Life As You Don't Know It!!!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
The Making of ' An Apple Pie'!! from the diary of "the confessions of a born glutton"
The concoction looked promising but the journey now was difficult, the path to become concrete from abstract, definite from indefinite, from scatteredness to union. In the furnace, she transformed, struggled and jostled, settled and then struggled and jostled , swell, swell so much that the crust showed a creaking hairline at the top.
it was painful, but she smiled at the pleasure of union, the fusion of her scattered self.
The walnuts lived and danced along the music of heat, the diced apples melted into her. At the wake of a new morning, she was a young rich, spongy, proud, content dessert appreciated by sweet brown toffee topping with sugar crystals who had refused to condense.
Here she was pure as she was before the union. Welcome!!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Bridging Gaps
Naya Daur- An initiative of St. Mary's School was born out of the need to provide bridge course education to children found in need of care and protection.In these classes, the children are taught fundamental concepts of Math, language and EVS with innovative classroom pedagogy of multilevel classroom structure.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Hard Times by Charles Dickens in the year 1857 paints the picture of an industrial society where secure joint families were disintegrated into small nuclear ones, he calls it the tearing of the social security net, and therefore, when individual was unable to take care of his own needs, the society realized the importance of protecting the individual and his family. This led to the enactment of poor laws in Great Britain to provide minimal food and shelter in a workhouse to the poor. Private savings, compensation by employer’s medieval guilds, mutual aid or mutual benefit societies, private insurance and life insurance are some of the evolutionary forms of social security efforts. This throws light on two facts, that social security is dispensed by institutions such as families, state etc and private enterprises etc, and that it is dispensed in the time of crisis, when there is a situation breeding insecurity and when the individual is not able to take care of himself and his family.
These aspects are ‘put into place’ technically by the definition of SS provided by ILO, i.e. "the security that society furnishes through appropriate organization against certain risks to which its members are perennially exposed. These risks are essentially contingencies against which an individual of small means cannot effectively provide by his own ability or foresight alone or even in private combination with his fellows.”
This stresses on the fact tat social security is provided for protecting people against contingencies, these contingencies as per ILO are sickness, medical care for the worker, maternity, unemployment, work injury, death of worker, invalidity/disability and widowhood. SS in Indian context for the mentioned contingencies is provided by Employee State Insurance Act-1948(ESI Act), Workmen’s Compensation Act-1923 and Maternity Benefits Act, 1961 and several schemes and programs launched by the government for certain sections of the society which requires special attention.
SOCIAL SECURITY : INDIA
The right based perspective to SS for people is seen in the constitutional provisions laying them through various articles. Article 41 of the Constitution requires that the State should within the limits of its economic capacity make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in case of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement. Article 42 requires that the State should make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief. Article 43 of the Constitution speaks of state's responsibility to provide social security to the citizens of this country. Article 47 requires that the State should raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and improvement of public health as among its primary duties. The obligations cast on the State in the above Articles constitute Social Security.
SOCIAL SECURITY A NEED
Therefore the need for protection against such contingent situations is the basic right of individuals which ought to be respected by the state (particularly the ones that are welfare oriented); and emanates from the basic need of people to feel secure. As Humanist theorist in Psychology, Abraham Maslow puts security after physiological needs, and says that man cannot be satisfies unless the security needs are fulfilled, there is ample significance given to this aspect.
Therefore the major premise is that protection against these contingencies is the basic needs of humans and to ensure quality performance and conforming to the duties and norms of the society, security regarding the future, disseminated though SS is necessary.
Since there is increasing inequality in terms of income, inefficient trickle down policy, population busting at seams and increasing global importance to development, empowerment and Human Rights, the need for providing SS has become more and more important. Also to ensure enhanced performance and strengthening individuality and psychological support which is the inherent and basic need of humans.
RIGHTS AS NEEDS
increased expenditure in social sector also creates space for disagreements as controversies say that the amount disseminated though SS does not substitute the amount of the work/performance of the people. For instance in the MB Act of 1961, s.10 says that in case of illness or absence of prenatal care, leave with wages with maximum period of one month of medical bonus of Rs. 250/- is provided, which is a meager amount. Therefore SS as these with financial assistance can do justice to the needs of beneficiaries only if they are adequately distributed.
Other argument against SS is that it takes away the need for self esteem and intrinsic motivation to work by inducing dependency, however I this situation a counter argument can be provided that SI is based on the premise that the beneficiaries also have to contribute to the SS and that state has come to believe no individual or his family should be allowed to fall below a minimum socially desirable standard of living, irrespective of the causes leading to his economic deprivation and without appropriating the causal factors for contingencies.
Therefore it is an unwritten law that SS arises out of the basic and inherent needs of people, and is essential for his physical, mental and social refuge and well-being, however there needs to be affective mechanisms and models evolved from time to tome to monitor the changes in the need pattern of the people and developmental goals of the state to ensure welfare, empowerment and good quality of life.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Born To Be Wild
The delusions of the protagonists involve great artists, writers an thinker like Goethe, Picasso, Nietzsche ant others, they too bring in their respective ideologies and suppositions to the novel.Their ideas receive special treatment in Steppenwolf. In a complex and fantastic scene near the conclusion of the novel, Harry Haller attends a drug party at Pablo’s Magic Theater. While there he becomes intoxicated and, finding Pablo and the prostitute Hermine asleep side by side, he hallucinates driving a knife into Herminie’s chest. Still fantasizing, he imagines a conversation with Mozart about the necessity of learning to laugh at the apparently real and to remain mindful of only the ideal, then a trial in which he is sentenced to eternal life for his imagined murder of an imaginary figure. Mozart suddenly returns and becomes Pablo, who likewise chides Haller for his confusion of the ideal and real and then vanishes, with Hermine in his vest pocket, leaving Haller to his thoughts. Sober again, Haller is prepared to resume the game of life, to suffer its agonies and senselessness once more, hopeful that he someday will be able, like Goethe and Mozart, to distinguish between ideas and appearance and to rise above it all and laugh. Or, in Nietzsche’s terms, to overcome himself, to become an “over man,” unfettered by conventional and artificial limits and free to experience.
Also, there was a growing influence of humanistic and existentialism as a new and dynamic school of thought in psychology, Hesse has drawn largely from the existentialism, the wolf and the human aspect could also be the real (wolf)and the ideal self (Haller). Borrowing elements of Freud’s psychoanalysis, it also talks about Oedipus Complex, an in this regard, Hermine is also seen as an alter ego. Haller’s sexuality, and Hermine is for Haller a personification of his previously-suppressed eroticism. The transformation of Hermine into a doll is a critical point in the narrative. Another psychological interpretation is hat men during the early 19th century was increasing deviating away from the gender stereotypical notion of themselves as purely dichotomously masculine, Hermine, according to several literaians, was Haller himself, she was symbolic of the feminine element in him. Therefore, with regard to depiction of women, though the female characters themselves do not hold much significance, their relationship to the protagonist is beautifully wowen into intricate psychological complexities of a suffering, insecure and lonely human being.At the same time, he is captivated by the bourgeoisie, he is repulsed by it. He can only look upon their contentment with admiration by separating himself from them. Steppenwolf considers himself superior because he values enlightenment. When reading or writing poetry, or listening to Handel or Mozart, Steppenwolf has occasionally stumbled on “the track of the divine,” and it is this that gives him pleasure. The problem is that these moments of divine truth are rare and fleeting. Instead, Steppenwolf spends most of his days engaging in bourgeois activities such as reading, opening mail, walking, and so forth. This is intolerable for him.
It is important to note the influence of philosophy on the novel, and it first becomes evident in this section of the text. The bourgeoisie dedication to respectability, responsibility, and morality are a direct reflection of Confucianism.
Steppenwolf Theatre Company, (according to wikepaedia) is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. Its name comes from the Hermann Hesse novel. Martha Lavey, long-time ensemble member, has been artistic director since 1997 and David Hawkanson has been executive director since 2003. Through its New Plays Initiative, the company maintains ongoing relationships with writers of international prominence and supports the work of aspiring and mid-career playwrights. In 1988, Steppenwolf presented the world premiere of The Grapes of Wrath, based on the John Steinbeck novel, which eventually went on to win the Tony Award for Best Play. In 2000 it presented the world premiere of Austin Pendleton's Orson's Shadow, which subsequently was staged off-Broadway and by regional theatres throughout the country. Steppenwolf operates several internship programs for students and young professionals. The main mode in here is the theatrical translation of abstractionism and using expressionism as a means of emotional catharsis. It has also influenced a traditional dance form called tarantula, the vigorous movements also reflect the need for emotional venting.
The influence music sand art had on
Though Haller is portrayed to be showing bourgeoisie leanings, this is also widely criticized by
The book is largely seen as a literary palindrome…there are many interpretations to it, each time read, it brings to surface anew ideology or philosophy, which is a criticism or in support of the contemporary social order. It holds popularity with other commendable forms of art it had produced, the characters and the plot, the dialogues, monologues are all contradictory. There are no verifications to the fact that Haller was executed or not. However, its complexity, unusualness, ability to play with negative human emotions and criticize the existing social situations and a lot more makes the novel as well as the protagonist, Steppenwolf addictive to the core to any person experiencing discontentment and frustration while finding meaning for his/her existence. And it’s this vary nature that makes this text ideal for an ideological anatomy.
Like the sun that circling
Oh! Let the longest day be day and night;
On your frenzied life we spy
And refresh ourselves thereafter
Cool and unchanging is our eternal being,
Cool and unchanging is our eternal being,
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Excerpts frpm Eric Hofer's True Believer
“All mass movements generate in their adherents a readiness to die and a proclivity for united action; all of them, irrespective of the doctrine they preach and the program they project, breed fanaticism, enthusiasm, fervent hope, hatred and intolerance; all of them are capable of releasing a powerful flow of activity in certain departments of life; all of them demand blind faith and singlehearted allegiance.” (Preface)
Hoffer defines a “true believer” as “the man of fanatical faith who is ready to sacrifice his life for a holy cause.” Leaders of the mass movement “must know how to kindle and fan an extravagant hope”—for Islamic fanatics, death is the key to instant heaven. “If they join the movement as full converts they are reborn to a new life in its close-knit collective body, or if attracted as sympathizers they find elements of pride, confidence and purpose….” (p. 13)
The true believer is “without wonder and hesitation.” “An active mass movement rejects the present and centers its interest on the future.” (p. 82) The mass movement hates independence and individualism. The focus is on “obedience” and “one mindedness.” “Uniformity” must be developed. (p. 101) Members must be “deindividualized” and “incorporated” into the mass movement. “When we lose our individual independence in the incorporateness of a mass movement, we find a new freedom—freedom to hate, bully, lie, torture, murder and betray without shame and remorse.” (p. 100)
Violence is essential to fanatical mass movements. “Violence breeds fanaticism….and fanaticism begets violence.” Regarding Islam: “Islam imposed its faith by force, yet the coerced Muslims displayed a devotion to the new faith more ardent than that of the first Arabs engaged in the movement.” (p. 107)
Members of the fanatic group are taught to have a common hatred, a single foe, a devil. “The ideal devil is a foreigner….Hitler—the foremost authority on devils—found it easy to brand the German Jews as foreigners.” (pp. 92-93) Hatred becomes a habit. (p. 146) Interestingly, Hoffer points out that “The Americans are poor haters in international affairs because of their innate feeling of superiority over all foreigners….Should Americans begin to hate foreigners wholeheartedly, it will be an indication that they have lost confidence in their own way of life.” (p. 96)
Saturday, September 5, 2009
What Frenzy is this???
I saw this movie Jash-e Azadi....with the format of a documentary, this three hours flick ...gives an entirely different perspective of what void independence, null freedom , exhaggerated accounts naitonality flashed by Indians in the heartland :actually mean to people of kashmir.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Policy of Violence............
“Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation. And it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace.” -- Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations, March
The need for reforms in the legislations against women in educational and work areas is not an end-product of overnight observation; this is a resultant of the series of crime experienced by women in different walks of life from family, colleagues and society at large.
The violence against women was taken into account in international documents only since 1993, when the United Nations approved a declaration calling for the elimination of violence against women in all its forms, from violence within marriage and sexual harassment in the workplace to female genital mutilation and forced prostitution. These issues were discussed further at the UN Fourth Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995. At about the same time, the Council of Europe issued a declaration with strategies to fight violence against women in a democratic Europe. Through the World Health Organization, violence is viewed also as a female health issue.
According to the studies published, at least one in three women globally has been beaten, coerced into sex or experienced abuse in her lifetime; 4 million women and girls are trafficked annually; more than 90 million African women and girls are victims of female genital mutilation; 50% of battered women have been killed by their partners, while in some countries this number amounts up to 70% of all murdered women become the victims of their partners in more cases than in all the cases of car accidents, rapes and robberies together; almost two thirds of the victims endure long-term violence, while more than half of them experience violence daily.
Violence against women and girls is a fundamental violation of human rights, representing one of the most critical public health challenges as well as a major factor hindering development.
It is estimated that one in three women worldwide will suffer some form of gender-based violence during the course of her lifetime. Despite efforts from the international community and the commitment by the vast majority of states to combat discrimination against women, notably by means of the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against women
(CEDAW), women still remain victims of violence and discrimination in all regions of the world. Violence against women takes various forms including domestic violence; rape; trafficking in women and girl; forced prostitution; and violence in armed conflict, such as murder, systematic rape, sexual slavery and forced pregnancy. It also includes honour killings, dowry-related violence, female
infanticide, female genital mutilation, and other harmful practices and traditions.
Violence against women is inextricably linked to unequal gender norms and socio-economic power structures both in the public and private spheres. It serves to reinforce and perpetuate the unequal power relations between women and men. Thus, violence against women in the partner countries as well as the organisation of a two-day workshop that focussed on sharing experience and best practice among 25 women from diverse backgrounds in the five partner countries. Participants included NGO activists, journalists,women from minority groups, as well as the short-listed candidates of the photo-competition. The idea was to encourage the participation of young women who otherwise
might not have had the opportunity to do so, and promote their cultural expression in an area that urgently needs to be addressed in a comprehensive and multifaceted way. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our project partners and all the young women that participated in the activities of this project for their dedication and their enthusiasm in achieving our objectives.
whole. Thus various activist and lobby groups have recognized the role of effective legislations and stringent laws for the protection of women rights and some for the given attempts by the state is a result of that realization.
States are obligated under a comprehensive international legal and policy framework to address violence against women, including through the enactment of legislation. The first laws directly addressing domestic violence were passed in the United States of America and the United Kingdom in the 1970s and early 1980s, resulting in changes to criminal codes and the creation of separate laws containing the protection order remedy. Since the 1990s, many States have adopted or revised legislation on violence against women. These legal reforms have varied significantly in terms of the forms of violence they address, the type of action they mandate and the area of law (constitutional, civil, criminal, family) they reform. Some States have enacted legislation which addresses multiple forms of violence in a single piece of legislation. However, most legislation to date has addressed one or a few forms. Similarly, some States have enacted a single, comprehensive piece of legislation on violence against women, amending various legal codes and making provision for services and other preventative measures, while others have addressed the issue through incremental reforms. Some States have addressed violence against women in their Constitutions. While States have made significant progress in the enactment of legislation to address violence against women, numerous gaps and challenges remain. The United Nations Secretary-General’s 2006 in-depth study on all forms of violence against women notes that, as at 2006, only about half of United Nations Member States had in place legislative provisions that specifically addressed domestic violence, and fewer than half had legislation on sexual harassment, or on trafficking. Even where legislation existed, it was often limited in scope and coverage, such as definitions of rape by use of force; definitions of domestic violence limited to physical violence; treatment of sexual violence as a crime against the honour of the family or against decency, rather than a crime against a woman’s right to bodily integrity; reduction of sentences in rape cases where the perpetrator marries the survivor and/or immunity in cases of spousal/marital rape; laws that allow early or forced marriage; inadequate penalties for crimes of violence against women, including reduction and/or elimination of sentences for so-called crimes of honour. The resolution stressed the need to treat all forms of violence against women and girls as a criminal offence punishable by law, and highlighted States’ obligations to exercise due diligence to prevent, investigate and punish perpetrators of violence against women and girls, and to provide protection to complainants/survivors of such violence.
"Talk to me about the feminist movement,
the gubba middle class
hetero sexual revolution
way back in the seventies
when men wore tweed jackets with
leather elbows, and the women, well
I don’t remember or maybe I just don’t care
or can’t relate.
Now what were those white women on about?
What type of neurosis was fashionable back then?
So maybe I was only a school kid; and kids, like women,
have got on thing that joins that schemata,
like we’re not worth listening to,
and who wants to liberate women and children
what will happen in an egalitarian society
if the women and the kids start becoming complacent
in that they believe they should have rights
and economic independence,
and what would these middle class kids and white women do
with liberation, with freedom, with choices of
do I stay with my man, do I fall in love with other
white middle class women, and it wouldn’t matter if
my new woman had kids or maybe even kids and dogs
Yes I’m for the women’s movement
I want to be free and wear dunlop tennis shoes.
And indigenous women, well surely, the liberation
of white women includes all women regardless . . .
It doesn’t, well that’s not for me to deal with
I mean how could I, a white middle class woman,
who is deciding how can I budget when my man won’t
pay the school fees and the diner’s card club simply
won’t extend credit.
I don’t even know if I’m capable
of understanding
Aborigines, in Victoria?
Aboriginal women, here, I’ve never seen one,
and if I did, what would I say,
damned if I’m going to feel guilty, for wanting something
better for me, for women in general, not just white
middle class Volvo driving, part time women’s studies
students
Maybe I didn’t think, maybe I thought women in general
meant, Aboriginal women, the Koori women in Victoria
Should I apologise
should I feel guilty
Maybe the solution is to sponsor
a child through world vision.
Yes that’s probably best,
I feel like I could cope with that,
Look, I’d like to do something for our Aborigines
but I haven’t even met one,
and if I did I would say
all this business about land rights, maybe I’m a bit
scared, what’s it mean, that some day I’ll wake up
and there will be this flag, what is it, you know
red, black and that yellow circle, staked out front
and then what, Okay I’m sorry, I feel guilt
is that what I should be shouting
from the top of the rialto building
The women’s movement saved me
maybe the 90s will be different.
I’m not sure what I mean, but I know that although
it’s not just a women’s liberation that will free us
it’s a beginning"
-lisa belliar