What's in a name? A tribute to the braveheart.. Hoping for a proverbial butterfly effect ...

Protest. That is what is being named to the ongoing struggle for justice. In a land where women are revered and idolized, confusion on who is fighting whom has come in.

A nation of youth, with bodies not made for war is raising hue and cry, fighting against their protectors and esteemed allies to whom they have voted and elected to rule them. Something in the equation reeks of imbalance and assiduous effort for suppression. The real question is, suppress WHAT?

Never has the modern India seen such an uprising for a non-political cause. It is in no counts any inferior to the movements in Egypt during Mubarak’s regime, Occupy Wall Street or the one during Austerity measures. A 10,000 youngster strong crowd has stood firm ground to 7 sweeping lathi charges, 3 waves of water canon breaches and not to mention the biting Delhi cold at this time (it was 6.3 degree Celsius yesterday!) Do numbers need to say more?

The collective voice that is emerging might resort to multiple ways. Some chose protesting, some chose violent means, crying out their anguish. While some are creating awareness walking the roads, many are voicing their take online. All this is to bring forth only one thing.

Save Our Women.

BBC has taken up a survey to understand why India treats women so badly. While government furtively gets rid of the brave heart in a hasty pyre, Google lights a candle in memory of her, appreciating the fight she put up to survive. The internet is groping for a solution to urge higher ups to be more proactive rather than reactive to situations like this.

 When online bloggers share their views and views of others, some choose to scoff this as a building mass propaganda. People who are putting up the Black dot as their profile picture and sharing news and images of the poor young lady christened Nirbhaya/ Amanath are being ridiculed for their efforts. I simply question this. Does an idea have to be original to call out for awakening? Going by that premise, no movement would have taken form if everyone chose to resort to individuality, rather than collectiveness.

While we are at the topic of the Delhi rape incident, I actually would like to admire the fact that the victim’s name has been withheld. The police seem to have been efficient in it. The family chose to give a statement once she has passed away, they voiced their grief and that they are glad the entire nation’s up in arms and fighting for the cause. I say I’m glad that her name is suppressed because once the name is lain out; the cause for which she is being immortalized will be given a backbench. There are women being abused across the country who need justice. Some say that it is because the incident happened in the nation’s capital, it is hogging lime light. I personally feel that they are wrong and it was the brutality of the incidence that is grabbing peoples’ attention. All the same, if this is case, I would prefer that the name not come out, as it would serve a larger purpose. Women subjected to adversity in Haryana,  Sikkim, Madhyapradesh, Kerala or Tamilnadu deserve no less. Keeping it strictly to the cause (action against sexual offenders) I believe will bring across reforms and subsequent protection for women everywhere in the nation.

The direction in which this is going is somewhat unclear to me. While civilians are demanding swift and stringent measures for the culprits and fortified judicial reforms, government is considering on making sex offenders names out in the public. It might lead them to public humiliation and act as a deterrent. Speculation is rife that if capital punishment comes into play, it would only jeopardize the possible victim’s life as the vandal would resort to extreme means to cover his deed.

 Either ways, what the government is proposing seems to be a valid option too. I mean a publicly accessible database of sex offenders would help know who one employs for their daily help, as drivers for their loved ones, to escort their children and to some extent feel safer. Concerned parents do dig into details before trusting someone. Doing a background check is only going a step ahead.

There is much to be spoken about this and much more to be done about it. We first need to start with implementing it at micro level. With us. Hate and rage can give the purpose some mileage, but that cannot sustain the test of time. Making this a mission to improve our place our homes for women around us is only sensitizing people to be more compassionate, to be a bit less reluctant to help others. When you see a gang of kids misbehaving, it is not fair to walk your way, minding your own business, as it will only encourage such behavior in future. The tiny things we have been taught in our lives need to be employed by us in each step we take. Everywhere. Be kind, rewind J

In the wise words of Dr. A.P.J.Kalam, 

“Where there is righteousness in the heart

There is beauty in the character.

When there is beauty in the character,

There is harmony in the home.

When there is harmony in the home.

There is an order in the nation.

When there is order in the nation,

There is peace in the world.”

Peace. And love. That is all there is to matter. A random act of kindness not only gives us instant gratification, but also helps people loosen up and discover the dormant good side they possess.

Evolve or die: figure it on your own :-)

“If I were the rain, that binds together the heavens and the earth, whom in all eternity will never mingle, would I be able to bind two hearts together?”

The thought of wishing to be more than what is commonly described what one is easily derived to be. This mindset longer happens to be a common thing. I do not say that there is an increasing scarcity of young, confident individuals with fire in their belly and killer instinct to excel. I am pointing at the same swarm’s inclination to grow. Grow in areas that need working. Sophistication of the soul needs evolution in the emotional tangent. For a person to grow, grow they must in three dimensions, not two.

 Physical, intellectual and emotional.

  In times where escapism is the common way to tackle conflicts, Emotional growth is only becoming a farce. Escapisms thrown at us by the modern life can be so mundane and so cleverly disguised that we even fail to observe them. A person facing an emotional conflict now wishes to broadcast his thoughts and derive sympathy, rather than tackle it in his or her own way. Choosing to not discuss of an ailing topic was once a way to contemplate and reach the solution of their own. It is now way a to escape the emotional conflict that entails it and the unique opportunity life presents at us.

A smooth sea never makes a sailor skillful. When one finds himself in a fix, if they choose to share what’s in their mind to someone near and dear, it might seem quite common place. But think of it this way. What if there was no such person to share your situation with? What would you do? Tackle it yourself or, let the matter aside and let life go on? That is the escapism I intend to make my point with. It needn’t be a person. It could be something as mundane as the internet or a drinking binge. A quick fix.  A temporary relief from a growing gangrene.  Tackling the unrest mind’s concern is difficult but important. This is what helps one evolve truly and nurture them to succeed wholly. If we let the unrest grow, it will only mutate and turn into a monster that would not allow you to be sufficient for yourself. Imagine you needing another’s company when you have yourself to be with.

A wise Japanese scholar once said:”When you are young, learn to work, not to earn. Money will come with emotional growth that fuels success”Fight with all you’ve got. Limit life to what it has to offer. Let not tiny obstacles cripple you. Falter not till the goal is met. Make your own luck J

Movies are fun. Or are they any more?

Hi guys. I am just back home, having watched the movie "Gabar singh" and thought of sharing a few thoughts on the same. This post might draw some criticism, but I feel expression of thought is important, lest it too should die along with the already diminishing creative urge in the movies.

I admit I went to the movie with no high expectations set and was not disappointed that I have not. I would have been disappointed at the movie had I set any. There is this video clip on Facebook doing the rounds from the movie and I found it quite entertaining. Having heard that  Pawan Kalyan has scored success on account of the movie being a hit, I had hoped to see another entertainer in the lines of "Khushi". But half way through the movie, I started to realize that this was not my cup of tea

I was lost to point in a direction where the movie was troubling my conscience. Fact be said, the movie has so architecturally unsound that I didn't actually know what to find a fault with; ESPECIALLY the people's audacity in suggesting me to watch the movie and that it was a good one. With the response the movie is receiving, I am flabbergasted at the public's insincerity with themselves. Are they so convinced that they would be ostracized if they begged to differ from the other's opinion? Are they so stubborn in the belief that the creative minds of our film industry don't have much to offer and all that is flung at them in the name of a "mass entertainer" or a movie that matches the "market pulse" must be hogged down with gluttony? I can vividly remember when audiences expected movies to do better than the earlier in terms of humor and thought provoking story line. The viewership had evolved from the village humor from Jandhyala's "Aaha naa pellanta" , to Trivikram Srinivas's sensible narration in "Athadu";From the systematic and thuggish movies such as "Kshana Kshanam" to the coarse and hilarious movies Vamsi had to offer, evolution was forward... People looked forward to movies that exceeded the previous one in bringing contentment in their own merit rather than in terms of Greedy collection figures.

My stance towards the movie is firm, and I reiterate my indignation. The highly intellectual audience deserves better than some non-creative piece of work that tries to live on the glory of another namesake trend setter. I  speaking not of this movie alone but of all those "successful works" that are plagiarized and force-fed into the public's throat. Public reaction too suggests that movie makers can have their way and they need not put in any thought or creative effort, but just showcase the cliched movie requirements - a heroine for enacting the  lead actor's love interest, a hero whose machismo in unparalleled and a gory villain who does not have any noticeable characteristic traits than inhuman cruelty and a appalling lack of conscience -. We are being stereotyped.

Enhancing the image that a movie's collections are the sole indicator of the picture's merit,  people are being mocked by the so called creative heads with the treatment they are being rendered. Patting ourselves on the back today that we are doing good by actually killing real merit would only lower people's expectations for intellect and true art; in a nation that loves and watches movies excessively, this  regressing trend of shunning higher forms of action stunts and sci-fi effects to choose crude brute strength portrayals over screen would only reduce the general public's intellect and exposure to real time cinematic capabilities available in the technologically advanced film industry today.It will no wonder if in due course of time Telugu films -which are respected and adored by a majority of the nation's citizens - will be deemed ones with lackluster.Creativity and entrepreneurial instincts are being given a back bench.

If you think I am disenchanted to Indian Cinema by all this, I would say you are misguided. I too am one of the general population who watch, cheer, enjoy and adore movies all the time. They are a significant part of my entertainment and routine. They are and will remain to be one of one our ways of socializing with kith and kin. Expecting better out of something good and best out of something better is always nice right? It must, at the end of the day be our call on getting our money's worth :-)