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Indian Express
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Amitav Ghosh's Wild Fictions is a heartfelt essay collection on how climate crises are shaping human activity
Amitav Ghosh's collection of essays, Wild Fictions, is an invitation to be part of the author's journey as he seeks ways for a more caring and humane world. They traverse Ghosh's arc as a writer who has cast a critical eye on the ways human societies relate to themselves and the environment. He questions certitudes on civilisation, progress and Eurocentric modernity and problematises the links of postcolonial societies with their colonial past. In his recent works, Ghosh has tried to join the dots between the world of the past three hundred years and perhaps the gravest challenge of our times — climate change. The world, as he puts it, quoting the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci, is entering a 'time of monsters', when an old era is dying and a new one is struggling to be born. 'But the monsters that Gramsci had in mind were political creatures — fascists. What is distinctive about our time is that its monsters also consist of weather events that would have been considered improbable in Gramsci's time — supercharged storms, megadroughts, catastrophic rain bombs and the like'. Ghosh is aware of the pitfalls of a cause-and-effect narrative. He was trained as an anthropologist, but it's well known that the writer is adept at looking at events through the eyes of a historian, environmentalist and climate scientist. Like his works of fiction, the essays showcase what Ghosh is best at — lending an attentive ear to migrants, sailors, soldiers, tribal communities, friends, neighbours. He isn't a passive interlocutor, but a seeker who scans archives, diaries and correspondences and reaches out to his respondents to draw out the complexities of their experiences. He is alert to the changes brought out by the developments in communication technology and, most importantly, does not shy away from showing that the ecological is political. As with his works of fiction, the reader is struck by the wealth of Ghosh's research. Those acquainted with his fiction will find familiar characters — Deeti from The Sea of Poppies (2008), the seafaring community Lascars from the Ibis trilogy, the legend of Bon Bibi from The Hungry Tide (2004). At times, the writer lets the reader make connections. For instance, in one essay, he observes the tragedy of 9/11 through the eyes of friends — among them. architects of the Twin Towers — as one of them gives up his life trying to evacuate people from the crumbling skyscraper. In another essay at a different part of this collection, he gets a ringside view of the incident from his daughter who sees the buildings coming down from her classroom. The incident evokes memories of research he had conducted 20 years ago in Egypt as a doctoral student in Anthropology. The 'uncanny feeling' deepens when he learns that Mohammad Atta, the leader of the 9/11 attack teams, hailed from the same region where he had done field work — 'indeed his ancestral village was closely connected with the places I had worked'. What makes people undertake arduous and expensive journeys across continents? Hope of a better life? Displacement? The force of ideology? Community memory? Ghosh's fiction abounds with such curiosity, and inevitably, the quest occupies a major part of this essay collection as well. Like in his novels, he eschews easy answers to underline that migrants — whether they are from the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, West Asia — could bear scars of the past and also enrich their host cultures with their ideas and enterprise. A delightful essay — some of it, a reprise of a section in The Sea of Poppies — contemplates the etymology of the word 'banyan'. Ghosh scorns marketers who try to brand the garment as 'a sleeveless undershirt', 'singlet' or vest. Instead, he tries to find connections between the eponymous tree, the bania, the traveller, sailor and nawabs, and then locates the changing fortunes of the garment in the country's economic trajectory. Wild Fictions is about migration, ecological crises and conversations of Ghosh with fellow writers and academics. It's also a travel book — about the journeys of communities, commodities and ideas. But if there's one thing that unites the essays, it's Ghosh's criticism of Eurocentric modernity. In an exchange with historian Dipesh Chakrabarty, he draws links with modernity, colonialism and racism. In other essays, he asserts that current crises — whether events such as 9/11, the discomfiture with migrants in some parts of the world, the climate and ecological challenges — have to do with power structures created by modernity. Ghosh isn't against modernity per se, but he does seem to believe that European hegemony has foreclosed alternative imaginations of progress. Ghosh doesn't engage much with the large corpus of scholarly engagement with modernity. But in many ways, the writer is like Manmohan Mitra, the protagonist of Satyajit Ray's trenchant critique of the modern civilisation, Agantuk (1991) – a seeker who amplifies the moral voice of some of his protagonists. He draws attention to myriad forms of inequalities — between humans and nature, between different worldviews, nations and peoples. And, he does so gently, without even a sentence in anger.
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, May 15th: On TikTok teachers, dereliction, power and money addicts
Sir, – I read your recent article on TikTok teachers with growing unease (' Meet the TikTok teachers – and their surprising predictions for the Leaving Cert ', Education, May 13th). While it is encouraging to see educators engaging students through popular platforms, this trend raises deeper questions about what we value in education and what we may be losing. The rise of exam-focused influencers, with their bite-sized hacks and algorithm-boosted predictions, reflects an increasingly transactional view of learning. It reduces education to short-term performance strategies, exam shortcuts and curated content designed for engagement rather than understanding. In doing so, it reinforces the already unhealthy obsession with grades while sidelining the kind of slow, reflective, critical thinking that education should foster. There's also something troubling about how the popularity of a teacher is now mediated through social media metrics. When pedagogical credibility becomes synonymous with likes and views, we risk replacing thoughtful educators with charismatic content creators. Antonio Gramsci reminded us that hegemony is not just maintained through force, but through culture – through what people come to accept as common sense. If we are not careful, a generation will come to believe that real learning is something that happens online in 30 seconds, and the purpose of education is to win the game of exams, not to understand the world. – Yours, etc, READ MORE GAVIN REDDIN, Swords, Co Dublin. Stark failings on infrastructure Sir, – Arthur Beesley and John McManus describe the failure to provide infrastructure in stark terms (May 14th). They cite Uisce Éireann and the Greater Dublin Drainage project, EirGrid, the passenger cap at Dublin Airport and the Ardee bypass, the National Maternity Hospital, social and affordable housing in Ringsend, wind farms and MetroLink. Both refer to the problems of planning as favourite culprits in this failure, particularly referring to individuals standing in the way of the common good. This has never been a real factor. With the exception of EirGrid, whose problems are of resources, the failure lies firmly with the leadership of the infrastructure providers, not with the citizens who occasionally attempt to hold their power to account. It would take too long to analyse all the examples cited, but looking at just two of the failures, the passenger cap was a condition of planning permission granted in 2007; the DAA had more than 15 years to address it but did not. Metro North was actually granted planning permission in 2011 and that permission was allowed to lapse. Effective leaders take responsibility for their actions and unite people with a shared vision, working together to overcome vested interests. Without gifted leadership, we would not have been able to tackle the financial crisis nor the pandemic. We would not have the IFSC and the Dublin docklands. Ardnacrusha was the gift of the leadership of a young Irish engineer in the 1930s. It's time that we stopped blaming the citizen for failure. The responsibility lies with the leaders of the infrastructure organisations, who should be capable of carrying out their tasks. – Yours, etc, ROBIN MANDAL, chair Dublin Democratic Planning Alliance, Blackrock, Co Dublin. Sir, – There is something profoundly wrong with Ireland. From the politically engineered housing crisis to the absurdly dysfunctional planning system, we seem incapable of delivering even the most basic public infrastructure, whether it's public or active transport, healthcare or community amenities. There is no political leadership or ambition, and there is no accountability. Every time I visit another European country, the contrast becomes starker, and the dysfunction at home even more glaring. We deserve so much better. – Yours, etc, OLA LØKKEN NORDRUM, Dublin 4. Money and power addicts Sir, – I agree with Prof Ian Robertson's piece about the pursuit of money shaping US politics and the love of money being an addiction (' Want to understand what money does to your brain? Look at this photo ', Opinion, May 11th). 'Money and power addicts readily dispense with values that they seemed to hold, so that they can feed their habit,' he writes. There is a great paradoxical lesson to learn with this understanding. Money and power addicts do not have power over the choices they make as the addiction has authority over them. They have, in fact, lost their power to the addiction. Paradoxically, money and power is their master rather than their servant. I live in hope that we become more aware of this lesson. Perhaps the world has taken the wrong road to the right place! – Yours, etc, ELAINE BYRNE, Ballinteer, Dublin 16. Scourge of dereliction A chara, – Does it not say it all when the lobbying body for the construction industry owns a derelict building that collapses in the centre of Dublin? (' Collapsed Victorian cottage in Ranelagh is owned by Construction Industry Federation ', News, May 12th.) The fact that a reported derelict building in a prime area, served by sustainable transport, services, schools, employment and social outlets can be allowed to occupy a site for so long is scandalous. When will this Government enforce and address dereliction in our existing urban centres and stem our unsustainable suburbanisation of the country? – Is mise le meas, COLM WALSH, Rathmines, Dublin 6. Catastrophe in Gaza Sir, – There are children dying every day in Gaza . These are children who should get to live, play, learn and grow up. Right now they are dying because Israel is choosing to starve them and the international community has decided to stand idly by. I cannot understand it. I cannot believe that the world's leaders can watch and continue to act as normal towards any nation who would treat humans in such a deplorable way. How abandoned and distraught must Palestinian people feel, to know that the world watches and does nothing? Where has our humanity gone? Words are not enough, real actions are needed by our leaders. – Yours, etc, GRAINNE FARRELL, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Sir, – Taoiseach Micheál Martin in recent statements on the catastrophe in Gaza has reiterated his call for the implementation of the 'two-state solution' (' Taoiseach Micheál Martin accuses Israel of war crime over blocking of aid entering Gaza ', News, May 6th). This is fine as political rhetoric but the Government appears to be in danger of wilfully ignoring Israel's repeated rejection in practice of the Palestinian right to self-determination. The 'two-state solution' was fundamentally undermined by Israel's actions many years before the current plan to 'conquer' Gaza. Has Israel ever taken the idea seriously? Since the Oslo Accords, Israel has continued to increase its colonial grip, building military and civil infrastructure, and allowing a massive influx of Israeli settlers on to Palestinian land. The Israeli state was busy changing the facts on the ground while the US and EU mumbled listlessly about the desired 'two-state solution'. Pretending otherwise is unhelpful and encourages the dangerous delusion that words alone can persuade Israel to stop what it is doing in Gaza and the West Bank. – Yours, etc, FINTAN LANE, Lucan, Co Dublin. Climate justice and art Sir, – I warmly welcome Sadhbh O'Neill's article on art and climate justice (' Art can communicate messages about our dying planet that are otherwise hard to hear ', Opinion, May 13th). It is heartening to see the power of art recognised, not just as a way to express emotion but to connect people to complex issues such as climate change. Here in Ballymun, we are seeing that notion in action through a project called Ballymun is Brilliant. This climate action project brings locals together through art, community events and shared ideas about building a fairer, greener future. Funded by the Government's Creative Climate Action Fund, the project helps people to feel more connected: to each other, to the place they live in, and to what is happening to the planet. What makes this project stand out is its commitment to inclusion, recognising that climate justice must make space for voices often left out of the conversation. – Yours, etc, NIAMH NÍ ICEADHA, Education coordinator, Global Action Plan, Axis Centre, Ballymun. Ireland's lack of priests Sir, – Fintan O'Toole's plumps for the populous solution of allowing priests to marry and the introduction of women priests (' Ireland is running out of priests. There is an obvious solution ', Opinion, May 13th). However, one straightforward solution would be for the Catholic hierarchy to invite young priests from developing countries, where vocations are abundant, to come and re-evangelise Catholic Ireland. Great things are happening with priestly vocations around the world. – Yours, etc, CORMAC MCCONNELL, Raheny, Dublin 5. Sir, – Just over 400 priests will be ordained from US seminaries this year. I'm sure we could spare a few to help shepherd Ireland, just as Ireland generously provided so many of her sons when the US was a mission field. I admit it will be a challenge to 'make Ireland Catholic again', especially among Fintan O'Toole and other 'heathens' (his word). But I reject the view that it's a lost cause. – Yours, etc, MARK HOLAN, Washington, DC, US. JFK and Pope Leo Sir, – I had the privilege of viewing the JFK Memorial in Eyre Square, Galway recently. This commemorated the visit of JFK to Galway on June 29th, 1963 on the back of his visit to see the ancestral home of his great grandparents in New Ross, Co Wexford. I remember as a 10 year old hearing his speech to the huge Galway crowds on TV (I was living in Scotland) and being inspired by his passion for all things Irish. Echoing JFK and his desire for peace between the great nuclear powers of the US and Russia, I find it poignant that Pope Leo XIV has appealed for 'no more war' and an end to the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine and India and Pakistan in a message to world leaders during his first Sunday address at the Vatican. In JFK's 'A Strategy of Peace' speech at American University on June 10th, 1963 he stressed the utmost importance of all nations in conflict to work for dialogue, tolerance and compromise. The parallels between JFK and the new pope's quest for peace are striking. – Yours, etc, ANTHONY WILLS, Hertfordshire, UK. Playing the long game Sir – There is no doubt that Jim (JJ) Walsh played the long game, mastered the middle and now, after nearly 70 years, this unique and special Irish Times chess columnist, is making his final move by retiring. It is hard to believe that Mr Walsh has written close to 16,000 puzzles, outlasting grandmasters such as Bobby Fischer and Cold War tensions from his first column written in 1955. He surpassed the world record as the longest-serving chess columnist in 2016. At 93, Mr Walsh has shown how important mental stimulation improves one's brain function and can prevent the development of cognitive problems. The old adage of 'use it or lose it' is never more poignant than when making reference to one's brain. He is a role model for all older people, inspiring them to find ways of improving their brain function. As a clinician, I see clearly the value of reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, bridge, chess, etc, when it comes to looking after the old grey matter. I would like to thank Mr Walsh for the joy that he brought so many readers over his many years as The Irish Times chess columnist. Wishing him the happiest and most relaxing retirement. – Yours, etc, JOHN O'BRIEN, Clinical psychotherapist, Clonmel, Co Tipperary. 'We should be kind' Sir, – Knowing that our time on earth is limited can motivate us, Joe Humphreys writes ('I tried an ancient cure for procrastination for a month. It was grim', Opinion, May 12th). This need not be a morbid preoccupation. Philip Larkin's poem, The Mower, addresses the subject in a cautionary and succinct way. The poem describes how a hedgehog has its final moments when the lawnmower blades cut into him. The poet reflects that he had seen this small animal only the previous day. The poem's closing lines are: 'We should be careful of each other, we should be kind/ While there is still time' – Yours, etc, NUALA GALLAGHER, Castleknock, Dublin 15. The joy of Fighting Words Sir, – Congratulations to all concerned with the publication of the Fighting Words supplement with yesterday's Irish Times. It was such a joy to read all the stories written by such special children and young adults. Thank you. – Yours, etc, LAURA O'MARA, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.
