Hello readers, your flip girl is finally back. For long I sat in front of my laptop thinking what to write, but couldn’t come up with anything interesting. I wrote few lines, but most of them came under the radar of the delete button. I was confused. Should I write about Anna or maybe some feministic issue, or should I try something different. A major mental block is what we call this condition. Happens to everyone, am not an exception, but then this restless taurian couldn’t give up that easily, so finally I came up with something. My inspiration? FRESHERS!
For one whole year I was used to seeing some particular faces in and around the campus, but now I see many new faces. Well, obviously, with the new session in line, freshers are here. We are finally seniors. But now when I look back at the year that passed, or should I say flew away, I have some thoughts to share.1. Life is like a long road trip. The destination is defined for all, but life is all about living this journey. There will be some people who’ll hold your hand and walk with you, but believe me, no assurance that they will stay with you forever. Sometimes they might just drift away, but then it’s your life, your journey can’t stop, Its then that your courage is tested. Life enjoys playing some tricks on you, but its how you accept them and move on. sometimes, way down on that road, you might just bump into that person again, but he’s not there to walk with you, but there just to smile and ensure that you are on the right track, or maybe just to inform you that he’s changing his path. On the other hand, there might be some people who might be on the completely parallel road, going in the opposite direction, but can bridge the gap and take you along. And then there are some people whom you accidently bump into, either they become your companions for life, or they just apologize and pass by.
2. Some changes are easy to accept and some changes you’ll never be able to get accustomed to. Everyone wants a consistent life, a stable one , but just like every smooth road has speed breakers, in life various changes act like speed breakers. However hard you try or crib, you can’t avoid them, either slow down your speed and overcome it smoothly or just rush over it. The whole idea is to take every morning as a new day, instead of a continuation of the previous night. It is important that we live everyday like never before and without any expectations for the next day, because great expectations always let us down.
3. People come, people go. The more you try to hold onto something the more easily you lose it. Friendship is important, but what is more important is to never forget our purpose of being here, CAREER. We are mature enough to distinguish between our personal and professional lives. The most successful people are those who know how to distinguish between these two lives and not allow either to interfere into each other’s jurisdictions.
4. Our parents will always love us, no matter how wrong we go. But there will come a time when we’ll have to come out of this protected environment and learn to stand on our own feet. Yes, we will fall , maybe once but in most cases a number of times, but it’s all about standing up every time we fall and not losing our confidence.
5. Chose your idols, mark a target, these our important keys to success. But remember; don’t forget to leave your own mark behind. Just because you have an idol doesn’t mean you can’t become an idol for someone else. No two people are the same. Every person has something unique in them and it’s all about exploring that uniqueness.
6. Both happiness and sorrow are inevitable parts of life; life is incomplete without either of them. They both teach us different things. If happiness and laughter is a sign of success and confidence, grief and tears in most cases represent the end of something and the beginning of something new. It’s all about adopting a positive approach to life. If you cry today, be ready, you have tons of happiness in store for your future. And if you are happy today, don’t worry, success and confidence are your mates and no matter where you are, where you go, you’ll stand out tall, beaming at the whole world.
7. Life is as simple as you perceive and as complicated as you make it. Live life as it comes, don’t keep any pre assumptions. When a batsman is playing, he has no idea what the next ball is going to be. He just plays as it comes. Besides this, the grass is always greener on the other side, right my friends? But it is important that instead of cribbing about how miserable our life is, we should learn to cherish each moment. Love your life, love your parents and more than anyone love yourself. Make that little extra effort and you will realize how wonderful life is.
8. Hypocrisy is a part and parcel of life. It’s always very easy to be judgmental about others, easy to give a lecture, but very difficult to implement them on your own life. It is important to reform ourselves before we take the burden of purifying the whole world. Spend more time thinking and improving your life , rather than bothering about what’s happening in the life of your roommate or in that matter anyone else.
9. if you are different or unique, if you have tried a new hairdo, or if you have a better command over your language, believe me, people will talk about you. But instead of feeling out of place, take it as a stepping stone for the future. Come on, it is this uniqueness you have to develop. And if people talk about you, take it as a compliment; after all you are so important to other’s life that they are spending their vital time in discussing you.
10. Friends, college life is not about singing, dancing or finding your true love (with reference to Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, a movie I used to idolize as a model for my perfect college life). College life lies far beyond this. It’s about identifying yourself and your existence on this Earth. It’s about living you life to the fullest, it’s about being spontaneous, and it’s about accepting your faults and taking up responsibility. College is about cementing your values and raising the bar higher.
With that I welcome you all again and wish you all the success and happiness in the world. Enjoy your college lives and have no regrets, because, “ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA”.
Hello my readers, a pleasant birthday morning, was not that pleasant after all. I woke up and opened the newspaper and I saw one of the most shocking news of the decade – “OSAMA IS DEAD, US NAVY SEALS SHOT HIM ABOVE THE LEFT EYE”. I immediately turned on the television and saw a proud American president standing on the dais announcing to “the world”, that Osama is finally dead and they have taken the revenge of 9/11. Really? revenge? Mr. Obama , if this is revenge, what was that you were doing to hundreds of people ( whom you called suspects) at Guantanamo Bay? Well, I guess I shouldn’t be blaming Mr. Obama here as he wasn’t even in power when all this happened, so its better I address USA in general. So I see this happy crowd of people celebrating Osama’s death, some in tears of nostalgia over the ones they have lost, what a day in USA, Victory, would be the right word to be used here.
But America, what’s there to be so happy about? Did you put an end to “jihad “forever or what? It seems as if killing Osama meant killing of jihad. All the terrorists will now take to salvation and give up weapons, they would fall at the feet of USA, and after all they are behaving as if they have conquered the world. Well it’s totally acceptable that a celebration is called for, but what’s this over confidence for? USA, this is not the end of terrorism, instead a new beginning. If 9/11 started a new era of terrorism, 5/2 has announced the beginning of an advanced war of terrorism. Believe me or not, it’s simply the ‘beginning of the end’. Why do I say so? Well let me give you simpler examples with which you can connect. When did Buddhism actually come into being? It was when Lord Buddha finally obtained nirvana. His believes were reinforced after his death. There were tons of followers, leaders, kings, and even common people who preached and spread the Buddhism. Coming over to the believers of Sai Baba. With his death, did the religion, or the belief come to an end? No it did not, instead the belief and the love for their leader or guru has increased and strengthened. Similarly, jihad is a religion, a religion that holds one place higher than Islam itself. Killing Osama doesn’t solve the problem, instead it increases. The feeling of revenge and the love and pain of losing their leader will strengthen their faith and belief. The world should now be prepared for one of the worst disasters or what we term as terrorist attacks ,in the near future. If America took revenge, it’s their turn now.
Coming over to Pakistan , it really wants the world to believe that they had no idea that Osama was hiding in their territory, that too near the military base camp ? Really, Pakistan , you think you can get away with this? Well I have my doubts and am sure ,so do my readers.
I congratulate USA for such a path breaking and successful mission, yet they should remember that “pride comes before fall”. Your over confidence in the economic field brought you down by what the world called “recession”. Celebrate, yes. It’s the perfect time for celebration, but don’t forget, terrorism does not end here.
Last but not the least, a small suggestion to India, it’s high time now that you have fed, entertained and protected our friend from the neighborhood, Kasab. It’s time to take some stringent actions, before we come across another 26/11.
Terrorism is a parasite, once it starts feeding on a host, there’s no end to it. however hard you try, it will not end. All that is left is a space for negotiation and that too has a bleak future. Its too late to actually put a complete end to it, so either learn to live with it, which is going to be a coward decision, or learn to fight as” one big world” verses terrorism.
With that the flip girl bids goodbye . Will see you in July with more flip stories . Keep reading and open your eyes and try seeing things in a different way .
But America, what’s there to be so happy about? Did you put an end to “jihad “forever or what? It seems as if killing Osama meant killing of jihad. All the terrorists will now take to salvation and give up weapons, they would fall at the feet of USA, and after all they are behaving as if they have conquered the world. Well it’s totally acceptable that a celebration is called for, but what’s this over confidence for? USA, this is not the end of terrorism, instead a new beginning. If 9/11 started a new era of terrorism, 5/2 has announced the beginning of an advanced war of terrorism. Believe me or not, it’s simply the ‘beginning of the end’. Why do I say so? Well let me give you simpler examples with which you can connect. When did Buddhism actually come into being? It was when Lord Buddha finally obtained nirvana. His believes were reinforced after his death. There were tons of followers, leaders, kings, and even common people who preached and spread the Buddhism. Coming over to the believers of Sai Baba. With his death, did the religion, or the belief come to an end? No it did not, instead the belief and the love for their leader or guru has increased and strengthened. Similarly, jihad is a religion, a religion that holds one place higher than Islam itself. Killing Osama doesn’t solve the problem, instead it increases. The feeling of revenge and the love and pain of losing their leader will strengthen their faith and belief. The world should now be prepared for one of the worst disasters or what we term as terrorist attacks ,in the near future. If America took revenge, it’s their turn now.
Coming over to Pakistan , it really wants the world to believe that they had no idea that Osama was hiding in their territory, that too near the military base camp ? Really, Pakistan , you think you can get away with this? Well I have my doubts and am sure ,so do my readers.
I congratulate USA for such a path breaking and successful mission, yet they should remember that “pride comes before fall”. Your over confidence in the economic field brought you down by what the world called “recession”. Celebrate, yes. It’s the perfect time for celebration, but don’t forget, terrorism does not end here.
Last but not the least, a small suggestion to India, it’s high time now that you have fed, entertained and protected our friend from the neighborhood, Kasab. It’s time to take some stringent actions, before we come across another 26/11.
Terrorism is a parasite, once it starts feeding on a host, there’s no end to it. however hard you try, it will not end. All that is left is a space for negotiation and that too has a bleak future. Its too late to actually put a complete end to it, so either learn to live with it, which is going to be a coward decision, or learn to fight as” one big world” verses terrorism.
With that the flip girl bids goodbye . Will see you in July with more flip stories . Keep reading and open your eyes and try seeing things in a different way .
For almost a week everyone’s been talking about the semi – finals between India and Pakistan and in all this , I was somewhere lost and least interested. Since childhood, I could never understand this craze for cricket among Indians, and why was there a need to worship it as the “god of all sports”. Well this was my ideology because I was never inclined towards sports. For long I was not even acquainted to most of the cricket terminologies and was almost an out caste from this “society of cricket worshippers”. The worst used to be when even after having two televisions at home, I had no option other then walking up and down the passage stamping my feet as both of them were occupied by my cricket loving family and their cricket loyal friends.
The most amazing thing happened when one fine day I realized that it was not cricket , but hockey which our national game. Well am sure, half of India doesn’t even know this, keeping in mind the hype cricket gets. The question that arises in the flip girl’s mind is why is there such a distinction? Why isn’t each sport treated equally in India?
With the cricket players playing in pools of money and giving a tough competition to “Uncle scrooge’s vault “ on one hand and the hockey players, who were left with no other option ,than going on a strike to demand for their rightful salaries, am sorry, I can’t figure out how’s it our national sport? We talk about the feelings of nationality , yet this is how we Indians treat our national game. But then, why am I even complaining, when our national bird and national animal could be endangered and almost at the verge of extinction, then why not our national game , which is already a low profile sport in our country.
My facebook account was flooded with status updates, cheering and rejoicing India’s semi final victory, but there wasn’t even 1% of the same hype during the Hockey world cup, nor there any disappointment when the Indian team was ousted. On the contrary, our cricket worshipping society would go into depression every time India would lose a match, however insignificant it might be.
When a movie like Chak De India came, it was considered an expensive experiment; a. it was a movie on hockey ; b. it was subjected to woman empowerment. But it did bring in a mini revolution, when we Indians were awakened. But then it was short lived, with the Introduction of IPL , one of the highest money minting and star studded ventures of the Cricket Board, our cricket worshippers were back in form , yet again neglecting the major issue pertaining to the significance of our national game.
Coming over to football, I was tired of jokes on the perspective Indian football team , that was circulated during the FIFA world cup. I was severely annoyed and disgusted by this approach. How can you make fun of your own country? We have immense talent; it’s just that we haven’t been able to discover it. And do you want to know the reason, well it is that our sports ministry has diverted most of its attention and funds to cricket and it hardly has time for other sports. There has to be a beginning somewhere. We cannot always stick to “East Bengal and Mohan Bagan”. It’s obvious, in the first go we might not be able to lift the CUP, but at least we will start somewhere.
India needs to evolve and break from the cliché world of cricket lovers. Our country has more to it than just the “men in blue” . I don’t say that they are not significant, yes they are, very much, I too have my personal favourites and not being a hypocrite, I might not be able to name any hockey player, but that is what something we need to change. It is the time for a “sport’s revolution “, it is the time to recognize new talents and discover new arenas of sports. I don’t criticize cricket nor the cricket lovers, I too am equally overjoyed to know that India won the semi finals, I too have my fingers crossed for the finals, all I humbly request is not to forget the other sports, especially our national sport. If you have the feeling of nationalism, loyalty towards the country , then have it for all the sports equally. I know the mindsets can’t change in one go, but at least give it a try. Let’s have more Sainas(badminton) , Abhinavs ( rifle shooting), Saurav Ghosals( squash) and Vijendras(wrestling), and if am not asking for more our own national football team. With that I take a leave.
GO INDIA, GO!!!
The “flipside” brings to you this week , a major social concern that exists widely even in today’s modern era, an issue that runs a chill through everyone’s spine and according to me a major fault in the societal framework .
Well yes readers, you guessed it right , I am talking about “Honour Killings” or what we call in refined terms customary killing, killing the victim for bringing dishonor to the community or family. Dishonor includes dressing in unacceptable manner, wanting to prevent an arranged marriage and marry on our own choice , engaging in homosexual acts and involvement in non – sexual relationships considered in appropriate. Such a practice being prevalent in the past is still understandable, if not acceptable, but gory practices like this in today’s time is beyond tolerance.
Everytime I read an honor killing incident in the newspaper, it boils my blood, I can’t understand how people silently accept it and practice it in the name of ‘HONOUR’. If killing your own child, or in that matter any human being in the name of honour, then i suppose I’ll be happy to lead a dishonoured life. In a country where we talk about modernization , development, human rights and democracy , I consider honour killings the biggest dishonour to our country. The question that comes to my mind is what’s wrong in choosing a partner, outside the community, or a partner of the same ‘gotra’ or a partner who belongs to your own family? In the end, it’s our life, our happiness and our choice. We live in a democracy where we have the fundamental freedom to choose , then why can’t we chose our life partner? I will agree to the fact that marrying a person within your family is considered unethical, but ask yourself, it is we who make these rules, it is we who decide what’s ethical and what’s not, so why can’t we change our own mindset! It’s never hard to accept a change, specially a change that is for the betterment of the society. That was about our mindset and opinion, now coming over to the action. When we felt that the British rule was oppressive, we came together to fight against it, so my simple call for youth today is to come together and raise their voice, if not a hand ,against this gruesome practice of the society. It suffocates me to think, how easily we let go the criminals, or in my terms ruthless murderers and simply sympathize the victims. The victims don’t want sympathy, they want justice.
Living in the 21st century, I simply can’t figure out what this orthodox society wants? If this continues, instead of going ahead and modernizing, we’ll start on a path of demotion. Here, again I’d like to mention a modern society doesn’t mean eroding our morals and ethics or forgetting our cultural roots. But eliminating the malpractices of the society , the hostilities and the mental blocks. Killing in the name of honour, caste or religion, is not ethical anywhere and no law justifies it. Our country is progressing and so has to our mindsets, break the shackles of the age old notions, find reasons, everything is ethical till we feel it is , everything that is not right, doesn’t mean it is wrong. Search for the answers within.
When I was asked to start my own column on the blog, I, the person who asked me to write it and all my friends already knew what my take would be. Well what better could they expect from a feminist like me? So here I bring to you “The Flipside”. Well let me clarify all my readers, before they jump to a conclusion that, this is neither an anti male chauvinist column, nor a mahila morcha andolan , but just my way of looking at the society . I don’t have any plans to instigate any anti social feelings, but I just want to bring you the flipside of the society. A side that we all ignore, a story that is unheard and a reality we all know, yet prefer to let it remain unknown. It’s just my take on the society. I am sure many of you might not agree and fill my comment box with nasty remarks. But that’s what flipside is all about. I won’t simply call it a modern approach to the society, but an approach worth giving a thought, if not physically trying it.I could never understand the social obligations and boundations. And most importantly I could never figure out why they existed. If we consider that we are all born equal then why men always sought to be physically stronger and dominate us as if they owned us. And finally I was hard at picturing why women became their own worst enemies, when instead they should stick together and consider that as their strength? I was always baffled that if we have the freedom of choice that why can’t we chose our individuality, our identity? We live in a country which has been successfully following democracy for the last 62 years, yet half its population is still illiterate. We talk about education, empowerment, jobs and what not and yet we are a country with a large fraction of its population living below the poverty line.
This column is not about simply following the established practices of the society, not to blindly accept the written rules of the society, but to question their existence, re think over them and welcome a new perspective to life, vision to the world outside.
Today I bring to you the flipside, with an aim to break the line, with a dream to change the perpetually fixed mindsets and a step towards a better, sensible and enlightened tomorrow, in real terms.
