Sunday, February 24, 2013

“ME Vs me” – “HEART Vs head”

WOW Post for blogadda.com for the FEB 22 week
When I see him the time flies.
When he leaves the clock halts.
When he is around it is colorful.
When he is around the rest of the world is blurry.
When he is around my speech gets slurry!


When he smiles the rainy day becomes sunny.
With his burning stares even the sunny day becomes rainy.
When he holds my hand I shiver even in the hot summer.
When he talks, I bloom even if the leaves and flowers wither!

I try looking my best when he is in vicinity.
I check my reflection in any mirror which passes by.
He comes and goes every day like a passing cloud.
My heart speaks everything which cannot be told aloud!

"I love you", I whispered in my head many times.
Whenever I face him the words in my heart are like chimes.
The words travel to my head and they oscillate, sink and rise.
When they come out of my mouth they all vaporize!

Image courtesy : Google

My heart says, “Go. Hug him and show how much you love him.”
My head pleads, “Wait. Check if he feels the same or it’s just a whim.”
Head calms down the heart and in solitude my heart screams.
There are two people in me battling and residing in their own realms.

My heart nudged me to say yes and my head as always hinted a no.
I decided I will listen to my heart, pour it all and let him know.
He approached and my heart beat raced and head spun.
He hugged me tight and whispered, “I love you like I love none!”

My heart danced in joy and my head joined hands with it.
It was dim but in my eyes thousands of lights were lit.
I couldn't frame my words and did not reply a yes to him.
Heart spoke to heart without the need of words.
The battle of heart and head was won without the need of swords!

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Flora and Fauna of Jim Corbett!

Jim Corbett was the last place we visited before leaving Delhi. Below are few beautiful snap shots of the Tiger Reserve---- Jim Corbett. Sad thing is we were only able to trace the pug marks . 
The royal tiger comes across only few visitors who get lucky for the day :-|. Also there are fair chances to catch a glimpse in summer when the jungle is not dense and clear!

Corbett National Park has captured the imagination of many with its diverse wildlife and breathtaking landscapes. The natural uniqueness of the area was recognised long ago and so in 1936 Corbett attained the distinction as the first national park to be established in mainland Asia. Its geographical location between the Himalayas and the terai, and the streams, rivers and ridges crisscrossing the terrain, present Corbett with a remarkable variety of landscapes. 

This vivid mosaic of habitats – wet and dry, plain and mountainous, gentle and rugged, forests and grasslands – supports numerous plant and animal species, representing Himalayan as well as plains kinds. (from the corbett site http://www.corbettnationalpark.in/

When I finished the trip I felt like I was in to the wilderness and back. Lurvvedd the trip though we were not able to spot wild animals as such ! Its a treat to all nature lovers- Jim Corbett !




I can be the sun if you can be a sun flower!
                                                   I can be the fire fly if you can be my light.
                                                   I can be the tide if you can be my moon power.
                                                   I can be the sky if you can be my bird and take a flight !!

The famous sarson ke khet- DDL vale khet or yashchopra vaale- whateva U wanna call them :)

River Kosi where adventure sports are held

Spot the spotted deer

Our Elephant Safari

In the cottage we stayed. Early in the morning. In conversation or Dont want to have a conversation ?

We crossing the river with the help of "Haathi hamara saathi :)"


                                                                Indian Cormorants

Garjia Mandir at banks of River Kosi

Enjoying the view

Can you name them ??

Good morning with a cuddle and dew!!


River Kosi Banks

 Spot billed ducks


Pond Heron


Camp fire at the resort. It was a shivering december night and we were alive only due to the bon fire and room heater!

Hence our 2 day trip ended with many snapshots and beautiful memories!



Monday, February 18, 2013

Vishwaroopam takes the cake- A good watch

Originally at -"Views Paper"

Director: Kamal Hassan
Writers: Kamal Hassan, Atul Tiwari
Stars: Pooja Kumar, Miles Anderson, Kamal Hassan , Andrea Jeremiah, Rahul Bose.
Produced by: Chandra Haasan, Kamal Hassan, Prasad V. Potluri
Music : Shankar Ehsaan Loy
Editing : Mahesh Narayan
Cinematography: Sanu John Varghese.


After so much hullabaloo , I finally watched it yesterday. I was told its truncated so that no scene is hurtful to any. Nothing seemed objectionable to me. Every horror shown in the movie is 100% true . The only objectionable fact is that all that is shown in the movie is a gory fact and not just made up. That is the thing which is unacceptable !I strongly believe even the deleted scenes would not have  been made to derogate any community as such ! Kamal Hassan aka Vishwanath aka Wasim Kashmiri himself is a Muslim .

Like SRK says in My name is Khan , there are only good people and bad people. I am not sure how many really understand this but I felt even Kamal wanted to give the same message in a different style. At no point he mentions that muslims are all terrorists. He himself is a believer who prays regularly and is patriotic enough to be in the RAW team and take risks!


The story line 

The first half of the movie shows a timid Vishwanath and his wife DR.Nirupama aka Pooja Kumar an oncologist much younger to him who can't stand him for even a minute. The psychiatrist appointment and Nirupama's revelation strikes a chord and is very natural and also funny but her dialogue delivery suddenly starts getting irksome and monotonous! The opening Kathak dance number was liked by many which was choreographed by Birju Maharaj . I got bored as it is very lengthy. Andrea Jeremiah is one of the Kathak students who is very close to her master.




Nirupama who her self is being disloyal to her husband appoints a detective to find out if Kamal is having some secret affair and is guilty but ends up  finding many unexpected secrets about him. She knows so many facts that she becomes breathless!Sanu Varghese's cinematography is out standing. The Afghanistan's landscape and people were shot so naturally. I felt Kamal Hasan must have researched a lot on the way of living in Afghanistan and how the beauty of the land was lost in the battle with all non- humans be it Talibans or other U.S. warriors and other locals! He must also have followed many Afghan movies along with Kite runner many times. The Afghan episode is most favorite to me and Kamal pulled off his Al-Qaeeda look with ease though he looked slightly out of place when compared to the real terrorists played by Rahul bose ( Omer) who is the main target of Kamal and Jaideep Ahlawat (Gangs of Wasseypur fame) who plays the role of Omer's side kick! The other small roles like Mammu , Omer's wife Khatija , his son and all other Afghanis seemed more than real. My heart goes for all those innocent people who want to lead a normal life there! There is a scene where Osama bin Laden is also shown importantly. It was natural too. I got goose bumps when I thought about the training they go through and the planning they do for successfully performing all the heinous acts.



Shekhar Kapoor and Nassar have done what they have to. Nothing great about their roles but hats off to Kamal Hassan who is rightly tagged as the modern-day Stanislavsky of Tamil cinema. He pulls off any role with ease. Be it the Kathak dancer Vishwanath with a tinge of feminism , be it the Afghan look or the RAW agent look Kamal does it effortlessly. In midst of all this he doesn't miss to crack you up with his trade mark comic tit bits. The story is good and technical aspects are worth applause. After Dashawataram which actually bored me I felt Vishwaroopam is a good watch.

Not revealing many spoilers but after being on news from long every one has a fair idea of what the story is about. A fight between the real warriors who want to save a country and the terrorists. Kamal wants to destroy Omer's plans to blow up Newyork with the nuclear (Cesium) bomb and while succeeding in this secret mission he even wins the heart of his wife Niru ! The subtle hints that GOD is one and that people get scared by even a religious identity are all shown in a nice way. Kamal's vishwaroopam or the real face is unmasked when he and his wife are tortured by the terrorists or the Omer's group . The real story starts then and it is packed with so much action and thrill that it makes you breathless. The biggest defect is that the movie should have been slightly fast paced specially in the second half. Mentioned below are few brownie points and flaws of the movie!

Brownie points

  • The well researched subject and story  and the man himself- Kamal Hassan.
  • Pooja Kumar who looked sexy enough and added spice to the movie.
  • Other actors Rahul bose, Jaideep who did full justice to their roles. 
  • Locations and excellent cinematography by Sanu Verghese.
  • As per audiences poll Jet fighter scenes in 3D format were great. I watched it in 2D.
  • The comic tit bits which lighten you up when you are bored or feel dragged. Again the credit here goes to Kamal.
  • The restless action packed scenes.


Few Flaws

  • It would have been great if Mahesh Narayanan reduced the length of the film with better editing .
  • Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music is average. Not nerve gripping.
  • Kamal is cute with his chubby look which we all love but as a spy he should have maintained a much better physique, specially in the first fight which is like heart to the story. 
  • There was a need of little more explanation in few scenes which failed to generate the abundant thrill and curiosity among audience in the whole Cesium bomb explosion episode.

Lastly Kudos to the team for the brilliant out come . In spite of the minor flaws vishwaroopam takes the cake. It remains one of the very few spy movies in India which are the best. The movie is on par with few Hollywood films. Hoping to see a better part 2 

My rating : 3/5
PS: All images are googled. I dont own them.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy lovers day !

Throwing some light on History of Valentines day.

St. Valentine was imprisoned as he conducted weddings of soldiers(as per wiki).

St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popularmartyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her. [source :"Wiki"]

Ironically even today many have guts to beat you up if this day is celebrated. To people who think valentines day is the new reason for rape, to those who don't know the difference between love , sex and rape all my hatred channelized towards them! If there was a world hate day I guess it will have more cards sold than today 4 alarmingly increasing no of people like them !!

Valentines day is not just to buy balloons or cakes or gifts and flaunt your love! It is a day to remember anyone whom you like/ liked/ love/ loved a lot. A chance to kill ego and love all over again, to revive the love and relive the moments and reveal what you think if you have not got chance to express what you feel from many days. Be it your friend , better half , bro , sis , mom , dad just sit and remember "The best" moment where you felt special due to their presence. Am sure you are already smiling! ♥ :) Happy valentines day . Try to love those who deserve to be loved!


I am right now in Hyderabad to attend a dear friends wedding and I got a surprise from my husband which was over whelming and I felt like a little girl again. 
Flowers and teddies always bring smiles :)

Giving gifts and expressing your thoughts is good but like I said Lovers day is not JUST that. Do find new ways to love , to change your self a bit for your loved ones if needed, do remember to BE HAPPY . One should always try to be happy from with in. Do not try to lean totally on any one for your happiness. If you are happy your surroundings will be bubbling with optimism and your better half will also be happy . Be happy and make others happy.

Lastly HAPPY LOVERS DAY!! E-G-O  is*Edging God out* . Spread love and make earth a better place.
As an end note an all time favorite LOVE song !



Tuesday, February 12, 2013

"The Lime Light can get Acidic"


There’s nobody in this world who dislikes gaining name and fame.

The whole country knows you. You are talked about in every house. You have to face the
paparazzi.

It all feels good but there is another side to the story as well.

Fame comes with a tax of being under the scanner. You have to choose your words and
works with caution. It’s like think twice and thrice even if you have to stay unwise!

From being on the top charts in the Forbes magazine to Wankhede stadium where he
became notorious due to his foul mouth during IPL matches, to the US airport where
he is always questioned, Shahrukh Khan always grabs a large amount of space on the
headlines of a newspaper.

He does not always rule in a royal way but whatever way it is, people love discussing
him, raising him to the throne or pushing him in to the river to drown. A few
months back, during the IPL season when SRK showed his angst and mouthed a few
objectionable words in Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium, Sanchari Bhattacharya wrote an
article  " Why we love to Hate SRK? " It is an interesting read,
but the author of course sounds like a true SRK fan. Others definitely would love to talk
against the article and do their mudslinging part.

The article has a link to that night’s recording too, where we hear that even SRK had to
face the constable’s angst and verbal abuse, but all we are interested in is what SRK said
that night because “SRK and sex sell in India,” as told by Neha Dhupia.



After watching his long reply to Rehman Malik, the Pakistani minister, I understood
how tough it is to be a celebrity and speak your mind out. Click on the link - SRK's reply to Rehman Malik for the detailed reply and video.


Like he said stars are soft targets. They always have to give long explanations and justifications after their write ups, speeches and movies .They actually have to say why they did it after doing anything and everything. We are a celebrity struck nation.  We are obsessed by them and our love or hatred towards them is strong and it multiplies every year.


Our favorite star buys a new car. We follow the news more than the falling share value of the company we work for. The matchless beauty gained weight after delivery. The fans were again bothered by it or might have got happy thinking everyone has the same fate and stars are no different.  The number of times Aishwarya’s obese picture was circulated on FB and the prolonged discussions that followed made me dizzy.  Being a celebrity is not all about lime light. Most of the times it’s about avoiding the same.  Someone truly said that “A celebrity is one who craves to enter from the front door till he becomes famous and escapes from the back door after becoming famous!”
Celebrities have the power to escape the imprisonment and get away with their crimes but they are always under a magnifying lens.  We may not get united and react to that road accident or violation of some other law because of our love towards them but we vehemently raise our voice against their opinions or movies or articles. We are offended and take it personal if he/she does something against our will.


 Kamal Hassan’s Vishwaroopam is another example. The movie is getting space in the headlines since its release. Kamal Hassan said in the latest news that he has to leave India and search for a secular country! He said if Hussain has to do it Hassan also will do it.

The rapists may escape the punishment under the alibi of being juvenile, another Kasab’s death sentence will be delayed under humanitarian grounds, soldiers will be beheaded at the borders, hate speeches will keep flowing from one region to another, politicians will continue giving their never ending baseless opinions and ideas to prevent rape of which “avoiding chowmein” and going home straight from school or college have hit the charts till date! They will be asked questions blatantly by Arnab Goswami after that. Getting Arnabized is the term coined for that lately!  Burkha dutt will argue everything on the television seeking every one’s opinion!

In midst of all this Kamal Hassan releases his movie and Shahrukh khan writes something about “Being a Khan” on outlook which grab eyeballs all over India!
If it was not a celebrity nobody would have reacted so violently. If I wrote the same it would have been liked or read or ignored but it is Shahrukh Khan we are talking about. He will continue living lavishly, anchoring few more award shows and buying more players for his team and acting in more movies. Fools are the people who pick few words from here and there and create an altogether a different meaning out of them making it an “objectionable” article.  May be that’s the reason why Shahrukh requested media to release the video of his response “as it is” all over the news so that people actually see and understand in what tone he is talking and interpret in the way it has to be!

Hussain, Hassan, Khan , Rushdie whoever it might be , its yet again proved that pen is not mightier than sword. Pen itself can be the sword which can make you fight for yourself.  During this hullabaloothe rape rates continue zooming, social atrocities keep growing, corruption rate keeps increasing and the number of people below poverty line keeps rising.
It’s not that we are not bothered about the crime and injustice. We fight for them too but we have our best interests in the celebrities’ life and their works. We fight till our last breathe to ban the movies and books we don’t like and to call an actor an outsider but meanwhile all the actual crimes which happen will keep happening. Yes we are Indians. We love to track our stars and know the future but we are more obsessed by the stars and love deciding their future!


Originally published at -"The viewspaper"


Afshan Shaik

Friday, February 8, 2013

"The childhood candy crush"- A little tale of love :)

Love  Love  Love ! Love is in the air , one says . The other exclaims it more importantly has to be in the hearts. Being the valentines month every one is in a mushy mood but does love really need uttering the three words , "I love you" and does I love you always come with T &C of "You love me too!" Our parents teach us the word love and show what love is. We step outside our homes in to the big world and see love in different sizes , shapes and types.  

In the below experience am going to narrate I did not tell " I love you" to any because I really don't remember having told that actually to any! In this snippet taken out from the dusted pages of my school diaries  a guy proposed to me and it was quite a unique experience :D. Hope you all will enjoy this. Names are changed for convenience in the blog post.


I , Rocky , Meena , Manisha and Suraj were a hit group. Every one wanted to be a part of that group. Suraj was a charmer. Meena like her name suggests had big eyes and Manisha was pretty too. Rocky was the stand up comedian of the group. What ever he says or does used to make all of us roll on the floor laughing. We used to play in the ground together , have lunch together , board the school bus together. Practically we were a family outside the family !

Our group was not immune to jealousies. Jealousies did make the group fall apart . We just entered high school and it was the first day of the 6th standard. We all were in a jubilant mood. Sister Rosy came for the attendance and shouted in her squeaky voice to mute all of us who were sounding like the vendors in fish market. This was her favorite line . "You guys should sell fish in the market. Oh my god ! Such a noisssy class yours is"! She always used to press the "S" when she spoke !

Sister Rosy: "Today, we are going to change all of your places. We will make you sit with a new person so that you interact and make new friends too."

Our hearts were broken . Specially Meena's who had a serious crush on Suraj. She dimmed like that zero watt bulb. Suraj passed a chit to Rocky and Rocky passed it to me. I opened it to read.  
"Make sure that you sit beside me in the rotation , or at least in the front or the back bench to mine. I will be deadly bored in the English and Hindi classes . Please , please , please."

Meena was curious to know what was in the chit.

I told , its just a casual one asking me to pass the Hindi note book . Saying so I wrote in capital letters ,"IT IS TOUGH. Sister knows we all know each other." and passed the chit putting it inside the hindi note book so as to justify what I just told to Meena

It was evident to every one that Suraj favourited me. I always felt his fondness is to just copy my notes  and home work or to request me to do the records for him. Meena always offered a helping hand but Suraj was reluctant. May be he liked only my notes. I was a bright student and was studious too. I learnt things fast and to date I am a fast learner ;) .English was my favorite of all languages. Suraj blindly was dependent on me when it comes to languages. Sister sorted each of us in a particular column and row like the sorting hat of the harry potter. Rocky sat in the first bench of the A column to his dismay and Manisha was behind him. Meena sat in the second column or column B and Suraj in the third column. When my turn came sister gave a thoughtful look and told, "Hmm. Afshan! You help Suraj a lot with his academics and he is totally dependent on you when he has to study for exams. I cant make you sit in some other place. O. K. You sit with Suraj". 

Suraj almost jumped in joy. I was happy too.


Sister Rosy: "Aaha! Bless the girl. Thank the girl my boy." Suraj almost embraced me and said , "Thanks a lot". I was smiling broad but the smile faded as and when I met the burning gaze of Meena


Days passed and months. We were like before and there was no much change. Suraj being the son of district collector used to come in a special government jeep and in neatly pressed expensive clothes. He used to give small gifts to me, like the scented eraser from London or the 3d sharpener from U.S.A. on which the image changes if you shuffle. He used to get chocolates or eatables for all but some goodie was always preserved only for me. Meena stopped talking to me. I tried and failed.

One day , we were playing in the ground .It was a game called "mad ball" where one has to throw a ball randomly or chose the target and the targeted person should run and escape the hit. If it hits you, you should throw next. Am not sure if this game would be recognized by many but this was the famous post lunch game in our school.  



After the half yearly exams we were leisurely playing the game when the ball thrown by Rocky hit me so hard that my knee reddened. Suraj stormed on him asking him to get a balm or ointment. We got some first aid done near the staff room where Sister Florence shouted at us requesting us to not play such dangerous games.  I thought I unnecessarily got attention.

Suraj and me had to stay back as we had to practise for the annual day skit. After the practice we went to a near by bakery which was famous for its veg and chicken puffs. We sat at the round table and started munching immediately as we were hungry. Then Suraj suddenly blurted, "I really like you."
 Mark the words it was "I like you."  


With a mouth stuffed with the puff I asked, "Wooot?"

Suraj: " I like you. You are special to me."

Me : " Did you watch any romantic movie yesterday ; ) ?"

Suraj :" No. I mean it."

I actually got tensed and looked around. I mean, how could I even understand  what he was saying.

Me : " Ok. We will talk tomorrow. Lets leave."

Suraj held my hand and stopped me. "If I leave the school, will you stay in touch with me?"

Me: " What happened to you? Of course I will stay in touch . Now lets go." Saying so I hurriedly left while Suraj was taking long and steady steps. I boarded the bus but could not forget his intense gaze.

After the annual day function we were appreciated a lot for our skit in the class. Suraj got a trophy and I got a certificate. Due to rotation implemented by a new class teacher , I was in second column and Suraj was sitting along with Rocky in a bench adjacent to mine in the third column. Rocky signaled me and passed a book to me. Inside there was a huge parchment on which " I Love you" was written in big bold letters with name Suraj inscribed below. My head spun. I could not decide if I was happy or sad. I kept it intact and did not reply anything. I felt I was scanned by a good 10 pairs of giggling and sparkling eyes.



Suraj met me at the "Drinking water" area and asked me what my reply was. I just looked foolishly at him saying , " I will complain to Sister Rosy. Stop this non sense Suraj. You are just trying to cut a bad joke. "

Suraj : "Arey no! I really mean it. I want to be always in touch with you. I like you."

I left the place.

Some how Sister Rosy learnt what happened and warned Suraj harshly saying that she did not mind about his VIP status. Punishment would be same to all. I felt little bad. Suraj was silent after that. I felt guilty as he was thinking I requested Sister Rosy to warn him!

The last day of the year came and we came to take our report cards. I could not spot Suraj. After lot of searching I asked Rocky  why he was not around.

Rocky : " Didn't he tell you. They are shifting to Bombay. He came early, took his report and did all formalities and left."

It was not earth shattering but definitely I felt vacant in my head and stomach. I was stark silent. Those were the summer holidays which I could not enjoy. Even my first rank didn't make me happy. I went to places with cousins, attended weddings but nothing changed my mood.

After that Suraj once wrote a letter to the group. It was a casual one which described his new school and how exciting it was to be in Mumbai. He gave his address and phone number in it but as it was not a bollywood story I never felt like calling. Was tempted to write a letter, once or twice. I still think what would have happened if I wrote a letter? I never really had feelings for him but I did like him. He was sweet and a very good friend. His loss could be felt in the following years of the school. Even after the orkut and facebook evolution I didn't feel like searching him. Many things happened in my life after that and Suraj became just a forgotten episode. Thanks to Blogadda for giving a chance through WOW . This memory is so fresh now !
Happy Valentines day to one and all.




Recently I saw Suraj's wedding photo in the page 3 of a local news paper. He did not match at all to his childhood appearance and his wedding seemed like a costly affair!
This is really a "WOW" opportunity where I could recollect the hazy memories :). I always remember the below lovely song when I remember this episode ! Few bits are detto to what happened though the story is not the same one!


Note: All images are googled. I don't own them.


This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

Thursday, February 7, 2013

"The Agony of a Mother"


agony of a mother The Agony Of A Mother

The Agony Of A Mother


Having you with me was my dearest dream.
I thought your favorite place on the earth was my lap.
I gave my best to you and dreamt to see you at zenith.
You trap someone and it pains me to see you doing it blithely!
I try to teach you to be civil and show you the right path.
You grow and make me face your caustic wrath.
Your acts and its  aftermath make me sick and sad.
You have a disease which has no cure, an idiopathic!
It’s a girl on whom you mercilessly stomped.
I hang my head in shame as I did not succeed in stopping you.
I wish I had destroyed you inside the womb.
Your momentarily sad tomb would have given many a lifelong peace!
Unfathomable was my love towards you.
Unconditional was my support, and the feelings true.
You make a woman your victim and feel victorious.
Before you became treacherous, I wonder if I should have killed you.
I never dreamt a toddler to a boy to man metamorphosis is so gruesome.
I could never imagine the evil behind the handsome and tender face.
I did not stop you when you teased and objectified a woman.
You enjoyed your acts and I repented and moaned as a mother.
Today you raped me and every other woman in this nation.
You scared and scarred every woman and fulfilled your ambition.
I wish I could kill you with my own hands and end the vice.
I wish god is watching and never forgives you even after your demise!
Originally published in:"The views paper"

Sunday, February 3, 2013

"Be the Change you want to see!"

There are too many things which I wish should change and be a part of that change. We all know that the thing which is constant in life is the change . A change for good is tough but with a continuous pursuit to change we can reach that culmination point.

"Coming together is beginning.
Keeping together is progress.
Working together is success."
- Henry Ford- 

The above words of Henry Ford apply to any thing where we put our effort for some good change!
Change even if its small can lead to a better society . After a long thought  few issues came to my mind  and not just one which stand in top five. They are like below

1. The heinous rape and molestation crimes

First and foremost thing which came to my mind was the recent gang rape that happened in Delhi , the uproar after that and many politicians and babas who passed their baseless opinions listing out many weird tips to be followed for the sure shot safety. I felt sad , bad and hopeless due to it . Instead of pointing at men who rape its always a woman's dress , habits , way of life which are pointed as reasons for the rape.

My blueprint for this is to increase awareness among people as much as possible . Staying mum might make you also the next target.The number of rapists and people who pass on judgements on how to avoid rapes are alarmingly increasing. Every one must raise the voice against these foolish foot in mouth statements as much as they raise against the crime!

Start campaigns , spread messages and educate people in your own way. Writing and spreading the message is also one way of doing it , which I guess most of us can do.

The below campaign is held in Bangalore where men mocked our leaders who say the way a woman dresses is  a reason for getting raped. There were many other protests nation wide and are still happening. Too many voices may mute the loonies.
Dont tell ur Daughter, not to go out. Tell ur Son to behave "properly"
Image source :  https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/406000_453900691344028_491501071_n.jpg


Some how I feel the change will come eventually . I feel humanity still exists and it will lead to sanity. I see that people are not resisting in-justice like before. I hope and pray that this act should not give birth to many more acts. I wish the criminals just don't get away with an alibi of being juvenile. I wish many protest against it and strict laws are passed in favor of their punishment and not just reformation. If the crime is not juvenile they also should not stand a chance to escape.
I would plea all the emerging law students and lawyers and common people like me who feel they have to be punished should raise their voice and protest. PHD's and maintaining a debonair look are not enough to show that a person is harmless. Grooming of minds is needed to bring a change.  I don't even want to discuss if hanging the accused will or will not change the situation. I just want to say saving them will not make situation any better !!

Few steps which can be taken for safe living of women are:

1.)Steps should be taken to maintain separate buses by RTC only for women which run even after midnight.

2.) An emergency contact number which can be reached instantly when there is a doubt of mishap. This has already been taken up . I  hope the number is working.

3.) No Juvenile should be excused from punishment :(

4.) A special police force which deals only women crimes should be operational 24*7.

5.) Cabs driven only for women and by women should be made available . SAKHA cabs for women in Delhi is one such example. Isolated places should be extra secured in peak hours .

5.)Lastly  self defense is the only way where one can stay assured and be strong enough to protect them selves. Every one should be extra vigilant when they are outside and protect themselves.
I dont feel very confident even after listing out all these steps which can be followed to reduce the percentage of crimes! I just hope situation changes for good!

Few organisations like"PRAJWALA"  are doing a great job and identifying the needs of victims of and working towards prevention of such crimes. Women like "Sunitha Krishnan" stand as an inspiration and rape victims should be able to stay confident and fight back like her . I wish to donate money to this organisation through this contest!

I am not sure if signing these petitions will help but do sign the below petitions!


2.   The second issue which I want to highlight is : Female foeticide , increasing dowry rates and not giving importance to female education

All the three issues are inter related. The age old tradition is that you have to give dowry to get married . As a result of that you get a boy educated in the family and make the girl learn house hold chores. Worst of all is you kill the girl child inside the womb so that you don't have to spend in future. Satyameva jayate a recently aired program hosted by Aamir  has highlighted all these issues and its saddening to see that even though there are many women progressing in various fields this is the mind set many carry in India and there are people, even women who work as doctors and teachers who discourage the education of a girl.

My blue print for this is
  • To punish the people who violate the law by revealing the gender of the child before birth which is a crime in India . They have to be punished with out fail.
  • To educate people about the importance of educating a female child.
  • To go to rural areas and also track areas even in cities where a girl child is treated differently and try to educate them. Start special schools exclusive for a girls education.
Rather than trying to change others , be the change yourself. Start respecting and valuing a girl. I feel sad when the house maid says she sends son to school as it would lead to their progress . Her daughter can do work along with her. Even if it takes time one has to patiently imbibe the importance of a girl's education in such people's brains.

The below is the video song by Swanand Kirkire in the program Satyameva Jayate which brought tears to my eyes!! Three cheers to this initiative.

3.  The third issue which always bothers me is the way roads are used in India.

The terrific traffic jams in all metros and people who happily break the traffic rules bother me beyond limits.
The road belongs to every citizen and they use the whole of it. It feels sad to see that many educated students and professionals also behave in the same way.

“When anybody honks at me in traffic, I blush, wave, and shout, “Thanks for being a fan.” Being a celebrity is a 24/7 thing.” 
― Jarod Kintz :)

Honking irresistibly is some thing which one can experience only in India. The impatience and frustration one faces on Indian roads is no match to any other country. In Africa in many places there is no honking at all it seems. There are many other countries where people are patient enough.
I fail when I think of ways to educate and inculcate traffic sense in people. None reacts seriously to any issue till some thing bad happens to their friends or family.

The blue print for this is to create and spread message in a strong way which shows how dangerous it can get if you break the traffic rules, if you drive with out helmets , if you have more than 7 people in a 7 seater , if you are travelling standing on the foot board , if you have more than 2 pillion readers, so on so forth.
Just today I saw a sensible video shared by my friend on facebook. Click on the below hyperlink to watch         - "It happens every where in India".

Other solutions are:

  • Go to schools and  colleges and conduct campaigns spreading the traffic awareness and highlighting what an unfortunate thoughtless second can do.
  • Make meaningful ads which show the importance of following traffic rules.
  • Put sign boards which can really make people feel cautious and guilty when they think of breaking the signal or over taking another vehicle .
  • Its my plea to concerned people to save lives by cancelling driving licenses to under age people rather than taking bribes and harming them .
  • Laws should be stringent. Instead of taking bribe and forgetting the one who breaks rules , its always good to punish the people by  not allowing them to drive for certain period of time if they still pay a deaf ear even after issuing tickets and challans.


Yamuna express highway which leads to Agra- Tajmahal is one such butter smooth road where rules are strictly followed and you are not even allowed to stop or click on the roads. You will be fined if you cross a certain speed limit. Few people manage to break rules even on such empty luxurious roads like Yamuna express highway.


4.  The fourth issue which is effecting me a lot recently is regarding the "hate speeches and the consequences"

A half baked head belonging to one religion gives hate speech and this leads to people from the targeted community generalize others belonging to the half baked head's religion in the same category. It pains me beyond levels when such hate speeches lead to outburst and angst on social networks and further hate replies where the culprit alone does not face the caustic response. The main targets are always innocent people who don't have any such hatred in their hearts. Being sensitive to a speech against ones own community and paying deaf ear to a hate speech targeted at another community is saddening.

This feeling can be wiped off only by a change in the thought process. Speeches given for political benefits and for being on news should be ignored. Its high time people start using their brains and not get provoked easily by a simple poke.

Rather than putting twitter updates and facebook statuses that so and so people in that religion enjoy privileges and we have given them all facilities put a status which will reflect that India is a secular country and national integrity is our preference. This may just avoid any massacre or extremism.

Outbursts and dumping emotions freely with out any boundaries on social networks is again a common scenario which has no immediate effect other than hurting a certain community and showing the superiority of others. Yes hate speech is not free speech and if hate speeches are uncalled for,  free speeches also cant be encouraged absolutely. Free speech is a highly controversial thing where a person speaks whole of his mind with out thinking twice. It may not lead to betterment always. A change should come from with in and hence people should understand that they once made friends who belonged to another religion and they never became good friends as they share the same caste, creed , region or religion!
Rather than banning movies and artists I wish people who actually spread hatred are severely punished irrespective of their religion and status.

Hope humanity becomes the universal religion and people get united irrespective of provocateurs !

5. The fifth issue I want to highlight is the Social network addiction and the crimes on it.

Every one must be aware of "Malini Murmu's"  case where she committed suicide as boy friend blamed her and openly stated that he ditched her over Face book.

This is just one among many such news where people are highly impacted due to the social networking sites . Researchers are still studying the impact of social networking on people's brains. The virtual world where people literally dwell has its pros and cons.

One should not fly off the handle on Social networks. A silly status update leads to arrests by moral police  but there are many more dangerous updates which harass  a friend , relative or a community on whole. I neither support the silly update nor the arrest which followed. An arrest is not a solution to this. For this a persons mind should not be tangled and messed up. Social network should be used in a responsible way and not to flaunt what every cell of their body feels which might ultimately lead to disastrous consequences.

Similarly people should be strong enough to ignore updates and feelings expressed over social networks. The way an IIM student or a high ranked professional commit suicide due to a mere update just spins my head. Virtual world is not real enough to lead to  death . Hope people realize this.


  • Save your self from hood winked people over on line networks
  • Protect your accounts from getting hacked. Keep changing passwords
  • Do not disclose all your details to a faceless person.
  • Above all , get a hold on your emotions and talk to real people when in trouble.


Listing these five things doesn't end the list of all the possible issues where a change is needed. These are the things which came to my mind immediately. Even a single step taken towards change can bring an unimaginable result.  There are many more issues like corruption which is the root cause for many problems , bribery , rise in number of people living below poverty line, rising prices every day , rising crimes every day , rising number of people who stay thick to the rules, so on so forth. The cob-web of problems is always complex and even if a corner is disturbed it may lead to the fall of the crime , injustice and lead to a change in the system and a better life. So friends raise your voices and before raising be the change you want to see. Let me know the things you want to change!

"A ocean is made of so many tiny drops.
A mountain is made of so many small pebbles.
A seed will give birth to a plant which grows to a tree
Bring the change by being a part of the change you want to see"

Note: I don't own the images. All the images are googled.

This post is for "ISB iDiya for IndiChange" in association with indiblogger.in
I want to donate how much ever money I win through this post to "PRAJWALA"  !

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