EVE TEASING !!!

Stepping out of that doorway may not be as easy for Eve as it may be for Adam. Modernization is on every Indian’s mind and women empowerment is one of the main focuses of Indian society. However the audacity of eve teasing is still running rampant in the country, especially in the capital itself.

While this may seem to be a fun bustle for the male members of our society, it’s almost as earth shattering and nerve racking for the females out there. Not exaggerating the facts, eve teasing and its impacts have not only been taking away their confidence and self-esteem but also the lives of many juvenile girls.

The sounds of catcalling, wolf-whistling, humming of songs, and even uncouth comments are now familiar for the ears of those girls who go out in the city. This anarchy has not only put a fear in the minds of the young girls but even their parents are scared to send their girl child alone on the streets. The mindset of the people is such, that eve teasing is encouraged by the girls themselves when they wear western clothes or go out in the night. But the fact is that, even girls wearing traditional dresses are victims of this, and so are those who go out in daylight.

The blame goes to those boys who are not scared to pass suggestive remarks, feel a girl up in public places or even about out-and-out groping.

We live in a society where believe it or not, both the girl and a boy are brought up with two different set of rules to lead a life. Censoring their girl’s movements, putting different time restrictions is a patriarchy followed by almost all parents.

In spite of this, eve teasing has not been curbed but on the other hand has increased, making life more difficult for the girls. Downright sexual harassment implies the level of male mentality which shows how much they are frustrated never mind how educated or intelligent they are.

No wonder most girls feel that disgusting and sinking feeling when they have to travel in congested buses or metro. Totally favoring the step taken to reserve coaches in metro for ladies, many are saved from degrading glares, lewd gestures and uncalled attention and they now feel safe to commute.

Sexual harassment is now growing at an alarming rate, with innumerable cases going unheard of. Girls are too scared to report or as in most cases the offender zooms off, leaving no evidence behind except the poor girl who’ll have its inkling through the rest of her life. Eve teasing is not only seen on streets but schools, colleges, malls, bus stops and even institutes are not free from this social crime.

So what is the solution? Just sit back and take it as just another part of life, thinking that “boys will be boys”? Ignore the cheap guys who sing “choli ke peeche kya hai” when you are on your way to college or “munni badnaam hui” as the latest pick up line? Or else lock your girls up in the houses to keep them away from public glares.

The first and foremost duty is of the mothers, who inculcate the values and morals in their sons so that they respect women or not becomes an option for them. It’s not intentional, but following up on our traditions, India, since a long time has been a male dominated society and it will take a long time to change the mindset of people. Mothers should teach their sons to value women and treat them with respect as they would like their sisters and mothers or perhaps themselves to be treated.

On the part of women, it’s a highly debatable point, whether or not they should react to humiliating comments and unruly behavior by men or should they ignore them completely.

Girls, when alone should and must always carry some sort of weapon, perhaps a pepper spray or a knife and they should know how and when to use it. Never should one walk through a lonely or a dark road, as precaution is always better than cure. They should always avoid potential harassers and better not react when facing a large group.

Speaking up is the only way that is going to help solve this major problem facing the society as a whole. Not only should the women be the ones to react and agitate, but it is the duty of our society and media to spread awareness concerning this ghastly glitch.

There should be more lady police cells in every area, and women should report the crime without any fear or humiliation.

The women rights organization helped to pass ‘The Delhi Prohibition of Eve-teasing Bill 1984” and there are lot of laws which sentence punishment to the guilty.

 Avoiding this issue is not the remedy, nor is eve teasing a joke. It’s a highly unethical and rampant problem, and without any ardent measures it cannot be resolved. The dignity of a woman comes at stake and what may seem like a minute of fun for a boy, becomes a lifetime of humiliation for the girl.

THE GOLDEN DAYS!

Gone are the days when we rode up in the sky,

Though on earth but our spirits were high.

We used to dance and sing till our veins would twitch in pain

We used to laugh and cry

Till we would give each other a five.

Gone are the days when we hated lies

Though on earth but our spirits were high.

We used to sway and play

Till our legs would give away

We used to drink and eat

Till our stomachs would give us a beat.

Gone are the days when we rhymed and shined

Though on earth but our spirits were high.

Dedicated 2 all my FRIENDS....who were!!!

In twilight zone!


DELHI AT DUSK 
The city in the evening can be a sheer beauty or a bare bane...

An endless grey-blue sky with a tinge of orange from the setting sun. Add to it the sound of chirping birds. Really, Delhi, at dusk, can be a breathtaking vista. When the starry skies shine on monumental relics like the lit up India Gate, the Jama Masjid, the Red Fort and the Lotus Temple, Delhi becomes a mesmerising beauty. No wonder, hundreds throng these places in the evening to immerse in their loveliness.




However, now that it is touched by the mega city bug, Delhi can be also be a modern-day nightmare with endless high rises blocking a clear view of the evening sky. Withhonking cars, crowded public buses and Metro trains, numerous people milling about everywhere, and of course itsincessant pollution, it becomes worse by the end of the day. Hindi poet Vimal Kumar rues the loss, “Due to increase in population and limited space, there are no places left to enjoy in the city. Very few parks and open fields are to be seen in colonies these days as they are often surrounded by multi-storied buildings. Living in cities, one is often not able to enjoy the sunrise and the sunset as we are busy with our hectic lives. It becomes worse as the sun hides behind the tall buildings.”


True to this impression, the city roads in the evenings are often filled with people, their faces tense, clad in formals returning from work, now caught in noisy traffic snarls. “Generally, during the evenings, people are in a hurry to get home after the day's work. However, most of them don't have proper knowledge of traffic rules, so they are unable to drive in lane and create a mess in the process. Due to heavy flow of traffic we are not able to prosecute the violators,” says a traffic policeman at a busy Connaught Place intersection. As we chat him up, he comes out with this one, “As cops, we get mentally stressed handling this mess day after day, we have no time to rest.” Braving the odds, we soon pay a visit to Birla Mandir, also known as Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, for the evening aarti. Little shinny bulbs light up the temple in the evening, giving it an exquisite look. We are joined in the prayers by hordes of devotees and tourists too. A serene experience.


Walking down the road that leads to Gole Market, we come across Virginia, a tourist from Spain. She likes Delhi at dusk. “It's breezy and more relaxing during the evenings compared to the humid mornings which become hotter and often crowded,” she says. Due to high pollution, Virginia says, “I prefer to wear a mask here to cover my nose.” As the evening grows on you, so arrives the time for the city's glitziest to get ready to go clubbing, pubbing and letting their hair down in their designer outfits. Says fashion designer Nitya Bajaj, “It's quite nice to meet friends in evening parties. During the mornings, I am busy with shoots and meeting models and business people. So in the evenings, I prefer to be in a relaxed mood at a pub with friends.” Well-known sociologistT.K. Oommen adds another dimension to the city in the evenings. “A vast majority of middle class people in Delhi like to spend their evenings sitting at home and watching soap operas on television. People also prefer staying at home because of the increasing crime rate in the Capital, especially after sun down.”


To these aspects of Delhi, one can add yet another. Along with the partying crowd and the rabid tele-watchers, there live some people looking for a shelter for the night, a morsel to call it an early dinner at the evening hour. A city of extremes.

In the Dustbin of Time...

With computers, typewriters have made a vanishing act. However, there are still some left who eke out a living from these metal boxes..

Not too long ago, there was a time when typewriters were the only means of typing words. Journalists, writers and office clerks particularly were among those who regularly used these square boxes with metal hands tipped with an alphabet each. Remington was the first company that introduced typewriters in India. The clat, clat of a typewriter soon became a familiar noise in many office establishments.




But in today's scenario when newer technology has opened a whole new world of typing gadgets on super-fast mode, many youngsters would admit not even having seen a typewriter. With the advent of computers, the ubiquitous typewriter suddenly vanished from the scenario. The Godrej group was the last manufacturer of office typewriters in the world.


Milind Dukle, General Manager, Godrej, recollects, “The era of 1991-92 was the peak time when typewriters were in huge demand. Around 50,000 typewriters were sold per year then. We used to export these machines to many Asian and African countries as well. However, we have stopped manufacturing them now because of falling demand from customers.”


Like the big players, many small and typewriter dealers gradually shut shop due to the advent of computers. One such firm is Delhi-based Universal Typewriter Company, which remained in the business for about six decades. Even though it stopped manufacturing long ago, the stock left from then on is being sold in the market even today.


“Godrej Prima models are still being bought by people and both Facit Remington 2000 and Remington Superwriter models are sold as second-hand machines in the market. Generally, the demand is in government offices, typewriting institutes, colleges and courts,” says Vineeta, a worker in Universal.


Earlier, many young people had to take training in typing skills in order to clear tests for certain government jobs. So, learning how to type fast many an edge in the job market. Deepak Jain from Delhi's Jain Typewriters reminisces, “Earlier, students used to come in large numbers to our institute to learn typing as it was needed in the commerce stream and also in vocational studies, besides recruitment tests in government jobs. But for the last four years, the number of students has declined due to the government's decision of taking typing tests on computers instead on typewriters.”




However, typewriters are still a means of livelihood for some. They are often spotted near local courts making legal documents for a fee. “All my life I have used typewriters to prepare legal documents. I am not used to computers; I feel it will be time consuming for me. I can roll out a document on a typewriter much faster. I also cannot afford to pay the electricity bill,” says Deen Dayal, a typist in the city's Tis Hazari Court. For now, people like Deen Dayal can have a way, but one wonders for how long.

Where are the Voice Bubbles?

With the advent the Internet, videogames and TV, comic books may well be on the way to the museum...

There was a time when kids hid their Phantom, Mandrake and Archie comic books in their school bags and text books just to unfold the thrilling suspense created by their favourite popular heroes. They did this even when the elders frowned and told them it'll ruin their English. Sadly, this marvel got lost somewhere down the road when television, videogames and the Internet made their entry.

“As a kid, I was a huge fan of comic books, which helped not only to kill boredom but also improve my vocabulary and reading habit. My favourites were Chacha Chaudhary, Champak, Pinki and Billu. They gave me a whole new dimension of thinking and I was always fascinated by their characters, which were funny and imaginative. Animals that could even talk grabbed my attention instantly,” says Mohit Gupta, a student.




Filled with melodrama, action, romance and legends, these comic books were very popular and entertaining. Clever pricing encouraged readers to build up their own collections of Archie, Wonder Woman, The Adventures of Tintin and X-Men. Among Indian comics, Chacha Chaudhary, Raj Comics, Indrajal Comics and even Spider-Man: India and were well received by readers. Indian comics were not only entertaining but also inspiring, containing tales from the Ramayana and adaptations from the Mahabharata.


“I have been a lifelong fan of comic books and comic strips, especially Indrajal Comics. I loved reading Phantom, Mandrake, Peanuts, Laurel and Hardy, Flash Gordon and Archie comics. The list is endless. When we were kids, we eagerly waited for the new issue and there was a craze among us to find out about Mandrake the magician and who he had hypnotised,” says Renu Shukla, a fashion designer. “I still retain my love for them and whenever I go through them I get nostalgic,” she adds.


Pran, one of the most successful Indian cartoonists and the creator of Chacha Chaudhary, received his fame, and later on his other characters like Billu, Pinki and Raman were also enjoyed by readers. Diamond Comics and Marvel Comics were the two publishers whose comics were the most read and sold.


Gulshan Rai of Diamond Comics says, “During the early 90s, we could expect to sell around three to four lakh copies of comic books per month. But the period between 1997 and 2003 saw a decline in sales and shrinking readership due to the advent of television and Internet. But there are those who still are huge fans and interested in reading comic books while travelling or passing time or even those passionate about collecting these.”


Alternatives to these famous superhero comic books are found in the new Noddy comics, Harry Potter books or even Mills & Boon for adults. Some might even say that increasing pressure of academics and tuitions offers no time to read anything but syllabus books. Another reason behind the dwindling readership is the latest trend of Webcomics available on the Internet, attracting youngsters and fast gaining momentum. Voicing the same concern, Yash Pal Satija of Ajanta Book Sellers says, “Earlier there was a huge demand among kids for superhero comics that they once knew and loved. But because of new means of entertainment there has been a drastic decline in readers. Archie, Diamond and Raj Comics were the most sought-after but now these are all available on the Net and even on mobile phones, so there is lesser demand.”


Events like the annual Comic Con International in the U.S., which brings together comic book artists, enthusiasts and popular celebrities from the world of film together, are a welcome step in reviving comic books or at least creating a hype. The thing is, such events are far and few between.




RIDHIMA SHUKLA


http://www.hindu.com/mp/2010/08/14/stories/2010081450841300.htm

Confused...!

Why is everything so confusing?




I am still trying to figure out this life.


And yet I find it puzzling


With everyone out there in a rife






Why is everything so confusing?


No one is telling the truth


And yet everyone is trusting


Each other without any sooth






Why is everything so confusing?


Everyone seems so austere


And yet I find all this baffling.

Who Is She???

She’s a performer of forms


On the stage of life she dupes


Not the stories of people


But a story of her own






When she’s with friends


She’s a clown


So she can be popular


And be renowned






With other friends


She’s a chic


It’s the rule of the cool


To be panache and slick






When with her intimates


She’s shrill


They like her that way


She’s a delight and a thrill






The people who see her


They wish and they yearn


So they could be like her,


Popular in each of their own turn






But when she’s sleeping in the night


Those tears flow from her eyes


And she cries and cries


In her lonely heart, thinking-


“Who am I?”

Think Twice...!

You gotta think twice
Live your life with the good and wise
Its not that the world is bad
So don’t just get sad
Coz you gotta live your own way
Whatever others do or say.


You gotta think twice
Don’t steal yourself away from pain and cries
Experience the emotions
You never know they could give you some directions.
Coz you gotta ride your own slay
Whatever others do or say.


You gotta think twice
Before you give any replies
Coz people will judge you by what you say
Whether you are dull or gay
Coz you gotta get your own pay
Whatever others do or say…!

gIRLS' LIFE... or is it their's?

Is marriage the only aim left in life?? especially in a girl's life?? Why does the life of a girl start with being dependent on her parents first and then later on her husband??

we say that times have changed,but the truth is nothing has changed,its still the same. the mentality,the myths,the thinking. the only thing that has changed is our lifestyle. we say we are modernised. in what sense though? in technology, fashion, music, food, what else? but the basic thing which remains constant is our way of thinking. how is it relevant in the context of my topic is that even though the marriageable age has been increased,child marriage has been banned, but still the sole purpose of one's life is to find a partner and get married. boys don't get that much pressure about getting married as they get about finding a job, making a carrier and being independent. but what about girls. for 18-21 years or lets say in the so called modern world for 26 years, girls live their life according to their parents. they wear clothes which their parents agree upon, act and behave lady like, study where their parents want and at last marry according to their parents' choice. i am not saying that agreeing with parents is bad or living life according to them is,but when the hell is a girl gonna get a chance to live? boys are never told do this, wear that, or stay inside the house or even marry forcefully to the girl of their parents choice. okay so a girl needs all the protection from her parents at such a tender age. but what about when she is grown up? is every girl today that independent so as to not only make a carrier but dream about being rich on her own terms and not think about marrying a decent guy who'll support her. isn't it true that most girls today still want a guy who'll protect her, feed her and give shelter to her. and aren't most girls afraid to divorce the wrong guy in fear of letting down her parents or most commonly not having any place to go or no money or clothes on their back if they separate. but boys don't have that fear. they are free to dream, think beyond,make a living and treat their wives the way they want to. because they are not afraid and the reason behind that is they have independence, money and of course a loving bound wife with them. so the question is that is the society ever gonna think beyond and let the girls live just for once. are the parents ever going to get over with the fear and let their girl dream for herself not about a guy but about being independent and stand on her own feet rather than depend on some1 else. We are not that modernised and advanced as we want to think. We need to open our minds and give even the girls a chance. My favourite Quotation Maybe fits here,"Live and Let Live!" :)