I am coming back . . .
Friday 5 August 2016
Friday 26 December 2014
WHY SHOULD DELHI VOTE FOR A. KEJRIWAL
WHY SHOULD DELHI VOTE FOR A. KEJRIWAL
Delhi Assembly election is scheduled in February (the announcement
though, has not been yet made) Lot of talks and discussion are happening
everywhere. People of Delhi are as confused as was the entire nation before the
Lok-Sabha election of 2014 – who to vote. In Lok-Sabha elections, there were two
big parties in the country with two separate agendas. Congress had been ruling for
pretty long and somehow common people didn’t want to see this again as a ruling
party. BJP, second largest party, was trying every bit of it to come into the
power. There was no other option than to choose one of these two national
parties (forget AAP here. It was too new a party to win enough seats). For
oblivious reasons, Congress was out already and people were in dilemma whether
to vote for BJP or not because some of its old religious agendas and few of its
past controversial actions were not acceptable to the youth and a large section
of minority group of the country.
The result of Lok-Sabha elections came out and it declared huge
victory for BJP. It was historical. And, the party came into power with full
majority.
So my question is; what was the Secret Ingredient behind this huge success of BJP. Did it
get all the benefits of anti-incumbency wave as people wanted to throw Congress
out? Of course, that was a major help. But, apart from this, one of the major influences
was Narendra Modi, Prime-minister candidate of BJP. He talked about the
Country, poverty, growth and unity of the country. He talked about every positive
aspect, any common citizen of any country expect from its leader. And, it surely
hit the bulls-eye.
People believed in the concept of great nation, Modi
created. They believed Modi, not his party. They trusted him and gave the power
in his hands despite their doubts in his party, BJP.
So I ask here, when on a nation level battle people chose a
single leader over his party then why not people of Delhi are convinced enough
to vote for Kejriwal. In the latest survey done by ABP NEWS – Nielson, Kejriwal,
as the best choice of chief-minister, is leading ahead with 39% vote. So, if
people are ready to take him as Chief-minister then why are they not agreeing
to vote for his party as they did in Lok-Sabha elections?
The answer could be perhaps, Kejriwal is a taken as a common
man who walks and talks just like a common man. And we, Indian have a bad habit
to be impressed and go amazed at anything that is un-common, beyond our reach and
seems superior to us. The same way we chose a typical Bollywood masala flick over
a sensible and thought-provoking cinema with no big budget and big names. Any
kind of hype works for us, Indians. And sometimes it makes us blind too.
Perhaps, because Kejriwal seems to the common people as one
of them so it becomes hard to forgive him for his only mistake (Resigning from
the CM’s post). That’s a different thing that people don’t mind other
politicians involved in giant scams, murder charges, rape charges etc. People take
Kejriwal as a man-next-door so they must punish him for his mistake as they do
in their day-to-day-life.
But, people now need to look in a broader way. In their heart,
they all agree that Kejriwal is a true leader. Everybody knows he is honest,
hard-working and willing to serve the people and make this state a better state.
Then why his ideas are not hitting the people as it did at the time of Modi? People
really really need to think that.
Kejriwal, definitely deserves a second chance
and people of Delhi should vote for him.
Monday 15 December 2014
IN MEMORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN: A LETTER TO ALL WOMEN
IN MEMORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN: A LETTER TO ALL WOMEN
16-Dec-12 –It was a cold winter evening
in the capital when a woman was murdered. Well, what is big deal about it;
people die every day. And we, common people, know how to forget it very next
day. Moreover, she was only a woman – a comparatively less-valued human being. But,
what happened on that cold winter night was no ordinary murder.
A young woman was butchered; bit by
bit, piece by piece. And, it destroyed a lot more than that we thought it did.
The wounds on the body were as deep
as one could imagine and, it’s affect on the soul of every woman was severe
beyond anything. It hit deepest on the womankind. An ugly, naked truth was
revealed. And every woman of this country felt the coldness of being a woman: a
creature which could be used, killed, raped and tortured just because men need
to feel MEN, to show their authority and, to prove that they rule this world. It shattered a coating of ‘Sharam and Haya’ covering
women for centuries. The heart was filled with rage and with an emotion ready
to destroy all barriers asking woman to be silent. Never have been women that
scared or angry before.
A voice was raised; loud enough to
make those heard having some hearing-aid problem. Women asked about their
safety, about their existence, and moreover about what needs to be done now? They raised questions – are they here just to
be a slave, a mute sufferer who is not even allowed to talk about her
sufferings? Are they supposed to
tolerate any nonsense on their body and their soul? And why? Because ‘ye to hota
rahta h’. Because, if you are born as a woman you need to learn these rules to
survive in men's world.
But, this was more than anything to
be silent and to forget and to move on. That voice got louder.
Some rules were made but, to me,
they seemed just an attempt to slow down that voice, just to fool the women
that they care, that they are worried too, that they are serious to change this
ugly, sick society. But, in reality they are not. It doesn’t matter much to
them.
Rapes are happening every day and
everywhere; no matter how many so called ‘precautions’ a woman takes. Nothing
has changed. Not a single thing.
Two years later similar incident
happens in the same city and slaps hard on every woman’s face. So, this is
where we stand after so many efforts.
Has anything really changed over
these two years?
The law merely facilitates, it does
not change society or gender inequalities. Society needs to make some serious and
concrete improvements. But, perhaps this society doesn’t want to change. It
feels more secure, and in control this way. But, now we, women, need to be adamant
to change this system. Let’s not sit idle, hoping it will change automatically.
Let’s not pretend anymore that we have power to tolerate everything. Let’s ask
more questions, let’s raise our voices, let’s break the rule and let’s demand
what is ours but, denied, let’s do what we want to do, not what we are told to.
Because, now we are fucking tired (sorry
for the language) of listening advices and tired of taking any more ‘precautions’.
Let’s tell the world we belong here too. This is our world too.
And, let’s hope one day it will be
a better society, a better country. Hopefully, one day, men will be better men.
Monday 16 September 2013
Review: My Journey – Transforming Dreams into Actions by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Review: My Journey – Transforming Dreams
into Actions by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
By Rajani
Arya on sepetember 16, 2013
Author: Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Year: 2013
ISBN: 9788129124913
About the Book:
‘Missile Man’, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in his latest book ‘My
Journey’ reveals some of untold and heart-touching tales of his grand life. In
twelve different yet connected chapters he narrates his life from a shy village
boy to ‘Legend Missile Man’ to ‘President of India’.
This book works as a tribute to those who had a great impact
on Kalam Sir’s life. He tells about his father, a deeply spiritual man whose
mere presence calmed the people who came to share their worries with him. Kalam
Sir shared a strong, emotional bond with his mother; a gentle, pious woman with
love, care and security.
At age of 82 Kalam Sir Still remembers Rice, Sambhar,
Pickles and Coconut chutney his mother prepared. One can still feel that the
unique taste of food is still alive with him. The chapter where he shares the
story of chapattis, he kept eating being unaware that his mother had given him
her share of food too, touches the heart deeply. It shows the immense love of a
mother and a kind heart of Kalam Sir who was not able to look into his mother’s
eye for few days after the incident.
He still feels gratitude for his sister Zohra who gave her
gold jewellary to moneylender to get 600 rupees for Kalam Sir’s admission in
MIT. He tells about the Jalalluddin, his first mentor and his one of the very
first ideal who shaped the thought and mind of those around him and of Sir Kalam.
It was Jalalluddin who persuaded him to do his high school outside his village
and later was a key reason for him to join MIT in Chennai.
In his own words Kalam Sir learnt honesty, self-discipline,
faith and kindness from his parents and from his closest friend Jalalluddin –
he learnt to recognize the fact that every human carries something special
within himself.
He shares with us many incidents when failure and dejection almost
overtook him but he prevailed over those obstacles by drawing strength from
book and spirituality.
Review:
Through this book Dr. Kalam convey the pious massage of
harmony and unity to everyone of this country or beyond. We see a glimpse of true, soulful India, once
existed. The simplicity of the common men with high morals, uniqueness of the
different religions happily living together, the very spirituality of this
country.
This book has capability to
give you hope in dejection and inspires to a highest degree and in the long way.
This book helps us to understand how an extraordinary man like him is created and
that is - overcoming extraordinarily events with extraordinarily courage.
This book helps us to know a
legend who has seen a large life not in term of his achievement but in term of
his struggle, preservance and determination. A person who is a unique combination
of intelligence and enlightment. A person who has a sharp brain to create SLV’s
and has a beautiful, pure heart to notice that food on her mother’s plate is
becoming lesser day by day.
Kalam Sir says – ‘we seem to
get stuck with external forms of politics and mistaking them to be
nation-building. It is sacrifices, toil and valour that truly make a nation’.
My Journey is the book as
rich and pious as the story teller himself and big lessons can be learnt from
this. For few, like me, this book could be Geeta or Bible to read to earn the
inner power and strength in hard times. In simple and honest language Kalam Sir
wishes to inspire and illuminate the nation’s youth.
Verdict:
This book is a must read for
everyone of this country who can read. Doesn’t matter you read books or not,
this one you definitely should.
Book Source: Review copy
from Rupa Publications
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Publisher: Rupa Publications
Tuesday 14 May 2013
A Soul's Cry . . .
That you and I could never be,
So with my best, my very best, I set you free..............
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