KIDS ROBBED OF CHILDHOOD...

A 11 year old girl  is abused, physically assaulted and raw egg shells are thrust in her mouth by her 'masters' all for eating a spoon of ice cream.

The girl hails from a poor family from a northern state of the country and was sent by her widow mother to work as a baby-sitter to a couple also hailing from north but living in Bangalore, both working as techies in a IT major. She ended up working as a full time maid, working 18 -19 hours a day - baby-sitting, washing clothes, cooking food and doing other household chores. She was subjected to ill-treatment everyday and the little kid took all of that till that 'day' when she escaped fearing for her life and took refuge in a neighbour's home who arranged her to be sent to the custody of a child home. Her only mistake was that she ate a spoonful of ice cream from the fridge during the day, that the couple found out after watching the CCTV footage. Yes! the house is fitted with a CCTV and the couple watch this footage everyday to keep a hawk's eye on the poor girl.

Bangalore is reeling under heat this summer and craving for something cold to eat or drink is heavy. While we enjoy ice creams, soft drinks and mock tails, the kid had to almost pay for it with her life! One of the family members of the accused said in defense that the egg shells were thrust in her mouth to make her understand that eggs were one of the ingredients in the ice cream! 

Can there be more blatant insensitive and barbaric response?

But this is not only her story. Hundreds of kids from poor states in India work as migrant labours, as maids and servants in different parts of the country - sometimes at construction sites, or at tea stalls or at plush homes. They are treated no better than street dogs and their childhood buried under abuse, assault and body-breaking physical labour.

Who stands up for these kids who are hailed as country's future but have no future of their own. Forsaken by their parents and demonized by their 'masters', their present is a curse and future is dark! Interestingly the accused couple are yet to be arrested by the police.

India needs jobs not the election freebies, so that these jobs could generate income and ensure a decent livelihoods for millions of Indians; and so that these kids do not have to toil, sweat and bleed.

As India votes for its next government will anyone - voter or the politician stand up and do something for securing their childhood and their future. 

Will anyone?

Give life a chance!

Morning saw a biker speeding away, doing an aggressive overtake of another vehicle and all that with one hand on the controls, for the other hand was holding his cellphone on which he was bust chatting.

Familiar sight on roads! 

Some people take their lives so casually! And there are many who take lives of others casually enough.

Yesterday's road accident that killed a sitting MLA from the state of Andhra Pradesh was a result of such irresponsibility. Reports suggest that her vehicle skidded off the road while crossing a patch of grains spread on the road by the farmers for drying. The vehicle overturned and rolled four times causing grievous injuries to the lady MLA, enough to snuff life out of her. My heart goes to out to her children. Are roads for drying grains?

Before you do something like this to yourself, remember someone who loves you, cares for you! And before you do this to anyone else, remember that he loves someone who loves him too.

Give life a chance! Give love a chance! Live responsibly.  

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish

'Fool why did you make my horse transport clothes to your customer?' - Arnold angrily asked Jony.

Arnold a derby racer by profession owned a stable of well-bred horses. Jony was a washerman and neighbor of Arnold. Arnold used to appoint him as a caretaker of his stable in his absence as he lived alone and had no one to take care of his horses when he was away. He would pay Jony a decent amount for his services. Jony used to happily accept the offer.

But Jony had more interest than the money that he made - no it was not philanthropy either. Whenever Arnold was gone without his knowledge Jony used the horses from Arnold's stable for transporting clothes to his customers. Jony had donkeys for this purpose but by using Arnold's horses he could do more 'rounds' as the horse was faster and earn some extra bucks. This time however Arnold returned earlier than scheduled and caught Jony red-handed.

'Sorry Sir, actually my donkeys were not well and I had pending work so I took a little liberty...' blurted Jony, but before he could finish Arnold said - 'I have a derby race tomorrow. I was saving my horse for the big day. You have exhausted him and he cannot run now. You have messed-up you idiot!'

Jony kept apologizing but Arnold had lost his trust on him.

Keep the ethical issue aside for a moment, do you think what Jony did was right? 

Problem with Jony is that he maps work and animals available. On the contrary Arnold knows where donkeys should be used and where to use horses. 

Without being condescending to the donkey in any manner it cannot run a derby race. At the same time using a horse for transporting clothes is not only a gross under-utilization of his talent but also amounts to exhausting him with meaningless work; thereby tiring him out and preventing him from what he is actually capable of doing or achieving. Problem starts when managers and organizations start thinking and behaving like Jony. 

Old Jony is penny wise and pound foolish!

Queen's Way or Highway

Queen and Highway, two new Bollywood releases are not only different from the usual no-brainers that the industry produces but also share an interesting common link.

In both these movies the protagonist -  Rani in 'Queen' and Veera in 'Highway' played by Kangana Ranaut and Alia Bhat respectively become accidental heroes in their own respect. 

In 'Queen' Rani is dumped by her fiancee a day before their marriage. The boy buoyed by his recent success does not consider her of his stature any more. Queen as she is fondly called decides to proceed alone for her honeymoon. She takes off for Paris...and then starts her journey that proves to be a liberating experience for her. She overcomes her fears, insecurities and her handicaps and discovers her true self - a girl who is confident, self-assuring, and assertive. Seeing her new avtar, her ex-fiancee comes back to seek her. But Rani has transformed from a coy girl to the real Queen and she can no more be shackled. Queen has liberated herself from an orthodox society where a girl is considered no better than a cattle who is tied from one stump to another, while no one to care for her wishes, her desires and her feelings. She find freedom and life!

In 'Highway' Veera daughter of an influential and rich Delhi family is kidnapped by a Gujjar to avenge the wrong done to his mother. Veera's ordeal turns out to be her liberation too. She for the first time feels free and happy. A unique bond develops between Veera and her kidnapper and both find comfort and courage to share and shed ghosts of their past. The kidnapper recounts how her mother was subjected to sexual abuse by rich and powerful and how he as a child helplessly watched his mother literally die every day while his father forced her in such a life and then tortured her for the same. Veera finally breaks her silence and shares her sexual abuse as a child by her own uncle in her own house. She also recounts how her mother silenced her for the sake of family honour. When she is finally rescued she no longer wants to be with her family. She find her love in the kidnapper who is finally shot down by the police. She however returns to her family only to break her silence and bring out the skeletons of the past in front of everyone. She rejects a family of hypocrites and finds courage to revolt against abuse.

Both the characters Queen and Veera stand for today's women who are ready to be themselves, who are courageous enough to fight the MCPs (a man whose behavior and attitude toward women indicate a belief that they are innately inferior to men) and the orthodox hypocritical society and liberate their lives. 

So when regressive politicos make regressive comments on women, they may  just be cautioned that a Queen or a Veera may be awaiting to take them to cleaners. 

Remember from now on - Its either Queen's Way or Highway!!!

Blessed with a Child

‘My worst experience in the last 15 years of my professional career! It has to be the time after I had my first baby. I was working with this IT major and since my baby was too young, I applied for a change of project. During that time I had to face a couple of interviews within the organization for project transition. And every time I was asked whether I will be able to continue or deliver. My colleagues started to doubt my intentions and my ability after I became a mother. When the water went over my head, I even reported this matter to the ombudsman. But nothing changed and I finally quit. I felt I did not deserve this treatment after having proven myself for 8 years in the same organization. But I guess it’s all in the mindset!’  

- This is what a lady had to say about her company when I asked her about her worst experience in her 15 years of corporate career. She is currently working as a project manager in another IT company. It would not be surprising if most working mothers in the country have similar experiences. 

‘Blessed with a Child’ is perhaps the most common message that people sms, or tweet on having a new born baby. The phrase symbolizes the happiness and fulfillment that a man and a women derive out of parenthood. However most managers and organizations do not seem to think so especially when it comes to their female employees. 

Pregnancy and motherhood are often turned back on the female workers as a disadvantage to their careers. 

It is surprising that every company tells its employees – ‘we are like a family’, yet most of them have problem when the latter wants to have their own. I guess the lady was right – it’s all in the mindset…