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Come March, and the world starts preparing to celebrate International Women's Day . To honour the place of women in their lives and in the public sphere, to acknowledge them, and also perhaps to compensate for days of neglect or bullying? The fact that we still have to have such token days to acknowledge the contribution of women says a lot about the place of women - still second citizen in most countries. If you are a policy maker/public persona (any gender), instead of gifting women vouchers and restaurant reservations, or worse chocolates and token gifts, there are some concrete ways you can help making Women's Day an everyday celebration. Here goes: Make public places comfortable for women. At any time of the day, in any attire, women should be able to walk the road with her head held high. No sneers, no judgemental stares, no harassment. Just an equal right to be at public places, whether a park, a pub or a cinema hall. Support your own women. Share household chores. Liste

Smile, and the world smiles with you. Really? For how long? I mean, how long does one go on smiling? Till the cheeks hurt? Our virtual lives are all about posturing, aren't they? Open any social media app and all you see are smiling, glowing pictures of happy, successful people. Enjoying dinner at The Taj/Oberoi/Grand Living it up in Maldives/Paris/Bangkok/Singapore Soaking Vitamin Sea in Goa Killing it at so-and-so conference/meet/seminar Delivering the key-note address at that so-important meet Conducting a Ted-Ex talk  Achieved the top salesman/person of the year award  Proud mother/parent of an achiever progeny Cooking up a Michelin-star chef type meal Running the full/half marathon You get my drift? Success, achievement, conquest, living it up, enjoying, indulging....that's all Facebook and Instagram profiles are for. What about the bad days? When you sit staring out of the window, wondering who will take care of you in your old age? When you feel life has passed you by? W

Dear Fast-Vanishing, Elusive Reader, Winter is the time when you celebrate books in India. #JaipurLiteratureFest #MumbaiLitFest #TataKalamLitMeet #ApeejayLiteraryFest #KolkataInternationaBookFair #KolkataLitFest #KochiLiteratureFestival #MathrubhumiInternationalFestivalofLetters #NewDelhiWorldBookFair Whew!!! I may have missed a few too. So many literary meets and book exhibitions you take pains to attend! January and February are the months when Literary Festivals and Book Fairs dot the calendar of the bibliophile. But, have these really encouraged you to read more? That is the question, my dear Watson. From what I have seen, the Kolkata Book Fair is massively popular, and the footfall compares to that at the topmost rock or music concerts in the world. You mark it on their calendar and plan months ahead. Some "probashi" or non-residential Bengalis also time their Kolkata visit to coincide with the Boi Mela, as it is popularly called. It equals Durga Puja or Christmas frenz