No I didn't get a sex change but it's the catch line at the launch of the Spring/Summer Collection of a woman's clothing brand.
Today while watching news I saw the shocking news of female infanticide still prevailing in Rajasthan. In today's world where we as Indians are talking about the great progress we are making as a nation news like this makes my head hang in shame. Will we blame the government for this? Well yeah if anybody wants to take the supposition in that direction then sure as usual we can blame it for this too by contending that not enough is being done towards education improvement in the hinterlands of the country. However, I believe government cannot do everything in this matter. It is the society and the people which have to make the paradigm shift in thinking and break these chains which are termed as traditions. Its the new generation of Indians which have to break out of these molds in which some of our archaic unreasonable "traditions" try to bracket us in. Keeping our cultural traditions alive is absolutely fine but basic human emotions, human right - the right to live can never be sacrificed in the name of demonic practices camouflaged as "traditions".
We still have popular TV serials like "Is desh mai na aana Ladoo" which make the practice of female infanticide as their punchline. I don't follow the serial and maybe it carries a social message pointing out the evils of this social curse but the couple of episodes I saw I didn't get the message. Probably in matters like this subtlety doesn't work.
Yesterday I was sitting with friends and heard about colleagues at work who are still thinking in terms of "arey yaar meri beti hai. mujhey uskey liye bhi tu sochna hai". When we have city bred, highly educated professionals living abroad talking in these terms one can understand how deeply ingrained the malaise runs in our society.
Will we ever reach a stage where women in India would be able to say "Thank God I am an India woman" and not worry about being termed "manhoos"?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Defining success is difficult
The other day we saw "3 Idiots".
The movie is a great fun to watch and in addition to the fun factor also brings out the problem with the Indian Education system which does not encourage innovation and out of the box thinking but is focused on regimented mugging of lessons in order to achieve maximum marks.
S and I started discussing the ending of the film and we both had the question as to how does one define success. If the ending had shown Amir Khan, one of the main protagonist, as being "just" a school master and considering the admiration from the students and the community he was working in as his "success" it would be too idealistic an ending for a "Tenties" movie. The actual climax where the schoolmaster's measure of success is depicted in the form that he has 400 patents and is being pursued by international conglomerates is the other extreme. The hidden implication is that the protagonist is successful from a material aspect too as he has money flowing in from all these patents and collaborations. The other friends are also successful as one has 5 books published in 4 years, one has a Lamborghini and a huge house in US, one has a very good job and is doing some research etc. which all reflect that in the material aspects they all are well endowed. However is monetary the only measure to define success?
It is an ongoing discussion between the two of us and it is becoming obvious that even in today's times it is as difficult to define success as it always was. Why do not you also join in and let us know your opinion?
The movie is a great fun to watch and in addition to the fun factor also brings out the problem with the Indian Education system which does not encourage innovation and out of the box thinking but is focused on regimented mugging of lessons in order to achieve maximum marks.
S and I started discussing the ending of the film and we both had the question as to how does one define success. If the ending had shown Amir Khan, one of the main protagonist, as being "just" a school master and considering the admiration from the students and the community he was working in as his "success" it would be too idealistic an ending for a "Tenties" movie. The actual climax where the schoolmaster's measure of success is depicted in the form that he has 400 patents and is being pursued by international conglomerates is the other extreme. The hidden implication is that the protagonist is successful from a material aspect too as he has money flowing in from all these patents and collaborations. The other friends are also successful as one has 5 books published in 4 years, one has a Lamborghini and a huge house in US, one has a very good job and is doing some research etc. which all reflect that in the material aspects they all are well endowed. However is monetary the only measure to define success?
It is an ongoing discussion between the two of us and it is becoming obvious that even in today's times it is as difficult to define success as it always was. Why do not you also join in and let us know your opinion?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Illuminated by the Green 3D - AVATAR
Still in awe of the 1st 3D movie experience of my life ( if I disregard the sorry attempt of Appu Ghar way back in time ). Saw AVATAR yesterday and immensely liked it. Do not know whether it was Cameroon or his avatar, but whoever it was who spent all these years making the epic ( remember Titanic came out when we were still experiencing our teen infatuations )did not waster the time.
Many people have already talked about the movie in detail e.g. David Edelstein so I will not go into the technological wonder or the simplicity of the plot but will just touch upon the couple of things which struck me instantly.
The first of course being the fact that there is no limit to a human being's imagination. Left to dream without boundaries a human mind can conjure up limitless possibilities which can manifest themselves in fantasies as exemplified by Pandora. I really wonder why was it referred to as "a hell"! A land with floating mountains, synaptic trees, mystical creatures ( with surprisingly mundane tendencies though ), chiseled inhabitants with magical powers etc. cannot be a hell.
The other thing which came through was the emphasis on the purity of the pagan thinking - the balance of energy, the strength of heart, the purity of purpose all pointed to the times when man had not evolved a lot in his thinking but was probably more in touch with the ecological balance. Do science and progress always induce conflict? Does paganism always imply backwardness? These are questions which do not have easy answers.
Man, can destroy a perfectly good thing working :-)though if he / she puts their mind to it man can also achieve remarkable things.
Did anyone wonder as to why the animals in Pandora serve the same purpose as they do on Earth - the big dogs bite, the many legged horses are used as cavalry, the big birds fly, the big elephants charge etc.? And what would I give to have a body like that of a Nevi - leaving aside the tail bit, though.
Many people have already talked about the movie in detail e.g. David Edelstein so I will not go into the technological wonder or the simplicity of the plot but will just touch upon the couple of things which struck me instantly.
The first of course being the fact that there is no limit to a human being's imagination. Left to dream without boundaries a human mind can conjure up limitless possibilities which can manifest themselves in fantasies as exemplified by Pandora. I really wonder why was it referred to as "a hell"! A land with floating mountains, synaptic trees, mystical creatures ( with surprisingly mundane tendencies though ), chiseled inhabitants with magical powers etc. cannot be a hell.
The other thing which came through was the emphasis on the purity of the pagan thinking - the balance of energy, the strength of heart, the purity of purpose all pointed to the times when man had not evolved a lot in his thinking but was probably more in touch with the ecological balance. Do science and progress always induce conflict? Does paganism always imply backwardness? These are questions which do not have easy answers.
Man, can destroy a perfectly good thing working :-)though if he / she puts their mind to it man can also achieve remarkable things.
Did anyone wonder as to why the animals in Pandora serve the same purpose as they do on Earth - the big dogs bite, the many legged horses are used as cavalry, the big birds fly, the big elephants charge etc.? And what would I give to have a body like that of a Nevi - leaving aside the tail bit, though.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Deal Struck?
Have not been able to get into the details of the Copenhagen accord yet but going by what I have heard in the various medias the deal seems to be a beginning hopefully towards bigger and concrete actions.
This is definitely positive as I do believe that finding a solution which is mutually agreeable for 191 countries is a daunting task and the usual methodologies will not work. Hence, probably non-binding targets based on voluntary decisions on the premise of equitable distribution of responsibility is probably the right way to proceed. As you would gather I am a proponent of individual action so the thinking seems pragmatic to me but I still wonder whether it will achieve what we all want by the time we want it.
Will have to read the text from Copenhagen in detail to understand it better
This is definitely positive as I do believe that finding a solution which is mutually agreeable for 191 countries is a daunting task and the usual methodologies will not work. Hence, probably non-binding targets based on voluntary decisions on the premise of equitable distribution of responsibility is probably the right way to proceed. As you would gather I am a proponent of individual action so the thinking seems pragmatic to me but I still wonder whether it will achieve what we all want by the time we want it.
Will have to read the text from Copenhagen in detail to understand it better
Friday, December 4, 2009
It's not so clear or is it?
The more we come close to Hopenhagen the debate around climate change becomes shriller. There is debate which is good however to question the basis of the problem is according to me taking a short sighted view of the situation. For obvious reasons all the "doctored" data about climate change studies is coming out just before the conference but what each one has to think is that there are certain facts which cannot be doctored -
1. Centuries old glaciers are melting
2. Weather patterns are showing increasing amount of unrest
3. The weight we put on our meager resources is increasing
4. Forest covers are decreasing
5. There is an ozone hole
6. Water level in our water bodies is rising etc.
Now yes we can claim that climate over time does change and it is a natural process but is the pace at which the change is occurring consistent with the natural process? I am not a scientist and neither have I done a detailed research on this topic but as a thinking human I do believe that to ignore the problem will be at our own peril. I am optimistic and I do believe that we have not yet reached the point of no return but to continue with our way of life without regard for our environment is a sure recipe for disaster.
The conference itself is going to be a very tough discussion. The bottom line is that we stand where we are because of the past "sins" committed by the developed world. Not that the developing world has not contributed to the mess but the percentage of "blame" would be higher on the developed world. The good thing is that everybody recognizes that we have a problem but finding a solution will be tough unless all look to the future and think what each one can do to make the situation better. China and India have led the way by announcing unilateral cuts in emission targets but it is understandable that growing countries cannot accept legally binding levels which impact their intention to develop and provide better quality of life to their citizens. It is also understandable that in a difficult economic environment where the developed world is finding it difficult to sustain their own high standards of living they are balking at funding the clean development of other countries. But maybe the solution lies somewhere in the middle of these two extreme stands and in acknowledging the fact that unless a solution is reached the impact of environmental disaster would be for all to suffer and not just the developed or the developing world. The stage is set for some of the leaders to become world leaders if they can break out of their set ideas and parochial views and come up with innovative solutions but I am sure it will not be easy. Maybe an approach could be that since carbon emissions is such a contentious issue the discussions could avoid the topic altogether and try to address the problem in a different way e.g. not have binding emission targets but encourage countries to achieve locally defined goals by facilitating easy loans from IMF, World Bank for the achievers, concessions in trade etc.
I do believe that the cause is altruistic however for it to succeed at the geopolitic level it has to be linked to economics in some way or the other. "Market will decide" is the adage which cannot be applied to addressing climate change but a judicious mix of market initiatives, policy initiatives and human will could just do the trick. In the end however it still remains an individual choice and whatever the leaders might decide if each individual can make small changes in his/her outlook and way of life there can be an enormous impact.
Maybe we all need to have our own Hopenhagen!
1. Centuries old glaciers are melting
2. Weather patterns are showing increasing amount of unrest
3. The weight we put on our meager resources is increasing
4. Forest covers are decreasing
5. There is an ozone hole
6. Water level in our water bodies is rising etc.
Now yes we can claim that climate over time does change and it is a natural process but is the pace at which the change is occurring consistent with the natural process? I am not a scientist and neither have I done a detailed research on this topic but as a thinking human I do believe that to ignore the problem will be at our own peril. I am optimistic and I do believe that we have not yet reached the point of no return but to continue with our way of life without regard for our environment is a sure recipe for disaster.
The conference itself is going to be a very tough discussion. The bottom line is that we stand where we are because of the past "sins" committed by the developed world. Not that the developing world has not contributed to the mess but the percentage of "blame" would be higher on the developed world. The good thing is that everybody recognizes that we have a problem but finding a solution will be tough unless all look to the future and think what each one can do to make the situation better. China and India have led the way by announcing unilateral cuts in emission targets but it is understandable that growing countries cannot accept legally binding levels which impact their intention to develop and provide better quality of life to their citizens. It is also understandable that in a difficult economic environment where the developed world is finding it difficult to sustain their own high standards of living they are balking at funding the clean development of other countries. But maybe the solution lies somewhere in the middle of these two extreme stands and in acknowledging the fact that unless a solution is reached the impact of environmental disaster would be for all to suffer and not just the developed or the developing world. The stage is set for some of the leaders to become world leaders if they can break out of their set ideas and parochial views and come up with innovative solutions but I am sure it will not be easy. Maybe an approach could be that since carbon emissions is such a contentious issue the discussions could avoid the topic altogether and try to address the problem in a different way e.g. not have binding emission targets but encourage countries to achieve locally defined goals by facilitating easy loans from IMF, World Bank for the achievers, concessions in trade etc.
I do believe that the cause is altruistic however for it to succeed at the geopolitic level it has to be linked to economics in some way or the other. "Market will decide" is the adage which cannot be applied to addressing climate change but a judicious mix of market initiatives, policy initiatives and human will could just do the trick. In the end however it still remains an individual choice and whatever the leaders might decide if each individual can make small changes in his/her outlook and way of life there can be an enormous impact.
Maybe we all need to have our own Hopenhagen!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Something to cheer about
Even before the start of Hopenhagen oops...Dispairhagen....oops the Copenhagen climate summit most of the expectations of sane behavior from our world leaders have gone for a toss however the following headline in the daily paper brought a smile to my face -
India’s forest cover rises to 21%
Read the article -
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIBG&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&GZ=T
And you would realize that it is in no ways a rosy situation but in a dim scenario it is good to see at least some light.
India’s forest cover rises to 21%
Read the article -
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?Daily=TOIBG&showST=true&login=default&pub=TOI&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&GZ=T
And you would realize that it is in no ways a rosy situation but in a dim scenario it is good to see at least some light.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Change - agent? first learn to understand it - Part 3
Being in Bangalore after almost a year gave me a chance to re look at certain things which I didn't pay too much attention to or ignored or took for granted or cribbed about.
This is going to be surprising but I really felt that the traffic situation had changed slightly. Things were as chaotic on the road in terms of following the rules but still traffic seemed to be moving better.
I still found the eateries everywhere but observed that footfalls seemed to be lesser. Though, I did see all of the usual places I haunted, still existing which brought a smile to me. Recession didn't seem to be wreaking a havoc as in some other places and maybe keeping our economy slightly disconnected was not a bad thing after all.
Infrastructure projects showed progress - metro, flyovers, elevated roads etc. were progressing. Actually I was surprised to see the good preparation which had been made to facilitate road usage on the Bellandur junction while the fly over construction goes on.
Still found empty apartments but many apartment projects which were lying vacant showed signs of life. Surprisingly, I didn't see any huge ongoing apartment projects but maybe that was just because I probably didnt venture into areas where the projects were on.
Found people taking time out to look after their health - running, cycling are all in vogue it seems.
Volvo buses were doing well and lots of people including me were using it regularly. Maybe that's helping the traffic.
I saw lot of traction on public-government joint initiatives. People becoming aware, getting involved in activism, taking up responsibility from small things to bigger objectives - my very good friend D as always inspired me by not the usual ability to manage time but also giving an insight into how he is involved in a movement which is trying to make changes at the grass root level.
Last but not the least, I met a BBMP official / clerk who refused "chai / paani" money. A young man who clearly said "I dont need it Sir!". Was gladdened to the bottom of my heart to meet this young man. "Congratulations to you Sir".
The list is longer but I go now to have my "chai / paani" :-)
This is going to be surprising but I really felt that the traffic situation had changed slightly. Things were as chaotic on the road in terms of following the rules but still traffic seemed to be moving better.
I still found the eateries everywhere but observed that footfalls seemed to be lesser. Though, I did see all of the usual places I haunted, still existing which brought a smile to me. Recession didn't seem to be wreaking a havoc as in some other places and maybe keeping our economy slightly disconnected was not a bad thing after all.
Infrastructure projects showed progress - metro, flyovers, elevated roads etc. were progressing. Actually I was surprised to see the good preparation which had been made to facilitate road usage on the Bellandur junction while the fly over construction goes on.
Still found empty apartments but many apartment projects which were lying vacant showed signs of life. Surprisingly, I didn't see any huge ongoing apartment projects but maybe that was just because I probably didnt venture into areas where the projects were on.
Found people taking time out to look after their health - running, cycling are all in vogue it seems.
Volvo buses were doing well and lots of people including me were using it regularly. Maybe that's helping the traffic.
I saw lot of traction on public-government joint initiatives. People becoming aware, getting involved in activism, taking up responsibility from small things to bigger objectives - my very good friend D as always inspired me by not the usual ability to manage time but also giving an insight into how he is involved in a movement which is trying to make changes at the grass root level.
Last but not the least, I met a BBMP official / clerk who refused "chai / paani" money. A young man who clearly said "I dont need it Sir!". Was gladdened to the bottom of my heart to meet this young man. "Congratulations to you Sir".
The list is longer but I go now to have my "chai / paani" :-)
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