What’s my fault?

I suppose the fault must have been mine
 I am deemed as a burden in this country, some kill me before I take birth on this land and some kill me after, by doing injustice with me every day in every way they can. Everyone cries the moment I am born, some have tears of joy and many have tears with a grim look. I am a woman. Is this my fault? I have got a thousand questions to ask, but no one to answer. Why? Am I not important enough to have an explanation? Is it because I am a woman?

 I am angry and frustrated, I cry, I die every day because I am not treated like a human, they treat hundreds like me as if we are their property. If we follow your rules, cover ourselves and not go out after 8 will you stop touching us without our consent?
I am scared, to be a woman. People say take pride in being a woman in this country, we pray the goddesses here, I am sorry I can’t because I don’t feel safe inside my own house, in my own city, in my own country. You want to know what does it feel like to be horrified every second? Live as a woman for a day. Sometimes our family, sometimes friends, sometimes strangers on a bus, I ask today, Don’t we deserve a safe life like you?

The fact that Yesterday it was her, today it could be me makes me uncomfortable every single day. I can never step out of my house thinking I’ll be back home perfectly fine. I never want to leave these four walls because the world out there is so horrible, because they will treat you even worse than a toy. I beg for nothing but just one change. The change in your mindset that women are not equal, the change in your mindset that women are how humans.

It’s tough for you to just read the injustice faced by women every single day, imagine being one in this nation. Are equality and safety too much to ask for? If yes, tell me what’s my fault, is it being born as a woman?

Picture credits: SheThePeople.TV

A letter from an aspiring journalist.

Hi, Indian media, been a while since I saw some real news from you. You possibly don’t know me, but I know you very well, I wished to work for you. I am an aspiring journalist, not sure if I should continue to be one in the future. But thank you for making me question my dreams and almost shattering them. Thanks to some big Indian media houses run by some big “journalists”. Sensationalism, fake news, misogyny and hate is all I see from you and your channels. You create anger and fear within us, you make us anxious for voicing an opinion against a particular ideology and party.

Arnab Goswami being number one, followed by Sudhir Chaudhary, Deepak Chaurasia and honestly, I have a long list. You are not just killing the dreams of hundreds like me, but murdering the fourth pillar of democracy and hence the democracy. A section of Society has been affirming that democracy is being destroyed and slaughtered, today I get to catch a glimpse of it, it is happening right in front of my eyes and I am helpless and terrified.

Once in a while when I have some hope in my ambitions, you make me believe that it is of no worth, you remind me every day that what can hunger for money, power and fame do to a person. I wanted to become someone representing the citizens of the country, not a part of a PR and fake information machinery.

Forget about the ethics of journalism, can we expect humanity from you? You have made a joke of a death, you try to gain TRP out of people’s trauma, you vilify a young woman without facts, you are heckling innocent folks, shoving your mics on them, that’s called chase sequencing or something by you? Giving it a professional term will not make it any better. You know better than me, there’s a reason why law and media are different institutions, one can not do the job of the other.

Running a PR circus, propagating agendas and parties, constructing realities of your own and calling it news? Someone needs to give you a reality check and tell you that shouting your lungs out for no reason will do no help. Farmers have been dying, students of the country are suffering, the health system is collapsing but you are busy doing no real work. People watching it like a reality show, enjoying it today, will certainly regret tomorrow. They are not the only culprits here, we are too. You consume what you want to consume and they show what you consume. It’s about time we become the mindful audience.

We live in a country where the majority of people are from rural India and are heavily dependent on information from TV, and this makes the matter even more concerning. They will kill democracy, one day unless you start exercising your political right to question them, hold them accountable and not resist them. I see this as the beginning of the end if we don’t wake up now.

The article is written solely on the basis of the thoughts and opinions of the author.

My wish to Vanish

Overcrowded cities, bad news every day, hysterical people and here is my vulnerable heart. A world full of sorrow and artificial joy! Can I get a chance to disappear from all this? No, not forever, but for a while.                                                                                                 

I will be back, but it won’t be the exact “me”. It might be a happier or a more enlightened person, who knows? Probably she will have a much better understanding about life, hence I wish to vanish and not leave any clues behind. For once in a lifetime I want to cherish complete solitude, see people quietly but they don’t see me back, I am nothing and I was nothing, my disappearance won’t really make a difference in this gigantic world! All alone can I listen to those birds chirping and not think if I am missing a part of someone else’s existence?, all alone can I sing my heart out and not feel the need to compare myself with the world?, all alone can I give myself all the time in this universe and return with a heart and mind that is fixed?

How do I vanish secretly, gracefully and silently from the lives of my loved ones who chose me to be a part of their living? How do I make them understand that I want to disappear only to find myself back? How do I tell them that I certainly want to come back, but only with the answer to ‘’What is the purpose of life?” But this is necessary for my soul and one day the healed individual is going to come back and remind everyone that she still exists and she still is the same person but with a tranquil soul.

Picture credits: Pinterest

The antagonist

“Who’s the antagonist in your existence?” they asked? I didn’t have a response, hence I thought for a while, I attained my verdict. I could catch a glimpse of her in front of the reflector, she looked familiar, she knew it all about me. She was the one who interrupted me from surviving jovially, who warned me that I am not adequately good, who stopped me from being the best version of myself.
 
Numerous aspects of commonality in us, yet I could sense she is harsh and miserable.  “Why did you do this to me”? , I raised my question she replied: “because it was effortless to do so”.
The terrible thoughts and emotions she gives birth kills me. She needs me to give up, but I go for a battle with her every day to defeat her. She is unmotivated and drowsy still she overpowers the ambitious and diligent me.
A small dialogue by her was sufficient to put me down.

When the entire world said that I am sufficient, I used to ask her ” when will I be good enough for you”? She answered unhurriedly “maybe never, possibly till the day you’re alive”.

I breathed in a constant battle. I was not in my control but hers, and sometimes I believed I am not accomplishing anything anymore. I tried confronting her and confessed to her that I wish to work with her, not against her. I want to embrace my minor victories and her mistakes and keep rowing our boat till we reach the destination of peace together. It is not simple but its certainly not unthinkable. The war is still on occasionally, but our unity overwhelms the disgust.
 
Consequently, I realised that the greatest battles, the biggest antagonists in our lives are invisible and within. It is perhaps the only battle we need to win. A divided mind cannot conquer a united soul.

 Srujani Mohinta

Picture credits: Google

To the artists and their art!

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” –Pablo Picasso

What is art?
A form of escapism for few, a recreation of reality for me and the broadest sense of communication by many. Everybody might have their own idea of the meaning of art, but this one is for the artists who don’t think about making art and let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding,  they make even more art. For those who don’t fear perfection nor making mistakes and for whom the present is eternal.

As a fan of art and as a person who’s occasionally heavily dependent on several forms of art to evoke emotions, I want to thank you for helping the world, thank you for speaking for yourself and many others like you, for telling people through your note, photograph or your sketch the untold tales, for still believing in humanity and making us see that.

A lover of art doesn’t have to know you to connect with you, to get inspired by you. You teach me every day that even though death is a great equalizer, the work you do can stay in hearts for eternity. Your soul might depart but your craft will never vanish. It will never cease to inspire the aspiring. You write your own autobiography with your skills, you dedicate your life to a form of art without expecting anything in return. Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable and with art people with sights get to see another philosophy of life.
Thank you for touching our lives without disturbing it. Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing.  Making your unknown known is the important thing.

Forever grateful!
        
                   ~ Srujani Mohinta

Sources: google

                

Misinterpretation of feminism

“I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat” – Rebecca West

Feminism, a word that is empowering for some and hated by many. Feminism literally means the advocacy of equal rights and opportunities of all genders. The feminist movements refer to a series of political campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual harassment, etc

But lately, the word and the movement has been misunderstood by both men and women. Feminism is now associated as “anti-men” or a “man-hating” movement by many. People think of feminists as angry women, asking women to not wear hijabs and covered clothes and criticising housewives for their choice.

Although all feminism does is preaches equality but several men and women don’t want to claim themselves as “feminists”. Statements like “I believe in equality, but I am not a feminist” or “I am a humanist, not a feminist” is often said by folks. But why are people not comfortable calling themselves feminists? Well, it’s not their fault completely. Pseudo feminism and feminazis are definitely noticeable in today’s world. Feminism isn’t about superiority or inferiority of any gender. It is not to degrade men. I have often heard that if feminism is all about equality “can I slap back a woman if she slaps me?” Violence against you must not be tolerated and no one has the right to hit anyone, irrespective of genders but why is one entire movement brought down to whether you can hit the other gender or not, why is the whole concept of feminism viewed with certain wrong instances in mind?

Radical feminists want to eliminate gender roles for both men and women and they do fight for men too. Gender equality is their issue also. It is unfortunate to see people mocking feminism. But the fact that there are individuals who misinterpret the concept of feminism and use it against men doesn’t really change what it actually is. Let’s just think you have misunderstood the meaning of a term and use it incorrectly, does the word really change it’s meaning and does it change for the entire world too? Feminism is very much needed in our world and in our country, where women still face discrimination, sexism, domestic violence and abuse in their daily lives and where men are expected to be “manly enough” and not express their emotions.

Ridiculing feminism and feminists, just because few people misapprehend and misuse it brings the whole movement down. Both men and women have fought for equality and basic human rights, TOGETHER, in the past. As a woman, I cannot be grateful enough because I know that a good deal of women has struggled and fought for this basic right to express themselves, back in history.

I would like to end by quoting Justin Trudeau “We shouldn’t be afraid of the word feminist. Men and women should use it to describe themselves.” Feminism is just an ideology that simply believes inequality. Real feminists are exclusively fighting to remove patriarchy and gender roles, it’s sad that I have to use the word real before feminists. The opposite of patriarchy is not matriarchy, it’s equality. Let’s accept the fact that both men and women need each other’s support. Feminism and sexism go both ways. Pseudo feminism and misogyny will equally harm gender equality. Let’s try not to put someone down to uplift ourselves. MEN=WOMEN=LGBTQ

sources: Google, quora, http://www.newstimes.co.rw

Men and… Problems!? YES

I try to laugh about it.

Cover it all up with lies.

I try and laugh about it.

Hiding the tears in my eyes.

Because boys don’t cry,

Boys don’t cry.

By The cure, Boys don’t cry

In this world, everyone is talking about women empowerment. We, women, have to face several problems in our daily life and I have heard many of my friends saying “I wish, I was a boy…life would have been so easy”. But it’s time we know that MEN ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS.

I understand that some of them might not sound as big as the problems faced by the women but somehow it does affect the men of our society.

• A real man in India is supposed to be tough, protective, brave, hard-working and aggressive.

After all “Mard ko dard nahi”( A man has no pain, a famous Bollywood dialogue), but let’s not forget that they are humans too and have every right to express their feelings and cry, whenever they want to.

One of the major differences between a Robot and a man is that we have feelings and they don’t and a community in society is told to hide their feelings. Quite Strange!

We are brought up with these beliefs that men should be strict and crying and expressing themselves is girlish and makes them “unmanly”. Emotionally Evey human, no matter a boy or a girl needs support.

From the day a boy is born, the family is filled with many dreams and a lot of pressure is put on the boy, to work hard and a have a good job to fulfil the needs of the family. In this process, I believe that some men have to keep their “real” dreams aside and work for a good salary. Another weird stigma that exists is that a man cannot be unemployed. If an unemployed woman is married to a working man, that’s fine, but a man not working, marrying a working woman IS NOT ACCEPTABLE and is a shame for him.

In India, a large number of women have to face domestic violence and abuse, but some men also go through domestic violence and abuse and not all cases filed against them are true. Some women also try to take advantage of the current situation in the country. Reporting of these problems faced by men are not encouraged by society because they will be considered weak.

When we talk about feminism we have to understand that empowerment of men and to change the rules set by society is also important. Let’s not teach the younger generation how to be a man or a woman, let’s teach them to be a good human being and treat everyone around them with love and respect.

Sources and pic: google and youth ki away.

They are humans.

LGBT, heard of this term before? It stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

I wrote this article for people to know about the problems faced by the LGBT community in India. Although my mom said I am too young to write about this, I did, because I feel it’s extremely important to know that a community in our country is being treated worse than animals.

In India, most of the topics are considered “taboos”. People avoid talking about it in public, and one of those topics is this, Homosexuality. Many People here think being LGBT is a mental disorder or a disease, they think it is something against the law of nature. But it’s time that we accept that they are humans, just like we are.

Being LGBT is difficult in India. They are not even accepted by their parents and other family members, easily. Sometimes, they are forced to marry and have kids with the opposite gender or kicked out of their houses as their family members think it is a matter of shame, disgrace and humiliation.

We all talk about gender equality, Men=women, then why not the LGBTs? They do not get proper education and job opportunities, just because they chose to be different and are hence forced to beg and to do other small things for living.

They are badly bullied, blackmailed, if caught with their partners and called by disgraceful names.

Students and teenagers in schools and colleges use terms like gay and lesbian to tease each other, but we have to understand it’s nothing to get offended, they are just like us.

Although, the transwomen, also known as hijras are considered to be touched by God and are invited to bless the newborns, but are still ill-treated. The community is considered to be unnatural and impure but throughout Hindu and Vedic texts there are many instances of same-sex depictions. Apart from male and female, there are 20 types of genders such as transwoman, transmen, pangender and trigender, etc.

Prince Narendra Singh Gohil was disowned by his family for his sexuality, he was brave enough to confess it and became world’s first gay prince. He now runs the Lakshya trust, for the LGBT community.

I just want to conclude by quoting the words of Chris Colfer “There’s nothing wrong with you, there’s a lot of wrong with the world you live in.”So just be brave and be proud of who you are, people around you will always have something to say. And let’s unite and make sure that the LGBT community is respected and given equal rights, just like we have been given.

Sources: Google, Wikipedia & quora

More than Beautiful…

We are perfect!!

“No Beauty shines brighter than that of a good heart.”

Beautiful. What does first come to your mind when you hear this word??? Tall?,  fair?, Or skinny? Does Beauty have any definition? Most of us claim that we love diversity and variety, then why do the same people endorse fairness creams? Then why Chubby people are considered ugly? Why are short people a topic to make fun of ? Why are tall people called giants?? Why are very thin people called skeletons? Whether you are tall or short, fat or thin ,People around you will always have problem. But the society really doesn’t understand that each one of us is different.People say that no one is perfect, but I say that each one of us is PERFECT in our own way. However you look, you are BEAUTIFUL,you can’t and neither should change yourself for the sake of others. The world will always have something to complain about.People loose their self confidence, just because they think that they are ugly. Specially teenagers,come under great stress to look physically attractive.But the most important thing is to be beautiful from inside, after all your inner beauty never needs makeup.  Not having good looks is not a sin.Being pretty and handsome can give you jobs, but being human, being pretty from inside will help you to be a person that everyone wants. Never ever underestimate yourself because of your looks,we all are equal, not inferior neither superior to anyone. We have to understand that the world has diversity, god has made each one of us different.  What if everyone looked same?Life would have been so boring. Our different colors, features, shapes and sizes are the real beauty of this world. So smile and make the world smile with you. You should go and love yourself. 😊😘