New Journal: Rejecta Mathematica

Four students of Rice University, USA have started a new mathametics journal, Rejecta Mathematica. As the name suggests, Rejecta will publish only papers that have been rejected by top mathametics journals. Check the website: it is a serious effort. Topics covered are beyond me, but I like the open letters. The first one is from an Indian author and tells you the crux of the paper; why it is a useful effort and also the story behind its rejection by other journals in the field.

A very interesting effort indeed. I am waiting for a Rejecta Economia or Rejecta Policia.

तुम छूटी तो शब्द भी छूटे

तुम छूटीं तो शब्द भी छूटे
पर अंतरंगता के तार न टूटे  
सही है क्या ये, ये सोंचूं तो
सही-गलत के भेद हैं झूठे
 
क्षणभंगुर था मेल हमारा
आजीवन स्मृति की कारा 
कारा जीवन हो सकती है
सच कह दूं, ये दंभ हैं झूठे

 बस तेरा आलिंगन सच्चा   
उन बाहों का बंधन सच्चा
अगर कहीं फिर मिल जाओ तो
साथ कटेंगे पल, वो सच्चे
 
मिलने की ये आस है झूठी
जनम-जनम की बात है झूठी
भोर का सपना भी छलना हैं
बस तेरी मेरी प्यास है सच्ची

ऐसी कोई दुनिया है कहीं?

ऐसी कोई दुनिया है कहीं
जहाँ पर
तुम नहीं, यादें नहीं
जन्मों के वादे नहीं
भूलने में श्रम नहीं
छूटने का ग़म नहीं
या फिर
इरादों पर बंधन नहीं
चरित्र का हनन नहीं
निर्बाध हो आलिंगन जहाँ
निर्दोष हो चुम्बन जहाँ
उन्मुक्त अभिसार हो
मन पर न कोई भार हो

ऐसी कोई दुनिया है कहीं
जहाँ पर
प्रेम चुभता न हो
अभिशाप निर्भरता न हो
मिलकर बिछड़ना न हो
हर कदम संभलना न हो
जहां
लिख कर मिटाना न पड़े 
प्यार छिपाना न पड़े
अपना हो जाए सो बेगाना न रहे
दिल मिल जाएँ तो ज़माना न रहे
इक्षाओं पर आघात न हों, और
अधूरी रह जाएँ तो अवसाद न हो
ऐसी कोई दुनिया है कहीं?

 

Janhavi Nilekani

Janhavi Nilekani is Rohini and Nandan Nilekani’s daughter. In 2005, Rohini Nilekani set aside 100 crores of her own money to set up a charitable foundation called Arghyam to work in water sector. I came to know of Arghyam through India Water Portal, an excellent website with rich meterological data for all of India, created and maintained by Arghyam.

I regularly check their website for updates and new data or papers on water. In one of these visits I found two interesting things: 1. Arghyam has an all women board, 2. Janhavi Nilekani is one of the 5 members on the board of Arghyam. Rohini built Arghyam with her own money. So, it is not surprising that her daughter is a board member. This is common in family firms of India. What is surprising is that Janhavi is just an undergraduate student (in Yale,USA). I am guessing that she is less than 21 years, probably, in her late teens or just about 21. There is nothing sacrosanct about 21 years. Even if she were 22, the point remains. Isn’t she too young and her accomplishments too limited to be on the governing board of an institution that aspires to be India’s premier knowledge institution in water sector?

Humaneness:James March

“Quixote reminds us
That if we trust only when
Trust is warranted, love only
When love is returned, learn
Only when learning is valuable,
We abandon an essential feature of our humanness”.