key to success

Never forget from where you had come and where you want to reach...both will give you a push to achieve your dream.....!!

DARKNESS IS NECESSARY SOMETIMES

Ever found yourselves surrounded with darkness?

Yes, it is indeed a part of everyone's life. Here I am not talking about the physical darkness that occur in nature every night, but about the dark phases of life. A person may found himself surrounded by darkness at some phase of life. But it is mandatory sometimes to face some unpleasant moments so that we can understand the importance of happy times. If there is happiness and good times always we wouldn't value them much as we give due importance to them  after encountering with sadness. After all It is darkness which gives light an identity. so never regret when you face some tough phases in life as they make us strong and diligent leading towards happiness. 𝨾😊

LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL

Ever wondered by looking at the females who keep veils (ghoonghat) on their faces all the time. In veiling practice, facial veiling observed by married women is known as laaj. Literally it means “to keep modesty, shame and honor”. Just imagine how their life is when they have to perform all household chores and even has to strive in fields as well, still there is no respect and they get domestic violence as their reward. I don’t know they use veil to hide their faces or their emotions. Their life is much worse than the women residing in cities. No doubt, females are always considered at lower strata than men even though they owe a higher position than them but, the situation is worse in villages. Even in Bible women are regarded as property of men.

I had closely observed the life of women (especially married ones) in few villages of India. I wonder how they survive in such conditions, may be they had adapted themselves to that environment but it’s far more difficult to manage to work with a long veil on their faces. Their day starts early in the morning when even dawn doesn’t appear. Starting off their day with cleaning the home, serving their flocks which include goat, cows, buffalos etc. and then preparing the meals for whole family (where minimum members are 5-7 and much larger in a joint family). No matter they are unwell or ill they cannot enter their kitchens without having a bath. After serving whole family whether they have their meals or not they have to report in fields. In between they have to take care of their kids. Again after returning home in evening when men says they have tired their so called wives rush to prepare the evening meal. As most of the remote villages have no electricity service they have to manage in flame of lamp. Here too a rule that first males of the family will eat after that females can have their meals. After all these finally they end up the day by satisfying their spouse in bed, and again same cycle repeats. Generally females are expected to associate only with kin or companions approved by their families and to remain sexually chaste. The importance of veiling is not only limited to family but it involve restriction on female activity and access to power and utilization of resources in a patriarchal society.

Some elders say that veiling tradition is made to protect females and daughter-in-law from evil eyes of others which include relatives and elders. What does this reflects? That female is not safe in their own home, they have to keep veils to protect their chaste and dignity. Lady who doesn’t put a veil is taken as showing a sign of immodesty and willfulness. Sometime I wonder why men can’t close their eyes if they see something that seems inappropriate, instead of putting restrictions on her and guiding what to wear.

 In Buddhist Mahayana literature, Lalitvistara sutra written in 3^rd century CE young bride Yashodhara objected to observe veiling. She was criticized and gossiped by people. When she came to know about this, she came before the assembled court and defended herself by giving following statement- “Those whose thoughts have no cover, no shame or decorum or any virtue, those who gossip, may cover themselves with a thousand garments, yet they walk the earth naked. But those who veil their minds, control their senses, and have no thought for any other except their husband, why should they veil their faces?” This statement is worthy enough that we need to put restrictions on thoughts and minds rather selecting particular type of attire for a selected portion of society. In my opinion Women do not raise their voices to get their rights due to following reasons- economic dependency, physical strengths, tenderness towards their kids and feminine nature which believes in forgiving. They have acquired the character of hiding their emotions and live their life for others.

TRY SOMETHING UNKNOWN

Caught up in the fear of trying something unknown! Yes, the word "Unknown" or "foreign" seems scary sometimes. The fear of starting over anything is the biggest block in achieving success in any task. Most of us are in a state of dilemma many times before getting into something new, be it a job, course, relationship, entrepreneurship, etc.

Recently, I read another book entitled “In Other Words” by Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri. In other words, it is her first non-fiction book in which she tells about the experience she had while learning a new language that was foreign and previously unknown to her. I had chosen this book to read as I felt attracted to it by looking at its cover. The cover of a book is the ‘first interpretation’ of the text. This book was originally written in Italian and later translated into English by Ann Goldstein.

            This book depicts something unique. It can be called a love story in the sense that it shows the author’s deep affection for learning a new language, “Italian,” but at the same time, it can be regarded as the process of articulating her thoughts in a new foreign language as an adult. This love first captivated her during a trip to Florence, Italy. Then, she decided to learn, speak, and write in Italian.

            This book shows the process of learning to express oneself in another language. She had also written about the struggle she had to face while learning, how she had to break all contact with her principal language, English. At some point in time, she feels totally foreign, having no connection with any of the three languages she knows (Italian, English, and Bengali). She also articulated how she felt about her relationship with the three languages in the form of a triangle, where English connects both. Sometimes, she feels torn out and depressed, but then she struggles and makes it to write a novel in Italian. When she was asked why she had not translated the book herself in English, in which she was master, she replied, “Had I translated this book, the temptation would have been to improve it, to make it stronger by means of my stronger language. But, I wanted the translation of In alter Parole (the Italian original) to render my Italian honestly, without smoothing out its rough edges, without neutralizing its oddness, without manipulating its character.”

            I mentioned the book as most of us can relate to the similar situations the author has gone through while trying something new, something unknown. Like her, we also feel depressed, weak, and torn out at some point of time in life. But, to succeed in any task, we need to overcome the internal barriers that block our path toward realizing our dreams. To start with something unknown, we must forget to think about its consequences. The book acts as an inspiration that shows anything can be done or learnt at any stage of life.

To get positive results in any task, one must feel connected. There must be an intense relationship between you and the thing in which you are trying to succeed. The principle behind this is that when we make an intense relationship with anything, we try to protect it by every means; we care about it, nurture it, and ultimately, it reciprocates the same. So, have the courage to face something unknown, make a relationship with it, and feel connected to it to overcome your fears.

My dream country

I dream of an India
Where diversity reflects unity
No discrimination in the name of
Gender, religion, cast and community

I dream of an India
Where no one dies from food scarcity
No malnutrition, no molestation
May we bring down the level of poverty

I dream of an India
Corruption free and digital
Free from all social evils
Whose traditional culture enhance its beauty

I dream of an India
Where everyone respect other's dignity
With contribution of every single citizen
Touches heights of success and integrity

हो उन्नति के पथ पर अग्रसर

संभाल ये डगमगाते कदम
बन अविचल, निर्भय, निडर
हो उन्नति के पथ पर अग्रसर।

हो प्रेरित तरंगिणी से
न रोक पाए जिसे अश्म
है जिस प्रकार हिमालय खड़ा
अडिग, अचल, दृढ़।

सैंकड़ों मुकाम हैं बाकी
एक हार  से न कर खुद को खत्म
हो उन्नति के पथ पर अग्रसर।

WESTERNIZATION: DOES IT PROVIDE A LEGAL RIGHT TO ASSAULT WOMEN?

            Every time I read on newspapers or watch in news, I get annoyed to see these increased number of molestation cases happening in India. It had become a daily routine like to have such kind of news with our breakfast. Each time I make my mindset that my country is changing, my trust brakes down on watching such assaulting cases. This year (2017) has also started in the same manner showing that next year has arrived but the conditions of these mis-happenings are the same. Changing of a week/ a month or a year doesn’t impart any marked effect on these kind of incidents.

            Recently two separate incidents on New Year eve in same city, Bangalore makes me restless. I feel that does really westernization is solely responsible for such misbehavior? And above all the ridiculous statements from various persons instructing women about what to wear and what not are very much irritating. Official data shows the number of crimes against in thousands, these are the cases that are recorded in FIR's, but what about those who are suppressed with help of money or power. These incidents are not very new to the country. Women have been assaulted since ages. Over the ages they have to pass through the same set of situations be it modern world or past irrespective of their community or religion. Each day we get at least two to three news about female molestation or even rape across the country.

            As a women, me too think sometime that is it my fault that I am a girl? Why am I stared when I walk in streets? Why suddenly some boys or even men start passing comments and singing songs? There are several such questions for which every girl wants an answer. I have seen many persons who respect women but whats wrong with the people who are indulged in crimes against females. In a society like India not every girl wears western outfits but apart from this they are being assaulted. The reason is not the cloths but the thinking of some people.

                It is high time for women to rise up again such crimes against her. No law can protect her than herself. she need to be bold and capable of protecting herself. As there no Lord Krishna in today's time to save every Draupadi. Today's women must be able to protect herself from beasts. I strongly recommend parents to make their daughters bold since birth. They must be taught that they are not weak and less than males in any domain. Self defense techniques must be taught since their childhood. Only then this problem will be solved. Here I want to write few lines:

No one has given you the right,

to touch me without my consent,

to stare me when I walk,....

No one has given you the right,

to decide what I wear,

allow me to live in a world, 

where I can live without fear....