Dear Colleagues
It is that day of year again when we wish happiness to others, and promise to self; this year as well, another round of random reflections for your perusal:
- What types of conversations overcome barriers of languages & cultures? Feeling of solidarity, and? A recent workshop in Delhi brought together 12 persons from Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Canada, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Malaysia, and India. Shopping expeditions overcame 7 languages with success!
- UK is a land of walkers, and has an amazing law that guarantees rights of walkers across all private lands too. It was great fun to enjoy this right recently across a beautiful golf course in Bamford in the Peak District, UK.
- Like preceding years, the festival of Urdu - Jashn-e-Rekhta (2025), was held, in a new location, at Baansera Park in Delhi. Open air poetry programs require much better acoustics arrangements for paid audience to enjoy. But, much of this audience was primarily interested in filming reels & posing for selfies!
- Once upon a time, there was a small city with pink walls, beautiful architectural heritage, delicious cuisines and colourful, hearty local folks. A short drive from Delhi, it was great fun to visit for a break. No longer so; Jaipur has now acquired all that urban mess itself.
- London attracts millions of visitors annually, more so during the week from Christmas to New Year. Every place is crowded, streets, pubs, museums. But there is no stampede. Every visitor to a fair or museum has to be booked in advance, even those which are free. And when the underground tube is too crowded, entry to certain stations is shut down, and strictly regulated.
Stay well and let’s wish peace for all in 2026!
Stay well, sincerely
Dr, Rajesh Tandon
About the Author
A Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, USA) and an electronics engineer (IIT, Kanpur) with a graduation in management (IIM, Calcutta), Dr Rajesh Tandon is an internationally acclaimed leader and practitioner of participatory research and development.
His journey with PRIA started in 1982, as a young IIM graduate wanting to do more than just complete his PhD fieldwork.
