Pretty pink ballerina

She stood there like a fairy
From head to toe in white
With a twinkle in her eyes
Indeed a pretty sight.

And as she received her golden trophy,
Wrapped in ribbons silky blue,
It donned on me that maybe
I could have been there too.

It started years ago
In my pink ballerina dress
When pirouettes were my priority
And life a lovable mess!

I dreamt o being a dancer
Of doing shows, big and small
I dreamt o f living life to its fullest
As I danced across the hall

She had done just the same
As she swirled and danced around
Like a pretty young angel
Who had just landed on the ground

A lady had come to call me
She said I would be a star
That I would become famous
Be known, near and far

But seeing MY reaction
She was struck with a blow
Because to her very surprise
My answer was, NO!

I said bye to the opportunity
Gave up a golden chance
And soon bid adieu to my passion
Gave up my dance

My ballet shoes were packed in the box
That last glimpse of the dance hall
“Why did I say no?” You ask me
For I was afraid I would fall

I was afraid I would fail
I doubted my own skill
Though there was a way this time,
There was no will

That door I was afraid to open
In fear of what I would see
So I shut my dreams forever
Dreams, of who I wanted to be

Life taught me a lesson
That I teach you, my child today
You don’t go in search of opportunities
Opportunities, they come your way

When life gives you golden chances
Don’t let them slip your hand
Or you won’t climb the mountains
You will just fall, deep into the sand

If I had not committed that mistake
I could have been on stage too
Receiving a golden trophy
Wrapped in ribbons, silky blue.

Economic growth of developing countries is not more important than protecting the environment

Discussions of the future of the planet are dominated by those who believe that an expanding world economy will use up natural resources and those who see no reasons, environmental or otherwise, to limit economic growth. Neither side has it right.

Good morning to one and all present here. The motion before the house is ‘economic growth of developing countries is more important than protecting the environment’ and I would like to present my views against the topic.

The truth, of course, is that most of us care more about our standard of living than we do about the health of some species we seldom if ever see. And the truth, even harder to admit, is that most of us care more about our own welfare than we do about that of persons living three or four or five generations hence. This is the harsh reality. We have already wasted and destroyed vast amounts of natural resources, and in so doing have put earth at risk. We must preserve the earth for our children and grandchildren. As the quote goes “We have not inherited the Earth from our ancestors, we have borrowed it from our children.” Unquote.

My worthy opponents may argue that developing nations can not be expected to share the green concerns of developed countries when they are faced with dire poverty and a constant battle for survival. However, poverty and environmental damage are often linked. Destroying the rainforest gives native people nowhere to go except urban slums. Polluted water can lead to crop failures. Climate change will turn fertile fields into deserts and flood coastal areas where hundreds of millions live. Developing countries have to choose sustainable development if they want a future for their people.

Many people today still assume – mistakenly – that the Earth is so big that we human beings can not have any major impact on the way our planet’s ecological system operates. This assertion may have been true at one time but that’s not the case anymore. Our population has increased manifold and our technologies have become so powerful that we are now capable of having a significant influence on the Earth’s environment.

I would like to make it clear that no one wants to stop economic progress that could give millions better lives. But we must insist on sustainable development that combines environmental care, social justice and economic growth. Earth cannot support unrestricted growth.

Statistics have shown that unchecked population growth has a negative impact on the whole planet. Both the poverty and the environmental problems of sub-Saharan Africa are largely the result of rapid population growth putting pressure on limited resources. Statistics have also shown that the pre-industrial concentration of CO2 was 280 ppm. In 2005, that level measured 381 ppm and it is still growing.

The next point I would like to put forward is that nations are losing more from pollution than they are gaining from industrialisation. China is a perfect example. Twenty years of uncontrolled economic development have created serious, chronic air and water pollution. This has increased health problems and resulted in annual losses to farmers of crops worth billions of dollars. So uncontrolled growth is not only bad for the environment, it is also makes no economic sense. I would also like to quote an incident. In 2005, there was a flood in the Shandong province in China. At the same time, the neighbouring area of Anhui province was facing a drought.

We must not forget that looking after our fragile world has to be a partnership. Climate change will affect the whole planet, not just the developed world. In fact it is likely to have particularly terrible effects on developing countries as sea levels rise, deserts advance, and natural disasters become more common. As Margaret Mead said “We won’t have a society if we don’t have an environment.”

Perhaps my worthy opponents may put forward the immense advantages that the developing nations faced with the Green Revolution. However, the Green Revolution is threatening the biodiversity of the Third World by replacing native seeds with hybrids. Such hybrid crops can cause environmental problems by crowding out native plants and the wildlife which relies on them. The farmer growing hybrid crops must buy costly new seed every year because it cannot be saved to plant the following year’s crops. Farmers using hybrid seeds in what was the richest part of India went bankrupt. As a result, fertile lands lay idle and unploughed, resulting in droughts and desertification. Our environment in which we live and work is a mirror of our attitudes and expectations.

So the question remains, what will happen to our industrial civilization if the supply of natural resources is constantly diminished relative to demand? The answer is obvious. Our prosperity will be threatened. And the solution is obvious. We must strive to obtain more goods and services from our finite supply of non-renewable resources, and we must protect -- from both extraction and waste impacts -- the natural productivity of our forests, fisheries, agricultural and range land, and other renewable resources. I would like to end by quoting David Orr “When we heal the Earth, we heal ourselves.” Unquote

An interview of an animal : The tiger

Recently, I went to the zoo as part of a school project. My topic was to find out about the tiger. Before beginning my ‘homework’, I was clicking photographs of the other animals. When I reached the tiger’s cave, or I shall call it cage, I heard a cry. I could not believe my ears. It was true! The tiger family was shedding tears! I approached the tiger but kept some distance for any time the tiger could reach out its paw to grab me. At that very instance, the tiger spoke! I took a short but touching interview that I would like to share with you.


Me: Good afternoon, Sir. I would like to have a small chat with you for my school project ‘Save the Tiger’.

Mr. Tiger (T): Come dear Chaitali. I was expecting you much sooner.

Me: Sir, you know my name? And you were waiting for me?

T: Of course. I know the full biodata of those working to save us. Tell me, what would you like to know?

Me: Sir, would you please tell me about yourself?

T: I, the ‘Pathera Tigris’ am part of the Felidae family and one of the largest of the four big cats. I, the Siberian tiger, am the largest of the subspecies of tigers. My uncles live in India and my aunts in Russia. Some of my cousins reside in Tibet whereas a few are native to China. A few of my relatives live in Indonesia. The rest are native to Malay Peninsula.

Me: Sir may I please know why you were weeping.

T: What is there to be happy about child? Out of the eight subspecies of tigers, only five are left, that to-endangered. We are constantly being tortured and killed for our skin, teeth and even flesh. In such a disastrous world, how can we live in peace!
Me: But sir, there are several wildlife sanctuaries and several projects brought up to protect you.

T: I know. However, zoo-keepers get us from those sanctuaries and keep us in these caves. Even though we are free from threat, we are not free.

Me: I agree sir. However the bright side is that tigers have featured prominently in ancient mythology and folklore, and continue to be depicted in modern films and literature. Tigers appear on many flags and coats of arms, as mascots for supporting teams and as the national animal for several Asian countries.

T: Let me take the example of India. As you know, India’s national animal is the tiger. But one of the most endangered species of tiger is the Bengal tiger. What do you have to say to that?

Me: The tiger is the ‘vahana’ of Goddess Durga. It has always been a symbol of power and might. Lord Ayyappan also ‘rides’ a tiger. In the legend of the Korean prince, Dan-Gun, the tiger is seen as brave and sacred and also receives affection.

T: Hmmm… I see. Maybe you are right. But this does not solve my problem. How do I save all my relatives? How do I protect my family? The project you are making will soon go into the trash can after it has been checked by your teachers. And very soon, the tigers’ name will be added in the list of extinct species.

Me: No sir. I promise that I will encourage everyone I know and all my fellow friends and classmates know to preserve tigers by topping the trade of objects made from tigers. It is the sacred duty of each and every citizen of Mother Earth to save the tiger and I shall ensure that the duty is fulfilled.

T: Thank you Chaitali! I am grateful towards you and your campaigns. Thank you very much!!!

Me: Thank you sir for enlightening me.

T: Do come again and someday we will have dinner together.

Me: My pleasure sir.


With this, my interview came to an end and I had to bid farewell to my new friend-the tiger. I have promised him that I shall put my heart and soul to remove the name of the tiger from the endangered list and add it to the list of ‘well protected animals’. For that, I will need your help. Are you willing to help me?

The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others

Mother Teresa once said and I quote:
"At the end of our lives, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made or how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you took me in. Hungry not only for bread-but hungry for love. Naked not only for clothing-but naked of human dignity and respect. Homeless not only for want of a room of bricks-but homeless because of rejection.”
Unquote.
Good morning…
Mahatma Gandhi has rightly said that the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. There are several divine and devoted ones who have laid down their lives to put someone else’s need before their own. The list includes Jesus Christ, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Dalai Lama… I could go on.

After His last supper here on earth, Jesus Christ sat with His disciples, knowing His mortal life would soon be taken. He knew that He would suffer for the sins of the world. He knew that one of His apostles would betray Him to the mob that would crucify Him. Though He must have felt the weight of all of these heavy thoughts, Jesus Christ humbly knelt and washed His disciples' feet before He left them.
The Son of God, who had lived a perfect life, had power to heal the sick and raise the dead, and change water to wine, performed this simple and lowly act of service. No one mightier or more worthy of devotion ever lived, but He knelt and cleansed the feet of His disciples. The Savior provided the perfect example of service. Every minute of His ministry here on earth was spent in service of His fellow human beings.
Mahatma Gandhi stands as one of history’s greatest heroes of “engaged spirituality,” that is active within the world to help heal injustice, hatred, pettiness, fear and violence.
Mother Teresa is famously referred to as the vocation of service. She gained worldwide acclaim with her tireless efforts on behalf of world peace. She was one of the pioneers of establishing homes for AIDS victims. For more than 45 years, Mother Teresa comforted the poor, the dying, and the unwanted around the world. She is stated to have said that earthly rewards were important only if they helped her help the world’s needy.
These stories tell us that service connects us to those we serve and gives us a kind of satisfaction that self-interest can never offer. Service happens in big ways and small, in public and in private, for friends and for strangers. It should be motivated by love. As Muhammad Ali said: “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

The Bard of Avon

It was in the year 1564
On the auspicious date April 23
Mary Arden, wife of John Shakespeare
Gave birth to thee

Shall I call thou a playwright?
Or shall poet be the name?
Or was it through thy marvellous acting
That thou rose to fame?

It began with historical dramas
Tragedies were thy cup of tea
Thou hath written romances
And penned down comedies

Non-dramatic works thou call them
154 sonnets they are
Infamous compositions indeed
Read near and far

Titania’s magic is enchanting
Shylock takes the spotlight
But most merry of them all
Is thy play ‘Twelfth Night’

Thy style of writing till date
Remains one of a kind
It creates powerful effects
And startles the audiences’ mind

Praising thy greatness
I can carry on
Perhaps that is why thou are known
As the Bard of Avon

Shall we celebrate it as thy birthday
Or thy death day shall it be
For thou left for thy heavenly abode
On April 23

Immortal thou are
An inspiration for many
In our hearts oh mighty Shakespeare
Forever thou shall be

Imagination

Where the seas are red
And the trees are blue
Where peace is more
And wars are few
That is my imagination!

The birds swim
And fish fly
Where only love exists
No one will cry
That is my imagination!

Let us make
This peaceful land
Across the oceans
And the sea

Tranquility will be achieved
With our determination

This is my imagination!

Imagination

Là, les mers sont rouges
Et les arbres sont bleus
Là, la paix est plus
Et les guerres sont peu
C'est mon imagination

Les oiseaux nagent
Et les poissons volent
Où seul l'armour existe
Personne ne va pleurer
C'est mon imagination

Laissez-nous faire
Cette calme terre
à travers l'ocean
Et la mer

Tranquillité sera atteint
Avec notre determination

C'est mon imagination

My little boy!

It seems like only yesterday
When I held you in my hand
And held your little fingers
As we walked on the golden sand

Then you entered the school gates
I was more scared than you
Soon time spent in school became more
And hours spent with me became few

Now you know your colors
And you know your ABC’s
You can make Hindi sentences
And are well versed with 1, 2, 3’s

You brush your teeth by yourself
You have learnt to tie your shoe
You do those little chores yourself
That earlier, I used to do for you

When I see your bubbling laughter
My heart fills with joy
Though you will soon grow up
You will always be, my little boy!

Vijaya Lakshmi pandit

The status of women in India has been subject to many great changes over the past few years, actually, over the past few millennia. From equal status with men in ancient times through the low points of the medieval period, to the promotion of equal rights by many reformers, the history of women in India has been eventful.
Yes it’s true that Medieval India was not women's age. It is supposed to be the 'dark age' for them. Medieval India saw many foreign conquests, which resulted in the decline in women's status. The status of women in modern India is a sort of a paradox. If on one hand she is at the peak of ladder of success, on the other hand she is mutely suffering the family violence.
As compared with past, women in modern times have achieved a lot. Women have left the secured domain of their home and are now in the battlefield of life, fully armored with their talent. They are proving themselves.
The plight of women in medieval India and at the starting of modern India can be summed up in the words of great poet Rabindranath Tagore:
"O Lord! Why have you not given woman the right to conquer her destiny?
Why does she have to wait head bowed,
By the roadside, Waiting with tired patience,
Hoping for a miracle in the morrow?"
When we hear “Indian women who have brought a change in our country”, the names that may pop into most of our heads are Jhansi ki Rani, Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Kiran Bedi, Kalpana Chawla, Saina Nehwal, Medha Patkar, Aishwariya Rai Bachchan, Lata Mangehkar, Arundhati Roy, Prathiba Patil… But what about names like Bachendri Pal- the first Indian woman to climb the Mt.Everest, or Justice M.Fatima Beevi- the first woman judge of the supreme court of India or perhaps Harita Kaur Deol- first Indian woman pilot in the Indian Air Force on a solo fight.
Names like Kamaljit Sandhu- first Indian woman to win a gold in the Asian Games or Punita Arora- the first woman in the Indian Army to don the highest rank of Lieutenant General, do not really strike us. We must not forget that Indian women are not lagging behind men but have reached and even proved themselves better suited in each and every height and pinnacle that men have.
If I am asked to tell about a woman who has been an agent of change in my community or country, I could go on, as the list is endless. Whether it is in the field of sports or in the political front, in literature or in the sphere of art and entertainment, Indian women have mastered anything and everything which a woman can dream of. They participate in all activities such as education, media, art and culture, service sectors, science and technology, etc. It is not merely about names by which I shall support my argument. Statistics of 2009-2010 have shown that a total of 276,806 women were enrolled in engineering and technology courses at the start of the academic session. This shows that women have broken yet another glass ceiling- one of the most resilient ones in Indian academics.
However the woman I would like to mention is an eminent personality yet remains unknown to many people. She has been in politics, she was the aunt of the first woman prime minister of India- Indira Gandhi, and has held the post that no woman in the world ever had held, and till date no Indian has either.
When Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa was appointed President of the sixty-first session of the UN General Assembly, she became only the third woman to occupy the prestigious post. The first woman (and first Indian) president of the United Nations General Assembly, in 1953 was Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit. She was the President of the eighth session. Since then, only two more women have held that prestigious post namely Angie Elisabeth Brooks of Liberia and Sheikha Haya Rashed Al Khalifa of Bahrain. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit spoke against apartheid and in favour of world peace.
Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was born in Allahabad on August 18, 1900 and was given the name Swarup Kumari ("Beautiful Princess") Nehru. She was the eldest daughter of a distinguished Brahmin lawyer, Motilal Nehru and his wife, Swarup Rani Nehru. She was eleven years younger than her brother, Jawaharlal Nehru.
She is not known as Jawaharlal’s sister, but for being elected a member of the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces in 1937. Not only that, she also became Minister for Local Self-Government and Public Health, the position which she held till her party resigned from office in 1939. She was President of the All-India Women's Conference from 1941 to 1943 and was the founder and President of the All-India Save the Children.
She was arrested in her mid-thirties during British rule and sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment for presiding over a crowded public meeting where the Independence pledge was taken. This was the first of her three imprisonments.
Following India's independence from the British in 1947 she entered the diplomatic service and became India's first ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1947 to 1949, the United States and Mexico from 1949 to 1951, Ireland from 1955 to 1961 (during which time she was also the Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom), and Spain from 1958 to 1961. Between 1946 and 1968 she also headed the Indian delegation to the United Nations. She also led India’s first Goodwill Mission to China.
Her brother’s death on May 27, 1964 came as a great shock to her. In India, she served as governor of Maharashtra from 1962 to 1964, after which she was elected to the Indian Lok Sabha from Phulpur, her brother's former constituency. She held office from 1964 to 1968. In 1979 she was appointed the Indian representative to the UN Human Rights Commission, after which she retired from public life.
When Indira Gandhi, niece of Mrs. Pandit, was appointed Prime Minister of India in 1965, she became one of the first Heads of Government for an Asian country, continuing the tradition of Sri Lanka’s Sirimavo R.D. Bandaranaike, who became the first woman Prime Minister in 1960. Pandit was a harsh critic of her niece Indira Gandhi. Furious at Indira Gandhi’s state-of-emergency suspension of democratic processes from 1975 to 1977, she campaigned against her niece. Her efforts resulted in an electoral defeat for Gandhi.

She died on December 1, 1990 at Dehradun. Vijaya Lakshmi used to say that none should mourn her death as she had lived long. Her family members took her word to heart and at Sangam instead of mourning her death they celebrated her life. On the occasion of her death, President Ramaswami Venkataraman described Pandit as a ‘luminous strand in the tapestry of India's freedom struggle.”
Her presence can be felt even today. Her daughter Nayantara Sahgal is a wonderful novelist. Gita Sahgal, the writer and journalist on issues of feminism, fundamentalism, and racism, director of prize-winning documentary films, and human rights activist, is her grand-daughter.
Pandit's own writings include So I Became a Minister (1939); Prison Days (1946); The Evolution of India (1958) and The Scope of Happiness: A Personal Memoir (1979).
Mrs. Pandit was a trailblazer in women’s rights in India, laying precedent for future generations of empowered women in the civil and governmental services. According to her, politics is a mean of social economic reform which strengthens human rights and empowers women. She was against monopoly of power by one family. Distinctive in her elegance, courage, and dedication, Mrs. Pandit was an asset to the national movement. She had great will power. She was courageous in her agonizing situations and led her life triumphantly. Her life was an example which all humanity should follow. A famous quote taken from her life is "The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war."
There is thus no doubt that we are in the midst of a great revolution in the history of women. The evidence is everywhere; the voice of women is increasingly heard in Parliament, courts and in the streets. Now that women of India are emerging in every aspect of life, I feel much more proud to say that I am an Indian. And even though I will not be able to excel to the extent Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit has, I hope I too will be a crusader in the journey of change for my country India and perform to my fullest.
The desire of Indian women can be best summed up in the following lines of 'Song of an African Women':

I have only one request.
I do not ask for money
Although I have need of it,
I do not ask for meat . . .
I have only one request,

And all I ask is
That you remove
The road block
From my path.

No matter what one says, it can be rightly said, hats off to the ladies…