Migrant Workers: The Backbone Of The Society.

Like Covid- 19, which has literally brought the world to a standstill, the partition was also a disease, which crept in and they both share one key element which leaders today overlooked as disdainful as the founder of India and Pakistan did in 1947. While, the nation is still fighting the battle against coronavirus. India is being reminded of a modern tragedy.

Hundreds of thousands of desperately poor workers and their families have taken to the roads in recent days, fleeing cities for their villages in a mass migration similar of the 1947 Partition that gave birth to modern India and Pakistan.

The partition, in which as many as 14 million people crossed from one side of the new border to the other perhaps a million more died, are hardly exact. The numbers today appear to be much smaller. These migrants aren’t fleeing violence and aren’t being attacked by marauding gangs, or other refugees, along the way, there’s no sectarian dimension to the exodus and this great migration is unlikely to result in any permanent demographic shift.

The images that began flooding out of India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a three- week lockdown of the country due to the pandemic of the country starting March 24 have in some ways been as heart- wrenching as newsreel footage from 1947, men and women with feet worn bloody by walking hundreds of miles brutal heat, children clamoring for food, crowds clinging of the roof of overloaded buses still running.  The crisis has drawn the attention of the global media and India’s Supreme Court.

The migrant workers crisis has shown the relevance of that question in today’s India. These migrant workers have been contributing towards the development of the nation by the sheer sweat and their brow. With the increasing distress, many migrant workers took recourse of their own means of transport to go home- many had no other option but to walk long distances, before the central government finally notified the start of services of “Shramik train”. This is not even about containing the coronavirus infection. This is not even about saving the government some relief package. This is about keeping workers hostage.

Presently, the situation is very dynamic. While, the government is releasing a huge packages for the development of the country, but still the workers are facing a crisis why this amount is not used for the well- being of their livelihood irrespective of this that government released few schemes for them like MNREGA.

Even, government has used a large amount of money on the virtual rally in Bihar. why the government is not thinking about the migrant workers while knowing this that these workers the basic need for the development of the country and their lives are very important.

A direct question arises here: Why was a dedicated Vande Bharat Mission not adopted for them? It is because they are still regarded as a little less than other citizens of the India?

Superstition: Boon or Bane

Superstition

When we talk about superstition there is no single definition for this, it generally means a belief in supernatural forces such as fate, the desire to influence the unpredictable factors and a need to resolve uncertainty. In this era of science and technology where many discoveries and inventions are taking place and science is making the impossible possible with the blink of an eye, there is no place for superstitions.

Many people may believe that faith is also a form of superstition, but as we see if we think deeply, there is a difference. Faith is a positive factor whereas superstition is a negative factor. Psychologists, who have investigated what role superstition play, have found that they derive from the assumption that a connection exists between co-occurring, and non- related events.

Mahatma Buddha was probably the first great man to expound and explain the value and significance of reason which eliminated superstition altogether. He emphasized that everything should be thoroughly studied, judges and tested before being believed. Later, many other great men like Guru Nanak and Kabir exhorted the people to shun superstitions.  

Superstitions are common phenomenon in human society, especially in Asian cultures. These beliefs can have negative impact on the social well- being of people in society because they are highly associated with financial risk-taking and gambling behavior. Superstitious do all sorts of puzzling things.

Superstitions can also give rise to the notion that object and places are cursed. Hollywood movie “The Conjuring is the best example of this such as Annabella the doll who featured in the movie is to be inhabited by the spirit of a dead girl.

Even superstitions have negative impact on the mental health as well. A girl from Delhi, Mahima Roukhar  had also seen how badly it affects the persons mind. Once there was a neighbor of mine who believes in a black magic kind of thing and due to this superstition he murdered his father brutually. He cut down his father into pieces and stick his organs on the walls of his room. He gave the explanation of his wrong doing is that by doing this he will become a most powerful man in this world.

One question always arouses in my mind when I talk about superstition is that few people thinks cat signifies the negativity whereas, another group take it as positive. How is it possible that one thing is good for few people and bad for another after all we all are human beings.

There are few superstitions which are very commonly believe but these are not superstitions even they had different aspects. Let’s have a quick look at the following examples:-

1.     Eat curd and sugar before heading out- Before stepping out for something new and important eating curd and something sweet is considered to be a good luck as the consumption of curd has a cooling effect on stomach and sugar which is added provides instant glucose which makes your work easier and successful. This combination is indispensable for Indians and its consumption was slowly linked to good luck.

2.     Don’t wash or cut hairs on certain days-Washing or cutting hairs on certain days like on Tuesdays or Thursdays are considered to be bad luck but there is no truth in this as it was one of the water management practices and moreover, during those days, barbers got a holiday on those days. So, just to give them a holiday people don’t cut hairs on these days.

3.     Mensuration women are considered impure and unclean:  In a country like India, it is very prevalent and this gave rise to many superstitious beliefs. At that time women were not allowed inside kitchen, temples, mosques, and other religious spots and were not allowed to do any household chores the reason behind this is that at that point of time women are comparatively weak due to the lot of blood loss. So they are given complete rest.

4.     Using lemons and green chilies to avoid buri nazar- The nimbu mirchi tadka is one the commonly visible superstition among the society who uses it often encouraged due to qualities of lemon and chilies as they both are rich in different vitamins and create certain acidic Adour which helps keep away insects.

5.     Ghost residing in peepal tree- This myth continues to prevail even today but the scientific reason behind this is that the tree use carbon dioxide during the day and releases oxygen in the night. So when you sleep under the tree, the excess amount of carbon dioxide level can make you feel heavy in the fist and suffocated which is associated with the feeling of being possessed by some spirits.

 The fascinating thing about superstitions is that we often believe in them despite knowing, on some level, that they can’t be true. Why do we do this?  Even Eric Hammerman an author also stated that “ when people feel the world is out of their control,  they look for external sources of control- superstitious are really a reaction to feeling out of control”.

Now you decide How superstitious are you? Do you believe in all this?

By: Syed Aayaan Asif

YOGA: The Enlightenment.

Wherever we go today, we hear people talking about the multiple benefits of yoga and attesting to its indispensability in daily life. There is no doubt yoga signifies the resolution of physical and mental problems all over world today. The word yoga is derived from the Sanskrit and was first mentioned in the oldest sacred texts, Rig Veda word in which yuj means ‘to join’ or ‘to unite’. This union is all about uniting your mind with your body.  The fact is that it dates back as far as a few millenniums. Yoga goes back to BC times. So, it is no wonder that many people around the world are attracted to such a time-tested practice.

 The aim of the yoga enthusiasts are extremely varied some are particularly inspired by the Spiritual Element that yoga provides, others by the increased Fitness and Flexibility. Some people find solution to suffering from varied Health Disorders and there are others who achieve an all- round development of calm, stress- free mind and a fit body.

Since 2015, International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on June 21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea of Yoga Day during his speech at the United Nations Assembly on 27^th September 2014 and it was a historic day. In his address to UNGA, PM Modi had said “For us in India, respect for nature is an integral part of spiritualism. We treat nature’s bounties as sacred. Yoga is an invaluable gift of India’s ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfillment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well – being. It is not about exercise but to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and nature. By changing our lifestyle and creating consciousness, it can help us deal with climate change and in bettering our well- being”. The date 21 was chosen because June 21 is the longest day in Northern Hemisphere. On June 21, 2015, the first Yoga Day was celebrated worldwide.

The motive of celebration is that to spread awareness about the benefits of yoga across the world.  yoga has few benefits like:-

·        It boosts immunity.

·        Weight loss

·        Relieves depression, anxiety and stress.

·        Improves athletic performances.

·        Helps fight infections and respiratory diseases.

Yoga is all about asanas which means pose. Here are some poses that anyone can do:-

1.     Warrior pose (Veerbhadrasana)

2.     Angle pose (Konasna)

3.     Bending Backward (Ardha chakrasan)

4.     Forward Bend (Hastapadasna)

5.     Seated Forward bend (Paschimottanasan)

6.     Child pose (Shishuasana)

7.     Cat pose (Marjiarasana)

                    

8.     Butterfly pose ( Baddhakonsasana)

                    

9.     Chair pose (Utkatasna)

           

10. Yogic Sleep (Yoga Nidra)

           

By: Mahima 

Break The Cycle Against Racism.

Racism may be defined as the hatred of one person by another- or the belief that another person is superior to the other based on skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any other factor that reveals the basic nature of that person or community. It has existed throughout history and is a major issue in today’s culture.

People obsession with fair skin is well known and deep-rooted. Color prejudice is practiced openly. Many people believe skin color determines the people’s worth.  In many culture, all virtues are associated with “fair” while anything dark has negative connotations.

It is a strange mixture of prejudice, ignorance, and old discriminatory practices, when communities kept themselves and there were dining taboos based on caste and color.

This belief was not “automatic”. It gives people fear, doubt, shame and sometimes guilt. It gives people an awful perspective of life. Throughout time, many people have lost their lives, or lost their families and children, and are left without homes due to racism.  

Black Lives Matter is one of the most influential activism movements of the 21^st century which shows how black people are treated by the whites. The movement sparked by the death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of a neighbourhood- watch volunteer in Florida in 2012. Since the history indicates, the word racism was started in 1930 and still it’s practices in today’s life which was witnessed on 20 May 2020, A 46 years old George Floyd was murdered by the white policeman in USA due to his brutality at the time of his arrest. It has always been more of a human rights movement rather than a civil rights movement. The Black Lives Matter movement started as an online campaign, with the main aim of campaigning against violence and racism that faced the African Americans. 

Racism is more than just words, beliefs and action. It includes all the barriers that prevent people from enjoying dignity and equality because of their race on the other hand equality is so important because it preserves the “dignity” of an individual. Dignity means self-respect and the respect an individual deserves from others for being a fellow human being irrespective of their caste, creed and color.

Toni Morrison also stated that “There is no such thing as race. None. There is just a human race – scientifically, anthropologically.

By: Mahima Roukhar

Body Shaming: Time To Discourse About.

We live in a society where narrow beauty ideals matters a lot. People have a definite notion of “beauty” which defines the standards of body dimensions, skin colour, hair length, or the kind of clothes someone should wear or should not wear. Body shaming is seemingly never- ending. If you have a body, you’ve probably felt that it’s been subject to commentary or scrutiny at some point. The truth is that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that all bodies are valuable no matter how they look what all matters is our character and humanity.

Body –shamers do not spare anyone be it normal person or celebrities. Criticizing anyone can lead to inferiority, lowered confidence, eating disorders and other such issues. Constant remarks may make people anxious to the extent that they may suffer from depression and panic attacks. It is biggest threat to the mental health of the victim.

As a result of this body shaming a heart-wrenching incident, 16-years-old boy took the drastic step who got tired of being bullied by his classmates and people around him. He ended his life on 15 July 2020 after he was constantly termed as a ‘transgender’ or ‘kinnar’ by them. He left the suicide note in which he mentioned how he was shamed by the sham ers. He wrote “I have a girl -like features and even my face is like them. People laugh at me. Even I have started feeling as I am a ‘kinnar’. My life will darken your life and this is the reason why my death is necessary. Please bless me that I take birth as a girl. If a girl is born in our family, then you must believe that I have returned”.  This shed the light on that boy, who hanged himself, was fighting an inner battle against the ruthless remark made on him for being effeminate.   

People thought that body shaming is a kind of fun. They bully people just to laugh on someone and to look cool but it is not funny it is more dangerous than you think. Some things are obviously not cool. The fascinating thing about humanity is that we all are different individuals. We come in all shapes and sizes, and two of us are exactly the same. Instead of judging people just because they do not look as we want them to look alike. Don’t be a bully and don’t even let someone body shame you. Shape, size, color can never be the criteria to judge someone is character or potential. 

By: Mahima Roukhar

Sushant Singh Rajput- Suicide or Murder, you decide.

 

The entertainment industry wasn’t even over yet with the deaths of legendary actors Rishi Kapoor and Irfan Khan, that they had to deal with the shocking news of Actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The young 34 years old actor was found dead in his Bandra's apartment on the afternoon of 14 June 2020. The actor apparently died by hanging himself in his room, as confirmed by Mumbai police but the reason for his death is not confirmed yet.

As per police investigation, the last dialed call was to his sister at around 9 am on Sunday. An hour later, he had a glass of juice and took his tablets to his room and locked himself. The police also added that the cook knocked several times on his door around 11:30 am to confirm the menu. When the cook and his two friends who were staying with him in the house didn’t get any response from him, they then called a key-maker to help them open the door. His friends then rang up his sister and the police when they found Sushant Singh Rajput hanging from the ceiling fan. Police took his body to Cooper hospital for the post-mortem and the reports stated that it was a suicide but his family has not agreed with this yet and demand more investigation into the matter. Police also stated that they found some medical reports of Sushant which proves that he was depressed and had been taking anti-depression medicines for the last 6 months on the other side his family says that he stopped taking anti-depressants 6 months back. Police also stated that no suicide note was found at his home.

While his death remains a mystery, the whole industry mourns his death, a lot of celebrities paid their tribute to the actor. The actor was having a rough patch in life, as stated by the film director-producer Karan Johar, film producer Mukesh Bhatt, hairstylist Sapna Bhavani to even TV star Arjun Bijlani. Not only his close one but a lot of other people took on Instagram and twitter to shed a light on his state of mind. His last post on Instagram also shows the emptiness in his life as he shared his picture with his mother, who passed away in 2002 when Sushant was a just teenager.

Sushant Singh Rajput funeral was performed on Monday at Vile Parle crematorium in the presence of his family and few friends. Some of Sushant’s friends from the industry also attended- Kriti Sanon, his Chhichore co-stars Varun Sharma and Shraddha Kapoor, actor Vivek Oberoi and director Abhishek Kapoor along with his wife.

Mr. Rajput’s TV star Krystle D’Souza also attended his funeral, his co-star Raj Kumar Rao and one of his very close friends Rhea Chakraborty. ANI reports that Ms. Chakraborty will be interviewed by the police as part of their investigation. Ekta Kapoor also make her presence to tribute the actor.

He started his career in the entertainment industry from a small screen and took his talent to the big screen of Bollywood which is nothing less than a fairy tale, and a dream come true. Sushant Singh Rajput started his acting career on television, where he was best known for his role Manav Deshmukh, in “Pavitra Rishta,” a soap opera in 2009 that telecasted on Zee TV. After leaving the show in 2011, the actor made his debut in Bollywood in the year 2013 with a film based on a novel by Chetan Bhagat "Kai Po Che" and was awarded a Filmfare award for Best Male Debut. The actor also gave a host of mesmerizing performances like "Shudh Desi Romance"(2013),  "Detective By Mukesh Bakshy" (2015), but he was best known for his iconic biopic of MS Dhoni, former Indian Cricket Captain, and was also nominated the first time for Filmfare award for  Best Actor for his brilliant and hard-working performance. It was this brilliant performance of the Actor that made him a megastar and got him a huge fan base.  He performed in a way that people went in to watch the movie as Dhoni fan but came out of the theatre as Sushant's fan.

He also gave some commercially successful films like "Kedarnath"(2018) and "Chhichore "(2019). Apart from this Rajput was also involved in various social ventures like sushant4education to help young students.

He did a movie Chhichore in which he delivers a message,

“Hum haar-jeet, success-failure mein itna ulajh gaye hai ... ki zindagi jeena bhool gaye hai ... zindagi mein agar kuch sabse zyada important hai ... toh wo khud hai zindagi..”

Despite giving such a beautiful message that life is more important than anything else, why did he choose to commit suicide over a living life?

Before coming to Mumbai, he had 3 dreams which were, working with Yash raj films, Pepsi commercial, and to be the cover page of Filmfare magazine.  But the question here arises is despite achieving all this and fulfilling all his dreams why did Sushant Singh Rajput leave the world like this?

One of the reasons behind his death is to be believed that he was never praised by the industry, they never accepted him. Industry forced him to realize he’s worthless which triggers his mind badly and made him feel he is never going to be a part of the industry. Even Rajput also stated in some of his interviews and social media posts that he has no godfather in this industry that even after doing a lot of hard work the industry never acknowledged him.

Is the reason Nepotism and groupism in the film industry that led Sushant Singh Rajput to take such a big step or there is something that we are missing?

By: Mahima Roukhar