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Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Sometimes I wonder..

        
                                                                  Sometimes I wonder,
                                                                  Alone and confused..
                                                                Certain answers to “why”
                                                                    I seek in solitude..

                                                                     I think about me,
                                                                  And the times gone by...
                                                                      The past I reflect,
                                                                 The memories that slip by




                                                                I stand at the centre,
                                                                Of many crossroads...
                                                                Scared I look eagerly,
                                                              For directions on boards...

                                                                 The why of present,
                                                                  Stares rudely at me..
                                                                I cover my many faces,
                                                               For I don’t want to see..

                                                                 The future beckons,
                                                              With scented promises..
                                                                  But I hide away,
                                                              Clutching my memories..

                                                                I seek again answers,
                                                               For which the questions..
                                                               have long faded away,
                                                               And formed reminisces...

                                                              The whys slowly disappear,
                                                               And I stare at the mirror..
                                                             and I accept the reflection,
                                                               As it becomes clearer..

Ramblings..of hope..of change..post "16 dec"

Its been an year, post an incident that shook me as an individual. Yes have read about a lot of rape cases, about the atrocities committed not just on women but on children and on men. But this incident did shake me as an individual, for the first time in my life I felt fear at a personal level, the situation seemed so frighteningly close to my everyday life. I have traveled in buses at 9 PM, can’t even call that late, if faced with a similar situation would have fought on the same terms. But what happened to that brave girl, Is beyond imagination, I never thought in my nightmares that humans could do this to another human just because they got agitated when she fought back.

I have always felt about women rights, not that I have ever faced discrimination be it at home, school, college or workplace. Yes I know a lot of good men around me, men who have guided me to understand right and wrong through my lens of understanding, men who have voiced their pain and anguish alongside me and I respect those men;


But there are prejudices that do exist, there is inequality at lot of levels that does exist so let’s accept that. Incidences like rape at some level are about controlling women, as the famous line goes “showing them their place”. It is of course a bigger malice which stems from many sick mindsets and I do not think I understand many of them.

But my point over here is, after that incident I began to think about the change that we need to bring about and I feel when we sometimes talk about change we do not need a revolution to bring about a change, It can begin with you and me. It can begin within my immediate group of people, Yes I might seem mad, challenging everyday things that I should not but then If I won’t do it then I am a part of it. I need to question some of the rituals, need to question some of the everyday things, need to question certain aspects of mass media that show women in certain light.

I can’t stop a film from screening, but I can voice my opinion to whatever number of people that will listen to me, that a song cannot and shouldn't glorify stalking, and million such things. I know there are prejudices that I hold, that I need to correct and that participation in change needs to be much more than just that, someday I hope I will be able to break free and work towards that.


Image source: marklovefurniture.com

But till then, every time I remember the incident I pray for her and I hope that things will change, they need to change otherwise as a society we will be facing a situation which will question the existence itself.  We need to give our girls, first the right to life, then the choice of education, choice to choose their life partner, their career and ensure safety and equal opportunity. There are brave women who have come out in the open and there are brilliant  people who are working towards this collective dream, today I salute the determination and the courage of all of them..


Friday, December 13, 2013

Change the Metaphor of “Better tomorrow”

Mention the word change and some of the first responses- “why?, its better like this” or “I do not understand what for, things that are there are there for a reason, why change them?” and the most often heard, “you are mad, you think you can change the world?”

Source: crackmodo.blogspot.com
                                                 

Big or small, all actions result in change and one day all such sparks ignite the fire.  This is my post for “Stay free and Healthy day”.
There are a lot of issues that we as a society and; that we as a species are facing and all of them require attention from each one of us. Here I take up a cause that is very close to my heart, the issue of women education which by itself results in women empowerment in majority of situations. Women education doesn't only limits itself to women being able to read and write but gives them freedom of CHOICE.

Choice, is an opportunity that is available in a very limited quantity for majority of our women. Choice to:
a)      Determine what they want to do, who they want to be with
b)      Choice to choose a healthy lifestyle for themselves
c)       Choice to be a mother and when to be
d)      And lastly choice to voice themselves

Women education is not just limited to empowerment and a better life for women themselves but for all that are around them and their family. Also, a lot of health related issues would have an immediate solution if we are able to educate and empower our women even in the smallest way possible.

How is the bigger and more momentous question to the problem, the why answers a lot of problems that are staring at us but it is the question of how that needs more attention and that too an how that is workable, possible and for that we can be motivated to initiate.

To start with, the first step comes in choosing the area, adopting one territory and understanding the issues that are troubling women there. Post that holding makeshift classes that can address some of the daily issues that women face so that they are interested to come and join, and encouraging them to send their daughters and sons to schools that are there. Working with the local schools in to getting some practical points on daily living and working with them on their curriculum to make it more robust one of the best examples of the same is an organization called 17,000 feet which has done the same in high terrains of Ladakh.


 The change might be slow but I am sure one day it will bring about the change I look for..

This is a dream that I have dreamt..and One day I will embark on my journey to seek change and spark change to dream a better future and to see the smiles spread across many faces!