Fasting - a way to protest

[Had written this piece for a discussion few months back, just thought of adding it to my collection]

“To fast or not to fast, is the question?”.. I believe fasting and an era stand independent. Fasting as a protest method  is not a genesis of the 21st century and I am sure all of you would agree with me on this atleast. If we rewind , it was prevalent way back in the spiritual era times also when a common man with uncommon will-power fasted to protest and  woo the GODs in heaven. The only change now is that the protest is against other men – Government or Governing Bodies.

I strongly believe that non-violent protest like fasting so profoundly advocated by Mahatma Gandhi[who fasted in protest and we got an independent India to live] or Nelson Mandela[who fasted for the prisoners rights and got a concession from the South African Government.] and now Anna Hazare[the anti-corruption crusader] has only empowered our society.

 Particularly for increasingly insensitive governments who do not rise from their slumber on hearing the hue and cry of the harassed public due to innumerable menace, violent protest will only stand futile. A fasting protest that gathers and captures the common predicament of the mass invigorates the people and inspires to join the protest. Such non-violent protest methods depicts the sanctity , strength and pure intention of the society to embarrass the other party or make them realize the error in their ways.And when such a protest gets coupled with support of the lakhs and media the impact becomes more powerful. The sheer will of a person to fast for the cause of the masses and die for it in itself becomes the clincher. It forces the sleeping beauties in the Government to do nothing but agree. Channelizing such protest and gathering mass support is essential to make it louder for the deaf ears to hear otherwise cases like Irom Sharmila [fighting to remove the AFSPA act in Manipur] or Swami Nigamanand [Fighting for clean Ganges] would become rampant.

I would like to end my discussion saying that if non-violent fasting methods for the first time could bring all parties in the history of Indian politics together then why be violent.

The Mark of my New Life...

"Just married" and more importantly "Just started to cook". Absent minded , more often my state of mind nowadays and I touched the red hot pan with my naked fingers. The roasting of my skin accompanied by the excruciating pain reminded me of no-one else but my mother. She is the one who has been bearing this for countless years to satiate our taste buds with heavenly manna that she cooks. One thing I realized for sure, in that furtive moment of pain, is that a homemaker's job is truly a thankless job. A job that needs utmost patience, ultimate endurance , absolute perfection and definitely no expectations often goes un-rewarded and unnoticed. Forbearing our endless tantrums in taste she successfully brings on plate the most palatable bite, even today. But how many times do we thank our maa for the food she serves , may be once in infinite times. Subtle or loud, shouldn’t we thank her more often? We don't because her bond does not demand that. 

The burn mark on my finger , is now a vestige of that enlightening moment. And everytime I feel it, I quietly thank my maa in my heart.

'SHE' dies , Whatsoever !

While surfing the net on the eve of India’s Independence Day I came through a news headline.

“6 lakh girls go missing at birth annually” reads a headline in one of the e-news site for a country whose president is a female herself .No guessing it's India. This survey by United Nations Population Fund is not just alarming but pathetic and at the same time a blot on the nation. The heinous crime of female foeticide and infanticide is prevalent since the Indus Valley Civilization but it's existence in modern India is definitely irrelevant and shocking. This psychic mindset is not just restricted to the remote villages but also to many sophisticated cities.

The baby is sentenced to death the very moment it's gender is disclosed. This condemnable sin is executed in some of the most gruesome and merciless manners. She is thrown into a river or sea as a food for the man-eater fishes or she is abandoned on the roadsides for the dogs to feast upon or she is suffocated in a drum full of milk till she succumbs to death or sometimes cut into pieces by her own parents or even sometimes denied arrival to the world. Such unabashed deeds are committed with elaborate reasons like to elude dowry problem in future , due to superstitious belief or some curse , sometimes for family pride or for continuation of clan and hence the excuses extend till infinity. India is truly a land of contradictions. A land where the Divine female is worshiped with utmost devotion and regarded as Shakti , the human female is mashed brutally. Where should SHE flee and to whom , when the protectors turn into murderers.

Sometimes SHE escapes the slaughter but only for more torture ahead. SHE lives and grows with an innate fear, constantly protecting herself from many vulture eyes. Her plight written will only finish all papers and dry your ink.

I know not if I can do anything to change the headline , but now I only feel relieved and thank GOD that I am lucky to be born to my parents who think otherwise.

You have CHANGED !!!!!

“You are not the same anymore. You have CHANGED !!!!!”

Men and Women, the two most contradicting creation of Nature .Their co-existence is the most complex equation, still unsolved. The equation is more complex when they fall in love and settle for a lifetime commitment.

The beginning of every love story is bliss. As the relationship grows expectations get appended and that's when the understanding is tested. A female at most times expects her male counterpart to continue the mushy love lifelong which is kind of absurd. Even though they know but still they expect. This becomes difficult for the male to continue. May be because men strongly believe in changes being inevitable which is more practical and women find it unmanageable to step out of their fairyland. Or maybe once men get a sense of security from their female counterpart they find it highly expensive to pamper them. Or may be women find it hard to come out of their cuddling love and accept the more matured one.  May be there is nothing abnormal in this situation and Nature has pre-decided this phenomena to follow. This foxing question remains unanswered since ages. May be Adam and Eve would be able to answer this. But every love story at some point of time definitely hears this argumentative question , “You are not the same anymore. You have CHANGED !!!!!” . Remember !

When they say you are in LOVE ..........

When the adrenaline rushes through all nerves in your body the moment you see him / her…. then be assured that you have been recently gunned down without your knowledge. That’s when you feel the first breeze of romance, the first spell of LOVE.

Yes, LOVE , the larger than LIFE phenomena that touches you , me and everyone atleast once in a lifetime. LOVE is an eternal blessing, a divine gift. There can be nothing more peaceful than enjoying the feeling of LOVE. The feeling is not just wonderful but enchanting. The spell of being beautiful and feeling the same is cast on you. You are guided by your emotions like they have dethroned you and taken charge of your SELF. You are lost in your daily familiar surroundings. There seems to be a famine of words when you wish to speak to him / her. A second’s wait seems to be longer than a decade just for a glimpse of him / her.Your enchanted self loiters in the lanes of romance.

Dare to get soaked in LOVE !