Women Are Not Toys!!!

                                                

                                                    

“24,923”, might be seen as a set of random numbers, but did we know that this is the number of rape cases that were reported across India in the year 2012, according to the Nation Crime Records Bureau. Shocking isn’t it? But this is the truth.

Every morning as we sit with our cup of tea or coffee in our hands and pick up the newspapers with a smile on our faces, but by the end of reading the paper, the smiles automatically fade away into frowns and sadness. This is because half of the newspaper carries news about various rape cases that were reported in various parts of the country in a particular day, and most of the times, not all the rape cases are reported, so just imagine the amount of rape cases in a day.

Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of rape cases, followed by Uttar Pradesh and then West Bengal. And among the major cities, the capital state of Delhi topped the list, with Mumbai close behind.

Rape has been existent from the olden ages. It is said that during the time of partition, around 100,000 women were kidnapped and raped. But the difference between then and now is that, during those times, rape cases were not reported much, so people were unaware about it, but now reporters do report such cases boldly and so our newspapers are filled with such gruesome news.

The gang rape of 23 yera old Nibhaya on a public bus in Delhi; the rape and murder of Kerala girl Soumya, who was thrown out of the train; Pune based Nayana Pujari who was raped and murdered by her escort driver; the 22-year-old photojournalist from Mumbai, who was gang-raped by five people; the two girls from Uttar Pradesh who were raped and then hung from a tree, all these are examples and eye openers for our country, but did it make any difference? Were any measures taken to put a full stop to this?  

The number of rape cases still remains the same or in fact has gone up too. Even now we get to see news stories about minors being raped, mentally challenged girls being raped and so on. Have we all become such devils? Where are the human beings? What has happened to us? Have we all become so heartless, that to fulfil our pleasure and need, we are ready to hurt anybody and everybody?

The saddest part again here is when “some” people actually sit and blame the girl and point a finger at the girl as being the sole reason for rape. How on Earth is that possible now?

“Oh that girl is wearing jeans! That is why she got raped.” Seriously? Even if girls walk on the road naked, it’s their wish. Who gave men the permission to even touch them? I remember reading somewhere about how certain hormones in men get triggered when they see girls in certain clothes, and that precisely provokes them into rape. These can’t be given as excuses. So what if their hormones get triggered or whatever, they have no rights or permission to touch a woman.

A boy wears low waist jeans (with the title jockey sticking out) and he roams around with four to five girls at a time, he is called a “Stud” and is seen with so much respect, and at the same time, a girls is seen wearing modern clothing and roams with a few boys, she is called a “S**t” why?

This whole concept should change. Even after so many examples right in front of us, if there are no steps taken from a change, and then what is the whole point? Is this the examples set up for the next generation?

Change is necessary and needed. With high hopes (sigh) that things will change and that girls will be able to hold their heads up high and walk the streets with no fear, I sign out.

Why Mallu Why?

The above given photo has been circulating around for quite some time. And people are having varying opinion about the same, well not exactly about the whole phrase as such, but about the usage of the word “Mallu”. As most of us know, the term “Mallu” is basically an ethnic slur used to refer to Malayalees. But, it also means something else, according to the Hindi dictionary, the word “Mallu” means ‘ape’ or ‘monkey’. So my question here now is, if malayalees actually mind, being referred to as a “mallu”?

Akhil, a student from Chennai says “I don't think its racism. We malayalees, ourselves call people from other states by various names too. I think we must not lose our temperament when somebody calls us a mallu.”

Sanjoe an IT Professional, on the other hand says “It feels awkward when somebody calls me a mallu. In fact most of the times people don’t just say “mallu” t refer to keralites, they say ‘bloody mallus’, which I definitely find offensive.”

Febin, a student from Bangalore says that "first of all, there are two sides to this as far as I'm concerned. I really don't mind being called a mallu by my friends as a sort of friendly insult as it doesn't really affect me. Its just something between friends and we all, accept it or not, call different names for people from different states for the sake of fun, an example being calling a Bengali as bong! So that's something people do and is within the friend circle and no one cares, I really don't. But when it comes to using it as a prejudice, I don't really support it. I wont initiate a fight on this topic as being called mallu doesn't make me feel lame or any inferior."

Some people might be neutral about the whole issue, but on the other hand, there are some others who can feel their blood boil when they go through this whole thing. Abhirami, a student from Bangalore says “I don't like being called 'mallu', in fact when people call me a mallu I tell them on the face that I’m a Malayalee, not a mallu. I feel that the word mallu is often used in these low level jokes and are very obscene. I am henceforth completely against this whole concept and will always react when called so.”

“Why blame the others when we ourselves sometimes refer to us as ‘mallus’. As it is said in the Bible, “first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye”, says Boban Mathew, from Chennai.

"I don’t really mind being called a mallu. I sometimes use the word myself. What I feel is, basically it all depends on the context in which the term is being used. If I find it insulting then I will surely find it offensive and hence react to it. Otherwise I am okay with it" says Annu a student from Bangalore. 

Well I feel that it all finally comes to how we take it, and it’s always a personal choice. People who find it offensive will react and those who don’t find it offensive ill let it be, nothing can be done about it. Maybe most people who use the word ‘mallu’ to refer to malayalees are often unaware of the meaning of it and are just using it because others use it or maybe they just want to hurt the sentiments of the people.

"I never performed at school or college." Rohiet Nair

Rohiet Nair is not a new name for most Bangaloreans, and now with his dancing skills and a charming smile, the ‘Station’ star is all set for his Kollywood debut. The dancer-turned-actor gets chatty, as he shares his journey, his love for dance and more.. 

1. Tell us about Rohiet the “Dancer”:

I grew up watching Michael Jackson, Govinda and Javed Jaffery, doing moon walk and break dancing. Dance happened because I was a very reserved child due to my stammering problem, so dance came as my saviour, it was the only way I could express what I felt. And incidentally I never ever performed at school or in college

2. Walking the Ramp:

With dance happened modelling with a few small time shows around. I participated in a competition called Konkan Showers, organised by Catholic club and my form was submitted by my friend Sridhar Rao, without my knowledge. I won the 1st runner up in this competition and that’s how modelling happened. I walked the ramp for Prasad Bidappa Rahul Dev Shetty. I have worked in worked for several advertisements with Radhika pandit, Diganth and also with super model Netra Raghuraman.

3. How did the movie “Station” happen?

With my stint in modelling I started to love acting. Saad Khan who had been an assistant to director Ashutosh Gowirakar told me of his interest in starting acting classes in Bangalore. And along with this workshop, I auditioned for his movie Station. I got my dialogues in hand and practised for say half an hour and said to myself that this is what I always wanted so it's now or never and walked into the room, still tensed up, mustered up enough courage and did what I was supposed to do. And surprisingly, the next day I got a call from Saad Khan and that changed everything for me. I was informed that I have been selected to do the negative lead in the movie and my happiness knew no bounds.

   

4. Life after station:

With station released all over India I was on cloud nine, that moment when I saw myself on screen for the first time I couldn't help but tears rolled down my cheeks, and I knew then that this was just the beginning. I was so excited that in the 2 weeks that ‘Station’ ran in cinemas in Bangalore I watched the movie 26 times.

5. More movies in the bag?

After station, one day got a call from Sumanth Radhakrishna, who is a Chennai based director. He had seen Station and was eager to cast me in his production titled, “Sadhuram”. I read the script and immediately called him back and said “I'll do the movie”. The best part was that before reading the script I didn't ask him what role I would be playing nor did he tell me what role I would play...which helped me read the script with an open mind and no expectations, and Luck has it that I play the protagonist in the film. Sadhuram is scheduled for release on 27th March 2015

6. Whom do you idolise?

As an artist and actor, my idol has an always will be the legend the super star Mr Amitabh Bachchan. I've grown up watching his on movies.

7. Who is your pillar of support?

My pillar of support has and I know for a fact always will be my wife Sophia, because she's stood by me through my ups and downs always, no matter what.

8. What is your message to young performers out there?

If I can do it, then anyone can. But what I have noticed with the new breed of dancers, is that are so full of themselves that they forget the difference between a senior and a junior and they let their ego and success go to their head, which eventually brings them down faster than they can imagine. So work hard but, “do not let success ride you, you should ride success.”

Religious Sentiments

July 4, 2010 was probably the most horrific day of Professor TJ Joseph’s life. News channels, newspapers and magazines flashed with the news of the attack on the Professor by a group of eight people.

Professor TJ Joseph was a Professor of Malayalam language at the Newman College in Kottayam district of Kerala. The incident occurred after the Professor set a question in the Malayalam semester examination paper for second-year BCom students in March 2010.

The passage is said to have been adapted from a lecture given by Malayalam film director PT Kunju Muhammad, in his book titled “Thirakathayude Reethisashthram”. The character in the lecture was unnamed and Professor Joseph ended naming him as “Muhammad”, hence creating confusion and making it open to an interpretation as it, being a conversation between God and Prophet Muhammad, hence alleging blasphemy. Many Muslim organizations came forward in protest, as this hurt their sentiments and said that it defamed Prophet Muhammad.

The professor was in fact suspended from college and was booked by the police for creating religious hatred. The attack came right after this, three months into the arrest was when the professor was attacked.

Did the professor create such a question with a motive? Did he intend to defame Prophet Muhammad? Or was it a coincidental act, which ended up creating a controversy? We don’t know.

Whatever the motive was, that particular question did create a lot of tension among the religious community concerned and it is a fact that the Professor should have been more careful.

But the professor, in an interview with the media had said that he had used an extract from the university approved book and that the unnamed man in the extract was named “Muhammad”, after the original author PT Kunju Muhammad.

Now the question is do the people have the rights to take the law in their hands? Is that fair to do so? The community shook with rage when they saw that their community was being mocked at, but who gave them the right to take the law in their hands? How can they do that?

What about article 19 of the Indian Constitution that states our Freedom of Speech and Expression? The laws created by our Indian constitution, I thought are to be followed by us.

Well it is really sad how life changed for the professor after this incident. His hand was cut off, he lost his job, and had no means to make both ends meet, due to which his wife after mental tension hanged herself to death. 

God's Own Country.

When Anton Chekhov, the Russian author said "The world is wide and beautiful and there are many wonderful places in it", I am sure he was referring to Kerala, which is famously known as "God's own country." 

Tracing back to the history of Kerala, according to the Hindu mythology, it is believed that 

Lord Parasurama who is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu threw his axe across the sea to create new land for his devotees to live peacefully. The land he created by doing so was Kerala.  

Unlike in any other state, there are temples, mosques and churches in every nook and corner of Kerala, hence promoting a great deal of communal harmony too. Kerala's wide range of rivers and lagoons, thick forests, exotic wildlife, tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters and a long shoreline of serene beaches make this place heaven, especially for travellers. 

Kerala has a total of fourteen districts on the whole. These districts are categorized into three main groups :

• North Kerala: Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikkod and Malappuram
• Central Kerala: Palakkad, Thrissur, Eranakulam and Idukki
• South Kerala: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Kottayam                                                                                    

Now what is so special about this place? Why is it called "God's Own Country"? These questions might be arising in the heads of people who haven't visited this paradise yet. So I am going to list out few places in Kerala, that must be visited, especially by people who love travelling and who love to discover and enjoy natures scenic beauty.

1.  Munnar : This place is referred to as the Kashmir of South India, what more do i have to say about this place? It is simply one of the most beautiful hill stations of the state. The Eravikulam National Park, Indo Swiss Dairy Farm,Chinnar Wild Life Sanctuary, Tata Tea Museum, etc are some of the main attractions of this place.

2. Thekkady:  If you are an animal person and love the wildlife, then this is where you should come. Thekkady is known for its wildlife. The Great Indian Tiger, Indian Elephant, name it , this place has it all. The Periyar Tiger Reserve is one of the main attractions of this place. 

3. Kovalam: This beach town on the Arabian Sea is located, a few km off the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram. This extremely beautiful place is known as the paradise of the south. 

4. Wayanad: This magnificent place was formed by carving our areas of Kannur and Kozhikode districts . The scenic beauty if this place cannot be explained in words. There are indigenous tribals in this area. Sulthan bathery, Wildlife sanctuary, Neelimala etc are some of the main attractions.

5. Kochi : Located in Ernakulam district, Kochi/Cochin, is a very important seaport in India.For all the shopaholics, this is the place you are looking for. Jewish synagogue, Cherai beach, Marine drive, Santa Cruz cathedral, Fort Kochi, Mattancherry Palace, Athirapally waterfalls, etc are some of the main attractions here. 

Well this is not all of Kerala, but just a small trailer of the bigger picture. Honestly it is called God's own country for a reason. Simple words cannot explain and express what this lovely place has got. The beauty of this place has to be seen through the eyes and felt physically. 

Cruelity and Children are not Synonyms!!!

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children", said Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa.

The recent attack in the school at Peshawar, was really monstrous.

16 December 2014 will always remain a black day in the history of the world and especially for Pakistan. On this fateful day, seven members of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan or Pakistani Taliban, entered the premises of the Army Public School, in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, disguised in uniforms of the Pakistani paramilitary force and opened fire. Bullets kept getting shot in every direction. Teachers and students, nobody was spared. They fired bullets at the young children, mercilessly. The cries and pleading of the kids were simply ignored by them. Teachers, including the Principal of the school were burnt alive before these kids. A total number of 145 people, including 132 schoolchildren lost their lives in this gruesome attack and several others injured. Students aged between eight and eighteen were prey to these wicked men. 

How could anyone ever think of hurting young and innocent children? These young children went to school with so many dreams, dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers, architects and so on. But what did they end up becoming? Mere dead bodies lying on the school premises, lifelessly? This was not what they or their family had dreamt of. Then who were these seven men who decided the future of these young souls? Who permitted them to do so? These men, part of the Pakistani Taliban, claim to have been fighting in the name of religion and God. So then, did God almighty give them the right to take the lives of these children?

"Terrorism has no nationality or religion", said Vladimir Putin. And what are these men fighting for? What are they trying to prove? Attack kids and they wont fight back? Was that their goal? 

They praise God and say that they are doing this for the almighty. When and where did God ever mention that killing the innocent or for that matter, killing anybody is the answer to everything or is a mighty thing to do?

Who will put a full stop to this? When will this ever end? Or will it ever end? Will it only end when there is no man left on the earth to be killed? Lastly, will these questions ever be answered?