Just met dad right now. I just managed not to cry...and i could see that this attack had weakened him emotionally also.But now , soon he'll be back home.
Anyways this 6th semester was just way too long. Finally its over. Now I am looking forward to new things..new ideas..doing and studying what I like. In about 2 months , I'l be sitting for placement. Shit !!!
Anyways..Mentally I am better today. I mean..I believe I am better now. I just hope and keeping my fingers crossed that this sudden surge of energy and optimism in my life after an almost lost last year is sustainable and stays.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Monday, November 30, 2009
Homosexuality
Legions of homosexuals , self proclaimed activists and NGOs were seen rejoicing as the Delhi High court modified the section 377 in favour of homosexuals. Overwhelming pictures of homosexuals and voices from various spheres of life surfaced in the newspapers and television. It was a win for democracy, a vibrant and evolving democracy. Raised eyebrows and
voracious protests also poured in but for a change, they were all overpowered.
A community which was subjected to impertinence and iniquity had long been waiting for this day. Groping for some support, the judiciary came to its rescue, something that we should be proud of as a democratic country. The bigotry was shed and the anachronous law took a huge
historical forward move.
What followed the judgement were Gay marriages and slew of debates both in the media and in the society, sudden appearance of homosexuals coming forward accepting their orientation and suddenly India or the Bharat seemed like a completely different place. Suddenly, preposterous demands for legalisation of prostitution came without even thinking
that in a country like India which has a large population living in parsimony and extreme conditions, prostitution in most of the cases is coercive and taken not willingly but out of compulsion to make a living. And thus is not at par with homosexuality.
So, is the country ready for this change and has this judgement done it or it is just another hype and are the homosexuals just being megalomaniacs??? The ramifications of the judgement are still uncertain.
What this mitigation of section 377 has done is just and just decriminalised adult consensual homosexuality. It made it legitimate, legitimate in the eyes of law. But does only law define how a society behaves and evolves. Can a mere judgement sway the deep rooted conservatism in the minds of the people? What was the homosexual community looking for: to walk freely hand in hand OR the acceptance from the civil society and not be grimaced while they walk. While the law may have granted them the former but latter is still too ambitious for them to aim. While there is no doubt that the judgement in itself is historical but I doubt it could move the society's perspective. For some of those progressive and pseudo-progressive people, this may sound pusillanimous and facetious but the reality that stands on the ground is far more glaring and pinching.
The India we are talking about is not just the MTV generation but a large part of the population who still are glued to the traditional saas-bahu soaps. A generation previous to ours has pandered to the existence and prevalence of homosexuality which shouldn't be misunderstood as acceptance with open hearts. It would indeed be big mistake if we think so.
If you are in college, we all talk about gays and lesbians. We jokingly taunt our friends about them being homosexuals. If you are in hostel, you would have surely been rumoured or jokingly linked with your room-mate. We watch movies like Dostana that portray homosexualism casually and we come out laughing and hardly take it as obnoxious. Surely, we as youth have become accustomed to hearing and talking about homosexuality. It's like common part of our lingo. After all it's not that big deal, that's what we all think. After so much coverage and hype about homosexuality, some of the ignorant parents also know about it or if they already knew, today they can talk to you casually and joke about it.
And thus as a young society, we mistake ourselves as quite modern and progressive. The common point in all above examples is that none of it affects us personally. The extreme to which most of us would have gone was to have homosexual friends and that too may be a rare lot. And thus this question is for those pseudo-progressive guys: Are you fine and comfortable if your children turn out to be homosexuals? Would you not have any problems with it? And ironically when this question was posed to a lot of youngsters, they were either taken aback, some took time to react, some just went into profound thought and some very candidly, shedding
their pseudo tag of progressiveness confessed with a "No".
And their in lies the epitome of this whole article. "We are still not there"
While the Delhi High court verdict is a big step in giving homosexuality, its legal protection and is a welcome step but it is yet to inoculate a real change. We can only hope that the homosexual community will get its rightful space in the minds and hearts of the people but for now it's still a
distant dream.
voracious protests also poured in but for a change, they were all overpowered.
A community which was subjected to impertinence and iniquity had long been waiting for this day. Groping for some support, the judiciary came to its rescue, something that we should be proud of as a democratic country. The bigotry was shed and the anachronous law took a huge
historical forward move.
What followed the judgement were Gay marriages and slew of debates both in the media and in the society, sudden appearance of homosexuals coming forward accepting their orientation and suddenly India or the Bharat seemed like a completely different place. Suddenly, preposterous demands for legalisation of prostitution came without even thinking
that in a country like India which has a large population living in parsimony and extreme conditions, prostitution in most of the cases is coercive and taken not willingly but out of compulsion to make a living. And thus is not at par with homosexuality.
So, is the country ready for this change and has this judgement done it or it is just another hype and are the homosexuals just being megalomaniacs??? The ramifications of the judgement are still uncertain.
What this mitigation of section 377 has done is just and just decriminalised adult consensual homosexuality. It made it legitimate, legitimate in the eyes of law. But does only law define how a society behaves and evolves. Can a mere judgement sway the deep rooted conservatism in the minds of the people? What was the homosexual community looking for: to walk freely hand in hand OR the acceptance from the civil society and not be grimaced while they walk. While the law may have granted them the former but latter is still too ambitious for them to aim. While there is no doubt that the judgement in itself is historical but I doubt it could move the society's perspective. For some of those progressive and pseudo-progressive people, this may sound pusillanimous and facetious but the reality that stands on the ground is far more glaring and pinching.
The India we are talking about is not just the MTV generation but a large part of the population who still are glued to the traditional saas-bahu soaps. A generation previous to ours has pandered to the existence and prevalence of homosexuality which shouldn't be misunderstood as acceptance with open hearts. It would indeed be big mistake if we think so.
If you are in college, we all talk about gays and lesbians. We jokingly taunt our friends about them being homosexuals. If you are in hostel, you would have surely been rumoured or jokingly linked with your room-mate. We watch movies like Dostana that portray homosexualism casually and we come out laughing and hardly take it as obnoxious. Surely, we as youth have become accustomed to hearing and talking about homosexuality. It's like common part of our lingo. After all it's not that big deal, that's what we all think. After so much coverage and hype about homosexuality, some of the ignorant parents also know about it or if they already knew, today they can talk to you casually and joke about it.
And thus as a young society, we mistake ourselves as quite modern and progressive. The common point in all above examples is that none of it affects us personally. The extreme to which most of us would have gone was to have homosexual friends and that too may be a rare lot. And thus this question is for those pseudo-progressive guys: Are you fine and comfortable if your children turn out to be homosexuals? Would you not have any problems with it? And ironically when this question was posed to a lot of youngsters, they were either taken aback, some took time to react, some just went into profound thought and some very candidly, shedding
their pseudo tag of progressiveness confessed with a "No".
And their in lies the epitome of this whole article. "We are still not there"
While the Delhi High court verdict is a big step in giving homosexuality, its legal protection and is a welcome step but it is yet to inoculate a real change. We can only hope that the homosexual community will get its rightful space in the minds and hearts of the people but for now it's still a
distant dream.
Patriotism Redefined
Though I knew what patriotism means yet I checked out my dictionary for it.
Patriotic is someone who loves his country and who is ready to defend it against an enemy.
And the usual stereotypical image that first turns to our mind is that of a soldier defending us on the borders, the National Flag and the National Anthem and those revered freedom fighters.
And then we turn to ourselves to believe that we are patriotic too and for the simple reason because I love my country and further introspection doesn't occur. I chose to dig a little deeper into it.
Who's the enemy by the way? Is it just Pakistan or something not so narrow?
As Youth, we should realise our enemy, realise the demon that's crippling our country.
Society's acrimony against youth and putting his bona-fide credentials under scrutiny isn't a new thing.Youth, usually indicted as the one who cares more about his fashion statement ,an ambassador of the so called ill-western culture in this country is always questioned for his PQ-Patriotism Quotient.
Irresponsible and fickle-minded are epithets used to scoff at youth and I don't blame them.
Uttering blasphemy against Pakistan doesn't make you patriotic enough. Let's not keep that as our criteria.
Just because you watch the India-Pakistan match every time and have always cursed the latter doesn't make you patriotic.Just because you'll flaunt India's flag on your car on independence day is just not enough.
The country and the society needs more from you, the "You" of the "Youth" who is tomorrow going to drive this country and its economy. Look around, there are legions of cronies who will be ready to join you once you initiate.
It makes me feel shameful to know that we need a RDB or a Yuva or a Swades to wake us from slumber and suddenly show empathy for the society and the country. Why do we just need cases like Priyadarshini Mattoo or Jessica Lal to hit the streets .Why is their tepid response to the Shopian incident or we would just stand for issues that effect us only?
Most of us either feel too small or too languorous because we can't go out of the way to help anyone because we are ourselves entangled in this busy consumerist and materialistic world. Then probably you need to look at Patriotism with a slightly different perspective. Here's a few of the million small things that you can do and claim yourself a "useful" and genuine patriot.
Please do vote. Its one right whose power shouldn't be underestimated. If you are not part of the vote bank of that devious politician, then who cares what your problems are. And the day your vote becomes significant to his winning, you'll witness the chasm. No doubt the voting percentage has increased, there is more awareness but I can't see this converting into results. The voting percentage was still at an average of 40-45 % .This means there are still millions among you who still don't bother to come out of their air conditioned rooms and exercise their right.
Have you ever wondered of educating your maid or her children or the dogma that it's the government's job to do it still dominates you?
You can contribute to the nation by switching off your car at red lights preventing fuel wastage and conserving energy at home and saving the country from being dependent heavily on energy imports, which form a major part of our expenditure bill. I know you do it to save your own expenses but the next time you do this, have a more holistic intention for doing it.
Discourage people and your mates from loitering .Imagine a group of people giving you unsavoury looks when you threw that wrapper away on the road. Somewhere the next time you think of doing it, atleast you'll think twice or may be look around before you throw it.
If you are a journalist, promulgate vibes through your articles which will prevent schisms of the society and hearts irrespective of caste, creed,religion or sex. Stand for a cause that effect the society and not just you.
Stay well informed about your country and about issues that plague it. Do your own analysis and not always let media influence your views. Not paying your taxes is like robbing the country while you splurge its resources.
Planting a sapling and looking after it is no less a patriotic deed which in this era of industrialisation has become a challenge for the government. It may sound facetious to some but every drop counts because what we are aiming at, is welfare and upliftment of a billion plus populated society.
One can never disparage the patriotism in the heart of that soldier that makes us breathe at normal pace, who makes sure that we can prosper and follow our dreams. It would be no less than a heinous crime to do so. Remember them, venerate them and if you can and get a chance, say thanks to them.
I m sure quite a few people among you must be doing something or the other among the things mentioned above.What I want to inoculate is not any of these rigid habits but a feeling of belongingness and intention, and alter the way you look at things because if you have it there noble in the head , you may end up doing way more than what even hard-core patriots could do. The arduous task is not only to reform ourselves but also our friends and parents and make it infectious .
So on this coming August 15, obviate the bigotry and narcissism and go ahead and do something…do something that gives you satisfaction. It may be the smallest of things and let us know about them and hopefully you will just not end up texting your friends or wishing them on facebook or orkut only, because Patriotism has been re-defined and it yearns for your participation.
Jai Hind.
Patriotic is someone who loves his country and who is ready to defend it against an enemy.
And the usual stereotypical image that first turns to our mind is that of a soldier defending us on the borders, the National Flag and the National Anthem and those revered freedom fighters.
And then we turn to ourselves to believe that we are patriotic too and for the simple reason because I love my country and further introspection doesn't occur. I chose to dig a little deeper into it.
Who's the enemy by the way? Is it just Pakistan or something not so narrow?
As Youth, we should realise our enemy, realise the demon that's crippling our country.
Society's acrimony against youth and putting his bona-fide credentials under scrutiny isn't a new thing.Youth, usually indicted as the one who cares more about his fashion statement ,an ambassador of the so called ill-western culture in this country is always questioned for his PQ-Patriotism Quotient.
Irresponsible and fickle-minded are epithets used to scoff at youth and I don't blame them.
Uttering blasphemy against Pakistan doesn't make you patriotic enough. Let's not keep that as our criteria.
Just because you watch the India-Pakistan match every time and have always cursed the latter doesn't make you patriotic.Just because you'll flaunt India's flag on your car on independence day is just not enough.
The country and the society needs more from you, the "You" of the "Youth" who is tomorrow going to drive this country and its economy. Look around, there are legions of cronies who will be ready to join you once you initiate.
It makes me feel shameful to know that we need a RDB or a Yuva or a Swades to wake us from slumber and suddenly show empathy for the society and the country. Why do we just need cases like Priyadarshini Mattoo or Jessica Lal to hit the streets .Why is their tepid response to the Shopian incident or we would just stand for issues that effect us only?
Most of us either feel too small or too languorous because we can't go out of the way to help anyone because we are ourselves entangled in this busy consumerist and materialistic world. Then probably you need to look at Patriotism with a slightly different perspective. Here's a few of the million small things that you can do and claim yourself a "useful" and genuine patriot.
Please do vote. Its one right whose power shouldn't be underestimated. If you are not part of the vote bank of that devious politician, then who cares what your problems are. And the day your vote becomes significant to his winning, you'll witness the chasm. No doubt the voting percentage has increased, there is more awareness but I can't see this converting into results. The voting percentage was still at an average of 40-45 % .This means there are still millions among you who still don't bother to come out of their air conditioned rooms and exercise their right.
Have you ever wondered of educating your maid or her children or the dogma that it's the government's job to do it still dominates you?
You can contribute to the nation by switching off your car at red lights preventing fuel wastage and conserving energy at home and saving the country from being dependent heavily on energy imports, which form a major part of our expenditure bill. I know you do it to save your own expenses but the next time you do this, have a more holistic intention for doing it.
Discourage people and your mates from loitering .Imagine a group of people giving you unsavoury looks when you threw that wrapper away on the road. Somewhere the next time you think of doing it, atleast you'll think twice or may be look around before you throw it.
If you are a journalist, promulgate vibes through your articles which will prevent schisms of the society and hearts irrespective of caste, creed,religion or sex. Stand for a cause that effect the society and not just you.
Stay well informed about your country and about issues that plague it. Do your own analysis and not always let media influence your views. Not paying your taxes is like robbing the country while you splurge its resources.
Planting a sapling and looking after it is no less a patriotic deed which in this era of industrialisation has become a challenge for the government. It may sound facetious to some but every drop counts because what we are aiming at, is welfare and upliftment of a billion plus populated society.
One can never disparage the patriotism in the heart of that soldier that makes us breathe at normal pace, who makes sure that we can prosper and follow our dreams. It would be no less than a heinous crime to do so. Remember them, venerate them and if you can and get a chance, say thanks to them.
I m sure quite a few people among you must be doing something or the other among the things mentioned above.What I want to inoculate is not any of these rigid habits but a feeling of belongingness and intention, and alter the way you look at things because if you have it there noble in the head , you may end up doing way more than what even hard-core patriots could do. The arduous task is not only to reform ourselves but also our friends and parents and make it infectious .
So on this coming August 15, obviate the bigotry and narcissism and go ahead and do something…do something that gives you satisfaction. It may be the smallest of things and let us know about them and hopefully you will just not end up texting your friends or wishing them on facebook or orkut only, because Patriotism has been re-defined and it yearns for your participation.
Jai Hind.
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