The heart is paining

It has a deep longing

A wish to be fulfilled

Not a materialistic one

The giver is lost

In his own vast world

Full of new people

Unaware of what my heart yearns

A ray of hope still

Refusing to give up

Pampering the heart

Pushes me out of bed

But the heart still pains

For it tried so hard

The scar my heart tells

Is far from cure.

Speak up to end Child Labor!!!

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Child labor is a menace plaguing our society today. However, as a matter of fact, it has been brutally neglected in the Indian society.  If we come to think of it, in India, politicians have pushed sensitive issues like reservation in educational institutions ,addressing calls for Jan Lokpal, but no major initiative has been taken with respect to child labor. All the above issues have one element of commonality-they secure the vote bank. The solution to child labor rests in stringent legislation, but sadly enough, the people who hold the reigns to legislation see no gain to their vote bank by working to eliminate child labor. What therefore needs to be done is lobbying-socially sensitive people to demand from the government to frame a set of foolproof laws to deter hiring children for the most mundane tasks. The government could respond is by installing 24X7 helpline wherein people who witness child labor can report about it immediately. However, the following administrative procedures must be smooth so that people do not feel disincentivised to make use of the helpline. Children at school and colleges must be sufficiently sensitivised about the implications of child labor, which shall pressurize parents at home to avoid embarrassment in front of their children from hiring young kids. However, while these steps will definitely curb the symptoms of the disease called child labor, one must also uproot its ultimate cause-poverty and lack of opportunities to study. Schools must expand and reach out to slums and villages, the largest suppliers of child labor. This will enable parents to build the strong foundations of their wards’ future on a long term basis and not view them as merely helping hands to augment the family income. This two pronged attack on child labor will require the government to harness the sensitivity of the masses on one hand and allow for expansion of schools to far flung villages and slums. Those who are critical of either of the suggestions-the Anna Hazare movement shows that civil society can awaken the government;  and if we could achieve expansion of banks post 1980, why shall we not succeed when it comes to educational infrastructure?

Botheration or Concern??

I always thought friendship by default means a space wherein you are concerned about the other person. However, in the past few days, I have realized that many people around us tend to forget this concept as they grow in life, both age-wise and in terms of some wordly achievement.
How do you react when a close friend goes on to justify his nonchalant behavior ? Especially when the justification makes them claim that they do not dig their nose in other peoples' business!!
Often it happens that we continue to live in the illusion of past beliefs and the present feelings about somebody/something remain dormant till a certain time. At times, we do recognize the change, however do not wish to acknowledge it, may be due to fear, or by virtue of being status-quoist. In either case, their is imperfect information with the outside world about what exactly is changing within a person.
The only way we can recognise this is when the old pattern of response from the other person begins to break. It is then when the point of indiffernce comes to the fore and proves to be be detrimental to friendship.
I personally believe that its useless to pursue it further, since the indifferent entity has the tendency to become defensive.
Humans are curious by nature. And when it comes to friends, curiosity and concern merge together and pursue us to keep a track of whats happening in our friends' life. But when this merger expires, it also marks the expiry of the bond..!!!!
As I end, one of my favourite set of lines once set by someone to me:


People, even more than things,


Have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed,


And redeemed; never throw out anyone.


- Audrey Hepburn

I did not. I tried. I persisted. But I failed in this one.

Till another one is formed !!!