Faiz Shaikh's Blog, page 2

Top 5 Motivational Answers on Quora by Kahani Happens Author

Quora is a great meeting place for three types of people… those that genuinely require an answer to a question, those that genuinely want to reach out to as many people with their insights, and then they are the others.

These answers shift between all three categories. However, there is a clear takeaway from each of them. Here goes…

 (As answered by Faiz Shaikh)

 

What are the most common life mistakes young people make?

The most common mistake would be the regret of making a mistake. Young people, and even some senior executives, are afraid of making mistakes. Such things really hold you down.

There is a saying in Urdu which translates to “They are the might knights who fall in battle… how would someone who crawls ever fall?”.

The essence is that to succeed in life you have to be brave and fearless. You might fail, but even that is a virtue of the brave. Simple avoiding all mistakes might help you avoid failure too but is it worth the loss of experience?

 

How can I be happy when I am ignored by everybody?

Everyone lives in their own cocoon. Greatness has its gestation period. Take time to explore your mind and your abilities. And when you find what you want to do, something that makes YOU happy, just do it. You will realise you won’t care that anyone ignores you.

Don’t spend your hours thinking about people who just spend minutes creating a wrong opinion about you.

 

What, according to you, is the easiest thing to do?

The easiest thing to do in the world… is what you really want to do. We set up fictional barriers to stop from doing the same and call them circumstances. We create circumstances and not the other way round. We use these barriers because we fear that would fail in the very thing we always wanted to do. We feel regret might be a bigger pain than circumstantial barriers.

The thing is… there are no barriers… or failure. When you do what you want to do, the act of doing it is the win. And not doing it is the failure. Hence, he easiest thing to do is whatever you want to do. Stop complaining and just do it.

 

What or who motivated you to reach your current position?

My legacy motivated me. We write our own legacy as we live it. I knew what I want my legacy to be and I decided to make it. This may sound cliché but just imagine yourself five years older and looking back to yourself now. Would you be satisfied five years later with what you are now? Whatever your answer is… use that to move your life ahead.

 

What is the most important thing in our life we should be worried about?

Always be concerned about how you see yourself.

We are individuals and meant to be just that… individuals. Our identities are not a sum of random public perceptions. Your identity should be derived by your sense of purpose. Always look at yourself in terms of what you were, what you are, and what you want to be. That’s all. Assess your worth and happiness yourself. Never give anyone the right to do it for you.

 

White House vs Game of Thrones: Epic Characterizations!

The white house has become the seat of unstable governing’s, something you might expect from an episode of Game of Thrones. And one with epic cliffhangers.

I remember waiting every week for a new episode and expecting nothing as they would be trashed anyway. The screenplay developed multiple characters through random and, at times, perplexing events. I remember being shocked, amused, and, I admit, sometimes annoyed, with the developments in the show. Nevertheless, the captured my attention till the closing minutes, and I yearned for more every week.

Well, Game of Thrones would be back soon. That’s comforting. However, would I still be surprised with the fictional events?

Ever since the election, and the eventual Throne capture by Donald Trump, I have been exposed to one shocker after another. Donald Trump has far back exceeded the justifiable limits of controversies in his first 100 days. Every week has been troubling and annoying. How is this real? I asked myself. But it was. It was real. Now compare this to the winter.

Winter is Coming! But do you care anymore? I am concerned that anything Cersei Lannister does to Kings Landing, would just be ‘normal’. My ability to get surprised or shocked has been overcome by a sense of sedated acceptance. I check my newsfeed to check world news, and then I go on twitter to check whatever Donald Trump has done now. And then I go back to the news to make sense of the hoopla that I might be reading about him. John Oliver was right when he said that Donald Trump dominates news like a fart dominates a Volkswagen Beetle.

Let’s move on to the point of this blog. I recently read some discussions about correlations between Donald Trump and some Game of Thrones Characters. I realized, this is a much broader concept with a fantastic opportunity for learning about Character Analysis.

 

Donald Trump as Walder Frey
[image error]Donald Trump as Walder Frey

Who other than Walder Frey! An old and withering political zealot who likes to control the crossing to decide who passes and who doesn’t. If you are reminded of Trump’s previous travel bans or visions of a wall, then you are on the right track. The underlying similarity would be their need to control power and manipulate diplomatic relations for personal benefits. An unwillingness to give up a seat of power while running the show through their children suits both individuals. And, then there are the multiple wives angle. However, Donald Trump doesn’t have Waldrey Frey’s decisiveness, he does make up for it with his utter disdain for the repercussions of his actions.

 

Vladimir Putin as Tywin Lannister
[image error]Vladimir Putin as Tywin Lannister

When I imagine Vladimir in Game of Thrones, the only person that comes to mind is Tywin Lannister. The aging warrior who conducts trade and foreign relations like he conducts his battles. A reigning emperor who is obsessed about his motherland or the family name amidst all odds. Vladimir and Tywin, two men of strategies and eternal contemplation who know the truth behind the fleeting nature of power and would like to yearn for it every minute of every day. Another thing to note about them, their plans may stretch beyond your imagination, and it their lifetime they might come across as the instigators and executioners of wars and turmoil.

 

Sean Spicer as Lord Varys
[image error]Sean Spicer as Lord Varys

Sean Spicer can only be Lord Varys. Even though he lacks the conviction and talent of Lord Varys, Sean Spicer still seems like a person who knows all the secrets and loves to use them in the favor of the empire. Sometimes torn between duty and morality, Sean Spicer and Lord Varys work for a greater truth beyond the current ruler. Lord Varys for the Targaryens and Sean Spicer for the Republicans. Even when you go by their demeanor, both individuals would like to come across as credible and impartial, while dealing in secrets. However, Trump’s little ‘twitter’ birds end up creating quite a lot of trouble for Sean Spicer.

 

Ivanka Trump as Sansa Stark
[image error]Ivanka Trump as Sansa Stark

Born into privilege and launched into the limelight for the beauty, innocence, and promise of a princess. Ivanka and Sansa bring forth our sympathy and disappointment at the same time as we assume them to be the damsels in distress in the eye of the storm. As far as the promise is concerned, both Ivanka and Sansa hold grand expectations from their position but come across as ‘unlikely to deliver’ on them. Dignified and reserved, both Ivanka and Sansa are trained in being a lady, but hold in a single strong and unyielding sense of anger and self-loathing.

 

Kellyanne Conway as Melisandre
[image error]Kellyanne Conway as Melisandre

Think about a person whose words appear as obvious lies to many but still the person seems committed to them despite all the happenings around them. Kellyanne Conway is a perfect Melisandre. One cannot gauge the true intent behind Kellyanne delusional loyalty but it does seem there is more to it than what meets the eye. Her fervor as a devout might end up converting many. Kellyanne and Melisandre may seem like people who a ruler might want on their side, but their energy might direct the rulers through irreversible actions.

 

Hillary Clinton as Brienne of Tarth
[image error]Hillary Clinton as Brienne of Tarth

This one might seem like a tough one to imagine, but consider their personality, not their appearance. In a way, their appearance is also a little alike with the air of ruggedness, but their personalities match up as unidirectional passionate women who stand on their own but were never given their due on account of being, well, women. They are celebrated Knights often ridiculed for their gender. Battle hardened, Hillary and Brienne, have established that they can lead, but their credibility is hidden behind decades of male-chauvinism and stereotype. Self-made women with lots more to fight for than mere approval.

 

Bernie Sanders as Barristan Selmy
[image error]Bernie Sanders as Barristan Selmy

The old guard who was dismissed for his age and loyalty, and a person who was missed immediately afterword. Bernie Sanders came across as a choice of impeccable character but was lost in the larger context of the game, much like Barristan Selmy. Who knows, the old loyalist might still find himself as a worthy advisor to a future empire. Experience and vision, Bernie and Barristan, have shown both in great abundance.

 

Barrack Obama as Eddard Stark
[image error]Barrack Obama as Eddard Stark

You knew it when the end was near, you were going to miss this guy. Barrack Obama and Eddard Stark are the people who you would reminisce about when the times get tough. Strong characters who defined the flow of senses and emotions, and became the starting point of multiple spirited revolutionary movements. Throughout the current presidency, think about how many times you thought about how it nice it would have been to have Barrack Obama still there at the helm. That’s the power of the normalcy that we were used to then, and something we consider now as wishful thinking.

 

Michael Flynn as Ilyn Payne
[image error]Michael Flynn as Ilyn Payne

The Executioner. Why would you think Donald Trump is risking his position over Michael Flynn? Perhaps because Flynn did the dirty work for Trump, just like Payne. Individuals who carry the axe wielded in the name of the emperor tend to have some interesting secrets to share. Flynn and Payne followed orders and now stand at the judgement table with the weight of information that could displace the throne.

 

James Comey as Petyr Baelish
[image error]James Comey as Petyr Baelish

Recently we all have come to see James Comey a survivor who was wronged. But he is no victim. He is a professional with a sharp and active mind who knows how to use it. A keen strategist and an expert in the art of war, Comey knows how to balance support with ridicule to eventually bring people on his side. He has a lot in common with Petyr Baelish if you think about it. First, he seems to have all good intentions for the realm and seems to be acting selflessly. Second, you don’t buy that. With Comey, he seems to be on the right side of things with a charming personality, but you always get the sense there is much more to the story. You are eager to know his end-game. Especially after he was instrumental in discrediting Hillary.

 

There are more co-relations that one can think of, but the point here is to create identities and directions. Identities define a character’s thought process and the direction identifies their motivations. Once you imagine these, you will be able to make your own co-relations.

Love Poem: I am Here, But Forever Not…

It’s tough not to think about you,

‘Cause it pains every time I do,

Brings a lump to my throat,

No… It’s not the hope,

It’s the thought, that I have…

“This would never end, perhaps…

The pain would move and stay,

The smile, but, wouldn’t give way,

And twirl, it will,

Back downhill…

Someday I’ll find you right there,

And I won’t be nowhere,

And search won’t find

The trail left behind…

My tears long washed them away,

Lone, for years and more, someway.

There you will be when I am not,

I am here, but hey, forever not…

Demonetization: A Positive Negative Outlook

[image error]

 

When it happened, my first reaction was ‘Why?’, and then Narendra Modi told me why. At that point I thought, ‘Hunh… Let’s see if this works”.  That day, the concept of Demonetization and the associated hashtag hadn’t even occurred to me. The media, social and traditional, took over and then tried to educate me on why demonetization is a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on where they stood.

Over the next few days I have been split between opinions regarding the overall benefit or bane of demonetization. I have stood in lines and I have cut down my spending. I feel I have done what’s expected of me. But I am still confused. So I decided to have a talk with myself.

Within me, I created an optimist, and a pessimist. And this is how it went down.

The Optimist

Listen, when was the last time, everyone, the whole country came together for a cause? Barriers have been cleared, friendships rekindled. This is the time to work together as one. You have to believe.

The Pessimist

I didn’t ask for this buddy. I was there minding my own business and here comes the Man with a Plan. Now I can’t access my own money. I have never been angrier with the system. They have royally screwed us all.

The Optimist

So you feel you are screwed? I didn’t realize you had it so good before. I didn’t realize you were fine with the corruption and the black money hoarding just as long as ‘you’ wouldn’t be disturbed. If there is a fire, would you curse the fire brigade because they have blocked the road? Things were screwed before this action was taken. This would only make it better. Just wait and watch.

The Pessimist

Don’t give me the corruption and black money taglines. You can’t do anything you want and then hide behind something that almost everyone agrees is bad. Nobody ever said that corruption shouldn’t be dealt with. But that’s no excuse to make the average Indian suffer. And another thing, this ‘wait and watch’ is a cliché. Why should I wait and watch? I have done nothing wrong, why should I suffer?

The Optimist

We all did, friend, we all did something wrong. We have let this evil of corruption grow right under our noses. We have let it make us so ridiculously apathetical that it’s almost normal for us. That is why we are protesting against an act of decisiveness. Because that evil, is now our way of life.

The Pessimist

Have you seen the lines outside Banks and ATMs? How does that stop corruption? Trade has slowed down; spending has gone down… how do you think all this would affect the economy? When distributors don’t have the money to run their business, they won’t be able to supply essential goods, which would make the price of day to day goods shoot up.

The Optimist

Most of what you say is from the onset of panic. All of these things could be solved, if we work together. People are scared and anxious because they don’t know what is actually happening. The change has them on edge. Nobody likes change, but we can manage it if we plan a little. Distribution might be affected for a few days, but so will everything else. Even if there is a little hike in the prices, it would come down as soon as the market normalizes. This would be done within a week itself.

The Pessimist

I can handle it. But what about those who can’t? What about the people who work on daily wages? What about the elderly who have to stand in lines to get their pensions exchanged? Are they corrupt? Should they suffer?

The Optimist

You raise an excellent point. Now you are moving towards asking constructive questions. They shouldn’t suffer. But tell me, have you given such a person preference in your own line? Change begins you’re your own self. If there are elderly people let them go ahead of everyone. Make it easier for them. Help out those who are unable to help themselves. If an able bodied educated person can vow to help at least three people, we won’t have this mess on our hands. It is easy to blame however it is far easier to solve.

The Pessimist

Fine, maybe we can work together. Maybe we shouldn’t panic. But do you realize the panic that you talk about has the potential to subdue and restrict economic growth. People would be wary to invest in government bonds or holdings. The trust factor would make them invest in options with least risk. This would in turn cut down the incentives for industry growth. How do you tackle this macro-economic after shock?

The Optimist

In a few days, a lot of money would be deposited in banks. These holdings would then help banks invest and reinvest in small businesses. The interest rates for loans may fall down, and the overall purchasing power of the average Indian would eventually increase. The alleged black money, which we all know is not at all alleged, would come back in the system. This might help the administration to fill fiscal deficits. This would in turn, give the administration its own purchasing power which would lead to increased investment in development. The income tax rates might come down for lower income groups. The macro-economic aftershocks have the potential to be very satisfying.

The Pessimist

So you mean you don’t disallow my prediction that the economy would slow down? You just put your own rosy picture on it.

The Optimist

That’s the power of democracy, friend. You have all the right to voice your opinion, and so do I. Let’s just do our part and hope for the best.

 

Moral:

Let’s all encourage debates rather than stupid protests. Then and only then, can we turn into a wonderful nation.

About a Kahani...

Kahani is another word for a story... the title declares that 'kahani' happens, but does it?

Look around your world. The world that you have so painstakingly created for your own convenience. Everything in your small world has a story in itself. Your pen has its own story, when you bought it, why you bought it, the first thing you wrote with it, the first time you signed your name with it, the first thought it helped you convey... Everything has a story, everything has a kahani. You just have to clear your thoughts. All these little intermingle to create direction in your overall kahani.

When you tell your story, you have to look at these intermingling elements to create substance and depth in your work. Anyone can write, the same as anyone can dance or sing, you just have to catch the rhythm. The moment you get in touch with your own writing style, you will crack your potential. And after a point, your thoughts would flow seamlessly through your words.

If you, at this point, are contemplating where you stand as a writer, think no further. You are a born writer. You have unique thoughts and ideas that only you can profess to the world. You have it in you, just tap in to your mind to find your answers. You just have to sculpt your thoughts through words to make it appealing, and that is not a tall task, because you have all the tools.

It is my intention, through these little conversations, to share my insight into writing as an art form. You may learn from this, but that is irrelevant. My motive is to make you think, and learn from yourself.

Land or Country – The Eternal Debate

Feuds have always been there in human history as far as the mind can go.

Visions clash and tempers flash.

It’s all been there, we all know how it begins, and how it ends. And it’s happening again.

Some might say that the land belongs to them because of the past; some might say it belongs to them because of the present… and the future stands watching in a dumb way.

The court might give a verdict, but who would win?

It has all come down to this, two siblings fighting over ancestral property while their Mother watches helplessly from a distance…

Who is to decide who it belongs to?

There is no answer.

Because it belongs to No One.

No One except the Mother.

The land belongs to India…

The land is India…

India is the land…

Whom does India belong to?

India belongs to those who have the heart to call her their own…

There has always been sectionalism when it came to religion…

Some wise people, everywhere, decide to gather together and become a group…

And in their thoughts and deeds they tend to distance themselves with people who they deem not worthy enough to be equal…

It’s everywhere,

it is the schools and colleges that have religious preferences,

it is the housing societies that have regional preferences,

it is the high end malls that have societal preferences,

it is the acquaintances, who have intellect preferences,

and the list would go on and on until all the sections and classes and religions and regions and races of people are complete.

In a country where we officially despise differences and encourage tolerance,

we harbor so many preferences and quotas

that it has become a challenge to even introduce an Indian without mentioning his ethnicity.

It is us…

You and Me…

Who have to lift ourselves above these differences…

It is us…

Who have to vow…

That we would not do the same mistake our elders did…

It is us…

Who have to tell the world…

That we are One…

It is us…

You and I…

Indians…

So what would You choose?

Land or Country?

Land or Country

[image error]

Feuds have always been there in human history as far as the mind can go.

Visions clash and tempers flash.

It’s all been there, we all know how it begins, and how it ends. And it’s happening again.

Some might say that the land belongs to them because of the past; some might say it belongs to them because of the present… and the future stands watching in a dumb way.

The court might give a verdict, but who would win?

It has all come down to this, two siblings fighting over ancestral property while their Mother watches helplessly from a distance…

Who is to decide who it belongs to?

There is no answer.

Because it belongs to No One.

No One except the Mother.

The land belongs to India…

The land is India…

India is the land…

Whom does India belong to?

India belongs to those who have the heart to call her their own…

There has always been sectionalism when it came to religion…

Some wise people, everywhere, decide to gather together and become a group…

And in their thoughts and deeds they tend to distance themselves with people who they deem not worthy enough to be equal…

It’s everywhere,

it is the schools and colleges that have religious preferences,

it is the housing societies that have regional preferences,

it is the high end malls that have societal preferences,

it is the acquaintances, who have intellect preferences,

and the list would go on and on until all the sections and classes and religions and regions and races of people are complete.

In a country where we officially despise differences and encourage tolerance,

we harbor so many preferences and quotas

that it has become a challenge to even introduce an Indian without mentioning his ethnicity.

It is us…

You and Me…

Who have to lift ourselves above these differences…

It is us…

Who have to vow…

That we would not do the same mistake our elders did…

It is us…

Who have to tell the world…

That we are One…

It is us…

You and I…

Indians…

So what would You choose?

Land or Country?

A Poem About Life: I Believe…

I know I am wrong…

I believe I am right.

I know things would be different…

I believe they would be the same.

I know I won’t get all those things back…

I believe I would.

I know we have changed…

I believe we are still the same.

Maybe, I know..

because I don’t want to get hurt again…

Maybe, I believe,

because, I don’t mind getting hurt again.

I Believe…

[image error]

I know I am wrong…

I believe I am right.

I know things would be different…

I believe they would be the same.

I know I won’t get all those things back…

I believe I would.

I know we have changed…

I believe we are still the same.

Maybe, I know..

because I don’t want to get hurt again…

Maybe, I believe,

because, I don’t mind getting hurt again.

A Woman’s Plight: The Unfortunate

 

“This article is not directed towards the central theme of the blog. It is just something that needed to be said”

 

We live in a society. Over the course of development, we believe we have earned the right to be called a civilized society. A civilized society works as an organism, where each member is expected to perform his or her duty for the betterment of the society. The society in turn offers its members with the security and resources generated buy its constituent population. This simple philosophy can be extended to the idea behind any nation. Citizens are expected to perform their duties in exchange of their rights. With a utopian mindset, all these aspects would fulfil all requirements of a great nation. But enough of fantasy, we have seen this is far from the truth.

We come from ancestors who idolized the female form, intellect, and abilities. We have enthralled by tales of courage and forethought of many great female stalwarts of our history. But somewhere along the line, we started singling out and highlighting the more homely aspects of these stories. The courage that we used to associate with the female mind gradually transferred to stories of adherence to duty. There have been many roads and bylanes that have bought us to the present. Somewhere we, as a society, changed our opinion of what is ‘expected’ of the women in our world. The society effectively chose a set of characteristics and traits that it deemed ‘ideal’ and ‘modest’ for its women members. The women who incidentally had these traits were termed as virtuous and the rest were ignored as less worthy. It again seems relevant to point out that our ancestors celebrated the women of their age as individuals, as they were. They even associated the sexual union of the men and women with beauty and divinity. One can study the early literature to find direct instances of mutual consent in all sexual encounters. The Kamasutra is an ideal example, as it shows, not just mutual consent, but also a respect for the female desires. Now if we bring ourselves to the world around us and the various acts of molestation, harassment, and rape that we come across, we can see that the collective mindset has turned very hostile towards women.

The laws within a society always reflect the mindset of its members. The judiciary and parliament are interrelated in their creation and amendment of laws. The ministers in the parliament who suggest the bills and amendments are members of the same society that we exist in. They bear the same mindset that many of us carry with ourselves. The same might be said about the judiciary. It is not wise to suggest that education would eliminate all prejudices that the society has put in the minds of the lawyers and judges in the courts. Even if we believe that the law and the constitution are strictly adhered to in our courts, these laws aren’t created by these esteemed individuals. There have been many instances where certain judges have suggested amendments in the constitution but to no avail. The citizens are bound by these laws by the virtue of being a ‘citizen’.

As of now we have seen three defining elements within a society; its mindset, its law, and its judiciary. Let’s assume for our discussion that the judiciary follows the constitution to the fullest. The constitution in itself offers women equal rights and adequate representation. It offers them protection under The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (PREVENTION, PROHIBITION and REDRESSAL) Act, 2013, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 (28 of 1961) (Amended in 1986), and others. {Ref: http://ncw.nic.in/frmllawsrelatedtowomen.aspx}.

Let’s assume that we exist in a civilized society. To think that a civilized society would require so many laws to protect its female members is astounding. The counter point would be that a utopian civilized society wouldn’t require any laws whatsoever. So even if we drop the civilized part from our society, still the laws seem to assume that, left alone, the society would instances of harassment, dowry, domestic violence, rape, etc. against women. The counter point again would be that even other crimes exist in society. If we consider all crime to be based on some or the other motive we can attempt to categorize them. If we consider murder or harm to any individual, we are inclined to find some motive there. This is not to suggest that this crime is not heinous. It is simply to point out that there ideally would be a motive. What a motive does is that it essentially isolates the victim as the intended victim. This means that the danger associated with murder, including the motive, subsided with the act itself. In case where the murder is random and without any motive, it can be categorized as serial killing. Here the danger doesn’t end with the victim. The danger, in itself, is that any person can be a victim. The safe zone for everyone in the society goes down. If we make a motive scale and put premeditated murder on one side, the other side would definitely have terrorism and serial killing where there is no real motive other than causing harm to random people. Crime against women like rape, harassment, and molestation fall in the same category. The act of rape is not directed towards the individual; rather it just uses the victim to fulfil the perpetrators’ desire. This essentially means that, without motive, this is random selection, and anyone could fall victim to this. The ‘safe zone’ diminishes across society. Each violent crime against women makes the society less safe.

Let’s revisit the concept of society. The society is made up of its members. The perpetrators of such violent crimes against women come from the society as of the victim. This stems from a collective devaluation of the status of women in our society. As stated before, the society has degraded its mindset to a point that we associate a few virtues to be ideal for women. Anyone digressing from this is deemed immoral. Many such violent crimes are often blamed on the attire and the personal characteristics of the female victim. What is more worrying is that women are then further restricted in the name of protection. This turns into vicious cycle where women are reduced to objects that can de directed to function as the society pleases. The society places their beauty and ‘approved’ abilities to showcase its inclusiveness, and then places them back in seclusion. This takes us back to the earlier discussion about the correlation of rights and duties in a ‘civilized’ society. Women are expected to perform their duties, which the society dictates appropriate, but are not given the proportional rights. The same vicious cycle which we saw before ends up with women suffering within their houses. There are many instances of dowry, domestic violence, and marital rape prevalent in the average households.

If we add all up the instances of injustice, harassment, and violence against women, we would come to figure that only a fraction of them are ever reported to the authorities. There might not be any statistic to suggest the truth behind the previous statement, but we should ask ourselves how long we want to live in denial. It is true.

Up till now we have established that there are many instances of crimes against women. Let’s get back to the efforts of the society to protect its female members. In the recent past, there have been many fast track courts set up to settle issues relating to such crimes. This has come with success and relief to the liberals of the society. But it sadly is too little. There is another factor that determines the efficacy of the judiciary; the investigators. Most of the investigation and collection of proof is done by the local police. The police again have the same flaw as any other; they come from the same societal mindset. They might have their own bias towards what they consider as the ideal representation of women. This might affect their judgement while performing the investigation. Further, for some reason any kind of sexual activity in society has become ethical for its own good. It is true that marriage is a wonderful union, but it is not a necessary union. It is a union for love and companionship, not a prerequisite for sexual activity. The constitution has come to even recognize live in relationship but society has still not caught up. Sexual activity is still seen as something exclusive to marriage, and any such activity outside marriage is instantly rejected and shamed as impure. So strong are these biases that at many times innocent victims of violent crimes like rape have to live with a stigma. This apparent social stigma might affect the following of proper medical and investigative procedures by the local authorities. So in the end, even the courts of law might be left inept without proper proof, and the victims might have to live without proper justice.

Tighter legislation is not enough to protect women. We need a collective shift in our mindset as a society.

The intended point of this article is not to assign blame to any single entity. Every single person in the society has to share equal blame. We are all guilty of ‘tolerating’ all injustice against women. Somewhere we have come to accept the unsaid social laws of our society which compels us to ask ourselves, “What would the society say?” We should accept our own inadequacies and initiate a change within ourselves. We should ask ourselves, “I am the society. What would I say?” This might not seem much, but gradually enough people would believe in it and give rise to a new generation of law makers and enforces with the ‘right’ mindset.

Alas! We all have a tendency to get riled up about an issue and vow to do something about it, but to eventually let it go and get on with the daily ignorant grind of our lives. The writer of the article is as guilty of this as any reader. Here is hoping we find someone who would prove to be a difference. The only simple way to do this is to share your own opinion about this topic with at least one other person. Who knows, that one person might end up making the difference in some person’s life.

Best of Luck!

 

Image credit for central image: Unknown. Unassumingly appropriate, it seems.