I had asked Artnavy to look out for something in the next few days. Well this one is my B’day gift to her - An account of my meeting with her in January this year. She missed my b’day by a day but I took her visit to be a b’day gift nonetheless.
Well, to be frank I never expected to get so much when I first started my blog. My question to my daughter who started it for me was “What would I write about.”
“Anything under the sun. Just write what you feel like writing.” Was her reply.
And that is exactly what I did. I just poured my heart out and the responses I got were just overwhelming. I got a whole new set of friends and to my surprise many were from a group that I had felt would have no time for me. Artnavy was one of them. It was strange the way we got to know each other.
“You sound so much like Upali’s mom.” She wrote, “are you her?”
Now I know only one Upali in Jamshedpur who happened to be my daughter’s class mate and her mother lived in my very own block. It was a strange co-incidence that this was the same Upali mentioned by Artnavy. When I planned my trip to Chennai I had written to Artnavy suggesting that we meet if possible. Deep down in my heart I was a little apprehensive. What if her expectations from were high and I did not measure up to them? As it is I am a shortie and cannot measure up to most people. But I am very bad at acting. So I decided to be myself. She was kind enough to visit me at my sister’s place. I had worried in vain. She was so much like my own daughter in the way she interacted that I should not have worried at all. Whether it was her exposure to city life or her stint in different corners of India (North/south included) she was a nice person to get to know – age and height no bar. My stay at Chennai was short and I could not return her call. But then there is always a next time and this time I am going to meet Anush and Navy as well!!
Meeting Usha was a little easier. She was closer to me in age and I have been surprised the the way we two seem to perceive things.There is so much in common that she could well be the Preeta I tend to become in autobiographical accounts. This is perhaps an appropriate time to let you know why I assume the name in my stories.
When I first went to a boarding school in Coonoor, I was kind of feeling lonely and longed to run home.
“Preeta” a voice called out “I thought you weren’t coming back this year…. “The girl stopped when I turned around. I later became good friends with her. She was Uma Panch a class mate.She went on to tell me how strongly I resemble Preeta who was in their class the previous year. The girl had left our school following her father’s transfer. Since then many others mistook me for Preeta and my desire to meet her remains unfulfilled till date. I hope by some co-incidence I really get to meet Preeta. I seem to resemble none in my family and the one person who by all accounts resembled me had to leave just before I joined.Cameras were a luxury those days. So I did not get to see her photograph.
Usha, Artnavy and all other Taureans out there “A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF YOU”.
It is my desire to meet Srijith, ITW, Arda and the Visitor whenever possible. I do hope it will materialize one day. With the Film festival on I am going to be a little busy.I do have something serious in mind. I need to frame the post with some responsibility. I am going to take the time it deserves to be given.I am running out of time. I plan to post my 100th post when my blog celebrates its first birthday I hope I do it.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
What am I?
| Your Personality is Very Rare (INTP) |
 Your personality type is goofy, imaginative, relaxed, and brilliant. Only about 4% of all people have your personality, including 2% of all women and 6% of all men You are Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Perceiving. |
Any one interested can try it out.I flicked it from Deepti's
Sunday, April 15, 2007
what sign is my true love?
Your True Love Is a Cancer |
 Why you'll love a Cancer: Cancer's loyal and sincere heart makes your own sensitive heart melt. Caring and devoted, a Cancer will take the lead in pursuing you - and not give up! Why a Cancer will love you: You're laid back enough to deal with Cancer's little mood swings and freak-outs. A fellow homebody, you know how make Cancer comfortable and at home with you. |
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Feminism in future.
My apologies to Art navy. She wanted me to give my opinion on feminism. I’ve already given my serious opinion regarding this. Now I feel like doing a satire. It was not meant to be so but I ended up writing it all the same. Please bear with me.
Feminism according to me means mutual respect between men and women. But with mankind planning to do away with the female species I tried to imagine what the scenario would be some 50 years from now. I’ve let my imagination run wild but I assure you that I want to start a thought process in our society. I know that readers of this blog are educated, thinking, responsible adults. They may definitely not support the suppression or subjugation of women. I only want them to ponder over what else they may do to bring about a proper balance of masculine and feminine energies. I acknowledge that the idea for this piece came from a skit presented by a local college in a seminar hosted by our college and conducted by an NGO group. I have just expanded upon the idea conveyed by them.
Some fifty years from now the scene in a small township like ours may be something like this-
The male/female ratio has fallen and there are only 520 girls for 1000 boys as per the latest census.
Agencies have cropped up to help eligible bachelors to choose a good girl - I am sorry I meant, to choose a girl. The government has claimed that all girls were good and any one seeking to discriminate them on the basis of color, looks or any other objectionable parameters would be jailed, fined or both.
Pre – natal Sex testing is legalized and women carrying a female child to be treated as national treasures and living fossils. This is because constant and continuous destruction of female fetuses has resulted in the application an evolutionary trend ‘survival of the fittest’ at the fetal level. Therefore, it was found, after elaborate scientific research that the female children born after so much socio - medical onslaught, were far superior to their male counterparts that each one was an Indira Gandhi or Rani Lakshmibai in the making.
Quoting the example of Draupadi in Mahabharat, the Center had requested parents to get their daughters married to five men. However, women groups turned down the suggestion and requested the government to stop acting silly. They, in turn, quoted from the Ramayan that advocated monogamy and claimed that attending to one husband was bad enough and dealing with five was out of question.
The dowry demands of parents of girls were increasing by the day and it was hard to get an eligible spinster for a decent dowry. Parents of boys drawing a six digit salary offered to pledge half their son’s salary to the girl’s father and undertook to share their medical expenses as well.
Mothers of boys offered to baby sit and help out in the kitchen. They advised their sons to be patient with their wives. “She may ask for a divorce and a divorced husband will be looked down by society. And no other girl will be willing to marry you. It is in your interest to put with the nonsense that is meted out to you. After all she is a woman and has the upper hand”.
The birth of a girl child is celebrated with pomp and show while that of a boy is a hushed affair. Boys are trained to help in household chores and mothers claim that it will come handy when he gets married. Years of subjugation have made men docile and men’s groups have secret meetings in underground cellars to explore means to overcome the problem and infuse some courage into their system.
Well let me not go further. I feel tempted to continue. But there is a limit to which satire can be carried. I don’t think that the suppression of feminine or masculine energy would be good for any society. Both have a role to play and feminism in its truest form will enable the two to compliment each other. I can only hope that this is realized soon before more damage is done.
Feminism according to me means mutual respect between men and women. But with mankind planning to do away with the female species I tried to imagine what the scenario would be some 50 years from now. I’ve let my imagination run wild but I assure you that I want to start a thought process in our society. I know that readers of this blog are educated, thinking, responsible adults. They may definitely not support the suppression or subjugation of women. I only want them to ponder over what else they may do to bring about a proper balance of masculine and feminine energies. I acknowledge that the idea for this piece came from a skit presented by a local college in a seminar hosted by our college and conducted by an NGO group. I have just expanded upon the idea conveyed by them.
Some fifty years from now the scene in a small township like ours may be something like this-
The male/female ratio has fallen and there are only 520 girls for 1000 boys as per the latest census.
Agencies have cropped up to help eligible bachelors to choose a good girl - I am sorry I meant, to choose a girl. The government has claimed that all girls were good and any one seeking to discriminate them on the basis of color, looks or any other objectionable parameters would be jailed, fined or both.
Pre – natal Sex testing is legalized and women carrying a female child to be treated as national treasures and living fossils. This is because constant and continuous destruction of female fetuses has resulted in the application an evolutionary trend ‘survival of the fittest’ at the fetal level. Therefore, it was found, after elaborate scientific research that the female children born after so much socio - medical onslaught, were far superior to their male counterparts that each one was an Indira Gandhi or Rani Lakshmibai in the making.
Quoting the example of Draupadi in Mahabharat, the Center had requested parents to get their daughters married to five men. However, women groups turned down the suggestion and requested the government to stop acting silly. They, in turn, quoted from the Ramayan that advocated monogamy and claimed that attending to one husband was bad enough and dealing with five was out of question.
The dowry demands of parents of girls were increasing by the day and it was hard to get an eligible spinster for a decent dowry. Parents of boys drawing a six digit salary offered to pledge half their son’s salary to the girl’s father and undertook to share their medical expenses as well.
Mothers of boys offered to baby sit and help out in the kitchen. They advised their sons to be patient with their wives. “She may ask for a divorce and a divorced husband will be looked down by society. And no other girl will be willing to marry you. It is in your interest to put with the nonsense that is meted out to you. After all she is a woman and has the upper hand”.
The birth of a girl child is celebrated with pomp and show while that of a boy is a hushed affair. Boys are trained to help in household chores and mothers claim that it will come handy when he gets married. Years of subjugation have made men docile and men’s groups have secret meetings in underground cellars to explore means to overcome the problem and infuse some courage into their system.
Well let me not go further. I feel tempted to continue. But there is a limit to which satire can be carried. I don’t think that the suppression of feminine or masculine energy would be good for any society. Both have a role to play and feminism in its truest form will enable the two to compliment each other. I can only hope that this is realized soon before more damage is done.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Any suggestions?
I am terribly upset. Where else can I pour my heart out but in my very own blog space? We recently went on a strike that has now been called off. As of now, I feel that the strike has served no real purpose. One of our main demands was that the services of 94 employees who have put in 24 years of service be regularized. Nine of them are in our college too and one is in my own department. He was around 20 years of age when he joined. I have come to look upon him as my younger brother and cannot distance myself from his problems. The group was drawing regular salary and other benefits till ’94 but from then they have been receiving ad hoc salary saying that they have been appointed without proper sanctioning of post. They are being made to do their regular duty for just Rs.2000/- and it suits the university to exploit them. Why didn’t they just throw them out? This strike has not resolved their problem and our leaders are busy counting and calculating the financial benefits they expect to derive due to the revised pay scale.I wish to hang my head in shame.
Just before the strike my colleagues wanted me to take charge as the secretary of the Non teaching association of my college. While I thanked them for the trust that they placed in my ability to lead them, I refused. I had my reservations and felt that I did not fulfill the criteria that are required for a person to lead from the front in the present times. My colleagues felt let down. I decided to do a little introspection and came to the conclusion that I did not fit the bill. I now wonder whether I should have accepted the post after all. There is a quotation attributed to Shiv Khera “If you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem”. Do I have to plead guilty for not rising to the occasion? Since I could not find a solution am I also adding to the problem by remaining a silent spectator? Fourteen years is a long period to wait for a solution. But am I in a position to do something? These are questions that bother me. Unfortunately I have no answers. The agreement papers have come in and the case of the 94 employees has not even found a place in the demand. In protest a number of us refused to attend a meeting called by our Zonal committee. We were not interested in listening to the office bearers blowing their trumpets while so many among us are still in the same position as they were before the strike. I suggested that we refuse to join unless our so called leaders arranged for a dialogue with the Vice Chancellor on the issue. Technical problems were quoted and the idea was dropped. I don’t even know if I have the right to complain when I can do nothing to alleviate their misery. Iwonder what I can and cannot do. Here is a list .Forgive me if I sound crazy. I am terribly upset.
1.I can put forth my arguments in a convincing manner but I cannot change my conviction in accordance with the people I deal with. Talking in two different languages with the employees and administrators is impossible for me.
2.I can go on a hunger strike if need be but I cannot deal with corruption at all levels.
3.I can give a patient hearing to all around me but I cannot hold back my candid opinion in the matter.
4.I can understand the employee’s plight but I cannot ignore the employer’s compulsion under a given circumstance.
5.I can initiate a dialogue but I cannot thump the table and scream at the top of my voice.
6.I can stand up for a wronged colleague but I cannot take his side just because he/she happens to be a colleague. I need to feel convinced that the person is right.
Do any of you have any suggestions?
Just before the strike my colleagues wanted me to take charge as the secretary of the Non teaching association of my college. While I thanked them for the trust that they placed in my ability to lead them, I refused. I had my reservations and felt that I did not fulfill the criteria that are required for a person to lead from the front in the present times. My colleagues felt let down. I decided to do a little introspection and came to the conclusion that I did not fit the bill. I now wonder whether I should have accepted the post after all. There is a quotation attributed to Shiv Khera “If you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem”. Do I have to plead guilty for not rising to the occasion? Since I could not find a solution am I also adding to the problem by remaining a silent spectator? Fourteen years is a long period to wait for a solution. But am I in a position to do something? These are questions that bother me. Unfortunately I have no answers. The agreement papers have come in and the case of the 94 employees has not even found a place in the demand. In protest a number of us refused to attend a meeting called by our Zonal committee. We were not interested in listening to the office bearers blowing their trumpets while so many among us are still in the same position as they were before the strike. I suggested that we refuse to join unless our so called leaders arranged for a dialogue with the Vice Chancellor on the issue. Technical problems were quoted and the idea was dropped. I don’t even know if I have the right to complain when I can do nothing to alleviate their misery. Iwonder what I can and cannot do. Here is a list .Forgive me if I sound crazy. I am terribly upset.
1.I can put forth my arguments in a convincing manner but I cannot change my conviction in accordance with the people I deal with. Talking in two different languages with the employees and administrators is impossible for me.
2.I can go on a hunger strike if need be but I cannot deal with corruption at all levels.
3.I can give a patient hearing to all around me but I cannot hold back my candid opinion in the matter.
4.I can understand the employee’s plight but I cannot ignore the employer’s compulsion under a given circumstance.
5.I can initiate a dialogue but I cannot thump the table and scream at the top of my voice.
6.I can stand up for a wronged colleague but I cannot take his side just because he/she happens to be a colleague. I need to feel convinced that the person is right.
Do any of you have any suggestions?
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