Mental health

Mental wellbeing is as important as physical wellbeing still mental illness attract less attention than physical diseases. In the current age, more and more individuals belonging to all ages are suffering from anxiety and depression. Unfortunately enough attention is not given to a person suffering from these ailments and at moments when a person needs support, he is more often than not, neglected by his family and friends. Depression might be a result of mental and/or physical trauma or it might be a side effect of certain medications. In either case, it is harmful to the individual. Prolonged depression causes serious problems like memory loss and even diseases like Alzheimer along with being more prone to infections. Mental illhealth is also linked to lower immunity and disturbed metabolism in individuals. A person suffering from anxiety and depression needs counseling and family support before resorting to medications. Depression is becoming a silent killer with it being linked to other physical ailments, alcohol and/or drug abuse, suicidal tendencies and other mental ailments like Alzheimer, schizophrenia, etc. The issues related to mental wellbeing need to be addressed with as much importance as physical well being and a kind, supportive environment is a much needed necessity in the present era.

Safe schools and hospitals

Yesterday was universal children's day, a day when everyone should have pledged to ensure that every child in the world gets full rights and freedoms to grow and develop into a productive human being and to lead his life to his full potential. Unfortunately there are so many children who.are suffering from abuse, neglect, violation of their rights. Children in war torn areas are specially vulnerable as they are often homeless, without a family or caretaker. Another way these children are hit is when the schools and hospitals are attacked. Attacks on schools not only kill innocents but also destroy hopes of children finding a safe haven and a place to heal besides hampering their education. So many children are hurt it killed when their school is attacked. Attacks on hospitals are again another attack on the most vulnerable. In the recent days and months and years, innumerable children have list their lives when they school it hospital has been bombed. An attack on these places is one of the worst attack on humanity. Countries should come together and pledge to keep schools and hospitals safe. A school is a place of learning and healing for children in war torn areas, it should not be made a battleground. There is a need to make schools and hospitals safe so that the children and the suck and wounded can heal without having a fear fir their life. The world needs to come together and protect these and make them safe for generations to come.

Press censorship

Press plays an important role in creating awareness about politics amongst the masses by educating as well as criticizing about government policies. Press is not a silent spectator or a mere commentator rather it is responsible for analyzing as well as critical discourse about policies. The extent of freedom in a country can be judged by the amount of freedom the press enjoys there, specially a dissident press. The freedom of press in India is derived from the freedom of speech and expression and is subject to the same restrictions as the freedom of speech and expression and not more. Press censorship amounts to a violation of the right of information as well as a violation of freedom of speech. Freedom of press is essential in a democracy to ensure a check on the government functioning. Curtailing this freedom on grounds other than the ones mentioned in the Constitution is a complete violation of constitutional freedoms. Ensuring the freedom to analyze and criticize the government actions ensures the freedom of public. It is a safeguard from government excesses and is a safeguard from tyrannical actions.

Night of broken glass

On Wednesday, I was reading the memoirs of a holocaust survivor, how he was discriminated in school, how on the night of 9th of November, 1938,  his family was attacked, how nobody came to their rescue, his imprisonment and later release. Holocaust is and will always remain a reminder for mankind as to how low people can stoop. When false sense of racial superiority, when discrimination and hatred engulf people they stoop lower than the lowest. Those who do not take lesson from history are bound to repeat it. Events of racism have occurred in various parts of the world, throughout history to the modern times. The night of broken glass was the night that paved way to one of the greatest tragedies of modern world. And it is a night that should be remembered so that it is not repeated, so that the lesson is taken that there are no us and them. The false notions of racial superiority are the beginning of majority of crimes in the society. It is time that we take lesson from the past and put this hatred to an end.
Every story related to the holocaust hurts me. Every mention of it is a painful reminder of the sufferings of people and how so many people felt no remorse. The way the world chose to ignore it is a painful reminder of how selfish we can be.  The same is a wake up call as the world is ignoring the plight of millions of innocents in another part of the world today. What happened in the past can happen again, hope we wake up before it's too late.

Dancing lights

I love gazing stars, have always loved it. During my childhood when there was less light pollution, star gazing was a sheer pleasure. However, with time, it became really difficult to see anything in the sky because of all the lights that surround us. During my recent air trip, during the takeoff I was looking out of the window, st the land below which was glowing with millions of small lights. It was a pleasure to look at so many tinkling dancing lights below. Once we gained height and were over water and the lit up land went out of the view it was pretty much dark outside until I saw a gleam of light outside. As I moved closer to the window to find out if it was another plane or a bright star, I just got the most wonderful surprise. The sky was lit up with millions of lights, twinkling dancing lights. The heavens were smiling down. The sky I saw was the sky I had not seen in years. When we were kids we used to try counting the stars, a task which took forever. I didn't try to count them this time, I knew there were millions so I just pressed my cheek on the window, used my hands to block the cabin lights and enjoyed the view. Yes, the flight cane to an end, as the dancing lights of the land cane into view, I again looked at the sky, the stars were disappearing but I had the sense of relief that they are only hidden not gone, always shining down, smiling at the one who would gaze at them whenever and wherever there is darkness all around.