Reflections of Passions

Black Friday The afternoon of 12 March, 1993 is the day when time stood still in Bombay. The city of Bombay had been rocked by a series of explosions which cut through the heart of Bombay, spreading terror and destruction over a period of two hours. These blasts occurred in some of the most densely populated areas of the city. Starting from the Bombay Stock Exchange in South Bombay during lunch hours, the blasts ripped through the basement of Air India building at Nariman Point, the Regional Passport Office in Worli, Masjid Bunder, the petrol pump opposite the Shiv Sena Bhavan in Shivaji Park, Zaveri Bazaar, Plaza Cinema, Hotel Sea Rock to the Centaur Hotel in Juhu. The fatalities included ordinary people like samosa and sandwich vendors, struggling to earn their daily living in densely populated areas outside the Stock Exchange and nearby offices. The book ‘Black Friday’ by S. Hussain Zaidi puts forward the chilling toll: 257 killed or missing, 713 injured leaving a city ...

One of the most interesting topics in social sciences has been the study of humans, past and present. Anthropology is the field which works within the field of social and biological sciences along with the humanities and physical sciences. The evolution of the human race worldwide has been an important area of research which seeks to explore the physical and cultural development, biological characteristics and social customs and beliefs of the people which concern the long-term development of the human race. Image Courtesy: Rajendra Joshi The Zonal Anthropological Museum, opposite the Balaji Temple at Seminary Hills in Nagpur, is run by the Anthropological Survey of India. It is an attempt to showcase human evolution, adaptation and bio-cultural diversity with special reference to the central region of India and its large number of ethnic groups and their rich cultural heritage. The museum has about 2300 specimens from tribes and other communities inhabiting Madhya Pradesh, C...