A woman's freedom

The recent incident of mass molestation of women and girls on new years eve is a matter of shame for everyone. And what adds a greater shame is the fact that various politicians claim that it is the way the girls dress that is responsible for their getting molested. Wearing western clothes is no excuse for molesting a girl. A girl has a right to choose whatever she wants to wear and she has a right to go out of her house. A society that is scared of independent women, of educated girls or working girls is one that finds excuses to attack them so as to force them into a submissive role inside the house. It is shameful that the society cannot provide protection to girls who want to study, work or go out. Women and girls form fifty percent of the population and they deserve the same representation in education and work force. By investing  in girls a country can progress but for that it needs to provide a girl protection from sexual assaults. Failure to protect a girl's freedom is a matter of shame for any country in the world that claims to be a free country.

Questions

Bujhte charago se koi yeh pooche
Shab bhar jalne ka sabab kya hai
Maloom to pade ki yeh jalne wale
Hasrate jalate ya khud hi jal jaate



Woh poochte hain meri khamoshi ki wajah
Main kya bolu, na zabaan meri hai, na alfaaz mere hain

Seasons of mist

My heart holds oceans of grief so deep
My tears are my words left unsaid
The seasons of mist pass so slow
The flowers on the graves are so laid
Deep flow the marks of wounds unseen
Broken are the wings of flight
Some memories cherished the heart holds
Some dreams it holds so tight
Words are but feelings expressed
Though not understood as they are said
They make, they break us all
They leave sometimes debts unpaid

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.