Tornado

The air was crisp, the sky blue,

The town seemed welcoming, with faces new.
Roses and sunflowers, grass lush green,
Peaceful, composed, calm and serene.

The sky changed colour, clouds became grey,
Lightening, thunder, a storm on its way.
The wind blew faster, became quite strong,
Not usual rains; something was wrong.

It headed straight towards them, a disaster in disguise,
Growing bolder and louder, as it continued to rise.
It picked up everything, each stick and stone,
Breaking and tearing what came its way, making everything its own.

Chaos, confusion, pandemonium at its best,
Twisting, twirling, no signs of rest.
Turmoil continued, all were in pain,
When the storm halted, would life remain?

Then they fell to the ground,a broken neck or toe
Searching for stability, running to and fro.
The down was destroyed, so were they,
Nature's harsh call, on a bright sunny day.

How will they bring it together? They had no clue,
No energy either, and no willingness too.
They only knew they were shattered, as they wept and cried.
Maybe it could be restored, but only if they tried.

Silver linings

The walls that protected me,
And the hands that used to guide,
The pillars of support I could fall on,
Are no longer by my side.

I wiped my tears as I hugged them,
and then I cried some more,
A last glimpse over my shoulder,
And I walked out the door.

I did not know what lay in front of me,
What would come my way.
It was dark and scary,
Today, the clouds were grey.

And then the realization struck me,
To preach what I had been taught.
That losers never won,
and winners always fought.

I knocked on several doors,
To find the right key.
Tests and trials given,
To see what is suitable for me.

Step by step I reached here,
A longer way to go,
Neither mike nor stage knew me,
The faces, I didn't know.

Some glistening eyes, some friendly smiles,
Some welcoming voices too,
People who would walk with me
When everything was new.

This is a time of transformations
A time of new beginnings,
It might not be so bad after all,
Grey clouds, too, have silver linings.

Women as agents of change

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.

In the Rigvedic period, the women took equal part in sacrificial rites. Women frequently associated themselves with Vidhatha.

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. Cheap and forced labour of the enslaved population or of the Sudras became available to the Aryans and women ceased to be productive members of society.

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? O Lord!”

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.

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 or Prathiba Patil.

We shouldn’t ignore Bachendri Pal- the first Indian women 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. Or perhaps even Savitribai Phule- the first female teacher of the first women’s school in India. 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 at all.

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. In urban India, girls are nearly at par with the boys in terms of education. This shows that women have broken yet another glass ceiling- one of the most resilient ones in Indian academics.

Today’s modern women fill many positions starting from nurses to CEO’s, scientists to members of NGOs. And as women keep climbing the ladder to success, they encourage the youth like us. Girls from all around the world aspire to become a Lata Mangeshkar, or a P. T. Usha. Anita Desai, Shobha De and Prathiba Patil are idols for many girls.

Along with being career oriented, women have shouldered their household responsibilities very well. The pressure of being expected to fill roles like sister, mother, daughter, friend, wife etc. can result in anxiety, depression and loss of self worth. However they have not let anything pull them back.

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.
I would like to end by quoting US president Barack Obama “The best judge of whether or not a country is going to develop is how it treats its women. If it's educating its girls, if women have equal rights, that country is going to move forward. But if women are oppressed and abused and illiterate, then they're going to fall behind.” Unquote.
Thus looking at the progress of women, it can be rightly said, hats off to the ladies…

Child Rights

As a child, he enjoyed all the luxuries of the world. He received everything he wanted at the snap of his fingers. To him, that was life.
His perception of life changed when Pinki walked through the front door. Dressed in a single piece of cloth, her rusty dry brown hair was tied in a ponytail, though it didn't seem like one anymore. She was mom's 'new helper'. Though she was a day older than him perhaps, she seemed like she had been weak and timid forever.
The first question that popped in his head was, if she will be busy picking his clothes from the floor, what will her teacher say when she goes back to school? Will she go back and when?
The answer arrived at the door behind her. Pinki's mother made it very clear that she wanted her daughter to earn bread for the family. Her son was about to start school and the family needed money for his well-being. Pinki was to provide for that.
That evening when Pinki went to his room to give him his evening snack, he asked her why she did not get the privilege to go to school. A tear rolled down her cheek as she answered. Her family considered her no less than a burden. They beat her and bruised her badly. Before he could reply, she walked out of the room with memories of her tormented childhood.
That is when he asked his mother why Pinki was working at his home. His teacher had taught him that making small boys and girls work was a bad thing. Child labour is a crime. His mother told him that Pinki was a poor little girl whose childhood had been lost in the runs she made to and fro at the roadside tea stall. Years she had worked there and when her mother realised it wasn't enough to feed the entire family, she decided to employ her at a wealthy household like ours.
His mother gave him a big responsibility after that. She told him to teach Pinki alphabets and numbers. He took up that responsibility with full confidence and spent an hour everyday doing the same. He did his job with great alacrity.
Today, years later, Pinki works as a daycare helper with a reputed NGO. She has been given the task of ensuring that children have their meals at the right time. That their clothes are not tucked out and that their hair is combed neatly. When he visits Pinki, she smiles and tells him she finds her lost childhood in these young boys and girls.
Mother was able to save a child from the shackles of the poor society and stifling prejudices. But, there are still many others out there who did not get the rescue that Pinki did.

In India, a child has to face the most trauma and discrimination. The day they are born, the first discrimination of gender bias comes into play. A girl symbolises burden on the family. She isn't given the equal opportunities of education or proper food. The brothers are more privileged and favoured.
    As these young girls grow up, they face abuse and physical violence. Even a walk on the road can prove to be deadly for them. There is a danger at every turn and corner.
I used to think that it is only the women who are subjected to such prejudices of society. Studies however, reveal otherwise.
In India, the deadly prejudice of caste discrimination determines the future of every child. Those belonging to the socially backward sections of society are still called untouchables or अछूत . People still keep their distance.
Children through out the country are deprived of the basic necessities like food, shelter and proper sanitation. Those in the poverty stricken areas consider these a luxury.
These sights make me thank God for all I have. Then suddenly I realise that perhaps we too are not free from partiality and bias. Countless incidents of children being forced to study a particular subject they do not like makes me realise that we are deprived of the right to choice. Why are our life's decisions governed by those who are already living a blissful one?
This brings us to the conclusion that children in India are deprived of the right to live. They are governed by societal norms on their decisions and are burdened by social pressures as well. It is like a voice that is constantly overpowered by the societal norms and prejudices.
We children demand a life that is rightfully ours. As a civil society, it is necessary to create awareness among people. The message should spread to all the areas of the nation. Children are the future of the nation. Proper privileges and fights against discrimination is the first step that will help us create an equal society.

यह जो मेरा नगर है

यह जो मेरा नगर है 

यहाँ है प्रेम और प्यार .

यह जो मेरा नगर है

न कोई भेद-भाव या तकरार.

 

खुद से पहले पड़ोसी को रखें 

मदद  के लिए बढाएं हाथ .

कठिनाई जो हमारे सामने आये 

मिलके निकालें हल एक साथ.

 

न पक्षी को हम तंग करें 

न पेड़ो को हम काटें 

कूड़ा करना सख्त मना 

साफ़ सफाई आपस में बाटें .

 

बिमारी की जब आये बाड़

और तन्हाई के बादल जब आयें 

परेशानी का मातम जो छा गया

और दुःख सबको तडपाये 

 

रखें एक दूसरे के कंधे पे हाथ 

आशा की किरण दिखे 

मरीजों का इलाज हो 

भर पेट सो जाएँ भूखे 

 

यह जो प्रकृति है ,

इसका हम करें सम्मान 

भगवान की इस देन पर 

हम सदा रहें मेहरबान 

 

यह जो हमारा नगर है 

यहाँ है प्रेम और प्यार 

यह जो हमारा नगर है 

न भेद भाव या तकरार .

 

 

India's Identity

Mirza Ghalib did rightly extol

The world is the body, Delhi its soul

Welcome to Delhi- City of your dreams

Elegant, diverse, cultured and supreme

The pride of the people

The capital of the nation

A kaleidoscope of colours

Its tourist’s favourite destination

Qawalis, bhajans, gurbanis and prayers

Diwali, Id, Baisakhi and more

The hub for cultural bonanzas

There are festivals and celebrations galore

Extraordinary is the glamour

Of Delhi’s history

Seven different capitals

Such is its story

Lal Kot, Siri Fort, Tughlakabad

Jahanpanah, Firoz Shah Kotla, Deenpanah

Shahjahanabad and finally New Delhi

This is the tale of the seven cities

Humanyun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar

Red Fort and Lotus Temple

India Gate to top it all

Mosques, forts and monuments ample

The Parliament House, the Rashtrapathi Bhavan

Buildings that define our administration

The Rajpath road to lead us there

And Rajghat for the father of the nation

Tihar is in Delhi

It’s India’s best jail

And police officers in uniform

Fighting crimes without fail

Chandni Chowk is the foodie’s delight

Famous for Paranthewali Gali

Tasty kababs, lip smacking biryani

And street side favourite Bhelpuri

Chaat corner offers a wide range

Dhokle, gol guppe and pav bhaji

Delhi is home to all cuisines

Mughlai, South Indian and Punjabi

Delhi is the shopper’s paradise

With Saket’s famous shopping malls

CP for its architectural design

Mehruali with Mughal embroidery on the walls

Commonwealth Games in our city

Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan

Rich heritage, glorious lifestyle

Yehi hai Delhi meri jaan!

Big fat lies

‘Spoilt’ some called me

Since I was pampered by all

As a kid of five

I was chubby, fat and small

One day mum packed my clothes

Said something about ‘vacation’

I grabbed my teddy in my hand

And moved towards the station

A huge light hung from the ceiling

Mum called it a chandelier

And as I stared in awe and amazement

I dropped my teddy bear

A girl peeped out of the corner

Her eyes fixed on my toy

To her my brown stuffed animal

Seemed like a bundle of joy

I approached her with a smile

With the teddy I was to lend

And she smiled right back at me

She called me her friend!

She was a child labourer there

So I offered her my things

After all, I had plenty

Of those frocks, bows and rings

She smiled with her broken teeth

And to my very surprise

Said that possessions like these

Were a bunch of golden lies

For her true happiness

Was to eat leftover cake

To swing in the playground when no one was looking

To catch butterflies near the lake

Restaurant duties were her favourite

Because sometimes she danced along

When the singer ‘babu’ on the stage

Sang her favourite song

She said her name was Pinki

But that just didn’t seem right

Pink wasn’t present in her fate

Oh, such a sorry plight!

Her eyes sparkled

As she talked about her dreamland

And that is when I saw

The whip mark on her hand

Bruises on her face

Told me she gets beat

And cuts by broken glass

Had pierced her feet

Her smile suddenly faded

Her gaze shifted to the ground

And without uttering a word

She quietly turned around

I watched as she walked away

Till I could see her no more

But she left behind some thoughts

And my teddy on the floor

That day the snow melted

Both inside and out

That day I finally realized

What childhood is all about