War or Compromise !!

The following is a written episode depicting a real life event, where I happpened to drop by a "Sab Padhe, Sab Badhe Program" school. You must've seen these kind of schools at city sides.Everyday you can see little heads dressed in white and blue, or sometimes white pink. If you ever happened to interact with these kids, am sure you'll be amazed by the response of the kids. However, the well off community would never bother even looking at their state. Well, coming back to the scene, I dropped into such a school, out of no reason why, maybe the low drowning mood pulled me in. First I happened to be sitting at the compund(nobody there bothers, who comes in and who goes out so i was'nt given any special attention). Childen from age groups 5 to 12 we're sitting in the same class(i'd rather say a short pitch cricket ground) and taught the same thing. At the break i felt like speaking out, interact and just break the awkward silence. I mushed in, called fo a kid near me, he didnt respond. Gave a slight knock on his shoulder, he turned back, i called him he ran away. Am i scary? I thought to myself, Naah you're not, i answered myself back. Fine lets give another try, called for a little girl sitting a couple metres away. A kid i guess 7-8 years old, i expected a smiling hello in return to my greetings, but it was'nt. It was rather a very flat "What?", boy, i had'nt been doing good here, i thought. The crowd was pretty hostile there, was'nt expecting so. I've been hearing from folks go to the underprivileged areas, and the people will look you up, well this was'nt really the scene here. Fine, I realize, even in college, reading from manuals and doing it on equipment is as different as Gel and Butter. So, their "not so friendly response was'nt turning out to be a non digestive fact. But blessed be my skills, i managed to crack a conversation here, name, age, family background have been legendary conversation ingredients, but they never go out of trend. The conversation had an interesting turn after this:
Me: Why do you even come to school?
Kid: Mom sent me.(not very interested)
Me: Do you really understand what they teach in here, or you just turn up for the free food?
Kid: Sometimes I do, Food is horrible anyway. Very Boring. Playing is fun.
Me: Then why do u come here, despite you dont like the food.
Kid: They say, if I goto school I'll have a car of my own!

After this I could no longer take the conversation any further. Blessed little kid, at a Government Programmed School, without any skilled teacher, nor with a capital background to pace up with the Quality and Competitive system in trend. Her dreams are so 1-Dimensional, yet baby girl has no idea about the complexity out there. She believes just staying in that school she'll actually get a Car for herself, a home, a living. Seriously, how many of us would even dare to send our own child to go such a place and yet give them the freedom to dream that big. Cheating them ,are'nt we ?
Look at the present scenario of the Country, Educated Unemployment a major setback in the course of "Shining India". I've seen dozens of Engineers, Managers and graduates running here and there for jobs, crying the hell out, beating about every bush, frustrated souls, yet nothing comes to hand. They've been to Elite schools, High Charging Colleges yet no assurity of jobs, forget about owning a class. Now think about that kid I met, and tell me, is there anyone who has the metal to bring her into today's dark scenario. No one's that cold a soul to do it. Time has taken a toll on everything and lots of damages have been done which cannot be undone, we have the present to clean for the future, our own future.

Romantic Poets dream of the world before Pandora opened the Box that brought to world all its frivalries. A world where everyone was equal, food grew up on trees and was ready to eat. Humans spent their life, playing throughout the day, never saw things like pain, jealousy and other evil instincts. But we know its just folklore, and never was nor will ever be. So, a modern world with equality is never practical, lets just give up to this fact cause, noting really can be done. Evil resides inside everyone and it will stay till infinity. But what we could do is find a way alongside it. The idealists are either dead or proved as threats to the society cause, no two people's ideals are the same. So leading a crowd with a single idea is sure to fall, as we are'nt living in movies! The need of the hour requires us to bridge a way where you got to hold Evil and Angel side by side. It either ends the way it started, ie the Big Bang or we can sustain holding hands, with little compromises on every part to make this place if not Fair, but still a better one.

"Cause, we have this day, and history can be made anyday.
Come O' Fella we have a world to win
The escape out of misery might be thin
But before your blood runs cold
We got to stain the sword that we hold
For all the stories may get Nullified
But A Life in Youth made an example, is a Life in Youth Justified."

- Anish Singh

The language of protest

Pagdi Sambhal Jatta Pagdi Sambhal,  one of my favourite songs, is a song which has come to symbolize the spirit of our most loved revolutionary youth, whose birthday happens to fall this month. But this song is unfortunately restricted to a mere spectacle of Bhangda dance and patriotic fervor. Why I am so much concerned with it, is due to the fact that it also forms one of the earliest ways of protest this country has seen. It was supposedly performed by Bhagat Singh and his comrades in a college function in front of British guests, to bring into light the exploitation of Indian society and culture by the British, which wounded its self-respect.

Almost 80 years later we are left with violence accompanying most of the protests. The recent incidents at FTII Pune, and painting exhibition in Ahmedabad are mere bricks in the wall, which inhibits us from extending our desire for a tolerant democratic country to each and every section of the society. The very recent attack at a Film Festival in Hyderebad, is nothing more than a clear show of lawlessness that prevails in the country. 

Those who are engaged in violent protests against a film screening or songs sung, by the so called ignored or forgotten sections of the country, what exactly they wish to communicate? Are they making it clear that they don’t have any space for those in their imagination of the nation?
Aloysius correctly writes India is a case of nationalism without a nation.

I was quite disturbed by the right wing assault over the exhibition in Ahmedabad put up by Pakistani artists. Are we against art, or are we against Pakistan, it is time when we clear this mist. Because if we are against art we are in trouble, and if we are against Pakistan, we ought to ponder where does art come in between. Why is it so that we continue to import sugar from Pakistan but reject their artists a decent place here?  Let us learn doing things the right way.

As I write this, I am cut short by the news of the uneasiness caused by the supposed Zubin Mehta concert in Kashmir. We have those who are against it, but are in fact projecting Kashmir as a mere place marred by conflicts, then there are those who are opposing it, because it is a state sponsored project for a limited audience, whereas we actually need to improve the overall condition of the Kashmiri culture and society. I am still doubtful that what form is it going to take, would violence take place of music and art, and more violence in its response is going to characterize the Indian landscape.

How is it that we are going to find a parallel way of expressing our discontent, because even after having a glorious past of knowledge, art and science and 60 years of democracy we still fall short of inventing the ‘language of protest’.

Dreams On camera : Anjana Sharing her dream with DOC team

She loves life !!

Social networking sites burgeoned on Women’s Day with ‘salutes’ and ‘respects’ towards mothers, sister and wives etc. What was further interesting to see, was that there were even some who thought it imperative to remember Malala, Irom Sharmila and the Delhi rape-case victim. Irom Sharmila having attented the court proceedings couple of days before, had made her even popular for such an occasion. It’s not that we have not respected women, or have not hailed them as epitome of peace, prosperity and bravery, but what is the concern of the present article is the image we attributed to women like Malala and Irom Sharmila.

We came on to the streets, demanding justice for the Delhi rape victim; there were even protests in solidarity with Malala and Sharmila. Where we saw the girl in Delhi rape case as a victim of rising violence towards women, Malala and Sharmila for us are the ones who have the courage to stand against oppression and injustice. We surely do not want the Delhi rape case to be repeated again, but wish there are more Malals and Irom Sharmilas. It is here that I ask why?

We stood together demanding security and justice for women, and would still be doing the same. This I feel, though is not easy but also not so difficult too, in purview of what Irom Sharmila and Malala are going through. To live like Sharmila and Malala is to waste a life. Malala was bedridden for weeks, Irom Sharmila is being force fed, her body organs have begun to degenerate irreversibly, her menstrual periods have halted. I for sure do not want more Malalas and Sharmilas. I do not want to see individual women standing against the whole State. I do not see it as bravery and regard it an act of heroism. I see it as cowardice on the part of our society that, we want Malala and Sharmila to stand against a whole system. Life is to enjoy, life is to live. I do not see Malala and Sharmila as living, they are merely surviving. There ‘survival’ is ‘life’ for us because we see hope in it. Behind the veneer of praising them is the hidden truth of our inaction.

It is time to end the hypocrisy we have been carrying since centuries towards women and the people from distant parts of the country. Why is it so that the people of Manipur an Kashmir are alone in demanding their right to live with dignity, why can’t we stand up for them. Until when will they be considered as ‘the other’?

Why don’t we also recognize the value of life and freedom for them? Does every village and city need a Tufail Mattoo and Manorama to be brutally killed to make us, the-deaf, hear?

 It is our responsibility to come forward and take up the cause of Irom Sharmila, for if the struggle of Sharmila fails, it would be the biggest failure of the democratic traditions of this country. No one else should stand for us; no one should waste his/her life.
Irom Sharmila herself said ,”I love life”.

Exposing Eve-Teasers

Eve-Teasers captured on Camera in Mumbai

We found this post dwelling on Social media: 

This is a photograph of two assholes that harassed my friend two days ago.
She was travelling in a rick – and it was in the middle of the afternoon, as you can tell. They followed her rickshaw, they were obvious about their interest and didn’t stop rash riding next to her for a very long time, just so they could stare and make remarks. When the rickshaw driver told them to back off and ride properly, they held on to her rickshaw.

We’ve had our bags stolen, we’ve had men stare and make nasty remarks too. This time last year – I wouldn’t have put this up.
But today, I feel like it’s important for everyone to see these faces. Important for people to acknowledge that this sort of behaviour isn’t okay. It’s not safe either. I’m glad she clicked this photograph – but it also scared the shit out of me because I was worried.

A lot of times, teasing doesn’t stop right here. Every day, we get out of our homes, unsure of our safety as women, and the sad part is – we are all to be blamed for it. For all I know, these men have done much worse in the past & probably gotten away with it. That’s why they are still roaming around freely.

Their faces deserved to be exposed. These are the kind of disgusting men that fucking deserve to be publicly stripped and stoned.

It’s just not okay.

#mumbai #city #unsafe #reality

Via : Saloni Choujar

An Open letter to Barack Obama

Dear obama,

So you are telling us that USA have enough funds for one more war, but is short of it when it comes to making whole education system completely free or making medical care absolutely free for all.

I wonder what you did with that amount you got along with that Nobel Peace Prize. Did you throw that too in buying weapons ?? Or saved it for 2016 retirement ??

You know your Autobiography suggested that you are something different, a legend in making but alas you were no different except for your color for which history would remember you.

'Hope' and 'change' died away with those innocent kids who were killed by the army of who you are the supreme commander. History would never forgive you.

You claim to restore democracy in far lands but look into your own home affairs.You people are prosecuting 'Manning' and hunting 'Snowden', both have support of the people and your congress calls them traitors. Your government is selectively filling jails with a specific race,color and religion and you call your country democratic.

Nobody ever attacked USA to restore democracy(to shut down your jails)over there !!

Please ! Barack just stop pretending like a Legend ,excuse this world. How many corpses do you wish to count before you retire ?

RIP democracy, RIP Justice, RIP Peace.

Yours sincerely,
A global citizen

“Dictatorship can be the only savior for corrupt India”

Observe for an instant, the topics in trend for discussion among the people around you, Mumbai Gang rape, Rupee v/s Dollar, Onion Prices? Narendra Modi? and all discussions end by painting black over the Government. The blame game never ends, as if there doesn’t seem to be any convincing point in the whole discussion. But as wise-men say, a debate is always ended at a conclusion which is supported by a strong background reading. But unfortunately, our “Superior Level” Debaters could’nt spare so much time for this area, and hence it turns out to be a never ending debate.

Why dont we start it from the beginning as to why Democracy, which was devised for equal benefitting has turned out to be acting as a Braking agent in all processes of Development. The question is, is it only in our Country where Democracy is turning out to be a Retarding agent or with everyone? Well, the fact that we are in India we’d obviously assume it to be ours, and the fact that we’re self centric individuals we’d always see our problems as the biggest ones. Fine, then let us restrict ourselves to our own country cause that’s what the Tagline asks for.
We’ve had a history which eventually led us to this sort of ‘Slave Mentality’, and this shadow of ours is not leaving us in near immediate future. But lets not talk negative here.

Instead of searching for answers outside, why dont we look into our own-selves and search for it. Lets put in a simple exercise, practice Democracy in your own friend circle. I’d share with you a sample study of mine;
I planned for arranging a School Reunion previous Year and left the the other mates to decide with the date, assuring ts convenient for all. The Reunion never happened, cause we could never turn up with the “perfect date of mass convenience.”
Next year, I planned about arranging one again, but this time, i preferred Dictatorship over Democracy, I chose a Random Date myself as per my calendrical convenience and put it up. The turn out was 80%.

The fact that we learn is that we’ve grown into minds which works well when given orders and deadlines, but fail when given choices. Parliamentary Meetings, Judiciary Courts keep holding bills,cases for years but still does’nt come up with solid ones till we get to see Anshans and protests. For any Substantial Gross Development to be seen in our country atleast controlled Dictatorship would bring about Overnight Changes. It all depends on the perspective, Whether you see it a Taboo, a negative one; or the only exit from all Confused opinions and Split Mentalities and Misunderstood Ideologies