Editorial
This year our much anticipated college magazine, Sparkle, is based on the theme of environment. At this juncture of anxiety when the world has turned inwards, confined to limited spaces, following the protocols of a prolonged hibernation, our students explore “wilderness” and the spaces outside. They engage in an opulent odyssey of the nature at a time when simple human pleasures like taking a stroll in the afternoon or going to meet our friends seem unlikely and implausible.
The pandemic has suspended many certainties but undoubtedly on the other side of this suspension, this world (that we are certain we know) will not remain the same. Systems, relations, concepts, policies – all our previous notions will undergo certain qualitative, if not quantitative, transformation. It is indeed necessary then, to look back at our relations with the environment, to understand what we know of it now, what we can do about it and what we cannot–in consideration of the unforeseen that can arrive as an existential threat any moment, if we are not careful of our treatment.
The effort needed to rebuild our system, from the unprecedented crash has to be collective and participatory, just like how many contributors come together for an edition such as this, and accumulatively work towards its fruition. The confinement that we are now subjected to may have its own share of suffering. Nonetheless, it has also allowed us to work on our talents, as many young thinkers, story tellers, poets, artists and photographers have utilised the time, developing their skills and contributing to this edition of Sparkle. In these strange times, we explore our connections to the natural world, the roles, experiences, desires, necessities and our short comings – in an attempt to reconsider our positions, re-evaluate the ways in which we can approach our habitat, strengthen our bonds and proceed towards lending a hand to those who actively work in favour of the environment.
Dr Suvradip Dasgupta,
Assistant Professor
&
Mr Anik Sarkar,
Assistant Professor
