A Den for Snowden.

Privacy. A word whose physical significance has become almost non-existent in today's world. Yet we crave for it. You might excuse yourself from company to attend a private call on your phone but without your knowledge all those calls and messages are being recorded by government officials to trace any suspicious activity. How different does that make you from any terror suspect? And if you somehow get hold of data to expose them you become nothing short of a terrorist. Imagine something like this being done by Pakistani government with Indians…World War III would have started and you and I would be taking shelter in a dilapidated building like Anne Frank and writing a journal. But if the government of a nation does the same with its own citizens, it’s supposed to be perfectly acceptable. Yeah right. And if somebody daring enough opposes them, he is put behind bars or chucked out of the country.

 . Why did Snowden have to write to nations for permission to seek asylum?  Where is the democracy? And why did nations refuse him permission?  The answer is: How could they afford antagonizing the United States of America!  And India? Do not even get me started on her! First she was slave to the West by force, now by choice.  World integration has become  a term of mockery. When the states within a nation are ready to go on war with each other, how can one expect of a whole nation to support somebody from a different nation. Ecuador, the one nation that did give him permission to stay there later gave a statement which said that it was a mistake on their part. The handsome Vladimir Putin was stated as saying ‘Snowden is like an unpleasant Christmas gift’. This whole searching for an asylum by Snowden is definitely an attack on the lost cause of world integration because even in today’s world of democracy in over 150 countries, a man has to spend almost a month at an airport.  

Love you to Death.

Okay…so in this whole boy-loves-girl-girl-says-no-girl-dies scenario, where do we stand? Today when I picked up the newspaper in the morning (after a lecture from maa on if-u-want-to-spend-an hour-romancing-the-paper-you –need-to-get-up-early), I expected a follow up on the gutsy IAS officer as a headline or probably some election crap.  But I was in for a shock when I saw this:

Was I surprised? No. did I get goose bumps? Yes. Like hell. What is the world coming down to! After such alleged crimes of passion, one is left wondering if there ever was any love! So the guy was a foreign language student at the prestigious JNU. That is where he met the girl. Both were apparently final year students. Rumored to be dating. Allow me to get a little hypothetical (okay. A lot.)

Both pass out with a bachelor in Korean;

Get a job;

Fall madly in love with each other;

Face opposition from family…but love conquers all;

Get married;

 Go to Korea on vacation;

The girl loves it so much that they decide to get settled there;

They have many cute Korean kids;

Live happily. J

But. Reality is a little different.

  So apparently, the girl decided to end the guy’s dreams of Korean kids. Now, whatever be the reason…she becomes the vamp. So what? Does that entitle her to such brutality? Is he licensed to kill her?  He committed suicide. Had he fled, chances are: A. he would not have been caught; B. even if he was caught, the case would have been left pending for decades; C. we would have been out on the roads. Protesting (which I am sure would happen even now) to hurry his punishment.  

"...She has hurt my ego...but I don't want to reveal the reasons for which my ego has been hurt...," wrote Aakash(the  guy)
what kind of ego I ask. Are we obliged to take care of your massive egos? Just because she hurt his so called ‘ego’, he almost killed her.

When are you guys going to understand that we girls are no object to be owned! You cannot have our deeds in your name! If we laugh With you: you propose to us. If the answer is negative, you kill us. If we by chance laugh At you: you kill us anyway (probably disfigure us with acid?). What the heck. Even the most educated of the lot expects his girl to be submissive. Ask why. Gives you an adrenaline rush? Raises your testosterone level? No. if given a chance, I would love to kick them all the way to hell. Why can we not behave like civilized citizens! Where does so much of brutality come from? How could he leave the girl he apparently loved with a broken skull, stabs in the abdomen and now battling for life! Why can men not accept the fact that women too are individuals with their own sensibilities? To chase a woman is a thrill for many people. Why. The cliché ‘don’t you have mother and sisters at your home’ is so apt. I mean seriously. I am sure boys who have sisters, or a mother who is strong headed and has maintained her individuality in the household have a less chauvinistic behavior towards the opposite sex. But I could only say.

Fancy Feminism eh?

So S texts me a usual women-always-bicker-men-can’t-breathe-courtesy-our bickering joke. I reply with a 'LOL'. He replies ‘I love you for not over reactingJ’ I am like…overreact at what? He tells me that he sent the same message to another gal friend of his and…she blew the lid. I ask why. He says ‘she is a hardcore feminist…and feels that people should stop joking at their expense’ what could I say…now I know S very well and know he respects women to the hilt and would never spread a message which would insult womanhood.  But that made me sit back and reflect on what the actual definition of feminism is. Oxford says:                                                                              noun

[Mass noun] the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes.

Now, how is a joke at the expense of womanhood denying the equal rights to women? In fact, its an absolute equality since every other joke is about male bashing!  Now before u think that I am some guy in disguise of a girl, allow me to present my opinion. According to me, the definition of feminism is becoming shallow with every passing day. I believe every woman has a feminist somewhere in her. And I am no different. Do you get disgusted when you hear about molestation? Do rape stories horrify you? Do you feel female feticide needs to stop?  If your answer to even one of the questions is yes, then you are a feminist. Irrespective of your sex. Now my knowledge might be sparse but correct me if any law specifies that feminism can be followed by a woman only? What would you call the thousands of men that stood up and fought for the ‘Nirbhaya’ case? Chauvinistic pigs? Why can’t I call em feminists?

These days women resort to feminism as an excuse for whatever they cannot explain. You drive in the wrong lane, still YOU fight. Ask why. Oh…you are a feminist. In south, even today a girl’s maternal uncle has the first right as a groom. And FYI this not some village or back alley thingy. It is an ancient tradition which continues even today (although at a much lower rate) and happens in the most elite of families. Shocked are you? Where is the feminism now? Just because it’s a ‘tradition’ we are supposed to stay shut?

People feminism is not an excuse to get away with something that is technically wrong!  If you feel you are being denied what is rightfully yours, feel free to fight for it. That is feminism.  I agree men should be chivalrous but you cannot fight with them for not opening the door for you. A disgusted glance would be enough (maybe!).

So, be a feminist enough to laugh at the next girl-y/wife-y joke you here :D

Loads of love,

Sakshi!

Why oh why!

Why do i have tell how am i feeling now? were u there when it happened...?
Why do i have to answer ur questions when u did not bother even listening to mine?
Why do u think i am going to tell u 'its going to be okay' when u are the very cause of my pain!
What makes u think that i am going to compromise...again? you treat me like a staircase. i cried for you. i pined for you. i waited for you. and you? you bloody took me for granted :D i feel like laughing at myself!
You turned me into a person with no passion...i thank my stars for the day i met you because someone like you, made me realize my actual worth. not that u brought out the best in me but by bringing out the worst in me u helped me reflect on the best in me...
you think i am good for nothing...true that cause if the good list contains ur name, i better be the worst...

P.S. before you people tag me as a jilted lover, let me tell you that this post is not directed at any particular person. Rather it is for all of those who have at some point of time made u feel bad about yourself...made u feel worthless. life is a gift to cherish do not let people make feel u any different! you are the best...its up to u to bring out that best in you :) just like facebook has a friend list and gives you the power to select your friends, why not in real life? Why not un-clutter what/who is not needed! Why live up to somebody else's expectations when nobody cares about yours! Start today people!
  Only you have the power to do that!
Love and oodles of optimism,

Sakshi!