Social Causes
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Isn’t It A Woman’s Day Everyday?
It often makes me wonder what makes a woman the way she is. We have all come across the million-dollar question asking – “What do woman actually want”? And the responses are generally caricature versions of a woman’s personality analysis. Don’t women actually find peace with anything at all? Why do they seem confused, complicated and undecided? What is it that they actually want to express? On International Women’s Day, here is an ode to womanhood, for a woman, by a woman and from a woman’s heart ~ Don’t just celebrate me today. Celebrate me everyday. Just the way I selflessly celebrate you, as a daughter, sister, wife, daughter-in-law and…
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Is My Love Not Enough If I Do Not Fast for My Husband?
Says my Satyavan – “I will anyway live a 100 years just for you. For that, neither do you have to fast, nor do I.” And I fell in love yet again. Today, I am going to tread into an “unpopular opinion” territory. So, read with caution and without any judgement please. Recently, we just celebrated a festival, exclusively for married women – called Sabitri Brata in my home state and Vat Savitri at my in-laws. The essence is the same for both – it is based on the popular folklore of Savitri and Satyavan. Basically, the wife keeps a fast for the husband’s longer life on this day. Even…
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Festivals – Are They More Important Than a Global Pandemic?
Life has been so different since the year 2020. And so are the extravagant festivals celebrated in India. Gone are the days when festivals in India meant a surreal experience with fanfare at a different level. I still vividly remember how the first blow to Indian festivities was when the larger-than-life Ganpati celebrations were banned in Maharashtra, followed by the ban on the most-awaited Durga Puja in West Bengal. The pandemic was clutching its grip and the only way to fight it was – SOCIAL DISTANCING. It was a great feeling to experience the country coming together as one and fighting this nasty virus. It almost felt like we have…
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An Inward Journey – Need Of The Hour
What exactly runs in a person’s mind just minutes before taking away his own life? Does he feel numb or does he feel angry? Is he agitated or is he absolutely calm? Does he feel alive or is he dead already? Amidst the chaotic mess of random speculations, a zillion thoughts cross my mind. But I can only find a deafening silence within. What state of mind exactly leads one to suicide will remain an eternal mystery. Perhaps, the best that we can do is – take a pause and head for an INWARD JOURNEY within. Recently, on a bright Sunday morning, we lost a very prominent young Indian actor.…
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Making ‘Roti’ in Indian Households : Whose Job Is It Actually?
Recently, I read a very interesting take on roti making in India. It defined the whole process of making ‘roti’ (read : Indian flatbread made from wheat flour) and how it weaves magic in Indian households. Apparently, no meal seems to be complete without the quintessential ‘roti’ or ‘chapati’ after all. And yes, we even have variations in the form of parathas, kulchas, pooris etc. as part of the Indian cuisine. But nothing has ever been as regular a feature in Indian meals as the good-old ‘roti’. I had just wrapped up work and blissfully reading away random blogs in the late evening. And this particular post immediately made me…
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WOMEN OF TOMORROW – Are we grooming kids the right way?
Gender inequality has existed across the world since ages. Men and women have never been considered as two equally contributing wheels in the cycle of life. So, let’s just face it, without sounding preachy. Well, we don’t have any control over whatever has happened and there’s absolutely no point brooding and fighting over who did what and the so-called distorted facts from history. But what we have a solid control on now, is the opportunity to inculcate the most basic value of equality within our kids. An EQUALITY which simply means ‘being equal’, with no discrimination based on caste, social status, region, nation and most importantly gender! Kids have the…
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A Narrow Escape from Perverts Around Me – #MeToo
Born and brought up in a country like ours, sexual harassment in various forms is considered to be pretty usual in our daily lives. This marks the first impression about the sorry state of affairs in our nation. Sexual exploitation in any form, leaves an indelible mark on the soul of the concerned person – be it male/female. And a casual approach towards the frequency of such incidents, is alarming indeed. Somewhere, something is definitely going wrong! I clearly remember a vivid incident from my childhood, when I was hardly 11-12 years old. I was sent by my mother to the nearest grocery store to grab a packet of bread, when…
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HUMANITY First – Kerala Will Rise Above Hate-mongers!
Monsoons have always been eagerly awaited in India, since the Indian Monsoon plays a major role in turning large parts of India from semi-deserts to green lands. It is a symbol of joy and celebration, especially amongst farmers. They wait patiently throughout the year, just for the monsoons to arrive and help them grow crops at their best. Who could fathom that this joy would be diminished in India this year? Little did we know that this year, the same Monsoons would wreak havoc in God’s own country – Kerala. Around August 10-11, I noticed Twitter trends highlighting about Kerala floods, which had reached alarming levels. Several parts of Kerala…
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IPC 498A – Does it actually protect women or is it a choking noose for innocent men?
DOWRY – a social menace which compels the bride’s family to pay a specific amount in cash or goods to the bridegroom’s family (considered as a ‘norm’ of an Indian wedding), is practised in many parts of India even today. BUT what’s even worse is the reckless misuse of the law which was initially formed to curb exploitation in the name of dowry. Undoubtedly, dowry still remains an ugly truth of India today. But, fake dowry harassment cases depict an even uglier and lurking reality of the Indian society. True Story Recently, after posting an extensive article on the actual history of the dowry system, I was going through the…
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Why Did Dowry Ever Come Into Existence in India – High Time for a Reality Check?
The dowry system in India has been blindly followed since ages and I have always found it extremely absurd. Detesting this evil practice to the core, I decided to dig deep into the actual history of the dowry system in India. How did such an evil-practice ever come into existence? Did our ancestors actually have such a backward thinking? The answer is – NO. Earlier, dowry was nowhere described as a mandate for the groom to make demands on the girl’s family. Inspite of this practice being so obsolete, regressive and a significant reason for a higher crime rate in today’s times, people in many parts of India are still following…
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Justice for Asifa : Can Rape Ever Be Justified?
I begin writing about this ghastly incident, with a very heavy heart. Yesterday, my day started with a Facebook post shared by a friend which read – “The Gory Details of the Khatua gang-rape shows that the India we live in is NOT really shining.” Going through the gruesome details mentioned in the post, I drew a deep shuddering breath. The grim news of the gang-rape and murder of an 8 year-old girl was described with such horrific details that the basic faith on humanity inside me, actually made me question the article – “Is this news authentic?” The details mentioned in the post, seemed too heinous to be true.…
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The Ugly Truth of Dowry in India today
While going through the government’s initiatives for women empowerment in recent times, I stumbled across few thought-provoking ads which deliver powerful messages against the age-old practice of dowry in Indian marriages. The messages were loud and clear – “Say NO to dowry.” Dowry system in India refers to any form of movable goods, property or cash that the bride’s family gives to the bridegroom’s family, as one of the pre-requisites for marriage. Considering the nagging societal pressures and crimes regarding dowry, I decided to delve deep into the history of dowry system in India. I strongly believe that the history of this culture-rich country has been distorted time and again to…
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An experience on Bakul’s Day of Service : A Day dedicated to Humanity
Surfing through my WhatsApp messages last night, I came across a message in my WhatsApp group : DOS – 2017 (Patia Region). It was a notification from a fellow Bakul member stating that the first Bakul Day of Service for 2018 was scheduled on March 25, 2018 (held on last Sunday of March) and anybody could volunteer. This brought back a plethora of memories from the last Day of Service that I attended in Bhubaneswar, during the Joy of Giving Week on October 2, 2017. For a beginner’s information, the day of service (DOS) is celebrated across India and worldwide to promote the spirit of social service and provide a…
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Hypocrisy Of The Great Indian Society : Do We Actually Respect Women? #TruthAboutSociety
Just when we ushered in the new year brimming with optimism, new hopes and resolutions, we got to witness the “Padmavati” (now called “Padmaavat”) row in all the leading newspapers, tabloids and TV shows. Berserk and visibly irritated with the irrational vandalisation by the so-called guardians of our history, I decided to browse elsewhere just for a whiff of fresh air. Then, my eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of an online news website notification. It read – “Woman, 22, Pulled Out Of Car In Gurgaon, Raped In Front Of Husband”. I was deeply appalled. Here I was, hoping for brand new beginnings and our nation was still struggling to wriggle out of…
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An Open Letter From A Newly-wed Indian Bride To Her Father
Disclaimer: Before people start reading this article with a preconceived notion, let me clarify that this article is not about baseless allegations or any form of reprimand on the ‘in-laws’ in our country. I have been lucky enough to have considerate and kind in-laws and the views expressed in this letter is a generic summary of first-time experiences of a newly-wed Indian bride post marriage, based on both personal experience and the observations of others. Since daughters are dearest to their fathers, my letter is addressed to all the fathers, who I believe are the best confidants and the biggest support system for all their daughters. Their actions always speak…
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CASTE – The invisible line demarcating the Indian society
This part of the globe is constantly looked up to by the rest of the world, for morals, religious beliefs, value systems and what not – India, being the favourite destination in the hunt for morals. In a bid to boast these values, we still hold on to an age-old concept of casteism in independent India. This has somehow brought in multiple questions in my mind – Is our society educated enough? Is the education effective enough to get rid of the society’s ignorance? Can we boast of being a country which believes in “equality in diversity”? Are human beings humane enough? and many more such questions…. A personal account on caste…
