To Seek a Change

The topic that I have Chosen to write on today is a little  different from my previous posts but it still remains relevant to the central idea of my blog, 'The Real Deal'.

Politics!

Yesterday while surfing the net I came across an interesting quote on politics by Bertold Brecht ,  a celebrated Russian poet. According to him "The worst illiterate is the political illiterate, he doesn't hear, doesn't speak, nor participates in the political events. He doesn't know the cost of life, the price of the bean, of the fish, of the flour, of the rent, of the shoes and of the medicine, all depends on political decisions. The political illiterate is so stupid that he is proud and swells his chest saying that he hates politics. The imbecile doesn't know that, from his political ignorance is born the prostitute, the abandoned child, and the worst thieves of all, the bad politician, corrupted and flunky of the national and multinational companies"

Well, it is surprisingly true. Many of us have become ignorant to the issues our city, state or country is facing. Though we acknowledge it, we accept it and say "It happens in India" . Rarely do we see youngsters who take an active interest in politics and social issues faced by them and the society they live in. They are ill informed and also ignorant about the current happenings in their country and the world. Like Bertold said, youngsters today take pride in admitting to  the fact that they aren't interested in politics. They probably feel like this makes them seem unbiased but what they don't realize is that having said that they are just lacking an opinion in the matter. And these are the same people who complain about everything in their country/city and compare it with other western countries. This clearly isn't a solution to the problems faced by India. Time has come for us to accept responsibility towards our nation and our society.

 I am not appealing you to support any particular political party or agenda, but simply asking you to stand up for your rights, to stand up for what you believe in and not just complain but seek a change that you desire and also to vote.

Many of us are 18 years old or above and still most of us haven't even applied for a voter id card. Every individual should vote ,irrespective of which party he votes for. A true democracy is one in which every adult executes his franchise. Not only does voting give us a platform to raise our opinion but also gives us the power to take out people who are nothing but moles in the system. The Supreme court of India recently passed an order which will allow the the voters to cast a protest vote ( NOTA : none of the above) which will now not compel the voters to particularly vote for a representative.

My request to you all is to vote in all upcoming elections, take active interest in your local politics, know the MP's/MLA's from your constituency and help our nation in achieving true democracy.

The Green Lantern

 The environmental issues that we see around us are numerous. Especially in a metropolitan city like Bangalore where the total population is a whopping 9.5 million, water management, waste segregation and emission control is critical.

All of you must be aware of the solid waste disposal crisis that happened in Bangalore some time ago. You must have all witnessed heaps of garbage with unbearable stench at every corner of the street. Though the crisis is now being taken care of, by bringing out new laws like compulsory waste segregation, a large number of people are being ignorant and unresponsive towards the initiative.

 And to my utter dismay here’s what I came across the other day. The BBMP pourakarmika who collects waste from my house every day, just put in all the segregated dry and wet waste into the same container. When I questioned her about her actions she told me that since most of the households don’t segregate waste anyway, she might as well put it all together. In my street alone, of the 25 to 30 households that contribute to the garbage, barely one or two households actually take up the initiative to segregate the waste. Recently I came across an organization whose vision is to change precisely this.

Let’s be the Change, an initiative to make people aware of the environmental hazards and to educate them, to be more responsible citizens. What sets this initiative apart is that it was started by Anirudh Dutt, an 18 year old with a passion to bring a change the mindset of people and create a cleaner and greener Bangalore. A student of Jyoti Institute of Technology, he started this group on July 5^th of this year. The initiative may just be a few months old but it has made a large impact on the people. With the help of a senior member of the BBMP Solid Waste Management committee Mr. N S Ramakanth numerous events have been held by the group. “Mr. Ramakanth has been a great support to us. He is the reason behind the success of all our events” says Anirudh.

One of their most successful events includes the cleaning of stretches of K.R Market with the help of BBMP pourakarmikas, and spreading the awareness about waste management. The second time they held the cleaning, at the flower market in K.R Market, it was in the presence of the Mayor of Bangalore.

Cleaning of K R Market by the members of Lets be the Change.

They have also been knocking on the doors of households, in many areas of Bangalore, along with BBMP pourakarmikas educating people about segregation of dry and wet waste. “There are about 45 NGOs that are presently working towards waste segregation. The aim is to create specific points at each locality where the segregated wet and dry wastes are separately collected. From there, dry waste is taken for recycling and wet waste is allowed to decompose underground” says Anirudh. “What is happening now is that the waste is collectively taken to the dumping ground and then segregated. This is causing a menace and a lot of health hazards to the localities situated nearby” he says.

Spreading the message, door to door about waste segregation in the presence of Mr. Ramakanth and BBMP workers.

The members of Lets be the Change

On asking Anirudh what he has to say to the readers, “We need to be the change we wish to see in the world. Badalagi badalayisona. And anyone with a vision to make a change is welcome to be a part of us” he says. They will be conducting many such events in the near future. Do check out their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/letsallchange

They have also made several videos to spread awareness among the people. Do check out the links.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYr2RATf_Kg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol4R6fs-Sos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK-37iFDdxU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkCHsURhCmE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP7NVqFaVAY

Matters of the Heart

 The most hurtful, of all the pain in the world is the one that the heart suffers. Emotional pain or psychological pain is said to be inescapable in human existence. What stems this pain can vary from each individual but the most common aspect of psychological pain is that, it is a result of extreme frustration and the inability to express one’s feelings about it.

Psychology which is the study of human behavior is said to have a wide impact on every aspect of life including health, corporate and personal achievements. The environment that a person dwells in has a great deal to with the psychological state of the person. It plays an important role in defining who we are as people.

Losing a dear one, undergoing a traumatic event, being subjected to stress or abuse, facing battling life choices, the cause of pain can be many! And the event may be big or small, but the impact it has on people can be severe. Everyone from little kids to the aged, go through emotional pain. People tend to take alternate paths to ease their pain like drowning themselves in drugs or even attempting to take their own lives. More than anything else, people need assurance, assurance that they aren't alone, assurance that there’s always someone to hear them out, be with them in times of their need.

 One of the best ways to ease the pain is to talk to somebody about it. But taking psychiatric help is considered a sign of weakness in our society. Despite having problems people generally hinder from seeking help from the outside. They feel like they will be judged or looked down upon if they admit to having a problem.

As many of you must be already familiar, Dr. Shyam  Bhat of Radio Indigo 91.9 who hosts Heartline, a show that is a means of reaching out to people with problems and helping them heal , throws light on the various issues that people go through.
The show, in which people call in anonymously and share their problems is a great platform to relieve the pain and have somebody to hear you out. To those of you who haven't heard of it, do check it out every Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 11 PM. 

Another initiative in Bangalore, Prasanna Counselling Centre, founded in the 1980, and located near Chamrajpet, is a centre which provides free counseling to those in distress. The centre which is recommended by NIMHANS for counseling and rehabilitation, is open all 7 days of the week. With a vision that a better society is a result of positive individuals, it aims to effectively guide people in overcoming their problems and houses some of the very well renowned psychologists, psychiatrists and trained counselors.

The centre specializes in counseling different groups of people like children with learning disabilities, emotional disorders, conduct and behavioral issues, alcohol and drug abuse, marital problems, etc. The ratio of the number of psychiatrists and counselors to the number of people seeking redemption is very low. To overcome  this setback, the centre also gives free training to people who are truly dedicated towards counseling.  With counseling centers and psychiatric clinics now becoming commercialized, the main motive behind the making counseling sessions absolutely free here, is that people from every walk of life can seek help. The vision that the counselors here hold, must truly be applauded. 

Such initiatives will encourage people to step out of their shell, and seek the help they require. An ideal society is not that which has no problems, but that in which people are aware of the problems and hence take suitable measures to solve those problems. 

Food for Thought

“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.” – Mahatma Gandhi  

Hunger. One of the deadliest afflictions in the world. In an overly populous country like ours, with a population of over 1.2 billion, one fourth of the total population is suffering from hunger. According to a recent survey by the UN World Food Programme, India was rated first among the countries with the most number of hungry people.  Despite all the measures taken by the government to make ration available for the people with the lowest or no income, hunger still prevails.

Not just the government but many NGOs and private organizations have come forward to do their bit in feeding the hungry. In a country as big as ours it’s hard to reach each and every hungry individual. To divide and conquer seems like the only practical solution to eradicate the evil face of hunger. Swearing by this principle, many individuals have taken it upon themselves to feed the hungry around them.

In fact in my very own street such an initiative takes place every day precisely at 12.15 PM.  Annakoot which is an initiative in the Model House Street of Basavanagudi caters free lunch to anyone who cannot afford to buy a midday meal. This initiative, as small as it may seem, feeds destitutes, construction workers who are paid mere wages, their families and anyone else who cannot afford a meal.

If you happen to pass by this street at 12.15PM, you will get to see people queuing up to be fed. Mr. and Mrs. Dhirendra Kumar who run Annakoot can be seen distributing anna or rice from a large container placed below an umbrella. An average of 200 people are being fed every single day throughout the year for past 4 years. Mr. Dhirendra Kumar, with whom I had the pleasure of exchanging a few words, is a man of great zeal towards service. His zest and energy is truly admirable. “All these days it was solely our contribution but now we have begun to accept contributions from anyone who is willing to help. We now have a trust in the name of Annakoot foundation.” says Mr. Dhirendra Kumar.

Their passion and dedication towards feeding the hungry is truly inspiring.  

Voice of Oppression

The sections of oppressed people in our country are numerous. They are shunned by the society because people perceive them to be different from the rest of us. They don’t quite fit in not because they are any different from the rest of us but because they aren't given the opportunity to lead a life as normal as the rest of us.  

One such example is that of the transgender community.

Life for these people is far from easy. They are deprived of equality and respect. This is not the life they chose. This is not what they deserve. They do what they do because they find no other means. They do this because we look down upon them. We look away when we see them coming. Act like if we fail to admit their existence we won’t be bothered. Turning a blind eye is not the solution. In fact it’s far from it. It’s a mere act of cowardice on our part. The first step is for the society to broaden its mind towards them and treat them like fellow human beings before anything else!  As I advocate this, I myself will make a conscious effort to do my part.

 There aren't initiatives for their rescue and rehabilitation. Nor any initiatives for their employment. Or so I thought until I came across Radio Active.  One of the first of its kind, Radio Active was brought out with the help of Jain Group of Institutions in our very own city to help provide employment and bridge the void that our society has created.

The initiative in the form of a radio station employs people belonging to diverse communities including the LGBT community. Some of the most prominent programs on the radio station are hosted by people belonging to the transgender community and is used as a platform to voice the concerns and atrocity against the community. It employs people from every walk of life making it the perfect example of bridging the gap between the communities.

Do check it out.  Radio Active 90.4 MHz    

And the next time you are about to make a lewd statement about these people even in a light sense hope you remember this. 

The Real Deal

The Real Deal

This right here is my first attempt to put my thoughts into words. Thoughts that have been on my mind for quite some time now. Thoughts that matter. Thoughts about change. About making a difference.

Let me share with you an intriguing article I came across in the newspaper a few days ago. The writer of the incidence went about talking about preferential treatment to a foreigner at a diner while standing in line to place the order. The foreigner was of the opinion that the misdeed that had just occurred was completely justified in a country like India! In fact, I myself was a misanthropic until a few important people in my life showed me otherwise. Now I strongly advocate the fact that we as Indians, as people rather, cannot blame the system when we ourselves haven’t done our part in bringing a change. As long as we remain passive we withhold our own right to judge the system.

Consequently, it’s time to change. Change our perspective before anything else. Therefore I bring to you a series of blogs about the change makers and the progress that goes completely unheard in the ocean of ignorance. And these people aren’t high profile. They aren’t the rich or the influential. They aren’t politicians or celebrities. They are the common people. Just like you and I.