Author. Junglee. Traveller. Sleepless dreamer.
The illusion of gentle living in a predatory world Every creature, from a lactobacillus to a leopard, is living on borrowed life. Predation is simply the returning of that loan. In nature, being eaten isn’t always a tragedy For many Indians, vegetarianism is not just diet — it’s identity, hierarchy, morality, sometimes even politics. AREFA... Continue Reading →
Let there be light: This Diwali, let’s embrace the unfiltered glow of community and connection Light has no religion. It simply shines wherever it’s given a little oil and a little heart This Diwali, when we clean our homes and decorate our thresholds, let’s proudly reclaim the messiness of our mingled past, the imperfect but... Continue Reading →
The city’s sprawling republic of the dead offers something we the living struggle with: An unruffled coexistence. Beneath its trees, faiths and races lie together, equal at last.Standing here, you realise Kanatte tells a story, too. A silent epic written in granite and grief, it insists that pluralism is not a lofty ideal but an... Continue Reading →
The Indian Express: City and I: Why didn’t you teach me about that world, Udaipur? How could I possibly explain that Udaipur taught me to soar, catching the updrafts from the Aravallis? That my family didn’t choose to go to Pakistan, even if they risked losing everything Udaipur has been my Shakespearean stage of life’s... Continue Reading →
Between ‘pawtriots’ and protesters, finding middle ground in India’s dog war From urban colonies to forest edges, India’s canine crisis is no longer about animals alone — it’s about us. What does a solution look like? Definitely not Facebook fights in all-caps, but a reasonable, empathetic and evidence-based approach We are a planet divided. Not... Continue Reading →
Two policemen, and what their actions say about a bruised Insaniyat in India India is losing its Insaniyat. But it can be found again -- not in mandirs, mosques or manifestos, but in how we treat a tree, an animal or a person who can do nothing for us AREFA TEHSIN Apr 20, 2025 13:26... Continue Reading →
Mewar’s Own Bapu—A Pioneer’s Story Reflecting on a Life of Service By Arefa Tehsin In the early 20th century, as the Indian subcontinent simmered with nationalist fervour and a yearning for social reform, a profoundly influential figure emerged in Udaipur-Mewar—Taffazul Hussain Tehsin. Born in 1907 in the starkly beautiful "City of Lakes" of a desert... Continue Reading →
Shunyata: the influence of Buddhism on life in Sri Lanka ByArefa Tehsin During catastrophes like the tsunami and the economic crisis, the people of Sri Lanka went out of their way to help those who were worst hit. A meditation on how Buddhism has influenced life in Sri Lanka for more than two millennia... Continue Reading →
Jotted down this poem on our anniversary last month.
Faith on a Wing In Sri Lanka, the recent ban on face veils raises questions about free will and stirs up memories of a feisty woman who defied conventions. Written by Arefa Tehsin | New Delhi | Updated: June 9, 2019 7:29:30 am The limits of free will: The ban on face veil in Sri Lanka doesn’t... Continue Reading →
Arefa Tehsin 