It was a cold winter morning. Men were all sleeping in the village outside their houses on the wooden cots. Most of the doors of the homes were not locked. There was no fear of theft or any other reason for the people of the village to close their doors. The old clock stuck 4 a.m and birds started their crippling sounds making attempts to begin their fly for the day. People could hear the sound of the kabuliwala in a distance... singing the fate of the day in front of every house and going on...
Slowly the elder women started to wake up and water their lawns and draw the kolams before sunrise.
"Kamala, Kamala, get up and get ready before sun-rise" Called the father at 5 am. The bullock cart got ready and the family of two daughters, parents and grandparents set to the weekly village fair. Kamala came out and suddently noticed her father talking to the Kabuliwala. She brought him the tea in a mud cup and the old kabuliwala looked at her.
" Bless you my child. Huh,, don't know how you are going to live?" and he gave back the cup to her and went off. Father stood looking in the way the old man went.
Kamala did not understand the statement. She asked her father what he meant. His father smiled and patted her on the back and got into the cart and all of them drove away.
On the way back, she could not hold her inquisitiveness and asked her father what the kabuliwala said.
"Kamala, he is my friend for ages, for every day he said that I am going to do good, things went so well for me. Today for the first time, he told me good bye. Even I don't understand what he meant".... explained the father.
Few days later, the father died suddenly in an accident. Unusually, the kabuliwala did not come to the street for that week. Kamala was shocked. Is that what the kabuliwala already indicated to her and her family. She could not believe it.
Kamala with her family left to the town to stay with her maternal uncle's family after the tragedy. It was after several years, that she suddenly came across Kabuliwala in a railway station. She ran behind him and caught him to speak.
"Sir, what you said year backs, I am still not able to understand? Can you explain to me " For this question from Kamala, Kabuliwala said that they go by the intuition to predict things and when the predictions happen for wrong reasons, they leave the place and go. He had hinted that he may not see her father after that day and that is what had happened and he could not return to the village where his old friend is no more. Kamala looked bewildered, was it his friendship that made him have this instinct or is the concept of kabuliwala real...she stood there still wondering as the old man took his next train...........
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa
Music is one thing that binds the world. It does not have boundaries of Nations, it does not stop with one media, it does not have limitations of language, religion, caste, creed or community. It does not stop with an instrument or a way of performance. Be it Hindustani, Classical, Folk, Carnatic or Western, what ultimately becomes a world class phenomenon is when the listener's get immersed in it.
SaReGaMaPa- A hunt for the world's best talent is currently going on. What makes it a pride thing is when our brothers from Pakistan sing our songs with the same pitch and vibes, it makes us recall the 20 year old of song that first came in DD- Miley sur mera thumara.... only wish we never had this split with Pakistan and as Mrs Sarada Ramani, CEO of CI International says, our country would have been the world best in many things long time back for our energies would not have been diverted to resolve issues with our neighbouring countries. Hope SaReGaMaPa and many other such events bring back a little amount of solace to other-wise troubled neighbours. Hats off to Zee TV for this endeavour.
హేల్లపురి కాలింగ్ యు బ్యాక్
ఏ దేసమేగిన ఎందు కాలిడిన పొగడరా నీ తల్లి బుమ్మీ బారతి నే, నిల్లుపుర నీ జాతి నిందు గవ్రవము
కానంతరాలు దాతి వచ్చిన, ఎన్నో ఏళ్ళు గడిచిపోయిన మనసూ మాత్రం పుటిన ఉరుకీ పరుగులు తిసుడ్నది. శ్రీ శ్రీ కవిత్వం లాగా పరుగులు తిస్తున నా అలచోనలికి సరిహదు లేయకుండా వస్తునాయి. గోదావరి గట్టు కింద కూచొని ఎద్దుసతున పిల్లవాడిల్ల చిళ్ల చిల్ల వినిపిస్తునాద్ఐ నా మనసు. రా అన్తునది నా బల్ల్యం , నా కోసం రా అన్తునది నా తొలి ప్రేమ , నా కోసమేయ్న రా అన్తునారూ నాన ..ఎవరికోసం కాకా పోయిన, నా కోసమీ నెయ్నూ నా ఉరికి పరుగులూ తిస్తునా ప్రతి రోజ్జు నా ఊహలలొ
Be a Sun when you are alone- Shine as a star when you are around!
Utterly bitterly being alone
Hardly have time to be frown
For I am happy being myself
Encompassing every gulf
Nor do I miss my day with fun
For I smile at myself in the run
I look upon the sky and the sun
Smiled at him for he is all alone
The night came to my thought
I smiled back at the moon in twilight
For I know for sure, I have more fun
Being one amongst the stars to run!
Hardly have time to be frown
For I am happy being myself
Encompassing every gulf
Nor do I miss my day with fun
For I smile at myself in the run
I look upon the sky and the sun
Smiled at him for he is all alone
The night came to my thought
I smiled back at the moon in twilight
For I know for sure, I have more fun
Being one amongst the stars to run!
Fatima Oldage Home- A Shelter for the autumn leaves
With a heavy heart went in search of the Fatima Trust and Oldage Home in Thoraipakkam in Chennai, after knowing that one of my old aunt who is ailing, bedridden and counting days is moved to this oldage home. First time in life, I felt so useless to myself, for I could not help the situation for her. I cursed myself for having little or no possibility to take care of her bringing her home and was silently in tears as we were nearing the place. Sometimes though our hearts ache and urge for making things differently, our unfortunate circumstances do not support our thoughts. My situation was very much the same, for this aunt was widowed at a very young age, had no children, and worked as a school teacher and retired, and she had been very close to me as a child. I stood with shame and helplessness for a moment.
But my feelings got a better solace as I stepped inside. The place is well maintained, and inmates are well taken care of by providing appropriate diet on time, medical care being provided, and the caretaker taking full efforts to make the place a real home. Thankfully I found that people found company in each other and lot many returned my smile with real happiness to see a visitor. Almost 70% of the inmates were sick and needed medical attention and timely care. I was amazed to see an old freedom fighter having all his photos, certificates and memories hanging in his room and was taken by awe to see our National Flag near his pillow. Inadvertently I went ahead to salute him with pride. Then I took few minutes to talk to the care-taker and discuss about the welfare of my aunt. Talking to her I felt, that she is in the safe hands of a person who have abundant care and love for her fellow human beings. I was shocked to hear that most of the inmates want the final journey to be made from the home and the home also takes care of doing this most pious responsibility. I had no words. All I could do is stand up and put both my hands together in salutation to the care-taker and walk ahead without looking back.....
On the way back, glad my husband told me that we would one day run such an institution when both time and money permits and do our best back to the society. I did not reply him. Tears flooded my eyes and thoughts!!!
But my feelings got a better solace as I stepped inside. The place is well maintained, and inmates are well taken care of by providing appropriate diet on time, medical care being provided, and the caretaker taking full efforts to make the place a real home. Thankfully I found that people found company in each other and lot many returned my smile with real happiness to see a visitor. Almost 70% of the inmates were sick and needed medical attention and timely care. I was amazed to see an old freedom fighter having all his photos, certificates and memories hanging in his room and was taken by awe to see our National Flag near his pillow. Inadvertently I went ahead to salute him with pride. Then I took few minutes to talk to the care-taker and discuss about the welfare of my aunt. Talking to her I felt, that she is in the safe hands of a person who have abundant care and love for her fellow human beings. I was shocked to hear that most of the inmates want the final journey to be made from the home and the home also takes care of doing this most pious responsibility. I had no words. All I could do is stand up and put both my hands together in salutation to the care-taker and walk ahead without looking back.....
On the way back, glad my husband told me that we would one day run such an institution when both time and money permits and do our best back to the society. I did not reply him. Tears flooded my eyes and thoughts!!!
Live-In Relationships- A new paradigm in India
Off late, people have been running behind issues that exist in India for a long while. But now the run is different. The chase is for legalizing and institutionalizing every thing with an opinion to keep in pace with the changing world. The issue of legalizing homo-sexual relationships, accepting gay marriages, providing legal status to transgender, streamlining and legalizing prostitution and now the government’s intervention to legalize live-in relationships, and giving the status of "wife" to the woman involved. People who had their own reasons why they could not bind themselves as man and wife in a marriage will now have to think about this new emerging proposal. There are multiple ways of looking at this issue.
Let’s look into the way people who support this proposal assume and otherwise:
A legal status to the relationship, so that in case something happens to the man, the woman in live-in will get a legal status to claim his property etc as a legal heir.
Neither the man nor the woman can escape the binding factors under law once they started to live together for what so ever reasons.
The statement in the proposal of the "Reasonable time" has to be defined. Or else, for few people living once together would become a life time emotion, and how can you define what is a considerable amount of time in such a situation.
This also raises questions on what happens in cases where a married man or a woman is having another relationship under the tag "live-in". Will the first husband or the first wife lose their legal status once the extra-marital affair gets legalized under the live-in law?
The proposal talks about benefiting the urban communities where this change is become inevitable as lot of people are in live-in relationships to the given fact that they cannot bind to the marriage due to work pressure and other commitment factors- Then what is that this new law is going to achieve, when the people involved themselves do not want to have a commitment, that is the very objective of people in live-in relationships why they don't tie the knot?
The proposal also states that the rural woman will be protected as most of the men end up in polygamy where there exists no legal right for the second wife under law. There arises another question- Are you legalizing multiple marriages or multiple wives by giving the second wife a legal status as well under the tag of live-in? In such cases, does the woman also have an equal right to have multiple husbands? This sound absurd and illogical.
Can the man and wife in the live-in also divorce and does the existing law of separation apply to them as well?
When a law is made and an amendment done at a government level, the proposal should consider all aspects of the issue. Above statements are the points showing the weaker side of the proposed law. It is for the government and legal framework to dig deep into the issue with wide statistics that need to be considered before this become a new law in the country. To me this proposal looks like a mixed up requirements with no clarity- Cant help being a business analyst!!
The other side of the coin- For those who talk about Culture and Heritage.
What is culture- Culture is the way in which people live over civilizations in a country. If the current civilization has a changed way of living, accept it. Look at the larger picture of people in the country today. There are no more Rama's nor there are any Draupadi's in the country today. Our culture, our epics and our heritage had references to the live-in relationships. When we could regard Pandavas being born to Kunti for each God, and for the country which believes in Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu's Mohini avatar, and lot many other references, Jesus was blessed to Mother Mary... and lot more, what is that you are contradicting the live-in relationships stating not in our culture. Instead of referring culture as a reason, I would suggest people think from other areas - like this may encourage mutiple partners, throw in more of health hazards and disrupt the sacred Institution of Marriage in its present form which is regarded as the world- best institution. I am not supporting the proposal as is, but definitely would support the emotions of the people who are into such a relationship for what ever known personal reasons. As long as the major questions of this proposal are addressed, the country can vote for the proposal. Unless the clarity is arrived and people do not get caught unaware of the loopholes of the new law, this can go. Otherwise, this will become a well dug deep to bury everyone involved- both emotionally and legally!
This reminds me of a line- "My kids and your kids play with our kids"
How is this concept in rest of the world:
To the western and European world, this concept is not new. But the law becomes a binding factor when there are children out of the live-in relationships. Irrespective of whether the father and mother are married or no, the child get the legal status as a legal heir to both the parents individually. Such parents end up in a contratual obligation for sharing the responsibility of the children even if they decide to part ways later or stay together. If they decide to part without children, then there is no legal binding where the partners can claim alimony or legal rights to the property of the person with whom they lived for a while. I have seen people who got married when they had teenage children and when they thought that their relationships can work for a life time. Government's current proposal should see the proven theories of the world to make it a more practically viable law that can be accepted by the people of the country. Its not like some one wrote some rules fifty years back and we are still bound to follow them..Things are changed a lot in Modern India and this should be reflected in our policies and proposals as well.
A last statement- My Opinion:
This is something personal to people involved. There are thousands of social issues that the government can really look into like providing shelther to homeless, eradicating poverty, providing wide spread employment opportunities, making India a world class tourist destination, protecting people against communal violence and terrorism, making proposals for people's participation in Army and Border security, providing support to military personnel who are risking the lives to protect our Nation and lot many. Instead of diverting our attention to issues that people can handle themselves, it is for the government to concentrate more on the major issues that are common to everyone in this country. If they are really serious of making laws, I would suggest Government looks at making amendements to the existing books of law that were written in pre-independence era - Like Rs 500 fine for a rape accused, 5 years of prisonment for a drunken drive killer and a fine of Rs 100 for person who breaks a law at the fall of a hat! Wake Up India. Wake up for real burning issues that my country is bleeding with...
Let’s look into the way people who support this proposal assume and otherwise:
A legal status to the relationship, so that in case something happens to the man, the woman in live-in will get a legal status to claim his property etc as a legal heir.
Neither the man nor the woman can escape the binding factors under law once they started to live together for what so ever reasons.
The statement in the proposal of the "Reasonable time" has to be defined. Or else, for few people living once together would become a life time emotion, and how can you define what is a considerable amount of time in such a situation.
This also raises questions on what happens in cases where a married man or a woman is having another relationship under the tag "live-in". Will the first husband or the first wife lose their legal status once the extra-marital affair gets legalized under the live-in law?
The proposal talks about benefiting the urban communities where this change is become inevitable as lot of people are in live-in relationships to the given fact that they cannot bind to the marriage due to work pressure and other commitment factors- Then what is that this new law is going to achieve, when the people involved themselves do not want to have a commitment, that is the very objective of people in live-in relationships why they don't tie the knot?
The proposal also states that the rural woman will be protected as most of the men end up in polygamy where there exists no legal right for the second wife under law. There arises another question- Are you legalizing multiple marriages or multiple wives by giving the second wife a legal status as well under the tag of live-in? In such cases, does the woman also have an equal right to have multiple husbands? This sound absurd and illogical.
Can the man and wife in the live-in also divorce and does the existing law of separation apply to them as well?
When a law is made and an amendment done at a government level, the proposal should consider all aspects of the issue. Above statements are the points showing the weaker side of the proposed law. It is for the government and legal framework to dig deep into the issue with wide statistics that need to be considered before this become a new law in the country. To me this proposal looks like a mixed up requirements with no clarity- Cant help being a business analyst!!
The other side of the coin- For those who talk about Culture and Heritage.
What is culture- Culture is the way in which people live over civilizations in a country. If the current civilization has a changed way of living, accept it. Look at the larger picture of people in the country today. There are no more Rama's nor there are any Draupadi's in the country today. Our culture, our epics and our heritage had references to the live-in relationships. When we could regard Pandavas being born to Kunti for each God, and for the country which believes in Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu's Mohini avatar, and lot many other references, Jesus was blessed to Mother Mary... and lot more, what is that you are contradicting the live-in relationships stating not in our culture. Instead of referring culture as a reason, I would suggest people think from other areas - like this may encourage mutiple partners, throw in more of health hazards and disrupt the sacred Institution of Marriage in its present form which is regarded as the world- best institution. I am not supporting the proposal as is, but definitely would support the emotions of the people who are into such a relationship for what ever known personal reasons. As long as the major questions of this proposal are addressed, the country can vote for the proposal. Unless the clarity is arrived and people do not get caught unaware of the loopholes of the new law, this can go. Otherwise, this will become a well dug deep to bury everyone involved- both emotionally and legally!
This reminds me of a line- "My kids and your kids play with our kids"
How is this concept in rest of the world:
To the western and European world, this concept is not new. But the law becomes a binding factor when there are children out of the live-in relationships. Irrespective of whether the father and mother are married or no, the child get the legal status as a legal heir to both the parents individually. Such parents end up in a contratual obligation for sharing the responsibility of the children even if they decide to part ways later or stay together. If they decide to part without children, then there is no legal binding where the partners can claim alimony or legal rights to the property of the person with whom they lived for a while. I have seen people who got married when they had teenage children and when they thought that their relationships can work for a life time. Government's current proposal should see the proven theories of the world to make it a more practically viable law that can be accepted by the people of the country. Its not like some one wrote some rules fifty years back and we are still bound to follow them..Things are changed a lot in Modern India and this should be reflected in our policies and proposals as well.
A last statement- My Opinion:
This is something personal to people involved. There are thousands of social issues that the government can really look into like providing shelther to homeless, eradicating poverty, providing wide spread employment opportunities, making India a world class tourist destination, protecting people against communal violence and terrorism, making proposals for people's participation in Army and Border security, providing support to military personnel who are risking the lives to protect our Nation and lot many. Instead of diverting our attention to issues that people can handle themselves, it is for the government to concentrate more on the major issues that are common to everyone in this country. If they are really serious of making laws, I would suggest Government looks at making amendements to the existing books of law that were written in pre-independence era - Like Rs 500 fine for a rape accused, 5 years of prisonment for a drunken drive killer and a fine of Rs 100 for person who breaks a law at the fall of a hat! Wake Up India. Wake up for real burning issues that my country is bleeding with...
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