Shedding The Shackles Of Corruption

            

Corruption can be defined as a sort of bribery, money or things of monetary value handed over in exchange for some form of help or a little push in the right direction for certain things. In India corruption is a direct result of bureaucracy, crime and politics. It is the exploitation of public office for private profit, by the individuals in power. Corruption is more rampant in the developing countries, by no means is India the only country to be affected by this. The only difference is that India has been witnessing it on a larger and more pronounced level. India occupies the 87^th position on a list of 187 countries when it comes to corruption, according to the Transparency internationals corruption perceptions index. In a sample survey conducted by ORG- MARG, based on the problems faced by the Indian people, in ten public service needs, it was established that:

1.    In May 2002, Indians paid about 26,728 crores in education, health, telecom, railways, power etc.

2.    Health, power and education occupied the top three spots where Indians had to pay the most in terms of corruption.

 We come across corruption in some form or the other in our everyday life, it might stare at us when the auto-wallah tampers with the meter to pocket a few more rupees, or it might hit us on our head, when the RTO official demands some extra cash to get us past the never ending license line.  From the procurement of a birth to a death certificate, corruption dogs our every path relentlessly.

 Corruption happens for various reasons, the main being: the acceptance of the people towards it. When people accept this form of social injustice, it sets in motion a series of things which will eventually sound the death kneel of the nation. Illiteracy is another factor that leads to corruption, the complexities of the governmental procedures baffle the mind of the common uneducated Indian man., he does not understand this complex system and hence opts for the easier way out i.e., to bribe a few officials and get his work done faster and more easily. The mind set of people, the hurry to speed things up, the desire of wanting more and more are some of the other major contributing factors that come into play.

The best way to fight it would be to break away from the chains of this system of acceptance, to say “NO” and be ready to fight a long losing battle. Changing the nation is a major thing but when individuals change themselves to better the society, it will thereby lead to a change for the betterment of the society.

Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns

Once in this life we come across something which totally changes our perception about life, about our values about our whole system of thinking.” A Thousand Splendid Suns”, by Khaled Hosseni, is this something for me. It gave a whole new perception and direction to my thinking about women, Muslim women in particular. It awakened my sleeping mind to the plight of other women and to refocus my thoughts on the whole point of life in general.

“Harami”, this word, which is how the novel begins, sums up the almost the entire novel. Set in 1974 it is a story about friendship, love, trust and the promise of hope. It tells the tale of two totally different Afghani women, Mariam and Laila. Mariam is the illegitimate child of a local cinema owner Jameel and his maid, whom Mariam refers to as “Nana”. Jalil builds a modest house for them on a hilltop away from the prying eyes of the village and his four other wives. He is successful in convincing Mariam that one day he will accept her openly. Nana correctly warns Mariam to be wary of Jalil’s promises, but Mariam’s innocence leads her to believe him. One tragic day nana commits suicide and leaves Mariam to discover her father’s true colours, when he quickly gives in to the demands of his wives and marries her off to a much older and authoritative man, Rasheed, who subjects her to inhuman treatment.

Rasheed quickly makes it clear to Mariam that it embarrasses him “to see a man who’s lost control of his wife.” He wastes no time in commanding her to wear a burqa and mistreats her in every possible way, subjecting her to rudeness and insults, “walking past her like she was nothing but a house cat.” Mariam becomes vary of “his shifting moods, his volatile temperament, his insistence on steering even mundane exchanges down a confrontational path that, on occasion, he would resolve with punches, slaps, kicks, and sometimes try to make amends for with polluted apologies and sometimes not.”

The story then moves to the other character, who is the strength of this novel, Laila. The daughter of an intellectual man, who wants his daughter to get a good education and a woman obsessed with her sons, Laila suddenly finds herself orphaned when a rocket shatters her home, killing her parents. In da midst of this destruction, Rasheed saves her and offers to marry her. She accepts his offer after learning that the man she loved, Tariq, is dead and she is pregnant with his child. She sees no future outside Kabul for her and the baby and hence decides to take this step.

These two characters, Mariam and Laila meet at time in life when both of them have lost a great deal. Mariam at first sees Laila as an enemy and despises her but slowly a bond of friendship and trust forms between them when Laila’s daughter, Azizia, is born. Meanwhile Rasheed eventually realises that Azizia is not his daughter and the same treatment, meted out to Mariam, is put on Laila. Soon Laila gives birth to Rasheed’s son, Zalmai, who is doted on by Rasheed.

The story begins to take a turn when Tariq returns and claims his undying love for Laila. On learning about this Rasheed flies into a fit of rage and beats Laila up, upon realising that his anger will not subside Mariam hits him on the head with a shovel, killing him. She then aids Laila and her children to escape to Pakistan with Tariq and gives herself up to the Taliban and is sentenced to death.

Laila and Tariq stay in Pakistan for a while and return after the American forces attack Afghanistan after 9/11. They try to make a happy life thereafter with the promise of a better future.

The back drop of this novel is the terror, which the Taliban create in Afghanistan. The violence, the gruesome crimes and the horrible scenarios, create a vivid picture in the readers mind about the life of the people in Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseni takes this novel from a slow narration to faced paced pitch which manages to excite the reader but also makes them feel the pain for the characters in it.  By narrating their day to day routine he helps us in identifying with the characters. His first novel “The Kite Runner” had its basis on the Father-son relationship and the guilt of a character and his atonement for his cowardice to save a friend, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” tells the story of the Afghani women and throws light on the bitter relationship of an illegitimate daughter and her mother, it highlights one woman’s sacrifice to save another and the friendship that they form.

The angle through which Hosseni forms and moulds the story is what has made this novel such a delight to read. He has managed to capture the beauty of Afghanistan and also the scars left on it by the wars. His stark portrayal of the white and black characters is somewhat hard to believe but he more than makes up for it by inducing a sense of humanity in them. The basis of Hosseni’s stories, are always the Islamic laws, and although he gets it right in his own way, he fails to explore their positive side. His portrayal of characters is always from his point of view of the Islamic world but, there is always not just one story.  Maybe he wants to give the readers what they want to read.

A slice of life

The Indian television industry is one of the most popular entertainment industries in the world, taking its prided position only after China and the United States. In recent times it’s been riding high on the waves of transformation. It boasts of about 600 channels and revenue of 320 billion, which has been growing steadily with a whopping percentage of 14% every year.

The content sadly remains the same, the same old saas-bahu sagas, and the same semi naked women trying to woo men in a jungle, the same public faces indulging in politics in order to win a reality show.

So, this Sunday I tuned into star plus to watch another show that was fast gaining popularity among people, yes I am talking about Amir Khan’s new show, Satyamave Jayte.

I was expecting Mr. Khan to rant and rave about some random topic while giving us all ample breaks, in which to heap popular advertisements upon us. I sat down with a plate of cookies to munch on, while tuning him out if he got too boring; Sundays are usually slow days so there was not much on show at any channel.

Now this episode I am talking about had health care in India as the main issue. I expected Amir to quietly introduce some health care professionals and then take a backseat to watch them take a jab at each other.

Amir Khan proved me wrong.

He did not become the silent spectator, but was the one at the helm of affairs calling out each person one by one and questioning them about the ethics and morality of the medical profession. He managed to get some of them to reveal rather dark and ugly secrets of the underbelly of the health care system.

 Gory Incidents were related one by one: an army officer’s wife dying due to forced surgery, people being taken advantage of due to their ignorance of the medical procedures.The most shocking one of all was the story on how women in rural areas of Andhra Pradesh had undergone surgeries to remove their uterus rendering them childless and resulting n their separation from husbands and families to struggle against poverty and pain. These women were led into believing that it was essential to their life to undergo such surgeries.

Amir Khan then went ahead to explain about how the poor man is being forced to pay more than 100 percent of the total costs involved in the production of medicines.

He then moved on to introduce the concept of generic medicines, and new heath care schemes which have saved many lives in India.

Amir Khan is proving to be the most responsible star of today, by taking up such diverse issues which are afflicting our country. He has moved on to a different area of television, leaving behind Amitabh Bacchan, Sharukh Khan and Salman Khan, feeling puny in their game show avatars.

A truly commendable effort and a great show.

My plate of cookies remained untouched!

Why I need to/want to write

"Writing is mind traveling, destination unknown."

When the first drops of rain hit a parched piece of land, left barren by the scorching sun, the steam which rises from it, gives respite to that land, in the same manner my writing provides respite to my otherwise muddled brain. I have been writing from a very early age, when I was twelve years old I started maintaining a diary. It was a mixed collection of my thoughts, my feelings and my life. Writing became a passion from then on. It became my very own secret escape. A place where I could share all my secrets and my dreams, a place where I would be accepted without question.  My writing gave me the freedom to express my controlled and unending emotions. It became a missing piece of my soul.

Writing is an expression of myself; it is the window to my unseen world. When I write I enter a different world. I write to understand people and to understand situations beyond my comprehension. When I write I feel myself evolving and discovering new emotions and a new part of myself. Writing is a journey of self discovery.  It is the medium through which I feel I can achieve the best within myself.

When I start writing though, I often feel that I get caught up in a whirlwind of emotions and the views which I actually wanted to express are lost in the flow of words. To write better I want to,

• Sideline my emotions when necessary and keep my focus on the main issue.
• Overcome my laziness for which I want to write daily.
• Find people and things that I can relate to.
• Document my feelings or ideas at one place rather than stowing them away.

Writing is a continuous process and becoming a better writer comes with patience and practice.

The Virtual Rendezvous Obesession

What is it about social networking sites that have people hooked onto them 24*7? I mean, being connected via the internet is one thing, but practically living online is something different. I have come across ten year olds with very active face book and twitter accounts.  I wonder if parents react the same way about their children’s time on the internet as the government reacts to Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption.

One of these days I’m seriously considering hacking into my sisters Face book and twitter accounts to check if some unseen magnetic force is keeping her glued to it. She will not budge unless and until I practically shove her off the chair and then too her eyes are glued to the screen.  Some of my friends have even taken up the “net sanyasi” avatar: Eat, pray and  love,  all over the internet. My sister constantly tweets or changes her facebook status through her phone, another technological advancement boon for her. And if that wasn’t enough, she even has to reply to comments and like other peoples statuses etc.  People are obsessed by it.

I wonder why this bug hasn’t bitten me so hard, not that I don’t have profiles on such sites, but I try to keep myself detached from them and if by any chance I find myself being sucked into this obsessive behavior by the evil forces of  Mark Zukerberg, I immediately deactivate the account and return when my sanity has caught up with me. Maybe I’m not connected enough, as one of my friends puts it, and if that’s the case I’m glad that, that fuse is not working.

Health problems apart, which are affecting a million people worldwide, thanks to staring at the screen for too long or sitting in the same place for long durations of time, don’t people get exhausted. Come on, there is no kidding the fact that a group hangout in the real world is any day better than a chat room rendezvous.

A face devoid of emotions..

If there is one thing that I could change about myself, it would be, to change the way my face reflects my emotions. Now, I am not talking about, controlled painful or barely there expressions. NO!, I am talking about the all out, seething, barely controlled ones. The kind of expressions which could turn a  man in his grave.

I am embarrassed to admit it, but yes, I am one of those people who could shoot poisonous arrows with their eyes.

I don't know exactly when i fell into the habit, but as my parents, friends, and even teachers keep reminding me, I have been doing this from a very young age.

Sometimes, its rather funny, when people who have annoyed me run a mile away just because I have this weird, 'I-AM-GONNA EAT-YOU-ALIVE' kind of look on my face.
Other times, like maybe an interview or a viva, it gets out of my hands.

 Don't get me wrong, I don't do it intentionally, no, It just happens without me even realizing that I am doing it.

When I go out with my family for parties or other such events, my mom is constantly trying to spot me in the crowd just to check whether i have a pleasant expression on my face or if I am scowling at walls again!
Its kinda annoying, to see her raising her eyebrows and giving me a tight smile.

I have had bad times, with friends, who end u thinking that they are causing the permanent frown on my face. Sigh! I wish I could  achieve the ever graceful look that the actresses manage to pull off, day in and day out.

But life goes on, as i keep picking up more and more horrifying facial expressions and testing them on unsuspecting souls.

All The Worlds A stage!

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely actors;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

THE DAY DAWNS BRIGHT AND SUNNY,AND WE WAKE UP TO A NEW TOMORROW...
I SEE MY THOUGHTS.THEY ARE ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH IMAGES. ANY MEMORY I THINK OF IS A SCENE, CHARACTERS AND THEIR UNSCRIPTED PERFORMANCE IN UNSCRIPTED ROLES.
COMMENCING THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF TODAY..WE TRY TO ADD ON TO THE NEW TOMORROW..
THE USUAL SIGHTS,THE USUAL WORKS,THE USUAL PEOPLE,THE USUAL PLACES..
WE MOVE ON FROM TODAY TO TOMORROW WITH NEW HOPES WITH NEW INTRESTS WITH NEW GOALS.
LIFE SEEMS LIKE A PLAY,WHERE EVERY PERSON IS LINKED TO THE OTHER IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER...

WHO ARE WE,WHAT ARE WE,WHERE ARE WE....WHY ARE WE....
RUNNING BEHIND DREAMS,LOSING OUR TRUE SELVES IN THIS VAST UNENDING UNIVERSE
MEETING NEW PEOPLE,FORGETTING OLD ONES,FORGING NEW CONNECTIONS...
WHERE ARE WE MEANT TO BE,WHO ARE WE MEANT TO BE...
WHY DO WE MOVE FROM PLACE TO PLACE ..
WHAT DO WE SEARCH IN THIS NEW DAY...
TEMPTATIONS,HEARTBREAKS,EMOTIONS,FEELINGS RUN HIGH...
ONE VAST UNENDING UNIVERSE..ONE PUNY DAY...


DREAM BIG..DREAM ON...

WATCHING THE SNAKE CHARMER...
I CAN RELATE TO IT..
MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE..
WE DANCE TO GODS TUNES..
EACH OF US IS HERE TO PLAY HIS ROLE AND LEAVE THE STAGE TO THE OTHER CHARACTERS
AND WHEN WE LEAVE IT
WE ADD A SHADE OF WHAT WE WERE TO THIS MISMATCH OF A WORLD...

The Bonds that break

Anger...

One small word, one volcanic impact!

There are days in everyone's life when you feel like chucking things out the window, saying what you want and walking out! Sounds really simple right?

Nothing, in reality, could be more difficult.

All of us have some people in our lives who form the crux of .,some of the most important, relationships, they figure prominently in our universe, they have their own place in our world. But, sometimes, you feel like you would like to maybe kick them out.

My life is filled with all kinds of people, i am a naturally friendly person, so i am surrounded by a vast variety of people, some made are blood related, some are just friends, some very close ones and some are just acquaintances. Life could not be better.

Now all these people fall in different kind of categories on the love, hate, detest and barely know scale. Some relationships i wish i could change, some are so fragile that i can barely hold them together.But the shock comes with the ones that are deeply rooted or the strongest ones. These relationships hurt the most, the betrayal, the anger, the time you spent on these people seems like such a waste of time when they don't deserve it, when they prove time and again that they are unworthy of it.

What do you do with such people, Well i have tried countless number of solutions, from taking time off from them, to not talking to them, to trying to solve things amicably etc. Nothing, as you might have guessed, has worked so far.

So, with a heavy heart, i have resigned myself to the fact that they will never change and its best to let them be, let them exist as they are. On my part I will not expect things from them nor will i try to prove them wrong about myself.

If they hate me, well, Hatred consumes a part of yourself, it eats away at you. So all the best with that.

My Soul Sister

What comes to mind when you think of your friends: Parties, movies, hanging out, luncheons, dinners, shopping,, gossiping, etc.

When you think of your closest friend, you remember the time you have spent together gossiping, teasing or pulling other peoples  legs. You automatically think about boys and fights and tantrums etc.

But when i think of my closest friend, I remember Allah, not because she is a preacher of sorts, but because she me helps in the most difficult of tasks i.e; Getting closer to Allah. This friend of mine has the courage to stand up for what is right, even if that means standing up against me. She is not afraid to call a spade a spade. Most people may think that its annoying, but then again, I know that she will always be honest with me no matter what.

Yeah, HONESTY, has always been the keyword with her. She is an excellent conversationalist, scores a bulls eye at convincing people and has a never back down attitude. But the thing that i love the most about her, its the fact that she wishes for me what she wishes for herself, and that is Jannah.

We have an endless list of similarities!

OK, so most of you may think, she must be the sort of tough girl, with a whip in hand, ready to charge at any situation. No, she is the exact opposite. She has a demure, benevolent attitude, a ready smile, an encouraging word and always a helping hand for those in need. She smiles from the heart, laughs till she has tears in her eyes and cries...well..lets not talk about the way she cries!

She has those tiny annoying habits too, which every human must have (the proof of humanity), like her obsession with cleanliness( this may actually be a good thing), her refusal to sit at a particular place, her care while choosing the best seat, her piercing looks when you do something wrong.

So, All in all, I am thankful, that i have this fragile friend of mine, who turns into He-Man, when she needs to.
My blog would be incomplete without this post, because she is an irreplaceable part of my life. She truly is my soul sister.

I love you for the sake of Allah!

HIJAB- liberating or suffocating

Many people, who are Non-Muslims, have asked me this question-“Why do you wear Hijab?” As I get down to answering this question, I feel greatly annoyed that many of them have a preconceived notion that I am being forced to wear Hijab. They feel that my right as a woman is being undermined because of my Hijab, so to clear all these misunderstandings I thought of sitting down and writing this article today.

I wanted to list out the conversation that I usually have when someone asks me about my Hijab.

Q. Why do Muslim women wear Hijab?

A. Firstly, it is an order from Allah (S.W.T), and he knows best what is good and bad for us. We do not know what Allah (S.W.T) knows.

Secondly, on a more personal level Hijab is not a compulsion but a choice; I have chosen to make this choice.

Q. Don’t you feel oppressed in it?

A. Quiet the opposite, Hijab liberates me; it makes my world a safer place. I am hidden from the leering eyes and thoughts of lecherous men. Hijab grants me the freedom and beauty of being a woman. Why does my Hijab stand as a sign of oppression? When for me it is my shield and honor. Does wearing a Hijab signify that I am weak willed or incapable? No on the contrary it signifies that I am strong enough to follow the word of my god and simultaneously look after my worldly affairs. Who do you think is more oppressed a girl in Hijab who is dressed modestly or a girl in a bikini advertising some random product? For me the girl in the bikini is oppressed because she is selling her modesty to gain a few bucks.

Q. Hijab does not allow you to work freely, Islam stamps on this right of women.

A. Hijab according to me gives me an opportunity to broaden my horizon, it makes me more independent. Just by looking at my Hijab the wrong kind of people are warded away. It stands for my modesty, I clearly states that I am to be respected and not enjoyed.

Women in Islam are given every right to work and provide for themselves if the need arises. It is acceptable in Islam for a woman to work as long as she stays within the laws of shariah. I can become a teacher, designer, architect or doctor or whatever I choose to become. Infact Islam has provided for women in a way that no other religion has.

Q. Really? In what ways?

A, Allah (S.W.T) has said in the Quran that men have to care, provide and protect a woman. Which other religion has given the woman so much choice and so much respect. If a woman chooses she can sit at home and her husband has to fulfill and her needs. In context to property, she gets one fourth of the total property of her father.

Allah (S.W.T) has said in the Quran that he has made woman from the rib of man, to be his equal, to be respected and protected. She is the light of her home.

An example- If two twin sisters are walking on the road, one of them is dressed modestly, wearing the Hijab, fully covered from head to toe and the other sister is dressed in a revealing top and miniskirt. Now both of them are walking and a rowdy is standing at the street corner, whom do you think he will target? Whom do you think he will start harassing? Which one of the two would you say will get raped?

Of course the obvious answer is the girl in the skirt.

So you see Hijab protects women.

After this discussion mostly people understand what I am trying to tell them. I hope by reading this article some, if not all the doubts of people are cleared on the matter of Hijab.