None of it matters

Mumbai Voter turnout- 45%....Such a shame!

One of the most popular , rich, urbane city, the economic capital of India , city of dreams...none of it matters. Peace march, candle march, angry outbursts..none of it matters...terrorist attacks, slums, horrible infrasrtucture, roads caving in ,skyrocketing prices...none of it matters..

What matters is the break you can take..long weekend..Alibagh, Lonavala,Ganpatiphule here we come..and the ones with deeper pockets..USA, UK, Spain, Australia..

And it is so so so HOT! The temperatures are soaring and we can`t step out in this heat to like vote or something..Puhleeze..

Such a shame. I am ANGRY..Mumbaikars or is it Bombayites ( whatever) have stuck to what they are great at..APATHY..Mumbai always bounces back and it has and how...we loose, we suffer, we cry , we forget and we move on and then go for a holiday to regain our spirits..vote? For what? For whom? Forget it ! It`s a fabulous opportunity to take that much needed break..Anyways if a couple of us don`t vote it hardly matters...

But it does..And it`s a shame that educated people are the ones who have chosen to ignore their right and power..

Maa Tujhe Salaam !

The central government has declared that women can now avail maternity leave up to six months. (It was initially 3 months). In addition to this, they can also take 2 years of paid leave as maternal leave. They may club this with the 180 days of maternity leave or spread it out and utilize it over a period of 18 years. What that actually means is, that a lady may choose to stay home for 2 ½ years or stay home for first 6 months or so and then use the rest of it later. When the child is sick, has exams, or needs nurturing at any point, till the child is 18. The scheme is applicable for 2 children. This, is a big relief to a lot of mothers.

I read an article by a mother of a 6 month old girl. This lady has recently shifted to Mumbai and has a nuclear family. She had to join her office, when her daughter was just 3 months old. They had no friends or family to take care of the baby. She had to leave the baby at a crèche with people she didn`t know from Adams. Her story was heartbreaking. So ,when I read the article about maternity leave ,I was very happy for her. But the bubble burst soon. I realized that the scheme was open only to central Government employees and not State government or the private sector.
And though,I welcome whatever little steps the government is taking , I still wish they would go faster and bigger. It is high time that a woman`s perspective is acknowledged and recognized. I met a friend recently ,who lives in the UK. She is very clear about not shifting base to India as UK is very child and woman friendly. She works as a supervisor in a primary school and puts in only 2 ½ days a week. She still earns enough to support her 2 school going children and manages to squeeze in a trip or two to India every year or so. Also ,she says that the terms are not so rigid. She has flexi options and can change her timings or days when her children need her. She also ,is never asked to stay beyond a certain hour as she is a single parent.
All this sounded like a fairytale to me. Just too good to be true. Now only ,if our Government and private sector would wake up and smell the coffee, we too could soar high. With so much of talent and potential around all we need is more women friendly policies.
But for now ,let us cheer for whatever little measures come our way. Just a passing thought- Why not grant a 3 or 6 month Paternity leave too? Dad`s are very much hands –on now and I am sure a lot of them would happily pitch in for child rearing. Hmmm , I am getting too greedy perhaps!

Lend a helping hand

Today morning at my Yoga class, the teacher announced that they are collecting Clothes, utensils and grains for the Bihar flood victims. ''Please donate whatever you can.Please ensure that the clothes are clean, folded, not torn(at least not beyond repair). Please see this as an opportunity to declutter your house and life."
I looked around.Everyone was busy with their Aasans. Did even one of them HEAR?I doubt.
We have become immune to the poverty and sufferings around us. It is better to live in our own cocoon and not look around. It will only add on more misery to our lives. Most of us feel that way.And why help?How do I know the donations I make will reach the needy?The middlemen, polticians will all gobble the lion`s share. What ultimately will reach the needy is inconsequential.
Then there is another breed who will happily donate . Last time when my class collected stuff for Tsunami victims, we were pained to see that most of the things from these well-off people were trash. Old,torn clothes,tattered blankets, chipped crockery,pots with holes,broken toys.I wish my teacher did not emphasise on decluttering. Because what these people ,who are on a Saintly,' oh! we are so noble 'trip ,just dump the trash for which I am sure a Kabadiwala will charge for clearing.
I looked at my teacher and said, "But will it reach the needy?"
She said,"I certainly hope so. This Doctor couple is going to a village and are going to carry all the stuff. And you do your karma..Leave the rest to God."
And even though ,I am very sceptical, I will still do it. It is a win- win situation for me. It makes me feel good, I add good Karma and even if ,One biscuit reaches a hungry child and brings a smile on his face-I am happy.
So what are you doing for the Bihar flood victims?

Pic courtsey-takemyhand-wikispaces.com

Baby Oh Baby-II

Niketa Mehta had a miscarriage.A small column in the newspapers said so.I have mixed feelings.I don`t know why but I feel deflated.Lost.Sad.Relieved.I have nothing to say to Niketa..

Daddy Dearest

Abhinav gets Gold!
Abhinav Bindra is the new poster boy for India. He has won the first gold medal ever in Olympics for India. A proud moment indeed. The newspapers are full of snippets about him. Rightly so. It`s not every day one wins a gold in Olympics.
But what caught my eye was this little feature written by another shooter Shimon Sharief from India. He has trained with Bindra and played against and along with him in the past. However at one point he says that Bindra went away abroad to train, while the rest of us would struggle with poor facilities and bad weather conditions. Bindra`s father has spent a close to one crore annually for his training. Abhinav also went for a week long training in confidence building in Germany to relieve mental stress .The newspaper says the trainer is the best and the most expensive in the world.
All this set me thinking. There is no doubt that Abhinav has the talent but talent coupled with a rich dad equals to gold medal! Now I wonder if Abhinav was just a Mamuli Indian with no Dad with deep pockets backing him ,where would he be? Slugging it out still with poor training facilities, pathetic shooting ranges where even basic amenities are a luxury.. What if Daddy dearest didn’t train Puttarji and put his foot firmly down. “What is all this betaji-shooting-phooting.Kirkit khelo ye sab kya faltu cheej hain?”.
The gold medal rightly belongs to Daddy Bindra for two reasons.1st for his unstinting support or should I say financial backing.2nd –for having the courage to go against the tide –i.e. cricket and betting his money and hopes on a not very popular sport -shooting. Now only if we had more such Daddies. India would be swarming with Abhinav`s..

Baby Oh Baby

Everyone and anyone wants to pass a judgement/comment/opinion on Nikita Mehta.Nikita Mehta who?? Well Nikita is a 30 something lady from Mumbai who is 25 weeks pregnant.Her baby has a congenital heart problem and will not lead a normal life.Also the parents will have to incur heavy expenses for its survival and still will not be able to ensure a normal healthy life..So? So this Lady decides to abort the child legally.
Well, the court says," Sorry you cannot abort a foetus."Various reasons have been spouted.Some say this is a case of Euthanasia-mercy killing.The child has a right to birth.Who are we to take a call on his life?A senior doctor from Mumbai says that science has advanced a lot.Maybe in a few years the child will get better treatment and may lead a normal life.MAY..that`s the keyword.
Now I have been trying to make sense of this all.Honestly I too keep swaying.But a past incident has tilted the balance in favour of a abortion.This very close relative of mine who lives abroad came to India in her 30th week of pregnancy.She was told that the foetus had spina-bifida..in layman terms a abnormality in the spine due to which the child is severely physically and most probably mentally challenged too.She was heartbroken as she had conceived after 7 years.We consulted many Gynaecologists and prenatal specialists.The prognosis was grim.One very famous Gynaecologists bluntly told her to abort asap.He painted a very grim future and the lady went ahead with a abortion.I was upset and so were many of her close family people.
Till we met a cousin who has a child who is severely physically and mentally challenged.Her life has come to a standstill.She adores her child and will go to any length to see a smile on her child`s face.But she is constantly worried.She tells me ,"What if she survives me?Who will take care of her?I think I am the only mother who prays everyday for her child to die.I cannot bear to see her pain anymore.Why can`t God just take her away."And I feel in retrospect that what is the point of saving a life and prolonging its suffering?The Lady doctor talks of Foetus rights.Does she mean to say that only when it is 25 weeks old that it can be granted rights.Even a 10 week foetus has a heartbeat so why doesn't that qualify as a human?I strongly disagree with the court.I wish sometimes that Niketa had just gone to a doctor without getting into all the legal hassles.I can only pray for a miracle for her.Everyone has a right to a healthy normal child.The law definitely has to change with times.
Niketa all the best pal.You need it.