Lockdown Diaries: Oli Khan’s Surma Takeaway to distribute thousands of free hot meals to frontline workers in the UK
The holy month of Ramadan 2020 will be remembered in history for coinciding with one of the worst pandemics of all time, and this has changed the way Ramadan is being observed globally this year. However this has not dampened the spirit of compassion and generosity during this sacred time. Celebrated chef Oli Khan FRSA and Surma takeaway in Stevenage have...
Of poetry and lockdown diaries
As a writer, raconteur and storyteller, I like to find my material, my stories in the real world. I then imbue them with a setting, a context and characters that find a voice to cut across the real and bring to life a message in my work that needs to be repeated constantly. My most recent work which came...
Yoga helping refugees and immigrants to a better quality of life
It might feel like a tired cliché but the New Year is often a good time to find the inspiration and try new things, in particular hobbies or habits that improve your quality of life. Yoga is a popular way to stay fit and flexible at any age, and Mona Flynn, an award-winning and local yoga teacher, has been...
MCR Uni engages with Bengalis to promote peoples’ traditional music
Manchester University enhanced its engagement with the South Asian diaspora at a recently held workshop on live performances of Bengali folk music. Manchester University academicians and art historians from Modern India and humanities departments, engaged proactively with the South Asian diaspora in Manchester through an event and workshop: SINGING HERITAGE: AN AFTERNOON OF BENGALI FOLK SONG PERFORMANCE, in end July....
Powerful Pride documentary Legendary Children [All Of Them Queer] streaming very soon
LEGENDARY CHILDREN 48 min | Documentary Short | United KingdomDir: Rob Falconer Legendary Children is a powerful and timely documentary that shares the stories of many of the original Gay Liberation Front (GLF) pioneers of the 1972 and first European Pride event, interviewing them at the 50th anniversary Pride march in London 2022. We originally covered the film in more depth when it...
Equal rights for LGBT+ communities in India and Hong Kong still remains a far-cry
Leading publications in India and Hong Kong have recently reported on the legal challenges against discrimination of LGBT+ people in these countries. The battle for civil rights is far from over in India, where the Supreme Court de-criminalised same-sex relationships and discrimination against the entire Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community, through Article 377 in September last year...
India by the Bay – celebrating Indian culture in Hong Kong
Co-Presented by Teamwork Arts, in partnership with Asia Society Hong Kong Center and supported by the Consulate General of India in Hong Kong, India by the Bay returns for its sixth edition from February 14 to 19, 2020. The cultural landscape in Hong Kong has developed rapidly in the past decade with new venues, programming, art fairs, music concerts and it was the perfect time to introduce...
Unique Indian spirituality paintings to be exhibited at the Nehru Centre
Sushma Johari Madan is a spiritual artist, incorporeal teacher and the author of two books on Indian mythology. Sushma's exclusive collection of paintings titled “Ancient beliefs or Science?” will be showcased at the Nehru Centre for the first time from 22 to 25 July. The event is open to all and Sushma encourages everyone to take time out to...
Stories of immigrants from Kentucky Refugee Ministries in Lexington
I recently had the opportunity to work with an organization based in Kentucky called Kentucky Refugee Ministries. The company works with refugees who relocate to Kentucky, trying to help them get their way around their new homes. KRM (Kentucky Refugee Ministries) works to provide them with resources like jobs, medical appointments, and homes, getting a driver’s license or learning...
Kumartuli saga 2020: the hands that shape the Gods
The word ‘unprecedented times’ perhaps has found a new definition, since the Coronavirus pandemic hit different parts of the world since December last year. Among all the turmoil caused, the pandemic has changed the Durga Puja festival, the biggest celebrations for Hindu Bengalis around the world, where they gather for five days to seek the powerful matriarchal blessings of...
