The question of labourers

Lockdown has brought into attention the problem of migrant workers. Why didn't we ever think of them? Will we stop reporting/supporting their problems as soon as we are over this lockdown? I hope not. Maybe it's time we fight for their dignity, their right to live in comfort, and for them in general.

These are the people, whom we owe our city, and we never even consider them. These are the people who have been suffering in silence since ages.
I think, it might be the free time we have on our hands, that we finally see them as humans. If that's the case, then I consider this a positive effect of lockdown.
 Starvation, and undernourishment has been a major problem for most of them since many years. They leave their homes in search of work, and are the most underpaid people when compared with the amount of work they do. They have no safety provisions, no insurance (if there is any govt. option, they're definitely not aware of it).
In a country where physical labour has always been treated as inferior to mental work, what hope do these people have? Their ability to do tremendous physical work is never appreciated. In fact, it's treated with derision. They have no education, so they have no idea about their rights.
Even now, I see people talking about charity. Let's clear that first. No, you're not doing them a favour by feeding them. All you're doing is repaying them what you owe them.  If their work would have been treated on a par with other works, they wouldn't need us to feed them. But, we as a society have taken advantage of their naivete, and desperate circumstances.
And don't tell me how your pay is related to the years you invested in studying. These people invested their years in labour. Probably from childhood. Don't their life years count?
The beautiful flat you live, that amazing office you work, the road you drive on, and many of these constructions—they built it. They sell us vegetables, fruits, they help our hotels and factories thrive. They're the backbone of our economy. They have given their blood, and sweat in the making of our city. Yes, blood too.
Just two months back, a worker died in a construction project (many of them do die even now). Do you know when his family will get the news? When another worker from the same village will go home for summer. Imagine the plight of the family. Not knowing anything, maybe worrying about why the money order stopped. Yes, there are many who have mobiles, but not all. And this is how they live (and die).
These people are never going to fight their battles, simply because they have no idea of their worth. And politicians will only use them for votes. The only people who can fight for them are we—the middle class— who understand how hard it's to care for our family. And also know that we are faring far better than these people only because we are educated. The question is: are we going to fight for them? Do we really care?

The Nomads of Maharastra

Depiction of the performance of a Kadak Laksmi worshipping nomadic community of Maharashtra. The Potraj Community earns their livelihood with the dance of self-flagellation. The women carry the idol of “Kadak Lakshmi” on their heads, and play the dhol. The men twirl, dance, and flagellate themselves with knotted whips made from jute/woven coir. Though the self-flagellation is largely a demonstration of sonic boom (the whip-cracking sound is caused by the whip movement faster than the speed of sound), this community leads a hard existence. Their minuscule earnings, and constant travel forces them to lead a hand-to-mouth living, and harsh conditions. #KadakLakshmi #India #Maharashtra #indians #nomadsofindia #blogger #picoftheday #photography #photooftheday #folkart #incredibleindia #writersofig #thelegendofindia #indiatourism #pic #bharat #BharatBhagyaVidhata

A photo posted by Acharya K.A. (@the_legend_of_india) on Jan 28, 2017 at 12:30am PST

The Value of Independence

There has been a recent trend in the country to belittle the leaders of Indian independence struggle, or compare them against each other to decide which was the better one. Indian freedom movement was not a competition. It was the struggle of a nation to assert its right to self-respect, and dignity.

It doesn’t matter who contributed how much. Every freedom fighter, whether it was the common man, or a great leader deserves equal respect. Indian Independence is a great milestone in the history of mankind. It demonstrated to the world the Indian maxim – truth always wins. Don’t ruin the value of the mighty struggle by glorifying one leader, and vilifying the other. Whatever their differences may be, they fought for the same goal – freedom against oppression.

It isn't right to judge the actions of freedom fighters when you yourself haven't fought for India's independence. Let me borrow a quote from the former Prime minister, Atal Bihari Vajapayee, “tum kya jano azadi kya hoti hai, tumhe muft me mili na kimat gayi chukai”. 

It's the duty of every Indian to maintain the independence instead of debating on who is responsible for getting independence. Independence is a responsibility to be nurtured. Thousands of Indians sacrificed their family, career, and life for freedom.

Indian Independence day is the day of pride of every Indian, and everyone else who is against oppression. Let our independence serve as a hope to every nation who dreams to win against tyranny.

Happy Independence Day India!

Image Courtesy: Charuhas Acharya @ A glimpse of Paradise

The essence of India

When I hear people talking about Indian culture, I get depressed, because with every sentence most of them drift away from culture or India. In the name of Indian culture, people want to preserve superstitious dogmas, half of which were never associated with India or even originated in the country. Some of them are middle eastern or western beliefs so much integrated in the system that now, they are attributed to the Indians. For e.g. the concept of ghunghat.

Firstly, British thought that earlier India was not a nation. They were wrong. India was a nation, and will always be. The political and geographical boundaries don't make a nation just as staying in the same house doesn't define a family. Family members may be dispersed throughout the world, but they remain family. Love binds the family, not the walls of a house. A nation is a group of people who are bound together by a deeper thread of underlying spirit of belonging, and culture.

The hue and cry of the custodians of the culture is dress. It seems that Indian culture is irrecoverably attached to Indian dressing style. Are you talking about the same culture of which Swami Vivekananda was also a part? Then, listen what he has to say:

In 1893, when Swami Vivekananda visited U.S., he walked along the street, clad in his traditional saffron clothes. On seeing this unfamiliar attire, a woman whispered to her husband, “I don't think that man is a gentleman.”

Overhearing this remark, Swami Vivekananda said to her politely,“excuse me, Madam, in your country it is the tailor who makes a man a gentleman, but in the country from which I come, it is character which makes a man a gentleman.”

I don't think anyone has better right to comment on Indian culture than Swami Vivekananda. If he feels that dress don't define Indian culture, then the self appointed custodians of culture need to study Indian culture rather than worrying about trends in female clothes. Culture has nothing to do with clothes, religion or any of the outer trappings of human invention.

So, what is the culture which represents the essence of India? There are many qualities which define a country, but there is always one quality which supersedes every other quality, and decides the path of the nation's destiny. For India, that quality is its explicit trust in the goodness of human beings.

India was and will always be trustful of people. One of the causes for the high superstition rate in India, faith, isn't related to the amount of education. A highly educated Indian trusts people as much as an illiterate person next to him. India is ready to forgive, and give second chances to people who aren't worth it. Psychopaths, criminals, and politicians take advantage of this nature to influence the people with fake ideals, and false promises.

That is the reason in medieval times, a country like India has fallen in most of the wars. People of India in general, are never wary of foreigners. Even if one of them has given a cause of doubt, we are ready to give them a second chance. We still trust the Brits, don't we?

Is this attitude wrong or right? Frankly, attitude is always neutral so is trust. It depends on how the other person reacts. As far as I'm considered, it's always better to be a believer than a sceptic. Even a sceptic trusts people though he doesn't accept it. But, the problem with sceptics is, once they trust the wrong man they forever doubt the genuine ones, and miss the joy of unbiased interaction with people.

India is not a land of injustice like everyone believes, but a land where people fight against injustice. Indian people (not just leaders) fought for independence, they fought to get justice for Jessica Lal, and they continue to fight against rapes. 

Gandhi once said, “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” This is exactly what Indian culture is about. Having faith that few bad people don't represent any country. That's why we don't believe General Dyer, or his supporters, represent the British or that Hitler represents German mentality.

This post is inspired by Indispire Edition 57

Which quality do you think is the essence of India? Do share your views.

Encounters with the Indian Police

As a kid, my only opinion of the Indian police was formed thanks to Bollywood movies. I considered them some guys who arrived after everything happens (like beating up the bad guys) to arrest the bad guys.
Later, I encountered various types of Police: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Freedom

Photograph by Charuhas Acharya

Freedom or Liberty isn’t a light word to be trifled with, long declarations are dedicated to it, wars are fought in its name and now, the state recognizes the right to freedom. The last one used to confuse me as a child. If we are born free then, why does some one confer upon us right to freedom? Then, I started growing up and saw birds in cages, animals in zoos, and humans trapped in their own virtual prisons, I realized how difficult it is to remain free. The poor animals are the victims of being the weaker species but man who is supposed to be intelligent isn’t free either.

Lokmaya Tilak: the man who dared to dream

*Lokmanya Tilak

Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it!”- Lokmanya Tilak

Every child in India knows the above sentence and the man who said it. However, when he talked about it Swaraj was considered a hopeless dream, a mission impossible. The British had invested in a lot of propaganda to make Indians believe that British Raj was for their own good and how freedom wasn’t a happy outcome. Many Indian leaders shared the outlook. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was the first leader who not only challenged the idea but believed that freedom was possible.

Most of the leaders of that time preached from the dais but half of them weren’t eager to work along with the people. They considered the Indian people backward in ideas. Tilak was the leader of the masses and earned the title ‘Lokmanya’(acceptable to the people) with his involvement with the people from all strata of society.

India- The wounded warrior.

On 15^th August 1947, India gained independence from the yoke of  the British Raj. India, after long years of sleep, finally woke up at the stoke of midnight. But, the dawn is still far off. We, Indians have to get rid of the vestiges of colonialism before the sun rises on Indian waters. The most important obstructions to our true freedom are the corrupt political and bureaucratic system, the so called just law system which remains inflexible to accommodate any claims of justice but the scales of law can certainly weigh all the monetary benefits, and the unapproachable public machineries with no sympathies for the poor and neglected citizens.

Emergence of Gandhi- J.N

World war I ended at last and peace, instead of bringing us relief and progress, brought us repressive legislation and martial law in the Punjab. A bitter sense of humiliation and passionate anger filled our people. All the unending talk of constitutional reform and indianization of services was a mockery and an insult when the manhood of our country was being crushed. And the inexorable and continuous process of exploitation was deepening our poverty and sapping our vitality. We had become a derelict nation.

Yet what could we do, how change this vicious process? We seemed helpless in the grip of this all-powerful monster; our limbs were paralyzed, our minds deadened....

And then Gandhi came.

To vote or 'no vote'

Now, with option of negative voting opened, you can dwell upon the question, to vote or 'no vote'? Either ways, you can participate in the elections. For the first time, Indians can reject all the candidates contesting elections by using the option of no vote. The Supreme Court of India on Friday held that citizens have right to cast negative vote, a decision which would bring about positive change in the election system. This would encourage wider participation of people in the election process.