What is 26 January?
Being nurtured in top institutions like DPS, St.Stephen’s, Hindu College, University of Delhi which have strong nationalist tendencies to celebrate the idea of ‘My nation being a great republic!”, I have been asked to inscribe in mind that 26january is a day when India became republic, our constitution came into being this day in 1950, and that We are a Republic because the head of State in the country is an elected one. Every year the pomp and show that accompanies this day in the parade and celebration is unsurpassed. There is colossal budget and elaborate arrangements and practices, hard work involved since 59 years of the establishment.
However, there are certain issues that beg the merit of answers. The election to the highest office is a game-play of Political realities of the day. The Presidential office is high on ceremony and symbolism.
The constitution has been often thwarted by its very safe-guarders, misuse of Article 356, controversial role of Governor, to name a few. The very nature of constitution has been debated as asymmetrical, that the States have been over-ridden by the Centre power, so it is dubbed as ‘Quasi-federal’ by K.C.Wheare. The political realities of multi-party coalition era, globalization, coalition politics, and rise of regional players, vigilant media and civil society have put onus on the need to rework the different dimensions of our constitution.
The rise of judicial activism have raised alarm over the balance of separation of power between different organs of Government, indifference to rule of law, maladministration, gigantic corruption plagues the system. Thus in this context, for the common Indian Citizen, 26 January turns out to be mere ‘holiday’. The ethos behind the celebration are given back seat. The very guardians of Indian state, as the preamble asserts in ringing declaration’ We the people’, ironically do not cherish its virtues.
There is elaborate coverage of the parade in the news, yet we fail to ask ourselves: celebration of the republic for whom? What cannot be neglected that these concerns are raised every year, yet we turn blind eye to it. We need to be proud of mighty Indian state that varies from display of Brahmaos, Sukhoi, MiGs, tableaux of different states, diplomatic establishments as depicted in the parade. Yet this feeling should not be restricted to this splendorous exhibition. The state needs to account for the trust imposed on it. Perhaps that is why despite naxalism, communalism, regionalism, linguistic politics, the state is standing tall as Hobbesian leviathan.
It is time now for this state to revert this respect and integrity of its citizens by adequate supply of public services, containing inflation, checking corruption, ensuring transparency, accountability.
I hope it is not much to ask for democratic state like ours to set as resolution for this New Year to celebrate the 60th republic day with much fervor than ever before.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
is she at fault?
A monster that she got to know accidentally. Respect, Honesty, integrity, love, decency were virtues told to be cherished by him to her. Befriending her was a means to him, to break boredom in his monotonous shady life. And the story begins henceforth.
Under the façadicious duties & obligations to honor, he took her in that “make believe”, but the reality had different in store. Chasing other women at back, lying, mild insults, and tinch of rude attitude in the dose of love all followed. Ironically, she was well educated, bold, and mature yet flowed along with the tide of stupid emotions. She was warned by near ones yet she blindly followed her faith.
Time had its own script, he called off the terms, and like a coward used insults, ignore, to quit instead of direct negotiations. Nonetheless, she never believed in wasting time and spoiling terms because things soured up in the past. Yet made efforts to stay in talking terms. Though there was no expectation of any gain (‘materialistic”, as he accused her once) in this by her, but the crude male nature never changes. He never bothered to keep her posted about his whereabouts, unless she bothered him for so. Horrendously after coming back from a vacation, he had the audacity to speak out the venom he always had in mind. Nasty, Brute, shallow nature was revealed when he replied as to how he was doing, by saying that he has been warming up his bed by paid avenues via females.
There is no scope for blame game. Splits do not define negativity. But am glad to share with you all that she has learnt lessons of life the harsh way. What others used to say about him to her, was so true. Yet this tragedy does not desist her from being good or look towards future with optimism. It will be futile to raise hue and cry for somebody who never valued her. Yet a deep seated desire persists in her. He should go through the same trauma of insults, rudeness, for-granted ness, lies, infidelity by near ones. Is she at fault in wishing so?
Under the façadicious duties & obligations to honor, he took her in that “make believe”, but the reality had different in store. Chasing other women at back, lying, mild insults, and tinch of rude attitude in the dose of love all followed. Ironically, she was well educated, bold, and mature yet flowed along with the tide of stupid emotions. She was warned by near ones yet she blindly followed her faith.
Time had its own script, he called off the terms, and like a coward used insults, ignore, to quit instead of direct negotiations. Nonetheless, she never believed in wasting time and spoiling terms because things soured up in the past. Yet made efforts to stay in talking terms. Though there was no expectation of any gain (‘materialistic”, as he accused her once) in this by her, but the crude male nature never changes. He never bothered to keep her posted about his whereabouts, unless she bothered him for so. Horrendously after coming back from a vacation, he had the audacity to speak out the venom he always had in mind. Nasty, Brute, shallow nature was revealed when he replied as to how he was doing, by saying that he has been warming up his bed by paid avenues via females.
There is no scope for blame game. Splits do not define negativity. But am glad to share with you all that she has learnt lessons of life the harsh way. What others used to say about him to her, was so true. Yet this tragedy does not desist her from being good or look towards future with optimism. It will be futile to raise hue and cry for somebody who never valued her. Yet a deep seated desire persists in her. He should go through the same trauma of insults, rudeness, for-granted ness, lies, infidelity by near ones. Is she at fault in wishing so?
Monday, November 12, 2007
do we need to tag relations?
Tepidness on face, warmth in eyes, amicable attitude, courteous gestures, soft touch. There are no barriers of caste, creed, race, religion, class. Those attempts to freak out for dinners and prolong it hop, jig, and spin, swings, whirls at dancing session. Those mornings when you wake up by calls to wish you good fortune to dare not to throw down the gauntlet in battle of life. That remembrance during noon time to show the special place you occupy. The sudden gifts outpoured on you to mark preference for you. Those hugs eschewed, kisses abstained, and few words fought shy of, promises forsweared. Attempts to understand. And enjoy life as moments flow.
It is bothersome when others come up and ask you ‘who is he/she to you?”. The amusement, delight, gratification from unsaid emotion, untold love all spills up. I beg to ask them, “Who the hell are you to poke your nose and ask us to tag our terms? We do not want to have exemplary people around us, just to earmark them to avoid taboos. It is not an anathema to move ahead with life. There is no deception as change is the law of life and time.
It is bothersome when others come up and ask you ‘who is he/she to you?”. The amusement, delight, gratification from unsaid emotion, untold love all spills up. I beg to ask them, “Who the hell are you to poke your nose and ask us to tag our terms? We do not want to have exemplary people around us, just to earmark them to avoid taboos. It is not an anathema to move ahead with life. There is no deception as change is the law of life and time.
Friday, October 19, 2007
it is costly to be a woman
IT IS COSTLY TO BE A WOMAN : A THOUGHT
It is not a new thing to hear loud cries of gender inequality, female discrimination. I would not like to dwelve on any particular case or quote glaring worrisome numbers here as I am in no didactic mood.
Myriad ideas strike my mind as I pen down this note. While conversation during a panel discussion on female foeticide, an innovative idea comes across ‘It is costly to be a woman!”
This statement is affirmed with huge reverence as its strikes the root of all women issues around. A woman has to perform different roles at different stages. The expectations are colossal. Right from the shoes of timid daughter, to obedient adolescent girl, to faithful wife, to meticulous professional, to caring grand mother, a woman has to strive it all.
She is dubbed as wicked, base, immoral, sinful, vile (add many more, if you wish, as atrocities against her does not cease) once she tries to do away with the status- quo which breeds an inferior place for her.
While glancing at frightening facts, across reams in the media, which volumes about gender inequality like female foeticide, persistence of dowry, inadequate representation to women in jobs and government, violence in multifarious form ranging from domestic to psychological. There is no scope for blame game here. The constructivist turn, that the ‘world is a creation of our ideas’, thus we have been perceiving the world the way dominant idea portrays it : women as feeble, weak, incapable, thus marks inequality. Aristotle held inequality would lead to a revolution, so let us begin. The society treated us unequally, we will ask for a change, not in a destitute manner of letting society convey equal status on us, but in a new thought ‘it is costly to be a woman!’
Our tender needs cannot be looked after by men folk. Holism strikes here, our world as entity has priority over its elements. It is a deontological ethic which asks us to be good, do duty to what is right, irrespective of end. What we need to do away is what Sartre held, ‘Mauvaise Foi’, a self deception in which one attempt to evade one’s freedom by denying one’s being-for-itself in favor of the being-in-itself of an object. It can be simply put as ‘sui generis’, literally of its own kind , unique.
We need to get out of solipsism, ironically whose most glaring example is, not speaking out the atrocities committed on you because you are woman. Let us begin by highlighting the way society has ill-treated us, in spite of our great contributions in sustaining the society. We have made way for stability in society, polity, economy by being good daughter mother, wife, sister, professional. This altruism will continue, just because the cost of woman cannot be borne does not mean nihilism form our side. The inherent values of care, regard, warmth, tenderness, affection are too exorbitant to ask from a gendered society.
Amna Mirza
It is not a new thing to hear loud cries of gender inequality, female discrimination. I would not like to dwelve on any particular case or quote glaring worrisome numbers here as I am in no didactic mood.
Myriad ideas strike my mind as I pen down this note. While conversation during a panel discussion on female foeticide, an innovative idea comes across ‘It is costly to be a woman!”
This statement is affirmed with huge reverence as its strikes the root of all women issues around. A woman has to perform different roles at different stages. The expectations are colossal. Right from the shoes of timid daughter, to obedient adolescent girl, to faithful wife, to meticulous professional, to caring grand mother, a woman has to strive it all.
She is dubbed as wicked, base, immoral, sinful, vile (add many more, if you wish, as atrocities against her does not cease) once she tries to do away with the status- quo which breeds an inferior place for her.
While glancing at frightening facts, across reams in the media, which volumes about gender inequality like female foeticide, persistence of dowry, inadequate representation to women in jobs and government, violence in multifarious form ranging from domestic to psychological. There is no scope for blame game here. The constructivist turn, that the ‘world is a creation of our ideas’, thus we have been perceiving the world the way dominant idea portrays it : women as feeble, weak, incapable, thus marks inequality. Aristotle held inequality would lead to a revolution, so let us begin. The society treated us unequally, we will ask for a change, not in a destitute manner of letting society convey equal status on us, but in a new thought ‘it is costly to be a woman!’
Our tender needs cannot be looked after by men folk. Holism strikes here, our world as entity has priority over its elements. It is a deontological ethic which asks us to be good, do duty to what is right, irrespective of end. What we need to do away is what Sartre held, ‘Mauvaise Foi’, a self deception in which one attempt to evade one’s freedom by denying one’s being-for-itself in favor of the being-in-itself of an object. It can be simply put as ‘sui generis’, literally of its own kind , unique.
We need to get out of solipsism, ironically whose most glaring example is, not speaking out the atrocities committed on you because you are woman. Let us begin by highlighting the way society has ill-treated us, in spite of our great contributions in sustaining the society. We have made way for stability in society, polity, economy by being good daughter mother, wife, sister, professional. This altruism will continue, just because the cost of woman cannot be borne does not mean nihilism form our side. The inherent values of care, regard, warmth, tenderness, affection are too exorbitant to ask from a gendered society.
Amna Mirza
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
heights of stupidity
it irks my sensibility as i pen down, what all nonsense goes around me.
my fellow colleague is not talking to me as he is at difference with me as i do not support the nuclear deal. not that i am anti-US, but that i do not find the deal as feasible in terms of cost-revenue analysis.
wherever i go to dine, the first question that comes from guy across the table, 'u r amuslim, u do not take non-veg?"as if eating non-veg is a brandmark of my religious belief.
the moment you become friendly to a guy, there is a dirty grapevine around, as if 'kuch chakkar hai!'
if i turn down a guy, not that he is a dullard,insane,with ghost in mind,but the ultimate blame game is upon me as the one who is on look out for opportunities.
my brother is always at variance with me and tries to put his 'super cool'( i mean amazingly foolish, may i say!) views on me by calling me 'cow".
if i do not take liquor because there are many bright things in life, like technology, cars, entertainment, music to be appreciated by pure senses, what harm it makes!
while returning home late night as part of routine, the other menfolk have to poke in!why may i ask? is it a crime to be back late alone? or may they do not better work to do!
i like change,colors,innovation, constant learning in work and study, but m sorry for myself that i have fools around me who have no mind to mind their own business!
i appreciate diversity in life, differences exist, we need to respect them, so the other side should not impose their horrendous views upon me.
my fellow colleague is not talking to me as he is at difference with me as i do not support the nuclear deal. not that i am anti-US, but that i do not find the deal as feasible in terms of cost-revenue analysis.
wherever i go to dine, the first question that comes from guy across the table, 'u r amuslim, u do not take non-veg?"as if eating non-veg is a brandmark of my religious belief.
the moment you become friendly to a guy, there is a dirty grapevine around, as if 'kuch chakkar hai!'
if i turn down a guy, not that he is a dullard,insane,with ghost in mind,but the ultimate blame game is upon me as the one who is on look out for opportunities.
my brother is always at variance with me and tries to put his 'super cool'( i mean amazingly foolish, may i say!) views on me by calling me 'cow".
if i do not take liquor because there are many bright things in life, like technology, cars, entertainment, music to be appreciated by pure senses, what harm it makes!
while returning home late night as part of routine, the other menfolk have to poke in!why may i ask? is it a crime to be back late alone? or may they do not better work to do!
i like change,colors,innovation, constant learning in work and study, but m sorry for myself that i have fools around me who have no mind to mind their own business!
i appreciate diversity in life, differences exist, we need to respect them, so the other side should not impose their horrendous views upon me.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
end of relations
Francis Fukuyama will not forgive me here, as I seek to re-interpret what he said in context of end of Cold war. Let me put it simply that cold war has ended with the fall of communism, so the "end of ideas" has come as capitalism prevails. Daniel Bell further redubbed Hegel that we have attained end of History, there will not be any progressive succession what Hegel thought of as capitalist society is the final end. In this context I hate those human beings, who try to view relationship with reference to the end. I will befriend this person as it will help me in promotion. I will call off the relation, not that it has a liking element in it, but it has no future. I will not let my daughter pursue what she wants, not that she likes it, but because it has no scope. Etc. we all keep on making such miser decisions. We do not wish to enjoy life in its multifarious forms. Just want to terminate the progression of history by gross cunning of reason. We are scared to come out of blinkered vision so we want to terminate things by raking end of ideology, end of history, end of relations, end of choices etc... I never cease to disagree with Fukuyama or Daniel bell, because Hegelian idea is challenging. You need to experience to do full justice to life. Not just call it an end because it has no end! So let those who believe in such ‘teleology’ have utmost disgusted existence!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
INDEPENDENCE OF CONTRADICTIONS
Here comes the echo of celebration of sixty years of India’s Independence. The by-lanes of history have another story to tell. 15august 1945 was the day when the Second World War came to an end, after bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by United States. The aftermath of the nuclear holocaust continue to haunt the psyche of humanity till today. The nuclear race unleashed after this event has been unprecedented in its own. The question of stockpiles and dangers of annihilation of mankind are well known horrors of nuclear weapons.
Today the hot debates flow on the nuclear deal between India and United States. Have we ever thought that what benefit will this deal give us? The amount of capital investment needed for building up the nuclear plants would be prodigal, whereas in rural areas, the farmers continue to cease lives.
We talk about double-digit growth rate, but its foundations are shaky as we continue to neglect need for agricultural development and land reforms. We rake the debates on ‘Gandhigiri as philosophy of our times’, yet the youth has become ruthlessly callous as we have seen in the road-rages, hit and run cases, rising cases of violence on women in society. We harp on socialism in preamble but all Multi-national corporations have swayed the market where we trapped to hunt for their profit. Our preamble begins with a ringing declaration of ‘We, the people of India’, yet I beg to ask, who are these ‘people’ included in India. The gains of growth continue to bypass rural areas. The villages continue to be what Dr.Bhim.Rao Ambedkar held, ‘den of ignorance, sink of localism’. Does the parameter of Indian nation stretch up to the elites and the middle class only?
We ascribe high values to doctors, engineers, management, but look down upon social sciences as ‘non-lucrative, mundane, arcane, and archaic’. We ignore the need to understand the nuances of social enquiry in its multi-various forms vis-à-vis economics, sociology, Philosophy. Politics, literature etc. Perhaps, this explains the sheer lack of empathy present today.
Every year the tenant at 7, Race course makes colossal promises and claims about the benevolent role of mighty Indian State. Unfortunately it falls short of containing the rising naxal violence, the social fabric is rent asunder as North-eastern areas and Kashmir continue to be in turnmoil. Corruption and mal-administration continue to plague our ethos.
We have developed two judicial systems- one for the rich while other for the poor. The latter continue to bear the brunt of ‘justice delayed, is justice denied’. the Jessica Lal murder case saw the civil society asserting its autonomy to seek justice, but the event begs the merit, that it was a short lived ‘urban phenomena’.
Our ancient scriptures and mythology talk about reverence to women, yet the women reservation bill, which came up for discussion in 1996, has not seen the light of the day.
Although the public school education and higher education is getting better with time yet it caters to the people from higher sections of society.
Every year the tenant at 7, Race course makes colossal promises and claims about the benevolent role of mighty Indian State. Unfortunately it falls short of containing the rising naxal violence, the social fabric is rent asunder as North-eastern areas and Kashmir continue to be in turnmoil. Corruption and mal-administration continue to plague our ethos.
, which complete sidelining on insistence on use of ‘moral force, to change the heart of evil-doer. The Gandhian talisman of our policies benefiting the ‘last man’, remain on mere paper.
This India is far away from Tagore’s vision of nation, ‘where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.’ There is no scientific temper and rationality, of what Pt.Nehru dreamt of. Democracy extends beyond political frontiers, it is a social process. Indifferentism as displayed caste based aggression in Yavatmal, Nagpur, Jhajjar make mockery of co-existence in us.
Where are we heading towards? Will we balkanize? Did we have a glorious non-violent freedom struggle for this nation, where the chasms continue to haunt us? How long can we continue to turn blind eye to our problems?
Let us be optimistic. Our freedom is hard-earned. Let us care for it. “Chak-de! India”. Let’s gear up again to participate in building a nation on fraternity, equity, integrity, so that we all can once again can proudly asset ‘Mera Bharat Mahan!”. It’s only our action that can make a difference as good things in life come in small packages.
Today the hot debates flow on the nuclear deal between India and United States. Have we ever thought that what benefit will this deal give us? The amount of capital investment needed for building up the nuclear plants would be prodigal, whereas in rural areas, the farmers continue to cease lives.
We talk about double-digit growth rate, but its foundations are shaky as we continue to neglect need for agricultural development and land reforms. We rake the debates on ‘Gandhigiri as philosophy of our times’, yet the youth has become ruthlessly callous as we have seen in the road-rages, hit and run cases, rising cases of violence on women in society. We harp on socialism in preamble but all Multi-national corporations have swayed the market where we trapped to hunt for their profit. Our preamble begins with a ringing declaration of ‘We, the people of India’, yet I beg to ask, who are these ‘people’ included in India. The gains of growth continue to bypass rural areas. The villages continue to be what Dr.Bhim.Rao Ambedkar held, ‘den of ignorance, sink of localism’. Does the parameter of Indian nation stretch up to the elites and the middle class only?
We ascribe high values to doctors, engineers, management, but look down upon social sciences as ‘non-lucrative, mundane, arcane, and archaic’. We ignore the need to understand the nuances of social enquiry in its multi-various forms vis-à-vis economics, sociology, Philosophy. Politics, literature etc. Perhaps, this explains the sheer lack of empathy present today.
Every year the tenant at 7, Race course makes colossal promises and claims about the benevolent role of mighty Indian State. Unfortunately it falls short of containing the rising naxal violence, the social fabric is rent asunder as North-eastern areas and Kashmir continue to be in turnmoil. Corruption and mal-administration continue to plague our ethos.
We have developed two judicial systems- one for the rich while other for the poor. The latter continue to bear the brunt of ‘justice delayed, is justice denied’. the Jessica Lal murder case saw the civil society asserting its autonomy to seek justice, but the event begs the merit, that it was a short lived ‘urban phenomena’.
Our ancient scriptures and mythology talk about reverence to women, yet the women reservation bill, which came up for discussion in 1996, has not seen the light of the day.
Although the public school education and higher education is getting better with time yet it caters to the people from higher sections of society.
Every year the tenant at 7, Race course makes colossal promises and claims about the benevolent role of mighty Indian State. Unfortunately it falls short of containing the rising naxal violence, the social fabric is rent asunder as North-eastern areas and Kashmir continue to be in turnmoil. Corruption and mal-administration continue to plague our ethos.
, which complete sidelining on insistence on use of ‘moral force, to change the heart of evil-doer. The Gandhian talisman of our policies benefiting the ‘last man’, remain on mere paper.
This India is far away from Tagore’s vision of nation, ‘where the mind is without fear and the head is held high.’ There is no scientific temper and rationality, of what Pt.Nehru dreamt of. Democracy extends beyond political frontiers, it is a social process. Indifferentism as displayed caste based aggression in Yavatmal, Nagpur, Jhajjar make mockery of co-existence in us.
Where are we heading towards? Will we balkanize? Did we have a glorious non-violent freedom struggle for this nation, where the chasms continue to haunt us? How long can we continue to turn blind eye to our problems?
Let us be optimistic. Our freedom is hard-earned. Let us care for it. “Chak-de! India”. Let’s gear up again to participate in building a nation on fraternity, equity, integrity, so that we all can once again can proudly asset ‘Mera Bharat Mahan!”. It’s only our action that can make a difference as good things in life come in small packages.
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