Weaker Sex!!

This news shook me

...A woman, even if she is involved in an illicit relationship, cannot be punished for adultery and is treated as the victim under law

.....And the National Commission for Women (NCW) has shot down proposals for amending Section 497 so that women can be prosecuted for adultery.

....that considering the relatively socially disempowered position of women, the Commission suggests no amendments to Section 497 of IPC.

....The existing provision in the IPC is based on the mindset that the wife is a personal possession of the husband, who is the sole aggrieved person in an incident of adultery.

In turn NCW has recommended that

as the wife already can take action against her husband under various other legal provisions, such as Section 498A of IPC, there is no reason that she should be debarred from initiating prosecution under Section 198 (which as of now disqualifies the wife of an unfaithful husband from prosecuting him for his promiscuous behavior) of CRPC.

While the second recommendation above is understandable in light of the further recommendation by NCW that “adultery should be treated as a civil wrong and not a criminal offence” but the whole article makes me feel like thanking NCW members that they didn’t recommend instead that women adultery should be treated as civil wrong while men’s as criminal offence!!

Time for NCM, eh?

Dhoom Machale ....Dhoom Machale ...Dhoom

After Venkatesh Prasad's reply to Aamir Sohail I think this is the only reply which has amused me. While Venkatesh's reply was suitably apt in "language of cricket" this was a step ahead and apt in both satire and befitting in "cricketing language". Although it had similarities to Javed Miandad replying to Denis Lilee. P.S.: And please note that Sreesanth in his personal life loves break dance and once has been declared the National Break Dance Champion too and that too in eight grade. It seems he has learnt his lessons quite well!!! [Source]

Credits: courtesy Google Videos and Youtube

Update: Seems like there was a entry fee for the break dance, because Sreesanth has been fined 30% of his match fee for this. [Source]

MTV Bakra!!

Well I don't need to explain what the first two words of the post-title suggest. Well not that someone played MTV Bakra on me, but having watched this show on and off makes me think, how would I behave if someone played something like this one me and how alert should one be to find out if someone may be playing MTV Bakra on me.

It happened one Saturday; I went with a friend of mine to do some shopping at Levis Signature@ Devraja Urs Road. She was giving me some t-shirts to try out and later some jeans as well and I used to come out of trial room to take second opinion. I don't know what was on her mind but sometimes she was giving me one of the weirdest color combinations that I would ever lay my hands on (red & black was one...on me!!… yuck). Well after some time I had tried some 5-6 combinations and I think we kept the staff busy collecting the tried-n-discarded stuff from the trial room. Well, to put it mildly they were amused at my state.

All along when I used to come out, my frnd was standing out waiting to approve/disapprove; I was noticing this guy, standing at a distance and just casually checking out clothes. He was taking side glances with i-pity-you kind of looks. I noticed him smirking twice or thrice and getting amused.

So just once when I tried this yucky red& black combo, I came out he was standing at the far end near the counter and as soon as I came out, my friend started laughing a bit loudly, attracting the attention of most of the other people in the store at that time. Then I noticed this guy lean on to this friend of his and whisper in his ear something, as if saying "look at that poor mannequin/guy!!" (my sorry state of affairs didn’t hint anything else to me). I was so conscious of this that I quickly went back into the trial room.

She was still laughing, so I casually asked if she was playing some MTV Bakra on me. I said this was the final combo and closed the trial room door. Then the big questions hit me-- what if?? All this time I was trying out different pairs which meant that for most part of the time in the trial room, I would be clad in just the basic garments. So I just looked around in the trial room for any traces of holes and some camera chord hanging out.

Thankfully there was none. But I did hallucinate the people in the store to break into peals of laughter, as I am coming out of the trial room, shouting, “bakra………” with the dreaded bakra-cap!!

So what would you do if you doubt that you are in this situation??

Blog Vs Diary

This article got me thinking if there indeed may be a difference between a diary and a blog. Although the statistics are inaccurately presented to draw the conclusion, but to think about the headline, the ones who can answer this comfortably and rightly are very few because the domain itself of people who blog as well as maintain a diary/journal is limited. I am one of those lucky limited.

Having been blogging for around 1 year and maintaining a diary for 6-7 years now, I can say that there are indeed differences between a diary and a blog, but subtly so. There may indeed be differences but no topic can be exclusively set aside as being written in diaries only or blogs only.

Apart from the usual longevity factor differences related to either medium, while a diary is a more personal and generally has restricted access, blog is nothing but throwing open ideas, creations in public for adulation, revisions, discussion, criticism et al. So going on emotions side, to me my diary gives me a more personal feel than any blog of mine or anybody else; the ink, the writing and the impressions on the paper and even the awry letters and designs on the diary are simply inimitable.

A blog is meant for observations, individual opinions/interpretations on a news item, articles, journals, reviews. In fact, it’s something synonymous to journalism, covering all and everything under the sun. Blogs are more about someone’s passion, interests and hobbies. Like some maintain a technology blogs, some Photoshop edited photos, some pen humorous takes on things of this world. True, these may be penned by an enthusiast in one’s own journal as well but someone in need of some praise and motivation is more likely to use a blog. Similarly, someone caring to keep certain events of one’s life hidden from public purview would appropriately choose a diary.

A difference in language style ensues after this basic difference. While the one in diary can take more freedom with (mix of) language, words the same may not produce a desirable difference in case of blogs. Other differences arise because of availability of tools, while blogs can be made visually more appealing with plethora of tools available on cyber community, diary entries can still attract a lot of attention through original crafts, sketches which still are much more appreciated than the same in digital counterparts.

So which is the better medium and which is lesser. Well as the article itself lists a few things, things which you would like to share, collaborate, display in full glory are meant for blogs and you can earn pretty decent dough out of it. While the things that you wish to keep to yourself and a trusted few, and come back time and again and revisit it are more apt for the diary. And again the choice will definitely depend on the matters you wish to write, its sensitivity for you, its effect on others etc.

Anyways in the end both are a medium to write and interesting thing is to see them together rather than against each other. One says, your sad, happy and ecstatic moments, other tells about your inclinations, preferences, hobbies, triggers. In a way they gel with each other to put together in nearly complete totality a perfect you!

Swades Revisited Finale- Spiritualism of convenience.

Contd from previous post…. There is something more that came to my mind (although not everyone of you might be able to relate to it…realization is personal… if you ever talked to me on such topics you’d be lucky enough to notice it). I realized that in every debate related to Indian society, populace, choices, freedom I have very often presented contradictory and confusing views.

I realized that I’ve seen the life here at the village wherein there is very little freedom, very little choices and primary struggle is survival, not prosperity, I’ve seen the life at Alhbd wherein there is a little freedom, people have a couple of choices, I’ve seen the life in Delhi wherein people have more freedom and choices and finally I’ve just been lucky to see the life at UK, wherein people can’t imagine life without freedom and/or choices. May be I’ve read/seen/experienced the best and worst of so many strata of societies wherein excess of one strata is the basic necessity of the other one and taking into account all indexes no particular hierarchical ratings for “best society” can be decided. So may be, just may be, I have not been able to decide what package is best for anyone of any strata and I keep swinging like a pendulum to grab the best of all the worlds, hence the confusion.

Later while I was at Alhbd, I had a good discussion with my mother over the entire puja and concept of spiritualism. I told my mother that I don’t really believe in idol worship very much although don’t deny it at all. I argued that if really these big pujas would be a better way to make Him notice your faith, then would money not be the ultimate God; you spend more of it, have a grander puja and God would notice it more. Then why God, why not do everything to achieve money since it is a way to reach Him.

Well, my mother didn’t have much to argue against it but she felt as if I didn’t like spending money on the puja. She tried to turn the tables on me with this idea but I clearly said that I did the puja because they all wanted and I am not very religious at all. Then I further told her how pandits fighting and pandits discrimination ultimately defies the whole logic of puja-path, that I don’t totally neglect a mandir when I pass by one but don’t believe that running every Tuesday to Sankatmochan will make Hanumanji happy (or maintaining a dry day on Wednesday or any other day will appease any other God, although I didn’t mention this).

Although (to criticize it) this may be called as spiritualism of convenience but I have faith and I don’t hurt anyone by this and the best part is atleast I am not vulnerable to faith-breaks like in incidents like those of Shabrimala and Amarnath.

The interesting part is that my mother had no reply to all this, and in some ways she did agree to what I was saying but she is planning another puja shortly. Seems my arguments were good but not effective enough.

But the point to think is this, is spiritualism only/more effective if you take pains to reach, adulate Him or as Mohan Bhargava puts it across to Ravana in Ramleela, “Dekh taj ke paap Ravana, Ram tere man mein hai” spiritualism is a self-faith and self-satisfaction thing. (thanks to Sid for making me realise the connection)

Update: And this article couldn’t have come at a better time. Read 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 : TOI survey on youth’s take on spirituality!!

Next Blog: Blog Vs Diary!!