Fear in life

In everyday's life, it is difficult to pass a day without having seen someone with somekind of fear. Most of us are imbibed with fear from our early days of life. Just to ease out their job, parents cultivate this fear when we are children. 'Boochandi' comes into our life very soon. In my childhood days I have heard women talking about 'Gudu Gudu Pandi'. ( A terrorising look beggar with long beard and turban). I was always afraid of this man. I wondered why he came early morning. My friends used to say that he visits graveyard in the mornings and comes with magical powers of Sattan. If we do not give him clothes, he will curse us and do harm to us. It took long time for me to get rid of this fear. People have fear of different kinds. It is because our mind is conditioned so much. Let me share my recent experience. Very suddenly, there was a need for me to visit home land, for few weeks. I had to chose a 'Desi' airlines, hoping a new experience. True to my expectations it was a strange experience. Just fifteen minutes was left for the departure and there was no announcement of the delay. Public were left to their own guessing. After we boarded the flight, there was no apology or reason for delay. The pilot explained the reason only when we were about to land in Mumbai. Again, the connection flight was delayed, and landed late in Chennai. No explanations. After a toil of two and half hours, it was learnt that my baggage had not arrived along with few more passenger's baggage. There were 20 of us left to be attended by two of the airlines staff. A supervisor was sitting next to them, gossipping family matters, than attending to the other staff. I lost patience and had to crib and complaint loudly. Everyone else had so much of fear, to complaint. Every other passenger were undergoing the similar experience, but did not want to talk about it . The reason being fear. Because I was not afraid, I made a loud appeal and was later taken to the Manager for some interim allowance. I did not have a single cloth to wear and have to rush to a quick shopping after a traumatic air travel.

The public awareness is very less in our country. Even in those days whenever there was a loudspeaker menace near my residence, and I complained, I was looked down by many of the neighbours for raising my voice. The basic reason was fear. We have great tolerance. I agree... but what is the compensation. Why do we need to be afraid? The other day, I was standing in a queue for buying a train ticket to travel by suburban train in Tambaram railway station. A group of youth went straight to the counter, without having consideration about the long queue of people waiting. Nobody wanted to ask them to get back to line. I had to call the leader and asked him to get back to the queue, for which he passed a circastic comment, and said that he did not mind to buy after me. He bought the tickets after me, but still the public allowed him. I could not do anything after my job was done since it was the responsibility of others who were waiting after me. Incidents like this followed everywhere. At times, even walking on the road was so tough. It was more of a 'do what you can' attitude.

I had been to Tirupathi on a pilgrimage trip. It was a day full of similar experiences. Somewhere I read as Bombay was rated as a rudest city. Chennai was not in the list at all. If this kind of fear exists among the public, then we can never progress. In today's world, everyone is talking about the technological development that has been happening in our land. I do not find any great differences, if we could not improve our public awareness and discipline.

The picture in this post was shot in front of Buckingham palace. There was a huge crowd waiting to watch the change of guard and this creature was not afraid of anyone. When I approached to take a picture of her unique pose of standing on a leg, she was not bothered and did not shy away, and posed fearlessly.

Party for a good cause

The following article in NDTV(26th March 2006) created a spark in Premalatha Balan, our UK blogger.

A hostel in Madurai has been forcing students to maintain a public register of their menstrual cycle. This is to prevent premarital sex and to ensure that teenage girls do not go astray. The invasion of privacy has been taking place for years at the government hostel for poor and backward class students in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district. The register has columns for the exact dates of their cycle. Even slightly irregular dates invite snide remarks and harsh reprimands by the hostel warden. "Making them write down their menstrual cycle dates creates mental torture. They are not even able to tell their parents about these things. It is creating a lot of tension," said Jeeva, Regional Convenor, TN Child Rights Protection Network.Defending the outrageous measure, the hostel warden says it is the best way to keep the girls under check and prevent possible premarital sex."I've only been continuing what my predecessors started. I am doing it with students' interest at heart," said Selvarani, warden, Adi Dravidar Students Hostel.Sanitation woesThe girls revealed that the policing is done by the cook under the overall supervision of the warden. But while their records may be strictly monitored, their sanitation is not. The girls claim their hostel has just one bathroom but that is exclusively for the warden. The girls can enter it but only to clean it and not use it. Ironically the moral brigade is unconcerned about the fact that the girls have to bathe out in the open after dusk.

Premalatha Balan wanted to do something for these girls hostel. She spoke to me over phone about the hardships faced by these girls. I felt very bad for those young girls. We really wanted to do something. We also knew that our summer party was due. So Premalatha struck with the idea of meeting for a cause. We gathered at a country side near Hemel Hemstead. A small collection fee was charged for the party and thus we were able to raise a small amount for the cause. All the arrangements for the party were excellent. Though we met for few hours and had good fun, we went home with content that we could do something for someone on that day. Lots of bloggers had participated and had done a great help for the party. The familiar bloggers like Dubukku, Ammani ( She has run London marathon to raise fund for a charity), Dadoji, and few more were there. Premalatha had sought help from social minded film actress, and sent letters to the highest office of State.

Balan and blogger Dubukku were instrumental, in making good arrangements for the party. They had shown so much care and concern, to such a great extent, no fizzy drinks were available for the children to mess around and get hyper. Dubukku had taken such a herculean task of bringing the food for the entire party in his own car in order to save the delivery charge.

I do not have words for such people. There was a brief coverage by the local press. On reading the article, a generous English lady, has sent a small donation to Premalatha for the cause. I salute such people who could understand the sufferings of innocent girls in a corner of the world. I wish many more of us become more aware about such things happening back at home, and do something to give a good life for the people who are suffering. I know that there could be hundreds of hostels and schools like that, in many parts of the world. We have just started a small begining. We strongly believe that a seed can make the whole earth green.

Hello....Hi...ya

My daughter's favourite play is to hold a small box in her hand and start conversing, imagining the small box as a mobile phone. It is interesting to watch her laughing and talking, giving enough time to allow her imaginary friend to talk and scream. If a child could get fascinated so much at this small box(mobile phone), imagine the influence it is creating on the younger generations. I try to remember about my childhood days. Talking over telephone was very expensive affair. Only those who were very affluent had telephones in their house. But over years, technology has taken over.

Last couple of years, I have been watching the technology changes happening back home. Few years before, when I had been to India, I had to refurbish my house. The painter was getting a call from another friend of him, who was painting in a house few yards away from my house. His friend wanted him to join for a cup of tea, in the neighbouring Tea shop in the street corner. He was getting more than a dozen calls in few hours. I gave him a pep talk to know about the economics. His joy was that he does not need to wait for phone connection and this is instantaneous. It helps him in his business and he need not bother about moving home. His phone charges must be the major expense for his family. This is in a developing country. I remember a cartoon by Mathan in Ananda Vikatan many years before when Rajiv Gandhi the then Prime Minister announced that communication will become easy even in villages by 2000. The cartoon was a farmer during a break while ploughing, gets hold of a phone in a public booth near a big banyan tree and informs his wife that he will be at home for lunch. This was many years before.

Sometimes it is scary to travel in the late hours in London. The other night I was really scared when I saw someone gigantic and laughing and walking opposite to me in a subway. He asked how are you doing and I was about to answer that I am fine. I was bit scared whether he is going knive me. I had a sigh of relief, when I heard him saying "Darling, I miss you...". The little gadget is taking the world by storm. Some behave so awkwardly in public, by talking loudly. They need to understand that they spoil the privacy of others by talking loud. I have seen others raising their eyebrows on seeing such people. The most irritating of all, is when they laugh and discuss their personal stuff. Also, the ring tones are so irritating. Most of the desis have the latest hit Hindi songs as ring tones. Especially during work, some of them do not have the courtesy to put it on silent mode. The best part is when they leave the phone on desk while they are away from the desk. I hate to hear the ring tones.

Few years before people were crazy in having a music when they were reversing the cars in India. I used to get wild when they use music like baby crying, that too while reversing their car in Hospitals. On observing all these, I am afraid whether we are back to old civilisation. We may be advancing by technology, but going back by civilisation. Last but not the least, many times I forget to switch back from silent mode and some of my friends may mistake for not attending their phone calls. Please pardon me.... No... it is not sign of ageing...

The picture in this post is Loh Catherine in Scotland. Lake is called as Loh in Scotland. Close your eyes and imagine the silence that could be found in such places.... Wonderful!!!