Tag Archives: Gender

Data: Mera Cell Tera Cell!

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On one hand where data is a fantastic thing to have for anything and everything in the world,

Be it looking at the gender diversity ratio in a company/parliament etc.,

Be it the percentage of people for whom a certain drug might have worked in terms of the cure it offered, and in turn the effectiveness of the very drug,

Be it evaluating the state of economy, and the possibilities of getting returns on prospective investments,

Be it deriving insights from the experiments, scientists perform day-in-day out, concerning matters which we tend to deal with; with or without the realization of the same,

On the other hand, data tends to divide people, putting them into different groups and attributing the same with certain characteristics, in turn resulting in the biases that we all have, and in turn questioning the very fundamentals of a being, the very cells that make us all who we call as oneself.

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Many a times, I have had heard phrases like vasudhaiva kutumbakam, which means world is one family, unity in diversity etc. all suggesting that all are supposed to be treated equally,

No matter what our colour of the skin is,

No matter what religion we were bound to follow because we choose to be born in a particular family residing in a particular place in time,

No matter what gender we got associated to and were categorized in, based upon the reproductive credentials that we possess,

Yet, for the want of it, and at times for the need of it, the who’s who of the society, tends to divide and rule on the basis of the power of this very data, which surprisingly tends to find some kind of an acceptance, knowingly or unknowingly across all variety of people.

After all, if mera cell=tera cell (my cell=your cell), would there be a need to refer to people as being part of a group or a religion?

The reality is more often than not stranger than the fiction, and that’s why it’s easy to accept and adapt to the fictitious ways in which we have all got accustomed to living our lives.

The fact is that we are going to be bombarded with plethora of data along with its interpretation, day-in-day-out,

The question all need to ask themselves is whether they are prepared to make that all important choice of not succumbing to the fiction and rise above to realize reality.

Source for the Image: http://www.3dprinter.in/we-may-soon-have-3d-cell-printed-tissues/

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Gendered Genius!

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Let me begin this post by asking you a simple question, “who or what comes in your mind, when you hear the word, genius?”

Probably, for most of males, it would be someone like Einstein or similar, depending on one’s interest, but what is more surprising is that for females as well, it’s a male personality that tends to stand out among the geniuses of the world.

Have you ever wondered, why the fairer sex, doesn’t seem to find a place in the memory of individuals, when it comes to geniuses being spoken of?

Have you ever figured it out, why in the representation of super-people, superheros tend to dominate the other world and not the super-heroins?

If the male chauvinists out there are wondering, what the heck I am speaking of, I am actually questioning the very basis on how genius tends to find a definition in our society.

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I am actually trying to emphasize on the genius of a woman, when she handles her tasks, both personal and professional with such an amazing efficiency and commitment.

I am actually referring to the stability, that only the genius of a woman, can provide not only to individual families, but also to the entire cosmos.

Then, why such feats are not talked about or highlighted in the scheme of things, be it the media or our society in general?

Well, to be honest, am not such a big fan of labeling, be it genius or non-genius, for labels create divide.

Labels have evolved from a much prevalent tendency to post mortem each and every aspect of our lives.

But if it was so compulsive, that the entire label mentality cannot be given up in the near future, at least we should try to act equanimous at some level of labeling.

So, it’s high time, we make a change in the way we think, in the way we label, in the way we create this society and the world around us.

For if we were to go the gendered way of creating and labeling geniuses, we would be creating more biases and tendencies, which would be hard to ignore in times to come and would have its own set of repercussions.

Source for the Image: https://www.pinterest.com/babycenter/gender-reveal-ideas/

 

Say No to Domestic Violence

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The one thing that God certainly wanted for the entire humanity was to give rise to the concept of reproductivity and self-sustenance and growth. That’s why he made sure that a boy was accompanied by a girl when he decided that it’s time to start a new game.

And here we were all set to dance to His tunes. But little would He have wondered that a thing which He had started to ensure propagation of a never ending cycle would be corrupted by the illegitimate and inhuman whims of some amongst us.

No one had ever thought that the institution of marriage, evolved by our society, which was nothing but an advanced conception of the very basic thought, would turn into disrepute because of the vices and greed demonstrated by certain sections of our society.

And one such demonstration was manifested in the form of domestic violence resulting in illtreatment being meted out to women and girls by the people who would still want to be called masculine.

A plethora of reports and cases have been registered in our courts and in fact all around the World for the same cruelty and disrespect shown by the males of our society towards the women folk.

And you will be surprised to know that it’s just the tip of an iceberg with innumerous such cases not being reported and go unnoticed because of the fear of the social consequences and because the women don’t want to be singled out in this male dominated society.

Also, those women who are entirely dependent on their male counterparts for their sustenance and finances find it much more easy to bear the brunt of all the atrocities committed by their so called pati parmeshwar.

But with women becoming financially independent, things are certainly changing for the good and indeed women are raising their voices against this practice.

Women are beginning to play their part, but the question that needs to be asked is:

“Are the males of our society ready to play their part and help women in leading a life with respect and dignity, which is a fundamental right guaranteed to every citizen in our country?”

Source for Image: http://www.sierraexpressmedia.com/archives/36281

It’s Caste Time

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When I was in college (undergrad), I happened to be an observer of an amusing incident which occured during an academic project in which we as a group of 3 were supposed to inquire about the perceptions of girls about their status in Indian society.

While talking to a group of girls in a University in Kanpur, one of my project mates (whom I will call Mr. X from here on) seemed to become deeply interested in a particular girl. Seeing this actually happening, one of my other project mate and myself couldn’t let our special curiosity fade away, and we ended up standing next to a tree which was pretty close to where the real action was taking place.

After going through the normal conversation Mr. X did something which was beyond our comprehension. He asked the girl about her gotra. 

“What the heck he is talking about :)?” My other group mate was bemused at what he had just heard.

Being the gentlemen that we were, we thought of not interferring with the gotra talk that the couple was having and decided to decipher the mystery of the gotra after their conversation would come to an end.

It was not before half an hour that we could get an opportunity to talk to Mr. X, who went on to explain the hooplah surrounding the mystery term gotra. By the way Mr. X hails from a zamindar family residing in a small town in Harayana where he can do nearly everything but to marry a girl from the same gotra, which if he did, could literally have deadly consequences for both him and the girl.

The raison d’etre was pretty clear now to both of us. Mr. X wanted to leave no stone unturned to eliminate all kinds of risks and doubts before getting into any kind of relationship with a girl whom he had just met and had for sure fallen in love with.

It was not that Mr. X believed in the same tradition and norm that have been existant in his part of the World for quite sometime now. In spite of being the most eligible and educated bachelor in his town, he dared not to cross the line for the fear of the barbaric consequences.

Initially, we couldn’t believe what Mr. X had just told us and we thought that he was making a mockery out of us. But, soon we realized that he was dead serious about a fact that has become such an integral part of lives of the so many in our country.

On top of this, there are corporate houses and businesses trying to make money by encouraging such divisions in our society. And there are innumerable examples of such companieswhich make sure that the parent’s wishes of a girl marrying a guy of the same caste are fulfilled to the core.

The question that needs to be asked though is:

“Who is to be blamed for such a thought process? Is it the companies that are cashing on this kind of divisional thinking that needs to be blamed? or Should the administration in our country which has not been able to do anything whatsoever in order to get rid of this menace should be held accountable?

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Should we rise above the blame game to pause for a moment and take a look at the irrational and illogical tendency and mode of thinking that has gripped our society and has made us all corrupt to the extent of even indulging in actions that the whole humanity would be ashamed of?”

Source for Image: http://ratheesh.livejournal.com/322652.html

The Saviour

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Today while watching the show Satyamev Jayate, I was really impressed by the enthusiasm and lively nature of a gentleman who in true sense can be called a saviour for the couples who intend on getting married or are already married against the sweet will of their respective families and thus have been discarded and ridiculed for the same act by their very own family and relatives.

If you are wondering what he has done, then I must tell you that he has given birth to a concept with the name of love commandos, volunteers who are well trained and adept at accomplishing various feats ranging from protecting couples facing any sort of danger to their lives, to providing them with all the basic amenities needed for their survival.

He has tried exposing the basic flaw in the thinking that is being followed and practiced by various socio-cultural groups who call themselves protectors of the Indian tradition, by citing examples and drawing comparisons with the likes of Krishna-Radha tales.

But before delving into the religious justification of love between a couple, which he calls pure love, the question that should be asked to the so called protectors is: what is Indian tradition?

We call India a country depicting unity in diversity. With a plethora of regional differences, can we really talk about a common tradition for the entire country. If not, then what about the laws that are nothing but a reflection of the norms and traditions in our society, is there any justification in uniform codification of the same?

Does that mean that there cannot and should not be any law governing our society? Of course, not! What we need though is a logical and a rational basis for making and implementing a law, which should be isolated and saved from the influence of the irrational and at times, inhuman approach demonstrated by the protectors.

With the kind of rigidity and group cohesion shown by theseprotectors,one cannot help but wonder as to how their acts and whims can be justified in the name of tradition.

What might work though in such cases and with such people is a religious interpretation of the whole scheme of things that they take great pride in delving into. The question that needs to be asked by the saints of the religions which these protectors practice is:

“Where do you think you will end up if you continue to committ such heinous crimes-Hell or Heaven?”

Source of Image: http://lovecommandos.org/

The Welfare Concept

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When I was a kid, I used to wonder why is it that some parents tell their kids: “it’s a scary world out there” and used to deliberate over the thought process that would have gone behind parents telling their children about the same.

As I grew older and stepped out of the safe and protective ambience of my house to come in contact with the real World, I realized the fallacy of the concept of a welfare state that our country takes great pride in projecting herself as such on all international forums.

Some pessimists and non-reformists in the intelligentsia of our country would compare our country to malfunctioning states like Somalia and Afghanistan and would come to the conclusion that India is indeed a welfare state.

But as a common man, when I step out of my house, say, at 11 p.m at night, to take a casual stroll, why do I have to worry about being robbed or caught by the very same people who have been enthrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding our lives? Why do I have to worry about the nexus that has evolved between the politicians, bureaucrats and criminals in our country?

Why is it that girls in our country have started fearing venturing out at night, especially in cities like Gurgaon and Delhi? Are all the above examples indication of the welfare of our citizens which our nation wants to achieve?

If not, then what are we as a society and our administration as caretaker of the citizens of this country, doing in order to reverse this tide of an ever increasing crime rate?

Our government on its part is always lauding the steps taken by it in order to improve the governance in our country. But the question that needs to be asked is:

“How effective and efficient are these measures turning out to be?”

Source for Image: http://peterjmunson.blogspot.in/2012/01/welfare-state-thesis.html

The Girl Factor

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Today’s lunch was a real treat. I had the pleasure of spending some quality time with two of my cousins and my bhabi. If you are wondering what was the motivation behind me writing this article, then I must tell you that it is all because of my cousin who is unmarried and in all senses of the word is a pure heera in our family that I have been forced into penning my thoughts down.

A very handsome guy that he is, my cousin is a perfect example of a guy posessing all the qualities which a girl would desire in her husband or boyfriend. His want-to-die-for looks are well adorned with the kind of degrees that he posesses in his name. Having achieved so much in life on the professional and academic front, the only thing that’s missing in his life is the presence of a girl who would fill his life with joy and happiness.

With his kind of profile, I am sure that sooner or later he would be able to find a suitable partner for himself. But have you ever wondered about the prospect of guys who have not accomplished much in life? With the ever increasing male to female ratio in our country and with the kind of foeticide practices prevalent in our country, don’t you think the day is not so far when we would see more and more men left wanting to start a family.

The scenario was very well analysed and presented in the show Satyamev Jayate. The path that we as a society are treading needs to be reversed. A general awareness about the whole issue needs to be created and the practice of female foeticide needs to be stopped for our own good and for the good of our society as a whole.

Source for Image: http://nazariya.in/female-foeticide/922/

The Other Gender

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Today, in the morning, I was told by one of my friends about my recent inclination to write about issues concerning women and to have forgotten about the men folk as a whole. This article in every sense of the word is solely dedicated to the stronger sex :).

It is true that the men in our society don’t really have to go through the same kind of hardships that women in our country do. Having said that, they are not left immune, they indeed have their own share of problems.

And one recent problem that I was introduced to by the same friend is regarding the expectations that a guy needs to fulfill when it comes to family, wife or society to the extent that sometimes he feels quite suffocated with the whole scheme of things which seems to him like an unresolvable situation.

His parents expect him to earn more and more, or at least better than their neighbour’s or the distant relative’s son. After all, how can they afford to be left behind in the rat race. No matter how hard he tries, what comes his way is the mere recognition of the fact that he needs to do more in life.

Wifes, in some cases, can add up to his woes. With the ever increasing materialistic nature of our lives, she tends to demand more and more and her list of wishes tend to lie on an ever increasing curve.

If this was not enough, everywhere he goes, the first question that he needs to encounter, whether he likes it or not is: “beta, kya kar rahe ho aaj kal?” As if the whole world was only interested in the work and more importantly the benefits that he is deriving from that work.

At that point of time, the guy’s situation is comparable to a donkey who is unable to get his due share even after giving up all his life in the service of people whom he loves and cares for.

Somehow the guy cannot help but ask a question that seems to be quite relevant to the whole scenario:

“Why is it that I am guaged by my achievements in life and that too the materialistic ones, which is bound to fade away like a phoenix one fine day?”

Source for Image: http://livingcivil.com/expecting-is-understanding-thoughts-of-the-subconscious/expectations/