I wish if I could go bk to my childhood n jst shout at my highest volume in a public place;
I wish if I could sleep 4 hours widout gettng bothered abt my office targets 2 b completed;
I wish if I could jst laugh like a child widout any1 sayng "don't laugh much u might hv 2 cry later";
I wish if I could jst live my own way in ignorance of wht the so called man made society would say;
I wish if I could go bk 2 my nursery school days n enjoy each day wid new kind of celebrations;
I wish if I could jst enjoy myslf in rain gettng totally drenched widout any1 reminding me tht I am a grown up person;
I wish if I could wish all these wishes to be true
Friday, September 10, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
D countdown begins.....
Two years of ma life in this college- lots of experience, memories and few great frnds to be always wid me...Now wid d countdown alrdy been writtn on d board, I must say I am gonna miss ths class...Looking back to these two years what I can clearly see is a bunch of 19 'crazy or mad students' (as one of my frnd writes)2gthr start their journey, a journey which was unknown 2 all. Starting days of d college were really nice wid treats being given 4 no reason, it ws gr8 2 see a whole bunch 2gthr. Bt thn came d phase which now i hate the most- d fights...although aftr each fights we are again d same old class,if one sees from outside v were a class wid always fights and arguments...yet when a point of concern comes be it relating to a faculty or any event in d dept,there v stand 2gthr and thr i saw d real spirit of class.
These two years were real fun even though v were loaded wid assignmnts, yet those last minute rush to complete assgnmnts, projects, getting notes day before the exam, re-re doing IMC assgnmnts,all ws real fun. Now whn this lat week is cmng to an end(thnx 2 lax who hs been updating wid numbr of weeks left)all d laughtr, chattng, running behind each othr to get their mobiles evrythng makes me feel that am really gng 2 miss a gr8 phase of ma life.I must admit tht i'll miss d messy food out here and for sure d kind of fun v hd in hostel nothng cn replace tht.
With all these I hv one thng 2 say "I'am really gonna miss these days, am gonna miss my college days"
These two years were real fun even though v were loaded wid assignmnts, yet those last minute rush to complete assgnmnts, projects, getting notes day before the exam, re-re doing IMC assgnmnts,all ws real fun. Now whn this lat week is cmng to an end(thnx 2 lax who hs been updating wid numbr of weeks left)all d laughtr, chattng, running behind each othr to get their mobiles evrythng makes me feel that am really gng 2 miss a gr8 phase of ma life.I must admit tht i'll miss d messy food out here and for sure d kind of fun v hd in hostel nothng cn replace tht.
With all these I hv one thng 2 say "I'am really gonna miss these days, am gonna miss my college days"
Poverty rotten even soul of poor
In a society where high status ladies are always seen carrying their pets where all they go, provide them pedigree even if they don’t want it, there on the other hand suffers a sect of people with a tag of poverty on them. Today when government organisation provides a ground and food facility for stray animals and due burial of dead animals, on the other hand lies hapless human souls waiting for due respect through their last rites. These souls didn’t get any help or respect even when they were alive, and the situation continues to be like it even after their death. Heart wrenching is the site when a mother waits helplessly outside a mortuary to get her son’s body and at the same time doesn’t know how to manage to get him final rites. She doesn’t have money.
In today’s world poverty overpowers humanness, if you have money you have people to enjoy with, celebrate with and if you are poor there is no one even to provide you final burial rites. Clutches of poverty is so deep in life of a human being that without money one is not even destined to a decent burial. It has struck people all over the country in some or other way, but much heart breaking is when a financially struck person’s unclaimed body rottens in the mortuary. This was the incident which initiated five young people Shantakumar, Ibrahim, Jeevanandam, Annadurai, and Sampath Kumar to take up this kind humane job. On a regular blood donation visit to a government hospital Santhakumar and his friends once discovered a foul stench. When enquired they understood that the smell originated from mortuary where unclaimed bodies are left to rotten, due to financial constraints of family members. The very day they met hospital and police authorities, for an approval to bury unclaimed bodies and give them due respect. They began burial of bodies in April 2004 under the name of Thozhar trust and so far have buried more than 500 bodies, in a government burial ground. Many of the bodies buried by them are either unclaimed with relatives not aware of the death or those whom their relatives have left because of their financial constraints and inability to pay for the final rites.
These five people are very much busy in their own life with the business they undertake. Four of the members of the trust are flower vendors and one is a lathe worker, even then the moment they get a call from a police or hospital authority, they are ever ready for the social work. These five people accumulate funds from their own savings only to give a decent burial to people without caste and class bias, who are unknown to them. Their prime mission is to promote humanness and kindness which is way behind in today’s fast world. To a major extent they have been successful in it, with college students being their volunteers to just lend a hand and make their presence felt for the unclaimed body. When a body has to be cremated the trust contacts these volunteers and there they reach leaving all their work behind. Developing humanness in this very age can expect them to do a great deal of human work in future. Now people have started giving donation to the trust in cash or kind for this social deed.
Humaneness is one quality which people need to cultivate, as in this busy world it is the only help to fellow being. Even if one can’t give money, a human touch and care is respite for people in trouble whatever it might be. In today’s world even if people see an accident, majority of them would not want to report it, with a fear to shoulder all responsibilities. But it’s time for people to think that this situation might happen to even them or their near or dear ones. Thozhar trust for the past six years did this social work with mere thinking of showing humanness, which the society should take as a motivation and should do things which can be of help to others.
In today’s world poverty overpowers humanness, if you have money you have people to enjoy with, celebrate with and if you are poor there is no one even to provide you final burial rites. Clutches of poverty is so deep in life of a human being that without money one is not even destined to a decent burial. It has struck people all over the country in some or other way, but much heart breaking is when a financially struck person’s unclaimed body rottens in the mortuary. This was the incident which initiated five young people Shantakumar, Ibrahim, Jeevanandam, Annadurai, and Sampath Kumar to take up this kind humane job. On a regular blood donation visit to a government hospital Santhakumar and his friends once discovered a foul stench. When enquired they understood that the smell originated from mortuary where unclaimed bodies are left to rotten, due to financial constraints of family members. The very day they met hospital and police authorities, for an approval to bury unclaimed bodies and give them due respect. They began burial of bodies in April 2004 under the name of Thozhar trust and so far have buried more than 500 bodies, in a government burial ground. Many of the bodies buried by them are either unclaimed with relatives not aware of the death or those whom their relatives have left because of their financial constraints and inability to pay for the final rites.
These five people are very much busy in their own life with the business they undertake. Four of the members of the trust are flower vendors and one is a lathe worker, even then the moment they get a call from a police or hospital authority, they are ever ready for the social work. These five people accumulate funds from their own savings only to give a decent burial to people without caste and class bias, who are unknown to them. Their prime mission is to promote humanness and kindness which is way behind in today’s fast world. To a major extent they have been successful in it, with college students being their volunteers to just lend a hand and make their presence felt for the unclaimed body. When a body has to be cremated the trust contacts these volunteers and there they reach leaving all their work behind. Developing humanness in this very age can expect them to do a great deal of human work in future. Now people have started giving donation to the trust in cash or kind for this social deed.
Humaneness is one quality which people need to cultivate, as in this busy world it is the only help to fellow being. Even if one can’t give money, a human touch and care is respite for people in trouble whatever it might be. In today’s world even if people see an accident, majority of them would not want to report it, with a fear to shoulder all responsibilities. But it’s time for people to think that this situation might happen to even them or their near or dear ones. Thozhar trust for the past six years did this social work with mere thinking of showing humanness, which the society should take as a motivation and should do things which can be of help to others.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Love...
If u see itz just a word with four alphabets...but these four alphabets hs a greater meaning in it, it hs a life in it. A term very difficult to define more than that a feeling very difficult to understand... Itz a feeling which drives u through many difficult situation and gives a hope of living. Jst a thought of ur love wud make u smile evn in worst situation, ppl wud thnk tht u r mad bt thrz sme special thng abt ths madness which wud make u feel happy abt being mad...At times u nvr knw whn u r in luv n many at times itz too late by which many a things surrounding u would have changed. Yet this is one kind feeling which would make u look at d world frm a different view. D most beautiful moment of life is in whn u r in love n d most difficult moment of life happens when ur love goes away from u...far far away from u...at times u feel devastated...ppl say that one must move on get ovr thngs...bt all these r easy to say rather thn gng through it...u wud try deviating frm all thoughts by getting involved in other thngs bt these very thngs would make u thnk of ur love more...there would many things in life which u could relate wid ur love...Itz very tough to forget ur love if it ws true...love....ppl who thnk tht itz better being away from all these feelings r just wasting thr life... ppl who have experienced love n lost thm for any reason r more lucky thn ppl who have nvr experienced love as ITZ BETTER TO HAVE LOVE N LOST THAN NVR TO BE LOVED...
"Hoshwalon ko khabar kya bekhudi kya cheez hai...
Ishq kijiye phir samajiye zindagi kya cheez hai..."
Commercialisation of Dance
By Nimisha Nair
Statesman, New Delhi
26-11-2009
Remember the dance form said to be the replica of the cosmic dance of the divine? That fell prey to the lustful designs of warlords? That was nurtured back to health by Rukmini Devi Arundale to whom the art was socially a taboo? The art form, Bharata Natyam, is on war path again, this time against mindless commercialisation.
Enter any dance school and one will find toddlers trying to get the aramandi (half-sitting posture) right. Their parents would be on tow, ever ready to splurge on their kid. Thanks to the fame quotient the dance is immensely popular, sparking an avalanche of fledgling institutes in almost every nook and cranny, all of whom claim their faculty is pass-outs from top dance schools. And they charge exorbitantly, with rates for a beginner going as high as Rs 300-350 a month.
As the child moves higher, the fees, too, shoots up. And to learn from a renowned guru is all together a different ball game, with a fee of Rs 1500 or more, depending on the expertise of the teacher. “The outlook of the people is also a reason for the high fees. They think that the more a teacher charges, the more experienced she is,” says Bharata Natyam exponent Guru Jayalakshmi Eshwar.
Fees differ from place to place; it is lower in Delhi than in Chennai, the Mecca of the art form among metro cities. “Teaching is business for many. And they are not bothered about the standards of teaching,” says Isabel Vinitha, a student for nine years.
Arangetram, the first stage performance after training, is also an affair that now needs a heavy money downpour. Today, an arangetram costs at least Rs 1 lakh, with the arrangements for the event starting months before. A hall has to be booked and guests given lavish invitation cards and brochures for which special photo shoots are mainstay. Two sets of costumes would be made to order keeping with the latest designs. Then there are the stage settings, orchestra and even guru dakshina—which would be quite a sum¬. Not to forget the party to be arranged after the event, often a buffet dinner.
Some parents blame it on the teacher saying the arrangements are as per the demands of the teacher. But teachers feel otherwise. “Fifty per cent of all arangetrams are show-off by parents,” says Guru Kanaka Sudhakar, who runs Nrityabharati, a Bharata Natyam institute in New Delhi.
A reason given for such mindless commercialisation is the lack of patronisation, which kept many artists in good shape during the kingly reigns. Nowadays, depleting finances and heightened cost of living force many to make dance a business, says Guru Kanaka.
And post all the training and the show of skills, when it is time for the fresher to go professional, hurdles come as established artists and as that bane of Indian society casteism. Guru Vasantha Aravindan, who runs Koothambalam, a dance institute in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, says youngsters are not getting enough chance, since seniors bag most of the shows. “Their performances are good lessons for youngsters, but senior artists should also help promote newcomers,” says Guru Vasantha.
But some gurus feel the so-called monopoly is coming down. “Upcoming artists can directly apply to dance festivals. The seniors get chances because of their experience. Rather than complaining, the younger generation should build on their talent,” says Guru Jayalaskmi Eshwar.
There was a time when the higher caste distanced itself from the art form calling it Sadir or Chinnamelam or the dance of the lowly. This was before Rukmini Devi Arundale, a Brahmin, took interest in it. Now the art form is almost a prestige issue, something that can buoy a girl’s chances in the marriage market. So much caste is into the dance now that “Brahmin students are given more preference,” says Guru Vasantha. The trend is very prevalent in Chennai, where most of the famed artists are Brahmins. “There are very few from other castes,” Guru Vasantha says.
Someone who has fought her way through is Narthaki Natraj. She remembers how she had to work her way up in the upper caste-dominated field when she began her career. “The art has its root from the Sangha era and is an integral part of Dravida culture. Brahmins patronised in it in early 20th century. They work hard and have a base in the scriptures. Also, their relatives might be artistes,” she says.
Though there is hegemony of the higher castes, there is room for those who work hard, Narthaki feels. “I worked for it. They now respect me as a dancer,” she says. But the fact remains a non Brahmin has to put twice the effort to get going as compared to those from the community.
The famed Marghazi (December music) festival is fast approaching. For Chennaites, it would be another season of donning mild woolens in the pleasant chill and nodding to the beats of agile taalas. In blissful ignorance that the art form, which has braved onslaughts of culture, is going through another dark phase.
Statesman, New Delhi
26-11-2009
Remember the dance form said to be the replica of the cosmic dance of the divine? That fell prey to the lustful designs of warlords? That was nurtured back to health by Rukmini Devi Arundale to whom the art was socially a taboo? The art form, Bharata Natyam, is on war path again, this time against mindless commercialisation.
Enter any dance school and one will find toddlers trying to get the aramandi (half-sitting posture) right. Their parents would be on tow, ever ready to splurge on their kid. Thanks to the fame quotient the dance is immensely popular, sparking an avalanche of fledgling institutes in almost every nook and cranny, all of whom claim their faculty is pass-outs from top dance schools. And they charge exorbitantly, with rates for a beginner going as high as Rs 300-350 a month.
As the child moves higher, the fees, too, shoots up. And to learn from a renowned guru is all together a different ball game, with a fee of Rs 1500 or more, depending on the expertise of the teacher. “The outlook of the people is also a reason for the high fees. They think that the more a teacher charges, the more experienced she is,” says Bharata Natyam exponent Guru Jayalakshmi Eshwar.
Fees differ from place to place; it is lower in Delhi than in Chennai, the Mecca of the art form among metro cities. “Teaching is business for many. And they are not bothered about the standards of teaching,” says Isabel Vinitha, a student for nine years.
Arangetram, the first stage performance after training, is also an affair that now needs a heavy money downpour. Today, an arangetram costs at least Rs 1 lakh, with the arrangements for the event starting months before. A hall has to be booked and guests given lavish invitation cards and brochures for which special photo shoots are mainstay. Two sets of costumes would be made to order keeping with the latest designs. Then there are the stage settings, orchestra and even guru dakshina—which would be quite a sum¬. Not to forget the party to be arranged after the event, often a buffet dinner.
Some parents blame it on the teacher saying the arrangements are as per the demands of the teacher. But teachers feel otherwise. “Fifty per cent of all arangetrams are show-off by parents,” says Guru Kanaka Sudhakar, who runs Nrityabharati, a Bharata Natyam institute in New Delhi.
A reason given for such mindless commercialisation is the lack of patronisation, which kept many artists in good shape during the kingly reigns. Nowadays, depleting finances and heightened cost of living force many to make dance a business, says Guru Kanaka.
And post all the training and the show of skills, when it is time for the fresher to go professional, hurdles come as established artists and as that bane of Indian society casteism. Guru Vasantha Aravindan, who runs Koothambalam, a dance institute in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, says youngsters are not getting enough chance, since seniors bag most of the shows. “Their performances are good lessons for youngsters, but senior artists should also help promote newcomers,” says Guru Vasantha.
But some gurus feel the so-called monopoly is coming down. “Upcoming artists can directly apply to dance festivals. The seniors get chances because of their experience. Rather than complaining, the younger generation should build on their talent,” says Guru Jayalaskmi Eshwar.
There was a time when the higher caste distanced itself from the art form calling it Sadir or Chinnamelam or the dance of the lowly. This was before Rukmini Devi Arundale, a Brahmin, took interest in it. Now the art form is almost a prestige issue, something that can buoy a girl’s chances in the marriage market. So much caste is into the dance now that “Brahmin students are given more preference,” says Guru Vasantha. The trend is very prevalent in Chennai, where most of the famed artists are Brahmins. “There are very few from other castes,” Guru Vasantha says.
Someone who has fought her way through is Narthaki Natraj. She remembers how she had to work her way up in the upper caste-dominated field when she began her career. “The art has its root from the Sangha era and is an integral part of Dravida culture. Brahmins patronised in it in early 20th century. They work hard and have a base in the scriptures. Also, their relatives might be artistes,” she says.
Though there is hegemony of the higher castes, there is room for those who work hard, Narthaki feels. “I worked for it. They now respect me as a dancer,” she says. But the fact remains a non Brahmin has to put twice the effort to get going as compared to those from the community.
The famed Marghazi (December music) festival is fast approaching. For Chennaites, it would be another season of donning mild woolens in the pleasant chill and nodding to the beats of agile taalas. In blissful ignorance that the art form, which has braved onslaughts of culture, is going through another dark phase.
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