TIME FOR A CHANGE???

This weekend, as I scrolled down the latest news updates, I was petrified to read what the Nirbhaya rape convict had to offer in his interview.
The first line said that women who go out at night have only themselves to blame in case they attract attention of male molesters. This statement , well it is indeed one of the daily ramblings of people and politicians who hold women in a derogatory light.
I absorbed it and moved forward.
He said that while being raped, she shouldn't have fought back. She should have just remained silent.
Oh really? Let's ask the accused what he would have done if someone shoved things up him or abused him to an extent that exceeds even slaughtering of animals.
Infuriated, I went ahead. According to him, a decent girl won't roam around at  night. 
So in a democratic country, which offers certain rights bundled up in the Constitution, where Article 15(1) rules out gender discrimination, only boys are allowed to do what they feel like. Isn't it?
And girls are entitled to wash men's feet and cook three meals for them. Wow, I am so proud to be born a girl in a nation like ours!
The next was a point to consider now, as I digested it all. After this incident,criminals would not leave rape victims like that,rather they would kill them. Yes, right, criminals wouldn't really mind committing another offence. But as long as our laws are not adequate enough, we cannot deny this statement.
For now, imprisonment is not a big deal. Prisons are second homes for such heartless people. They won't mind spending a night or two. One step further  , one little law that makes rapists live a painful life  , maybe harder than what death would offer them,  let's see if they would like to even think about an act called 'rape'.
Pleading for justice or holding protests cannot change anyone's mindset,we would only keep hoping till eternity.
Maybe it's time to go back to that 'eye for an eye,tooth for a tooth' era, maybe we are more suited to that! More than democracy, we need this, for democracy is not helping us either!

THIS MOTHERS' DAY...

Her smile is a world of tranquility and serenity.
She is an epitome of love and all the goodness you can find in this world
Yes, she is a mother. She has been the one who toiled for you when you could not even walk on your own.
You would not even express your desire to eat something,and she would be there with the most delectable dishes infront of you.
She berates you  on your impulsive behaviour, her melodious lullaby is enough to drown you deep into slumber, in her lap you tend to forget all the fears accumulated in your mind.
Her aura is mesmerizing, her soothing touch is alleviating.
Let us not make this mothers' day a symbol of celebration with 'gifts '. Instead, lets take this as a pedestal to thank her from  all our hearts, for her selfless love she has showered,and for the pains she will continue taking,irrespective of our faults and follies.
This mothers' day, I salute my mom for going that extra mile for me. Thank you mom, for your support everytime I landed in wrong waters.
Mom, je t'aime!

#Vote4Children: Time for a change!

It was my first visit to an NGO . A huge verandah, giving space to children running about , their whimsical moods on the upsurge. I was taken in by their innocent smiles and indomitable spirits. But this wasn’t the end. As I stepped up the staircase , I found myself projected into another world. Sombre , it was. A room encompassing  tens of children, some lying down in their ‘jute’ bags, some being taught by another set of volunteers visiting this NGO. A little kid was scribbling all he could on a sheet of paper. Ensconced in this tiny world,  gargantuan for them.

A little girl who sat smiling in the balcony invited me to teach her, from her hindi medium Class 6 NCERT textbook. Oblivious to the fact that she had been given up by her parents at a very tender age, she could not stop praising her dance teacher, who had helped her with her first steps. Adamant, she wanted me to sit by her and help her with her homework. And yes, she gave a glimpse of her dance too. A girl with a spunk in her.

There were instances of kids, who probably evaded trafficking, or had been found in a dismal condition by the police. Consequently, they had been brought into the precincts of this self funded NGO, the owners of which do their level best to provide them with the basic necessities of life. Yet, they struggle to arrange funds to make ‘Diwalis’ and ‘Holis’ special for these kids.

The whole spectacle  continued to be irksome for me, for days to go. I could now imagine the fate of millions of kids in our country.  Futures  so fragile and shattered.

Stats say that 40% of the children who live till the age of 5, stay malnourished.

Half of the kids enrolled in school do not attend! Instead they are pressurized to earn for their families.

 NGOs account the ‘child labour’ figure to be 60 million.

Two thirds of the ratio is subjected to physical abuse.

The heart rending tales as well as the official figures are indeed traumatic. There are certain other surreptitious facts.The true face of our nation is blind to the reality of these children, who are far away from the realm of security, good health and basic education. If ‘Children are the future of the nation’ , then actually what is the future heading for?

We need a firm financial system for them. We need some strong directives that would ensure that their day is spent in a school, the food supplied to them is of ‘good quality’ and ensuring their safety is of course ,an unspoken duty, that needs to be done now.

We need a change, we need a light that can diminish all the hardships the children of our country go through, ,we got to stand up for their rights now. Let us try and make this world a better place for them!

This post is a part of the #Vote4Children Blog-a-thon on Youth Ki Awaaz. Find out more at: http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/vote4children