Last days in Paris

Moving from Paris to Bombay – a big life change! We’re still unsure how it will all play out, but we’re taking a leap of faith. Naturally, this decision raised eyebrows and questions from friends and family.

This post isn’t about the reasons behind our move, but rather a look back at our last week in Paris. We wanted to capture the essence of what makes Paris such a desirable tourist destination, a city undoubtedly famous for landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Champs-Élysées.

As our departure loomed, we prioritized visiting some of the well-known brasseries and bistros, venturing beyond the tourist areas to explore hidden passageways. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side. August was an unexpected washout, with a constant blanket of clouds and rain. It seemed everything in Paris slowed down during this month – bakeries, fashion stores, even offices. “Tout le monde” (everyone) headed to the seaside (“au bord de la mer”) for some sunbathing and “bronzage” (tanning). Coming back pale meant your vacation wasn’t considered a success!

Beyond just taking pictures and uploading them to our gallery. We embarked on a meticulous process of reorganizing them. Sorting through thousands of photos and adding details was a lengthy task, but a rewarding one that deepened our understanding of Paris. A big shout-out to Pamela for taking the lead on this project.

With less than 16 hours before the movers arrived, I had a crazy urge (but totally worth it for an amateur photographer like me) to capture the skyline of La Défense. The rain had washed the sky clean, creating a perfect backdrop for the towering buildings.

While I can’t guarantee anyone visiting Paris will read this post and browse our photos, the experience has instilled a sense of accomplishment in me. It’s a feeling of “been there, done that,” and a deep satisfaction for having embraced the Parisian experience.

Our last two days were spent cleaning up after the movers and preparing to hand over the apartment keys to the landlord. These final moments were filled with a flurry of last-minute tasks like closing bank accounts and collecting official paperwork. Exhausting as it was, we simply didn’t have the energy left to chase after photos of “Parisians in roller blades.”

This post is getting a bit long, so I’ll split the last few days and hours into another one. Stay tuned!

Foreword It is a historical fact that women did not have a role in the making of most modern constitutions. Historically, women rarely played a significant role. in polity in Europe and in the new world after discovery of America. Even in modern initiatives at Constitutional reforms, women have been under- represented. According to the UNDP, gender equality and women's empowerment remain critical development issues in many countries worldwide. In this context, the fact that 15 women contributed to the making of the Constitution of India, is quite significant. Although women constituted only 3.85% of the Constituent Assembly of 389 members, their qualitative contribution has been commendable. They had emerged from varying cultural backgrounds, geographically spread all over the country-four of them were from Uttar Pradesh, three from Kerala and one each from AP, Telangana, East Bengal (Bangladesh), West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab. In this 75th year of adoption of Constitution of Bharat, Karnataka Postal Circle recognises the contribution of the women members of the Constituent Assembly by the release of a set of 15 Picture Postcards. We are grateful to Maithili Madhusudanan (@thebigfatbao) for the elegant portraits and to #ReclaimConstitution, for curating this exquisite collection. The original manuscript of our Constitution was illustrated by Nandalal Bose and his students that included the women artists - Nibedita Bose, Gauri Bhanja, Bani Patel, Jamuna Sen, Amala Sarkar, Sumitra Narayan and Rajniti Singh. Some of these designs have also been included in the picture post cards. 8 March 2024 S Rajendra Kumar Chief Postmaster General INDIA Karnataka Circle

CONSTITUTION OF INDIA International Women's Day The Constitution of India was shaped by the elected Constituent Assembly. It was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into effect on 26 January 1950. The total membership of the Constituent Assembly was 389. While we all remember Dr. BR Ambedkar as the Father of the Constitution and other pioneering male members who helped draft the Indian Constitution, the immense contribution of the women of the Constituent Assembly that shaped our Constitution must be remembered and celebrated too. Seventeen women were elected to the Constituent Assembly, which deliberated from 9 December 1946 to 25 January 1950 to shape our Constitution. When the Constitution was signed by the members of the constituent assembly only eleven of the women members officially signed on the historical document. Malati Choudhary & Leela Roy had resigned. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit had resigned to become India's Ambassador to Soviet Russia. Sarojini Naidu had passed away. Two others had resigned & left India after partition. Ammu Swaminathan, Dakshayani Velayudhan, Begum Aizaz Rasul, Durgabai Deshmukh, Hansa Jivraj Mehta, Kamla Chaudhary, Leela Roy, Malati Choudhury, Purnima Banerjee, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Renuka Ray, Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kripalani, Vijalakshami Pandit and Annie Mascarene are widely regarded as the fifteen 'Founding Mothers of our Constitution'. International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality. IWD has a long-standing history, dating back to its inception in 1911. Today, IWD is a collective effort, transcending national boundaries, organizations, and groups.