Manmeet Narang

“I’m sorry if that was rude, but I haven’t written to a dead deceased passed on historical person before, so I don’t really know the polite way to say that you are dead it.” When twelve-year-old Sarojini is asked by her teacher in Ambedkar School(a Government school in Chennai) to write a letter to someone … More Dear Mrs.Naidu by Mathangi Subramaniam: How writing letters to a dead person can make you come alive!

Oh dear! I know what you are feeling. Trust me, I know. Many of my friends have experienced this, including me. You think you are the only one who feels no one loves you? Like nobody cares about you and what you are going through? That’s the feeling most of us are going through. You … More When Your Teen Pushes You Away, Here’s Why You Still Need To Say, I Love You

“I remind you that where I live now smoke and ash hide the stars, that I haven’t seen them in months- but when your voice cracks as you explain how being alone is harder than the nausea or the fear, I have little to offer” The words pierce right there, that part of the heart … More New Delhi Love Songs By Michael Creighton

He said the bag wasn’t empty. There were books in the bag they were dragging. Books could survive malba, but not ashes.   Would he sell the books for pulp?   The boy looked up, and even in the waning light, his anger was clear to see.   I can read, he said.   Mridula … More Bicycle Dreaming by Mridula Koshy

To be educated about life means to understand self, relationships and their co-relationship in the community. Schools sadly are only providing intellectual growth, which also is being imparted selectively and ineffectively. For social and emotional growth of children, we have to rely on reading and writing. Introducing and making see children the beauty of human … More If your child is not reading these books, you read!

Salman Khan is practically nonexistent for me. But the constant focus on his getting convicted and then granting of bail reminds me of those nonexistent people languishing in Indian prisons. Some of them Harsh Mander brought into my existence through his book ‘Invisible People’.   Like Bibi Khatoon. Whose three sons were picked up randomly … More A Salman Khan amongst thousands of Invisible People

What do you want to do in life? A very simple question we expect our children to answer at the age of eighteen. This is while most of us can’t say confidently even in our mid-life what is our calling. Forget about the fact that we can hardly recall what we had learnt in the … More College: Pathways of Possibility

(This letter is in response to queries and comments like- • Should kids watch Padman? • A must watch for women!) Dear Children, I write to you on the platform of social media even though I know you are not here. But I believe the letter will still reach you, directly or indirectly, through your … More Padman: A must watch for children!

I remember the directors of the movie Udta Punjab in an interview confess how they had to tone down Udta Punjab to make it digestible for the audience. They very openly shared that the reality is way harsher but it would have been tough to market such a dark movie. The problem is not they … More Why we must show our kids Udta Punjab and tell them this is not the Truth!

‘Who is Padman? What is a pad? What are periods? Why do women have periods?’ I can imagine a child asking these questions from his/her mother, father, and grandparents. Some of them will choose to turn away or hush but I am excited about those who won’t. I am not worried about how many will … More Where will you hide your ‘pad’ now