Blogs
Devil’s advocate
Few days back a minister from Karnataka made a statement that girls need to be careful with how they behave and dress in public places. Suddenly all hell broke loose. News channels started baying for his blood. Arguments and counter arguments blamed the minister for “choti aur ghatiya soch”. Like many of us I also got intrigued by all these arguments and counter arguments and I think I could, to some extent, get where the hapless minister was coming from. Let me play devil’s advocate here.
The Amazing Big B
My daughter had changed the DP on her WhatsApp on 11th Oct and kept Big B’s photo as the DP with a birthday wish for him. I suddenly realised how the fan base of the man is spread across four generations in our family alone. My Grandfather, my Parents, me and now my daughter. Something which would be hard to believe or might even sound preposterous if you tell someone fifty years from now.
What value have you added to your self during lockdowns
Fortunately or maybe unfortunately for the last 25 years I had this alibi “Honey, I have a job and it is very difficult to do anything else if one is working -daily driving, out of town travelling, office stress etc. drains a lot of energy and time you see,” and these words would often pave an easy escape route for me. “At least one,” she would sigh while shaking her head in exasperation, though my predicament also would not be completely lost on her.
Is it the 2nd wave or our Indiscipline
When we were just short of rejoicing and declaring the end of the pandemic it has struck again and this time with far more ferocity. Did we take it lightly or as a poor country we had no other option, but to come out and face it? The point could be debated. Some say we almost brushed it aside while some experts are of the opinion that since more than sixty per cent of our populace earn and eat the same day there was no other way.
Celebrating Lord’s Birth With Unwanted Deaths
We had stopped the subscription of newspapers after Covid since I would get my daily staple of news from my phone. However after pestering by my wife, who is more comfortable with news on paper we finally revived our subscription. I was having a newspaper in my hand after two and a half years and the first news I read was the heart wrenching death of a 20 year old Govinda -Prathmesh Sawant.
Blogs
Thank You Jammu
A few days ago, I saw a video of a young man on a flight to a major city. In the clip, a middle-aged woman seated next to him urged him to speak in the local language since they were heading to the metropolis. Her tone was laced with menace and condescension, exuding a disdainful superiority that was hard to ignore. Every word she spoke carried an undercurrent of intimidation.
Is it DNA, Nostalgia, Or Something Much Deeper?
Last month, as tensions between India and Pakistan escalated, casting a shadow of impending conflict, a flurry of WhatsApp messages began circulating among anxious friends and family. These messages urged people to stock up on essential food items, encouraging them to prepare for uncertain times ahead.