A Dream; to Light a Tunnel

I came across a competition in 'Indiblogger' where we had to write about a good business idea. There has been an idea which has been going on in my mind and I take this opportunity as a motivator to write this blog, and also help organise the idea in my own head

India is a country where we worship Goddesses, yet behind the doors we abuse them. We idealise the ‘bharatiya nari’, a lady devoted to her husband. For her he is a God, and she must accept whatever he does. He may use canes and belts on her, but she submits to it because it is her fate. She does not believe that she deserves a life of dignity and freedom. Many such harassed women do not get out of the miserable life, and the reason for this is simple. They aren’t educated enough. If they run away from their house, where are they supposed to go? They are afraid to go out and face the world. The ones who do, get abducted into the world of shameful professions. They have no place to live nor are qualified for any jobs. Even low end jobs need some kind of degree. Hence, the husband and his family have no fear. They know that they can get away with treating her like dirt.

Many students, residing in hostels, are served half cooked or fully burnt meal. Some bachelors, living in p.gs and rented apartment survive on Maggi Noodles and other ready-to-eats. Young employees eat vadapavs and samosas for lunch, because that is the only available thing in the canteen. None of them have enough money to spare for a good cook or to eat out regularly. They all miss their mother’s food or any homely food.

These are two completely different problems, yet they both point out to the same solution. The two set of people I spoke about could share a symbiotic relation. These ‘bharatiya naris’ have been trained well to cook and take care of the house.  They have been taught well to serve. Maybe they are not educated, but they possess skills of their own. These women can be sent to the hostels and offices to make a good meal. They don’t have to be paid a lot, just enough for survival. We could start a hostel for them to live in. Some of them can work for luncheons and canteens which youngsters often turn to.

Starting a business like this is not the least easy. We will have to look up for good start-up money. Once we get that, we will have to keep in mind that the women in need of help will not reach out to us. They may not be aware of the institute, or even if they are, how to get in contact. Some will be simply afraid. We will need lots of volunteers to help us out. Surveys have to be conducted, and some unofficial spying too. We will also have to approach the companies in need of service and strike the right bargain with them.

For the money part, I will need some millionaire to back me up. I do have faith in humanity, so after some searching I am sure I will find someone. There are many rich people out there waiting to help the world with money; some for a clear conscience and some to boast about it to others. Nevertheless, making the best use of it, I want to do something noble for these women. We will also have to focus on collecting charity from common people. Little drops do make up the ocean after all.

We will need plenty of volunteers, and it is not an impossible task to get them. House wives could dedicate time to the cause and watch two less ‘saas-bahu’ serials. It will be a positive change for them too; many feel frustrated and worthless sitting at home. Some retired employees, who are good in health, can lend a hand too. Most important target will be the college goers. Most of them are dying to be of some use to humanity. They still have a pure heart and hope to change the world, an attitude that gets the job done faster and better. Some more students can be lured by the use of ‘certificates’.

For any business, records have to be maintained, that’s where ‘computers’ and the internet gets a role. Volunteers and workers will have to keep records of the situation in every house. Medical and security aid must also be organised from time to time. A data for each woman we help must be maintained too. Services of Microsoft Sky Drive will help maintain a collective data, instead of keeping separate records for each person. It can be updated from anywhere. Microsoft’s new Office 365 (www.office365.in ) would make the work easier for us, being one of the most convenient, user friendly and secured facility. Sometimes, neighbours of the victim would want to help. They will need a proper medium to get in touch with us. Social networking sites will be of great help here. Facebook, Twitter, Linked-in, Share-point are a few popular sites which can help get volunteers.

I really hope I can convert this idea into reality someday soon. It pains to see the helplessness of a female in this “advanced” society and I would want to change it. Being a girl myself, I can understand what many of them go through and how hard is it for them to live. I want us to fight for our respect and freedom, rather than live in the shadow of the devilish male dominant world.

The Oath of The Vayuputras - A Review

This is my first review, so don't be too harsh on the critic. You shall also find the same review on the new blog I work for - www.thesaltysardines.com

After ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ and ‘The Secret of the Nagas’, book lovers across the country have eagerly awaited Amish Tripathi’s ‘The Oath of The Vayuputras’. On reading the two books, many questions have been formulated in our minds. Decisions are yet to be taken and some paths are yet to be trotted upon. Amish Tripathi has promised to tie a knot to all loose ends in this book that completes the trilogy. Does he deliver as he says?

The Neelkanth is in search of the evil bothering the nation. In his quest, he joins hands with the Meluhans, the Swadeepans and the Nagas. These three races, which are known for their rivalry and enmity, put all differences aside and accept the different ways of life. The uptight and ‘true to their word’ Suryavanshis, and the passionate and follow their free will’ Chandravanshis mingle with each other and exchange their ideas to strengthen Shiva’s troop. The out casted Nagas also get accepted as mere humans who are good in intentions but left bitter by their own flaws. The Vasudevs lead Shiva in the quest of true evil, an evil that shocks everyone.

An evil which has always been there among them, unrecognized. An evil which has divided the races and caused hostility among people from the same mother land. It stirs chaos among families and loyalties are questioned. Love comes in between the goal, causing more complications and making it simpler. Some courageous characters fight still the last drop of blood, to protect their people and eradicate evil. Some give in to their cowardly vices and betray their cause. As a well-planned and organized war goes wrong, Shiva is left with just one option – The Vayuputras.

Amish Tripathi writes for the mind and the soul. While the philosophies stir the minds, the emotions touch the soul. He has portrayed different relations between characters well. Though Daksha wants to destroy Shiva, his protectiveness for his daughter Sati stops him from attacking the group. Bhagirath is constantly worried about his sister, Anandmayi and ensures that no harm falls upon her. Parvateshwar’s respect for Shiva is reciprocated well, though they choose different sides. Ganesh places trust on his younger brother, Karthik, to lead a fight.

Tripathi is an ace when it comes to description. The picturistic words used to describe intricate designs and architecture shows that he not only cares about the details, but savours it. The dialogues used are so powerful and thought incepting. He has given a scientific angle to many symbols and practices, which has some truth to it. Mythological elements are present in a different light. The parallelism drawn to the stories we have grown listening to is fascinating. One example I find very astonishing is how he explains about the plague in Branga, which could be related to a concentration of cancer cases in Bengal in a modern day world.

However, a lot more trees went down for this cause than should have. 600 pages were unnecessary; the story could have been shortened to 200-300 pages easily. At a point, the story just seemed to be dragged to no end. The details were too much; a little air of mystery could have been maintained. A story like this deserved a better ending than it got. I am not discouraging anyone from reading the book; you should read it anyway, especially if you have been bombarded with bed time stories on Shiva, Devi and Ganpati.