Dwinnie Fernandes

(Written as a history assignment in 2024)  The Jesuits, or "Society of Jesus" in English, are followers of a religious order that was originally known as the "Compagnie de Jesus" in French, "Companhia de Jesus" in Portuguese, and "Societas Jesu" in Latin. The Society of Jesus in Goa was launched by St. Ignatius de Loyola, St. Francis Xavier, a priest and a brother. St. Ignatius is credited as the patron saint of the society of Jesus. The areas of Ilhas, Bardez, and Salcette saw some success with Christianisation when the Society of Jesus first set up shop in Goa. After that, the organisation quickly spread to other Asian nations. During that period, the Jesuits were granted royal patronage by the Portuguese King, which greatly aided their international endeavours in South and East Asia. Interestingly, the Jesuit presence spread similarly throughout South Asia during the post-restoration era, which coincided with the British colonial era in the re...

When FM Darpan Inani sits at a chessboard, he sees no pieces, yet he ‘sees’ every move. He is currently the best blind player in India and battles against sighted grandmasters throughout the world. He even brought India a gold medal at the Para Asian Games in 2023. Unlike other sports, chess requires a keen and focused mind rather than a perfectly oiled machine as a body. As Helen Keller once said, “The chief handicap of the blind is not blindness, but the attitude of seeing people towards them.” Chess challenges this attitude every day. Not many sports can be considered inclusive. The beauty of chess is seen in the diversity of the chess players; the pairing list is filled with names from different cultures, genders, ages and physical abilities. Numerous athletes with a range of disabilities have made it onto teams for competitions such as the World Chess Olympiad. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) is making constant efforts to equalise the playing field. FIDE is very dedicated to th...

 India and Pakistan have had a very hostile relationship since their bifurcation in 1947. The partition was driven by the Muslim League's demand for a separate nation based on religious identity, as they believed that British India consisted of two types of people: Muslims and Hindus. In response, the British divided the region, designating predominantly Hindu areas as India and predominantly Muslim areas as Pakistan. However, British India lacked demarcated religious boundaries, leading to widespread confusion, displacement, and violence. Geographically, Pakistan was divided into West Pakistan (current-day Pakistan) and East Pakistan (current-day Bangladesh). The ideological divide soon turned into bloody conflict; migrants faced looting, violence, and worse atrocities, with families separated and many women taking their lives to avoid assault. Shortly after gaining independence, both countries established diplomatic ties, but tensions from the partition and disputes over princely...

If you are into Anime or active on social media, you’ve likely heard of Studio Ghibli. Founded on June 15, 1985, this world-renowned Japanese animation studio has captivated audiences worldwide. From the 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro to the heavily accoladed 2023 film The Boy and the Heron, the works of Studio Ghibli are renowned for their comforting style of art, which sets them apart from other Japanese animations. These films and several other fan-favourites are the brainchildren of the studio’s honorary chairman, Hayao Miyazaki. While not all the studio’s works are his, they often follow a similar art style. His style portrays Japanese and Western elements, resembling watercolour paintings with soft pastel palettes. Each frame radiates comfort, making the visuals a work of art in themselves. Alongside Hayao Miyazaki, visionaries like Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki have also played crucial roles in shaping the Studio Ghibli productions we love and cherish today. All masterpieces ha...

Civilisation has historically dominated rivers and water bodies. Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation, was situated between the Tigris and Euphrates. Ancient Egypt was dependent on the Nile. Rome too was founded on the banks of the Tiber. Water has no odour or colour yet it has been important for all living organisms despite not providing energy or organic multi-nutrients. Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface, with seas and oceans contributing to most of it. Groundwater as well as ice caps also contribute to this percentage. Water exists in solid, liquid and gaseous forms. It is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula H2O. We all know about the water cycle where water moves continually through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation. Water evaporates from water bodies to form clouds in the atmosphere. These clouds later, upon getting heavy, lead the water to fall back to Earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet or hail. This is how we get water now b...

Look at this picture below. How do you feel as you look at it? Does it provide comfort, or does it leave you feeling agitated?  The above picture is a classical example of a liminal space. Stemming from the Latin word “threshold”, a liminal space is a transitional zone. It isn’t a place one stays for long. For example, when you go to the train station, you don’t intend to just stay at the platform. The real purpose would be to use that platform to get on a train and travel elsewhere. Here, the station platform becomes an in-between place. It could also be an area one lingers in but feels a transition, such as waiting rooms or hallways. Usually, these places are jam-packed with people. Seeing no life in an otherwise crowded locale gives off an eerie feeling. The liminal aesthetic gained popularity in 2019 when a post about the ‘Backrooms’ went viral. However, this aesthetic was well-explored in photography, film and architecture beforehand. Most pictures of liminal spaces depict a p...