If only, childhood never left me!

If and when a time machine gets invented, the first thing I would want is to get transported back in time, to my childhood. Nobody can deny the pure bliss that childhood is made of. Those were the days when my world was a very small one but the joy it brought me is unparalleled. Those days when being surrounded by my loved ones was reason enough to never let time pass by. And a hug from my mother was enough to rid me of all my worries. How i wish, I can bring those days and memories into life, again. If only, childhood never left me!                                                                                                                                                     As a kid, I always yearned to grow up and become independent. Most of us have echoed these sentiments. But, as they say you only realise the true value of something when it's gone. Now, when I look back on my life as a kid, adulthood fades in comparison. The perspective through which a child sees the world and acts on impulse without the fear of being judged can never be replaced. Like every kid, whose eyes are filled with dreams and mind with curiosity, I too would get excited at the thought of becoming big and self-assertive. At that time, I didn't realise that i was already living the best days of my life and that those days would never come back. I remember how I used to dream about what future would be like and what would I be like when I'm all grown up. By the way, I still dream about some things just the way I did as a kid, at times. Seriously, i sometimes feel like a curious child inside the body of an adult. At times, I feel my childhood passed by too quickly. The best part about being a child was that you could do anything and get away with it. I have done quite a bit of non - sensical things as a child and I maybe ashamed to admit some of them but, believe me, those are the memories that, to this day, bring the biggest smiles and laughter. Life wouldn't be half as interesting sans those crazy incidents. One of the few episodes that I remember very vividly still brings tears in my eyes. I was about 8 years old when I once went shopping with my father. While looking around in the store, I saw a pair of pink flats which looked very attractive. I went upto to my father and asked him if he could buy me those flats. But my father didn't like them much and turned down my favor. I tried pestering him but to no avail. Later, I decided to go and sit in the car and wait for my father. I was distraught and seemingly sad. After a while, I saw my father coming out of the store and walking towards the car. I saw some 2-3  bags in his hand. The moment he opened the door, I bent forward to peep inside the bags. My pink flats were right there! I was surprisingly happy and asked my father as to why he bought those flats when he didn't like them. My father didn't say much except that he later thought they were good. I don't know whether he liked them or not but his gesture showed that he couldn't see me sad. Those flats didn't mean to me as much as my father's loving and caring gesture did. As a kid, this event left a great impact on my mind. Parents are indeed the best gift in life.                                                                                                                                                    Another incident that does not fail to make me laugh occurred when I was 14. There was a presentation that we had to submit in school. The presentation was to be made in groups.The presentation was ready but I was not well prepared with my topic. And we all had to speak on different sub-topics. All the students had queued up outside the classroom to go to the conference room, where the presentations were going to happen. I started panicking and wanted to avoid giving the presentation for the fear of fumbling. Just when all the students started to move downstairs, I told my group member that I wasn't feeling too well and that I was planning to go home. I immediately told the teacher present in the class about my health who asked me to meet the supervisor and take her permission. I went to meet the supervisor and she asked me to call up at my house to ask someone to pick me up. I knew I would have to wait in school until someone came. I didn't want to wait back as I thought I would be asked to stay with the class until someone from home came. So I just picked up the phone in front of her and dialled some random number which didn't exist. I pretended to speak to my mother informing her about the situation. I hung the phone and told the supervisor that my mother would be coming within 7-10 minutes and took her permission to wait for my mother in the lobby. I quickly ran down and within 2 minutes I was standing outside the main gate. I hailed an auto and left quickly. I pretended to be so sick at home that I was given some medicines and made to rest for the entire day. To this day, l get goosebumps when I reminisce about that episode. I still don't know how I had the guts to make a pretend-call in front of the supervisor.                                                                                                 It does not matter how old one is but it sure is very important to keep the child inside each one of us alive. Sometimes being child-like makes life more fun and exciting. It assures us that happiness, innocence, and warmth can exist in this wicked world. We may have grown up and those days may have gone but the memories offer us a world of their own. And that world shows us how to be a child again.

Religion divides, humanity unites!

All the major religions in the world were born when man couldn't address larger problems and issues at hand. There was a point when man realized that despite seeming to have everything within his reach, there was something amiss. Something that was transcendent and beyond the control of man. All the questions man couldn't answer got attributed to God, which in turn gave rise to the concept of RELIGION. Man, thus realised, that he was no more than a puppet in this diverse creation of nature.
                                                                           
The purpose of religion, today, has changed 360 degrees. Religion is still existent but man has made religion the reason behind every course of his action. Even if that means taking away from the basic duties of humanity. This transition in the belief system occurred over a period of time, modifying the religions to suit the human requirements. And, as a result, the religions' original message and content have been liquidated. Religion had and still has the power to induce and evoke both fear and hatred. But, things only work when the equilibrium shifts more towards fear. Fear implies morality and control by avoiding indulgence in the concepts of superiority and super humans. Hatred, on the other hand leads to inducing fear in the minds of others through power. And power evokes godliness. In this context, power gives rise to evil and destruction.
                                                                                                    
Somehow, I have always felt, we are creating barriers for ourselves through differentiation. We are dehumanising existentialism on the grounds of varied practices, religion being one of them. Ask yourself this question: Aren't our duties and actions too heavily dependent on our religion? To hell with those self-created theories and concepts that only further contribute to the pursuits of the demonic cult. On the one hand, where religion is supposed to mend broken ties and help in treading the path of humanity, its misinterpretation has lead to serious damaging which in no way can be reversed. There is no one single religion which advocates injustice and takes pride in the destruction of the innocent. The fact of the matter is that we, as humans are liable to serve humanity, which is what everybody is sure to know. But, we seem to have completely lost the plot. We take the service of contribution and the act of kindness as our strengths and a way to have an upper hand over those in need. The motive of gaining adulation and respect is on top of the agenda. Everybody knows what the truth is; but, trying to be blinded by the religious misinterpretations seems to serve their vested interests. And any service done with expectations and ulterior interests only reeks of selfishness.
                                                                                                                                                            
I shall reiterate once again that the core of every religion is humanity. Hinduism talks about the aspect of deeds and virtues mainly in the context of heaven and hell. Benevolence and love form the pillars of Christianity. Similarly, Judaism talks about absolute faith, discipline and morality. Coming to Islam, which believes in complete devotion and absolute submission to the almighty, its message has been completely misterpreted. Buddhism is a mirror to all that man can be and sets an example to achieve the highest degree of living through kindness and non-attachment. Likewise, the remaining faiths only go a step ahead to make the concept of humanity clearer, albiet, in different ways, if only we are willing to decode the true message of every religion. All the wars occurring in the world today have a religious backing. We are all divided and pitted against each other on the grounds of religion. How many of us even know the true message that our very own religion conveys, to be able to judge and breed contempt towards any other faith? This only goes on to showcase our poor mentality and narrow-mindedness. One must learn to be human first and accept humanity as his/her only true religion. We are only creating a larger gap or I should rather say, we are getting distanced from God Himself and entrapping ourselves in a place we keep making as non-real and far from being tolerable to God as possible by creating an environment that we are, only in the quest to get closer to him. We all bow down to one God and remember, He does not differentiate.

Art and Life : Independent or Interdependent?

Ahh....This interrogative statement actually got me thinking. And why shouldn't it, with the changing scenario? Up until a few years ago, one could manage to say that it is art that imitates life. But no longer, in the larger scheme of things. Art, today, has indeed become quite impactful. Art holds its own credentials and value, devoid of any dependence. Infact, putting any value on art would be losing its sheen.                                                                          Art has and still is a reflection of our society. No two ways about it. It has only become global, with the homogenisation of world cultures. This fusion has become a culture in itself. A culture containing the pride and glory of its varied representatives. Our acceptance of foreign cultures have opened their doors for us. And we all see its result in the form of tolerance and respect, in diversity. Everything seen in the creative medium as art is a mirror to the society. Be it movies, that showcase social realities in a larger-than-life context and likewise, dance, song, music, literature and something abstract yet real like drawings and paintings, all these forms are inspired from the society and culture. As social animals, we are bound to play to the gallery. Our imagination stretches only within the realm of what is acceptable and what is not. We certainly cease to exist without a reality.                                   Trends, today, are changing and so are people's perspectives. Their perspectives are widening and stretching out in infinite directions; all thanks to the amalgamation of cultures and more importantly, our exposure to them at the various sub-levels. All this has somewhat reversed the pattern of proceedings. Art is being adapted into our existence, maybe partially, at this point in terms of its documentation. And fully, when it comes to actually practicing what we observe without realising the source of our actions.        Progress and growth after a point become predictable. They stimulate our minds to think progressively and strengthen our foresight. This is when art begins to inspire life. To give an example, when a movie like Avatar or a big budget sci-fi film is made, which bears a testimony to the range of human capabilities, we actually start viewing ourselves in a more refined and sophisticated manner. Art has, similarly, put us on a pedestal. Nature, which has been the biggest inspiration of art, has helped life evolve. All we are doing is modifying the nature according to our taste. Life still gets inspired by the art which once, was purely natural and all over the place. We are only getting inspired favorably, every minute of the day. But, most of us never wondered, as to, what inspired us all along. Talk about the different expressions of art and we are all moulded and shaped on the basis of what we observe. More appropriately, we are by-products of art. And thus, I can state that something which is as ancient as 5000 years old can still find its connections to this day. And it still manages to influence us. Although, we may refine them according to our present day requirements.                             On the whole, life and art, both are intertwined. And they influence each other in equal measure. But, there is no denying the fact that despite art being an extension of our imagination, life perhaps, would find no takers if there was no expression of art.

Animal Cruelty : The Unspoken Truth

Since it has been quite long from the time I last wrote a blog post, I was brainstorming about all the various topics that caught my fancy during the hiatus. All along the way, the one topic that kept popping up in my mind was that of animal cruelty which is on a sharp rise in every different form. And here, I'm only referring to non - humans.                         Never really been the one to have given much thought about the cruelty meted out to animals; I have also never felt as strongly about these innoncent beings as much as I do, at the moment. What with us almost depriving the animal kingdom of its right to live. Today, I can attribute the need to give voice to these mute souls to having one myself. There are some aspects I feel more strongly about than the others. Starting with the concept of taking animals to slaughter houses, if one hears of the number of animals being slaughtered each day, he/she would feel nothing short of shame and disgust. And this number does not justify our purpose or requirement to do so. We have reached a stage where we look at everything in terms of profit and loss. And anything that does not benefit us or is no longer productive is straightaway dumped and in this context, it is killed. The recent controversy about 'Beef Ban' in India reinstates the same. Cows that can no longer be milked or rather those who are no longer productive are slaughtered. Who are we to put a value on someone or classify someone as useful or useless? Is humanity only restricted to humans? Or had it been legal, we would have practiced the same with our human counterparts. Whether these animals' killing is justified or not does not seem to be as much a concern as is removing them from the picture. Even the age old practice of animal sacrifice and honor killings among various cultures is an issue which needs to be seriously pondered over. In the name of God, we are killing and offering Him something which He, himself has proudly created. Many festivals mark the killing of a certain animals as auspicious. Now, many of these killings are supported by a set of beliefs. Like for example, during Bakri Eid, many Muslims believe that the goats that are not killed in the first attempt are not considered as pure. Hence, they may deny their consumption. I don't think God himself would be for the concept of putting these innocent creatures through torture.  And i'm pretty convinced that many of these animals that are killed in slaughter homes must be going to the garbage bin, owing to a disproportion in their requirement and killing.                                                                    Even those animals that are dependent on other animals or living creatures for their survival do not kill beyond requirement. And then there are some of us who indulge in the evil practice of animal hunting either for fun or to trade animal skin and other essential parts. Don't we have any moral obligation towards the environment ? It's quite shameful to learn that rather than protecting those who cannot speak up for themselves, we are actually misusing and misleading them for our benefit. A lot of these so-called environmentalists make comments that only make us fall further in our eyes by stating that we are actually doing a favor to the nature by keeping the population of animals in check, when actually this is far from what the truth is. The truth is that we are responsible for breeding many of these animals beyond a number, only to kill them later. Infact, we would be doing a great favor to the nature if we take the onus of keeping the human population under check. Rest assured, everything else will be taken care of.                                                                                                                               Animals have always completed the picture in the depiction of our environment. They all contribute to the environment in their own ways. And it would be a great disservice to the nature if we tamper with its creations. I would not be wrong in saying that it is us, the humans who are actually more dependent on nature and the animals than the other way round; only if we are willing to see the other side of the picture. Cows don't need us to give them milk. Dogs don't need humans for company and show their loyalty to. They don't benefit themselves from being loyal and faithful as much as we do. Horses can travel miles together by themselves. Similarly, animals are not required to be caged, if it wasn't for  us. They are quite adept to live in the natural surroundings and better off being on their own. The real question here is, who is a threat? Animals or humans? I'm pretty sure that if animals were asked to potray a form of evil, their depiction would, no doubt, be that of a human.

Mother - A divine blessing!

From being held in her gentle arms after getting a life,                                                                          From being caressed all through the day,                                                                                           From holding us up every time there is a fall,                                                                                            From singing lullabies and narrating bed-time stories,                                                                    How lucky is he, who has a mother!                                                                                                            .                                                                                                                                                                                                       From laying the foundation of life,                                                                                                               From scolding for the misdeeds,                                                                                                                 From discreetly welling up tears after scolding,                                                                                          From pampering and loving like none else,                                                                                                 How lucky is he, who has a mother!                                                                                                     .                                                                                                                                                                   From fighting the world to be by your side,                                                                                         From seeing all your highs and lows through,                                                                                   From being patient and reposing faith in you,                                                                                             From holding the head high on seeing you succeed,                                                                                 How lucky is he, who has a mother!                                                                                                     .                                                                                                                                                                   From sacrificing everything only to see you happy,                                                                         From being the 4 a.m. friend whom you can always fall back on,                                                        From worrying about all the bad food habits,                                                                                     From giving up on her sleep to cook your favorite dish,                                                                   How lucky is he, who has a mother!                                                                                                     .                                                                                                                                                                   From being the care-taker to a infant,                                                                                              From being the disciplinarian to a brat,                                                                                           From being the perfect companion to a grown up adult,                                                                    From being the proud mother to a successful adult,                                                                              A mother, is truly an angel to her child.                                                                                          An An angel, a child is lucky enough to see everyday in his life.

World Cup fever all around....

It just seems like a few days back when India brought the elusive World Cup trophy home.The fact that it has been almost 4 years since that illustrious win seems quite unbelievable. All the madness,euphoria, and hoopla around the last World Cup victory seem surreal and sometimes even refuse to die down. And that should most certainly be the case, I say. After all, it's no joke that we got the trophy back home after 28 long years. The wait was quite long, but it was definitely worth it. And all of the hype and craziness around the victory was justified for this cricket - crazy nation where cricket is no less than a religion. As rightly said, cricket is more a feeling than just a sport. Indians eat, sleep, walk, and breathe cricket. So much is the love for the game, that we literally worship our cricketers and make them living Gods. And those Gods need no introduction.                           'It's a magnificent strike into the crowd. India lift the World Cup after 28 years....' These words still send shivers down our spines and keep coming back to our minds often, not letting the World Cup victory be a distant memory. But, with another World Cup series being just a few days away, the nostalgia about our previous victory is sure to increase manifold. So much has been written and predicted already about the upcoming World Cup event and the excitement only seems to keep increasing with every passing day. Unfortunately, this time around, World Cup will not take place on the Indian soil. This being the only downside, I'm pretty sure there are other factors which will make up for this happening. Of course, there are questions raising against the outster of some good-but-out-of-form-players, but that is another story altogether. But, the larger picture, which is that of winning, remains intact, irrespective.                                                                                                                                   Catering to people across all ages and overlooking the barriers of religion, cricket has succeeded in uniting the entire Indian population with its mass appeal. Till sometime back, I used to wonder, what the fuss around cricket was all about. I'm still not exactly clear in my analysis about cricket overshadowing the other sports. From all the sense that I have tried to make out of the passion and craziness for this game is :                                                             a) Cricket, for Indians, is a feeling that cannot be denied.                                                                      b) Non-cricket lovers will never be able to understand that feeling and affiliation of a cricket fan towards the sport.                                                                                                                             c) The resources required to play the game can be afforded by a common man and hence active participation in the sport doubles up the overall interest levels.                                                              d) You cannot overlook the crazy passion India holds about cricket, which gets you thinking if you are the only odd man out in your dislike for the sport. And when there is so much tom - tomming about the sport, how can one not follow suit and join in the chanting and cheering!                                                                                                                                                          Well, that was my analysis and I assume there are many others who may feel the same way.                                                                                                                                                 Whether you observe a watchman or a chai-wallah or go to any roadside food stalls or a market area or even a luxury shopping mall or whether you eaves-drop in on a conversation, cricket discussions seem to be dominating among other interests. Period. Every other person, nowadays, knows about the World Cup scenario, the players who made the team, the reason behind the dropping out of some, and the list goes on. And not to forget, they have the schedule of matches right there with themselves. It almost seems like the whole of India is gearing up to play the World Cup. So much is the curiosity, that during the World Cup, you will find many people making sincere efforts to get the latest score updates irrespective of where they are and what they are busy with. And you know, the best thing about this entire World Cup episode is that they don't care about anything as long as they are fulfilling their duties of being avid cricket lovers.

Ideal love!

It is very rare, absolutely very rare that you get to see or atleast even hear about a wedding that has survived 75 years and still counting. I came across this beautiful article recently which covered the fairytale story on marital bliss of a Japanese couple. And the least I could say is that I was beyond surprised. Never in my life have I stumbled upon a more touching piece of story. Truly, it was a treat to the soul. It is one thing to stay married for 25 years and only have hopes about completing another set of it to celebrate half a century of marriage. It is another thing to achieve the precious milestone of 50 years of togetherness and feel grateful about it and feel blissfully secure in the memory of the years that went by. And it is a very, very special blessing and rare feat to be able to see the platinum phase of one's marriage through.                                                                                                                         What amazed me about the coulple was the fact that how, even after 75 long years of marriage, after going through various stints of hardships and struggles, there has never been a dull moment as they said or even a fleeting thought of giving up on their respective roles in the relationship. After all these years, which seem no less than a roller coaster ride, in which they brought up three daughters, lived in extreme poverty at once and struggled to make ends meet, fought many a hurdle together and went through a multitude of emotions, they still feel they haven't had enough of each other. So much is the love and concern for each other that, their only wish remains to die together. They cannot see themselves without the other. Being the epitome of what ideal love stands for, one would expect them to have a secret to all these years of wedding bliss. And one could articulate the depth of this bond when they said the only thing they would do if they felt they had hurt or upset each other even subconsciously, was to leave each other alone for a while without any exchange of words. This time, apart from each other would make them realize how incomplete they seemed without each other. And it would also serve the purpose of giving each other enough space only to make their hearts grow fonder towards the other.                  Beautiful is the life where one can share his/her joy and sorrow with a shoulder to lean on. But, more beautiful is that life where you have someone to shoulder half of your sorrow and share in your joy. Beginnings may always seem perfect and utopian but, the real test lies in being together when things may not seem perfect. And it is this challenge that makes two individuals perfect for each other.  Having no definition or expression, love is yet a feeling which needs no description. All the successful people in this world are proof enough of the fact that it was love they set out to conquer. Having fame and power are equivalent to being accepted enough which forms the crux of any mission. The only takeaway from successful relationships like the one mentioned above would be to always stick around. This may not sound easy but, when one wants the definition of love, acceptance is the only thing that breeds love which usually comes in the form of staying togethee right through. Only real love being effortless, is able to withstand this test of time.                                                                          We all have that different facet to our personality which is not often demonstrated. This side could be a streak of madness, wild child needs or being totally oneself or letting loose. People often make comments such as 'love makes my world go round' or 'life has come a full circle after the cupid struck' or even statements like they have found a new perspective towards life and that they have a new reason to live after they have found love. It is when this streak of madness or an unknown facet  is touched upon that life becomes worth living. That side only blossoms with love. And also it is scientifically proven that, when a person is in love, the chemicals that the brain releases are the same as when a person is mad. No wonder, we say 'love is blind' or 'madly in love'.

New Year Resolutions!

This new year my goal is to get into shape. And I want to commit to healthy living and eating. And I also plan to commit more time to my family and friends and not think about work all the time. And ya, I am also going to try and be as good a person as possible and refrain from any kind of misdeeds. And the list goes on.... As clichéd as it may sound, we all love making resolutions and commitments, as should be the case, but the only question that keeps coming into my head is - Are these resolutions only meant for the new year or any special occasion in an individual's life? I do not think we need to wait to make any kind of a resolve or commitment, as one may call it. And I do not even think one even needs to be expected to make one. Why only should special moments mark a change? What about the new year or a special milestone makes one want to promise for a change? Why do we subscribe to norms of having to make time-associated resolutions? As far as a new beginning that these events mark is concerned according to the demarcation made by humans, I can do that the day I feel it's time for one, realising it's importance and necessity. A resolve can be instinctive or on a definite purpose . It can be heartfelt and it can also be to sincerely want a change.I am absolutely for the concept of resolutions and commitments, no two ways about that. I am only concerned with the timing associated with the commitment.                                                                                                                                        The air of excitement and frenzy as the new year approaches is contagious. Infact the moments when the realization that we shall soon be going into the next year dawns upon us followed by its countdown, give us an adrenaline rush. The insurmountable level of excitement for the coming year, reflection on the year that went by and how fast it did at that, million plans for the new year's, zillion resolutions to be made and a gazillion other things.... These moments are overwhelming for people all across. We all want to make the coming year the best in our lives and hence the resolutions. All said and done, only a few try implementing these resolutions and fewer end up making them work. Nonetheless, it is quite fruitful when we make resolutions that materialise and we collectively see a better outcome. All in all, it is always fulfilling to start the year on a good note, if that gives us any hope.                                                         Personally, i have treaded the same path in terms of having a bucket list when it came to making resolutions. And trust me i did not find anything wrong with it. I tried repeating this act a couple of times and met with disappointment almost always. I later realized, after some self-interrogation, that i do not need a special occasion, particularly something that expects a commitment to be made. I have come to realize,that the more you keep thinking and reminding yourself of having to accomplish a goal that is deliberately made, the more short-lived the goal tends to be. This is for the plain reason that we are seeking external validation for something that is internal. As a promise that one makes to self rather than to the world, he/she needs complete self assurance. This promise is more internal than external and it does not need any external motivation. Because when you truly set out to bring about a change, telling people about it only makes you liable to them of living upto their expectations. You'd rather not want to carry that extra baggage.                                         Taking another approach, resolutions certainly exist to remind people that there is always a scope for change. To constantly make resolves for a better future that awaits all of us even though we do not feel the need to. To commit ourselves to what needs attention.To make us think and delve deeper into constantly finding ways to bring about a change in the lives of people around us. No wonder, change is the only constant!

The Indian makeover

India, of late, has undergone a makeover. In other words, westernization has started taking place at the grassroots. It may not have completely taken over, but it is surely getting there. Those days are not far when we shall see India on par with its western counterparts in all respects. Maybe, 2020? No, I think, a complete transformation by 2020 only spells OPTIMISM. Okay, let's be a little modest! How about 2030? Hmmmm..... It still sounds a little dicey, doesn't it? Then, how about 2050? This surely seems like a safe bet.                      We all have our hopes pinned on the coming years for India. And infact, we are very positive about these numbers. So be it 2020; 2030 or 2050, a change is inevitable. We all obsess about a westernized India, but what exactly does westernization do? The term westernization seems very typical to the Indian culture. For many, it is a process of modernisation and integration of the western culture. Not overlooking the obvious changes that tag along, as the word suggests, westernization has catapulted India into a renowned economy and put India on the world map. The term does not just restrict itself to higher standards of living, but also brings about a great deal of social change which mainly entails abolition of evil practices like serfdom or slavery. Laborers are no more reduced to sub - human standards. Technology advancement and upgradation that have made people more   conscious and aware about their surroundings have also largely contributed to the process of westernization. Mobiles and television have been major contributors in this change. Roads, safety, infrastructure, environment, health and sanitation among others have also majorly contributed to this process.                                                                                                    With this welcome change, came many cons and perils. This process interfered with the lifestyle of common people. The lives of most of the people underwent a 360 degree change. Many people cannot afford or do not have the access to this culture - degrading lifestyle. But most of us are fortunate enough to avail ourselves of the basic technology. Although, in the quest of higher standards of living, cultural, social and environmental aspects have been largely compromised upon. This kind of neglect can cost us dearly in the long run.                                                                                                                                                   Westernization may have taken India 20 years forward in terms of the lives we are currently leading, but, the rate at which it is making inroads into our lives by making irreversible compromises, i fear, we might move 40 years back with this westernization - storm. But, this does not seem likely in the distant future. For the time being, till the Indians don't completely tire of manufacturing the latest technology, building good infrastructure, world class health and education facilities, eradicating poverty and illiteracy and being on par with its American counterpart, there is no stopping them. After all, the most important and in - demand man currently in India has promised to make India have the Americans queue up for an Indian visa in a few years' time. Indians surely have some serious task up their sleeves, but, with this promise, half the battle almost seems won. And the rest half is sure to create history.

Are women actually safe?

This is the one question that haunts every Indian woman irrespective of who she is and where she comes from. Yes. Whether she is rich, poor, famous, literate, illiterate or a 21st century modern, independent Indian woman. And rightly so, when the political, economic and social conditions don't seem to be favorable and conducive enough for the safety of our women. The rate at which the crimes against women are increasing is flabbergasting. It has sort of made India a home ground for crimes against women. This growth spurt in the number of crimes is something one must have never heard of or seen before. Be it rapes, female foeticide and infanticide, acid attacks, dowry deaths, domestic violence or the frequent cases of molestation and harassment against women - the male ego and power have betrayed the entire purpose of womanhood. So much so that women are grappling with their identity and sense of being.                                                                                                       Women are and have always been soft targets. But the real question here is: how long will this continue? It's time for men to no longer have a desire for ascendancy. They need to wake up to the truth and move on. Women are moving on. Upwards and onwards to a life of grit and determination; to not let the men and society downgrade them. And it's also time we acknowledge their presence and contribution in our lives in the right spirit. And the only way to bring about a change is by giving the same amount of rights to women as men. By making India safe for our women, we would not only be protecting them physically but also empowering and preparing them for a bigger battle. And the battle is to revolutionize our nation. After all, women constitute 50% of our voters.                                                                     Women have always, since time immemorial, formed an integral part of our family. It's a woman who binds the family together and makes a home out of a house. Above all, they are the ones who have brought us into this world and nurtured us ever since. This also implies to all those wrong-doers in our society who often forget that they have been bred around various women and even later they will assume the responsibility of their wives and daughters. The worst part is that some of them indulge in these heinous acts despite assuming responsibility of a family. They often forget that those women are also someone's wife, mother, daughter and sister. These men may harm them physically to prove their superiority. But the fact of the matter is they are loading a woman with fury and anger to vent back.                                                                                                                                      The angst and fury of this woman are just in no case only related to the harm they have done to her physical, emotional and mental state of being. It goes far beyond. Of bringing shame and sorrow in the lives of those related to her. Of rendering those dependent on her, helpless. Of the sorry state of her family. And this fury comes with much more force and gusto. It is just not like that, when we say - when you educate a man, you are educating just the man himself but when you educate a woman, knowingly or unknowingly, you are educating an entire family.