Time , July 7, 2025 “As a former undocumented immigrant, I know this fear. I have felt it. I have lived with the uncertainty of wondering whether a knock at the door meant separation from everything I loved.” Alberto M Carvalho writes these lines in the latest volume of the Time magazine. Carvalho is the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the second largest public school system in the USA. He wrote the Time article after seeing Donald Trump’s atrocious act of perpetrating a military-like operation on the country’s schools in the name of checking on undocumented immigrants. The result of such an operation, writes Carvalho, “is trauma, fear, and distrust – particularly in our schools, where children should feel safest.” “Every child, regardless of citizenship, has a constitutional right to free public education,” Carvalho asserts. The school is the safest place for many children, he says; it is the only place where they feel truly safe, truly seen. Wh...
Book Review Title: Lapbah: Stories from the North-East (2 volumes) Editors: Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih & Rimi Nath Publisher: Penguin Random House India 2025 Pages: 366 + 358 Nestled among the eastern Himalayas and some breathtakingly charming valleys, the Northeastern region of India is home to hundreds of indigenous communities, each with distinct traditions, attire, music, and festivals. Languages spoken range from Tibeto-Burman and Austroasiatic tongues to Indo-Aryan dialects, reflecting centuries of migration and interaction. Tribal matrilineal societies thrive in Meghalaya, while Nagaland and Mizoram showcase rich Christian tribal traditions. Manipur is famed for classical dance and martial arts, and Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh add further layers of ethnic plurality and ecological richness. Sikkim blends Buddhist heritage with mountainous serenity, and Assam is known for its tea gardens and vibrant Vaishnavite culture. Collectively, the Northeast is a uni...