An Experiment in Punctuality (Ch. 1)
Privyet friends -
What is this? Ink-uilab is an e-mail periodical compiled as an act of atonement for spamming my friends with internet links at inopportune times. An experiment in punctuality and brevity, I hope for this to be a collection of variegated reads and verse, curiosities and commonplaces, interspaced with commentary and critique
Ink-uilab? A portmanteau of ink and inquilab (Hindustani for revolution). The themes of the newsletter aren't necessarily political or revolutionary - Ink-uilab is just a bit of proud wordplay I've been sitting on and wanted to 'park.'
If this sounds like it would interest you, please do subscribe & read on:
On Kwame Nkrumah:
A riveting article written by Nkrumah in October 1958 for Foreign Affairs. The Ghanian revolutionary explicates his goals as Ghana’s first prime minister, his dreams for Pan-Africanism, and the challenges faced by a continent in flux.
Nkrumah's Consciencism (1964) is a thought-provoking text on de-colonisation as a practice and philosophy. A copy is available online, courtesy of NYU Press. He writes, "With single-minded devotion, the colonial student meanders through the intricacies of the philosophical systems. And yet these systems did aim at providing a philosophical account of the world in the circumstances and conditions of their time. For even philosophical systems are facts of history. By the time, however, that they come to be accepted in the universities for exposition, they have lost the vital power which they had at their first statement, they have shed their dynamism and polemic reference. This is a result of the academic treatment which they are given. The academic treatment is the result of an attitude to philosophical systems as though there was nothing to them but statements standing in logical relation to one another."
While I don't entirely agree with this perspective, E. Luttwak presents an interesting (albeit cynical) explanation for the success of the coup against Nkrumah: "Nkrumah, in spite of his eccentricities, was largely defeated by his own success was to stimulate and educate the masses and the new élite, their attitude to Nkrumah's regime becoming more and more critical in the light of the education which the regime itself provided. When this happens, more and more repression and propaganda is needed to maintain political stability and, in spite of considerable efforts, Nkrumah was unable to build a sufficiently ruthless police system. The cause of his downfall was not, therefore, the mismanagement of the economy—which was considerable—but rather the success of much of the development effort"
On Neom, Saudi Arabia's flagship linear city:
Given the alleged scale, expense, and (frankly) absurdity of the project, it is surprising how little we actually know about Bin Salman's Brasilia. It will likely be a while until tangible realities appear from behind the bombardment of buzzwords that is the Neom marketing campaign. After all, the contractors, consultants, and copywriters on Riyadh's payroll thrive on terms like 'Zero Gravity Urbanism.'
Henry Grabar, writing for Slate, appraises the project.
On Clout and Bollywood:
Clout chasing on the internet has become an art. A surprising Twitter thread on aspiring Indian actors gaming IMDb for a taste of fame.
On Satyajit Ray:
Last week I had an opportunity to watch some films by Ray on the big screen, including his rarely screened Documentaries on Tagore and Binode Behari Mukherjee. If find yourself in London, I highly recommend experiencing the Satyajit Ray season at the BFI (Running through July and August).
"Never having seen a Satyajit Ray film is like never having seen the sun or the moon." - Akira Kurosawa
One question I am often asked is: Where to begin with S. Ray? Luckily, the BFI has a great article responding to just that query. Echoing their recommendation, begin with Mahanagar (The Big City). [Trailer] Set in 1960s Calcutta, it has a great pace, witty writing, extraordinary acting by Madhabi Mukherjee, and explores critical socio-economic-familial questions through a female lens. While I would never condone piracy, I'm certain an inquisitive seeker can find a copy of the Criterion print on Youtube.
A still from a splendid scene
:
Amartya Sen's essay titled "Satyajit Ray and the art of Universalism: Our Culture, Their Culture" is immaculate. Included in his anthology, Argumentative Indian, it is well worth a read.
A central theme of Mahanagar is the systemic difficulties experienced by women entering the workforce in India. A recent study finds that young married Indian women are sleeping less and working more. Another great read this week appeared in the Wire. It discusses the challenging life of penal women in India, particularly their relationships with their children.
In closing, some verse:
Walking past the dome of the British Museum, I was reminded of Louis MacNeice's 'The British Museum Reading Room'.
My favourite bit:
Cranks, hacks, poverty-stricken scholars,
In prince-nez, period hats or romantic beards
And cherishing their hobby or their doom,
Some are too much alive and some are asleep
Hanging like bats in a world of inverted values,
Folded up in themselves in a world which is safe and silent:
This is the British Museum Reading Room.
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(All errors are my own, and a by-product of posting this from the Slav-Mobile on the Nukus - Khiva 'Highway')
Salud!
BM