A state of lawless mind

I wonder what is scarier- A land with a few men who think rape is OK? or a land with men and women who think it is OK to take law ( their personal beliefs on justice) into their hands?
The rape and murder of a woman in Hyderabad was tragic but the incidents that followed were scary.

When groups of people assume it's right to mete out justice their way, we are treading onto very dangerous grounds. 

Tomorrow, I could be falsely implicated in a very heinous crime and before I could even prove my innocence, I could be lynched to death by a section of self righteous people. 

Some powerful bodies of people could manipulate people's thoughts and emotions to implicate and kill innocent people while the real perpetrators go free.
Police could use this strategy to close many files and be the heroes of a public that seeks fake hopes and assurances...
The disillusionment in the justice system is absolute, and the anger and fear need closure. In this state, anything can masquerade as good and just and impress us... and in the meantime, mob mentality will spread unabated...

The big secrets in the little kingdom

Childhood was an intriguing world filled with secrets.

In the realm of Batman, Superman, katti-batti and zillions of curiosities were buried many secrets. And there were many mother promises, mother dead promises and god promises guarding those secrets.

Secrets were crucial. They could  make or break friendships. Every day was about another secret added to your repository or the treasure chest of secrets being made lighter. Sharing secrets was a sure-shot way of launching a new friendship or taking a friendship to the 'best friends' zone.  

The fluttering of the heart while sharing a secret or the evil pleasure and guilt when breaking a promise to divulge a friend's secret to another, the confrontations, the breakups, the makeups, the heartbreak, the suspense, the anxiety  - ah! all the ingredients to a perfect thriller!

After 11 daughters, Guddi finally has a son

At 42, after 11 daughters, Guddi from Rajasthan's Churu district, has a son...
She is happy, her husband is happy.
Guddi's social status has changed - She is the mother of a male child
No more taunts, no more stigmatization
Her husband now has a son to continue his lineage...
Guddi finally made it!

The obsession with the male of the human species continues...

Live and die, the animal style

Like many, I am spellbound by the series Planet Earth. Every aspect about it seems to have come together to create perfection: the narration by David Attenborough, the marvelous camera work, the intent behind the effort, and of course, the bountiful offerings of nature. While taking in all this beauty and intrigue, I could not help feel that all the entities in the universe seem brainwashed.

All species' lives are coded and their performances seem orchestrated. Most species live and die trying to survive and reproduce, and then ensure the survival and flourishing of their offsprings. In all of this, the thought process and the actions are completely driven by the inbuilt software. Live, reproduce, protect, safeguard your species, nothing else matters. Octopus dies of starvation protecting its eggs; Glass frog risks its life to protect its eggs. Most species risk their lives protecting their young ones. Human beings are no different from the octopus, squid, salmon or mayfly that die after giving birth. We are led by the same primal mission and nothing is in our control.

Of course, isn't propagation of the species the pivotal motive of any species? But is this mission self designed? Aren't we all living like the salmons who swim upstream to lay eggs or the penguins who go to any extremes to protect their eggs and chicks. Nobody seems to be in control of what they are doing, all are led, all follow.

Is perpetuating the genes the only motive for life and living? Are we brainwashed into this journey of self obliteration by false sense of bigger purpose in a giggling baby or manipulated emotional rush?
We are after all not that much of a thinking animal. We are mostly like all other animals, driven by basic programming. Survive to reproduce, have babies and then die nurturing the babies

Seems like life is not about living, it is about dying. Do we cheat death through children? or do we embrace death through children?