Tsunami in our society

It is very depressing to hear that of a small child (Ayushi) being murdered and more disheartening to know that it is her own father, the person whom one trusts the most in life is the cause of her death.

But more shocking is the insensitivity of the media. It has raised a doubt in minds of most of the children. The other day, my friend’s son asked him if he loves him and would not kill him. That must have been the most sad day for a father!!
The very foundation of our society has been jolted. Tsunami has been generated in our society with the murder of Ayushi by her father

Salvation

When one is alive we are taught that to attain salvation we need to be good and perform good deeds. This is the sure route for attaining Moksha.

So, when we feel certain that the person would attain nirvana from the cycle of rebirth as he has lead virtuous life, we have pundits telling us to perform various rites/ceremonies so that their soul attains peace.

I wonder as to how could one attain Moksha? What if that virtuous man has no one to perform the rights for him? Does he not get redeemed? What if a criminal’s son performs all rights and ceremonies year after year after his death? Would God take him to his abode satisfied because of his son’s performance?

Or is this all a gimmick by the pundits to earn money by playing with people’s sentiments….

Kite runner

I never understood as to why children despite the fact they possess numerous kites run behind kites that have been cut. When my son was 4 years, I used to run with him and catch the kite and could sense the excitement in his face. We would be thrilled if we could get hold of the kite. At that time, I thought it must be sheer fun to catch hold of flying objects from a kid’s perspective.

Now, when my son runs for the kite, I shout at him and tell him to give way for the less privileged boys who can not buy themselves a new kite.

As I was reading this novel, I realized the importance of kite runner.

Come this Independence Day, I might not stop him from running behind the kite and probably even encourage him much to his surprise….

Exam Pressure

These days, just before the exams and while waiting for the result, the news of children killing themselves is appearing almost daily.

During our time, there was more pressure and not many choices. Graduation was must. There was more pressure on our parents as only meritorious students got admitted. On top of it, there was no loan facility. And the income of our parents might be high but certainly not in the scale as of now. But still, it never occurred in our tiny little brain to end our life.

Now, with more options, the world becoming one global city giving us choices in terms of college/universities, loan facilities from banks and other private institution and private educational institutions for engineering and management, life should be less tensed. But on contrary, there is more pressure on children these days. And they are also not able to cope up with the stress? Who is to be blamed? Is it the fault of us parents who are not guiding the children properly and insisting on the results of the examinations?

It is the future of these children that I am forced to think when I read of stories of as small as 11 year old school student killing himself because he was not good in Sanskrit. Not all exams come prepared in our life. As such how do we define failure/success? Is success judged by marks secured in the school/university? Are these children prepared to cope with examinations that the life would pose to them?

Where is the future heading? Would the suicidal rates go higher as these children grow to adults and are and the reason much more flimsy?


Where is this actually leading? I feel all parents and teachers should realize this and deal with the situation so that we do not end up having adults who would not be in a position to run the country………….

Pet rat!

I have heard of different pets, but to have rat as a pet was beyond my imagination. I didn’t have to go far , for my neighbour got white rat as their pet.

All children come over to take a look at the rat in their cage, and I also had a look at it. It was as irritating as the other rats that are found. I am still amazed at how they manage and I was watching the kid’s excitement when he was narrating as to how he and his sister take turns to feed it.

I was just wondering, if they take the rat out of the cage, would it show its loyalty like other animals do or would it bite of their clothes and papers! If the door were left open, would it run out? By any chance at that moment, if my door were open, would it come to my house? How should I react: the same way as I would have had it been any rat or should I call my neighbours?
With all these fears, I rest………….

Who waived the loan: Congress or BJP?

Just a week before the budget, BJP orgainised a rally wherein all the so called farmers came to Delhi protesting and requesting for their loan to be waived off. The fleet of buses that came to Delhi and the rally thereon caused a major traffic hurdle for regular office goers.

I happened to be one of the hapless victims watching bus after bus coming to Rajghat from where the rally or the protest march was to begun. Each bus was a deluxe air-conditioned bus and about 100 buses had come and many more were on the way. I had a look at the people, most of them were youth, sitting on the top of the bus and enjoying the plight of us office goers. I felt they were just paid for a day to participate in the rally so that it looks like a vast majority of farmers. Someone later told me that Event management companies are given the responsibility for smooth functioning of the Protest and for getting the crowd. And of course there were so many incidentals, the flags, pamphlets, and other miscellaneous expenses that must have been incurred for to hold such a mammoth protest.

I am not in a position to comment about the financial ability of the farmer. And neither I am here to talk about the merit or demerit of loan waiving. The amount of money spent that day was really huge, and I am sure it could have been used by BJP to give at least to a couple of farmers to enable them to repay the loan.

This rally was more of a political gimmick and was because the BJP got to know that Mr. Chidambaram would waive off the loan in his budgetary speech and did not want the credit to got Congress.

There are 10 points, and you are supposed to elaborate on each point. Here goes my interpretation.

It is important to be liked by others :
To some extent , yes. One lives in a society , and wants to be a part of the society. But one should not compromise on one’s ideals just to be liked by someone. We should , in general be liked for what we are.

Obedience is a virtue:
Obedience is scarce commodity! Todate, we can’t expect it from the next generation.

People are not malicious but they become so because of bad experiences or circumstances:
Agreed! Totally.

Education broadens our view and makes people more humane:
Education needn’t mean degrees or qualification. I have seen jealousy, and other negative emotions in qualified people and at times, people who are not qualified, behave more intelligibly.
One has to read beyond the text books to be truly educated.

People who have no money troubles are happier:
Even beggars are craving for money!! I would like to meet one who says he has no money trouble.

As people get older they get wiser:
Not necessarily!!!!

You can live on love and fresh air:
Well, then why are the estate price raising ? Why am I coming to work everyday leaving behind my son alone at home? Love and fresh air are added incentives!!

There is a celestial guardian angel looking after each one of us:
Well, I don’t know! When I see so much pain and suffering, I do wonder………..

All living beings reincarnate.
Energy gets transformed from one form to another. It does not get destroyed.

Heaven and Hell are places you go to after death.
As long as the experience is something, which we cannot experience, who cares if it is hell or heaven? I know one thing for sure; I want to donate my body for the study of medical sciences.

Messenger services

Well, as it is the habit of writing letters is dying down. Hardly anyone writes an inland letter or drops a post card. The other day, a second class child checked at every residence in our apartment for an inland letter and post card and none of us had it. Her mother then was trying to locate the Post office!!

Now with all the yahoo mail, msn messenger and gtalk, the habit of writing an e-mail is also fading.

When my friend asked me to send a mail everyday as she would not be available on chat, I agreed and knowing that there is a lot to share among us on a daily basis , I thought it should not be difficult. But I just could not go beyond a couple of sentences. Probably, I am expecting an acknowledgement or a query from her end which would help me go forward with my thoughts!!

I realized today that laziness to write a mail keeps me from sharing my views with other friends who are not on chat. Surprising ? All you readers must be wondering if there are people who are still not on chat. Yes, I do have friends who are not on my chat and I do receive mails from them on a regular basis. Today, I shall send a mail to them as well as my friend.


Thank you, friend once again for initiating me into writing………..

Happy Dusshera to you all

More than a month passed by, since I updated my blog. It is not that I have run out of ideas , but if I recollect vaguely, some interesting thoughts (who else but I have the last word in that) did spring into my mind which I wanted to share with you. Unfortunately , all those thoughts came to me in the middle of night, when I was too lazy to get up and scribble it . But yes, I used to go back to sleep thinking that the same shall be posted the very next morning. But the next morning saw me busy studying with my son for his exams and hectic schedule in the work.

Unfortunately, today when I have the time, (As most of you can see that I have surfed through your blog today ), none of those thoughts resurfaced to my mind.

Let me end the post by wishing myself with better luck for those ideas to occur at a more convenient time .

Wish you all a happy Dusshera . May the good win over the evil and the world turns out to be peaceful (or should I say green!) .

Mother

Thank you, Banu of God's little angel for tagging me. It is really a nice time to think of my mother when I am standing on the precipice of motherhood.

All the adjectives “ infinite patience, sacrificing, versatile , loving , caring“ fitted her , but I thought , almost all mothers try to acquire those traits.

I had written a post “ Forgive and forget” , wherein I mentioned it is difficult to wholly forget even if we forgive. Today, I feel that a mother forgives her child in the true sense. Yes, she would have got hurt by the uncaring words , but the next moment would be offering a helping hand, forgetting everything that has been said. The one relation in the world where ego has no place. It is only to a mother we can go to, without any apprehensions of whether she would have forgotten, forgiven .

Yes, on discussion with my mother, we realized that is the one relation we also do not work upon. A child at all ages goes out of the way to impress his father but mother is taken for granted. Today, being a mother, I can say that though it hurts at times, but most of the time, I feel proud of the fact that my child has me for granted and am grateful that I had my mother whom I could take for granted. The feeling that we have one person who has undying trust and faith in us can help us climb mountains and face the hurdles of life. That is where the mother are pillars of strength.

I am not saying that my mother did not have any specific traits which adorn her individuality, that can be mentioned but as all mothers are, she didn’t want them mentioned……For once, I decided to listen to her :)

Thank you, mom for all the support extended to me .

UNACCEPTABLE!!!

Though it is true, I do share some incidents in my post, but I never thought I could create situations so that I could post in my blog.

My son made no remark when he read my post Proud Parent , which is very much unlike him. He might be humble and probably felt that these deeds were not worth mentioning!!! I accepted his silence.


But on sunday, he shocked me. I was not feeling well and on top of it I was also upset with him for not studying as his exams were going on. He retorted back, "You are waiting for my reaction so that you can write in your blog".

Akash, I am not as imaginative as you are and can write story , but yes, I do get inspired by the real life incidents.

But yes, his remark has certainly made me look at that angle for my new posts. So, guys, let me plan a story line and wait for the impromptu reactions , so that i can post a new one on Monday!!! I shall welcome the opening dialogues from you all.

Independent India’s 60th birthday

As is our tradition, 60th birthday or “shashtiubda poorthi” is celebrated grandly. In our custom , men undergo the wedding rituals once again and bless all their children and grand children.

Today as India is celebrating her 60th birthday, I wish India to get married to her earlier consort who was known for her humility, hospitality, secular in her thoughts and her virtues are talked about and revered even today, divorcing the present companion who is self centered, more hostile than hospitable and takes pride in casteism.

On a different note, I wish the future generation to read the following poem of Tagore , not only as a mere poem but as a slogan . . .

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where the world has not been broken
Up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
Where the words of depth come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
Where the mind is led forward by
Thee into ever-widening thought and action into
That heaven of freedom , my father,
Let my country awake.


Jai Hind

Viral Attack!!!!

it is amazing how one tiny virus, or probably an army of virus conquer our huge body .Each and every body part feels the pain. We fight back with our army of antibiotics and other pills. At times we feel that pills are victorious while at times viruses emerge winners. After along fight for an week, finally virus accepts defeat but not before creating an havoc. The after effects are felt for a week.

I just wish one of the virus to walk across the war path and look at the tired body and turns to goodliness just like King Ashoka after the mighty win of Kalinga War!

Proud Parent

The incidents mentioned below are not to boast about my son, of course which I can proudly do , but just as an act of gratitude to Him for having blessed me with Akash as my son, who is my close confidante and a very dear friend, even at this tender age of 11. I recollected all these incidents while laying down in the bed day before yesterday when I was suffering from a severe leg ache. I thought posting it in my blog would etch it forever and will be a tool for me to recollect later when my memory might fail me or when I am expected to forgive his youthful misadventures!!

1. Akash was seven-eight years. I am epileptic and those years I used to get major attacks. But the only good part of it was I get a halo : kind of warning that I get before my attack. My husband was out of town, and my parents were living 12-15 kms from my house. My son took my hands, made me lie in the bed , gave me the medicine. He called up my mother. And with his tiny hands, he was massaging my feet to induce the warmth in my body.

2. I keep shouting at my son for being glued to the TV Screen and oblivious to his surroundings and my voice. One evening, when I was bringing the casserole to the dining table, I felt a jerk. Before I could give a call, my son was behind me taking the casserole form me and advising me to go to bed.

3. It has been more than two years , I haven’ t got any major attacks, duly because my son reminds me to take my daily tablets. But, two months back, I felt I might have an attack, and my son slept holding on to my hands tightly.

Just 10 days back, I was majorly upset with him and was sleeping in a different room. I told him not to fall on me and even shouted at him. But day before yesterday, I had a severe leg ache. My son kept a pillow under my leg. I was silently praying to God to chop my legs as that seemed to be the only solution to relieve my pain, while my son sleeping nearby interrupted and told God, that his legs also should be chopped off if he chops my legs as he has kept it on me.

Oh dear, though you are my little son, but at times, I feel so small in front of you. I remember your saying that you are blessed to be born in our family, but I am privileged to have you as my son.

Just a Thought

Just wondering if our anger/fury also contributes to global warming. It certailnly heats up the atmosphere at home!!!

Balance Sheet

Almost all companies across the globe have the financial year restricted to 12 months, be it January to December or April to March. Before the year ends, the companies would be busy collecting the payments , and would not want to carry forward it to the next year. And if the payment continues to get carried forward for a couple of years, it would be referred as “bad debt”.

But, in God’s company, the year seems to have no definitions and varies from individual to individua and according to some religions, it transcends between few lives. For how can we explain that what ever we are to day is due to the karma of the last life.

WHY ?

Always a parent is asked what they an their child to be and is he/her upto their expectations but never asked from children what they want their parents to be and are they up to the expectations of the child?

The right marriageable age

Now that I had mentioned in my earlier post that a person is as old as to the no. of succeding generations he sees. Now that comes to marriage age.

Earlier, people used to marry young . Afterwords, it was an age which was neither young/old. As soon as the boy gets a good job, he got into the marital bliss. Now a days the trend is for a late marriage. People want to grow in their career, buy a house, enjoy their youth before taking on the responsibilities of marriage.

Now, who is to advise for the right marriage age. Yes, if one marries young, one gets to see the children settled by the time they retire . But old age, they become alone. But if one marries old, you still have your child by the time you are old and retired. Yes, it depends on how much we are able to save when we were unmarried. Yet no money would be enough, considering the increasing inflation rates and demands. But, yes, we would have the comforts of the child.

P.S. Here the concept was more on loneliness the people feel when they grow old. If we marry young, by the time we are old, they are settled and busy in their own lives. but if married when one is old, they have the comforts of the child's presence.

from the child's prespective, it is better to have their parents young and working when they have to decide and settle in a career as they can have the luxury of choice, while finacial constraints might force them to accept a career if the parents are retired.

Feel at 84

I feel that a person is as old as the number of generation that succeeds him when he is alive.

My father, though at 84, was not considered old as he still had a daughter living with him and a 11 year old grand son hanging around him. But people of his age had his children married who in turn had their daughters/sons in law and they had children of marriageable age. So, they become great great grand parents and the relationship they share with the younger generation is not as strong and the loneliness creeps in, despite the fact they might stay in as single family.

I would love to be contradicted and this is meerly an experience I felt when looking at people of his age.

Dance To Freedom….A Dance Audition with a difference!!!