all you do is talk all the way

ALL YOU DO IS TALK ALL THE WAY...(posted on my blog originally)

All you do is talk all the way...

You consider it a liability, object to be given away

make of it a burden,endorse it for just the right price,

wanting to shrug it off your shoulders,put it on display..

If the market is low, to dispose off,schemes you devise..

You make her a commodity,market her countenance

treat her inferior,land a blow to her self confidence..

take her for granted,make her pay for her acquiescence

do not see the love for you, exploit her patience..

You buy her for a paltry amount,redefine her identity

she holds on to you,while you destroy her individuality..

she takes care of you, your whims fancies and family..

she gives you the greatest joy,blesses your life with her progeny

She is the victim of your amorous desires,your brutality

you dismiss her opinions, thinking of them as only bumpkinly..

you fail to feel her pain, also add to it with your infidelity

deem her unequal,yet take pride in your child, her entity..!

Some of you are low life, deemed to be insane..

you use her, weather her out, then show disdain..

Humanity is far dead,you find a friend in propane..

she burns out in agony, cries but yet does not complain...

Today you raise hue and cry, over a skirt that's high

you sight it as heresy, even brand it blasphemy..

you show concern over her honour? What a lie !

you claim to respect her and brand her desire to be free as mutiny !!!

You christen her as a goddess, preach about her holiness

yet you pay for romping her,crushing her flower,her purity..

you take from her love,pleasure,peace,joy and her kindness..

in return offer afflictions,impediments,cruelty;push her into obscurity...

I hear you talk today,I hear you talk about her..

I hear you preach, preach about what disrespects her...

I see you enforce rules, how one should be around her..

I see YOU call my intentions unholy, what one should feel for her ...

I see you,the undercover pimp, telling me how one should live with her...

I know what lies underneath that garb, why you have donned them..

I do not care for you, who are you to dictate terms anyway...

I know you intend no good,All you do is talk all the way...

who are you to decide my life,it's price,it's worth,it's duration

it's joys,it's freedom,it's dreams,it's goals..my ambition...??

Who are you,All you do is talk all the way...

How does your talking matter to me anyway ??

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The post comes as the outburst of a girl who has the spirit within her to fight this cruel world. People often talk about culture nudity, sex etc .. w.r.t the honour of the girl in our society ..!!! Nothing against that but what I wonder is ...? Is that all that defines respect,honour and pride of a woman ?? the purity of her body, her virginity ..??? In a society dominated by men and ill treated women ... I think it does ... and there in lies mans greatest hypocrisy...

The more I have lived in this world, the more I have come across incidents of atrocities on women/friends and I could not help but feel pain,disgust and helplessness... Why helplessness ??? Because i realised that even though I do not tread on the path, I will not be able to stop those along with me from treading on it .... Burning brides, throwing acid on the face , treating them as slaves .. AMPUTATING not only their bodies .. but also their SOULS ...!!

I rarely express such views, If you ask me why .. I would not be able to give a convincing answer .. but I guess I should start maybe I change someones thinking and make them realise what they really are and hope that they change ... maybe when someones post affects me i should not stay quiet .. I should go ahead and further corroborate that post and support the cause

so this was the first attempt on that line ...

Is only 'Fair' the 'Lovely'?

As I walked towards the cosmetics counter, the girl behind the desk (trying to chipkaao something or the other) literally ran towards me and said "Ma'am ye product dekhiye- aapki skin type ke liye best hai, use to kar ke dekho- aapki sari tanning hat jayegi- Ma'am- take my word- laao main try karwati hoon aapko". She was trying to sell me a fairness product.

I mean what the hell!! I am simply in love with my complexion. I am thankful for being blessed with a perfect wheatish complexion and I have no intentions whatsoever to get gori or gorier. I have no personal grudges against these sales girls- they get paid for identifying the potential customers to buy their fairness enhancing products- they are doing what their job is. Neither do I curse these FMCG companies cuz I understand they are doing their business- they just hit the target right- minting money taking advantage of the firangi procreated complex in Indians regarding their complexions.
Gimme a break dude!! its been over 60 years they are gone from our country and we are no more blacks. We are Indians- and we look best wheatish.
Check out the most b'ful actresses in bollywood- Madhu Bala, Hema Malini, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Sonali Bendre, Rani Mukherjee, Bipasha Basu, Sushmita Sen- aint they lovely? And are they fair?? And those who want to argue about Katrina Kaif and Aishwarya Rai being Fair and Lovely, they are requested to give one serious thought on- do they look Indian enough?

Not just the organizations and their employees, this society of ours is full of people who are discriminating on the basis of complexion- specifically girls- darker girls are looked down upon- they are not perceived to be pretty. Everyone knows of the problems faced by their poor parents in getting them married. Several shows on the Indian prime time are showcasing the low about darker girls- I need not illume much on that.
What I fail to understand is, we live in Indian society, where more than 50 percent of people are on the wheatish side and very less fit in the category of gori or gora (and they do not satisfy the Indian beauty standards- at least in my opinion) and still we have to face such bullshit from one or the other person- I too have come across some real mean comments on my complexion when I actually do not fit in the category of Dark (No Offences Intended). I mean who says we do not practice Apartheid in India?
Okay, ask any Indian girl what qualities would they like in their partner- their instant reply would be- Tall, Dark, Handsome. When Men are desired to be darker, dont you understand this darkness cannot be subsided in coming generations- are you ready to mingle your Fairness with darkness? If yes, why do you bother being Fairer?

I don not understand why do people wan to be fairer? I myself have a few friends who are very conscious about their complexion and I guess they would have emptied about a tonn kilogram of fairness products till date on their faces and have try every possible way to get one shade fairer.. They would have applied every possible thing Freon the Daadi Maa Nuskha diary on their faces ranging from malai to a spice called Kalaunji, from milk to potato (I know of few as I have been un wantingly suggested many times).

Those Firangs, they ruled us for over 400 years, and we are still living the inferiority complexes they planted within our society to make themselves superior. Now those whites, allured with the darker shades, are spending millions of dollars and pounds on inventing technologies to get tans- they get expensive treatments for getting one shade darker and we are still wishing to be fairer..
I mean guys, Wake up!! 2008 is almost gone and we might be left with another 4 years to live on this planet - (if we believe the theory of 12 Dec 2012 :D), we got much more important things to do than to bother about being one shade lighter.

And as Michael Jackson puts it:
"You're thinkin' of
Being my brother
It don't matter if you're
Black or white

Ooh, ooh
Yea, yea, yea now
Ooh, ooh
Yea, yea, yea now

It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to get by
It's black , it's white, whoo

It's black, it's white
It's tough for you to get by
It's black , it's white, whoo"

Picture courtesy (Googled): http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj9/s19m/black-and-white.jpg

This post also Available at: Bare Twaddle

The great escape...

Yesterday I came across a person who had a lot to tell. He was arrested without any reason and had been beaten up in jail for three consecutive days. I am sorry I can't tell his name, I have promised him. He was too frightened to be caught that he did not agree to go for a video interview. His fear was that if he talks to me about it his family may be no more till tomorrow morning.
He told me an untold story of the happenings before the terrorist encounter at Chinnor.
Here goes the story...

He got a call from the person he used to work for to reach the city next morning due to an emergency. As the Jammu was on curfew, he did not have any public transport to travel all the way to Jammu from his village.
He saw a load carrier three wheeler with milk transporter gujjars on the road. He waved his hand and asked for lift...they agreed.
There were four gujjars(two male and two female), and five hindu people in the vehicle.
After about two km or so, two men, around six and half feet tall, dressed like gujjars asked for lift from the same vehicle.
They got into the vehicle and took out two AK-47 rifles from under their clothes.
All the people were frightened.
On the way there was an army check post and the person I spoke to told the army personnel on duty by waving his hand that there are terrorists inside, Save us!
The terrorists simply raised his rifle and the three army personnel on duty moved back off the road and turned around.
The vehicle moved on. By now the people inside the vehicle had realized that no one will help them...the had to do something on their own.
One of the women there was feeling giddy and started vomiting. One of the terrorists made the vehicle stop and accompanied the women to the side of the road.
The other terrorist was busy dealing with the driver of the three wheeler who was crying madly.

In the meantime five people managed to escape quietly into the trees at the roadside.
The person I spoke to told me shortly after the escape they heard a gunshot and cries of the people who were still on the vehicle. The person says that they were so afraid that they did not leave their hide out until later police came and arrested them claiming they were terrorists. He was tortured by police both physically and mentally for three days until the person he worked for came and managed to get him out.

It was later found that the gunshot he heard had killed the women who was vomiting. What happened next is known to all...the three people left ware killed by the two and the pictures of the driver were on the news channels few weeks back.

The the thing is that, had the army personnel at the check post not been coward enough, they could have attacked them or informed further authorities, and the massive killings and the encounter could have been prevented.

Originally posted at ritwik in search by me.

Bad vs Worse!

Today I am going to compare bad with worse and you have to choose your one option and tell me why. An adult channel started being aired in a small city. Many people went to the cable operator talking about the impact it would have on the children watching it. And soon it was removed. When one of the famous actors(female)did a bold role in a film many other stars came up to the media criticizing her. Saying how could she do this. Its against the culture and so on. But in both the cases what I would like to say to the concerned is more than an adult channel or a bold role, the things which have a bad impact on children or are against our culture are cheating other people to fill own pockets, making others feel inferior on the basis of the so called caste system, taking a human life, gender bias, treating some jobs down market, showing pride, giving importance to only moneyed people and many more such things which many people do without feeling a single prick of conscience. Its just really awful to have such thinking.

Note: its just comparison of bad with worse not good with bad.

Origin: That's Awful

Angel Summoning: Magic Mirror

Light a white or silver candle.
Announce your intention and ask for angelic blessings. You may ask for a "go-ahead" singal as to whether to proceeed.
Sit, relax, burn frankincense or warm its essential oil to extend an invitation and enhance your powers of clairvoyance.
Look in your mirror. Pretend you are not looking at yourself but impartially at another being.
When its accomplished, look beyond yourself in the mirror.
Stay relaxed: if you are tense, this won't work. Onlu work for as long as you feel fresh and relaxed; several attempts may be necessary before you accomplish your goal. This technique takes time.
Eventually you may see a new face; eventually you may see your guardian angel or another spirit behind your own image. You may see lights. The experience is very personal and varies.
Communicate with the presence in the mirror.
When you're done, the mirror should be wrapped in drak silk or velvet and kept reserved for this ritual alone.

Friendship into love spell

Turn friendship into something more.

Obtain a Lover's Candle, a usually red candle depicting an entwined naked couple or, if you're a candle-crafter, create one of your own.
Carve the woman's name on the man's body and the man's name on the woman's.
Anoint with the love oil you like best (Amor, Jezebel, Come to me lover! for instance) and burn the candle.

Inspector Sharma-India salutes you

Its a sad day for the nation as it bids the final farewell to Delhi police inspector Mohan Chand Sharma. He died on Friday in an encounter with the terrorists who were involved in the Delhi bomb blasts. The nation could've rejoiced today with the successful operation of killing 2 terrorists and nabbing one, if not for the painful loss of this brave soul. He was the first one to enter the building where the terrorists were said to be hiding. Just think of the courage displayed by this man in the hour of need. As he knocked on the door, he heard some commotion going on inside. So he went inside through another door and was shot at. His team members swung into action after this and it was all over in the blink of an eye. Though he was taken to the hospital, Sharma succumbed to his injuries soon. He was a tough cop who has taken part in many successful encounters and brought laurels to the Delhi police force, but sadly this one proved his last.

The terrorists who were killed were not mere gun-totting puppets. Atiq alias Bashir, one of the dead, is said to be the 'mastermind' behind last week's Delhi blasts. They were traced with the help of valuable intelligence inputs provided by Gujarat police. This is a much needed shot in the arm for the police force in India. They've been bearing the brunt of the blame game that heats up after every other blast in town. Officers like Sharmaji proves that the police force is not 100% corrupted afterall. Men like him are prepared to lay down their lives for the sake of the country in true police spirit. One thing I wonder is why these men were not given bullet proof vests, even when it was known that they were going for a high-risk encounter. I really doubt whether they have enough stock(or no stock at all?) of such safety equipments.

An issue that crops up related to yesterday's happenings is the question of human rights. If not for the policeman's death, we would've heard a huge outcry over the gunning down of the terrorists. Self-proclaimed human rights activists of the ilk of Arundathi Roy would be releasing statements such as "Its a blatant violation of human rights. In Pakistan, they won't shoot terrorists like this. But in Delhi, there's no value for the life of a terrorist. So the only solution is giving Delhi independence or gifting it to Pakistan". This hipocrisy in the name of human rights been going on for too long. The shining example being the parliament attack case in which many of our security personnel laid down their lives. But, in the end we had tears being shed for the convicted terrorist Afazal Guru. Petitions containing mercy pleas were flying around thick and fast. We had stories on his helpless family whereas the kith and kin of those who died defending our nation were conviniently forgotten. Politicians made sure that he'll continue to live luxuriously in the prison rather than be sent to the gallows. I really wish atleast the one terrorist whom they caught yesterday be blasted off the face of the earth after extracting all possible information from him. To hell with the idea of fair trail for a terrorist.

Lets all salute the brave man who died for all of us. Hope this incident serves as the starting point for India's fight against terrorism. The Government should get its act together with stringent laws and swift actions in this regard. Else, the soul of martyrs like Sharmaji would never forgive us.

PS-Home minister Shivraj Patil can now breath easy. Last week during the Delhi bomb blasts, we saw him changing his dress 3 times in a timespan of 1 hour. His fashion show had kicked up such a storm that at one point he was thinking of shedding his clothes forever and join the Digambaras of Jainism. Now that one of the main brains behind the attack is dead, he can breath easy for the time being. To celebrate this sudden turn of events, he is reported to have ordered for 100 new suits to be worn in the next 2 days.

Cross posted at crusadertvm

Rape- an inevitable aspect of our society

Whatever they may be in public Life, Whatever their relations with men, in their relations with women, all men are rapists and that's all they are. They rape us with their eyes, their laws, their codes."
- Marilyn French, Writer

When I read this phrase put up by Tshhar, I wondered in what exact terms rape is referred to over here. The Wikipedia says it is physical assault.

When I open the newspaper in the morning, there are at least 5-7 news articles regarding rape cases, put on the television, the news channels will be showing the 'natkiya rupantar' of similar news as if they are some entertainment pieces. Not even the tourists are safe in India these days – everyone is aware of the recent Goa and Rajasthan cases. Women are treated low because they are physically weaker than the men; they are unable to match their strength

What we are talking about here is not just the physical assault, but all those things that are levied upon women which torture them physically and psychologically. 'Eve teasing' is not a new term to anyone and I guess no girl- woman- lady on the planet would never have come across it. Get out in the open, get into some public transport, you cannot avoid it. A case of rape with eyes.

Talking about our culture, we have given a respectable place to women in the society. Is it actually so? The anti social activities like, Bal vivah, Sati pratha – still practised in parts of the country, torturing for dowry, female genocide are outcomes of what I ask? Undoubtedly the protocols set by the men of the society to establish their virtue over women and to suppress their kind.

In non metros, a divorcee is looked down upon and a non divorcee not living with her husband is essentially treated as a lose character. Are not they different aspects of rape? With codes made by the society. They rape the innocent- psychologically. They kill them for no reason. Without any of thier fault.

In Islam, a man can get rid of his wife by saying 'talaq' thrice, but a woman no matter how her husband treats her, cannot leave him. With laws they rape the women.

Reference to the history clearly reveals that men have always had a prominent role in the society across the centuries, across the globe leading to suppression of women kind and giving birth to different anti social activities.

Tshhar pointed out that only men are not responsible. I agree. One who accepts initially can never overcome the odds. They are exploited because they never fought against it. Do we want to live in the same conditions or do we want to change, the choice remains ours.

Quoting a very nice one "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent- Elanor Roosevelt."

The Discussion Of the Month

In my previous post, I had suggested a topic for discussion.
I would like to deliberate my views on the same today.

"Whatever They may be In public Life,Whatever their relations with men,in their relations with women,all men are rapists and that's all they are.They rape us with their eyes,their laws,their codes."
- Marilyn French,Writer
_____________________________

I will say that this statement is partially correct only, because i don't agree with the word rape in this particular quote.
I agree men made various laws, they laid down a bulk of code of conduct to be followed by women,especially in the Indian Society.
Also the eyes part.For centuries women have been treated just like an object of lust, a virgin to be laid or a wife to produce heirs.As the sentence correctly says, whatever men be in public life or social or professional life, from inside most of them are the same.
But the writer used a very strong word rape, which i think is totally uncalled for.Women were exploited in the past,because they allowed themselves to be exploited.They slept quietly when their husbands laid awake on the beds of whores.They remained silent when they were imprisoned in the unjust rules and regulations. They Strive hard to be Moralistic and Ideal wives,mothers,sisters, and encouraged immorality of their husbands,sons and brothers.
And when I see the present scenario,the girls of today, take their new social status for granted and in the process have become more submissive to men.
A magazine report i read, told a story of a girl who committed suicide for the guy whom she loved didn't love her.Another Girl I came across, who had undergone a surgery of some sorts [I don't recall the details] to please her boyfriend both of them aged 16.
There was another 17 year girl who pestered her male friend to come and stay with her for a couple of days since her parents were away.The guy was disturbed and approached me for help.A girl taking a lead,proposing a guy for date or marriage is no longer a new thing in our society.Even if you study the patterns of rising pre-martial sex,its the woman who is taking the initiative but opts for the submissive role in the act.In most cases these are the findings.
Till date the liberal Indian society has not come in terms with concept of virtual world and girls having male friends online.
Laws, the laws like dowry made for women are being grossly misused.Most of the laws made to protect women rights are witnessing high rates of misuse.Why blame men for that?
Its True men, treated women in a wrong manner.But see the way women reacted to the codes and laws made for them.No its not rape.It is never a rape.
__________________________________
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I have formed a google group
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Do join
Thank you
Jai Shri Ram!!!

A letter to a Father

Helping my cousin for her holiday's homework, I accidentally created a poem about the curse of dowry. It turned out to be a nice one so I decided to put it up here. It's my first work so I don't feel embarrassed about it being kiddish..

Oh my dear father,
All of my life, you have taken my care,
When ever I needed you, you have always been there.

Now is the time to bid goodbye to your daughter,
But please don't send me away to get slaughter.

The groom's family asks for the dowry that will one day become a curse,
If only they never got satisfied, you will have to keep filling on their purse.

And if you fail to do so oh dear father,
they would either purposely kill or burn me down rather.

Car, jewellery, cash call for a celebration,
Human beings have lost their importance, this is beyond imagination.

Please find me a family, who will love me,
and who will not looking to sell their son for your money.

They will always keep me happy and gay,
And this will make me proudly say..
I love you dear father.

Posted originally at Bare Twaddle

Indians Disappoint Me.

I am disappointed by all my countrymen and countrywomen.And of course being an Indian Myself I am more disgusted with myself.

* A jessica Lal Dies.An Aarushi Talwar dies.I see loads of people holding candles and marching to India Gate or other monuments.
Lakhs Of people brutally died in the Bihar floods. And all candles were disgustingly missing.
There were literally no banners or march of peace.
* Our Prime Minister, Who after 4 years In office has now got this idea that there is no co-ordination in between different security agencies and this leads to terrorist attacks on the country, is wished a very good morning be me myself. It took you 4 years and thousands of deaths to get that idea? wowww
* Our Home Minister,who is another rajya sabha member [he had lost the Lok sabha elections last time] loves changing dresses when he hops from one blast site to another. I am now more glad that two bombs, near regal cinema and India gate got defused.I am not particulary fan of those bandhgalas, and watching him flaunting his whole wardrobe in a day would have been slightly boring.
* In our country, you can be a gujjar and uproot rail lines.If you feel like you can block jammu,you can block kashmir.You can jam the national highway at singur at your will.You can even tell anyone that he/she is a non marathi and should be shooed away.Or buy member of parliaments in few crores rupees, to win a trust vote.
But i Tushar Mangal ask, then why do we blame terrorists for planting bombs, in our markets when we are presenting such a rosy picture of our national security???
each and every voter in this country should hang his head in shame. Utter shame.
* In Bihar, Politicians are inaugrating relief camps,Distributing tax payer's money at will on relief camps that are adorned by there party symbol's and posters or distributing plain cash.Daily i see pictures of people presenting cheques for relief funds as if they are doing a favor or pittying someone.
If you want to do charity, why be pompous??? Again who should hang his/her head in shame???
for this pompousness
* No, this is not the country, for whom Bhagat Singh got himself hanged.No.
The weakness of the government shows our weakness.
The voters who made this government.
My only faith now left somewhat is in Nitish Kumar, who has approached Nepal's Prime Minister to work out ways to prevent floods from Nepal to India. At least some one is there who is thinking a bit about our country's future.
Or Mr Advani, who is at least interested in bringing up a law against terrorism.I am not much aware of the merits or demerits of POTA still at least maybe it is an effort.
Our Prime Minster, who is only interested in his high command's orders or the Nuclear deal, worries less about us than his other commitments to Madam and one Mr Bush.
With reasons such as these and several small others, I say today, Indians today should feel ashamed and look forwards to redeeming their conscience.
___________________________

I wish to announce a discussion on a topic. I request you all to write a post on this particular Quote

"Whatever They may be In public Life,Whatever their relations with men,in their relations with women,all men are rapists and that's all they are.They rape us with their eyes,their laws,their codes."
- Marilyn French,Writer

* This Discussion runs one month from now.
* The member writing the best post will get special appreciation both on Jagruti and Voyaging through the blogosphere.
* A badge, though not promised, but will be given for your personal blog as a memoir.
________________________________________

Jai Shri Ram !!!

Please ...... take my daughter......I will pay for it!!

So marriages brings a glow to a family. With all sorts of decorations and all we all feel happy at those times. But the biggest agony of girl's parents during the marriages is dowry. The girl's family works hard to make arrangements. The girl's family is often seen with their heads down in front of the boys family. Then if any arrangement, any, like food, decoration etc has some little fault in it then they are often rebuked and insulted by the boy's family. After all they are the boy's family they can do anything huh! .... collars high. Its a shame that we have different status for both the families. Just being a boy's family is enough.... an honour is attached to it. WHY??? It is a big shame for the rich Indian culture.Huh! Even after the girl's family is the one sending their daughter the important member of their family to the boy's house why are they the ones to pay the dowry???? Is it like a price given to keep garbage at someone's house? I know this custom started as a good means to give a share of the family property to the daughter. But now what is its relevance when girls have to be legally given a share of the family property. It should be hers not his and his family's. I have heard of some people who don't educate their daughter's just to save money for dowry and what happens is if there is some tension between the husband and wife then wife is always the one to compromise because she is at his mercy. she cannot go back parents won't accept. I don't really know when will this end.

ps:) This post was originally posted on That's Awful

India - Delhi - 9/13

It was a terrible day for Delhi yesterday.
A few fanatics, in the form of terrorists, have once again managed to pull off a bomb and have tried to harm our spirits and unity.

One of my Muslim friends was very very upset with these fanatics... the so called Jihadis (and actually correctly termed as 'fasaadis' by social clerics a few days back), which he said were bringing a bad name to their community y their misdeeds.

And, thinking back, really don't an entire community get on the back foot for while only 'coz a sub-minuscule percentage of them are on the wrong way? I didn't have any word to console him that time. He lost one of his distant relative in these very blasts.

Kuch Sawaal aur mere Kuch Jawaab

Mujhe dukh hai ki ye post likhna pad raha hai. Yes, I am going to write on the yesterday's incident. The Delhi blasts. These things happening in India have deeply depressed me and why me I am sure that many of you who are going to read are also affected by it. When I see such things I feel what did the people who did this get after all this killings.
And I also see that when such an incident happens what do the politicians do? They just don't leave any chance of criticizing the Govt. This shows that how much inhuman we have become. When so many lost their lives how can you just be bothered about the vote bank. Height of selfishness!!!!
We Indians happily announce our unity in diversity but I really don't think we have any unity.
We all want to be called Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims then Upites, Keralites, Maharastrians...etc. When will we be wanting to be called Indians ... Bharatiya!
Kya hume zara si bhi sharm hai ki humne insaaniyat ko iss hadh tak neeche gira diya.
Why do we fight on the name of God? Kya Bhagwaan ye chahte hai?
Every Religion has so many rich knowledge in it.
I come from a very prayerful christian family but still
when I was small I used to go to the Temple daily without a miss.
You know One of my friend's was a Muslim I once went to the Dargah and what I wished was fulfilled.
You know during my tenth Board exams before each exam I and my friends used to Go to the Gurudwara and pray.

Agar mein ye sab kar sakti hoon toh aap sab bhi kar sakte ho. Why not extract the best knowledge from every religion and follow it.
Please pray for the victims and people as such. This is a very sad situation very sad.

ps:)this was an honest appeal but if I hurt anybody's religious feelings please let me know.
Btw i too have a social blog which discusses issues I feel are awful. HERE

Amarnath land issue...

Here is a video shot by me on 2nd August of the protests that took place in Jammu due to the Amarnath land row.
Watch it...it aint that good...but still it shows how it happened behind the scenes...the security forces damaging public property...

Religion..?

Religion- a "mixture of opposites", it has become. Religion has always been an age-old problem; right from early civilizations to the pre-Renaissance and Dark Age era, through to this very day. It is high time we become rationalised in our thoughts and look to religion for enlightenment. I welcome any sane discussion on this...

God- the omnipresent One. "God"- what does this word bring to your mind? A mélange, shall we say- compassion and love to fear and power, to force, magic and sacrifice? What relevance does "God" have in the world of today. A world where corruption and materialism vie for the lions share. From a time of "My God is more powerful than your God!", to "There is no God; it is all Science."; we were and still are- skeptics. Earlier, we doubted the 'other' Gods powers and now, we are skeptic about the very word "God". Have we changed? I leave it to you...

Now before you start thinking, let me make some 'disclaimers'- This is no homily on atheism. And neither am I trying to preach the 'prophecised faith'. This is just a rant of an Earthling [read- human being] who is pretty much bewildered by all that he has observed in his life thus far. That said, and if you are still interested, read on.

Most (if not all!) religions speak of love, the path of righteousness and tolerance. Religions, therefore, have a common goal- to unite people in the quest for what is right. A classic example would be how Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa [is said to have] practiced the major faiths and realized that all of them lead to the same goal. May be some faiths do speak of 'honor' killings... May be the over-zealous follower in you wants to be glorified by beheading a heretic? Think- May be you have made some serious misinterpretation of sacred text? Now I ask- does this religion you claim to follow also say that you are bestowed with all powers to be the 'Overseer' of this planet? Since when did your 'God' require an agent? Nonsense...

Hypocrisy- thy name is mankind. Sadly, that is what the human race is about. Did that last line p*ss you off..? "How the hell can you make that statement? What makes you think I am a hypocrite? May be you are, but not me!" Oh yeah... May be you are not... But you are not the majority for sure! That reminds me... When you pray, do you close your eyes and strike a deal with Him? And try make a bargain out of it? What would you call that, friend?

I am not here to teach you the art of praying... I wish to make one more statement- the needs of the hour. Rational thinking and humanism. The clever crow of today will not drop stones to raise water; it will use a straw. And here's another tithing- 'Jal', 'Paani', 'Water'... Don't they look, feel and taste the same? The same substance is being called by different names. It is pretty much identical to how God is addressed by different names. Be not a fanatical follower of your religion. Religion should bring peace to your soul; not rabid anguish that, there is this live heretic near you nor that there is this 'new' God who can send yours to Kingdom Come! Please, be human. That is how you have been born. And it is time you grow up and live your life as one too.

---

Here, I'd like to include what one of my teachers had to say;
"You can think of God in which ever way you like. After all, you have created Him for a point of reference in your existence. You secretly like to have someone on your side always. So, you have God. You always want His help. Good. When you want His help, you even bribe Him. You haven't ever asked Him what He wants. Is He happy with you? Does He enjoy your company? Doesn't He find your constant demands for this and that boring? After all, He has given you the whole world to play in and the whole mankind to play with. Then why aren't you satisfied?"
---

And here's some food for thought;

You certainly have the right for prescribed activities but never at anytime in their results.- The Gita

Kindness to His creatures reaches His mighty throne sooner than anything else in the world. - Leo Tolstoy

I had to practise each religion for a time — Hinduism, Islām, Christianity. Furthermore, I followed the paths of the Śāktas, Vaishnavas, and Vedāntists. I realized that there is only one God toward whom all are travelling; but the paths are different.Truth is one; only It is called by different names. All people are seeking the same Truth; the variance is due to climate, temperament, and name. But this very thing is at the root of the friction among sects, their misunderstandings and quarrels. This is why people injure and kill one another, and shed blood, in the name of religion. But this is not good. Everyone is going toward God. They will all realize Him if they have sincerity and longing of heart.- Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

This article was originally posted at Contorted Reality

Religion..?

This article was originally posted at Contorted Reality You may leave your comments there

In today’s world being academically weak is a curse?

This is a very often question which strikes in those students who are academically weak.

In today’s world of intellectuals and with a Tiff competition among each other weak students somewhere has lost an opportunity to get ahead. They are just dominated by intelligent sections of the society

If we analysis the ‘cons’ of being an academically weak ten its really a curse.An average student of 40%-45% stands nowhere according to the education policies of various universities.For ex if we take our own Delhi University to get into the good college a student should at least get 95%+ to get into the best known course or course of one's interest.

Getting 95%+ in 12^th is obviously not a child’s play.Every student can’t have same level of intelligence or grasping power.

In the end students with average%or I should say below average stands nowhere,they end up taking admissions in correspondence or sometimes students gets so depressed that they end up taking their precious lives

There are times when seats are vacant in various institutes and people there just rudely say No to weak students,all this results in negative thought process of a children ,it results in a thought process of that only people with grey cells are respected in the society,weak people have no standing.

Sometimes, Students tend to feel so neglected n they start underestimating themselves wen they have to face such a rough n dry behavior of various institutes.And all this frustrations land up in personal lives too,parent’s taunts, their scoldings all this makes a person feels soo suffocated and it starts giving a feeling of killing oneself.

Parents too play a crucial role in all this scenario of academics.Their support to a child is a pillar.If they compare their children with other intelligent and talented children than a weak student will always feel degraded or demoralized.

They should support there children and understand their potential and they should not criticise them always for doing nil in academics.They should groom them in other best fitted fields,in which a interests of student’s lies. But all this doesn’t mean that they should become carefree towards academics,they should time time help them in there academics also,give them a doze of studying regularly not in stretch but of course in small intervals,they should not burden their children.

These days people don’t realize that everybody has a talent, some students discover that in themselves in a early stage but some can’t they need some time.People low with intellect powers basically are more talented,they have more God gifted qualities.

We are not here against intellects but we are here just emphasising that institutions should be soft in dealing with people who are weak,they should also give them an opportunity to prove themselves,they should be treated as equal, as respect full like other intellects of the society.

At the end I will rap up just by saying that there are huge group of students who are weak and feel this is a curse but I would just like to convey this have some patience and put in some hard work without taking too much pressure .And if possible communicate with parents, that there this attitude will not solve the purpose, rather its very depressing n demoralizing.

So take a chill pill and take a break from all the taunts n put in your hard work again with same enthusiasm n zeal n zest.

Life is all about ups n downs but we have to bounce higher n prove that we are very strong.:-):-).

Note:This post is originally posted by me at my personal blog Unpredictable life.

The "Enigma" that is... 'God'

God- a nice topic of debate. What is it to be an infinite conundrum, an eternal mystery... What is the relevance of God today? Are we being selfish? Man is born to sin. So, we have to be selfish, right? Or is it just another smart-ass argument?

Little Srijith was crying- inconsolably. He had received a hiding from his mother for tasting the laddoos before they could be offered for the pooja. Hearing his sobs, his grandmother hobbled up to him and offered him another piece of laddoo. He gave it a glance, took it and flung it out...

Srijith's grandmother would feed him stories of God's kindness. While his mother- a disciplinarian and a devout lady- would often warn him against God's hot displeasure. But she also taught him to have faith in the same God. Srijith was no Socrates. But, hearing so many things about this 'God' confused him to no end. Even the other day, when he had fallen off a mango tree while trying to pick fruit, his mother admonished him saying, "God punishes naughty children! I hope you learnt your lesson." His grandmother was different. She took him to a nearby temple and both of them prayed for his wounds to heal quickly, which they did.

Srijith's father was a man of Science and was rarely seen at home. A theoretical physicist, Mr. Bose was often busy with his research papers. But whenver he had time, he would spend it with his little son. Mr. Bose never touched upon the topic 'God'. He was an Atheist. Srijith would wonder why his father never spoke of this 'God', but never asked him. He would enjoy his father's company- precious little moments, they would be.

Fast forward, forty years. Srijith was a Professor in Theology. He could vividly recall all those memories of his childhood. His parents, and his doting grandmother. He never forgot what each of them instilled in him. All that had ignited a desire in him- a desire to know about 'God'. And he took every opportunity that he chanced upon.

"God's Love" was the first book(let) he received, at his school's fete. He was attracted by the parables of Christ. Amar Chitra Katha was there as well... He read those pictured books and was drawn in to another world. He happened to read the tales of Narada- who often had some trick up his sleeve- and laughed loud. He read how Guru Arjan was tortured- and cried. He also read how Ramakrishna Paramahamsa practised the major religions and realised they lead to the same goal.

'Jal', 'Paani', 'Water'... Didn't they look, feel and taste the same? Our Professor was lost in thought. He was still confounded by what his mother and grandmother would say. He could not comprehend how God, an embodiment of love and kindness, could also be God, that beheld fear. He was being Agnostic in his rumination... He thought of all the news he had read- animals being sacrificed, and humans as well! Was this 'God' blood-thirsty too? Had his mother forgotten to tell him that? Or was this restricted to the Mayans and Aztecs of yore- which had suddenly surfaced in some parts of today. And what about these 'God-men', supposedly blessed by the Divine...

During one of his lectures, a student had come up with a statement, "God is man's manifestation. Man needed someone to put the blame on, and lo! There was God..." Srijith wondered what his mother or grandmother would say to that!

In a tension-filled world, Srijith reflected, people go to any extent to find solace. One such place is God. Be it a Christian view of following the Right path, a Satanic view of following the Left path, a Wiccan view of the oneness with Nature... Anything! 'Tolerance' was no longer a watchword. Srijith saw that more often than not, the tension people faced was a consequence of their own actions coupled with the environment they were in. Renouncing was definitely not the answer. 'Materialism' was the new watchword.

One has to change with times. Srijith observed how most of the Hindu priests were doing well- priesthood was a lucrative profession; performing marriages, house warming ceremonies, death rituals, etc. He wondered further- Is it wrong to be 'materialistic'? After all, you want to lead a comfortable life with your family. Anyone would wish for all the comforts life has to offer... In fact, don't elders wish for the same and bless you? A priest is a man of God. And he is expected to be simple. But he has a family, and he has every right to wish for their comfort. Celibacy is not relevant today- not to everyone. People hope to do well and live their dream.

Hope is a good thing; may be, not the best of things. But all good things never die.

This article was originally posted at Contorted Reality You may leave your comments there

Hello everyone...

Greetings.

I am in receipt of your invite and I thank you for the same. I look forward to contributing here. 'Religion & Philosophy' is one of my major interests, and I love engaging myself in an intellectual debate.

Enfin, a little bit about myself; I am Karthik Swaminathan, a polyglot from Chennai. I have completed my baccalaureate degree in Electronics and Communication Engg. I will soon be working with HCL Technologies.

Peace, and have a nice day.

Ad majorem Dei gloriam.

A nice article on Kashmir's options in TOI

I'm taking the privilege to share this shared post from one of my friends blog (with his due permission of course!). This article, she told, was published in the Times Of India in one of the Sunday editions of August 2008 during the Jammu & Kashmir disharmony period (and yes, no points for guessing that it was the matter which was fueled deliberately by pro Pakistan separatists only).

My friend said she liked the Author's view point and concept of the situation and thats why she shared it on her blog. And, reading it there, I also felt the same.... thats why I'm sharing this with all of you here thinking that it will be a better read for all those who didn't read it there in the TOI copy.

All credits and credentials goes to the author as well as the newspaper. I'm just copy-pasting the post with due permission.
Here it follows....

A nice article on Kashmir's options in The Times of India (TOI)

[Food4Thought]

A nice article on Kashmir's people's options in the Delhi edition of The Times of India (TOI) dated 24/Aug/08

MEN AND IDEAS

Kashmiri choice

-GURCHARAN DAS

A Kashmiri Muslim student came to see me last week and it was not long before our conversation turned to the current azadi wave in the valley. He did not think that an independent Kashmir was viable, and its only choice was either to be with India or with Pakistan. After a pause he asked guilelessly, why was India a democracy and Pakistan an autocracy? This set me thinking. I told him that Pakistan was more the norm — Third World countries do not generally become stable democracies. India is an exception.

India’s democracy and Pakistan’s autocracy have deep roots in history. India’s nationalist movement was older and more widespread. Millions of ordinary Indians were drawn in by Mahatma Gandhi. Muslim nationalism emerged later and did not become a mass movement — Jinnah was more comfortable in the drawing room rather than the ‘dusty road’. While Indians prepared for democracy over three generations, Pakistanis-to-be got the itch only a couple of years before independence. After independence, Pakistan’s politicians performed abysmally. The Muslim League Party disintegrated; there were nine governments in 10 years and the army under Ayub Khan seized power in 1958.

Jinnah’s great error was to impose Urdu as the national language when only 8% of Pakistanis spoke Urdu and 55% spoke Bengali. Thus, he sowed the seeds of Bangladesh. Sri Lanka made the same tragic mistake. India did not succumb to this anti-democratic temptation by imposing Hindi. This is how India gave space for subidentities to flourish, allowed the rise of peoples’ leaders from linguistic states, and deepened democracy.

Although his slogan in the 1945-46 elections in undivided India was ‘Islam is in danger’, Jinnah wanted to build a modern nation. Even though General Zia-ul-Haq reinforced theological priority, i do not believe Islam prevents Pakistan from being democratic. The rise of Islamism does tear the ordinary Pakistani’s loyalty between the brotherhood and the state, but the maulvi is not Pakistan’s natural leader as in Iran. The chief obstacle to democracy is the army. Hence, i am relieved that Musharraf is gone. It does create a vacuum that might be filled by extremists, but in the longer term the best thing for India is to have a democratic Pakistan.

For a brief moment in the mid-1970s the two nations seemed to converge. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto began to steer Pakistan towards genuine democracy while Indira Gandhi took India on the path of dictatorship. The paths diverged after 1977 as Mrs Gandhi called an election and Bhutto was executed by Zia in 1979. India returned to the path of democracy, whose binding glue is the liberal notion that all Indians are equal citizens before the law, owing loyalty to the Constitution. This is a British legacy. Before that we were a collection of communities and kingdoms. Although we still feel loyal to our caste or community, we are different from the tragic Pakistanis whose land has been hijacked by the military. Once there is military rule you get a state within a state. You are powerless to stop your secret service from creating monsters like the Taliban and before you know it your country has become the world’s top university for terrorists. I then turned to my young Kashmiri friend. He wished more Kashmiris could come and see India’s vibrant democracy, its confident economy and the rise of the lowborn. ‘‘There is a simple choice before all Kashmiris,’’ he said. ‘‘If you want to be a citizen of a modern democracy with unparalleled opportunities, you will choose self-assured India. If you believe that Islam is in danger and you want the army’s protection, you will choose tragic Pakistan.’’

[Source web location: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=Q0FQLzIwMDgvMDgvMjQjQXIwMjIwNQ==&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom]

Disclaimer: Article shared just for the purpose of thought-sharing only. No personal contribution in terms of writing or propaganda, or any monetary aspect attached of whatsoever kind.

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