SHERO - The Survivor

He thought he could wipe out her beauty
And break her courage
By throwing acid on her pretty face
But he is ignorant of the fact
That her beauty lied in her heart and courage in her soul.
She slept silently in pain they said.
She was just in the process of making her heart and soul stronger than before
Because she knew that the world would show her pity and disgust
For the melted face now she bore
She knew she has to face them all with a smile
And fight with the world for justice.
Yes, she needed to make her heart and soul stronger than ever before
For, the monster had to be destroyed
And faith in humanity had to be restored
Victim they said she is, with a grim on their face.
Survivor she emerged as, with a grin on her face.

It's Ok To Be Broken

Life, if you have understood by now, throws at you a lot of surprises, many good things, an equal number of difficulties, challenges and much more. Is this how life is meant to be? Yes, it is. It is like this, not just for you but for every one of us out there. If only life was a cakewalk, would it be interesting? Would you ever know that there is a lot more to life other than enjoying luxuries and being happy? Would you ever know what pain is or what heartbreak feels like?

Life always comes in twos. Happiness-Sorrow, Success-Failure, Love-Hatred, Good-bad. Only when you see both sides of the coin, that you will understand the value of each of them. And only when you see them both, you will learn how to deal with every situation you come across in this unpredictable journey of life.

Being a woman, you have always learned to make other’s happiness as your priority. You were always told that sacrifice should be your other name. You were always taught to be humble and soft-spoken and to respect everyone.
You have grown up as an independent, loving and a matured woman who stands as a good example for many other young women in your family and friends. The ideal woman who never broke the rules of the society. A strong woman who has always believed in following her heart and realizing her dreams. A loving woman who has only known to give love and affection but not to hurt anyone. A modern woman, who has believed in accepting change with time and adopting the many cultural changes in the society without tainting the traditional values.

Being amicable, a woman of courage and astuteness, all that you have yearned for is true and selfless love. A relationship that would fill those gaps in your life that no success or achievement could fill. A belongingness towards a person whom you can count on when in need of a shoulder to put your head and cry silently. You have only dreamt of a person who would love you for the kind of person you are from inside. A person who would stay by your side, no matter what. A person who would keep the courage to fight with this world to have you in his life.
You have committed that you would put all your efforts to make your relationship last forever. You have made a silent promise that you will always love him unconditionally. You have vowed to yourself that you will make his family, yours and will lead a peaceful life with him.
You have made the best plans for a long loving life of togetherness with him.
But little did you know that all these dreams would come crashing to show you the harsh truth of the reality.
He never meant anything that he said came from the bottom of his heart. His promises, all fake, his words, all sugar-coated, were mere lies. He was never sure about you like he said he was. Yet another lie. He made you believe in him, fall for him and trust him, with his cheesy lines of fake love.
Now, when you got to know the truth, it is hard for you to believe that you got betrayed by someone who you thought would be there for you till your last breath. Nothing in this world can reduce the pain you are going through. Your pillow tells us stories of those countless nights that you cried to sleep. Your window tells us about the melancholic evenings you spent staring out of it. Your swollen eyes tell us about the pain of not being able to realize those beautiful dreams you dreamt of being with him. Your heart tells us of the agony it went through when he broke it into innumerable pieces.
But among all these, we all forget to listen to what your mind has got to say.
You have had a tough time trying to get over him and his memories. But it’s ok to not be able to forget them. You are still trying to see the good things in others which you thought were all fake only because he faked goodness to you. But it’s ok to not be able to believe in people after going through all this. You find it difficult to fall in love again. But it’s ok to not be able to fall in love yet again.
You think it is all your fault. You have accepted that you are not worthy enough to have him in your life and so he left. You think you are undeserving, unworthy, and unattractive and hence he left you.
But the truth is, you deserve someone better than him. You are worth more than what you thought you could get. For the kind of selfless love you have for people in your life, you deserve the best guy in the world. A true lover, a man of deeds but not a man of words.

It’s okay to be broken because this pain is what will teach you that life is all about taking both happiness and sorrow, with the same spirit. These difficulties will teach you how to get up and be happy even after falling for the worst storms in life. They teach you how to fight and win over anything that clouds your eyes.

You will never remain a broken person forever. After all this, you will only emerge as a fighter and a survivor, stronger and more mature than you have ever been.
So, it’s ok to be broken, because now you know how to mend it and now you know how to not let anyone break you again.

MEMORY

It makes me smile, it makes me cry.
The memory of how you loved me would never die.
I was here, but I was there.
With you in my heart, I never knew how far apart we were.
Mornings were charming, nights beautiful
Talking to you I knew you made my life meaningful
I am happy, yet I am sad.
You talk to me no more, yet I hear your voice, so more, so close than I ever had.
Come to me like the warmth of the summer Sun,
Stay close to me like the chilled breathe of the winter wind.
I yearn for the days of past
when I meant the world to you
and you meant life to me
Take me out of this grief,
Had I have, enough of the sobbing
Teach me once again
To live, to smile, to keep life moving.

VOID

A woman of grace, courage, and wisdom
Of beauty, brilliance, and wit
She was a dreamer, young, and passionate
Of things, she could do with great skill.

A woman of attitude, elegance, and strength
Of confidence, dignity, and kindness
She was a fighter, fervent, and optimistic
Of things, she loved doing.

A woman stuck in the clutches of discrimination
Of gender, judgment, and patriarchy
She was a woman, muted, and restrained
Of things, she could achieve in life.

A woman cold, morose, and dejected
Of society, rejection, and impediment
She was a corpse, dead, and hopeless
Of things, that meant life to her.

Void.

For the woman she is !!

Like the rising Sun, she gleamed,

Baring the elegance of her knowledge and wit

Like the flowing river she moved,

Braving the every challenge of life

Like the mountains, she stood strong,

Clenching the courage in the core of her heart

Like the silent wind, she chuckled,

Facing the world with valor and charm

Hail the glorious morale of the woman,

as she blossoms by leaps and bounds.

Bringing peace and glory to the nation,

She reaches the stars bringing elation.

International Women's Day

It’s the International Women’s day today, and on this occasion, I would like to wish you all a Happy Women’s Day. :)



While the internet world is battling over what “Feminism” actually meant, there are still women in this world who face discrimination everywhere and there are also women who are growing with the sky as their limit. The past few years have seen great efforts being put towards women empowerment. Empowering women to get a better education, better opportunities, a better place in the society and many other such things which would make women stand at a better position than they were at for all these years. These efforts have for sure changed a lot of things for women but have changed certain things for men as well. There is always a debate about letting women dominate in every field. This is merely a misconception of what the entire idea of women empowerment is. It is all about being given the freedom to express their ideas and interests, the freedom to choose the job of their interest, the freedom to carve the career of their aspirations, the freedom to grow in their field, the freedom to oppose oppression, and freedom for everything she wants to do in her life.

Being a woman, and celebrating Women’s day, today I can, with all courage and confidence, say that I don’t need someone to push me or help me attain success in life. I don’t need a special status or set of rules framed to let me access my rights. I don’t have to snatch away the opportunity from others to make my own place in this world. I am educated, confident and capable of learning, earning, and succeeding in all phases of my life. All I want from the society is a bit of encouragement, good wishes, and appreciation for my abilities and work. This is what every woman yearns for.

Today, let’s not debate on who is right and who is wrong. Let’s not try to judge the girl over her dress. Let’s not comment on a girl over her profession. Let’s not criticize a girl over her choice of relationships.

If there is something to celebrate, it is the spirit of womanhood. The love a mother showers on her children, the care a wife shows for her family, the concern a sister has for her siblings, the affection a daughter has for her parents. The strength of a woman who manages her work and family with perfection, the confidence of a woman who leads her company towards success, the dignity of a woman who rules her country with great patriotism, the beauty of a woman who lures her audience with her graceful performance. Appreciate her for what she is and for what is does, this is all she expects from the world.

Feminists around the world are not looking for someone to come up and beat the drum for them to gain attention. Feminism is not about proving themselves to be superior to others but to prove that they do exist and they exist as they make others in their lives proud of their existence. 

Celebrating the National Science Day

Science is a subject that fascinates every one of us. It is because of science and the development and the advancement of science driven by technology that today we have a solution for every challenging question the world faces. From the discovery of electricity to the invention of the X-ray machine, from calculating the speed of light to formulating the laws of motion, humans have, in every aspect of their lives, challenged the nature and cracked some inexplicable logics behind every property of nature.

In India, science and discovery of great things traces back to the ancient history when shasthras were written by great people like Aryabhatta who gave the number ‘0’, Sushruta, the first man to perform a surgery, Charaka, the “Father of Medicine” and many others who contributed great scientific inventions to this world.

The prehistoric period, the Indus Civilization marked the beginning of the development of science and technology at a noticeable level. Beginning from then, India and also the whole world have put great effort in the quest for answers for everything that surrounded us and that defined life on earth.

Among the great scientists of modern India, Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman was one personality whose contribution in the field of science has fetched great name and fame to the country along with the prestigious Nobel Prize in the year 1930.  His discovery of the “Raman Effect” that explains the scattering of light has given scope for great development in the study of molecular science and spectroscopy.

Marking the discovery of the “Raman Effect”, National Science Day is celebrated every year in India on the 28^th of February. Celebrated as one of the main science festivals in India, National Science Day, brings together scientists, students and people from all educational backgrounds, to revere the exceptional work being done in the field of Science and Technology. Be it defense science, medical science, or the science in farming, the developments taking place in every sector mark the progression of our country in this field.

Every year, the National Science Day is celebrated by choosing a specific theme. The theme for the year 2016 was “Scientific Issues for Development of the Nation”. This year, the theme for celebrating the Science Day is “Science and Technology for Specially Abled Persons”. To take the nation forward in the direction of progress, it is important to ensure that every citizen is given equal opportunity to grow in the society. The kind of amenities and opportunities that a normal person gets in this country, is also the right of every other citizen, even if he/she is specially abled. With an aim to ensure that specially abled persons are given the opportunity to overcome their disability and make their lives better, we need to work on discovering and developing things with the research in Science and Technology that would benefit the Specially Abled people not only in our country but also around the globe.

There is no end to learning and invention in the ocean of science, every single milestone delivers invaluable contribution for the survival and development of mankind. 

International Mother Language Day - 21st February

అప్పుడే పుట్టిన పసిబిడ్డ ఏడుపు ఏ భాష పలుకుతుంది? ఇప్పుడిప్పుడే మాటలు నేర్చిన చిన్నారి ఏ భాషను గ్రహిస్తుంది? ప్రతి మనిషి పుట్టేక పలికె మొదటి పలుకు తన తల్లిని పిలవడానికి తన మాతృభాషలో "అమ్మా" అని అనడం. అది ఏ భాష అయినా సరే దాని వెనుక భావం మాత్రం ఒక్కటే. 
నేడు ప్రపంచమంతా ఎక్కువగ వాడే భాష ఆంగ్లము. చదువు, ఉద్యోగం, వ్యాపారం, తదితర రంగాలు నేడు ఆంగ్లభాషకే ప్రాముఖ్యతను ఇస్తున్నాయి. దానికి కారణం, నేడు మనం చూస్తున్న ప్రపంచీకరణ. ప్రతి రంగంలోనూ జాతీయ అంతర్జాతీయ స్థాయిలో అందరూ సమానంగా పోటీ పడుతున్న ఈ కాలంలో, ప్రతి ఒక్కరు అందరికి అర్ధమయ్యే భాషలో సంభాషిచగలడం అనివార్యం అయ్యింది. ఏ భాషలో మాట్లాడినా భావవ్యక్తీకరణ వద్దకు వచ్చేసరికి మన మాతృభాషలో మన భావాలను వ్యక్తం చేసిన విధంగా మారే భాషలోనూ చేయలేము. ఆనందం వచ్చినా, దుక్ఖం వచ్చినా, నొప్పీలో ఉన్నా, మన మనసులో భావాలను మన మాతృభాషలోనే వ్యక్తం చేసుకుంటాం ఎందుకంటే, ఉగ్గుపాలతో కలిపి మన తల్లి మనకు పట్టిన ఆ భాష మన నరనరాలలో ప్రవహిస్తుంది, మన గుండెకు అతి చేరువగా ఉంటుంది కనుక.

ప్రపంచం అతి వేగంగా ముందుకు నడుస్తోంది. ప్రతీ రంగంలోనూ దేశాలు తమ ప్రతిభను చాటుకోవడానికి ఎంతో శ్రమపడుతున్నాయి. ఈ ప్రక్రియలో వారు తమ జాతీయ, మాతృభాషలపై  దృష్టిసారించటం లేదు. కొన్ని దేశాలలో ప్రజలు తమ కార్యాలయాలలో గాని పాఠశాలలో గాని వారి మాతృభాషలో సంభాషించుకోవటం నిషేదించబడుతున్నాయి. ఇలాంటి పరిస్థితి ఏర్పడటం వలన ప్రపంచమంతటా వివిధ భాషాపరిగ్యానముపై శ్రద్ధపెట్టాల్సిన అవసరం కలిగింది. ఈ అంశంపై చర్చించి ఒక పరిష్కారం తేవాలన్న ఉద్దేశంతో మరియు, ప్రపంచవ్యాప్తంగా ఎన్నో రాజ్యాలలో మరుగున పడుతున్న భాషల పునరోధారణకొఱకై 1999లో యునెస్కో "అంతర్జాతీయ మాతృభాషా దినోత్సవం" జరుపుకువోలన్న ప్రతిపాదనను తెలిపింది. ఈ ప్రతిపాదనకు ఆమోదం తెలుపుతూ,  2008లో యునైటెడ్ నేషన్స్ జనరల్ అసెంబ్లీ, ప్రతీ సంవత్సరం ఫిబ్రవరి 21న "అంతర్జాతీయ మాతృభాషా దినోత్సవం" జరపాలని ప్రకటించింది. 

ప్రపంచంలో ఎన్ని భాషలు ఉన్నా, మనం ఏ భాషలో మాట్లాడుకున్న, చదువుకున్న, మన మాతృభాషకు ఇవ్వాల్సిన ప్రాముఖ్యత, గౌరవం, ఇవ్వాల్సినదే. అది మన ధర్మం, మన సంస్కారం మరియు భాద్యత. తెలుగువారమైన మనం, ప్రపంచంలో ఏ మూలలో ఉన్న, ఏ విదేశంలో జీవిస్తున్న, మన మాతృభాషైన తెలుగు భాషను ఎన్నడూ మరచిపోకూడదు, మరుగుపడనివ్వకూదదు. మన పిల్లలకు, మనుమలకు, మన భాష గొప్పదనాన్ని, మరియు ప్రాముఖ్యతను తెలిపి, మన భాష అంతరించిపోకుండా, వారిచేత ముందుకు తీసుకువెళ్లాలి. 

"ఏ దేశమేగినా ఎందు కాలిడినా , ఏ పీఠమెక్కినా ఎవ్వరేమనిన పొగడరా నీ తల్లి భూమి భారతిని , నిలుపరా నీ జాతి నిండు గౌరవము"  అని రాయప్రోలు సుబ్బారావు గారు పలికిన ఆణిముత్యాలను గ్యప్తికి తెచ్చుకొంటూ మన తెలుగుదేశ భాషను, సంస్కృతి సాంప్రదాయాలను నిలబెడుతూ అందరూ అభివృద్ధి చెందాలని ఆశిద్దాం. 

World Day of Social Justice

We live in a world where our society carves the way we live our lives. History has seen and held with it the many archetypes of society where religion, class, economic status etc served as barriers in the development and progression of countries and their citizens. The evolvement of a society where people are valued for their skill, intelligence and for the fact of being a human has become a dream that is far from turning into reality.

The past decade has seen various reforms and regulations drafted in favor of, and with an aim to promote social equality, harmony, and justice in the world. A socially just world is what is looked forward to. While countries are imposing bans on the entry of people from other countries into their own countries, the fundamental right of a human to live in world free of barriers on the name of religion, culture, ethnicity or disability is being choked to death.

There is a pressing need for realizing and recognizing the importance of bringing up laws to tackle issues of social concern like social and economic exclusion, poverty and unemployment. Acting to the desideratum, the United Nations General Assembly has decided to observe 20^th February as the World Day of Social Justice. Approved on 26^th November 2007 and starting in 2009, this day is celebrated to promote efforts to tackle social issues and work for social justice and equality. With a common notion to work indefatigably towards fostering “a society for all”, governments have resolved to create a framework for action to advocate social justice at regional, national and international levels. They have also pledged to ensure equal access to resources and opportunities for all. To let the humanity and fundamental rights of every citizen survive the impediment of the various social barriers, the governments have committed to promoting gender equality and rights of both native and migrant people.

The United Nations has made the objective to bring social justice for all as its core purpose of its global mission to promote human dignity and development. The purpose of observing the day is to bring about a wind of change in the present scenario where equality and equity are obliterated. The United Nations General Assembly has invited the Member States to devote the World day of Social Justice to encourage national activities in accordance with the goals and objectives of the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth session of the General Assembly. The objective behind the initiative is to eradicate poverty, promote full employment, gender equity, economic and social equality, and justice for all.

A Letter to Would-be-Husband

Dear Would-be-Husband,

We are just a few days away from becoming life partners. In these few days of knowing each other, we couldn’t get much opportunity to open up and discuss all that we wanted to. But at least from those few interactions, I could decide that I can spend the rest of my life happily with you.

Just like how every girl goes through this phase of transition from being her daddy’s little girl to someone’s wife, every guy also goes through this and is worried about accepting the many changes that would take place. I totally understand how you feel right now and can relate to you. So all I want to tell you is, we can make a good couple and make each other comfortable if we start our journey as friends. Friendship is one such relation which doesn’t have anything to do with expectations or explanations. So, I feel this would help us in making our journey easy and smooth going.

I heard from my friends that most men are usually worried about one thing before marriage, that is about the bonding that will form between his mother and his wife. I know it’s mostly due to these daily soaps that men fall in such dilemma. But trust me, it doesn’t happen in real life. At least I can assure you that it won’t happen in our case. I have always been very close to my mom. She is my best friend. I have always, since my childhood, seen how my mom and my grandmother have lived together under the same roof for years, without any disputes. They are always happy in each other’s company and they compliment each other very well. Their never-ending conversations, the tasty food they prepare together, the way they support each other in times of difficulty, all these have influenced me greatly. I long for having such a healthy and amazing relationship with your mom. When I leave my home and my mom and come to your home, I wish to make your home, our home and your mom, our mom.

At home, we have a lovely family time every evening when we all sit together and sip hot tea and munch some hot pakoras that both Mom and I prepare together. We have those silly conversations of an imaginative farm house surrounded with paddy fields or buying a ferry and going on a voyage for a long break. This is the best time of the day when we forget about all the worries and relax for a while. I wish to have such bonding with my new family as well, where I can sit and have nice conversations with my in-laws and other family members.

I always wanted to have a big joint family like the one in the movie “Hum Saath Saath Hain” and so that’s one of my favorite movies. I know it is not possible to have such big families in this generation but we can have a cute little family where we, your parents and our kids can stay together and have a wonderful bonding. I believe it is essential to teach kids that family is what will stay with us in all phases of life, good and bad, ups and downs. Family encourages us, protects us yet never becomes judgmental. 

Today as I write to you of what I look forward to in our relationship, I also want to tell you what all I wish to do to make our relationship better and everlasting. As we move forward together in life, we will see and experience many things. Every person faces difficulties at some point in time. I promise I will be with you to support and encourage you and help you swim through it. I promise I will share both your sorrows and joys equally. I will be with you to cry in your pains and also celebrate your success. I promise there won’t be anything like “your” and “mine”, I will treat everything to be “ours”. I promise I will never let you down and will put all my best efforts in leading a peaceful and prosperous life with you.

I am not sure if I can prove to be the best wife ever but I can promise you that I will always put effort to become one. Living with an ideal couple like my Mom and Dad, one thing that I have learnt from them is, having trust and coordination will always make a relationship stronger and fruitful. This is definitely what I yearn to have in our lives as well.

There are yet a lot of things that I want to share with you. But we still have a lifetime to spend together and so I will unfold them slowly. I am looking forward to having an amazing and exciting time with you and your family.

With love,

Your Would-be-Wife