Same old rape case…..when will we react?

Well, this isn’t new. We are having so many problems around that the news of rape has hardly made us stop in our tracks. Instead, the word rape has become so common in our magazines and newspapers that we read it and flap the pages as if it were usual to read such news. And we are partly right in our actions. Nobody ever stops to see until it happens to us. If it has happened to someone else, the least we can do is offer sympathy and move because we have been taught that life is supposed to be lived forward.

Whatever been said and done, we simply cannot ignore rapes. India, as a country can never develop if it never learns to keep its daughters safe. No amount of money or technology progress will help India until women are able to walk in the roads without the fear of being raped. The news article in NDTV dated 27th December talks about a particular case where a teenager who was fighting for justice committed suicide after one month because she was given two options:

1. To have a financial settlement with her attackers.
2. Marry one of the attackers.

Surely, justice seems to have an alteration in its meaning if people start throwing their options such as the above. I am surprised and proud for the fact that the teenager fought her battle for a whole month after the attack but I am equally saddened that something broke her confidence and faith that drove her to kill herself. I can only pray for her soul to rest in peace.

NDTV:A 17-year-old in Patiala who had been gang-raped has committed suicide because the police allegedly embarrassed her and refused to register a case for over a month.

The teen was sexually assaulted on Diwali by two men. Though her family was threatened by the alleged rapists, they decided to file a police case two weeks after the attack.

The family alleges that the cops refused to register a case; they summoned the teen repeatedly to the police station and humiliated her. "The police started pressuring her to either reach a financial settlement with her attackers or marry one of them," her sister said today.

Let’s not forget that at any point of time, men were not born to rape and women were not born to be preys. There can be no space for such filth in a society which boasts about culture and values. All said and done, the recent rape incidents throws a strong message to women out there to safeguard themselves against the prevailing evil minds that roam our streets.

Please prove that you are not a robot!

I was recently trying to enter a comment on one of the blogs when I got the message “Please prove that you are not a robot. Enter the words shown below”. We have these captcha codes that are mandatory to be entered if you want your comment to be entered.
I couldn’t help smiling when I read the sentence “Please prove that you are not a robot”. As if entering the captcha code proves that. Well, in real life, we all have become robots. Now, now, yes we breathe, we eat, we cry, we laugh, we love, we sulk – none of these can be done by a robot. So, how are we robots?

A robot is anything that follows an order. If you look at it closely, most of us are actually following orders. No way, you argue, denying the fact that you follow orders. If that’s the case, why do you think people out there follow the media blindly? Why do you think people out there follow the customs and caste systems? Why do you think a human’s capacity is concluded with the wealth he possesses than his character? Why do you think we pay money for our needs without questioning if it’s worth or not?

Ages ago, someone decided to lay down the rules. To this day, we have been following them without questioning. To those who have tried to question, have been insulted or termed mad or crazy. Anybody who questions these silly, stupid, senseless rules is out of the league. We praise ourselves to be in accordance with the system while we are the actual fools.

Think for a moment about the decisions that you make. Think for a moment about the judgment you make about other people. Let’s prove that we are humans who have this special thinking capacity which can create wonders if used. Let’s prove that we are not ROBOTS.

Indian horror story: College student kidnapped child for 5 lakhs, killed him

The above statement is posted in 25th September NDTV headlines. When I read the story, I didn’t know what to think. But I wanted to know the details so I continued to read. What I read further shocked me so much that I had anger ebbing within me.

A college boy in Pune decided to kidnap a 5 year old kid from the neighborhood and demand a ransom of 5 lakhs because he needed the much used commodity – a bike. After the kidnap, for reasons unknown the lad strangled and killed the small boy to death on knowing that he wouldn’t get the money.

We, the people, are responsible for this. We are responsible for the college boy wanting the bike. We are responsible for the death of the small kid as well. Being a part of the society, we have built stereotypes of various kinds to such an extent that, the want of a vehicle has become more important than a life.

With increasing demand for a more materialistic life, we are losing the stand that real life lies in people, relationships, passions, service and devotion. The above incident is just a warning for all of us that we are yet to feel the wrath of money if we don’t stop bathing ourselves in wads of money.

I wonder now, how will the murderer live with this sin all his life. The curse and fury of the parents, the society and the Gods – is this needed for a lad whose life is yet to start. He gained the badge of a sinner, the small boy at the hands of death, the media running the story for a few more days and then towards the end, the world moves on as if nothing ever happened.

Ignoring the situation isn’t going to help us for long. Let us now, at least now, wake up and analyze for a moment the things we have been giving importance. Let us teach our children the importance and value of relationships. This lies purely in the hands of parents and teachers, so let’s make use of this power in the proper way.

Until then, we have to move on, but with the thought that gruesome murders shouldn’t be allowed to be a part of a normal living. If we start living with this, one day murders will becomes daily news.

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Pleasant reminders

Today, being Ganesh Chathurthi, all of India is in full swing with streets displaying a wide range of clay Ganeshas. Of course, the package comes with a variety of sweets that seem too delicious for a wholesome meal.

As luck would have it, I had to report to office even when people around me were in the festive mood preparing themselves to enjoy the day. Reluctantly, I woke up and followed my routine despite my inner self not bothering to deny the sadness of not having a holiday. I boarded the office bus at sharp 7.45 am cursing the driver to show up punctually every single day (If he wanted he could come a little late by letting us sleep a little longer).

Choosing a window seat, I opened a copy of Reader’s digest and immersed myself in the world of light humor and bonus reads. In our office buses, usually a register is passed around in which we had to note down our names and sign the same. Apparently, it was followed to keep track of the passenger strength each day or so I thought.

Just when I was drawn deep inside the magazine, a felt a sharp thud of an object fall on my lap. With anger simmering inside, I noticed that the girl in my front seat had dropped it over me for signing it. The girl, who was now engrossed in the world of her headphones, didn’t see me noticing her with a callous expression. I decided to call her and teach her some manners.

For some reason, I held back. A few things started running into my mind.

1. I had to see her daily in the bus.
2. I didn’t want an argument to be a reminder when we saw each other.
3. True, she had dropped the register but it wasn’t as if I had a fracture or a wound.
4. May be it wasn’t such a big deal; she must have dropped it by mistake.

I resumed reading my magazine forgetting the entire episode but I learnt an important lesson. In most situations, we argue for things that don’t hold much water at all. If we sat back and thought about the anger and hurtful situations that come in our lives, most aren’t worth talking or discussing about. But we usually make a big fuss which in turn gives way for unpleasant encounters with people.

May be if we could hold back ourselves, we wouldn’t have so called “problems” that we complain about. Above all, we all need pleasant reminders when we meet people which is possible only if we smile and learn to let go.

You Are Who Your Friends Are

It's important to acknowledge the power of a positive attitude. This goes not only for yourself, but also for the people you surround yourself with.

Attitudes are catchy. Whether they're positive or negative, they're rubbing off on you. If you're around people who complain, judge, spread negative gossip, blame others, and play victim roles, chances are you do, too.

Who are you around most? Are they achieving their dreams or complaining about their circumstances? Do they look up to others who are go-getters and high achievers, or do they make fun of them and roll their eyes? How do they treat you?

If you're spending time with people who don't support your dreams and goals, it's seriously time to look at whom you call your friends, and start networking to up-level your circle of influence.

Successful people surround themselves with successful people, plain and simple. They want to be around others who are achieving goals and making things happen. They want to know their secrets and strategies for winning. They're not embarrassed to be hanging out with people who are studying for success and making good money.

You, too, need to surround yourself with positive influences. Join the clubs that other successful people are in, learn what they're learning. It doesn't matter from what walk of life you are coming from. Show up and transform yourself into an achiever! Success isn't just for those who have had it easy, who came from supportive homes or had expensive educations. There are so many successful people who rose up from very poor conditions and overcame obstacles to achieve the goals they set their sights on.

But they didn't get there by hanging out with negative energy-drainers!

Have you been limiting your success by letting yourself become influenced by other people's negative energy?

Make a list of all the people you spend time with and make a note of the kind of personality they have. How many negative people are you around every day? How many people on your list are achieving their dreams, supporting yours and taking responsibility for their lives? You're better off spending time alone than with people who hold themselves back with a victim mentality.

Simply stop spending time with the negative people on your list. Join the clubs that will put you in with a positive circle of friends. Set a new standard for yourself and don't become friends with people who fall below that standard. Invite your old friends to come with you and you'll know who has potential and who to stop being around entirely.

You have to take responsibility for this area of your life. Look around you at the people you call friends. Does it make you proud? Are you selling yourself short? Or are you on the right track?

Starting TODAY ... make a conscious effort to surround yourself with positive, nourishing, and uplifting people - people who believe in you, encourage you to go after your dreams, and applaud your victories. Surround yourself with possibility thinkers, idealist, an visionaries!


By,

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success.

Cartoons: Is there a need for filtered viewing?

A 13-year-old hanging himself imitating a cartoon character should serve as an eye-opener for all the parents. They should pay special attention to what their child watches on television and there is a dire need to guide the children as they might imbibe all the good and bad characters they get to watch on the television sets.

KIDS OF all ages have always enjoyed watching the cartoons; there are some which are enjoyed by adults as well. Who can ever get over from the repeated series of Tom and Jerry? Some fond memories are awakening the thought of Scooby doo, Flintstones, Popeye show, Dexter and much more. We spent most of our childhood fancying these characters as if they were our next door neighbors.


When I read recent coverage, I realized that cartoons are no longer the same. The brain-free-mind refreshing cartoons have evolved into a complex phenomenon that has ceased to be fun. The news article spoke about the death of a thirteen-year-old who hanged himself imitating a cartoon character. The only difference was that the cartoon character came out alive while our youngsters fell for an ill-fated death that was uncalled for.

It is disturbing to know that cartoons which are basically aired only to entertain children are also provoking a million thoughts in the minds of children. The characters create an influence deep enough to control the action of our children through a medium of dummyness. This incident shows us how our children are easily hypnotized by the silly cartoon characters.

Are children naïve to understand the difference between real and reel lives? Are parents too busy to notice what their child might be up to? Is there a need to filter the cartoons that are being aired on television?


While a reason from the above can be picked to blame, it is essential to realize that kids absorb everything that they come across. How seriously they glue it to their sub-conscious minds is never known. As parents, what we can do is, keep checks on our children to filter cartoon watching. Parents are the closest contacts to children who should know how sensitive their children are to the world of fancies.