Every single day i open the newspaper i find a new thing to disgust me. Dirty politics, un-healthy legislation , oppression , farmer suicides , corruption and most lately, rape. Every single day , in some paper or the other this ugly word comes up, often in the headlines. And every single day all of us when we read about all this utter Bull Sh*t happening around us, in our country or even in our neighborhood itself, we shake our heads, take another sip of our morning tea and say ' This country is going to the dogs".
What are we going to do about it? The laws in our country are often made by politicians , some of them with barely any qualifications and they make our laws, they form the government. They govern us. This is the fact of life, they determine what is right, wrong, legal , illegal. They say you can be only as good as your representative is. Look at your representative. Is that really the person you want representing you? A number of legislations today that have caused an uproar are still going strong, take for example the reservation of 50% seats for 5% of the countries population. What ever happened to the concept of merit? Or has it disappeared? Give scholarships. But reservations?
Rape is a fundamental social evil. And yet it is happening around us. Let's be frank about this. If seven years minimum term in jail is not enough to deter anyone from forcibly indulging in a forced intercourse, what is? Capital punishment? What will that cure? The offender will die in an instant, but the girl, specially being Indian will suffer for the rest of her life.
The story of her humiliation will be printed in all the papers, her family members will be interviewed and a hundred questions will be asked. A few questions will be shot on her character and a few more on her carelessness. The trial will be painfully long and at the end of it, she will be no where. Today in our days of 'open mindedness'' we really do not mind a partner for life who has engaged in sexual intercourse prior to marriage. But what about a rape victim? Will she be accepted in any family? And whats her fault in this? But do people realize this? Not really. What about her future? Are they all gone? just like that in a flash? Fifteen minutes back she was a girl with a life, a proper future and now is that all gone? Will she even complain? Can she expect compassion from the local Constable she goes to lodge and FIR with? How will she look at others in the eye after being scarred? Both physically and emotionally?
And what are we to do about it? Sit around and shake our heads? Do nothing? For once i know i wont. I want to educate people, i want to tell them the consequences of their actions. I want the victims to know that they will get all the support they want. It's upto us, we the youth today to do all this. Our inaction today can be our undoing tomorrow. It could be our sisters or daughters next in the future. The future is ours they say. It's time we did something about it. I know i will.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Touched by an Angel
They say that Angels sit in heaven,
and lend the stars their light,
but here on earth, there is a girl,
who looked like an Angel that night!
The sun had gone down in the west,
the moon was not yet its brilliant white,
and through the darkness you walked to me,
Like an Angel that night!
The silver light around you swirled,
and lit up your brilliant smile,
the moonbeams they enrobed you,
Like an Angel, that night!
As you came close, the world stood still,
my heart didn't feel quite fine,
and in the darkness your voice echoed,
Like an Angel that night!
You sat down right next to me,
I lost all track of time,
and even the moon came down to see you look,
Like an Angel that night!
I never saw this part of you,
we usually just tend to fight,
but for the first time you struck a chord,
Like an angel that night!
But all good things do come to an end,
you stayed but just a while,
and through the darkness you melted away,
like an angel that night...
You touched my heart as you walked away,
I still miss that shining light,
All I want is one chance with you,
Oh Angel in the night!
and lend the stars their light,
but here on earth, there is a girl,
who looked like an Angel that night!
The sun had gone down in the west,
the moon was not yet its brilliant white,
and through the darkness you walked to me,
Like an Angel that night!
The silver light around you swirled,
and lit up your brilliant smile,
the moonbeams they enrobed you,
Like an Angel, that night!
As you came close, the world stood still,
my heart didn't feel quite fine,
and in the darkness your voice echoed,
Like an Angel that night!
You sat down right next to me,
I lost all track of time,
and even the moon came down to see you look,
Like an Angel that night!
I never saw this part of you,
we usually just tend to fight,
but for the first time you struck a chord,
Like an angel that night!
But all good things do come to an end,
you stayed but just a while,
and through the darkness you melted away,
like an angel that night...
You touched my heart as you walked away,
I still miss that shining light,
All I want is one chance with you,
Oh Angel in the night!
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Invasion
He smiled as an icy touch clenched his heart. Standing still, a probe punctured him, immersing itself in his thoughts, and reaching out though his blood till his entire body felt as cold ice. They were going through his thoughts now. He felt them flinch as they encountered his defenses.
"No, I shall not let you! " He screamed in defiance as waves upon waves crashed against his defenses, threatening to tear them down like a castle of playing cards. He clutched his head in disbelief. "No, this cannot be happening now. Not like this, please Oh God!" He held his head slightly as a spasm appeared briefly on his face. Then smothered it in an instant, smattered with a quick fake smile and seasoned with a few words to make conversation. The cold tentacles threatened to engulf him and make him wither. He could feel them rallying their forces now, ready to launch a quick offensive. "Action Stations" shouted his head as he prepared for the impending siege. He braced himself as he cleared the Cheque and walked out to the car, taking the key from the valet. Putting the key in the slot, the car roared to life. Just as the blow fell.
He felt the entire might of his preparations give way as the cold assaulted with all the force it could muster. Waves upon waves just seemed to rush in and his defenses gave way like matchsticks in a storm. His car scrapped the front , he gunned the accelerator as he hit the open street. "Whats wrong with you?" she screamed.
He dropped her to the destination. Got of the car, Ravaged. Tiered as he inspected first hand the damage done. To his car and to his very mind. The cold had poured in and settled. They had ravaged his very memory , feeding and growing upon him, effecting his very soul. He settled down on the seat and prepared for the drive home.
They had won again, His guilty thoughts.
"No, I shall not let you! " He screamed in defiance as waves upon waves crashed against his defenses, threatening to tear them down like a castle of playing cards. He clutched his head in disbelief. "No, this cannot be happening now. Not like this, please Oh God!" He held his head slightly as a spasm appeared briefly on his face. Then smothered it in an instant, smattered with a quick fake smile and seasoned with a few words to make conversation. The cold tentacles threatened to engulf him and make him wither. He could feel them rallying their forces now, ready to launch a quick offensive. "Action Stations" shouted his head as he prepared for the impending siege. He braced himself as he cleared the Cheque and walked out to the car, taking the key from the valet. Putting the key in the slot, the car roared to life. Just as the blow fell.
He felt the entire might of his preparations give way as the cold assaulted with all the force it could muster. Waves upon waves just seemed to rush in and his defenses gave way like matchsticks in a storm. His car scrapped the front , he gunned the accelerator as he hit the open street. "Whats wrong with you?" she screamed.
He dropped her to the destination. Got of the car, Ravaged. Tiered as he inspected first hand the damage done. To his car and to his very mind. The cold had poured in and settled. They had ravaged his very memory , feeding and growing upon him, effecting his very soul. He settled down on the seat and prepared for the drive home.
They had won again, His guilty thoughts.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Don't fade away
Think of it every Second,
You don't know how it feels,
Don't know if it's an illusion,
Or something very real,
The lights have faded slowly
and it's dark in here,
am sitting in a corner,
Yet things are crystal clear.
I've got to tell you that I,
Didn't know what to think about out it,
If or not iv got try.....
You keep me firmly grounded,
and make my thoughts take flight,
destroy those fears unfounded,
light up the morning sky.
Stand by me every second,
even when i let you go,
Catch me when i start falling,
pick me when i feel low
Can't seem to find you and I,
Don't know how to go about it,
If or not iv got try.....
You don't know how it feels,
Don't know if it's an illusion,
Or something very real,
The lights have faded slowly
and it's dark in here,
am sitting in a corner,
Yet things are crystal clear.
I've got to tell you that I,
Didn't know what to think about out it,
If or not iv got try.....
You keep me firmly grounded,
and make my thoughts take flight,
destroy those fears unfounded,
light up the morning sky.
Stand by me every second,
even when i let you go,
Catch me when i start falling,
pick me when i feel low
Can't seem to find you and I,
Don't know how to go about it,
If or not iv got try.....
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Justice. And it's Manifestations
" How many people in this word deserve what they get? And how many get what they deserve?" - J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings)
Bulls Eye.
As i read through the last few pages, my mind had already began to wander. No special occasion this, just a stray tendril of thought, the mischief of the same book that i held in Hand. And at the center of the turmoil was one word, Justice. 'To kill a mockingbird' Does that to you. The story of how justice does not necessarily get administered, the truth about an innocent man, brought to light in the courtroom, yet convicted, sentenced to capital punishment under the charges of rape, just because of the color of his skin, make you wonder about Justice. And it's manifestations.
As much as the story is based in the past, i couldn't help but bring it across the time warp and the seven seas to the modern day Indian concept. Maybe the methods have changed, maybe the scenario has changed, but even as on date, is justice actually served? Is it that freely available? Is it universal? Unbiased? Free flowing? Does it even fit into the meaning of the word justice as it's common interpretation or as it should be understood? We see wrong being done on every level. We indulge in it ourselves. I know i have. I have done wrong, knowingly and i have seen the same happen all around me, with the blame pinned on someone else, or no one.
I study law. It's what i do for a qualification. It's what i may do for a living, for life. And i see the same thing through two different points of view. A part of what i study and a part of me that still identifies with the millions who fight for their rights. I see violence, with people increasingly taking the law into their own hands, dispensing so called 'Justice" with stick and stone. I see apathy, racial discrimination, financial conditions and grudges play a major role is determining the so called Justice which is been laded out by the public at large, greatly spurred on by open political backing.
Whatever may be the name:- Standing up for rights, protests , Moral policing or the million other excuses certain anti-social elements can dig up to curb our fundamental rights in exchange for exposure of any kind, harping on their interpretation of culture and enforcing their so called views on others under the name of justice. Is this what Justice is supposed to ultimately De-generate down to? Is this what the future looks like?
The first thing my law study would like to impress upon me is that lawyers are meant to uphold and bring about Justice. Maybe true, right to representation is an universal right given to all. But lawyers are humans. How many people can actually afford a good lawyer? And how does it help in dispensing justice in what is finally a courtroom battle between two contestants? How often are the two sides coming from different economic background evenly matched? The rich get access to the best lawyers, the best resources and consequently often the best results. Lawyers are not to blame, maybe. They as working professionals reserve the right to quote their asking price depending on what they or their clients think their value addition is. And frankly, in good commercial sense, generally the quantum of the fees vary in direct proportion to how good the lawyer is. Then again is the all important 'setting'. Your relationship with the judges, the jury, your peers and the clout you hold also often has a direct relationship with the verdict. It's common knowledge that a lot of 'setting' goes on. So what does that make lawyers? Dispensers of justice? Or quite the opposite? Again at the end of the day, it's nothing personal, just professionalism. To do what you have to for your client. Fight to Win. Code of ethics, defend your client. Maybe a year down the line I'll put on the coat and join those ranks. As what, i wonder.
Justice, what about it's defense? Is there anyone listening?
Bulls Eye.
As i read through the last few pages, my mind had already began to wander. No special occasion this, just a stray tendril of thought, the mischief of the same book that i held in Hand. And at the center of the turmoil was one word, Justice. 'To kill a mockingbird' Does that to you. The story of how justice does not necessarily get administered, the truth about an innocent man, brought to light in the courtroom, yet convicted, sentenced to capital punishment under the charges of rape, just because of the color of his skin, make you wonder about Justice. And it's manifestations.
As much as the story is based in the past, i couldn't help but bring it across the time warp and the seven seas to the modern day Indian concept. Maybe the methods have changed, maybe the scenario has changed, but even as on date, is justice actually served? Is it that freely available? Is it universal? Unbiased? Free flowing? Does it even fit into the meaning of the word justice as it's common interpretation or as it should be understood? We see wrong being done on every level. We indulge in it ourselves. I know i have. I have done wrong, knowingly and i have seen the same happen all around me, with the blame pinned on someone else, or no one.
I study law. It's what i do for a qualification. It's what i may do for a living, for life. And i see the same thing through two different points of view. A part of what i study and a part of me that still identifies with the millions who fight for their rights. I see violence, with people increasingly taking the law into their own hands, dispensing so called 'Justice" with stick and stone. I see apathy, racial discrimination, financial conditions and grudges play a major role is determining the so called Justice which is been laded out by the public at large, greatly spurred on by open political backing.
Whatever may be the name:- Standing up for rights, protests , Moral policing or the million other excuses certain anti-social elements can dig up to curb our fundamental rights in exchange for exposure of any kind, harping on their interpretation of culture and enforcing their so called views on others under the name of justice. Is this what Justice is supposed to ultimately De-generate down to? Is this what the future looks like?
The first thing my law study would like to impress upon me is that lawyers are meant to uphold and bring about Justice. Maybe true, right to representation is an universal right given to all. But lawyers are humans. How many people can actually afford a good lawyer? And how does it help in dispensing justice in what is finally a courtroom battle between two contestants? How often are the two sides coming from different economic background evenly matched? The rich get access to the best lawyers, the best resources and consequently often the best results. Lawyers are not to blame, maybe. They as working professionals reserve the right to quote their asking price depending on what they or their clients think their value addition is. And frankly, in good commercial sense, generally the quantum of the fees vary in direct proportion to how good the lawyer is. Then again is the all important 'setting'. Your relationship with the judges, the jury, your peers and the clout you hold also often has a direct relationship with the verdict. It's common knowledge that a lot of 'setting' goes on. So what does that make lawyers? Dispensers of justice? Or quite the opposite? Again at the end of the day, it's nothing personal, just professionalism. To do what you have to for your client. Fight to Win. Code of ethics, defend your client. Maybe a year down the line I'll put on the coat and join those ranks. As what, i wonder.
Justice, what about it's defense? Is there anyone listening?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
How to save a life - A story unfolds
Below is my own version of the hit song from the Fray " How to save a life". It is sung to the same tune. Hope you like it!! I take no credit in the same.
Step one you say "We need to talk",
She says "Sit down, It's just a talk"
Walks slowly up to you,
You draw back throughly confused,
as the twilight dims the light,
And the day passes in to the night,
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
somewhere along this distance,
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Let her know that you know best,
Cause in your mind you know, she knows the rest,
Try to try to cross her mind's fence,
and comprehend her silence,
Tell her a list of what is wrong
The things you've told her all along
And pray to God she hears you
And pray to God she hears you
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As she begins, you hear her voice
You lower yours and grant her one last choice
Pull until you break the ropes,
and the line you so carefully followed
She will say one or two thing,
You will admit to everything
Or she'll say your just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Now she's there somewhere in the darkness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
Step one you say "We need to talk",
She says "Sit down, It's just a talk"
Walks slowly up to you,
You draw back throughly confused,
as the twilight dims the light,
And the day passes in to the night,
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
somewhere along this distance,
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Let her know that you know best,
Cause in your mind you know, she knows the rest,
Try to try to cross her mind's fence,
and comprehend her silence,
Tell her a list of what is wrong
The things you've told her all along
And pray to God she hears you
And pray to God she hears you
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As she begins, you hear her voice
You lower yours and grant her one last choice
Pull until you break the ropes,
and the line you so carefully followed
She will say one or two thing,
You will admit to everything
Or she'll say your just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Now she's there somewhere in the darkness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
How to save a life
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Aditya signing off Ma'm
I felt like writing this little rhyme,
to tell you all that lay in this heart of mine,
though it is not my best i fear,
It's got all that i wanted you to hear...
It never was about touching your body,
but about being one with your heart, your soul,
Because talking to you made me feel happy,
And seeing you smile made me feel whole.
A thousand words for a hint of a smile,
a million prayers to ward away the tears,
staying back in office to meet you a while,
And messaging into the wee hours.
Walking by your side, sometimes for hours,
while the Diwali lights lit up the sky,
paying the beggar girl to give you some flowers,
as the time just seemed to fly.
You never heard what i tried to say,
what i tried to tell you, day after day,
I kept wondering what and how to say,
to tell you where my heart truly lay.
But now that it's gone,over and done ,
and i lie penning my thoughts in the dark,
again i remember the your eyes and smile,
and long for those days that have passed.
Well it's a fitting ending,
after a long wait,
As iv found out,
Now, that it's too late.
to tell you all that lay in this heart of mine,
though it is not my best i fear,
It's got all that i wanted you to hear...
It never was about touching your body,
but about being one with your heart, your soul,
Because talking to you made me feel happy,
And seeing you smile made me feel whole.
A thousand words for a hint of a smile,
a million prayers to ward away the tears,
staying back in office to meet you a while,
And messaging into the wee hours.
Walking by your side, sometimes for hours,
while the Diwali lights lit up the sky,
paying the beggar girl to give you some flowers,
as the time just seemed to fly.
You never heard what i tried to say,
what i tried to tell you, day after day,
I kept wondering what and how to say,
to tell you where my heart truly lay.
But now that it's gone,over and done ,
and i lie penning my thoughts in the dark,
again i remember the your eyes and smile,
and long for those days that have passed.
Well it's a fitting ending,
after a long wait,
As iv found out,
Now, that it's too late.
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