EDITION #001 ▪ JANUARY 2050

achievers - invincibles - topping the troops - people next door - and more

Cover Story: Pathway to Peaceby Fazeela Mollick

COLORS SPECIAL

PHOTOGRAPHYSPECIALEDITIONPLUS NEW SECTIONS

April-May 2013

CONTENTS regulars04 Cover Story: Pathway to Peace

06 Topping the Troops: Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh

07 Invincibles: Story of Aparthied and South Africa Cricket

08 Achievers: Oye Dipankar Dipankar Oye

16 People Next Door: Atithi Devo Bhava (Guests Are God)

columns09 Youth and Spirituality: It’s the Circle of Life

10 Musical Healing: Introduction to Classical Music

11 From Across Two Oceans: A Rainbow Nation

12 Modern Day Fables- Junglenagar: Tortoise and Rabbit

creatives13 Fulfilling Art: Parzania- A Place To Be

14 Hearty Tales: We Loved But in Pauses

15 Ageless Verses: The Window Seat

18 Picture Power: Colors Theme Photography

think it over23 The Burning Question

Photography Special Volume: Colors

Spoorthi TeamEditors (editor@spoorthimag.com)Aman AroraFazeela MollickRaghav Gautam

Designer (For Colors Issue)Raghav Gautam

SPOORTHIMAG

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002WELCOMECONTENTS

CONTENTS

MESSAGE FROMTHE EDITOR

The artist’s canvas often greets the eye with color. That was pretty much the idea behind this theme. Paintings, photographs, the traditional costumes of peoples from around the world, any visual artistry, from man-made pottery to computer-generated graphic images impress us with their beauty in their colorful presentations.

We are surrounded by colors. An artist’s life is a testimony of colors. A writer uses colors to describe scenes and emotions. A production unit for TV or film plans

out the location, lighting, and set up apparatus to make colours appear authentic.

When we have to leave our homes for any social occasion we try on a number of outfits from our wardrobe and make our choice depending on what suits the activity, our taste or mood. What we do by this simple act is attempt to create an individual style using colours.

We enjoy nature and click numerous photographs because nature is beautiful and we wish to re-

cord its beauty. Each color has a role and a space, like the instruments in an orchestra that blend to create a perfect harmony.

Certain colors or combination of colors could affect our senses, some soothe, and others agitate or make us uneasy. Colours may also create divisions. The colors of team jerseys or flags show our allegiance to a team or country. Even in religion colors that are part of rituals, cloth-ing and symbols may indicate the faith we follow. Sometimes such divisions, due to our loyalty and

devotion, can become hostile and make the beauty of the colors less appealing.

We selected the theme ‘Colors’ to respect all colors of life, to appreciate differences and variety and to see the beautiful in our color-ful world.

Aman Arora Fazeela Mollick

Maharajah Inspired reading the second edition of Spoor-thi..!! My Respect on Women have increased much more... The way you guys presented and covered the topics are highly commend-able... From sports to charity to defence to a very common women yet being powerful were presented very well... One Persona that was missing to my opinion is Madam Marie Curie... but outstanding collections of Articles, Poems and some interesting arguments on rapes...I now look forward for the forthcom-ing editions...I am volunteering to write one on FOOD for May Month...(if space available)... Men of Quality, Respect Women’s Equality #Class

Tanushree R SarkarI love both the sketches of this edition.

The article on Kiran Bedi and Mahadevi Verma was superb, get to know so many things about these two ladies. I didnt know that Kiran Bedi used to play tennis also. Wow!!! how cool is that??? It must have inspires many woman like me.

Jayeeta GhoseIn the second edition of ‘Spoorthi’ it reminds us, the women and also the men of ourstrength…. it empowers us and gives us the sword (in writing) to move on…. highlighting on the livesof women across diversified social and eco-nomic strata…. their achievements against various and allpossible odds…. ‘Spoorthi’ gives us the cour-age to believe in ourselves…. reaffirms us that we can….

We selected the theme ‘Colors’ to respect all colors of life, to appreciate differences and variety and to

EMAIL: editor@spoorthimag.com WEB: www.spoorthimag.com

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PATHWAY TO PEACE

“We share the same biology regard-less of ideology.” (Sting)

Religions colour the world, as do nature’s most attractive species of flowers. Infused in the scriptures of each faith there is prose and poetry to amaze and elevate, to contemplate and analyse. Although forms of worship will differ, they all incorporate recitation, reading and study of their Scriptures in various languages as well as chants, music and inspirational songs. There are holy days when adherents commemorate or celebrate an event or occa-sion on their religious calendars, some joyful, others more sombre.

Human beings from the dawn of civilization have based their faith on the commands and guidance of a deity or in some cases, deities. They worship, praise and acknowledge that there is a being or presence on whom they rely, and to whom they ask for favours, blessings, forgiveness, mercy and sustenance. In all parts of the globe there are houses of worship that have been in existence for centuries and many are still in use. These buildings, monuments and sanctuaries continue to attract countless visitors, some to worship, others to admire their ancient architectural grandeur and beauty.

That we could construct temples, mosques, churches and synagogues as sanctuaries for worship and meditation speaks of the inherent spiritual nature of human beings, a nature with the capacity for goodness, kind-ness, generosity, understanding and compassion. Unfortunately misguided religious leaders have used their sermons and lectures to incite hatred and intolerance propelling their followers into acts of violence and barbarism all in the name of religion. The primary teachings of all religions focus on peace, moral behaviour and harmonious relations among all peoples. And yet, countries have fought religious wars; various religious sects have committed despicable acts of violence against each other; neighbours who once lived in harmony kill each other. Today we are witness to frenzied mobs destroying holy sites and burning libraries while others, including security forces engage in the rape and murder of innocents.

It may appear that religion, instead of saving our souls, have made us lose our humanity. Thankfully the innate goodness of human nature gives us tremendous hope for the future. The good news is that today there is much

AUTHOR: Fazeela Mollick EMAIL: fmollick@gmail.com

COVER STORY

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greater understanding and co-operation among faiths. However, the noble and selfless work of visionaries of all faiths in this area is not as well publicized, as it should be. This may be because positive images and stories do not attract sufficient readers and viewers.

Among many such positive stories is one about a church in Scotland that gave its neighbours in a nearby mosque an area to pray, as the mosque was too small to accommodate all the worshippers. In a small village in Por-tugal, members of different faiths share space in one building and combine their efforts in looking after the needy.

Inter-religious understanding and cooperation is vital if the peoples of our world are to exist in harmony, in peace and safety. No one wants a world where fear controls our existence, where lovers cannot marry and are harmed because they’re from different faiths, where people are not allowed freedom of worship. We want religious leaders to guide the adherents of their faith to attitudes and behaviours that reflect the dignity of all human beings and their noble qualities. These leaders have a responsibility to speak words that will inspire and motivate their listeners to actions that will benefit societies not disrupt them.

In my part of the world, (and perhaps elsewhere) people often refrain from discussing religion and politics. The reason is that these two topics often cause heated arguments and can cause gatherings and relationships to turn as sour as a lemon. We ultimately choose to argue from the point that “my belief system is better than yours”, or “my party should be in government, not yours.” Of course passionately giving opinions as to why this should be so.

Leaving politics aside, it seldom occurs to us to discuss religion with a view to understanding and appreciating similarities with the hope that in doing so we can remove fear and increase our knowledge.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “People fail to get along because they fear each other. They fear each other because they don’t know each other. They don’t know each other because they have not communicated properly with each other.”

And that may be the crux of the problem – communication and furthermore, how we communicate. Our utterances can change the course of a conversation or interaction. Gracious words, respect, listening attentively, responding in a polite manner are all ways in which we can communicate successfully. There’s a saying that “it takes two to tangle” so if one person re-fuses to become embroiled in an argument, it will not take place. To improve our inter-religious relationships we must remove that fear through increased and respectful dialogue.

In so doing, we can decrease or eradicate enmity, hatred and intoler-ance while encouraging friendship, love and understanding.

Furthermore, we need to focus on what connects us, rather than what separates and divides. We should never admit defeat and hand over our com-munities, our societies to those whose agenda it is to create and maintain disharmony through their misguided notions.

We should daily practise charity and show compassion for our fellow human beings. We must believe our collective good actions can effect posi-tive change.

Nature, in all its grand and gorgeous colours, delights our eyes. We’re a blaze of colour ourselves – the diversity of races, cultures, music, religions. We’re as beautiful as a field of flowers. And through this diversity we can strive to find common ground to create and sustain harmonious societies.

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“A CLEAN FIGHTER WHO FACED HIS ENEMY IN THE OPEN FIELD… HE WAS LIKE A SPARK WHICH BECAME A FLAME IN A SHORT TIME AND SPREAD FROM ONE END OF THE COUNTRY TO THE OTHER DISPELLING THE PREVAIL-ING DARKNESS EVERYWHERE” described Pandit Nehru at Congress Karachi Session in 1931, thus acknowledging that the popularity of Bhagat Singh was leading to a new national awakening. A martyr symbolizing eternal youth, his ideas continue to enthrall and motivate the youth.

Born into a family of revolutionaries, Bhagat Singh was highly influ-enced by ideologies of Kartar Singh and was eager to follow his footsteps. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre left an indelible impression of atrocities by Englishmen on his mind. He keenly participated in Non-Cooperation Move-ment but after Mahatma Gandhi called off the movement (because of the violent murders of policemen by villagers), he realized that Gandhi and he can never be on same wavelength. Being well aware of the need for a unified youth front, which could help the political leaders whenever need arises, he founded Naujawan Bharat Sabha in March 1926.Though he was still a teen-ager ,he travelled far and wide ,leaving no stone unturned to motivate youth.

An ardent fan of Karl Marx and the doctrine of Socialism, he renamed the Hindustan Republican Association to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). He wanted socialism to be the model for India, and that, after studying on the subject all over the world. One thing that is missed about him is his education. He was fluent in at least five languages, and had studied world history, was also well aware of the current affairs in the world. These all helped shape his ideology for an Indian revolution. He shunned all the worldly desires and was whole-heartedly dedicated towards the freedom movement.

To avenge the death of Lala Lajpat Rai in 1928, Bhagat Singh and his compatriots killed John Saunders. Though this action was widely criticized by political leaders but it exalted these revolutionaries in the eyes of common masses. Inspired by a French anarchist, Bhagat Singh and BK Dutt exploded smoke bombs inside the Central Legislative Assembly, showered leaflets stat-ing their purpose and shouted the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad!” (“Long Live the Revolution!”). The idea was to make their voices heard by the deaf ears of British Government and not to kill anybody, as their own eminent leaders were part of the Assembly. To clear away their terrorist tag, they decided to surrender and instead use the trial as a means to spread their message to

every nook and corner of the country.Even inside the jail, Bhagat Singh and his companions continued to re-

volt against the ways and methodologies of British governance. They started an indefinite hunger strike demanding same rules and facilities for both European and Indian prisoners. Following his example, hunger strikes were started in many jails of the country. This enraged the Viceroy and a special tribunal was setup to speedily complete the trial. The hunger strike lasted 116 days and at that time the popularity of Bhagat Singh was nearly at par with Gandhi’s popularity. When Bhagat Singh came to know that his father had written a petition to the Tribunal, he felt flummoxed and an excerpt from the reply states “I feel as though I have been stabbed at the back. Had any other person done it, I would have considered it to be nothing short of treachery. But in your case, let me say that it has been a weakness - a weakness of the worst type”. Few days before the date of execution, Bhagat Singh wrote a petition to the government stating that he was a war prisoner as he had revolted against the King George 5th and thus should be shot dead instead of being hanged.

Bhagat Singh never feared death and he knew that his death would inspire many youngsters to be a part of the uprising. In a letter to his father he stated “My life is not so precious, at least to me, as you may probably think it to be. It is not at all worth buying at the cost of my principles”. He truly lived by the motto he coined for Naujawan Bharat Sabha - “to suffer and sacrifice through service”. Being a rational thinker and an erudite person, he always emphasized that motive of action should be the main consideration while judging the offence of an accused. He believed that non-violence as policy was indispensable for mass movements and violent means should be used only when it becomes a terrible necessity. Unlike his peers, who believed that God provides them the necessary courage and motivation, Bhagat Singh relied on his mind for the strength and denied the existence of God. He also did not advocate any particular religion as it could lead to communalism.

The legend of Bhagat Singh continues to captivate the youth. Over the years several filmmakers have made films on Bhagat Singh’s life. He was voted as the “Greatest Indian” in a poll by the Indian magazine India Today in 2008, ahead of Subhas Chandra Bose and Gandhi.

SHAHEED-E-AZAMBHAGAT SINGHAUTHOR: Vaibhav Bahl EMAIL: vaibhbahl@gmail.com

TOPPING THE TROOPS

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His home country raised objections against his selection in the opposi-tion team. The laws of Apartheid disallowed any black, colored or Indian play-ers in the South African team or in any team touring South Africa. When Eng-land picked Basil D’Oliveira in their squad in their 1968 tour to South Africa, South African Prime Minister John Vorster refused to let him into the country and termed D’Oliveira’s inclusion as an attempt to fulfill “political objectives.” The tour was called off by the MCC. Following this, South Africa away tours to England in 1970 and Australia in 1971-72 were cancelled in protest against apartheid. The International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1971 banned South Africa and the world was deprived from seeing the likes of Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards, Mike Procter and others. These cricketers played the World cricket series for the Rest of the World team and in Rebel tours from 1982-90, but the international stage was denied their performance.

What South Africa cricket lost, the world of cricket also lost. Politics has affected sports as it affects all the spheres of life in a country. In their last series, before isolation, South Africa had beaten Australia 4-0 and who knows if they could have challenged the mightiness of the mighty West Indies.

South Africa finally came back into international cricket in 1992 and played what was their first one-day international, against India in that coun-try. They participated in the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and began hosting tests. While success on the cricket field was mixed, it was the mixed crowd that made former South African captain, Ali Bacher, approve of the team’s new beginning. He said,‘‘Two or three years ago, if you saw 100 blacks that would have been a lot. Now the crowds truly represent the people of the country.” While black faces made the core of the football team, the cricket team had no black player until Makhaya Ntini made his debut in 1998. But the black people cheered for the team just the same. Ntini’s career could have come to an early end when he was charged and convicted of rape in

1999 but the South African cricket board supported him and he went on to become a successful cricketer.

South African Cricket once had to put reserve spots in the team for Black cricketers. It is unfortunate, however, that with seventy-eight percent of the population being Black, they needed a quota for Black players. However, one needs to understand how things work in a country which has been ruled by the Whites, and where Blacks lacked basic rights including rights to good education and jobs. This situation has improved to some degree. Quotas are good only until they serve the purpose. The present South African Cricket Board has learned enough lessons and the success of the team testifies to this. They don’t need any quota; they don’t need to judge a cricketer by the color of his skin. They can easily choose the best players available, and be the best team they can be. And they have proven this time and again.

Obviously, one can’t get back players like Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards or Mike Procter; neither can one get players like Allan Lamb, Robin Smith, and partly, Kepler Wessels to shift their international records to reflect them as representing Cricket South Africa. Today, Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander have more than replaced the magic of Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini. They’re ranked one and two respectively in ICC Test Rankings. Add to that, Hashim Amla sits firmly at the top of Test and ODI batting charts, a position shared with A B De Villiers in the ODI charts. Lowan Tsotsobe is the highest ranked South African bowler in the ODIs at number five, having been at one recently. It’s not that because of Blacks that the team is doing well in all formats, neither because of Whites. They became the first team to be ranked number 1 in all three formats on 28 August 2012. It’s that the nation’s true potential can be realized only when skill and not skin color is responsible for selection.

STORY OF APARTHEIDAUTHOR: Aman Arora EMAIL: aman@spoorthimag.com

INVINCIBLES

“THERE IS NO EASY WALK TO FREEDOM ANYWHERE, AND MANY OF US WILL HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH AGAIN AND AGAIN BEFORE WE REACH THE MOUNTAINTOP OF OUR DESIRES.”NELSON MANDELA

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Sometimes, when I see stereotyped Indian ‘masala’ movies where a dashing hero with immeasurable power lifts a car with his bare hands, smash a dozen bad guys with it, and rescues the sensuous young lady from the captivity of a nasty old villain, I cover my face with disappointment and question to myself, “for how long will they use the same plot and ingredients in their movies?”

Well, I am glad there is other side of Indian cinema too, a parallel side, where some gutsy directors attempt to do something out of the ordinary. Parallel or alternative cinema provides a platform to those who love to go unconventional. The aim is to give more scope for creativity and aesthetically rich production in the realm of film-making. Fortunately, box office collec-tion is not a concern but focused more on delivering something useful to the society.

Dibakar Banerjee, a name which has created a niche for itself and is counted among some intelligent brains in Indian Cinema. Earlier used to be an ad-maker, he set foot in Indian Cinema and opened his account with Khosla Ka Ghosla in 2006. A Delhi based complete family entertainer which touched everyone’s heart with its crispy dialogues and relatable characters gave Dibakar a dream start.

He continued his venture and came up with more interesting, novel and controversial concepts. In 2008, he came out with his next movie, “Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!”, co-written and directed by him. Unlike ‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’ it did not featured any veteran actors like Anupam Kher or Boman Irani in the lead role. Although, Paresh Rawal’ work was impeccable but it was Abhay Deol who got all the limelight with his unorthodox dialogue delivery and boy’s next door image. The tale of a smart thief who adopted a unique style and gained expertise with a love angle was surprise hit. It was a mixture of satire and realism. It highlighted another characteristic of Dibakar, his unique taste in casting actors for his movies. After this movie, Abhay Deol became a poster boy for alternative cinema.

Both movies grabbed him National Film Awards which recognized his talent and potential of bringing a paradigm shift in Indian film industry. As a director, he achieved not only critical acclaim (usually what an unconven-

tional movie gets) but his movies were even successful in terms of box office collection.

His third addition, in 2010, fetched lot of controversy for him. It became India’s first film shot entirely on Digital Camera, “Love, Sex aur Dhoka (LSD)”. In an interview with a leading newspaper of India, he admitted, “Even if I had more money, I’d shoot in this format. Using the digital format, I’m try-ing to capture this new aesthetics.” Well, how many mainstream directors can dare to attempt that!

LSD had three stories interlinked, told by three different cameras of a sting journalist, a diploma film-maker and a security agency. Again with an unexpected star cast, he created a marvel. A cutting satire on lapsing social morals fueled by materialistic greed and technological media advancement fetched him not only accolades but it also featured in many international festivals.

His latest venture was in 2012, “Shanghai” which was a political thriller. This time he casted Imran Hashmi, a successful mainstream actor which cre-ated an element of doubt in minds of other people linked to this film

Based on a Greek novel “Z”, it was not able collect much at the box of-fice but he was applauded for his attempt for selecting an unorthodox genre, a rare thing for both our film industry and audiences.

Dibakar Banerjee is often pegged as ‘New age Hrishikesh Mukherjee’ because of his portrayal of middle-class mentality and raising issues concern-ing them with a touch of satire and simplicity. Dibakar and Anurag Kashyap are two names responsible for taking alternative cinema to new heights. Their movies don’t only receive critical acclaim but surprisingly get hit in terms of revenue collection.

OYE DIBAKAR DIBAKAR OYEAUTHOR: Purnank Kaul EMAIL: purnankkaul@gmail.com

ACHIEVERS

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The meaning of the above lines is quite deep and thoughtful, and that is what makes them one of the most beautiful ones ever written. We, human beings, are special, not only because we have developed technology and have used our gifted minds, but also because we possess the radical power of evolution. Unfortunately, most of the human beings are unable to tap the infinite potential which lies within us and succumb to the more trifle things which are ubiquitous. Has anyone of you ever wondered why some people evolve to such an extent that they eradicate every negative emotion including hatred, jealousy, apathy, anger, etc.? That most of them feel nothing of these at all? Regarding the ones which are unevolved, I dare not say that it’s because of lack of trying or a ludicrous attempt, but simply a matter of receiving the right guidance. I’m not going to tell you anything which hasn’t already been said by the erudite ones, but it’s only my humble attempt to explain and make this appeal to the ones who are taking out their precious time in reading this.

So, we all know we have seen some of us performing remarkable feats, the only reason being that they have freed themselves of the invisible shackles of chains bounding us. It’s because they have awakened the hidden power, their Chi(as referred to in the farther east) or Kundalini( as we call it) or the serpent energy which lies dormant at the base of our spine. Most of us regard this concept as a com-pletely preposterous one but it’s only because we haven’t experienced it yet. It’s like the wind, like emotions, like the sudden blissful energy whose joy is limitless once you start feeling it inside you. The happiness it blesses us with is so great that once you start feeling it, all the negative emotions dissolve in it just as how smoke dissolves into the surrounding air and is never to be seen again. This energy, which is coiled at the base in the form of a snake, cleanses

our chakras (which are also known as different energy centers of our body). These Chakras, or energy centers are what cause different types of emotions in our body, we have different moods, sometimes we want to just jump around or hug someone, sometimes we like to eat a lot (or it’s always the case for some people) but nonetheless we can’t be happy forever if those chakras are really out of control.

Mind, the ever running ath-lete, always difficult to control, tame, is also related to this energy, one who doesn’t have control over mind has no control over anything. The control of this energy gives you a 100% control over the mind. Tell me how many times it has happened that you’ve tried really hard concentrating and mind has drifted you off to some place completely irrelevant from what you were do-ing. This sea of thoughts has bothered everyone, and I was no different. They just keep coming, waves after waves, never slowing, and never giving peace to the mind. For spiritual growth and to experience the divine power, the guidance from above, one must master the mind, for the mind is the master of all. The only catch being, the process of spiritual ascension, possessing complete control over mind and eternal happiness comes gradually and to people having great patience, the ones who really have the utmost desire to find out what’s beyond. What I’ve aimed at through this article has been to give a brief preview regarding the world of spirituality but it’s not it, it’s an endless ocean of no bounds and definite. We have a lot to talk about in the coming times I hope. A beautiful quote to be always remembered is; we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, rather spiritual beings hav-ing a human experience!

IT’S THE CIRCLE OF LIFEAUTHOR: Pranjal Malav EMAIL: pranjalmalav@yahoo.in

YOUTH AND SPIRITUALITY

“THE UNIVERSE IS MADE UP OF EXPERIENCES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO BURN OUT YOUR ATTACHMENT, YOUR CLINGING, TO PLEASURE, TO PAIN, TO FEAR TO ALL OF IT. AND AS LONG AS THERE IS A PLACE WHERE YOU’RE VULNERABLE, THE UNIVERSE WILL FIND A WAY TO CONFRONT YOU WITH IT.” — RAM DASS

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There are some misconceptions about Indian Classical Music• Itisforonlyageoldpeople,notforyoungsters.–Manygreatmusi-

cians of Indian Classical Music like Mia Tansen, Bharat Ratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Bharat Ratna Ustad Bismillah Khan, Bharat Ratna Pt. Ravi Shankar, Ustad Zakir Hussain and many others had started to learn Classical Music when they were young. There is a definite trend in media ‘Jo dikhta woh bikta hai’. Since there are less classical programs shown hence it is not popular among youngsters.

• ClassicalMusicistoolengthyandboring–Adetailedrenditionof a Raag may go up from thirty minutes to one and a half hour. It may be boring for few but not for all. It’s like those who have started to watch cricket from T20, find test cricket boring. It is because they are not exposed to the classical music and never been told its significance.

• FilmMusiciscompletelydifferentfromClassicalMusic–Ofcoursefilm music sounds different from classical music. But almost all film songs are based on Raag (scale) of classical method. Raag Yaman is called ‘Sahasra Mukhi’ – a Raag which has thousand faces, gives all the emotions. A Hindi song like ‘Aansoo Bhari hai’ is based on Raag Yaman. ‘Jabdeep jale aana’, ‘Woh shaam kuch ajeeb thi’, ‘Chandan sa badan, Chanchal Chitwan’ are also the melodies of Raag Yaman. You will be surprised to know ‘Kajrare’, in lamhon ke daaman mein of Jodha Akbar and many other songs are based on Raag Yaman. Much popular song of 1990s ‘Tu chees badi hai mast mast’ is based on Raag Bhimplas/ Bhimplasi. The famous song ‘Dhoom Machale’ and ‘Laga chunari mein daag’ is based on Raag Bhairavi. Everyone must have heard Sha-kira’s ‘Waka Waka’, it is composed in Raag Shudd Kalyan. A common listener just listens to the melody but a musician looks at it differently.

• ClassicalMusicisoldfashioned–No!InthistechnicaleraWindowsXP becomes obsolete when Windows 7 comes to the market. So is the case

with Windows 7 against Windows 8. But the Raaga’s like Yaman, Bhairav, Bhairavi, Malkauns, Durga, Bhoopali so on are the same from the day they were invented. That means even after more than 1000 years these Raaga’s have so much to offer to the society. They have not become obsolete. Even to this date they are the same.

When a child is born it utters few words letters like ba, aa, ka, pa, ma etc then it says mama, papa. Child learns the language and forms the sentences. Initially there will be few mistakes but elders will correct. Over the year child becomes man and he will have command over the language. But if he is not been taught the language after mama and papa he would not able to make any sentence afterwards. If is he is taught only ‘How are you?’ Where are you? He would know only these two sentences. Classical Music is language. If you know a tune you can sing that tune. If you know how to compose a tune you can create many tunes and sing. Just like if you know how to form sentences you can speak fluently.

Music touches heart and it doesn’t matter whether it is classical, filmy, western, pop, rock or any genre. As said in the beginning music has only 7 notes. Composition of notes changes to mood and genre. One must have open mind to appreciate all forms of music.

INTRODUCTION TO CLASSICALAUTHOR: Sameer Havaldar EMAIL: sameer707@gmail.com

MUSICAL HEALING

MUSIC STARTS WHERE SPEECH ENDS. MUSIC HAS NO LANGUAGE BARRIER. MUSIC HAS 7 NOTES ALL AROUND THE WORLD; BE IT INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC OR WESTERN CLASSICAL. “MAN IS YET TO INVENT 8TH NOTE WHICH IS ALREADY CORRUPT” – DR. NAGARAJ RAO HAVALDAR.

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When Bishop Desmond Tutu visited the twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago some years ago, he dubbed it a “Rainbow Nation”. He was fascinated and impressed by the diversity of races and religions living in harmony in these tiny islands with a population of 1.3 million. Trinidad, the bigger island is my native land. In the mélange of races are people of African, Indian, Syrian, Chinese, Portuguese, French, English, Spanish and Lebanese descent. There are also descendants of the indigenous inhabitants of these islands, the Caribs, who were here when Christopher Columbus “discovered” these islands. Inter-racial marriages have produced people of mixed race. So, Bishop Tutu’s description of my islands was quite apt.

A few weeks ago I attended the funeral of a close friend’s mother. My friend is a Hindu and part of the funeral rites was conducted at the family home. As I sat among the mourners while the Pundit intoned words from the Baghvad Gita, I heard the prayers and hymns from a nearby church. Opposite my friend’s house is a mosque where daily a congregation gathers for the ritual prayers. Further up the road is a Catholic church where a few years ago I was present to witness the funeral service for another friend’s grandmother. This friend is Muslim but her family are Catholics.

At any religious ceremony in Trinidad and Tobago, whether it’s a funeral, a wedding, a religious event or observance, one can find people of other religions as guests and participants. Especially at Diwali, Eid al Fitr and Christmas the celebrants invite their friends and neighbours who are not of the faith, to have a meal and enjoy the day with them. In fact, these occasions are public holidays in Trinidad and Tobago.

English is our mother tongue but we also have a peculiar dialect, dif-ferent from other islands in the West Indies. Our accent too is not the same as a Jamaican, a Barbadian or St Lucian. Once in Amsterdam while on duty travel for the company I worked for, my colleagues and I were seated in a restaurant awaiting our meal. Like all Trinis who are in a relaxed atmosphere, that is – liming –(look it up in the Oxford dictionary) we were laughing and talking quite animatedly. The Dutch diners kept looking at us curiously. I imagined that they couldn’t quite believe that these folks who all looked very differ-ent from each other were speaking the same language! There we were, an Indian, an African and others of mixed races all having a great time. We could export our brand of harmonious living to other countries!

In Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) there is a group called the Inter-Religious Organization or the IRO. It comprises representatives of all the faiths. Mem-bers are invited to participate in inter-religious services at State functions

when the occasion requires it. I believe this is the only organization of its type in the world.

About 2 years ago I sat on a panel hosted by the Presbyterians to discuss inter-religious marriage and I also represented Muslims on a radio programme hosted by the IRO. The cooperation among the faiths here in my country is very cordial, and there has never been an occasion when faith has been the reason for discord. I live on a street where the majority of my neighbours are Hindus. When my children were little they used to help their friends light deyas on the occasion of Diwali. When the members of the Je-hovah Witness faith stop at our gate to hand out pamphlets, we politely take them and engage in an exchange of ideas if time permits.

I attended a Presbyterian high school where religious and cultural events were part of the school’s activities and continue to be. In fact it is com-mon practice now for most schools as well as companies to recognize and celebrate some major religious occasions.

It is difficult to tell the religion and/or ethnicity of my compatriots by their name. Yusuf Ali is a Christian with Muslim grandparents, Merle Jones is a Muslim of African descent and Viren Ramkissoon is a Christian of Indian descent. Inter-racial and inter-religious marriages have blurred the lines of identification and created a ‘Rainbow Nation’.

In addition to other art forms, our diversity is celebrated in Calypso and Soca (soul calypso) genres of music that have their origin in T&T. David Rudder, a genius and exponent of Soca wrote the wonderful “Ganges meets the Nile” where he collaborated with a famous Trini sitar player, Mangal Pate-sar. Take a listen if you wish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9r6mM_QgxtI

And of all these rivers that shaped this landTwo mighty ones move like a sculptor’s hand.And today those hands, across the land, man, they’re still landscaping.

We recognize and acknowledge our ancestry but we are proud citizens of a land where, as it’s stated in our national anthem, “every creed and race finds and equal place.”

Life is not always sweet in Trinidad and Tobago for we have our chal-lenges like other countries but living in harmony in these islands where colours blend and dance, is a blessing indeed.

A RAINBOW NATIONAUTHOR: Fazeela Mollick EMAIL: fmollick@gmail.com

FROM ACROSS TWO OCEANS

0011

In sector 60 extension: Junglenagar, lived Tim the Tortoise with his poor mother. They lived in a small twenty-five square feet rented house which was on the outskirts of Junglenagar, a low lying area. His mother worked as a receptionist in a dental clinic for rabbits, where she endured social discrimina-tion owing to her speed.

Tim was so poor that he didn’t even own a Blackberry. He used a Nokia 1100 which was his father’s. His father was very ambitious. He wanted to play football for Junglenagar. Everyone called him the crazy Tortoise for that. His dream of playing football could never materialize leaving him depressed. He left his family and went away from Junglenagar the day he failed to clear his trials, the last one he could try for. Since then, Tim and his mother were living alone.

Tim didn’t like his school as it was far away from his home and he got tired walking that long. Being slow, he often reached late. His teacher would scold him for being unpunctual, despite knowing that he was a tortoise and couldn’t walk fast. Nobody liked him at school. They teased him because he didn’t have a good phone. They would play games like Angry Birds and Hangman and communicate on Whatsapp. He wanted a smartphone but also wanted to fight against the social discrimination the tortoise community faced for years.

One day at school, it was announced that there would be a five-thousand meters race and the winner would be awarded an IPhone. Ross, the rabbit was also participating in the race. He was the fastest rabbit Junglena-gar knew. No one dared to compete against Ross.

Tim, the tortoise, perhaps had a few genes of his father. He announced that he would participate in the race.

At first, everyone was too stunned to laugh. When they realized that it wasn’t a joke, they couldn’t react. Few laughed, but checked themselves out of pity. Moreover, they wanted to save the best jokes for the last. Some were busy preparing jokes under hundred-forty characters; others were busy edit-ing images for Facebook shares.

When Ross, the rabbit heard this, he laughed it off.

“Once upon a time, one of your forefathers beat my forefather, and you’re still living that story. He was a stupid rabbit, I am not.”

Tim, the tortoise heard all the taunts but kept his calm.

Tim was determined. He was practicing very hard for the race. He used to wake up early, exercise and run fast. Everyone praised his efforts, most praises filled with sarcasm.

The race was trending on twitter the day before its schedule. Every animal wished Tim good luck but with a tongue out smiley.

The day of the race finally came. Ross, the rabbit was looking cheer-ful. His furs were looking very white as if he washed himself in Ujala (chaar boondo waala- the four drops remedy). The tortoise was determined, but he looked tired as he had already travelled some distance to the race track.

Both the participants were asked to switch their GPS on. Most of the animals were supporting the rabbit, but few were supporting Tim too. The whole tortoise community had come to support him, hoping against hopes.

The race started. Ross took the lead right from the start, not wishing to make the mistake one of his ancestors committed. He was running fast as a hare. The tortoise was trying hard, but lagged far behind.

Ross had covered more than two third of the distance when his girlfriend Binny the Rabbit called on his Blackberry Bold. He thought that the tortoise was out of sight so he could perhaps talk to her for some time. He started talking to her.

After a little while, tortoise had passed him. He began pleading Binny for letting him go.

“Baby, what would you give me when you win the race?” she asked. “Anything you ask. But, now let me go, we have been talking very

long.” “Talk for some more time if you love me. “I love you but...” “You are avoiding me, aren’t you?” “No, sweetie, I love you.” It took some more time for Ross, the rabbit to convince his sweetheart.

But, as soon as he put the phone, he ran to the finish line.

When he reached the finish line, he found out that the tortoise was fractions away from the finish line. He decided to have a run for it but tortoise touched the finish line just a little earlier. All the rabbits were cursing him and he felt very bad.

The tortoise had won the race and got the IPhone.

TORTOISE AND RABBITAUTHOR: Aman Arora EMAIL: aman@spoorthimag.com

MODERN-DAY FABLES: JUNGLENAGAR

0012

Where the buildings are made of chocolates, the rooftops are made of halwa, the rivers are made of kheer, and the mountains are made of ice-creams, is Parzania, a place of sweetness. Parzania, in the end, comes out to be a far off land, a dream land, where everything is happy. Parzania is a beautiful metaphor of the land where we don’t cut each other’s throats on the basis of our surnames, or the color of our skins. It is a place where happi-ness is the most important acquisition, yet is easily distributed on the barter of love.

Parzan, a young Parsi boy, is a cheerful young boy in love with cricket. The story is about his family, his cute little sister, his strict mother, and his friendly father. The story is also about a small society of friendly people of various religions but one common thread binding them – love and care. And when the news of railway compartment full of Hindu pilgrims reaches, within 24 hours, a mob attacks the city, including this society.

It is a story of family’s struggles after the child goes missing. Based on a real story of Azhar Modi, whose family is still searching for him, Parzania never tries to be preachy. The narrator, Allan, who carries forward the story, has come for a thesis on Gandhi. He is an unbiased narrator, and one may or may not agree to his views. The scenes of violence are pretty graphic, but what is implied is that the real scenes were far worse than we can ever imagine.

The story is as humane as it can get. Parsi people don’t bury the dead or burn them. They believe that soul stays alive, and moves on. But the body must be returned to the earth. They leave it on top of towers where the scav-enging birds and sun help deliver what is of earth to earth only.

Rahul Dholakia is a Hindu director, but he clearly has asked some valid questions with this film, how come mass-scale agitation was so neatly ar-ranged, which looks really impossible. He hasn’t question Hindus or Muslims in this film. He has just question the pre-planned genocide, and has brought out through a beautiful heart-warming story that humans have only one religion. He says through the story that when you take away a person from the family, you’re paralyzing all the others. When you provide them with a picture, it’s not going to go away from minds of people. When you carry out plans of vengeance, you’ll not be spared and some other person will take your life for vengeance.

Naseeruddin Shah’s one of finest performances, overshadowed by that of Sarika (who made a comeback after many years), and the little children (Parzan played by Parzan Dastur is adorable, Pearl Barsiwala as Pearl is amaz-ingly natural), and Corin Nemec as Allan is absolutely natural.

If you’re going to watch this film as a Hindu, you’ll find the film is anti-Hindu. If you’re going to watch this film as a Muslim, you’ll find that the revenge they’d been planning was anti-Muslim and you’ll find ways to justify many attacks later on. If you’ll watch this film as a human, you’ll know that religion is a personal way of reaching peace which can never be attained by these popularity gimmicks and Klu-Kulx-Klan kind parties and movements.

A PLACE TO BE PARZANIAAUTHOR: Spoorthi Team Contribution

FULFILLING ART

”’ART IS ABOUT EXPRESSING THE TRUE NATURE OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT IN WHATEVER WAY ONE WISHES TO EXPRESS IT. IF IT IS HONEST, IT IS BEAUTIFUL. IF IT IS NOT HONEST, IT IS OBVIOUS.’ -

CORIN NEMEC”

0013

After a long wait, it rained. A magical scent filled entire place, carrying a soothing touch.

It was the same dithering feeling when she touched me. Her hand was on mine but my whole body could feel it. I never thought that we were going to be beyond happiness and sorrow. Fingers were trying to merge in each other and eyes struggled to find the courage for same. I wanted to see her eyes, but the surroundings were in no mood to allow.

“What is wrong with me? I never felt like this. Is it your presence?” I asked her, sitting on the bench looking at the plant with drops falling on it. It was looking ultra-green today.

“No, it is you.” The unspoken answer popped up.Again, words seemed useless. No thought, no word was coming to

my mind. “Plop….Plop….” Sound of the falling drops was the only sound that could be heard. In between, a flash of light with roaring sound was making us tremble to our deepest conscience.

But this was the time, when I got to know how precious words could be in life. How much difference one could make being an extrovert.

“So are you sure of this decision??” she was still looking at the grass with her hands in mine.

“You tell me what……..” I tried to open my mouth but it was very hard for me to assert anything in that moment.

“Just say yes or no.” she was looking very still, at grass or sky. I wasn’t sure; but not at me, that’s for sure.

She had never been so assertive to me. It was the first, and probably the last time I was seeing her this way.

“See R*******, it’s not about a yes or a no.” I replied and took a pause, expecting a resistance but nothing came. I took a deep breath. A combina-tion of her odour and the odour of rain went inside me.

“It’s about love. Who am I? A student of class twelve. What do I do? I study. What I earn? My father feeds me. And what am I going to do? To intro-duce this world to my beloved who is 7 years older than me.” I had no idea whether I was talking to her or just to myself.

A few seconds of pause. “Even if we stay together, it’s not feasible for our families and society.

Would my father support me? How will I feed you?”“So what? I can. Whole life you will, so what if for few early years I do

this.” She looked so beautiful.Will your parents allow you? What about the society?” I tried to argue.“Why are you so much concerned about the society? I thought you

don’t care the least about it.” It was a taunt. A masculine heart always feels hurt when someone hurts its feminine

feelings. “I still don’t give a damn about this. Fair enough, we can announce

ourselves today. But you answer me; can we live together? Where will we live? Can you imagine a 16 year boy living with his 23 year beloved, going to attend daily his classes of 12th in his school dress every morning? Is it really possible?” I said in an impulse but then I realized that I asked a question of which nobody could answer.

Again a pause for almost a minute.But this time it was scarier. So I regretted it but bullet was already fired.“Listen R********, I know it’s not easy for you. It is also disheartening for

me. But this is the only thing that we can do for both of us. You can’t wait for me that long. So go with your parents, marry whomsoever they have chosen.” I consoled her after that fiery, impulsive sentence of mine.

She again said with the same posture, “what do you think; will I be happy with what you are suggesting to me?”

“Yeah, surely you will be.” I encouraged her smelling the changed mind of hers.

“Do you know that guy?”I didn’t even know whether he was a man or boy or what. I could lie

to her. But this was the time I realized the importance of being a liar to the person you love most.

“……no……a…a….actually I don’t.” I said with a very low sound, but was enough for her to hear, sitting so close to me.

“Then how can you say I’d be happy?” I always hated lawyer-cum-girls who asked too many questions. She

was a silent, shy girl. Perhaps that’s why I loved her so much. But today she was arguing like never before.

It was making me a bit irritated; but honestly, the real reason was that I had no answer. I had no idea what to say.

Again a long pause.“R*******, please do this. It’s futile to argue now. And no matter

whether we are going to be together or not, we love each other and we will continue to.” I sounded like some character from Mills and boons.

“No, it matters to me, to live my life with somebody else.” She again said with a very feeble voice.

“Please R********, marry as your parents say. We both are going to get nothing out of this relation. Please understand this and do as I say. I love you.” I said.

“Do you still think you love me?” she asked. I felt a red hot dagger in my chest.

Again a few seconds pause.She got up. Hands were still in hands. It was time for her to go. I wanted to say much but there were no

words in any of the languages that I knew. We both were standing, facing each other.

I looked at her. She was looking at me. I could see her face. A smile was flowing on her lips but a big drop of

water was in her both eyes.“Water is trickling from everything. Why aren’t these tears coming

out?” I thought.I wanted to hold her hands again; I wanted to feel her warm soothing

touch again. I wanted to smell her odor again, talk to her, walk with her, and even argue with her all over again.

But she smiled and finally turned without saying anything.I wanted to hear her voice again. “Oh! Please R*******, don’t go.” My heart cried but whole sound turned

into water and came in my eyes.She had started her scooty and again gave me a faint smile and

swooped.I wanted to see her smile again. But what I could see was only her. My

world was going away from me at a speed of thirty kilometers an hour.

WE LOVED BUT IN PAUSESAUTHOR: Manas Mishra EMAIL: idharath2006@gmail.com

HEARTY TALES

0014

THE WINDOW SEAT

AUTHOR: Aman Arora EMAIL: aman@spoorthimag.com

Carefree wind strikes my head.My hair has lost its address.

Its coolness kisses my willing cheeks.My ears listen what it speaks.

The world is stationary inside.Routine voices gloomily recite,

A song with no rhythm no rhyme.An escape to music, the window seat.

Traveling through Earth less traveled.Visiting places still to be unravelled.

Vestal beauty of varying soils.My eyes rejuvenate the Nature’s bless.

An eyesore, the everyday colors.Arranged in set patterns.

Binding the horizon for my wild eyes.A bridge to beauty, the window seat

0015AGELESS VERSES

ATITHI DEVOBHAVAREPORTER: Praseeda Kalkur EMAIL: write2prasi@gmail.com

While planning a trip, the first consideration is usually about how great the place is. Second,the shopping lists. And then, the warnings come; beware of this and that. We, girls’ gang, packed our bags with excitement, shopping lists and stuffed up with the warnings in the end for our Easter break to Scot-land; while we were for internship in England. We did a little planning and basic booking, and headed to Glasgow. We trusted our feet, used maps, and relied on calling the hotel guys to reach the place. Being without a vehicle actually helped us explore the city better. Also, it makes you aware of the place more, and is a good way to get quality photographs.

We reached the city of Inverness late in the evening after exploring a few places in Scotland. We hardly had any information about the place, and didn’t even know the postal code of the hostel. Even Google maps couldn’t help us much. Tight budget made us carry the luggage on our backs and toil hard on foot. Following the receptionist’s advice, we walked by the river Ness but had difficulty finding Rosedean (from where we were supposed to take left and reach a hill where the hostel was. Now the warnings’ started haunt-ing. ‘Scotland is famous for drunkards’ made us wary of asking anybody who couldn’t walk straight. Many others, like us, were on Easter break themselves, so couldn’t help us with directions. Then, the lonely road reminded us of another warning: ‘Inverness is famous for pickpockets). Without giving voice to inhibitions, we carried on.

Finally, we had company, after we’d walked for what I felt as eternity. We chanced upon an old couple who seemed helpful. The lady constantly

mentioned that she had heard the road but couldn’t quite figure it out exactly. We asked ‘Rosedean House’ then, and she knew where it was. They motioned us in the direction of the river, where we’ll get Rosedean at a junc-tion. We needed to take left from there.

They asked us where we came from. My perception was that all foreigners think of India as what movies like Slumdog Millionaire portray. However, their warm and friendly smile upon hearing ‘India’ cleared all our misconceptions. They’d been to India three weeks back, and been to Delhi, Darjeeling, and Gangtok for four days each. They stayed at the Taj, Gurgaon in the NCR of Delhi. Their son’s friends threw a bash at their parents’ fiftieth marriage anniversary, and they were invited. The hotel guys arranged for sight-seeing for them.

They also went on the toy train ride in Darjeeling. They went early morning to the Tiger Hills to see the sunrise; however the clouds disrupted their plans. Second time lucky, they eventually saw it while returning. They liked the places, the familiar cold temperatures being the similarity. They explained their experience to India as awesome.

They bid us adieu, sympathizing about the long walk we needed to take to reach the place. We also filled up our list of to-dos while in Inverness and headed towards the Rosedean. We couldn’t find a single person this time on our way back. Two girls, lonely road, no surety of which direction to go made it a mental challenge as much as physical. Even after a long walk, we couldn’t get around the famous Rosedeal House. While I wondered on action,

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my friend took route to worry- fear of having taken the wrong road, a red car stopped by. ‘We’re here to help you, welcome to India’ were the words of the old couple who wanted to help us reach safely to our hostel. They wanted to return the favour, the hospitality that they received in India having overwhelmed them.

Atithi Devo Bhava is a famous saying in India. Guests are God. Even Scottish believed the same, I realized.

‘You won’t find the peep-peep (honking) or lots of people here’ she told while driving.

‘That’s the sad part’ I replied. ‘Back in India, if lost, we could always ask someone. But here, it’s difficult to find a person to ask.’

I remembered how we were lost in Glencoe, when to reach the village no signs or people were there to help us. My friend had to run leaving all her luggage to stop the vehicle and ask for directions when we found a guy finally. Although we’d walked a mile in the wrong direction, we thanked God that we ultimately found it was the wrong direction.

Even after getting in the car, we didn’t reach the place soon. They weren’t sure of the place, but were ready to find out. She had maps to

check, while I switched to Google Maps. It showed, now, that we were a couple of miles in the same direction as the place. They showed us Rosedean soon, and had it not been for their presence we wouldn’t have recognized the place even after reaching, there was no placard in-dicating the same. We went slightly ahead, and then the lady took the right turn and took us to our hotel safely.

‘Shukriya’ was what my vocal cords felt right to say.

Please they were, having learned few Hindi words in India. They folded their hands for a ‘Na-maste’. We reciprocated. They told us that back in India, people didn’t do it often. We were being reminded of our tradition by foreigners. I asked for their names, so as to never forget the people. They were Jeff and Moreen. I asked for their numbers so as to show them around if they came to India again. Lady frankly told that they’d like to see some other places and had no plans for India. I understood their feelings and didn’t press on.

I don’t know of the hospitality they received in India, but we earned the rewards of that. We felt proud Indians there and then, and of the value system our country possesses.

PRASEEDAKALKURPHOTO-GRAPHY

“IT IS NOT THE QUANTITY OF THE MEAT, BUT THE CHEERFULNESS OF THE GUESTS, WHICH MAKES THE FEAST”EDWARD HYDE

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018PICTURE POWER

Deepanshu Ananddeepanshuanand93@yahoo.in

https://www.facebook.com/pages/DEEPS-Photogra-phy/246529102145193

019PICTURE POWER

Aman Agrawal Photography

Deepanshu Ananddeepanshuanand93@yahoo.in

https://www.facebook.com/pages/DEEPS-Photogra-phy/246529102145193

Aman Agrawalamanashu123@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/Amanaphotography

020PICTURE POWER

Mayank Sharmamayank4308@gmail.com

021PICTURE POWER

Mayank Sharmamayank4308@gmail.com

022PICTURE POWER

Mayank Sharmamayank4308@gmail.com

HAS PHYSICAL APPEARANCE BECOME TOO IMPORTANT A PART OF OUR MODERN CIVILIZED SOCIETY?

Well, I think it’s not necessary. If a person is fat, the society teases him for his physical appearance and if he’s thin then also he’ll be teased. Society won’t

accept anyone who’s correct. They have got nothing else than commenting on others. So we have to live as per our own values and not according to society

Supriva CV

Yes, it has become an important part of our so called civilized society because appearance is the first thing on which we judge an individual. His/her appear-ance tells us how well a person takes care of oneself. Appearance has and will

always remain a primary thing on which a person gets attracted to one another and also for job these days.

Rupaksh Gulati

Yea, without any doubt appearance has become way too important in this modern world. And without having good appearance, it’s almost impossible to live and also to get a good life Partner. The main reason I think behind it is the

modernization of world. But social networking websites like FB, Orkut & Twitter [virtual identity]are a few means where your appearance has no effect and that’s

why I like these because here you need not bother thinking what your fellow friends will say on the way you appear. Here your intelligence and thinking mat-

ters.Sathya Asheerv

Physical appearance somewhat has become a must in this century. Like in creat-ing the first impression or giving detailing in a matrimony site. And this begins

right after birth. Everyone is concerned about how you are dressed, how well you look, how fashionable and up to date you are, what brand you are wearing, what

trends you are following. In school the uniform, in college the formals (are the dress codes). And if you do not have that a better physical appearance you need

to apply again. A second chance (may come) but who wants a second chance! And again it’s not that physical appearance or good looks are always to impress

or show off and also it increases the confidenceNeha Ghosh

Probably, physical appearance is the first thing you would notice in a person. Stressing more on personality development in modern society is seen these days,(and it) maybe for good reasons. But people take it the wrong way. I feel

maintaining your appearance as decent is one of the essential parts, which may help you personally. Other way is when people behave like racists, don’t just

jump on it because there are proportions of people who discriminate but many would like to see people developing according to the nerves of society.

Who would not like to look cool?Sreehari Gagillapuram

According to me it does play a vital role in our modern civilized world. We gener-ally makes a vague opinion about others by observing their personality and

physical appearance. A strong physical appearance and a good personality make you confident and helps achieving heights...

Bhawna Saluja

Well, according to the society it’s gaining more importance these days. People with looks easily gain popularity. But iin my view, good appearance does not

matter a lot. One who is more intellectual as compared to person with good ap-pearance is naturally very smart.

Intellectually matters a lot as compared to good looks.Reena Rani

Yes, it has because no one pays attention to an average everyday face. The whole of the world is in a battle to outdo the other one. Good dressing sense, certain

uniqueness seems to be attractive to our society now.Pankaj

023THE BURNING QUESTION

When I born, I black.When I grow up, I black.When I go in sun, I black.When I scared, I black.When I sick, I black.

And when I die, I still black.

And you white people.When you born, you pink.

When you grow up, you white.When you go in sun, you red.

When you cold, you blue.When you scared, you yellow.

When you sick, you greenAnd when you die, you grey…

And you calling me colored??

written by a south african child - UN best poetry

nomination of2006

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