Change..

              
                The inspiration for this blog comes from desperation. Desperation to change the pitiful state of our country and the danger women face as they try to live their life. First, the news of the Delhi gang rape case, rattled the country. Protests and demonstrations were held in every part of the country. It wasn't to no avail. The special fast track courts were set up for hearing rape cases and the J.S.Verma committee's report was also reassuring. Many more women who had been victims of sexual violence gathered the courage to lodge complaints against the perpetrators. People began to think that perhaps there was a chance for the country to change.
                 Then came the news about the news about the brutal rape and mutilation of a five year old girl in Delhi. She was kidnapped from her house, raped and mutilated to be found two days later by neighbours who heard her cries. What is worse is that, there are allegations that the police offered to pay the family Rs.2000 to keep quiet. At the same time, a four year old was raped in a village in Nagpur and has sustained severe brain injuries. These children fought for their lives in hospitals due to the monsters who set out to destroy their life for their own pleasure. As protests and demonstrations continued, three teenagers were raped in different places in Delhi. This is what are country has come to.
                 Women, a decade ago, were held in the limits of their homes. They were afraid to step across their boundaries and to test themselves. They weren't safe then. In the present day, they are bold enough to step out of their homes and change the world. They aren't safe now. Leave alone women; children playing in the limits of their homes are not safe now.
                It is terrible to think that we are living in such a barbaric country where women aren't safe anywhere. I do not wish for more protection for women, because that isn't going to change anything; I do not wish for a miracle, because they do not happen; I wish for a change in the mindset of men, i wish for them to rise above this and be human; I wish for the world to be a better place, so that my parents wouldn't have to worry that I won't return home in the same state I left, or worse, not at all.
                

Chocolicious!!!

                Dark, velvety brown. Rich, sweet taste.  Intoxicating flavor. Irresistible scent. The one thing that can match the description - chocolate. One of the best things ever created by man, chocolate, is mouth watering to say the least.

             From childhood up to old age, there is barely a person who doesn't root for chocolate. Tempting children with chocolate to get them to eat or as incentive for completing their homework has been an age old habit of parents. Finding those boxes of chocolates hidden by mothers in cupboards and bureaus is not uncommon at all. Mothers, wary of their children getting more cavities than they can handle, try to limit the amount of chocolate they eat.

             Have you just gone through a break up? Try a cup of hot chocolate and a non-romantic movie; nothing can make you feel better. Feeling low? Bake a chocolate cake, ice it up and treat yourself, your spirits will soar in moments. Sweltering heat you can't bear? Get yourself a chocolate milkshake and you are good to go. Time to treat your friends? Nothing beats a cup of chocolate ice cream.


             From homemade to branded, from liquid to solid, chocolate is addictive. Popular as a valentine's day gift for women, chocolate is considered a woman's best friend. After all, it is sweet enough to mend hearts. As Sarah Kay says, there are just a few heartbreaks that chocolate cannot fix. When tension is building up between people, melt it down with some chocolate.
          
           May it be a thick chocolate mousse or a chocolate fountain, it is one of the things hardest to resist. Chocolate, whose history goes back to 1900 BC, is one of the most popular holiday gifts. Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, raw chocolate, semisweet chocolate, bitter chocolate are all very common kinds of chocolate.
          

           So, no matter what mood you are in. You need to feel better? Get yourself some chocolate right away, because, hey, it's chocolate!!

Too many reasons to be happy!

A walk in the rain,

A cup of ice cream

A bar of chocolate,

A winning team

A little child laughing,

A cuckoo singing,

Coffee beans grinding,

A new born crying,

A peacock dancing,

A meteor flashing,

Wonder all around us,

Feel joy surround us,

Breathe in the air,

It's beautiful there,

Sing from your soul,

Dream of your goal,

No reason to be low,

Smile, you will glow,

It's simpler than you think,

Can happen in a blink,

Just let your heart soar,

You'll be sad no more,

Your heart is lighter,

Your day, brighter,

Open your eyes and see,

How happy you can be.

The wrath of death...

Death... It is something that most people fear. It is something unknown. People are full of uncertainty as to what lies beyond. For more than just a few people, death is synonymous with pain and suffering. Death is something some people choose when they have no hope left. Death is an escape to some, while it is a punishment to others.

        I  had witnessed death. I had seen my grandparents die. I had seen them take their last breath. Yet, only in the past few days, did I see, what death can do to someone. I was very young when my encounter with death occurred. For this girl, that wasn't the case..

       She was one of the prettiest girls of the college. She had the sweetest smile and was very cheerful. This is why it was so easy to realize that something was wrong. She had circles under her eyes, walked like she had to put in all her strength to put one foot in front of the other and stared at walls while her dinner sat untouched in front of her.

       She bumped into me in the dining hall, startled as if she had woken up from a reverie. I asked her whether she was alright. She said she wasn't and that the reason was that her brother had passed away the night before. I didn't know what to say, I didn't want to upset her. I asked her though, how he had died. She replied, "Someone killed him" and walked away.

       Those words rang in my ears. To the police investigating the case, her brother was just another victim. To people, he was just another person who didn't make it in the world. To God even, perhaps he was just another of His creations. To her, he was her only family. I watched her mourn everyday. I watched her try to smile at people. I could do nothing. Even today, I saw her. But there was nothing I could do.

      When we care about someone, a part of us dies along with them. We take time to mourn. Our hearts take time to heal. She would heal in time, but she would never be whole again. Death had taken only one body, but he had also taken her soul along.

Give me some sunshine...

           We Indians, are born in a country known for its excellent academic structure. Education in India began centuries ago, when gurus used to teach their students in ashrams. From the Nalanda University to the IITs, India was always the first preference of students looking for quality education. Today, things have changed.
            Now, the number of students going abroad has increased when compared to the number of students coming to india for their studies. Statistically speaking, the number of students preferring universities abroad has risen by a whopping 250% in the last decade alone. This isn't with no reason.
            Universities established decades ago seem to follow the same syllabus established over half a decade ago. With the world developing at a fast pace, students do not get the exposure they need in their universities. Moreover the universities which do offer quality education present daunting challenges for admissions. For instance, one of the colleges at the Delhi University set its admission requirement to a cut-off of 100%. There also exists the issue of reservation of seats due to which college seats for the general category students become scant.
            Despite these issues students are willing to study in these universities, but the ultimate issue that breaks them down is the pressure they suffer. Pressure, not to excel in their field, but to achieve what is expected of them. Nowadays, colleges seem to care only about their reputation, their pass percentage, their position on the rank list of top colleges. This results in extreme pressure being laid on the students.
            Students who are extremely talented in one field may not be just as talented in another field. Colleges do not seem to see that. The staff forces the students to study well, to get a high grade point average and to give them the honor of having a university rank holder in their midst. The personal interests of the students are lost in this process.
            Extra curricular activities require a large amount of time and involvement. They cannot be pursued without the help and support of the teaching as well as the non teaching staff. If done so, these activities become a source of discouragement and humiliation to the student. When such events occur, any student may lose his determination in doing something he likes. Many opportunities are missed, many dreams shattered and many lives lost. There are more suicide cases in engineering colleges than in other colleges.
            Inspired by my own experiences and those of my friends, I put up this blog today. I find today's education system in most colleges of India nothing close to what it was a few decades ago. Despite my wishes to stay in the country for my higher studies and work, I probably will go abroad. I really hope that things will change and this country will be a better place for the coming generations to study in.