World Travel and Tourist Destinations

I’m politically honest (oops! Was that an oxymoron!!!) All my idea about politics is the way I see it in my college- for nothing other than power! And all I do as a common voter is choose the best among the worst!

College politics- one of those very favorite things to debate upon!! How can the country progress without the youth thinking of politics? Why should you sell off your youth to a dirty thing like politics?

It is useless to define what politics is- we all are intelligent enough to check the dictionaries. But do you realize how important the State is? I came to think of it when, in my first year of college a senior told me, “You don’t exist if the state chooses to not let you exist!”

When we are born, the State confirms our birth, hands over the Birth Certificate. We get in to school, we pass out. The State certifies that we are literate. We find a job, the State says that we earn more than what we need and therefore should give up something. We get married- yet again the State affirms that. We die- but we are dead only when the State officially hands over our death certificates. So you can cease to exist without dying if the State chooses to. And ultimately who whips this horse? The political leaders chosen by us, the democratic people of India!!!

And we say running a State is a joke? No way!! But unfortunately thinking of politics today, all that I know is what I see in my college.

Being under the Communist rule ever since birth, I shouldn’t have seen much of tension. West Bengal is politically, the most stable state in the country. You may wonder whether I’m anti-industrialization, talking against Tata’s car factory or speaking up against the violence in Nandigram. I am neither a democratic maven nor the Marxist saint; I cannot comment on policy implications or send out judgments about what these two particular events had to do with the Communist rule. I am a small entity.

My college has always been politically active. I didn’t know why till I joined. I wondered why Students’ Federation of India (SFI), never approached me in spite of the party members knowing that I come from a communist family. I found out very soon- all the active SFI members are muscle men who can bulldoze down the opposition. All that they needed from me was the vote- better not let me see the dirty politics that they play behind the curtain. I was the most confused soul on the Election Day…

College elections- CPM backed SFI have the right to bring in people from other colleges to beat up the opposition. They fail to recognize classmates whom they have studied with for a whole year, they steal away the strategy sheets of the opposition, they call up confirmed voters and threat them, frighten their families so that the students cannot even come out to vote! In spite of that they fail to win the elections. They fight, they demand a re-poll, and they say that the opposition rigged, arrange for attendance registers from the University long after the working hours are over and don’t allow the panel election to come through before a month is over!

What about the so highly sought after opposition, Independence Consolidation, IC, who seem to win the election doing nothing? I’ve nothing to say about them because they don’t do anything except the passion to make a change! They hardly have any organization. They don’t have a mother party helping them beat up people and bag the votes. They aren’t even good liars! Poor them!!

In the devastating state that Indian politics is in, even this much honesty would go ways to help us achieve the Indian dream. But that is really a distant dream- after all what do we students understand of politics? What can the youth do? And incidentally, by the time they are old enough to make an impact, unfortunately, the common citizen’s psychic phenomena will turn them corrupt enough as well. After all, we live in India!

So, do we, the youth, bid a good bye to our political dream and just end up being a statistic in census?

Perhaps we should now go and look up on the dictionary as to how politics is exactly defined!
Authored By Sudeshna Sen, India

This article discusses about the recent suicide cases of young students due to failure in academics. It divulges the reason for that and suggests some solution to this precarious trend.

As famous writer Phil Donahue said, “Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem”, it looks like many of our younger generation are opting for the ‘so called’ permanent solution to even smaller problems in their life. And, the recent increase in the number of suicide cases of young students across the country, owing to the poor academic performance, would vouch for that. If the real reason for this is dug out, it would turn out not really to be the poor performance of the students but it is the lack of proper motivation from the school and parents side. Students are made completely oblivious to the other options available to them and are enforced with the burden of securing the highest ranks and subsequently a place in the reputed colleges and medical institutions.

What has crept into the minds of the students and their parents that makes them to even take their life for granted and struggle for merits and top ranks? To begin with, Students are only taught how to work harder and concentrate on their school subjects and fair well in their exams. They are not properly educated about the various other career options available to them. “So what if I don’t study well? I have this career option to pick up….I have this passion to pursue” should be the attitude of every student. And they should be exclusively trained on this, that is, in parallel to education the importance should also be given to attitude building. But, It does not mean students can simply skip the studies and take up some hobby or passion to pursue. It is that, Students who cannot really concentrate or fair well in their exams will be surely gifted with some talent or the other. So why not tap their potential and make their lives easier and happy, instead of pushing them into the same old path and finally to see them hanging one day.

A very recent instance is the death of an IIT student in the northern India and the reason cited is that she failed in two subjects. This is really daunting and this clearly indicates that students are motivated in the wrong way that they should study to live. But practically, the student should be made to understand how living is more important than studying. After all education is one of the ways to make the life easier and comfortable to live, but definitely not the only way.

So what is the solution? And what is the strategy to be adopted?

Sadly, The Indian Education system is also to be blamed for the student’s ignorance and the biased view. Because the whole concept of schooling is to carry books, read books, and live with books and the system is complacent with its current method. Hence students right from childhood to adult age firmly believe studying is something related to books and if they don’t master their books their life is gone for the toss. This is a completely incorrect and perilous notion that they carry. Hence, school should comprise everything in equal proportions.

Say if studying is 50% then the remaining 50% should comprise of activities like sports, music, painting, dancing etc. And more importantly the hobbies should also be made compulsory like the other subjects. Each student should compulsorily take up a hobby and in parallel they have to be trained on that too. This is only a step towards making the students realize that apart from studies there are so many wonderful things in the world to pursue. This way, they can also get rid of that attitude of “INABILITY” from their mind and in turn will gear up and emerge as masters in their own field.

So it’s time now for the country to seriously think of the pitfalls in the current education system After all, when every country’s development is dependant on youngster’s it is  equally important that the development of the youngsters are also properly taken care by the country.

Authored By Susheela Subramanian

When I see children, I see all good that remains in this world in their faces and actions. Doesn’t this world always christen children as; ‘the future of the world’, ‘the father of man’, ‘the epitome of innocence’ and ‘the icon of love’?

And this very same world also takes the pleasure to crush the very innocence of a child when they are used by adults to cater to their wild sexual needs.

Chubby Cheeks, dimple chin
Rosy lips, teeth within
Curly hair, very fair
Eyes are blue, lovely too
Teacher’s pet, “Is that you?”
Yes, yes, yes.

Aashu loves to recite this rhyme; she is after all her class teacher’s favorite student.

Aashu is a normal, pretty and lovable six year old child. She is the ultimate representation of joy, freedom and innocence. Aashu goes to a neighboring school and studies in 2nd grade. She loves Mummy, Papa and her doggy Bozo. Her best friend is Rashi and she shares her food and even her favorite crayons with her. Aashu loves to draw rainbows in her drawing book. Life is beautiful for Aashu and she blooms everyday basking in the love of all who know her and care for her.

But……

A month has passed since all have started noticing the changes in Aashu, she doesn’t laugh anymore, she hates going out to play and bursts into tears with no reason. She hits Rashi and doesn’t like Mummy,Papa or Bozo.

Mummy and Papa think it is just a phase, maybe it is the workload at school; after all Aashu is ‘no more a kid’.

They have no idea as to how ironical this statement is! 

Yes, Aashu is no more a kid, her innocence, her modesty and her childish dreams have been destroyed and thrown away.

Nobody noticed that Aashu’s seven color rainbows had changed into red ones; she had started drawing small, childish stick figures which she would later slash them and tear the pages.

Those figures were Aashu herself!

Aashu used to bleed everyday but as the bleeding would stop in few minutes, she could never tell Mummy. Without proof, Mummy may think that she is lying and give her a good spanking. Already it pains every day and she doesn’t want more of it.

Aashu is scared!

Aashu wants Mummy to hug her tight and talk to her with love but she doesn’t want Papa to hug her, she is scared of Papa.

Papa is a ‘man’ just like the uncle who makes her bleed everyday, maybe Papa too will do the same and hurt her if he hugs her, so she remains far from Papa.

Mummy had told her on her 5th birthday( how happy we all were that day, we had many balloons, chocolates and glittering ribbons all over my room and I got so many gifts, Papa had given me the huge teddy bear) that GOD hurts only those who have sinned in this world.

So, that meant she had sinned and that’s why uncle hurt her!

She hates this world, she hates school, she hates uncle, she hates Mummy, Papa and Bozo.

She hates herself! 

Aashu now wished only one thing – TO DIE!

I have never known Aashu personally, I have never met her but I know that this is the story of millions of children who are victimized by sex-fiends every second in this brutal world.

If, I could wish for something, I would wish that a story like Aashu’s never existed.

‘CHILD ABUSE’ (Yes, I have written it bold and loud so that the readers can feel at least an iota of this harsh reality), this is a phrase I have detested since the day I came to know what it actually means.

Before 19th century, child was considered a property and when I think of it now, aren’t they treated the same way even today when their childhood is scarred by actions of abuse? 

“Universal Declaration of Human Right’s recognized ‘child rights’ in 1948.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Child came into force in 1990(this shows that it took almost half a century for adults to declare that children have rights too).

“The world would be a better place if we would bend down to try and protect these saplings from being trampled upon.”

This space and word limit is too short to describe this horrendous crime but I wish from the bottom of my heart that this piece would have scarred the heart and burnt the soul with rage of every reader. Because it is said;

“When the heart and soul rebel; a change is achieved”

We all should act or we may have to change the nursery rhyme to-

Wounded cheeks, broken chin,

Torn lips, no teeth within,

Ragged hair, dirty not fair

Eyes full of tears, full of pain

Teacher’s pet, “Is that you?”

No, No, No. I don’t want to be the pet.

Just save me from this big bad world!

Authored By Lekshmi. G.Nair, India

This is a short depiction of the post election anarchy in Kenya after the general election which was in December 2007, where over two thousand were brutally people killed and over three thousand others displaced internally. The evil is seen through the eyes of a ten year old boy called Fla. The occurrence opened the hypocrisy of love and brotherhood which many people in the world sham to exhibit to their neighbors. Despite this having happened in Kenya it can be can be, has being and will be a cause of many civil strives in the world.

This article is dedicated to all the victims of the civil strive and gives thumbs up to all those who assisted the victims in escaping and the later giving them refuge in their homes and other places.

The heart is one of the most vital organs in the human; it pumps the blood which contains nutrients and oxygen to all parts of the body. But the heart is a source and a reservoir for a lot vices as hate, envy and greed. As in the saying ‘the matters of the heart’ it harbors a lot of lethal secrets. When the heart is overburdened with sorrow it bleeds; but not literary! It pains forever.

The different campaign trails passing by the village of Barito gave great excitement to Fla; many gifts came along ranging from money and an assortment of clothes and other political apparel made the December holiday unforgettable. Little did the young Fla know what would follow some days to come? In his mind he did not fully comprehend significance, and innocently sang to the tune and echoed his parent’s political stand.

The election formed two main political rival parties based on ethnic alignment; in all his life he had never conceived the idea that his people were foreigners in their own country. He spoke the local language but he always wondered why they had different naming systems. Then came the polls day, the anxiety of the delayed results raised temperatures in all citizens; creating sharp divisions in every human indulgence. Things that were easily agreed upon earlier become bones of contention.

On Sunday, two days after the election, Fla woke up as usual ready to attend the Sunday school which was part of the day’s joy; on top of having to wear his best clothes. Unfortunately, he did not notice the unusual dead silence had befallen their homestead. He was later to realize that the livestock had not been milked or fed, the door to their house had been broken and his parents were missing. As he proudly and piously strolled towards the church; that’s when he realized that all was not well.

On the way he saw a group of machete wielding people of whom he recognized almost all of them and another that was kneeling down begging for their lives. Thinking that there had been a robbery somewhere in the village, he thought in his heart thieves deserve to die.

In Barito, it had become a common site of law breakers being dealt with by the mob; mob justice due to the corrupted form of legal security system where the guilty went scot-free. On a closer look he became petrified seeing; his father mother, uncles, aunts and other close friends all bleeding from cuts and beatings. His heart went cold and he surged forward ready to undergo anything than see his family being hurt.

An uncle-through tribal intermarrying quickly grabbed him and firmly pinned him against his body deterring him from passing to the kneeling group. When he persisted an electric slap cooled him leaving him only watching with his mouth agape. The leader of the group, a well know church elder passed the verdict and the rowdy, blood thirsty group descended on the helpless group; merciless kicking and slashing followed till all lay down as still as logs. Blood spattered from their bodies soiling everything. When all were still, petrol was poured on the bodies and lit.

The odor of the roasting human flesh is something that will never be erased from his mind. Later they razed their homes and confiscated anything that they would lay had on; livestock, household goods and businesses.

Fla phobia for everyone, he trusts no one than himself and his nights are filled with nightmares. His heart bleeds as he wonders why such impunities could come from the people he played and prayed with, dined with and regarded them as his own.

Since then he has vowed not to go to the place he called home and has opted to be placed in an orphanage rather than be adopted by many willing families.

Despite the continued counseling, don’t you think one day his bleeding heart might propel him to wage vengeance on the killers of his family making the violence to never end? This should be a lesson to all people in the world, ‘not all those who laugh with you love you!

Authored By Jeremiah Alfred Ngunjiri, Kenya 

Watching the news channel yesterday, I was compelled to reflect on the status of women in India. The Arushi murder case, though claimed to be solved by the police, sent wrong signals across the country. People are against the labeling of Arushi-Hemraj love as ‘illicit’. How can a girl, emotionally dependant on a person much older than her father, be termed as having illicit affair with the person? This instantly reminded me yet another pathetic situation: the cheerleaders controversy, where several ‘moral groups’ were deciding on how should the people dress.

It is surprising why the culture which gives such “lofty status” to women, treats them as “pearls”, has troubles with their men acting lecherously while looking any meagerly clad women, and then charge the women for fault. It is the Indian custom which has given greatest value to women. Indian women have always lived up to the expectations, failing to power respect and admiration in the society. 

The IPL league initiated with the thought to start the new phenomenon of entertainment in cricket. IPL people expended a lot for making it a grand hit. The association had the purpose to take domestic Indian cricket to global viewers. In the beginning everything was all right, but then the politicians again started to grab the attention as it was done in the case of bar girls. However, in a temporary amnesty, the order to ban the dance bars in Maharashtra has been returned by governor. But the girls are always squeezed between moral policing and regulatory efforts on one hand and extreme poverty, susceptibility to health risks such as HIV/AIDS and sexual exploitation on other hand.

The majorities of these women have little occupational skills and are inadequately educated. A few of them might have come into such profession fascinated by glamour of being entertainers and singers.

Cheer-girls are a bit of entertainment or activity package which IPL had promised the audiences countrywide. Group of cheerleaders might have been barred by the politicians to come in cricket matches, but none of the political leaders can dare to challenge the love for western culture in our youth. Group of cheer-girls are liable for criticizing Indian culture and therefore are trapped by the politicians. But I think we should witness such responsive policies when the Bollywood beauties extend obscenity so boldly.

Various cheerleaders are not enchanted with the activities of crowd also. These girls may be barred from the game, but the authorities cannot plan to get back our own culture from clutches of ignorance and negligence. These girls might go back to their states but their recognition amongst youth has formed an imprint on impressionable minds of young group. We cannot eliminate obscenity by asking the cheer-girls to go back. We have to instill amongst us what is called as “Indian Culture”.

The politicians, the so called supporters of Indian Morality, made and are still making a big argument over the cheerleaders. They objected on the kind of clothes these cheerleaders wore. But then, why do Indian politicians wear khadi? Because it reflects their association with Gandhi. Similarly, these girls were also wearing something that has been associated with games across the world.

The kind of gestures which Bipasha or Rakhi Sawant would do in their dance number is fine, because they can see it in the private theatres. Cheer leaders were also performing on large stadiums as well as in front of thousands of people. The cricket matches were being shown on television messing the so called Indian Culture! The advertisements which come on TV, the type of show models, male or female, bathing in pools or anywhere, are they not against Indian Culture?

These too are transmitted throughout India. The kind of jokes which come on various laughter shows, they speak directly or use double-talk, which derogates comedy, but such things are accordance to the Culture because children cannot understand them. I am surprised what these leaders and politicians are upto. They were believed to take care of the welfare of the public who selected them and not expected that same chosen person will take the “cheers” away from their lives. Rejoicing ’the woman of substance’, in Indian Culture, it seems is similar to dropping a woman to a substance.

Authored By Arun Kumar M., India