THE FEMINISM OF ATTIRE

The way a woman dresses somehow becomes a matter of supreme importance whenever a discussion on serious issues like sexual violences or culture take place.In case of a rape,there is always a question of provocation from the women who "dressed to kill".The same way a woman who dressed in Jeans is a biggest threat to Indian Culture(so it seems).It is funny to see women from Gujarath in Chennai always dress up in fabrics not suitable for the humid climate just to protect their identity;not to mention the purdah clad figures in hot sun.

Dress denotes personality and it is your nature of work , the geography and of course your figure and complexion which are the determining factor when you choose an attire.But the undue burden on women to become the flag bearer of culture,or a status symbol(the man in jeans and tshirt with his wife in silk and gold is nothing but a showcase to display his wealth)is nothing short of inequality.Women are not used or allowed to dress cool and are socialised to dress uncomfortable.The miniskirts and high heels are culprits too from the modern side of capitalism who want to project women as a sex symbol alone.

People rise their eyebrows when they see something which they are not used to.Thats why a fully covered body of a girl in jeans and shirt provoke many than the sari clad bare midriff.So in the era of globalisation, let the women folk be cool and stop scrutinising on personal choices of dressing(This plea is to those women also who are equally bad when it comes to criticism of the so called modern dressing).And what you wear has nothing to do whether you are modern or traditional which is an attitude.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

CORRUPTION

The omnipresent yet invisible to the innocent eye phenomenon corruption recently got into every mobile savvy Indian's vocabulary ;thanks to Anna hazare's hunger strike and the fiasco followed.The last of the surviving tribe of gandhian was as ferocious as a hijacker in insisting to bring the "public touch" to the Lokpal Bill.But one wonders:Does it in any way control corruption?

Are we not having enough laws already?How come all Politicians are branded bad and the so called civil society representitives qualify as men of cardinal virtues?Don't we need a system at every nook and corner of the country where the civil society becomes the real watchdog of administrative procedures to prevent wrongdoing rather than a few getting into the lawmaking body by putting unnecessary pressure?Whose interest is served ,anyway?One feels sympathy to Government who agreed to the demands may be because of the fear of the so called revolutions happening in the middle and far east.

Corruption is not only the abuse of a post;it includes any violation of trust and is certainly not a monopoly of Government.A vendor of fruit who sells you bad product in a high price also comes under the definition of corruption. In our society, it is often people who does not have a direct share in power talk loud about corruption and it is this power deprivation which seems to be the driving force of the new age crusaders against corruption.

No one is going to give a clean chit to Government regarding corruption.But to make things better,there are better ways which are highly demanding than forwarding the messages"support Anna".Its time to stop blaming but act constructively using the existing system itself.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

DEATH SINGS A LULLABY

As another year is about to end, suddenly the thought of death came into my mind. It will be like a full stop where you no longer exist,I think.In Harry Potter,it is explained as "as easy as falling asleep".Death becomes a shock when it happens to a youngster and a relief when the person was a bed ridden elder.At any rate it is a stressful event for those who are close to the dead one.Any way the loss will be an irreparable one as no human can replace another.With the sorrow of two tragic accidents happened this year to two wonderful families I know, my year end thoughts refuse to go beyond the realm of death.Since I do not believe in rebirths, the losses are permanent.I hope people who suffered the trauma of losing their dear ones will recover someday somehow.

It may be a lullaby to those who left

But the dear ones hear only a sad song

As another year pass

the sorrow remains do not know how long?

When shiva the destroyer dances and yama enters the house

You surrender even if you are strong

You leave your body and all is blank

you go to rest while the church bells say "ding dong"

LET THERE BE LIGHT

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

December brings snow, cakes and carols with the biggest birthday celebrations of the greatest revolutionary, Jesus Christ. Apart from the religious aspect, he brings the picture of a man of charisma and conviction who sacrificed himself for humanity.This holy martyrdom and the power of assurance of his words( it need immense courage to speak"I am the way,the truth, the life") made christianity the most popular religion of the world.The acceptance of outsiders is another appealing factor.The conversion to christianity is high not only because of active missionary work; it offers a sense of belongingness and provides clear cut answers which is very attractive in a world of confusion.

Many believe that The church have moved away from what Jesus have preached.Whatever, he remains as one of the great leaders of history who is remembered and worshiped all over the world.

Merry christmas

LET THERE BE LIGHT

CRICKET

Its a curious thing that Cricket, a game designed for English summer is the biggest business in Indian subcontinent now.People quote the 1983 world cup win and media penetration as the reason for this immense popularity.But I believe that there are deeper psychological reasons.Cricket as a game is very much like our "unity in diversity".It is a loosely knit team game where individual performances matter more than the actual team work. So an individual with proper training can shine and win irrespective of the weaker links in the team.In cricket, there is lot of time to analyse and speak unlike other fast paced team games like football and volley ball where the action is fast and continuous.And there is a lot of statistics involved which the calculating,EMI addicted middle class can well identify with. i do not think cricket will ever be appealing to mediterrenian people who are more active and outdoor.Here we as a nation prefer to sit and talk more which is possible during the commercial breaks which appear after every over.

So before blaming anybody else for the over popularity of cricket at the cost of other games, one should think of how it became popular.

Indian sports in general have a long way to go because we have not yet developed any proper system of infrastructure and training.Still there are individuals who shine in every sporting event in india and cricket being more individualistic obviousely perform better than other team games. Commercial interests and advertisement friendliness of the game adds to the current situation.

let us hope that a proper system and culture of sports will develop in India sometime and all forms of sports get importance.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Philanthropy has been a value emphasised by almost all religions as a contribution of the more privileged to their lesser fellow beings.Later communism emphasised in level playing of an egalitarian world where a rich man is evil.This made a lasting impact on the mind of people and many rich people feel guilty for being one.So they want to do social services to shed the guilt of not doing anything for the poor.This is the cause of most of the so called corporate social responsibility projects we see.

An industrialist or a businessman do contribute to the development of the country and they do not need to feel guilty of making money. If only they really feel like giving, they should do social service.The people in the orphanages especially the children end up being highly materialistic with the occassional visit of corporate fellows with gifts and they increase their pestering power.They need care and love on a continuous basis than a publicity gimmick of distributing sweets. So in the end nobody really benefits.

Give things only when you enjoy giving(not everybody is like that).Anybody who contribute to the economy is doing their duty towards the people even though indirectly.Do your duty:that is the biggest social responsibility you have in a country which still need a lot of improvement in delivering services. Do not take up social service for the wrong reasons.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN

Patriotism is a very difficult thing to maintain in India with all the news on corruption, the pathetic state of infrastructure and the almost lack of civic consciences. Yet many will tell you that Indian culture is something which is to be proud of.They mean the family and rituals mainly.This is again something which I personally does not rate too high.But there are things in India which I am proud of; the culinary variety,the great many forms of textiles and accessories, the dances and most importantly music.

Musicians are the true representitives of all good things we attribute to India. When a Manganiar singer of Islam religion sing in praise of Krishna that is the true secular heritage we share. People who believe that all muslims are terrorists should listen to Manganiars. They are unusually tallented and such a delight to watch.Same way all the classical and folk artists contribute to harmony and peace and try to spread whatever good left in India to the world.Thanks to them, I can still say that I am an Indian with some pride.

LET THERE BE MUSIC ALWAYS

LET THERE BE LIGHT