Theory of reading books!

 

Books are not made of paper; they are made of time, dreams, tears, and courage of thousands of people who lived before us. When you hold a book, you are not holding just 200 pages but 200 lives.

In today's world, everything is fast. Reels are 10 seconds, news is in headlines, friendship is in likes. But a book teaches you to slow down. It says, "Sit. Breathe. I will take you somewhere, but you have to walk with me."

A Book Never Leaves You

A phone will betray you when its battery dies. People will betray you when their time changes but a book never betrays you. You can keep it closed for 10 years, open it on the 11th year, and it will start from the exact same line where you left it, with the same love.

When you are sad at 2 AM, no friend will pick up your call but a book will. When you are alone in a new city, with no one to talk to, a book becomes your roommate, your family, your home.

It never judges. If you are poor, rich, dark, fair, topper, failure - the book talks to everyone in the same language.

The Book Sees You

In school, teachers taught us to read books. But no one taught us that books also read us.

A 10-year-old reads Harry Potter and sees magic.

A 20-year-old reads the same Harry Potter and sees friendship.

A 40-year-old reads the same book and sees sacrifice.

The book never changed. You changed. That is the miracle. A book is a mirror. You don't see the book, you see yourself inside it.

One Book Can Save a Life

We have all heard of doctors saving lives, but books also save lives. How many people who wanted to quit life, read one line - this too shall pass - and decided to live one more day?

How many lonely children found courage in comics? How many broken hearts found healing in poetry? How many poor boys found a new world because someone gave them a free old book?

A book is the cheapest ticket to travel the world. With Rs. 100, you can go to the ocean with a fisherman, to space with an astronaut, to a war with a soldier, and come back home for dinner.

Why We Are Losing Books

Today, we have information but not knowledge. We have data but not wisdom. We scroll 1000 posts a day, but we can't finish 10 pages of a book.

We say we have no time. But the truth is, we have no patience. A book demands patience. It doesn't give you the climax in the first 5 seconds. It builds you.

If you lose the habit of reading, you lose the habit of thinking deeply. And a society that cannot think deeply can be easily controlled.

My First Book

I still remember my first book. It was not costly. It's cover was torn. The pages were yellow. It was given to me by my school library teacher.

I didn't like it on day one. But on day three, I finished it at 1 AM under a small torch light because my home lights were off. I cried that night; not because the story was sad, but because I realized for the first time, someone who lived 100 years ago, wrote something that touched my heart today. That is immortality.

Since then, books became my addiction.

The Future of Books

Some people say, "Books will die, everything will be on mobile." Books will never die. The form may change - from palm leaves to paper to Kindle - but the soul will never die because humans will always need stories. We need stories to understand our own pain, to feel less lonely in this big universe.

Even after 1000 years, a mother will still read a storybook to her child to make him sleep. That is the power of a book.

Conclusion

So today, open a book. Any book. It can be a 10-page small story, a Bhagavad Gita, Qaran, Bible, a science book, or a comic.

Don't read the book to complete it. Read it to meet yourself because in the end, we will not remember how many likes we got, but we will remember that one book that changed us.

And if you have not found that one book yet, keep searching. Your book is searching for you too!

Apeksha R. Tandel

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

Lights Out For Sparrows!

Book Review: Lights Out

Author: Vibha Batra 

Illustrator: Sahitya Rani (Karadi Tales)

I read the book 'Lights Out' published by Karadi Tales in 2024. This book was selected for Parag Honour List 2024.

The book based on true story is about Karthik and his father who find a sparrow's nest with eggs inside an electrical junction box. If they switch on the street lights, the sparrow and her eggs will be electrocuted. If they keep the lights off, the whole village will be in darkness every night. Karthik is worried for the little bird family. He goes to the villagers and the panchayat and requests them to keep the lights switched off for a few weeks. At first, the villagers are hesitant, but Karthik's kindness and courage finally convince them. They all agree to live in darkness to save the sparrows.

This small story teaches a big lesson - sacrifice, kindness and co-existing with nature.

What I liked? I liked that the story is based on a true incident and gives a big message of kindness in simple words. The illustrations are beautiful and make us feel the darkness.

What I didn't like? The book is very short, only 36 pages. I wanted to read more about what happened after the eggs hatched.

Conclusion: 'Lights Out' is a must-read book that inspires us to protect sparrows and live with nature. I will recommend this book to all my friends.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Refugees Are Not Unwelcome People

Book Review: Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing / Riverhead Books

Illustration:  Dan Williams

Sea Prayer is a short and powerful book written by Khaled Hosseini, the famous author of The Kite Runner. This book was published in 2018 and was inspired by the true story of Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian refugee boy who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in September 2015 while trying to reach Europe.

The story is written as a letter from a father to his son Marwan. They are on a cold, moonlit beach waiting for a small boat to take them across the sea. The father remembers their old home in Homs, Syria before the war. He remembers Marwan's mother singing, the farm full of life, and how children turned bomb craters into swimming holes. Then the war came and destroyed everything. Now they are refugees with other people from Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Eritrea and Syria. The father is scared because he knows how deep, vast and indifferent the sea is, but he holds his son's hand and prays that the sea will know that his son is a precious cargo.

What I like: I like the emotional power of this book. Even though it has only 48 pages, it tells a whole life story. The language is very simple and poetic. The watercolor illustrations by Dan Williams show both sadness and hope very beautifully. It teaches us the pain of refugees and the love of a father.

What I don't like: I feel the book is too short. I wanted to know what happened to Marwan and his father after the journey. But maybe that is the point - the journey of thousands of refugees does not have a clear ending.

Why it is my favourite: This is my favourite book because it taught me empathy. It made me understand that refugees are not unwelcome people, they are just people searching for a safe home. Also, all the money from this book goes to help refugees, which makes it even more special.

Apeksha R. Tandel

From 07 to 117: My Journey with books!

Who I Am: A Dancer with a Second World

My name is Apeksha R. Tandel and I am a choreographer. Many people know me for my dance. I love to perform on stage, I love the lights and the music. But when I come back home, I enter into another world — the world of books. I am still learning English. It is not easy, but books are making it easy for me.

The Beginning: Just 07 Books and a Big Dream

I still remember the day I started. I had only 7 books. I kept them very clean and arranged them neatly. I would read them again and again. My dream was very big; I wanted to build my own small library.

The Dream Comes True: My Library of 117 Books

And today, that dream has come true. I have 117 books! For me, a book is not just paper and ink. As I have written on my wall with my own hand: Book is my Friend, Book is my Teacher, Book is my Happiness, Book is my Everything.

My Two Precious Jewels

This journey is not mine alone. I have two kinds of jewels in my life. First is my book collection. Second is the people who made this collection possible. My family and my dear best friends they are the most important and precious jewels of my entire life. They trusted me, they encouraged me when I felt low, and they gifted me the world of knowledge.

What Books Taught Me

Every single book taught me something. One book taught me a new English word, another gave me a new thought, and another showed me a completely new world. My most favourite book is 'Sea Prayer' by Khaled Hosseini, who also wrote 'The Kite Runner'. That small book touched my heart deeply.

My New Dream: Apeksha's Reading Club

And now, a new dream has begun. I have started a small reading club named 'Apeksha's Reading Club' located at Tonka, Kasarkod, Honnavar'.

Every Saturday and Sunday, my friends and little children come to my library to read books. I tell them moral stories, and they listen with so much happiness and excitement. Seeing their smiling faces is my greatest joy.

My next dream is to induct many more new storybooks especially for children into my library, so that more children can come, read, and grow.

The Journey Continues...

From a choreographer who only knew dance steps, to a person who now lives among 117 books — this journey has taught me one thing: If you have a passion and if you have good people standing behind you, you can achieve anything.

This is not the end. My next goal is 500 books. This is just the beginning.

Apeksha R. Tandel

Fisherman: A Life of Courage and Dignity

A fisherman is not just a man with a net. He is a warrior of the sea.  

Every morning before sunrise, while the world sleeps, the fisherman wakes up. He goes to the river or the sea with hope in his heart and courage in his hands.

Fishing is not an easy job. The sea is both a mother and a teacher. Sometimes it gives a big catch. Sometimes it gives nothing. Sometimes it tests you with big waves and storms. But the fisherman never gives up. He learns patience, hard work, and faith from the water.

In villages like Tonka near Honnavar, fishing is not just a job. It is life. The father teaches the son how to steer the boat. The mother prays on the shore. The whole family lives by the rhythm of the tide.

A fisherman feeds thousands of people. Yet he asks for very little. His wealth is not in money. His wealth is in the sunrise he sees, the salt on his hands, and the respect he earns.

We must respect fishermen. They risk their lives so that we can have food on our plates.  

The dignity of a fisherman is written not in rupees, but in the waves he conquers every day.

Apeksha R. Tandel

The First Man Awake: A Fisherman’s Story

3:00 AM

The city is asleep. Streetlights are still on.  

But in the coastal villages, one house has light.  

He is already up. The first man 

No coffee machine. No commute.  

Just a flask of tea, a prayer, and a boat that’s waiting.

His name won’t be in headlines today.  

But without him, there would be no headlines about food prices tomorrow.

The Sea Doesn’t Negotiate

He checks the sky, not an app.  

His grandfather taught him: read sky in morning, take warning.  

His phone has two bars. The loan app has reminders.

He goes anyway.  

Because four people at home are counting on him.  

Because the middleman already advanced money.  

Because if he doesn’t go today, the net stays empty tomorrow.

When the sea is calm, he is a provider.  

When the sea is angry, he is a gambler with his life.  

Cyclones don’t ask for ID cards. Waves don’t care about EMIs.

The Invisible Supply Chain

By 10 AM his catch is in the market.  

By 1 PM it’s on your plate.  

From boat → auction → truck → market → hotel → you.  

Five hands touch it. He gets the smallest share.  

We talk about “food security” in AC rooms.  

He creates it with salt on his skin and sleep in his eyes.

What He’s Really Carrying

It’s not just fish.  

It’s loans.  

It’s a daughter’s school fees.  

It’s the fear that the sea will be empty for his son.  

It’s plastic in the net. It’s fuel prices. It’s rules made far from the shore.

He doesn’t ask for charity.  

He asks for 3 things:  

Respect. Fair price. A future.

 This Is Our Story Too

The fisherman is called unskilled labor in reports but he can read wind, tide, moon, and cloud.  

That’s a PhD written in experience.

The next time you scroll past news about “fisheries policy” or “marine heatwaves,”  

remember the first man who was awake.  

His struggle is not just a coastal issue.  

It’s a food issue. A climate issue. A human issue.

If his boat sinks, our food system shakes.  

If his daughter gets an education, our coast gets stronger.

Closing remarks

He leaves before we wake up.  

He risks so we can eat.  

The least we can do is see him.

He is not just a fisherman.  

He is the first man awake for all of us.

Apeksha R. Tandel

My school! My foundation!

The name of the school I studied in is H.P.S Mallukurva Government Higher Primary School, Mallukkurva Tonka, Honnavar, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka. This school is the foundation of my life.

1. School Environment

Our school is surrounded by greenery. On the way to school we can see coconut trees and fields on both sides. The school campus is very clean. We have a big playground, classrooms, a library, and drinking water facilities.

2. Teachers and Learning  

Our teachers treated us like their own children. They taught every subject with love and with real-life examples. Along with Maths, Science, Kannada and English, they also told us moral stories. They always encouraged us saying, "If you study hard, you can achieve big things in life."

3. My Favorite Teacher and Subject

My favorite teacher was our *English teacher*. She spoke English very well and taught us grammar through stories. She explained difficult words in a simple way. My favorite subject was also *English*. Because I learned English, I got the courage to read new books and dream big. Every good thing my English teacher taught me was still in my mind. Now I am continuing my English journey. I am very happy.

4. School Programs

We celebrated Independence Day, Republic Day, Teachers' Day and Children's Day with great enthusiasm. Annual sports meet, essay competitions, and drawing competitions were conducted every year. Participating in these programs built confidence in us.

5. Friends and Memories 

My school friends were my first team. Eating lunch together, playing games, and even getting scolded by teachers are all sweet memories now. The mid-day meal break was our favorite time.

6. Contribution of the School

It is from this school that I learned to read and write. I learned discipline, punctuality, and respect for others here. This school gave wings to my dreams.

Conclusion:  

Government Higher Primary School, Mallukkurva Tonka is my second home. The role of this school and my teachers in my success is very big. Every moment here taught me valuable lessons for life. Wherever I go in life, I will never forget this school and the days I spent here.

      Apeksha R. Tandel

The Book - A Human's Best Friend 📚

A room without books is like a body without a soul

Introduction

In a world of phones, reels, and AI, one thing still has more power than all of them combined - A Book.  

A book is silent, but it speaks. It is small, but it carries entire universes inside it. That’s why people call it The best friend of mankind.

Why Books Are Still Important in 2026

1. Books are a Mental Gym 

   Scrolling gives dopamine. Reading gives depth. A book improves focus, memory, vocabulary and critical thinking. Thirty minutes of reading daily equals a year of experience from someone else’s life.

2. Books are Time Machines

   With one book you can go to 1800s London, to Mars in 2050, or inside the mind of a scientist, king, or farmer. No ticket needed.

3. Books are Stress Killers

   Studies show reading for just 6 minutes reduces stress by 68%. More than music, more than walking. When the world is noisy, a book gives you peace.

4. Books Build Character 

   Phones show you what to think. Books teach you how to think. They teach empathy, patience, and courage through stories.

Problems Today

1.  Short Attention Span: People prefer 30-sec videos instead of 300-page books.

2.  Expensive Books: Real paper books are costly. Many students can’t afford them.

3.  Less Reading Culture: Libraries are empty. But cafes are full.

The Future of Books

Books are not dying. They are evolving.  

Paper books = for peace and deep reading  

E-books & Audiobooks = for speed and convenience  

The format may change, but the content will never die. AI can write, but it cannot replace the feeling of turning a real page.

Conclusion

A phone gets outdated in one year.  

A trend dies in one week.  

But a good book stays with you for a lifetime.

If you want to be rich in mind, start with books.  

If you want to be rich in life, start with books.  

          Apeksha R. Tandel

Fishers are Backbone of the Coast

If farmers are the backbone of the land, fishers are the backbone of the sea

Introduction

A fisher is not just a person who catches fish. He is the provider, the risk-taker, and the guardian of our oceans. From early dawn to late night, a fisher battles the waves to bring food to millions of tables.

Daily Life and Hard Work

The day of a fisher starts at 3 AM. With nets, boats, and hope, they go deep into the sea. The sea is both their workplace and their biggest challenge. Storms, big waves, lack of fish, and rising diesel prices make their job very tough. Yet they go again the next day. 

Fishing is not just a job, it’s a tradition passed down for generations. Fathers teach sons how to read the wind, the clouds, and the color of the water.

Problems Faced by Fishers

1. Climate Change: Unpredictable weather and cyclones destroy boats.

2. Overfishing & Pollution: Plastic and chemicals are killing marine life.

3. Low Income: Middlemen take most of the profit. Fishers get very little.

4. Lack of Facilities: Cold storage, proper harbors, and insurance are still missing in many villages.

Importance to Society  

Without fishers, there is no fish curry, no export, no seafood industry. India is the 2nd largest fish producing country in the world. Crores of people depend on fishing directly and indirectly. 

Government Support & Future 

Schemes like PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, Kisan Credit Card for fishers, and modern boats are helping. But more training, insurance, and fair market rates are needed.

Conclusion 

A fisher’s life is full of struggle but also pride. They feed the nation while risking their own lives. Respecting a fisher means respecting the sea and the food on our plate.  

                Apeksha R.Tandel

Don’t Waste Food: Every Bite Counts

Food is not just something we eat. It’s the result of a farmer’s hard work, water, land, and time. Yet every day, tons of food are thrown away around the world. 

Why is food waste a big problem?

1. Hunger still exists- While 1 in 9 people go to bed hungry, we waste nearly 1/3 of all food produced globally.

2. Money loss - Wasting food means wasting the money you spent to buy it.

3. Harms the planet - Rotting food in landfills produces methane, a gas that makes global warming worse. Growing food also uses a lot of water and energy.

How does food get wasted?

- At home: Cooking too much, forgetting leftovers in the fridge, buying more than we need

- At restaurants/hotels: Big buffet portions, uneaten plates

- During festivals: Cooking extra and throwing it away

- At farms/shops: Damaged vegetables and fruits that look “imperfect”

5 Easy Ways to Stop Wasting Food

1. Plan before you buy - Make a grocery list. Buy only what you need.

2. Cook smart - Take less on your plate first. You can always take more.

3. Store properly - Keep vegetables, fruits, and leftovers in airtight containers so they stay fresh longer.

4. Use leftovers creatively - Yesterday’s rice can become fried rice. Stale bread can become bread crumbs.

5. Respect food - Remember the farmer who grew it. In India we say _“Anna Daata Sukhi Bhava”_ - May the one who gives food be happy.

The Bigger Lesson

When we waste food, we disrespect nature and the people who work hard to bring it to us. Saving food is not just about saving money. It’s about being responsible and caring.

Small action, big impact

Next time before you throw food, ask: “Can someone else eat this? Can I use it differently?”  

If every family saves just a little food each day, we can feed many hungry people and protect our Earth.

       Apeksha R Tandel

A Leaked Paper Is Not Worth A Life

To every NEET aspirant and their families

1. Dear Student

I know what you’re feeling right now. Anger. Helplessness. Fear.  

Months of study, mock tests, sacrifices — and then the news: "NEET paper leaked."  

It feels like your hard work was stolen. Like your future is unfair.

But please listen: No one can leak your discipline. No one can leak your growth. No one can leak YOU.

A paper can be reprinted. A test can be reconducted. Your life cannot. 

If your mind is saying I’m a burden" or "What’s the point— that is stress lying to you. You are not a burden. Your dream is not over. You are bigger than one exam.

2. Dear Parents

We see your sacrifice. The loans. The coaching fees. The nights you stayed awake worrying.  

You did all this because you love your child and believe in their dream but your child is not a marksheet. Your child is not a rank.  

The biggest success is not a medical seat. It’s your child alive, safe, and hopeful.

Tell them: We took the loan for you, not for a paper. We are proud of you no matter what.

Money can be earned back. A child cannot.

3. This is not your fault

If the system failed, that failure does not define you. You chose the honest path. You showed up.  

Authorities are accountable. Investigations happen. Re-exams happen. Students have changed things facing them by standing together peacefully.

Don’t let panic make decisions. Focus on what you can control: your health, your preparation, your next step.

4. Your life has many paths

Doctor, researcher, therapist, public health worker — there are many ways to heal people and serve.  

Your compassion and resilience matter more than one day, one paper.

--- Apeksha R Tandel