Mumbai Literature Festival: Day 4

1. How the Smartphone is Transforming the Worlds Largest Democracy
A straight talk by Ravi Agrawal.

Points

1. India shuts down the internet more than any other state.

2. India connected to the Internet: 

2010: 100 million people connected. 

2018: Half a billion people connected. 

3. India has seen a progression to a Revolution in Internet that enables mobility.

4. Phones will be a catalyst to speed things up .

5. Focus on digital literacy needs to be given prime importance. Search/Verify/Fact Check is what is needed from every consumer of the internet.

6. Excessive use of Smartphones have contributed to Suicides.

2. Graphic Journalism . Going where words cannot Molly Crabapple in conversation with Peter Griffin. 

Graphic Journalism: News/Non Fiction in a Comic Medium. 

Real Life Event given a Pictorial representation

Drawings represent ground Reality and one can reconcile with the World as it is. 

3. Rethinking Traditition. Islam and Modernity.

Deborah Moggach, Nazia Errum and Neyaz Farooquee.

1. Religion is what you make out of it. 

2. There is not one Islam but many. Same goes with Hinduism/Judaism/Christianity

3. Same book read by two people is understood differently

4. Religious Law in any religion is meant for the best interest of Human beings. Law helps in Godliness. 

5. Applications of Laws that result in suffering of Man must be reinterpreted to match the way of life.

4. Fat. The body fat and obesity.

A straight talk by Ishrat Syed and Kalpana Swaminathan 

Take Away: Past To Present

Obesity is mentioned as Atistulyam in Vedas

Fat does not allow the body to get the energy it needs.

2013 is the year that recognizes Obesity officially as a disease. 

Man is diseased if he or she is Obese

5. Prime Movers: From Pericles To Gandhi

12 great Political thinkers and whats wrong with each of them

Ferdinand Mount 

Perciles: Father Of Athenian Democracy 

                                                              Athenian Democracy

Participation in government as important as defending Athens in  War

2. Thomas Jefferson: Father Of American Democracy 

Author Of The Declaration Of Independence 

Declaration Of Independence: Life Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness