Rocky road to democracy

 The road to a democratic future is rocky. But the attack on democracy typically starts quite slowly. On the surface, everything seems normal, as if an invasion never happened. In baby steps, the BJP government silenced all the mockingbirds in the judiciary, media, opposition parties, the elections commission, and universities. By changing the constitution, the government was able to remove all constraints on constitutional provisions and norms due to an absolute majority in parliament. The abrogation of Article 370, the favourable judgement on the Babri Masjid case, imposing NSA on anyone at the drop of a hat, citizenship amendments, etc. A pliant judiciary more or less backs every action of the government. This inflection point for democracy is the beginning of a new autocratic India. It's springtime for the BJP government. Hitler is keeping an eye on us from hell with a smile.

costly affair marriage

ven though marriages are made in heaven, it can be very expensive to bring them into reality. A few decades ago, weddings were little family gatherings. Now, they are extravagant affairs that last for days. The average parent or individual spends one-fifth of "An Indian usually spends one-fifth of his lifetime wealth on a wedding." As a result of the popularity of Yash Raj and Barjatya movies, South Indian wedding ceremonies now include mehndi, sangeet, and haldi, which are fun rituals. For the host, this excess can result in expenses exceeding their lifetime savings, which can be regrettable heavy lifting for them. In return, they contribute to the flourishing growth of the wedding industry.

Financially, the girls' parents are drained, and their resources are depleted. The celebration of marriage hides the pain that is later felt.

MY MIRROR SELF

Unlike humans, mirrors don't distort, bend, or misinterpret the images they reflect. Life's events can be viewed differently.

I gave the mirror a harsh, judgmental look as I fixed my gaze on it. Being bald, it is not necessary for me to check my reflection more than once for combing "operations." I'm getting older, too, as indicated by the few greying hairs that are still on my head. I examined myself more closely and put aside my typical negative thoughts about how useless I am. Disappointment, anger, and sometimes even disgust fill my mind as I walk away from the mirror. I looked into the mirror and saw aspects of myself that I didn’t like. The man who stared back at me pointed out my imperfections—and more and more imperfections. No matter how fast I move in my circle of competence, I will remain in the same place. Velocity would have brought stability to the carrier's trajectory. I have lost it in my life.

The story is a clear account of missed chances and opportunities. I realised it was an aspirational problem. I didn't even put any effort into being clear about my own life goals. Acquiring qualifications and accumulating wisdom are two very different things. In my case, my wisdom teeth were completely absent. I ended up becoming something I didn't even want to be. For me, I could say a career as a teacher is the last refuge for a failure like me.

In the rear-view mirror, nothing appears very bright or even particularly rosy.

I had to get used to looking ahead rather than backwards while looking through the windscreen. What lies ahead on the road? I struggle through the fog, trying to keep my eyes on the road despite my own myopia. So the view through the windscreen isn't exactly sunny. I think it's time to focus on what lies ahead for a while instead of what lies behind me.

DAILY MUSING

 

A country requires foot soldiers all the time. So they have an expensive campaign. They sell thrills, money, education, communication, meaning, and honour. The relentless television commercial never tells us about the dark aperture that exists inside the real life of a soldier, complete with life-long injury, inadequate care, insanity, and death. An ordinary soldier cannot see the reason behind the game of politics and a military general‘s love for war. All of these massive machines help the weapon industry thrive. Billions of dollars in advertising cannot change the fact that leaders and generals are dreaming up wars to finish off communists and are terminally and falsely afraid of terrorism in which young men will die.

Lured by these high-level abstract ideas, the soldier has no time to reflect on immoral and illegal wars or the horrors of an inhuman era. Wars are seldom fought to preserve freedom and democracy. Wars are the premium products for leaders, generals, and industrialists to use to power war machines.