Being the Change...

October 30, 2011

I’m not a fan of Ranbir Kapoor and probably the only movie I could bear him in was Wake Up Sid. What a movie that was! I could watch that Bollywood flick a million times over for a million reasons, one of them being Ayesha’s (Konkona Sen’s character in the movie) house. I love how the movie depicts an anxious but brave and talented young lady from Kolkatta coming to Mumbai and getting herself a house of her own. The whole transformation of the house into a home is another piece of heaven all together. The minute details like the yellow wall with its photo frames, the grandfather sofa in one corner of the house, the lacy curtains dancing as the breeze rushes through the small window, the big dry bathroom where Ayesha sits and writes to her hearts content; all of it make the home such a beautiful personal space, a sanctum sanctorum of sorts. 

Abraham Maslow categorizes shelter as one of man’s physiological needs and rightly so. Isn’t one’s home a sacred and safe space to which one can return each day-end thus feeling a sense of security and belongingness? Guardian figures, our homes are, and they make us feel like would a foetus in its mother’s womb. If for any reason, this protective hand had to be moved away from over our heads, one can’t even imagine the emotional and physical vulnerability that one would experience.
 
The recently proposed move to set up Greater Talacauvery which would allegedly expose 2.20 lakh people in 120 villages to a potential threat of displacement immensely perturbed me. Conservation and protection of nature are important though definitely not at the cost of nature’s children- you and me. Moreover, the exemption of major estates owned by powerful individuals in these tracts of land from the purview of the project compels one to analyse the sentiment behind claims for conservation and protection. Why does it always have to boil down to the economically challenged strata of society bearing the brunt of all actions? 

Assuming that the project is executed, what could be a possible solution to the main cause of insecurity which is rehabilitation? Rehabilitation is an emotionally grueling process in itself. The fear attached to the lack of assurance that the displaced would be sheltered further aggravates the insecurity. The general reaction to such a situation would be pointing fingers at the government. Yes, the government is responsible for public good; but isn’t the government a representative body? Doesn’t the government represent you and me? So aren’t we as responsible as the government is to take small steps in ensuring public good? I’m not, in any way, trying to free our leaders of their responsibilities. Nor am I denying that as the citizens of the country every penny that is earned by the sweat of our brow is paid to the government as taxes in order to insure and ensure our security and well being. That said may be there is a moral angle to the whole situation. A small contribution from each one of us could definitely make a difference to those in need. The more we have the more we ought to give. May be the Gandhian Principle of Trusteeship needs to manifest beyond black and white. It is easier said that done, given the menace of corruption, but definitely worth a try. 

So how do we come into the picture? There are so many NGOs that fight for the rights of the underprivileged and for victims of injustice. The least we could do is reach out to the people in need through such established platforms. It may cost us a small fraction of the whole that we enjoy but it could change the whole life of that small fraction of the society that we live in!

 

Melissa Nazareth Archives:

 

By Melissa Nazareth
To submit your article / poem / short story to Daijiworld, please email it to news@daijiworld.com mentioning 'Article/poem submission for daijiworld' in the subject line. Please note the following:

  • The article / poem / short story should be original and previously unpublished in other websites except in the personal blog of the author. We will cross-check the originality of the article, and if found to be copied from another source in whole or in parts without appropriate acknowledgment, the submission will be rejected.
  • The author of the poem / article / short story should include a brief self-introduction limited to 500 characters and his/her recent picture (optional). Pictures relevant to the article may also be sent (optional), provided they are not bound by copyright. Travelogues should be sent along with relevant pictures not sourced from the Internet. Travelogues without relevant pictures will be rejected.
  • In case of a short story / article, the write-up should be at least one-and-a-half pages in word document in Times New Roman font 12 (or, about 700-800 words). Contributors are requested to keep their write-ups limited to a maximum of four pages. Longer write-ups may be sent in parts to publish in installments. Each installment should be sent within a week of the previous installment. A single poem sent for publication should be at least 3/4th of a page in length. Multiple short poems may be submitted for single publication.
  • All submissions should be in Microsoft Word format or text file. Pictures should not be larger than 1000 pixels in width, and of good resolution. Pictures should be attached separately in the mail and may be numbered if the author wants them to be placed in order.
  • Submission of the article / poem / short story does not automatically entail that it would be published. Daijiworld editors will examine each submission and decide on its acceptance/rejection purely based on merit.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to edit the submission if necessary for grammar and spelling, without compromising on the author's tone and message.
  • Daijiworld reserves the right to reject submissions without prior notice. Mails/calls on the status of the submission will not be entertained. Contributors are requested to be patient.
  • The article / poem / short story should not be targeted directly or indirectly at any individual/group/community. Daijiworld will not assume responsibility for factual errors in the submission.
  • Once accepted, the article / poem / short story will be published as and when we have space. Publication may take up to four weeks from the date of submission of the write-up, depending on the number of submissions we receive. No author will be published twice in succession or twice within a fortnight.
  • Time-bound articles (example, on Mother's Day) should be sent at least a week in advance. Please specify the occasion as well as the date on which you would like it published while sending the write-up.

Comment on this article

  • Dexter Britto, Mangalore/Auckland

    Tue, Nov 01 2011

    Very interesting and well-researched write-up , Melissa.

    Your article is an eye-opener and you have rightly emphasised on the fact that protection of nature and the need to see that people are not displaced are factors which should be considered before any major proposals.


Leave a Comment

Title: Being the Change...



You have 2000 characters left.

Disclaimer:

Please write your correct name and email address. Kindly do not post any personal, abusive, defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent, discriminatory or unlawful or similar comments. Daijiworld.com will not be responsible for any defamatory message posted under this article.

Please note that sending false messages to insult, defame, intimidate, mislead or deceive people or to intentionally cause public disorder is punishable under law. It is obligatory on Daijiworld to provide the IP address and other details of senders of such comments, to the authority concerned upon request.

Hence, sending offensive comments using daijiworld will be purely at your own risk, and in no way will Daijiworld.com be held responsible.