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Why Nirbhaya matters?

A Journey for Justice

- by U. Saradha

In 2012, India selected its 13th President as Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, KKR won the IPL season, India managed to secure 6 medals in the London Olympics. But none marked the year more than the scream of a woman from the nation’s capital. At the end of the year 2012, the Delhi Gang rape case, infamously known as the Nirbhaya case, moved citizens of the country to come to the streets to stand in solidarity with victims of sexual harassment.

The brutal nature of the acts committed by the rapists fueled the people’s desire to witness the perpetrators comeuppance. Unlike other gruesome attacks, this one garnered much traction from both the national as well as the international media. Seeing the amount of public support, news organizations began shining a spotlight on other sexual assault cases all over the nation. It spurred the people to realize the sordid state of a woman’s life in the nation.

Six years later, a survey conducted by Thomson Reuters in June 2018 ranked India as the world’s most dangerous country for women. While several government officials retaliated by voicing their disagreement and questioning the authenticity of the report, citizens of the country not only expressed their agreement but also urged bureaucrats to introspect and step up to take accountability for their inaction.

The gangrape of a 20 year old woman from Haryana who was killed with a brick to the face on May 14th 2017, Sexual harassment of a 22 year old Sikkim girl who was gangraped in a moving car on May 15th 2017, The Shakthi Mill Gang rape case, the rape of a six year old child at Vibhgyor High are only few among thousands of other rape cases that caught the limelight. Far fewer perpetrators have been tried for their crimes.

With every case that caught national attention, people’s hope for a future where women are not subjected to such ills grew bleaker. The collective agitation of people against the state of women’s safety reached a threshold after the ghastly rape and murder of Disha, a veterinarian from Hyderabad. The Hyderabad police resorted to extra judicial killing of the rapists shortly after the incident took place. Citizens not only celebrated the move but also believed that this is the only method to deliver justice for the victims and their families. Some hailed the extra judicial killing while another section of the civil society expressed their dissent against the decision and stood against cops taking justice into their own hands.

Nirbhaya was a name that gave hope to millions awaiting justice. The vivid nature of the crime captivates the Indians and their humanity. The swell of public outrage compelled the government to act for the safety of India’s daughters. People spotted a silver lining when an ordinance was passed in 2013 that allowed for death penalty in cases of rape. Several rape cases were heard by Fast-Track courts and The Nirbhaya Fund was started by the government of India to help government organizations and NGOs for taking efforts to protect women. However, incidents like the Kathua and Unnao rape cases proved that all people, especially the female populace, is constantly subjected to threats.

Eight years had passed since the Nirbhaya assault. One of the perpetrators had been underage and had been tried as a juvenile. His release from prison in 2015 with a  sewing machine and financial support of Rs.10,000 caused widespread ridicule by the people. Memes and articles alike expressed the rage of Indian citizens who had wished for justice, not mercy. To be judged by the cruel act committed, and not the age.

With the entire nation waiting with bated breath, The Supreme court on, 7th Jan 2020 issued death warrants to the rapists and set February 1st as the execution date. The SC also rejected Mercy pleas filed by the rapists which was predominantly seen as a method to disrupt and delay the process. February 1st would be the day people get closure. Nirbhaya, the moniker “Fearless” given to the woman, would finally be able to rest in peace. It would be the day her parents get justice for their daughter’s death. It would be a landmark for harsher punishments befitting the harsh crime of rape and murder.

It would be a day that brings hope and justice.

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How India failed Abdul Kalam

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was born in the village of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu in 1931. His passion and thirst for knowledge had him rise on to become the chief of India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to pioneer ground breaking advancements in missiles, while also working with Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to develop the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). His insatiable dream of progress and his belief in India pushed him to achieve more and more for the nation. He won the Indian Presidency in 2002 and had a memorable term till 2007. In this time, he came to be regarded as a role model for the upcoming generation of Indians, while also encouraging the current generation to look to the children for a better future.

“Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.”

Between his role as an administrator at DRDO and his term as the President, APJ Abdul Kalam, with his colleague Y.S. Rajan, published a book in 1998. The title of the book sought to inspire young minds to strive towards a better future. “India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium”.

This book highlighted the deficiencies of the country at that time and provided blueprints for success in the coming years. Envisioning India as a developed nation by 2020 was the dream of Dr. Kalam and many others. The book is vast and covers various sectors identified for growth in the future. Published before the new millennium, it accounted for the advancement of technology to provide leeway in its estimates.

In order to consider any country Developed, Dr. Kalam propositioned three main factors:

Wealth of the nation

Prosperity of the people

Reputation in the International forum

Clearly identified in the book were indicators that could be used to measure each of these indicators. A litmus test that could be used to classify them as progressive or regressive.

Wealth of the nation

Considering the nation as a whole implies taking stock of every individual. The typical measure of wealth is the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which accounts for the total value of all goods and services produced in a country within a year. According to the most recent data, India has had an increase in the GDP growth rate year after year.

Even with the most reset slowdown of economy due to falling exports and factory output, India reported a growth of 4.5% at the end of 2019 (tradingeconomics.com). Dr. Kalam realized the shortcomings of this GDP method of measurement, as it took into account the total nation’s output, without focusing on the common citizen as an individual.

To account for this disparity, Dr. Kalam suggested using Purchasing Power to determine if every citizen is able to afford basic amenities and a healthy lifestyle.

In short, it is a measure to determine if the percentage of people below poverty line continues to diminish.

Data was recently published by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) that measured Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) of India. The MPI is a comprehensive study of different factors like education, housing, living standards, electricity and so on. It found that the percentage of population considered poor grew while the Indian economy flourished, indicating that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. This brings forth the fundamental aspect of wealth in a nation affected by corruption that embroils the people of the country.

Prosperity of the people 

 Wealth does not equate a good lifestyle. Considering this, Dr. Kalam also listed prosperity as a separate factor from wealth. Prosperity stems from a good house, education, sanitation and basic amenities. The Vision 2020 document was published in 1998 and had many anecdotes from that time period. One point mentioned when discussing prosperity was the suicides of Cotton farmers that had happened that year. And Dr. Kalam’s hope that it would not be so in 2020. Flash forward to the current time and this is yet to change.

Farmers have been protesting, struggling and fighting to survive in a society that is yet to celebrate and encourage them for providing the essence of life to every citizen in India. 

 Replace cotton with onion and it is a similar scenario. Without proper planning around the year, the shortages and surpluses of crops are inevitable. In the Vision 2020 document the Indian map had been segmented by crop yield, soil type and variety for better planning of crop production. There was also talk of furthering study into better crop storage methods to ensure crops could last longer after harvest. Neither of these has come to fruition and the life of the farmer still hangs by a thread.

 The farmer is but one group affected by the unchanged policies in India. Manual scavenging is still a huge issue by which 54000 people earn a living, which has taken the lives of over 300 people since 2017.

The fundamental requirement for the growth of any nation is the education of its citizens which affords them to make better choices in their lives. Even in terms of literacy rate India has been faltering, with only 73.2% of the adults being literate, which is heavily biased towards men.

When staking the future of the nation, prosperity of the people needs to be further developed to bolster India into being a developed country.

Reputation in the international forum

Considering the international need for treaties and deals, the reputation of a country plays a crucial role in the patchwork of the world. The citizens of the country and their actions impact the reputation, and the reputation of the country determines how the citizens are seen by all the rest of the world. It is the final point to work on for a developed India, one that Dr. Kalam takes a long time to discuss. From the various sectors that India needs to focus on, to the aspects of society that needs to change.

While the book had been published in 1998 most of the technology that is currently in use was in its infancy while some had not even been conceived. But blueprints had been discussed regarding technological sector and the boom in engineers that would be needed to ensure growth in that field. This backfired immensely as India now has an abundance of engineers and has at this point become a cliche. Dr. Kalam had also hoped the Service sector would’ve improved to take care of the quality of life.

He specifically mentioned that Non-Government Organizations would play a huge role by working hand in hand with the corporations to improve the environment people live in. 

As Dr. Kalam had been a part of ISRO and DRDO, he had hoped for progress in these fields. This has come true in the unbridled support that was showered on ISRO for the Chandraayan2 mission in 2019. It proves that people are willing to reach for the stars and strive for more no matter the hurdles. With passion and innovation, India’s standing in the world of Space has improved significantly. Yet these technological advancements did not garner as much attention as the air problem in New Delhi. The country’s capital had its worst outbreak of air pollution yet, as the city came to a standstill to try and deal with the air turning into poison.

There is one aspect that Dr. Kalam could not have predicted, or envisioned, that would change the outlook of India completely. In the entire India 2020 Vision Plan, there was mention of women a handful of times. In these instances, there was talk of empowering women for leadership and entrepreneurship. That was the biggest setback according to India in the 1990’s: Women’s education and employment. Fast forward to 2019 and India has been smeared with the title of “Rape Capital”. While India has been making progress towards a better future, these incidents are pushing it back. The World views India as the most unsafe place to be a woman. 

If India cannot come together in terms of Humanity, what hope does India have of becoming Developed?

 There is one passage that Dr. Kalam wrote in the preface of the book that gives hope for the future. 

“A developed India, by 2020 or even earlier is not a dream. It need not even be a mere  aspiration in the minds of many Indians. It is  a mission we can we can all take up­ and  accomplish.  Ignited young minds, we feel, are a powerful resource. This resource is mightier  than any resource on the earth, in the sky and under the sea. We must all work together to  transform our ‘Developing India’ into a ‘Developed India’, and the revolution required for  this effort must  start in our minds. We hope that these will help to stimulate young Indians and ignite their  minds, for Developed India by 2020.”

 “India 2020: A Developing Nation” - to be published soon on this page.

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Be the change to see the change!

Chennai: Be The Change, a societal awareness conference, organized by the Eco Club of Women’s Christian College in collaboration with Kural- The Voice of Truth was held on 24th August, 2019 in the premises of Women’s Christian College from 1pm to 5pm. Students from various colleges namely Women’s Christian College, Madras Christian College, Madras School of School Work, Loyola College, Guru Nanak College, and also employees from corporate companies attended the conference.

The first guest speaker of the conference, Mr. Bharathi Tamizhan, the online editor of The Hindu Tamil, emphasized on the role of journalism in bringing changes in the society, by highlighting several instances of initiatives taken by the readers in response to the articles published in Hindu Tamil Desai. Particularly, the issues featured in the column titled ‘Anbu Asiriyar’ enabled many philanthropists to contribute towards improving the condition of the government schools in Tamil Nadu. He also insisted that youngsters should use social media for the right purposes and in a responsible manner. “Social media can sometimes, project and address societal issues which the mainstream media cannot”, he quoted. He also gave deep insights into the functioning of journalism, the element of transparency, and the contribution of journalism towards activism.

Following the first session, the next guest speaker, Dr.Sultan Ahmed Ismail, the Managing Director of the Eco-research foundation, who is known for his research on the role of earthworms in soil ecology and waste management, and for coining of the term ‘Vermitech’, addressed the gathering on the topic- ‘Social change through individual’. He simplified many complicated environmental concepts. He encouraged the audience to adopt a positive attitude while dealing with environmental issues. “Use the term resource management in place of waste management”, he said, good-humouredly. The highly experienced ecologist also elaborately discussed about environmental degradation by human activities, the importance of earthworms, soil ecology, vermicompost, organic fertilizers and healthy food habits. Further, he offered simple and practical solutions to combat the environmental crisis we are facing currently. His easy-going manner and down-to-earth attitude made him a favourite among the enthused audience.

Ms. Abirami Arunachalam, the PRO of Thuvakkam gave an introduction about the NGO. Thuvakkam, an NGO tackling the issues concerning education, cleanliness, environmental restoration, traffic safety and women empowerment, was founded in 2014. She also briefed the gathering on the various initiatives taken by their team such as Pasumai Thuvakkam, Mannin Maindhargal, Karka Kasadara, Modern Thondara, Clean-up after dark and many more. Kural is the magazine published by Thuvakkam. It aims at spreading societal awareness. Its editorial board comprises of 17 writers and 3 graphic designers. She explained how Thuvakkam touched thousands of lives through their initiatives.

Finally, Mr. Sandhiyan, the founder of AWARE, an NGO working towards the safety of children and women, spoke of the challenges faced by volunteers working for NGOs. He gave insightful facts about basics of volunteering and mentioned how resistance shown by the parents and society could serve as a huge barrier for volunteering activities. He narrated about his journey as a volunteer. “It took me 5 years to convince my parents about my volunteering work”, he said. He also emphasized that in order to reform the society, we need to reform ourselves first and, that the change begins when each individual chooses to be a better human.

The winners of several competitions held by Thuvakkam, in connection to the conference received their prizes from the guest speakers.

The conference was a huge success as it not only enlightened the youngsters from different spheres of life, but also inspired them to take action instead of blaming the government or the society. As quoted by Dr. Abdul Kalam, Ignited minds are the most powerful resource. Thus, the ignited minds that left the conference, having been taught the strategical approaches and solutions by the speakers, would definitely do their part towards being the change they wish to see in the world.

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குழந்தைகள் ஜாக்கிரதை

“உங்கள் குழந்தைகள் உங்கள் மூலம் வந்தவர்கள், உங்களுக்காக வந்தவர்கள் அல்ல”  - கலீல் ஜிப்ரான்

நமது மனதையும், நமது உள்ளார்ந்த குணத்தையும் உருவாக்குவதில் குழந்தைப்பருவத்திற்கு மிக முக்கிய ப��்கு உண்டு. பூஜ்ஜியம் முதல் ஒன்பது வயது வரை நாம் அடைந்த அனுபவங்களின் படியே நாம் பெரும்பாலும் நம் வாழ்வை அணுகுகிறோம் என்கிறது ஒரு ஆய்வு.

மாவீரன் நெப்போலியன் போனபர்ட்-ற்கு பூனைகளைக் கண்டால் பயம் என்பதை நீங்கள் கேள்விப்பட்டிருப்பீர்கள். எதற்கும் அஞ்சா நெப்போலியன் பூனைகளை கண்டு ஏன் பயப்பட்டார் என்பதற்கு அவரது குழந்தைப்பருவ வாழ்விலிருந்து நமக்கு விடை கிடைக்கிறது. அவர் கைக்குழந்தையாக தவழ்ந்து கொண்டிருந்த காலத்தில் ஒரு நாள் அவர் உறங்கிக் கொண்டிருக்கும் போது ஒரு பூனை அவரது மார்பின் மீதேறி பிராண்டி விட்டதாம். மிக அருகில் பூனையை, அதன் பாய்ச்சலை, அதன் கூரிய நகங்கள் கீறிய கீறலை, அதனால் ஏற்பட்ட வலியை குழந்தை நெப்போலியனின் ஆழ்மனம் தெள்ளத்தெளிவாக பதிவு செய்து கொண்டது. அதனால் தான் அவருக்கு பூனைகள் என்றால் பயமாம்.

ஒவ்வொரு குழந்தையும் தன்னைச் சுற்றி நடப்பவற்றை, அதனால் உருவாகும் மனப்பதிவை தனக்குள் பதிவு செய்து கொண்டே இருக்கிறது, அந்த பதிவுகளின் படியே அது தன் பிற்கால வாழ்வை வாழ முனைகிறது.

இதே போல் பலரது வாழ்வில் நிறைய சம்பவங்கள் உண்டு. கூச்ச சுபாவத்திற்கு, காரணமற்ற அச்சம் கொள்ளும் சுபாவத்திற்கு, தாழ்வு மனப்பான்மை கொள்வதற்கு, பிரச்சினைகளை எதிர் கொள்ளப் பயப்பட்டு தவறான முடிவுகள் எடுப்பதற்கு என்று இதுபோன்ற ஆழ்மன சிக்கல்கள் அத்தனைக்கும் சிறுபிராய நிகழ்வுகள் தான் பெரும்பாலும் காரணமாகின்றன.

           சிற்சில நபர்களுக்கு மூத்தோர்களின் அறிவுரைகள், நல்ல புத்தகங்கள், நல விரும்பிகளின் வழிகாட்டல்கள் கிடைத்து பால்ய கால நம்பிக்கைகளையும் மனப்பதிவுகளையும் தவறு என்று புரிய வைத்து சிக்கல்களிலிருந்து தீர்வு நோக்கி நகர்வை தரலாம், ஆனால் நமக்கு ஏற்பட்ட மனப்பதிவுகளை அவற்றால் முழுமையாக அழித்து சரிசெய்துவிட முடியாது.

“நுண்ணிய நூல்பல கற்பினும் மற்றுந்தன் –  உண்மை அறிவே மிகும்”

           என்கிறார் திருவள்ளுவர், என்னதான் நுண்ணறிவு நூல்களை நுணுக்கமாக படித்தாலும் உனக்கிருக்கும் உண்மை அறிவு தான் மிகுதியாக இருக்கும் என்பது இதற்கு அர்த்தம். உண்மை அறிவு எனப்படும் இயல்பறிவு குழந்தைப்பருவ அனுபவங்களின்படியே அமைக்கப்படுகிறது.

எனவே சிறுகுழந்தைகளின் மனதில் ஒரு பதிவை ஏற்படுத்துவதற்கு முன் மிக மிக கவனமாக செயல்பட வேண்டும்.

நாம் என்ன செய்தாலும் அல்லது சொன்னாலும் அது குழந்தையின் மனதில் ஒரு பதிவை ஏற்படுத்தும் என்ற புரிதலோடான செயன்முறை, ஒரு உதாரணம் சொல்கிறேன்.

ஒரு விருந்து நிகழ்வில் நீங்கள் உங்களது குழந்தையோடு கலந்து கொள்கிறீர்கள். உங்கள் குழந்தை மேஜை மீதிருந்து ஒரு கரண்டியை எடுத்து கையில் வைத்துக்கொண்டு வேடிக்கைப் பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருக்கிறது. கரண்டி திடீரென்று கீழே விழுந்து விடுகிறது, உடனே நீங்கள், குழந்தையை செமயாக முறைத்து திட்டி வைக்கிறீர்கள். ஒரு வேளை அந்த கரண்டி உங்களது குழந்தையின் கையிலிருந்து தெரியாமல் கைதவறி கீழே விழுந்திருக்கலாம்.

               அப்படியாக அது கைதவறி விழுந்திருக்கும் பட்சத்தில் நீங்கள் உங்கள் குழந்தையிடம் கடுமையாக நடந்து கொண்டிருந்தால் உங்கள் குழந்தை இப்படியாக ஒரு மனப்பதிவை ஏற்படுத்திக் கொள்ளலாம் “கை தவறி கீழே விழுந்துவிட்டது, அதற்கு ஏன் என்னை அம்மா/அப்பா இவ்வளவு கடிந்து கொள்கிறார். என் தரப்பு நியாயம் பற்றி இவர்களுக்கு அக்கறையே இல்லை, இவர்கள் எப்போதும் இப்படித்தான் அவர்கள் செய்வது தான் சரி என நினைத்துக்கொண்டு தவறு செய்வார்கள்”என பலவாறு உங்கள் குழந்தை யோசிக்கக் கூடும். சில தவறான மனப்பதிவுகளை ஏற்படுத்திக்கொள்ளக் கூடும். அது காலப்போக்கில் உங்களுக்கே எதிராகக் கூட இருக்கக் கூடும்.

நாம் நினைப்பது போலெல்லாம் குழந்தைகள் குழந்தைத்தனமாக மட்டுமெல்லாம் யோசிப்பதில்லை, அவர்களின் சிந்தனையும், புத்தியும் பல சமயம் பெரியோர்களைவிட கூர்மையானதாக இருக்கிறது. எனவே கஷ்டப்பட்டு கல்வி புகட்ட வேண்டும் என்னும் அவசியமெல்லாம் இல்லை.

எது தவறு, எது சரி என்பதை அவர்களே புரிந்து கொள்ளும் வகையில் நீங்கள் நடந்து கொள்ளுங்கள். குழந்தையைப் படி என்று சொல்லிவிட்டு, நாம் அவர்கள் கண் முன்னேயே சீரியல் பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருப்பதெல்லாம் வன்முறை.

           குழந்தைகளின் முன்னால் பெற்றவர்கள் சண்டைப்போட்டுக்கொள்ளாதீர்கள், பிறருடன் ஒப்பிட்டுப் பேசும் அருவருப்பான செயலை செய்யாதீர்கள்.

ஏ ஃபார் ஆப்பிளோடு சேர்த்து எல்ல��ரும் நல்லவர்களல்ல என்பதையும் சொல்லிக்கொடுங்கள்.

என்னவானாலும் எங்களிடம் சொல் உனக்கு நாங்கள் இருக்கிறோம் என்கிற நம்பிக்கையை விதையுங்கள். உணவுடன் சேர்த்து தைரியத்தை ஊட்டுங்கள், குழந்தைகளுக்கு செல்லம் கொடுப்பதில் காட்டும் அதே அக்கறையை அவர்கள் மீது நீங்கள் காட்டும் தூய அன்பை உணர வைப்பதிலும் காட்டுங்கள். அவர்களின் அறிவு மேம்பாட்டில் காட்டும் விழிப்புணர்வை, அவர்களின் அரோக்கியத்தின் மீதும் காட்டுங்கள்.

           நீங்கள் செய்யும் ஒவ்வொரு செயலும், நீங்கள் உச்சரிக்கும் ஒவ்வொரு சொல்லும் குழந்தையின் மனதில் அவர்களின் கண்ணோட்டதிலான மனப்பதிவுகளாக பதிந்து கொண்டிருக்கின்றன. அவற்றின் படியே அவர்கள் இவ்வுலகை, சக சமூகத்தை அணுக இருக்கிறார்கள். ஆகவே அவர்கள் மனதில் பதியும் பதிவுகள் மீது நாம் கவனத்துடன் இருக்க வேண்டும்.

உங்கள் குழந்தைகள் பேசுவதை காது கொடுத்துக் கேளுங்கள், அவர்களோடு அன்பாக பேசுங்கள்.

விலை உயர்ந்த பொம்மைகளை விட அன்பான வார்த்தைகள் பல மடங்கு சக்தி வாய்ந்தவை.

-Written by: விஜயன்.துரைராஜ்

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10 Books you should read

Knowledge is the one asset that you can never lose

World Book Day is on April 23rd. Here are some of the books the Volunteers of Thuvakkam and Kural think everyone should read.

Suggested by: Abhirami Arunachalam

Favourite Quote: The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them

Alchemist is my all time favourite go-to book. The story is quite simple but yet so fascinating in many ways. This made me re-read the book many at times. The conversations between Andalusian and the alchemist and the way how the story moves around is what I love about the book the most.

Suggested by: Saravanan

பொன்னியின் செல்வன் தமிழ் இலக்கியத்தின் ஒரு மைல்கல் என்று கூறும்அளவிற்கு உருவாக்கப்பட்ட மாபெரும் காவியம். 1300 பக்கங்கள் இருந்தாலும் படித்த பிறகு இன்னும் ஒரு பாகம் இருக்க கூடாதோ என ஏங்க வைக்கும் கதைகளம் என்றால் அது மிகையாகாது. சோழர்களின் வரலாறை கண்முன்னே கொண்டு வந்து நிறுத்திய நேர்த்தியான பாங்கு நூலாசிரியர் கல்கியின் களப்பணியையும் கற்பனைரசத்தையும் காட்டுகிறது. தன் வாழ்நாளில் ஒரு முறையேனும் அனைவரும் படித்தாக வேண்டிய நாவல்.

Suggested by: Siraj

19 ஆம் நூற்றாண்டின் இறுதிக் கால கட்டம் வரை இந்துக்களுக்கும் முஸ்லிம்களுக்கும் இருந்த ஒற்றுமையே எங்கள் முன்னர் இருந்த மிகப் பெரும் தலைவலி !! ஒரு வங்காள முஸ்லிமுக்கும் பஞ்சாபி முஸ்லிமுக்கும் இடையிலான ஒற்றுமைகளை விட ஒரு வங்காள முஸ்லிமுக்கும் ஒரு வங்காள இந்துவுக்குமே அதிகமான ஒற்றுமை நிலவியது !

Suggested by: Shivani

Favourite quote: The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.

Suggested by: Joseph Alex

Favourite quote: சாதிதான் சமூகம் என்றால் வீசும் காற்றில் விஷம் பரவட்டும்..

Suggested by: Hamini

Favourite quote: Do many different things every day. Always staying busy, but doing one thing at a time, without getting overwhelmed is key.

Suggested by: Durairaj

Favourite quote: நீ கற்றவற்றைக் கடத்தாதே ! நீ உணர்ந்தவற்றை மட்டும் வெளிப்படுத்து !

Suggested by: Niviya

Favourite quote: If we remove the teachings of our teachers from us, nothing of us will remain

Suggested by: Nivetha

Favourite quote: Watch what you say. Never say I will fail. Your subconscious cannot take a joke. It brings all these things to pass.

Suggested by: Karthik Shivaa

Favourite quote: War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.

Published in the year 1949, George Orwell talked of a fictional future set in 1984 where all media is controlled, privacy is history, allegiance to a higher power and party loyalty are the norm. Although fictional, in this age of social media and digital cameras, it is hard to believe this future might not be far off.

Can you think of any more books that everyone should read?

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Have you thought about the Earth?

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, We borrow it from our children"

What does this oft-quoted line imply? Are we doing enough? Can individuals really make a telling contribution to the Earth's well being? This question arises as we look towards April 22 - International Mother Earth's Day (MED).

The Earth, much like a mother's unconditional love for her children, nurtures us by fulfilling our needs, tolerating everything that we as humans impose on it.

Originally, MED was started by the United Nations (UN) back in 1970's to reaffirm the interdependence of humans with all other species and the ecosystem for our sustenance. This day was born out of the necessity to balance the social, economical and environmental needs of the present and the future generations.

Be it the Rio de Jenerio declaration in 1991 or the more recent Paris climate agreement, it is about the countries across the globe recognising the importance of cooperation in dealing with nature, protecting it while benefitting from it at the same time.

Land makes up about 30 percent of Earth’s entire surface. Natural forest cover across the globe has been sacrificed for the urbanization and industrialization post the colonial period. The afforestation drive to nullify deforestation has been lackadaisical, let alone the compensation given to the land holders in return for their lands. Greenhouse emission has been on the rise ever since industrialization demanded the uprooting of trees. Not only did it increase the global temperature, it also paved the way for the rising of sea levels due to melting of polar ice.

The theme for MED 2018 - "End Plastic Pollution", was met with the right urgency that it warranted, with shops across India reducing the proliferation of plastic usage and advocating the usage of biodegradable cloth bags and paper bags. Though single use plastics are still prevailant in most places, it's definitely a right step in the right direction.

"Reduce Re-use Recycle" is the way ahead.

So much has been written about ozone layer depletion, but have we really found an alternative to chlorofluorocarbons that is feasible? Are we really judicious in our use of car and locomotives? the answer is a staunch no. We are not doing enough. The nitric and sulphuric oxides continue to spoil the air, depleting the ozone, all the while keeping the doctors busy.

The necessity of this article lies not just in elaborating the significance of this day, but little things we the people can do which can really make a difference.

How significant is an individual 's effort in preserving the Earth?

When an individual adopts an eco-friendly measure, their neighbours are more likely to emulate them, and so does the street, so does the village, the town and hence, the society. Just like children, they may not hear your advice but they are more likely to follow your example.

Simple things we can do:

1. Reduce the wastage of food

Yes, reducing the wastage of food alone can do a world of good to the world.

The methane released from the breakdown of wastes is so humongous that, if reduced, could make a significant reduction in the greenhouse emissions. So next time, dont buy a food to make it past the expiry date to only throw it to the garbage,be economical.

2. Switch to organic farm fed meats and eat less of them.

To quote from a study "If cattle were their own nation, they would be third after US and China in greenhouse emissions.” We need not go into the nitty gritty of it, we just need to be aware that there is tonnes of methane that gets released from their burps and the way they are fed and maintained.

3. Efficient energy consumption

Switching to LED bulbs, unplugging laptops and other electronic gadgets when they are not in use and proper disposal of e-wastes.

4. Disinvestment in Fossilfuels and switching to renewable sources of energy

It means as little effort as putting a solar rooftop in our houses to tap the extra energy and prevent green house emmisions in the process.

5. Car pooling and using public transit as often as possible.

6. Being aware of sustainable development goals of the UN and spreading awareness.

7. Gift plant saplings and urge others to do it too.

Finally, to quote Mahatma

"There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed".

Only if we as individuals do enough, that is expected out of us, the society as a whole will improve.

It all starts with us.

Let our Mother Earth be safe and sound, for if it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t be around.  

Written by: Saravana.S

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Kural is a monthly newsletter created by the Volunteers from Thuvakkam, for the society. Covering news, reports, interviews, and the current issue in India, Kural hopes to be the voice for the unspoken, a light shining on the hidden. Join us, and send us your opinions to kuraloftruth@gmail.com