Different shades of Despondency (Part I)

Meanwhile you're busy reading this post or playing with your smartphones, there's a different world out there. A world where people are struggling hard to LIVE. People for whom every fucking day is a nightmare. We're all aware that they exist, but we just don't care. :)

While traveling from home to tuition/school everyday there's a lady whom I notice sitting shabbily dressed up in the Public Park. She might be around 60. Or maybe way too young but her physical condition suggests she's 60. Every time a vehicle or pedestrian crosses her, her right hand starts wagging convulsively and she murmurs something in a voice too low to be audible. Perhaps she asks for food or money and undoubtedly, everybody just passes by without even noticing. I guess she knows that nobody cares enough to stop but still, she's sitting there cluttered everyday.

She is beautiful. I wonder what's her life story. And I wonder why am I so selfish that I never care enough to stop and make efforts to make her life better. Maybe because I know there are hundreds of such people out there. But even if a day passes when I happen to pass from there and I don't find her there, I get nervous and can't stop the thousands of negative thoughts that start clouding my head.

I hope there will come a day when I'll be able to gather strength and do something instead of just sitting here and writing this. I'm just an insensitive jerk to post this, but I felt like this should be here for me see it everyday and remind me I'm not a good human. Maybe that will motivate me. Maybe.

The One About "India's Daughter: BBC Documentary"

It’s depressing how we Indians are offended by Leslie Udwin’s documentary on the Nirbhaya case. I see no point in arguments made by Indians on social media.

#1. SHE’S A FOREIGNER AND SHOULD GO BACK FOCUS ON THEIR OWN NATIONAL ISSUES.
Why? Why are you so offended if a person comes in and reminds you of your failures? Yes, this prolonged and delayed justice is a FAILURE of our Judicial system and you should be ashamed because none of us Indians focused on OUR issues.

#2. WESTERN MEDIA IS PORTRAYING INDIA IN A BAD LIGHT.
It’s time we stop playing this blame game and stop caring how other’s are perceiving us. It’s time we actually assess our own selves! Enough of this defending when we know there are faults in our society. So what if other nations are accusing the Indian rapists’ mindset? What’s wrong in speaking the truth? Don’t we ourselves accuse these heinous people too? Aren’t we upset about this typical mindset too where the victim is judged for her clothes? Even if western people are portraying the Indian Rapist in a bad light, it is DESERVED. Stop getting offended by this bad reputation and stop defending this mentality just because it’s Indian!

#3. NEWS CHANNELS TELECASTING THE DOCUMENTARIES ARE JUST LOOKING FOR TRPs.
Majority of the Indian youth are more interested in porn movies and Sunny Leone’s latest upcoming movies than such social issues. So had the motive been only TRPs, they would have telecasted that bullshit. Maybe, just maybe there could be a slight possibility that their motive is not gaining TRPs but to actually raise awareness. To create awareness about what happened 2 years back and what has been the progress since then.

#4. IT’S INSENSITIVE TO TELECAST THE DOCUMENTARY.
No. Telecasting the documentary is NOT insensitiveness

, it’s called “hitting the right nerve”. It’s called embarrassing us Indians about how we failed to create a safe society for our girls. It’s called generalizing what actually happens in this society. It’s not the western media who’s being insensitive, I’d rather say it’s US who’re insensitive. If each one of us cried for Damini then, protested on streets, held candle marches then we’re the same people who didn’t care Damini got justice even after 2 years. We are the people who got busy with our lives when that foreigner kept on working hard for 2 long years. So what if it’s embarrassing for us. Embarrassment can be a powerful motivator. Embarrassment can lead us to DEMAND changes in the judicial process.

#5. HAD DAMINI BEEN ALIVE, SHE COULDN’T HAVE FACED THIS.
NO. She was a strong lady who WANTED to survive, get these bastards punished, get married with the guy she loved, and lead a healthy life like all of us. She was STRONG. She might have got hurt, but she wouldn’t have stopped fighting for justice like we did. We participated in those protests but didn’t care enough to check whether those protests would hold any meaning in future. What actually would have disappointed a strong lady like her is, the fact that Indians care about their prestige more than safety and justice.

Why is it that we Indians always have a problem accepting the truth? Why is it that we Indians are always afraid to look within and identify our flaws? We cannot just suppress this embarrassment. We have to open our eyes to reality. We have to accept that things in our country are not going the way they should go in any civilized democracy. We should support Leslee and the film and learn something about our society. We should be ashamed that no film maker from India has made any documentary about this incident. We should stop criticizing Leslee for the fact that she’s interfering because it’s not called interfering. It’s called speaking against the wrong and trying to bring a change.

Will we remember Damini only when another such daughter gets raped and these bastards mock our administration and Judiciary? Do we Indians have no responsibility towards our society? Are we just supposed to turn deaf and blind? Can't we protest NOW for faster trial and change of minsets?

PS : If the world will get disgusted after listening to what Mukesh said, the world will get more disgusted if we ban the movie and try to cover up our failures.

You're opting for Arts? Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind!

"What's wrong? Have you got less marks in Science and Maths? Oh don't worry, you can easily manage to get admission in some private school. Or better still, opt for Commerce yaar!"

These were the exact words of every single person who came to know about my choice of stream after 10th. And this isn't something unique. Every Indian's got the same problem, the same outlook. Be it parents, teachers or students themselves. So if you're at this stage of life where you've to choose your stream and you have this super inclination towards Arts.. don't get discouraged if you hear something like this! This is pretty normal but sometimes you should actually keep in mind a few things.

•  Once you opt for Arts in 10+2, you're automatically the target of every teacher/best-friend/relative who knows you from the very first day you were born. Every body will give their 1000000% to make you change your mind. They'll say things that might even land in you serious depression and question your self-worth.
• Your parents would not hear a single argument made by you. So if you're sure you badly want to be an Arts student, start convincing them months or maybe years before. This worked in my case!
• You'll hardly have anybody to support you. The favorite teachers, best-friend's friendly and supercool moms, siblings. Everybody will suddenly desert you and leave no choice other than submiting yourself to "Meri(a) beti(a) to Engineer hi banegi(a)"
• You might lose some really good friends. Yes. Just because you don't want to be in mainstream, some friends will actually think you're crazy and need to be in an asylum. Crazy, I know right? But this actually happens and be ready for it.
• That just-for-fun name-calling by *intelligent* Science/Commerce students. They'll constantly remind you that you're the inferior one who doesn't have that *Science student tag*. Perhaps would even push you out of their seats during combined classes, like you're some dirty dog who's just arrived right from the streets!
• Those harmless but humiliating regular jibes by other teachers in your own school. In front of your juniors, in the assembly ground, in front of the entire combined class for common subjects with Science/Commerce students. Beware of those scary stares!
• School management/staff might forget you often while making important announcements. These important announcements could be anything ranging from the extra combined classes, holidays, extra-curricular activities or... your class XII board registration form. Oops! ;)
  
  
  
• Nobody will consider you good enough for anything at all. Not even the things you were complimented for till class X. Yes, it's like those talents got sucked out as soon as you opted for Arts and now you're just a hopeless slugabed good-for-nothing.
   
   
• Your classmates can be quiet irksome and frivolous. Even if you somehow manage to tolerate these above mentioned things, this one thing will surely land you in depression ATLEAST for once.
• But these people are the ones who'll even help you get out of it. Because they understand you more than anyone else at this stage of life. And you have to give them credit for this!
• Your subject teachers can be pretty cool and awesome! You'll discover that motherly/fatherly side of theirs that nobody else has ever before! Trust me, they'll never stop encouraging you to beat these troublesome obstacles to a happy student life that you deserve.
• In the end, it's you and your hard work that matters. You're not always gonna stick around these dispiriting things! After these 2 difficult years, you'll meet most of your *super-intelligent* Science/Commerce classmates in the same field as you in college! ;) You can always take some sweet revenge 3:)