Kuch Waqt Aur

Bas kuch waqt aur meri jaan
yeh din bhi guzar jayenge
baaqi din ki tarah inko bhi kaat lenge hum
sisak kar seham kar
teri aagosh ki meherban panahon me
 kaali raat ke bereham panjo se
teri palko ke band khwabo me
khud ko chhupa kar
Ummeed ki kiran ki aas me
tujhko rakh kar paas me

jab yeh raat guzaregi to
sehar aur bhi haseen hogi
woh subah teri ankh ki nami si namkeen hogi
uska rang tere chehre ki lali se phir bhi kam hoga
phir tujhe shayad na koi gham hoga

main bhi tab shayad pursukoon ho sakoon
wahin aankh moond so sakoon
phir tujhe shayad na mere liye waqt ho 
tu bhi shayad ke mujh se tang ho
meri jaan waqt to guzar hi jata hai
par admi badal jata hai! 
   
 

Informal employment in a formal system of education in India

Let us first try and understand, what we mean by the formal and informal sectors, which can also be substituted by organized and unorganized sectors. As, this classification of `organised' and `unorganised' sectors is used by The National Accounts Statistics (NAS) in presenting national income data.

‘In general, all enterprises which are either registered or come under the purview of any one of the acts like the Indian Factories Act 1948, Mines and Minerals (Regulation and Development) Act, 1957, the Company Law, the Central/State Sales Tax Acts, the Shops and Establishment Acts of the State governments, are defined as part of the organized sector. Also included are all government companies, departmental enterprises and public sector corporations. Similarly, forestry, irrigation works, plantations, recognized educational institutions, and hospitals which are registered as non-profit making bodies are also classified as organized sector. All unincorporated enterprises and household industries which are not regulated by any acts of the above mentioned type and which do not maintain any annual reports presenting the profit and the loss and balance sheets are classified as unorganized’ (National Accounts Statistics - NAS 1980: pp 69).

 We can see here that educational institutions are classified under the formal or organized sector. But, some elements of informal elements have existed in some degree or the other in all formal systems/ set-ups, the reason why we are discussing the issue of informal employment here is, because it is a current problem which is plaguing our national capital public universities now for a long time. 

 This is an issue which has affected me and many of my friends deeply.  Being in academics, I never imagined that jobs would be hard to come by even after a doctorate degree, or all my experience I would gain by working informally in the formal system of education.
My professors who have taught me, have found it difficult to get a promotion, either from Assistant to Associate Professor, or from Associate to Senior Professor rank.
 All the universities of Delhi- Delhi University, Jamia Millia Islamia, JawaharLal Nehru University, and even new universities like Ambedkar University, and South Asian University have instituted it and have been following this new policy.
These universities instead of recruiting permanent new faculty are hiring more and more Guest and adhoc teachers. Earlier, guest faculty jobs were given against study leave or medical leave. But, since two years or so, no new permanent jobs have been advertised, and universities are just running on guest faculties. There is no job security, no stability as after every semester recruitments are done for just three months. And after every three months/ semester, this process is repeated.  
   It is a known fact that universities are facing financial crunch, but to implement new ideas (like the 4 year Bachelor's course) with no infrastructure (especially with shortage of teachers) in place in an age old system, it does not look like a brilliant idea.

Black Hole

Sirf Jism ki maut hi kaafi nahi

Dil ko maut aa jaaye

to bhi dard bada hota hai..

khwahishen na milen

to khalish si rehti hai

yeh jo mil jaayen 

phir kyun khala sa rehta hai!

insan ke andar ka black hole

sab kuch apne me sama to leta hai

magar yeh be-hissi bhi to badha deta hai 

na kisi khushi ki khushi

na koi gham ka aansoo

bas ek raah par

musafir ke paon chalte rehte hain

na musafir ko pata na raste ko

ke rasta manzil tak jayega bhi ya nahi

kya farak padta hai

kaun udaas hota hai

kaun wapasi ki raah takta hai

bas rasta aur musafir hi sathi hain

koi aur hath na sujhai de

na koi apna dikhai de

bas raah ka patthar

jo choom le qadmo ko

ye sath bhi bada bhala rehta hai

magar zehen hai ke

soche jata hai

poochhe jata hai

jaane woh log kahan gaye

jo safar ke sathi the

jinke sath safar khatam karna tha

shayad meri tarah

yeh kambakht

black hole unko bhi kha gaya!

God- Merciful or Wrathful??

Before I start, I have to make an honest confession that I am a believer in the theory of Creationism, and I believe that there is a Higher power above us, u call him God, Allah, Bhagwan that is your business which does not interest me.

I have had many arguments with Atheists who question that if God is there why He/She/It does not help humanity, why are there mass murders, famines, etc. the usual arguments that we are all familiar with. My point is either you believe (then everything becomes a miracle of God's power and He tries you and your faith with tribulations and hardships) or you do not (when everything can be rationally explained or can it?).

God the idea or the entity that we (believers) believe in, is also a mirror of how we project Him in our heads and how this faith also affects and shapes us as individuals.

 I have people in my family who are very religious.

My elders often told me ‘do this or Allah will be angry and He will punish you!’

As I grew up and tried to understand religion on my own, I realized that more than anger it is love, compassion and mercy- attributes or words that are used more often in the Quran to describe Allah. I just could never understand if He loves us and we love Him back, why would we do anything to upset him deliberately. And even if we did something wrong, we could always ask for forgiveness. As He has said in all religious scriptures that we could always go back to Him with a pure heart.  Purity of the heart, kindness, charity, and saving others’ from one’s anger and selfishness are the things that we have heard He likes and are universally accepted by all religions as attributes of a good believer.

The idea of a wrathful God makes Him distant, a merciful God is more near, and more loving. The idea to obey Him because of fear cannot take you very far with your faith in Him, in my opinion. And if God is so loving how can the believers be far behind, why can’t they love each other. If He can be forgiving, why cant we?

Which God can be happy with hurting others physically or verbally (that too in the name of religion)? If God is wrathful, full of revenge and unforgiving, believers would be rigid too. If you want to please God, you cannot upset his creations. I cannot understand that if you are full of displeasure towards His beings, how can you please Him? 

 Our behavior is often a mirror of our personality. A very beautiful woman would not be very attracttive if her behavior is ugly or rude. Only thinking about one’s own self, or being rigid about one’s own wishes can make one not just unpopular in this world but in the Other World too. 

Bible has a beautiful passage on love, which I had the honor to recite in my Christian school in a ceremony in Urdu. But I only very recently understood its deeper meaning -

Corinthians- 13:4-

 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

   
   It is not love towards one, but love towards all that it preaches. This love towards all will also lead to the One full of love. 

Guilty!

I was born guilty!!

Recently, there have been some construction work going on in the university where I am presently working as Project Consultant. I was talking to a Professor colleague (his office was recently broken down along with mine to enlarge library space) who remarked that without office, he felt like 'an orphan'. I just felt 'lost', not orphaned! I kept quiet for the next two minutes and ended the conversation. I have recently been  'orphaned'. This got me thinking on the plight of the orphans and I felt guilty for having not done much for them (Or for parents whom I lost, recently, earlier this year my mum, three years back my dad!)

 On Traffic signals (one of my earlier posts) it is this guilt syndrome that makes me buy stuff which I would never use or have any need for - from children, pregnant women and other disadvantaged people.

Religions dwell on the 'guilty' aspect. The thing that separates faithful from a sinner is guilt. Guilt over wrong things that he/she may have committed. Guilt can lead to redemption according to major religious philosophies. If God has given you more than others you should do charity to make for guilty conscience.

Environmentalists play on the fears of doomsday and make us feel guilty of the abuse that first world and our earlier generations have wrecked on the earth for ages. Okay, granted we may have done some damage too. Guilty we are of not doing enough or just sitting idle. 

I feel guilty if I have too much fun (usually an after thought, after having fun of course), or if I feel lazy till the deadline comes on my head!


Finally, I plead guilty to all that I have done (or not done!) and
I have been condemned to life imprisonment for it! 

Global world- A Homogeneous World?

Globalization says wikipedia  is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture.^[1][2] In particular, advances in transportation and telecommunications infrastructure, including the rise of the Internet, are major factors in globalization and precipitate further interdependence of economic and cultural activities.^[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization)

It has helped in reducing differences and has made the talk if not the idea of 'one world' possible. It has helped in the growth and movement of liberal ideas like democracy, freedom and has helped in improving the standard of life better.

It is strange to observe the fact that the more globalized we become more similar we get in terms of the way our cities look today- the same big multi national brand of clothing, shoes, food chains, highways/ motorways, etc. The same chains are present everywhere selling almost the same products (with a little tweak here and there to suit local preferences).

The idea of development promoted by globalization is very west-centric and first world oriented. The third world in its efforts to play catch up has had to deal with problems and issues of displacement of its local population for land use by big corporates, pollution (air/ water/ noise/land), slums etc. The rise of urban cities in the third world has not been without these and many more problems for every developing nation. The new cities have pockets of    development- swanky malls, flyovers, housing societies with modern amenities, tall modern office buildings and complexes surrounded by slums and urban villages. A very good example of which is Gurgaon, with big beautiful modern buildings and problems of infrastructure like roads, water, electricity etc. The growing population has not helped at all. The trend of developing cities to ape western models of cities without any consideration of local conditions has created more problems than solved for the administration and the citizens of those cities.

 The big metro cities want to be like New York, Shanghai, etc. but if all cities are going to look like same, and serve similar world food, with same products, the world will surely become a boring place.

Globalization has also meant a certain minimum standard followed in terms of quality of products. A relative of mine visiting from Europe was very happy to see Mark and Spencer stores, Subway chains etc. (unlike six years back in Delhi when she visited last time) , but for shopping for clothes she still preferred Chandni Chowk for its variety and prices. 

Technological revolution fueled by globalization also means that governments of various countries have to be careful not just about their local population but also world opinion which is just a tweet away. The democratic movements in Arab world are a result of people being aware of their rights and fighting for themselves. Pictures of Japanese Tsunami united the whole world in feeling the Japanese pain in the same way, it is condemning Syrian government for its excesses against its population. 

There is still debate on whether the inequalities (between the developed and under-developed world, between rich and poor) have grown or lessened thanks to globalization. Like everything else the answer lies somewhere in between, with both good and bad sides to it. 

Marriages in India

Marriages are a personal (for the people getting married) as well as a social occasion (for all the others invited/related to the people getting married). I have been a part of both, as most of us have been, I believe. .But, it still baffles me to understand why people dance, go over the top with celebrations on other people's marriages! After all, it is a social sanction for two people to start a family for and by themselves! From Hindi Bollywood movies, to TV serials to road jams (due to people dancing on the road), bursting fire crackers, almost everything around us tells us that marriages are important and provide a huge occasion for celebration in Indian sub-continent along with Diwali, Eid etc. Markets around the marriage season are as full and jam packed as they are during Diwali/ Eid.

Let us look at the way marriages are solemnised in different religions. In Hinduism, marriages are a bond of births and re-births (even stronger than the bond with parents, as it cuts across different lifetimes), with seven pheras it becomes a relationship extending upto seven janams or births. One cannot escape one's partner even after death! My South Indian, Tamil neighbor told me marriage rituals extend up to many days amongst Tamil Brahmins. In some customs rituals go on for a night, the shortest ritual is still more than an hour long in Arya Samaji weddings. All these rituals are performed to make marriage strong, breaking the marriage off is an unthinkable sin!

 In Christianity the vows promise marriage to be the relationship of a lifetime, or till death of atleast one partner that automatically dissolves the union (until death do us part!). In both these religions until the early/ mid part of the last century divorce was very rare. Even if marriages went bad, people had no choice to opt out since there was no concept of divorce, as it was considered socially unacceptable. In the present times, divorces in society have become acceptable with the growing numbers of broken marriages. Reasons could be many or one, but the society has matured to let the people involved in the marriage to settle their lives and does not interfere (although still pokes around for gossip!)

In Islam, marriages  are a civil contract with two witnesses. The willing partners have to give their consent (qubool hai!) loud and clear along with their signatures on the contract (nikahnama), which also mentions amount of bride price to be paid. There have been instances of marriages happening on phone on conference call with bride, groom and the priest  on each line with speaker phones in Pakistan, Gulf, Hyderabad etc. Since, physical presence of the two individuals not necessary/ compulsory, long distance marriages were possible. Papers would be sent through post and consent taken verbally through phone!
Similarly, if the contract does not work out partners can opt out, again in the presence of witnesses with saying divorce loud and clear (talaq). Some people have even tried to give divorce on phone, although there have been issues with the legality of it. Both marriage and divorce have pre-conditions like, both partners should be in their senses (not drunk or angry) while performing the said acts. Although the idea  and the thought behind  Islamic marriages was revolutionary for its time. For the first time a girl was given the right to give her consent for the marriage. Her say was important and she deserved compensation in the form of bride price for the changes that it brought in her life (change of household, etc). While, divorce could be given by man by just uttering the word thrice, woman could also ask for it (khula) if marriage was not working for her and whoever opts out has to give/ give up bride price along with other financial complications (dowry/ marriage gifts etc). But, women’s position became vulnerable to husband’s mood swings, roving eye, etc.  The ease of divorce also meant its abuse, which led many Islamic countries to make stringent laws for the protection of women. In India, divorce amongst Muslims became a national debate during 1980s due to the Shah Bano case. There was an argument to implement a Uniform Civil Code to make laws equal for everyone irrespective of religion for marriage and divorce. But, Muslims claimed it was an attack on their identity and opposed it. While, BJP and Sangh Parivar saw it as a stick they could beat up Muslims with, so they keep on insisting upon it. The issue became political hot plate with nobody willing to touch it for the fear of stroking passions and leading to disturbances.

 My Sikh colleague told me about marriages in Sikhism. There was no mention of marriage rituals in Adi Granth Sahib (Holy book of the Sikhs), but one of the later Gurus wrote a poem on marriage. Since, Sikhism also had to fight for its identity, they wanted their marriage rituals to be separate from Hindus. Marriage involves 4 pheras or rounds around the Granth Sahib while priest sings the Doha or poem written by the Guru on marriage.    

 Tribal marriages have as many varied rituals as there can be varied tribes, each having its set of rituals to be performed, depending on the system whether it is matriarchal or patriarchal. In some areas of Bihar there are marriages where groom is kidnapped by the brides' family.
 Due to the problem of family infanticide the ratio of girls and boys has become so much in favor of boys there are no girls' left for men to marry in some areas of Haryana and Punjab. They are taking brides from north- east and South India, where sex ratio is not as bad. In some families, many brothers(can be two-five depending on family)  marry just one woman, leading to interesting consequences, cultures being different of each region of India.

Marriages are social events in India with celebrations often paralleling  festivals. They can also be seen as socio-cultural expressions of identities of different social groups.