Women Intimate Health

“Women’s intimate health, should the issues remain hushed or is it time we spoke out?”

Intimate Issues of Women

Let me list out some of the keywords that will relate to 'Women's Intimate health ' for e.g. Mensuration , Pill, Abortion, Contraceptives, Sanitary pads, Sex , Pregnancy and Gynecologist. How do you like reading all of them in a single stream ?? Are you comfortable choosing any of them for a dinner discussion with your wife , daughter or girl friend  along with the family ?? If i say it is time we spoke out would we be able to openly debate and discuss inviting equal participation from females ? How can this be perceived ?   What message will we send out to the masses at large ?? 




I am not comfortable discussing  these issues of women in the same way as  i shy from talking about Men infertility, Premature Ejaculation , AIDS or STD's. Why an open debate only about women why not also men?? Does it mean that  i cannot empathize with women's issues ??I agree that statistics show women's health as compared to men, in a state of more plight in the country owing to the lack of awareness. The lack of awareness concerns women more rather than men but the core issue remains the same - The issue is considered taboo be it for men or women. So what can be done and is there a feasible way out ?? Here is my view point !!

Between a man and a woman there exists an invisible veil of modesty , respect and feminism. You breach it only when you choose her as a life partner and she gives herself to you with consent. Apart from being a husband and wife no other relationship allows a man to get into the intimate and personal zone of a woman. Is breaching that gap in public domain a good step ?? Will  women feel comfortable ?? Are we not suggesting with our debate that things so personal to her are just to common to be made public ?? In my understanding this will be considered demeaning for the women folk or  will take away the quotient of coyness from the word 'Woman'.

Woman more often than not are perceived as 'objects' and their involvement in such discussions can cast wrong impressions. Women who are too bold ,aggressive and extrovert are labeled as 'easily available' . The above traits i mentioned are usually judged by external looks and behaviour, what if one indulges in issues whose meaning is not so hidden ??Knowing the fabric of the Indian society ,the masses in general would not appreciate such a move.

So far i listed out that the topic of intimate health, either or women or men is not a tea time discussion. Moreover women can get a wrong tag and their image can be misconstrued. Then how do we spread the word ?? How do we share information ?? How to we improve the health standards of women ?? How we make sure that every woman has access to healthcare and as an individual has her dignity intact ??

Every idea , every concept needs to be sold and for which it needs to be marketed well. Acceptance of an avant-garde step comes slow and most of the time doesn't even.  Let me use Mobile technology to help our case because the most accessible means for a majority of population is a Mobile handset . Healthcare companies in collaboration with IT firms can develop a widget that contains all the information about a women's health and a guide to avail healthcare . Let this be a free download on all the smart phones. The basic phones don't have internet facility still sms's can be pushed in. The service providers can share the data about the women users with the Authorized Government bodies and Self help groups and sms's can be send to start a communication. Service providers like Airtel , Vodafone, Tata can take up this initiative as a part of their Corporate social responsibility . A discussion  can be started with the public through group chats, messages and meetings. Once there is a momentum in the masses anything can be made acceptable. There is a need to first build a consensus on important issues rather than making them only juicy and spicy. 

If there is a will there is always a way. I am open to debate how can we spread awareness among women, how can we help there cause but what i am not supportive of, is a open debate in the full glare without even building a consensus !!


This post is a part of the weekend blogging contest at BlogAdda.com in association with 18again.com

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Mahabharata with Surf Excel

The armies of Kaurva and Pandava stood facing each other in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The armies consisted of thousands of Elephants, Horses, soldiers, various kings and greats like Bhisma, Dronocharya , Kripa , Yudisthra , Arjuna and Krishna, all set for a historic and an epic battle. The attackers were equipped with bow and arrow, axes, swords, maces and lances. The mood was sombre, tension gripped the air and each of them smelled blood of the enemy, that was just hundreds of metres ahead. The commander of Kaurva’s army was Bhisma and Pandavas were lead by Yudhistra. The start of the battle was going to be announced in few minutes and each flank was discussing their strategy.

Arjuna’s chariot was being driven by Lord Krishna himself and here what we see…. Arjuna struck by utter grief and self-doubt, gets down from his chariot and abandons his arms. He realized that he would have to fight and probably kill his uncle, granduncle, cousin brothers, kith and other kin to win this war. He feels extremely sick and weak, only with the  prospect of this barbaric act. Arjuna looks nowhere close to the great warrior the world knew. In this state of confusion and hopelessness he turns to Krishna.

‘Oh lord!! I have no desire to fight this battle if this implies killing of my teacher, friends and kin. I need no kingdom, no riches for such a victory and even if I win, I lose it all’

‘Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, Ma Karma Phala Hetur Bhurmatey Sangostva Akarmani’

‘Parth !! You have a right to perform your act, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be associated to not doing your duty.’

‘There is an ongoing war within ourselves between the good and the evil and for us to emerge victorious every human being has to wage a war.’

‘Soak no more…..Soak no more in grief, Arjuna and it is a call of action to do your duties in the most selfless manner.

Krishna and Arjun in the battlefield of Kurukshethra

Bhisma blows ‘Shankha’ and the war is started. The armies start running towards each other and instantly rains start pouring down heavily. Everyone leaves the battlefield and runs for a shelter and there is chaos everywhere.

The heavy dresses with ornaments and arms are too heavy for the school kids to carry in the rains.We call off the final rehearsal and rush to help the kids find their way back to the dressing room.  Sixth grade students had chosen to enact the skit “ Mahabharata” for the annual skit competition and I am helping them as an event manager. Event management for a school fest is pretty complex as it not only involves logistics, behind the scene activity but we have to also ensure that the kids participate with enthusiasm and successfully deliver. The kids these days, are a talented bunch and work very strenuously to win in contests and competitions. The rehearsal went quite well and we as a team have bonded well, our preparations quite satisfactory and possibly putting us a strong contender for the first prize.

Holy God!!  I just realize that the rains have ruined all my aspirations and dashed our hopes for a prize.  The final event is tomorrow and we just have few hours left for the day to end. Relentless rains have dirtied all the costumes in mud and dirt and the kids are too unwary of the fact that I don’t have a second set of dresses for them. Where in the world do I go and manage a fresh set? How do I clean them at such a short notice?? My event team had faced so much difficulty altering dresses and coming up with a perfect fit for each kid, and now I stand on the brink of a disaster. I have to deliver at any cost and as Krishna says in the play “It is call of action and I have to act and fulfill my duty, soak no more in grief but act"

We pack all the dresses and rush to our workshop to act quickly. Here comes our savior in the form of ‘New Surf Excel Matic’. I am told by my colleague that Surf Excel Matic has the power of “Vibrating Molecules” to penetrate deeply embedded stains and remove them effectively, so no soaking before washing. It is 5 PM by my watch and I have to wash 120 set of dresses, dry them, iron them and reach the school by 7 AM next morning. I am a bit relieved that we don’t need to soak anymore and straight away put the clothes in the industrial washing machine. Here we go!! The results are fabulous and not even a stain left and I am amazed to the core.

Surf Excel IndiBlogger Blogging Contest

The announcement follows ‘Team Mahabharata please commence your act’.

My kids start parading to the ground one by one in the most fresh, bright and polished costumes. The crowd erupts in joy and claps for a while to appreciate the massive buildup for the skit. We do a fine act and emerge as runner up in the competition and also bag the prize for the best costume and design.

‘Thanks Surf Excel!!’  I smile softly and run to join the kids in the celebrations!!

This post is for the Indiblogger contest " Soak No More" powered by Surf Excel.

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Love if you can, marry if you must

If you are reading this post to find out what choice to make when thinking of something like marriage, i will say have you gone nuts ?? It's your life and why would i suggest you between love or arranged marriage. I agree that i am an obnoxious guy and derive pleasure in laughing at people when they make wrong choices. Take what ever route you wish to, married life is a circus and  there are only two people on stage and the rest of the world is always an audience. Damned if you marry and damn it if you don't. The method to madness is for you to decide.

If you are of  marriageable age, ask your circle of friends or your ill wishers, they all will make suggestions depending on their perspective and real or pseudo experiences. The set of people will be divided between single and married, gay and lesbians , married in love and married by arrangement. With this diverse bunch of jokers by your side do you expect a solution so overarching that you will make a decision?? It's not like choosing between Maths and Biology after higher secondary. It's between LOVE Marriage and ARRANGED Marriage !! So here is my take on these two routes that  people supposedly take, with a dream of a blissful life ahead .

Love Marriage - To marry in love you have to be first worthy of being loved by a person of your special attention and love interest. Now seeing the skewed ratio of " lovable females" in our schools , colleges and workplace the fight becomes even more tougher. You can pass any goddamn test in the country and get yourself selected but in this test you more than often remain the 'most eligible one'. Mind you !! This tag rarely gets converted to ' You are the only one'. Neither maths nor any statistics favour any ordinary guy in love . It is sad but true, gals always fall in love with the wrong guy and the rest of the miserable guys are too good to be chosen. These losers are fit to be a friend , best pal , man of the crisis , rakhi brothers and /or any tag that makes them useful and helpful.Your friends consider you an idiot and know you are an useless pig still you hold some repute in their eyes if you have a gal in love with you. I am not here to explain how love happens and all ,but to assume that some one has got lucky and now we are moving on the next stage of this hunky dory affair.

Now its couple of years and you have been successfully in love and you both decide to marry.

What next ??

Marrying someone you have chosen by yourself has its own merits and demerits. You can know about each others likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses  but of course not, things like how badly one snores, how infrequently you bathe and what a mess you keep your room in. After all an affair is only successful till the point you keep the other person impressed . The moment you allow your partner to get disillusioned,you allow him or her to drift for more greener pastures. Interestingly in a love marriage the expectation that everything will be 'rosy and chocolaty' takes longer to go !!

Love marriages still don't find wider acceptance in our Indian society because of many outstanding reasons. They could range from unrelenting parents , opposing relatives, jealous lovers or moral policing of  'Khap Panchayats' . Marry in love only if you have no enemies left  or else keep the flame burning in your hearts for life !!

The choice between love marriage and arranged marriage

Arranged Marriage - Carrying forward the story of the good guys and good gals and their arrangement to get married . This herd of 'untalented' crowd believes in  the institution of Arranged Marriage (AM)" . It's my personal thought that many use this alibi because they are 'good for nothing' people and think its their parents responsibility to get them married even if they have crooked nose, sagging waistlines and featureless faces. The basic premise that everyone will get married someday is filled with more of pessimism rather than a prophecy. I am not discounting the really good matches that emerge out of this standard practice but more or less AM comes with an asterisk ***.

***Conditions Apply  - Please expect surprises , shocks and  imperfections that you never ever agreed to or had to live up with. This is arranged marriage bro !! If  you are feeling suffocated after this irreversible act speak to your parents and learn from them 'Make it work' model.

It's like a Pandora's box and you really don't know what's coming next. The list of surprises can range from anything like a long and intolerable family of your spouse, interfering family members, archaic and intellectually challenging customs, never ending responsibilities and what not.  If i would be asked, an arranged marriage is for those who have lots have patience to hear and bear, maturity to forget and forgive  , understanding to love and be loved. 

Consider me a loser who could not get marry in love or the one among the few whose match was fixed by their parents i have been happily married and it was an arranged marriage.My last 2 cents –Marriage has benefits like improved social life, stable personal life, better earnings, and higher levels of physical & psychological health but only if it turns out to be a good decision. Look at it with lots of optimism and even be prepared for the worst. Love or arranged is just a stepping stone to the 'glorious days' ahead!!

Before i wind up few famous quotes that i found interesting-

“By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.” - Socrates

“Marriage is the perfection of what love aimed at, ignorant of what it sought.”-  Emerson

“All tragedies are finished by a death, all comedies by a marriage.”- Lord Byron

This post is for the the contest " love marriage or arranged marriage" on Indiblogger.

Check this out - www.facebook.com/LoveYaArrange.

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Sherlyn Chopra in Playboy

Kamasutra Girl - Sherlyn Chopra

"Sherlyn Chopra, who recently posed nude for Playboy, has said that she should be honoured with the highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna. The model, who is the first Indian to grace the magazine’s cover insisted that the act should be regarded as ‘the highest degree of service' towards the country" - From the Press.

It will not be long when we will hear similar statements from Sunny Leone , Poonam Pandey , Roselyn Khan and many other wannabe Playboy models . Nothing wrong in it but only, if wishes were horses, definitely fools would ride.  It is not a cakewalk to feel and express sensuality clubbing it with nakedness, the portrayal of which is raw lust and dirty passion.  We need to seriously understand individuals like these and what makes them uninhibited and daring beyond our imagination. 

So let me try reading the mind of one Ms Sherlyn Chopra.

“I am young, have ‘good assets’ and a good personality. So what?? So many girls in the industry have the same and they are ready to go ‘an extra bit too’.  How do I differentiate myself from the rest of the crowd?? What are my selling points?? What are my strengths?? What is that I need to do to become famous and successful??

Let me try acting in Bollywood movies…….

Few ‘good services’ like the above one and 2-3 movies see the light of the day. Still success, name, fame and money eludes me…..Sigh!!

What next Sherlyn??

I need to get in news like Sunny Leone and Poonam Pandey for that a monumental act has to follow. Once people talk and discuss about me, opportunities will emerge from nowhere. So the basic thing is I have to make people talk about me. My name needs to trend in the media.

For people to talk about me there has to be a reason. There has to be image that I need to create, a brand of self that I need to build and a cause that I need to be known for.  The underlying theme is that I am looking for an identity. In the industry only three things sell “Entertainment, Entertainment and Entertainment” and I will provide that. A clear case of Identity crisis and a modus operandi will be worked out to establish that.

Since this world is dominated by males and they are the ones to approve or disapprove of an aspirant like me why not block their complete imagination with my view. What they keep ogling at, and what they most fervently desire is what I propose to display, but will not provide it. I will trade in the goods that are tangible only to the limit of satisfying someone’s pleasure and lust.  This transaction will happen and also not happen exactly, but I would have derived mileage from this vicarious experience.Consider the amount of people flocking to see me in person , checking me out on the internet and my website, saving my 'classy pictures' and sharing them. I will cater to a sizable population of old and young and reach out to masses. That is why I will term my act as the service of the highest order for the nation.

While I swim in a pool, squirm on a bed or do all sorts of aerobics (all naked off course) and being photographed, I have provided a noble service to all. The service is not only pleasing to the senses, gratifying to the male lust and reaffirms their misconception that I am most cheaply available. In these mind games I will have some connoisseur like Hugh Hefner who will give me a chance without really asking ‘anything extra’( anyways people know it). In this run I will find a benevolent high society ass that will shower upon me money, name and fame. All in all my objectives will be met!! ”

Hail Ms Sherlyn Chopra, her plans and her debut at Playboy. I wish her all the best , nothing against her ‘talent’ and her smartness in being the first indian to become Hugh Hefner’s bunny. See I am talking about you in my blog that means your one objective of being talked about has been met. In fact Shobha De even found you worth a mention in her latest blog articles.

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Girl Named Betty - Limerick

Limerick on Betty

There was a young girl named betty,
Who always wore frocks too pretty,
When she went to the pub,
Boys gathered in a hub,
A usual affair for the beauty.

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Random Quotes #56

When people can't  hear the other person on the phone line they start speaking loudly. Buddy they can hear you it's you who can't  !!

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Take a 'Healthy Hair Quiz' soon

My wife has normal hair, they are smooth, shining, buoyant, supple and convenient to maintain. She has a healthy scalp and needs to pay minimal attention to keep them that way. She can be good model for a shampoo brand because of her wonderful tresses but everything was not picture perfect from the outset. So let me take you back in time, say by 15-18 months. One fine day my wife took an online quiz to assess how healthy her scalp is. The day to day grind and continuous travel had left her little time to take care of her hair and the results proved it.

“YOUR HAIR IS SEVERLY DAMAGED”

Her face turned pale as the one personal thing that she was so proud of was given a verdict of being ‘Severely Damaged’. The suggested remedies were using best of the breed shampoo, conditioner, oil, styling products and proper hair care but one word stood out and that was ‘Changing Lifestyle’. She was already using good hair care products(that includes Dove), but here the issue was much deeper and she had to bring in couple of changes in her day to day life.  She started a journey to regain a healthy scalp and a ‘firm resolve’ stood by this aspiration... and that was the end of her hair problems!!

There were areas of improvement identified with logic behind the change and the procedure to adopt.

Eat healthy for beautiful hair

Regular Habits like healthy diet and good amount of rest have a great impact on the quality of hair. Hence we both decided to include more Proteins,Vitamins and Minerals in our diet. The proportion of fruits, vegetables and milk was equally increased; plenty of water, fruit juice and soups became mandatory. Coffee and Tea was cut down at home to from three times to just once a day. The weekly shopping list underwent a healthy change and aspects like nutritional value, calories, energy, vitamins became discussion point at home.

Exercise Regularly to keep fit

Exercises were identified as a must and the best mode for rejuvenation of the body and soul. Even the literature available on net suggests that 'Regular exercises can accelerate the circulatory system which guarantees sufficient blood supply to all the cells. Abundant blood supply helps in growth by restoration and repair of tresses.’ I proposed running as the best exercise for the body as I am an avid runner. It was tough convincing her on this count but she gave it a good try. New sport shoes, jogging tracks, cap, sunglasses were bought at the earliest opportunity and my dear wife decided to run along with me. Quite a dreadful task for her and I was wondering how long can she keep up with it. But to my surprise she slowly managed to run a good kilometer every morning. Now she needs a moderate jog for 10-15 minutes and to keep the  healthy glow on her face.

Stress free life is long life

Stress - We are a working couple and work pressure, anxiety, stress,  demanding schedules takes a toll on our health. It was decided between us that we will not discuss office life at home and lay some ground rules while working at home. No late night slogging unless and until it can’t be done away with, short calls to discuss work with colleagues , dedicated slots for working in the weekend. Time permitting we will relax in the weekends by watching a good movie, sharing a good book or eating out light.

This entire effort took both of us a good one year to get life back on track. What started with a motive of regaining healthy hair taught us that hairs mirror our complete health. To boast of lofty, shining, lustrous and beautiful hair all you need to do is live a healthy life!!

Thanks Dove for inviting posts on this topic, I am more than happy to share with the world our story of healthy hair and healthy life !!

Dove Indiblogger Blogging Contest

To know how hair aware are you go through this link Dove hair-aware app.

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Words......Silence.........and You !!

Word, Silence and You

Words,words and a web of words
Hollow and shallow
Weightless and excruciating
Enervating and exhausting
Suffocating and life threatening
Volumes and volumes
Without an essence

And somewhere within myself
Silence and peace
That's energizing
A kind of quietness
That blossoms life

Still mind
That protects me
From the din and the noise
That breathes in me life again
And in those lively moments
Your thoughts filled with love
Yes it's you 'My life' !!

This is my English interpretation of the poem  "शब्द....शांति .....और तुम....."  by Anu.

Please visit her blog http://allexpression.blogspot.in/

बातें बातें बातें....शब्दों के जाल....

खोखली बातें,बेमतलब की बातें...

भारी भरकम और निरर्थक बातें...

उबाऊ बातें...थकाऊ बातें.. 

घुटन भरी बातें,जानलेवा बातें....

सैकड़ों,हज़ारों बातें.

कोई संवाद नहीं....

और कहीं

एक अबोलापन 

एक शान्ति... जो ऊर्जा देती है

एक गहन शान्ति...

पुनर्जीवित करता सन्नाटा...

शांति...

जो मेरी रक्षा करती है

इन अंतहीन बातों से..

जो मुझमें जीवन का संचार करती है...

वो "तुम" हो...

तुम ही तो हो....

And Interestingly both of our creations are a manifestation of the original written by Amit Agarwal

Please visit his post at http://amitaag.blogspot.in/2012/07/words-silence-and-you.html

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The Pending Journey

Landscape outside the Train Window

The shrieking sound of the engines signaled start of a train journey. I had willingly chosen to travel by train, though this could have been easily covered by air in lesser time. The first thing i did was to switch off my cell phone and snap all ties with the world outside. My appearance conveyed my status and lineage but  nothing beyond that. I wanted to be anonymous for the rest of the journey with no semblance of my occupation in life nor the preoccupations of my mind. 

There was this book of short stories that i had carried along with me and decided to read through.The stories were short ,lucid, meaningful and very relevant to various stages of human life. As i gleaned through, the realization dawned upon me that these creative pieces talked about  myriad facets of life. Our dreams, ambitions , aspirations, love , hate , relationships , career, family and work . To my surprise it seemed to me that the author was someone very close to me in real life. His observations and portrayal looked quite realistic and true. I was amazed by his mental abilities to read human mind and behavior. I understood each theme but somehow found myself moved away from these subtle humane experiences.

My work had become my instrument for happiness and pride. With arduous labor i had built a career that was rewarding , scintillating and blooming . A  loving family to support , material possession ,good money to take care of the rest of the life and still a question. Had i lived or just passed through life ?? Sadly i had to admit i just lived day by day engrossed in web of my own doings. The milestones that excited me when i was young, no more looked menacing. No tasks seemed daunting enough to gear up again.  No cause seemed larger enough than life. Probably when you reach the zenith there is a sense of hollowness and vacuum. After years i had lifted my head to look around the world, to feel the fresh air, to see the multiple colours and realized it had been long i have been running.

Wish  i had taken this journey years back and read this author to be able to decide to run a bit slower !!

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ShahRukh Khan and his Acrobatics

Shahrukh Khan and Middle Age Anxiety

Age does wonders to people,some age gracefully some learn to do somersaults after crossing 40. Indeed not a mean feat by any standards, and if the person in question is the crowd puller SRK, nothing is impossible.  If 'Sachin the Tendulkar' can spend good bucks to get his mane straightened why can't SRK learn some acrobatics befitting of a teenager? Both according to me have lots left to achieve, and they have just started :):) Isn't it unfair of us to dub all this song and dance as 'Mid life crisis' ?? It's entertainment at the cost of these geniuses which anyone would gleefully see !!

What if SRK smokes in a stadium , What if he gets into a ugly brawl at MCA in Mumbai? What if he is practicing for Olympic games live on the national television? What if he fancied to immortalize himself by doing a  Ra.One ?  He has been an entertainer throughout his career and his performances have been lively , promising , crowd pulling and surprising, say in recent times. When he started as a Fauji we all watched with keen interest , when he played a Kkkkkkkirannnnn we made his stammer a trademark, when he reigned as a Baazigar, Baadshah and Don we crowned him. So many memorable roles over the years that its but natural anyone would not understand the adulation graph going down. That's the curious case of SRK !! 

Of late i have been noticing a particular ad ' Have i made it large ??' in which SRK figures. For a moment i am trying to put myself in his shoes and ask the same question. But seriously i am engulfed by self doubt that should i really be asking this ?? So why is SRK asking this question to himself daily ??
At your stage there should be no butterflies in the tummy, no insecurity , no fear to fall freely because you were never a role model. You have been an entertainer and that's what we have been clapping for.
So is there is a shift in SRK's mind that since the years to perform are counted he ought to change over to a larger than life figure ?? 

Cultivating an image or building a personality takes years and if we never considered it , why now?? Why not stand for what we represent? Why not do what the masses want to see ?? Why not believe in our abilities and not get prejudiced with the fact that the world is getting younger day by day?
So till the point you want to entertain us like ever before i don't mind seeing your kiddish and immature ways in the public domain. If the agenda is to get holier and start preaching the world i am not the one to see you somersaulting !! 

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Bloggers Foundation

Hi !! To all my blogging community. Whether you write on Technology , Entertainment , Education , Science, Personal , Fashion , Philosophy , Life and what not..... consider my thoughts for a moment.

Let me lay some premise to this discussion that will unfold in next few paragraphs. I assume that you are a serious blogger, you have something interesting to say and your opinion is unique and is counted. Writing for the pleasure of it is what everyone of us enjoys and unless the thoughts flow at ease words will not shape up as a 'masterpiece'. Till now i hope you all agree that we all love this hobby of ours and would be interested to add more meaning to these creative pursuits. I am not going to talk about SEO , Adsense or Monetization of our work, that's for more intelligent species which i am not.

Blogging Community is pretty colorful

If all the above perquisites are met, there is something that we all can do by joining hands. Now consider a body called " Bloggers Foundation " . This body will have to have an Editor , 1-2 Admin , a Designer , a Content creator and few people who can run around and get our work published.

This group or body will be a formal group that does the following :

1. Promote common threads and build opinions - This blogging community comprises of very well read  intellectuals who are no lesser than the 'Noble Laureates' themselves, if they may believe. Writing collaboratively for a cause and building 'impartial opinions' is definitely what all we can do.
2. Publishing and showcasing our thoughts - There could be a book , a monthly magazine , a journal that can come out where every blogger has contributed. It is a mode for free speech and thoughts, the intent of which is adding value to people's mindsets. The body won't mind publishing a collection of short stories, poems and light hearted talks too.
3.Protect rights of bloggers for free speech - Copyright , Intellectual Property Rights & Claims.
4. Protect rights for bloggers for thoughts on national and political issues.

To give you a clue, as a starting point why not consider an online monthly journal titled " We the Bloggers " . Mind you this entire work can be collaboratively done online.

At the moment i see so many talented fellow bloggers who have written good posts on myriad issues but none of them are collated at a single place. There are causes that each one of us is passionate about and that only comes out when a blogging contest is organised. Why can't we decide on themes and announce it in advance, let the community debate and come up with their best. The best of all gets published and everyone else reads and appreciates the thoughts. This interaction will not only refine our own thoughts but also give us avenues to discuss and debate which is a very healthy sign for growth.

I rest my case before you all and would invite maximum comments to give shape to this idea. If we succeed we build a very strong presence , a very strong voice that is for a cause and for a change !!

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Satyameva Jayate - Healthcare for All Indians

Aamir Khan's brainchild ' Satyameva Jayate'

Since the day i grew up, my parents taught me that a doctor comes after the god himself. He is one who will save our lives and will pull us out from all ailments. He is the healer and we are the believers.  I believed it , still do but now with a word of caution!!

Today i want to write on how Government, Private Medical Colleges & Hospitals, Pathology labs, Pharma companies have diluted the noble profession and  what are the issues that every 'common man' faces. The post is to focus on "Healthcare Services" for every citizen, that should be  affordable, reachable and reposes trust of the patients receiving the benefit.

Even 65 years after independence the issues concerning the health of a common Indian remain the same. The only thing that has got added to the existing problems is greed , wrong intent and converted the service to a 'profession of nexus'. As per WHO report even today 65% percent of the Indian Population lack access to basic health services. The number of government colleges is stagnant and private colleges are mushrooming. Seats in medical colleges are being sold and every other day another healthcare scam surfaces.The cost of treatment is spiraling north and private hospitals are making money on the dead bodies even.Private firms are pushing their medicines in the Indian market at 10 times ,20 times of their costs . Doctors misguiding the patients on treatment and pathology labs doing unnecessary tests supported with inflated bills.Seems like the quality of the health service is riding on greed and life has become much cheaper than ever before.

I raise some basic questions before the medical fraternity and other bodies in the nexus !! Have we lost all moral and human values in this quest for material comforts? Have we become so selfish that a trade of human lives is fueling our households ? Will incompetency rule the world ? Have we become so accommodating and adjusting that pain and suffering of others around us don't affect us at all ?? Lastly is it that our souls are already dead and we are just mechanical human beings??

Some steps that we all should take to improve this condition and build consensus in the society to move in the right direction. 

A. People who choose to join this profession need to be aware of their responsibility and the charter of healing lives given to them by the almighty himself.
B. Doctors who have tarnished the profession need to be brought to light and a strict action to be initiated against them. The Medical Council of India has to act on this in no time. Parallely capacity building  and improving skill sets of the medical fraternity has to be taken up.
C. After liberalization so many MNC's have set foot in our country. There have been benefits that have definitely accrued but the cost of this progress needs to be measured. Strict action and a price determination mechanism has to be adopted by the government to justify the market price of the drugs.
D. A efficient health cover, insurance policy needs to be adopted and every citizen has to be brought under the same. On the government's agenda healthcare should move up high on the priority.

Lastly it is a basic right of every citizen to have access to affordable health care& benefits and diseases do not discriminate between the rich or the poor. I urge you all to spend some time discussing  these important issues and work together to build a 'Healthy  and Happy India'.

Satyameva Jayate !!


Also Read :

Satyameva Jayate - Heathcare for all Indians
Satyameva Jayate - Female Foeticide
Satyameva Jayate - Child Sexual Abuse
Satyameva Jayate - Marriage Rides on Marriage

Read more »

Blogathon 2012 - Better Luck Next Time !!

Blogathon Blogger's Meet

*** I have toned down parts of this post to pacify certain section of readers who found my take on the event,too aggressive and unkind . My views are of my own and the choice to agree or disagree is entirely yours. If your sentiments or sensibilities are ruffled please close the webpage and read something more interesting. You may or may not continue !!
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I replay that moment when i chanced upon this update from one of my fellow FB friends saying that he is going to this event. I wish i had never seen that and been there. Anyways , since i did spend my 5 hours i need to promote this event through my writing which i am doing dutifully !! So lets talk about all the components part by part.

1. Organizers -  A bunch of  ' Gen X or Y' ( watever) who come along to host a event forgetting what was it all about. The event in this case was a blogging event, so they planned everything around it and successfully making sure they don't touch the theme even remotely or tangentially. Dressing sense and personal styles were impeccable and very much suited for a Saturday evening fun. The event definitely had its oomph, glitz and glamour.Hope you guys shake a leg in the same pub tonight !! :)

2. The Choice of Venue - I ever never been invited to any public gathering organised at a pub. That chasm was broken today and i learnt that public gatherings can be even held at pubs and beers are also served at the very first meeting itself. Next time when i meet people for the first time i will make sure i drag them to a bar or a disco and have this heavenly influence on their senses. The interior designer of the pub gave so many serpentine curves to this place that looking beyond the next table was not at all humanly possible. The speakers were barely visible to 50% of the crowd. Anyways the choice of the venue justified a relaxed Saturday evening :) .

3. The Sponsors - How can i even think of not addressing these set of wise men who burnt their cash to sponsor this event and even more wise to come all over to witness that. This gentleman from an IT firm showed a ubiquitous power point and made sure he talks of everything that has no co relation to the event what so ever. His intent was to showcase the line of the products that his company is launching and finally he managed to do that by showing 2-3 gadgets one by one. Is the basic qualification to write adjudged by a gadget ??
Another interesting person spoke of his company that's pretty new in India and talked of  all 'Life made easy improvisations' that his company is into. Most interestingly he did throw a competition to speak on his product line and the best 3 selling pitches will get prizes.
There was another gentleman who represented an online e-commerce website. He spoke for some time , lost interest in what he was saying and ended up suggesting the crowd that please surf the website yourself. Thank you so very much !! Again none of them touched upon blogging as an activity or did draw any link between the set of audience and the product being promoted ;)

4. The Crowd - All young and happy faces who would have written their first blog last month and happily found Blogathon to invite them for beers and snacks for their stupendous feat. Dear Organizers !!Had you swapped this entire crowd with a set of people from any other background they would have equally enjoyed sans any contribution. More over we all were seated in hideouts that seeing or interacting with each other was a distant dream. :)

5. Finally the Prize Winners - Is it necessary to fix a prize and then demean the crowd by publicly accepting it in their presence ?? For instance one product company at the event was asking people to make videos and speak on their products. The best speaker or the presenter gets a prize. The girl making video was seen recording the last one just 2 minutes before the results were announced. I wonder what a great task it would have been for the judges to play 20-25 videos in a span of 100 seconds and announcing the winner. Hats off to you guys, you work faster than the super computers even !! :):)


NOW SOME SENSIBLE STUFF !!

Had blogging been all about funky gadgets ,cool dudes and gals , jazzy venues, marketing guys the literary world would have died down years back. When one blogs he or she gathers lots of courage to pen down his thoughts and vets it 100 times before putting it on public domain. It's about sensible and responsible writing and not pandering to reader base or monetization of the effort. There is a role that you play as a blogger in molding the opinions of the masses and / or guiding people who come to your webspace to seek information. Please respect the time and effort one spends reading your thoughts and if they are not sensible enough , you better not write it. The event was about blogging and promoting the common thread and connecting with common minds but no one took the pain to address that.

My last 2 cents !! Blogathon - To sum all i would say is, the soul of this event was 'blogging' . I wish you all had engaged the audience to understand what they write about? what are they passionate about? how they want to connect ? how can they use this platform as a medium in future ? Something should have come from your side  !!

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Satyameva Jayate - Marriage Rides on Dowry

Aamir Khan's Brain child  'Satyameva Jayate'

Marriages are made in heaven and all we do is execute it with the aid of 'Band , Baaja and Baraat ' & 'DOWRY' . What goes behind the scenes is pretty much agreed as a part of the society norms and what goes after the business transaction surprises all of us. Events like prolonged harassment of the bride, never ending demands, divorce and sadly in some cases dowry deaths.So i ask you all a simple question. Are we not a part of this social evil and have we done enough to curb this??

Let's address the fundamental problem of this issue which starts with the birth of a girl child. All parents are heard saying that from today itself we will save money for our daughter's marriage. The morale is low from the day one and we all take a girl child as a burden , as a liability. The demon of dowry gets born with your child the same day and for life you feed the demon with greed and callousness. Now years later you marry off your beloved daughter along with the same demon, and now it's her turn to feed this animal for life long. Are we not at fault for harboring this thought of inequality and injustice? Similarly when  a son is born , our lineage our generation gets a heir and a 'dowry prospect'  is raised day by day. So at the same time two kids born with a different gender are fed with thoughts that are irrelevant and absolutely nonsensical. So let's make a resolution from today, we will raise our daughters like our sons and vice versa to inculcate in them the respect for the other gender and give them an equal opportunity.

More on the present generation of prospective grooms and brides. To all my fellow men  who are in their marriageable age i raise a simple question. If you are not capable enough to provide sustenance to your family are you ready to marry yet?? Say if conditions warrant that you get married will you steal , beg or borrow to run your family ?? If not why would you expect someone to oblige you with kind and cash that you could never earn yourself. All because you were born with a tag that says ' Male' you are privileged to transact your credentials for entire life. Then let me give you another tag of PARASITES, who live life long on someone else's sweat and blood. Be happy and be smug with the kind of trash you grew up to!!

To all the females who have been married as a part of a 'lucrative deal' or are going through this rigmarole of  marriage its time, you stop and think. A marriage is god's most beautiful relationship and if your 'selection'  depends upon your parent's financial capability then what is the use of your education and all this freedom. It's time to stand for your self, for your choice of life partner  and most importantly for your parents. I don't think they left any effort to provide you with the best of amenities and comforts that they would have otherwise, had you been a son. Don't breed gender inequality and inferiority from the outset as it will make you susceptible to wrong behavior later.

Thanks again to Aamir for raising this issue that has blighted us for generations. If we are a young and growing nation, we need to come out of our closets and make efforts to change the whole perspective. Growth is not defined by sweeping malls, extravagant lifestyles , aping western culture and then falling back to old age wrong doings and not doing enough to change the spectrum !!



Satyameva Jayate !!


Also Read :

Satyameva Jayate - Heathcare for all Indians
Satyameva Jayate - Female Foeticide
Satyameva Jayate - Child Sexual Abuse
Satyameva Jayate - Marriage Rides on Marriage

Read more »

Make the Most of Now

Collage created by Viveksheel for Vodafone Blogging Contest ' Internet is Fun' 

At the outset let me first proudly claim that i am a Vodafone post paid user with unlimited data plan. So the  million dollar question " How is internet on mobile fun for me ?" becomes easier to answer !!


I was looking for some statistics as to how most netizens use internet on their mobiles and down below is the pie chart to depict the same. Surprisingly my usage pattern is not much different from the data gathered in general. So here is my laundry list of what i do with the internet on my hand held device.

A) Connect with friends - Of course yes and resounding yes !!  I have Whats App , Facebook , Twitter & Instant Messenger installed and most of my time goes into connecting with friends, checking their status updates, tweeting  messages and following the tits and bits on the go. I travel lots, so updating status message like " In Bangalore for 2 days friends.... care for a hangout ?"  gets responded by couple of my buddies and that's the best part of it. I don't plan to meet , all i do is let my friends know my window of free time and where am I in the town !! I bet, at times you will get responses from friends who are not at all in your radar and meeting them after so long is just too good and refreshing . Very recently I was boarding a flight back to Delhi  and saw a message from an old friend " Sitting in Bangalore Kingfisher Lounge, flight delayed". Wow !! What a chance to catch up again and sip a couple of beers with my college mate. I thanked my hand held once again.

B) Searching weirdest of the topics - No one would debate about the ubiquitous 'Google' / Search Engines and our reliance on them for day to day things be it jobs, information , news,sports ,events , movie bookings , pizza orders,  and what not. At the most weirdest of the times i get a question on my mind and unless and until i find an answer the restlessness does not allows me to relax. So a real life scenario where i woke up at 3 AM in the morning to start IE on my mobile and search " How many calories do i need to burn to loose 10 pounds? ". The background of this question was my high profile meeting with an European delegation and i had to look lean and mean. Another instance when i checked my interviewer's Linked In Profile minutes before i entered his room. He kept on asking my background and i answered confidently making sure i smartly drop in references to his background. I was selected !!

In this era of instant gratification nothing comes to my rescue faster than my mobile  internet when there is a a dire need for information.

Pie Chart of Mobile Usage

C) Entertainment -  This is the best use i make of my unlimited data connection. "Why this Kolaveri Di ?" was a song that i must have played 500 odd times through You Tube. Downloading is definitely an option but i prefer You Tube because depending on  my query it presents options that are very close to my taste. So watching a TV episode (Like Satyameva Jayate) , a new song , chosen few dialogues from hit movies and yes cricket is the best utilization of my free time . I have CricInfo apps on my cell and i don't recall missing out on live commentary from an important match. IPL-5 is the flavour of the season and many a matches have been decided on the last ball. While traveling i have refreshed my Cric Info webpage hundreds of times to be a part of that thrill and anxiety, and the few seconds of wait to refresh heightens my curiosity as to how the fortunes of the teams are swaying.

D ) Shop -  Shopping for me is buying my Air Ticket through Make My Trip , Clear Trip and Yatra on the go. At times i am booked on a late flight and my work gets over early. So the best choice is shop my ticket through my mobile, depending upon prices and availability.

Buying flowers , gifts and movie tickets and phone banking is another good use of secured technology on handsets.

So all in all, as my collage of Zoo Zoo depicts internet on mobile is fun. I can't imagine my life without using my gadget for entertainment , connecting with friends , playing games and doing shopping.

If you want to know what all  you can do with internet on your mobile check this out !!

http://www.vodafone.in/fun


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This post won me a runners up prize :):)

Runner's Up in Vodafone Blogging Contest

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