Celebrations In The City Credits: Engel Tatiana

“Janani Janmabhoomishch Swargaadipi Garyiyasi” goes a famous Sanskrit saying which derives itself from a strong emotion of pride which says “Mother and motherland are the most prominent of the known.”

Sixty years back, a salute of twenty one guns and unfurling of the Indian National flag by Dr. Rajendra Prasad heralded the historic birth of ‘The Indian Republic’, on 26^th January 1950 i.e. 894 days after the country became dominion following the withdrawal of ‘the British Rule’. Since then, every year we celebrate this day with great pride and happiness all over the nation. But how many of us really care about ‘country’s fests ‘like the other festivals, huh? Many can’t even differentiate the two most important words-’Republic and Independence’.

The youth of a democratic country like India lacks the spirit of belongingness towards their nation. With the increasing so called ‘trend’, they are nix finding time to even attend the country’s carnival and remember the people who brought glory to our populace.

A situation like this popped up in ATRI College, where a handful of the students attended 2010’s Republic Day Celebrations. When asked about his absence, a student replied,”Attending the celebrations is not a compulsion, right? I respect my country and I guess it’s enough to keep me going, then what’s the need?” Now when such important days are not given importance, then who would worry to think about Gandhi Jayanthi or the birthday of Bhagat Singh to name a few?

Unfurling The National Flag Credits: Engel Tatiana

It’s important for people to know that 26^th January 2010 and the coming 15^th August marks the completion of six decades of working, striving and all along being guided by the principles and objectives of the Indian Constitution that was framed and adopted in 1950. The very opening words of our Constitution are “We the people of India” is a very strong affirmation that the impulses of the nation and its future would be guided by its own people. This day is a reminder that upholding the values, determining the direction and propelling the growth of our Nation is a task that must be fulfilled by ‘Us’, being the citizens of the country.

Sadhana from ACE College of Engineering says, “On 26^th January and 15^th August, I get an unusual sense of patriotism, God knows from where. The surprising thing is that I feel it only on those two days.”Like Sadhana, there are many others who share the same opinion.

Maram Indu of ATRI says, “I want to serve my nation, but that doesn’t mean that I would like to join any of the defense services because that work is too tedious for me to handle. All I promise is that I would definitely lay down my life for INDIA in case of any offense.”

To be on a philosophical note, there are two India’s in this country. ‘One is training at the leash eager to spring forth and live up to all the adjectives the world has recently showered upon us. The other India is the ‘Leash’ itself. One India says give me a chance and I will prove myself. The other India says prove yourself and then, maybe then you will have a chance. One India lives in the optimism of our hearts. The other India conceals itself in the rear end of our minds. One India wants, the other India hopes. One India leads and the other India follows. These conversions are on the rise and with each passing day more and more people are coming over to this side and quietly while the world is not looking, a pulsating dynamic new India is emerging. ‘

The Tricolor Beauty Credits: Engel Tatiana

“I love my country and I used to attend the celebrations every year when I was in India. I am settled in Texas presently, but luckily I’ve found an Indian organization with whom I spend these occasions so that I wouldn’t miss my country much!”grins Chaya.

The citizens of India, mainly the youth of the Nation should focus on building an India whose faith and success is far greater than its fear, an India that no longer boycotts foreign made goods but buys companies that make this place a better place for dwelling.

It’s we who have to clench our country in the near future. So why not take a step now itself? Let’s begin with being a chauvinist…

Jai Hind!!!

The personal diary is one such quintessential colourful chronicler of the past but fast fading out and falling prey to the scorching pace of the modern day world with no space left for anything personal.

The Chronicle Credit: Champion's Dialect

‘Never judge a book by its cover’ is apt in its literal sense for something like a personal Diary!

Diary - The one that may not have the same glossy vibrant cover page of a magazine or novel on display at the book-store, but yet could contain all that can make it as colourful as any one’s life could be, during the year that just passed by. It’s for some, the first gift received on the eve of a new-year from someone near and dear, that brings about a promising zeal to record the events of each day and express with fervor all feelings intimate to the heart. It is perhaps the one and only place where one could be honest to one’s own self. As it happens with most people, the diary may very soon get haplessly dumped alongside other untouched books. If it ends up as a rough-work-book for solved and unsolved math or other such stuff for many, it can also be the precious one treasured for ever for those few who realize its value.

And then, there are Diaries of great men like Mahatma Gandhi which are historical. The Diary not only throws light on the different facets of the personality of its author, but could also provide a mirror image of the life and social circumstances that prevailed during the period it was penned. ‘My Dateless Diary’ authored by R.K.Narayan, besides giving a glimpse into the funny side of his personality, is quite an entertainer too. Anne Frank’s ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’ is a chronicle of the kind of inhuman repression the Jewish community underwent during the Nazi invasion of the 2^nd world war times.

Solved and Unsolved math in the diary! Credit: Champion's Dialect

On the flipside, “It may contain the names or details of yesteryear crushes as well!” quips Abhinay Thimmaraju, a student of CSIIT, with a mischievous wink.

From The Writer’s Desk:

This is the league of people who are eloquent at patient writing to maintain the diary on a near regular basis.  To make notes of accomplishments and goals, to give vent to the day’s anger and frustration, to open up thoughts and emotions close to the heart… a sheer writer’s paradise affording a very personal platform for free and unrestrained self-expression! And yes, it’s a purely personal domain, trespassing/peeping into which is ‘Strictly Prohibited’!

Here’s what a few had to say when asked of whether they were in the habit of maintaining a personal diary..

“I’ve been keeping a diary since the time I was a seven year old. Earlier I used to be quite regular, which of late, I’m not. Usually I put in writing all happenings of the day, of things I liked or disliked, and I also vent out my frustrations. The idea of maintaining a diary is a good stress-buster and often a reliever of emotions!” says, Sampoorna Gonella, a student of Osmania University College of Engineering.

Sweet memories sweetly preserved Credit: Champion's Dialect

Samson Joseph, a student of Bharat Institute of Engineering and Technology says, “It has been long since I kept my last diary. I used to maintain a diary to analyze things at a later day as to where my mistakes lay, which usually helped me to focus on getting the better of my shortcomings. Most people frown at failures. But ideally, bitter failures can turn into sweet triumphs if only one can spot ‘where’ the mistake lied instead of worrying ‘why’ something had gone wrong. Diary is such a thing to look at where one may possibly find a solution, as it is where one is at peace with oneself!”

The Blame Gamers:

These people vent out their frustrations interestingly not by writing on the pages of the diary, but cite their hectic lifestyle and busy academic schedule as cause enough for not doing so.

Trudging through the vast syllabi and completing the records (in record time!) are reasons enough that play the spoilsport for anybody to spare time on a Diary is what the youth nowadays lament of!

So much so, the Diary gets relegated from the top drawer of the writing table to one of its unused corners and then hidden underneath a pile of other books, wherefrom it disappears altogether.

Abiding By The Action Plan? Credit: Champion's Dialect

“People feel better and find it more consoling to receive a concerned-kind-of message or comment in response to a message posted on a social networking site rather than to discuss it with a friend or to write elaborately on the subject of concern in the personal Diary” opines Ghanashyam Pai, a student of Geethanjali College of Engineering and Technology. There is a debate going on over the virtues or otherwise on this recent induction of virtual world into our lives.

However, there are quite a few who still prefer to keep and feel attached to the personal Diary of the real world rather than to open out themselves in the virtual world!

Beware!

A Diary doesn’t contain just the events but a vivid demonstration of emotions too, some being very personal, concerned not to self alone but to those others involved. So the risk of keeping one is directly proportional to the flow of emotions recorded, multiplied by the degree of secrecy involved!

“It feels good to keep a record of everything in the diary. All personal matters are written in there, some of which cannot be shared with anybody, not even with your best friend. This is what makes keeping a diary rather risky. Things could be embarrassing when the tiniest bit of its contents is seen by a wrong pair of eyes,” cautions Archana Patalay, a student of Bhavan’s Degree College.

The Bottom line:

Internet blogging and networking has brought in a new form of sharing emotions both good and bad with a virtual community of friends, effectively taking over the role of real-world friends and the personal diary. Yet, the diary is often kept and loved for what it is.

Remember, life is but a ‘page-less diary of endless memories’. This is what makes the Diary worth reading all over again! Won’t you love to re-live your past?

Home Tuitions Credits: incredibleinditer

It’s summer time  and   for few it’s the most boring part of  their college life as they can’t meet their friends frequently , but for few it’s the time  for some productive use of summer.  Part time jobs ! which has become a boon these days. Many youngsters are considering  it as a best option to keep themselves busy in the summer .

There are many ways in which a youngster  can earn . The  reasons  for doing part time jobs are also many . Some do it to get rid of boredom . A few  do it because they  feel  it  is a best way to earn and they don’t need to ask their parents for pocket money   . “ I look forward to the summers as a time  when I can do something different from regular academics and hone my skills in varied fields of Endeavour .”  opines Shruti Singhal, III year, St.Francis College for Women.

Jobs that  youngsters  can take up

1)      Work as a temporary bank employee

2)      Work as a customer service executive in  a BPO

3)      Sales persons

4)      Take home tuitions

5)      Can do their internship  under someone

6)      Can start their own summer camp

7)      Can  become Rj’s , Dj’s , Event Managers  depending  on  their interest

salesperson in supermarket credits:incredibleinditer

Here are few opinions on part time jobs

“ I am an  international violin player,  this has become an advantage for me  as I can teach people or students who are interested to learn and  can earn my pocket money and  fulfill my needs. ’’ opines Sravya Bommakanti, I year student , Sun Institute of Technology and Management [SITAM].

“ Taking home tuitions has always been fun . It’s totally a learning by doing experience for me. I always feel independent .” says Rashmi Sharma , I year , Sun Institute of Technology and Management [SITAM].

“ I think doing a part time job is a mere  time waste. C’mon yaar  ! holidays are meant to enjoy.  After so much of stress  we get holidays and if we  do jobs  then when do we relax ?’’ questions  18 year old , Tejasvi Reddy .She further adds “ We are too young to earn  I feel”

“ As a parent  , I feel  that part time jobs are necessary for   youngsters as  they  can understand the value of money and  a sense of responsibility  is prevailed among them .My son is in Engineering first year and I always encourage him to  do  a part time job so that he can  learn something new.There is  no good or bad job, it’s all about an experience associated with that job.” says Jayeesh Kumar ,  a parent .

As there , is head and tail for a coin .There are many pros and cons for  part time jobs. However, the conclusion is that  young people  can earn while they learn . So find  a good  part time job  this summer and have fun!!!

Nowadays, brands such as Mc Donald’s (I’m lovin it), Levis, Puma, Apple have become an integral part of each and everyone’s life. But did anyone think that what is the history of these brands? How they came into existence? There are many funny and interesting stories behind these brands. Here are some interesting facts of some brands and their logos:

This Brand is on Fire @ Pepe Jeans. Credits: Incredible Inditer

Apple : Everyone knows iPods and Mac, well does anyone know how this brand came up? Well! Once Steve Jobs was eating an apple and suddenly observed it carefully, today that eaten apple might cost you some million dollars, what might be of some cents.

Chevrolet: US leading automobile manufacturer, after the owner William Durant, who had been forced out of GM in 1910. He planned to bring a new logo and took his idea from bow-tie, used by waiters in hotel. Sounds cheap but its fact, in fact the logo is just sheered version of bow-tie.

Mc Donald’s : Its logo was introduced in 1962. It was created by Jim Schindler to resemble new arch shaped signs on the sides of the restaurants. He merged the two golden arches together to form the famous ‘M’ now recognized throughout the world. Schindler’s work was a development of the stylish ‘V’ logo sketched by Fred Turner, which was conceived as a more stylish corporate symbol than the Speedee chef character that had previously been used. The McDonald’s name was added to the logo in 1968.

Nike : Sports giant, well this would be the most funny of all of them, guess who might have designed this logo , it was Caroline Davidson who did it in 1971, a student at Portland State University and designed the logo for just  $35.00, Poor guy!!!

Nike Logo.

Levi’s :  This brand is known to every one, does one know that Levi’s manufactured its jeans for Coal mine workers, sounds strange but that’s true. Imagine a coal worker might have the same brand logo as on a fashionable young kid’s jeans.

KFC: Colonel Harland Sanders has become a world-known figure by marketing his “finger lickin’ good” Kentucky Fried Chicken. When he received his first month’s pension, he decided that he wasn’t going to sit in a rocking chair and wait for the government checks. So, he convinced others to invest in his delicious fried chicken and Kentucky Fried Chicken was born.

These brands have not only created a certain  impact on youth by their logos but   their taglines are also appealing . Whenever  one  hear the name of famous brands such as  Mc Donald’s, KFC,NIKE the first thing that come into one’s mind is their taglines “I’m lovin it’’ , “Finger lickin good”, “Just Do It” respectively. These tagline  are always made keeping in view the younger generation and it relates to them  in some or the other way. “Just Do It” the tagline of Nike has a significance  and  inspires youth to be more passionate and dynamic in every field . “These brands have created a certain mark in Indian history and are in some or the other way contributing to the economy of India.” opines Sharda, a regular buyer of such branded things.

Well there are many brands and each have their own tale, but next time when you buy these brands you have something to share with your friends about their logo and its history.

So watch out guyz!!! You never know what you buy as a brand might have a great history behind it !!

If it’s thought that it’s only the younger generation that treats the basic civic sense with disdain, think again. Out of every 10 motorists that tend to break the traffic signals, it’s observed that 6 of them are people who’ve outgrown youth and are in a hurry to either reach their workplace or the luxury of their home. In fact, thanks to some energetic propaganda being carried out by the media, the youngsters seem to be aware of the social ethics they must adhere to and if one were to look around, this fact speaks for itself. The advertisement by ‘Life boy’ soap where kids take up the responsibility of cleaning up the neighborhood is a perfect example of how the media is trying to garner the importance of ‘civic sense’ into the society. The graffiti of the pan spit on the walls of our neighborhood is slowly becoming to be a thing in the past, as along with the standard of living, the standards of basic ethics in people too seems to be ever increasing. The chewing of ‘pan’ by the youngsters which was so famous in the early nineties is regarded as totally ‘uncool’ among today’s youth hence leading to lesser ‘coloring’ of the city. “Who the hell thought that chewing pan was cool? It’s so disgusting, not to mention quite unhealthy too.” says Anirudh Sivapurapu, a student of ACE Engineering College, who is one of those who feel chewing pan is quite disgusting.

It’s often presumed that everyone learns from their mistakes and this seems to hold for the youth of today. The number of deaths due to road accidents is at an astronomical high now and with many of them realizing its better late than never, ‘civic sense’ inadvertently is being practiced at least by the youngsters to a certain extent. The number of people driving their vehicles with their helmets on in spite of it not being a compulsion and the patience with which they wait for the traffic signal to turn green explains the fear of life the disregard of traffic rules has put in them.

However, ‘Civic Sense’ doesn’t just mean obeying the law and keeping the city roads clean. There’s a lot more to it than that. Separatism, vandalism, intolerance, racism, road rage etc. are all examples of lack of civic sense. People are becoming less and less tolerant of each other, of other’s cultures, backgrounds, and other similar traits. The need for a change in this trait is of utmost urgency. With the state of turmoil and political instability the state is in today, having proper civic sense is what can save us from succumbing to the prevalent unrest. The government should be lauded for trying to infuse the basics of civic sense into us. No longer do we need to search for a tree or a clearing of plantations to relieve ourselves. With ‘Sulabh’ complexes at almost every corner, it’s criminal to deface the surroundings with our waste instead of using the ‘Sulabhs’. “God praise Sulabh for having this wonderful brainwave of installing toilets in public places. Who knows how many houses and compound walls would have had to be degraded if not for these wondrous idea!” is the relief expressed by Madhav Lolla, a student of Sri Indu Engineering College. Also, with social messages being conveyed through short films at almost every major cinema theatres, it sure drives home the message of having proper social relations among ourselves. Yes, the scenario has changed and so have the people. The young brigade is surely waking up to the fact that it’s plain stupidity to fight among themselves over petty issues when there are matters of a more serious concern facing straight at us. It’s not a good option to break a few laws and give the moral ethics a miss just for the heck of it. No longer are the law breakers/rule challengers considered to be ‘heroes’ among their fraternity. The need for proper ethics and civic sense is too great during the times when strife and turbulence is the order of the state. Social bonding, goodwill and proper respect towards each other sure serve a lot of purpose and help not only the person within us but also those around us. “It’s a good way to manage our social life as well as our goodwill to have a good relationship with the people around us. We, as social animals should adhere to the fact that it’s a nightmare to stand isolated from everyone and if we don’t conduct ourselves properly we might as well find ourselves leading a life of solitary and become prisoners in the social world.”  observes Vivek Chavan, a student of Ace Engineering College.

“I am just wondering if the questions I marked are really correct as in many mock exams I wasn’t getting all the answers to the questions but the final CAT I was able to find my answer in the options. I don’t know whether I am right or the option is put to mislead people like me”, says Katie who was half prepared for CAT but wished she prepared well as it turned out to be very easy.

“Another tension apart from exam going online was telangana bandh in the city which left us in a fix whether the exam will be conducted as per schedule as many colleges were closed. But thankfully there wasn’t much problem except for lack of bus transport”, says Rahul who appeared for the exam.

“My exam went on smooth and there was no problem at all during the slot I wrote to anyone in my lab. Yes, there were some problems in the first two days but this can be continued with necessary measures and resources. The online papers were quite easy to compensate for the first time. I had prepared for this exam well and I did quite well. I am just keeping my fingers crossed and hoping to get a call from the IIMs”, says Rohit who appeared for CAT for the second time and is hoping to pursue his MBA as he has already got two years of job experience.

The server breakdown had created confusion all over for all the B-school aspirants. “The first time I wrote, the system got hanged in between the exam for which the proctors said it was a virus attack and later I was given slot on another day to appear again and I end up getting a paper that was very tough compared to the first paper. I am against all those who are fine with this problem giving it a lame reason that it is being conducted for the first time , we all had written BITSAT exam , that was also online but there wasn’t any problem , why now ? They themselves cannot manage the exam and they are the institutes here to teach us about management of business!” says frustrated Karthik.

“This is literally playing with the careers of the students. How can they be so careless and coolly say it as a virus or server problem. The whole one year I put in for my preparation goes all in vain. I am planning to write it again the coming year and I guess I have no other option”, says disappointed Mahesh

CAT 2009 goes online was the buzz till a few days back. But, the reality is CAT 2009 was caught in a mouse trap and left both students and IIMs perplexed!

Novels where introduced right in 1719 from there on there have been no looking back. There are various kinds of novels like educational, comic, Ironic, suspense thrillers, fictitious, feminist, reflexive, psychological, romance, realism, science fiction etc. Every novel has its own importance; they make us go into a fictional world where dreams and fantasies are coincided sometimes. Novels help in concentrating on things actually required rather than the bad things.

Today’s youth especially college students on a survey carried  out at Malla reddy engineering college, 7 out of 15 students read novels because they find pleasure in reading and it basically improves vocabulary. Parents encourage their children to read novels right from the age of 11 or 12 because they want their kids to improve their reading skills as it is very important in today’s competitive world.

When it comes to novels how can one forget about J K Rowling’s Harry Potter. The craze for this book is known worldwide. India’s best-selling authors Chetan Bhagat is a new sensation among youngsters because people like his style of writing which attracts youth a lot.

“Reading novels is totally a different fantasy and books are my best friends because sometimes I do not have anybody around to share my feelings and emotions with so I read novels which take me into an entirely new world .I read novels for relaxation and it is totally different experience “ Lalitha from Malla Reddy engineering college.

Various types of novels. Credit: Sunshine recruiter

Harry Potter book 6. Credit: Sunshine recruiter

Inspiring novels. credit: Sunshine recruiter

Novels especially helps youth of the present generation as in today’s corporate world parents are always busy and kids are all alone. So books become their best friends which are a good pass time too. ”It takes me to a different world, which I love. It makes me live in that character which may not be possible in real life. I forget all my worries and tensions when I read novels because it makes me forget the world around me, I get involved in it. I am totally addicted to novels” Ramya from MREC.

“Twilight is one book which makes youth crazy, after the book Twilight was released Harry Potter fans have shifted to Twilight, the role of Edward Cullen attracts a huge number of girls! All thanks to Stephenie Meyer.   Sydney Shelton one of the world’s best mystery storyteller is another author who is known worldwide for his work. Dan Brown an American novelist known for his thriller fiction stories. There are many other authors who have a huge impact on today’s youth.

“Kane & Able, Tell me your dreams, Coma, The Firm, The Naked Face, The Detective are my favorite novels because they are awesome, every author has his own style of writing and representing things. The imaginative brains of these authors are totally mesmerizing.” Aditya from MRIET. Novels help in motivating youth mainly to achieve their goals in life, many inspiring novels also help students to recover from depression, or when they are low and it even help in personality development.

‘You can win’ by Shiv khera and ‘Now discover your strengths’ by Marcus Buckingham are excellent books which inspire young people to express themselves and mainly helps youth to strengthen themselves. Too much addiction to novels is also not recommended because youngsters are totally lost in their own world, but other than that reading novels is the best hobby one can actually have. There are many young authors who have loads of talent in writing , if you are one of them, then go ahead with it and try to express yourself!

Bored Youngster of Moral and Religious Teachings Credits : Shruti Singhal

Trinity

Trinity. Credits : Dynamic Warrior

Spiritualism & Religious Sentimentality vs Atheism

One’s belief in the supreme power be it the Almighty Lord or a life giving form of universal energy sometimes even termed as Bio-plasmic energy and so on has always been the most sensitive issue of all times. To define a fine line between the religious and spiritual aspects of human nature and its faith is a tough task but in recent times it has been catching fire for today’s scenario of mayhem and chaos demands a justification from our intellect of what we really are? Atheism is believed to be a stronger and more favored alternative of the Gen X, not because it’s hassle free and does not involve prayers but mainly because as Maithili Krishnan, a final year student from SMEC puts it, “Praying to the God or any one is almost like asking for help, it makes you feel inferior and being an atheist helps one realize the potential within.”

Reading the ideologies of Great Men like Bhagat Singh who being strongly influenced to his religion took up to Atheism in the most difficult time of his life, he stands to inspire a very large population of youngsters to commit to faith on oneself and stop praying to an invisible power. The concept of carrying out ceremonies and praying to the Almighty doesn’t go down well with the youth. The habit of reasoning and questioning has made them to demand for justifications; they believe exaggeration rules the scene in most of the religious fundamentals across the globe. Abhishek Gupta, a strong practitioner of Vedic- Hindu religion one of the oldest practiced religion in history of humankind shares his views on Beliefs and religions, “I believe in the knowledge which the Vedas impart, but I never understand the idea of Idol-worship and hundreds of Gods and Goddesses and the various offerings and prayers in order to please them and gain from them.” He adds, “The true essence of what a religion preaches is lost in course of time as people implant their own perceptions and methodology to the real Values which were meant to be taught, hence the final result is a polluted and unreal religious ideas making up the unnecessary customs and traditions.”

But yet there are others who fall neither under theists or atheists and wish to tread on more neutral subtle middle path which believes in existence of a “Life Giving Energy”. They don’t say there’s no God, nor do they agree that there is a God, but rather say “Yes there may be a God but as long as I don’t get a proof or see the God myself I won’t believe it.” Several ideologies fall under this group as Sourav Sharma, an Agnostic follower mentions, “Stories of seas split across, demons and monsters all seem fantasy and fiction and are real tough to agree with, but yes there is some ultimate power governing the universe and it’s a matter of time we find it, so till then if some one calls it God, Lord, Energy or anything it doesn’t matter. It’s a question of personal choice and belief.”

Uninterested Youth in teachings of the elders. Credits : Pens Eve

Sandhya Vakiti tells us, “Many youth are calling themselves an ATHEIST, because for them it just seems to be a trend catching on and it’s always apt to follow the right Trend else the fear of being called an outcast prevails. Many of my friends call themselves an ‘atheist’ and still worship, visit holy places, and do all possible things carried out by a theist. They are the confused lot who don’t understand that the bottom line of being an atheist is to have a very strong belief in oneself and not to pray or worship anyone in the name of religion.”

Parents across the nation are also worried as our nation holds a lot of sentimental values and the mutual bonding of a parent-child relationship is much stronger compared to other nations. What worries today’s parents is the very fact that they blame themselves for not being able to pass on their traditional values to their children. But like the youth who are more liberal in their views, there are parents like Mrs. V Bhatia who tells us, “My Son has always been taught the values of Hindu traditions taught in the Bhagvad Gita, but as he grew up he wished to read the Bible and the Holy Quran to compare the preachings. We felt it was his personal choice to decide how he wishes to lead his life, but to my surprise he came to a conclusion that all is almost the same but he would prefer being an Atheist.”

Faith means being loyal and owing one’s complete trust to an ideology or person. The conclusion is bound to remain unclear; hence a thought by famous philosopher and poet Kabir Das aptly fits the end.
“Dukh Mein Sumiran Sab Kare, Sukh Mein Kare Na Koye, Jo Sukh Mein Simran Kare, Toh Dukh Kahe Hoye.”

“Moko Kahan Dhundhere Bande Mein To Tere Paas. Mein Na Teerath Mein, Na Moorat Mein Na Ekant Niwas Mein Na Mandir Mein, Na Masjid Mein Na Kabe Kailas Mein. Mein To Tere Paas Mein Bande Mein To Tere Paas Mein.”

It was a calm and bright morning in Baghlingampally, one of the busiest parts of the city where hundreds of people are seen commuting everyday. The area is a beautiful example of urban lifestyle and undeniably one of the safest parts of the city to live in. It was on this beautiful morning of the year 2000 that Mr.Ravi, the supervisor of Sundarayya Park in Baghlingampally, spotted something strange on the famous Tamarind tree inside the park. He was the first one to notice that the new millennium had brought with it a good omen. His discovery was rejoiced by everyone in the surrounding locale and soon, it became quite famous. Mr.Ravi spotted Great white Egrets and Cattle Egrets, beautiful birds of the tropics, which migrate during the spring season. This species is said to bring luck and peace to the land where it migrates. The residents of Baghlingampally were overjoyed.

“I love this Park very much. I come here everyday in the morning as I am a member of the laughing club. I’ve been observing these birds for the past 8 years and today I can say that there is a decrease of at least 25% of the birds that used this roosting place”, says Mr.Santosh Kumar, a teacher. When asked the reason for the decline, he says he is not sure of it. Saurabh is a student of SNIST and he knows the perfect time to go to the park and enjoy its serenity as he has been doing so for the past 6 years. He reports seeing dead Egrets everyday. He showed us birds hanging from the tree and almost jumped up in excitement as he scuffled around to spot a fallen one being swept into the M.C.H. trailer.

It is not just Mr.Santosh and Saurabh but almost every nature lover and people, who make routine visits to the park have observed that the birds have been ‘disappearing’. A local NGO named Ahayog organization, with the help of a few wild life activists, went to the park and conducted a survey. They finally found out the reason for the mishappenings. According to them, the birds strangle themselves accidentally or get trapped and fall off the tree. But how can it happen on such a huge tree? How can nature’s creations of a primitive order succumb to nature itself? Well, unfortunately, it is the people of the locality, who are unknowingly causing the death of these birds.

Not so beautiful now, is it? Credit:Poet's Revenge

It would be surprising to learn that the birds die in this fashion because of the kite-strings which are cargoed into strategic positions on the tree, unfortunately. The slender necked birds cannot match the strength of the local Tangoos or Jhumri. “I totally deny these statements. What proof do you have? I have been working here for the past 3 years and have seen no such thing happen”, shrieks Mr.Bhaskar, the present supervisor of the park. “It is, as Darwin said, natural selection. The weak ones die and the strong ones fly. The birds have come to survive and fend for themselves in this urban jungle, where it is difficult for man himself to find food. He points to the younger Egrets scampering around for food. See, that Egret, that it is on the ground now, will stay on the ground and die in days to come as it cannot fly up to safety in the trees.” He tells us that there is no government body assigned to take care of these heavenly creatures. “I’m not sure though”, he shrugs. He refers to a Mr.Venkateshwar Reddy (CVO) of the Veterinary department of GHMC.

Its 11A.M. on a clear Monday and everyone is up and about. But unfortunately, the CVO is not available. “We are responsible for animals such as dogs, the stray ones and pigs. We are not responsible for the birds. Why should we bother? For what does the blue cross exist?”, a typist at the office says. “I am deeply hurt and ashamed at the state of the government and the laws, which do not include a species, which has chosen an urban habitat as it’s protection”, says Vihari, a student of IHM Hyderabad. Kranthi Kumar, a B.Tech student of a local engineering college is one of the lucky ones to have a view of the Park from his window. He has a direct view of the birds and is a keen observer of their roosting habits. He adds that it’s not just the egrets but also pigeons that die for the same reason. “But what can we do about it? It is nature’s call”, is what we got to hear.

Maybe, it is otherwise. Maybe, we can help save these poor creatures. Yes, it is the student community that needs to step up to the task. Let us make sure that we don’t celebrate the ritual part of the joyous festival of Sankranthi in populated places, where it is actually dangerous for wildlife and humans equally. Kite-flying should be done only in huge open places. This notion will definitely get a strong resistance from our religious state, but the first step would be to imbibe a sense of responsibility and awareness among students like us. Let us ban the use of red, orange rubber bands and encourage the manufacture of only blue, black ones as the birds think of them to be worms and eat them. Thousands of birds die every year because of our negligence. If only we could ever notice, the secondary beings, as we call them, silently await a savior to free them from a life of constant fear and unnatural death. ‘Maybe we’ll turn it all around, cause it’s not too late, it’s never too late!’

From washing used plates in a restaurant,  selling flowers or balloons on a traffic signal, working on a construction site to working in a house as servant 24*7, the child labour can be seen doing whatever he is asked to. Hundreds of kids work daily on nominal wages/payments to support their family,which normally, is quite huge and contains no one else, other than the eldest kid (usually a male child) to earn them a livelihood. Most of these child labourers are from the age group of 9-14, and out of these children 90% are orphans and are living with their relatives. Child labour is a socio-economic problem,roots of which are poverty and illiteracy. It is confirmed that as long as poverty continues, it would be difficult to totally eliminate child labour and thus, any legal action to eradicate this problem would not be practical proposition.

Credit: Calpurnia Jane

Way back in 1979, government formed the first committee called Gurupad Swamy Committee to study the issue of Child Labour. The Committee examined the problem and based on its observation The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act was enacted in 1986,to adopt a gradual and sequential approach with a focus on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous operations and processes in their first instance. As poverty is the root cause of child labour, the action plan should cover these children and their families also under poverty alleviation and employment generation scheme of government. Inspite of all these steps taken by the government at the centre and at the state level, child labour continues to be a huge problem in front of the nation.

Srikanth, a 12 years old child, from Warangal, came to Secunderabad to his uncle, to earn and support his family. When his father died in an accident, that took place at a construction site in Warangal, he was in 4th standard, and was 9 years old. His family constitutes of his mother, two younger siblings and a grandmother. Soon after his father’s death, he left his studies and joined a restaurant near his house as a helper. But, the owner paid him only a little, which was not enough for a family of 5 members, his mother decided to send him to his uncle in the city, to earn more. Today, Srikanth looks after his uncles tea stall, exactly near sec’bad station. Every month he visits his family and gives them his payment, and for the times he cannot go there, he sends the money through a money order.

Credit: Calpurnia Jane

Another such case is of Parvez, who works in a shop dealing in footwear. His family resides here in sec’bad itself. the kid is 11 yrs old. When asked to the employers, they said that the kid didn’t work there, he was just sitting over there. the kid said he wanted to study, but the circumstances didn’t let him to. Santosh and Ravi were found sitting outside a shop,shutter of which was down. they were waiting for their employer to return from his lunch brake. All these three cases are of Sec’bad station area, there is but of course a police station there,and it is clear that no steps have been taken by the police in any of the case.

There are many colleges and schools at the station, students of which see these and many more kids working daily, and even getting beaten up by the employer on doing a mistake. One of the students of Wesley Degree College Of Women(a near by college), Neeti Mishra says, “Its a grievous crime to employ kids, whose age is to study and play. Government has made rule against child labour, its the duty of every citizen of India now to see to it that the rules are implemented.

Credit: www.ilo.org

They are our future, and we can’t let our future drown”. Another student of the same college Supriya Singh comments, “No parent wants to send their child to work, its the circumstances that make them do so. government of India have started many schools for these kids under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, but according to me, these schools should work at night, so that the children can study after the work hours.” A teacher of Shiva Shivani Public School says, “Rather than make them study books, child labour’s should be given Vocational Training free of cost, which would help them support their families in an even better manner.”

UN Agencies too are working in India to eradicate this problem. Agencies like ILO, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM are working in districts of Karnool, East Godavary, Krishna, Cuddapah, Anantpur, Guntur, Chittoor any many more for the rehabilitation of trafficked children in Andhra Pradesh.