The ||DESI कोल्डप्ले|| Controversy

The second single from the band Coldplay's new album, which goes by the name "Hymn For The Weekend"  directed by Ben Mor in India, featuring Beyoncé and guest starring Sonam Kapoor is in controversy for "cultural appropriation".

With the on-going debate on social media about the controversy, some are confusing the main issue for "portraying the poor side of the nation" and all of us know this is nothing new for Indian butthurts, as in the past, Slumdog Millionaire has been in news for the same reasons. So before discussing about this further, let's understand in detail what is meant by "cultural appropriation". As I understand it, it's a situation of adoption or use of elements of one culture (generally speaking, cultural minority) by members of a different (majority) culture. In this case, some intellectual *ahemm-ahemm* Indian reviewers are accusing Coldplay and Beyoncé of PROFITING from misinterpreting the Indian culture.

Let's take a look at the music video shared by Coldplay Official On YouTube.

The video is beautiful and the song is amazing, looking to positively capture celebrational aspects of the city's culture, specifically India's Holi festival, cultures associated with Hindu religion, with kids dressed up as the deity Hanuman. Coldplay is commendable for choosing Indian Devnagri scripted theme.. and all of this with soothing music and vocals given by the artists. I've gone across the video, analysed the lyrics for a number of times now, and I don't understand where the butthurts found a misinterpretation of the culture.

In the past, Iggy Azalea's Bounce and Selena Gomez's Come And Get It have been accused of the same. So let me get this straight, whenever an artist flies in from the west and gets inspired with our culture,  wants to put it on record, we've just got to critisize them right? Criticizers themselves have zero clue about India's culture and diversity. Often culture is 'appropriated' and shown disrespectfully in our own movies! Remember Chennai Express? There were many instances of downright disrespectful to South Indians. Instead of doing it for our beloved bollywood industry's Munni Badnaam Hui and Hua hokra Jaawan Re, we point those out who devise the right away to do it, just because they're outsiders! *slow claps*

Oh, and the fact that, Beyoncé, a black woman, is offensively appropriating, is far from my understanding. She was wearing the traditional clothing with other women in the actual culture. How is that wrong? If it had been a Desi artist, she'd have been invited to invest and appreciate our culture.

Is Bikaner a good city to live in?

There was a question on Quora "Is Bikaner a good city to live". Here's what I answered.

"I've been living in the city for 18 years now (BTW I'm just 18 -.-) and here's my take on this-

People-

• The people are very simple and warm hearted. It wouldn't be surprising if you land up at 3 here in the night and find a group of people (Decent people, not the drunkards slash potential rapists) sitting up and chatting. Credit the "Pata culture" for this.

• They can guide you very well unhesitatingly if you've lost your way or perhaps even drop you securely to your destination.

• WARNING- People can get too interfering (read very very very very interfering) sometimes, especially the non-working groups of locals i.e. housewives, old ladies, pokey unemployed uncles.

Food-

• You will find all sorts of Bhujia-Papad-Namkeen and their variants since Bikaner is the hub of Bhujia. Try googling "Bikaji" and its origin, and you'll know what I'm talking about.

• Bikaner is even famous for its "Rasgullas" and other sweets. You must've seen "Bikaner Sweets" shops in street markets of Harayana and UP. (IMP NOTE: They cannot beat the original Bikaneri taste, not even close to that trust me)

• Make sure you carry extra Bhujia packets with you while returning. For those who know about Bikaner's excellency in Bhujia crave for them as you won't find them at such low costs anywhere else in India!

• For street food lovers, "Junagarh ke saamne" is the ultimate adda to hang out, be it South Indian or Chinese. 

• FOR GODS SAKE, Do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss out on Chottu Motu Joshi ki Kachori & Pyaaz-Kachori & Samosa & Paneer-Kofta & Mirchi-Bada *sigh*. 

•  My roommate's special note- *BK School vale ki Kachori zyada achchi hoti hai*

• However there's a price you'll have to pay for Bhujia. Zero fast food MNC outlets. Yes you read it correct. Zero. No MacD, no Dominoes, no Pizza Hut and no KFC. Luckily there are some good restaurants that come as a relief.

Hospitals-

• We've got an excellently equipped PBM government hospital with most of the hi-tech machines and experienced medical staff available.

• Though it majorly lacks cleanliness, but rest assured it's the best hospital in the entire region of the state for anything as small as a cut/bruise to complex surgeries.

• Apart from that, there's one district satellite hospital and numerous private hospitals and clinics.

Schools- 

• We've got good schools upto 12th standard for English and Hindi medium, CBSE as well as RBSE.

• Though I won't say the faculty in every school is satisfactory, but some sure are result-oriented.

• Co-curriculars again, are a mere formality and come as a huge disappointment!

Colleges- 

It's a myth that Bikaner has good colleges.

• Even after having it's own university, MGSU, the condition of the colleges isn't satisfactory AT ALL.

• Especially for courses in Arts and Commerce, that too for girls specifically, Bikaner lags behind other cities with a gap of about 2-3 decades.

• There is NO STUDY MATERIAL provided by the university itself for English medium students. Lack of faculty in English medium again, is a major setback.

Bikaner needs hell lot of improvement in this one field!

Markets-

• There are MNC outlets of some of the major clothing brands but if you're into window shopping, try your luck after a decade or so.

• However if you dig a little deeper into the shady lanes of "Bhairuji ki Gali" you might find something worth your likeness.

• No doubt the traditional and handicraft market is worth appreciation.

• Also the local utensils and jewelry commercial units are commendable.

Places to hang out/Addas-

• If by hanging out we mean going out with friends in the evening to freshen up your mind and mood a little, subsequently being followed by unwanted lecherous creatures all the way to your house, JNV is just the right place.

• Warning- Do not send your daughter out in that place alone unless she knows how to handle hardcore perverts.

• Public Park in the Civil lines area is accommodated by people from all social spheres and can be considered once in a while for a family outing, especially tods.

• Some other places include Junagarh Fort, Sagar and Husansar Dam on the outskirts. However, the latter are not recommended for children and teens from safety point of view.

Traffic Problem-

• By traffic problem I don't mean the lengthy jams of vehicles at traffic lights since we don't have (working) lights except a few.

• Bikaneris are known for their reckless driving skills. Well, not just the autowalas because that's the same for every Indian town.

• But the common men here won't wear helmets or follow the basic traffic rule of being on their side of the lane. They'll stop anywhere on the road anytime when they'll feel like checking out a girl or aunty (yes, aunty), peeing or puking. So be careful.

• And oh! I forgot to mention the jams of peddlers at the very crowded KEM Road train intersection gate. Beware, you can even get struck up for hours in the scotching heat amongst those scary glances by pervs in the crowd.

Connectivity-

• As far as the road connectivity is concerned N11 connects Bikaner with Jaipur and the journey is 5 hour long. 

• Bikaner to Delhi is a 9-hour journey via Nh11 and Nh8.

• Bikaner is even well connected with Delhi and Jaipur by rail route.

• And for heaven's sake please don't think we've got Nal Airport open for public use as you might have heard in the news. Credits to previous CM Ashok Gahlot who very proudly inaugrated the Airport couple of years ago but forgot to make sure if it's in a working condition. _/\_"

*EDITS:
1. FOOD. Last year god-knows how Dominoes opened up an outlet on outer circle of Panchshati Circle. Yayy!
2. COLLEGES. Last year itself, Bikaner was blessed with it's first ever private university. xD

PS- Suggest edits if any.

A closer look at how things go for an average teenager in India

Identity. [SHORTFILM]:

By KlikSmith

Subscribe to their channel to keep in touch. More short films coming soon!

What you need to learn from the Rajasthani Gujjars

What's up with this "Hard work + Dreams + Dedication = SUCCESS" thing? Doesn't "Protest + Blackmail" spell the same? Why do you and I even work hard for our future? We should learn something from Rajasthani Gujjars.

We should collect in groups and vandalize railway tracks whenever we feel like doing it for our selfish interests. Yes, let's march to the nearest tracks and uproot them. Let's spoil the Indian Railway's routine, disturb the schedule, put 1000's of running trains and the passengers into danger because it's just not our business that by how much even a 10-second delay increases the possibility of accidents on the tracks. It won't even be our fault but the government would be held responsible if anything unfateful happens. Because we are unemployed and we just want jobs by hook or crook so let's just do it.

So what if the Indian Railways has to suffer a loss of over ₹100 crores? So what if the passengers travelling by the rail-route have to delay or perhaps even cancel their journey no matter what importance it holds in their lives right now? It should just be the government's headache if the travelling kids that had to cancel their tickets further protest for not being able to appear for their important examinations because of the delays. It should be the government's trouble if any emergency takes place within the train-compartments and help cannot be provided because it's just not my business.

If the Gujjars constitute 7% of Rajasthan's population and can demand 5% reservation of seats in government jobs, and further succeed in doing so, I should do the same. The fact that 70+ other castes also coming under the OBC quota were even more backward than them is not the Gujjars' problem. If they want reservation as well, let them protest for themselves just like the Gujjars did. The strategy is to get reservation in education and jobs equivalent to my caste's share in the population. It's not my responsibility to look into the matter if I actually deserve it or somebody else who deserves it gets the job or not. My ancestors couldn't acquire jobs and were illiterate and I as the 21st century youth choose to be the same.

I am a citizen of India and my country's constitution states that I am eligible to protest against anything that troubles me. I am a citizen who elects a government who is responsible to look after my economic needs. I am adamant to get a job and I can do whatever it takes to achieve that. The government will be obliged to hear what I say because it has to look equally after every sect of the society no matter how stupid and illegitimate their demands might be. It is their responsibility, not mine. Because I am a citizen who refuses to think logically but I am a citizen who deserves equality :)

The Most Exciting Conversation I've Ever Had -With A Stranger -In The Middle Of A Forest.

Few days back I was on a roadtrip with my family and we made a last stop at Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur while returning. 18 of us hired rickshaw-pullers to show us around the park. Most of the rickshaw-pullers were trained local Sikhs.

I was sitting with my 8 year old cousin and a 15 year old friend and our rikshaw-puller, a fellow with a yellow turban rode us through the park. He was around 60 but, very active and was conversing with us the entire time. He had perfect knowledge about each and every detail about the park, its history and every bird specie, native and migratory, that visit the park round the 12 months.

As soon as we spotted the first bird, a Green Bee-eater, he started telling us about the species from its diet to average age to the tail that distinguishes a male from female, and I was dazed at the amount of knowledge the man had! But it wasn't just that yet. As we made our way deeper into the forest, it was the same for every bird and animal species! There were times when neither I nor my friend or cousin could spot a bird even with a pair of binoculars but he did with naked eyes!

After having spent some 20 minutes in the park, we spotted a bird that protects the eggs of other birds when in danger. At this, our rickshaw-puller commented that it is the same with every other thing on this planet. At first I couldn't make out what he was talking about. To this, he added "Agar Shaitaan hai, to Bhagwaan bhi hai (If devil exists, even God does.)" Things took an interesting turn from here on..

"I have observed this in the Park itself. 75% people are a form of devil. And the lies they tell are believed but the truth told by remaining 25% isn't ever. But God has an interesting way to justify things. Saints' lives never go wasted. Neither they feel pain when they die. 

My father came home one day when I was still a little kid and said it was time for him to go. And the very next morning he was gone. Then after an year my mother went. The same way. Two brothers were gone too. I was left alone. But I told God, don't call me yet. I have to grow up, have a family, earn a living for them. And I did. 

I have 4 kids. Two young boys and two girls. Married off both the daughters in well-to-do homes. Got a pakka house built for both sons. One is in the medical field and the other in engineering field. Everybody is content with their lives right now."

It was interesting to listen to him talk about such random things. I asked him quite a few things myself..

"I passed 8th grade many years ago. I went to Bikaner for a 6-month training to join this Park. I learnt many things there. I learnt English. Now I've been working here in this park for 20 years."

Then he started talking to us about his visitor friends from across the globe. Some from Russia, others from Spain, France, Germany and little 11 year old Rahul from Gurgaon with his large pair of binoculars. He said they visit every 6 months and prefer us (rickshaw-pullers) and not the sanctuary guides.

"We have many languages here in our Bhaarat (India). Maarwadi, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Gujarati. It is the same for this world. My Spanish friends talk to each other in Spanish-English. I keep asking them about the meanings of the words they use. Now I can sometimes make out what they talk about and even try to answer them in their language."

On our way back there was a huge black pipe off the right side of the road, nearly 20cm wide, water escaping its mouth and the sight appearing to be nothing less than a mighty waterfall falling from the heaven itself. For as pretty as it looked, one can't help but yearn to imbibe that beautiful sparkling water. Our rickshaw-puller seemed to have guessed my excitement and told us to hop off. He told us not to forget to splash it on our faces. And boy! did that feel good!

As we moved ahead of that huge pipe, we entered the part of the forest where there were a number of Jaamun (Blackberry) Trees. That heavenly scent of the trees was so refreshing that we asked our rickshaw puller to stop there for a while. He told us that Jaamun trees' scent is known to cure diseases over time.

When we were about to finish our trip to the forest, he started talking to us about Partition of India back in 1947 and talking about how large his native state Punjab could've been had it not been for that unfateful holocaust in 1947. He even told us about the story of the historic Bharatpur Fort and the braveheart Jaat rulers that are credited for successfully withstanding numerous attacks by the British forces and protecting their subjects. He exclaimed "Padha likha nahi hu lekin itni baate to jaanta hu, beta! (Though I'm not educated but I do know about these things!)

And then when we finally reached our destination, he climbed out of his rickshaw and said with a pleasant smile on his face "Bas khatam hua raasta, ab thakk gaya hu mein (Journey's over , I'm tired now)" I asked him to pose towards my camera for a picture and he unhesitatingly did! :D

Unravel The Ribbon: Take Me To A World

HeyLo fellas!

Check this blog out!

She's my junior from school 😋



Unravel The Ribbon: Take Me To A World

The Anti Social Girls: This is why I blame western culture!

The Anti Social Girls: This is why I blame western culture

Share this content with all your social media contacts using #MusicallyChallenged

Role of Entertainment Industry in shaping the typical Indian Tharki Mindset

To begin with.. who is a 'tharki'?

I don't exactly know what's the possible number of ways a person can define this particular word but I'll give this a try.

• Men who stand by the local bus stop, neighbourhood grocery shops and try to interact forcefully with every girl, or, even mature married ladies with their cute little 2 or 3 year olds for that matter?
• The spooky guy from your street who basically emerges out of nowhere to every other place you go?
• A man who touched you inappropriately in public and left like nothing ever happened?
• Or an elderly man from your own family who constantly keeps an *eye* on you?

I've been in each one of these situations and I know my friends have too. I also know this is just a pinch of that huge amount of filth that exists in our society and other girls just like me have even been through worse.

What I found common among all these men was the fact that they actually believe I would retaliate positively to their gross activities. Why? I don't know, maybe because I find a pair of jeans and T comfortable to put on unlike my other female co-humans from remote regions. Yes, that makes me look modern and vulnerable to these people.

So am I trying to say that looking modern is an invitation to those perverts that I'm asking for it? No, definately not. But it is what THEY believe. I tried to think more about this issue that why would a person hold my attire as being equivalent to an open invitition. Is it actually their fault?

I guess no, because majority of these men are school/college dropouts whose lives are nothing but all about 'hanging out' in the neighbourhood addas, whose heroes and role models are none other than Sallu bhai dancing to Munni Badnaam Hui and Kapoor dancing to Hua Chokra Jawaan Re.

Let's accept it people, there exists only two extreme categories of women in bollywood. Either it has to be a sati-savitrii draped in her saree or duppata who adheres to every rule and regulation set by her family or a spoilt brat who regulary hangs out with cool boys, drinks and dances in pubs, wears mini skirts and flashes out her cleavage to her male protagonist. And these local tharkis believe this to be the ultimate reality.

If a girl is shy and dressed up in tradionals, local goons will try to harass her and expect her to keep her mouth shut because this is what a typical timid girl is expected to be like. If it's a girl dressed up in a pair of jeans or skirt, they'll automatically assume her to be the next Poonam Pandey who has dressed up the way she has because she wants it. Trust me, such guys instantly go crazy the moment they spot a girl walking out of a liquor store and their eyes twinkle like "Aaj to maal haath laga"

Why? Because they've seen it in movies that if a girl drinks and dresses up in a particular manner, she's the one who's willing to do anything and everything with men. They've never saw it in the movies that there exists one more realistic category in middle of these two extreme ones where a girl can dress up modern and aspire to be a successful millionaire all by herself, or not be interested in boys and romance at all and drink at the same time!

According to my view, bollywood industry is not that responsible when it comes to leaving a positive social impact on it's audience. And trust me on this, they are much more capable of shaping mindsets than any other social activists or nukkad-naatak performers. Movies have that power to target specific groups of people that all the other forms of campaigns and education cannot. It's high time they realize their responsibilites and act more wise.

It's not practical to include graphics where the female lead sunbathes in her bikini because, just accept it! Indian audience isn't just that mature yet to handle this! Being such a powerful source of disseminating ideas in general public and acting so lousy about it is just dissappointing.

 via- http://www.riseforindia.com/bollywood-message-to-tharki-men/

JUSTT STOPP THISS

I'm tired of this shit going on over Feminism, pseudo-Feminism, bullshit ._.
What the hell are we trying to prove? Nobody within the reach of our status updates, tweets and blogs needs this as we are already that privileged lot who understands the need for Feminism. The truth is, the ones who already stand for equality are fed up of this thing going viral. They don't want to see this. They feel it's being over-exaggerated. And that's true.

It is in those remote regions that ideas need to be disseminated where we still have khap panchayats deciding the fate of young girls. It is in those backward regions that girls do not have access to knowledge that the law does not require them to marry their rapists. It is in those areas that women are told not to eat chowmein or carry mobile phones or get out of their homes or wear a 30 meter long ghunghat. The ones who actually need to know this do not even have access to social media. They are perhaps being beaten up by their husbands right now.

What the hell are twitterati and Vogue Empower and the girl on Instagram posting a picture of her stained pants trying to prove. Nobody in this privileged crowd needs this. If you really want to stand up for equal rights to women, why not pack your bags and leave for a village to save another girl falling victim of misogynist khap panchayat.

(I just joined the same crowd by writing this and irritating you and wasting your time and bye ._. )

Different Shades of Despondency (Part III)

In the previous parts of this series I wrote about an old, uneducated, starving lady who's alive today only on the alms of people. The second one was about a couple willing to work hard but forced to beg for food. This one is quite different and a more complex situation.

I came to know about this 30-year old lady through a social networking site and I am posting her story here with her permission.

"I am married twice. My first marriage did not even last 6 months because of my mother-in-law. She poisoned my husband against me and she never allowed him to love me. When i came back home my parents sold my all ornaments, most of them had been gifted by my relatives. I had exactly 800gms of gold. Then my dad found out a man for me. He was not only married but was the father of two kids. The eldest was 14 years old. I protested in every way i could but finally i gave in for which i am regretful today. It was my mother who was more interested.

 He fooled my parents in believing that he was a rich man. Mom was expecting him to pay the home loan. For that she sacrificed the happiness of her own daughter. My new husband was an extremely cruel man. He never ever cared for my happiness. He used to torture me emotionally every day. Once we went for a tour, that time i was the mother of my 5 month old baby. On the way his mood was spoiled for some unknown reason and he became very angry with me. I cried and told him to take me back home. The next day he took me back.

 We were already out of the state by then. On the way back he did not talk to me about anything. We started off from Madurai before 9:30 am. He did not ask me if i want anything to eat. When he became hungry he stopped the car somewhere and ate a guava which was left in the car but he did not offer me. I got out of the car and stood outside as my baby was crying. When he finished eating we continued the journey. By 3:30 or 4:00pm I told him that I was thirsty. Then he stopped the car infront of a shop and gave me the money to buy water. My 5 month old baby was on my lap but still he did not care to help me. He ws not willing to hold my baby. So i told him i dont want the water.

 After sometime the thirst became unbearable for me so i told him to stop the car somewhere and so he did. I took my baby in my hand and got out of the car with difficulty. I bought water and told the shopwala to open the bottle for me as my husband would not do it. After sometime my baby startd crying as he was starving. I was not feeding him my milk because of some reason. Naan was his food. To make naan definitely I needed the help of my husband and so i told him to hold my baby but he said to keep him on the seat. The back seat was full with baggages and the single seat in the front was not apt for my baby to lie down, he could have easily fell down if he rolled over. So i stood on the road holding my crying baby in my arms without knowing what to do.

 Then in the opposite side I saw a house where a lady was sweeping the veranda of her house. Without thinking twice i opened the back door, took the big flask which contained the hot water, the feeding bottle, and the tin of Naan. I literally held all these things in my hand, not even without the help of a bag.. and I crossed the road, opened the gate of her house. The lady of the house looked at me with astonishment. Then I told her "Can you help me make Naan for my baby?" She invited me inside her house and I asked her to hold my baby. She took my baby without any hesitation and my baby smiled at her which made that lady very happy. She offered me tea which i denied with kindness.

 All those time my husband was sitting in the car without even caring. I said thanks to the lady and came back to the car. He drove off the car taking me inside without even feeling sorry. I was touched by the kindness of the lady and was hurt by the harshness of my husband. I started crying sitting in the car. These incidents happened two years from now.

 Two days ago my husband called me from abroad and he told me that if he would stop providing me i would have to sell my body for an earning. I was dumbstruck by his words. I neither called him nor attended his calls after that. I regret a lot today for not completing my graduation but still with a great hope i am going for a job hunt. I hate to depend my husband who is constantly degrading me."

She is presently looking for a job to take care of her son. But the fact that she is only qualified till +2 with commerce stream is coming in her way to be an independent lady. She is willing to work hard but due to less educational qualification she is forced to settle for a job in textile industry in her neighbourhood that will only offer her 6k per month.

Different shades of Despondency (Part II)

Few weeks ago I was driving back home with my mother and on our way home I requested her to stop at a very well known bakery and confectionery shop. I wanted to buy chocolates (for myself, obviously). My mother told me she would be waiting outside. As I payed the bill and turned back to exit the shop, I saw my mother enter and she asked me to place an order for a couple of patties. When questioned for whom, she replied "Not for you, fat-ass".

As we walked our way out of the shop, she offered the packed Patties to a woman sitting outside on stairs. Her son (probably 2 or 3 years old) was playing on the stairs next to her. For a moment I couldn't make out what just happened because my mother is a kind of person who would normally react to someone asking for money by advising them to work instead of beg. It didn't even struck me for once that maybe the woman might not have asked for money, but for food itself. I saw another man standing next to 2 guys on a motorcycle next to us. He pointed at the woman and the child and the 2 guys seemed to be in denial to whatever the man was saying to them. At last, they hesitatingly offered him a 5 rupee Chocobar, which was actually a change for the 1000 Rupee note they had payed at the counter few seconds ago.

Finally when we reached home, I asked my mother about the incident. She told that they belonged to a near-by village and had come to the town a month back. They worked in a well known restaurant for a whole month and at the end of the month when it was time for the owner to pay them, he not just refused to pay but even fired them from the job. Poor souls were returning to their village. They were begging for food because whatever money they had was spent in buying the ticket for taking a bus.

I couldn't take the whole thing in for a moment. I was angry at the couple for just returning back and not doing something against the wrong been done to them. But then it struck me, whoa! Why would they go to the police? The police have other important cases on their priority list and probably regular cases like these might not matter to them or the entire town's administration as a whole as much as the other cases do.

And ofcourse, even if they launch FIR against the restaurant owner, he would easily get away with it. A few rounds to the district court per week would not bother him much. But for the couple it would be a mental, emotional and financial strain provided that they were not the locals of this town and already struck in poverty!

I cannot understand how could the man just leave hardworking laborers to beg for FOOD! And how much could the sum of 2-3k matter to that prosperous owner afterall? Maybe he cheats hardworking and innocent people every month and that explains it. I wonder how many other workers in this unorganized sector get cheated by these big owners daily across the nation. And I wonder if they have a heart or a conscience in them.

PS- I'm aware that this is a very popular scheme amongst scammers these days in Metro cities.. but this incident took place in a low-key town and the satisfaction on the faces of the couple after receiving the package was one hundred percent genuine.