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विवाह कानून (संशोधन) विधेयक 2010: सरकार को पुरुष संघटनो की तरफ से कुछ बेहद महत्त्वपूर्ण सुझाव
पुरुष अधिकार से जुड़े संघटनो की कुछ प्रमुख चिंताए:
* संशोधन का मूल प्रारूप (मुख्य बिन्दुएँ)- पतियो के खिलाफ पक्षपाती है.
* इस आधार पर तलाक मांग सकती है कि उसका दांपत्य जीवन ऐसी स्थिति में पहुंच गया है, जहां विवाह कायम रहना नामुमकिन है. 'विवाह सम्बंध टूटने और किसी भी सूरत में रिश्ता बहाल न होने' को भी तलाक एक आधार के रूप में मान्यता प्रदान किया गया है "हिंदू विवाह अधिनियम", 1955, और स्पेशल मैरिज एक्ट, 1954 में.
* पत्नी को हक़ है पति की तरफ से पेश तलाक़ याचिका को विरोध करने का इस आधार पर कि वो गहन आर्थिक संकट से ग्रस्त है. कोर्ट इस गहन आर्थिक संकट से निज़ात दिलाने के प्रावधान अपने विवेक पर कर सकती है. (पतियो के संग पक्षपाती है)
* उन बच्चो के भरण पोषण का समुचित प्रबंध माता पिता के द्वारा उनकी आर्थिक हैसियत के अनुरूप जो अवैध संतति है.
संसदीय समिति- महिला संघटनो के द्वारा सुझाये गए प्रस्तावो से गलत तरह से प्रभावित है:
* 'विवाह सम्बंध टूटने और किसी भी सूरत में रिश्ता बहाल न होने' को भी तलाक एक आधार के रूप में मान्यता प्रदान करने की संस्तुति करना.
* महिला संघटनो के सुझावो से प्रेरित होकर उस वैवाहिक संपत्ति पर भी पत्नियों का अधिकार होगा जो विवाह के उपरांत अर्जित की गयी है दोनों के सहयोग से.
* पुरुष संघटनो के हर सुझावो की उपेक्षा की गयी.
कानून मंत्री द्वारा किये गए अन्य संशोधन- पुरुष हितो के विपरीत प्रावधानो की स्वीकृति:
* पत्नी का हिस्सा उस संपत्ति पर जो विवाह के पूर्व और उपरान्त अर्जित की गयी है.
* पत्नी का हिस्सा पति के द्वारा अर्जित और अर्जित करने योग्य पैतृक संपत्ति में.
हमारी आपत्तियां:
* पत्नी का कोई योगदान नहीं होता पति के द्वारा अर्जित पैतृक संपत्ति में और उस संपत्ति पर जो उसने शादी से पूर्व अर्जित की गयी है. उसको संज्ञान में लेकर प्रावधान बनाने की जरूरत नहीं.
* उस संपत्ति के बटवारे में कोई भी फैसला जो पति ने शादी के उपरांत अर्जित की है आँख मूँदकर गलत तरीक़े से नहीं होना चाहिए। पत्नी के योगदान का आकलन करना चाहिए। दो महीने की शादी और बीस साल की शादी की अवधि को एक ही मापदंड से नहीं देखा जा सकता.
इन संशोधनों के परिणाम/अंजाम:
* वैवाहिक वादो के गहन अध्ययन के बाद ये बात स्पष्ट उभर कर आई है कि ज्यादातर वैवाहिक विखंडन का कारण पत्नी का जबर्दस्ती उस संपत्ति पर हक़ जताना रहा है जो पति या उसके रिश्तेदारो ने अर्जित की होती है.
* विवाह अपने पवित्र संस्कारो से वंचित हो जायेंगे और ये सिर्फ संपत्ति अर्जित करने का श्रोत बन जायेंगे। ये अब धीरे धीरे एक परंपरा बनती जा रही है कि भौतिक लाभ की लालसा शादी के द्वारा बढ़ती जा रही है और इस तरह के गलत संशोधनों के व्यापक दुष्परिणाम उभर कर सामने आयेंगे।
* संपत्ति का अर्जन कई वर्षो की मेहनत का परिणाम होते है ना कि कुछ वर्षो के वैवाहिक संग का. असफल वैवाहिक सम्बन्धो के चलते अपनी गाढ़ी कमाई से अर्जित संपत्ति से हाथ धोने के वजह से पतियो के आत्महत्या के दर में खासी वृद्धि देखी जायेगी जो कि पहले से ही पत्नियों के आत्महत्या के दर की दुगनी है. अपराध दर में भी इस वजह से वृद्धि देखी जायेगी।
हमारे प्रस्ताव/सुझाव:
* इन अपूर्ण, गलत और भ्रामक संशोधनों को वापस लिया जाए. कानून को लिंगभेद से ऊपर रखा जाए (जेंडर न्यूट्रल), पति या पत्नी शब्द को जीवनसाथी (spouse) शब्द से सम्बोधित किया जाए.
* संपत्ति में हिस्सा पति और पत्नी के वित्तीय योगदान के आधार पर किया जाए.
* अगर वित्तीय योगदान शून्य है तो एक फॉर्मूले का ईज़ाद किया जाए जो शादी की न्यूनतम अवधि का आकलन करे संपत्ति के बॅटवारे के हेतु और उस एक फॉर्मूले का ईज़ाद हो जो योगदान के बारे में सही रूप से निरूपण कर सके.
* शादी से पूर्व इक़रारनामे (pre-nuptial agreement) को कानूनी मान्यता दी जाए.
* इस बात को बहुत तीव्रता से महसूस किया जाता रहा है कि असफल वैवाहिक सम्बन्धो के चलते पत्नियों को गहरे वित्तीय संकट का सामना करना पड़ता है. विवाह एक संस्था है जो अगर ना चले तो एक लिए पुरस्कार (पत्नी) और एक लिए सजा नहीं होना चाहिए (पति). अगर पत्नी गहरे वित्तीय संकट का सामना कर रह है तो उसकी दूरी के लिए व्यापक प्रबंध किया जाना चाहिए ना कि निरीह पति को इसके लिए दण्डित किया जाना चाहिए. इस सन्दर्भ में हमारा सुझाव ये है है कि:
# हिन्दू विवाह उत्तराधिकार एक्ट 2005 का कड़ाई से पालन किया जाना चाहिए. स्त्री का हिस्सा जो उसके माता-पिता के घर बनता है उसको या तो शादी के दौरान या तलाक़ की अर्जी देने के समय (किसी भी पक्ष के द्वारा) अपने आप दे देना चाहिए.
# अगर स्त्री बेरोजगार है या जिसका कैरियर एक लम्बे अंतराल से बाधित हो गया हो तो इस तरह के महिलाओ के भरण पोषण की जिम्मेदारी और उन्हें रोजगार मुहैय्या कराने की जिम्मेदारी सरकार की होनी चाहिए बजाय इसके कि पति पर इस तरह का भार डाला जाए. इस तरह की पत्नियों के वित्तीय संकट दूर करने के लिए "तलाकशुदा पत्नी कल्याण कोष" का गठन किया जाना चाहिए।
This is Hindi version of a letter addressed to the Parliamentarians prepared by the Men's Rights Association.The Hindi version has been prepared by the author of this blog post.
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During one of the conversations with close friend Carmen, who happens to be a gifted conversationalist, the idea of men wearing skirt came to haunt my imagination. She picked up the idea from some fashion show. Her casual reference to men in skirt made me remind of the famous phrase that there is "method in madness". If anyone wishes to realize how madness has become a passion in our times, the present age is fittest time to witness the mad show. Just organize a fashion show and introduce horrible sense of dressing as a new passion among youths. No wonder men wearing skirts does not sound amusing. Anything is possible in our times. Overnight we can find "he" emerging as "she" the next day! Now I am wondering what else could follow if men start wearing skirts?
The purpose of fashion shows also defies my sensibilities. Often the trends shown in it are not meant for masses. The dresses exhibited in it are beyond the range of common people. Still we find an unending craze for such fashion shows. Remember the movie "Fashion"? That movie disclosed the harsh realities prevalent in world of fashion. Anyway, I am talking about the craziness existing in our real world, wherein the distinction between men and women is getting reduced with each passing moment, and even in the virtual world with help of Photoshop. The write-up is merely a humorous take on the whole issue.
Notice the fact that wearing "ear rings" by the boys is new craze. My friend endorsed usage of ear rings by boys since that make guys attain a look that attracts females. I feel that in every man there is female essence and in every woman there is some male element. Only today I saw a girl riding a motor bike meant for men. Few days back, I had seen an young girl having two girls pillioned behind her on a slender scooty! That makes it very clear that there is urge in both the sexes to give way to each other's essence. Has anyone heard "Aake Seedhi Lagi Dil Pe" song from movie Half Ticket? Kishore Kumar has given voice to male and female characters on whom this song has been picturized!! Pran and Kishore Kumar have performed in mind-boggling way in this song. And that's why this song always makes me smile! In many Indian movies dance sequences have male actors disguised as females. The same has been the case with female actresses as well.
Right now, I am wondering what would follow the skirt? I am sure male bras are next hot item. Please read this excerpt borrowed from news item:
"Japanese men are getting in touch with their feminine side thanks to a new trend in male lingerie.They are hitching up their man boobs (moobs), finding out their cup sizes, and getting into male bras. Akiko is the woman behind this underwear revolution. She started selling the bras online from her Tokyo shop – The Wishroom. She said: 'I think more and more men are becoming interested in bras.' "
Now if that's the case I feel new perceptions would emerge. Now men, like women, would often be found complaining: I found her staring at my assets !!! New harassment laws would also be introduced for men that would take cognizance of men's complaints, accusing the passers by of indecent gesture !!! I feel that such tactics are very cleverly promoted by market. That makes them sell their products. That's the reason why "Mardo wali cream" (fairness cream for men) has come in existence and actors like Shah Rukh Khan, having dark complexioned wives, are promoting it. They are making us develop guilt complexes to promote the sale of fairness cream for men!!! Anyway, for me black is beautiful.
I request the likes of Carmen not to create chaos in society by feeling excited about idea of seeing men in skirts. I love women with long hairs. I am sure not many would love to see a woman proclaiming bald is beautiful! Please be traditional, at least, in some matters. Women in long hairs are epitome of sensuality. Unfortunately, it's age of short cuts. No wonder women love anything from short hairs to short skirts.
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सत्य के लिए लड़ने वालो को दुनियाई लेबल की परवाह नहीं करनी चाहिए
सच बोलने या सही बोलने वाले को दुनिया ने हमेशा तमाम तरीके की बौड़म उपाधियाँ दी है। सो लेबल की परवाह मुझे नहीं है। उस अवस्था से ऊपर उठ गया हूँ जहाँ लोगो को दुनियाई तमगो की चिंता होती है। कुछ तीव्रता से महसूस करना और फिर भी खामोश रह जाना एक प्रकार का बौद्धिक जुर्म है, बौद्धिक धोखा है। कम से कम ये मेरा तरीका नहीं है। स्त्रियों का मै सम्मान करता हूँ मगर इसका ये मतलब नहीं है कि उनके आचरण से जुड़े गलत तौर तरीको पर आपत्ति न उठाऊं। हर संवेदनशील व्यक्ति को समय रहते स्त्रियों को उनके आपत्तिज़नक आचरण के लिए सचेत करते रहना चाहिये इस बात की परवाह किये बिना कि इसका उन्हें खामियाज़ा भुगतना पड़ सकता है। कम से कम ये बेहतर है इससें कि आप व्यर्थ के आंसू टपकायें कुछ गलत हो जाने के बाद उसी गलत आचरण की वजह से। ये अलग बात है कि हम कदम तभी उठाते है जब सार्थक कदम अपनी अहमियत खो चुके होते है। अब ना तो मुझे इनकी तरह आँसू बहाने का शौक है और ना ही मै इन निष्क्रिय आत्माओ के समूह से में अपने आपको जोड़ सकता हूँ जो व्यर्थ ही आँसू बहाने के शौक़ीन है फोकट में।इसलिए तीव्रता से विरोध करता हूँ उस अवस्था से ही जब समस्या अपने प्रारम्भिक चरण में होती है। कम से कम विरोध करना तो मेरे हाथ में ही है। अगर आप मेरा साथ देते है तो अच्छी बात है। नहीं तो मै अकेले ही अपना विरोध तीव्रता से दर्ज करता रहूँगा। जिनको जो उपाधि मुझे देना है वो स्वतंत्र है मुझे देने के लिए।
कभी कभी हमको चीजों को मानवीय दृष्टिकोण से भी समझना चाहिए, एक संवेदनशील दिमाग से भी देखना चाहिए। दिक्कत हमारे साथ ये है कि हम सब चीजों को ओवर इंटेलेक्चुअलआइज़ कर देते है। यही सबसे बड़ी समस्या है रेडिकल फेमिनिस्ट्स के साथ जो औरतो के अधिकारों के लिए लड़ रही है। अब औरतो के पास कुछ तथाकथित अपने पर्सनल अधिकार है पर जो चीज़ इस पर्सनल राइट्स के मिलने के बाद आयी कि पुरुषो के साथ परस्पर माधुर्य से जुड़े सम्बन्ध बनाने की काबिलियत का लोप हो गया। इसीलिए मुझे जो साधारण स्तर पर विचरणने वाले स्त्री पुरुष है वो ज्यादा जीवन का रस लेने वाले है बजाय दोहरी ज़िन्दगी, उलझाव भरी ज़िन्दगी जीने वाले ये अधिकारों की लडाई लड़ते स्त्री और पुरुष।
(अपने अभिन्न मित्र घनश्याम दास, मेडिकल प्रैक्टिसनर है, यूनाइटेड अरब अमीरात, जी से कहे हुए शब्द एक विचार विमर्श के दौरान सोशल नेटवर्किंग साईट पर)
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The righteous have always been labelled as this or that. I have never worried about labels; crossed that stage when one is afraid of labels. To feel something terribly and yet not speak out that clearly is some sort of intellectual dishonesty. That's not my attitude. I respect and admire women a lot but that does not mean I come to overlook the dangerous trend patterns associated with them. We have to warn them in advance, irrespective of the consequences, or else there is no point in shedding tears when something goes wrong because of the same flaws/tendencies. It's another thing that we react only when the water starts flowing above the danger mark. And neither I wish to shed tears like these misguided souls nor I wish to identify myself with them. That's why I aggressively protest, right from the nascent stage of crisis. At least, that's in my hand. It's fine if you come to support me. If not, I will still aggressively protest all alone. Let them label me as they want.
Sometimes we need to look at things from human angle, from a sensitive mind. The crude thing is that we over intellectualize everything. That's the problem with the radical feminists advocating the rights of women. Now the women have their so-called rights but they forgot the art to have a natural and intimate relationship with man. That's why I find simple man and woman enjoying life more than these men and women living complex lives, living dual lives, in the name of personal rights.
P.S.: These words I shared with my close friend Ghanshyam Dasji, Medical Practitioner in United Arab Emirates, on a social networking site.
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Delhi Gang Rape: Important Aspects Totally Overlooked By The Paid Mainstream Media
India's braveheart girl must have begun a new journey in some other mysterious world. Back in India, the land of her birth and also death in such a tragic fashion, after being gang-raped and sexually assaulted in most barbaric manner, leading to severe multiorgan failure, the protests have begun to lose momentum. That's a typical course of action for any movement in India. It sooner or later, becomes part of fading memory and, after some years, many find it hard to recollect what exactly happened! Even in this case, eyewash gesture of setting another committee had been done, ignoring Supreme Court's previous directions, which talked about safety of citizens, especially the women. In fact, constitutional provisions and Law Commission recommendations, if implemented with total sincerity, are suffice to take care of safety concerns of women, always left vulnerable to such cruel turns of destiny. One Lakshmi, researcher related with women's issue, made a fitting remark in The Hindu: "She didn't die of multiorgan failure, but it was the multiorgan failure of this society and the state which killed her."
For instance, in this case, how was this bus with illegal tinted glass windows, allowed to move freely on the streets, and that too, when it passed through many police check-posts? What were the cops doing? Even in UP, cars with illegal glass windows, usually having, illegal blue/red beacon lights are in fashion. So why is the Traffic Superintendent, a mute spectator in this regard, when the policemen from the same department are so damn conscious about ensuring regular hafta (a form of bribery) at every crossing from the truck drivers? That's because no body is interested in annoying the political goons, occupying the high posts as Ministers! The government and High Court wish that common citizens should act as guardians of democracy but have they ensured safety of the whistle-blowers? Before this case,Assistant Sub Inspector Ravinderpal Singh, was shot dead allegedly by Akali Dal leader local secretary (Urban) Ranjit Singh Rana and three of his associates on December 05, 2012, in Amritsar, Punjab, who had resisted the harassment of his daughter. In the same state, a gang-rape victim committed suicide on December 26, 2012, nearly a month after alleged gang-rape, which took place on November 13, 2012, being pressed upon both by police and the society to compromise. In this alleged gang-rape, a woman, identified as Shinderpal Kaur, played a key role. The point that's being suggested is that popular anger which has got focused on "hang the rapists" or, for that matter, demand for more stringent punishment is absolutely misplaced. That's not going to yield any better result.
The paid media, having struck unholy nexus, with the government, is constantly projecting rhetoric or misplaced popular sentiments. In United States and in other nations, despite having tough provisions, the rape incidents are quite frequent, even as the better implementation of strict provisions have ensured lesser victimization rate. The point worth considering is that they have given to wider considerations side-by-side stricter laws, which includes concerns related with widespread denial of women as potential sexual aggressors, female-female rape, distinction between forcible and non-forcible rapes, rape of males by females and etc. The researches there also included the impact of drugs, especially alcohol. Even though timing of entering into contrasts with United States is not okay, especially at this point of time, I am but compelled to do since angry people have given way to demand for tougher laws, forgetting that stricter laws can only work wonders when we have sound and sympathetic government machinery in action. Is that the case in India, wherein all sorts of legal provisions have got limited to law books alone?
Against this backdrop, before I deal specifically with the Delhi gang-rape, I wish to clearly state that it would be fatal to confine the urge for changes to "safety of women alone" or, for that matter, demand for stricter provisions to prevent rape. This line of action is being deliberately highlighted under pressure from feminist wings, tactically supported by Congress government, which hopes to regain power with female voters and minority card in next Parliamentary actions. The mainstream media is also singing the same tune, because in wake of fear to lose government's aid, it has no other option but to toe the stance taken by government. This whole drama which captured the nation's attention from December 16, 2012, until death of gang-rape victim was a well-orchestrated show managed perfectly well by the paid media and Congress government. There are enough circumstantial evidences which give proof of it that the real story is something else and it's more horrible than what we all came to witness in these past turbulent fifteen days. I will deal with this aspect later in this article but first let's not ignore these pertinent points.
Had the protests been genuine and intentions of government honest, the demand would have not been focused on safety of women or rights of women alone, it would have been focused on better safety concerns for every citizen, irrespective of gender. The most horrible thing is that this time politics was done in name of this unfortunate girl, victim of brutal gang-rape, who is no longer in this world. This protest was given vulgar and aggressive shape by the vested interests with immediate and long-term gains in mind. The news of nuisance created by agents of Congress, belonging to NSUI wing, at India gate have now surfaced, and this confirms the suspicion that real story is something else. Three main reasons could be deviating attention of general public from its recent failures on all fronts, diminishing the impact of victory of Narendra Modi at national level, and, above all, an attempt to keep intact the female votes, by emerging as champion of female rights ( the way it tries to emerge as protector of minorities) in long term with some immediate steps in this direction right now.
It's really ironical that on the one hand sponsored protesters, and foreign funded women's organisations, are demanding for tougher laws, and, on other hand, this case is now being under the vigilance of Delhi High Court since it has taken suo moto cognizance! Now that's pretty disturbing! What was the need to do so? May be its apprehensive that government machinery might play foul and delay the justice, and thus, it's intervention becomes necessary to ensure fair and speedy justice! Without debating the merit of High Court's decision to take suo moto cognizance of this case, I wish to know will superior courts always take moto cognizance of such cases to ensure fair trial once tough laws come into operation? In other words, we are mindlessly asking for tough laws in a nation, wherein monitoring of cases by superior court becomes necessary to ensure fair justice. In the United States, we have a fair system which not only ensures that tough laws operate within a perfect apparatus but also that cases be dealt in scientific manner. Imagine the consequences of tough laws in corrupt and biased set up which India entertains, wherein right from investigation to trial stage, everything is shoddy and flawed. Does our system has ensured that those abusing the process of law do not go scot-free?
We have already witnessed what has been the fate of tough dowry provisions and SC/ST provisions and still dare to believe that tough provisions would stop rapes in current set-up? Isn't it was the fear of misuse which led to scrapping of POTA provisions? I am afraid it would only lead to further deterioration of men-women relationships, which is the agenda of foreign sponsored feminist institutions (weakening the institution called family and marriage) and also of secular parties, which breed on chaos and disorder. I mean we are living in times, wherein rape has become some sort of tool to settle scores, a weapon to blackmail, to an extent that even consensual sexes, after love gone sour, gets projected as rape. I am sure a little commonsense, instead of expecting everything to be achieved with the help of laws, would yield better results.
We should not forget that we are living in times, wherein, an actress, Maria Susairaj, can enter in one of the most macabre murders, ever intercepted by world of crime. That's why instead of a knee jerk reaction, a conscious approach which ensures that cases are dealt in light of merit, not governed by biases for any particular gender shall create better days. Mere strict provisions, with ample scope of their misuse shall only make females become natural enemy of males. There are many MPs and members of state assemblies,booked under rape charges, and if they are asked about it they would let you know that they have been falsely implicated! Their versions may or may not be true, but it does give you an idea that either legal system is being used to settle scores or it's not being used at all! Against this backdrop, how would you ensure that tough provisions would ensure justice? Let's have a glimpse how this system functions. The death of constable Subhash Tomar, amid the violent protests at India Gate, is now shrouded in mystery. The autopsy report suggests, that death was caused by a sharp object but the witnesses claim that death was a natural affair and no such attack was involved! See the contradiction.
But we are living in strange times. The mere appeal to women to dress properly or maintain right visiting hours is seen as some sort of curtailing their rights or independence, and not as commonsense. That's because so-called lust for absolute freedom, on par with corrupt theories sponsored by feminists, have robbed of their ability to think in simple terms, making them see every such sound advice as insult of their beings. For instance, I am sure even a men, however strong may he be, run the risk of being attacked and killed, if he dares to move on streets all alone during nocturnal hours! So is there any point in seeing a crime in a gender specific way and demanding safety of women alone? Check the data and you would find more number of men killed in tragic way. So should I start campaigning for safer world of men? Attack and getting killed is more failure of law and order, instead of something born out of gender specific cause. Another idiotic argument presented by the feminists, and modern girls, is that wearing provocative dress is no invitation to rape. That's true and I agree whole-heartedly with the counter offered but what I totally disagree is that provocative dressing creates no impact. That defies psychological laws. It's a common phenomenon that both female and male physiological responses i.e. erectile responses are involuntary in wake of anticipating atmosphere surcharged with sexual stimulants.
So why are we trying to create a system, which mainly tries to accommodate demands of one sex, not in tune with common sense and psychological aspects? Mind you even "gun-culture" would not ensure a safe scenario if some basic sociological principles get avoided. That's the reason why gun-culture in United States has not ensured desired result. Anyway, I am not suggesting that following such simple steps, rapes would become a rarity or, for that matter, decently dressed woman would altogether be free of sexual assaults, but these simple steps would ensure a significant drop in crime against woman. That's exactly what Vrinda Grover, lawyer and women's activist, is trying to say when she says that: " There is no evidence to suggest that the death penalty acts as a deterrent to rape…….Certainty of punishment rather than the severity of its form could act as a deterrent." (The Hindu)
It's also strange that gang-rape of this girl is being projected as awakening of this nation but it's really baffling to understand what exactly are we trying to say when we say so? Are we trying to say that had this girl been not gang-raped we would have never awakened? That's why I feel this huge protest is orchestrated or it's totally redundant. That I say so since Delhi has already attained the infamous title of being "rape capital of the country'" long back ago. There were 568 cases of rape, registered in 2007-2011 period. So was Delhi and whole nation sleeping? The Times of India news report from where I picked this data, quoting a police official, stated: "Former IPS officer Y P Singh said the police informally classify rape into two categories: technical and violent. 'In case of technical rapes, there is an element of consent involved and there is no violence. Some examples are a lady caught red-handed in an act and then alleging rape; a man inducing a lady with a false promise of marriage and having intercourse. There have also been cases where departmental seniors have called for wives of suspended juniors to stop the husband being dismissed from service," said Singh."
At the time when this case caught the limelight, an unfortunate mother in Uttar Pradesh, was struggling hard to get justice in a case involving suicide of her daughter, after being gang-raped. However, neither the media nor the concerned higher authorities including District Magistrate paid any attention to her grievances. That makes it even more important to understand the true elements constituting the protest at India Gate and Jantar Mantar. That I say so because in past we have witnessed murder most foul like Naina Sahni murder case, Madhumita Shukla murder case, Jessica Lal murder case, and brutal rapes like one involving Aruna Shanbaug and rape of a twelve year old mentally challenged girl by a drunkard in Mumbai local train even as the others remained a mute spectator, and now we pretend that after December 16 gang-rape, nation has awakened, and, thus, demand greater safety of women!
How can we forget the brutal gang-rapes of two Mizo women, abducted from Dhaula Kuan, Delhi, and repeatedly gang-raped in moving vehicles in 2005 and 2010? Why we did not then gave way to such awakening? In fact, they were too dumped on the street, unconscious and without clothes, very much like the December 16 tragic episode? They were not subjected to injuries of grave nature but they are still facing emotional trauma."The condition of this woman is worse as she seems to have lost her mental balance after the incident. "I have been told she still flows into a fit of rage, bangs her head against the wall and keeps on inflicting injuries on her private parts," informed one of the members belonging to the Northeast Support Centre & Helpline while narrating the normalcy report of 2005 case victim.
That's why it becomes more than necessary to intercept this December 16 gang-rape case under the lens and scrutinize its each aspect very deeply. The moment you do so, you realize that this tragic episode, was used very shrewdly to serve some vested interests and there are many dark aspects, which have not at all surfaced despite being vast media coverage in sensational way. One might differ with my conjectures/hypothesis but the very facts point towards well-planned conspiracy to first blow out of proportion such episode and later conceal or destroy the evidences so that real picture never surfaces. Let's deal with such dubious aspects one by one. First of all, many who had gathered at India Gate/Jantar Mantar were people belonging to women's rights association and as per unconfirmed news reports there were disturbing elements from one political party to make the protests go out of control! The same thing happened. So that means less number of people from general public-the cattle class- and more people from dubious sections of society were mourning at the India gate and Jantar Mantar -the two spots which got maximum coverage by the mainstream media- demanding safety of women, which led to killing of constable Subash Tomar!
Secondly, we need to know who was behind the decision to carry her to Singapore based hospital? Why was that considered necessary and that too when it not only involved additional risk to patient but also involved huge expenditure involving taxpayer's money? Medical fraternity is absolutely sure that there was no need to get her shifted to any other hospital, involving flight journey, when she was on ventilator, struggling hard to overcome multiorgan failure Since it appears to be more a political reason than a medical reason, isn't that shows lack of insensitivity on part of political class? And secondly, a government claiming to ensure safety of woman, entered in such a cruel gesture when the whole nation was watching! It speak volumes about the decision making ability of Congress leaders, ironically, one of them is Lady Chief Minister of Delhi! Agreeing that Delhi High Court had remarked about shifting the victim to a super-specialty hospital but that was subject to advice of medical experts and limited to extreme conditions. And the medical team has already denied that they had no role in that decision! So who made this decision and for what reasons? It's also curious that electronic media channels, who covered the initial sensational phase of the tragic episode, were the ones, who abstained from covering the last ceremony of the victim, wherein it's learned that government acted with undue haste to get the last rites done quickly, much against the opposition of parents of the victim!
Anyway, the most sensational aspect happened while recording the statement of victim in the ICU. The Sub Divisional Magistrate Usha Chaturvedi was not only prevented from video recording of the victim's statement by three senior police officers but also asked by them to " use a questionnaire they prepared". Now that says all. The episode took a serious turn, making the SDM report the matter to Deputy Commissioner (East) B.M. Mishra. The questions we need to ask and think over are: Whom was Delhi Police trying to protect? Why was it not interested in having the videography done? Who were the backstage people involved, who influenced Delhi Police to act in that fashion? As per news reports, the people involved, the six men charged with crime, are people from lower section of society and so it's highly impossible that top level police officers would react in that fashion and be head on with a superior authority unless some big fish is involved! And that too, at a moment, when right from Prime Minister to whole nation, everyone appeared to be damn conscious about ensuring justice for this lady! So what was the need for Police officers to prevent the SDM from following her own way? Isn't it a stunning blow to the claims that tough laws would ensure better environment for women? With this sort of functioning style, it's anybody's guess that only innocents would be behind the bars, leading to weakening of the societal structure, which in turn would help the foreign agents, in tandem with anti-India forces, to create more space for their direct control of affairs in India.
Anyway, I leave upon conscious readers to frame suitable answers for these disturbing questions. Right now I just pray for that departed soul: May you always rest in eternal peace. Hope Lord gives you all, what you failed to achieve in this ephemeral world, governed by human sharks, promoting their deadly agendas. Angels like you have no room for survival in this world.
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Read It At Your Peril: The Most Fucking Article!
Let me tender my apology, at the very onset, to enlightened readers, especially the female readers. I could have roped in a more reader-friendly title than such a shocking heading. However, any attempts to do so would have defeated the very purpose of writing such a shocking piece. In my eyes, only hypocrites would call it vulgar, and naturally bring in use the trash button. But even if they decide to use the trash button, I would like them to read the article and try to be on the par with the essence of the whole article. The people around us are day and night bombarding the ear drums with such shocking epithets, and we have, apparently, stopped treating them as offending. If that's the case then I think there is no point in raising hue and cry about article being objectionable and crude. But the sad reality is that it really hurts when one hears such epithet. So what's the motive? To make it clear that let's not make abuses part and parcel of routine conversations. It's, indeed, a very shocking experience if someone hurls it at you all of a sudden, making you taken aback. If we can use better phrases then why we have made abusive language part of our conversations? And if one is not ashamed of using abuses in conversations then I don't think one should find anything objectionable in reading them onscreen in an article format!
Another reason why I have written this article is that I love to bring darker aspects of life in open. Let's get realistic and be not ashamed in reading what we have become used to in our daily lives! One laughs loud to bluff it away or pretends that one did not hear it all when such words appear, all of a sudden, in the daily conversations. I don't think that's going to bring any qualitative changes in our mannerism!!!
My idea of writing this article first hit the mind some years back when I was in New Delhi. I came to anticipate these modern mantras very often there. Mind you not only the commoners were using but also the high and mighty uttered them proving that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Even the teenage girls and boys let fly with tirade of abuses on small pretexts. In the evenings, we used to walk around PVR situated close to Jawahar Lal University (JNU). One gentleman there inquired about Photostat shop. On not being able to locate one he bursted out: "Behan Chod Sirf Cigarette Aur Beer Ki Dukan Hi Delhi Mein Hai Kya? Behen Chod Ek Din Sale Sab Marenge." (These sister-fuckers have opened shops selling beer and cigarettes. I cannot find any Photostat shop.) He was not all wrong. I could see teenage girls and boys smoking and there were beer bottles scattered around all along the path. If you happen to commute by a DTC bus there, I am sure you would be surrounded by nothing else but choicest abuses. "Behen Chod Ticket Nahi Lega Kya" (Sister-fucker! Will you not have the ticket?) Or "Behan Chold Chal Utar Tera Stoppage Aa Gaya Hai"(Sister-fucker! Get off the bus. You have arrived at the destination.) Interestingly, one US citizen, who was traveling with me, could not resist himself from asking me what these words really mean. He opened his small notebook, wherein he seemed to have jotted down these abuses. I gave a smile and told him that these are foul words.
I had similar experiences when I was in Mumbai. A boy hardly in his teens from a well-to-do family was walking waywardly on a busy street .Obviously, he was drunk. He seemed to have a bitter fight with her girl-friend studying in class seventh! "Behen Chod Mere Saath Nahi Chalegi.Kutiya Kahi Ki ! Khud Dus Logo Ke Saath Ghumti Hai Tab Kuch Nahi Jata." (Sister-fucker! She hates to be my side. Bitch! She had no problems when she moved with so many strangers.)
I don't know what's happening in the Western world but it's quite clear that there too foul words have become integral part of their routine conversation. I would like to quote a certain excerpt from a dialogue, which took place on a prominent site that deals with publication of poems and short stories. I am also one of its prominent contributors. The best thing of this whole conversation is that it has taken place between two best friends, and that too in a lighter vain. Here is the excerpt: "You fucking idiot!! Tread carefully motherfucker, I can find you and I will not be nice, pray to your imaginary friend now asshole. AIDS? What the fuck do you know? You can only get that from people who are infected with the HIV and without a condom, you fucking idiot. Primitive minded mother-fucker. Go swing out of a tree monkey." (It's unedited version of the comment.)
Anyway, I must tell what's happening in India instead of revealing the darker sides of Western world. Today we are hell-bent on improving the face of Indian police. I don't know when that's going to take place. I don't know how many of us have encountered Policwallah (Policeman) speaking in a friendly way. He is one of the most dreaded species on earth. On very small pretexts, you will find him using foul words. They never miss an opportunity to turn you into a caricature. A friend of mine was returning from a late-night party with his sister. A policeman on the beat asked him to stop. The policeman went closer to them and asked," Where are you roaming with this Laundiya (Girl)? " You expect something better from a lady police officer. However, even they are also devoid of good mannerism, better words. They too find nothing wrong in using foul words. Look how they dealt with group of innocent girls brought to book for their alleged involvement in prostitution racket: "Kutiya Dhanda Karti Hai Aur Yeha Aakar Drama Kar Rahi Hai." (These bitches are involved in prostitution and now they are pretending at the police station.)Well, one expects something better from women officials. But they seem to be setting new standards of degradation!! The lives of policemen hover around foul words, and, therefore, there are endless tales related with their intimate bond with abuses. Recently, some eminent sports persons in Varanasi were manhandled and treated roughly by the petty constables with choicest abuses.
Well, I can say that fast-paced life of ours has wrecked our nerves, to an extent that we have no control over our mouths. As a lawyer, when I first entered in the premises of Allahabad High Court, it felt really great. Indeed, it's a great place. However, I came to notice that almost all the lawyers enjoyed close proximity with foul words. I came to notice that senior lawyers usually handled their juniors very roughly. Being a rebel of some sort, I refused to be part of this chain of events which my friend tell that it's essential to face such trials and tribulations to turn into a more practical guy. My other colleagues told me that they (read senior lawyers) are reshaping your tendencies in order to overcome rough moments with ease during the proceedings. However, I ignored their advice. But what they said had an element of truth. If you have witnessed proceedings in divorce related cases, you would come to notice that words like "Kutiya" (Bitch) "Chinar" (Loose character women) , "Randi" (Prostitute) fly thick and fast from both the sides right in front of the Honourable Justice!
Looking this issue from a different perspective, I think that's why women in our villages during marriage ceremony hurl abuses at the groom's family when they come to have food. Sometimes they are used as tools to create intimacy, to create familiarity. I have heard that abuses hurled by saints are considered to some form of blessing. Even the prominent Hindi writers and poets are not ashamed in hurling choicest abuses whenever possible. That's why I feel pretty uncomfortable in their company! But that's something a natural affair for them. Even prominent Muslim writers like Taslima Nasreen(Lajja fame female writer), Ismat Chugtai and Saadat Hasan Manto have frequently used foul words .
But that cannot be used an excuse to provide an exalted position to Gaali (foul word) in our lives. Let's come to respect the sense and sensibilities of each other. No doubt it's very hard to rise above foul words during tense moments but we can certainly avoid making them part of our routine conversations. And some day, we will learn to say the unpleasant things in a refined language. There is no dearth of pleasant words in dictionary. Let's learn to use them to convey both our good and bad feelings. If that's not possible, let us use them in rarest of rare times.
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A DIALOGUE WITH RADHA (A Short Story)
I was once again with Radha. When all others have lost their relevance in my life, she continues to serve me like dutiful wife, opening new zones of vision each day. Who is Radha? Obviously, she cannot belong to this earthly plane. She represents my chamber of mind, which has been personified to provide it a bit of tangibility. And named Radha? To show its origin.
Night was towards its nadir. Only Radha and I were there in the dingy room, arguing over merits and demerits of certain aspect, staring into nothingness during moments of silence that too often interrupted our conversation. Of late, it has become extremely difficult for me to appease Radha. With her strange notions, she always manages to put me on the knife-edge. Later, she repents over her harshness but by then damage has become irreparable. As a damage-control measure, Radha, for few days, distances away from too much of twisting but as I am about to regain equanimity she is back to her usual business with a bang. These days intense debate is going on over the place of marriage in my life.
"So you have decided not to get married,"
"Will you please let the cat out of the bag?" she demanded with a stroke of sarcasm.
"I thought that by now you would have guessed about it. If you haven't let me tell you that in absence of right partner, I have put this issue on the backburner", I replied in a cool and calm way.
"What a pity! Yaar, can't you be little pragmatic? Why are you always hell-bent on emulating a self-destructive logic? You are now well past marriage age. Think about your anxious parents…" she said before being interrupted.
"Well, lend me your ears," I said, seeking her attention. After a moment of silence I said: ' Just like other obedient sons and daughters of present age! They pretend to be close to their parents but on their back care a damn about their reputation. They are always up to confrontation but for the world's sake they project a sober picture of their maddening lives, keep marrying in the name of providing relief to the parents, but once this tamasha gets over, they immediately abandon their parents. And for rest of their life parents live a lonely life; neither the society not their faithful children show up their faces. Only the other day I read about a lady who died after fighting a long battle with a dreaded disease. Do you know what their sons were doing when her heart must be burning with a desire to see them? They were relaxing in their apartments in Canada, came back seven or eight months later after so many reminders?
"No, I did not mean that, what I am trying to convey is that your parents be greatly relieved once you get married. After all, haven't they raised you up amid comforts? Aren't you ashamed over your callousness which has burdened their hearts with additional pain besides those emanating from worldly concerns?", asked Radha stubbornly.
"Do you understand, Radha, do you anticipate the real motives in the words flowing out unconsciously from the bosom. You are mistaken if you find this sort of thing fit for casual execution; it's not as simple as it appears to be. Listen, children should never be made vehicle for carrying out ambitions of the parents. Since you have brought them up it becomes obligatory for them to serve your interests, such uttering sound blasphemous. When such intimate relations are build up to ignite selfish considerations, no matter how noble your intentions may be, what is the need to carve place for lofty ideals in our lives? To rope in your bogus expectations, all in the name of rituals would only make the values redundant, existing in our life like lightening in the clouds!
"I understand it all! You are trying to make suspect myself. But remember, you could no longer fool me by spooky versions, "said Radha caught in whirlpool of contradictory emotions. I was smiling being aware of the fact that she was on the brink of losing ground.
"Radha, at least you should not be mindless in criticizing my stand point. Parents, Chachas*, Mamas*, friends and other near and dear ones, have put to sleep their analytical faculty, drugged their discrimination, having given way to compromises. It doesn't hurt me at all as I know well that such relations are guided by second-rate convictions, frequently changing color to remain in sync with the world. Don't you think concerns like marriage, job and etc. must be perforce choice of an individual, more so if he or she has attained a level of maturity? The only factor that should be given utmost importance is that whether or not it leads to beneficial changers for people around. If it doesn't violate the above-mentioned condition, I don't feel anyone has the right to question about its worth."
"Now look at the fate," trembling with passion I said, "of married couples, those who in the eyes of world have been sincere in honoring the wishes of their parent. Be sure, I am not trying to pass a moral judgment on one of the most respectable institutions established by our forefathers with great care. But one cannot ignore the degeneration that has wiped away its finer aspects. They quarrel over trivial issues, hurl choicest abuses at each other, emotionally and intellectually so wide apart yet living together for fulfillment of physical desires, meaningless union but could not separate owing to societal compulsions and yet in the eyes of the world they belong to honorable class of people. Why? Just because they are the by-product of time-tested institution! In other cases husbands and wives are living shattered lives, thanks to the ups and downs of the realistic life, existing merely as instruments with no time to exchange compliments. In some exaggerated examples, both the partners are found trapped in immoral affairs. Reason-not satisfied with each other desperately and now need a change coupled with experimentation! I wonder in age of so many revolutionary isms, it would be highly unfair to treat immoral as immoral. Give it a respectable place, or, simply vanish."
I said all this with a provocative smile. Not willing to give her room to cast stones at me, I went ahead with my views "What hurts me is elders stubborn refusal to learn lesson from their past mistakes. Having witnessed the consequence of pursuing faulty line of action, they come up with another set of perverse notions. The most shameful thing is that they don't regret at all. I am horrified over the dullness of these 'experienced' brains, which are so cocksure about efficiency of their worn-out ways and means. It was indeed grave mistake that I came to assume repentance unleashed wisdom in their consciousness."
For some reason, this greatly moved her. Refusing the emotion let loose on her head she said: "Forgive me, I wasn't aware of the seriousness of the crises. Yes, you are right that one should not expect anything worthwhile from people with a very limited vision. But I am more concerned about you. In all this drama, it's you who have suffered the most, being the victim of events, which were not entirely your own making. Let them resort to such desperate remedies, at this point of time, I would like to know about your steps to diffuse the crisis."
"Radha, it's never has been a well-guarded secret. In fact, the very clarity of my purpose has often allowed others to sabotage it. The likes of worldly experts have left little room for bringing in better choices, yet I have not lost hopes. One thing is crystal clear that it's not going to fall in the same bracket of affairs like gambling. Instead of being dictated by hazy vision, personal complexes and inflated egos of aberrated minds, the decision should emanate from deeper realm of intellect, leaving no room for setbacks in the future."
"But suppose such a holistic version refuses to materialize in your life?" she questioned thoughtfully. She was aware of the fact that rudeness of life does not provide humane approaches many chances to germinate.
"Radha, you are now loosing your sense of proportion. Is it sin to go beyond the dictates of people whose thinking abilities are covered in cobwebs? It is crime to provide life and vibrancy to your prized affairs? Perhaps it's better to move alone than to be part of nightmarish experiences all your life, under the veneer of traditions and rigorous social customs."
Radha half-whispered to herself and for a while allowed the silence to reign. She was unsuccessfully trying to conceal her tears, something that prevented her to go ahead with the conversation. Being absorbed in the same state of mind she exclaimed, " I am afraid you would not be able to survive for too long in the world reserved solely for dogs! I know well that sensitive souls like you cannot survive without a companion. When that was the case, why didn't you find one molded in your perception?"
"Well, a chance encounter had dragged me towards such a soul, but before it could blossom, it succumbed to the primitive-thoughtlessness of the pseudo-crusaders of the society. These perfect spoilsports who are mired in unspeakable affairs attain a sacrosanct position in these matters; on their verdicts innocent souls are mercilessly butchered without given a slight chance to communicate their intentions. As the days pass away, souls like us slowly get reduced to ashes amid gross activities of average everyday life." " I am eager to know her name, my dear fellow" Radha insisted.
"What is in the name? For me, she was simply your reflection! That's all," I suddenly said, looking straight at her face.
"Hm-that's all right- but what about your friends? Why didn't they conceive a strategy to pull you out of the mess?" she asked, blushing with gloomy eyes.
"It's a sad reflection, but I could not resist myself from making a confession that they were enemies masquerading as friends. It seems strange but they left no opportunity, like bunch of cheap crooks, to create nuisance at defining moments. Worse, after causing the debacle, they were little ashamed in delivering absurd suggestions, to view the whole episode as hand-work of destiny! It was indeed misplaced trust on these determined liars, who with help of their half-truths, spelled doom for me. Though I wanted to retain the illusion of recognizing them as friends for a longer time, however, their sincerity towards shrewdness made it impossible."
"So now you are all alone! Being burdened with awesome grief how are you going to remain on the right-track, one that makes the journey of life fruitful? You are in terrible state of loss!" burst out Radha with restless anxiety. Evidently, she was quite out of her wits, all the time eyes were glued on her feet, momentarily rising up to stare at my face with sad and severe look that left me horrified.
"Radha! I find myself trapped in the body. I don't want to get identified with fifth of this sort, an identification that has now little meaning for me except initiating cycle of meaningless cause and effects. Give me blue, for survival" I said in a distinct tone.
"Blue? What does it stand for?" asked Radha in a trembling voice with a cold smile.
"Radha, you seem to have fallen in league of present day politicians, who so easily forget their promises! I am surprised to find you so forgettable a person. Just a little while ago, haven't I attributed it to you as your intrinsic nature?" no sooner had I asked this I found her giving way to strange look.
Later, a smile dipped in divinity, flashed across her face. The night has changed her tempo, inviting the dawn to unfold its magic. Meanwhile, Radha has embraced my consciousness, placing me in her domain – unending stretch of blueness that came to annihilate our distinction, making us one forever.
Chacha: Brother Of Father
Mama: Brother Of Mother
Pics Credit:
From Sally To Arvind: Thoughts Deciphering Relationship Between Man And Woman
It's a rare phenomenon in a virtual world to receive comments/letters, which are powerful enough to make you go in a thinking mode. The dialogues or conversations taking place between netizens are often devoid of substance, purely for the sake of cheap thrills. Anyway, the words of my highly conscious female friend Sally, living in United Kingdom, proved to be an exception. She is an excellent blogger, who not only loves to sing but also appears to be in love with languages, being fluent in Spanish, German and French. Her views provide a deep insight about the complexities, which have begun to shatter relationship existing between man and woman. Let's have a look at her views but before that it would be appropriate to apprise the readers of my own words which compelled Sally to have such a conscious take on this complicated issue.
And yes, Sally, when I began writing I never intended to beat the Britishers in English writing skills! I have always been interested in presentation of thoughts with not so much regards for rules of grammar. That's what I am still doing: Learning with each passing day with greater hold on presentation of deeper thoughts, related with sensitive issues. Anyway, thanks for complimenting me on my English. They mean a lot to me. At least, they give me power to keep writing with confidence in the world of English writing, marred by fierce competitiveness.
That's what I said:
"It's really baffling to anticipate that women have changed a lot but the mindset that sees them as a weaker sex remains the same. We continue to treat them as sex which cannot do anything wrong. Interestingly, it had never been the reality. Not even in times when they were icons of virtue. They are equally capable of plotting in a sinister way. In fact, they are far superior in working in evil ways.
Yet we notice that when laws are framed, they are framed treating woman as a harmless creature! Will anybody explain me what's the rationale behind this generosity shown by the lawmakers? What prevents the lawmakers from anticipating something that's too obvious even to a person having little knowledge of women's behaviour? This calculated ignorance on part of lawmakers has turned Indian homes into battlefields. Clash of egos is now so commonplace. The couples suffer but the policemen, lawyers, judges, women's organizations and feminist institutions keep making money. The fights are also good for the economy. The couple living separate lives will be viewing television separately!
The times have really changed. Women make babies suffer but forget not to save time for friends, parties and doggies. This drama is, indeed, more comic than 'The Great Indian Laughter Challenge', and at the same time, more tragic than disaster hitting the planet earth."
Now pay attention to the words of my extremely sensitive friend Sally:
This is a very interesting discussion. I think where there is any extreme there must always be a backlash the other way.
In this country (the UK), when women's rights came to the fore it wasn't too long before the balance tipped in their favour. Men were demonised ("all men are rapists", etc.) and women insisted on equality in all areas, much to their own detriment in terms of the social niceties such as men standing when a woman entered the room, men opening doors for women, etc. Whereas women were fighting for the "right" to work, this has inevitably led to all women being expected to work, whilst still looking after their husbands and partners (forget the "New Man", he doesn't exist!) and also bring up their children.
This initially back-lashed to the emasculation of men and they were much derided in advertising campaigns and TV soap operas, etc.
The truth is there are intelligent people and not so intelligent people, there are good people and bad people, strong people and weak people – of both sexes – and gender doesn't come into the equation. Men and women should have equal rights in law, and there should be fairness in society, and men and women should complement each other. Look at nature – in some respects the male dominates, in other respects the female does. There is balance.
We should respect each other's gender, and work in harmony. We can rejoice in our differences.
As a visitor to India, I was aware that there were many aspects which seemed, to a Western observer, to be very old fashioned. Some attitudes towards women I encountered were quaint and charming, some I found patronising, and others downright offensive (whether I was judged, as a Western woman, to have looser morals I cannot say but on a couple of occasions I was manhandled – literally – in an unacceptable fashion). On the whole, however, I was treated with respect. I was, however, left with the impression that men had the upper hand culturally.
My impression before visiting India – mostly derived from watching "Bollywood" movies – was that the Indian male's view of womanhood was that of a fragile flower, who should be chaste but sassy, and in need of the male's protection, but who might equally be a devious temptress or harridan, using womanly wiles or a strong personality to get her own way. The truth is that men and women are not so different – we laugh, we cry, we nurture, we manipulate, we love, we hate, we feel.
Just as men abuse women, women abuse men. If anything, the abuse of men is less likely to be reported since society would have it that the abused man is weak, which is not necessarily the case at all.
Even in the UK in the 21st century there are still serious issues, such as the rights of divorced and separated fathers concerning access to their children, which need addressing. Although women are said to have equality, men are still on the whole earning more than women in similar jobs.
Oh yes, and I agree with the song "Paisa bolta hai" (money speaks). Many laws are made which protect the interests those who make them. The people who make the laws are mostly men.
May I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your English, which is probably equally as good as mine, if not better, and certainly much better than my Hindi!
Pics Credit:
Woman Is A Cipher Whose Addition Or Subtraction Makes No Difference
A book in which we wish
To read only geography
And avoid history.
On which we write only poetry
And never revolution(words that bring phenomenal changes).
A cipher
Whose addition or subtraction
Makes no difference
To our wicked and vain calculations.
केवल भूगोल
पढना चाहते है
इतिहास नहीं.
एक कागज़
जिस पर हम
कवितायेँ तो
लिखते है
पर क्रांति नहीं.
और शुन्य
जिसके जुड़ने
या घट जाने से
हमारे अंधे
गणित को कोई
फर्क नहीं पड़ता.
-दीपक तिरुवा
-Translation of Deepak Tiruva's Hindi poem has been done by Arvind K. Pandey
Love, Sex, Rape And Society
I am in love with Radio since childhood. It's my first love. That's because it remained above the distortions that hit the silver screen /idiot box with passage of time, providing healthy entertainment, besides keeping me in touch with changes taking place in the world. The other two mediums gave way to skin show but radio kept its virginity intact for long. However, very recently I discovered that it has too given way to vulgarity and obscenity. This time vulgarity entered not through the eyes but through the ears in form of sound waves.
It took me by surprise when I found one of the very young female listeners shrieking out loudly on radio that she enjoys uninterrupted "Sex and the city" and others can also have same quality experience like her if they come to own a particular brand of set top box! It appeared to me that society has really progressed- a belief that did not stay for long. That probably also explains why we have so many late night programmes on radio, often hosted by female presentators with remarkable confidence. That makes me feel pretty awkward within as how come being a male I lack the same confidence? Anyway, the arrival of songs like " Ooh la la", " Chikni Chameli", " Bhaag DK Bose" and " Jalebi Bai", to name a few, on radio wiped out whatever little respectability radio had so painfully preserved in all these ears.
Anyway, it gave me some sort of satisfaction that bombardment of such songs and programmes is indicative of growing maturity in society- something also in tune with supply and demand theory. I mean I felt when young generation can so boldly discuss and share their experiences on radio, television and online portals I have no reason to assume that times have not really changed, in which people like me owning a great degree of shyness in such matters are like great black patch on clean white plain clothe. Have a look at our teenage days. We had just morning shows at theaters delivering "Gupt Gyana" (secret knowledge), which was rarely watched by guys and gals from decent homes and then there were magazines like "Playboy" which few could afford and some Hindi books- poor versions of foreign magazines. To discuss such matters was considered taboo and television after much consideration started showing late night movies in late 80s, which none watched.
Look at our times. We have helpline numbers that deal with queries related with post marriage worries !! There is growing awareness about sex education, more than need of moral education- to such an extent that talks about moral education seems to be regressive! Well, my eyes were wide opened when some months ago next door young boy,studying in good school and belonging to a good family, asked me ," Do I own CD of Murder-2 ?" My response in negative made him give me a strange stare and he was virtually annoyed when I asked why he has so much interest in movie having bold scenes-based on theme revolving around extra marital affairs? He smiled and said I am not in sync with recent trends!! I found merit in his response , after all, how come I forgot that all national magazines carry out sex surveys, which has details of intimate moments ? These are easily available low priced magazines which anyone can afford!! Gone are the days when " Roop tera Mastana" or " Julie I love you" aesthetically picturized songs, evoked unheard sensations. It's a different world wherein explicit details in normal conversations are commonplace and sexting has killed all scope for unheard sensations.
The point is do these signs are indicative of the fact that society is on right track after having become comfortable with sex related issues? The answer is a big "No"! Just now I signed a petition that will serve as a memorandum to Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, compelling him to take note of "Gang-rapes, sexual assaults, victim blaming, shameful rape trials" which have terribly hit Delhi/NCR. It reported the highest number of 'rape' cases (414) in 2010, leading it to earn dubious distinction of being rape capital of India. The other cities are also not that safe. In Calcutta a woman was raped by five youths when they were offered lift by her in middle of the night. In Gurgaon, a woman pub employee was allegedly gang-raped by six youth in a flat in the city. The sensational rape case of a BPO employee at Dhaula Kuan is still fresh in our memories.
After such incidents males are cursed, viewing rapes in narrow perspective as subordination of females in patriarchal society a way via which males prove their superiority over females. The feminists and intellectuals speak about ways and means to prevent rapes the way this petition talks about like better promotion of 'women helplines, monitoring through CCTV's, sexual assault prevention and redressal policy, state and police sensitivity towards women, workplace safety and awareness campaigns. However, the big picture is often ignored. At this point it would be not be out of place to suggest that the United States has the world's highest rape rate. A country that has high level of transparency in sexual affairs with a great freedom to indulge in sexual experimentation. Let's also remember it's a society highly feminist in nature. "1 of 6 U.S. women and 1 of 33 U.S. men have experienced an attempted or completed rape" states one of the reports published several years back.
Let me state that this issue has many complex facet. The same society that proclaims about freedom of sexual preferences and about attainment of maturity has utterly failed to address some of the key questions related with sexuality. The same society also deals with serious issues in biased manner as its more interested in vilification of men community and sharp polarization of society for vested interests. It boasts of sexual freedom but it loves to highlight important issues related with men and women in stereotypical way. That's one of the greatest paradox in our times. It's because more women in offices means greater consumption of material goods and so none of the countries including India can dare to ignore demands associated with women as they play a great role in stabilization of nation's economy.
However, this has led to another problem. The market oriented global society has utilized women's efficiency not only as qualified labour but also used her sexuality to great extent in selling of the products as well which these women are producing. Nokia sets are made in some remote part of India with the help of over burdened male and female staff and these very phones are launched at glittering ceremony, wherein one notices gorgeous male/female star accompanied by good looking females! Notice how sexuality is also being promoted along with new Nokia set!!
The problem arises here: Youth can buy a Nokia set but how and where will they unleash their sexual energy? That's why it's also promoted that we are now a country which allows many sexual preferences, enabling girls to boast "why should boys have all the fun? " A certain sexual tension is gradually built. Want to buy a soap? Buy one which impresses girls easily or buy one which sexy Katrina Kaif uses over her long legs!! Want to buy a toothpaste? Use one which leads to freshness of breath so that it's easier to attract kiss of a beautiful girl? If you use certain cream you attain a great glow to attract young girls and if female is using such a cream glow of her face is sure to get her a job!! It's not enough to see the ball reaching the boundary. See how semi naked cheer girls express their joy when ball races towards boundary! You buy something and the woman cashier at counter, being impressed by the mobile you carry, offers you condom to compensate for lack of change!!
That sort of sexual impressions are being constantly generated. These are false images. But they are powerful enough to shatter into pieces better values. They lead to dangerous conditioning of mind. As a result right people from both the sexes suffer. If you are not allowing healthy release of sexual energy even as the the mind gets hammered with sexual images of all the types will it not lead to perversions of all types? Will it not lead to rapists and sexual offenders? Why are only men being vilified? Why not the system in its entirety being targeted? Will tough laws that seem to punish all the men and laws which view rest of the men as potential rapists serve the purpose? I think these are not preventive measures but methods to end the human society for forever.
Now let's talk about love as well. The same Indian society which gives the impression that it has evolved to great extent is still comprised of people having more closed mind than people living in stone age. On the one hand, we find one reputed female editor finding extra marital affairs good for keeping marriage lively and, on the other hand, we have societies which hang to death boy and girl for loving each other just because they belonged to different caste. One real love story gives gives rises to many problems in India. Angry parents, shocked relatives, red-faced friends and hostile law authorities all make the life of lovers no less than living hell. No wonder the path of true love is never easy.
It's quite ironical that casual sex has so many takers if one takes into account growing number of teenage pregnancies or sex at the call centers or growing number of educated girls from good families joining prostitution to earn good money in short time but the same society is not yet ready to embrace the lovers with open arms. That reminds me of middle class morality, which finds its appearance in dramas written by G B Shaw. A stiff resistance often greets lovers, who not only have to face hostile law authorities but also be face-to-face with shrewd moves of deceptive friends and relatives. Deceptive friends? Tell any friend that you are in love with some girl and you are bound to hear anyone passing this great information that she has slept with him too!! A lobby of bad friends gets in action side by side good ones, leading to dominance of half truths. True lovers get above such traps but not all are that great willed and so most love stories end up on tragic note.
So it's okay to be fake lovers, in which there is display of money but no real emotions. Just the way a new movie get released every Friday, a new girlfriend or boyfriend appears in life of such lovers. It's okay to be a couple, who have no respect for each other but they are in relationship to keep the society happy or , for that matter, to keep the honour of family intact. Often such couples are involved in serious clashes and some even come to murder their partners. However, the Indian society has place for all such incidents. It treats them as part and parcel of drama called human life. What really baffles is that these same block heads who endorse all ills of societies in name of growth of society are so harsh towards lovers seriously in love with each other!! The custodians of morality still issue death warrants to them all in name of religion, caste, language and status.
Let's hope that Indian society which is so eager to convey the impression that it has evolved and in tune with better sensibilities makes way for right people, create room for healthy relationships and removes chosen contradictions. At present, it's in cusp which is neither modern nor ancient. I prefer not to treat it as a society trapped in transition. It's probably moving away from its core: The core made up of ancient wisdom which treated even insentient objects worthy of admiration.
Look at present age. We are murdering our own kids-only because they fail to fulfill our expectations. We believed that husband and wife are each other's reflection. Today we find that most of them are living in dead relationship. We treated women as object of worship. Today she is some 'chikni chameli' or, if that's not the case, she is promoting some mobile or deodorant via the charm of her body !! Our wise present age intellectuals call prostitution the oldest profession. They forget that we have produced women who have set high precedents. Let's not glorify trash even as we come to make way for trash to make the life attain full circle.
Pics Credit:


text:
Posted 10:20 PM 2/27/2012 : St. Landry Teachers Worry Their Jobs are On the Line
A $3.9 million budget deficit still looming over the St. Landry Parish School Board. The Board and various committees held three meetings on Monday to address some of the issues pertaining to the budget and impending cuts.
With such a deep budget gap, Interim Superintendent Donnie Perron

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Renad Ghanem
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — A 19-year-old medical student, Nouf Al-Amoudi, has launched a campaign to convince Saudi women to accept their husbands' marriage to other women.
Al-Amoudi believes that as long as the husband deals justly with all his wives in every aspect then he should marry several times.
According to Al-Watan daily, Al-Amoudi's call for polygamy is basically to solve the issue of spinsterhood in the society.
Studies show that the percentage of females exceeds the males in society, and if the men do not marry spinsters, it will be very difficult for them to find a good husband.
Al-Amoudi has received negative criticism for her campaign, but she believes that all those women who are against it are gripped in their emotions. She said women should think rationally about the issue instead of completely rejecting it.
However, there were some women who are in favor of the campaign and are wholeheartedly supporting it.
"I think multiple marriage of a man is the perfect solution to help unmarried women. However, some women refuse multiple marriage and prefer 'Misyar marriage,' which I consider insulting," said Al-Amoudi.


text:
(Continued from "Ferrying Home.")
Morning found us back at the pier, where we learned that no ferries were scheduled to depart to Athens that day, for reasons we did not fully understand. The ferry passengers once again dispersed, and my father and I decided that as long as we were in Istanbul, we might as well explore it, since who knew when the opportunity would arise again? (Four months later, as it turned out, when we boarded yet another ferry to Athens which sailed to Istanbul instead, only this time we learned that for a "consideration," the captain would allow us to stay on board when the ferry went to Athens.)
We duly wandered around Hagia Sophia, acquired a variety of colorful objects in the bazaar, and drank gallons of thick Turkish coffee while eating Turkish pastries which tasted and looked suspiciously like the Greek pastries we ate at home, only they were called something else. I found an entirely new group of crotchety old men to play backgammon with, and at one point ended up in a remote corner of the city by myself when I confidently boarded a train ahead of my father and it abruptly pulled away from the platform; oddly enough, I ran into the Orthodox Priest from the ferry, looking rather shifty, and together we made our way back to the hotel where my father and I were staying.
Somehow, our day in Istanbul stretched into several. Our room was richly aromatic with the smell of lemons at this point, and one of the tins of olive oil had begun to leak quietly onto the carpet, while the packages from the butcher were tactfully disposed of by the hotel staff. We must have attempted to get into contact with my father's German friend at some point, since I can't imagine that we would have left him hanging for days, but perhaps we didn't. It was rather challenging to coordinate any sort of meaningful communication between Athens and Istanbul.
Eventually, we set sail for Athens, where we found my father's friend happily disporting himself in the house of some other friends, and we delivered our assorted products and messages, minus one tin of olive oil and several parcels of meat. We also picked up the various and sundry objects which weren't available in Molybos, or anywhere else on Lesbos, for that matter, eventually acquiring an assortment of luggage which was almost unwieldy as the collection we had arrived with. Fortunately, my father's German friend was a fairly muscular sort who had no objections to lugging things around the city, and he viewed the rusty, creaking ferry we eventually boarded early one crisp morning as simply another adventure, rather than the floating death trap it undoubtedly was.
The ferry lumbered casually through the Islands, picking up passengers and cargo here and dropping it off there. The weather was temperate, and we sat on the deck most of the time and watched the Aegean slide by, admiring that strange shade of blue it achieves which makes it seem almost entirely unlike water. We made it back to Molybos in the end, and the German stayed with us for several weeks, much to the delight of Anna's family, who were quite pleased to have someone other than my father to converse in German with, since my father speaks an admirably salty variety of gutter German.
Inflamed by our account of our adventures in Istanbul, the German decided to head there once his time on Lesbos was over, taking a slip of paper with the name of our hotel in hand and promising to look up the friends we had made in the coffeehouse. I remember that it was a bright, clear day when he sailed, and we waved him off and watched the ferry as it started to lumber towards Turkey, before making an abrupt veer to the west, and Athens.


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Thread: The lasted java script
- 07-18-2007, 06:52 PM #1Member
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The lasted java script
Hi, I can't view java script popups, unless the website uses the latest version.
After updating to the lates java script, and accidentally deleated my older version (JRE 1.5.0_06) of java script, which leads me here.
I am asking if anyone can help me in locating this version?
- 08-07-2007, 06:44 AM #2Member
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Your shortcut to the world's best luxury and boutique hotels
⚲search ≡menuSituated in the beautiful hilltop village of Vejer de la Frontera, from which you can enjoy amazing views of the surrounding countryside and windswept beaches – as well as the Moroccan skyline across the water – V Boutique Hotel is a stunning, 17th-century mansion with tajine-loads of Moorish charm. With just 12 rooms, it makes the ideal intimate place to escape back to after days of sunbathing and kite-surfing on the nearby Costa de la Luz. And, as its airy rooms are decorated in a riot of colour schemes, and furnished with an idiosyncratic mix of modern and antique furniture, you'll never siesta anywhere more captivating.


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The views below are submitted by registered users of evertonfc.com and do not necessarily reflect the views of Everton Football Club. View the Blueroom acceptable usage policy.
DonMakaveli said:Yes Dan he's just saying that we've played 11 and everyone around us has played 12.... Simply could have said we have a game in hand like......
MOSHER said:our game in hand is spurs away remember.
whats everyones thoughts on trying to get Henry on loan in January??
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- August 30, 2012
- 9:36 a.m.
- Suggest removal
- Reply to this post
Island_Watcher (Inactive) writes:
My complaint is not that the school did not open as planned, although I'm certain that is very frustrating to several hundred families. Rather, my complaint is that certain people in BISD either didn't know what they were talking about last week when they guaranteed parents that the school would open as planned, or they simply lied about it.
It's not like Van Winkle made her forecast months ago; it was just five days before the start of school when she pledged that the school would open on time. If there were still significant variables that could have prevented opening, she should have said so. And if she didn't know about those variables, she's probably not the right person for the job.
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Seventy-seven World War II veterans from upstate South Carolina are on their way Tuesday morning to see their memorial in Washington DC. They're taking what's called an Honor Flight. These flights have transported thousands of vets to DC free of charge since the memorial opened in 2004. With an estimated 600 World War II vets dying every day, there's a real urgency to these flights.
Vince Adametz is one vet on the flight who thought he'd never make the trip.


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Nothing like the cheap stuff you can buy at Sports Authority or Dick's.
We purchased the flooring for our exercise room and can not be more pleased with how it turned out. The install was easy. Everyone who has seen our room loves it and wants to purchase it for their homes!
I move a lot in the military and have been looking for some quality flooring for a home gym that would be easy to install and move. This fits my needs perfectly. I bought enough for a 12 x 12 area and it holds up to some pretty aggressive cardio/plyometrics and weight training. Gives a lot of versatility. I am pleased with the purchase and the quick delivery time.
The name of the product is appropriate, these tiles fit well together giving a seamless appearance. Even though I've had them installed for only a month, I believe they will give me years of worry free service. The colored specks are an attractive plus without being obnoxious. I am very pleased with these tiles and also the service and delivery of Rubber Flooring Inc. Will definitely do business with them again.
Somehow the shippers "lost" my shipment which I had foolishly ordered to arrive pretty much "just in time". Determining that it was lost took most of a week. Then I asked the sellers to expedite another shipment, but they sent it the usual way, that was another week. When it arrived, loaded in the deep bowels of a giant tractor trailer -- it took the driver 45 minutes to muscle it out -- it had a packing slip for a customer in NY -- I'm in California. Driver was not going to reload it, so I accepted it and fortunately it turned out to be the correct shipment. I installed it the next day by myself, it took me a few hours but it worked out great, covers up a multitude of stains, chips and cracks on my old concrete garage floor. I am very happy with the results.
Correct material arrived in perfect condition. Material quality appears very high. The interlocking cut edges fit very well. The seams are almost invisible. I used this in a small (140 sq ft) basement room with a concrete slab floor. I cut the edges slightly (1/32") oversize to keep the flooring tight against the baseboard. So far no bubbling up. I can always trim if needed. On a less stable substrate with more thermal variation cutting a little under, as recommended, might be a good idea. I'll find more places to use this material. --Frank
The product is excellent and easy to install. My only comment to anyone who orders is to measure your room twice and consult with Rubber Flooring to make sure you have the correct number of tiles. I measured my floor and estimated the number of tiles needed which was 42. I called to place my order and the representative told me I only needed 32. I questioned her three times and she said we do this everyday and I know you need 32. I agreed because they are the experts. That said when it arrived and I installed I was short 10 tiles. I called and said I told you so! They apologized for the error and said they would send me 10 more tiles and they would take 5% off for their error. I asked for free shipping and they said no as I would have paid for the additional weight if the 10 tiles were on the first order. I did not agree with their analogy and was disappointed they only gave me 5% off for their mistake and inconvenience.I had to wait another 5 days to get the tiles to complete the room and move our equipment back in. Would I recommend,yes - great product, easy to install. Just check and double check room size against tiles ordered.
Easy and look like one piece of floor. Straight edge and new blades every 2 tiles.
This is really good flooring. I would definitely buy it again. I've had it down now for about 3 weeks and can say it is very durable and well made. I got the black with tan flecks. The room I put it in is painted a medium tan color and it matches well with the tan flecks. I laid it directly over a wood floor (concrete slab subfloor). There is a slight rubber smell -- kind of like a very muted version of what a tire store smells like -- but it doesn't bother me, and I am very, very picky about smells (my wife says I have a dog's nose). I'd expect the smell will go away over time. It has diminished over the past 3 weeks, anyway. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the tiles don't match perfectly in color. I am being picky here, but I think I got a few tiles from a different batch from the rest of them or something. The difference in color is very slight, but it is there. You don't notice it at a casual glance, only if you are being picky. Like I said, this wouldn't stop me from buying it again. That's the only negative I can come up with. The seams are very tight and I think this flooring will last basically forever.
Easy to work with with no surprises. Very pleased. Delivery to Canada took longer than expected.
Very happy with this product! Easy to work with and would recommend to others!
My room was 16x24. Very easy to install. Be sure to have sharp knife and measure twice! I had the room done in 3 hours. It looks great. I would recommend to anyone.
After doing some comparative research between multiple rubber flooring providers, I decided to go with Rubber Flooring Inc. because of best price, best reviews, and the tiles were available in the size I wanted (3' x 3'). Took about 10 days to receive my product, and arrived around the date promised. Installation was easy and my home gym looks great. Best of all, little to no smell. I have experienced other gym floor installs and the smell is atrocious. Great product and great price!
Great product. Great buying and shipping experience.
Great product - performs exactly as advertised. We were able to lay the floor (approx 400 sq. ft) in just a couple of hours, including trimming all pieces. Fits together tightly, seams can hardly be seen. The speckled color hides dirt really well. Although I was worried about a strong smell from other reviews, I found the smell to be mild - the room smells like a gym! We have been working out on the floor for about 2 weeks now and love it. Trim pieces to walls and corners with a razor cutter - use sharp blades and a metal ruler for a guide. Very glad we ordered, and very pleased with the results. Order the extra 5% overage - you will need it as you will need to trim pieces to fit corners, etc.
Great product and GREAT customer service. Thanks, Whitney!
Installed in a home workout room. Very easy to install and looks great. You can hardly see the seems in the floor. Others complained of the rubber smell and while it is present it is only slight and not a major issue. Definitely recommend this product. Only problem is now that the workout room is finished, I have no more excuses to not excercise.
I did a tremendous amount of research and spoke with a few different customer service representatives and ultimately I made a great choice with the Tan rubber flooring for my home gym. High quality, easy to install fast delivery. Didn't really notice much of an odor. Couldn't be more satisfied.
I am 100% pleased with the flooring and the customer service I received from Rubber Flooring Inc. I ordered the 3/8" tight-lock tiles for my home gym. It was shipped right on time and was a breeze to install. The seams are almost invisible and the look and feel of the flooring is even better than I had hoped for.
I wanted a 9X12 area with rubber for a gym section of my basement with a concrete floor. I had a carpet remnant but the weights ate right through. I have the normal heavy items associated with moderate weight lifting. This stuff is thick enough for complete peice of mind when setting the weights down or clanking them down. I don't drop them, bad form IMO. Very quiet work out now. Seams fit together perfectly. Specs of color look nice. Tough like a smooth tire tread. Quick and easy to put down. I can take it up and move it if desired. Very nice. Delivery was good. The shipper actually cared about the delivery and customer relations. Rating 5, easily.


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Dreamworks' upcoming prehistoric comedy The Croods is really growing on us, with some truly beautiful production art
This is the news report that will win every single Peabody Award this year. CNN/El Paso news station KVIA recently took what was essentially a story about a "butt naked" squatter living in an abandoned building outside of El Paso and weaved it into some sort of surrealist horror drama.
In the early days of humanity, the Cromag tribe encounters fire with the first time and has a grand old time throwing things into it, but doesn't know how to make fire themselves. In The Discovery of Fire, when the neighboring Neandert family wants a little fire to call their own, things start to get silly — and a…
Webcomic Dresden Codak takes aim at science fiction that portrays technology in a negative light, by imagining what cavemen's pessimistic science fiction would look like. Needless to say, digging latrines and harnessing fire don't go terribly well.


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Who knew I'd become a supplement junkie?
December 29, 2011
© Flickr user shannonkringen. CC Licensed.
I've never been much of a vitamin taker. I've always had good intentions, but really, I'm a world class procrastinator at heart so far too many of my good intentions get permanently filed away in the "I'll do it tomorrow" file, rarely to be heard from again.
That inclination, combined with reports that multivitamins may not ultimately be useful – especially for people with good, well-rounded diets already – has just given me further excuse to not bother.
But now, during this pregnancy, I find myself popping about 10 different pills every night. And seeing clear, positive results.
This cynic has become a believer.
At the beginning, it was just a prenatal vitamin. Every pregnant woman is encouraged to take them, so as soon as I got the positive pregnancy test, I dutifully bought a new bottle and worked it back into my daily routine.
Then my midwife tested my vitamin D levels as part of a routine blood draw at the start of my second trimester and while the results weren't abysmal, they certainly could've been better. So I stopped at the local food co-op and picked up some supplements. And tossed a bottle of fish oil and some probiotics in my basket as well, for good measure.
A few weeks later, I had a cold sore outbreak on my lip. Then another as soon as that one healed. And when I started to feel the tingling of a third ($#&$!), I called my midwife. Then went back to the local co-op for a bottle of lysine. Repeat the above scenario for the world's worst Charley Horse and a bottle of Calcium Magnesium found its way to my kitchen counter as well.
Initially, I felt silly popping all these pills each night. But then my cold sore outbreaks stopped dead in their tracks and at my next blood draw, my vitamin D levels had soared to optimal levels. And I haven't had a single Charley Horse – or even small leg cramp – in the 8 weeks since I started taking Calcium Magnesium.
I call all of that a big WIN.
Now it's time to tackle the insane acid reflux that has been plaguing me for the last several weeks. I'm out of my stock of Tums at the moment, and I have to pop them like candy throughout the day just to keep the reflux at bay, so I'm going to try some apple cider vinegar tonight and swing by the food co-op yet again tomorrow for a bottle of papaya enzymes.
Here's to hoping these new additions have as much of a positive impact as everything else has. And here's to hoping I can find room on my counter for them somewhere. Space is getting tight :)
[This should go without saying, but just in case – always check with your care provider before starting or stopping any medications or supplements, especially when pregnant. This is just a telling of my own personal experience and isn't intended as medical advice of any sort. Thanks, all.]
Did you take any vitamins or supplements during your pregnancy? Are there any you found particularly useful (or useless)?
Follow Jo on Twitter at @outtajo or visit her personal blog, Outta Jo, Onto You.