Back to the Environment..

While travelling in the bus today, I had an imaginary conversation in my head. I really found it thought provoking, and here I am: sharing it with you guys.

Scenario: Me waiting at the bus stop where I bump into a friend on the bike.
P.S in this conversation, I can ride the bike.

Friend: Hey Ridhee!
Me: Hi! Where did you go?
Friend: Tuition. Where are you off to?
Me: Class. You should really not use the bike before you get your license you know.
Friend: Who cares? Its about looking cool. Even you should use the bike to go to nearby places. After all, how many women know how to ride a bike?? *winks*
Me: No big deal. I guess I'll concentrate on doing my bit first. *smiles*
Friend: What bit?
Me: Havent you heard? The earth is not a livable planet anymore...
Friend: I have. Why are they sending us to Mars then? Or searching for exoplanets
Me: By sending us to Mars, nothing can be accomplished. The atmosphere there is really thin to sustain life. The solar flares from the Sun can cause cancer. Exoplanets you say? The nearest exoplanet is around 12 light years away from us. Light takes 12 years to reach us from that planet. If we travel at the speed of light, we'll reach there by 12 years. If not, hundreds of years. Earth is our home.
Friend: Woah! Chill! Science geek.
Me: Correction. Astronomy geek.
Friend: How is astronomy related to being an environmentalist.
Me: It isnt.
Friend: *rolls eyes* Okay, so how are you "saving the environment"?
Me: Isnt it clear? By using public transport. Its minus one vehicle on the road.
Friend: Dude. It costs you.
Me: Travelling in a vehicle costs you more. Petrol prices are soaring.
Friend: It makes you look uncool.
Me: What's cool according to you?
Friend: Travelling in your own vehicle; people think you are rich.
Me: Well, I would love that, but what's the use when the earth will end? When we wont be able to live on earth anymore? I guess, I like the idea of making this place livable and then acting "cool" all I want.
Friend: *kick starting his bike* Well, Ridhee, you are one crazy girl! I wish people would actually think like you! All the best with your life!

And, he sped off, while I caught a bus to my destination.

Goals, Dreams, Ambitions

I have dreams to fulfill,
Goals to reach,
Ambitions to see.

I am not here to sit idle,
Nor will i sit idle
Until I succeed.....


My second "poem" after a year :)

Arvind Kejriwal

So, I came to know people have started criticizing Arvind Kejriwal. The person we all had hopes on to eradicate corruption from the Indian government. This just means people arent satisfied with anything! I mean, just because he wanted to accept a 5 BHK flat, there was such an outrage by the people! If he has promised so much, he has to work overtime, and, do you think he can do that in his current flat? He has allowed people to visit him at anytime with his vows. Do you think he can do that in his current flat? Doesnt he need a big space to work, meet people and also have a social life? Hasnt he fulfilled some of his promises? So, why dont we let him do his work with everything he has? And, everything needs? We should trust him and let him do his work! I still believe in him and always will. Because I dont have any other choice. And, I do believe that he is the one who will do everything to see India rise up again. He cant do everything in a day; nor in his small places! Sometimes, we should just let the government take care of everything. Its a request from my side. If we loose hope in this man, without any proper evidence of him practicing corruption, we are stopping a man who really wants to do something, before he can do it. Choose wisely.

Make a Difference!!!!

This is the first time I traveled during peak hour after shifting to my home...a year and a half after I shifted. And I noticed huge traffic jams everywhere! Infact, I was stuck in one for alomst 45 mins! Everywhere around me, I saw cars and buses stuck in jams. So many cars.......so much light pollution; air pollution; noise pollution. Stuck in the traffic jam I thought if people just think of the environment, start carpooling, or use public transport, would something happen? Will something happen to their status? Now, people who travel by public transport are actually respected! As travelling in big and expensive cars has become a status symbol, people hate travelling by the metro or the buses, either because its crowded or because they want to boast about their wealth. I have seen so many people travelling in SUVs to their offices, they sitting behind and their driver driving. Why do they have to do that? Why do we want to waste so much fuel and pollute the environment just because travelling through public transport is just too cheap for our status? Have we ever thought what would happen to us when the environment is damaged beyond repair? Its as if killing the environment is the only option. And killing the environment is killing us; killing humanity. So why not just use public transport and reduce jams and pollution and make India a quite country? If 30 million people owning cars use public transport, the government can improve of our public transport too! If we make an effort, the government bodies have to do something right? How are they going to do something when we ourselves dont cooperate? If we carpool or travel by buses what difference would it make?  Isn't it our responsibility, as human beings, to see that our environment isn't getting affected by our activities? Because whatever befalls nature, befalls its children! Which includes us too! We are dooming the earth to irreversible damage! Its time we understand this, and not only look at our benefits. I am doing my bit. Are you?

Arvind Kejriwal - The New Mahatma?

So, Arvind Kejriwal has been sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Delhi.  Shiela Dixit has been hit badly, and so has Congress and BJP. Congress has offered to support AAP to give them a majority so that they can form a government in Delhi, though no one knows why.

I said in one of my posts before that India needs a new Mahatma Gandhi to make it free of corruption, so I wonder now: Is Arvind Kejriwal our saviour? Is he the person who is going to make India a corruption free country? Well, to me it looks he is the new Mahatma. People have high expectations from him. But, he should tread carefully. If he stumbles somewhere, and doesnt give the people what he promised, or makes a delay in giving it to them, they might just spoil everything he has worked for. After all, people have been waiting for 0% corruption for a long time. They even want the corrupt ministers to get punished, and have low crime rates.

And, if he is successful, egos will be hurt. Politicians would want to kill him. A no confidence motion can be passed. Anything can happen. I hope he knows where he is going. I hope he knows how sensitive his situation is.

And, also, if Arvind Kejriwal fails, the common man's trust from the politicians and parties will be lifted. They will think India is doomed to corruption, and rightly so. But, God moves in mysterious ways. I dont think Arvind Kejriwal will fail. If he doesnt fail, other political parties would be forced to take the same path he took or they would be non-existent. Only one party would win every election. And, too much of something is bad. India would be an ideal democracy, but, there would be things troubling the people then too. It could be anything, though I cant think of anything that would trouble the people in an ideal democracy.

Moreover, and ideal democracy is possible in theory only. There have to be some flaws in every democracy; in every country. Nothing is perfect.

I wish Arvind Kejriwal all the best and I hope he is able to make a change in this place. This place really needs it.

Dreams...

Dreams...the word itself sounds so philosophical and out of the world. As if its something that cant be understood easily. On the contrary, its very simple. The English dictionary describes it in three ways. The first is a series of thoughts, visions, or feelings that happen during sleep. The second is an idea or vision that is created in your imagination and that is not real. The third is something that you have wanted very much to do, be, or have for a long time. 

Here, I would be talking about the third meaning. Something that you have always wanted to do or become or something you have always wanted to posses. Everyone has dreams. They want a future they have dreamt of. Some people have every aspect of their future mapped out, and they are determined on following that plan. Some people dont really know what to do with their lives, but they do dream. They dream about what kind of a future they want.

I have dreams. Big dreams. These dreams I have had for a long, long time. I've had them for around ten years now. And, I want to fulfill them. Anything for them. But, now, as I am growing up, and its time to put the first of my plans that were on paper, into action, I hesitate. Contradicting thoughts start coming in. Because, life doesnt go the way we plan it. We plan it in a way where we get whatever we want, without any heartbreaks, and tears. But, life isn't that. It consists of heartbreaks, tears, achievements, fun, friend, everything. So, life alters our plans. It gives us everything in a balanced quantity. And, we find ourselves in a completely new place. After which we have to re-make our plans.

I have my future mapped out, but I am scared of the times when life will give me a completely new situation and I have to make my way after that. If my dreams are not realized, I will be shattered. I will be in a scary place where everyone is doing what they want to do and I dont know what to do. And, there would be no one who would come to my help.

So, now, when I am putting the first of my plans into action, I hesitate. I hesitate because, if I go wrong anywhere, my foundation would be shattered. I also hesitate because I wont be able to support myself financially, and I dont know if I will win a scholorship. Its scary now, when I think of it, but, on the contrary, having no plan is much more scarier.

Maybe now, I would just harness my skills, and try my best to fulfill my dreams....but, I guess, everyone is scared when it comes to getting out of school....

:)

....And Nothing Has Changed....

Its been a year, and nothing is different. Its been a year since Nirbhaya died, and everything is what it was a year ago. The incident that shook the whole nation didnt attract any reforms. Things are still the same. A number of girls still go through what Nirbhaya did that day. And, no one wants to come forward and impose the reforms. A reform which will protect both genders, the female from molestation, and the male from false accusation. Everyone is back to normal.

Everyone was agitated when this happened. Everyone shed a tear or two when she died, fought for some more time, and went back to their lives. Everyone forgot about the incident, including me. And, I hate to admit it. Now, its been a year, and everyone remembers it again. What do we do this time? Again have a candle march? How many candle marches should we have?

Moreover, how many people can we punish? Maybe, we might stop the crime rates, but its our duty to educate the people and change their mind sets. Just recently, a girl went through the same ordeal in Mumbai. And, Mumbai was supposed to be the safest city in India for girls. Dont you think its time we eradicate illiteracy from the country? That is the main reason all this happens. Isnt it time we show that the female is as important as the male?

I do think its time that the female can walk out of her home at any time and feel safe. We wont tolerate any more heart breaking news. People have seen enough. Its time everyone were safe, and  everyone lives in harmony, and in a true democracy.

Theatre.....

It all started four years back when my Mum's friend recommended her to send my sister and I to this children's workshop on theatre (its not exactly a workshop. Its a class). It was a trial class, and I liked it so much, that I told my Mom I am NOT leaving this Theatre Company, come what may. Here, is also where I found my best friend, but that is not the topic. The Company is Yours Truly Theatre (YT).
Its been four years now that I have been part of this team. Its been a really long time, and its been the best time of my life! The number of plays I have done here is just uncountable! This place has taught me so much more than any school could teach me!
After four years, theatre has become my second life. Whenever I go there for a class or rehearsals, its like living my life all over again. And, no, I am not leaving them. I just got a little sentimental about my passion. Yes, theatre has become my passion now. Its kind of difficult to imagine my life without theatre. And, I would like to thank my Mom to let me go over there for one trial class, which changed the way I look at the world. And, theatre is such a thing which can change one's life completely. It is something that can make a man start enjoying the small things in life. It is something that can make a man laugh at his own mistake, and it is something that can make man smile even in the worst of situations. We say acting is an art, and if you learn this art, you can face anything in this world. Theatre is my passion, which I plan to pursue as my hobby. Its become a really big thing for me in the past four years. Its like an achievement.
I have done a lot of extra-curricular activities from a very young age, but theatre is where I really progressed! Because, I knew that this is the thing I am really interested in. Theatre has really changed my life. And, I am not planning to leave it midway.
Last, I would like to thank YT for doing such a wonderful job! YT, you guys just rock!

What Happened India? (Part 3)

I was studying with my mom again for my exams when we started discussing this. The fact which made me gape was the fact that the politicians of this country aren't bothered at all to develop this country and reach its heights. If we just know what to do and how to do and make ourselves responsible, we can become the most powerful country in the world! Maybe, be a competition to the US! But, if our representatives don't do something to literate the poor and do something to stop widening the gap between the rich and the poor, India is doomed! The politicians know that India's major population is poor and illiterate. Instead of empowering and giving them basic needs, they buy their votes during election times.
Like my Social Teacher said, its our fault we've been electing them to represent us in the government. Maybe we should try another set of representatives for the country, in the next elections. Not that its going to make a big difference, but we have to try. We are so fed up with the way India has been running. We are so fed up because of the corruption in our government. We need a clean government where people are actually given their rights. We have freedom of speech, and everyone has their opinion on something. You cant go arresting everyone who speaks ill about the government or about any other big person. Its against the law to arrest anyone who expresses his views on something! After some arrests months back, my mum is still scared I'll post something which will get me arrested.
When the realization of the government hit me, i screwed my face and asked my mom, "Is this the India I am living in? Did our leaders want this kind of an India? I cannot believe I am living here! And, the worst part? I don't know what to do to change this place!"
Man....I hope in the future someone like Mahatma Gandhi comes and saves India from its doom, before its too late.

E-books Replacing Books

I am totally against e-books replacing real books. Agreed, e-books do have their advantages, but, are you telling me that the next generation will not get to feel the crisp paper in their hands, and will not be able to smell the fragrance of the pages, and they wont be feeling the excitement of opening a new book and reading it from the first page? Are you telling me that the next generation will go to museums to see what a real book looks like? This is complete blasphemy! How can you replace something which has been man's best friend for more than a thousand years, with something that has just come in because of technology?! Infact, I try to avoid e-books as they don't give me the thrill of getting a book, and reading it from the starting. It doesn't give me the experience of turning the pages and the experience of closing the book for the last time when it is finished. Are you telling me, that people will close books with the push of buttons?
I know there will be very less people opposing e-books. And, I am one of them. But, even if the e-books replace the real books, they wont be able to give the feel and excitement of a book. A person wont enjoy a text to its full extent in an e-book. E-books will never be able to remove the traces of real and true books.

iBoy by Kevin Brooks

Before the attack, sixteen year old Tom Harvey was just an ordinary boy.
But now fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain and it's having an extraordinary effect.......
Because now Tom has powers. The ability to know and see more than he could imagine. And with incredible power comes knowledge and a choice. Seek revenge on the violent gangs that rule his estate and assaulted his friend Lucy, or keep quite?
Tom has control when everything else is out of control. But, its a dangerous price to pay. And the consequences are terrifying.....

This is another book I finished in a span of four to five hours. It wasn't big. Just around 300 pages. And, it was good. It was enthralling. I mean, its too good! All this mobile fragments getting embedded in this guy's brain and then the amount of information he gets. The way he uses it. The way he gets out the rage Lucy was feeling on her assaulters. The rage HE feels against them for spoiling his best friends life. And, after reading about their bonding. Their friendship, I feel a kind of respect for friends like those two. Lucy shares everything she isn't able to share with her mum, she shares it all with Tom. Agreed, they are childhood friends, but as you grow up, differences do come in between. But, their friendship defines the phrase best friends forever. Reading about such friendships, even I had started to wish for a friend like that. But, I know I'll have to wait for some time. Anyways, you have to read this book! It does get confusing, but still. READ IT! Because, when you come to the middle of the book, you don't feel like leaving it. Trust me, its worth the wait. Go read it people, and take your imagination in a totally different direction.

What Happened, India? (Part 2)

Such a shame...such a shame...I really didnt know the people of India will have to totally look at their feet one day in front of other countries. India was such a just and great country once upon a time! Its totally become the opposite now! No...I cant blame INDIA...I have to blame some of its people. The world suffers a lot.

The world suffers a lot. Not because of the violence of bad people, but because of the silence of good people. - Napoleon

How true was Napoleon?! The world does suffer a lot. We cannot change the people who do bad to the community, but we can at least raise our voices. We can make our chosen government to do their work. The government sitting there on the seat are responsible to the people. Its high time we raise our voices and tell all those criminals and the government that the "Common man" as we are called, will go to any heights to get what we want. And we want justice. And, we will go to any heights to get it.

After the December 16 case, I thought the government will take some action, and these kind of people will know that they will be dead meat if they attempt anything animal-like. I. Was. Wrong. The government didnt take any action except that Bill and four months after that tragic incident, there is another one. Now, its a five year old innocent. It happened in Delhi. The capital of India. The place people should GO to if they dont feel safe! Instead, people have to run away from there!

And, now its a five year old girl! What's her fault now? "I dont know why did her parents allow her to go out and play." "Wasn't she wearing proper clothes?" or, "Why was she born?" Now, how can you give the excuse that she was partying, staying away late at night, going around with boys, etc, etc?

And why should a girl be armed to feel protected? Why should a girl dress "properly" when she goes out? And, before that question arises, how do you DEFINE "properly"? People say, "If you dont respect girls, you dont respect your mother." Is respecting girls only respecting your mother? Isnt it respecting the girls of the society?

There are so many questions left unanswered. And, I can go on about them forever! But, when will we find answers to these questions is the real thing.

The thing which saddens me the most about the Indians is that they forget until the same incident happens on someone else. Now, there will be protests again for maximum one month and everyone will get back to their lives. Then, again there will be some other incident like this and again there will be protests and then again everything will be "peaceful". This will just keep on going. And, this is also one reason why the Government doesnt take any real action against the criminals. They know that the protestors have to go back to their normal lives. They will just keep on telling we're doing. Yes, they're doing something. They're waiting for the protests to get over.

What we really need to do is never forget. We should continue the protests till we get justice. But, we should be our own leaders. We cant have some other person leading the protests. We saw what happened in the Anna Hazare protests. Everyone got involved in the politics. And, some of them have started a new party for the aam aadmi. We don't need a new party which will be responsible to the people, but we need the old parties to get responsible to the people. India is a developing country. And, there are only some things which are pulling her down. Corruption is one of them. Another is following old superstitions. And, yet another, which is a very important factor, is not respecting women. One more reason is illiteracy, where not respecting women arises.

And, after some months of these incidents, its a young photojournalist going to do her work. Two days after that is a young police constable who was going to see the final rites of her younger sister. And, many more. What wrong did these girls do to be treated so badly? The good part is the photojournalist is alive...and stable. She is out of danger, and she will live to tell the tale. And, she wants the accused to be punished in the worst possible way. This happened in Mumbai, one place which was considered safe for women in India. This was not to be. There are protests around the country supporting the girl. But, we have no idea if the victim will get justice.

These were some stories from India against women. The real question is why? Why? Why is this so common in India, and why dont people report these cases? Why are the police so lenient with the accused? Why does it take years for the victim to attain justice?
India has been spoiled with corruption. Fast track courts also take years to solve a case now. And, the accused get released by some bribes and threats. Why dont the Indians change their perspective? Forget the steps to be taken after everything has happened. Is it right to put extra restrictions on the girl to make her safe? Or, should we educate the men to respect every women they see?

This post has many unanswered questions. And, we need the answers to these questions. I am going to fight for justice, and find answers to the questions. I cannot see India getting disgraced like this because of some dirty elements.

The Rains

The rains are back, and I am enjoying them to the fullest! Its been a year since I got wet in the rains. And, it feels awesome to get wet after a year. When I get wet, I totally feel alive. The raindrops falling on my body, the pitter-patter of the rain, the wind blowing through my hair....the experience is one of a kind! And, you should try dancing in the rain and feeling the rain. Actually feeling it like a real being. It is great being in the company of rain. Because, the first rain has its own charm. You dont need anyone else when you are in the rain. You can forget all the work pressure, or the bad experiences (or even the good experiences!) you have had in the last few days . Being in the rain is just about being yourself and enjoying the present; the 'now' moment. Its only you and the rain and no one else. And, whatever your age, go enjoy yourself in the first rain...go get wet in it because you'll have to wait till next year to enjoy yourself again and a hell lot of things can happen in a year!

What Happened India? (Part 1)

I was studying for my exams where I had to study about the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the religious minorities. While studying, my mother and I got into a discussion. Was it that the Government was not letting these backward classes rise to  get votes for themselves through promises that remained promises?  It was a great discussion which lasted almost an hour. And, as none of us are politicians, we just guessed what would be going on inside the conference rooms. Maybe the politicians are really deciding what is good for the country. Or maybe, they are again planning tricks which will boost the cash that goes into their pockets. Or they might be thinking of strategies which will let them get votes. Or, they might just be discussing which caterers to appoint for the next party. We don’t know what happens in there.  But, what we really know is that whatever the politicians are doing is not benefitting anyone in India. Take the example of the recent Budget 2013 presented in the Parliament . Well, the Budget has these kinds of recommendations which will make a big hole in the general public’s pockets. Maybe, the Government really needs this money or maybe it’s just another way of making the rich richer. And, from the reputation of the Government in the eye of the public, one can only think that this money is just making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Example: The Commonwealth Games. From what I remember (and please correct me if I am wrong), we had to pay extra taxes for the making of the stadium and the village. And, both, the stadium and the village weren’t up to the mark. So can we guess that the extra taxes we paid for the construction of the Common Wealth Games stadium and village weren’t used for the purpose? So, coming back to the topic, I learnt that there were reservations for the backward classes to help them rise. The Constitution provides reservations for the backward classes until they have risen. Unfortunately, it seems that somehow providing reservations to the backward classes haven’t let them rise. I am not condemning the reservations, but I am telling that the politicians, as greedy as they are, have somehow abided by the Constitution and done some trick which has stopped the backward classes from rising. A very good tactic, they have used. Brains, isn’t it? That’s what I thought. People complain about reservations. They tell that the general public is not getting as much as they need to out of the taxes being paid. In schools, colleges and universities, they are being compared to kids who are not as good as them and who still get selected. Then there are reservations for NRIs. Why do the NRIs want reservations?! They have more cash than they need! So, the general public is left with really little. You are giving reservations for the backward classes. But, you cannot give reservations to these people in each and every field! Give them reservations till the 10^th standard. Let them compete with the students in the general category for at least two years. Whoever is up to the mark and is able to compete with these students, let them compete with the students and make their living! Take this example: The Government gives reservations to the backward classes in a college which offers the MBBS course. The college has to select some students from the backward classes. Now, if one of the students is not that intelligent to become a doctor, and is selected, just think of what a doctor he would become. He will be selected in a Government hospital and will be putting the lives of the poor at risk. Because his IQ level is low, he will not be able to master the skills of becoming a doctor! This is getting headache on your own self after doing something “good.” Reservations are not bad. It’s the way you look at them. And, it’s the way the Government manipulates  them for their ulterior motive. 

Holidays

My summer vacations are just around the corner. Every person would be on cloud 9 thinking about their holidays. Even I was. Until yesterday. Yesterday, I had a study holiday and I had pretty much finished studying for the subject by around 7 o'clock. Well, on a normal day, I would have started my physical activity. But, as this is exam time, and I was thinking I have become a shade too thin for my liking, I'll gain some weight. That basically means I dont have any activity to do for fifteen days. I regretted that decision the minute I finished my studies yesterday. I DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO!!! Nothing to do for three whole hours and I was getting frustrated. To top that all, my sister, annoying brat that she is, was irritating me to such a extent that I was praying to God to just suck me in the ground! And, what I really got to do after that time was go into my thoughts and ponder over the question how will I spend my summer vacations, which I have for 2 whole months? With the fact that I havent planned anything except a two week workshop! These summer vacations are going to be the first vacations where Im going into hell! GAD SAVE ME!!!