Neil Armstrong

By Hamsini

While every year has its ups and downs, this year we lost someone who became a symbol for the advancement of science during his time. Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon passed away on August 25th of this year. Armstrong went on two trips to space; on the Gemini 8 which was nearly exploded and then on the historic Apollo 11 in July 1969. On Apollo 11, he was accompanied by Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins. Armstrong who spent over two and a half hours on the lunar surface collected 47 samples of lunar material with Aldrin and carried out various experiments as planned. Their spacewalk was broadcast live and 600 million people were reported to have watched it- This made up one-fifth of the world population at the time. 

Armstrong, after stepping off the lunar module, placed his left boot on the lunar surface and uttered the famous words, “That’s one small step for [a] man---one giant leap for mankind.” which have been echoed all over the world since then. 

Armstrong and his two co-pilots became symbols of America’s win in the Space Race. The Apollo 11 mission in 1969 relieved many pressures of the American Government. The background was filled with the Civil Rights Movement, public dissent against the Vietnam War, the assassinations of various leaders( including the Kennedys and Martin Luther King) and the after effects of the disastrous Bay of Pigs episode. 

The mission to the moon boosted the world’s morale, not only that of America. It would surely have been an awe-inspiring moment on July 20th to realize that man as a single entity had advanced much further than he had before in all of history. 

Jason Jolly, an engineering student from Chennai, when asked about what Armstrong meant to the world said, “Irrespective of whether his mission was part of the space race or a three legged race... It takes a man of courage to strap himself to the back of a Saturn 5 rocket and one heck of a pilot to manually fly the Eagle and manoeuvre it, like he did, to a landing zone which wasn't pre designated and save it from being dashed to bits on rocks with almost zero fuel left with only a tiny triangular window to see out of and a navigation system that makes my television remote seem space age. All this on based on the then unproven technology and pure skill. That's why he serves as an inspiration.” 

Armstrong has been described as a humble, “nerdy” engineer and was proven to be very media-shy as he tried not to step into the spotlight. Two years after his mission to the moon, he quit NASA and took up a lecturer’s job at the University of Cincinnati because of its small aerospace department. After years of keeping out of public view, he stepped into it willingly to criticize the commercialization of space, the takeover of private companies into space exploration and President Barack Obama’s decision which cancelled NASA’s return expedition to the moon. 

Armstrong died due to complications following a bypass surgery which had intended to relieve his blocked coronary arteries. His death was mourned not only in America but even in India. The 1970s became the start of India’s middle class exodus to America in search of better lives and opportunities. Indeed, Armstrong, with his pocket protector and geeky glasses had reflected an image of an engineer who had worked hard to achieve a dream. 

Jason bid farewell in a rather emotional status message on the 26th of August, “Today the world lost a pioneer. Farewell Neil Armstrong. When you landed the Eagle in the Sea of Tranquillity, you took man to the moon. You serve as an inspiration to us all. And today you've taken the most giant leap of all... A leap straight to heaven.”

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Hamsini
Basically I write, I read and I dream up fairytales. The rest of the time, I nibble at food, sing songs off tune, and pretend to be a hotshot photographer. I also love the wind in my hair, basking in the sun, a healthy dose of cynicism and coffee on the rocks.

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The Largest Power Outage In The World

By Hamsini

Two and a half hours after the midnight hour, while the world slept, India awoke to stifling heat and chaos. On July 30th and 31st of this year, 3 power grids that spread over 22 states collapsed plunging around 670 million people into the darkness. That’s twice the number of people who lives in the United States.

The impact was first felt in eight Northern states including UP, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Trains were delayed by upto six hours and hospitals which did not have back up power generators were forced to scurry around looking for alternate sources. In Delhi, the nation’s capital, the morning was utterly chaotic as traffic signals merely blinked their confusion and the metro rail was shut down on all six lines till mid morning when power was restored to them. The Airport functioned smoothly as it relied on its own back up power.

As the social media raged and vented, the government hastily restored power to the most critical areas first and then diverted power from the western and the north eastern grid and even bought hydroelectric supply from Bhutan to meet the gap. Just as it seemed that things could not get worse, they did. 

The second breakdown resulted in massive blackout in the west, eastern and north eastern states and now half of the Indian population (and around 10% of the world’s population) were left without any electricity. Now, miners were trapped underground for hours, water treatment plants stopped functioning, farmers could not irrigate their fields without electric pumps, hospitals in smaller towns could not function at all and almost everyone had to bear the tortuous Indian summer without fans.

Finally on July 31st and August 1st, power was restored to all the grids. The southern grid was almost unaffected (except for parts of Karnataka) as they maintained strict grid discipline. This incident could take its toll on investment and also highlights the state of India’s creaky infrastructure.

The main reason for the power failure has been blamed on grid indiscipline as over five states have overdrawn more electricity than they were authorized. The power deficit was worsened by a poor monsoon which lowered the supply of hydro-electricity and farmers had to resort to electric pumps for irrigation. India’s electricity supply which mainly coal based is unable to meet the rising demand due to environmental restraints and the Government’s rising subsidies to farmers have drained the cash reserves of electricity distribution companies which are largely state run.
While reforms have been called for, it is common knowledge that nothing may come of it until the next power shortage.

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Hamsini
Basically I write, I read and I dream up fairytales. The rest of the time, I nibble at food, sing songs off tune, and pretend to be a hotshot photographer. I also love the wind in my hair, basking in the sun, a healthy dose of cynicism and coffee on the rocks.

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Words For Everyone

By Srujana Pokala

Somewhere, a voice calls, in the depths of my heart,
May I always be dreaming, the dreams that move my heart.
So many tears, of sadness, uncountable through and through
I know on the other side of them, I‘ll find you.

Every time we fall down to the ground, 

we look up to the blue sky above,
We wake to its blueness, as for the first time
Though the road is long and lonely and the end far
away, out of sight.

I can with these two arms embrace the light
As I bid farewell, my heart stops it tenderness I feel
My silent empty body begins to listen to what is real
The wonder of living the wonder of dying
The wind, town and flowers we all dance one unity.

Somewhere, a voice calls, in the depths of my heart
Keep dreaming your dreams don’t ever let them part
Why speak of all your sadness or life’s painful woes
Instead let the same lips sing a gentle song for you
The whispering voice, we never want to forget, 

in each passing memory,
always there to guide you.

When a mirror has been broken, shattered pieces
scattered on the ground
Glimpses of new life, reflected all around
Window of beginning, stillness, new light of the dawn
Let my silent empty body be filled and reborn
No need to search outside, nor sail across the sea
Cause here shining inside me, it’s right here inside me
I’ve found a brightness, it’s always with me.

Lots Of Love To Antidepressants

By Pallavi Joshi

Yesterday in class we were being taught about Antidepressants, these are psychiatric medication used to alleviate mood disorders; such as major depression, dysthymia and anxiety disorders such as social anxiety disorders. We were all listening carefully how they worked and affected our body. We noted down all names we could so that when needed could prescribe it to the needy.

Photo credit - Chinmay

In between the lecture I got a text from a friend giving me a bad news. I felt all emotions drain out of me; negative thoughts started their in flow. Soon I went into state medically known as depression. It was impossible for me to pay attention in class, I was having severe headache, wanted to go home and sleep.

Thankfully got the lunch break soon. It was my friend's birthday so we decided to ditch our regular eating joint and go some place else. We decided to travel all the way to the western part of the area to have a burger. It was raining cats and dogs and traffic in Mumbai is worse during rains so what usually took 15mins took us more than 30mins.

A friend of mine who is the baby of our group and a chatter box started to tell me about her experiences in Mumbai. Soon everyone started to share their stories. At first I was resistant, just sat there listening to all talk while my mind on other things. But I couldn't resist for long, I joined them in their crazy talks (we had moved from sharing to down right crazy talks). Not long before I was laughing hard followed by floods of tears and aching stomach muscles.

A passerby couldn't have guessed I was depressed a moment ago. All worries forgotten I had become a sane...oops insanely happy!!!!!!

When back in class and to antidepressant drugs I realized no drug could work the way drug of friendship does. For a drug to effect and cure the disease one needs to believe in it, being resistant doesn't help. But friendship is a kind of drug that fights all the negativity and claws its way in...into your life.
Friendship has no side effect... at least no harmful side effects!!
Friendship is the most precious and wonderful gift created by God. It can come in any form...it can come into your life as your mother, father, sibling, your better half etc.

I feel very lucky to have formed this wonderful bond with many people in my life including my mother(my best friend). My friends have been there for me in good and bad times. They have been the reason for me surviving the depression (and sometimes reason for depression :p).

We rarely realize it but God has provided us with lifetime antidepressant therapy. Sometimes it’s the presence of a friend or his/her words and sometimes just a memory that brings a smile on our lips and joy to our heart even in the worst of time.

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About the author : I am Pallavi Joshi from Indore, at present living in Mumbai. I am an independent, free spirited, nature loving girl. My hobbies are reading, singing and listening to music. Books and me are inseparable. I feel without books I am one single person but when I read I get to live lives of several other characters. I am very passionate about my writing. I like writing short stories, articles etc. I have written several things; at present I am also working on a novel. My writing is really special for me as it reflect the person I am. My inspiration are the people and events around me. 

Ethics And Atheism

By Abhishek Namballa

“You do not need to be an atheist to be ethical”

If at all I have learnt anything from my Humanities elective last semester, the one thing that did stick to my mind was this - Ethics and Atheism are not interdependent on each other. The long and winding arguments of Socrates and Aristotle have only served to reinforce my beliefs. Now here I do concede that I have not read through the entire argument and I certainly do not know how the book ends. But as always these texts are open to many interpretations, so I guess no one can label my interpretation as being improper, though it might be incomplete.

Over the years I have grown and matured. So did my taste for logic. The habit of asking Why and How has prevailed and it has served me well on quite a few occasions – both in academics and life. You see, I have that rebellious bent of mind – anything that does not come with a proper logical reasoning does not appeal to me. So naturally, all the superstitions are at the center of my criticism. I just do not understand how ‘educated’ people can blindly believe in them. Here are a few – when someone sneezes, it is supposed to mean good or bad depending on the number of times you sneeze. Further extensions also include the place where you stand and sneeze. Ghosh!! Gimme a break! It’s been proved scientifically that sneezing is body’s way to remove unwanted materials from the nasal tract. One more very famous one – a black cat crossing your path is a bad omen. Dude! It’s just a cat going about its own business! What has that got to do with your fortunes? And why only a black cat? Why not white or grey or brown? You people are so racist!!! Another one – and this I find most amusing – when someone has hiccups, it is supposed to mean that somewhere, someone is remembering you. Crap!!! Most of us know that it is caused by sudden contraction of our diaphragm. My guess is that this superstition was floated by some lonely soul who liked to think that he was being remembered every time he had hiccups.

The safest route out when people are posed with these questions – “It is a tradition – some ‘wise’ and ‘elderly’ people have said so in the past. That is the reason we follow them.”

How lame is that?!!

I repeatedly hear complaints about the continual and steady erosion of traditional values in today’s world by particular sections of the society. They lay the blame squarely on the Internet and the information revolution. Well, how long do you think you could have continued with your vicious agenda of keeping us in the dark? How long do you think you could have kept our thinking shackled in the chains of your whims and wishes? How long do you think you could have coerced us to believe what you believe is right and see through your eyes and not ours?

I am not against our tradition. It is a vibrant one and we should preserve it. But we should try to realize that preservation does not and should not mean blind compliance. It is subject to change and we should adopt those things which are relevant in today’s world and reject those which have been proved incorrect. If we do not do this then we risk losing our own identity.

Since childhood I have adhered to the concept that “God is one”. Hence my respect for all the religions. Now this might seem contradictory to my earlier statement that I believe only in logic. But the existence or non – existence of God is a matter of ongoing debate and till now there has been no firm conclusion. I do not expect one anytime soon. It just seems convenient for many of us to believe that God exists and the universe, as we know it, needed a Creator!! Anyways, whatever might be the case, it does not change the way I live my life. I do not live life under fear of God. Neither do I believe in the concept of re-birth nor do I believe in the some ‘divine retribution’ if I do wrong things. My actions are guided by my own conscience. In fact as the first line of this article states – you do not need to be an atheist at all to spend an ethical life.

It is wondrously easy to teach a child how to differentiate between right and wrong with the help of this thesis – “Fear God”. But as one should be able to reason out, there is an independent and universal understanding of what is good and what is bad. It is this understanding that defines all religions and religious texts. The texts do not ‘define’ good and bad. They help catalogue it. And to bring them to common, illiterate folk, they have come up with various methods. But I think it would be unreasonable to pretend to be ignorant once we realize this. And as my professor Mr. Padmanabhan points out – “Even Hitler knew that what he was doing was not correct. Otherwise, why would he have ordered all the evidence regarding the atrocities at the concentration camps to be destroyed?”

Some of my friends may want to ask – if I do not believe in all this, why do I still celebrate all those festivals and follow those little rituals? Well my answer would be that I prefer to keep myself happy. These small things serve as nice additives to my cup of joy. That is how I see them.

P.S: The ‘rituals’ I follow exclude all and every possible type of superstitions.

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About the author : A 2nd year Electrical Engineering student at IIT Madras who, when not busy devouring the courses at hand loves to write, play keyboard, badminton and cricket and hobble around the internet hoping to stumble upon something that would prevent his brain cells from dying out..

Reservation? Yes To that!

By Vijay Narayan

F**k you.

That, dear reader (and by God I hope there’s more than one of you), was the response I received when I mentioned to a friend that I had plans of writing this article. Frankly, I don’t suffer from any illusion that the few of you still reading this feel any differently. A few days ago, I’d have felt the same too.

So here’s the scenario at hand. It’s 9am and I’ve just sat down to write a Political Concepts paper. (I’ve also had an exam the day before, not to mention another one the next day, so it’s safe to assume I’m not thinking as clearly as I would like). The question put forward to me was this. “Based on the concepts of equality and justice, make arguments for and against reservation in Indian education, and finally take a stand.” What follows is something akin to what I scribbled in that paper (and did very well, thank you for asking!)

Honestly, I don’t care for reservation. Reserved seats for people solely because they are minorities? That’s bullshit. That’s the reason (or so I would like to believe) that I did not get into IIT. But for the sake of a decent grade, I shall attempt to answer this as best as possible.

The question of reservation is a tricky one, so let’s try to break it down a bit. For starters, do we really need to help anybody? Well, that one’s easy enough. To a certain degree, we’re all egalitarians (at least the sane ones in a democracy), in that our consciences wouldn’t be clear if we found someone was being treated unfairly/unequally and did nothing about it. To a certain degree, we all want equality. (The outrage following the Shaheen Dhada case and the Delhi rape should be more than enough to prove my point.) . That leaves us with, “Who are we trying to help?”, and “How do we help them?” Since the question has not been more specific, I’ve assumed that we’re talking about people from backward classes who have no access to education, due to a variety of factors that could range from financial problems to social stigma. Also, this argument is being made for students alone, and not for the reservation of teaching positions for the backward classes( Apparently that’s a big debate as well!)

So, how do we help the people in question? This is where we’ve got to consider whether financial remuneration would be the solution. (Most people, including myself until very recently, believe that this is a viable one). If only it were that easy. Studies have shown (They actually exist, says my prof) that a fair number of families belonging to the backward classes are quite well off. If that’s the case, then why can’t they bloody well get in without the help of the college administration? The answer is quite simple. Social Stigma.

Now you and I may have no problem when it comes to interacting with people from other castes, but the same cannot be said for the rest of the country. The caste/class system, banned as it may be , still exists throughout India. And while the fact is lamented, it is generally ignored when it comes to the decision making process. The solution therefore, is the elimination of social stigma. Easier said than done, because it would be excruciatingly difficult to change the mind-set of an entire nation. The only other option is to improve the social standing of those in need. Now, this is a far cry from the preferred solution, but the best that is possible. It may seem ‘unjust’ to the larger sections of society, but the term justice itself is relative, and depends on the situation at hand.

The most important decision now is to pick the theory of equality that we intend to follow while trying to bring about change. The libertarian theory advocates a free market, where all of us are free to make our own decisions without the coercion of the government(which would only interfere to maintain the safety of its citizens). Essentially, survival of the fittest. We’d be equal in the sense that we’re all allowed to do as we please. Granted, even considering this theory seems a little foolish (at least in this country), since the democratic government we have is present to safeguard the future of all its citizens.The Equality of Resources theory also does not pan out, since this could amount to little more than a socialist regime, where resources are distributed in equal measures to all members of society. So while it may help the backward classes, it could potentially lead to a stagnant economy.

But what about equality of welfare or equality of opportunity? Now these theories state that an individual cannot be held responsible for factors he has no control over, including his caste or sex. Therefore, to ensure that every member of society has the same basic welfare opportunities, we would have to take the ‘backward class’ factor into account and end up providing reservations for them.

The equality of opportunity concept is slightly trickier. There are two main interpretations to this theory. The first is Rawls’ theory of egalitarian nature, which advocates the hidden veil principle. In simple words, we make decisions in an unbiased manner for the least privileged members of society first. By this logic, offering reservation would be a natural step in that direction. Dworkin’s theory of equality on the other hand, says that (and I apologize if the meaning of this one doesn’t come across easily) the government should offer the citizen a fixed amount of resources. These resources can be in any form, though the net amount can be the same, and the citizen has the liberty to pick and choose whichever privileges he desires. Something akin to giving you a lunch box and telling you to fill it up with whatever the hell you want. By this logic, reservation is completely unnecessary, since the individual has the right to make his own decisions. Sure, one would hope that he would make the smart move and opt for education, but pushing him in that direction would actually impinge on his freedom, with the government no longer remaining a democracy (god, I hate these loopholes!)
You know what, screw it. If there’s one theory I hope you remember, it’s the concept of equality based on responsibility and justice. Basically, it would be unjust of you to let another person suffer due to social stigma, and it would therefore be your responsibility to help him out, because we were not born to be brutes. We place so much importance to slogans like ‘Mera Bharat Mahaan’ but it’s not a claim that can be substantiated unless the most down-trodden member of society can say it. Only then can we say that we’ve been able to bring about a rational sense of equality.

And now I present to you, the loophole I shall take advantage of. (Said detractors from the beginning may now smile with satisfaction). Do I think reservation is needed and can benefit our society? Yes. Do I actually think it can be brought about successfully? Sadly, not for a while. Honestly, I don’t think the average Indian is ready to accept this yet. Now, I’m not going to preach about how the Indian male is too driven by his hormones to rationally make those decisions. Just open up Facebook in the aftermath of the Delhi rape case and you’ll get a earful.

I’m assuming that you’re an educated, urban youth, and therefore a minority. It’s about time we started looking at issues from the point of view of the government as well, before reaching conclusions about them. I’m honestly racking my brains to come up with a line about us being the youth of the nation and how the masses will look to us for help etc etc. I don’t think I need to though. You already know what’s at stake.

Words

By Harsh Joshi

Words,
They float within my head,
And in yours too I'm sure,
In a million little voices,
Trying to decide their place.

Ambitious,
Perhaps this work itself may be,
But I write it not for the entities outside,
But the feelings of mine heart,
And silent musings of the mind.

Photo credit - Bhaumik Mistry

Beauty,
Of words and our own reality,
Mingled in each other,
Like does honey with the wax,
As one holds the other.

Form,
Something which I crave,
Free or bound to structure,
It could be either,
I don't really care which.

Words,
I am lost in them,
And though my vocabulary is not too strong,
I still use words,
And mould them to my desires. 
Finally,
Many things can yet be said,
But I'll let them be,
For there is someone else out there,
With my words who'll find new meaning.

Queer Parade : A Walk To Remember

By Amrita Paul

Reshma strut across the stage and announced with an emphatic glee, - “I think even Rahul Gandhi should join our parade from next year, because he is also gay, no?” The audience roared with laughter while one of the organisers quietly passed on the message that Reshma be brought down from the stage immediately. The voice of the speaker at the Sainik Sammelan, happening nearby was effectively drowned by the loud cheering of the crowd, “Garv se kaho hum Gay hain.”

Sara, a university student from Stockholm, was one of the first few people to arrive. Her clothes were freshly ironed and her cropped hair was neatly parted and clipped. Quite contrary to her appearance, she reminded me of Lisbeth Slander, the troubled yet fierce protagonist of Stieg Larsson’s ‘The Girl with a dragon tattoo’. As people donned scarves, masks and multi coloured wings, Sara stood in one corner, observing and clicking pictures from time to time.

Street children ran around snatching flags, masks and balloons, mostly from those who weren’t particularly assertive.

Delhi Queer Pride Parade was like an over populated sorority huddled together for a unanimous cause. Attendees rolled cigarettes, taking long drags whilst posing for the media, and answering questions about their purpose behind attending the parade. “I think it is very important for us to accept ourselves and each other to be able to stand together and fight against this discrimination.” said an amicable young fellow. Quirky enough, his badge was pinned on the flap of his zipper.

When the walk started, Donna, a feisty middle aged American woman moved around, energetically carrying a ‘happy and gay’ placard. All her conversations began with, “I partied till four in the morning but I had to come for this.” A journalist had perhaps asked her about a certain draconian section of the Indian Penal Code when she replied back in a fervid countenance, “Oh Never mind 377, I just feel sorry that more foreigners have turned up in support of this event when it should have been the other way round.”

As the parade moved on, policemen stood at the corner of each crossing with walkie-talkies, bemused, perhaps wondering what they were doing there in the first place. Photographers slammed into each other trying to take pictures, while members of the community danced away to glory. Ruchi stood in her white robe with a sacred disposition. Her prosthetic bald head and quaint kolhapuri chappals complimented her temperament perfectly. She glided alongside the parade banner, stopping occasionally only to ‘namaste’ as Cannons and Nikons clicked on, furiously. A media van zoomed ahead, capturing the event as it happened.

As the road curved towards Jantar Mantar, the cheering grew louder. Few had grown a little weary and had resigned to the side of the road. The rest marched on, shouting slogans. I met Sara again, who was at the verge of crying, - “I am a little emotional but people here are so brave.”

“As soon as we had set eyes on each other, we knew we were meant to be.” - said Arvind, a bespectacled, burly man. The turquoise parade banner fluttered behind him, on the stage. “And I want all of you to come for our wedding, whenever it happens. Even if my parents don’t come, you guys need to be there. It would mean a lot to us.”

“We don’t need laws to govern our body. We don’t need to be told whom to love, because love, even as a fleeting emotion unites souls and triumphs even in the silent tremors of darkness.” – One of the demonstrators summed up.

It is close to sunset and the venue has shifted near India Gate. Participants sat together on a rainbow coloured banner, sharing a modest lunch. Their smiles were a little more self assured than before, perhaps with the idea that even when you think you are alone, you are not really alone. 

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Amrita Paul
I write. I read. I eat. I sleep (a lot ). Oh yes, Chick flicks make me cry and I love dogs. Some say I am a feminist, I say - "Is it necessary to define every ounce of passion arising from an individual?" I think not. Anyway that is me :)

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The End Of Yet Another Year

By Savyasachee Jha
 

The end of yet another year. 2012 has been a glorious year, a wonderful year, a mixed year, really. Not just for me, but also for a good section of the world. While individuals might suffer across the world, the societies that house them have steadily begun maturing, all the way from the newly democratised Egypt to the normalising Japanese society. Closer home, Narendra Modi has won another term in office and looks all set to continue the growth trajectory of Gujarat while the UPA government at the centre is trying to make changes to some parts of the law which urgently need changing. Maybe it’s not doing enough, but that’s hardly for me to say.

India’s civil society has also had a wakeup call in the form of the Delhi Gang Rape case. While the evolution of civil society has long been in the making, it’s high time that the country finds both its conscience and moral compass and orient them in the right direction. Change is what’s desired, and change is what is seeping in through the pores and cracks the political establishment has failed to seal properly. It’s up to the people to ensure that the change remains positive.

However, the road hasn’t been lined with roses all the way. In fact, I’d say that the most prosperous sections of the world are still undergoing corrections in their paths. The first one which comes to mind is the US. Despite a deal that has ‘delayed’ the fiscal cliff, few are satisfied. Without such a deal, there will be automatic spending cuts across the board and many other effects I have no clue about. The long and short of it is that if the US does not orient its policy correctly, the world economy might suffer a catastrophic downturn. While that has been avoided for the next two months, the future remains uncertain. 

Any mention of the world economy, of course, brings to mind the on-going EU crisis. With the very idea of the EU threatened by the current economic slowdown, many pundits talk about too much being done too soon with regards to the EU. Of course, you also have people talking about too little being done. There’s no real consensus on what can be done, and that gives the impression that no one really knows what to do. You have people whose guesses are far more educated than the rest of us, but at the end of the day, that’s all they are. Educated guesses.
With the LIBOR scandal and its associated outcomes, the following year doesn’t look good for the reputation of banks either. Something utterly magical is needed if the world’s confidence in the financial sector is to be restored.

The two regions in the world most poised for conflict will have a difficult year ahead of them. The Middle East and the Far East are experiencing posturing among countries, some of which is making old regional tensions flare up. China and Japan will be worth watching. With Noda out and Abe in, Japanese policy is expected to take a turn towards the right, despite Abe’s own disastrous term in 2006. Ishihara could also become a player in the near future. China will be watching these developments with a hawkish gaze, keeping a wary eye out for any normalcy in Japan’s military. WWII might have ended sixty seven years ago, but Japan’s (supposed) military prowess is still feared throughout the region. What with the antagonistic relationship Japan had with every country in the region in the Second World War, Japan-India ties are predicted to become stronger. While India is hardly in the same league as China, it is seen as a potential counter-weight to the emerging regional super-power.

The Middle East, on the other hand, manages to defy every prediction ever made about it. No one could have predicted the Arab Spring when it happened, and its consequences managed to change the geopolitics of the entire region. Israel is about to have its polls, and these will be one of the only polls in the country’s history without an Israeli presidential candidate boasting of his close ties to the American establishment. The Palestinian Authority has the status of an observer in the UN, and it may go to the ICC charging Israel with war crimes or something similar. While Syria is in a state of turmoil right now, one can predict with reasonable accuracy that Assad’s days in office are numbered, and once the Russians begin seeing eye-to-eye with everyone else (which should not take the whole of next year, hopefully) there will be no corner for him to back into. Turkey’s internal status is also one which will be looked at very closely. Erdogan’s policy of making the secular state more and more autocratic and Islamic seems to be taking Turkey away from the moral high ground it has enjoyed so far, and it is very likely that Turkey will continue down the path it has taken in the next year as well. About Iran, well, the less said the better. With the regime feeling the pinch of sanctions deeply, there is every possibility that Iran will be led to the negotiating table kicking and screaming, whether it likes it or not. However, a lot depends on whether its nuclear program manages to go far enough to make others quake in their boots or not.

Finally, coming to India. My own country has quite a hill to climb. Forget battling poverty and illiteracy. It’s time to look beyond education, government and infrastructure. As the Delhi Rape Case shows, it’s time for the country to do some soul searching and finally discover itself. The next year should be marked by a middle class waking up to find itself, women demanding the empowerment consciously being denied to them and the youth understanding that true rebellion is not just being belligerent on the streets, but actually doing something about the situation . The next year should be a year of change, a year of revolution, a year of a country cutting itself and discovering the colour of its blood.

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About the writer : When not pretending to be studying engineering, Savya spends his considerable free time writing fiction and non-fiction. He has a great fondness for history and tries to read as much of it as he can get his hands on. A fan of Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd, he plays the keyboard and labels himself a pianist.

Just An Hour More

By Vasundhra Goyal

Flight to Houston via Chicago was an hour late. 

“Off all the places in United States, why did you choose Houston?”
Riya wasn’t trying to reason out with Avin as to why he only had got to go to Houston and not Chicago or New York or Boston. As it became evident, he would be going abroad, be it any place, far away from India. How does it even matter? She just wanted to break the silence that had become a part of their meetings in past five years. Living without Avin was something she was not ready to accept.

9:45 PM 

Mumbai Airport was stuffed with people, waiting for their flights. Hardly anyone had time to notice a young girl and a guy who must have been there for almost half an hour, sitting silently without uttering a word. Who knew what was going at the back of their heads. 

“My aunt lives in Houston. Though I will be staying in hostel, but I guess it will be good to have someone from my family around.” 

It was the first time Avin and Riya were alone without anyone else tagging along. Avin’s best buddy Rishab was teased as his gay lover when they were in school. Fortunately, Rishab wasn’t there in Mumbai that day. Avin had already met him in Bangalore when he went back to his college to get his transcript.

Photo credit - Anoop Nagendra

Riya recalled the day Avin came back from Bangalore. He had called her that day.

“Hey! ‘ssup? Still lost in my dreams?”

“Shut up! I am busy. I have joined Dad’s office, been working for a month.”

“Nice. Continue like that till you get hitched to a nice Punjabi Munda. Did someone approach you till date?”

“No. Not yet. And I am in no hurry.”

“Awww! Poor Riya. You will die a virgin I guess.”

“Please! I don’t want to end up getting HIV positive. Seriously, how many did you sleep with? You must have developed AIDS by now. Did you get your blood report recently?” Riya teased.

“Ever heard of a thing as CONDOM? I have got plenty. Get one from me if ever you happen to need it. My bribe in return will be, name of the guy, time, place along with details of what happened.”

“Get lost, you pervert. Gross. Sick. But seriously, how many have you slept with?”

“I have lost count, you know. But you don’t need to be jealous. You will get better than me.”

“Who told you I was jealous? Trust me, I have better options.”

“Awww. Can’t get enough of me, can you?”

“Even in worst case, I would rather end up with a girl than getting involved with you.”

“Okay, I got it. Oh! By the way, Rishab called. He said he is missing you.”

“Fuck Rishab. Tell me one girl he doesn’t miss?”

“I know one, you. But this time he genuinely seemed to be missing you. By the way, who is this Ambar chick? He was talking a lot about her.”

“She is one of my friends from college. And now I know exactly why he has been missing me. Creep.”

“To ab agar tumhara meri maarne ka quota pura hogaya ho to main jaun? Just came home, need a bath.”

“OoooooHhhhhh! I can just imagine you without shirt. I wish 3G was more common.”

“Now look who’s a pervert. Seriously girl, give your hormones a break. Get back to your work.”

“Yeah! Yeah! Bye.”

“Bubye.”

Those memories of the past were disturbing her all the more. It was silent outside, but something was screaming inside her.

10:15 PM 

Half an hour more, still too many people around. And they both hear a voice. “Oh my Romeo! I shall miss thy dick, penetrating the insides of my anus, Thy rosy tongue, moving all over my nipples.”

Riya immediately recognizes the familiar voice “Shut the fuck up Rishab.” For the first time, she was glad Rishab was there.

“Awww! We missed you so much.” Just as Riya was about to hug him, Avin pushed her away and grabbed Rishab pretending to be teary eyed. Rishab was crushed in Avin’s tight embrace. Avin loosened his grip, still pretending to be teary eyed, “My Juliet! Thy kiss, I shall always remember in my soul. Thy touch, as soft as a butterfly, thy...”

Riya interrupts, “Oh cut the crap. Seriously! You two have taken this Gay business quite convincingly.”

They could almost imagine themselves back in school times when Rishab had been desperate to kiss Avin for the 500 bucks offered to him by a guy who came in their van. There was a time when the news had spread like fire that Avin and Rishab were possibly gay couples. Rishab and Avin had nearly ended their friendship because of that when they ultimately thought “screw people, who cares even if we are gay, let them assume so if they want to.”

“How did you reach here? I thought you were in Bangalore.” Avin was pumping with joy. He never expected Rishab to be there to see him off.

“I just got here. I caught the evening flight. I was afraid I would miss you.”

“That, you would anyhow.”

“Chal na. I have a lot of chicks around to make me forget my grief.” Rishab winked and turned to Riya, “Oh by the way how is Ambar?”

“Rishab! Leave her alone. You are not worth her.”

“Ha ha! Big deal. Just give me her no.”

“No I won’t!”

Avin snaps, ”See, if you don’t want us to have any wrong intentions for you, you should probably fix us with some of your hot female friends.”

“You better watch out for your firangi females. Those desi girls are just for me.” Avin and Rishab started fighting again like they used to in school.

Flight 847 for Chicago is ready for is passengers. Passengers of flight 847 kindly proceed to gate no. 2.

“Time to go”, Avin looked demented.

“Have a safe journey bro. Will miss you.” Avin and Rishab hugged each other. He looked at Riya for a second and then hugged her tightly. This was the first time they hugged each other and probably the last time. Riya controlled the sudden outburst of emotions that broke inside by the warmth of his embrace. “Cheer up fatso. I will stay in touch. 2 years atmost and then I will be back.”

“I know more about people who go abroad to expect you back in 2 years. Seriously! I am fine. Enjoy your life there. Make the best of this opportunity.”

Avin waved Goodbye to his friends and proceeded for immigrations.

Rishab got the opportunity to talk to Riya alone.

“So, did you say anything?”

“Say what?”

“Oh, come on. Anyone could have guessed that. You are madly in love with him, aren’t you?”

Riya didn’t know what to say...

“You thought I wouldn’t notice. All this time, I knew what you felt for him. It’s just that you lacked the confidence to express yourself. If only I knew you would be as dumb as not to say it even at the last few minutes, I would have disclosed that to him myself. Why do you think I came here on time?”

Riya was welling with emotions. Tears rolled down and she felt helpless. What if he doesn’t want her? What if he still loved his ex-girlfriend? Her worst fear was rejection from her best friend and losing a hope to be with him someday.

Avin boarded the flight. He could picture his life in America. It was gonna be an all new experience for him. His life was going to take a 360 degree turn.

He got up to check his belongings. Something was missing and he couldn’t figure out what. He knew he was forgetting something. He checked his bag again and found a music CD of Mandy Moore songs given to him by Riya. He wondered how it came there. It must have been there for a long time, and the day he decided to take that bag along with him, he must have forgotten to take it out with the other stuff from that bag.

As if a lightning struck him that very moment and he instantly knew what was missing. Tears rolled down his cheeks...

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Vasundhara Goyal
I eat when I am bored and I live by the quotes that explain exactly what I am going through. I fancy reading Archie comics for the love of my favourite character Jughead Jones and I tend to get attracted to guys with a persona like him. I am a loner and at times I search for lonely spots where I can just sit and daydream.

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Delhi Gang Rape - What's Next?

By Bhagyashree Deshmankar

Delhi Gang Rape. 

Talks all around...

Criminals should be punished; hanged till death!

Then I see people having their facebook profile pictures as a black spot to support the rape victim...

Wear black tomorrow to show sympathy...

Debates in parliament...

Discussions on news channels...

Reporters interviewing girls - Do you feel safe?

I don’t understand how to respond. 

Should I keep aloof?

or

Should I mourn seeing all this?

Not that I don't have sympathy for the victim! I being a girl, feel even more tormented and agitated on learning about the incident. Imagining all the atrocities she suffered in those moments and just thinking about the future consequences of all this on her life, sends shiver down my spine.

But, all sympathies would vanish in seven days, profile pictures would turn to beautiful new ones in a week, news channels will get a new story to cover and politicians will have a new issue to shout on! But things will never become normal for the victim. Those memories will be etched in her memory until her last breath and would scare her to death, haunt her every single day and night. So, we really need to ask ourselves, is this seven-day-show going to change the scenario?

Its not just that one girl, who has suffered from this evil. Innumerable girls face varied degrees of harassment each day. 

Some of those cases are brought to the notice of police. But still many go unreported due to the fear of denigration. 

Few culprits get punished. Still many lay unscathed and rather enjoy their life after destroying one!

So what can we do? 

Just blame the police? 
or 
Blame alcohol? 
or 
...wait for some other such incident to happen so that we can again get back to protests and candle marches??

Unfortunately, the situation is not going to change with protests. Be it a week long, or even for a month! Changes are always happen gradually. But the effort needs to be continuous. And changes sustain only if the evil is axed out from its roots. 

Police would promise to do their job efficiently the next time...  

Courts would promise some strict action... 

But just think - 

• if the parents of those cons would have taught them that girls and boys are equal, there is no superiority and no inferiority, that your manliness lies in treating ladies with respect and not in the mentality that girls are a weaker section of society?

• if a friend of a convict would have stopped him the very first time he talked something evil about a female?

• if for a small road side teasing, they would have been punished hugely so as to build a terror in them, that if they misbehave, they are going to suffer badly? 

The scene could have been different...This all could have been avoided!

No one becomes evil in a single day. Neither can alcohol turn a man into a monster, with just four-five glasses down. Only the accumulated evil over long years, results in what happened on that Sunday night.

So, the first time you hear about your son misbehaving, just hold his ears and show him the right path! 

The first time you hear your brother talking bad about some girl, tell him, Bhaiya this girl could have been me.

When your friends talk vulgar, don’t wait for their mothers to educate them. Just slap them there and ask them to respect girls. 

Make road side romeos see police stations before they gain enough courage to pull your stole. 

and 
lastly,  

When you see a victim suffer, don’t just let her fight alone! 
Step forward to help her fight the injustice. It is your moral duty!

 
It is really difficult to punish the brutality, the sunday night saw because no punishment would be sufficient enough as opposed to the horrid brutalities suffered by the victim. Severe punishment of castration or penectomy or death penalty is every one's cry. But these wounds will leave unforgettable scars on the victim's life forever.  

The thing I know is – Many such future scars can be prevented. The only requirement is a change, in you and in me. Bring that change now! Don't just wait to join another such protest. Try to prevent one.

May the victim be blessed with all the strength.
And the criminals suffer pain with each breath.

Amen!

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About the writer : I am Bhagyashree Deshmankar, an MBBS student from Indore.