the local fishermen and the forest department already understand this Lights Out philosophy. They protect the nests with green mesh, guard them from stray dogs for 45-50 days, and at night, they use dim torches to gently guide the confused hatchlings back to the sea.

Lights Out teaches us that co-existence needs sacrifice. Tonka teaches us that sacrifice is practical conservation.

If we really want to save this beach, we need planned lighting: warm amber lights instead of white Light Emitting Diode (LED), lights shielded and pointed downwards, no high-mast lights within 1 km of the nesting zone, and a complete lights-out during the nesting season from 10 PM to 4 AM.

The village in the book chose darkness to let a small bird live. Can Honnavar choose darkness to let an ancient ocean traveller live on?

This story is not just about a village in the book. Today at Tonka-Kasarkod, we need the same Lights Out for Olive Ridley turtles.

Apeksha R. Tandel