HOME FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE...!!

PUDUCHERRY:  

Is it possible to make homeless word into home..? yes it’s, Mr. invisible who did this. Generally. There are some people who are not able to afford to fulfil the social needs of the life. The statistics of United Nations Commission on Human Rights  notes that, an estimated100 million people -one-quarter of the world's population- live without shelter or in unhealthy and unacceptable conditions. Over 100 million people around the world have no shelter whatsoever and poverty is counted as first main reason for this.

Once there was a person who tried to overcome this problem in Puducherry but the thing is he is invisible for all people. He was like Robin hood but he served all those people with his own finance.

Angalamman, one among those homeless people said, “he really did a good job. In this period who is ready to help other but he really made his stand high on us. He arranged a place where he gathered all the homeless people and served everyone. All this was alive till he was alive, the moment he expired, for us its like everything has been taken back from us. We felt really bad even many people cried like anything. Yes we felt bad, not for seeing our future as same as we were but for missing a person who made humanity word alive.”

Another voice was telling the same what Angalamman said but Ramya added, “ we have got home but we lost a person who made us to understand humanity word and now I don’t see anything like same, even the counting is increases day by day of homeless people”.

The people want their government to take step like same what Mr. invisible did atleast to decrease half of the count of homelessness and these voices was full of pang.

An Indian Girl – Morality Over Ages

Every girl gets to hear from her parents, “It was never like this in our generation. We were not supposed to wear jeans, nor talk to any guy other than our own brothers. If we did, we would be beaten up and also jailed at home. No more school, no play, no work!” As a young child, every girl is endowed with a long list of rules and regulations to follow, right from the way she dresses to whom she speaks to, everywhere she goes.  A wide disparity exists in the way a girl is being treated since ages. The phenomenon of creating moral boundaries for women has taken on both new and familiar ways. The familiar ways continue – surveillance over where women go, what they wear, how they speak, who they speak to, and so on. Newer forms have also emerged: legislative force (such as the closure of dance bars in Mumbai) or coercive violence (like the Shiv Sena on a rampage separating men and women sitting together on Valentines’ Day), or institutional alarm (dress codes for girls in colleges and universities), or a nebulous and unwritten moral social force – which condones harmful traditional and cultural practices like sati and the marginalisation of widows, sometimes in the name of protecting our traditions against Westernisation or in the name of ‘Indian tradition’.

People around the country believe that they live in a society formed under patriarchal guidelines, and a woman has no say in it. But, actually, the woman has lost her control over the community she had built out of her own hands. And so now, when the woman feels suffocated and wants to break the walls she is enclosed within, the man – now powerful – does not let the woman take a stand, giving rise to Feminism and Male Chauvinism. But when you look around, you will find the world was made for the woman. The third verse of the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount by the Lord Jesus quoted from Matthew 5:5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Here, ‘meek’ being the female species, which are meant to be delicate and humble. That doesn’t stop the woman from doing the work she has been doing these days, nor does that allow a man to set the limits of what the woman has to do. 

Most people are unaware of the fact that morality differs from place to place. If a girl in the North India is not allowed to leave home with a ‘dupatta’ wrapped around her chest, a girl in parts of South India may be without the ‘dupatta’, only with the blouse and skirt. Similarly, morality issues have changed over a period of time. Now women are not only allowed to leave home and go out seeking for work men specialised in, but also go out for late night parties at a pub, dancing, drinking, smoking, and so on. For the urban youth, this is seen as any other normality but for the still rural and backward crowd in India, it is a matter of shame and ill manners. 

Who sets the limits and norms of morality is yet unknown, though everyone wants to push her/his standards on each other in the society, in the presumption that she/he can think the best. If people start respecting each other, the recent cases like the Assam Molestation Case or the Mangalore Home Stay Incident would never have had taken place. Everyone needs to understand that if they are trying to uphold the Indian Tradition by taking up adverse measures against Westernisation that will only lead to the formation of more rebels in the society who will be termed as ‘Bachchallan’, meaning immoral woman. 

"Learn the rules first and then break them". This is one line I've been hearing since a very long time from my faculty at NDTV IndiaCan.Not that they are encouraging us to break rules!

                   Come to think of it, this sentence does mean a lot. It is so true that to break rules,you must first learn what the rules are. Like the example my teacher gave: first you learn how to drive a car,you learn the lane disciplines and then once you are good at it you know how to maneuver without causing trouble,but at the same time cause a minor violation of the traffic rules.

                   Even the people who rebel against the society are familiar with the so called "norms", but they do not want to adhere to them and hence,choose their own path. 

But then again,it is a personal choice-you either stick by the rules or you break them.

                   So in order to become journalists,we have to first learn the rules of journalism-be it writing,reporting,investigating or even the attire we need to be in. And once we have learnt them,we work according to the rules and then we are fit enough to break the rules-as in,improvise or "do our own thing".

Looks like we have a lot of  learning to do before breaking. 

Grace Jaya.

Party Culture

(The supposed-to-be-report which turned out to be more like an article.)


The recent event on moral policing in Mangalore has got the country shocked yet another time, wondering if the perpetrators' violent act of expression at the present generation which is in a transitory phase has yielded the results they wanted. The ripples of outrage and protests in the epicenter of the incident has not dampened the party goer's spirit across the urban cities in the country. While some of them feel that the chances of such incidents occurring in the city are slim, there are others who prefer to stay on the safer side even if it means altering the weekend plans to something less conspicuous.

The dance bars and pubs in Bangalore have heightened their security while the youngsters who decide to loosen over the weekend decide to go in larger groups than normal. "Not that it makes much of a difference," says Kajal (name changed) a 20 year old student from Mumbai. "The youngsters at Home Stay were in a large group but the mob was just bigger and driven to make a point. It has done nothing but made the present generation more rebellious to their "book of morals"," she adds. Other than the friday night parties which is a norm at almost all bars in the city, Ladies Night on Wednesdays are equally popular. An open bar and mainstream music with DJs act as an invite.

Then there are the less conspicuous pubs like Purple Haze and Jimi's, which in spite of the chilled out atmosphere and crowd have their own fan-following. "I guess it depends on the choice of music mostly," says Lesslie, a student from Chennai. These pubs are known predominantly for the choice of music, varying from classic rock with bands like Dire Straits and AC/DC, to alternative and soft rock music. "We don't have much of these in Chennai so I prefer going to places like Purple Haze when I come visit my friends in Bangalore. It has a great ambiance, excellent music and an energetic crowd," he adds.

Despite the many hotspots in Bangalore, there are still a fer people who prefer throwing private parties. It is usually organized at a house and the guests are people the host is familiar with. "House parties are fun! Its comfortable and we don't have to deal with too many rules. The booze is usually b.y.o.b (bring your own booze) and people don't mind because we are mostly students," says Shrishti, a recent graduate from Mumbai. The only apparent downside of throwing a house party is the restriction on loud music. Says Shyam, a 24 year old from Bangalore, "We cant play loud music past 10 in my building. I had to vacate my previous apartment because we had a little too many loud weekends and had to deal with the cops one of those times."

For some, house parties are also a way to unwind through drugs, and such gatherings usually have a well-knit group of people, who apart from drugs, share similar interests in the Arts. The music usually played here is post rock, psychedelic and blues. According to Ranjeet (name changed) "We love music. That's all we talk about. A bunch of us are into musical instruments and abstract art, so why not team it up with drugs and let the art flow?"

While the youngsters are busy frolicking around the tree of "morally" forbidden fruits, we have believers in the very same society living among us who feel that they have to be brought down to punishment. The societal unit which believed that the behavior of the present today's deserves to be punished has been making its presence evident. From the 2009 pub attack at Amnesia in Mangalore to the 2012 case of property invasion and molestation, news on moral policing has brought out views and opinions on the matter out in the open. According to Nidhi (name changed), a mother of two daughters from Mangalore believes that "such acts are destroying the religious and spiritual beliefs that have been in the country since centuries." When asked about her views on the recent case of molestation in the name of moral policing, the feels that the belief is right but the expression of violence has "nothing but made them look like a bunch of hooligans with no sense of how to handle a situation." If it was me, I'd first put the alcohol away and make sure that the girls are decently dressed and sit them down and have a detailed talk with them about the consequences of their actions," she adds.

While the question of consequences comes up, the legality of these actions is a big question mark. While alcohol consumption is altogether banned in Gujarat, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, the legal drinking age for youngsters varies from 18 to 25 in the remaining states. In Karnataka it is 21. Most of them have tried alcohol by the age of 17 and have become occasional drinkers by 19 years old. While the youngsters are not asked for age proof at most of the dance bars and pubs in the city, Guzzlers Inn on Brigade Road and Firangi Pani  in Forum Mall seem to be the only two places which actually follow the law. The dance bars seem to have no age limit for the entry of youth, either. While some want to dance and loosen up, others want to just sit back and enjoy the intoxication and company, but the oone thing that both these groups have in common is a drink in the hand to sync with the atmosphere, be it legal or otherwise.

Droplets of Sun.

My greatest discouragement to having my own kids
Is my parents.
They make me feel confusingly inferior,
I never want offspring.
They are so perfect I secretly wish
They were parents to my children,
Erasing me from the whole scene even.
They are droplets of sun
Disguised as man and woman.
Destined to bring in and raise a girl.
With principles and her own independence.
I can never posses such perfectionism
When it comes to parenthood.
I can never love anyone like I am loved.
My parents are the best.
I will only be their painfully similar echo.
My parents are the best.
Impossible to disprove this statement.
For no one but I, have enough tangible
And intangible proof of their virtue.

This Independence day, my mind is liberated by this bitter sweet worry.
Catharsis in its most original wave.
It is absurd to celebrate a nation's freedom before you recognize
The ones who freed you into the nation and onto the planet in the first place.
Today, along with a billion Indians rejoicing India's 66th year of Independence,
I join to celebrate my 20th of the same.

Independence Day?

August 15, 1947-Independence at last! Millions of Indians on the streets, celebrating their new found freedom.  Tears of joy, shouts of jubilation, people hugging and congratulating one another; at the same time mourning their loved ones, who they lost during the struggle.

August 15, 2012 – A National Holiday.

65 years since we got our independence, and the meaning of the day and the word seems to have changed with each passing year. Today, August 15 as I see it, is a day when all of us are especially glad that it is a holiday. A day, away from our boring, monotonous jobs.  A day to relax, to catch up with friends- for whom we haven’t had the time, because of our “busy schedules”.  August 15 2012 is all about wishing friends on Facebook, changing our respective profile pictures to the Indian flag, posting an old message about independence  as our status with ‘Jai Hind’ being the last two words by default.

How many of us really sit and think about that day? How many of us really feel sad for the ones who lost their lives fighting for our freedom? How many of us really care?

It is true, there is still a lot to be done in order to develop our country, in order to rid it of its poverty and ugliness i.e. corruption. But the start has been made, and it is only fair that we as citizens contribute the least we can, to see our country grow, to make it a better place.

Let not August 15 just be a ‘holiday’. Let it be a day which will take us closer to the India we all want to see. And then one August 15 after a few years, we will all shed tears of joy, congratulate and hug each other for reaching there, for  daring to make a change.

Grace Jaya.

Nightmares on wheels continue.

When Asha was pushed off a moving train by four men who attempted to molest her, 25 feet down into a dry river bed, her co-passengers remained dumb spectators. Including couple of ladies, the train had people dotting every bogie. She ran into each screaming, and what prevented any of them from helping is a revolting mystery.


July 24th. The day 19 year old Asha Rani was pushed out of a moving Yeshvantpur-Mysore Express near Maddur into the river bed of Shimsha. She had been on the way back from her workplace when the men misbehaved, made sexual advances and offered money for sex. Her objection provoked them to kick her out, literally. The victim is an orphan, lives with her grandmother in Vidyaranyapuram, Mysore and works in Hinduja Garment factory, Bangalore.

Hundreds of women in Bangalore travel by train. Many have experienced similar harassment. The Railway Police have failed to take any action despite numerous complaints. But it's ridiculous how in the presence of 10 odd men and women, a girl still cannot feel safe in public. She cannot trust the society anymore. Till the last decade people only feared getting their hands dirty in property issues or road accidents that could have criminal tags. But today, the dignity of a woman weighs lesser than the effort of having to report an incident to the police or help a hapless teen.

The accused, identified as Akbar, Imran, Rafeeq and Zuban are scrap workers from Mysore who boarded the train from Ramanagara Station. Asha even knew one of them already. They were arrested and produced before the Maddur JMFC Court which remanded them in 15 days judicial custody. And again, the co-passengers who were vegetables escape blame.

Everything from the misbehaviour to sexual advances may have been inevitable, but how could a girl be pushed off a moving train at the end of quite some drama in the presence of other passengers! The fall on the rocky river bed has left serious head, bone and spine injuries.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Women's Commission has assured Asha that the government would take responsibility of her and would provide her asylum in a government-run destitute women's home.

The tears that well up in Asha's eyes, each time she would recall her 'hellish experience' is a reflection of deliberate injustice towards women and as well as misogyny in the Indian society. She's now afraid of traveling by train. Who isn't?

Not ignorance, just avoidance.

My knowledge of Indian Politics is not much. 'Much' would be an understatement. It is pathetic; and when I say that the reason for this is that Politics disgusts me, it is not an excuse. It is simply the truth. The way I look at it, Politics is nothing but a sport of power played on a filthy playground, and I refuse to let the dirt pollute my mind.


This is all I have to say on the topic, unless Baba Ramdev becomes the President.

WE are who WE are

Far away from love, away from food, away from homes, women today have excelled in fields every man always has been in, since ages. It's not difficult for women today to do work out of their comfort zones these days. But where do you draw the line? Do women really have to go out, get kicked around their butts and do what men do? Or live life like a princess in the hands of their fantasy princes?

30 days since we begun, and now we talk in terms of aperture, shutter speed, exposure and more when it comes to camera handling. We can now, understand the patterns and logic behind everything happening around us, when we could not describe the "P" of "Politics" earlier. And yes, we do! We, the women, at NDTV-IndiaCan Bangalore, stand today, in wait of what we have to be tomorrow - princesses to be kicked around our butts in the lives we choose - Journalism - being the lamps of truth - seeking for NEWS - seeking to be "WE" who "WE" are!

The journey so far and the journey ahead!

                                      One month!30 days,since we began a new journey. A journey,at the end of which,we will all be realising our dreams. Dreams that we have held so close to our hearts for a long time. 

                                       What we need is some guidance and help,which we are now receivng at NDTV-IndiaCan,Bangalore,through the hands of experienced proffessionals,who could well be spending their valuable time elsewhere. But they have chosen to help us realise our dreams,carve us,help us to discover our potentials and at the end of this 12 month journey watch us take away as Journalists.

                                        This 12 month journey is going to be incredible,eventful,exciting,experiential and not to forget exhausting! But,we are up for it.Ready to take up challenges,cross hurdles,do anything it takes to get us to our goal.

                                        Because we are here for a reason and we mean serious business!

Grace Jaya.

Johnny Johnny Yes Papa. Eating Money? No Papa!

It's 3.30 on a crisp Wednesday afternoon and either footpath in front of the Banshankari BDA Complex is crowded dramatically in a minute. At first it looked chaotic and left onlookers clueless, but then a pattern was forming. Towards the T-junction; on the left were 300 girls and on the right were 300 boys - holding placards and shouting slogans with much patriotic gusto in their eyes.

I was on the way back home when I spotted this sudden activity. I was so excited; all I could think of was CAN I JOIN CAN I JOIN CAN I JOIN!! I took a minute to comprehend the scenario and was more than convinced by what I learnt.

Among the placards they held and slogans they chanted at the top of their spirits were ones protesting against corruption, corruption, and corruption. Anna Hazare Supporters’ Karnataka division lead this protest and were spotted around in aprons carrying Anna logos. They lead the scene, providing students slogans, flags and encouragement.

I asked one of the volunteers if I could join too, and he readily agreed. It’s only after the 3^rd time I repeated after the slogans that my journalist self kicked in! I almost ran back t to the IndiaCan institute and brought back the camera. I covered the event and felt tides of satisfaction wash over the journalist me. 

I intended to pull out only one of the boys to enquire deeper than what met the eye about the event, but ten were tagging behind me to explain! I had to excuse myself for distracting the human chain, and finally ask my questions to Pranav, a final year student at BNM. He told me everything including how they were all from BNM College (across a couple of lanes from BDA), the supporters came in to their campus at around 2.30pm, their speech, the protest, the awaken patriotism and his name.

I continued to click few more shots while I spoke to more girls on the opposite side; Monica, Padmasree, Kavya, Panchami, Ann and others whose names I dont recall. All the efforts of the rude, scorching sun to discourage me from graphing the event on my camera were in vain. By now, cameramen from TV channels had found their way here and had begun to acknowledge this effort.

I stayed for 20 minutes more, as a participant. And in that time, as I shouted slogans out with all my zest, I was also imagining myself participating in the main protest at Freedom Park this Saturday.

When I finally returned the camera, copied the photos into my PD and was on the way back home, I felt a silent rush of content. 

 

Bharat Mata ki Jai.

The "So Called Brother" in our society!

In India 60 rapes registered a day – Most of the rape cases are not being reported due to poor conviction rates, under-reporting of rape cases by victims. For every reported case of rape, more than 50 go unreported due to lack of faith between the victim and the police and the insensitivity of the police personnel towards women.

And Men in India who ranks top in RAPE, MOLESTATION and EVE-TEASING never hesitate to extend hand to tie a RAKHEE – Later on they will join shoulders with other male members of their family in killing their sisters and name it HONOUR KILLING! And if I talk about domestic violence, that is another epic all over again!

MEN! Are not you guys ASHAMED of this Hypocrisy??