Dum Laga Ke Haisha: The Fe(male) Body Politic

In the ever-churning machinery of Bollywood, where tales of love and life often emerge from the assembly line as formulaic gestures, a film like Dum Laga Ke Haisha feels like a breath of fresh air — simultaneously nostalgic, progressive, and resolutely contemporary. Directed by Sharat Katariya, the film is a melange of the old and the new, a love letter to small-town India while edging its way into the new-age discourse of feminism and gender equality.

As an opinion piece, I delve into how Dum Laga Ke Haisha contributes to the ongoing shift in Bollywood's gender discourse, challenging traditional roles, and striving to reconfigure the narrative of the female experience within Indian films.

Background of Bollywood's Gender Discourse

For decades, Bollywood has been the torchbearer of culture and reflection of societal norms, especially when it comes to gender portrayals. The juxtaposition of hyper-masculine ideals and demure femininity has been the cornerstone of many blockbuster hits. Traditional gender roles and stereotypes are not just exhibited; they are celebrated, often at the cost of objectifying women and perpetuating regressive notions.

The male protagonist, with his chiseled features, is the unquestionable leader, while the female lead has long been shrunk into the shadows, her autonomy and individuality often compromised for the larger-than-life love stories. A woman’s success is often equated with her ability to cater to the male gaze, and her femininity is a soft undercurrent that propels the hero's tale forward.

Film's Contribution to the Shift

Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a departure from this norm, from how it tells its story to the characters it portrays.

Breaking Stereotypes with Unconventional Casting and Storytelling

The film’s atypical casting stands out. It chooses to focus on a relatable everyman, portrayed by Ayushmann Khurrana, whose life isn't picture-perfect, and the female lead, portrayed by Bhumi Pednekar, is full-figured, which in Bollywood's glossy universe is a rare and radical choice.

The narrative weaves a tale that is refreshingly grounded, devoid of grand love-struck gestures, a stark contrast to the typical hero worship we see and consume. At its core, it is a love story, but one that unfolds the layers of an unconventional marriage, embracing the beauty and struggle of an imperfect relationship.

Portrayal of Female Agency and Empowerment

Central to the film's theme is the portrayal of female agency and empowerment. Pednekar as Sandhya, exudes a quiet strength. Her character navigates the complexities of love, body image, and societal expectations with a dignity and resolve seldom attributed to a woman in the Indian context. She’s ambitious, intelligent, and unwilling to compromise her self-worth for the convenience of others.

The film underscores the message that a woman’s value is not confined to her physical attributes and that her aspirations are not secondary to a man's. It advocates for a sincere partnership where both individuals contribute, support, and grow alongside each other.

Challenging Societal Beauty Standards

In a subtle yet significant manner, Dum Laga Ke Haisha subverts society's unattainable beauty standards. Sandhya's character effortlessly becomes a symbol of real beauty, an assertion against the cookie-cutter portrayal of actresses in Indian cinema.

It encourages the audience to look beyond the superficial and embrace the myriad forms of beauty that exist. It's a rare film that makes no grand statement yet manages to communicate through the lens, that true beauty lies in confidence and honesty, not in conformity.

Impact on Audience and Society

The reception of Dum Laga Ke Haisha wasn't just at the box office; it was also in the hearts and minds of audiences. The film sparked conversations around gender dynamics and representation. It posed questions that demanded introspection about societal expectations and the celebration of diversity.

Changing Perceptions and Conversations Around Gender

The film initiated a wave of change by presenting a different outlook on women's roles and aspirations. It didn't just showcase an alternate tale; it invited viewers to consider a new normal, one in which women can drive the narrative and be the architects of their own stories.

It encouraged a reevaluation of the traditional framework, prompting discussions both on social media and in drawing rooms, effectively contributing to a soft revolution where gender roles are concerned.

Empowering Women and Inspiring Representation

For many women who saw themselves in Sandhya's character, Dum Laga Ke Haisha was empowering and validating. It offered a cinematic corroboration of their lived realities, struggles, and victories.

The film was also influential in inspiring more inclusive representations in movies that followed, signifying that the appetite for diverse stories and characters was palpable in the audiences.

Critics and Controversies

No significant shift in cultural representation occurs without its fair share of critics and controversies. Dum Laga Ke Haisha was received with a mix of acclaim and apprehension. Some lauded its boldness, while others questioned its commercial viability.

There were voices that argued the film's movement to be too subtle, its impact too benign. These criticisms, in many ways, echo the stubborn resistance to change within the industry and society at large.

Reception and Response to the Film's Message

Critics couldn't ignore the heartwarming narrative of Dum Laga Ke Haisha, yet many couldn't fully embrace its underlying message either. The film’s message of empowerment and redefinition clashed with the entrenched gender roles played out on Indian screens for decades. Despite mixed reception, the film managed to carve out a space in the collective psyche, one that couldn't be entirely dismissed.

Addressing the Criticism and Controversies Surrounding the Film

As with any cinematic innovation, Dum Laga Ke Haisha took a step towards the future, but the journey isn't complete. The criticisms and controversies it faced serve as reminders that change, especially in cultural norms, is gradual and often met with resistance.

The response, however, wasn't passive. The film prompted creators and audiences alike to reevaluate their expectations and expand their horizons. Its legacy is in the subsequent narratives that have dared to challenge the status quo, seeking to reconfigure the male and female gaze.

Conclusion

Dum Laga Ke Haisha stands as a landmark in the evolving discourse of gender in Bollywood. It may not have entirely revolutionized the industry's depictions of women, but it has, without a doubt, contributed to the broader conversation.

The film is a compelling argument for nuanced storytelling, where characters aren't bound by the dictates of mainstream cinema but are instead free to reflect the complexities and diversity of human experiences. It signals a hopeful future where women aren't just passive recipients of the male gaze but are active participants, shaping their own destinies on-screen and off.

In a world where the personal is political, Dum Laga Ke Haisha resonates profoundly, urging audiences to reconsider the narratives they've been told and to seek out the ones that echo their truths. As the female body politic continues to unfold on-screen, it's films like these that serve as guiding stars, lighting the way to a more inclusive and equitable cinematic world.

 

Haider Movie Review: A Shakespearean Tale Rooted in Bollywood Soil

"Haider," a film directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, stands as a bold adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Hamlet," reimagined and rooted within the poignant political landscape of Kashmir. The movie, with its tapestry of complex human emotions interwoven with socio-political turmoil, not only captivates but also challenges the mainstream narrative of Bollywood. This essay seeks to dissect "Haider" from multiple angles—from its faithful tribute to the Bard's play, to its inventive storytelling, and the riveting performances that bring the tragedy to life.

Embracing Hamlet in Kashmir

Vishal Bhardwaj's decision to lay the groundwork of "Haider" amidst the Kashmir conflict is nothing short of audacious. The script masterfully transposes Shakespeare's Denmark to the frostbitten terrain of Kashmir and infuses it with an indigenous essence. This confluence of the western literary canon with Indian storytelling is executed with grace and authenticity. "Haider" doesn't just retell "Hamlet"; it reinterprets the narrative within a context that is starkly relevant and intensely personal for an Indian audience.

A Cinematic Marvel

From a cinematic viewpoint, "Haider" is a feast for the eyes. Pankaj Kumar's cinematography captures both the beauty and desolation of Kashmir, setting the perfect stage for a story of betrayal and revenge. The starkness of the winters, juxtaposed with the warmth of the characters’ homes, beauty contrasting with the brutality of the conflict, is deeply evocative. Bhardwaj's use of symbolism and metaphors, such as the intense human drama framed against the serene backdrop of the Dal Lake, enhances the storytelling manifold.

Stellar Performances and Character Study

Shahid Kapoor's rendition of Haider is a career-defining performance. His depiction of the conflicted protagonist is raw and visceral, capturing the essence of the Shakespearean character while embedding the nuances of a young man torn by familial and political loyalties. Kapoor delves deep into Haider's psyche, ensuring that his descent into madness is both believable and heart-wrenching. The supporting cast, including the formidable Tabu and the earnest Shraddha Kapoor, contribute significantly to the narrative’s depth, enriching the plot through their complex relationships with Haider.

The Socio-Political Undercurrent

Perhaps one of the film's most stirring aspects is its unflinching portrayal of the Kashmir conflict. "Haider" doesn't shy away from presenting the harsh realities of life in the region. Through its lead character's journey, the film initiates a dialogue on freedom, justice, and the cost of peace. It intelligently uses Hamlet’s themes of treachery and power to mirror the state’s political machinations, resulting in a film that is both an artistic triumph and a thought-provoking piece of social commentary.

Bollywood Genre and Audience Reception

Comparing "Haider" to other Bollywood films, especially within the context of literary adaptations, it’s clear that this movie sets itself apart by avoiding tropes that plague many such adaptations—forced romantic interludes, melodramatic dialogues, or contrived song sequences. The reception of "Haider" was a testament to the evolving tastes of its audience; the film earned critical acclaim and created ripples of conversation about both its format and the subjects it addressed. It was both a commercial success and a milestone in changing Bollywood perceptions.

Reflection and Conclusion

In retrospect, "Haider" is not just a film; it is an experience. It is a brave narrative that resonates beyond its credits, asking uncomfortable questions and leaving the audience to ponder their complexities. It balances its duties as a Shakespearean adaptation with its responsibilities towards relevant discourse.

Vishal Bhardwaj's "Haider" is a commendable feat in the realm of Indian cinema—an exquisite blend of artistry, political narrative, and the timeless quality of Shakespeare that successfully captures the imagination of its viewers and the critics. It's a film that is destined to remain etched in the annals of Bollywood, not only for its polished craft but for the courage it symbolizes in telling a story that is both painful and necessary.

"To be, or not to be" is no longer just a contemplation of existence, but a reflective musing on freedom, identity, and the human spirit, firmly etched within the snowy valleys of Kashmir.

The Indispensable Role of Good Teachers in Shaping Our World

In the garden of human potential, teachers are the nurturers who oversee the growth of tomorrow's flowers - the minds and spirits of young learners. The impact of good teachers on the quality of education and student success feeds directly into the societal framework, creating ripples that touch every aspect of life. But why, exactly, do we consider good teachers so vital to both our personal journeys and societal evolution?

Educational Impact: The Touchstone of Student Success

Good teachers awaken a love for learning that surpasses the four walls of a classroom. They ignite curiosity, and with it, the desire to explore realms beyond the printed page. These educators stretch the minds of their students, winning over young hearts to the world of knowledge.

Guidance and encouragement are the tools good teachers use to build a scaffolding of confidence in each student. It is through this support that learners find the courage to push their boundaries and achieve greater heights. By fostering a dynamic and interactive learning environment, teachers allow curiosity to take root and flourish, leading students to become lifelong learners.

The subtler aspects of a teacher's influence are seen in their day-to-day interactions with students. As reflectors of behavior and attitude, they help cultivate a positive culture within the learning community. Be it through handling conflicts, showing empathy, or demonstrating the pursuit of excellence, their actions serve as templates for the young minds observing them.

Understanding the diversity of a classroom, good teachers eschew a one-size-fits-all approach. They are adept at perceiving individual needs and can adapt their teaching styles to maximize each student's learning potential. In this tailored environment, every student feels seen and supported, which is crucial for personal growth and academic achievements.

As role models, teachers also play a significant role outside the realm of academic curriculum. They influence the personal and social spheres of their students, molding them into responsible and compassionate members of society.

Societal Value: Cultivating Tomorrow's Leaders

Teachers plant the seeds of knowledge and wisdom that eventually grow into the driving forces of societal advancement. Through education, they pass down the values and ethics that shape the character and future of communities. The lessons learned, the morals imbibed, and the knowledge accumulated in classrooms under good teachers' guidance become the bedrock of tomorrow's societal norms.

Investing in good educators results in an informed citizenry, an essential component of a functional democracy. With their guidance, students learn to scrutinize information critically, form balanced opinions, and participate actively in civic life. Education becomes a tool for empowerment and enlightenment, guarding against ignorance and apathy.

By fostering understanding and acceptance, teachers have a hand in breaking the shackles of inequality and poverty. They open vistas of opportunity to those who might otherwise be trapped in cycles of deprivation. Good teachers are thus allies in the quest for social justice and opportunity.

Moreover, they are the architects who help fashion a workforce agile enough to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market. By equipping students with a robust set of skills and an adaptive mindset, teachers ensure that the society of tomorrow is ready for the technological and societal changes on the horizon.

Conclusion

Teachers are the bedrock on which future civilizations are built. From the pages of history to the unfurled map of tomorrow, their influence percolates every aspect of human endeavor. As incubators of potential, mentors of progression, and agents of equality, good teachers do not simply educate; they shape destinies. Let us recognize, celebrate, and invest in these pivotal figures in our lives, for through them, we secure the legacy of a thriving, enlightened, and humane society.

“The Fractured Union”- My Entry for the Get Published Contest

A young and dynamic Muslim boy meets an equally vibrant Hindu girl and the two start unconsciously liking each other. Soon this liking turns into love. But as the distances between them collapse, the boy realizes that she is unable to understand the real him. May be deceived by history, he no longer believes any one. Or does he talk so little that understanding him becomes a problem. Or does he consciously remain incomprehensible or, does she really fail to see the wounded heart inside a ravishingly beautiful body. May be she is lost so much in the appearance of beauty that she cannot see the turmoil trapped within the facade of magnificence, or, does she do it with a conscious or unconscious rationale that is vile to face or to define.

The story draws inspiration from the Valley of Kashmir and its turbulent history, particularly its place within two competing and compelling nationalities. 

This is my entry for the  HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.

The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. William Morrow & Co: United States, 1982, pp 112.

Managing people, either in the corporate world or elsewhere has always been an uphill task. Organizing a team of heterogeneous people with diverse temperaments and capabilities under a single roof and with a single objective or goal- that of getting the best out of them and attaining the set objective of the organization- has either created autocratic managers who set despotic rules for their employees, or managers who become too democratic to attain any objective at all. However, this would no longer be a real big problem as Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson’s The One Minute Manager has a ready answer to all those who want to effectively mange their employees. The book comprising only a hundred odd pages looks like one of those childhood fairy tales, that engrosses you completely in its interesting web of interrelations and consequently asks you to read till the last page. 'Dynamite comes in small packages', the authors believe. One has to read the book, The One Minute Manager to believe in this more than ever. The writers amazingly pack in three most valuable and effective lessons in management, which, they believe, will help a manager boost profits and productivity immediately through increase in employee morale and job satisfaction.

The first and foremost aspect of the infallible team management the book pleads for is setting up one-minute goals. These involve frequent and brief meetings between the manager and the employees in which immediate goals are set in mutual agreement, recorded in black and white and later assessed and reassessed to ensure that productivity is occurring. These meetings are so brief that writers call them one-minute meetings, this is not to underscore that practically these meetings may take more than some sixty seconds. What is important is that the goals are set frequently and assessed and reassessed as immediately as possible. The main purpose of one minute goal setting is to confirm that responsibilities of each worker is understood, understanding that confusion leads to inefficiency and discouragement.

The second lesson to one minute managing is one-minute praisings. Here, the writers believe the manager should be open with people about their performance. When one sees someone doing something right, praise him or her immediately. One ought to be honest enough in telling the employee involved specifically what was it that you liked and praised. At the same time, while praising, allow the employee to "feel" how good you feel regarding their importance to the organization, and finish by shaking hands- even a gentle pat on the shoulder would do. The purpose is to make the employee understand that you value his/her being part of the organization and that you really like the particular act of the employee.

Further, the manager should be strict enough to warn if a wrong is done by the employee. This is the last quality of an effective manager. The foremost aspect of this is to reprimand immediately and specifically. This is part of being honest in approach towards your team and, consequently this facilitates an understanding of responsibilities and how to complete them correctly. Once the warning is complete, one should not forget to shake hands with the employee and remind the person that he or she is vital and it was simply a specific performance that you did not like. This way, these one-minute reprimands consist of the warning and the reassurance, both being evenly important. Leaving the later part out might end up in others attributing mistakes to the same person and may also harm the employee’s self-confidence, which is not the main objective involved here.

All in all, the book is a plain read written in a deceptively simple style and language and emphasizes crucial aspects of managing throughout. The message is clear, and implementing the ideas is straightforward and laid out in the book itself. This whole hog makes it simple to utilize the knowledge and techniques that the one-minute manager style offers. These factors make The One Minute Manager an affectively valuable tool for developing true management skills. Ever since the first edition came out in 1982, the book has been acting as a practical business guide for managers who want to get the most from their employees. For any person who is currently a human resource manager striving to get the most from people, or who is planning to become one in the near future, The One Minute Manager is an indispensable success tool. A factual Bible for effective and infallible management.

The Horrors of Higher Education

With the opening-up of many new Government Degree Colleges from last few years, access to Higher education has become rather easy than it was previously. I remember, not so long ago, that we had to come down some twenty-five kilometres to join a degree college and continue our education. Not all my friends could afford the daily travelling expenses and with the result, they either discontinued their studies or enrolled through distance education. Now higher education is no longer a luxury that only few could afford. With the expansion of institutions of higher learning, both students feel “much more relaxed” as they find a college, at least an arts college, at a walking distance from their homes. However, does familiarity breed contempt? Contempt on part of both students as well as teachers. This much more relaxed feeling that I referred to above is turning into a veritable problem that may, if left unattended, eat into the very vitals of the higher education system in the Valley. This problem has many aspects attached to it ranging from indifferent administrative approaches to the negligence of student community in general. This leads us to ask ourselves, does easy access to education make it better or worse? Has our education system failed to deliver what was/is expected of it? The answer might well be in an examination of what is the present state of higher education in the Valley. More specifically, how do degree colleges function in the present times?

To begin with the beginning, we have not yet switched to the semester system in the colleges. We follow the age old, time-tested annual system of examination wherein students sit for two-and-half hours writing, rather “pouring” down mugged up knowledge onto their answer scripts. I use the word “pouring” because the question papers are set in such a way that pouring serves the student`s purpose better. Then, it takes us about three months to declare their results. This is followed by revaluation, rechecking, and errors and omissions etc. The colleges take about a month to complete the internal college admission formalities and one more month to start the regular class work- if ever the (contractual) teachers for all the subjects are available. Even this is not synchronous for all the three BG classes, and practically it takes more than six months. We are then actually left with five to six months of regular class work in the colleges! Fair or foul, we follow this pattern every year.

Next, we believe in huge class strength- more than few hundred in a section has become unavoidable. With very less number of classrooms and huge on-roll students in our colleges, what else can we offer? Gone are the days when a teacher would remember each student by his name or recognise him/her by his/her face. Each day the teacher, these days, finds fifty “new” faces in his class. These faces are new in the sense that they keep changing throughout the session as if all the students have entered into an unacknowledged agreement of not coming to the college all at once. If ever, by sheer accident or mere coincidence, they sometimes come into the classroom, we might have to call-off the class for the lack of accommodation. Add to all this, our own infallible forty-minute class duration. Spending forty minutes in the class of say one hundred students is a cakewalk even for the dullest teacher. It takes ten minutes to rule the unruly mass, fifteen minutes to call their names or roll numbers and then we start to preach. Then how much we deliver is between us and our students, no one else should bother.

We also have evolved the distinctive, yet unofficial four-days a week work-culture. Whatever the causes of this shift from the traditional setup, the irony is that even the teachers have accepted this as norm as they don’t seem to do anything about this. Come what may, the students would not turn up on Fridays and Saturdays. Especially on Fridays, student attendance is almost nil. I wonder why don’t we declare Friday as official holiday and begin work on Sundays. Some colleges, I have come to know, impose fine on their students if they do not turn up on Fridays! I am not sure whether they follow this policy for other days as well. If they do, they would surely have a huge budget on this account.

With all these, some self-imposed and some system forced predicaments, what we offer is a mere seventy teaching hours every year in each subject. This offer too is only for those students who would come regularly four days a week. However, how many actually turn up is a million dollar question that needs a scrutinised answer. The University of Kashmir`s attendance norms say that an attendance of less than 75% is unacceptable for writing the final examination. Judged by these standards, our students would never write their exams. However, the reality is that they do write, and even pass quite easily. The fact that this happens is a fair testimony that in colleges we don’t take the official rules seriously. How many teachers record the attendance of their students regularly? A friend of mine told me that teachers prefer to record attendance once a week, some even don`t do that. May be the Principals of the colleges have a better answer to these questions? How many Principals ask their teachers to submit the monthly “attendance report” and the “syllabus-covered” certificates before releasing their salaries? Don`t these highly paid officials realize that it is part of their duty? This obviously indicates that in colleges we don`t have any firm rules for either (not) taking down the attendance of the students seriously. Forget about taking stringent action against defaulting students.

All this leads us to pause a little and raise the fundamental question that pertains to the necessity and functioning of these so-called higher centres of learning. As they are working in the present times, it may not be an over simplified conclusion that even if they are all shut, they will not affect the state of higher education in the Valley. The distance education department of the university may well carry out the function they are performing. All it needs to do is to open study centres working two days a week in distant places of the valley. However, this would certainly save the financially indebted state a lot of money.

Yeut Matchar Kyah!! ( What Frenzy is this?)

In the long night when the darkness had enveloped the bloody day of June 29, I was unable to convince myself to sleep. Awfully strange thoughts visited me every second and I had bizarre fears calling on me from every corner of my being. Two sleep inducing pills had not been able to shut my consciousness away from the blood smeared and butchered faces that we had just returned to the dust.  Every part of my being was asking me why were the three innocent boys killed the way they were? In the courtyard of a residence in the deep corner of the S.K.Colony,   some one- and-a-half kilometer away from the K.P. Road, three young boys were killed, two died on the spot, and the other on the way to the hospital. I had seen their blood bathed bodies and bullet massacred faces as they were sleeping on their last bed. How could I wipe the sight from my eyes? Tears rolled down my eyes as the heat of torturing dead images simmered into my being.

            When the tears dried up, when my heart began to beat in its abnormally normal course, and when the unknown light had lit my being, then the “whatness” of all events (present and past), flashed before my eyes. It then occurred to me that whatever happened today was a real simulacrum of numberless events that had happened in the past in almost all the corners of the Kashmir. We have lost more than one lac lives to the bullets made in the name of national security. Thousands of young men who had left their homes have never returned back; were they killed or eaten up by the wild animals, we may never know.  Many families have lost all hopes of seeing their sons again; many brides were widowed before the mehandi on their hands did fade; we have given birth to many orphan babies, to unnumbered graves and to many psychiatric disorders. But, why are we treated like this? What stuff are we made of that all this inhumanity is perpetuated time and again on our shoulders? After 60 years of turmoil, the world community is still undecided about the real relevance and grievances of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. I must be excused to write world community. Why, in the first place, should the World Powers bother about Kashmiris being treated like wild animals or the way Jews were in the concentration camps of Nazis? “Such stuff happens” is a remark backed by the most Powerful Country about the recent war on Afghanistan. What should we expect about Kashmir?  Leave alone the world community, we are looked upon as second citizens in our (many would not agree to call it our) own country. In the capital city of the democratic India, to be a Kashmiri, no matter whether you are scientist, a professor or a common man, is to be an acknowledged terrorist, who is looked upon with the surveillance of a suspicious eye everywhere. When you book a hotel, or start looking for a rented residence, then the identity crises dawns upon, and one starts scratching ones skin and biting ones nails as to who actually we are? Indians? No, we are not treated like the citizens of the other Indian states. They are not killed in fake encounters; they are not killed for picking up a stone in the protest. They are not regarded as second class citizens in the big cities of the country. Who are we then, if we are not like Indians?  We are wild animals! And this is what dawned upon me that night.

            The moment this “flash of greater experience” lighted my ignorant mind; all mysteries were solved at once. I began to see a measured method in everything we have experienced so far and are experiencing in the present times. My heart felt light as if the bond connecting with the human existence had gone past all posts of relevance. I had no regrets that eleven innocent heads were butchered by the security forces since last thirty days; It doesn`t bother me that eleven parents were left without support for their old age, that their future bread earners were turned eternally silent.  Security forces are there for it. They have the mission to restore peace and order in the state where inhuman beings/ wild wild animals live. Thanks to the state administration that it has proved once again that they refuse to acknowledge that people here are Human beings. What is happening in the state from the last month, and more recently what have the people in S.K. Colony, Anantnag  witnessed goes on to prove that we are not humans and that is why we are being butchered like this, that is why our brothers and sons are being killed inside the premises of our homes, that is why our homes are stone pelted, window panes broken down by the security forces , water tanks fired upon,  and if one asks a question or raises a remark, the voice is made eternally silent. Wild animals are treated like this? Not all wild animals but those who go crazy. Even animals have the right to life, we don`t have that too. We are no longer safe in our own homes. The state administration, particularly the police, the security forces are our real guardians who we must thank for they have taken us out of the ignorant belief that the Kashmiri is the son of Adam.

            Therefore, it is not very novel and hard to understand that that we are the wild animals of a state where a teacher is sued by law if he punishes a vagrant student. But our security forces have the unbridled license to punish and kill every voice that raises against the atrocities perpetuated by the state agencies, he can do whatever he likes, he can stop any one on the road side, ask for his identity, slap anyone without reason, put anyone behind the bars with or without any reason and then set him free with the smell of some fresh notes, they can storm  houses with bullets and stones, encroach into our personal space, disgrace our sisters, and worst rape and kill them. And when this all happens, our objective electronic media remains dumb and deaf to the barking animals, and shows least concern. But, given all this, we do need such terrifying, frightening, barbaric and hostile forces because, after all even in this, our country does show a real concern to see us cultured or to be more precise tame animals so that the circus is smoothly run before the world community. However, as I came to understand all this, a question is still bothering me? Why don`t we have animal rights? At least the right to life?  What frenzy is this on part of our state or the national administration? Yeut Matchar Kyah?

Follow the links below:

Killings in SK Colony I

Killings in S.K.Colony II

Police on Rampage in Anantnag.

Police on Rampage II

Aasie tcha tchetch! ( Is it only our distress!)

I was an unwelcome entry, who would soon turn to be a questioning and thus irritating inmate for the whole time to come in a Higher Secondary that looked a prototype of our recently opened or, to be crude, upgraded secondary schools. “Unwelcome”, because my entry would mean an immediate end of duties of the Lecturer that had a waging tail attached to its title: Contractual. “It” is a crudely inappropriate pronoun for a Human being! Isn`t it? But does that really matter. That is actually how we treat them; as machines who have been sent for a fixed time to serve us and then finally to be thrown out. And we do the duty in a pretty honest manner, we make them work as much as we can, we don`t recognize their work even if that is better than most of the permanent staff, we don’t allow them any respite because we overburden them with not only work but remarkable disrespect and discomfort. But, what can we do? We can’t do anything. To be a permanent employ in any Govt office is to be an unfettered king who not only enjoy respect and money, but also an unacknowledged right to exploit and show disregard for all others who have the Unfortunate tail. This venomous attitude has passed on to the young students also. They too think that the only teachers “worthy” of their respect and attention are the permanent ones, and they look upon the contractuals with eyes full of honest disregard.

So, out one goes as I entered! Soon, I started my work. I was thrown into the mouth of an overfed room with some eighty unruly students. I wish I could have the magical wand so that I could have stretched the dimensions of the room to make it a bit comfortable for them. The jute mats that received their shining black and white uniforms were well designed with dust, mud and all kinds of dirt. This was in close proximity with the designs on the once upon white washed walls. I saw handmade charcoal paintings that resembled the contempory postmodern art; designs ranging from names of students (ancient and modern) to the some weird (in)human figures staring at me from all sides, in-between were the  sparkling phrases like  Zakhmi Aabid, Tanha Sameer, Bewafa Basheer .I took out the attendance register and started shouting their names. It was then that I learned that my class has more than one hundred and eighty students. I was puzzled and agitated that had all of them come, where would have we stuffed them. May be our head of the institute knows? But later when I asked him, he nodded his head in an unpredictable and uninterpretable manner that, I think, meant we could or we could not, or both. Perhaps it was sign of helplessness on his part as well. I wondered how an institution can admit students without having even basic infrastructure. Inspired by the archetypal image of Abrahim Linchon who studied under the street lamp posts, used borrowed books and became the pride of American history, our politicians perhaps had this proud example in mind while upgrading these schools without providing them the basic facilities. But how many of these proud men have our history produced! Perhaps we should ask a state historian to cite few proud names.

To return to the class room, I looked for the unborn duster and finally used a handkerchief to restore the black dignity of the raged and aged black/grey board. As I started a formal introduction, the cows that were tied outside my class room (on the side that is a private property) coupled and started mooing, perhaps she was more eager to introduce herself, this made the whole class room uncomfortable till one energetic student got out of the window and somehow put an end to the music, and the school bell joined to end my hour.  Before I left the class room, one of the eager students got up and asked, “Sir, tsche kyahaw choe naau”? I was not wonderstruck at the informality of language for I had already witnessed my colleagues calling students in much derogatory and ethically offensive language. If we can’t respect our students, how can we expect them to respect us!  

For the next hour I engrossed myself into a book in the lonely corner of the school laboratory. Should I call it a laboratory? Perhaps I should because it had some age old science equipments decorated in mess. Does it matter that it changes roles every hour? I was excited to know that it is used as staff resting room during vacant hours, dining hall during the break time, cooking place, and sometimes as class room when the number of students is low, particularly for the specially privileged science students who don’t really care about the attendance, and take admission just to make sure that they can appear in the final examination as regular students. They are regular at other places: the coaching centres ironically run by the same teachers who teach in the school. How do we justify that, I wonder! Perhaps these privileged students might be getting better laboratory facilities to carry out their experiments there, or do they get good marks in the term tests , or threats of being failed or being fined if they don`t join the academic prostitution centres run my our academic guardian in the name of coaching centres. Or maybe these teachers are divinely inspired in knowledge of their expertise and experience these divine fits during private hours only that makes them able to deliver gold in the private centres and brass in the school. Oh God, why don’t you inspire them while they are on duty?

Afterwards, I talked to my colleagues, and asked them all sorts of unsettling question on issues ranging from lack of basic infrastructure in the school to the lack of student attendance in the classes. I was startled at the swift answer, “you have come from the IIT Karagpur, and it will take you awhile to settle here and be absorbed into this system and this work culture, let’s not waste time, and quickly decide on what special dishes we are going to have for the tomorrow`s lunch here; one of the class IV employs cooks really good, why should we bother about all this? Aase tcha tchech!”  I was bewildered by the strange attitude of my new found colleagues to the horrible problems confronting our school.  I thought I would request the Education Director to relocate me to a new place, but did against it when three of my friends called in the evening, I learned that it is the same all over. May be soon I will learn the tricks of the trade. Aasei tcha tchech!

Urgent Notice.

Dear Student

The following students of Section 12, Group B are requested to call or meet me in person in my office latest by April 10, 2010, 17:OO Hours.

09MA2001
09MI2030

In case they are not part of this group or don`t visit the blog page. I would request their friends/students who know them to inform them.

Best

Friday Class

Dear Students ( All Section 11)

The class timings on Friday, 02 April 2010, are different than the usual ones because it is a holiday, and I suppose you are all relatively free on this date.

The Time and Venue for this class is 10:30 am, Friday 2 April 2010 at (V3 Vikramshila).

All the Best

Friday Class.

Dear Section 11 Students ( Both Groups)

We will have a class on Friday as posted yesterday, and MAY decide a new test date in the class as some students have certain issues with the date.

No individual queries in this regard shall be replied.

Thank You

VERY VERY URGENT.

Dear Section 11 Students ( Both Groups)

There WILL BE  A COMMON TUTORIAL for BOTH THE SECTIONS on Friday, 2 April 2010. You are requested to be in the class (V3 Vikramshila) at 10:30 am. On Saturday, 3 April 2010 you will have your last tutorial of the Semester...So a brief assessment test will be taken on the final day. I hope you will
prepare well. The assessment test is intended to test your knowledge of Grammar, and reading comprehension.

Please read the material under following links for your tutorial exams:

Verbs         Prepositions             Conjunctions                      Articles

Clauses           Technical Report writing        Homonym   Basic Essay      

 

Essential Word List
                            

All the Very Best.

FOR MONDAY 22 MARCH,2010.

THE FOLLOWING STORY WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE NEXT CLASS ON MONDAY 22 March,2010

You can download the story in a printable document form at:

http://www.scribd.com/full/28299949?access_key=key-hcx43yya22fua577zt3

The discussion shall focus on: Content, language use, style, vocabulary and shall be followed by students response( in writing) to the story.

So READ WELL.

ONE fine morning the collegiate assessor, Kirill Ivanovitch Babilonov, who had died of the two afflictions so widely spread in our country, a bad wife and alcoholism, was being buried. As the funeral procession set off from the church to the cemetery, one of the deceased's colleagues, called Poplavsky, got into a cab and galloped off to find a friend, one Grigory Petrovitch Zapoikin, a man who though still young had acquired considerable popularity. Zapoikin, as many of my readers are aware, possesses a rare talent for impromptu speechifying at weddings, jubilees, and funerals. He can speak whenever he likes: in his sleep, on an empty stomach, dead drunk or in a high fever. His words flow smoothly and evenly, like water out of a pipe, and in abundance; there are far more moving words in his oratorical dictionary than there are beetles in any restaurant. He always speaks eloquently and at great length, so much so that on some occasions, particularly at merchants' weddings, they have to resort to assistance from the police to stop him.

"I have come for you, old man!" began Poplavsky, finding him at home. "Put on your hat and coat this minute and come along. One of our fellows is dead, we are just sending him off to the other world, so you must do a bit of palavering by way of farewell to him. . . . You are our only hope. If it had been one of the smaller fry it would not have been worth troubling you, but you see it's the secretary . . . a pillar of the office, in a sense. It's awkward for such a whopper to be buried without a speech."

"Oh, the secretary!" yawned Zapoikin. "You mean the drunken one?"

"Yes. There will be pancakes, a lunch . . . you'll get your cab-fare. Come along, dear chap. You spout out some rigmarole like a regular Cicero at the grave and what gratitude you will earn!"

Zapoikin readily agreed. He ruffled up his hair, cast a shade of melancholy over his face, and went out into the street with Poplavsky.

"I know your secretary," he said, as he got into the cab. "A cunning rogue and a beast -- the kingdom of heaven be his -- such as you don't often come across."

"Come, Grisha, it is not the thing to abuse the dead."

"Of course not, aut mortuis nihil bene, but still he was a rascal."

The friends overtook the funeral procession and joined it. The coffin was borne along slowly so that before they reached the cemetery they were able three times to drop into a tavern and imbibe a little to the health of the departed.

In the cemetery came the service by the graveside. The mother-in-law, the wife, and the sister-in-law in obedience to custom shed many tears. When the coffin was being lowered into the grave the wife even shrieked "Let me go with him!" but did not follow her husband into the grave probably recollecting her pension. Waiting till everything was quiet again Zapoikin stepped forward, turned his eyes on all present, and began:

"Can I believe my eyes and ears? Is it not a terrible dream this grave, these tear-stained faces, these moans and lamentations? Alas, it is not a dream and our eyes do not deceive us! He whom we have only so lately seen, so full of courage, so youthfully fresh and pure, who so lately before our eyes like an unwearying bee bore his honey to the common hive of the welfare of the state, he who . . . he is turned now to dust, to inanimate mirage. Inexorable death has laid his bony hand upon him at the time when, in spite of his bowed age, he was still full of the bloom of strength and radiant hopes. An irremediable loss! Who will fill his place for us? Good government servants we have many, but Prokofy Osipitch was unique. To the depths of his soul he was devoted to his honest duty; he did not spare his strength but worked late at night, and was disinterested, impervious to bribes. . . . How he despised those who to the detriment of the public interest sought to corrupt him, who by the seductive goods of this life strove to draw him to betray his duty! Yes, before our eyes Prokofy Osipitch would divide his small salary between his poorer colleagues, and you have just heard yourselves the lamentations of the widows and orphans who lived upon his alms. Devoted to good works and his official duty, he gave up the joys of this life and even renounced the happiness of domestic existence; as you are aware, to the end of his days he was a bachelor. And who will replace him as a comrade? I can see now the kindly, shaven face turned to us with a gentle smile, I can hear now his soft friendly voice. Peace to thine ashes, Prokofy Osipitch! Rest, honest, noble toiler!"

Zapoikin continued while his listeners began whispering together. His speech pleased everyone and drew some tears, but a good many things in it seemed strange. In the first place they could not make out why the orator called the deceased Prokofy Osipitch when his name was Kirill Ivanovitch. In the second, everyone knew that the deceased had spent his whole life quarelling with his lawful wife, and so consequently could not be called a bachelor; in the third, he had a thick red beard and had never been known to shave, and so no one could understand why the orator spoke of his shaven face. The listeners were perplexed; they glanced at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Prokofy Osipitch," continued the orator, looking with an air of inspiration into the grave, "your face was plain, even hideous, you were morose and austere, but we all know that under that outer husk there beat an honest, friendly heart!"

Soon the listeners began to observe something strange in the orator himself. He gazed at one point, shifted about uneasily and began to shrug his shoulders too. All at once he ceased speaking, and gaping with astonishment, turned to Poplavsky.

"I say! he's alive," he said, staring with horror.

"Who's alive?"

"Why, Prokofy Osipitch, there he stands, by that tombstone!"

"He never died! It's Kirill Ivanovitch who's dead."

"But you told me yourself your secretary was dead."

"Kirill Ivanovitch was our secretary. You've muddled it, you queer fish. Prokofy Osipitch was our secretary before, that's true, but two years ago he was transferred to the second division as head clerk."

"How the devil is one to tell?"

"Why are you stopping? Go on, it's awkward."

Zapoikin turned to the grave, and with the same eloquence continued his interrupted speech. Prokofy Osipitch, an old clerk with a clean-shaven face, was in fact standing by a tombstone. He looked at the orator and frowned angrily.

"Well, you have put your foot into it, haven't you!" laughed his fellow-clerks as they returned from the funeral with Zapoikin. "Burying a man alive!"

"It's unpleasant, young man," grumbled Prokofy Osipitch. "Your speech may be all right for a dead man, but in reference to a living one it is nothing but sarcasm! Upon my soul what have you been saying? Disinterested, incorruptible, won't take bribes! Such things can only be said of the living in sarcasm. And no one asked you, sir, to expatiate on my face. Plain, hideous, so be it, but why exhibit my countenance in that public way! It's insulting."

IN ADDITION, FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING LINKS AND DO THE READINGS ON ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS AND CONJUNCTIONS:

                                         http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adjectives.htm

                                         http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/adverbs.htm 

                                         http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/conjunctions.htm

Derrida, Lacan and ZG Mohammad: An Intellectual found!

Contrary to the traditional “keep it simple” rule, a good number of modern writers are accused of hinging their writings on obscurity and ambiguity making great demands on a reader to understand them. I remember my first encounter, with two great French intellectuals of the twentieth century, Jacques Derrida, and Jacques Lacan, when I was pursuing my Masters in English Literature. I would wake up weeping at 3am with nightmares about trying to understand them. Both have a writing style that is obscure, to say the least, apparently bordering on gibberish, at worst. As the angry critics have already announced, when you pick up Derrida and Lacan for the first time you will find a text which is dense, convoluted, elliptical and seemingly impenetrable, even by the most demanding standards of the current critical academy. Their impassable writing style is partly ascribed to their content: Derrida attempted a deconstruction of the whole of Western philosophy, and Lacan dealt with the human Unconscious. When the subject is grand, the style itself becomes dense and intense. My trouble with reading the great French men did not last long. I am now, more or less, comfortable with their peculiar writing style- a consummation that I devoutly wished for in my Masters. But Lacan and Derrida are not alone in creating this wilful obscurity, there are others also, in fact more impenetrable and incomprehensible than them. I am proud that my land, Kashmir, has produced one such genius of a writer, ZG Mohammad: a famous Greater Kashmir columnist whose iconoclastic writing style should go down in the history of English writing as the greatest manifestation of profound obscurity and sincere incongruity.

A legitimate measure of the influence of a thinker or writer on a discipline is the extent to which s/he transforms its customs, protocols and practices in a manner that makes it difficult to conceive how things were done before s/he appeared on the scene. Such transformations and changes are usually incorporated into the discipline and presupposed by those who come later. This explains why we often have a thankless relationship with the most influential thinkers. By definition then, great intellectuals are often those who change the way we do things in a peculiarly thankless way. But we should not maintain a thankless relation with our intellectual thinker, ZG Mohammad. He may not know it, as greatness is never apparent to itself, but we know that he has made a remarkable contribution to the writing style of English by introduction of a new form of writing. This is amply demonstrated by his recent Punchline in the daily Greater Kashmir, August 10, 2009.

I read the essay (should I call it an essay?) over a hundred times as every new reading provided a new dimension of “joy” that was soon to become hysterical . Unable to decipher the style, I asked my friends to read it, teachers were also invoked for help and inspiration, but, ultimately, only to add more confusion and obscurity. Then, finally, his own writing provided a key to the mystery.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with his political outlook the writings and noting of Ambassador Yusuf Buch are a part of Kashmir’s political literature that have could be seen as good as Edward Said’s works on Palestine. His works on Kashmir need to be compiled, researched and preserved. (GK, 10 August,2009)

Whether one cares about the writings and “noting” of Buch, one must take sufficient care to preserve the writing of ZG Mohammad. In his vain search for the Edward Said of Kashmir, he has made a remarkably great contribution to the writing style that can only be pronounced as “miraculous.” His style is continuous like the flow of the river Lidder. Inversely inspired by Raja Rao, Mohammad`s style is interminable. He has neither punctuation nor the treacherous prepositions to bother him. Episode follows episode, and when his thoughts stop, his sentence stops. His Paragraphs try to explore an idea, or tell a tale, but fail as the most heterogeneous events are yoked together by violence, ultimately, availing nothing, affecting nothing.

His peculiar style of writing incorporates explanations which are irrelevant. Titles of books and articles are not italicised, underlined or kept in inverted commas. He has mastered the art of writing multi-clause sentences without any provisions for a pause. Comma is rarely used- economic recession has affected its usage also, or does it carry the dreadful H1N1 virus? I have no answers. Mohammad enjoys the liberty of conferring greatness on Ghada Karmi, a Palestinian doctor of medicine, author and academic, without reading any of her writings. “Face of Kashmir” to him is “Kashmiri Face”, “Kashmiri Diasporas”, like many other terms is a novel coinage by him. He honours no difference between “on” and “in”: he seems to interchange them on impulse. He makes pronouns dance to the beats of this writings; they live off the false hopes of their nouns’ arrival. A quotation mark opens and remains open for its entire life. In his democratic writing style, clauses are not separated. It does not honour main and subordinate clauses.

The writer`s search for an intellectual voice for the problem of Kashmir may not be a viable one, but we have got our intellectual: the Kashmiri equivalent to Lacanian style of writing. Except that in the case of Lacan or Derrida, their translators have made sure to have got the grammar right. I am not being perverse. But the only density I could spot in his writing was that of grammatical bankruptcy. What’s more? I wonder what was the editorial team doing? Derrida and Lacan were actually trying to explore pertinent and profound issues which they did offer clues about. When one reads them in depth, one does identify the layers within which their content posits itself. Not the case with Mr Mohamed. I wonder why.

INTONATION IN ENGLISH

I am glad to upload my lecture on Intonation, considered by most of the language teachers as something hard to teach and learn. While I don`t completely disagree with it , I equally feel that most of the language teachers ( at least in the countries where English has the status of Second or Foreign Language) make it very puzzling for the students by making a simple generalization that Intonation cannot be learnt.

What I have tried to do here is to confront these approaches head-on by making a case that intonation, like another element of ELT can be taught quite easily.

The present lecture is part of a two hour lecture on Intonation delivered to the students of the Advanced level proficiency course in English, a part time course offered by The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad.

My lecture focuses on the difference between what we say and how we say. Making this a starting point brings out the importance of Intonation to the semantic value of a sentence,

apart from content words.

Although the quality of the video is not that good, I hope it is of help to all ESL/EFL learners. I have included the slides also, those I used in the class room. Together, I hope, it should guide you to a good understanding of the topic.

I thank EFL-University, Hyderabad for making this possible.

You can also download a better quality video by following the links bellow:

http://rapidshare.com/files/246580648/Bilal.mpg.001.zip http://rapidshare.com/files/246580648/Bilal.mpg.001.zip

Comments are welcome.

Thank you.

Bilal A. Shah

No racism in Australia

By Afroz Shah The recent attacks on Indian students in two major cities of Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) have surprised everyone. This is because Australia is considered to be the safest place to live in, and more so a favorite educational destination for international students. The blame that India made against Australia by considering it a racist country is a serious concern and should be addressed properly. The attacks on a couple of students from Indian origin were taken as an assault against the whole of the Indian nation. Is it really true; let us try to logically follow the whole process. The answers lie in facts, which are clear to all of us. About 12 Indian people have so far been targeted. If we look into the depth of each such ease, it becomes clear that in the majority of these attacks, there was no element of any racism. Most of these incidents occurred in the night time, when one cannot even distinguish about someone’s origin. Also there are people from other countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka which look similar in their facial and physical appearances. One wonders how one can even understand in the darkness of nights about someone’s original place of birth. Another important thing to understand is the biased approach of the Indian media against Australia. During the same night when one Indian student was stabbed, an Australian was killed by some criminals. There was no mention of this incident in the bulk of the Indian Media. Also according to recent reports, there are about 20 Australian who have lost their lives in India but Australia never portrayed India as a racist country.The protest organized by Indian students against the whole of Australia needs an immediate and but a critical condemnation. It never was a racist attempt but just a crime. According to the data published in the Australian institute of criminology in 2008, there were 176,427 recorded assaults in Australia in year 2007, constituting 840 victims per 100,000 of the population. “The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) defines assault as the direct infliction of force, injury or violence upon a person, including attempts or threats. It excludes sexual assault”. There were 19781 cases of sexual assaults, 17988 robberies and 730 kidnapping in the same year. This data clearly suggests that crime rates are increasing in this country.Drawing on the previous crime statistics, it seems reasonable to argue that these recent unfortunate attacks on 11 Indian students were not racist assaults. Such criminal incidents are common in Australia and were not particularly aimed at certain communities. In fact crime rates in many countries are exponentially rising with United States on the top of the list. More than 10 Indian students were killed during this year in that country but unfortunately bulk of the Indian media as well as the government was virtually silent during that time. There was no mass-scale demonstration in any part of India or in the United States by the Indian people. Neither was there any apparent diplomatic pressure from India over the US about the safety and security concerns of their students in that country.One really wonders why bulk of the Indian media as well as the government has labeled the recent criminal activities against some of the very unfortunate Indian students as racist. The truth remains that there is no vivid evidence to prove it. The reality is that Indian authorities should sincerely apologize for any racist comment against the Australia people. It has seriously irritated the whole of the Australian nation and it puts a question mark on their secular and democratic nation, which is seriously disappointing.The argument that there are about 90,000 Indian students studying in Australia and adding to their economy is a fact but one must not forget to mention that there are millions of Indian people living in Australia (mainly permanent residents and dual citizens). These people are working in Australia but investing their money mainly for the economic development of the India. Also there are thousands of Indian students who are either sponsored directly by the Australian government or indirectly by different companies here. One wonders how utterly biased are such claims made by the bulk of the Indian media.Indian students who protested against the criminal incidents are welcome both in India as well as in Australia but those who demonstrated against the racist Australia need to sincerely apologize publicly. It is a crime in itself to deteriorate a secular and democratic image of a country, which is considered to be the world’s famous destination for students and tourists. It is very essential for Indian diplomacy to understand the depth of the situation without being completely misled by the Indian media.Both Indian and Australian authorities should make a comprehensive policy to understand the potential threats from the criminal elements and their impact on the diplomatic ties of the two nations. Both countries should safeguard their territories and international students and tourists. Acting hastily without the proper understanding of the situation will only deteriorate the active relationship with each other, which is alarming. It is essential for the Indian authorities to safeguard her students not only in Australian but also in other parts of the world and particularly in United States, where high crime rates have directly taken a big toll on her students.

New Wo (Man)!!!???

By Mohsina Farooq. "We don't need Afghan-style burquas to disappear as women. We disappear in reverse—by revamping and revealing our bodies to meet externally imposed visions of female beauty." Robin Gerber. Slum Dog Millionaire is a good movie, but few Feminists are not happy with it. The antagonism of their argument centers on the central question, Can Slum women be a Millionaire? Well I can`t answer this question but can predict what she will do with the money if she becomes!! She will perfect her image to come closer to the image of an "ideal women": not in Platonic sense, much less in the Religious but, much like Alexander Pope`s Blenda she would put all her arms and would always be desperate to be an Ideal Silver Screen women. Modern women are overwhelmingly fascinated by the ideal of Silver screen beauty and body image. The Ideal Images of female bodies are everywhere. Women—and their body parts—sell everything from food to cars. Popular film and television actresses are becoming younger, taller and thinner. Some have even been known to faint on the set from lack of food. Women's magazines are full of articles urging that if they can just lose those last twenty pounds, they'll have it all—the perfect marriage, loving children, and a rewarding career. In this age of female emancipation and liberation why are standards of beauty being imposed on women and who imposes them? The roots, some analysts say, are economic. By presenting an ideal difficult to achieve and maintain the cosmetic and diet product industries are assured of growth and profits. And it's no accident that youth is increasingly promoted, along with thinness, as an essential criterion of beauty. The stakes are huge. On the one hand, women who are insecure about their bodies are more likely to buy beauty products, new clothes, and diet aids. It is estimated that the diet industry alone is worth anywhere between 40 to 100 billion dollors a year selling temporary weight loss (90 to 95% of dieters regain the lost weight). On the other hand, research indicates that exposure to images of thin, young, air-brushed female bodies is linked to depression, loss of self-esteem and the development of unhealthy eating habits in women and girls. A recent research has shown that one out of every four college-aged women in India uses unhealthy methods of weight control—including fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. The pressure to be thin is also affecting young girls: research indicates that nearly half of all preadolescent girls wish to be thinner, and as a result have engaged in a diet or are aware of the concept of dieting. In 2003, Teen magazine reported that 35 per cent of girls 6 to 12 years old have been on at least one diet, and that 50 to 70 per cent of normal weight girls believe they are overweight. Overall research indicates that 90% of women are dissatisfied with their appearance in some way. Media activist Jean Kilbourne concludes that, "Women are sold to the diet industry by the magazines we read and the television programs we watch, almost all of which make us feel anxious about our weight." Perhaps most disturbing is the fact that media images of female beauty are unattainable for all but a very small number of women. Researchers generating a computer model of a woman with Barbie-doll proportions, for example, found that her back would be too weak to support the weight of her upper body, and her body would be too narrow to contain more than half a liver and a few centimeters of bowel. A real woman built that way would suffer from chronic diarrhea and eventually die from malnutrition. Still, the number of real life women and girls who seek a similarly underweight body is epidemic, and they can suffer equally devastating health consequences. In 2006 it was estimated that up to 450, 00 Indian women were affected by an eating disorder. Researchers report that women's magazines have ten and one-half times more ads and articles promoting weight loss than men's magazines do, and over three-quarters of the covers of women's magazines include at least one message about how to change a woman's bodily appearance—by diet, exercise or cosmetic surgery. Television and movies reinforce the importance of a thin body as a measure of a woman's worth. The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells "ordinary" women that they are always in need of adjustment—and that the female body is an object to be perfected. let`s leave it to the feminists to decide if women is really liberating, becoming more and more her own or is she still dominated by the male. Where is the real women? Jean Kilbourne argues that the overwhelming presence of media images of painfully thin women means that real women's bodies have become invisible in the mass media. The real tragedy, Kilbourne concludes, is that many women internalize these stereotypes, and judge themselves by the beauty industry's standards. Women learn to compare themselves to other women, and to compete with them for male attention. This focus on beauty and desirability "effectively destroys any awareness and action that might help to change that climate."

Expressing Emotions

Sophia Syed on Valentine Day. Important in a relationship are the day-to-day unromantic realities and practicalities of life What does this day stand for? The historical versions of its origin and growth offer no solace to those interested in “true and genuine” accounts. From the early Greek account of St. Valentine being beheaded for secretly performing the marriage of young couples against the wish of the King to the 14th century exchange of gifts between lovers, to Hallmark`s changing it into a commercial market by the introduction of special valentine cards and gifts, the day has traversed a long, found its embracers and its enemies too throughout the world. In many countries it is celebrated as an iconic occasion celebrating true love and affection. Lovers exchange gifts, cards, celebrate their relations and commit themselves, albeit briefly to each other. It has its enemies too: the Muslims regard it as unIslamic, some Hindu treat it as intrusion of western culture. Whatever its history, the fact remains that its supports are growing in numbers with each passing year and this signals a break, a rupture in the ideological setup of our new generation who are part to the commercialization of such pristine feelings as love and true relations.How does Valentine`s Day help a relation grow strong? It’s a day, as most of us assume, where one is supposed to express love. Apparently, it’s a day where you decide to ‘care’ for your loved one more than any other day in the year. But don’t you think that, like much else we have materialized and commercialized this entire event? Florists, restaurateurs and jewelry makers have throbbing hearts waiting a year for this huge business opportunity. Romantic gifts at huge prices are popping up in big cities - commercialism is in the air, overshadowing the love; it's really pathetic. If you have to buy things to demonstrate your love, then that love does not run very deep. We have grown with the belief that love has a natural flow that cannot speed up by bringing in material goods. So, who do I call to complain that taking on the nonsense of Valentine's Day runs counter to deep culture and traditions that we have imbibed? Making a grand gesture just once a while doesn`t in any way prove your love and commitment in a relation. When it comes to truth, commitment and sincere love it is the mundane, prosaic every day conversation through out the year, and rolling on through life that really matter the most in a relationship. Boxed love and merchandise does not make a difference and does not add value to your sincerity. It hardly matters whether you celebrate valentine`s day or not, participation in such festivals is not a predicator of relationship longevity or satisfaction. What is really important is to find out on a daily basis what your partner is doing for the day or communicating about what people consider everyday topics than buying a special chocolate, a cake or a piece of diamond. For most people “Love is a very fluid thing,” says Les Parrot. “It changes, there’s an ebb and flow to it, and over time, it will be something different than it used to be. It takes work and commitment to carry you through when the passion isn’t there.” And the passion will not always be there to keep relations going, the lasting relations are those who work through years and don`t give up, these are the relations that come out on the other side more fulfilled and happier. The value of a truly good relationship is priceless, and when it comes to you, embrace it, cherish it, savor it and try to maintain it by all possible means through all possible situations. It doesn`t matter whether or not you exchange costly gifts, have a moon-lit dinner in a five star restaurant. What matter in the end in a relationship are the day-to-day unromantic realities and practicalities of life, often filled with what Wordsworth calls “the fever and fret of life”, and our consistent effort through all odds to be genuinely committed never forgetting, even when contradictions and differences arise “On how to cross a desert patch”, to say genuinely and sincerely to our dearest ones: TAKE CARE.

What did they actually want to assess?

This is an open letter to Chairman JKPSC and was published by the dialy Rising Kashmir. I am not trying to be a typical egotist in writing all this to you but the aim is to be faithful to one’s society and self and relate objectively what I ( and may be many others) have felt in the so called INTERVIEW PROCESS. Yes! I am referring to the interview process that was adopted for the selection of lecturers in English in Secondary Education Department for Kashmir division candidates. My interview was on the 26th Feb, 08; the last day scheduled for the job. And this is what happened:When I entered the hall, around 12:45 pm, I found three persons there: one in the central chair, other going to the bathroom that was attached to the room. I was asked to sit with my back to the third one who was busy doing some paper work. The man in the centre started with my percentage and added why I have secured less than most of the girl students. I had no answer except blaming the newly installed semester system of the university. Then he asked,” Where do you live?” “Islamabad” I said, and he started asking why it is named so and what are the famous tourist sports there and why I haven’t yet visited certain places. “What do you do”, He changed the topic and I was relaxed, expecting something reasonable. “M.Phil. from CIEFL, Hyderabad in Literary theory and Psychology: using the knowledge of personality types from psychology, we are trying to see what kind of personalities emerged in different literary movements of Twentieth century.”He immediately asked the man coming out of the bathroom who was wiping his hands with a towel to take care of me. “Oh! You are from CIEFL, I am also from the same place and now I am a member of a committee there, a great place, modeled on Oxford University, who is your guide,” asekd the new entrant. I answered all. He asked about my research ‘problem’ and I repeated the above sentence. And he ended the discussion. “Your being a CIEFLian attests to your abilities, you should try for higher education: college or university. Best of luck, you can go.” When I came out of the room all the enthusiasm and fervor associated with the day was over and I was wonder struck how on the basis of this they are going to assess my abilities and decide my fate. Mine was not a special case, there were others who where asked more casual and prosaic question than this. In some cases even the subject expert was not present. Sir, we all know (as it has been the norm in the recent past) that interview carries half the marks and it is precisely on this basis that it will be decided if an applicant is in or out. But I am afraid what happened in the process was and is not adequate for assessing the required abilities and qualities that go into the making of a really good teacher unless, the people there have some supernatural and magical powers. On the face of it, it is ridiculous; seems mockery of the process but then may be there is a method involved in it which is not apparent to us and which you alone know. I hope this is something that you would certainly take seriously and reflect upon and if need be, take an immediate action, for there are fates of the people involved in this who have been waiting for this from last five, six years and don’t have any thing else to cling to. I am extremely sorry if in my frankness I have offended you.