Haiku #19 ~ Winter Sunset

HAIKU : A poetry form, with three lines. The first being 5 syllables, the second 7, then 5 in the third.

Late winter sunset it is,

River - frozen, still, a ribbon of ice,

Sun paints a purple path. 

Bleaky Future Of India

Hello readers!

Before you begin to read my post, have a look at the video below, if you still haven't come across it! You will be dumbstruck, I bet.

I was just brought across this news video today. Initially, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Today, from where I see, the future of India is bleak.

"515 students caught during Bihar board exams, minister says can’t stop it."

Recently, images of youths climbing atop an examination centre went viral. Bihar HRD minister Prashant Kumar Shahi says it was beyond the state government to curb mob cheating in Class X board examination. Following mass expulsions the blame game begins. According to him,  “We cannot control or curb unfair means…when we are conducting a large-scale examination. There are four-five persons to help one student”.

Most of the incidents of cheating this year have been reported from Saharsa, Chhapra, Vaishali and Hajipur districts.

The clear proofs, news clippings and subsequent police inaction have put a question mark on the administration’s efficacy.

The incident has received widespread attention after Indian television footage showed parents and friends of students scaling the outer walls of school buildings to pass cheat sheets to students inside taking class X board exams. Teachers and state education department officials supervising the examination caught hundreds of students who had smuggled in text books or scraps of paper for cheating. Witnesses said local police accepted bribes to turn a blind eye.

India's image is getting tarnished globally. Where will mob cheating really take us?

One can get a certificate by using unfair means in examination but will not gain knowledge. This large-scale and blatant practice will not help in any way.

Our education system is in serious need of reform. Former Bihar School Examination Board (BSEB) chairman AKP Yadav believes that this incident was a result of irregular and poor teaching quality and a shortage of teachers.

Parents are the ones who teach us the difference between right and wrong. This kind of parental guidance will drown India. You can never progress on the basis of certificates of such exams. You need talent. 

This is no window of opportunity. Education experts say that cheating is just a symptom of the deeper problems that plague India's education system.

In Bihar, exams are a family affair, where each member is a Spiderman. Oh, we Indians have left behind Peter Parker!

Education system must produce not only knowledge but also morality in student's minds. This incident is really shameful and shows how corrupt we still are. Knowledge is power and it will open many doors, people will respect you, only if you earn it.

Cheating doesn't suit Indians. We have such a rich culture where we are known for parenting and cherishing values. Honesty and integrity may seem old fashioned to others, but they are our treasured values. 

Children learn from what they see. Parents and guardians : Please know what's right and what's wrong yourself first. Refrain from Bihar style parental guidance! Indian culture is all about appreciating and doing good deeds.

With modern approaches, we need to have 'moral education' in place too. Many modern things maybe against the Indian culture, but being corruption free and honest in all exams of life is definitely not.

REMEMBER "LIFE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT EXAM. MANY PEOPLE FAIL BECAUSE THEY TRY TO COPY OTHERS, NOT REALIZING THAT EVERYONE HAS A DIFFERENT QUESTION PAPER".

P.S: 1. We need to get enlightened on this, would be happy if my pen can make a difference :)
2. Linking this post to IndiBlogger's IndiSpire Edition 57 #IndianCulture

Haiku #14 ~ Pond

This image is splendid!

What strikes me when I see it is this ~ 

"Majestic leaves shed,

Like tears covering the ground,

Reflecting ~ hush ~ pond!"

Kashmir ~ A Magical Wonderland

My favorite travel destination is Kashmir!

Why everyone should visit it at least once-

It is the paradise on earth. In India itself!

Kashmir is a magical wonderland of high Himalayan mountains, lush green valleys, snow fed high altitude lakes, streams and rivers, spectacular landscape with the great diversity in culture and tradition. Paradise for its beauty and tourists interests like holiday on a houseboat, pilgrimage tours, mountaineering, trekking, snow skiing, rafting, water skiing, trout fishing, river rafting.

Charming meadows, stay at houseboats, breathtaking views - Kashmir will never disappoint you. Srinagar is the highlight of Kashmir. It is a city of lakes and mountains that climb directly out of those lakes. Srinagar, nestled in the beautiful Kashmir valley has Dal lake as the center of attraction.

From Srinagar, one can explore the rest of Jammu & Kashmir and visit destinations like Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gulmarg. Katra in J & K is the starting point for those wanting to visit Vaishno Devi Temple. From breathtaking beauty to spiritual salvation, the state of Jammu & Kashmir offers it all.

Make your next holiday special in J & K. Srinagar, located in predominantly Muslim Kashmir in far north India, is one of the top 10 hill stations in India. A place of splendid natural beauty, it's often referred to as the "Land of Lakes and Gardens" or the "Switzerland of India". The gardens have a distinctly Mughal influence, as many of them were cultivated by Mughal emperors. 

Kashmir is a jewel of a destination.  It is a place which can be re-visited time and again. Hence, my reasons. :)

India's Litter-acy

We Indians are litterbugs, really. Inherently unhygienic. We spit, we throw our waste carelessly.  It seems we have all pledged to do that! We are like garbage trucks, throwing our wastes around and ironically more under the signs that say 'DONT!'

Because, public toilets stink, Indian men pee proudly under the blue sky. A classical example of Chutzpah!

We Indians like to see pan stained walls, overflowing dustbins, public defecation, dirt, garbage and filth on the street! We paint our town, but unfortunately with these things! Clean walls are endangered in India!

We mindlessly toss empty packets of chips, polythene bags, food containers on the street, beaches, etc. Such a  disregard for one’s own country! We see many dead flowers touching our feet on beaches. We Indians are bound by religion, so much so that by citing religious rituals as justification, we throw garlands, flowers, etc. making the beach dirty. Even well-dressed people spit bubblegum from their costly cars, wherever they deem fit.   

It's easy to make a mess when you're not the one who has to clean it up. As incomes rise and snacks, potato crisps, gutka become more widely available and affordable, the country is getting messier! The attitude within each one of us is: “So long as my house is clean, I really don’t care about the surrounding!” This has laid the foundation for our country to be deemed as 'unhygienic' by many other countries. Strewn garbage definitely has a negative impact on foreigners.

The lack of cleanliness in India hits anywhere you place your eye — hotels, hospitals, households, work places, railway trains, airplanes, temples. Piled up garbage, overflowing sewage and foul-smelling environs are common in India.

There are mad people roaming around dirtying walls of Mumbai local trains pronouncing their love for a girl! As if all other ways to approach a girl have been done with! This not only shows lack of cleanliness but also lack of respect for women in India.

It is the need of the hour that we practise Cleanliness in real sense! From used condoms to used sanitary pads lying on the roads, we Indians have lost sanity over sanitation!

Everyone loves to be remembered, we Indians have chosen to leave our marks on this land in the form of pan spits or defecation so that all can smell our essence.

Today, we  have  an electronic  umwelt, where history is replaced with movies, education is replaced with entertainment and nature is replaced with technology. We don't care if our surrounding is unclean.

This year, Gandhi Jayanthi was observed with a mission called Swatchh Bharat (Clean India Campaign) by PM Narendra Modi. The PM exhorted the Indians to devote two hours every week for cleaning their surroundings.

Self thinking is hard. So we blind follow - 'Herd' mentality! Be it Swachh Bharat Campaign or anything else; unless we don't believe in it, we should not blindly follow it. Don't make the broom just a style statement for clicking a selfie.

Public cleanliness is the need of the hour. Litter is a growing concern which hinders the quality of the environment and also the global image of Indian society as a whole.

By littering, we are breaking the spine of our own country. Cleanliness & self discipline cannot be taught. Cleanliness is a state of mind. But keeping our dirty mindsets in picture, this will have to be forced upon! To revolutionize this initiative by TOI, I suggest public shaming campaigns against people urinating/defecating in public. People should be deployed on the streets and in public places. Anyone caught littering should be issued a penalty. The use of plastic bags should be banned too.

We need to keep a tight vigil on littering. We need to realize this at a personal level, the sooner, the better. Glad that TOI is up with this initiative campaign called 'The Great Indian Litterbug'!

P.S: This post is for Happy Hours - IndiChange.

For details: http://greatindian.timesofindia.com/

Image Source: http://cleanplanet.in/blog/tag/india-kuch-kar/

Book Review #13 : The Devil's Gate

The Devil's Gate: An Impossible Journey by Deepak Kripal is a debut fiction/ thriller. It is a story about animals, sensible ones, who can talk, listen and understand each other. The theme of story is - Sidelined by Man, Animals turned to Demons.

Overall The Devil's Gate: An Impossible Journey by Deepak Kripal is quite interesting to read. I loved the sense of humour he has put in the book, the situations, the twists, and the characters are spot on!

This book is a masterpiece of writing. Writer not only carries you along the journey of his imaginary creatures but in between gives you the feel of a different world nobody would like to go in, but you just cannot stop unveiling the truth.

The plot of the story is so different and refreshing that after a few pages, one feels a sort of addiction to the story and you just can't stop after that. The mystery unravels beautifully and the shock climax is just icing on the cake.

When I started reading the book, I was wondering why a cat and a dog is chosen as the protagonists. But the questions are also answered in the second half of the book. Weird though it may sound, ‘The Devil’s Gate: An Impossible Journey’ is relevant.

Though the story has animals and demons as its central characters, the main focus is on the fight of good against evil. The book also makes one realize that though good will ultimately prevail over evil, it is impossible to eradicate evil from its root.

The story also highlights the plight of the animals and nature due to rapid urbanization of the earth by man. This is a story of courage and commitment. A thriller no doubt, the plot also has an element of love hidden in it, love that surfaces in trying times. The vividness of the descriptions is also commendable.

The language is simple, engaging and lucid. The narrative is fast paced and flows freely and smoothly. One can visualize the scenes as the story progresses.

The characters central to the theme are well etched with all their imperfections. There are quotes in between which leave you inspired!

It takes courage to write on concepts and notions which rarely catch the fancy of other writers. Even if one does choose to settle down to an ‘unheard-of’ theme, it takes even more courage to put it into words and deliver to the readers, exactly what it had intended to deliver in the first place. In that regard, the effort and the skill of this debut author must be applauded generously, for indeed, he has made a point and has successfully made the readers see, what he had intended them to see.

What I liked the best in the book was the underlying message that becomes the foundation stone of the book. Along with its unique evils and demons, the book is surely meant to lure children and teens. I also liked the surprise which awaited the reader at the turn of every chapter, here, I must say, that the end was very unpredictable and kept getting more and more mysterious as the pages flipped by. Overall a good read, I recommend this book to fantasy lovers, especially young children and teenagers.

There are places where long descriptions make the things a little boring (especially in the second half); but overall it all relies on tight writing.

The last two pages confirms that the story doesn’t end here. Seems the solved one is just a part of the problem, the main problem stills hangs on the head. Yes, we are talking about the next part or sequel of the book for sure.

Overall, a nice and gripping thriller. The book is appealing for the children as well. It would be interesting to see its response by children.

Ratings: 4/5

P.S: This post is for Write Tribe. See here for more details: http://writetribe.com/the-devils-gate/

Five Sentence Fiction: You're My Snowstorm!

I don't even know when you became so important to me - it was like watching a snowstorm!

You see the flakes falling, but you don't realize how they are adding up!

Then suddenly your entire lawn is covered.

Many little things have added up!

You're not my rain, you're my snow storm!

P.S: This week’s Five Sentence Fiction is based on Lillie McFerrin’s prompt word: Rain.

Heaven? I have been there..!

I experienced something, the lingering taste of which was so profound that I can take it along with me forever...

It was a scenic hill - asymmetrical, unfinished view. My dream. Stunningly out of proportion beauty. It was mesmerizing. I wanted to reach its peak.

I kept climbing up...

Every stride of mine made the hill look more intricate to me.

Soon, I was at the peak. It was above all destinations. From that point I could see the clean, blue vast sky, I realized, it had neither a start nor an end.

It was beauty in concord, beauty in harmony, beauty in rhythm! Filling me with zeal and hope.

The sky was staring down at the lake. It was enthralling, the contrast between their beauties! So still, so endless!

The height of the sky and the depth of the lake amused me! It was as if, the height of the sky was residing in the depth of the lake! Simple, elegant beauty covered me.

And I was there...

I was sitting right between the sky and the lake! My dream.

Heaven? I have been there!!

Haiku #12 ~ Glory of Candle

Moonlit night,

Dancing lingers on the wall,
Glory of candle!

Haiku #10 ~ Picture Perfect

Purple red skyline,

A silhouette on canvas,
Picture perfect scene!

P.S: Ultimate Day: Day 31 at Ultimate Blogging Challenge

Haiku #9 ~ My Small Existence

Sitting on a rock,

The immensity of the sea,

- My small existence!

P.S: Day 27 at Ultimate Blogging Challenge

Haiku #6 ~ A Frozen Sun

This winter day-

Behind low clouds,

Is a frozen sun.

Also, day 19 at Ultimate Blogging Challenge.

Haiku #3 ~ Clap

“Dancing leaves clap in unity,

All in vain,

Down by winter’s blade!”

This post is a part of Ultimate Blogging Challenge ~ Day 5!
For Haiku Heights #316 - Clap 

The Golden Dawn

The breaking of dawn brings back to me the vivid memories of childhood, when the start of the day with chirping of birds was like a new life... After months of laziness (of not getting up early), I had been off late waking up early to study for the exams (thank God, they are over now!), it was then that I witnessed the scenic sunrise after many days... A small poem to capture the silent, vacant moments...

Day breaks,

Darkness fades into vermillion,
Silence after farewell,
Melodious surroundings,
Blissful peace,
Prayer sounds, tinkling bells,

The warm light slowly creeping in,
Sun rising,

Me smiling,

For it’s a fresh start, all over again!

Nostalgic Smells – Olfactory-evoked Recall of Memories!!

The term ‘nostalgia’ describes sentimentality for the sublime past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. Since each person experiences different things in life, the association between scents/fragrances and emotions/memories is unique to every individual.

How many times have you caught a faint whiff of a scent fills you with nostalgia and that immediately reminded you of the ‘good old days’ or long forgotten events in your life with stunning lucidity? It transpires our unfathomable minds that have filed some events neatly in some unreachable corner of the brain, primed for instant retrieval.

Human beings tend to emphasize vision over all other senses. Still, scent is intimately related to memory; despite not playing a major role in our daily lives, even in today’s visually driven world, it often triggers a strong déjà vu like sensation. It contributes to shaping our perceptions of the world and our psychological makeup by sending memories through a rose-tinted filter that redefines them as "good times".

Despite the fact that the sense of smell in humans is somewhat pitiful when compared to most animals, it is still highly acute and has the ability to magically transform millions of invisible odor particles into what science calls ‘involuntary recall’. It is amazing how a few simple airborne molecules trigger such vivid recollections.

Nostalgic Smells - Pungent Memories

Baked cakes:

Take a bite of food and think about how it tastes. Then, pinch your nose and take another bite. Notice the difference? It's just another reason to appreciate your knockout of a nose!

Baked foods such as cakes, biscuits and baking bread made up the largest category of nostalgic smells. It takes me back to my childhood memories, the times when we were free from the responsibilities and anxieties of adulthood.

Nature:

The elusive odor of nature as I peep outside my room’s window reminds many of my carefree childhood days. It makes me feel fresh and rejuvenated. The fragrance of soil after a shower of rain that brings relief and makes you feel alive again.

Phenyl smell:

The pungent odor of phenyls used for cleaning messy floors.

Ambi Pur:

I use it for clean, fresh, and smelly air in my little home. It is heavenly!

New books:

The nostalgic smell of an old paper turned yellow or the fresh scent from a new notebook page. My favorite novel that remains untouched for days due to my hectic life!

Kitchen:

My mom makes the best mutton biryani, and I can vouch for that! Especially, the biryani odour and the daal tadka smell seem to increase my hunger all the more! The combined smell of Ghee and Elaichi while making a sweet, the aroma of sizzling hot Bhajjiyas in the monsoon, the redolence of fresh coffee and masala tea bring simple pleasures in life. Your sense of smell warns you of dangers such as smoke and poisonous gases. It also helps you appreciate the full flavors of food and drinks.

Flowers:

My mom loves flowers! The perfume of roses and other flowers lingers in my home. The fragrance of Jasmine and Mogra gajra’s my mom gets often leaves me refreshed after a hectic day.

Bathroom:

Ah! This place is a collection of fragrances. The smell of freshly washed towels, aroma of shampoos, soaps, Dettol, etc. that lingers in almost every household bathroom.

Health:

The healing smell of Vicks inhalation that brings you instant relief when you are irritated with cold and cough.

New Shoes:

The nostalgic smell of new shoes and its box - that glorious smell of unspoiled, sweat-free fabric that surrounds you each time you pull it on.

This post is a part of Indiblogger’s – Ambipur Smelly to Smiley Air contest.

To know more about AmbiPur: http://www.facebook.com/AmbiPurIndia