Meet and Greet with Nirmal Ghosh

Learning Forward Podcast Season 10 Episode 15

Nature has its way of calling upon us, but we often ignore those rare signs. We build homes in seclusion away from the abode of wildlife and nature; when we can live peacefully together, why are we so adamant about living apart? Consider this beautiful conversation where Nirmal Ghosh deciphers his book, ‘Blue Sky, White Cloud: Three Novellas’. Our anthropocentric behaviour has indeed broken the typical bond of friendship between nature and us. Learn and reinforce to reconnect with our roots.

Nirmal Ghosh  - Author of ‘Blue Sky, White Cloud: Three Novellas.’
Anvesha Rana - Host from Gyanshree School
Rishona Chopra and Sandeep Dutt join in as guests.

There was a lot to learn, and there is now a lot to reinforce, but the lifeline remains that beauty lies in simplicity; we might try to complex situations, but deep down, we are all the same man who used to live with nature to now the man who has built homes in seclusion away from the abode of wildlife and nature.

We are the only species with the power to share our feelings with the world, and we should use this power wisely.

Nirmal addresses some interesting questions:

It is vital to write about what we know simply for authenticity, so what was your process of writing these three novellas, what set off that spark, and how did you go about it?

What do you believe is the key to establishing a relationship with our environment, and how did you do it?

Blue Sky White Cloud is a heart-touching tale that echoes a powerful message of empathy and compassion. Amidst all you do, sir, how do you continue fostering your passion for writing?

Talking about ‘Blue Sky, White Cloud’ is a compilation of three novellas. A novella is a short novel, and this tale revolves around the lives of three distinct animals who live in varying geographies and current independent views. Still, somehow deep down, they are all interconnected.

There is more; this is a heart-warming podcast filled with empathy for nature, real life-changing moments and how humans must learn to respect nature.

Listen to the podcast on www.DilJeeto.com, Spotify or your favourite Podcast App.

Conquering new frontiers in space with Slooh

Reimagine how you teach astronomy with Slooh's Online Telescopes. Space is a vast wilderness. Slooh is like a national park with trails and guides.

Explore space in real-time from your home using Slooh online telescopes. Learn about the different objects in our solar system, track asteroids and deep sky objects like nebulas, galaxies, etc. Teachers, Students, and Astronomers can work together to observe and photograph astronomical objects.

Replace City Lights with Starlight
Siddhant Abani, our Slooh India Youth Ambassador and Intern at 
My Good School will help you navigate the spaceship!

Light the candle - Rishona Chopra

We all aim for change, but why do we always look and aim for the sky? Why don't we look around and notice the changes needed around us?

Many have progressed towards changes, massive changes whose impact is left noticed. Have we cleared the ground before aiming for the sky? We make changes that are called "a benefit", but those changes affect the ground effect of Mother Earth. We all think of infrastructural changes but have we noticed that Mother Earth is the one that needs the change? We don't need the changes that worsen the state of mother Earth. 

Can we light the candle to save something we depend on more than anything and everything? When Mother Earth did nothing but give, can we at least put effort into a thank you? If everyone lights one candle, the entire Earth will shine. 
 
Rishona Chopra
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Your Hypothetical Me - Reveda Bhatt

Who am I? Reveda

Well, you knew that.

But seriously, if you think you know who I am, just read forward and believe me, in the end, you wouldn’t be sure.

Okay, let’s talk about the ME in your perspective.

To those who think I am very sweet and all that, see, you’ve never seen my darker side.

To those who think I am the one who always wilts the corner of her lip, being sad, well, maybe you didn’t give me a chance to smile.

To those who think I’m the obedient one, sorry but you’ve not seen my mischiefs.

To those who think I’m as hard as a rock, maybe you’ve never seen me break down.

So, all I am saying is DON’T CREATE AN OPINION ABOUT ME because I’m not the bird who’ll be happy and fulfilling in that particular cage of yours, I am the one which flies high in the limitless sky owing no boundaries. Either way, if I come out of that cage, which I will, it’ll hurt you and make you think, reframing-believe, that what you knew was only a bit of my soul. Please know that if I’m acting distinctly with you than before, it’s not because of the change in my nature but because of the change in yours. Maybe there’s something in you that made me change, change as in care a little less or not care at all. 

If you don’t like the way I am,

I don’t give a damn.

If I like myself,

You are no one in the heck to change me,

In fact, you can’t even try to.

If you like the way I am,

Please stop yourself from that,

Because when I change my colour, I don’t want anyone to tell me that it was better before.

It’s my life, so if you want to come into it in the dark, keep in mind that the torch is in my hand and you are nobody to turn it around or switch it off!

Reveda Bhatt

Grade IX

The Aryan School, Dehradun

A Miracle In The Sky - Rishona Chopra

Miracles are those little blessings God showers on us. It is that magic in our life that protects us. 

While sitting on my balcony, I saw the sky and thought maybe it was a miracle in heaven. Perhaps something good is on our way. If we fall off a swing and get a fracture but heal soon, that is a miracle. Not everybody heals soon and lives their life, but some do, and those who do have a miracle in their life. Perhaps your life was sad, but a strange, cute puppy made you happy. That puppy is a miracle. 

If you didn't study for an exam but passed, that is a miracle. (Do study for your exams, though)! Miracles may come as challenges, but miracles make us stronger. There is always a miracle in one's life. Maybe it is really small; you just need to have the courage to see it.

Rishona Chopra

Grade VI

Gyanshree School

My Ambition - Yashraj Sharma

People always call me a curious boy

Who is interested in asking why

And due to my why, I may 

Become a famous guy.

With some surprising ambition

To become a scientist.

I want to know why wood should float

And why lead and marble sink

Why does the wind blow

And why do we all eat and drink?

I want to know what makes clouds

And why they snake across the sky

Why does the Sun set behind the hill

And why do all flowers die?

I want to know why fish have gills. 

And why the Earth has hills?

Why can boys not fly?

And why does rain fall from the sky?

I want to know why charcoal gives smoke.

And it's not the same for stones.

Some of my why's are not hard to answer.

If you will try, but no one ever yet

Has found the reason for my ambition-

Why?

Yashraj Sharma 

8D Gyanshree School

The Butterfly - Rishona, Mahir, Kabeer, Diva and Anisha

A butterfly roaming in the flower sector,
Going flower to flower to collect some nectar.
They fly with their colourful silky wings,
They fly when the nightingale sings.

Oh! How beautiful it is when its colours shine!
And when I catch it, it will always stay mine.

When it flies around me,
It's so glorious, I see.
Oh, what a joy it is, a butterfly.
I know it will never lie.

They fly so high,
It feels like they could touch the sky.
Pretty and sweet,
Always clean and neat.

In the end, butterflies are amazing creatures,
They have so many beautiful features.

Rishona, Mahir, Kabeer, Diva and Anisha
Grade VI
Gyanshree School

Interview with an elephant - Rishona Chopra

 Hi! Today I am going to be interviewing Ms Cloud. Let’s all welcome her with a round of applause.

Mrs Cloud: Thank you, but just a small thing, my name is not Cloud. In fact, it’s Ms. Elephant.

Interviewer: Oh! I am so sorry. So let us welcome Ms Elephant. So Ms Elephant, please tell us your journey to become a cloud.

Mrs Elephant: I was an elephant at first. I was living my life happily. I loved to dance, and I still do, but then the poachers, those evil mindless creatures…killed me. I was a perfect soul, and as I entered heaven, I always had this divine light surrounding me, and you can see I still have that light. So I remain in the sky, which is heaven, but for humans, the sky and I keep roaming around there having fun without any poachers to disturb me.

Interviewer: That is an interesting story, and those poachers who hurt you are indeed mindless creatures. Moving on to the next question, do you like being a cloud?

Mrs Elephant: Oh yes! I love being there. I get to meet so many elephants and animals and even humans. The only bad part is that when thunderstorms come, those spirits who have done sins come, and they are so dark in colour! They look scary.

Interviewer: I can imagine. The last question is would you like to continue being a cloud or be an elephant on Earth.

Mrs Elephant: I am in two minds about this. Being a cloud, you are mostly safe, with no poachers around, but if you are unlucky, you might crash into an aeroplane! On the other hand, on Earth, you get to see and feel nature in an entirely different way, and you can bathe in rivers and have fun with other animals in a pretty different way. So I am not so sure.

Interviewer: It’s good that you know the advantages and disadvantages of both places. That was a fantastic interview. Also, it must be telling the poachers something that people have become clouds because of them!!  Rishona Chopra
Grade V
Gyanshree School