The middle ground - The road less traveled

"Freedom would not be to choose between black and white but to abjure such prescribed choices", this quote by Theodore Adorno, although referring to historical political and social extremism which stems from the concept that "either you're with me or against me", is very relevant in our modern day. We are constantly being presented with moral and social choices, pro-life or pro-choice, war or peace, yes or no to refugees, legalizing marijuana or prostitution or not, and our thoughts, ideas and identity now belong to one of these two spheres which are moving further apart from each other. I'd like to present to you the middle ground and the power that it has in starting a conversation and advance our understanding of each other and the world we live in.

Compromise is seen as a dirty word, it's definition itself implies a change or adjustment of claims in order to reach an agreement. We have very strong opinions about a lot of things, more so now than ever before, with the explosion of social media but we have to understand the difference between a fact and an opinion. To move one step further, we need to be willing to mold our opinions by understanding the world we live in.

So how do we differentiate between a fact, which has a very strict right and wrong, and an opinion, which is open to discussion. I use a word that I love, evidence, which in most cases might refer to scientific evidence and facts but can be extended into the social realm as well, let me elaborate. Statistics, a very powerful tool (if done correctly) can help steer a decision to the left or right by removing the subjectivity, although not completely, from an argument. Any other argument or controversy that does not have scientific evidence or statistics in it's midst is open for discussion or rather SHOULD be discussed openly.

Let me use an example to explain this point of view, abortion. A disclaimer though, before I begin, I do not see this example to be the only OR the best example of where we can take the middle ground. It is just one I feel I can use to best explain my point of view. So, abortion has a clear divide between the for or against, or as we term them, pro-life and pro-choice. In my opinion, both those terms or points of view are fallacies, failures in reasoning. To put it simply, pro-life actually implies pro-fetus life and does not talk about the life of the mother, which means that pro-life is not all encompassing and that is against the term pro-life itself. On the other hand, pro-choice, is talking about the choice of the mother and at the same time does not talk about the choice of the fetus or whether him/her has a choice to begin with, and therefore has the same problem of all inclusiveness.

So how do we start a discussion down the middle and see where it takes us. Well, starting with an open and impartial mind will definitely help. Scientific evidence and statistics will help answer a few questions, but in the case of abortion, cannot be used conclusively to choose a side. Science can tell us about the stages of the fetus and when we start to notice neurological activity, it can also determine the condition of both the fetus and the mother. Statistics can give us an indication about the percentage of various types of mothers that might get an abortion, single mothers, teen mothers, rape victims, fetus with fatal conditions and so on. Now all this information can aid in the discussion, but as i said before, cannot be used conclusively. 

Now the discussion has to begin, guidelines have to be determined, and not black or white rules. Guidelines that will help the people involved to make decisions, mothers, medical community, court of law. Guidelines that could include the age of the fetus, condition of the mother, circumstances of conception etc. A simple yes or no, guilty or not guilty WILL NOT work in a discussion like this. We have to understand that we are all on the same side, a side of life and of choices.

Again, I reiterate, I have used the discussion of abortion only as an example to demonstrate my point of view, the point of view of a healthy discussion, of compromises, of knowing the difference between facts and opinions. When we limit ourselves to either or or we do ourselves, and society in general, a huge disservice. We have the ability to think, reason and collaborate, we should use that ability  to solve the issues we face. We must understand that the problems we are trying to solve affect all of us equally, it's just that we're divided in the method we want to use to solve them. If we look hard enough there is a common goal, a safer society with a higher collective purpose, and the only way we can reach that goal is if we collaborate. 

To conclude,

1. Always view the world from someone else's perspective

2. Always question your thoughts, ideas and opinions

3. Discuss, argue and collaborate to improve not only others but your understanding of the world

4. Use social media constructively, as a medium to discuss and not promote only your ideas

Remember, the middle ground should be the first and not the last resort.

Capital murder

KILL THE RAPIST, KILL THE TERRORIST, HANG THEM ALL!! Sounds like the cries of a 19th century lynch mob showing their superiority over a "lower" caste or race. But these are the voices of a 21st century populace, the only difference being that they expect the law and lawmakers to do the lynching and killing now.
Capital Punishment or the Death Penalty, although on the decline, is still alive in the world, and not only in countries that are run under the Sharia law or those run by communist or fascist governments, but also democratic countries like US and India. That is because it is the people from these liberal nations that support and want capital punishment alive.
From a survey conducted by me with a small uncontrolled group of people, 60% of the individuals prefer and support capital punishment. Of these, 70% + affirm that the death penalty makes them feel safer in society and they believe that the death penalty can be used to deter even those crimes that are impulsive. Those that support the death penalty do so to first incapacitate the criminal, prevent him perpetrating a crime again. Following incapacitation, as the reason to support capital punishment, is to deter future criminals and as retribution or punishment for the criminal. Terrorism, rape and murder are the dominant crimes that the supporters argue beseech capital punishment along with crimes on children, minors and teens.
Of the 40% that do not support capital punishment, 40% do so because of the lack of evidence that the death penalty can deter or reduce future crimes and the remaining are equally divided between human rights violation and that capital punishment could kill innocent people. 60-70% of these would not change their minds if it were proved that capital punishment could reduce crime rates or if the crimes were of a gruesome nature or even if the criminal/s were proven guilty without any doubt.
Let's get to my views on capital punishment, I am strongly against it for two reasons, I believe that the death penalty in no shape or form can act as a deterrent since most criminals function with the illusion of not getting caught in the first place. If a criminal can get intimidated by the death penalty then I think a life sentence will work just as well. Apart from the statistics, which show that capital punishment does not act as a crime inhibitor, I am of the view that most criminals have a distorted sense of morals brought on by situation/s or in rare cases their nurturing and the idea of punishment by death, a decade or more later will, not deter them. In cases where the criminal has planned his/her crime ,they will do so, so as not to get caught in the first place, making the deterrence of capital punishment a moot point.
Getting on to a higher ground, the question of human rights and the fact that the death penalty is a violation, I wouldn’t go so far as to endorse the rights of a criminal but I feel that, in a civilized society, the act of the death penalty is uncivilized and barbaric. I see capital punishment akin to war, both killing the guilty and leading to collateral damage in terms of killing the innocent. Why do we abhor and avoid war these days? Because we know it is a means to no end and that it is all but a cry of superiority, an act to show ‘who’s the boss’, an act of retribution and this is exactly what I see capital punishment as. It is nothing but a display of power and retribution, it serves no purpose. It will not help reduce crime nor will it provide comfort (maybe momentary) to those victimized, it only provides a sense of momentary relief to the lawmakers that they’re making the world a better place and to those victimized a fleeting sense of retribution.
In lieu of capital punishment, I propose we strive to improve our judicial systems to ensure those that are guilty get what they deserve (in terms of sentencing) and are impeded from committing the same crime again. We need to improve our prisons to accommodate more prisoners and ensure that the prisoners are detached from all types of luxury and conveniences. Solitary confinement and life imprisonment are viable options for those criminals who would otherwise be given the death penalty.
The advancement of society is as important as the advancement of science & technology, so let us learn to be more civilized and not kill for the sake of killing, break our pre-conceived notions and learn to be more effective and efficient without relying on the mediocrity of capital punishment.

Against Indian Culture

How often have we heard or read these words. From what or whom are we trying to "protect" our fragile Indian culture? And are we really protecting the accurate form/s of Indian culture? Let's retrospect.
First of all, is our Indian culture (whichever form) so fragile that it needs protection in the first place? The best part about culture is that it can and should evolve and expand to capture the sensibilities of the current/living generation. Just as our understanding of the universe has progressed over generations so has our understanding of human emotion and psyche. That's what has led to the abolition of slavery, sati, child marriages, child labour etc. Our culture has evolved to accept that these acts were wrong and against humanity. So the protection of culture could be termed an oxymoron, as protection is against the very definition of a culture.
Now that we know that culture shouldn't be protected but allowed to grow let's question whether the culture that most Indians claim to be protecting are really indicative of Indian culture. On the forefront of the so called protectionists are Indian women and their behaviour in society. It is claimed that, according to Indian culture, women are supposed to be suppressed and have less freedom than Indian men. This includes draping their body with "decent" attire, no drinking or smoking in public and worst of all blaming the rape of a woman on the woman's indecency. We need to understand that the root of the inequality towards women stems from the archaic thought that men are superior to women and now that our present generation has (or have they?) learnt that that's wrong it's time our culture evolved into accepting equality for women. When these protectionists tell women to dress better to prevent being raped, I say tell the men to stop raping!! Maybe our culture should evolve to abhor rapists and punish them for the animals they are, that would make more sense as a culture.
The most widely used phrase by the so called protectionists is "westernization". Apparently our Indian culture is so fragile that a breeze from the west is enough to shake its foundations. Valentine's day, night clubs, divorce, nuclear families are the some of the few victims of westernization claims. Again, westernization is being mistaken for an evolution of culture that is growing to accept changes in human behaviour. Unfortunately for India, we started on the back foot of a history of deep rooted cultural and religious beliefs which pushed the inevitable evolution of our culture behind. And now that our culture has finally begun to evolve we are being criticized of aping the west, whose culture has had the luxury of evolving much earlier.
On a more positive note, although it will take a while for most Indians to adjust to this evolution of culture, I believe the transition will happen and no more will we, the progressive Indians, be accused of operating AGAINST THE INDIAN CULTURE.

....... Blame the dogs?

Garbage bags strewn all over the lane, torn apart to display their smelly, disgusting contents. And who do people blame. The dogs. A society so distorted, think so highly of street dogs that we expect them to have civic sense!
Why do people keep their houses spotless but not think twice about dumping their garbage at the closest vacant spot they find? Can this sort of civic sense be taught or is the lack of it a disorder that has a more psychological root?
My thoughts are that civic sense, especially with regards to garbage, has to be taught AND practiced at schools. The harmful effects of dumping plastic waste as opposed to recycling, although evident, has to be drilled into our kids just like maths or science. The very act not to litter should be second nature to us like washing our hands before eating.
Small communities should work together to at least ensure there are no open dumpsites in their neighbourhood. For lack of space, common dumpsites can be identified. An enclosed structure for dry plastic wastes and a mud pit for all wet garbage. This would be a big help for the local panchayat or corporation and you'll find the garbage collectors more helpful and responsive.
A clean neighbourhood is a right to those living there just like water and electricity. So let's respect others rights and do our bit.  As long as we look at our neighbourhood, our city and state as an extension of our home and understand the ill effects of dumping garbage, not doing it will be second nature to us.

Leave the labour to the mother

The phrase child labour brings images of a sweatshops in South-east asia or garbage dumps in India or even red light areas in parts of Asia. Are these the only situations that qualify as unlawful child labour? Let's have a closer look at the country we live in. Children working in tea shops, canteens, garbage dumps, construction sites or working as maids, babysitters, caretakers. The list is endless. Our eyes have grown used to the the sight of over burdened children doing the job of one or sometimes two grown adults. The large divide between the haves and have-nots in India make the haves indifferent to the perils of child labour around us. Most people feel that a child earning his daily bread, sometimes for his family as well, is noble and that education is overrated. How far would he go with basic education as compared to the skills he picks up working in a tea shop? The child could spend the rest of his life working in a tea shop, or someday own a tea shop, but he will live his life not knowing what his life couldv'e been had he gone to school. He could finish his 10th std education and then work in a tea shop but he would have with him the gift of opportunity to turn his life around if he wanted to.
Apart from being unlawful, child labour is inhumane. Forcing a child to work in conditions a grown adult would avoid or using children to increase productivity for the sole purpose of a profit is a selfish deed and is analogous to man using animals to his benefit. The person adopting child labour may not be responsible for the child's education but is unquestionably responsible for the child losing an opportunity for a better future. And that is as bad as confining an animal in a cage or a human in prison. Everytime we decide to hire a child as a maid or a cook, take a moment to consider the harm you're placing on that child's future. Apart from hampering the child's education we also obstruct him from having the one thing every child should have, friends.
As World child labour day, 12 June, approaches, lets make an attempt to condemn this social evil when we see it and more importantly not fall into it ourselves. Every child, no matter how low in the social strata, deserves to live like a child.

Misplaced patriotism and then some

"If patriotism and love for our country is a crime, then we shall committ the crime repeatedly". Talk about wearing the indian flag on your sleeve, an orange sleeve i might add. Could this statement (spoken by our very own Balasaheb) be a mere publicity stunt or suggest a deep rooted sense of patriotism? If there weren't so many glaring contradictions i would think the latter. Patriotism would seem to be the love for one's country, its people and resources albeit the differences in race, religion or caste. So how does crime against your own countrymen promote patriotism. Is it me or is this a contorted view of so called patriotism. It surprises me how most groups (Sena and the Maoists..to name a few) seek to protect their so called "ideals" with violence. The whole purpose of democracy is freedom to let your voice be heard without letting you hand be felt. How different is George Bush' war against terror as opposed to the Maoists war against the bourgeois or the Sena's war against non-maharashtrians. Slaughter the innocent to prove a point, after all it's all a means to an end. The end in most cases being political supremity!
The leaders of these groups are content with letting their "men" fight their battles while they sit comfortably promoting their propoganda to the masses. Ironically if the leaders do bite the bullet they would be considered martyrs and start a revolution, in most cases bigger and more dangerous than the ones they promoted.
The only way to bring these radicals to a halt would be to first to choke the very "ideals" they stand for and then bring the people involved to justice for the crimes they've committed. Use the weapon of true patriotism against those that use it as a weapon for personal gain. I belong to the world first and then my country and my state. Global to local and not the other way around.

Greed supersedes Need

"Pregnant woman thrashed, paraded naked in Uttar Pradesh", screamed the big bold headline as i contemplated whether i should dare scroll down and read the article. I did, out of curiosity to know what reprehensible act did this woman commit to receive such inhuman treatment. And wonder of wonders, all the poor woman did was to protest when a group of locals attempted to encroach on land that belonged to her husband.
What could drive a bunch of locals to behave like their age old, apelike ancestors? I'm sure these ancestors were far more sensitive than we are nowadays. Comfortably numb is what we've become. The age old saying goes, " Teach a man to fish and he can feed himself forever", i guess we could rephrase that to "Teach a man to fish and he'll kill you to be the only one that can fish".
There seems to be a large divergence in today's society. The gap between the haves and have-nots is being stretched to limits which drive people to such violent acts. Of course i'm not attempting to condone the act, but if we don't realize why this has happened, i guess it won't be long before we read something similar again. At the risk of sounding altruistic, we need to bridge the gap between the affluent and destitute. Greed has reached an all time high, where we just dont satisfy it at the expense of others greed but now at the expense of others lives! More More More ....... we've crossed the line of satisfying our needs so long ago that now our greed is our new need. You might not be aware of how your greed affects people you might never meet in your life. It's all supply and demand. The more you demand, with the supply being as it is, the higher the cost. The cost of a house/land is so steep that the average family cannot even dream of owning a house anymore. And thats when we start protecting the little that we have (the poor pregnant woman) or begin putting our hands into other people's bowls (the barbaric locals).
We don't need to start being benevolent, charitable or even altruistic, all we need is to be prudent in separating our needs from our greed. When we know and understand that distinction, only then can we make the choice ...... Need or Greed?

A Cleft Thought

"Mum, you know we don't believe in that”, were the consistent words Yatish uttered to his mother day in and day out. But this time was different, she had never been so relentless before. "Beta, if Anita and you want a healthy boy-", "or girl" interrupted Yatish, "yes yes, or girl, then please listen to me this once." And he heard the stubborn click of the phone as his mother left him to his thoughts. That old woman and her superstitions, thought Yatish and he slid into bed with a satisfying grin.

Screams of "Yatish Yatish" woke him up. It was Anita, could this be it. He looked at his watch, it was 6 in the morning. "Yatish, i think i'm in labour we need to get to a hospital", yelled Anita in discomfort. Driving in haste along Rabindranath Tagore road, along the banks of the River Ganga, he took a peek at the sky through his windshield and saw the moon slowly passing over the sun as a python slowly devours it's victim, slowly yet surely. He immediately remembered his mother words last night. Brushing away those thoughts he looked at his wife and held her hand reassuringly as she was breathing heavily bearing the pangs of labour pains in her womb.

Pacing in the corridor outside the maternity ward of the V S Mehta hospital, Yatish was starting to get anxious. "Why is it taking so long", he murmured to himself. Across the hallway he saw the man in white emerge from behind the white curtains. As Yatish rushed past him he heard the doctor congratulate him, "congratulations on a baby boy Mr. Saxena". Without stopping he burst into the ward and could see his son nestled in the arms of the nurse, who looked up at him, smiled and slowly entrusted his son into his outstretched arms. He looked down at his son and he suddenly felt sick in his stomach, like the wind was knocked out of him. Tears started rolling down his cheeks, he turned toward his wife who was sleeping calmly. Turning back to his son who was snuggled in his arms, his eyes shut tight, his nostrils moving ever so slightly as he took short gasps of breathe, and then as Yatish's eyes fell on the fissure on his son's upper lip, he had to close his eyes and the tears flowed again.

“July 22 2029, it’s been 20 years since that inauspicious day”, thought Yatish as he sat in his living room, in the dark, alone. Not able to live with the guilt that he carried all these years, Anita left him. 20 years of living as an outcast, Ketu grew into a bitter, alienated man. The guilt in Yatish had grown into a dull numbness, allowing his mind to be taken over by mindless superstitions, the kind that his mother always warned him about. Intoxicated, Yatish indulged in the thought that, what if he had done the corrective surgery the doctor advised him to do, would that have saved his family 20 years of pain and agony?

Synopsis: Our lives are laden with misfortunes and sometimes it is easier to blame these afflictions on superstitions. But ironically it is these superstitions that do not allow us to overcome these inflictions, to rise above misfortunes, to build our own destinies.
Just as in Yatish’s case, the tragedy of his son’s impairment led him to believe in superstitions, which then led him to ignore the possibility of corrective surgery.
In this age of rationality let us not get impeded by false beliefs and unfounded fears. But let rationality lead the way to true progress and eventually our destiny.

Adieus Section 377

"Delhi High Court legalizes homosexuality" scream headlines all over the country, a historical judgement. This is more than historical, this is ground-breaking, it's a message to Indians and the world that we don't just preach democracy but we practice it. This is a message to all those weak but violent attempts to shove the "indian culture" down our throats. And the message is we are preserving the true indian culture, democracy and freedom.
But as always we have a few misguided blokes who still believe that homosexuality should be a crime, that homosexuality is comparable to paedophilia, that it is unnatural. Well if you ask me i feel arranged marriages are unnatural, expecting a man and woman to spend their lives together when they are not even in love is unnatural. And so indian society walks down that hypocritical road once again. Speaking against something they don't really understand. Another weak attempt at protecting their view of the indian culture.
"It's pretty definitive that biological factors play a role in determining a person's sexual orientation." says Brian Mustanski who studies the genetics of homosexuality at the University of Illinois, Chicago. Yes, society also has a role, but that role only leads to the individual discovering his sexual orientation earlier than puberty, which is when a homosexual would normally realize he/she is a homosexual.
Now what about religion, all religions clearly mention that homosexual is immoral and agaisnt religious belief. So is atheism, but you don't hear of a code that penalises non-believers. Or, for the christians, a law that could arrest an individual for using a condom. Bottom-line is the law cannot and should not draw it's codes and rules from religion but from a more social perspective. If your religion compels you to punish a homosexual, then go ahead, within the bounds of your religion AND the law. The law makers are not here to aid religious honchos enforce their religious beliefs.
I hope today is remembered for the victory of democracy over suppression , freedom over discrimination and most importantly a day of celebration for homosexuals all over India.

V for Vindictiveness!

Terror! Molest! Kill! WAR! Terrorists in Mumbai, Women molested in Mangalore, War on Pakistan. Seems to me instead of sailing into the age of the avant-garde we're moving backward to the primeval age. The age where rulers led armies on wars of conquest, where prehistoric man followed only one rule "kill or be killed". Altruism, benevolence, magnanimity are human emotions we don't feel or hear anymore.
In an age of globalization, civil rights and equal opportunity there still exists bias and prejudice. Tolerance is a thing of the past. Forget crossing international borders, we're not able to cross national borders. Borders exist within our country, borders that not only divide land but people as well.
Culture? Does culture define how we live? Or should the way we live define our culture? Our actions define who we are as a race or a country, not the clothes we wear or the food we eat. We speak of westernization, well i call it globalization. Share the good, discard the bad. So how do we react to the bad apples that stand in the way of culture and globalization? Ignore them. Let the law handle them. Treat them the way they deserve to be treated, as strangers in a strange land, a land they think they understand.
Terror. A period of frightful violence or bloodshed. Sounds familiar? Terrorists only drive is to kill innocents and create terror. What is the aftermath of war? Death! So how, to any rational person, is war the answer to terrorism. Kill more innocents to avenge the death of innocents? Does anyone have the answer to take on terrorism? Not yet i presume. But is war the answer. Unquestionably not!
Lets not slip into the Dark Ages but sail peacefully into the Age of Reasoning and Rationale.

Short Story ......... Another Day in Paradise

Lying in bed, the warmth of the early rays of sunrise on my face, the sweet fragrant magnolias heighten my olfactory and the music of migrating skylarks ringing in my ears. The world is so beautiful when man is asleep. No smell of automobile fumes or of the chaos of people rushing about aimlessly. I wait for these moments when the beauty of the world heightens all my senses, making me feel alive and blissful. But these moments are short-lived and as dawn breaks and I feel the strength of the sun’s heat on my skin, it is time to face the realness of life, as we know it.
My day is not very different from everybody else’s. A walk around the park in the morning to get the blood pumping and muscles in shape. I can faintly hear the tones of music from people walking with their earphones plugged tightly and walkmans on full volume. Where is the joy to walk if you don’t leave your ears open to the sounds around you? Housewives rattling on about everything from their neighbor’s affairs to masala concoctions. Little children screaming and laughing while they prance around on the grass. I leave that park, every morning, feeling physically and emotionally invigorated.
The journey to work is the toughest part of my day. A half hour to cross the road and get the bus. After a grueling 1 hour in the congested creaking metal box, seething to the brim with people scurrying about to catch some breathing space, I reach my destination. As I attempt to alight from the bus, the driver who apparently has a deadline to meet moves away a little to early leaving me sprawled on the pavement. I guess he decided his job was more important than my legs. Lifting myself up, with the little dignity I have left, I make my way to the office.
At the end of another mundane day at work its time to head back home. As I step out into the wild again I can sense the absence of the heat of the day and can feel the cool twilight breeze on my skin. In the midst of the familiar drone of people talking, feet tapping on the concrete pavement, sound of automobiles roaring and squealing of tires on the hard asphalt, I tread homewards.
My ears snapped open to the sound of people screaming and tires squealing. As I struggle to identify the source of the sound amidst all the noise, I feel a sharp rap on my hip that sends a jolt of pain through my legs. Next thing I know I’m laying on my back on the pavement. My legs feel like they are on fire, the nerves sensing every single bolt of pain. The warm smell of blood as I feel it trickling down the side of my face, with the soft sound of each drop falling on the pavement. I tried reaching out for my walking stick, it wasn’t there. I started to panic, I could here a commotion nearby but nobody seemed to notice me lying there. I had no idea what just happened and didn’t want to even think of how serious my injuries were. As I lay there, staring into the black space that I grew so used to, my mind wandered to that special place I was in this morning, Thursday morning. The blissful feeling I experienced. The pain in my legs disappeared and was replaced by a faint numbness. All the sounds I had ever heard and the aromas I had inhaled were coming back to me. It began to lull me into a sense of tranquility and calmness.
And then my mind raced to the day before, I was sitting before my doctor and he had a light shining in my left eye. We had just finished talking about the operation. He said I was ready and that he admired my courage for agreeing to undergo this groundbreaking surgery that had been only tried once before and was a success. I told him how I had been waiting for this moment when it would be possible, medically, to perform such an elaborate procedure. He took my hand and told me, in a reassuring voice, that Friday would be the day my eyes would open.

~ Luke

WHERE HAS THE COMPASSION GONE!

I had the misfortune of having to visit a police station to file an FIR (First Information Report) and was deeply disappointed by the response i received. Have these officials become, over the years, cold and indifferent? Has the sheer volume of cases handled by these people contributed to their sense of disservice? Who is to blame? I still believe that a few bad apples could ruin the basket. We still have a lot of compassionate, hard-working respected officials who will go the mile to serve the people but at the same time these few are hard to come across.
So what can WE do to improve this sorry state of affairs? Most important of all we need to treat our officials with respect ,and by that i dont mean saluting an officer when he walks by but, by talking to them with the respect they deserve (NOT MORE!) and admit our faults if we are in the wrong. All said and done our police have a tough job, a BILLION people breaking laws almost everyday is a hard bunch to regulate. So give them their due.
Secondly the very sensitive affair of bribery. Can we avoid it ? YES! And we should. It sure is tough staying away from bribing an official in reality but all it takes is a little convicttion and a LOT of patience. Dont be afraid to fight your way up the official echelons to get justice. Its our right. Bribery is never the way out. Avoid breaking the law instead of avoiding a conviction with a bribe.
Finally compassion and comradeship in society. A simple thank you can brighten up anyone's day. From the rickshaw driver to the grocery store owner. A loud and clear "THANK YOU" can bring meaning to their profession. It's importrant to remember that no body or noone's problems are less insignificant than yours.
So lets strive to inculcate a measure of humaness in our lives and live knowing that all it takes is a single humane gesture to change the world!

GENDER BIAS

Imagine a country full of stereotypical males with archaic views on gender differences and superiority of the male sex. Not a country favourable for a woman to grow in. That's the country we live in. Sounds scary? Female infanticide, acid attacks on women, physical abuse in marriages, dowry. Sounds familiar doesn't it. What many of us thought is the old school of thought and doesn't exist anymore in this more educated and mature generation is wrong. Education and maturity is not the issue and will not help us eradicate the sentiment of male superiority over women.
Biologically it has been proven that men and women are different and this difference is evident right from our conception. Men and women have 22 identical pairs of chromosomes but the 23rd pair makes all the difference, while women have a pair of 2 X's and man possesses 1 X (dominant) and 1 Y(weaker). This is why when children are young the males tend towards playing with trucks and cars and females towards dolls.
All said and done, the differences stop right there, biological. Nature makes man and woman different but nurture should not. Due to certain gender stereotypes that exist, women are nurtured into a more feminine and submissive role in society as compared to their male counterparts. Research by renowned psychologists prove that women can perform equal, and sometimes better, than men in academics if they are tested in a pseudo sterotypical free environment.
So why then do men treat women with prejudice and authority. I know most of y'all, men and women alike, will disagree with me by saying we now have a women president and women are now travelling to space. I ask you, in our population of close to 1 billion, how many women are free to live the lives they want to without being submissive to man and without being prey to physical and mental abuse. Nature built us differently for a reason, so man and woman would complement each other. Not for man to dominate women. Nature made man strong so he could look out for woman, take care of her and treat her well. Not to use that strength against her with violence and abuse. Nature made women caring and understanding so they could be nurturing and also excel at a workplace in areas man would fail. Not so she could be submissive to man and take his abuse without a word said.
Stereotypes of the weaker sex are as harmful as stereotypes of caste and race.
Education cant help this country but HUMILITY can.

SIKH-DERA VIOLENCE

BLASPHEMY??? U gotta be kidding me. Thats what the Sikhs are alleging Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh (head of the dera sacha sauda) did by dressing himself in the attire of Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. Blasphemy is defined as "the irreverent behavious toward anything religious or sacred". So how in'God's' name is wearing the attire of a Sikh Guru considered irreverant behaviour. So now if a man appears in a newspaper wearing a catholic priest's cassock, is that blasphemy against the catholic religion?
And the retaliation to this "blasphemous" act. Riots, boycotts, setting vehicles on fire, property damage!!!!!! Man society nowadays has got their head screwed on in the wrong direction. What ever happened to religious and social tolerance? We retaliate to a innocent, non-violent act with violence and hatred. What society should understand is that "WORDS DONT HURT", you have a grudge against a person or community, use words to get back. Use malicious words mixed with a dose of profanity and malevolence... cause "WORDS DONT HURT". Not as much as physical harm and violence at the least.
I think in our times the phrase "THe pen is mightier than the sword" is more relevant than "Actions speak louder then words".

MORAL POLICE???????

So what IS this new buzz, a MORALE brigade? Who are these people and more importantly what are they trying to achieve.
Once more they raise their saffron bandaged heads to create a ruckus about another "immoral" act, the one where Richard Gere gave Shilpa Shetty a peck on her cheek. They claim the act to be un-indian. EXCUSE ME! First of all there is a HUGE difference between a kiss and a friendly peck on the cheek and secondly since when has kissing become "un-indian". Oh wait, a kiss out of wedlock is un-indian, so thats what it is. But what about the filthy stares indian men give women on the street or the sly pinches in a crowded bus, that is perfectly indian now is it?
Are these groups only out to attract publicity or do they actually believe in these warped sense of values they fight for? Do these groups really believe that India was and is a holy country where this archaic value system needs to be reinforced?
So who are these democratic offenders who call themselves the "moral brigade"
At the forefront is the Shiv Sena who are mostly known for their attack on V-Day, claiming it is western culture creeping into India. So what if people choose to follow a certain tradition that has its roots in western culture. What are the Indian traditional celebrations, Raksha-Bandhan (which promotes respect a sister should show for her brother), which i feel is nonsense. In this age of women's equality why should we still celebrate a festival where the sister is made to respect and sometimes worship her brothers. And by tying a stupid thread on his hand pledges her undying devotion to him as a sister. I agree V-Day has been commercialised and taken advantage of by greeting card and flower retailers but that shouldnt call for a violent attack on the couples that want to celebrate the occasion.
And then tagging along in the saffron brigade is the BJP and their youth groups. And its always about indians aping our western counterparts. Why dont we stop using fridges and stoves and mixers and microwaves and cellphones? Why dont we go back to cooking over coal fires and making masalas with stone grinders? Isn't this how our ancestors used to live, and aren't all these gadgets also aping the west. What are we trying to potray to the world? That indians are chaste, pure and holy beings? PUHLEASE. Why dont we leave these things to rest and use our valuable and energetic youth to be part of groups that are more positive, like help for the poor, sick and illiterate.
The more you try to control and suppress people and ways they can express emotions, the more it will start turning up behind closed doors and that could get messy. I think most people have a certain sense of public ettiquette and you wont find anything more than a peck on the cheek or holding of hands in public. As one of the largest democracys in the world today let us uphold this freedom that we enjoy by, not misusing it and not suppressing those who are using it.
LIVE AND LET LIVE!!!!

FLAG CODE

WE HAVE A FLAG CODE!!!!!
How many of y'all actually knew that. I was going through this "code" and man they havent missed a thing. And when i looked up if any other countries have such a code for Flag usage, yes they do, but trust me its nothing like the one we have.

For example: Official regulation states that the flag must never touch the ground or water, be used as a tablecloth or draped in front of a platform, cover a statue, plaque, cornerstone etc. Until 2005, the flag could not be used in clothing, uniform or costume. On 5 July 2005, the Government of India amended the code, allowing use of the flag as clothing and uniform. It however cannot be used as clothing below the waist or as undergarments. It is also prohibited to embroider the national flag and other symbols onto pillowcases or neckerchiefs.
How many of us actually knew this, and what if happened to be wearing a t shirt with the indian flag and happened to get caught, we would be imprisoned???? FOR A YEAR

In this day and age is this degree of respect and protocol really required to govern how we treat the indian tricolour. I mean Sachin Tendulkar, who is regarded as a sports icon in India, is under investigation for cutting a cake which had the indian flag iced on it.
How does that display disrespect for the flag, i mean he represents the country all over the world for a sport he is good at, i think that makes him a patriotic guy.

I'm not saying the authorities should turn a blind eye to acts against the flag code, after all its part of our constitution, but i'm sure they can waive it off with a fine and a warning. With the crime in the country and the number of growing unsolved cases with the authorities, i think they should concentrate on matters of higher priority.
And awareness HAS to be promoted among the public on rules and regulations especially those tied to our constitution.
Anyway guys this was an "FYI" kinda mail :)
Keep the tricolour flying high...... and no tricolour undies.
CIAO

Social Phylogeny

Eric John Earnest Hobsbaum (British Marxist historian and author) defines a nation as "one of many traditions 'invented' by political elites in order to legitimise their power in a century of revolution and democratisation".
A nation is characterised first and foremost by its traditions. Most of a nations traditions are derived from its history which includes value systems, religions and practices. The rest of a nations traditions are man - made, solely for political reasons, to (as they claim) unify the people of the nation and breed feelings of patriotism.
Phylogeny refers to the evolutionary history of a group of organisms. In this case i am attempting to "blog" about the evolution of social values, norms and sentiments of us, as indians and global citizens, hence the phrase "Social Phylogeny".
WELCOME......