Light of the Lamp

Hi everybody,           It feels like an eternity since I posted last, but, as other things are keeping me preoccupied, I am trying to keep this space alive (which I hold close to my heart) with great difficulty.Many of us will be heaving a sigh of relief that the days of scorching heat are coming to an end and looking forward for monsoon days. How did you keep your kids engaged? Did they roam about freely without any summer camp classes? Did you go to water theme parks and did some swimming and rides? Many of us would have traveled to hill stations to escape the heat, and a lucky few would have made to trips abroad. Talking about trips, we made a short trip to Rangannathittu Bird Sanctuary which is just about 140 kms south-west of Bangalore. This small sanctuary is situated very close to Srirangapatnam. It's a 3-hour leisurely drive from Bangalore on the Mysore Road, if we start early in the morning. There are many Udupi restaurants and Coffee...

Hi all,            How is the weather treating you these days? As its summer time, anybody's favorite and safe topic should be weather. Ohhh, its so hot, I am sweating, it is becoming hotter every summer, want AC running all the time, want to have ice-creams, cool drinks etc.I wish all of you a pleasant summer and keep yourself hydrated by drinking lots of water.                                      Before I get to the main topic, I would like to pay last respects to the infant girl 'Neha Afreen', who was murdered by her own father in Bangalore for no fault of hers except for being born as a girl. Afreen was born in a poor Muslim family and her father who wanted a boy, hated her from the day one of her birth. The 3-month old Afreen has now become an 'icon of shame' in our boy-obsessed society. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you would have observed...

Hi everybody,        My friends were discussing the other day about an alliance that was fixed between a boy and a girl. Description of the boy: Software engineer, earns six-figure salary, currently in US, (a little fat and baldish, so what!). Description of the girl: FAIR complexion, tall, slim, good-looking, has a job, God-fearing, domestically trained. These are the normal details that are discussed among the families and friends about a boy and a girl if a matrimonial alliance is fixed. For a boy, complexion or appearance is mostly not much of a problem. But, for a girl? However educated and accomplished a girl is, complexion and physical features still play a major role in the matrimonial column. I happen to fall under the 'fair category' (yes, fair complexion), and so, I am usually compared to not-so fair by my relatives. ( Come on, Its not fair!!!)                        India is a tropical c...

   I have been writing regularly to 'THE HINDU'- Letters to the Editor column and I feel honored to see some of my opinions published. I hope to continue this new found passion for a long time to come. Here are some of the letters published previously. Not much change     Sunday, Feb 10, 2008 While it was interesting to read about the change in filmmakers’ mindset about how women are portrayed, a lot more needs to be done to portray them more realistically than is done today. What is conspicuously missing in the article is mention of films in langauges other than Hindi, which also make a huge chunk of Indian films. A more comprehensive article would have included talented actresses from the South and from other regions of the country. I hope this will be taken into consideration in future. Deepa Nagaraj, Hyderabad  . Civilian awards      January 27, 2010 When Indians abroad are awarded the Nobel pri...

Hi,         Yes, it seems eons ago after the murder of a teacher by her own student  in a Chennai school , though it happened only about a month ago. After the initial shock and dismay by the media and the community, the news is behind the curtains as the successive events take place at a greater speed. Why and how is this supposed to take place where we chant 'Maata, Pita, Guru, Daivom' (mother, father, teacher, god) all in one breath? Many successful people(who were able to realize their dreams) owe their prosperity to their teachers who act as guides next to parents.               The boy in the scene was reported to be a pampered child who was given pocket money of Rs 100 everyday, consistently poor in academics. The teacher was just doing her duty when she wrote the remarks about the boy to update his parents. Did she imagine in her wildest of dreams that this would be her fate? I read a post somewhere which g...

Hello everybody,                       This time the subject that will be written about is a bit strong, and maybe, argumentative. But, nevertheless, I am going to put my thoughts. What provoked me to write this? As I was reading today's newspaper, I came across an interview with a celebrity. He was asked about his religious views and in reply to that, he proudly proclaimed himself to be an atheist. This set me thinking. We have heard this section of people called atheists who reject the existence of deities and do not believe in religious rituals. I have no problem with their way of thinking. Religious beliefs are not to be imposed, and if a person is not convinced with the customs and practices of a certain religion, he is free to deny that.                                           But again, is there a gen...

Murder of a journalist    February 21, 2012 The killing brings back memories of J. Dey's murder that happened a few months ago. Once again the unholy nexus between criminals and politicians is on display. Is it enough to condemn these murders strongly, demand an investigation and then forget about them within a week? If journalists have to pay a heavy price for doing their job, anybody will start thinking twice before joining this profession. The article “For journalists, conflicts are never glamorous,” by Pranay Gupte (Feb.20), is both well-timed and unsettling. Deepa Nagaraj,  Bangalore Sunday Magazine Mail Bag,  January 14, 2012 Too much pink Pink, which is branded as a stereotyped, ‘girly' colour in our psyche is more due to the advent of the Barbie industry. We find ourselves gifting a girl pink-coloured accessories or dresses on her birthday, but never for a boy. This itself sends strong message and establishes the stereotypes...