Bhavana penned

I finished reading a Kannada novel called "sOtu geddavaLu". When I finished reading this book, I could not stop shaking with anger of the nuisance of Indian society then (who knows if it is the same now!!), the injustice on women. Plot:  A beautiful girl gets engaged to a boy and his parents wanted him to get married before he goes to UK for a business trip so that he might not fall for foreign woman. Initially he was not interested, but when he saw this girl and her breathtaking beauty and he gave in. They got married and the couple had a good time. Then this groom's "uncle"- his mother's very young brother (who's just 6-7 years older to this groom) visits them to greet their wedding and he falls badly for the beauty of this girl- the bride. When this groom later goes on his business trip, his uncle visits his place as in for a "vacation" and starts to seduce the girl and the most successful thing he could get from her is getting her...

I love to read 50/60s Kannada novels, but the social injustice existing at that time makes my blood boil whenever I read them. 1) "It is the responsibility of my elder son to educate my other kids" --Just imagine educating one son takes these irresponsible parents all their lives and they expect their "this" son to educate other children of their's. Such unfair system! 2) "oh, your daughter is very fair and beautiful, I want my son to marry only her ." --Why should a girl be looked as a "thing" for match makers?? Weighing people with their body colors. What has girl's dark skin got to do with match making?? and yes, these girls got adjusted >stupidly< with this unfair system. They should have had done a revolution against this. Even now, I see advertisements which is about making skin "fair". Shame!! 3) "oh, why should we educate our girl child anyway, they are going to become "property" of oth...

I am not generalizing here, but I personally feel and have experienced that >most< European men are gentlemen than Indian men. They make way for me, they open the door for me. On streets, men in cars stop when I am crossing the road for me to pass.  These are very small things but still make such huge impact on human relations and our perception on other species . In India, most men in higher posi tions treat women like >things to be discarded< kind. (I wonder how these men behave in their personal lives) These kind of men have no respect for an individual. Even now Indian men treat women as an "item".  I feel very bad to be pointing out this that I have met a very few Indian men who are decent and gentlemanly!  Most Indian men I have met are Chauvinistic in their ways!   This  unfortunately  or fortunately do not get along with my nature since I am highly individualistic person. I do not know whether it is my bad luck that I have met more...

In a country where caste and class system has dominated for centuries and due to which only top crust of the society got the so called "education" and the rest of the society were restricted in obtaining education from the beginning the society has formed.  This society has being living like this for few centuries now by restricting the low castes from getting education and population of this castes/class have been higher or it seems so.  This seems to be the same even today in 21st century. I wonder why those so called low castes people did not do revolution against the so called upper castes people? No idea!!  When I mean by education I mean to get education by proper means and not by quota as it is today. So the problem according to me is two hold and on both sides. Most upper castes took advantage of lower castes people and those lower castes people were content to get treated like that or I have read that some were forced to be treated like this! Shame! ...

Food for thought! How many of you have read Indian census 2011 report already?? If not then grab your census data. The Indian Census is the most credible source of information on Demography (Population characterstics), Economic Activity, Literacy and Education, Housing & Household Amenities, Urbanisation, Fertility and Mortality, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Language, Religion, Migration, Disability and many other socio-cultural and demographic data since 1872. Census 2011 will be the 15th National Census of the Country. This is the only source of primary data in the village ,town and ward level, It provides valuable information for planning and formulation policies for Central and the State Governments and is widely used by National and International Agencies, Scholars, business people, industrialists, and many more. The Delimitation/reservation of Constituencies- Parliamentary/Assembly/Panchayats and other Local Bodies is also done on the basis of the demographic d...

ನನ್ನ ಆರನೇ ವಯ್ಯಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಾವು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಜಯನಗರದಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಸಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೆವು. ನನಗೆ ಹುಟ್ಟಿದಾಗಿನಿಂದಲೂ ಒಂದೆಲ್ಲ ಒಂದು ಆರೋಗ್ಯದ ಸಮಸ್ಯೆಗಳು. ವಣಕಲ ಕಡ್ಡಿಯಂತೆಯಿದ್ದೆ. ಸರಿ, ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿಯು ನನಗೆ ನೃತ್ಯ ಅಥವ ಸಂಗೀತವನ್ನು ಕಲಿಸಲೇಬೇಕೆಂದು ನಿಶ್ಚಯಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಮೊದಲಿಗೆ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಒಂದು ನೃತ್ಯದ ಶಾಲೆಗೆ ಕರೆದುಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿದ್ದರು. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ನೃತ್ಯದ ಮೇಷ್ಟರು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಹಾಗು ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿಯನ್ನು ಒಂದೆಡೆ ಕೂರಿಸಿ ತಮ್ಮ ಪಾಠವನ್ನು ಮುಂದುವರೆಸಿದರು. ಕೆಲ ಸಮಯದ ನಂತರ ಆ ಮೇಷ್ಟರು ಒಬ್ಬ ವಿದ್ಯಾರ್ಥಿನಿಯ ಕಾಲಿಗೆ ತಮ್ಮ “ತಾಳ”ದಿಂದ ಹೊಡೆದುದನ್ನು ಕಂಡು ನಾನು ಚಿಟ್ಟನೆ ಚೀರಲು ಶುರುಮಾಡಿದ್ದೆ. ಇದಾದಮೇಲೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಹೊರ ಓಡಿದ್ದೆ, ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿಯು ನನ್ನ ಹಿಂದೆ ಓಡಿ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಹಿಡಿದು ಮತ್ತೆ ಶಾಲೆಯ ಒಳಗೆ ಕರೆದು ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋದರು. ನೃತ್ಯದ ಮೇಷ್ಟರು ನನಗೆ ಒಂದು ಡಬ್ಬಿತುಂಬ ಸಿಹಿ ತಿಂಡಿಯನ್ನು ಕೊಟ್ಟು, ಅಳಬೇಡಮ್ಮ, ಅಳಬೇಡ ಅಂದಿದ್ದೂ ಅಂದಿದ್ದೆ. ಅವರು ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಹೊಡೆಯುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಅಂಥ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದೆ. ನನ್ನ ಕೂಗು ಚೀರಾಟ ಇನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಲು ಶುರುವಾದಾಗ, ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿಯು ಆ ತಬ್ಬಿಬ್ಬಾದ ನೃತ್ಯದ ಮೇಷ್ಟರರಿಗೆ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಮತ್ತೆ ಕರೆದು ಕೊಂಡು ಬರುವಂತೆ ಹೇಳಿ ಜಾಗ ಖಾಲಿ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದರು. ಅದಾದ ನಂತರ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಆ ನೃತ್ಯದ ಶಾಲೆಗೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಕಾಲಿಡಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಪಾಪ! ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಿಗೆ ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿಯು ನನಗೆ ಸಂಗೀತ ಪಾಠವನ್ನು ಶುರುಮಾಡಿ...

ನಾನು high schoolನಲ್ಲಿ ಓದುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ನನಗೆ ಶಾಲೆಯ syllabus ಆಚೆಯ ಕವನ-ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಲು ಶುರುಮಾಡಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಇಚ್ಚೆ ಶುರುವಾಗಿತ್ತು. ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿಯು ಕನ್ನಡದವರಲ್ಲದಿದರೂ, ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿನ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಓದುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಮೊದಲಿನಿಂದಲೂ ನನ್ನ ತಾಯಿಯು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇ ಸರಿಯೆಂಬ ನಂಬಿಕೆ ನನ್ನದು. ನಾನು ಒಟ್ಟಾರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿನವರೆಗೆ ಸುಮಾರು ೧೦ ಕನ್ನಡದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಿದ್ದರೆ ಹೆಚ್ಚು. ಇದರಿಂದಾಗಿ ಇತ್ತಿಚೆಗೆ online ಮೂಲಕ ಬಹಳ ಮನಮೆಚ್ಚಿದ ಕವನ-ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳನ್ನೂ ಖರೀದಿಸುತ್ತಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಮುಂಚೆ ಓದದಿದ್ದರೇನಾಯಿತು, ಈಗಿಂದ ಶುರುಮಾಡೋಣವೆಂಬ ಬಯಕೆ. ನಾನು ಓದಿದ ಮೊದಲನೆಯ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ನನ್ನನ್ನು feminism , individualism ಎತ್ತ ನೇರವಾಗಿ ತಿರುಗಿಸಿತು. ಆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯೇ “ಬಾಳೆಯ ನೆರಳು”. ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಣಿಯವರು ಸಾಮಾಜಿಕ ವ್ಯವಸ್ತೆಯ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಬಹಳ ನೇರವಾಗಿಯೇ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ವಸಂತಳ ವಿವಾಹಿತ ಬದುಕನ್ನೂ, ಮದುವೆಯಾದ ಕೆಲವು ದಿನಗಳಲ್ಲೇ ಗಂಡನು ಪರಾರಿಯಾದ ಸಂಕಟವನ್ನೂ, ಅವನಿಂದ ಪಡೆದ ಮಗುವು, ಮುಂಬೈಯಲ್ಲಿನ ಅಣ್ಣನ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದರೂ ಪರರ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದ್ದಹಾಗಿನ ವಸಂತಳ ಅನುಭವಗಳು. ಈ ಕಾಬಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಪಾತ್ರವಾದ ವಸಂತಳ ಬದುಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಘಟನೆಗಳೆಲ್ಲವೂ ನನ್ನ ಹದಿಹರೆಯದ ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ಬಹಳ ಗಟ್ಟಿಯಾಗಿಯೇ ತಾಕಿತು. ತಮ್ಮ ತಮ್ಮ ಜೀವನವನ್ನು ತಾವೇ ರೂಪಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳದಿದ್ದರೆ, ಬೇರೆಯವರ ಸಲಹೆಗಳು (ಕೆ...

"Nothing ever becomes real till it is experienced -- even a proverb is no proverb to you till your life has illustrated it." -- John Keats • Smile always. This is because humans from the time of evolution tend to connect with those who are pleasant in nature and when we smile it erases all the unanswered questions about a person (even if it is sometimes pretence). It is quite evolutionary that people feel comfortable with those who are smiling all the time than those who are frowning... • There is no point in losing temper for small and unwanted conversations. Losing temper only makes us lose the stand of what we wanted to convey. • Will no longer take online communities seriously (this is my personal opinion). This is because if you want to be friends with somebody, it is better to be friends in person (go to café with them or get together and speak your heart out) than through these virtual connections. We humans are social animals, so it only makes sense...

This is written for the "Sleepy Sunday Contest – II" by Weblog in which we are asked to write based on the picture below: Woman until very recently was made to think she was meant to be within the four walls. Even history quoted that her individuality was restrained within four walls in general and inside the kitchen in particular. She until very recently was considered a Man’s property and this is true for many even now. This dependence might be due to several reasons and I would like to highlight two of the most obvious: 1) Woman wanted herself to be under Man’s rule because it was her family Tradition OR 2) She was forced to be Man’s property by the Society, since it was called “Culture” >built< by the society. Either way, she was seeing the world from behind a veil put on by men and society in the name of tradition and culture and also in the name of “religion” which they follow. Through the blindfold, she saw the world dominated by men OR being sub...

“Society exists only as a mental concept; in the real world there are only individuals.” “A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.” “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.” --Quotes by Oscar Wilde The more I think about Indian parenting, the more and more disappointed I am when I think about the future of our generation. No matter how "modern" we think we are, we do not notice that the younger generation is increasingly less free to take their own decisions in regard to their education, marriage, religion, as well as the distinct roles of sons and daughters. Religion: From their childhood, they are immersed into their own(or their parents?) "religious and cultural" influence. Parents make sure (and I am sure they are successful in almost all cases) that their children know to which religion, and to which caste they belong, and with or without their...

Whenever a woman tries to be revolutionary, it seems that society considers it as being an outcast and blames her. Be it the dress she wears, be it if she is raped, be it harassment at work, be it if she wants to be financially independent, be it eve teasing, harassment of widows. If a woman is raped, then it is because she has dressed in a sultry way and society blabbers “I told you something will happen to her sometime, because she dresses like that”. It is nothing got to do with why that rapist can’t do such a thing. If a women is independent and wants to lead a life which she dreams about then it is being like an outcast. A girl who will be in the verge of getting married, needs to take her future in law’s permission whether she can work or not, this is even now happening and in this recession stuck world. If a woman after marriage wants to move out, then she is breaking the family. Women have to be virgin before their marriage, even if the man marrying her need not be one. ...