Type
Topic
Country
Reading for Leisure
The Power of Poetry
Durga Puja - The Festival of Homecoming
Homecoming literally means returning home. But I feel there are several more emotions attached to that word like the joy and excitement you feel when the day of your return home draws near, or when your mind gets filled with memories of the good times you had with your siblings - these are feelings or emotions which fill my mind when I hear the word 'homecoming'. Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Kolkata. Every year thousands of people come to Kolkata to experience this beautiful festival. What we sometimes do not notice is that during the puja holidays many people also leave Kolkata to...
Mandalas, my way of getting over all the COVID-19 anxiety
The global pandemic, the quarantine, the isolation... is all very new for us. Most of us are not used to staying at home for this long a period. I was in the middle of my grade 10 examinations when the lockdown was announced. 10th grade examinations are a very important milestone for Indian students. Our teachers and parents prepare us for these all our lives. When my exams were postponed midway, a feeling of sorrow swept my mind for I had studied all year. After a few days, I overcame denial and started accepting facts. I was perplexed. I didn't know what to do in all this free time The...
The Diary Of A Generation
The Diary Of A Generation! The generation I'm talking from will no longer whisper the prayers from Gods and their angels. We think there's more need to pray from our older generations, on which our prospects, probabilities and lives depend! We may be at different homes, We may belong to varied communities,different generations and breed, And we may be thinking of two distinct worlds. We're experiencing right now that epidemics don't come with only diseases but also with hatred and discrimination. Don't we know that everything which happens now, is not for it's ultimate goal of unfairness...
Bella Ciao : The plight of the farmers, fascism and coronavirus
If you’ve watched the acclaimed Netflix original ‘La Case de Papel’ (Money Heist), there is a high likelihood you remember the tune of Bella Ciao which represents the essence of the show as an anthem of resistance. It has featured on the show several times- the first time being an iconic scene in which The Professor and his brother, Berlin, break out into the song while at the dinner table during the night before their heist. Since then, it has taken over the minds of fans, its infectious melody playing on repeat. However, it shouldn’t simply be known as a catchy song from that famous TV show...
You May Say I'm A Dreamer
When John Lennon said he was not the only dreamer who imagined a world of unity and peace, I believed him. The planet must be full of people who dream of such a world where we do not let any religion or country keep us from living as one, but, with every act of violence, every hate crime, every incident where someone behaves in the most inhuman manner, we are all losing hope. How a person could discriminate against another based on their gender, color, religion or any other such grounds that make them who they are, is beyond my comprehension. There is a reason why there is a diversity among...
Global Culture
In this world, with 195 countries and over 7 billion people populating these places, we cannot imagine how many cultures exist. The art, literature, language, and religion of a community represent its culture. Our moral values represent our culture. Be it any country, a culture will shape the identity of a person, make them remember their past, think about the future, and to some extent, integrate with other cultures as well. So, by now we know why culture is that important to become a topic. We interact with different people everyday, belonging to some religion, speaking a different language...
The gift of life - education
India is a developing country and is developing to get rid of all its flaws and be one of the best and happiest countries in the world. It would be amazing if we could reach that position as soon as possible but there is a hindrance. Are all the problems noticed by the officials? I am not sure of the answer, but I see a problem where no visible actions are taken. What is the biggest gift of our lives? Yes, it is education. Initially I barely had interest towards education, my interests were concentrated only in sports and chess. Though my interest towards education was low, I still enjoyed...
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE : A Hidden War During COVID-19
Since the day when UN declared COVID-19 (Coronavirus) as Pandemic, many countries are implementing complete lock down to prevent the spread of virus. According to the rules of lockdown, no person can go out of his house unnecessarily. During this some people are stuck at some places, families are spending time together but when it comes to families, not everyone is enjoying this “family time”. Some men always try to be superior than women. In a world where we are encouraging women to step out of their shells and shine, some conservatives still wants women to sit back at home and spend her life...
Dance It Out
Dance is one of the most powerful forms of expression, also serving as a mode of stress alleviation for many, including myself. I started dance, in the form of Mohiniyattam, at the age of 9, under the guidance of my Guru, in Mumbai, India. Mohiniyattam, also spelled Mohiniattam, is one of the eight classical dances of India and it originates from Kerala. It gets its name from the word Mohini – a mythical enchantress avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, and Attam which means Dance. Mohiniyattam's roots, like all classical Indian dances, are in the Natya Shastra, the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text on...
Child marriage cuts dreams short – the role of education as a game changer
With education comes empowerment. Education changes minds and lives. "My mum often told me to study or else, I’d end up like her. I never really took these things seriously but now as I read about child marriages, I realise what she meant". Child marriage doesn’t just put an end to a girl’s hopes and dreams, it also hampers the efforts taken to end poverty and achieve economic growth and equality. Girls are powerful agents of the socio-economic change. Early marriage creates barriers and transforms the child’s life from playing and studying to dealing with unwanted social responsibilities. The...
Wake up!
There are nearly 8 million people living in slavery across India and most of them are women and children. Human trafficking is a vicious self perpetuating cycle that offers little way out. The local police can be a part of the problem in many cases. For many policemen, prostitution is big money. In fact, they fight for the extra cash they can make in bribes. In the Philippines, more than 800,000 women and children work in the sex trade. The major cause of human trafficking is the desperation to escape poverty, regarding the traffickers and the ones being trafficked. Although we do not know...
International Day of the Girl: Rebecca Lolosoli, thank you for being an iconic feminist icon
Girls everywhere are already changing the world. This Day Of The Girl (Oct 11) join us by giving a shout out or writing a letter to a girl who inspires you: a young leader, a family member, an influencer, your best friend or even yourself as a teen! "Dear Rebecca Lolosoli, My ultimate wish would be for this letter to reach you, to tell you in as close a personal capacity as I can through my letter - that you inspire millions of women like me. Women who live in cities you might not have even heard of. I came across your story on the internet. The article was titled no-men village in Africa and...
Feminism - The truth behind the controversies
FEMINISM - THE TRUTH BEHIND THE CONTROVERSIES With all the talk on feminism recently, we’ve had some good coming out of the nascent conversations around the topic but we’ve also had even more misunderstanding on a very basic issue. So let me define it as google would, feminism is equality in political, social, and economic rights for people of all gender. Why feminism then? Why not simply humanism? So let’s address the question that gets asked not because there’s a valid argument behind it but to shun a valid movement. Feminism because it’s the female gender that we are striving to bring at...
Rights of Every Child
Every child deserve to be happy healthy and safe.. I reimagine a better future for every child... Where every child (anywhere around the world regardless of caste, gender, nationality, disability or any other status) can know their rights and can enjoy/excercise them... Where every child has the same rights to develop their potential in all situations and at all times. Through this illustration I have shown some basic child rights which are very important for proper growth and development of every child. "Right for children Rights for Future" Some of the child rights I have shown are :- ✅Right...
POST PANDEMIC, LET'S BUILD A HUMANE WORLD AGAIN
I want to knock at the doors of humanity again And smile as it welcomes me in As I ask - Don’t you want a proof Of my sexuality, my religion, and creed A card to say, I am accepted in your realm That I’ve tampered and rebuilt myself To fit your normal That I no longer resemble me But hey at least you’ll accept this And it says - Don’t be silly, we’re all flowers from the same seed Humanity, love, that’s the only label you’ll ever need I want to celebrate the bells of Christmas eve, Dance to the tunes of bhajans sung by priests Partake in the discussions of atheism That’s the diversity I want...
What COVID-19 taught me
The year 2020 is quite a distinctive year in my life. For the past 17 years, I have never ever sat inside my home continuously for 3 weeks. I have never imagined a class room without the physical presence of the teacher. I have never imagined a long time physically separated from my friends. I have never imagined a time where I'll be hindered to breath the heavy air without wearing a mask. And now all those "never" that I have mentioned above had a reverse reaction and everything came true. For the first time in my life I heard about a virus which could be simply killed by a soap or hand wash...
Analyzing The Sudden Emergence And Impact Of The #MeToo Movement In India
Last year, after Indian actress Tanushree Dutta opened up in an interview about being sexually harassed on a film set, no one knew that her startling revelations would serve as a catalyst for the arrival of the #MeToo movement in India. After the actress in question opened up about her experience, it inspired many women, not just from the entertainment industry, but also various other fields, to come out and share their #MeToo experiences publicly. While the #MeToo movement had gained momentum in Hollywood and the West amidst the Harvey Weinstein allegations in 2016, it has slowly begun...