tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45751312053098175662024-03-27T12:05:40.904+05:30Earthly Blog of Bhavana VarunDiscover Writings, Observations, Art Inspirations, Pop Culture, Viral Content and lot more.
Welcome to my Blog!Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-82558061429455984782021-06-18T00:39:00.013+05:302021-06-18T11:30:49.589+05:30The Cat, The Whale and The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Childrens Literature Spotlight and Remembering Eric Carle. <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Mysterious, scary, exciting, nail biting, keeping us on the edge of our seats, No. </span></i></span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Not the zombie horror movies that might be your guilty pleasure, I am referring to children's fairy tales as if happening in a different era, on a far away land, infused with magic, mystery and suspense. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><i>As the fable enchants us and we are lost in the alter world. </i></span></span><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; white-space: pre-wrap;">'Once upon a time there was a.....' </i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>OK Calm down! Calm down and Come back from your trippy dream! </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>It can be cats and whales too why just Cinderellas and their slippers always, and beasts and beauties and castles and cavaliers and what not.. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><span><i><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNFY_m10zmsNMRsbNJfhizRJswEFpS8Sgp3jfOyNhS1gjH2CYndhnxTonzxE10Bah2SZgDn4ZkZVUVjyZ7ZBIJj5K-ZvaXMbJlLGjHlkCIuCKGzho71HFjnSssEu-XUtwSic9F6viI0M/s2609/IMG_20210617_192944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2609" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNFY_m10zmsNMRsbNJfhizRJswEFpS8Sgp3jfOyNhS1gjH2CYndhnxTonzxE10Bah2SZgDn4ZkZVUVjyZ7ZBIJj5K-ZvaXMbJlLGjHlkCIuCKGzho71HFjnSssEu-XUtwSic9F6viI0M/w264-h640/IMG_20210617_192944.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div></i></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><i>Cats and Whales. Really? I came across a fun language book for kids by Boris Zakhoder. His characters are so relatable, yet hilarious just like Oinky the Pig from 'How a piglet crashed a Christmas Party.' Do you know what did Oinky do on the Christmas Day? He disguised as a Boy and reached the party. Later, </i></span></span><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Garbed and spectacled, Oinky wasn't even detected until... </i></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>Oinky made a Pig out of himself! haha! </b></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Have you heard about Kit and Kyt story? Kit in ukrainian is Cat and kyt is whale. What if we ask</i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> “Hey what if Whales and Cats switched places for no reason? ” </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Though in English it sounds nothing fancy but you can still shoot the questions. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAhq7O9YaOQOFkEdiop7DoldWrfzKUAUhwXs7_SxHRSbR_U421uyyVmYhtNExIk9dEABNTYv0gnxFuUxaI6nUGRhcMMi-HDGj7DN4CF4wzE-l8Kjwkdmo74z8fBbiZgF_q6P2owgbh1A/s3018/IMG_20210617_192846.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3018" data-original-width="1042" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAhq7O9YaOQOFkEdiop7DoldWrfzKUAUhwXs7_SxHRSbR_U421uyyVmYhtNExIk9dEABNTYv0gnxFuUxaI6nUGRhcMMi-HDGj7DN4CF4wzE-l8Kjwkdmo74z8fBbiZgF_q6P2owgbh1A/w220-h640/IMG_20210617_192846.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> I often wonder, what if someone who grew up in Russia. Are they afraid of Cats, as Cats are hominem with Whales? Lol. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><i>Even F</i></span></span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">rench children book have a similar concept around cats known as "My cat the stupidest in the world" and it's about all the stupid things the cat is capable of: make things fall, jump on people... Let me tell you, this "cat" isn't cat per se... </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> It's actually an Elephant! </span></i></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>How different the world could have been if we could change just one letter, as in can't and didn't. There would have been more apostrophes, because </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>"Hey! cool cats.. we are standing on a brink of cat-aclysmic cat-astrophe."</i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Imagine global trade would never have happened if there were enormous seafaring cats out there or the newspaper headlines today would read 'gigantic enormous oceanic cat are a new rage to sea surfers and sailors.' Haha! </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Coming to creatures in oceans, I remember Bong Joon Ho's blockbuster (yeah, long before Parasite won Oscars. If you haven't yet watched just go, run, and watch it) .... The Host. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Good Lord! It scared me to death when I watched it first. The creature was definitely horrifying, looked surreal and wrecked havoc on the island and it's inhabitants but Government least affected by the lives lost was busy projecting their PR image and vote grabbing tactics. In between, if people die do they care at all? Naah! Blame it all on the foreign country! </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Outsiders are alienated and shrugged off by the Government by demonising them, while not revisiting their own hypocrisy, instead citizens are left to fend for their lives and treated as fodder for the monster, to be eliminated once and for all. </b></i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><i>The Host has shown, </i></span></span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">how... </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Governments dictate not only politics but media, art, science, literature and every other aspect of our lives controlling, their own image in public and the first person narratives which are evidence that might be helpful in getting justice if they survive the death galore, whichever suits their best interests first. </span></b></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Sounds too familiar. Right? </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Burning pyres, Corona virus and the Indian government best at what they do, hiding the death numbers, while propagating their 'goodwill' on media channels which act as government mouth piece during elections but since last two terms it's forever an election campaign season going on since last seven years. </b></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpjLIcV-5oBk1cHQYe0mrOCI5F3vggDBTaVhJaDuibJzIPJolWTz8tTcwHTPxf_Md1WUDO0RZMK2qIEa_jedcGI8gBzrC1ZCRT1rI5gHwLWQ57y8sRO6_JDKg43cs1A4FwLjGrv5N4j0/s739/23-40-39-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="739" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpjLIcV-5oBk1cHQYe0mrOCI5F3vggDBTaVhJaDuibJzIPJolWTz8tTcwHTPxf_Md1WUDO0RZMK2qIEa_jedcGI8gBzrC1ZCRT1rI5gHwLWQ57y8sRO6_JDKg43cs1A4FwLjGrv5N4j0/w400-h225/23-40-39-images.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></i></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>During WWII in Germany, Abstract and expressionist art were verboten. All art was forced to support a propaganda.. a regime's message, devoid of free minds, free hearts and thinking. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Inspite of that, there were wonderful scholars and scientists working, keeping themselves low key and there were teachers who secretly showed their students,"the works of so-called degenerate artists." as recounted by Eric Carle, the very famous Children's Author. </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>When childhood is filled with light and hope, while walking through nature, holding their parents's hand, listening stories of forest fairies, of ugly toads, glowing fireflies, noisy cicadas and ever wandering grasshoppers.. and of green lions, pink rabbits, purple foxes and polka-dot donkeys, it's a piece of art that children carry throughout their lives, inherited through time. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDko6hPY6vaKl9ejkIWWRv06FtyVaUACnSO1VHI_19SVtf0NaGVqTV_p9_WsFy0CfnRqyFixp0bZthERp-NfQdulCSrWib8VBz2PxuP-KjcAf13-IV-gxh5-DFLbsu2N644t04KcFajls/s646/00-17-08-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="646" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDko6hPY6vaKl9ejkIWWRv06FtyVaUACnSO1VHI_19SVtf0NaGVqTV_p9_WsFy0CfnRqyFixp0bZthERp-NfQdulCSrWib8VBz2PxuP-KjcAf13-IV-gxh5-DFLbsu2N644t04KcFajls/w400-h294/00-17-08-images.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Like a hungry caterpillar who had eclectic appetite and who pops from his egg and eats through rows of fruit and cake and ice cream, even pickles, Swiss cheese and salami until it find it's way to becoming a vibrant butterfly, caterpillar who had one apple but was hungry again, had two pears and still hungry, Children too learn to have a hunger for knowing things, for questioning, for growth, eventually becoming healthy individuals, ready to face the world with powerful yet inquisitive minds. </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>It was Eric Carle's father who introduced him to the natural world. As a small child Carle's father would take him by the hand, out into the nature and would show him worms and bugs and bees and ants and explain their lives to him. His stories are tribute to his father who gifted him a world full of wildlife. The lives of animals then became transformational stories, a love for nature that later infused his work.</i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwjqJdzAHBVYd5M0oERY8bS8HOQtoEoHwUUKHqetWPCi0g3WvbK8_61U6_vhHHOnuPMl8x43XSDmZgF9NNWP4TshPF4oStfjXcy2QRxulQKivOlM8GLIobWpKWS2T9r5Evgul5WZ1GSo/s275/00-17-19-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwjqJdzAHBVYd5M0oERY8bS8HOQtoEoHwUUKHqetWPCi0g3WvbK8_61U6_vhHHOnuPMl8x43XSDmZgF9NNWP4TshPF4oStfjXcy2QRxulQKivOlM8GLIobWpKWS2T9r5Evgul5WZ1GSo/w400-h266/00-17-19-images.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>His paintbrush had an extraordinary flare to write and make the world better. Enormous thing or the tiniest ones both are now within the grasp of each and every one of us.</i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> <b>Take pain and become joy, take suffering and become learning, take rage and become the kind of love that makes children smile, in our own little ways, we all get to come home.and be the children we always were. </b></i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Carle was born June 25, 1929, in Syracuse, New York. His parents were German immigrants, he was six when they returned to their native Stuttgart, where Carle grew up under Nazi regime, witnessing horrors of World War II, digging trenches at age 15. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWChtiIWXlUY08FLM8c3mXyYlg1flr3O6t3Fyc8-J2Go6-_AhJwXzUxjokp_rb8ZZk5_s8i1_7OAUGyav6Jvb7Gwe-avm_Sdj9Sy6desyfvC5SjWqY4Vy-TebVAAia0hHdbr5gZAXnzlE/s1969/IMG_20210618_005726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1969" data-original-width="1969" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWChtiIWXlUY08FLM8c3mXyYlg1flr3O6t3Fyc8-J2Go6-_AhJwXzUxjokp_rb8ZZk5_s8i1_7OAUGyav6Jvb7Gwe-avm_Sdj9Sy6desyfvC5SjWqY4Vy-TebVAAia0hHdbr5gZAXnzlE/w400-h400/IMG_20210618_005726.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>“During the war, there were no colors,” Everything was gray and brown.… Houses were camouflaged with grays and greens and brown. </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Thanks to his high school teacher, Herr Kraus, who introduced him to Modern art, secretly showing Carle, works by German Expressionists, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Klee, and other artists who were declined and deemed degenerate by Nazis.</i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiMbmuZyTDHH69G5J0gNWNeB-7JuZ4Rg3qPe0O5duvqZ2QuFF0ugPrpWDYTJHnUDV7m6-piykm2J0B8BH8MERKqY38ROhuAnD-T96neGYwXn0BMZ8MRiXdGTxE9R5JjiuyOnEfiZ-HpA/s646/19-35-10-2d85902623ec66bb931254ec9966ff2b8c3d96f1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiiMbmuZyTDHH69G5J0gNWNeB-7JuZ4Rg3qPe0O5duvqZ2QuFF0ugPrpWDYTJHnUDV7m6-piykm2J0B8BH8MERKqY38ROhuAnD-T96neGYwXn0BMZ8MRiXdGTxE9R5JjiuyOnEfiZ-HpA/w310-h400/19-35-10-2d85902623ec66bb931254ec9966ff2b8c3d96f1.jpg" width="310" /></a></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></i></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Speaking of cats, One of his last books was 2015′s The Nonsense Show, which centered on a parade of flying fish, cat-taming mice and circus animals. </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>When one of our great creators dies, we might comfort ourselves by saying, ‘At least we still have their books.’ In the case of Eric, we still have his museum—which exists because of Eric’s lifetime of generosity.”</i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Unfettered joy that he has brought to so many children he had shown that the art can be a perfect reflection, a way you see the world Aware that other countries too had museums that honored children’s book artists, Eric decided to create such a museum in United States. He will be missed, but his spirit and his love for living creatures, big and small, will live on through his books, his art and his museum for generations to come. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilo5cyUhtl2xVvQjqtRRHXOFJEiycDGHgg5Ts1GQh6TdTUCDdsdOCksR-fhQhSQU7wk_0mROgMXXd69cJPafjaZ6-ilV1XT5oliaN9cEAs341YyA5tgt4Wasrc4flH5ZYH99_YNLWtl-Q/s638/00-25-25-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="481" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilo5cyUhtl2xVvQjqtRRHXOFJEiycDGHgg5Ts1GQh6TdTUCDdsdOCksR-fhQhSQU7wk_0mROgMXXd69cJPafjaZ6-ilV1XT5oliaN9cEAs341YyA5tgt4Wasrc4flH5ZYH99_YNLWtl-Q/w301-h400/00-25-25-images.jpg" width="301" /></a></span></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>With his passing, the world has lost not only an artist but a beautiful human being, according to a delightful story shared by writer Lara B. Sharp, about how a stranger helped her over the phone and he kept searching for the cat and even listened to her, while she sobbed for her lost kittie, which was later found near an Italian restaurant. When the writer called up the stranger to thank for his support, he asked her to meet the lucky cat Shmoop, and he came over, to her home. </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>After he met Shmoop, as he was leaving, he handed her an envelope... Inside was a beautiful book, called 'Have You Seen My Cat', signed by a familiar name, non other than, the famous author Eric Carle.</i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>The revelation was shocking and embarrassing that she never phoned him again out of shyness. </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>To be treated like a daughter, when She never had a father, by such a loving person, who cared about her and and searched endlessly for her kitty, whom she loved so dearly, meant everything to her and she struggled to express, what all she felt that time...</i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><i> Years later, when Shmoop passed away, the writer cremated Schmoop with an Eric Carle postcard of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. </i></span></span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The story was so precious and deeply personal that she kept it to herself. </i></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span><i>But.. She shared it the day Eric passed away, because of love, admiration and respect she had for him, she would never ever forget him. </i></span></span><i style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The most cherished moments for her was those five whole days, when she had the world's greatest dad ever. </i></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Her mind knew well that Eric had gone but her heart and eyes still longed to see him again as she asked - </i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>'Have You Seen My Eric Carle?'</i></span></span></p><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>It was hard, not to shed a single tear to witness immense kindness of an individual with a heart, so tender that it aches seeing pain of a fellow being. It's a story that gives us a glimpse into humane character of a person, known to other as a well regarded children's author. What a lovely, moving and heart touching tribute it is.</i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> </i></span></span></p><span><i><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH8D6LOAutIhesCy7JtMaNvSi4n9UuqfQ8-jt9wRJs5aA7ABIFPMThX2RxxtrdAtEaUSfT6ukMtQkjBNvQd06Wu3nLLNpMzqgzTYHskAH590sVcmtbvDg4s8t9rVzHinxY6FMCWvcQfE/s956/1926.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH8D6LOAutIhesCy7JtMaNvSi4n9UuqfQ8-jt9wRJs5aA7ABIFPMThX2RxxtrdAtEaUSfT6ukMtQkjBNvQd06Wu3nLLNpMzqgzTYHskAH590sVcmtbvDg4s8t9rVzHinxY6FMCWvcQfE/w251-h400/1926.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div></i></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>What a life he lived and what a legacy he's leaving behind that will make him immortal in the hearts of millions of kids and their parents who've ever read him. Oh Eric... </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b>In the moon lit sky, among the brightest stars, an illusionist of dreams and vivid imagination, travels across the horizon, leaving a trail of thousand little rainbows, like a forever hungry caterpillar. </b></i></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROJ8cqLYbO91zngDVvmlLPAIPGg8DQxQckGe0Y7OZIu_EjA4c5m5y3POfqAfk6PF6iE9yFt5lrIMajulVCmn61E3hmJKYBmfnr9bJ-z6-sWio2JAoija47_4189UYke8H_i1nC5HR6YY/s1488/IMG_20210618_003330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROJ8cqLYbO91zngDVvmlLPAIPGg8DQxQckGe0Y7OZIu_EjA4c5m5y3POfqAfk6PF6iE9yFt5lrIMajulVCmn61E3hmJKYBmfnr9bJ-z6-sWio2JAoija47_4189UYke8H_i1nC5HR6YY/w290-h400/IMG_20210618_003330.jpg" width="290" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-80528753130502586832021-06-14T23:38:00.002+05:302021-06-14T23:47:20.049+05:30Women Protests, Emojis, #MeToo and the Witches. <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Do random emojis scare you? Yes, the same emoji that float in your chats and messaging apps. From ripe Sunlit bananas to apples of the north, from luscious peaches to glistening brinjals, now emojis are enough to get you accused of fueling "anti-feminism" </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Reason? Infantile headlines in news blaming women, who were protesting for their rights, of causing insecurities in Korean men. Looks like these ladies have mastered the art of choosing best ways for warning the perpetrators loud and clear, emojis that puncture right at the heart of misogyny. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1JMJ7rMpxhaxlgiPMjfcAYNnXu1BMe9_Ost2-KP4S_YAMgarp9LlzIPgpP-Ln0btZbN75ElkyiqEk50jTLpJFIJ9whhYgDufFuacZ7zZZwCvNP9dKUo-yynEHYzvVMsUbxgYyaJvtoU/s1000/IMG_20210614_231301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1JMJ7rMpxhaxlgiPMjfcAYNnXu1BMe9_Ost2-KP4S_YAMgarp9LlzIPgpP-Ln0btZbN75ElkyiqEk50jTLpJFIJ9whhYgDufFuacZ7zZZwCvNP9dKUo-yynEHYzvVMsUbxgYyaJvtoU/w400-h300/IMG_20210614_231301.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>To retaliate that women are body-shaming, men are giving outrageous retaliation to age old revolutionary retaliation of women against gender violence. Men ultimately provide the evidence of their existing sexism and revealing a pointless vicious cycle. </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Since the past, societies loved blaming women for mens political views or controversial populist achiever acts gone wrong moments, even for the wealthy male ie. celebrity cum politicians cum pretending-to-be-wife lovers, for every Trump there is a Millenia, for every Tharoor there was a Sunanda(she's no more now) and for all the maverick charlatan like Boris there is a Carrie-Antoinette, I'm as sure as first lady's sustainability rented wedding dress (who unapologetically subscribes to expensive furnishings, while loving to take long-haul air travel vital for Caribbean sun.)</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpILzxh1gZLPsu6nbLXkK9nf-7shyphenhyphenMF3IZju-KtU7z5qHirEICc8_ujQkfBjd3lQ_NeubqH2AZ1TdfEFj2zviSgmpYYrfYO-p-R6Dt5uwtT1mtcsfkxpEb9v83EgXFVM6gEVQvKboYp5E/s755/IMG_20210614_231156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="755" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpILzxh1gZLPsu6nbLXkK9nf-7shyphenhyphenMF3IZju-KtU7z5qHirEICc8_ujQkfBjd3lQ_NeubqH2AZ1TdfEFj2zviSgmpYYrfYO-p-R6Dt5uwtT1mtcsfkxpEb9v83EgXFVM6gEVQvKboYp5E/s320/IMG_20210614_231156.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>So, is it the silly <a href="https://www.bakersfield.com/ap/national/what-s-size-got-to-do-with-it-emoji-mocking-a-man-s-manhood-spurs/article_6376bfdd-f407-5676-b03e-3ad57021c34c.html" target="_blank">emoji</a> who did it or it's the scapegoat culture sustained due to pervasive patriarchy? Men can go to any length for solidifying their position in higher cohorts even if they look like a buffoon. Boris and Carrie 'carried' their toddler for G7 meet but they're facing alligations for reduced the son to a 'prop' or a 'distraction' for the world leaders at the summit in Cornwall, an act of 'Diaper Diplomacy' So if it goes well, kudos for Boris and if it goes sour with public, blame it on the Carries, not on emojis! By the way, the dress which she worn for the first meeting was an identifiable piece from society favourite, the 'Vampire’s Wife' Coincidently, she was seen in pink Luella 'Ghost' dress as Johnson made his first speech as PM in July, 2019. Creative names indeed, I'll rather believe the first one! </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>As far as body shaming is concerned, in the wake of G7 meet, It’s been 13 years since Angela Merkel wore a low-cut dress, causing a furore and since then, she’s never again shown even a hint of cleavage in public, to avoid history repeating itself in tabloids and men taking a dig at her with the “weapons of mass distraction” headlines of 2008 while men hyperventilating over a teenie weenie emoji in 2021. Scaling new heights! </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_ZAdn8jmiQvvLRakYw7ETR6gzJXOTu0RYT1T1XkegwI1yEID4-xiLMkWeWto1v0amVrdsv44nTRL4Wr3GHgTUiE9gKbRtPDa3kPLkl-8kgrFbyWLarjCng2GI-Xgo6NxG53-msFmc-k/s1350/IMG_20210614_231414.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_ZAdn8jmiQvvLRakYw7ETR6gzJXOTu0RYT1T1XkegwI1yEID4-xiLMkWeWto1v0amVrdsv44nTRL4Wr3GHgTUiE9gKbRtPDa3kPLkl-8kgrFbyWLarjCng2GI-Xgo6NxG53-msFmc-k/s320/IMG_20210614_231414.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>It's hilarious how males are in, what it seems to be a Shakespearen melancholy, over a small yet powerful gesture, still I am not hearing these men coming up with potential solutions or advice to tackle gender inequity, discrimination and harassment in the workforce there? Strange ehh? </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Men are afraid, how a woman dares to laugh at them. Oh! How can she? Why does she need to? Don't she remember how he slapped her hard? Has she forgotten how her mother was treated by her father. How dare she laugh even when her soul is crushed under the weight of her dead ambitions? Shh! Shh! Little girl, how dare you laugh?? </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Men rant about being objectified by a mere emoji - a symbol that hit right at the pettiness in their mentalities and fragile egoes. Since, centuries women were threatened at gunpoints, gagged and raped, subjugated to violence in homes and relationships but the pervasive silence of the bystanders and audacity of the perpetrators was never questioned. Why? </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cfQb4TgRNwsyxQ82gJo_A8dRNLa5C14PwtEzU4dVuiNhq50i4XWbNCBp5W65U5pMYTdRy-1BBSLV_RJmWwkM_A0mad2xa7zzkbIuPgty-vdkeVKrJNBUGdpIm33eCAriwsFA5IUhlWU/s425/IMG_20210614_231107.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cfQb4TgRNwsyxQ82gJo_A8dRNLa5C14PwtEzU4dVuiNhq50i4XWbNCBp5W65U5pMYTdRy-1BBSLV_RJmWwkM_A0mad2xa7zzkbIuPgty-vdkeVKrJNBUGdpIm33eCAriwsFA5IUhlWU/s320/IMG_20210614_231107.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>They can't see a woman standing for herself, standing for other women was straight out of question. Then what turned the wheel? Women standing for fellow women, singing, protesting, holding hands in hands, with eyes brimming with pain of ages and hearts worn on their sleeves they stood! Women stood up after years of being frightened, that the same men who can be someone's son or brother too, but will rape us, kill us and leaves us stranded on an empty street. </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disparity much? When women were being illegally filmed by hidden webcams for revenge porn,where were the woke men? </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">While in India, Delhi got rebranded from Rape Capitol to Death Capitol due to burning pyres in mass burials due to Covid, Japan still failed to apologise for the innocent women who lost lives and suffered during the World War as Comfort women, South Korean men continue to be one of the major source of demand for child sex tourism in Southeast Asia/Pacific Islands and child sex abuse/pornography websites. </span></i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-d3AotGaY-bSd0OpwzosNiP8r7y_84T-BBhK2o121sdhTGoGddp2rLu3vEhb1WiOAqx9J3R7rCMKrMghwFknkGacm3vE2u044OdSsZhePk9aFu8OSM9xhvtwbXMwyBMTy6NiqXehCdc/s425/IMG_20210614_231240.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-d3AotGaY-bSd0OpwzosNiP8r7y_84T-BBhK2o121sdhTGoGddp2rLu3vEhb1WiOAqx9J3R7rCMKrMghwFknkGacm3vE2u044OdSsZhePk9aFu8OSM9xhvtwbXMwyBMTy6NiqXehCdc/s320/IMG_20210614_231240.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Moreover, did they ever question hosting club culture in cities that hold night parties and force teenage girls to serve adults? Did they question the hyper sexualization of young girls in kpop which serves the fantasies of middle aged perverts. In Asian countries, it's often found that women and young girls, especially school going children are treated as subjects for sexual perversion. They are repeatedly molested, cat called, followed and dragged for sexual favours. On the other hand, these 'nice men' invented "family loyalty" trope, a dog whistle to subjugate women and keep them as cheap labour. </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Men AFRAID of the WORD feminism seem to be inherent bigots. All they've attempted is to keep women in control and condition them to be a slave to their desires while lecturing them on how her needs shouldn't exceed her duties - to him, his family, his friends, his relatives, his workplace. half of the human population, the women were kept to do their bidding free of charges and be their scapegoats whenever they are out of expiry like a commodity. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rt_NJb0huMJ1FF5Uaq_s4Lhi5obFAHJ3ORTXRJ4is8SFtgRxZLx9AF74xOBTSYPhslEMh0DQyAToAyV86T2msNVPDB9__h8lsN5O9YsRYe67ynJAKmtak6Lwv0B6s0wRJSM6FxdNbTw/s1211/IMG_20210614_231551.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rt_NJb0huMJ1FF5Uaq_s4Lhi5obFAHJ3ORTXRJ4is8SFtgRxZLx9AF74xOBTSYPhslEMh0DQyAToAyV86T2msNVPDB9__h8lsN5O9YsRYe67ynJAKmtak6Lwv0B6s0wRJSM6FxdNbTw/s320/IMG_20210614_231551.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>You might be aware of these cultured men who tout, womens' risen voices as Radical feminism gone out of control. Firstly, what's radical about it? Secondly, if the use of protest symbols, in this case a small emoji, constitutes feminism being "out of control", then it's clear as water, why there's a movement happening at all.</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>If you ever wish to know who abused the power all these years, just stress your nerve cells, a little hard and look, against whom you are barred to speak, against whom you can't point out a finger and it's who, that thinks they are some sort of divine unquestionable entity. In fact they are nothing but a piece of trash!! </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVY8gqXsLx_o04ypI2QQKeBVwqhN7BQ-GMpp2yvNu9xNoh1aUV0MZA7AgR0v1mQcboMhMNDmRT7NPVpH0DM9f8WBX7g3OsPUIT_qrt-uhGI57HAfD6wVhiKKJfGZIC2DkHFVaP_ukmQ1s/s1000/IMG_20210614_231120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVY8gqXsLx_o04ypI2QQKeBVwqhN7BQ-GMpp2yvNu9xNoh1aUV0MZA7AgR0v1mQcboMhMNDmRT7NPVpH0DM9f8WBX7g3OsPUIT_qrt-uhGI57HAfD6wVhiKKJfGZIC2DkHFVaP_ukmQ1s/s320/IMG_20210614_231120.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Last time when we heard of a global trash, it was Charles, who used a woman, Camilla to target no other than his own wife Diana, and that alone, got her chased and murdered, while she gasped for last bits of her life. That was a global tragedy but no different than what women kept on facing on a daily basis, just that it is much worst for a common woman. </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And, here we are, seeing men claiming that they've never insulted women's bodies! Touche! Misogyny, took a horrifying turn in Asia and that too, quite long back. I once heard a man among relatives, advising my cousin to loose her weight, specially 'near her waist' else???? "No man will ever look at you" </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">those were his exact words. </span></i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> It's hard.. really hard.. for being a women.. an asian woman.. in a society where exploitation was normalised in every forms and women were told. "A</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ccept it! It is for your own benefit. Just don't ask too many questions." </span></i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Now! Women stood up, smashing the inhumane patriarchal setup and those who benefitted the most, are getting the taste of their own medicine!</i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBrwozLaHLIVgfmhkBL1N5JCzfUcOMffc1ecO_eEDb1msEfiqLAsL9AEURyoEvWhwZG-ABH4dou4RtRzCmjHa9dx4t1lWwIWipPQ6ObNvt72MuMElJC9v1_a8thdYHUPb5StbYddx_Pg/s1080/IMG_20210614_231050.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOBrwozLaHLIVgfmhkBL1N5JCzfUcOMffc1ecO_eEDb1msEfiqLAsL9AEURyoEvWhwZG-ABH4dou4RtRzCmjHa9dx4t1lWwIWipPQ6ObNvt72MuMElJC9v1_a8thdYHUPb5StbYddx_Pg/s320/IMG_20210614_231050.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks to all the women and also those men who've supported women, even asking random men on social media, 'Are Men So Fragile?' </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If yes, then the 'Size Does Matter After All.' </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Size.. of their egoes.. not of their chests boasting their bigotry. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The patriarchy has been mocking women's bodies and their shapes of breasts and hips, forever, whether women have or not, what we smell like or what we feel like. So spare me all the faux male outrage now. </span></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>I spent my entire teen life being told to be too thin or doubting if I am too fat or am I too short, am I in the right clothes, If my skin is not too revealed, If my clothes are not too tight on the body parts, If I am garnering too much attention (of uncles in the neighbourhood) due my fitted clothes, If I look pretty or not or should I smile little more to look prettier enough, irrespective of the fact that I was one of the office bearer at my school, I danced, I sang, I wrote speeches, I won debates, I as editor of University Literary magazine, I as an Executive Council member at a National University but being myself was never enough. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><b>Our bodies and existence are never 'enough'. </b></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But they can't take it? They just cannot stop their hate. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Framing the entire women's movement as an act of "anti-feminism" or "anti-equality" seems just as misogynistic. Buckle Up all you Buttercups! Women have had it enough! </span></i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofDMKW5L3-ClYUXAOZbEwPg3KcXxJN2Sq8mSzVoIMaQMAxgvRfv94jftfoB4APZ9FbbQyjasojVg4yjV664wKQd3LzDBcoVXMuLgm58vHq077M6LTZDvvi2hK3FXQH9yrZkqkwPL0oJU/s869/IMG_20210614_231340.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="869" data-original-width="318" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofDMKW5L3-ClYUXAOZbEwPg3KcXxJN2Sq8mSzVoIMaQMAxgvRfv94jftfoB4APZ9FbbQyjasojVg4yjV664wKQd3LzDBcoVXMuLgm58vHq077M6LTZDvvi2hK3FXQH9yrZkqkwPL0oJU/w234-h640/IMG_20210614_231340.png" width="234" /></a></div><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>People with 'little' self worth always seem to have the 'biggest' mouth! You can't always drown the truth and women's narratives with your loud and empty threats. At least this is what you'll have to learn and accept and lawfully abide that, Women's Rights Are Human Rights. </i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Honestly, the women led Korean movement is just killing me softly with songs of revolution. I s</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">incerely hope these women succeed in there mission. Considering the ages old system oppression, I'm glad that the ladies are rightfully questioning the men for their failures and the women must keep the vigil high until the disparities are completely addressed. Even if you are called names or branded witchy, do not back down and hang in there, sisters. </span></i></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxWnzRHJq7iBYbaNzsTqQByOGfCn_3OEueyl8JTycuqFhKY88IUmnHzDFsyVbbIqHcSrSh-w3wtZSN_QPfecQpORffpGqsUbass0kMaYFgWp8IOJdSVqlLoKllqsxcJhnZsr-e8zm10U/s568/IMG_20210614_231641.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="568" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxWnzRHJq7iBYbaNzsTqQByOGfCn_3OEueyl8JTycuqFhKY88IUmnHzDFsyVbbIqHcSrSh-w3wtZSN_QPfecQpORffpGqsUbass0kMaYFgWp8IOJdSVqlLoKllqsxcJhnZsr-e8zm10U/w400-h300/IMG_20210614_231641.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXyehxNQsJqO1NBgQZHVRP4MD5SVepv2Dztq9EouANG2nfLQ2ZCgJKhTQ1Pf43tLJ_JyInMYCI4uFczDOUlo8h7vysR3gUi0ExMRtZjF4AOwz0YmnU6J_I_LRJvH80iXscRvk4Kdx5Zc/s1380/IMG_20210614_231824.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1380" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXyehxNQsJqO1NBgQZHVRP4MD5SVepv2Dztq9EouANG2nfLQ2ZCgJKhTQ1Pf43tLJ_JyInMYCI4uFczDOUlo8h7vysR3gUi0ExMRtZjF4AOwz0YmnU6J_I_LRJvH80iXscRvk4Kdx5Zc/w400-h300/IMG_20210614_231824.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>On a happy note, I'll leave you all with last year's Portland Oregon's Standup Paddleboard Witch Paddling event! Can you spot Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax in Full traditional Welsh attire? Look like a typical Saturday night where folks hangout with their homies. I heard someone saying you have to break egg shells "so witches can't use them for boats". Anyways, Witches and Warlocks really had a great time with their coven and now I'm reminded of the rushed or unsatisfactory ending of Chilling adventures of Sabrina but that's the story for another day.</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kFpvFdCNtmdBPD-dlrYuynJ08JqqQhgvy1CyIo6UaShMHL01TR2fEtfbbmlqpTDW_HvcoNaPNFq761D7xPNdzb3I2EHq4ZY2tfkitLzyEEdEcC0PiExgYSZlzb2sN3oZw1PHvcnzjCw/s1280/IMG_20210614_231702.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0kFpvFdCNtmdBPD-dlrYuynJ08JqqQhgvy1CyIo6UaShMHL01TR2fEtfbbmlqpTDW_HvcoNaPNFq761D7xPNdzb3I2EHq4ZY2tfkitLzyEEdEcC0PiExgYSZlzb2sN3oZw1PHvcnzjCw/w640-h480/IMG_20210614_231702.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p>Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-50717541274942315512021-06-09T16:43:00.003+05:302021-06-10T09:34:39.095+05:30Reminiscence of the past and it's chronicles. <p> </p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKajG_43s83XglCuq9xe_NS-EIOlDQuZU8imOt9mpjBp_lCMqVrfutSVF5YP0Xc-aqHDTiSeRO0_Xt7LGNwvPCaai38tULzwt8d2dBzSgjFTYIA3F2oBHlpn6puAMrj5rB2Wxjn96WtFk/s746/IMG_20210609_141200.jpg"><img alt="Oasis of lime-washed walls hues of indigo blue in the middle of chaos, clamour of old capital a courtyard stands firmly embodying ballads of intricate past twinkles from anklet of maiden's feet vestiges of erstwhile kingdom, drowned in cacophony of busy streets people on roads, emerging cities and night life, whispers into air someday in future, infested political structures will decay flowers of culture and glorious past will bloom in cradle of ruins until then a wanderer lits the lamps in name of lost ones keeps it burning till the break of dawn" border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="746" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKajG_43s83XglCuq9xe_NS-EIOlDQuZU8imOt9mpjBp_lCMqVrfutSVF5YP0Xc-aqHDTiSeRO0_Xt7LGNwvPCaai38tULzwt8d2dBzSgjFTYIA3F2oBHlpn6puAMrj5rB2Wxjn96WtFk/w400-h300/IMG_20210609_141200.jpg" title="Reminiscence of the past and it's chronicles." width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Oasis of lime-washed walls </span></i></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>hues of indigo blue in the middle </span></i></div><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>of chaos, clamour of old capital</span></i></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>a courtyard stands firmly</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>embodying ballads of intricate past </span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>twinkles from anklet </span><span>of maiden's feet</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>vestiges of erstwhile kingdom, </span><span>drowned </span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>in cacophony of </span><span>busy streets </span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>people </span><span>on roads, emerging cities</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> </span><span>and night life, whispers into air</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> </span><span>someday in future, infested</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> </span><span>political structures will decay</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span>flowers of culture and glorious</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> </span><span>past will bloom in cradle of ruins</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> u</span><span>ntil then a wanderer</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> </span><span>lits the lamps</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> </span><span>in name of lost ones</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> k</span><span>eeps it burning</span></i></div></span><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span> t</span><span>ill the break of dawn. </span></i></div></span></i></span></div></div></blockquote></blockquote><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">#wordlesswednesday #wednesdaywisdom #lyricalpoetry </span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">#bhavanavarunwrites #callofthepast #womenwriters</span></b></p><p></p>Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-82858350566589277362021-06-07T23:11:00.014+05:302021-06-07T23:44:15.595+05:30Travelling in Post Pandemic Era — Past, Present and Future.<div style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Roboto Mono;"><i><b>Enlightenment, eat the rich vs. posh vacationing, best destinations to visit, how rich escaped during crisis, soaring flight rates, covid celebrities, rising inequality, climate change and sustainable tourism. </b></i></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As borders reopen and lockdown eases in some countries after months of restrictions, travellers who long started planning to escape from the grim realities, have started heading out for impromptu short trips or Wellness vacation or Work vacation. Outfits</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> selected, scarves and sarongs chosen, dresses and shoes packed, sunscreen and lotions zipped in a pouch, summer hats ordered from online stores and yes, winding up reports and thesis presentations, folks are sorting out their visas. Why not? Globetrotting was a buzzword back then, getting travelling bug bites was the norm. </span></span></i></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptsA7TGjTTNnK42L3ZOzbydKJ_eKrwroOkbz9Ph7MbXIk_vA-Zmbds8ok7roHWm5DO7q1zNOrgaEwTyoxYBrWyk9ybLJWvCHcKkBRsjU5g9mZl9EaFH9tJlu3CMaTZTHO2QJdxejqDVU/s501/IMG_20210607_212709.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="501" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiptsA7TGjTTNnK42L3ZOzbydKJ_eKrwroOkbz9Ph7MbXIk_vA-Zmbds8ok7roHWm5DO7q1zNOrgaEwTyoxYBrWyk9ybLJWvCHcKkBRsjU5g9mZl9EaFH9tJlu3CMaTZTHO2QJdxejqDVU/s320/IMG_20210607_212709.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></i><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>So, after getting back to the normal, why must boho chiques not hop into the bandwagon again? Even the insta feeds and youtube shorts depict the angst of the pandemic, craving for the attention they long had. Travelling was never about a personal enlightening experience for the self declared foodies and travel aficionados. Its a market of 'I have it and you don't, honestly I don't give a damn about you, just follow me, you sidekicks.'</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>For some not so lucky but who still wish to travel after pandemic, on shoestring budget, this will burn a deep hole in their pockets. Visa prices vary enormously depending on the traveller’s passport: richer the country, the less its citizens have to pay to go abroad.</i></span><i style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wondering if travelling a lot is a fad or not, I assure you, it doesn't make you enlightened or less shallow than any other human walking on this earth and travel culture is another form of flexing, big time! </i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Hitting the clubs, searching for the best booze and joints, ogling at the women visitors, clubbing, partying or barhopping might as well be considered "shallow" but traveling is often portrayed similar to seeking enlightenment. Money won't buy you happiness but if you can get your hands on visas and flight tickets for hitting corners of the unknown world, that might give you happiness and a sense of elation, though it comes with shelling a big amount of bucks. You need to ask, what's wrong if happiness comes out of money, isn't it the same thing?</i></span></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> "Travel culture" is flexing (I don't see it any different than cancel culture where you first refuse and then completely deny what's happening around you, pretending to be woke at the same time, suddenly waking up from a deep slumber and cancelling out on those you see with disdain, the ones you find hateful, or the ones whose thought process you can't relate to). If you observe closely, in last few decades, it became offensive to brag about expensive stuff, so now people now brag about their 'trips' and 'experiences' It surely is flexing proving your superiority and supremacy over those who can hardly think about luscious indulgences, much needed leisures, luxurious getaways and expensive executive suites. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Wealth is privilege, a deathly poison when it takes the form of recklessness and unnerving madness amidst widespread human devastation. </span></span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ICOj7BiYsTQJbJty7P72LB2zf1cX2Rn6tzBCBdW4_EchwfrJ6qTvINWXKZ9fMOrAqvrckw5vSxopdBQ9WinKo0x_2jJfQxHmA-1bTe8XMRZLW0z-sa6N-FY5slevW6XNmjwT8ePHedg/s1166/IMG_20210607_202725.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1166" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ICOj7BiYsTQJbJty7P72LB2zf1cX2Rn6tzBCBdW4_EchwfrJ6qTvINWXKZ9fMOrAqvrckw5vSxopdBQ9WinKo0x_2jJfQxHmA-1bTe8XMRZLW0z-sa6N-FY5slevW6XNmjwT8ePHedg/s320/IMG_20210607_202725.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It wasn't long ago, when health officials warned travellers to avoid non essential travel to control the crowding and spread of the virus. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Remember, when Maldives suspended Bollywood celebrities who had been visiting the exotic location for vacationing while people were dying in India? India's rich being largest single group of visitors to the archipelago this year even after the ban.</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Commercial airline prices have already soared as more countries closed the doors on India. In the final days before the UAE's flight ban came into effect, a one-way flight in economy class from Mumbai to Dubai cost $1750, not less </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">than 10 times the regular price. Ev</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">en, New Zealand had closed its borders to arrivals from India in April. Australia followed suit, suspending passenger flights until May 15, and Canada, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the UK were among other destinations that had done the same.</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>"It's not only the ultra rich", quoted a owner of a private club "Whoever can afford, they are taking private jets." Well, let's leave all the mind games, we know who all are the ultra rich that can "afford to" have such luxuries. Period. </i></span></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In U K, Zara Holland and her partner Elliot boarded a plane to Barbados with plans to ring in New Year in sunshine but the pair in a bizarre moment, were taken into police custody on the island after trying to flee the country when Elliot tested positive for COVID-19. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Love Island couple Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury who traveled to Dubai and Maldives were shamed on social media for filming their travel without wearing masks. They were pointed out, when one of the netizens questioned them, for not wearing masks properly, for being selfishly shameless and inconsiderate about native populations of the countries and islands they were visiting. The pair didn't forget to get their precious views, amidst global concerns about the virus spread but forgot to comply with the rules? Suspicious enough!</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Money can not only buy you freedom from consequences, it can allow self-interest to thrive, even in the face of tragedies. </i></b></span></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Madonna in recent <a href=" https://youtu.be/5UYU4Slh34I" target="_blank">fan video</a> </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">soaking in rose petals preached a sermon to her fans saying about advantages of pandemic and how 'It's the great equalizer and what's terrible about it is what's great about it.' She was brutally brought to realisation when she got accused of </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">"romanticizing" a global tragedy sitting in a bathtub sprinkled with flower petals wearing nothing but jewelry and waxing poetic about coronavirus. </span></span></i></p><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzDR3GGanatYpLMuVIA-r192AO_mNh_aQpjhWAhmtGo5Txe88rHQ9ndGIePE9TUaHjRF1q0FWuaaRQfb5hVVTlskzl1InzDF3kSuXaKnQAU-Gqt4P4v22DcFT5Fs64qzVEch01bLKrcc/s1080/IMG_20210607_202319.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzDR3GGanatYpLMuVIA-r192AO_mNh_aQpjhWAhmtGo5Txe88rHQ9ndGIePE9TUaHjRF1q0FWuaaRQfb5hVVTlskzl1InzDF3kSuXaKnQAU-Gqt4P4v22DcFT5Fs64qzVEch01bLKrcc/s320/IMG_20210607_202319.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Justin Bieber, Hailey and Kendall in an Insta live stream came off as demeaning and insensitive while talking about how they "can't feel bad" for their wealth since they "worked hard." for it to enjoy the privileges. The whole conversation turned sour when they began to discuss how "blessed" they were at a time when people were "crippling." but "can't feel bad enough for the things they have." </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Vanessa Hudgens complained about missing travelling to Coachella, telling fans that COVID-19 deaths are "terrible" but are they not "inevitable." Surely not for Vanessa. </span></span></i></p><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcSvBC_nO7SbndRPWxBD5-B0Op444raHySTugsa0Px-c_iswd6Nk6ZRxk4XenCsCi_vtSn8gl8rRi4Ph1Pz285wWmqeMFcqTmNGfOlF8mWrIgDYNhu8oDojP-df42g-PLZzk0so4iB6M/s1080/IMG_20210607_203222.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPcSvBC_nO7SbndRPWxBD5-B0Op444raHySTugsa0Px-c_iswd6Nk6ZRxk4XenCsCi_vtSn8gl8rRi4Ph1Pz285wWmqeMFcqTmNGfOlF8mWrIgDYNhu8oDojP-df42g-PLZzk0so4iB6M/s320/IMG_20210607_203222.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bette Midler, who laments in his titter bio of being "stuck at home just like everyone else," offered a self-deprecating tribute to housekeepers, backhandedly saluting them for doing best to keep families well, safe and alive. It didn't go well with women who are suffering additional burden of unshared house work, the full time care for family that they've to do, has left them with no option for leisure or travel. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">A lady who was also a mother responded saying, most people never get the luxury in life, of outsourcing menial tasks like cooking, cleaning and washing to a housekeeper or help or a maid, in the first place. </span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Entertainment mogul David Geffen, having net worth approx $7.7 billion, was doing aboard his $590 million superyacht, Rising Sun, in the Grenadines. Can we say that this is best way to quarantine and best time amidst fatalities to be a billionaire? Their lavishing lifestyle and ravishing hobbies looks nothing less than a blast. When held accountable, Geffen made his social media account private. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In US, Ted Cruz was once caught flying to Cancun while Texas was hit by COVID as well as power crisis during a deadly winter storm. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Kim Kardashian was seen hosting an island birthday bash for family in Tahiti amidst raging pandemic. </span></span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCPd4yqGNfEr8_WYFmVX7BnO3uFRR5AIYfPvfSrHeGdgj26n2wLNDqZO-_3BTLdM6il6hmSPx5A01gD3whhw4uJp3dkKBn68JCBmZ4w3hvR6f5Nd6qiLcHxCURGYSlHGfIWFEw-M46XE/s1164/IMG_20210607_214434.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="1164" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCPd4yqGNfEr8_WYFmVX7BnO3uFRR5AIYfPvfSrHeGdgj26n2wLNDqZO-_3BTLdM6il6hmSPx5A01gD3whhw4uJp3dkKBn68JCBmZ4w3hvR6f5Nd6qiLcHxCURGYSlHGfIWFEw-M46XE/s320/IMG_20210607_214434.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Back in US, it started with Zac Efron,then Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon when jetted in, and then dozens of other celebrities were seen fleeing all to set up temporary homes in Australia. M</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ore recently, Julia Roberts landed Australia for shooting the film titled "Ticket to Paradise." Irony! Ha</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">lf of the Hollywood fled to Australia, viewing it as a Covid-free idyll. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, Julia Roberts and Ed Sheeran holed up together to quarantine on a luxurious ranch outside of Sydney. While civilians were being stranded outside airports because of lockdown earlier, the two tier system favoured the rich and A listers and was unusually softer towards them which angered the citizens. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In India, Pooja Bedi asked people to 'free their minds' as she took a private boat ride in Goa while in US, Gisele Bunchen striked a lotus pose as in meditation, preaching calmness from a luxurious island. </span></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0Epxl3Lm-d8TiDCbxMguoeKkynBbT2yPXk2THf7GPR4vuV5NAzTXdBMlQTJtoZRIySX0tsCYKO_WjKkuIWJ9Oi0k6FwTtvO0EaJK37FTMzY3qa_FX39PLzFDdu6rQByLmxVLqdrIbMU/s568/IMG_20210607_215559.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="568" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0Epxl3Lm-d8TiDCbxMguoeKkynBbT2yPXk2THf7GPR4vuV5NAzTXdBMlQTJtoZRIySX0tsCYKO_WjKkuIWJ9Oi0k6FwTtvO0EaJK37FTMzY3qa_FX39PLzFDdu6rQByLmxVLqdrIbMU/s320/IMG_20210607_215559.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Haven't y'all learnt about practising what you preach? Still, here you are, in a spree to enjoy tropical sun, with waterfalls in the background, having cocktails in the pool, relishing the summer delights, like we've never heard of pre Covid era. Don't act like a multi millionaire snowflake! You can do much better, writing a check with much ho hum, just to shut mouths of social critics. You can't get away with the bare minimum you do on one hand, while sprouting tone-deaf and ineffectual verses on the other. Your dismissive attitude toward the severity of the crisis is sickening. </i></span></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>It's stomach churning and sinister to see, how pandemic has revealed stark inequalities in society and how we'll perceive money and privilege, in days to come. I don't see it any different than Indian politicians holding their rallies in poll-bound states and MPs flying in the private jets through one state to another, travelling at their best while others who were pro government ministers, were busy promoting herbal grasses, dark chocolates and cow urine as Covid treatments. </i></span></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They were just too m</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">any wealthy people who were seen carelessly using their vast resources for their own pleasure, travelling, shopping, splurging rather than to help, as people struggled with the impacts of COVID: unemployment, displacement, poverty, and hunger & loss of lives. Meanwhile, essential workers in a war like conditions, were reaching out to people with necessary services, even for low wages.</span></span></i></p><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eJQw5uB0nPOuok1NC9F_Oo8KNIme4BFPkZ-_Bl03Z4tHi227VXNnYdEAAc8TVwCq35V2rhMi5lr8ZX4pZkK1GOq8vD6HzC3L0vMQ_Ssz8yQyZdwZhsYJpsVNY-x45KtA_Ate21nc10s/s1268/IMG_20210607_202040.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1268" data-original-width="1268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5eJQw5uB0nPOuok1NC9F_Oo8KNIme4BFPkZ-_Bl03Z4tHi227VXNnYdEAAc8TVwCq35V2rhMi5lr8ZX4pZkK1GOq8vD6HzC3L0vMQ_Ssz8yQyZdwZhsYJpsVNY-x45KtA_Ate21nc10s/s320/IMG_20210607_202040.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">IMF estimates that income inequality rose more sharply in 2020 than it did in previously occurring economic and financial crisis. I</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">nequality between nations, as well as between households is on rise, wiping out a decade of progress in battling inequality in developing economies, according to the IMF. We are back to zero on the scale, the worst hit are women, ethnic minorities, migrants, the low-skilled and the young. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Wealthier one's can afford to travel and not care if their actions adversely impact low-income and marginalized communities that don't have access to healthcare resources,”</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>The pandemic not only intensified their beliefs around money and politics but has unmasked all and left them butt naked with the revealations. </i></b></span></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, “I like to pay taxes. With them, I buy civilization." Oligarchies are almost impossible to unwind except by war like conditions or a mass revolution. Extreme wealth inequality confronts nations with a civilizational threat. Wealth taxes can be an answer in future. </i></span></p><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9hhzW72klSadzgMfD_owMnsZFLKLItWQtsIATKxoAF19GVIjkzRdY1Mspgb3h3AjNatKddn91zkOhifEC3VwAkCqfwo85XxWedL_JjlFuwyftsIMJMeig5PyYSY0iCmhILj-v1U1BhU/s729/IMG_20210607_212847.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="729" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo9hhzW72klSadzgMfD_owMnsZFLKLItWQtsIATKxoAF19GVIjkzRdY1Mspgb3h3AjNatKddn91zkOhifEC3VwAkCqfwo85XxWedL_JjlFuwyftsIMJMeig5PyYSY0iCmhILj-v1U1BhU/w400-h400/IMG_20210607_212847.jpg" width="400" /></span></i></a></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emissions from polluting industries like flying, threaten to crash the climate. One environmental report s</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">hows the similar pattern of inequality around the world – a small minority of rich, the frequent flyers take an unfair share of the flights while the poorest communities are already suffering the impacts of a warming climate, the benefits of high-carbon lifestyles are enjoyed thoroughly enjoyed by the few.</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A progressive tax on aviation would treat frequent flying as luxury habit it is. A lot of people travel but it's only the privileged few who fly often and that needs to be taken into account. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Meanwhile, avoiding just one transatlantic flight a year could be eight times more effective at saving on emissions than recycling. Living car-free could be 11 times more effective. To cut the carbon footprint we need to stick to “high-impact actions” than “sweating for the small stuff”.</span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As inequity in public transportation is increasing, with air flights being the most inequitable. Amenities for those who can afford to pay a lot, are improving as it was visible throughout pandemic, but not for the common mass who cannot afford air-conditioned travel or high speed transportation. In India thousands of people died during first phase of unannounced lockdown where people in absence of transport walked miles on concrete roads in blazing hot summers during day, met with accidents or crushed under the wheels of lorries or trucks during night. About 8,700 people died on train tracks. Those who reached homes after endless efforts will have scars for life and loss of faith in the system. S</span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">adly, transportation is being privatised for the rich rapidly, with the only public sector airline being sold off and airports also being privatised, bus terminals and train platforms are given to big corporates in India like Adanis and Ambani. </span></span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUBsLKaZMTYOn5shsN-Hs6aqeBHmv8woKLJ2dfkgkqSHhzFRJcoHLXw-f3xsMmpBC5Bn_yPu8eie_oJ4SrlQ_HDb8Q3i7q2QfGWYg2V4jtFnkpbdInUVwikZVS8KrtLvc0j_EbaneLuI/s678/IMG_20210607_221157.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUBsLKaZMTYOn5shsN-Hs6aqeBHmv8woKLJ2dfkgkqSHhzFRJcoHLXw-f3xsMmpBC5Bn_yPu8eie_oJ4SrlQ_HDb8Q3i7q2QfGWYg2V4jtFnkpbdInUVwikZVS8KrtLvc0j_EbaneLuI/s320/IMG_20210607_221157.jpg" width="320" /></span></i></a></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QV2v-6jxFG5XNb_r6OTY6JV6w4N2h0CqWgfoe7XdqDQs4zHad0SpAyZ3Rx9q0LeqovVD9J6Xmcc7IGODZSiBPIa6Yykebp3qDmQQqbuuYvfv1vlaCJrB6reqCbB1yncoOUNukw-VWuA/s678/IMG_20210607_221045.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QV2v-6jxFG5XNb_r6OTY6JV6w4N2h0CqWgfoe7XdqDQs4zHad0SpAyZ3Rx9q0LeqovVD9J6Xmcc7IGODZSiBPIa6Yykebp3qDmQQqbuuYvfv1vlaCJrB6reqCbB1yncoOUNukw-VWuA/s320/IMG_20210607_221045.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAeEpK3LPdyEgllMOB-vmCIFXiEIh6ZVXhta2LhLOxD3DZ-unh7MUynrfQfFrHyZZE16PJFmjwHMKMgHRyU0tcRh4oYQam7CXfnEZuyHo-tL6Tt8tVsTv1BQGqduHipaa8OuBFtWa1VE/s678/IMG_20210607_221000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="678" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAeEpK3LPdyEgllMOB-vmCIFXiEIh6ZVXhta2LhLOxD3DZ-unh7MUynrfQfFrHyZZE16PJFmjwHMKMgHRyU0tcRh4oYQam7CXfnEZuyHo-tL6Tt8tVsTv1BQGqduHipaa8OuBFtWa1VE/s320/IMG_20210607_221000.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzQX9_kQwdHjvns-nvGYo24Xjwdm8Yn8gFzVOTwe8GsxIOLo-qYGJnZ-HWb5Wupe99y7yqx5RDzHJWeSkKhZkxPw-K8BkoLvWHzSDHr4zaLr6XIpNOl7ZqZPsrl1OvyHcriSUXq5Gbxk/s739/IMG_20210607_220935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="739" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBzQX9_kQwdHjvns-nvGYo24Xjwdm8Yn8gFzVOTwe8GsxIOLo-qYGJnZ-HWb5Wupe99y7yqx5RDzHJWeSkKhZkxPw-K8BkoLvWHzSDHr4zaLr6XIpNOl7ZqZPsrl1OvyHcriSUXq5Gbxk/s320/IMG_20210607_220935.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><p></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After seeing the public being mocked during catastrophe, I concur that "traveling" doesn't make you an enlightened intellectual in any way if you don't have the basic sense of life and deeper understanding of humanity. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Dimwits who try to compete with the others over number of places they've been to or lesser known foreign places they've travelled or 'done' a country better than everyone else, just to get praises in closets full of other dimwits, needs a thorough realisation of reality. Bragging about 33 countries and 3 continents shows your stupidity that the list of places is nothing but a possession to you. Mind you, lists won't make a difference in other's lives but impact does. </span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Infact, traveling if done right, helps in breaking down cultural differences and stereotypes, dissolves mental barriers, taking us out of our comfort zones, smashes down the colourful shades over our eyes through which we judge others. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>I <span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">remember the school song which we sang, along with my girl choir members at the inauguration of international children's summer camp. </span></span></i></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Good neighbours come in all colours,</i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> Black red yellow and tan</i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Our outside may look different </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">but we belong to the family of </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">man. </span></span></i></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>(humankind precisely) </i></span></p></blockquote><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>And the other one which we cried and sang for the grand finale after one week long program, hugging our friends who were returning back to Australia, US and South Africa. </i></span></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>When the world says, stay away </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>we're from a different land. </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Gonna tell that we're one country </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>we are world citizens. </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Then turn that wall into a bridge </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>take your neighbours by your hand </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Walk across the bridge</i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>to the world, god promised man. </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Building Bridges of the </i></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>walls.. that keep us apart. </i></span></p></blockquote><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That was one of the most unforgettable days of my life as a teenage girl having her worldview moments. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Through these valuable conversations, meeting people, from diverse backgrounds, races, and cultures, I learnt how they’ve been negatively stigmatized, stereotyped and portrayed in media as well as majority factions of society. It forces you and instills in you, an urge to out grow these portrayals and smash them down on the face of persecutors, which takes effort if one is entrenched in a society and culture that celebrates jingoists and their chauvinism. </span></span></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, how can we forget some of the online travelers or travel influencers, taking 'business' trips to sell what? sweatshop junks, plastic shades, bare minimum bikinis, weird mix of drinks, skin creams that even they'll fear to use in real life. Social media exploitative and self-indulgent celebrities behind their short term fame, have no credibility at all. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">They are the same people who'll spread rumours and racist stories about how the local people were so strange and how "they did things the wrong way." I wish to know, If you hate Japanese people that much why did you even go to Japan? or India or China? Stop your Asian hate penetrated deep in your bones, your privileged act and how you treat others like you're visiting a zoo or circus. It's hard to digest your audacity to travel, yo write off a country as "lesser than" yours, and then you are are so proud telling others that you didn't actually visit the country too much and basically just stayed for a day or two because you see these countries and it's people nothing less than animals, like how "everyone’s looks too drunk or as if they are cracking on pots and the city is just so weird and dirty!" </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Well, you know who is lying to whom and what you just did, added it to xenophobia. </span></span></i></p><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91HczXYIxbnWXiGADAwSZHZuQNfZ7EpIaQoBW2erOC28S2lmaZ68rx_slBpHMwpAqxhMcGB0CJRbO-aVxbTvvopZd4rYM-82SqAxlKiOWC2tN1_OElxXAsTL8bysoLBzxcA9kpMoJBqA/s2048/IMG_20210607_221121.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh91HczXYIxbnWXiGADAwSZHZuQNfZ7EpIaQoBW2erOC28S2lmaZ68rx_slBpHMwpAqxhMcGB0CJRbO-aVxbTvvopZd4rYM-82SqAxlKiOWC2tN1_OElxXAsTL8bysoLBzxcA9kpMoJBqA/w400-h400/IMG_20210607_221121.jpg" width="400" /></span></i></a></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Travel doesn’t make you more enlightened than others but it surely gives you a better opportunity to develop a perspective and sense of empathy. The worst people you'll meet will be the ones who've never stepped a foot outside their town they were born in, hating everything foreign or different than theirs, trying to enforce on others, what they perceive to be normal. In Iceland 'stupid' translates to 'someone that doesn't go far from home' How ironic! So the issue isn't with travel per se, but with the way some travel aficionados talk about travel or show off on social media. It melts down to the kind of conversations people do, at last. </i></span></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>With employing 330 million people, contributing 10% to global GDP before pandemic, predicted to create 100 million new jobs ahead – it's imperative to restore tourism and travel industry to become accessible and inclusive, the one which supports equality, diverse cultures and individuals both as travellers and job seekers. </i></span></p><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfDiDtztQyGNOCjCXLkmPG5Jm3RoBP_Frh0I8Wk-Zn5VM5nQs0MK1q1FBHEAnxFZp_8tvEM9JH5mZHgTBMEKDhHBIJhco8MR5BZQ_Ml3xq41J8UrQTLudgRb1raniBP_qVnoo9XnrEs4/s739/IMG_20210607_212752.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img border="0" data-original-height="739" data-original-width="739" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfDiDtztQyGNOCjCXLkmPG5Jm3RoBP_Frh0I8Wk-Zn5VM5nQs0MK1q1FBHEAnxFZp_8tvEM9JH5mZHgTBMEKDhHBIJhco8MR5BZQ_Ml3xq41J8UrQTLudgRb1raniBP_qVnoo9XnrEs4/s320/IMG_20210607_212752.jpg" /></span></i></a></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Climate change and “overtourism” are so intricately linked that we must address it soon. A 2018 study found that global tourism accounted for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions from 2009 to 2013; four times higher than previous estimates. Even more worryingly, this puts progress towards the Paris Agreement at risk – recovery efforts must centre around environmental sustainability.</i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>As 20 most popular global destinations are predicted to add more international arrivals than rest of the world combined and consumers wanting to travel again we must, in all seriousness, need to address the issues associated with rising inequity, rich exploiting the travelling industry, high flight prices, carbon footprint, alternative sources of travelling, overcrowding in places emerging as hot tourist destinations, like Saudi Arabia, Maldives, Mauritius or even Italy or Greece. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsd8qc1RkAu0BlX9QQLSg74s5DHSCIQc-v-jKcjRozH0-of78uidhVJYn_yt-ckEY6cFghP4z-KNkcCsvUFeY3oHoT2zvpifqw8Cy0vsLmK45p0vpREIa_Q9w_ntSX_HqDOKqI97K7Uhw/s511/IMG_20210607_212719.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="511" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsd8qc1RkAu0BlX9QQLSg74s5DHSCIQc-v-jKcjRozH0-of78uidhVJYn_yt-ckEY6cFghP4z-KNkcCsvUFeY3oHoT2zvpifqw8Cy0vsLmK45p0vpREIa_Q9w_ntSX_HqDOKqI97K7Uhw/s320/IMG_20210607_212719.jpg" /></i></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span><p></p><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Anthrocene was a reality and so is Great Reset, a chance to make sure that as we rebuild, we do it better as it provides an opportunity to rethink how travelling can become a truly enlightening experience and how tourism is delivered in more sustainable , inclusive and resilient way. </i></span></p><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></span></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></i></div><br />Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-30166305681163518752021-06-03T13:27:00.011+05:302021-06-03T20:03:39.542+05:30Pavements and Thoughts: #WordlessWednesday #WednesdayWisdom<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXTqlolijPq5dHJONShiA9CYVpQNmUcVW10xni9VPPmgbZ9mM3oURNAlWUIT-O_s8H-L1tN83VML4fQ1r0wipmomlsczoo5kXpBXwyBrcsAp8zISuyqWwXjGOSt8Hk1ZJCtfcudfw8uE/s1080/IMG_20210603_124512.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Autumn leaves, empty road but scattered with the withered leaves. I can see the crossroad, road diverging into two. I know that there's positivity even when there is darkness. New Road awaits for me." border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXTqlolijPq5dHJONShiA9CYVpQNmUcVW10xni9VPPmgbZ9mM3oURNAlWUIT-O_s8H-L1tN83VML4fQ1r0wipmomlsczoo5kXpBXwyBrcsAp8zISuyqWwXjGOSt8Hk1ZJCtfcudfw8uE/w400-h400/IMG_20210603_124512.jpg" title="Pavements and Thoughts - #wednesdaywisdom #wordlesswednesday" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Drifting away like an Autumn Song.. </i></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>It's a Long Road away from Home.</i></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Mind knows well, but Heart still longs..</i></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>It's a Long Road away from Home. </i></span></div></blockquote></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>#wordlesswednesday #wednesdaywisdom #lyricalpoetry</b></span></div></span></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><br /></div></blockquote><div><p></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #495762; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.6em; text-align: center;">Here’s how you can join:</p><ol style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #495762; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1.6em 2.4em; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>#wordlesswednesday</b> is an <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">alternate week Linky blog event </strong>and will <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">go live on Tuesday evening of the month.</strong></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">Post pictures on your blog from life’s lessons, <span style="box-sizing: inherit;">humour or </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">wanderlust moments</span>, they can be simple <b style="box-sizing: inherit;">random shots</b> that amazed you or inspired you. </li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">Post it with minimum words possible or short note. </li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Add the linky widget below where you can drop in your links. The linky will remain open so join in. </em></strong></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">Link up multiple posts if you wish</li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">Add the<b style="box-sizing: inherit;"> badge</b> to your post and don’t forget to add <strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">a backlink to my post and tag me, writing how you got inspired by it. </strong></li><li style="box-sizing: inherit;">It's an opportunity to connect with fellow boggers/creators from across the continents. So let's do it together every week. </li></ol><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #495762; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.6em;">Get ready! </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #495762; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.6em;"><strong style="box-sizing: inherit;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">The next edition goes live on Tuesday, 10th June, evening. (Check your time zones. Feel comfortable to post accordingly) </em></strong></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #495762; font-family: Merriweather, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1.6em;">Have a wonderful day with #wordlesswednesday and #wednesdaywisdom! Keep writing, sharing, connecting and getting discovered.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.6em;"><a href="https://www.linkytools.com/basic_link_entry_form.aspx?id=302464" target="_blank">Linky link </a> - click here! <br /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.6em;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 1.6em; text-align: center;">Note - Don't forget to check <a href="https://suzanamiu.blogspot.com/2021/06/miercurea-fara-cuvinte-268-metafore.html?m=1" target="_blank">Suzana's</a> <a href="https://natashamusing.com/2021/05/raindrops-keep-fallin-on-my-head-wordlesswednesday-wednesdaywisdom/">Natasha's</a> <a href="https://povestiripescurt.blogspot.com/">Zinaida's</a> posts as well. Very inspiring! </p></div>Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-90814264455990304022021-06-02T16:08:00.029+05:302021-06-04T18:03:40.465+05:30World Rewinds: Vaccine allegations, Data Protection, Three child policy and So'Naomi' wave. <div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">When the bulletins with stories on the front cover of WhatsApp Data release were making rounds, Twitter was also being dragged to the court by Center, Doctors' associations were planning to hold nationwide protest against Ramdev's pseudoscience. S Jaishankar was about to chair BRICS foreign ministers meeting. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf5HhK5E4KiuNcaraVxqFFFY2tudeiA9sSxhyphenhyphentvpncTcxhzCLDqA0GcgHFVreTOGMSfg3ZJlPKnN6ZjyKWVTS-XkK0lGOhdl9pX9oinAQAD-YRJtbVRu9f9gd0iWrbBbwNapXaMF3gHg/s320/17-31-38-15-13-52-60ae66174dadb.image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtf5HhK5E4KiuNcaraVxqFFFY2tudeiA9sSxhyphenhyphentvpncTcxhzCLDqA0GcgHFVreTOGMSfg3ZJlPKnN6ZjyKWVTS-XkK0lGOhdl9pX9oinAQAD-YRJtbVRu9f9gd0iWrbBbwNapXaMF3gHg/s0/17-31-38-15-13-52-60ae66174dadb.image.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table></blockquote><div style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">WhatsApp took the matter of breach of privacy of it's users to court question the governments order of revealing the origin or the messages and tracking the sender information</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">.</span></div><p>. </p><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7f41H1XJ05OJrYQnDvaB21y0h2EoM0zeLsmiiMbmtChjz6AWLpeG0dOgybpjt4JW-cwyLfSI9vwuxgpPrv4cs1q_5wNaGovwoy4F_5bZe4c0t2cJBlUsFyTTNDf436IoYWEH3d1OYiQs/s1102/Screenshot_2021-06-02-13-57-57-206_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ram Kishan Yadav aka Ramdev's pseudoscience and his claims to cure diseases, even corona virus infection with his concoctions have turned out to be hoax and doctors have protested against his false claims that are misleading and not based on scientific evidence." border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7f41H1XJ05OJrYQnDvaB21y0h2EoM0zeLsmiiMbmtChjz6AWLpeG0dOgybpjt4JW-cwyLfSI9vwuxgpPrv4cs1q_5wNaGovwoy4F_5bZe4c0t2cJBlUsFyTTNDf436IoYWEH3d1OYiQs/w266-h320/Screenshot_2021-06-02-13-57-57-206_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" title="Ramdev to face serious charges as doctors call him traitor for his pseudoscience." width="266" /></a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">Ram Kishan Yadav aka Ramdev's pseudoscience and his claims to cure diseases, even corona virus infection with his concoctions have turned out to be hoax and doctors have protested against his false claims that are misleading and not based on scientific evidence. </blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT6FcqXFscZPwFcQz4GnriOE-wk87EoyiEOveuw15vrSpiKTlyskddJgE9XKQF1ffbtveET3Phyphenhyphen97cJGL1zd5X1S7881WP2PPr7KKM-VX1a4S0P_G-aVxUjvjhaVzOzgsVnvSjXBzkS4/s1663/Screenshot_2021-06-02-14-07-12-711_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1663" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT6FcqXFscZPwFcQz4GnriOE-wk87EoyiEOveuw15vrSpiKTlyskddJgE9XKQF1ffbtveET3Phyphenhyphen97cJGL1zd5X1S7881WP2PPr7KKM-VX1a4S0P_G-aVxUjvjhaVzOzgsVnvSjXBzkS4/w283-h400/Screenshot_2021-06-02-14-07-12-711_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" width="283" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFRkN_xTQa_pEH0P9zlf94L_JEsjDFYodV1ekcdF5NJXgvNZ3tsmLQpbwZOJdDYUUtACVrIw-X3sUncVRV3vQCTySM5jBId7lAmKHp0UiT-3y2DnEfjToRAo3Z0yVtWk8-IWug0V_hMo/s1359/Screenshot_2021-06-02-13-59-34-430_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="1,300 doctors sacrificed their lives till now. IMA launches fresh tirade against Ramdev and his 1,300 doctors sacrificed their lives': IMA launches fresh tirade against Ramdev and his false claims related to vaccines and demanded to deem his remarks as "sedition" and prosecute him under Disaster Management Act." border="0" data-original-height="1359" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFRkN_xTQa_pEH0P9zlf94L_JEsjDFYodV1ekcdF5NJXgvNZ3tsmLQpbwZOJdDYUUtACVrIw-X3sUncVRV3vQCTySM5jBId7lAmKHp0UiT-3y2DnEfjToRAo3Z0yVtWk8-IWug0V_hMo/w341-h400/Screenshot_2021-06-02-13-59-34-430_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" title="1,300 doctors sacrificed their lives till now. IMA launches fresh tirade against Ramdev and his 1,300 doctors sacrificed their lives': IMA launches fresh tirade against Ramdev and his false claims related to vaccines and demanded to deem his remarks as "sedition" and prosecute him under Disaster Management Act." width="341" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><h1 class="hdg1" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); background-color: white; line-height: 24px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: none; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">1,300 doctors sacrificed their lives till now. IMA launches fresh tirade against Ramdev and his 1,300 doctors sacrificed their lives': IMA launches fresh tirade against Ramdev and his false claims related to vaccines and demanded to deem his remarks as "sedition" and prosecute him under Disaster Management Act.</span></h1></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISiYG50x2KbcOQDvjf6hN4mM3Fcaog0fXOxi1viwdbc_jsX0zuwRAeSL6luFkb6SsACqwv6-l2RgoITL6Va10AwQrpUxagTNSeLfjBoVx8GIZwPInX1386086MruYsxOnjeu9FY9g-m8/s1132/Screenshot_2021-06-02-13-59-56-626_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Doctors are new enemy for Ramdev, biggest anti-vaxxer and tax evader in the country? He doesn’t need vaccine, as he mostly high with a cover of yoga and ayurveda" border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISiYG50x2KbcOQDvjf6hN4mM3Fcaog0fXOxi1viwdbc_jsX0zuwRAeSL6luFkb6SsACqwv6-l2RgoITL6Va10AwQrpUxagTNSeLfjBoVx8GIZwPInX1386086MruYsxOnjeu9FY9g-m8/w266-h320/Screenshot_2021-06-02-13-59-56-626_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" title="Doctors are new enemy for Ramdev, biggest anti-vaxxer and tax evader in the country? He doesn’t need vaccine, as he mostly high with a cover of yoga and Ayurveda. Doctors giving a good fight to misinformation and hoaxes." width="266" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Doctors are new enemy for Ramdev, biggest anti-vaxxer</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> and tax evader in the country</span><span style="color: #222222;">? He doesn’t need vaccine, as he mostly remains high on yoga and Ayurveda. </span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, Supreme Court is to define limits of what constitutes sedition over media's freedom being muzzled. Sections 124A and 153A being slapped on activists and dissenters alike who protest against authorities. Within four years, from 2016 to 2019, cases on activists increased by 160%, according to National Crime Records Bureau while conviction rate dropped from 33.3% to 3.3%. Stats speak for itself because those who speak up, end up behind the bars for life in India as the legal grounds here reek of sycophancy and corruption. </i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></i></div><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Overwhelming news headlines, left the Month of May, wondering about itself and also about what went wrong with India's vaccination strategy. The digital divide went deeper when the government announced that all vaccines registration will be done online, through app CO-Win (sounds more like the theme for next national elections than vaccine registration platform), stranding the individuals from poor and marginalised communities. The added biases of preferring 45+ for the vaccines while leaving the 18+ group who suffered a jolt after second wave of corona is worth questioning. Even the affordability and availability of the vaccines is in question now. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayubHkRy6jF3wUCnizNoffqk6nleZrLkViz1C_Codvu8pIW9S8oxUpR9zTQ-l6xsN4djH_MBrkfJCu5NEi_yMcMgD3eZpFlEPVJ-r51M_0P13_0oUHwaspPorhBzk6sNVt76e91nSChg/s715/13-51-44-cowin-1622343128.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="'Digital Divide Will Have Serious Implications On Right To Equality & Health': Supreme Court On CoWIN Portal which isn't even accessible to rural population, even with people having disabilities or comorbidities. Discrepancies also include cases where immunized people are not receiving the certificates while those not vaccinated are getting one." border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="715" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjayubHkRy6jF3wUCnizNoffqk6nleZrLkViz1C_Codvu8pIW9S8oxUpR9zTQ-l6xsN4djH_MBrkfJCu5NEi_yMcMgD3eZpFlEPVJ-r51M_0P13_0oUHwaspPorhBzk6sNVt76e91nSChg/w320-h192/13-51-44-cowin-1622343128.jpg" title="'Digital Divide Will Have Serious Implications On Right To Equality & Health': Supreme Court On CoWIN Portal which isn't even accessible to rural population, even with people having disabilities or comorbidities. Discrepancies also include cases where immunized people are not receiving the certificates while those not vaccinated are getting one." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i style="font-size: large;">'</i>Digital Divide Will Have Serious Implications On Right To Equality & Health': Supreme Court On CoWIN Portal which isn't even accessible to rural population, even with people having disabilities or comorbidities. Discrepancies also include cases where immunized people are not receiving the certificates while those not vaccinated are getting one.<i style="font-size: large;"> </i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Also, Kerala government stated in state assembly, how after curbing the voices in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre is now targeting Lakshadweep. Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda Patel, lawmaker from ruling party systemically targeting Lakshadweep's residents by proposing controversial legislations ranging from beef ban, promoting liquor sale in Union territory having majority Muslim population. While the first law proposes land acquisition, the second permits illegal detention of any individual found as a threat to island's security, Ban on cow slaughter and preventive detention law in Island with low crime rate? Cows are safer in India than individuals with a voice and sane mind who are seen as a 'threat to internal security.' </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtRWQd_4X-__2LTYh8E7B5jGPBZFFwXzcbkhftmKqgrmK6hAt1EeyeREjKac4FIj4rhZ4dlWsEyo1toWdBiAnFjC4x9MQywXC3Cki6c07PbI7Np0q8sauCm9nQ0LfOlkUcEbxn7NLOKU/s709/13-38-55-82996351.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidtRWQd_4X-__2LTYh8E7B5jGPBZFFwXzcbkhftmKqgrmK6hAt1EeyeREjKac4FIj4rhZ4dlWsEyo1toWdBiAnFjC4x9MQywXC3Cki6c07PbI7Np0q8sauCm9nQ0LfOlkUcEbxn7NLOKU/s320/13-38-55-82996351.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBuc0AnyIrXvRvEDpP0CZ8MIPF24mC_9HCluDmE9N78goiIz-B1AgprL6SjX7fgEVdK2YQLjAlPDZD8_fj8MPce-kxhSf8qL6ZXMlAnutqn5YWhyphenhyphenusuKUTXPsLDVs1fJBnYJ13yUi5yg/s1200/83055377.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Local residents of Lakshadweep protesting against government decision of land grab, illegal arrests and beef ban." border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMBuc0AnyIrXvRvEDpP0CZ8MIPF24mC_9HCluDmE9N78goiIz-B1AgprL6SjX7fgEVdK2YQLjAlPDZD8_fj8MPce-kxhSf8qL6ZXMlAnutqn5YWhyphenhyphenusuKUTXPsLDVs1fJBnYJ13yUi5yg/w320-h240/83055377.jpg" title="Local residents of Lakshadweep protesting against government decision of land grab, illegal arrests and beef ban." width="320" /></a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Local residents of Lakshadweep protesting against government decision of land grab, illegal arrests and beef ban.</span><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"> </span></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table></div></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfFkNW4Iv4TqhkEWXLPxBI7mbL3LUPkjR78uNYFBhVTXwK4XdiuE7hrWE2XaHT6cLWgXO4_RjN8ouqrzF84IW6B4fbwJoVpzQvYQFpS8huZCW0hO-c3lttTWeoMgpw8-Ut_EouuC9TIw/s1280/13-41-18-WhatsApp_Image_2021-05-26_at_5.21_.45_PM_.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJfFkNW4Iv4TqhkEWXLPxBI7mbL3LUPkjR78uNYFBhVTXwK4XdiuE7hrWE2XaHT6cLWgXO4_RjN8ouqrzF84IW6B4fbwJoVpzQvYQFpS8huZCW0hO-c3lttTWeoMgpw8-Ut_EouuC9TIw/s320/13-41-18-WhatsApp_Image_2021-05-26_at_5.21_.45_PM_.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Social media platforms are being forced to comply to the rules, including identification of "first originator" of "unlawful" content whenever government demands. After snooping and surveillance of human right activists and dalit scholars resulting in their unbailable stay in prisons, such 'new rules' are arming the regime with new weapons for muzzling citizens freedom. WhatsApp after being a lapdog of the ruling party has now challenged the traceability requirement in the court citing it breaches the right to privacy of users. Sword is still hanging over Twitter' head. </i></div></i><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody></tbody></table></div></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Besides the conundrum in our country, our neighbours are also grabbing some media attention. Four consecutive years of declining births have prompted the dictatorial ruling party in China, CCP introduced a three-child policy. Can't say, if it's due to flopped 2-child policy or massive death due to corona or mass cleansing of it's own population who spoke about the government failure, the burden will shift on women. Women with careers, who prioritise marriage after stabilising in their fields will find it difficult to manage, due to piled up pressure, ever prevalent societal constraints and now government propaganda. No country for women if we are only seen as child knocking machines. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9a_TF1LpBo6plG3cE3Z-wfkfYYeizADHxLhEbr4wm9v7ND9ujBUL6W8gxKhxVSkvT6XZ4lc9pZCZ9YahGRviHmCSyGzpsYP2r7Y9pt3w-3prwlNJD1vsVmzWt7eTL4bMJiLOXM1__Z4Y/s1075/Screenshot_2021-06-02-14-11-50-208_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="1075" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9a_TF1LpBo6plG3cE3Z-wfkfYYeizADHxLhEbr4wm9v7ND9ujBUL6W8gxKhxVSkvT6XZ4lc9pZCZ9YahGRviHmCSyGzpsYP2r7Y9pt3w-3prwlNJD1vsVmzWt7eTL4bMJiLOXM1__Z4Y/w400-h225/Screenshot_2021-06-02-14-11-50-208_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VY1lkos_PRILf2h79wLvcb7N2fO8KSYttk2voKvUESyAFLq4vLLPMP5Uz6CxYlbB5GD4dGQ7c3P4fGXCmqc7GGUW9081pY0F7GJ7TcDhErhTt3ap03y9WhxR1-RoefzIQFGf6qWe-FM/s791/83121484.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="564" data-original-width="791" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VY1lkos_PRILf2h79wLvcb7N2fO8KSYttk2voKvUESyAFLq4vLLPMP5Uz6CxYlbB5GD4dGQ7c3P4fGXCmqc7GGUW9081pY0F7GJ7TcDhErhTt3ap03y9WhxR1-RoefzIQFGf6qWe-FM/s320/83121484.png" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><i><br /></i></span></span></blockquote><p> </p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>June already arrived and we were still grappling with mental health issues due to pandemic, dealing with apocalyptic isolation, when within a week we witnessed Tennis World hit by Su'Naomi' wave. Naomi Osaka withdrew from Roland Garros after being fined with $15,000 and being threatened with disqualification, when she refused to carry out 'mandatory' news conference. She had decided against taking part in any media activity to safeguard her mental health. French tennis federation head's response wasn't very cool after the incident. On one hand they've slapped her with a hefty fine, on the other hand (with all brazenness) they released an official statement (more of a backhanded comment) that said - </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>"We look forward to having Naomi in our tournament next year. We remain very 'committed' to all athletes well-being and to continually improving every aspect of players' 'experience' in our tournament, including with the media, like we have always strived to do."</i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Sorry! President, your actions contradict the words you've released on behalf of your federation. Threatening the player by calling her decision to prioritise her mental health and inner peace , as a 'phenomenal error' in her career. The white men with utmost callousness and I'll intent leave no opportunity to harass her, not only mentally but also indulging in her character assassination, vilifying her move and taking away her authority of self protection, from a champion sportsperson, right in front of media and the world. The four Grand Slams shouldn't have threatened her in their joint response. Their one-upmanship, sense of entitlement and privileges is shameful. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I think, we should remember the clip of a hostile exchange between an interviewer and young Venus Williams and the one of Marshawn Lynch repeatedly answering journalists questions when he replied “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.”</i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The blatant voyeurism shown by insensitive media houses is evident, how they want to see athletes crumble and break down into tears and putting them repeatedly on a pedestal, not even giving them a chance to lead normal social lives, all while facing intense scrutiny and pressure. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Media has a right to ask questions, to press coverages, but a person too has a right to protect themselves when confronted with a crisis. Moreover, we all are aware how the media proceeds with the questions when confronting high profile athletes. After the initial few questions about their game, It's more about personal life, their hookups, controversial statements and appearances in the past. To threaten expulsion for choosing to not speak to the media, disrespect her contribution to the game as a global athlete.</i></div></i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i> Such a culture that doesn't always provide athletes the support they seek in times of mental distress and harasses them when they try to speak up for themselves, in their most vulnerable and raw emotional state, needs a revision. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Legendary tennis icon Serena Williams, expressed her support to Naomi by saying she too had to face media during some difficult moments of her life. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AscyMODHQayf57WYFUtft53GJZKQeSY59wZT0Meg-3eKSFdW4CFKkuldclGEEvfzhiNhiULI1gQ0h6U6XeQQkflUXbNtpkN4r74N2Ld44BZaKrJ1fDcQpE5Y668jn4WI1rZMn_axFcA/s1549/Screenshot_2021-06-02-13-22-12-583_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Naomi Osaka, standing as U.S. Open champion and first-time grand slam winner, pushed her visor down to cover her eyes, and cried heavily. She had just played outstanding tennis against her idol, Serena Williams, and she had won. But the shameless crowd was booing loudly. Williams arm were around Osaka’s shoulders and hugging her tightly. Osaka's victory was overshadowed by the battle between Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos. Ramos called a series of violations against Williams, resulting in game penalty at crucial moment during finals of grand slam proving the inheritance of gender inequity within the sport. The punishment was “sexist" lot more harsh than male players. Umpires are often seen giving informal warnings, sometimes no warnings, no leeway, no soft landing, telling the woman that resist as much as you want but this is what you deserve! why? because she is a woman, a proud Black Woman!" border="0" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="1033" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6AscyMODHQayf57WYFUtft53GJZKQeSY59wZT0Meg-3eKSFdW4CFKkuldclGEEvfzhiNhiULI1gQ0h6U6XeQQkflUXbNtpkN4r74N2Ld44BZaKrJ1fDcQpE5Y668jn4WI1rZMn_axFcA/w266-h400/Screenshot_2021-06-02-13-22-12-583_com.mi.globalbrowser.mini_1.jpg" title="Naomi Osaka, standing as U.S. Open champion and first-time grand slam winner, pushed her visor down to cover her eyes, and cried heavily. She had just played outstanding tennis against her idol, Serena Williams, and she had won. But the shameless crowd was booing loudly. Williams arm were around Osaka’s shoulders and hugging her tightly. Osaka's victory was overshadowed by the battle between Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos. Ramos called a series of violations against Williams, resulting in game penalty at crucial moment during finals of grand slam proving the inheritance of gender inequity within the sport. The punishment was “sexist" lot more harsh than male players. Umpires are often seen giving informal warnings, sometimes no warnings, no leeway, no soft landing, telling the woman that resist as much as you want but this is what you deserve! why? because she is a woman, a proud Black Woman!" width="266" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: sans-serif; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Naomi Osaka, standing as U.S. Open champion and first-time grand slam winner, pushed her visor down to cover her eyes, and cried heavily. She had just played outstanding tennis against her idol, Serena Williams, and she had won. But the shameless crowd was booing loudly. Williams arm were around Osaka’s shoulders and hugging her tightly. Osaka's victory was overshadowed by the battle between Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos. Ramos called a series of violations against Williams, resulting in game penalty at crucial moment during finals of grand slam proving the inheritance of gender inequity within the sport. The punishment was “sexist" lot more harsh than male players. Umpires are often seen giving informal warnings, sometimes no warnings, no leeway, no soft landing, telling the woman that resist as much as you want but this is what you deserve! why? because she is a woman, a proud Black Woman!</span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"></i></blockquote><p> </p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though the support came after huge outcry, it's good to see Basketball Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie, Kyrie Irving of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets, British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, gymnast Laurie Hernandez, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love, WNBA star Elizabeth Cambage, backing Naomi's mental health revelation including prominent athletes of color - Stephen Curry, Venus and Serena. Osaka, who has Japanese mother and Haitian American father, drew headlines last year when she wore the names of Black victims of police brutality on her face masks during U.S. Open. Racial discrimination in sports can't be ignored in her case, the way she's demonised for being woke and vocal about systemic racism and police brutality. In 2020 Western & Southern Open (a warm up for the U.S. Open) was suspended after Osaka decided to default her semifinal match in protest of police violence.</i></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Once Irving and now Osaka both had expressed through protest and outright declarations about how much George Floyd's death affected them, while the media portals in all self indulgences, carried headlines like, "Kyrie Irving's Excuse on Why He Missed Thursday's Game: 'I Just Didn't Want to Play'"?</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCT1zM5WZAYu73oHDUts7xu26BbgnXUaN132LutmWsksdAKzbyC0TfgXr8jWcL15MxBXXwseBIo8iodEPX_gEbNYbYkcqoout1FfJjWLbGyNuULtS9nDtIOizsodnc3JoyNq8cJptmro/s678/15-46-09-images.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Memorial in loving memory of George Floyd who suffered police brutality and died succumbing to his injuries. Family and supporters paid respect at his memorial by leaving placards with prayers and slogans." border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="678" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKCT1zM5WZAYu73oHDUts7xu26BbgnXUaN132LutmWsksdAKzbyC0TfgXr8jWcL15MxBXXwseBIo8iodEPX_gEbNYbYkcqoout1FfJjWLbGyNuULtS9nDtIOizsodnc3JoyNq8cJptmro/w320-h213/15-46-09-images.jpg" title="Memorial in loving memory of George Floyd who suffered police brutality and died succumbing to his injuries. Family and supporters paid respect at his memorial by leaving placards with prayers and slogans." width="320" /></a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">Memorial in loving memory of George Floyd who suffered police brutality and died succumbing to his injuries. Family and supporters paid respect at his memorial by leaving placards with prayers and slogans. </blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-9U0I3QuQPqVn4prBUwm3cKD1dHW_hLGbwkiqEFdg4cZ0dsq1w9uYOc1y39CVTLLULx07342cZCeRB2JgRMlP7z0bJ3l01ZfRLptepaEur9PxuKz-6SWtIvZdKsaakPSD2FDxkqSKa4/s678/15-55-06-images.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Memorial in loving memory of George Floyd who suffered police brutality and died succumbing to his injuries. Family and supporters paid respect at his memorial by leaving placards with prayers and slogans." border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="678" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-9U0I3QuQPqVn4prBUwm3cKD1dHW_hLGbwkiqEFdg4cZ0dsq1w9uYOc1y39CVTLLULx07342cZCeRB2JgRMlP7z0bJ3l01ZfRLptepaEur9PxuKz-6SWtIvZdKsaakPSD2FDxkqSKa4/w320-h213/15-55-06-images.jpg" title="Memorial in loving memory of George Floyd who suffered police brutality and died succumbing to his injuries. Family and supporters paid respect at his memorial by leaving placards with prayers and slogans." width="320" /></a><br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;">Black lives matter movement is getting stronger. The resistance to police brutality, gun violence, systemic racism is not slowing down now. </blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFYZ9kAxwAXcDId_xXupMsP8Ypc7BiOeWl8uyT0cf0VLn2Sonz1fg9Yqcmd8wN5F4KEqul8S4DRV0E9tVrTF5N_Mb3J2mFTg_0ND9UT4tfOFZNWnCS8zzmo4GS1L11p41l5eoryEWyc4/s640/15-47-19-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhFYZ9kAxwAXcDId_xXupMsP8Ypc7BiOeWl8uyT0cf0VLn2Sonz1fg9Yqcmd8wN5F4KEqul8S4DRV0E9tVrTF5N_Mb3J2mFTg_0ND9UT4tfOFZNWnCS8zzmo4GS1L11p41l5eoryEWyc4/s320/15-47-19-images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpSh3lAXuTW86UidFdpqSO9-QEvjSsJzjMUVzTXaU4eWK1Thhiub3EQim1VTWYBnIcSBhbKKO-azxV_G4h5xGwMaI6SMcmIk92JwEcvSLWLlVF1L_2PUAazu4NCnvzU7VVmIlba54BtM/s715/15-49-04-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="715" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcpSh3lAXuTW86UidFdpqSO9-QEvjSsJzjMUVzTXaU4eWK1Thhiub3EQim1VTWYBnIcSBhbKKO-azxV_G4h5xGwMaI6SMcmIk92JwEcvSLWLlVF1L_2PUAazu4NCnvzU7VVmIlba54BtM/s320/15-49-04-images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i> Irving was nearly pelted with a water bottle by a fan(read as anti fans) once for not being in his best form and dealing with severe anxiety. I hope we aren't waiting to see the day when someone's suffering takes the form of clinical mental health disorders or one has to get picked up from the road side and checked into a rehabilitation facility. The visuals can be heartbreaking for their loved ones and leave the one who's suffering, scarred for the rest of their lives. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>When Naomi posted online about suffering long periods of depression and how the post-match media inquests were no different than “kicking people when they are down” she also opened up about it's detrimental effect on her mental health and how she had a hard time coping with the reality. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i> No doubt, if an outstanding athlete of Naomi's stature, four-time Grand Slam title winner has to face such a treatment what ordinary women trying to excel and make the world feel their presence, have to face on daily basis. From sexul harassment to severe form of bullying. </i><i>From devious gaslighting to mean behaviour, negative aggression to cancel culture. </i></div></i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Also makeshift mental health lookalike programs run by corporate giants aren't helping at all. Appointing a psychologist to a nondescript panel, holding weekly group sessions for meditation and chanting 'Om' and 'Nah-maas-tay', sending out weekly emails and newsletters ordering employees to ‘destress’, preaching 'work life balance’, occasionally dissing them and telling them to shut up and ‘relax’. Pretending to band aid scars infected by their own organisational set up is indeed a laughable cover up. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I strongly condemn such horrendous treatment to women and people who suffer health issues, who are repeatedly targeted at their workplace. As women or even men who support women's existence and success in her field, we stand in solidarity with sportsperson for raising their voice on toxic work culture. The larger question here must be, are we leaving our sports players fending for themselves if we aren't questioning the diktats of sports federations and organisations who hardly see women as strong peers, specially from mixed race, from black communities and people of colour. When a top woman athlete speaks for her mental health in light of her working experience, she's speaking for children and young people from our families who'll be raising the bar high and bring laurels for our country. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>If there is no moral support for prioritising their psychological health and fitness, no backing for their free expression of thoughts, how do you expect that they will sustain in the arena for too long? If they constantly feel vulnerable, targeted, unable to keep up with their inner self, believe me! hundreds of trophies and medals, enormously lovable fans, media attention or endorsements will be nothing but dust for the athletes. </i></div></i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I think, if bullying is left unchallenged, it will get imprinted in the minds of every budding sports player and the privileged whites dominant in the west and upper caste majoritarians in the east will transform it into legitimate, validated but hideous rule book, on how every novice player of color, those from immigrants, underprivileged backgrounds, will be treated in future. This is what is happening now and that's what kept happening in the past. But guess what? It's time to change, not the rules of the game but the entire rulebook needs to be replaced as it is functionally redundant, with archaic or obsolete terms and set with a colonial, racist and castiest mindset, if it doesn't have athletes and their health at it's epicenter. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></i><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMfGIkghWqYFe7_Q-gpppWaGbzskore_L_qlKsoJlROrpqBoyYBRhFDOphmcHFYEcn4xKCK1ZUEsR4YAB_iEegiRxZ8sW8FIzIrhG2cjy9AOqL_2LIKficBagyGpWSx9OPPkKWB_9GGY/s687/13-20-44-images.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="687" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMfGIkghWqYFe7_Q-gpppWaGbzskore_L_qlKsoJlROrpqBoyYBRhFDOphmcHFYEcn4xKCK1ZUEsR4YAB_iEegiRxZ8sW8FIzIrhG2cjy9AOqL_2LIKficBagyGpWSx9OPPkKWB_9GGY/w400-h260/13-20-44-images.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Naomi Osaka with her champions trophy after winning the Australian open 2021. The sky looked brighter that day. </span></div></span></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br />Also, Tokyo Olympics are round the corner. Pandemic might have delayed them but in a country like Japan where icons are cultural role models, it tends to place burden on athletes with unreasonably rigid standards, from hairstyles to personal lives they are expected to act a certain way and mould into a particular box, adding to their stress and mental burden. We must not forget, approx one-third of athletes suffer at some point of life from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and burnout. With added burden of dealing with personal questions, stigma related to ethnicity, gender issues, Black Lives Matter, Asian hate on surge during and before the pandemic, it will leave anyone on the verge of complete breakdown. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I hope, she does not have to carry the weight of this brutality for too long. As she did something that is courageous, timely and progressive. I would say, </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Dear Naomi, you don't owe anyone, including the press, the brands, the federations, an apology. In fact, it's they who owe you one. Proud of you, for protecting your peace at all costs. </b></i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></span></p></blockquote><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>May you get enough time to get good sleep, eat your favourite food, laugh often, sing the songs you want, listen to your favourite ones while soaking in a bubble bath, watch trees swinging and birds chirping. </b></i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><br /></b></i></div></i><i style="font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="font-family: arial;">May you get moments to stroll in the lush green gardens, hike in a lonely forest, get wet in first monsoon shower, get to embrace your heartthrob, cuddle with your sister's and nieces, kiss your cats and dogs on their fur, water your house plants because self care is self love and no one will love you better and harder, if you won't love yourself.</span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></b></i></div></i><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3ps2eEv2beN9R7qIXifxrMvmOJN1OpJZvEPpwFI_Pu0VTqQlaGsJ1HxGLrshKAdK2sQ6MCMW9LLjCRCwNXSR1r2hM4Th3VFrbJkX7_FX-qSwE1Rv0uwrqi226ssJgll1EjXlGChcyes/s739/13-17-15-images.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="739" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3ps2eEv2beN9R7qIXifxrMvmOJN1OpJZvEPpwFI_Pu0VTqQlaGsJ1HxGLrshKAdK2sQ6MCMW9LLjCRCwNXSR1r2hM4Th3VFrbJkX7_FX-qSwE1Rv0uwrqi226ssJgll1EjXlGChcyes/w400-h225/13-17-15-images.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify;"></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="font-size: large; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div style="text-align: left;">Ever smiling, beaming, beautiful, young woman </div></span><span style="font-family: georgia; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">- Naomi Osaka. </div></span></blockquote><p> </p><p><br /></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>I know, not all are lucky but in</i><i>stead of being surrounded by brands and sponsors hungry to have their share in your success, somewhere one needs to confide into our close friends, our family who know us well and are there for us, rooting and watching out for our well-being. I still remember talking to a long time friend after years, who is now residing in US. He struggled to find the right words to tell me, how difficult it is to find someone to talk to, with whom conversations are bliss and you can open up to them, without being judged or scrutinised. Surprising however it might appear, it's true for people having a hard time being extroverts or well versed with what they've got to say or even being barely expressive. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Sexist bullies and domineering arrogant men like Piers Morgan, host on 'Good morning Britain' always preying on others' vulnerabilities, often getting worked up whenever they see a strong and opinionated woman. He says Osaka’s “cynical exploitation of mental health to silence the media is right from Meghan & Harry playbook of wanting their press cake and eating it.” Remind you, he went after Meghan Markle in a similar fashion when she revealed, how complications in royal household led her to suicidal thoughts, during an interview with Oprah. When Morgan was called out by a “Good Morning Britain” colleague for trashing the Duchess, he walked straight out off the set and ultimately left the show, getting a taste of his own medicine. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>These old vindictive men, chairing top posts in federations must apologise for their apathy. If they soon don't come up with practical solutions, then they are losing a valuable opportunity to make an impact that resonates well with sports fraternity. They need to grow up and learn to appreciate our athletes, who are actual human beings and who might as well have real world issues. </i></div></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p></blockquote><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><i style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>To sum up, in words of 16-year-old WTA star Coco Gauff "It's essential people get involved, because they're seeing how much politics can affect their lives and their freedoms," which goes in sync with Zina Garrison when she said "We can't focus on what someone's going to give us, All we can do is be there for so long that you just can't deny it." In other words, we can snatch our freedom right from the hands of the oppressors if they keep denying it. All we've got to do is, to be persistent enough! </i></div></i><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkFiOf-fnDrAMQg6GhpCb_y5nCueHYHLWQMRYzX1mPDp4U1xs4cV_ug_DkTIozg5pp6Or2VGMtzG_sfYjIDDog0YDWIvr8do33ujvApPZVjtinaYDgRqqrALKKm0kwm0twquTmpoT4o4/s766/15-53-18-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="766" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkFiOf-fnDrAMQg6GhpCb_y5nCueHYHLWQMRYzX1mPDp4U1xs4cV_ug_DkTIozg5pp6Or2VGMtzG_sfYjIDDog0YDWIvr8do33ujvApPZVjtinaYDgRqqrALKKm0kwm0twquTmpoT4o4/s320/15-53-18-images.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKULsrjBR3LibA5G6725NaVLALiVO-D90TddmosF1dOCohfd3kb6CJlWcB3YHumCcPZzjXAeOyzgPIW9_gg1ibilUC132Tji5AG541kGo0zhl7DyLlc7fdyodcDXyrp6YpEVrkPTeoSb0/s400/15-54-15-caste-cover.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKULsrjBR3LibA5G6725NaVLALiVO-D90TddmosF1dOCohfd3kb6CJlWcB3YHumCcPZzjXAeOyzgPIW9_gg1ibilUC132Tji5AG541kGo0zhl7DyLlc7fdyodcDXyrp6YpEVrkPTeoSb0/s320/15-54-15-caste-cover.jpeg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fVpNUMoeQI1QJU2bPA_GEd5nvwsawPFnF3KWI-WX9PaOq6wALEExZTVNv_tCL_QN006xx9u9jliaUtS1jOyzh0SItz03qEHCGVVIayC4XukDrNFh3pkYKpSX8YbQLLPcSbXHoixxccQ/s687/15-53-54-images_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="687" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fVpNUMoeQI1QJU2bPA_GEd5nvwsawPFnF3KWI-WX9PaOq6wALEExZTVNv_tCL_QN006xx9u9jliaUtS1jOyzh0SItz03qEHCGVVIayC4XukDrNFh3pkYKpSX8YbQLLPcSbXHoixxccQ/s320/15-53-54-images_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></span></span><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVAq9F6l5kRyG3p66vM1Gf4AYxlKzd8-si3RdLSYtGDUN5mmXrvxgsPpkhp8Moa-7CDbBSPgalOC95PoIqmamsf2XCjyJeIdkqVORpiyubPVN06v8skjMZkvjUOokgEi9MOwbFHcQ66s/s1024/15-52-23-E2sLR7VXEAI62Ww.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="811" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVAq9F6l5kRyG3p66vM1Gf4AYxlKzd8-si3RdLSYtGDUN5mmXrvxgsPpkhp8Moa-7CDbBSPgalOC95PoIqmamsf2XCjyJeIdkqVORpiyubPVN06v8skjMZkvjUOokgEi9MOwbFHcQ66s/s320/15-52-23-E2sLR7VXEAI62Ww.jpg" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKm50ImCe2saLvbNz9Il23xXfKK1uGp1VldlsxKltUYTdGaXu3Gv_CGP81CqwE81wpfvBZhJQt19H7mAJ491tarNsGb2BzjxIvd964zPMt_Lhcanmj0nS4utB60Yxa2Pxz9-K9kqmCzkM/s669/15-52-53-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="669" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKm50ImCe2saLvbNz9Il23xXfKK1uGp1VldlsxKltUYTdGaXu3Gv_CGP81CqwE81wpfvBZhJQt19H7mAJ491tarNsGb2BzjxIvd964zPMt_Lhcanmj0nS4utB60Yxa2Pxz9-K9kqmCzkM/s320/15-52-53-images.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p>Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-39367748960839930102021-05-29T16:20:00.021+05:302021-05-31T14:42:12.787+05:30Did you do it? - How Arrival of Migratory Birds, Cyclone, Summers, Superstition and Red-wattled lapwing are related. <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br id="docs-internal-guid-31d84dc2-7fff-fb3f-3b2e-01a4f2f5c510" /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>With the arrival of month of May, the advent of a hot blazing summer was bound to occur. Then came the mid of the month, where the warmth was taken over by humid, scorching heat and no gusty wind. The days were brutal but the nights too didn't offer the expected relief fromsolar wrath. Mornings escaped like sweet summer child and transformed into Helios by noon, riding across the radiant sky in a chariot until the dusk, settling above the horizon. We, earthlings are cursed to suffer the fury till the monsoon arrives, when the sky will gradually turn part cloudy with plenty of rains and thunder shower, hoping that mercury level will decline after sometime. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxjpxb9s2RRgWUo_haHwcMBh0i5cvt2Cyk4nGqF4Gg7uRkiRo3eVaykt6h2qXnfSe5HHMI92IA1xnGXpRn878-ws8NtYHk5L1-yH5rYBe6Y_zsaDfEIoJk1LcTKmWajnEiL9FgGXM5tw/s450/15-13-20-71110017-image-of-flock-bird-flying-in-the-sky-wild-animals-red-wattled-lapwing-_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img alt="Arrival of migratory birds including the Red wattled lapwing in Northern part of India from western Asia into the Indian subcontinent." border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="450" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFxjpxb9s2RRgWUo_haHwcMBh0i5cvt2Cyk4nGqF4Gg7uRkiRo3eVaykt6h2qXnfSe5HHMI92IA1xnGXpRn878-ws8NtYHk5L1-yH5rYBe6Y_zsaDfEIoJk1LcTKmWajnEiL9FgGXM5tw/w320-h213/15-13-20-71110017-image-of-flock-bird-flying-in-the-sky-wild-animals-red-wattled-lapwing-_1.jpg" title="Arrival of migratory birds including the Red wattled lapwing in Northern part of India from western Asia into the Indian subcontinent." width="320" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Arrival of migratory birds including the Red wattled lapwing in Northern part of India from western Asia into the Indian subcontinent. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Anyways, since the last two days, the weather turned a little pleasant. Occasional showers and lashing thunder, played peekaboo in the evening sky. It rained but not the incessant and heavy sort. After the heavy rains prediction for next couple of days, due to Yaas cyclone, now I really hope it won't damage our cherished Malihabadi Dussehri orchards which are home to mangoes, having exquisite taste, aroma and juicy flavour. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Cyclone ‘Yaas’ completed its landfall Wednesday morning near Odisha’s Dhamra port. After Tauktae, cyclone ‘Yaas’ is the second super cyclone to hit an Indian coast in just a week. Following Tauktae and Yaas, the next cyclonic storm erupting out of the Indian Ocean will be named ‘Gulaab’.</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Yaas, named by Oman, means Jasmine-like tree with sweet fragrance. What? The havoc it has wrecked in coastal areas isn't what the name suggests. Weird! Whereas Tauktae was a Burmese name meaning 'gecko' highly vocal lizard. No offence to the organism but the name at least looks relatable. Following the two, the next cyclonic storm ‘Gulaab’ or a rose, has been already named by Pakistan. How deceptive and totally not done! Rose? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Folks come on!! It's like naming your stubborn and rambunctious kid, 'Adarsh' or the idol one. See? I remember in high school, the English teacher appointed the most notorious boy in our class as the class monitor. Most unforgettable person of our batch. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>We had a discussion on snakes one day in the class and this boy returned from Australia after a summer visit. He told everyone in the class that he saw varieties of snakes in Australia. When the teacher asked, "OK which species of snake are you talking about?'' This fellow removed two desks from the classroom, bent down and literally rolled and wriggled all over the class floor like a snake, in order to demonstrate the snake's wriggling movements 'accurately' to all. We were speechless, flabbergasted and died laughing that day, readers. (Which snake? Only he might have known as we never got to know because no one ever asked. It was too hilarious for us and tongue in cheek kind of situation for him.) My stomach hurts to this day, thinking about the class monitor incident. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Anyways, we were on summers and then we transitioned to rain and cyclone and snakes! </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>So, last week we saw the arrival of birds taking flight across the globe, flapping their feathers, singing songs of migration. Commemorating the arrival of numerous migratory bird species between their summer nesting habitats in the west to India including Pelicans, Plovers, Falcons, Hawks etc. International Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of May (May 8, this year). People are encouraged to come out in the open and observe the visit of these birds for summering, breeding and feeding grounds. These vagabonds travel thousands of miles each year. This year, the theme of International Migratory Bird Day was “Sing, Fly, Soar Like a Bird”. Inspiring! Right? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Listen here - </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9iJScyiuuAI" width="320" youtube-src-id="9iJScyiuuAI"></iframe></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><i><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></i></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>But dried wetlands due to inadequate monsoon & delay in the onset of winter in Central Asia poses a threat to their existence. Some of the Wildlife Sanctuary wetlands have shown marked decrease this year with only half of the birds making it to the sanctuary. Eg Hastinapur, Bijnor etc. Reduced wetlands has resulted in shrinking habitats of these birds. Mass mortality or deaths was also observed this year when bar-headed geese whose large population was found dead in Pong Dam lake wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh. Back in January, large number of red-wattled lapwing. 53 birds were found dead on Kharo reservoir bank in Junagad. Later found that the cause of death was Avian Flu. Authorities negligence was undeniable as they kept Informing the media that it was food poisoning which was denied after the medical examination. Later, carcasses of five egrets and four crows were also recovered from Junagad. With this, Gujarat recorded its first confirmed case of avian flu and migratory birds are at a greater risk of infection. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqSkV7wKKqZoOZqaGSIJUoY1aMbJ8y_b2yUEB0LhHmlWkQc9FlIgvDvKOsYUFerPFx6L6oMYAJJrivzSFVc0vyjUJtrStKZEadlyTpBQLt6QRxvwK0QOn1kx4LQeRYwIdOmNugQiQWe4/s1593/15-47-32-Untitled-design.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1593" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqSkV7wKKqZoOZqaGSIJUoY1aMbJ8y_b2yUEB0LhHmlWkQc9FlIgvDvKOsYUFerPFx6L6oMYAJJrivzSFVc0vyjUJtrStKZEadlyTpBQLt6QRxvwK0QOn1kx4LQeRYwIdOmNugQiQWe4/s320/15-47-32-Untitled-design.png" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #575757; hyphens: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; width: 329.091px;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0c0c0c; margin: 0px 0px 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; white-space: pre-wrap;">Avian habitats include receding shore-line (for lapwings, egrets, Grey Herons, Purple Herons); open deep water (mainly for grebes and cormorants); dry sand banks with little or no vegetation (for stone curlews and pratincoles); waterside vegetation and swamps below the out-fall from the dam (warblers, babblers, munias, kingfishers, moorhens, herons and predators); and shallow water at the reservoir margin for dabbling ducks such as pintails, shovellers, gadwalls and wigeon.</span></i></span></p></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> Just a day before, Bird flu gets confirmed at farm in Punjab’s Ludhiana, 90,000 birds are to be culled. While the world is grieving and coping with the spread of corona. 2020 witnessed an explosion in bird flu cases. Already Reported in 46 Countries, Researchers are warning about the next pandemic ahead of 2021. In Japan 9.6 million chicken/ducks have been culled. In Poland too, similar news have been reported. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZHjK1lCeLLBcd4PLJLcwJBWCJknx9lKV71AdwfxNysruzmD5FinhYAC7EPIX8l2id9f4m4ta9X3nRmZAOcov5NV0oteODBqZz0eJiQrkU7Ffqt7XUMasNLTOraLC6vscKGG6-iCJsjI/s1080/IMG_20210529_160728.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="1080" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZHjK1lCeLLBcd4PLJLcwJBWCJknx9lKV71AdwfxNysruzmD5FinhYAC7EPIX8l2id9f4m4ta9X3nRmZAOcov5NV0oteODBqZz0eJiQrkU7Ffqt7XUMasNLTOraLC6vscKGG6-iCJsjI/s320/IMG_20210529_160728.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Several of the H5Ny AIVs have zoonotic and pandemic potential as they can cross the species barrier, transmitting to mammals, including humans. Eurasia and Africa are experiencing a new wave of highly pathogenic H5Ny AIV outbreaks. Due to Zoonotic potential or ability to transfer from animals to humans, of AIVs requires continuous vigilance to prevent spillovers that could result in disastrous pandemics. Awareness, outreach and personal protection measures, during influenza season, while keeping away from wild birds, and avoiding hunting and eating wild and migratory birds must be done to remain on a safer side. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Lineage of the Avian flu virus and prediction for the future. </i></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkToLJ_9xvtdAOjPov_RrJiyQiXg0CXEd3RGrMmcQw1VxiF2tugImw6zlChMnHpQUsLwtG-qinY-42gONVtOjmy_o7okVIPA4rsvu_465C0ePwkjYyN6dV_U0nKnNiDw8n8b8OTnMyx88/s1280/F1.large_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img alt="Lineage of the Avian flu virus and prediction for the future" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="689" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkToLJ_9xvtdAOjPov_RrJiyQiXg0CXEd3RGrMmcQw1VxiF2tugImw6zlChMnHpQUsLwtG-qinY-42gONVtOjmy_o7okVIPA4rsvu_465C0ePwkjYyN6dV_U0nKnNiDw8n8b8OTnMyx88/w215-h400/F1.large_1.jpg" title="Lineage of the Avian flu virus and prediction for the future" width="215" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>How the first human infection case for H5N8 reported in Russia 2020. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Human cases of the virus have also been discovered in recent times. After an outbreak of the avian flu in Russia in December 2020, seven people on a farm in South Russia had signs of infection – representing first time H5N8, ever to be found in humans. The most vulnerable animals to H5N8 are different kinds of birds including farmed chicken/ducks, the wild and migratory birds are at a greater risk. </i></span></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>As I gaze the evening sky and for long, follow the storks and cranes, flying together in symmetry, shrieking in their shilling voices retuning to their resting spots, I wonder how we, as humans couldn't do enough for controlling the pandemic. Whether it's wet markets, lab leakage, zoonotic spillovers or our own selfish interests in not acknowledging the blunders, end results are straight out of an apocalypse zombie thriller. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The empty sky when gets more darker and all other birds have returned, there comes a shrill sound sustained for too long, singing in a top note while, cursing and questioning us - </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>"Did you do it? Did you do it? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Did you? Did you.. really do it? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>If you do it, why you do it? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Did you? Did you.. really do it?" </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqGth6CR-aL68dVG4vryC3A5tGFK0TOImdDx_zYOoeK36sgtiIQjHfremHqbQaS4fVPrT3326_mzQhBSX7SGTwnQaq_FMk5b14DZAcNLPplY-oI5jGTGKYsyRN-D_6chFLznKN95-ukQ/s2048/IMG_20210527_153857_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img alt="With the arrival of month of May, the advent of a hot blazing summer was bound to happen. Then came the mid of the month, where the warmth was taken over by humid, scorching and no gusty wind. The days were brutal but the nights too didn't offer the expected relief from the solar wrath. Mornings escaped like sweet summer child and transformed into Helios by the noon, riding across the radiant sky in a chariot until the dusk and settling above the horizon. We, earthlings are cursed to suffer the fury till the monsoon arrives, when the sky will gradually turn part cloudy with plenty of rains and thunder showers and mercury level will decline for sometime. Arrival of migratory birds including the Red wattled lapwing in Northern part of India from western Asia into the Indian subcontinent. Arrival of migratory birds including the Red wattled lapwing in Northern part of India from western Asia into the Indian subcontinent. Anyways, since the last two days, the weather turned a little pleasant. Occasional showers and lashing thunder, played peekaboo in the evening sky. It rained but not the incessant and heavy sort. After the heavy rains prediction for next couple of days, due to Yaas cyclone, now I really hope it won't damage our cherished Malihabadi Dussehri orchards which are home to mangoes, having exquisite taste, aroma and juicy flavour. Cyclone ‘Yaas’ completed its landfall Wednesday morning near Odisha’s Dhamra port. After Tauktae, cyclone ‘Yaas’ is the second super cyclone to hit an Indian coast in just a week. Following Tauktae and Yaas, the next cyclonic storm erupting out of the Indian Ocean will be named ‘Gulaab’. Yaas, named by Oman, means Jasmine-like tree with sweet fragrance. What? The havoc it has wrecked in coastal areas isn't what the name suggests. Weird! Whereas Tauktae was a Burmese name meaning 'gecko' highly vocal lizard. No offence to the organism but the name at least looks relatable. Following the two, the next cyclonic storm ‘Gulaab’ or a rose, has been already named by Pakistan. How deceptive and totally not done! Rose? Folks come on!! It's like naming your stubborn and rambunctious kid, Adarsh or the idol one. See? I remember in high school, the English teacher appointed the most notorious boy in our class as the class monitor. Most unforgettable person of our batch. We had a discussion on snakes one day in the class and this boy returned from Australia after a summer visit. He told everyone in the class that he saw snakes in Australia. When the teacher asked, "OK which species of snake are you talking about?'' This fellow removed two desks from the classroom, bent down and literally rolled all over the class floor like a snake, in order to demonstrate the snake's wriggling movements 'accurately' to all. We were speechless, flabbergasted and died laughing that day, readers. (Which snake? Only he might have known as we never got to know because no one ever asked. It was too hilarious and tongue in cheek kind of situation.) My stomach hurts to this day, thinking about the class monitor incident. Anyways, we were on summers and then we transitioned to rain and cyclone and snakes! So, last week we also saw the arrival of birds taking flight across the globe, flapping their feathers, singing songs of migration. Commemorating the arrival of numerous migratory bird species between their summer nesting habitats in the west to India including Pelicans, Plovers, Falcons, Hawks etc. International Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of May (May 8, this year). People are encouraged to come out in the open and observe the visit of these birds for summering, breeding and feeding grounds. These vagabonds travel thousands of miles each year. This year, the theme of International Migratory Bird Day was “Sing, Fly, Soar Like a Bird”. Inspiring! Right? Listen here - But dried wetlands due to inadequate monsoon & delay in the onset of winter in Central Asia poses a threat to their existence. Some of the Wildlife Sanctuary wetlands have shown marked decrease this year with only half of the birds making it to the sanctuary. Eg Hastinapur, Bijnor etc. Reduced wetlands has resulted in shrinking habitats of these birds. Mass mortality or deaths was also observed this year when bar-headed geese whose large population was found dead in Pong Dam lake wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh. Back in January, large number of red-wattled lapwing. 53 birds were found dead on Kharo reservoir bank in Junagad. Later found that the cause of death was Avian Flu. Authorities negligence was undeniable as they kept Informing the media that it was food poisoning which was denied after the medical examination. Later, carcasses of five egrets and four crows were also recovered from Junagad. With this, Gujarat recorded its first confirmed case of avian flu and migratory birds are at a greater risk of infection. Avian habitats include receding shore-line (for lapwings, egrets, Grey Herons, Purple Herons); open deep water (mainly for grebes and cormorants); dry sand banks with little or no vegetation (for stone curlews and pratincoles); waterside vegetation and swamps below the out-fall from the dam (warblers, babblers, munias, kingfishers, moorhens, herons and predators); and shallow water at the reservoir margin for dabbling ducks such as pintails, shovellers, gadwalls and wigeon. Just a day before, Bird flu gets confirmed at farm in Punjab’s Ludhiana, 90,000 birds are to be culled. While the world is grieving and coping with the spread of corona. 2020 witnessed an explosion in bird flu cases. Already Reported in 46 Countries, Researchers are warning about the next pandemic ahead of 2021. In Japan 9.6 million chicken/ducks have been culled. In Poland too, similar news have been reported. Several of the H5Ny AIVs have zoonotic and pandemic potential as they can cross the species barrier, transmitting to mammals, including humans. Eurasia and Africa are experiencing a new wave of highly pathogenic H5Ny AIV outbreaks. Due to Zoonotic potential or ability to transfer from animals to humans, of AIVs requires continuous vigilance to prevent spillovers that could result in disastrous pandemics. Awareness, outreach and personal protection measures, during influenza season, while keeping away from wild birds, and avoiding hunting and eating wild and migratory birds must be done to remain on a safer side. Lineage of the Avian flu virus and prediction for the future. Lineage of the Avian flu virus and prediction for the future How the first human infection case for H5N8 reported in Russia 2020. Human cases of the virus have also been discovered in recent times. After an outbreak of the avian flu in Russia in December 2020, seven people on a farm in South Russia had signs of infection – representing first time H5N8, ever to be found in humans. The most vulnerable animals to H5N8 are different kinds of birds including farmed chicken/ducks, the wild and migratory birds are at a greater risk. As I gaze at the evening sky and long stare at the storks and cranes, flying together in symmetry, shrieking in their shilling voices retuning to their resting spots, I wonder how we, as humans couldn't do enough for controlling the pandemic. Whether it's wet markets, lab leakage, zoonotic spillovers or our own selfish interests in not acknowledging the blunders, end results are straight out of an apocalypse zombie thriller. The empty sky when gets more darker and all other birds have returned, there comes a shrill sound sustained for too long, singing in a top note while, cursing and questioning us - "Did you do it? Did you do it? Did you? Did you.. really do it? If you do it, why you do it? Did you? Did you.. really do it?" I had just finished my lunch the previous day. Though it was bit early, I felt relieved to not wait till late noon as it was humid as well as hot day. Suddenly I heard do it.. do it...sound alternately so I ran to my balcony and was surprised to see the pair hopping, flying and running in the park. It was too hot and they were shrieking way too much as if searching for something and digging around. One of them found a cement mound to sit but the other one was just so restless. I sprayed some soaked peas towards them which they ate hesitantly. Then walked and flew towards the banana plant and sat under the shed. That was a good choice as it had plenty of small insects and moisture for them to choose. They stayed for an hour and then flew away. May be they were deserted from their group or intentionally searching for nesting ground. That's the red wattled lapwing, or “did-you-do-it” bird which casts an unforgettable impression in both the urban as well as rural landscape, whenever it flies over anyone's home or terrace. Accusatory, yet known for it's ceaseless vigil and alertness in the vast sky, leaving the trails of collected intelligence for the other migratory birds, like a freedom fighter igniting the hearts of fellow citizens or the woke investigative journalists and non fiction writers, questioning the current status of the government, asking the self anointed Prime Minister to hold a decent press conference. Yes, a decent one, which he never did in seven years of taking hold of the office. Where there was self promotional PR events on hijacked community radios but never came face to face with the national media that would've held him accountable for his failed tenure, riots in the western state, mob lynching by his vigilants in streets of the country, unleashing online hate campaigns on dissenters by trolls, over night diktat to dissolve the national currency, forcing the downtrodden and rural folks to die in lines outside the banks, in roads in summer waiting to get their currency replaced by the new one. All because the naked emperor wanted to be the messiah of the majoritarian state where the "tribals and dalit lives matter" only on his manifesto, before the elections. Poor died on streets walking thousands of kilometres home under the sun after an unannounced lockdown, cancelling trains and bus services the very minute of announcements. The poor died of hunger, of broken heart, of no prospect to feed his family. At least, the voices of these migratory birds force us to think, how these tiny creatures piercing calls are enough to shake the sky. Questioning us for our silence, our own actions, for our failure in addressing the issues of climate change and shrinking ecosystems. So, why don't we question governments in our own country? If the tiny bird has so much courage what stops us citizens then? Cowardice or self obsession? The cycle of exploitation needs to be broken at one point. At least Red wattled lapwing reminded me and the families in vicinity this summer. Interestingly Lapwing’s Tamil name is “aalkatti” or “one who points out people” as it quickly detects any intruder in its territory and raises a loud alarm that alerts all creatures nearby. Interesting! Right? It is definitely not a favourite of poachers and hunters who rely on deception to capture their prey. Take the clue for up coming elections y'all. Exploiters and imposters need to be shown the exit door and trialed internationally for their mass murders, series of communal riots, unethical surveillance of it's own citizen, siphoning money out national treasury or banks and embezzlement of national wealth in name of PM care funds when there was already PM relief funds for national donation during disasters or pandemic, misuse of power by slapping the students, scholars, writers with sedition charges. Who is the traitor suckling wealth and life from it's own nation? We truly need constant reminders because we have short lived memories and habit of moving on too easily. "Oh dear Lapwings! When will we raise our voices like you do? With red, fleshy protuberances near your round eyes, back and wings in dull brown, with two white bars on your wings so distinctly visible from above, When you fly, it's so breathtaking." Lapwings nest on the ground. It's the perfect breeding season from summer till the monsoon. I hope to see them soon and hear them more often. In western parts of India, superstitious beliefs still exists that if lapwing picks lower ground to make its nest, monsoon would be poor. In an absurd superstitious incident, khap panchayat, a self organised village level council, ordered a 5 year old girl Khushboo, who accidentally stepped on the birds egg who happened to lay it on the ground in camouflaged manner and not to enter the house for 3 days, while isolating her in a hut in the backyard. Enrolled in class 1 of a government school in Haripura where the school children were being distributed milk for the first time under the Annapurna milk scheme in school, Meena was happy that her child will get to consume milk in school every day. While standing in the queue the girl mistakenly stepped on the egg shell of Titihari (Red Wattled Lapwing). Soon, a large crowd surrounded her screaming, that the child had committed a sin by stepping onto the egg remains. She was therefore, forced by the caste panchayat to stay away from her house for ten days. Her mom, Meena said the punishment was extended to 11 days when the girl’s father, a daily wager, confronted the khap for his child, refused to accept the diktat. Khusboo’s family was forced to distribute five-kilogram namkeen (snacks) and grams in the village as part of a ritual for pardon. Shameful and unacceptable act! How can he afford to distribute expensive snacks to pair up with your desi liquor or relinquishments for your greed and desire and also for the whole village, when the father of the child barely managed to feed his wife pregnant with her unborn child and the daughter, two meals a day. The witch hunt didn't stop here, the panchayat later ordered the entire village to shun the family and not to assist or help Meena with the pregnancy due after a few months. Don't know how much protection the Lapwings are getting from these absurd inhumane beliefs but the opportunists and monstrous lot are readily ceasing opportunities to use it for unleashing caste level atrocities and discrimination. This gives enough thought for us to ponder over our belief systems that doesn't treat humans as humans but worst than animals. If we observe closely, Lapwings also go through elaborate charades to distract potential enemies, squatting on imaginary nests that are far away from the real ones. During the summer months, when ground temperatures shoot up, lapwings go for a belly soaking. They squat for nearly ten minutes in puddle or nearby water body to absorb plenty of moisture. When they return to their nests, body temperature gets regulated, cools their eggs, supplies drinking water for hatchlings. Lapwing chicks are quick to develop and soon leave the nests to fly and soar, like their parents do. Irony! Khushboo had to face the discrimination when kids of her age visit museums, amusements parks, travel the world with their parents. Hoping for the world to be little kinder and understanding for not so privileged kids, having humble origins from dalit and tribal communities in India. May be, we need lapwings as our conscience keeper if our core doesn't get awakened knowing what the children face in third world countries with broken systems, discrimination and exploiting government, ceasing every opportunity to play politics over the death of the folks from endangered communities. Those who are silently watching the trauma unfold, those who are plagued by bystanders complex and those who passively or actively support the actions of apartheid state, will never be able to look in the eyes of the children and say, "I am not the one to exploit you. I am not the one to support actions that discriminate one citizen from the other. I condemn the actions of those who reap benefits from your stolen childhood. I did not do it." “Did-you-do-it” isn't just a question it's a war cry, looking right into the exploiters eye for the answers. As I returned back from my evening walk, the sky turned darker with clouds in grey and pale black moving from one end to another. It will rain today, little heavier than the last one. Pair of lapwings are in a hurry, flapping their wings faster and screaming louder than ever, returning to their homes. Meanwhile, alerting the rest of us about the downpour and questioning one more time, "Did you do it? Did you do it? Did you? Did you.. really do it? If you do it, why you do it? Did you? Did you.. really do it?" Premonitions aren't unusual in folklores and urban legends. Who knows, may be the change is about to come, if we earnestly wish to be the agent of the real change. Sky looks darker than a few moments back. Songs of migration and movement, can long be heard after the birds departure, with reminiscences occasionally interrupted by flash and thunder. I too believe now that the Change will surely come. Soon.. You and I can sense that!" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1152" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqGth6CR-aL68dVG4vryC3A5tGFK0TOImdDx_zYOoeK36sgtiIQjHfremHqbQaS4fVPrT3326_mzQhBSX7SGTwnQaq_FMk5b14DZAcNLPplY-oI5jGTGKYsyRN-D_6chFLznKN95-ukQ/w180-h320/IMG_20210527_153857_1.jpg" title="With the arrival of month of May, the advent of a hot blazing summer was bound to happen. Then came the mid of the month, where the warmth was taken over by humid, scorching and no gusty wind. The days were brutal but the nights too didn't offer the expected relief from the solar wrath. Mornings escaped like sweet summer child and transformed into Helios by the noon, riding across the radiant sky in a chariot until the dusk and settling above the horizon. We, earthlings are cursed to suffer the fury till the monsoon arrives, when the sky will gradually turn part cloudy with plenty of rains and thunder showers and mercury level will decline for sometime. Arrival of migratory birds including the Red wattled lapwing in Northern part of India from western Asia into the Indian subcontinent. Arrival of migratory birds including the Red wattled lapwing in Northern part of India from western Asia into the Indian subcontinent. Anyways, since the last two days, the weather turned a little pleasant. Occasional showers and lashing thunder, played peekaboo in the evening sky. It rained but not the incessant and heavy sort. After the heavy rains prediction for next couple of days, due to Yaas cyclone, now I really hope it won't damage our cherished Malihabadi Dussehri orchards which are home to mangoes, having exquisite taste, aroma and juicy flavour. Cyclone ‘Yaas’ completed its landfall Wednesday morning near Odisha’s Dhamra port. After Tauktae, cyclone ‘Yaas’ is the second super cyclone to hit an Indian coast in just a week. Following Tauktae and Yaas, the next cyclonic storm erupting out of the Indian Ocean will be named ‘Gulaab’. Yaas, named by Oman, means Jasmine-like tree with sweet fragrance. What? The havoc it has wrecked in coastal areas isn't what the name suggests. Weird! Whereas Tauktae was a Burmese name meaning 'gecko' highly vocal lizard. No offence to the organism but the name at least looks relatable. Following the two, the next cyclonic storm ‘Gulaab’ or a rose, has been already named by Pakistan. How deceptive and totally not done! Rose? Folks come on!! It's like naming your stubborn and rambunctious kid, Adarsh or the idol one. See? I remember in high school, the English teacher appointed the most notorious boy in our class as the class monitor. Most unforgettable person of our batch. We had a discussion on snakes one day in the class and this boy returned from Australia after a summer visit. He told everyone in the class that he saw snakes in Australia. When the teacher asked, "OK which species of snake are you talking about?'' This fellow removed two desks from the classroom, bent down and literally rolled all over the class floor like a snake, in order to demonstrate the snake's wriggling movements 'accurately' to all. We were speechless, flabbergasted and died laughing that day, readers. (Which snake? Only he might have known as we never got to know because no one ever asked. It was too hilarious and tongue in cheek kind of situation.) My stomach hurts to this day, thinking about the class monitor incident. Anyways, we were on summers and then we transitioned to rain and cyclone and snakes! So, last week we also saw the arrival of birds taking flight across the globe, flapping their feathers, singing songs of migration. Commemorating the arrival of numerous migratory bird species between their summer nesting habitats in the west to India including Pelicans, Plovers, Falcons, Hawks etc. International Migratory Bird Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of May (May 8, this year). People are encouraged to come out in the open and observe the visit of these birds for summering, breeding and feeding grounds. These vagabonds travel thousands of miles each year. This year, the theme of International Migratory Bird Day was “Sing, Fly, Soar Like a Bird”. Inspiring! Right? Listen here - But dried wetlands due to inadequate monsoon & delay in the onset of winter in Central Asia poses a threat to their existence. Some of the Wildlife Sanctuary wetlands have shown marked decrease this year with only half of the birds making it to the sanctuary. Eg Hastinapur, Bijnor etc. Reduced wetlands has resulted in shrinking habitats of these birds. Mass mortality or deaths was also observed this year when bar-headed geese whose large population was found dead in Pong Dam lake wildlife sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh. Back in January, large number of red-wattled lapwing. 53 birds were found dead on Kharo reservoir bank in Junagad. Later found that the cause of death was Avian Flu. Authorities negligence was undeniable as they kept Informing the media that it was food poisoning which was denied after the medical examination. Later, carcasses of five egrets and four crows were also recovered from Junagad. With this, Gujarat recorded its first confirmed case of avian flu and migratory birds are at a greater risk of infection. Avian habitats include receding shore-line (for lapwings, egrets, Grey Herons, Purple Herons); open deep water (mainly for grebes and cormorants); dry sand banks with little or no vegetation (for stone curlews and pratincoles); waterside vegetation and swamps below the out-fall from the dam (warblers, babblers, munias, kingfishers, moorhens, herons and predators); and shallow water at the reservoir margin for dabbling ducks such as pintails, shovellers, gadwalls and wigeon. Just a day before, Bird flu gets confirmed at farm in Punjab’s Ludhiana, 90,000 birds are to be culled. While the world is grieving and coping with the spread of corona. 2020 witnessed an explosion in bird flu cases. Already Reported in 46 Countries, Researchers are warning about the next pandemic ahead of 2021. In Japan 9.6 million chicken/ducks have been culled. In Poland too, similar news have been reported. Several of the H5Ny AIVs have zoonotic and pandemic potential as they can cross the species barrier, transmitting to mammals, including humans. Eurasia and Africa are experiencing a new wave of highly pathogenic H5Ny AIV outbreaks. Due to Zoonotic potential or ability to transfer from animals to humans, of AIVs requires continuous vigilance to prevent spillovers that could result in disastrous pandemics. Awareness, outreach and personal protection measures, during influenza season, while keeping away from wild birds, and avoiding hunting and eating wild and migratory birds must be done to remain on a safer side. Lineage of the Avian flu virus and prediction for the future. Lineage of the Avian flu virus and prediction for the future How the first human infection case for H5N8 reported in Russia 2020. Human cases of the virus have also been discovered in recent times. After an outbreak of the avian flu in Russia in December 2020, seven people on a farm in South Russia had signs of infection – representing first time H5N8, ever to be found in humans. The most vulnerable animals to H5N8 are different kinds of birds including farmed chicken/ducks, the wild and migratory birds are at a greater risk. As I gaze at the evening sky and long stare at the storks and cranes, flying together in symmetry, shrieking in their shilling voices retuning to their resting spots, I wonder how we, as humans couldn't do enough for controlling the pandemic. Whether it's wet markets, lab leakage, zoonotic spillovers or our own selfish interests in not acknowledging the blunders, end results are straight out of an apocalypse zombie thriller. The empty sky when gets more darker and all other birds have returned, there comes a shrill sound sustained for too long, singing in a top note while, cursing and questioning us - "Did you do it? Did you do it? Did you? Did you.. really do it? If you do it, why you do it? Did you? Did you.. really do it?" I had just finished my lunch the previous day. Though it was bit early, I felt relieved to not wait till late noon as it was humid as well as hot day. Suddenly I heard do it.. do it...sound alternately so I ran to my balcony and was surprised to see the pair hopping, flying and running in the park. It was too hot and they were shrieking way too much as if searching for something and digging around. One of them found a cement mound to sit but the other one was just so restless. I sprayed some soaked peas towards them which they ate hesitantly. Then walked and flew towards the banana plant and sat under the shed. That was a good choice as it had plenty of small insects and moisture for them to choose. They stayed for an hour and then flew away. May be they were deserted from their group or intentionally searching for nesting ground. That's the red wattled lapwing, or “did-you-do-it” bird which casts an unforgettable impression in both the urban as well as rural landscape, whenever it flies over anyone's home or terrace. Accusatory, yet known for it's ceaseless vigil and alertness in the vast sky, leaving the trails of collected intelligence for the other migratory birds, like a freedom fighter igniting the hearts of fellow citizens or the woke investigative journalists and non fiction writers, questioning the current status of the government, asking the self anointed Prime Minister to hold a decent press conference. Yes, a decent one, which he never did in seven years of taking hold of the office. Where there was self promotional PR events on hijacked community radios but never came face to face with the national media that would've held him accountable for his failed tenure, riots in the western state, mob lynching by his vigilants in streets of the country, unleashing online hate campaigns on dissenters by trolls, over night diktat to dissolve the national currency, forcing the downtrodden and rural folks to die in lines outside the banks, in roads in summer waiting to get their currency replaced by the new one. All because the naked emperor wanted to be the messiah of the majoritarian state where the "tribals and dalit lives matter" only on his manifesto, before the elections. Poor died on streets walking thousands of kilometres home under the sun after an unannounced lockdown, cancelling trains and bus services the very minute of announcements. The poor died of hunger, of broken heart, of no prospect to feed his family. At least, the voices of these migratory birds force us to think, how these tiny creatures piercing calls are enough to shake the sky. Questioning us for our silence, our own actions, for our failure in addressing the issues of climate change and shrinking ecosystems. So, why don't we question governments in our own country? If the tiny bird has so much courage what stops us citizens then? Cowardice or self obsession? The cycle of exploitation needs to be broken at one point. At least Red wattled lapwing reminded me and the families in vicinity this summer. Interestingly Lapwing’s Tamil name is “aalkatti” or “one who points out people” as it quickly detects any intruder in its territory and raises a loud alarm that alerts all creatures nearby. Interesting! Right? It is definitely not a favourite of poachers and hunters who rely on deception to capture their prey. Take the clue for up coming elections y'all. Exploiters and imposters need to be shown the exit door and trialed internationally for their mass murders, series of communal riots, unethical surveillance of it's own citizen, siphoning money out national treasury or banks and embezzlement of national wealth in name of PM care funds when there was already PM relief funds for national donation during disasters or pandemic, misuse of power by slapping the students, scholars, writers with sedition charges. Who is the traitor suckling wealth and life from it's own nation? We truly need constant reminders because we have short lived memories and habit of moving on too easily. "Oh dear Lapwings! When will we raise our voices like you do? With red, fleshy protuberances near your round eyes, back and wings in dull brown, with two white bars on your wings so distinctly visible from above, When you fly, it's so breathtaking." Lapwings nest on the ground. It's the perfect breeding season from summer till the monsoon. I hope to see them soon and hear them more often. In western parts of India, superstitious beliefs still exists that if lapwing picks lower ground to make its nest, monsoon would be poor. In an absurd superstitious incident, khap panchayat, a self organised village level council, ordered a 5 year old girl Khushboo, who accidentally stepped on the birds egg who happened to lay it on the ground in camouflaged manner and not to enter the house for 3 days, while isolating her in a hut in the backyard. Enrolled in class 1 of a government school in Haripura where the school children were being distributed milk for the first time under the Annapurna milk scheme in school, Meena was happy that her child will get to consume milk in school every day. While standing in the queue the girl mistakenly stepped on the egg shell of Titihari (Red Wattled Lapwing). Soon, a large crowd surrounded her screaming, that the child had committed a sin by stepping onto the egg remains. She was therefore, forced by the caste panchayat to stay away from her house for ten days. Her mom, Meena said the punishment was extended to 11 days when the girl’s father, a daily wager, confronted the khap for his child, refused to accept the diktat. Khusboo’s family was forced to distribute five-kilogram namkeen (snacks) and grams in the village as part of a ritual for pardon. Shameful and unacceptable act! How can he afford to distribute expensive snacks to pair up with your desi liquor or relinquishments for your greed and desire and also for the whole village, when the father of the child barely managed to feed his wife pregnant with her unborn child and the daughter, two meals a day. The witch hunt didn't stop here, the panchayat later ordered the entire village to shun the family and not to assist or help Meena with the pregnancy due after a few months. Don't know how much protection the Lapwings are getting from these absurd inhumane beliefs but the opportunists and monstrous lot are readily ceasing opportunities to use it for unleashing caste level atrocities and discrimination. This gives enough thought for us to ponder over our belief systems that doesn't treat humans as humans but worst than animals. If we observe closely, Lapwings also go through elaborate charades to distract potential enemies, squatting on imaginary nests that are far away from the real ones. During the summer months, when ground temperatures shoot up, lapwings go for a belly soaking. They squat for nearly ten minutes in puddle or nearby water body to absorb plenty of moisture. When they return to their nests, body temperature gets regulated, cools their eggs, supplies drinking water for hatchlings. Lapwing chicks are quick to develop and soon leave the nests to fly and soar, like their parents do. Irony! Khushboo had to face the discrimination when kids of her age visit museums, amusements parks, travel the world with their parents. Hoping for the world to be little kinder and understanding for not so privileged kids, having humble origins from dalit and tribal communities in India. May be, we need lapwings as our conscience keeper if our core doesn't get awakened knowing what the children face in third world countries with broken systems, discrimination and exploiting government, ceasing every opportunity to play politics over the death of the folks from endangered communities. Those who are silently watching the trauma unfold, those who are plagued by bystanders complex and those who passively or actively support the actions of apartheid state, will never be able to look in the eyes of the children and say, "I am not the one to exploit you. I am not the one to support actions that discriminate one citizen from the other. I condemn the actions of those who reap benefits from your stolen childhood. I did not do it." “Did-you-do-it” isn't just a question it's a war cry, looking right into the exploiters eye for the answers. As I returned back from my evening walk, the sky turned darker with clouds in grey and pale black moving from one end to another. It will rain today, little heavier than the last one. Pair of lapwings are in a hurry, flapping their wings faster and screaming louder than ever, returning to their homes. Meanwhile, alerting the rest of us about the downpour and questioning one more time, "Did you do it? Did you do it? Did you? Did you.. really do it? If you do it, why you do it? Did you? Did you.. really do it?" Premonitions aren't unusual in folklores and urban legends. Who knows, may be the change is about to come, if we earnestly wish to be the agent of the real change. Sky looks darker than a few moments back. Songs of migration and movement, can long be heard after the birds departure, with reminiscences occasionally interrupted by flash and thunder. I too believe now that the Change will surely come. Soon.. You and I can sense that!" width="180" /></i></span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>I had just finished my lunch the previous day. Though it was bit early, I felt relieved to not wait till late noon as it was humid as well as hot day. Suddenly I heard do it.. do it...sound alternately, I ran to my balcony and was surprised to see the pair hopping, flying and running in the park. It was too hot and they were shrieking, way too much as if searching for something and digging around. One of them found a cement mound to sit but the other one was just so restless. I threw a handful of some soaked peas towards them which they ate hesitantly. Then walked and flew towards the banana plant and sat under the shed. That was a good choice as the spot had plenty of small insects and moisture for them to choose from. They stayed for an hour and then flew away. May be they were deserted from their group or intentionally searching for nesting ground. </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVCtGiIb5wYi1kuR1CLvQ33jCW-vUpyT5kqkZ8Hi7sV__Ov-yLoRLtW5_ftsPbP_FkbFgqvXUK_UNlpGslGduJr-m9pyyZwau4ifuGhHm070zYEWTmxUjLW3hwHDARuF2iw94xk6Xy4E/s345/21-06-10-75934538-image-of-red-wattled-lapwing-bird-vanellus-indicus-on-green-grass-field-_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img alt="Red wattled lapwing is find of moisture and habitually soakes it's belly with lot of water to keep the summer heat away. Smart!" border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="345" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVCtGiIb5wYi1kuR1CLvQ33jCW-vUpyT5kqkZ8Hi7sV__Ov-yLoRLtW5_ftsPbP_FkbFgqvXUK_UNlpGslGduJr-m9pyyZwau4ifuGhHm070zYEWTmxUjLW3hwHDARuF2iw94xk6Xy4E/w320-h160/21-06-10-75934538-image-of-red-wattled-lapwing-bird-vanellus-indicus-on-green-grass-field-_1.jpg" title="Red wattled lapwing is find of moisture and habitually soakes it's belly with lot of water to keep the summer heat away. Smart!" width="320" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Red wattled lapwing is fond of moisture and habitually soakes it's belly with lot of water to keep the summer heat away. Smart! </i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsT9M4jC6z4oZ579M4QM5SKnRifz8EN4wndNUcvaLdhYfk7-8GiadAOL__NtfRfNjulHd-G7zTKSG5WfuVi0It96w0QTp5Lc_lEvx3MkmY80FawzD1wRkN7acdoybtwYhOkZhLeyXzysA/s1650/IMG_20210527_153611_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img alt="As they were strolling on the road, I was worried that they might get attacked due to stray dogs or get hit by the vehicle so I watched closely. I clicked them when they were bit relaxed and felt safe around." border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1650" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsT9M4jC6z4oZ579M4QM5SKnRifz8EN4wndNUcvaLdhYfk7-8GiadAOL__NtfRfNjulHd-G7zTKSG5WfuVi0It96w0QTp5Lc_lEvx3MkmY80FawzD1wRkN7acdoybtwYhOkZhLeyXzysA/w320-h320/IMG_20210527_153611_1.jpg" title="As they were strolling on the road, I was worried that they might get attacked due to stray dogs or get hit by the vehicle so I watched closely. I clicked them when they were bit relaxed and felt safe around." width="320" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>As they were strolling on the road, I was worried that they might get attacked due to stray dogs or get hit by the vehicle so I watched closely. I clicked them when they were bit relaxed and felt safe around. </i></span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>That's the red wattled lapwing, or “did-you-do-it” bird which casts an unforgettable impression in both the urban as well as rural landscape, whenever it flies over anyone's home or terrace. Accusatory, yet known for it's ceaseless vigil and alertness in the vast sky, leaving the trails of collected intelligence for the other migratory birds, like a freedom fighter igniting the hearts of fellow citizens or the woke investigative journalists and non fiction writers, questioning the current status of the government, asking the self anointed Prime Minister to hold a decent press conference. Yes, a decent one, which he never did in seven years of taking hold of the office. Where there was self promotional PR events on hijacked community radios but never came face to face with the national media that would've held him accountable for his failed tenure, riots in the western state, mob lynching by his vigilants in streets of the country, unleashing online hate campaigns on dissenters by trolls, over night diktat to dissolve the national currency, forcing the downtrodden and rural folks to die in lines outside the banks, in roads, in summer waiting to get their currency replaced by the new one. All because the naked emperor wanted to be the messiah of the majoritarian state where the "tribals and dalit lives matter" only on his manifesto, just before the elections. Poor died on streets walking thousands of kilometres home under the sun after an unannounced lockdown, cancelling trains and bus services the very minute of announcements. The poor died of hunger, of broken heart and of no prospect to feed his family. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>At least, the voices of these migratory birds force us to think, how these tiny creatures' piercing calls are enough to shake the sky. Questioning our silence, our own actions, our failure in addressing the issues of climate change and shrinking ecosystems. So, why don't we question governments in our own country? If the tiny bird has so much courage what stops us citizens then? Cowardice or self obsession? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The cycle of exploitation needs to be broken at one point. At least Red wattled lapwing reminded me and the families in vicinity this summer. Interestingly Lapwing’s Tamil name is “aalkatti” or “one who points out people” as it quickly detects any intruder in its territory and raises a loud alarm that alerts all creatures nearby. Interesting! Right? It is definitely not a favourite of poachers and hunters who rely on deception to capture their prey. Take the clue for up coming elections y'all. Exploiters and imposters need to be shown the exit door and trialed internationally for their mass murders, series of communal riots, unethical surveillance of it's own citizen, siphoning money out national treasury or banks and embezzlement of national wealth in name of PM care funds when there was already PM relief funds for national donation during disasters or pandemic, misuse of power by slapping the students, scholars, writers with sedition charges. Who is the traitor sucking wealth and life from it's own nation? We truly need constant reminders because we have short lived memories and habit of moving on too easily. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>"Oh dear Lapwings! When will we raise our voices like you do? With red, fleshy protuberances near your round eyes, back and wings in dull brown, with two white bars on your wings so distinctly visible from above, When you fly, it's so breathtaking."</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP93M1Rt7-vz_Fku7nHkBessffJcelEs7mc2O6n6rgE0cmA_xh28fabd1cRNa99zgdkejuY6w5pR-GymHbFv2LfBUukWKfac-HHY5ewSlQfEksRhcER5I216HqQ6M3AxcxPZQmg44eMT8/s659/15-11-44-images_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img alt="Red-wattled lapwing are often seen in pairs. They often take care of their eggs one by one and use different tactics to ward off predators." border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="659" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP93M1Rt7-vz_Fku7nHkBessffJcelEs7mc2O6n6rgE0cmA_xh28fabd1cRNa99zgdkejuY6w5pR-GymHbFv2LfBUukWKfac-HHY5ewSlQfEksRhcER5I216HqQ6M3AxcxPZQmg44eMT8/w320-h226/15-11-44-images_1.jpg" title="Red-wattled lapwing are often seen in pairs. They often take care of their eggs one by one and use different tactics to ward off predators." width="320" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Red-wattled lapwing are often seen in pairs. They often take care of their eggs one by one and use different tactics to ward off predators. </i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div></span><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MRaTTTG2OB7boOnQhrJ4SjuQgH5CzeCyVmWzgpNznRb_SwhY3oHslMAbESeDzBBv9yckEvyevlicoMEZsGd2F63Qj1Lfs6nQQi4k7qw_g3pKqfalhPf8sjGjnAXdzGammJ7r5XdxnE8/s390/15-19-35-three-eggs-redwattled-lapwing-ground-260nw-1974207029_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img alt="Lapwings eggs are perfect examples of camouflage. Though laying eggs on ground isn't very great decision for survival but they keep constant watch over they eggs to ensure security." border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="390" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MRaTTTG2OB7boOnQhrJ4SjuQgH5CzeCyVmWzgpNznRb_SwhY3oHslMAbESeDzBBv9yckEvyevlicoMEZsGd2F63Qj1Lfs6nQQi4k7qw_g3pKqfalhPf8sjGjnAXdzGammJ7r5XdxnE8/w320-h210/15-19-35-three-eggs-redwattled-lapwing-ground-260nw-1974207029_1.jpg" title="Lapwings eggs are perfect examples of camouflage. Though laying eggs on ground isn't very great decision for survival but they keep constant watch over they eggs to ensure security." width="320" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Lapwings eggs are perfect examples of camouflage. Though laying eggs on ground isn't very great decision for survival but they keep constant watch over they eggs to ensure security. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Lapwings nest on the ground. It's the perfect breeding season from summer till the monsoon. I hope to see them soon and hear them more often. In western parts of India, superstitious beliefs still exists that if lapwing picks lower ground to make its nest, monsoon would be poor.</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>In an absurd superstitious incident, khap panchayat, a self organised village level council, ordered a 5 year old girl Khushboo, who accidentally stepped on the birds egg who happened to lay it on the ground in camouflaged manner and not to enter the house for 3 days, while isolating her in a hut in the backyard. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9dLhKKGaIletXYhRYX93TfRwXe37UHLZzG_FQfiipEpRKaLbBBJgP1QpqtjbuXQk2NDjwEoVLJFr5E9U_GXu8FvYlkd_Zalq-6ObVlP5l_wrFmcfhUd7LGmvTvfPFONDja-k54SSZoo/s1162/IMG_20210529_160747.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9dLhKKGaIletXYhRYX93TfRwXe37UHLZzG_FQfiipEpRKaLbBBJgP1QpqtjbuXQk2NDjwEoVLJFr5E9U_GXu8FvYlkd_Zalq-6ObVlP5l_wrFmcfhUd7LGmvTvfPFONDja-k54SSZoo/s320/IMG_20210529_160747.jpg" /></i></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTJRp6PAyqCM6R74hfEJii7UkOkuHmKCqcpB2dFsuPWwRmAjTsCF2Ehbpqu5L-uuVAOXkrqOXvTNmABZ9mmKPNcJ5nu9XF6C5fPwlv82ZVS-JYAPfeyrr4GDpMcXt7gpFPp_leI54aLo/s1080/IMG_20210529_160808.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1080" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTJRp6PAyqCM6R74hfEJii7UkOkuHmKCqcpB2dFsuPWwRmAjTsCF2Ehbpqu5L-uuVAOXkrqOXvTNmABZ9mmKPNcJ5nu9XF6C5fPwlv82ZVS-JYAPfeyrr4GDpMcXt7gpFPp_leI54aLo/w200-h147/IMG_20210529_160808.jpg" width="200" /></i></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Enrolled in class 1 of a government school in Haripura where the school children were being distributed milk for the first time under the Annapurna milk scheme in school, Meena was happy that her child will get to consume milk in school every day. While standing in the queue the girl mistakenly stepped on the egg shell of Titihari (Red Wattled Lapwing). Soon, a large crowd surrounded her screaming, that the child had committed a sin by stepping onto the egg remains. She was therefore, forced by the caste panchayat to stay away from her house for ten days. Her mom, Meena said the punishment was extended to 11 days when the girl’s father, a daily wager, confronted the khap for his child, refused to accept the diktat.</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Khusboo’s family was forced to distribute five-kilogram namkeen (snacks) and grams in the village as part of a ritual for pardon. Shameful and unacceptable act! How can he afford to distribute expensive snacks to pair up with your desi liquor or relinquishments for your greed and desire and also for the whole village, when the father of the child barely managed to feed his wife pregnant with her unborn child and the daughter, two meals a day. The witch hunt didn't stop here, the panchayat later ordered the entire village to shun the family and not to assist or help Meena with the pregnancy due after a few months. Don't know how much protection the Lapwings are getting from these absurd inhumane beliefs but the opportunists and monstrous lot are readily ceasing opportunities to use it for unleashing caste level atrocities and discrimination. This gives enough thought for us to ponder over our belief systems that doesn't treat humans as humans but worst than animals. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>If we observe closely, Lapwings also go through elaborate charades to distract potential enemies, squatting on imaginary nests that are far away from the real ones. During the summer months, when ground temperatures shoot up, lapwings go for a belly soaking. They squat for nearly ten minutes in puddle or nearby water body to absorb plenty of moisture. When they return to their nests, body temperature gets regulated, cools their eggs, supplies drinking water for hatchlings. Lapwing chicks are quick to develop and soon leave the nests to fly and soar, like their parents do. Irony! Khushboo had to face the discrimination when kids of her age visit museums, amusements parks, travel the world with their parents. Hoping for the world to be little kinder and understanding for not so privileged kids, having humble origins from dalit and tribal communities in India. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>May be, we need lapwings as our conscience keeper if our core doesn't get awakened knowing what the children face in third world countries with broken systems, discrimination and exploiting government, ceasing every opportunity to play politics over the death of the folks from endangered communities. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i> Those who are silently watching the trauma unfold, those who are plagued by bystanders complex and those who passively or actively support the actions of apartheid state, will never be able to look in the eyes of the children and say, "I am not the one to exploit you. I am not the one to support actions that discriminate one citizen from the other. I condemn the actions of those who reap benefits from your stolen childhood. I did not do it." </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>“Did-you-do-it” isn't just a question it's a war cry, looking right into the exploiters eye for the answers. As I returned back from my evening walk, the sky turned darker with clouds in grey and pale black moving from one end to another. It will rain today, little heavier than the last one. Pair of lapwings are in a hurry, flapping their wings faster and screaming louder than ever, returning to their homes. Meanwhile, alerting the rest of us about the downpour and questioning one more time, </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>"Did you do it? Did you do it? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Did you? Did you.. really do it? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>If you do it, why you do it? </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Did you? Did you.. really do it?"</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Premonitions aren't unusual in folklores and urban legends. Who knows, may be the change is about to come, if we earnestly wish to be the agent of the real change. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphbSBVj0tUhVU9RB4r4Vz5Hjps0GKKdA1iHxa-uTO6l_aWH8fnW6wQWnhLtb8IAGPnQrdbDhGY3dJSlbvufX-A8wiukjkI-e99cdzthRmJ7k2Lp1XHJi5iOLTAhGdQy4ECuoyJVXYBNA/s390/15-19-02-image-bird-flying-sky-wild-260nw-653131477_1_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img alt="Evening sky filled with echoes of red-wattled lapwings. Signing, flying, soaring high and giving hopes for a pandemic free world." border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="390" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphbSBVj0tUhVU9RB4r4Vz5Hjps0GKKdA1iHxa-uTO6l_aWH8fnW6wQWnhLtb8IAGPnQrdbDhGY3dJSlbvufX-A8wiukjkI-e99cdzthRmJ7k2Lp1XHJi5iOLTAhGdQy4ECuoyJVXYBNA/w320-h210/15-19-02-image-bird-flying-sky-wild-260nw-653131477_1_1.jpg" title="Evening sky filled with echoes of red-wattled lapwings. Signing, flying, soaring high and giving hopes for a pandemic free world." width="320" /></i></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Evening sky filled with echoes of red-wattled lapwings. Signing, flying, soaring high and giving hopes for a pandemic free world. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Sky looks darker than a few moments back. Songs of migration and movement, can long be heard after the birds departure, with reminiscences occasionally interrupted by flash and thunder. I too believe now that the Change will surely come. Soon.. </i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>You and I can sense that! </i></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-6436563202265167932021-05-21T04:50:00.003+05:302021-05-31T14:48:27.501+05:30Walls that hold us back and what lies behind those walls.<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Vistas of red, central to the heart of the Capital. Walls painted red with dreams drenched in dirth. Walls painted black with kohl eyes of 4yr olds clinging to their mothers waists while fleding their homes. Home or house? May be nothing but four walls of impermanence, of loss, of people fleding like makeshift graves. What remains after? </i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYnMXBDF4l1lrfX5-wBHBFxI38N87V2nbgOOKrI0fApIhWURWz_p1CdISOf1WwjJT8UbFjvGQvvoq4Eqo6WtvLLcp1CC_-nJyMz1Ve0acg4-sargE3DJssWJRcCVzVEgELlCoLGKVgAQ/s880/04-20-22-street-art-graffiti-wall-painting-urban-art-alternative-sprayer-berlin-kreuzberg-roller-shutter.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYnMXBDF4l1lrfX5-wBHBFxI38N87V2nbgOOKrI0fApIhWURWz_p1CdISOf1WwjJT8UbFjvGQvvoq4Eqo6WtvLLcp1CC_-nJyMz1Ve0acg4-sargE3DJssWJRcCVzVEgELlCoLGKVgAQ/s320/04-20-22-street-art-graffiti-wall-painting-urban-art-alternative-sprayer-berlin-kreuzberg-roller-shutter.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGitpiLTtYMyNq1CHX5Gdv_Uj3IDTAKzY0ikF7sodIlSZHOzEuGyQt-6FtdMyp7Gj-AD16-IU596iBHwrOB5QpxLvZUboQmGk2FTrKgoKwyXxqAkkRt3KaTbd5kgSfrDA3Bd7_t6e7hw/s880/IMG_20210521_042652.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdGitpiLTtYMyNq1CHX5Gdv_Uj3IDTAKzY0ikF7sodIlSZHOzEuGyQt-6FtdMyp7Gj-AD16-IU596iBHwrOB5QpxLvZUboQmGk2FTrKgoKwyXxqAkkRt3KaTbd5kgSfrDA3Bd7_t6e7hw/s320/IMG_20210521_042652.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> Walls of all kinds colours, too high to climb, too small but still existing, Walls that we take everywhere with our selves, Walls that makes us feel secured in our own world. Walls that keep strangers at bay. Walls that stand tall makes us even more stranger to ourselves. Walls that exist for no reason but simply because we needed them at some point so they end up in our life. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> People often rant about baggage that comes with relationships but I've never heard anyone of them lamenting about the weight of these walls their shoulders carry, throughout their lives, Strange folks with much Stanger selves. </i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDuBAO1xJCiBxdrJg6jNMAj3h6Vhi2lb3368NqXpBjRRC1_rzYePVP3tuRatBFVdV1NT1BQWEiiYlT8-Q453VE13nCE0AxhT1VuxdXsmvsnlCbDeOu8yodrfD5B5udm_xrt_ie-vjsas/s880/04-17-58-graffiti-abandoned-building-graffiti-wall-paint-walls-vandalism-deface-graffiti-art.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDuBAO1xJCiBxdrJg6jNMAj3h6Vhi2lb3368NqXpBjRRC1_rzYePVP3tuRatBFVdV1NT1BQWEiiYlT8-Q453VE13nCE0AxhT1VuxdXsmvsnlCbDeOu8yodrfD5B5udm_xrt_ie-vjsas/s320/04-17-58-graffiti-abandoned-building-graffiti-wall-paint-walls-vandalism-deface-graffiti-art.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> Anyways, there was wall behind a wall. Wall that hides our faces. Walls that you are shown in the nane of system. Walls that hides secrets behind them. Walls that lets you see only the distorted facts while the rest, you shall never ever see. Walls that they wish to paint in one colour and make you believe that the land is ruled not by humans but few phantom-like- gods. God's that soon wither away! Gods of the majority. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> So what's left behind are dead walls. Walls that are built to widen our reach between you and I. Walls that are meant to divide, your opinions from your intellect, walls that blurs the difference between fanaticism and bigotry. Wall that hides real intentions. Walls that makes us less humane. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNmYxeM3qUpwVq_iM7rmjRNJyCYNu5rMmHBOdGMRR4KtQt5Kt2bl2c117HyOXgBS-hcXv0CIktsWJhSpEetB2_HaFKaYi0jAsayTLpKtPmJfBD-hlT2v3uYy-sJdDsQVBkf9kXnl6QQ8/s1321/04-22-53-graffiti-background-grunge-street-art-graffiti-wall-graffiti-art-artistic-painted-spray-paint.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFNmYxeM3qUpwVq_iM7rmjRNJyCYNu5rMmHBOdGMRR4KtQt5Kt2bl2c117HyOXgBS-hcXv0CIktsWJhSpEetB2_HaFKaYi0jAsayTLpKtPmJfBD-hlT2v3uYy-sJdDsQVBkf9kXnl6QQ8/s320/04-22-53-graffiti-background-grunge-street-art-graffiti-wall-graffiti-art-artistic-painted-spray-paint.jpg" /></i></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRoXl-E2zzJozYJ4Pr9LXCQ9V0iz7wF_WRC76Ns9trjzM-vb-eF_vLxzb2MOCDKc1Kbxfo9zm0Q6Np7HyzrtAaco1fVeve-xO0s6bQLHziU8Ct14xHTwdc_A4VjYtIZU94ITyg0s3lWM/s678/03-48-05-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="678" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRoXl-E2zzJozYJ4Pr9LXCQ9V0iz7wF_WRC76Ns9trjzM-vb-eF_vLxzb2MOCDKc1Kbxfo9zm0Q6Np7HyzrtAaco1fVeve-xO0s6bQLHziU8Ct14xHTwdc_A4VjYtIZU94ITyg0s3lWM/s320/03-48-05-images.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> Walls that stops us from taking a stand for one another. Wall that just confines you from doing what you should do. Walls that do no good but make you believe like the elephant tied by a weak chain, too scared to break it though the chain was nothing but a mere rope for the giant. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> Walls that emerge long before you had a vision, to see your country at it's peak but drifts you away in false beliefs and self proclaimed godly incarnations. Walls that never lets you listen what you should listen. You see & hear what you're conditioned to do. Even your five senses aren't yours anymore. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVEjsiYJwf7o9T1vZ8dCEpWM3wKECDoezAYfAz5DvNwnpExfU0sGFWhxsJN0YamxJP4I_jxJnMCPrwO2ca3OKDrntxpwd89By5UcZr201O1y1jg8RR1J-1k-qJgRSm5x6Zsd2mrQV57g/s1173/04-19-40-salvador-dali-graffiti-wall-art-portrait-paris.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVEjsiYJwf7o9T1vZ8dCEpWM3wKECDoezAYfAz5DvNwnpExfU0sGFWhxsJN0YamxJP4I_jxJnMCPrwO2ca3OKDrntxpwd89By5UcZr201O1y1jg8RR1J-1k-qJgRSm5x6Zsd2mrQV57g/s320/04-19-40-salvador-dali-graffiti-wall-art-portrait-paris.jpg" /></i></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3oAzH8aAk2inp_qrbX-3uYm2atLv59twgx5oWz12mVbFx-h2lAVnyx9SWZs7EmcmMDxFRDiJR3vry2CTR0ab8FQDmPfvIN1R2ydVrCgPTIcEPVJ7UPKYl_RSGmdKCqCPted-pllF4Fs/s880/04-20-43-art-brick-wall-graffiti-mural-street-art-wall.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq3oAzH8aAk2inp_qrbX-3uYm2atLv59twgx5oWz12mVbFx-h2lAVnyx9SWZs7EmcmMDxFRDiJR3vry2CTR0ab8FQDmPfvIN1R2ydVrCgPTIcEPVJ7UPKYl_RSGmdKCqCPted-pllF4Fs/s320/04-20-43-art-brick-wall-graffiti-mural-street-art-wall.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> They makes you feel safe behind walls while you peacefully sip your hot tea while a majoritarian calls for mad mobs on television during elections, you see journalists tied to a cot in prison for speaking up for girl succumbing to brutal assault. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i> These walls makes you feel cozy while the daughters are battling the horrors unleashed by those monsters, each day on a silent street. These are walls which resemble the doors of hell. No? Walls that are being raised higher, with each passing day. Walls that continue to exist as a witness of your dead silence. May be these walls are dead but what about your conscience? </i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PQ857cXeU8dMdkHIUdrbexcnmN1-ArFW2TBexJvH3PBvHmWAbwLX03218nc4LEOVwXA79jUZIT_dcWg9hmZhmAyPCsJogP2qYDZ3ecNoXw7E-gQr7x7g1CENjVh59B6KvQz515x5ZNs/s1173/04-19-08-graffiti-wall-color-artistic-street-art-berlin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="1173" data-original-width="880" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PQ857cXeU8dMdkHIUdrbexcnmN1-ArFW2TBexJvH3PBvHmWAbwLX03218nc4LEOVwXA79jUZIT_dcWg9hmZhmAyPCsJogP2qYDZ3ecNoXw7E-gQr7x7g1CENjVh59B6KvQz515x5ZNs/s320/04-19-08-graffiti-wall-color-artistic-street-art-berlin.jpg" /></i></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgee4YltenVFcSLQITCbMj2at4oL2Uxqu-EIcMc859eYcLlXm95X0nm3B3i05Yh7FescmsrXwFH-6ttQrRVcftQHNgOjCCL9qZel-yqwAZ71-w8sgTkkIpkRUfcLYkehtGz4R7zxkxiYes/s880/04-21-53-lost-places-wall-pfor-graffiti-greasy-street-art-mood-decay-broken.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="880" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgee4YltenVFcSLQITCbMj2at4oL2Uxqu-EIcMc859eYcLlXm95X0nm3B3i05Yh7FescmsrXwFH-6ttQrRVcftQHNgOjCCL9qZel-yqwAZ71-w8sgTkkIpkRUfcLYkehtGz4R7zxkxiYes/s320/04-21-53-lost-places-wall-pfor-graffiti-greasy-street-art-mood-decay-broken.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><br /></i></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4575131205309817566.post-60957877142402536952021-05-15T02:35:00.007+05:302021-05-31T14:50:53.293+05:30Reflections on Pandemic. - a normal day in life after the crisis.<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpeLxOALZOxRDZx0tBDNojAIrjvK-Wn_ynD75NTuOwVeQx7Gal6iREOvhA9HiqQP4QXbWd4hLC7egNzEphIB8O3vCOe_bDSDssFmFLm0jziX75otlNUURlwpYuyBLTpUdaEGnmialIFg/s739/01-18-36-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="739" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpeLxOALZOxRDZx0tBDNojAIrjvK-Wn_ynD75NTuOwVeQx7Gal6iREOvhA9HiqQP4QXbWd4hLC7egNzEphIB8O3vCOe_bDSDssFmFLm0jziX75otlNUURlwpYuyBLTpUdaEGnmialIFg/w320-h180/01-18-36-images.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>It's been months since we last had a sigh of relief when the pandemic appeared to be less dreary, with signs of normality being seen on the streets, the markets, folks strolling in the evening, in the parks, on the roads, in rickshaws and the bikes. </i></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>This was the first time I saw individuals not heckling their passers-bys, aunties not yelling for bargains with the grocer, girls trying hard not to overcrowd the street shops while picking a muslin scarf of their own liking. I too had a pretty darn luck to get a hold of a sunset yellow and a sky blue scarf from the Friday Bazar. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>As a woman this wasn't the first time to visit the places one cherishes the most, but the first time to fail miserably in overlooking the faces of the street sellers who had a little bit of hope to see the visitors, but eyes filled with immense fear.. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>of loss of livelihood, of uncertain times, having family to feed, burdened with a crippling system, with no long term support. Who knows when the next Friday market will be? Friday of next month or Friday of the fifth month? What if it is a random Friday of next year? Will it ever be? And can illness wait? or a search for a refuge.. as the homes of these displaced people were ramshackled by a police raid in fear of rise in pandemic cases due to their crowded hamlet. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>It was summery day of the month of May, imitating the scorch of July and misery of lifetime. As a passers-by following the social distance norm, that too in presence of state sanctioned police, in a hot blazing day, all I saw was tears and sweat melting away in blurred reality. How does one unsee pain? I am yet to figure out. </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Every displaced being seemed to forget the past just to get nearer to the new normal, struggling to grasp the new reality, life hanging by the thread with murkiness, skillfully waiting at the other end of the universe. We thought we'll beat the odds as if, we were in a gaming simulation or some teen hero from a live action movie, straight out of a hell hole Manga, as if we had enough life lines to win over this upside world. But then, tryst with destiny is that, fear pushed every anticipation aside when it took the form of a total apocalypse. Why not? Appearances can be deceptive!</i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Even the visitors who came for a brief evening to buy essential commodities, clothes, few here and there, had only one constant thought going through their minds.. to look as far their eyes can see, feel all the colors their senses can perceive, touch the wind with their bare hands, hold a human in their arms if they really can, but alas! the new normal suddenly stands in front of us, </i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>too soon, too late...</i></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggXy26I43z6_7HCnek4M_pZRtelwBQe-NFGP1Lw_E3r-PLSACHHkgwMyUHBzoTs-AKjm30Y1ljf1SVykc0RDYWCJFOxsjTBpvQE8JzUf1f8BGTRPzNX7QrshWI6yxPte05cmxLqecZVM/s450/01-18-47-images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="450" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggXy26I43z6_7HCnek4M_pZRtelwBQe-NFGP1Lw_E3r-PLSACHHkgwMyUHBzoTs-AKjm30Y1ljf1SVykc0RDYWCJFOxsjTBpvQE8JzUf1f8BGTRPzNX7QrshWI6yxPte05cmxLqecZVM/w320-h203/01-18-47-images.jpg" width="320" /></i></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Bhavana Varunhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16994306480975943909noreply@blogger.com11