Christmas, Chilly as always!

It’s a cold-cold wintery morning, seems chilly than the usual ones we’ve had this year. And just like so many other usual nights, I’ve been up, thanks to the regular intake of caffeine which now seems to be dozing off in itself. The tick-tock shows 15 minutes to 7 and I very lazily work my way with the freezing fingers to write up this merry-merry Christmas post while listening to my very old Christmas fav – Fairytale of Newyork – The Pogues. What?!! C’mon, Everyone has a Christmas favourite! Yerp, not to forget about Santa as he arrives dashing through the snow, in a one horse open sleigh then over the hills he goes, laughing all the way-ho-ho-ho-ho :D

And as they say, if you were naughty enough being up all night, sneak-peeking on him leaving you or your loved ones some Christmas present, he would know of it and won’t show up. So I would take it to be the reason for him not visiting me this year yet again. But, honestly, I’ve had my share of chocolates and gifts fair and square when I was a kid.

Merry Christmas! :)

I’ve always wished to wake up one x-mas, crawl out the blanket, put on the gown and move to the balcony to see the entire area covered with snow. As cold as white it is. Well, the world didn’t end on the 21^st December of 2012 which means I definitely have pretty good chances of witnessing it sometime in the future. And if, Santa, by slightest of the slight chances you end up reading this, I would want nothing more in a present for the forth coming rides. Except for those we talk about sometimes. And yeah, don’t forget a fireplace in the apartment. It would be so freezing, i could feel the chill down my spine. That’d be all if you can cater with that itself, old man.

And as my facebook status says:

Merry Christmas, Teri Christmas, Sabki Christmas! Enjoy. :D
P.S. You don’t remove your shoes when you go to a Church!

Yeah, wrote that in the status because I saw like many people last year, actually removing their shoes outside the Church. But then again, it’s all about believes and conscious. People do as it suits them. So suit yourself. But just for a note, if you don’t want anyone else scribbling the same somewhere next year because of you, don’t do it.

...

Merry Christmas and eat lots and lots of chocolate chip cakes, because Santa likes it! Ho ho ho... God bless!

 Adios.

Anatomy of social skepticism!

The history teacher, I remember, in ninth grade taught us of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, better known as the "Father of modern India", known for his efforts to abolish Sati Pratha, (the Hindu funeral practice in which the widow immolated herself on her husband's funeral pyre) and child marriage. The latter is still practiced in many rural parts of the country. But, did it happen in a fortnight? Was Rome built in a day? Its baby steps to everything.

The gruesome incident that took place on the evening of 16^th December left not only the capital but the whole nation in a sense of dreadful awe. The whole nation was dumbstruck at the act of brutality which continued to the hullabaloo at India Gate between the protestors and Delhi police clasping each other in the paroxysm of anguish on the weekend of 23^rd December led by stupefied acts of a group of detrimental people who joined the peaceful protestors and evoked the clash by breaking the barricades set by police with lathis and started stoning the police personnel.

And still, we did what we do the best. Yes. All we did was blame.

Whom did you put the blame on? When it was you who deserved it!

Yes, there is a system fault in everything that happened, from that evening forth to the weekend, but up to a certain extent. For a hideous crime such as this, there should be amendments made in the Indian Penal Code for conviction to teach those irksome elements in the society a lesson and something which they fear and shit their pants before even thinking about bringing to picture. But it’s not just that which would help us eradicate problems like rape and molestation from the society, it would take a lot more. It is the government’s job to provide security and a responsive administration. But the reason rapes happen, are rarely reported, and are listlessly investigated, is not because of our government, it is because of our society. It is because we make a rape survivor feel that she is better off not asking for redress for it happens to be enticing the entire social shaming and meddlesome questioning that goes with it.

There also is a strict need to have institutional reforms to change the mind set of people, which is the patient task of families and schools, though less emotionally satisfying than attacking Manmohan Singh. It isn’t sceptic but clear that society does influence such acts on a greater scale. The crying need of the hour is to work on the social stigma regarding the respect of women, on the lack of education and gender equality. No doubt we are still living in a society where there exist men who cannot tolerate their better half earning more than them, and we so called struggle to get ourselves under the tag of developed nations with such mentality. Not happening.

Protesting there at India Gate some women later complained that there were men whistling and taunting them in the mob, and said “If they are here to protest against the gangrape, how can they disrespect women?” I would rather suggest that, instead of complaining later they should have slapped them then and there itself and asked them the same question. And, if you don’t, you are equally encouraging them. Yes, I am suggesting that the women need to take a stand too. Ask him politely once, twice, if he’d be a gentleman he would withdraw (though a gentleman wouldn’t do such a thing in the first place) and if he doesn’t, kick him in the balls the third time. That is a solution but yes, we need to work on skinning out the problem itself, we need to make society a better place to live in. And that’s what we are doing.

All these online Petitions, changing the display pictures of your facebook and #twitter accounts, neither the street lightning nor the token gestures like VIP’s giving up their security, none of these are going to change anything. Talking about men whistling disrespectfully and women taking a stand, we know we are pressing for a solution but do we actually realise that we ourselves are the nocuous problem?

We probably do need another Raja Ram Mohan Roy to step up for the nation yet again, but once when we sagaciously enough understand that we ourselves are the problem, it would not be a gig much strenuous to scrutinize that we our own selves are the solution too!

Restitution to blogging and five toed Pachyderm!

Having being away for a long long time, we're back with some new posts and news related to the success of PETA and several Animal Welfare organizations in various campaigns conducted throughout. And it's a new look, for everyone who was bored with the "Magazine" view of the blog, we're back to the "simple" template and now have the "translate" option interfaced within for spreading the word (on your demand). Language isn't a bar no more. Keep it coming people, we are hearing you out here!

Well, First of all, Congratulations to all of you for having the 13 year old elephant "Sunder " freed from the torment of his "mahout" (so called Care-taker) at the Jyotibha Temple. The 13 year old being was chained in spikes, denied food and water, put under improper and dreary shelters where he could not even take a single step in comfort. And once again our special thanks goes to the former Playboy model and previous Big Boss guest Pamela Anderson for sending in an appealing letter to Mr Vinay Kore, a member of the legislative assembly of Maharashtra state and a leader of Jan Surajya Shakti Party for which we are soon going to have sunder rehabilitated in a wildlife rescue-and-rehabilitation centre near Bangalore.

Yes, it definitely is good for Sunder and we are happy for him. But for how long would we keep watching those mahouts masked as saints torment their rage on these poor beings? Elephants being such godly species and of such high religious importance, it's a shame that they have to undergo such vexatious acts in a country like ours.

This is brought forward just to bring into your notice that next time you pay a "mahout" anything but money, remember what it is going to be used for. Think if it would be of any favor to the massive poor being (the elephant) at all. As long as you pay him, he is going to keep the wild enslaved. And that, sure is in no-one's good intentions.

Elephants have been beautiful fictional character's to alot of your children's childhood memories, well if not then your childhood memories probably. It is simply  clear just give it a thought once and you would know what is right. They don't deserve to be out on the streets between all those honking automobiles but in the reserves where they could actually share their emotions with those alike. Help them just like Sunder!

Naive! It Aint They To Be Pity On, But Us ..

Ahh..! It's a Saturday night again. No one actually sleeps on a Saturday night.. not aleast the normal ones. They go out partying, getting stoned, getting high, getting wasted, basically. But, no1 sleeps. Neither would i.. not until i complete this very post. This actually should sound grievy. Not being in a habit to post something, or better say not having anything to post in, made me aware of how i am losing interest in the matter but it's like there cannot be random posts on a topic like this. I know there are barely very few people who go through the whole post, bearing what i write but trust me, usually i myself drop the idea about writing one which people would have to bear going through, but cant help it, so here i go again, reminding us all what we are habitual of doing, and it is these habits that we need to change,and as said "Habit never dies", but i guess can be changed.!

And, where were we? yeah, Saturday night. Am not out partying but instead here with this laptop, one stupid Internet connection which doesn't work no good and yeah expires after every 1 month claiming itself being a hole in my pocket, i miss being out there. I did not think I'd land up doing this at 4 in the morning, but then you know it's time like this when you sit alone and think what you actually think about thinking on such things worth giving a think. It was a Saturday near 20th Feb when as a part of nation-wide protest, nearly 50 people in Chennai participated in a candlelight vigil. It was done in order to actually raise awareness about a string of violent attacks against animals. Rest were out partying ..Actually, the good thing is that, the participants were mostly students and all posters and stuff were created by them and volunteers from different animal welfare organisations, and that the people actually showing concern over the matter were being guided with legal provisions on how to prevent cruel animal attacks.I am actually glad that something like this is happening. This was something good and a positive response to all the work put in by several to spread some awareness about such things and the work seems to be putting up.

But there was another matter i was quite shocked after going through and i bet you too will be. The former Playboy model Pamela Anderson, accused one of India's most prestigious research centers, of animal cruelty, urging it to retire decades old test monkeys and adopt human practices. Anderson said dozens of monkeys are kept in "cramped, barren, and rusty cages for years on end," and appealed for the release of one monkey she said had been suffering at the research facility for nearly 20 years. She saw the matter on some video and mailed a copy enclosed along with a letter addressed to R C Deka, Director of All Indian Institute Of Medical Sciences, India (AIIMS). she wrote "It broke my heart to see the suffering that is documented in the enclosed video" in the letter sent on her behalf by People For Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA), India. "But the animals suffering behind closed doors at AIIMS must endure this nightmare every day." she added. The former Baywatch model says she cried while viewing the video, and described workers "slamming" animals against their wire cages and "taunting" the monkeys by pretending to kick them. Awful! AIIMS officials to this very disgraceful matter said they had not received the letter and added the facility is "state of the art", Times of India reported. More than 40 monkeys and other animals, including rabbits,mice and guinea pigs are caged at the institute and are used in trials for development of new drugs, the newspaper said.
To this -"Indian laboratories are required to rehabilitate animals after three years of research and to provide them with a clean habitat", said PETA India in a statement. Now this is what happens at the government level, in the premises where they talk about taking up strict actions against such activities but after this matter being disclosed at such an extent i guess "What happens at AIIMS doesn't no more stays at AIIMS".

And if this is what happens at AIIMS, we can just imagine what's going on at the other similar places. *worst*. Well, they don't just say to say "what Goes Around, Comes Around" they mean it and the statement holds nothing false. How would people those very same people feel if they are the one's behind those cages and the poor things now suffering taunt them the same way they do? How would they feel if they are experimented with a drug before it is termed a success or failure? How would they feel if they are simply put behind bars for very same 20 long years, away from their natural habitat, their family, their alike?? Questions unanswered! Not because no one has the answers but because no one wants to answer these. why dirty your hands cleaning up someone else's mess.

It's a shame, nation-wide, being accused of something like this and that too for a highly reputed Medical Institute like AIIMS. But why would we care, or why would anyone care. Lets wait for another Saturday, get boozed and continue partying the hell-out and let these beings suffer the same way because we are not yet being affected by crap like this. And if left un-questioned we surely will. Now what do you plan to do? Wake up and ask now or to wait up until you are harmed in no good way?
You must have made hell-lotta choices before , here you go to make one more, all yours, choose wisely ...

Ms. Anderson you did a great job and i hope it does some good to the beings behind the cages! Hats-off.!

Rendezvous with the Wild

I was a kid, when i first heard that the biggest threat to all other races is the human race and the greatest advantage too! But we humans have a problem with ourselfs, which is to think about only us, to care about the benefits only we can have, to do good to others only if we are too at good equally or maybe sometimes at power. They say it right, that we would be the biggest cause why this world comes to an end. "They" i used the word there, you people might be wondering whom am i talking about. No, none of our selfish beings, its the other races, the fauna, screaming out loud everyday to stop with our cruel deads, to stop bringing this world, this beautiful creation closer to its end with every passing day. No one knows how this beautiful creation came into begining, and yet we talk about it, assume evry minute possible thing that would have happened to have this world the way it is at present, but no one ever talks about how it is moving closer to it's cesation with every passing day. Why? Not because people dont like talking themselves to their or anyones end to existence, but because people, those very same people who remark at the big bang theory to have this tale originated cannot have themselves in picture with their hand in its culmination.

This post well, is not about just the wildlife we are posing a great threat to, though it is an issue rather larger and this thing i am talking about is another of its root. The pace at which we are moving towards development today would fetch us nothing but stimulate desolation. In 6th grade i first read about deforestation, and it of being an issue of utter disgrace to all human kind. Though i came across something called "AFFORESTATION" at the same time but how many times have i heard of it since then as compared to the latter!? Hardly, i would answer! Here neither am i asking someone to plant trees nor am i trying to convey you all to go through again what we read when we were kids. No! But if u vision yourselfs a bit farther, say some years from now, some 10x years, what would we have in our world? new buildings breaking world record in being the tallest made ever everyday.Bridges,dams,river channels being made the longest one after another, ahh!, sorry, there wont be any water left so this point wont fit the picture.Anyways, what else, mines? I dont think so, by then we would go so poor in these ores,veins,jewels and crystals that mines are way too hard to think of. Oil spills then, am afraid that too wont excist till that time. That means what, no cars to run on fuel, not atleast on any lubricant. No hydro or thermal powerplants working no more. We people may get a way out of this by some sort but where would we all end up? Buildings all around us? No more green trees, no more vegetables and fruits, not natural ones atleast. No more animals and birds chirpping and howling. Whom would we hunt then n fulfill our hunger and thirst? Paper companies these days produce a large amount of paper, no doubt fulfilling need of all those in need. And it aint an easy job to do that! no, it aint, not at all, to sweep down the whole jungle off its area, all trees! Bukit Tigapuluh, one of the world top 20 largest forests and wildlife habitat, one of the priority landscapes globally for the survival of the tigers is being systematically targeted for pulp production by one of the world's largest paper suppliers. This is in breach of the company's claims that it doesn't target high quality and high conservation value forest for clearing and that its carbon footprint is close to neutral. This takes place when the paper can be and should be manufactured on self-fell off trees only but here whole parts of the forest are being swipped off. The animal habitat getting off the head of the wildlife there, they run for shelter and food and end up in close encounters with local tribes,which result in nothing but loss of lives of both human and wild. Investigation found that in the last six years, the company in this landscape alone contributed to loss of about 60,000 hectares of high carbon and high conservation value forest without appropriate professional assessments.

Where are we going with all this i just dont seem to understand. Where and till when would our eco-sytem have to compensate on our demands and needs? We get into the very shelter of the wild and not only deprive them off their places but kill them mercilesly. As we progress, our needs and wants increase and as the needs increase, the more we harm our natural surroundings and the more we end up closer to extinction, ours, the othr races's, the flora-fauna and evrything. There has been increasing heat in summers, year by year as a result of global warming and with the glaciers and snow montains melting down,reulting into a lot more colder winters evry year followed by.

"I was a kid, when i first heard that the biggest threat to all other races is the human race and the greatest advantage too, now dont know about the advantage but can figure out why did they mark us out as the biggest threat!.The animals maybe beings at less power to make us understand what they feel, but for sure are not beings as dumb as us to participate in this meaningless race to extinction." This New Year's, i for sure would resolve to have some change, if nothing else then by planting a tree is the least i could do for us instead to trying to celebrate a step closer to the grave. What do you intend to do?

Animals!? ..No I Guess We Rather Are Beings More Wild!

When people hear a baby cryin, some get irritated while some want to hold it in there hands and tap it gently soothing it off it's distress.
but on the other hand picture some poor calf moaning of the cold freezing winter outside while you are in your blanket having all the warmth.
What do u do?
You get up indeed and move to that poor lil' being outside but not to help it out of it's agony but to shoo it away so that u can get back to your sound sleep and it may go smwhere else and moan in the same pain.,You dont help it out of it's misery but instead augment it's pain.

Whatsoever a bit tantamount event occured a few days ago in an educational institution in punjab. *name not mentioned for legal reasons.*
As the incident reported of mercilessly killing a sambhar to death chasing it for 6hrs. Teachers and students of the institute said that a few days ago, some of 'em had noticed a sambhar in the bushes of the campus,and on the poor being, being spotted again in the campus, the matter was informed to the wildlife department of the institute.
Well, i would like to remark here that a wildlife dept. in an institute is often made to help out the wild animals who once had a place of shelter where the temple of knowledge is now build and may sometimes by mistake enter the campus area which is now deprived from them.
But here it doesnt even seem close to the context, the reaction of the wildlife department was like - half a dozen employees of the dept. holding sticks and stones in there hands and chasing that terrified being to death in the next 6 hrs..
The college authorities remarked "They (wild-life dept. employees) seemed more interested in their share in the animal's flesh rather than catching it safely".
There was no need to kill that poor animal at all and that too after tranquilising it. and Yes, the poor thing was killed just for it's flesh..

Now, that you read it all.. i ask you, who seemed more of an animal there? WE-the people chasing the terrified being or that poor thing who could not even cry for help and mercy?
I need not expalin anything else..it's all like crystal clear. We first cut-off their shelter and then when they roam around us in there own native place,with no intention of harming any one, we chase 'em, hunt 'em down for their flesh!! *Alarming* as it seems!
Shame is the only word i have for people like them!

This was just 1 incident i came across and there are around hundereds alike happening everyday, and they would go on till we let it happen. If someone would have stopped those beasts chasing the sambhar, that poor thing would have had it's life and that too quite peaceful one in some sanctuary or something!

Similar cases have been registered in state of Assam. Consequences to shrinking forest cover and encroachment upon elephant corridors have forced animals to stray into human settlement areas, often attracted by the smell of locally brewed rice beer. During the past two months, herds of wild elephants have wreaked havoc in several parts of Assam. The animals are forced to move out of jungles due to increasing encroachment by humans, leading to these clashes between the wild and human!



"If this is left to move on the same way then, as we progress further towards a developed economy on the stake of our eco-system, the encounters between the wild and the human would be of a common context and something which one should get habitual of!"

DONT YOU SEE OR ARE YOU JUST PRETENDING NOT TO?

I never really thought of writing a blog, and a blog on such a topic - was never a tea of my cup.. but then it was saturday of 23rd october 2010..in the evening sitting all alone by my room, i grabbed this newspaper- the "Times Of India" and came across this cover story which was about 4 pages and trust me -was really alarming. The whole argument dealt with what consequences our economic and materialistic national development with a selfish approach has on the eco-system esp. the other races,the other part of the food-chain, -the fauna! "Animals Under Attack!"


Never having been thinking about any of this stuff i suddenly started to get thousands of things moving around in my mind and i decided to jot 'em down but keeping all those to myself would have been a cruel deed to those races, and i found no other good media to spread a little awarness (atleast from my side) better than this blog and i seriously hope that this helps. If nothing this may spread a bit of awarness about what is going around with the natural animal habitat, the balance of the eco-system and the speedy extinction of one race by the other.


With much of a perturb caption, the argument in this context is quite an alarming issue to talk about. There was this incident being talked about in that cover story dealing with some women, resident of mumbai and her encounter with one of the most dangerous and poisonouss species of snakes found in asia -Russel's Viper. The poor being louging in a corner of someone's bathroom ,is that the place where it should have been? but that is not the question i am talking about. The Answer i need is for "what happened to the place where he belongs?" what about those forests? Where are they now?


Whenever you enter a mall or a city complex do you even realise that it was a place for several species to shelter themselves from the odds of life -a forest. No one ever gives a thought to such things and instead put up something like "what do i care if there was a forest or a demolished building?". You dont but they do, these species like the Russel's Viper who loudge in peoples bathrooms or that leopard found crouching in an ATM enclousure in Guwahati's Pan Bazaar area driven by sheer hunger from such shrinking jungle habitat, they do, just sometime try thinking what goes on them, where must they go and ask for help?


The warmth of sunshine in winters, the cold soothing breeze bringing life back in hot summer afternoon, the first rain of monsoons, the shedding of leaves and wearing out trees in autumn and spring bringing life back to them is not meant for just us but those poor beings too! They cant speak unlike us doesnt mean that they dont feel,neither does it mean that they are helpless, but it's us who can help them,it's we that the circumstances can be made better by. The present day is a proof of what they are asking is in a way much polite manner than it would be some 30 years from now. And then this day would be recalled and regretted of.


Well, all this doesnt mean that you need to think about those trees and animals that place had before that mall or society was built, but just give a thought the next time you are about to sweep some other area off such jungle habitat for a place where you think of residing, depriving a leopard of his place!


Developing our economy at the stake of our eco-system and harming other beings on the planet is not what i am in favour of and neither should any one else be!


STAND ACT SAVE..!