The canary that forgot to sing

The canary that forgot to sing

caged so long that it lost his song

or its voice, I don't know.

Maybe he doesn't know

that he used to sing beautifully 

Once upon  a time.

Once upon a time, 

this canary was known for his songs

haunting and enchanting

singing the songs 

that mankind had forgotten.

People came from all over

to listen to his songs.

Some cried;

remembering their lost love.

Some laughed ;

at their own follies

Other smiled

at the loving memories.

Some called the canary 

a healer, others magician.

But Canary wanted to fly off

to see another world

"To spread the music and sing for others"

he thought. 

He flew to another place; saw the wondrous sights, 

He also met new people

Canary even learnt new songs.

Canary then began to sing the new songs.

"People here; like these songs",

he thought. 

Canary made new friends, 

and sang some more new songs.

Slowly he forgot his songs

the songs that made people cry,

the songs that made people smile

the songs that made people laugh.

Once upon a time ,

he used to sing  his songs.

Now he thinks he lost his voice

or maybe he forgot those songs.

I don't know.

This canary sings no more!

My first video tutorial

Here is the link to my video tutorial in Hindi using Camtasia Studio. 

The child of 21st C

I am the child of 21st C

I have witnessed the horrors

of war and mass destruction. 

Rapes and murders 

I see , are media's play

I am the child of Terrorism

I am the child of Communalism

I am the child of Consumerism

I am the child of pure Violence

I am the child of 21st C

It is hard to find one social cause to be passionate about when society is brewing in violence and corruption. Media reports are about scams, rapes, abuse, political abuse of power and much much more. It is hard to pick one, so I decided to bring them under one umbrella :Violence and Corruption.
India has seen people's movement in the past few years like never before. The public anger and outrage against violence and corruption is evident,  but does the solution lie in making a news headline alone? Even the media has forgotten the Nirbhaya incident and  Anna has left us with a dream for reformation.
In my teens, I remember , the news that shook the entire world: 9/11 attack: a terror attack unheard before. But that nation replied it with a horrifying wars. All the time, watching news , I would feel sick in my stomach. The idea of killing innocent in such huge numbers was something I couldn't digest then. Now I think, perhaps that was the one solution that civilization could come up with. We do not know any other way to react to such forms of violence without being a schmuck.
 It is in human survival instinct to react violently when threatened , but is there a way to reduce the threat in the first place or  even check the reaction  towards such a threat? Is there a way to stand tall , stay your ground and not be mentally agitated? Is there a way to not succumb to the greed of bribe? Is there a way to humanize the entire civilization?

To my good fortune, I did find a way and that too at a very young age. Here is a man that I know, who has inspired millions in the world to take the path of non violence. Not a passive -non violence but a very pro- active non violence. It may seem contradictory but when I see him practicing it very single day, I find the hope in me, that I too can become That. Be it the Gujjar protest, the Kashmiri militancy, Assam Naxalists , Bihar caste wars and the conflict resolution in Kuwait, Russia, Srilanka and many other nations; I have seen this man intervene and bring peace in the area. I am referring to HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and his NGO the Art Of Living.

Generally it is the human mind that complicates the problem while the solution remains simple as the root of the problem. Likewise, the problem of Violence and Corruption now seems huge because it has not been contained when needed. To contain the problem, violence and greed in the minds of people need to be addressed because minds make people, people make society. How to contain the violence in the minds? Meditation.
In the deepest state of relaxation, there is no violence, no hatred and the more one practices meditation, easier it is to stay calm amidst all the chaos. Soon you realize, it is part of your very nature. People do not offend you, things do not disturb you because your mind listens to you, instead of other way around. The freedom from societal conditioning can happen in easiest way through meditation, the clarity in thinking is so much that you no longer project your ideas or judgments unto others but see things the way they are. Psychology tells us of defense mechanisms, but meditation frees us from it.



Sudarshan Kriya taught by the Art Of Living foundation functions like a precursor to meditation. When you are angry or upset, meditation may not be possible. So Sudarshan Kriya frees you from it, the daily stress, emotional toxins and prepares you to dive into the meditation. The cool dip within your self for just 20 min can bring a change in your very soul. If every individual on the planet meditates for 20 min, then I guess world peace is no longer a dream but a reality.

I meditate for the better India

I meditate for the better world

I am peace , I am joy

I am the child of 21st C

Photo courtesy: jerrystocking.com
Details on Art Of Living: www.artofliving.org

I thank Indiblogger and iDiya for an opportunity to take part in the blogger contest.  You can read other entries here : http://www.isb.edu/idiya/

How do I Volunteer for a BETTER INDIA???

I came across this article here. The author of the article Mr Dinesh Ghodke is a Youth Director at the Art Of  Living Foundation with a BTech in Metallurgy from IIT, Mumbai. He also happens to be my mentor and an inspiration to thousands of youth across globe. I thought his words deserve a place in moi blog :)

India has the most inspiring history with it inclusive rich culture and traditions. There are so many opportunities for entrepreneurship, especially in areas that India can offer to the world, like food, fashion, dance, Ayurveda, Yoga, Information Technology, tourism etc.

Lets look at what measures, baby steps or giant leaps, we can take to resolve the numerous issues plaguing different sectors in India.
Starting from the grass-roots:

Poverty:

Other than in extreme circumstances, Sri Sri says Poverty is simply because of poverty consciousness. Art of Living Yuvacharyas have proved this truth, time and again. Through spiritual wisdom and practices (pranayama & dhyan), the youth leaders have inspired villagers to be amenable for skills learning, shramdaan (group self-effort), de-addiction, zero-budget natural farming etc and thus have raised the standard of living in Indian villages.

Uddyoginaam Purusha Simha Upaiti Laxshmi | (Fortune favors the brave AND the hard working). More often than not, we need to get poverty out of people, rather than people out of poverty!

Farming Issues:

India is an Agricultural country. More than 70 percent of India stays in the villages. If we make agriculture ‘glamorous’ (which could help reverse the youth migration from rural to urban areas), raise the self worth of the farmers, provide them natural methods of farming and good irrigation, access to good roads and fair trade practices, it will shoot up our GDP and make the life of our farmers much more happier and prosperous (if the ‘annadaata himself/herself is not sukhi, how can people who consume that food be happy).  

To make any 'industrialized' product, say a mobile phone, 10 times more material and resources are required to obtain the final product and yet huge profits are reaped. In farming, you sow 1 seed, it gives back a 100, and YET, our farmers are poor. It is simply because of over use ofchemical fertilizers, Genetically Modified (GM) seed culture and middle-men traders; largely owing to the Government.

Unemployment:

There is a huge scope of entrepreneurial development in the areas of food, fashion, dance, Ayurveda (medicines and massage therapy), Yoga and fitness, Information Technology, tourism, 'essentials' service sector in the urban areas (electrical work, carpentry, plumbing etc), and good farming practices in the rural areas.

Today education is making students skilled but unemployable. 350,000 students appear for MBA in India out of which only 21% get employment. Statistics for engineering and other fields is even worse.

Corporate India could take up vocational skills courses for Youth and life skills or soft skills in colleges (through a program like the Art of Living) which will make them skilled AND employable.

Female foeticide and SAFETY FOR Women:

When safety of women is ensured by effective law and order, if dowry laws are made stricter and implemented properly, property laws are amended to be equally in favour of men and women and the minds and hearts of the society are changed by the spiritual leaders of our nation, the male/female ratio can be brought to healthier levels reducing social ills and crime.

Reformation needs to start at the level of each individual first.

Environment:

Go vegetarian. That cuts your ecological footprint by half straight away. Because you are then using almost 30 times less resources in terms of land and water. Also stopping meat consumption, you reduce contamination of land, water and air (reduce global warming through reduction in green house gases). Watch  http://bit.ly/WhyGoVeg
-Stopping deforestation (at govt level) and planting and adopting trees (at individual level) is a must. 

-Better implementation of anti-poaching and deforestation laws will save the flora and fauna of the land. 

-Effective methods of waste management, which can also take care of energy needs. 

-Green methods of energy generation like solar, wind and water power.

-Water harvesting in the fields and also rooftop rainwater harvesting must be implemented.

-Reducing dependence on plastic goods and polythene bags. 

Health:

Clean up the lifelines; our rivers. Stopping the dump at the Industry or Govt level and spreading awareness and creating community ownership for effective engagement. Once fresh dumping is halted, using enzyme technology can accelerate the cleaning thereafter.

Engaging doctors to conduct free medical checkups, camps and surgeries and using video technology to deliver medical care and even monitor surgeries (as done by Dr Devi Shetty etc).

Natural and age-old methods of medicine should be promoted. The government’s AYUSH (Ayurveda Yoga Unani Siddha and Homeopathy) department is aimed at this.

Violence:

Food habits make a big difference to mood and habits. Vegetarian diet and reducing white sugar and spice can reduce the rajas and go a long way to curb violent thoughts and tendencies.

AIDS:

Instead of the traditional approach of ABC (Abstinence, Be faithful and Condom) which doctors and field workers swear don’t work much, we can modify it to the ABCD approach.

1) Awareness

2) Breath - breathing techniques and meditation can help change habits of people and also increase immunity and reduce the pain that goes with a disease.

3) Care & Commitment - reducing the stigma associated with AIDS, thereby ensuring quicker identification of the disease and necessary steps taken thereafter. Avoiding promiscuous behaviour by increasing commitment to one’s partner can greatly help the spread of AIDS. 

4)De-addiction: - almost 20% of HIV is transmitted through needles by drug users

    -Direct youth towards sports, dance, yoga or service. 

    -Create humour campaigns to make addictions shameful. 

    -Equate smoking, drugs, drinking (even social drinking etc) with weakness. 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says there is no 'one right solution.' Multiple solutions and a multi-pronged approach by a large number of people at every level can expedite the resolution of any colossal problem.

He says an action done out of a sincere good intention will NEVER go waste. Since we have it on the highest authority, with all sincerity and with a spark in our heart, lets Volunteer for a better India.

Dropping cynicism, skepticism, mistrust, distrust, disbelief, and a defeatist attitude, lets start somewhere. And do something. And know that victory will be ours. Satyameva Jayate! Jai Hind!

P.S. Another growing trend today is Depression: 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has predicted that depression will the biggest killer on the planet from 2020. Time we took a proactive approach rather than a reactive one (only when a suicide occurs). 
Create ways for the citizens to engage in community service. (the more a person is engaged in activity and with people, the more tamas (Prana Shakti or life force energy which brings inertia and laziness) is in control, less are the chances of depressive and suicidal tendencies.
For children and youth, opportunities need to be made to shift from sedentary indulgences like excessive TV/computers to more active sports, family picnics or outings, dance and drama, singing, music or cooking festivals.

Every wives tale

Nothing disgusted her more than the unwashed utensils in the sink. Oh wait, there was fallen socks on the floor and the wet towel on the bed..  She liked things clean and organized. There was nothing wrong in wanting your kitchen to be impeccably white and she liked them to remain that way. White was pure beauty and it was hard to keep things white. But she did it. Everyday she scrubbed her kitchen four times. Once in the morning, then after cooking, then in the evening after the children came back from school ( they always spill something on the table) and then before retiring to bed.
People thought she was obsessed, but she saw nothing wrong in it. I mean, compared to so many other obsessions, this seemed to be a rather healthy obsession. This was the only thing she loved to do, made her feel in control in an otherwise ordinary life.. Her spotless kitchen  made her feel extraordinary. It was her pride.She would even smirk at the mess in the homes of her' working' friends.  When she saw their apologetic faces, she felt rewarded. Each time she felt that, harder she worked to keep her home cleaner.
People say obsession in life makes your life miserable but the pleasure and power that it gives is enormous. This obsession was the only thing that kept her sane. Her sanity was imprisoned in this obsession. It wasn't like she could talk about it, her obsession towards cleanliness. No wife can talk about it. What triggers this sickening feeling of inadequacy, knowing that the cup will never be full. Every wife has suffered this in silence, with  almost Zen like stoicism. You cannot talk about it, no one does. Instead , you clean.


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--
www.priyadutta.blogspot.com

Assam is on a time bomb

03SEP

And the clock has been ticking for a long time.

Assam was originally home to a number of indigenous tribes, who had been living there for centuries.  A few years after independence, the government of India, while giving Scheduled Tribe status to these indigenous inhabitants had divided the region in tribal belts and blocks.

That land was marked to be held only by tribals. However, due to occupation of land by the ever increasing stream of immigrants, the number of tribal belts and blocks has reduced to nearly half the original number now. Besides, non-tribals continue to occupy more and more land in these areas. Furthermore, many of these tribes were given unequal ST status, creating divisions among them, even though they have the same cultural background.

The Dimasa people, for instance, who are one of the earliest settlers in the region have been divided into areas that fall under Assam and Nagaland. The administrative classification is such that they are a minority in both states. Moreover, due to use of weapons and threats during elections, they are not politically represented. In some places, their historic monuments were removed by bulldozers and the areas turned into markets.

On the other side, the government has turned a blind eye to decades of unchecked infiltration from Bangladesh. The infiltration has been so unchallenged and undocumented that the muslim refugee camps themselves have been housing over double the total muslim population on record in those areas. The immigrants initially came and started settling with Indian muslims and married into their families.

On one hand, the aborigines were divided by the ST classification while on the other, the Bangladeshi immigrants joined the Indian muslim inhabitants with familial bonds, and began laying claim to rights and privileges.

The Central government turned a blind eye to these developments allowing minority to turn into majority and threatening the identity of these indigenous tribes in their own land. The Assam assembly has about 20 representatives of Bangladeshi origin.

Due to government apathy, the issue, which was originally about land occupation, today has unfortunately assumed a distinctly political and communal colour. And the ripples of this communal conflict are being felt all over India now. It is the short sighted and narrow minded strategy of vote bank politics that is now threatening the security of the whole country. This should be a lesson for all of us not to elect any candidate or party indulging in vote bank politics.

The rules of engagement for our security forces on the Bangladesh border are very different from those on the Pakistan border. On noticing any suspicious activity at the Bangladesh border, all that the patrolling soldiers can do is blow a whistle or flash a light, which in turn makes them a vulnerable target. Due to administrative callousness and reduced security, the region is functionally very conducive for anti-India agencies. As a result, a number of terrorist organizations have sprouted in the region. Weapons and anti-India links are found regularly in arrests, encounters and surrender of militants in the region. Let us not forget the 2008 multiple bomb blasts in Guwahati.

There is already talk of Greater Bangladesh, which hopes to include Assam, West Bengal and other north eastern states of India. A large number of immigrants and have even trickled down to Bihar and Orissa. This is a step-by-step repeat of what happened in Kashmir. The demography of the region was changed by driving Kashmiri Hindus out by force and the region made volatile by spreading violence and terror. There is a clear lack of political will even to address grave security issues in our country. Corruption and greed has blinded us to such a degree that we do not mind conceding pieces of our own motherland – the same motherland for which, just a few generations ago, our forefathers sacrificed everything, including lives.

A democracy functions in its true essence when its people are awake and aware. When narrow and selfish mindsets take over, it loses all direction and becomes distorted. We have been a ‘sleeping giant’ for too long. We need to wake ourselves because the explosions we’ve been hearing all around us are not merely alarm bells but battle cries.

- Nakul Dhawan

P.S. I saw this article on the following blog and decided to share.

Story

Sometimes you can't trust the voices in your head. The voice that says, " Go kill" so clear that you think someone might hear you... All you need to do is to strangle that pretty neck and snap it with your bare hands. Effortless and easy. Perhaps she deserved it or may be not.. But when the head is messed, reason eludes you.
The idea of murder is like an obsession or even an addiction. First you just begin to imagine the scenes in your head, and then they enter your dreams. Because in your dream , you are the king and you serve justice to people. Soon, the dream possesses you so much, you can no longer sleep. To murder is to redeem oneself from those nightmares of bloodshed. To murder is to seek solace and to put an end to this farce. To murder is to end a lie. To murder is to be courageous enough to witness the macabre. Murder is the last cry of a helpless soul.


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