The Stories of Sophistry...

My article this time consists of a gist of two folk tales written by Musharraf Ali Farooqi. These hail from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and send out a genuine message to mankind regarding how tricking a person into doing something proves fatal for one's own self. I liked the way the author had put the stories. I enjoyed reading those while reading between the lines. The stories are pure fantasies and cannot in any form be taken seriously.

The tale from Uttar Pradesh is about a lethargic monkey who was once asked by his mother to chop off his most prized possession; his golden hair for she believed that he'd get married only after he gets good riddance of the golden hair. Hence, the monkey goes to the barber to get his hair cut and in return he confiscates the barber's razor by which the latter cut his hair. The barber, astonished, asks him for a reason for the confiscation. The monkey, almost while taking to his heels, shouts at him that it was a price he had to pay for lopping off the love of his life.

The monkey then stumbles upon a gardener trimming a hedge and suggests him to trim the same with the razor he had. The gardener was ecstatic to try the job with the razor but unfortunately, the razor gets ruined. Hence, the monkey snatches away his blanket. The gardener interrogates him on his doings and doesn't let him go with the blanket. The monkey insists that since the gardener took away his razor, he ought to take his blanket.

The monkey encounters an oil-seller shivering in the cold. Therefore, the monkey offers him blanket and in return takes away his oil can and bolts off. The seller regrets to have had a conversation with him but he was ultimately rendered helpless.

Next, he chances on an old lady selling puris and when he notices she had fallen short of oil, he offers her the same and thereafter runs away with an entire platter of fried puris.

The monkey's antics come to an end when he chances upon a wedding procession and offers everyone there the fried puris. He then walks up to the bride, picks her up in order to get married to her in return of the puris he offered to the entire party in the procession. But the party rebels and helps the bride to get off his clutches and the monkey is eventually driven away from the place.

The other tale comes from Punjab and is based on a rat. Once, this rat finds a man with hungry children trying to ignite a fire. Seeing them in a pitiable state, the rat offers the man a dry root to burn which he had stored at his place for tough days. The grateful family then offered the rat a morsel of dough to show him their thankfulness. The rat discovered that helping people in their difficult times also makes him strike gold since they help him back. That day onwards, he kept searching for needy people.

One day, the rat sees a potter whose children were crying from hunger since there is no flour in the house to cook. The rat offers him his dough to cook. Having happily satiated his children and himself, the potter, as a sign of showing gratefulness, gives the rat a fine pipkin. The rat was thankful yet again.

The rat runs into a cowherd later. He saw him milking buffaloes into his shoe since he was too poor to afford a pail. The rat graciously offered his pipkin to milk the animals. On receiving the pipkin, the cowherd was so elated that he offered the rat a few sips of milk. Th rat wanted something better in return for his deed. Hence, rejecting those few drops, he put forward his demand of having an entire buffalo to himself. The cowherd agreed to it and the rat set off with the buffalo.

Walking down the lane with the animal, the rat bumps into a wedding party which was less fortunate for not having any meat to cook. The rat immediately offers them the buffalo to be killed and the meat to be cooked. After everyone was done having meat, they offered the rat the remnants. The rat rejected the same and instead asked for the bride in the form of recompense. The party shuddered on learning his intentions and left the place in no time leaving the bride behind.

The bride was a princess and she spent one entire night with the rat. The next morning, the rat sends her out to sell fruits around town so that she could buy food and eat. The queen sees her daughter selling fruits on the road and her plight. They are reunited. The rat, who had been keeping a close watch on the princess demanded her to be returned back to him. The queen asks the rat to come to her palace and he agrees. The queen makes him sit on a seat which contained a red hot stone beneath it. As soon as he is seated, he jumps off because he gets burnt and he never saw the princess and queen ever again.

The similarity between both the incidences is that the protagonists could not manage to get married and stay with their mates. The difference lies in the way they start off with their trickeries. The first story depicted the behaviour which was lazy and greedy. The seconds story started on a good note where the rat happens to help the family only accidentally and his intentions change as the story unfolds.

What Johann says sounds very prudent: 'The craftiest trickery are too short and ragged a cloak to cover a bad heart' . The essence to be taken from these stories is that deceit gives us momentary happiness and we lose everything we have in the end for a lifetime.

About an article I wrote for my friend...

The other day, I helped my school friend Nandini with an article she had to present to her college. It was on her recent trip to Australia. She sent across to me pointers via email and I rolled out an article. Blobs have been put up at places since I was unaware of the relevant information. Here's how it eventually turned out to be:

Having end semesters and preparing for the same by burning the midnight oil has been a routine for me since the past four years. I was done with my exams by the end of [•] and it was time to get those bags out of the attic, pack and run away somewhere to break the monotony of life and giving a fresh start to the last year of my Architecture studies. An Australian jaunt was something that gave me ample reasons to stay happy and endure the post exam fatigue. A dive in the blue waters of the Great Barrier Reef, a hot air balloon ride to see the sun rise, experiencing the Sydney Opera House; these thoughts were on repeat and hovering on my mind like little birdies.   Australia is a place I’ve extensively read and studied about for it has always given me an adrenaline rush.  The [•] day trip to the continent held a lot of significance for me.  The unusually mystique view of this place from the aircraft gave me jitters thereby increasing my excitement levels manifold.

The journey was tad excruciating   with an unfortunate delay of two connecting flights. . But then, no journey seems like one if you don’t come across such standstills and stagnancy of commutes.  It took us more than a day’s time to reach Melbourne, the then Capital of Australia. Melbourne is the second largest city of Australia, after Sydney of course and is the capital of Victoria.

Day one of my fun and frolic around Australia constituted a visit to the Old parliament house, the beautiful St. Patrick’s cathedral which took around a good  hundred  years to be built; Captain Cook’s house, a small house with a huge picturesque garden surrounding it. Captain James Cook was a major contributor in the mapping of the eastern coast of Australia in the year 1770.  A rendezvous with the largely cute tiny Penguins on the Phillip Island helped me end my day on a sweet note. My photography skills weren’t of much help here since it was prohibited.

The next journey was through the Great Ocean Road, a 243 km stretch along the south eastern coast of Australia.  The coastline is enchanting having a rocky one side and the other side consisted of a rocky, mountain terrain. The journey concluded at the twelve apostles, a collection of limestone stacks off the shore of the Port Campbell National Park, by the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, Australia. The apostles were formed as a result of erosion: the harsh and extreme weather conditions from the Southern Ocean gradually eroded the soft limestone to form caves in the cliffs, which then became arches, which in turn collapsed; leaving rock stacks up to 45 meters high. The uniqueness lies in the fact of their proximity to one another. Hence, this has made for a pretty tourist spot. Apparently, there are only eight out of twelve apostles left but the name remains unchanged for the obvious reasons of tourism. A helicopter ride over the same was   next on the radar and by golly it was the most unspeakable moment, really!  To add to it, the excitement was twice as much since it was my first ever ride on a helicopter!

We were later headed to Gold Coast. I think I find it correct to put it this way; as Las Vegas is to the USA, Gold Coast is to Australia.  The city boasts clearly of sky scrapers, clubs, theme parks, zoos and a great coastline. Adventure rides in the Warner Brothers Movie world, pictures with a baby koala, kangaroos, watching a dolphin show were like earning brownie points on the visit there.

Australia is one of the wealthiest countries in the world.  Along with being economically well off, the continent takes pride in being ecologically sound. Although it is semi-arid, one finds a wide range of habitats, from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests to coral reefs. One such place which has diverse natural habitats is Cairns. The air journey from Brisbane to Cairns is only full of resplendent views. Look out of the window and you see the Great Barrier Reef and the small islands in it. At the Kuranda rainforest, cable cars take you to a height above the tropical trees. It was a sight for the sore eyes!  Here, there is a performing arts centre for the aborigines; the original inhabitants of Australia and they exhibit their life and art forms in order to attract tourists. This also helps them churn in sufficient finances.   Next on the list was an early morning Hot Air Balloon ride to see the sunrise!   An ineffable feeling on seeing the mountains, farmlands, covered up in a blanket of fog, dew drops kangaroos frolicking around freely in the farmlands and just like a kindergarten drawing of scenery, the sun rising from behind the mountains stole my mind. I hadn’t encountered nature as closely before.

At the Great Barrier Reef, a lot of islands await you for the simple reason of taking your breath away and sending you into a trance.  The reef can be experienced in various forms. Glass bottom boats, semi-submarines, snorkelling, and scuba diving are some of the ways in which the tourists unwind themselves, bask in the atmosphere and live every moment with the nature. The flora and fauna around is terrific.

I went snorkelling at the green islands to see the world’s biggest aquarium, the Great Barrier Reef. Tiny, colourful sea creatures, colonies of corals and blue waters looked to me like a dream which I was living out loud. . This Barrier Reef is visible even from the face of the moon and I found myself blessed that day for having the opportunity to be there and feel the place.  Rising high into the sky and then going down into the sea on the very same day. Who’d have thought of that anyway?

The last two places we had been to were Sydney and Canberra. Sydney is the most densely populated city in Australia. An evening visit to the Sydney Tower, which is the tallest free standing structure in Sydney, to see the glittering city was a thing in itself. It is about 300 m high. Next day was the one I had been waiting for since long. A visit to the Sydney Opera House! Designed by Danish architect, Jorn Utzon, and completed in the year 1973, it is one of the distinctive buildings of the twentieth century, and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an architectural master piece. My interests lie in exploring such things since I’m studying Architecture. The first hand experience, the feel of the place, touch of it, observing it was even more awe inspiring.

 Canberra has been the capital city of Australia since the year 1908.  It is a mere two hour drive from Sydney but very different in all aspects. To promote Australian tourism as much as possible, the parliament house of Australia is open for international tourists! It is an elegantly designed modern building. Canberra houses all the government buildings of Australia since it is the capital. A visit to the Australian War Memorial followed.

The journey back home was painful since I was bidding adieu to the place which housed and protected me for [•] days/week(s) just like my motherland. Nonetheless, all the memories of a wonderful plethora of adventures and indescribable good times kept me going. I guess i was returning home only to visit this joyful country yet again to recreate my nostalgic moments.  

Airports on this continent are some of the massive ones with opulent architecture and clever detailing. The major cities in Australia are shuttled between by air since they are remotely situated from each other.  I travelled on and explored just about every mode of transport during my visit here, right from commuting by cars to enjoying a hot air balloons. I label at least one visit to Australia as a mandate.

I am happy to strike off one country from my bucket list though another visit seems likely.  Since my trip was time constrained, I’d visit the places I missed out on the same And yes, my travelogue is too difficult to manage now. Hope it becomes a lot more huge with bountiful of escapes like this.

An Open Letter to Smriti Irani...

Dear Smriti Irani,

I'm writing this to you on behalf of hundreds of people showing faith and trust in you and at the same time, support as well even after talks about your non-elite professional career have been doing the rounds. Agreed that a good professional qualification is important and essential to anyone who wants to soar high or who is a popular name amongst the masses. But the fabrication of the Yale University degree about you sent us into a tizzy. You already are a household name. The entire nation looks up to you as the perfect woman and adore you in ways uncountable. If my memory serves me right, let me take back you to the year 1980. The Ministry of Human Resources Development, then known by the name Ministry of Education, constituted of around twelve ministers and each one of them was a highly qualified bloke having doctoral degrees from some of the iconic Universities around the world while some of them were barristers too. Later, they carved their career niches in Politics. So, this is an easy conclusion to the fact that one doesn't need to be a strictly learned individual to run the country. A man isn't complete without an impeccable foresight to things and dedication towards his goals and ambitions. You're, for us, the epitome of kindness and someone who can manage things in timely manner. You're a source of encouragement to the women in the country.

In fact, seldom do we come across genuine people like you who are gutsy enough to represent yourself as a Political person in one of the ways without having sufficient educational degrees. It's tremendously difficult and huge to stand on the podium and address those billions of people all over the country who have their eyes glued to you in hope. Of course, there's no denying that a good professional degree would have made a difference to your political career today, but I don't think things are beyond repair. As long as you've the belief in yourself and you show it to the country through your deeds, nothing is imperfect. And to add more to this, there is no need to be critical about you for what has happened. I'm oblivious to the reason behind the incident; whether you were feeling ashamed because of a dearth of a proper degree or a clear case of miscommunication of facts. 

Let that be anything, the point to be taken note of is that I see no good reason to create a hullabaloo out of this as this is too unnecessary. People will not refrain from talking ill of you until you prove yourself to them in a formidable manner. And for that, all you need is time. To conclude in breviloquence, it's a give-away that you consider Education highly important and you'll carry out your duties responsibly and make a good doting Minister.

Rise up with your head high and never see yourself as any less. You're an inspiration to everyone and you'll continue to be one. Th country needs you.

Kill it with grace!

They say it's wonderful when you enjoy what you read! It's better when what you read is what you'd be getting paid in the near future. That's exactly my thing. I love my course, I love what I do at office as an intern and I'd be thankful to the Almighty everyday for having me on board of my dream job, although there's a huge time to achieve everything and get on the last stage of struggle!

I just got done with my penultimate year examination and I wrote it pretty well. I had little time at hand due to office but I could study satisfactorily. This time was different though. I discovered I hadn't lost any single kilo during my exam, which usually does take place, took place until last year and I'm still facing the after effects of the same! Too much stress and tension leads to too much of weight loss, which is of course way too bad, and for a girl of 22, embarrassing!

Exams have long been my enemy. They suck me up completely from head to toe, not this time by God's grace!

Lesson learnt: Exams are just a part of our busy and colourful lives! It's as simple. I took time to realize unlike most of you. This time, I wrote my exam without shedding even a gram from my body and trust me, I wrote better than what I did in my previous exams! One more thing to add is that when you are in love with your studies, being stressed is inappropriate. Whoever of you is someone like me, please take hold of yourselves and never let exams come in way of your health!

Exams can be taken care of easily when eating and sleeping habits are proper, along with working out! It's, surprisingly, no Herculean task, brownie points for this!

Unearthing crimes and criminals...

Ever wondered about how criminals look like in real life (by this I mean let's not talk about people who essay roles of criminals on television) and what provokes them to commit immoral acts? Do you feel affirmative about genes being responsible for making a person choose a criminalistic approach? For this, an exhaustive knowledge about criminology is a mandate. Criminology is a captivating study which enlightens one about the causation, correction and prevention of crime. There are various forms of crimes such as crimes against property (burglary, auto-theft) , crimes against morality which includes prostitution, gambling and illegal drug use, White-collar crimes such as evading taxes, stealing money from an employer, insider trading, etc. and organized crime which is nothing but a structured group of criminals who come together for drug trade, weapon smuggling and the like. In this article, I have talked about a few interesting things about how a criminal's mind is shaped up, his traits and what prompts them to take to crimes and things suchlike. For the same, I have extensively read about criminology and other related topics. 

Copious factors are involved which induce a person to choose the unfair way ,I will talk about some significant ones here. Ceasare Lombroso, an Italian criminologist, physician and founder of the Italian School of Positivist Criminology had always believed that human nature was responsible for crime, it was a characteristic trait. He was the one who made the words 'born criminal' sound true enough with the help of anthropological criminology. He stated that criminals have peculiar defects or oddities in them which separates them from normal humans and that crime is inherited by them. Criminals, according to him, are persons with a hunch like the apes have had before the evolution. More intricate features include sloping forehead, ears of unusual size, asymmetrical face, long arms and such other physical anomalies. He was also of the belief that thieves, murderers and rapists could be distinguished from specific characteristics and pointed out that there were much more traits of a criminal such as no sense of pain or any touch, more acute sight, lack of or no moral sense, no remorse, impulsiveness and cruelty and too much use of tattooing. But unfortunately, Lombroso couldn't prove his findings and the same were challenged. It was only revived with the discovery of the XYY chromosome which suggested that men with an extra Y chromosome are more violent. It also said that such persons have more arrests than the ones without an extra Y chromosome. Even this discovery was challenged and ultimately didn't hold much water. Later, a study was conducted on examination of twins and non-twin siblings who have been adopted out into different families at or soon after birth and it was concluded that there's a greater similarity in the criminal histories of the sons and their natural fathers than between sons and their adoptive fathers. Such discoveries and examinations make it concrete that genetics are involved but there are two shortcomings which render those useless, the first one being the method of selecting twins for separated twin studies has sometimes inflated the chance that both will be found to have an arrest record. and the second one is that the interaction between children and their adopted parents may itself increase the risk of later involvement in crime.

Second factor involved can easily be targeted towards the family. Family plays a pivotal role in the moulding of a child's mind. Parents who are neglect-some or who don't know how to bring a child up and imbibe good qualities or virtues in him are solely responsible for the birth of criminal minds. Firstly, neglect or avoidance of good parenting hails from several factors like large family size, ignorance or illiteracy of parents, monetary issues, etc. Another reason may be because of harsh parenting like nagging or beating the child, scolding unnecessarily and more than needed discipline. The third cause stems from parents being criminals and the fourth can be associated with family disruption such as divorces. A child's mind is that of a dough, it is tender and it depends on the way one shapes it. Hence, care should always be taken how to expose a child into the world and it is a parent's duty to protect the child from the lawbreaking lot.

The third causation of crime is associated with school performance and intelligence. Studies have shown that students with a low IQ succumb to crimes because of inability to do well in exams. Fourth cause is fairly related to third which talks about the influence of peers. Children start behaving the way their peers do at educational institutes and gradually end up being like them. For example, there have been several drug consumption cases at school and this has always been a result of influences.

A major factor behind crime is poverty and unemployment. When people fail to earn a livelihood due to illiteracy and such other reasons, they resort to crimes. Poor and hungry people who are always on a hunt for means to survive take to such heinous modes of making money. Another reason to quote is that of public tolerance to crime. People who have had enough of injustice and bore problems also take to crimes thinking of that as a revenge and get burdensome on the society. As regards women, even menstruation is one of the reasons for the causation of crime.

Criminals who are arrested are given a second chance and hence there exists a process know as 'correction of offenders'. As they say, 'To have once been a criminal is no disgrace. To remain a criminal is the disgrace.' There's a need to do this in a country like India where crime rate is at its zenith and there's always a fear dwindling on the minds of commoners. Criminals are given psychologists to help them with their issues and about life behind bars. There're also social workers at prison to to understand the criminals' problems and help their families. Criminals are also given religious education in prisons to calm them down and make them sane. To encourage criminals to earn money, they are paid remuneration for their odd jobs at prisons and almost every prison follows the 'no work no meal' norm for them. Legal and medical help is also available to them. Legal aid includes parole and probation.

More than redeveloping minds of criminals for good, it is better if we take steps to prevent crimes in the first place. Some criminals who find it difficult to even live from hand to mouth become addicted to committing crimes because of high prices of necessary commodities and other essentials. Poverty is the mother of crime. Since our country has become accustomed to soaring prices, they are left with no other choice but to do it. Another way of preventing crimes is the Crime Prevention Council of India which was set up in 1938 whose motto is to provide rehabilitation to the disposed prisoners and make them hate crime. Their notions                                                                           towards crime are changed and they start their life                                                                            afresh with a new purpose.

Dlya moyey krasivoy babushke !

          March 16 is always a merry day for the family every year because it is my granny's birthday.This year too,with the same excitement as we used to have when we were 8 and 10 year olds, we celebrated her 72nd birthday. This time, I endeavoured to write a few lines on her because I have always been wanting to express myself to her that way but never took that up any seriously. Here's what I had to write for her :

     You're a breath of fresh air ,

    someone with a heart full of care.

    You're packed with incredible zest and zeal ,

    and have made us come to you every time for you're the perfect heal.

              

    That petite frame of yours is twice as much commanding ,

    the way you talk and express is more than soothing.

      We have grown up from girls to women in your presence ,

           and we'd always cherish what you've taught us about life's essence.

              

           Without caring anything for yourself over the years, you've looked after us ,

           you've left no stone unturned to erase out our gloomy gus.

           Dear Grandma, you've no idea what you mean to us kids ,

           who have had food fed by your loving hands withour wearing bibs.

              

           What makes us prouder is that you're now a Great Grandmother ,

           that little ball of love is going to get your affectionate warmth like no other.

           With you in our lives, learning has never been any task for us , 

           Everything you teach and speak sets up a golden precedent for us.

              

           That bindi on your forehead, those bangles making a crinkling noise ,

           you make us forget everything when we hear your gentle voice.

           Those gorgeous rings on your supple fingers and lovely drapes on that delicate figure ,

            to see all that everyday, we will be happy to endure.

              

           You've been an ever smiling woman who has known how to face unwelcoming situations,

           but Ajji, it's your birthday today and it's meant for celebrations.

           Our existence is being meaningful only because of your precious preachings ,

           and all those little incidences in life derive their own meanings.

              

            It's tough to not see you even for a day ,

            not a moment goes without thinking about you ,

            We're indebted to you for life ,

            the only person we want to see elated and content is you.

              

            Everyday of yours on this Earth is boon for us ,

            we cannot thank the Almighty enough to have blessed us ,

            with someone so amazingly indecipherable during every trying time ,

            and surprising us every single while.

            We wish you a very happy birthday, our pretty Babushka ,

            and couldn't have thought of being brought up by any better person, oh the perpetually

            bloomed Sakura! 

             This was something I could write on her, but the words just don't sum up to the amount of things she has done for all of us four grand daughters! There was so much more to put in there but I was unable to find the perfect words. Still , when she read it , she was overwhelmed and happy! We've been lucky to have such a woman who has seen us growing and no amount of poems or such other things can commensurate to her deeds. We love you , Ajji! 

                

              

Once upon a time , she was a gift , now gone kaput!

The past Saturday, since I had taken a leave from office for preparing for my internals , waking up late at 8 seemed to me like a dream to my phone which kept on buzzing constantly. I checked my Whatsapp and had received over some fifteen-ish messages from my friends and family wishing me for the day ; it was International Women's Day! I regard this day as important as my birthday because the kind of attention you get from your loved ones is more or less the same! On this day, poor dad is always left at the suffering end having three women in the family (my mum,sister and I) and treating each one of us separately :D . Celebrating this day for us , in fact , for everyone , is just like any other ; you go out , roam around , shop until you think you've picked up almost all the latest trends , spend time over dinner at  restaurants , get home , and retire for the day.
So why does there have to be a day every year which is dedicated to women? There's a riveting history behind this Celebration. Here you go - 
The International Women's Day (IWD) , also known as as International Working Women's Day was initially started as a socialist political event , where women were specially highly spoken of for their extraordinary contribution and participation  in the field of politics and related works. This had taken place in the countries of Europe and Russia.

Italy and Russia celebrate Women's Day of which the symbol is the mimosa or Silver Wattle

The earliest celebration of this day dates back to May 3 , 1908 in Chicago , whereas New York chose to commemorate on February 28 , 1909. In August 2010 , an International Women's Conference was conducted as a precursor to the Social Second International Meeting in Copenhagen , Denmark wherein , drawing inspiration from her American contemporaries , German Socialist Luise Zietz proposed the inception of an annual International Woman's Day (note the 'a' in woman here) who received support from fellow Clara Zetkin , who turned into a communist leader later. All the Delegates (there were a 100 odd of them) seconded the idea because it would be the best platform to promote equal rights including suffrage for women. The following year , in the month of March , the 19th day , IWD was observed by various people across Austria , Switzerland , Denmark , Germany and the like. Countless parades took place and women had an active participation. They showed their despise towards employment sex discrimination by showing the protest with the aid of hoardings and banners. But none of the parades and protests and other forms of celebrating the day was made on March 8! It was only because March 8 had fallen on a Sunday in the year 1914 that IWD has been rejoiced worldwide on this day until now. 

This is a German poster for IWD dated March 8, 1914 , the English Translation being as under :

"Give Us Women’s Suffrage. Women’s Day, March 8, 1914. Until now, prejudice and reactionary attitudes have denied full civic rights to women, who as workers, mothers, and citizens wholly fulfill their duty, who must pay their taxes to the state as well as the municipality. Fighting for this natural human right must be the firm , unwavering intention of every woman , every female worker. In this ,  no pause for rest ,  no respite is allowed. Come all ,  you women and girls, to the 9th public women’s assembly on Sunday, March 8, 1914 , at 3 pm.”

This celebration , of course , sparked a lot of controversies , the most infamous one being the Tower Hamlets Council (England) incident , whereby it closed one of its libraries for celebrating IWD ,  hence not letting the men folk enter the same , so much so that the male staff was also asked to not be there that day. A very recent skirmish took place in 2007 in Iran , wherein hundreds of men and women , who were conducting a rally as a mode of celebrating IWD , were beaten up by the Police to the extent of some of them getting arrested too. But , as fate had it , the purpose of this day couldn't last any longer and men started to celebrate this day only to show their affinity towards the fairer sex. This day was adjudged more like a Mother's or Valentine's Day.

              

Let's talk about the present milieu ; has not it taken an ugly turn already? Women are the most beautiful creatures on Earth who are a fine concoction of delicacy who hold an inexhaustible knowledge of rightly everything under the Sun and the toughest task bearers! But what is happening to the so called 'tricks by sleight of hand' lately? Some go through a terrible office phase due to harassing bosses while some are awfully stuck in the middle of their academics because their professors ask for sexual favours and hence decide to call it quits. Some undergo a routine of domestic violence without uttering a single word while some are getting openly raped in broad daylight. Isn't the entire concept of an IWD redundant because of all of this? The major problem is that the world substantiates or objectifies women. Nobody can look at any woman without those hungry , devilish and dreary eyes. Women are talked only from the point of view of a satisfying object.

Commenting about a country like India , girls are the most unfortunate of all. There is no ounce of respect shown towards them , no help offered in times of  their trying times and  no pure intentions displayed towards them. This has made the women folk firm in the belief that nobody is worthy of trusting. They are on their own and they should take good care of themselves. Making the talk more specific by talking about Mumbai , the place I stay , is a harrowing place after 7 pm where you will definitely encounter shady people in many areas and you cannot even think of stepping out. It's a sad fact for women who are out at work until late at night and they have to struggle to keep themselves safe by dressing conservatively minus jewelry. Women who are are regular local transport travellers face the most sleazy looks and comments almost everyday. Such is made apparent by touching women at various places during the busiest hours at the stations and bus stops , these days, even when there is hardly any crowding , women cannot escape those undesirable moments. Various mobile phone applications, pepper sprays and pen knives are a part of all their belongings recently. More than how they plan their office schedule and other work things , they have to spend time thinking how should they keep themselves safe and sound. A very disturbing statistics discovered by me was just some days ago was the dailies talked about safest place in India , whereby , Ahemdabad ranked the first , while Chennai and Poona followed Mumbai was kicked out at the fourth position! Mumbai's rank was lowered significantly and it was really upsetting to know about the plight of this city. 

Nevertheless , women have never showed any lack of confidence in whichever field they choose and emerge as winners. One story touched me really deep down the core; it was about Laxmi , an acid attack survivor , who was recently felicitated by US First Lady , Michelle Obama. 

Laxmi recited a poem which narrated her never ending ordeals since 2005 till present

           
The former suffered an acid attack back in 2005 at Khan Market from one of her friends' brothers only because she did not respond to his romantic advances. I have seen her pictures and believe me , she is a beautiful lady , but the acid pummels left this lass with a burnt face and permanent scars across her face making her lose everything right in front of her eyes. Only recently , she thought of not giving up and was brave enough to face the world yet again. Laxmi's life turning incident took all of us by storm and even the News Channel which has now hired her for hosting one of their shows and what more , she is already done with three shooting schedules!!! Finally , there was a regulation followed for the sale of acids , at the cost of a girl losing her identity.

Another incident which made us fall flat on our faces was the Delhi Gang rape case of the innocent Nirbhaya in 2012. Had it not been for perverts around , Nirbhaya must have been celebrating her impressive academic scores until now.

I'm looking forward to that day when women will be treated with utmost respect as was decided during the discussion of IWD's birth years ago , when a girl and woman of every age will wander around without any care and when they will start overpowering the troublesome gender at any given time. Women are not sex objects or an aid to make you feel good , they are exquisite angels who are here to make the life of their loved ones better by the day , essay the roles of a daughter , wife , mother , chaperon and many more as quick as lightning , shoulder responsibilities like it's a cakewalk for them and still finding time for themselves and making their existence apparent to them. 

            

                   Take a bow to the most amazing work of God!