Well, as I am typing this note TMC has given the whip lashing to CPM in the elections for corporations. The city of Kolkata is in a moment of cautious celebrations. The new has taken its right stand. I am not a big fan of Mamata Bannerjee but since CPM has taken its time to prove its incompetence (actually impotence), I would welcome any change.
So this is the political weather in Kolkata. The police and the CRPF are walking the streets and I am house arrest until 6 in anticipation of the winning snare that the TMC dogs would give the older canines and hence the ever famous Kolkata bandh and curfew. Inside home, my aunt’s house in salt lake, the wind chime and its partner are successful in creating a winner of an atmosphere. Warm, peaceful and appetizing.. especially for a nice Mojito!
But this is what I feel. People from all around Kolkata have warned, sympathized and almost threatened me about how harsh, merciless and unhealthy this summer is. My aunt was surprised to see me happy and bouncy when I entered her house. She was expecting a wet cloth beaten on a stone and then wriggled and dried in the same state under the heat of Thar Desert. A friend of mine welcomes me to Kolkata albeit with a warning of this terrible summer. Although I don’t feel the pain.. this anticipated heat attack has spruced up the value (if I may say) of my trip. The “madness” has been poetized!
But yeah, in all fairness it is hot and bloody hell demoralizing. I have been in this kind of heat for 4 years and I know to handle it. On my first day in the sleeper class train seat (!!!A reason for awe and awwww!!!) I did feel that it was a mistake to plan a trip with such a budget, but then logic and physics got better of me. Thanks to continuous supply of water in the train.. I must say I managed pretty well with wet hair and face every 1 hr. Along with that, the best way to handle this heat when you don’t have a fan or AC is, though it might sound disgusting, let yourself sweat and then sweat a lil more and then, even a small whiff of wind will make you feel amazing and then before you know it you are in a sound sleep! 2 Hrs later its either not that hot or its time for “one more time repetition”. Then you will be so proud of yourself that you will smile condescendingly at people “struggling with heat”.
Well, this is the shortest time gap that I am coming back to Kolkata, 3.5 months. It feels good; this city is truly a Matrubhoomi! I like train travels to Howrah. City of Kolkata is iconicly depicted by the Howrah bridge or otherwise known as Rabindra Sethu. When you around the Howrah station vicinity the first big, smiling welcome is given by the same old Howrah bridge. Its like the city has never changed. And the best part is because of the Hoogli river and the railway station you don’t find the barrage of apartments towering over the beautiful past that has remained all these years. The view unobstructed veils the dirty tracks and you are immediately a part of this bustling energetic city!
While the new political party takes over the corporation I feel the old guy (aka Kolkata) will be more welcoming to the new suburban Kolkata that has been inching and pleading its way in. For the city with the repertoire of producing almost prolifically, sharp brains that the whole of India knows as probashi (some thing like a NRI, NRBengali, Mostly because the sharpest brains have no work in Kolkata), Its time the Non Residents return to their Mathrubhumi and give it that actual change that it is looking for since decades!
Showing posts with label political. Show all posts
Showing posts with label political. Show all posts
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Debating the minimums..
Recently the Indian Law Commission headed by A R Lakshmanan decided that the minimum age for marriage for the men (too) will be reduce to 18 years. Also along with that it was decided that minimum age for consensual sex will be set at 16 years.
So here we are, this now raises a million and a half questions.
1. Why simply change it from 21 years?
2. Consensual sex… what the hell does that mean?
3. Ain’t 18 years a little too young for the present age father or mother?
4. Should we have had separate laws considering that child marriage makes sense to only fewer section (differentiated regarding culture, rural, urban or geographical) of people today?
5. What do you think is the ‘appropriate’ age for marriage and sex?
Though presumably my answers or rather views, it will be harmful only to you if you consider it harmful :P
So, Why Simply change it from 21 years?
Since India is a republic that is enrolled in every other, some times non consequential, human rights organization. Which also includes UN ones. They have to abide by something called rights to equality, in this case ‘sex’. So men and woman should not have different laws, cool by me, But is it pragmatic in a predominantly patriarchal society to have same rules for both the sex. But then I ponder over the law and find that’s its just a law to set the minimums, not the compulsories. So that’s that if you have been through your 18 years, u are ready to get married.
Then, Consensual sex… what the hell does that mean?
Thinking like a virgin 23 year old guy, consensual sex is rather a redundant phrase. So what does consensual sex mean? whose permission do we (ahem) need to take before having sex? The law commission says that other than having the permission of those involved, they have to be above the age of 16 years. And hence, even though you have been married before the age of 16 years (socially might have been accepted, but still illegal) you are barred from having sex (again leagally). But there is a catch, the minimum age according to Child marriage act is 15 years and according to A R Lakshmanan law commission any matrimonial where the involved is below the age of 16 will be considered void. Hello?? Can somebody have CVS incorporated in the bars ( and no I am not talking about spirits) .
Now, Ain’t 18 years a little too young for the present age father or mother?
Ok so in this exponentially growing economy of india, can a family where the ‘girl’ and ‘boy’ in their teens survive? Even Rakhi sawant can answer that. NO. but then why set a minimum when it absolutely doesn’t make sense.
Then I see the big pictures, what about say a traditional marwadi family selling saaris in avenue road in Bangalore. I can (though not completely convinced) somehow make sense of the number 18. Then I catch the drift or rather the problem of the law commission which makes them set the minimum to 18.
I feel the govt. has more work on their sleeves than just simply setting minimums or maximums. They got to take the awareness programmers to a completely new high and make the people in the slums realize that just getting your daughter or son married isn’t helping your situation and make the poor from the rich cities to see the big picture.
This brings us to, Should we have had separate laws considering that child marriage makes sense to only fewer section (differentiated regarding culture, rural, urban or geographical) of people today?
We all are aware about how it’s of cultural significance or rather cultural pigeon holes to get the girl child married once they reach their teens. But today, it makes sense only to a selected community of parents. So assuming that a bangalorean or for that matter any cosmopolitan city’s laws should be different compared to say jeypore in Orissa or Bikaner in Rajasthan. Simply, because the amount of modern city demons one has to face is much more. So we need more ‘astra’ to fight them and hence higher minimum age??
But having different laws for different region is ridiculous especially the human rights related ones. But the government will have to rely on the presumably higher street smartness (big city common sense) of a city lad or lady.
And finally, What do you think is the ‘appropriate’ age for marriage and sex?
If u ask me this question I would say after 26 and 18 (subject to availability, sadly ) respectively. Simply because I feel this age of infinite growth possibilities will ask for much higher requirements to satisfy the next generation (our children) and hence having the ‘astra’ is very important. Minimum one degree of credibility and a bank balance good enough to support a family of 4 (mom, dad, wife and you) to ask the least.
And regarding sex…. [smilies]
So here we are, this now raises a million and a half questions.
1. Why simply change it from 21 years?
2. Consensual sex… what the hell does that mean?
3. Ain’t 18 years a little too young for the present age father or mother?
4. Should we have had separate laws considering that child marriage makes sense to only fewer section (differentiated regarding culture, rural, urban or geographical) of people today?
5. What do you think is the ‘appropriate’ age for marriage and sex?
Though presumably my answers or rather views, it will be harmful only to you if you consider it harmful :P
So, Why Simply change it from 21 years?
Since India is a republic that is enrolled in every other, some times non consequential, human rights organization. Which also includes UN ones. They have to abide by something called rights to equality, in this case ‘sex’. So men and woman should not have different laws, cool by me, But is it pragmatic in a predominantly patriarchal society to have same rules for both the sex. But then I ponder over the law and find that’s its just a law to set the minimums, not the compulsories. So that’s that if you have been through your 18 years, u are ready to get married.
Then, Consensual sex… what the hell does that mean?
Thinking like a virgin 23 year old guy, consensual sex is rather a redundant phrase. So what does consensual sex mean? whose permission do we (ahem) need to take before having sex? The law commission says that other than having the permission of those involved, they have to be above the age of 16 years. And hence, even though you have been married before the age of 16 years (socially might have been accepted, but still illegal) you are barred from having sex (again leagally). But there is a catch, the minimum age according to Child marriage act is 15 years and according to A R Lakshmanan law commission any matrimonial where the involved is below the age of 16 will be considered void. Hello?? Can somebody have CVS incorporated in the bars ( and no I am not talking about spirits) .
Now, Ain’t 18 years a little too young for the present age father or mother?
Ok so in this exponentially growing economy of india, can a family where the ‘girl’ and ‘boy’ in their teens survive? Even Rakhi sawant can answer that. NO. but then why set a minimum when it absolutely doesn’t make sense.
Then I see the big pictures, what about say a traditional marwadi family selling saaris in avenue road in Bangalore. I can (though not completely convinced) somehow make sense of the number 18. Then I catch the drift or rather the problem of the law commission which makes them set the minimum to 18.
I feel the govt. has more work on their sleeves than just simply setting minimums or maximums. They got to take the awareness programmers to a completely new high and make the people in the slums realize that just getting your daughter or son married isn’t helping your situation and make the poor from the rich cities to see the big picture.
This brings us to, Should we have had separate laws considering that child marriage makes sense to only fewer section (differentiated regarding culture, rural, urban or geographical) of people today?
We all are aware about how it’s of cultural significance or rather cultural pigeon holes to get the girl child married once they reach their teens. But today, it makes sense only to a selected community of parents. So assuming that a bangalorean or for that matter any cosmopolitan city’s laws should be different compared to say jeypore in Orissa or Bikaner in Rajasthan. Simply, because the amount of modern city demons one has to face is much more. So we need more ‘astra’ to fight them and hence higher minimum age??
But having different laws for different region is ridiculous especially the human rights related ones. But the government will have to rely on the presumably higher street smartness (big city common sense) of a city lad or lady.
And finally, What do you think is the ‘appropriate’ age for marriage and sex?
If u ask me this question I would say after 26 and 18 (subject to availability, sadly ) respectively. Simply because I feel this age of infinite growth possibilities will ask for much higher requirements to satisfy the next generation (our children) and hence having the ‘astra’ is very important. Minimum one degree of credibility and a bank balance good enough to support a family of 4 (mom, dad, wife and you) to ask the least.
And regarding sex…. [smilies]
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Chris Rocks!!
"You know the world is going crazy when the best rapper is a white guy, the best golfer is a black guy, the tallest guy in NBA is Chinese, The Swiss hold the America's Cup, France is accusing the U.S. of arrogance, Germany doesn't want to go to war, and the three most powerful men in America are named 'Bush', 'Dick', and 'Colon'."
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