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A students union in university or college is established with a view to provide educational, cultural, social and intellectual experiences to the students. They facilitate the interaction with teachers, alumni and eminent personalities so that it enhances the intellect and gives an all round exposure to the students. It also gives the office bearers an opportunity to prove as able leaders.

Recently the students of JNU raised the anti-national slogans. The issue is being discussed as per everyone’s convenience. It is quite amusing the read the reports which says that an enquiry was initiated only after receiving a written complaint from another students union. The enquiry on such a sensitive issue is still on. Without bias such anti national activists should be out rightly punished. Such an activity does not qualify for a debate of being right or wrong. It’s shocking enough that one of the political leadesr tweeted that students are innocent. If raising anti national slogan is innocence then the day has arrived when innocence should not be spared. Another politician has criticized the enquiry and said that the situation in JNU campus is akin to emergency. There has been a volley of shameless and unscrupulous opinions over the issue. One of the journalists has written a detailed article which says that HRD Minister cannot take a stand on JNU issue because she has not been to college ever. If this is true then has that journalist ever been a minister to comment so.

The entire nation bowed to the supreme sacrifice of brave heart Hanumanthappa. He laid his life so that the nation could survive. We should endeavour to make ourselves worthy of his sacrifice; instead the group of students with their malafide intentions have made us hang our heads in shame.

It is incomprehensible how, students who are future of this country, who should be leading this nation to brilliance and excellence can even think of killing their conscience to the extent of raising anti national slogans in a cultural event. Is this the culture being bred in the University.

Unfortunately, in India the students union is associated with political parties. Such a practice has envenomed the very purpose of establishing students unions. The student leaders are keen to appease political leaders for personal ambitions. But the recent JNU issue is the worst example of compromise. God save our country if these unpatriotic students breed the vicious wish to be our future leaders. They should be treated as traitors and tried like any criminal. No religion and no duty are above patriotism.

गिरां बार है ज़ीस्त

समान ज़रा हल्का रखिए

अय्यार है बिसाते ज़िंदगी

चाल ज़रा हल्का रखिए

फ़रेबे बक़ा है हयात

उम्मीद ज़रा हल्का रखिए

यौमे मलामत है इमरोज

मन ज़रा हल्का रखिए

बिखर गए हैं शिकस्ता ख्वाब

क़दम ज़रा हल्का रखिए

India is the largest democratic republic. The Government is by the people, for the people and of the people. The constitution bestows us with rights to freedom, freedom of religion, right to equality, education, culture and right against exploitation and above all a right to constitutional remedies.

The functions of the government can be grouped into three categories; to make laws, to execute them and to adjudicate them. Of the three organs of the government, the place of primacy belongs to the Legislature, which is responsible for law-making and is followed up by law-enforcement, which done by Executive and finally the adjudication functions are vested in the Judiciary the third organ of the Government. In India all amendment can be initiated only in the legislature. The executive not only ensures observation of laws and regulations but also leads the legislature. It gives a direction to the nation. The importance of the judiciary in a democracy is of utmost supremacy. Judiciary administers justice and also protects the rights of the citizens and it acts as the interpreter and guardian of the constitution. It has the powers to invalidate laws and decrees which are not constitutional.

Despite having a foolproof system in place it has been observed that protests are inevitable. Recently we have seen an upsurge in protests in India. Students commit suicide in protest. As a protest group of ladies forcefully enter restricted areas in some temples. Army officials protest for one rank one pension pattern. Aggrieved students protest against the changed examination pattern. The list is endless.

Public protests are a form of communication to demonstrate a strong objection or disapproval against a system or a Policy of the Government or a prevalent practice in the Society. Protests are exhibits of public sentiments. Protests will follow all traits of sentiments. Just like sentiments the protests will be polarized either as positive or negative. The will also showcase feelings of anger, happiness, disgust, sorrow, aggression, which are very similar to individual sentiments. The nature of protests often defines the maturity level of the populace. A silent and organized protest connotes the sensibility of the protestors. On the other hand a phrenetic, disorganized or a frenzied crowd signals two aspects, either the masses have lost faith in the democratic framework or the people are yet to come of age to understand the true power of democracy.

The raising educational standards have increased the expectation of the general public. The globalization has changed the perception. The government needs to understand the sentiments of public and make necessary changes in its machinery.

Recently a college girl fell into the swirling Arabian Sea while clicking a selfie off a rocky part of the Mumbai beach. A youth plunged into the water to save her, was also swept away. In a similar incident in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district, an attempt to take a selfie atop a fort proved fatal for a youth as he fell backwards and died. A couple of months back, a 14-year old schoolboy, who was trying to take a selfie on his cell phone atop a stationary train wagon, was electrocuted and died in Mumbai.

These are some of the incidents that tell us the story of youth dying in vain. Certainly the purpose of selfie was never so great to lose life. However vain, it may sound to us but a search on photo sharing app, Instagram, retrieves over 23 million photos uploaded with the hashtag #selfie, and a whopping 51 million with the hashtag #me.

Veritably, we all are vain to some extent. It’s an inseparable facet of being human. As per the principle of social psychology, we are constantly evaluating ourselves in relation to other people. Some comparisons make us feel better and fortunate while few others beget regret and remorse in us. These days comparisons through various platforms of social media are just a click away. Every moment we are updated of our friends’ statuses. Not only, has the virtual interference in each other life events increased manifold, but it is also having undue influence on each other’s life style. In a race to impress others or to bestow glory upon ourselves we tend to buy and pose in high end designer brands. Today, the social networking sites are full of selfies and self glorified photographs, shamelessly inviting likes and comments viz ‘Awww’, ‘pretty’, ‘kewl’ etc...

Are we not heading towards a vanity prone zone? Why is this generation, especially the youngsters, crazy posting the pictures and then yearning for likes and the comments? Do such likes and comments make them feel alive in the society? Such compliments will gratify and pamper the ego but in reality it entraps us in a bubble of fake fame. If this is true, then the generation has lost the inner strength to prove itself. Indulging in false pretences will definitely head us towards a social impasse. Languishing for false joys is detrimental to our personality and society.

Vanity is empty pride. No matter how inflated it is, one day it will surely fizzle out filling life with hollowness. We should not let vanity override sanity. Let’s learn to love ourselves and our identity. There is a sane purpose for every life. We should understand the objective and give our best. Nothing in life is more satisfying than being modest.

In a recent survey conducted by Greenpeace, Delhi has been rated as one of the most toxic city in the world. The report explains that a particulate matter termed as PM 2.5, which has a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers, has been discovered in high concentration in air. Thus the air that envelops Delhi is in abundance with this deadly component. PM 2.5 is a miniscule particle in the air that reduces visibility, causes the air to appear hazy and affects respiratory tracts. To combat this pernicious silent killer, Delhi Government proposed several initiatives viz. ban on burning waste and crop residue, purchase of diesel vehicles and the odd even rule for cars. As per the statistics available on internet this rule will succeed in putting off 20 lakhs cars per day from roads. Keeping as many as 20 lakhs cars will certainly help road space rationing and reclaiming the clean air by reducing pollution levels. But, the big question is how are the owners of these 20 lakhs vehicles going to manage commuting to their destination.

Metro is one of the alternates, but metro is already overcrowded and even an iota of an additional burden will create chaos. In absence of any other reliable alternate public transport system, people will definitely turn towards auto rickshaws. Any such option will definitely defeat the purpose of implementing odd even rule.

Greater Noida is not very conveniently connected to mass transport system. We, the residents of Greater Noida are dependent, firstly on shared auto, then on the road transport, to reach the nearest metro station. The actual journey to the work place begins at this junction, which is almost 30 KMs from our respective residence. It’s impractical to expect a person to change as many modes mentioned and then walk to his work place from the metro station. The plight of persons travelling from Greater Noida to Gurgaon or vice versa is furthermore, incomprehensible. A tiring journey everyday saps energy required to do the job diligently.

The Government in its zeal to reclaim clean air has adopted a policy that has already been tried in lot of other countries. Most of them have failed to bring results. The copy paste culture has murdered the ability to think and act independently. The problems, in general, are similar everywhere but solutions are always different and unique. It would be foolish to lift a working model from elsewhere and try to implement it in a different environment. The administration in its fervor to solve one problem is creating lot of others.

One greatest reason why people confront and oppose a new initiative is because they have not been psychologically conditioned for the change. It’s natural to be reluctant to changes that compel us to leave our comfort zone. Further the initiatives announced exempt politicians and ladies from the odd even rule. Such exemptions send wrong signals in the public. This indicates that Government is being skeptic and taciturnly cluing that the initiative may be non workable.

Nobody wants to live in a city which has turned into a gas chamber. A little education regarding the latest findings about pollution levels and its impact on present and future generation would have eased, the element, causing trouble in achieving a positive result. Each one of us hopes to look upto a cerulean azure skyline. We all wish to look into a clear reflection in clean water. The Government should come out with a workable and executable solution.

Religion cannot be bound in a definition. It is a divine bond between the God and man, the creator and the created.

An etymological rootage of the word may be traced to Latin word ‘religio’ which nearly means to ‘re-connect’ or reverence for gods’. Religio in social parlance is prayer at personal level. The Greek work ‘threskeia’ which is translated as religion, actually stands for worship. The Arabic word ‘din’ too is interpreted as religion, whereas translators have expressed it as ‘law’. Throughout its long history, Japan had no word equivalent to religion! ‘Halaka’ in Judaism also denotes ‘walk or path’. In Sanskrit the word ‘dharma’ now referred to as religion, then meant ‘law’.

There might have been several reasons which sprung seed of religion in human heart. One may be the need to search for an identity; the other may be a cardinal requisite to connect to the almighty and so on. As the search intensified the simple prayers were tagged with certain philosophies and doctrines. By and large these were endorsed by the society. The search for god the ‘most pious one’ could be accomplished by walking on a path equally virtuous. Certain rules were set for the masses to follow. It worked like a guideline for the people. It not only benefitted the masses with a virtuous bent of life but was equally useful for the society as it ensured moral and ethical binding on the conduct. Reducing the concept to its simplest yet most significant form possible, without loss of its spirituality, i.e. in its canonic form, we may interpret that religion at this stage was doing its best at micro level and macro level.

As weeds invade a field, as lava oozes out of a crater, as confidential information leaks from a project or as an acidic residue seeps into a river, similarly the rituals found their way into the holy concept of religion. Rituals bred on superstition and wiped out the logical reasoning and essence of religion. Gradually rituals supplanted the basic purpose of religion. The rituals had a mass appeal with a strange binding factor and also related very well to the mythological stories woven around each God.

History records that since 2nd century BC, 1,763 wars in the name of religion have been fought. But the research infers that most of the overt or covert religious wars have been waged exploiting cultural differences and used as a tool to usurp territory, grab power, and cumulate resources or for vicious greed. All such wars have been fought with a concealed political vendetta. Religion when associated with powerful regimes has proven fatal. The Kings, the rulers, the regimes, the authorities have all agnized that religion is the weakest link in a multicultural world. The innocent people and impeccant hearts are drawn into bloody wars for political gains.

Faith is a private issue. The god and the devotion for salvation to him should be close to the heart. What are the beliefs of the person next to us should not be our concern. Any attempt to this effect is violation of privacy and should be treated as moral crime. Faith and religion should dwell in our heart and soul. Faith is like a cool breeze on a sunny day or a like a oasis in a dry desert. The key issue is not irreligion but religious identity which makes us a puppet in the hands of politicians. Let us nurture the religious identity in our hearts and the moment we step out in the streets, may we behave like humans full of compassion and fondness for each other. Let us not let the politicos take advantage of our faith.

A dozen of Indian writers returned their awards reprobating an atmosphere of intolerance in the country. Since then more than forty literati and almost two dozen film makers have returned the awards (not the hefty amount received with it, though) to the Government.

Their campaign is coined as ‘unprecedented rebellion by the cream of India’s literary talent.” The self coined campaign by the self appointed literary proles, the so called “the cream of India’s literary talent”, exposes the pathetic state of their understanding of affairs in the country. Further, joining of other groups and relating several incidents with the campaign reflects not only a psyche of crowd following but also a lack of maturity and sensibility in the group, where it is expected most.

Does returning of awards solve the problem? No, it doesn’t. Then what purpose does it serve and why do they continue returning the award despite knowing the fact that it is not going to help the situation. What actually prompts this elite class? Is it an identity crisis or is it the temptation to be in the headlines, or is it an agenda with ulterior motives? How can any of the above reasons be above my love for the country? How can any person bestowed with creativity and rationality, overlook the consequences of the action.

Today, the whole country is, thanks to the Press and the app world, abuzz with intolerance issue. No, none of us have experienced apparently anything as a climate of intolerance in our daily routine recently but we are being fed day in and day out about the stuff. Sadly enough, some of us will eventually believe that there is growing intolerance in the country and a few would resolve to retaliate in reaction. Thus the very purpose of returning awards is defeated.

On the contrary, the situation would have been totally different, had these Think Tanks decided to go to the village near Dadri, met the villagers, educated them, counseled them and spawned the harmony in them. They would not only have set a miraculous example but would have set forth a wave of concordance in the country. Instead of propagating such positivity, they have invited criticisms negativity and a hoard of absurd posts on whatsapp, FB and twitter.

हरसू यासो हिरास है ।

हर लख़्त को पुरसुकून की तलाश है ।।

हर तसव्वुर बेतासीर है ।

हर क़ता को राना ए ख़्याल की तलाश है ।।

हर औराक़ खाली ओ कोरा है।

हर उनवान को उम्दा मज़मून की तलाश है ।।

हर बशर क़ाबिल ओ ज़हीन है ।

हर शागिर्द को एक मुदर्रिस की तलाश है ।।

Simplicity has traversed a long journey. It has seen times when it was considered a virtue. It has also seen times when it has been termed for a lifestyle devoid of any panache. It has been associated with people who have practiced it genuinely as humility. It has also put up with people who have endured simplicity due to lack of an alternative.

What is simplicity? Is it wearing cotton? Is it eating bland food? Is it surviving without technology? Is it living without modern amenities? Is it commuting by public transport? What is it that determines us as being simple? Is being simple very difficult?

Our daily life incidences or our past experiences build our concept of simplicity. A person who has led his early life in penury and indigence will be reluctant to spend money. Their concept of simplicity is to be parsimonious and thrifty. The concept of needs is so limited in such people that they interpret all luxuries as greed. Spending money is reckless, wasteful and a violation of simplicity in his opinion.

Similarly, an old lady, who has spent herself working in kitchen and in other household chores, feels annoyed at the sight of gadgets placed in the kitchen and around. For her the tasks would be quite simpler and easier without them. The tools are meant to aid her and make her job simpler. But the very purpose of the tools is defeated because of her concept of simplicity.

It becomes tough to restrain ourselves in a world changing so fast. A world that is focused on possession, owning and amassing beyond needs. Practicing simplicity contradicts the general trends of the modern society. In the present times we are so unreasonably enamoured and besotted with acquiring the stuff around us that even a remote thought of simplicity strikes us with an onset of depression. We try to seek happiness with all the material benefits around us. The idea of de-cluttering and simplifying our lives triggers insecurity in us. It’s tough to cumulate fortune, but its lot more difficult and tougher to renounce them. A simple life is gratifying only when it springs from within.

We should take cue from the birds who build nests, squirrels that make drays and rabbits who live in burrows and they all take care of their young ones. Life is as good, precious and tough in any form. The life is simple and satisfying for them. Its devoid of all the confused multitude of things.

There is no single way of living simple. There are lots of aspects that determine simplicity. Simplicity is not denouncing the technology, it’s not embracing hardships in life and it’s not even withdrawing ourselves from the ever changing world. Such misconceptions just beget regression and not simplicity. It should not also be practiced to impress others. Simplicity is genuineness. It is a quality of being simply simple. Anything lacking ornamentation is simple. Clarity of concept and focused vision bears simplicity. It is the highest level of achievement. Simplicity should be an integral part of character. It should be developed as an attitude. Simplicity comes from within. It changes our perception. This attitudinal shift reflects on our lifestyle. We should get rid of unwanted echoes which interfere with the basic purpose in the journey of our life.

A circumstance is never good or bad. It is a cause and an opportunity to make us good or bad. The choice is ours.

Circumstances are always pre decided in our lives or as we often call it ‘predestined’. We have no choices for a change in situation. But we have a choice in how we conduct ourselves through the situations.

A positive and optimistic attitude helps us deal, properly.

Life is a platter of situations. Each day dawns with a plateful of situations. One day the menu served may be tasteful and appealing and on the other day it may be tawdry and not palatable at all. We seldom have a choice in what is being dished up. But we do have a choice whether we eat up or eat on.

Nevertheless it’s our duty that at the end of the day we do justice to every situation.

We often hear people saying ‘why does this always happen to me’ or ‘why me’. These utterances are from people who harp and dwell in self pity. God and life is never partial. He doesn’t endow a few privileged with all the good luck and nor does he dump a others with all the misfortunes. We all have our share of luck and misfortunes. It is just a matter of perception.

What one perceives as a tough situation, will be perceived as an opportunity by the other, which eventually helps him to prove oneself or renders a learning lesson.

What are circumstances? Circumstances are incidents or developments in our life. Some are happy, some are sad. Some are compulsive and some are impulsive. Still some are heart breaking, some are emotionally mending. Some are smart, some are trying, some frivolous and some are serious. Yet some are tempting, some are rave and some grave. Situations are plenty with a plentitude of responses.Its our attitude that decides the outcome of the situation. A positive attitude and a fighting spirit makes us more inviolable and infrangible.

The gravest of all the situations is a death in the family. The lives of all the immediate family members are shattered. The life stalls for the time being. Temporarily everyone in the family swagger and stumble under the pain and agony of the loss. It’s natural to take some time to gather all the broken pieces and begin again. Strong should begin, albeit after some gap, but weak souls break under the pressure. There are lots of families who have overcome the aftermath of such fatal and catastrophic event. The children become independent, mature fast and understand the life better and grow stronger every day. This untoward situation has actually inculcated virtues in family members that are essential for being an achiever. A death couldn’t be averted but dealing with the situation in a positive manner has actually ushered a spirited vigour. On the other hand if the family members had sulked and brooded over the loss and had not mustered enough courage and will power to forge ahead, then the consequences would have been totally opposite. Those who don’t fight in an adverse situation end up being losers consistently.

Happy situations and good times are always welcome. It’s a state of bliss. We laugh, dance, party, eat and make merry. We all try to make most of it. If we had a little circumspection, the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies, then we would never let such circumstances end. But nothing is permanent. Happy situations are not forever. The fear of losing a happy situation makes weak souls insecure. Such people often lose self confidence and keep thinking moodily or anxiously about something that has not happened, but on the other extreme a few develop an overconfidence, which spoils the essence of such situations. Great people learn contentment and humility during such periods.

At the end of the day what really matters is how strong and contended our stance made us, while dealing with the circumstances.