Traveling Texts

 Prof. Ram Ramaswamy School of Physical Sciences, JNU, has set up an online bookstore to help students source books from both India and abroad. Scholars without Borders has already helped many students to access books they have been searching for.

HARPAL SINGH, a student in Bathinda was preparing for his masters' exams for which he was looking for a book, the Flaming Feet-A study of Dalit Movement in India.  He had almost given up all hope of finding it but got it thanks to Scholars without Borders.  All Singh had to do was send an email request and the book was delivered to him within a fortnight.

Set up in 2006 by Ram Ramaswamy, www.scholar-swithoutborders.in, an online bookstore, sources academic books both from India as well as abroad.  The website also hosts down-loadable digital books, journals, and documentaries.  The range of its subjects is exhaustive it stocks books on agriculture, art and architecture, economics, education, law, film studies, children, music and gender issues.

Scholars without Borders also facilitates buying books for students through Amazon.  So if a student doesn't have a credit card to order books from Amazon, Ramaswamy orders it for him/her.

“Indian academic books are great but lack visibility.  People don't have information about the kind of books we produce and the reach of these books is quite poor even in India.  Students in small towns like Bijnor or Bhatinda or Northeast you don't even have a decent bookshop.  They are solely at the mercy of book distributors who stock either kunjis (guides) or self help books or management books.  In such a situation where do the academics go,” he asks.

Currently his website gets 3,000 hits per month with books on Gender and Dalit issues topping the popularity list. “We have Scholars New York that not only helps in acquiring books from outside but facilitates the sales of Indian academic books and place them in international libraries and South Asian institutes,” says Ramaswamy.

He now plans to extend his website's outreach to areas like Ladakh, Shillong, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.  “I will not only take the rest of India to them but also introduce them to students in metros.  The universities in border areas stock great academic books and research papers.  Nobody has ever approached these areas.  The books are just lying and collecting dust.”

Ramaswamy is ready to wipe the dust off these books.

My Feathered Friends in JNU

A part of the Aravalli hill ranges, JNU, established in early 1970s, is approximately 1000 acres.  the completely rocky land with small bushes and land depressions has now completely transformed into a lush green hill station kind of a place with a large number of  trees like Eucalyptus, Banyan, Neem, Mango, Jamun, Guawa, Banana, Drumsticks, Amaltas, Sem, Keeker, Gular, Wood Apple etc.  the moment someone enters JNU campus from any gate, both the sides of the roads are densely covered with many varieties of red, orange, white and yellow Bougainvillea bushes.  JNU is a community I must say, which can be compared with that of Bishnois of Rajasthan who are by birth environment friendly and love nature.

Nature conservation runs in the blood of JNU residents let it be faculty, staff or students.  Everyone cares for the natural surroundings of JNU and understands biodiversity that how much human interference with the 'natural' forests of the campus can be done for the convenience of human beings.  We know where to invest so we invest in forest covers, storage of natural water and minimize human activities.

Magnificent summer migratory birds like Golden Oriole, Common Hawk Cuckoo have now arrived as they are local migrants.  The Crested Pied Cuckoo birds have also come all the way from East Africa to spend their summer and these beauties will stay till August and will breed here and raise chicks and when they go back they take their chicks along with a birth certificate from JNU.

Monsoon makes the campus so beautiful naturally that it can't be described in words and it is an unforgettable lifetime experience if one is an early riser.  Taking a round of the academic complex in the ring road in the campus one can see Blue Bulls grazing on road sides and if you are lucky Jackals can also be spotted returning to their dens. The mongoose and hare are common sight.  Walking down the lane near Parthsarthy Rock, which is the hottest spot for Peacocks, Pigeons, tree Pies, House sparrows, Laughing and Ring doves, Common and Brahmany Mynas etc. and when pea hen make her appearance followed by two or three chicks running behind their mother, it makes your morning walk spectacular.

From Parthasarthy Rock if you move down towards the open air theatre of JNU, on your way you will be welcomed by the melodious morning wake-up calls of Grey Francolins.  This narrow footpath or pugdandis will provide you solitude to see and hear songs of little birds like Silver Bills, Purple Sunbird, Indian and Magpie Robins etc. and if you are an adventurous tracker and can walk to the right with emergency light or torch you can see Porcupines and Hog Badgers too.  From there you can enter our magnificent lush green, well maintained stadium surrounded by tall green trees and the credit goes to the Sports Officer, JNU, whose devotion has given it this shape.

Because of rains the humidity levels increase and larvae of butterflies and dragonflies metamorph into beautiful adults and fly all over stadium for the propagation of their next generation and for food.  Their flight will give you a chance to see Green and Blue tailed Bee eaters, and Black Drongos catching insects and you can see Hoopes digging the ground to search for earthworms.  Wow!

Taking a complete round of stadium you will see Yellow Wattled Lapwings sitting in the center of stadium as a family, the Parent intermittently giving warning calls to its chicks about your presence.  On the other side of the jogging track you can see the Bay Backed Shrike and Long tailed Shrike, Common Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Large Grey Babbler etc.

When you want to relax and have some snacks, at Gopalan's canteen which is serving this university for nearly 20 years, you can sit out side under the tree and take your cup of coffee and munch some biscuits but you can't do it all alone.  the Large Grey Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Mynas, Red Vented Bulbul, White eared Bulbul, Red Whiskered Bulbul, House Sparrows, which are hardly seen these days in houses of Delhi and other metro cities, will come and surround you to get their share of leftovers and you will not hesitate to share your food with them as a part of JNU family.  Attracted by leftovers of food from the canteen and the small birds and their chicks, large predatory birds and raptors can be easily seen sitting on huge trees and buildings and carefully monitoring the activities near canteen areas. These include Shikra, Falcon, Pariah Kite, Common Buzzard, Oriental Honey Buzzard, Long billed Crow, Hovering Black Shouldered kite etc.

After finishing your tea and recharging your batteries now its time to visit Paschimabad where JNU employees have totally transformed the rocky area into a mango grove.  While going to Paschimabad take a look at the academic complex.  It is a completely silent zone and only feathered friends have the right to disturb the silence and they include Brown Headed Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, Pied and Asian Cuckoo, Rose Ringed and Alexandrine Parakeets and some times Plum Headed parakeets too will disturb this silent zone.

An old Banyan tree in front of the School of Life Sciences (SLS) planted by late Prof. Shivatosh Mukerjee nearly 30 years ago is a shelter for most of the bird species of the campus.  The SLS building itself is a hub for many birds who permanently live here and roost here.  Most important of them are House Swifts and Spotted Owls, Alexandrine Parakeets, Mynas, Rock Pigeons etc. In this particular academic area of the campus everyone just walks quietly so that avifauna is least disturbed and if you love solitude there are stone benches on both sides of the footpath where one can sit and watch birds, butterflies etc.  Green pigeons, which are completely arboreal, are to be seen here. You will certainly be attracted by the Flameback and Yellow Crowned Wood Pecker on a dead tree-so life still exists even after death in the campus. Indian Grey Gornbills also can be spotted eating fruits of banyan trees on your way to Paschimabad. Stay for a while at Check dam II down the lane and see the White Breasted Water Hen, Common Moorhen, Spot-billed Duck and the Greater Coucal Pheasant. They are permanent resident birds breeding successfully here.

The Paschimabad Check Dam gives you a spectacular view. It is surrounded by dense keeker trees from which chirping birds give you so much of mental relaxation that you will not feel like coming back from here. The little Cormorant with its open arms of wings will make you feel that it is calling you for a hug.  Ababeels flying and catching water insects literally touching its surface, little and large Egrets along with Cattle Egrets and worth seeing.  Suddenly the silence is saying you are ignoring our presence here.

Little Grebe or Dab Chick and calm Pond Herons in their breeding plumage make an unforgettable experience.  The White Breasted Kingfisher will suddenly fly and take a dip in the water and come out with a frog or a fish in its beak.

The Sirkeer Malkoha and Paradise flycatcher mark their presence if you move deeper into the forest of Keeker.

At the onset of winter many winter migratory birds mark their presence in the campus, like the lesser White throat and my favorite Blue throat, Red throated Flycatcher, Blue Rock thrush, Black Red Start etc migrating from Central Asia, and North America to spend the winter in the beautiful campus of JNU with some other migrants like Common Kestrel etc.  the Delhi Bird Group thoroughly enjoyed the campus on their walk through it. “The JNU campus has all habitats- forest, gardens, small check-dams with water…. In all the 61 species we saw in a few hours, two species were definitely added to the JNU list for the first time- White Capped Bunting and White throated Flycatcher,” said Anand Arya.

If you are willing to stroll in the night then small bats can be seen flying close to you making radar like sounds.  As the dusk sets in, flying foxes (Large Bats) can also be seen flying near water bodies.  One can't rule out the presence of Spotted Owlets and common Plan Civet at night.

At the end of the day when you reach home you are forced to wonder whether why JNU is so productive in academics and is administration because being a residential university everyone resides within the campus so close to nature in such a peaceful environment where one can coolly think in a positive and constructive direction.  And the answer is yes.

I have personally identified around 129 species of birds and around 60 species of butterflies and many animals and have digitally recorded most of the species of birds and butterflies, which is a very big number compared to any other single area in Delhi.  I shall soon be holding a slide shown the same.  Those who are really interested in bird watching must go to Okhla Bird Park and Yamuna Biodiversity Park and Zoo also, to see all the winter migratory birds in thousands this year. 

The JNU authorities have initiated some efforts to maintain the ecosystem for the protection of this JNU forests like construction of check dams to lift the ground water tables; plantation in the campus specially in the academic complex and restriction of vehicular traffic in this particular area are really appreciated but at the same time the most disturbing AIR TRAFFIC is a nuisance for ages as the landing and take off path of all flights is just over the top of the campus which is causing great trouble to all human beings and fauna of the campus.

The grazing of domestic cattle in the campus from the nearby villages is a real serious threat to the forests of the campus and they eat all plants and also grass which is otherwise consumed by the Neelgai and the Hare.  The Vasant Kunj side fast traffic also kills many Jackals and Neelgais while crossing the road to Sanjay van.

Another important issue is of labourers who come here for work but don't leave campus easily they use the area which is the habitat of rodents and reptiles thus killing many animals either for their own safety or for food.  The Red Jungle Fowl has completely vanished now from the campus it was last sighted in 1999. (Photographic records available)

If appropriate measures are not taken in time the beautiful campus of JNU will have to see its down fall and Parthasarthy Rock will witness the reverse transformation of everything in JNU.

I remember these lines credited thomas Binney: Nature is the most thrifty thing in the world; she never wastes anything; she undergoes change, but there's no annihilation; the essence remains.

Surya Prakash, Technical Officer, SLS, JNU

D;k lkfgR; cpsxk\

^D;k lkfgR; cpsxk*&,d fnu ,d NksVs 'kgj ds ,d ;qok ikBd dk i=k feyk] ftlesa ;g iz'u iwNk x;k FkkA iz'udÙkkZ dks yxk gks fd lkjs iz'uksa ds mÙkj fnYyh esa ekStwn gSaA eSaus tks mÙkj fn;k og ldkjkRed Fkk&iwjs cyk?kkr ds lkFk O;Dr fd;k x;k vk'kkoknh] ftldk lkj ;g Fkk fd mls NksVs 'kgj gh cpk,¡xsA ckn esa nsj rd lksprk jkg fd esjs ,slk dgus dk vk/kj D;k gS\ D;k lpeqp vkt dk og lkfgR; tks cM+s 'kgjksa esa gh cjlksa ls iy&iql jgk gS] mls cpkus dk ,sfrgkfld dke vUrr% NksVs 'kgjksa ds gh ftEes gksxkA NksVs 'kgjksa rd rks lkfgR; de gh igq¡p ikrk gS&tks igq¡prk Hkh gS og mu fxus&pqus ikBdksa ds dkj.k] ftuds Hkhrj uohure l`tu ds /jkry ls tqM+us dh yyd gSA egkfo|ky; ;k fo|ky;ksa ds iqLrdky; blesa mudh dksbZ enn ugha djrsA lkoZtfud iqLrdky; uked laLFkk dqN fojy vioknksa dks NksM+dj dc dh lekIr gks pqdh gSA dHkh lekpkj&i=kksa esa l`tkukRed ;kn vkrk gS fd cukjl ls Niusokyk ^vkt* v[kckj 60 ds n'kd esa o"kZ ds vUr esa ,d lqlEikfnr fo'ks"kkad fudkyrk Fkk&yxHkx vkB ;k nl i`"Bksa dk&ftlesa iwjs lky ds lkfgR; dk vkdyu gksrk FkkA vxj eSa Hkwyrk ugha rks izk;% ,d n'kd rd ;g Øe yxkrkj pyrk jgkA dksbZ pkgs rks ml iwjh dkykof/ ds lkfgR; dk ^vkt* ds mu fo'ks"kkadksa ds vk/kj ij ,d izkekf.kd ys[kk&tks[kk izLrqr dj ldrk gSA ;g vuqlU/ku ,d vuNqvk {ks=k gSA

oLrqr% lekpkj&i=kksa us vk/qfud lkfgR; ds izpkj&izlkj vkSj ,d gn rd mls vkdkj nsus esa Hkh cM+h Hkwfedk fuHkkbZ gSA vc mUgksaus ;g dke yxHkx cUn dj fn;k gSA dqN us rks lkfgR; dks ,d iQkyrw&lh pht le>dj] mlls ges'kk ds fy, iYyk >kM+ fy;k gSA os ;g ugha le>rs fd bl mQijh rkSj ij fn[kusokys ^iQkyrwiu* esa gh lkfgR; dh rkdr fNih gksrh gSA Lok/hurk ls igys ds lekpkj&i=k bl cqfu;knh rF; dks tkurs FksA blfy, muds fudV ,d eatu ds foKkiu dks Hkh izkekf.kdrk rHkh feyrh Fkh] tc mlds nwljh rjiQ dgha dksbZ dfork ;k dgkuh vius ^vuqi;ksxh* vfLrRo dh fpYyk&fpYykdj ?kks"k.kk dj jgh gksA ij tks lcls cM+k dke ;s v[kckj djrs Fks] og ;g fd dLck] xk¡o ;k NksVs 'kgj esa cSBs vuke ikBd ds lkFk curs gq, lkfgR; dh laosnuk dk rkj dgha u dgha tksM+ nsrs FksA bl rjg ,d dk ck[kcjh ekgkSy curk Fkk&lkaLÑfrd fuekZ.k dh izfØ;k dk ,d t:jh dke] ftls jseaM fofy;El ^yEch ØkfUr* ;k ^ykax fjoksY;w'ku* dk uke nsrs FksA eq>s dbZ ckj yxrk gS fd ;g izfØ;k dgha fBBd&lh xbZ gSA iQyr% vius le; dh l`tukRed psruk ds lkFk lkekU;tu dh psruk dk rkj] tgk¡ vkSj ftl rjg tqM+uk pkfg,] og ml rjg tqM+k ugha gSA blfy, og fcuk ykxyisV ds lh/s ;g loky dj ldrk gS fd D;k lkfgR; cpsxkA

,slk ugha fd ;g loky egkuxj ds fuoklh dks ijs'kku ugha djrkA nksuksa dh bl fpUrk esa vUrj gSA egkuxj esa ;g Mj bysDVªkfud ehfM;k ds loZ'ys"kh (dksbZ pkgs rks loZxzklh Hkh dg ldrk gS) pfj=k ds dkj.k iSnk gqvk gSA ij dLck ;k NksVs 'kgj ds ikBd ds Hkhrj dk ;g Mj t;knk cqfu;knh gS&og igq¡p u ikus ;k tqM+ u ikus ds [kkyhiu ls iSnk gqvk gSA NksVs 'kgjksa ds ftKklq eu dh fpUrk dh ;g fo'ks"k cukoV gh esjs Hkhrj bl mEehn dks txkrh gS fd ^lkfgR; cpsxk* vkSj mls cpk, j[kus esa mudh cM+h Hkwfedk gksxhA

dqN le; igys ,d Hkkstiqjh lEesyu esa tkuk gqvk FkkA ogk¡ t;knkrj yksx xk¡o&nsgkr ls vk, FksA dqN 'kgjksa ds Hkh FksA ij egkuxj ls 'kk;n dksbZ ughaA cgl dk eqn~nk ;g Fkk fd Hkkstiqjh dh i<+kbZ rks 'kq: gks xbZ ij fdrkcsa ugha feyrhaA fdrkcsa rks nwj] mUgsa Nkiusokyk dksbZ izdk'kd Hkh ugha feyrkA fLFkfr ;g gS fd ikB~;Øe gS] Nk=k gSa] ij iqLrdsa unkjnA ij eSaus ns[kk] yksxksa dk mRlkg vn~Hkqr FkkA r; ik;k fd pUnk mxkgdj bl vHkko dh iwfrZ dj yh tk,xhA ;g n`'; yxHkx oSlk Fkk tSlk ladV dh ?kM+h esa gksrk gS&tSls dqN u"V gks jgk gks vkSj mls cpk ysuk gSA ykSVrs gq, Vsªu esa dqN izkbejh Ldwy ds vè;kid feysA Hkkstiqjh esa Niusokyh if=kdkvksa dk ftØ fNM+kA mUgksaus crk;k fd xzkgd dh leL;k t:j gS&u fliQZ if=kdkvksa ds fy,] cfYd fdrkcksa ds fy, HkhA ij mUgksaus bldk ,d lek/ku <w¡<+ fy;k gS& cgqr dqN vkilh rkyesy ds vk/kj ijA mUgksaus dqN if=kdkvksa ds uke fy, vkSj crk;k fd ge mUgsa e¡xkrs gSa vkSj vius {ks=k ds lkjs Ldwyksa esa ?kwe&?kwedj ck¡Vrs gSaA ;gh dke gesa ubZ fdrkcksa ds fy, Hkh djuk iM+rk gS vkSj ;g dke gesa blfy, djuk iM+rk gS fd gesa yxrk gS] ;g viuh Hkk"kk dks cpkus dk dke gSA

eSa jkLrs Hkj lksprk jgk fd og dkSu&lk [krjk gS ftlls os viuh Hkk"kk dks vkSj bl rjg mldh vUrfuZfgr ltZu dh {kerk dks cpkus dh dksf'k'k esa tqVs gSa\ eq>s ;g dksf'k'k&vkt ds iwjs lkaLÑfrd ifjn`'; ds chp&fnypLi yxh vkSj vk'oLrdkjh HkhA bl vk'ofLr dks ,d NksVh&lh ?kVuk ls vkSj cy feykA tc rd dLckbZ cktkj ls xqtj jgk Fkk] rks dksus esa ,d NksVh&lh twrs dh nqdku fn[kkbZ iM+h] tgk¡ ,d nk<+hokyk v/sM+&lk vkneh cSBk FkkA FkksM+k fudV tkus ij eq>s irk pyk&eSa mUgsa tkurk gw¡A eq>s ns[krs gh] xzkgd ls gksusokyh ckrphr dks chp esa rksM+dj os esjh vksj yidsA mudk bl rjg] O;kikj dks ,d rjiQ j[kdj ,d iwoZifjfpr dh vksj c<+uk egt f'k"Vkpkj ugha Fkk cfYd mudh ,d fnypLi leL;k Fkh] ftldk lek/ku os eq>ls pkgrs FksA leL;k ;g Fkh fd muds ikl 'ksj dk ,d feljk Fkk] ftls dbZ lky igys mUgksaus dgha i<+k ;k lquk FkkA ij mudh Le`fr ls nwljk feljk dgha fxj iM+k FkkA eq>s ;kn Fkk vkSj eSaus mUgsa lquk fn;kA eq>s muds psgjs ij vkbZ gqbZ ped ;kn gS vkSj os vk¡[ksa] tks bl rjg [kqyh Fkha] tSls mUgksaus ml ^lp* dks ik fy;k gks] ftldh cjlksa ls ryk'k FkhA 'ksj ukflj dkteh dk Fkk vkSj bl rjg Fkk&

dqN ;knxkjs&dw,&flrexj gh ys pysaA

vk, gSa bl xyh esa rks iRFkj gh ys pysaA

dfork esa feyk gqvk ;g iQkyrw iRFkj ml NksVs 'kgj ds ml NksVs O;olk;h ds fy, fdruk dherh Fkk] og crkus dh t:jr ughaA dfork vkneh vkSj O;olk; ds chp dh [kkyh txgksa dk fuekZ.k djrh gS vkSj blhfy, t:jh gSA egkuxjksa esa ;s [kkyh txgsa fujUrj de gksrh tk jgh gSaA ij NksVh txgkas esa ;s vc Hkh gSa vkSj dkiQh gSaA fliQZ mudh igpku ckdh gSA

dsnkjukFk flag] dfo vkSj fopkjd] Hkkjrh; Hkk"kk dsUnz] t-us-fo-

leqUnj

esjk
dkO; ls xqtjuk
okLro esa vuqHko ds nkSj ls
xqtjuk gS
’kk;n] ;g ,d otg gks ldrh gS
esjh [kkeks’kh@vkSj
esjs pqi u jgus dh
jpuk i<+uk
egt i<+uk Hkh gks ldrk gS
exj esjs fy, vDlj vkSj@izk;% ges’kk gh
ns[krs gh ns[krs
Lo;a mlh ik=k esa
rCnhy gks tkuk gS
esjk i<+uk
egt dkys ’kCnksa ls eqykdkr ugha
mu vk¡lqvksa ls eqykdkr gS
dekscs’k tks
caVokjs ds nkSjs esa
euq”; vkSj i’kq ds
,d gh gksrs gSa------A

&eq/fydk csu iVsy
’kks/ Nk=k] Hkkjrh; Hkk”kk dsUnz
 

© 2005 Jawaharlal Nehru University. All rights reserved.
Phones: +91-11-26742676, 26742575, 26741557. Fax: 26742580
New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi 110067.