The Youth Of The World

An Old Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs & dances & plays the
summer away.

Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or
shelter so he dies out in the cold.

Indian Version:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant’s a fool and laughs & dances & plays the
summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press conference and
demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed
while others are cold and starving.
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering Grasshopper
next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a table filled
with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be that this poor
Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the Ant’s house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers demanding that
Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter

Mayawati states this as `injustice’ done on Minorities.

Amnesty International and Koffi Annan criticize the Indian Government for
not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace for prompt
support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance).

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for ‘Bengal Bandh’ in
West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial Enquiry.
 
CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants from working hard
in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among Ants and
Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all Indian Railway
Trains, aptly named as the ‘Grasshopper Rath’.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ‘ Prevention of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act’ [POTAGA], with effect from the beginning of the
winter.

Arjun Singh makes ‘Special Reservation ‘ for Grasshoppers in Educational
Institutions & in Government Services.

The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and having nothing left
to pay his retroactive taxes, it’s home is confiscated by the Government and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by NDTV.

Arundhati Roy calls it ‘ A Triumph of Justice’.
 
Lalu calls it ‘Socialistic Justice ‘.
 
CPM calls it the ‘ Revolutionary Resurgence of the Downtrodden ‘
 
Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN General Assembly.

Many years later…

The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a multi- billion dollar company in Silicon Valley,

100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite reservation somewhere in India,

..AND

As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding the grasshoppers,
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India is still a developing country…!!!

P.S. - This was a forward message.

AUTHOR: VISHESH

Do we really need to care? What is the use of caring for others anyway? I mean what do i gain? All i ever get by belonging to society is security.For if i didn’t give a damn to things around me,my existence will not be noticed,even if it is,i will be a door mat for people to leave the dirt on.Not that caring gives you anything better,it only makes people see you as a handkerchief rather a door mat.

So what are you a door mat or a handkerchief?

If you are a door mat,you live life in a ‘why should i care?’ delirium always freaking out and just snubbing people and not giving a thought to the fact that the pathetic creature which is facing you has something called “sense” and that you might be hurting it.Now i cannot call these really door mats,for they are made of expensive things,but they still are door mats.All people do at the sight of these is smile,smile and smile,for they cannot do anything else.For they can’t afford to do anything else,they can’t buy them and walk on them and trash them.Their real door mat identity takes the dirt only when they leave.You see once the brand name goes,there is no difference between a Tommy and a road side Tee.People will swear and tear these door mats,even if they don’t feel it then and there.They will feel the rag and rubbish they have taken,someday when they have their faces against the society,stripped and raw and ready to get rubbished.We have another variety of door mats,the not so lucky door mats.These door mats get away with a few things.They all don’t care alright,but then they aren’t all that expensive.So while a few might admire them and their ‘cool’ attitude,dirty shoes are soon bound to stamp them and flatten them.

Then you have the absolute door mats.These require a little more space.Some washing and drying out in the sun will do them good.They have taken the society’s rubbish.In fact for generations they have been taking rubbish.They aren’t door mats because they chose to be,but because the society made them to be.They are door mats because rubbish gives them life,it gives them food.Who has time to care about others when you don’t have food? Not that i have faced this,but then ,even if i skip as meal (a meal and meal only), i become extremely frustrated and cranky. Now to think they have been hungry for generations,naturally they are not going to care.Why what is electricity to them and what are planes to them? These door mats are not happy at being door mats,but then who can help them? For after all they don’t care,neither for the world nor for themselves.We already have enough door mats don’t we?

Then the handkerchiefs.Ha,so you are one? Now while the door mats just take the dirt,handkerchiefs take a heavier load.They take the mucus,the sweat,the tears,the emotions ,the dirt etc.These things get washed more regularily that is the only difference.They get a larger variety of rubbish from within and outside a person.Why all they decided was that to be more kind and empathize , sympathize , care and love.Now surely they deserve better? But no ,all they get are loads and loads and loads of unwanted things.They are supposed to solve all problems.School students make them into soft balls for playing,people sneeze ,people cough,people sweat and a few just carry them around.these things fill into any shoe.For they are scared they will become door mats.They are happy that they live in the pockets and hands of humanity rather than the foot.They are at a higher level,that is all.They suffer for they care.

So if you are either a door mat or a handkerchief you suffer,for the dirt of humanity.Humans sure do pollute a lot.Both door mats and kerchiefs serve their purpose.Now if ever we are going to make humans pollute less,then the door mats and kerchiefs better stop talking their load of dirt.If they do,humans will have to clean up on their own.Who knows,being a lazy race,they might stop being so dirty and see that dirt is not needed.After all they do believe in ‘perfection’ and dirt never reflects cleanliness and perfection does it? Now when you do stop working all you door mats and kerchiefs what will you do?After all you need to engage yourselves into something right? I have an idea,try maintaining your perfection,make your homes more clean and green and well for your food,now that you don’t need to take dirt,take food-fresh,clean and cooked by mother nature.

originally posted here.

AUTHOR: DINSAN

Do you pay for watching crimes, or hourly updates about who killed whom and who was raped, and where ?.

I know that was a rude question. Let me ask you again, you watch most of news channels these days right ? Aren’t you paying for the news about murder and rape all the time, ignoring a lot of important things ? If this is hard to believe, here is some statistics

A study by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) says that six channels beamed news and special programmes on the double murder for 39.30 hours out of a total 92 hours prime time — from 19:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs — between May 16 and June 7. That’s 42 per cent of prime time over 23 days.

Is this because, we are more interested in these kinds of news ? Is it because, this is a kind of cruel entertainment, almost similar to reality shows ? Is there a way, to tell the Media, that this is not what we are more concerned about ? ( not that we should ignore things like this, but we should not simply commercialize crime right ? )

Yesterday, The Hindu published an interesting and thought provoking article, something made me write this post. Read the complete article here

AUTHOR:RADHESH

Is this just that worth all the pain? We were strolling by a busy area in Bangalore for an evening cup of coffee at Barista or CCD. Much to my amazement of observing street fights, I noticed all people on the road gazing in one direction - this made me all the more curious to watch what was happening myself. This time, it wasn’t a fight; it was much more than that. A girl who was in her blooming childhood that most of us have lived in all care and love, was now walking there, on a rope tied in a kind of a circus setup - all in an attempt to earn the daily bread for her family. She could not even think of play, friends, fancy dresses, PC games, weekend getaways, restaurants that our genX children grow in or did she ever knew that anything like these existed? The busy locality that she was exhibiting her exorbitant skills in, is regarded one of the most posh localities of Bangalore - would she not be watching her age-mates dressed in all color, speaking English, being pampered by their mom and dad? Why has she been denied the privilege? Do you reason this with the typical Indian philosophical concept of ‘Karma’? Why doesn’t this happen in the Europe or the USA when ‘Karma’ is a universal concept? Wasn’t this one of the things why Houdini became that popular for? And it’s nothing spectacular that we see many such road-artists in India; I wonder as one of the mails that spoke about a mysterious gift to Mr JRD Tata quoted ‘I wonder what this guy was doing on the streets of India’? And I understand, there are things worse than these in Africa or elsewhere in the underdeveloped world.

But my question is - is this commendable in what is regarded as one of the most powerful third-world countries, one that is regarded as the most growing economies, one from where feature the ‘Ritchie Rich’s in the Forbes’ top-ten? What was even more paining was how the people around the event received it - all the ones there gazed at it in all excitement but when the child’s mother went around begging for the tips; there were all sorts there - a few gave a damn for it while a few others were generous enough to reach to their pockets to lend a penny and remember you, this was all happening at a place where you have some of the most expensive shops and the most infamous Bangalorean mall where it is very unlikely to find ‘poor’ people!

This has quite engrossed my thoughts since. Was this all worth happening in a place like India which carved out a niche from the rest of the world for it’s history that stood for generosity and the birthplace of philosophies like Buddhism? Many questions have been haunting me since, but I know this will die down in me for the friction my living in a buzzing city poses until something else enlivens my forgotten thoughts again. This event has added to all the menace I had carried from my deputation to Germany - why was our country no where in comparison with these and I find no progress headed anywhere in this direction. Out there in the West, there were laws that governed how children had to be brought up in absolute peace - hitting children is a crime there! There were laws that made people have children play-parks every few yards. Children ought to be in school for not more than 5 hours - they have compulsory arts and sports classes; we have them too, amongst which, most of them end up as supplementary classes to the unfinished portions or at times it’s even worse, there’s no teacher for all that! Every year I see a number of hoardings of new schools that claim to be of International standards; most of them established by the creamy section of the society, but, I receive very few mails that ask for a donation to save a poor child’s future! Can these schools not be opened for the deprived? Do we promise our children the fundamental rights of education they deserve? Do these children have no right to seek education - have their births deprived them of all rights to make themselves fit for a decent living? And we crib for the ascending crime-rate each day! Have we nothing to do with all this?

Who is to blame for all this? The Democracy? The population explosion? or the Ignorant? I would not blame the politicians , for, we know nothing happens if we do! It is no worth trying to convince our politicians what a massive explosion of population can bring and what’s quite apparent now and that these children would be a major part of the contribution to tomorrow’s India. I wouldn’t blame the children’s’ parents either, for, they could have taken measures not to have the child if they couldn’t afford to provide their children the care they need. I cannot reach them with my plea either - none of them would read the blogs or newspapers! Is there no rescue? Are there no Ram Shankar Nikhumbs to save each of those unfortunate Ishaan Awasthis who can not even make it to a school?

What else is worth taking from the West than the parties, pubs, hotdogs, burgers, pizzas, style…? There is a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Buffett’s philanthropy that contributes quite an amount of his earning to the charity, Jolie-Pitt Foundation and many more - do we have a Reliance Charitable Trust, Mittal’s Charity Foundation, AB Corp’s or Red Chillies’ Charity Organisations? What happened after Mother Theresa left us? Does that put an end to India’s featuring on the top charity offering institutions? The trend I see is even more scary - the educated get more rich, get their children educated and the cycle limits itself to the rich; what’s happening amongst the deprived - the poor have no money for themselves, they keep getting poorer and eventually evolve as the ‘bad’ Robinhoods!

At the least what have we to do with all this? Do we just see them as passing clouds that trigger an impulse of thoughts that ring and die by the time you have your next encounter at the road with a rash motorist, your spouse or your boss the next day? Who is going to save this young generation at all? Will India survive the competition with all this? When we can afford for a 40-for-a-cup coffee or a 200-for-a-feast lifestyle, can we not contribute that fraction of our earnings to pay for a child’s education? How pleasing would it be to see that sparkle of a smile on a poor mom’s face on the pavement or a traffic signal when her child gets a piece of clothing or a toy gifted? What an enchanting life would it be to support for that fortunate child, who would have been on the streets earning her life the hard way otherwise? How delightful would your maid’s happy face make you each day because you have supported her children to go to the school every day or you have paid for their school vacation? How amusing would it be to embrace the smile on the Dhobi’s otherwise tired face if you bought his son a nice book or a toy? The poor seeking help in India are ubiquitous, have we ever extended our arms to them? Have we ever thought of these little mundane things that are no less than a spiritual experience or if we have done, have we ever tried materialising it? For those who have come this far, my hearty gratitude. And for the other soft-hearted, I hope this piece of portrayal from me atleast triggers that latent passion to make India a brighter place.

(Disclaimer: This article is written by one of my friends who hasn’t blogged yet and wishes to bring his opinion to the public)

There is a multi-complex being constructed near my house. There are a bunch of the worker’s kids who play around with sands and stones. When I visited the site recently, something caught my eye. It was this little kid sleeping so soundly! I really envied him for sometime. He made me forget all the chaos of the world. Just look at him! Hes sleeping on a ragged plastic covered with a towel.

These kids have never been to a school. They do nothing the whole day excpet playing around with bricks and twigs. Yet, they are not sad. They do not expect anything from the world or from their own lives. They are all happy in their own little worlds. It is just amazing to see how these kids don’t care for fancy toys and colourful clothes.

We are struk up inbetween all the topsy-turvyness of the world. Don’t we have so much to learn from these ‘lil angels? Really guys, for once, forget about all the pressures and tensions in your life and sleep soundly!

AUTHOR:-FRUITY

How often do we see News Channels flashing cover stories on dowry and harassment by in laws on young brides? They show the mental and physical pains inflicted on their mind and bodies. News channels in the recent past have glorified the acts of Nisha Sharmas and wannabe Nisha Sharmas. The TV Channels ensure that the lives of in laws are turned into hell which is good for the monsters.

My post here doesn’t endorse dowry or laws supporting them. My post deals with the other cheek of this monstrous face of civil laws. I have seen so many happy and closely knitted families getting ruined under the wake of dowry harassment. Young brides come up with pre decided mind to the joint families or closely knitted nuclear families and from day one try to make their mark in all audacious manners.They want to live life on their own terms. They have little patience, almost no resilience and no feelings for the essence of togetherness. Modern age brides think they are working and they are at par with the male counterpart. They emotionally blackmail the in laws and sometimes the husband to get separated and buy new house. They religiously preach the concept of DINK (double income no kids).And when the poor parents and emotional husband denies –they come up with the ultimate ultimatum (forgive the alliteration) –DO AS I SAY ELSE I’LL GO TO POLICE!!

This emotionally drains the parents. They welcome the bride with great pomp and show and within few months she shows her ugly side and squeezes them. The parents and the son can’t even do anything as they are scared of police coz there’s a non bailable warrant if she reports. The worst is when the girl is supported by her parents. I really don’t know what is in her parents mind when they support her. Gone are the days when girls parents were always hospitable and told daughters –‘never a complain should come from your new home’. And now they wait for an opportunity and give warnings of police. Nowadays they are not lesser than the local goons.

But who wins in the end-no one? The husband gets emotionally separated from the parents and becomes a sandwich between the bride and parents. He remembers his mom’s food and dad’s suggestions. The parents sulk in night longing for the son and cursing them for the day they got their little prince married. The girl keeps pestering others ruining a new family.

Why our civil laws don’t take this into notice-why are they so women oriented? Click here.I agree harassment by girls is not that glorious incident as dowry but still –isn’t family development also the responsibility? Why an innocent family has to bear the brunt of it? Why do they have to live in constant fear of the demon bahu (daughter in law)? There happy home is broken by her, there dreams squashed and their hopes killed.

Girls are not having patience these days. They don’t realize there first job is of homemaking not breaking. I know it takes two to tango but when the parent in laws equally love why do they do such monstrous things to them? If it happens I am sure there will be lesser need for Old Age homes or nannies to take care of their little ones. Little kids dote on their grandparents and grandparents too shower love and teach so much to the kids. They won’t delay there conceptions till the time they can take out time to have babies. There will be no need for IVFs or stress related problems. Staying together is great and the support is tremendous.

I just hope we all find a solution to this soon. What do you think? I know there will be many opinions contradicting mine that is why I want more brain storming over this! Hope to have one!

AUTHOR:-VISHESH

So i am sitting here to write something.And as i write this so much is happening out there:-

1)the human race is expanding.

2) more people are dieing.

3) The level of pollution is increasing.

4) the food prices are rising.

5) More hate is being created through war.

6)More and more kids are being nurtured to hate each other.

7) there are the natural disasters.

8)there are the man made disasters.

9) And a lot more too.

Yet in what way can i influence them? I have a English teacher(who also happens to be my vice-principal) who keeps on going about the fact that the human population in the world is becoming larger and larger.Now i seriously wonder what can we do about?
When we talk about population explosion,illiteracy,poverty all tag along.So we are all aware it is a cyclic process,right.So what can we do? NO this is not right,i am asking the same question again and again?

So i am going to try and answer it.First of all,i think we are all,including me,too scared of ourselves.

We cannot face what we are all.so to help myself over come that,i am

going to become something else.
I choose to be a bacteria.

Now being a bacteria,my main aim in life,is to help my species become larger in number.By creating a humongous population,we can rule earth.All other creatures how ever big they are,will be controlled,because we will out number and over power them.Yet since i am a bacteria and i haven’t changed much since the beginning,what i thought was a brilliant plan has failed.I find my own brother trying to kill me.We have become so large,that we don’t have enough space and all of us who are equal fight for supremacy.A few of my brethren are weak.

So together, unconsciously or consciously we the bacteria with the power have enslaved them.So to protect themselves,they all live together.Yet they are all still weak,so to increase their security,they try to grow more hands,legs and with that more moths and with that all the problems.And unfortunately they all don’t have the sense ,that they cannot find enough food for all the mouths and a lot of them die-a few once a lot many times over.But,Within them they all have a hope ,that someone created by them,will have the power to over throw all of us.

The problem with them is that,they don’t have the capacity to do anything we require,as they don’t have the brain power.A few of them try to become physically strong ,but then the long years of suppression helps us and we employee them for our own use.They become tools.So well i should talk about bacteria like myself.What did our fore fathers do? They too added more drops to the ocean,only the reason being different.they wanted their legacy to be carried on,and now too many of us exist and our family legacy is split into so many that we have no clue about a few lost brothers.

So now there are a lot of us in the world.And we all fight among ourselves.A few of us are the polished good waters,who try to act as if everything is fine.While a few others are the bad waters,for whom nothing is fine and yet they act as if it is.And then we have the few who know both waters.They try to think of solving everything.Yet the only solution till now,which would be the easiest and fastest is to drop a little bit of some chemical in a few places. Or simple start wars.yet that would be cruel,wouldn’t it? The small fish,needs to become more daring.

And the small fish among us are trying to.They all aspire to become like us “posh”.And

we are trying to set higher and higher standards.Yet one problem remains,the more the bacteria who come out,more are sent down.so how can we solve it? So as a bacteria who is thinking,i come to the conclusion.We need to stop fighting.We all need to appreciate each other and try and help each other.We all shouldn’t feel insecure.We all should love each other.Easier said then done.

You cannot teach everyone.Other bacteria need to understand the need.They all should know that stealing and cheating aren’t the way.If they are truly powerful,then they should be able to challenge what the past has done to our wonderful species.Someone should teach them and that can be done only by people who understand.

When someone hurts you.You don’t hurt them back.For you never know why they did it.All of us are equally guilty for everything.So we should try and understand what happened.If we cannot join together and mitigate our race now and emancipate those who need to be,it might be too late.Who knows there might be no bacteria at all on earth.Then again,the humans might soon die before us,they have nuclear power.Well if that happens,it would be a good example to bacteria.Then we will know what will happen,if we try to rule the world.we should all remember,that what we create will dig our grave.Whether we are going to witter with hate or die with a smile with love,is left to us.

Just giving privileges will not help,everyone should be prepared for shouldering the responsibility of saving our race.

Originally posted here.

Author: Nikhil

I am proud to be associated with the Indian Art Summit 2008, scheduled on the 22nd of August in New Delhi. For the very first time in India, artists from all over the country get together to showcase their talents and also, donate for a very charitable cause. This is where I need a few suggestions and advice from all of you readers. If you know any charitable organizations that would be willing to play a part in this glorious culmination of Indian art, please do let me know.

India Art Summit is a unique effort to bring together the Indian art community at a collaborative platform - the first of its kind.

The Summit recognizes the range of stakeholders supporting the business and development of art and invites participation from both India and overseas. The three day summit will attract leading artists, galleries, art funds & auction houses along with reputed commentators and art critics from across the world.

India Art Summit is a pioneering initiative to help internationalize, organize, upgrade and regularize the art market in India by providing a common platform to engage and network with artists, art lovers, collectors & other industry associates.

We believe that this platform will fortify lasting partnerships between the Indian artists’ community, art support businesses and the ever growing investor base in the country. Founded as an annual event property hosted in Delhi in year one, the Summit endeavors to enhance the cultural profile of a city that aspires to become a major center for the global art market.

Traditional art - painting, sketching, pottery and modeling - are on the decline in India. I don’t claim to be an art lover or an expert but I do appreciate the value of the long lost forms of Indian Art, and I hope that this summit would be an ideal platform for talented people to show the world what they’ve got.

Art lovers and charitable donors, unite!

There are a few badges that will be available soon for use on your site to show your support for the Summit.