For Children, By Children

This month we bring to you a “children-themed” issue of  Fundamatics. And, by children, we mean for children and mostly by children who are connected to IIT Bombay through their parents — alumni and faculty.

We have a request for you, our readers. Do spare a few minutes from your busy schedules to read and acknowledge the work of these children who have poured their souls into this issue. Please encourage them by leaving your comments at the end of posts that you like and appreciate. It would mean the world to the young ones.

This issue is our tribute to a demographic affected by the COVID pandemic, which has robbed them of green fields and the company of their peers. A few of us on the Editorial team were curious to find how these tiny tots, tweens and teens are coping with the new world order. We did not specify any theme and merely asked them to share a submission reflecting whatever is closest to their hearts.

The cover illustration of the issue (displayed above) is by a 12-year old. A tiny tot illustrated her mother Sherline Pimenta’s (also the author of this issue’s Foreword) story. A group of children presented us with comic strips that hold up a mirror to society – Asterix & Obelix fighting COVID, two brothers saving the farmers’ crop from a swarm of locusts, and a protest against the ruthless treatment of animals – all available in the section titled “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall”. Another group came to us with amazing stories all captured in the section Thereby Hangs a Tale. Others shared mindboggling artwork (grouped together in the section “Brush Strokes”), each a masterpiece in itself. The star piece of the artwork section is The ABCs of Art by the incredibly talented Prof. Arun Inamdar — a perceptive cartoonist and caricaturist — who shares some words of wisdom for aspiring artists. The lead piece of the issue “Story of a Story” is, however, by Prof. Shilpa Ranade, an IDC faculty, who gives us a glimpse into her childhood, adroitly interweaving it with the story behind the making of the award-winning animation “Goopi Gawaiya Bagha Bajaiya.”

Is there anything for the “adult” alumni in this issue? Of course, there is. This is your chance to peek into the mind of the generation that will be taking over our planet in the next couple of decades. And, we can tell you this much — they will not disappoint you. Indeed, we have lots of hope for our future.

We’re sure you will enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed putting it together. Happy reading and once again. Please don’t forget to comment and share through your social media.

This time, we have had a wealth of submissions, and so have grouped the content thematically into the following four sections for your easy perusal.