Charm of living in a small town...

Different places, distinguish culture and people which has its own beauty in itself. The journey of exploring new places has remain unending for me. I was leaving Nagpur, the city which is other wise known as 'The Orange city'. Life in Nagpur was quite and pleasant, after spending nearly two years in the city I was moving to a small city in Odisha. With lots of questions and wonders I reached the city called Rourkela in Odisha state. Rourkela  in the local tribal language of Sadri means 'Our village', the city was also otherwise known as Ispat Nagar situated in Sundargarh district of Odisha. The place which used to be dominated of adivasis, apparently Rourkela was named after the Roulia indigenous population in this place.


After living in most of the metropolitan cities, I was not very happy to come to this place. Due to the misconception I carried about the city that it lacks good communication, having no good place of entertainment, no night life etc. As I started exploring the place I tend to fallen in love with the town. I find the city to be well planned, the roads are widely constructed, the markets and street food stalls has a separate lanes, everything was so organized and beautifully placed. The city appears to be less crowded. There are better and quite places for entertainment. The educational hub NIT has big name in the city. The student from all across the county studying in the NIT, makes the place all the more cosmopolitan. There are few good tourist places inside the city such as Vedvyas, Hanuman Vatika and Khandadhar. One of the most fascinating thing about this place is the mark of the Germans who introduces Rourkela Steel Plant in 1950s. There is a club named German Club still exist in the city. Another interesting thing I noticed in this place was that the people who work here are not from Odisha rather from near by states. Every shop vendor I visited, I found them to be a non-Odiya person. The population are less Odiya than a mixed culture population. This could be due to Rourkela Steel Plant that has attracted many faces from all across the county to earn bread and butter in this city.

As I started with my academic life in NIT. I find the atmosphere more student friendly than typically teacher dominated place. One good thing I like about NIT is that the place is giving opportunity to the students to hunt their own talent by organizing number of events in the campus. The student and teacher relation is more friendly than restricting them to the strict exams and exhausting curriculum. The Teaching Assistant system of giving opportunity to PhD scholars to take lecture is the best way to understand the fellow juniors academic problems. There are many other academic things making NIT a outstanding institute in the country and Rourkela NIT happens to be on top out of all NITs in the nation, this itself makes big difference in a small city like Rourkela.

Exploring of different places and culture will continue for me, as I am a voracious traveller, extrovert than a  introvert person. The travel certainly has helps me to openup my mind and vision towards everything thing I do in my personal and professional life. Nonetheless, I disagree with those people who think small cities has less opportunities, has no good education system and has no life to live in. One must have the art to relish the beauty each place has and admire the lesson it teaches us to think one step ahead to broaden our vision.

Journey of a Indian woman for marriage

When a woman is born in a Indian family the first thought comes to her parents mind is that, we will have to take care of her till 20s as she will be marrying and going to her in-laws house someday. With this start the journey of searching ideal partner for her. As she crosses 18 year, her family start worrying 'Oh our daughter has become old enough, to find her a man'. In early 20s her relatives start pushing her families to find a man quickly. As she start reaching 30s the tension for marriage worried more to the girl parents 'Oh our daughter is turning old to find her a man soon'. The arrange of perfect man lead her parents to showcase their daughter in front of each and every perspective grooms family. Some groom family would say 'Our son is too qualified and look and earn handsome' what your daughter will contribute to his life. Another set of groom family would say 'We are looking for higher caste, fair and good looking women for our only loving, good looking son'. To glorify the girl family there are a group of quick bride hunters who want the marriage to be fixed the very same day, as though the world is coming to an end the next moment. The man who too believe his family will arrange ideal bride for him despite of holding a hypocritic flag of open mind and liberal thoughts. They say 'Beggars have no choice' as the women start crossing 30s, the entire world start poking the girl to get hold of any man, to get herself tagged before the society start talking of her singlehood 'Ohh some problem must be there in her, that is why many groom came to see her turning off with the marriage proposal'.



 

                                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jAHR1saGOg

This is the story of all most all Indian women who are working hard to have valuable contribution to the society, who want to live a dignified, self dependent and harmonious life. I truly wonder where our society leading to, in one side our great PM passes a slogan 'Beti 'Bachao, Beti Padhao''safe the girl, educate the girl', on the other side such hypocrite and typical patriarchal society who want a woman to serve their son for life. It also amaze me how we Indian have distinguished 'Love marriage' and 'Arrange marriage'. The couple who know each other before marriage are define to be love marriage and the couple who are not known to each other before marriage are define to be arrange marriage. At the end both the women has to live same life after marriage. Wonder what difference the so called love marriage does to a couple life.

 

To me love and marriage should not be given any such dead line, let the society talk hell out of her. The women should not get trapped into it to sacrifice all her dreams and goals to serve the so called godly like husband. Marriage is when two mature and adult person vision for harmonious and peaceful life together, nurture and help each other dreams come true and hold each other hands to reach their goals together like two friends climbing staircase together if one falls the other help vice versa.

Hope...

As I complete the journey of 2014, I realized how many miles stone I have actually crossed. I was not surprise of my own achievements, yes the achievement of spreading smile across, positive thoughts among my peer groups, selfless care and support to the near and dear once. Older and younger who see me as epitome of courage and patience to fight back all odd in life. I said to myself there is more to achieve in this journey. The hope of doing my karma evolve newness in me to take each path with positive, perseverance and strength.

Each fellow passenger I have met in the journey have helped to unfold something new in me. I truly praise them for guiding towards the 'inner hope' I have within me.

 

Love..

A four letter word, yet very powerful. My friend today asked me with confusion, why no one really see the true love in you. I smiled at her and said 'may be they are not true enough to see the true love'. I was pretty much sure of what I was saying, yes the love which I feel as pure, dutiful, true, honest, warm, caring, sacrifice, selfless .. My eyes closed with thoughts, how beautiful love is. The fact is Love has many forms. One can't certainly see it but feels it...
 
                                 
                                 Love someone without fear of losing him/her
                                 Love someone selflessly, honestly, dutifully
                                 Love so much that departing from him/her brings no tears
                                 Love stays in your heart its just the body departing, the soul remain with you
                                 Love so much to sacrifice for his/her peace and happiness
                                 Love so much that distance never counts, you feel his/her care, warmth every sec
                                 Love so much that you heal his/her pain despite of being miles apart
                                 Love so much that you give him/her world in one touch and kiss
                                 Love so much that your smile takes away all his/ her worries
                                 Love so much that your hug brings back the lost ones
                                 See around, open your eyes to Love....
                                

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw3RzucI6Ag

Protecting Simlipal indigenous people

Core are village in Simlipal

The news on eviction of core area villagers from Simlipal Sanctuary upset me a lot the other day http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/newsletter/enews/NewsDetails.asp?id=65528, my heart aches thinking of, how can all that efforts to bring justice to them go waste?? The work in chilling winter and heavy rain, harassment from government officers, resistance from the indigenous people (who tend not to trust us initially) was constantly hitting my mind. After spending months together with them we gain the villagers trust to empower them for their rights. We could also convince the government officers to think of coexistence than relocating these tribal communities who have been part and parcel of the forest.

The work we did was not restricted in Odisha; we used our pen to let the whole world know about the issue. The message indeed reaches the Survival International, an international organization working on protecting the rights of indigenous people around the world. The issue did made them to visit Simlipal to raise the campaign against the issue. I am glad they have started a campaign now under the banner 'Park Needs People' http://www.survivalinternational.org/parks . It further gives me utter satisfaction to receive email from them reacting upon the issue of evicting people from the sanctuary and brining further campaign to refrain the eviction in other sanctuary.

Dear Madhulika, 

Thanks for writing. It is very good to hear from you. I hope all is well with you. 

We are closely following the situation in Similipal still and are very concerned about what is going on there. As you say, there is a claim that consent has been given by the villagers of Jamunagarh, but we have strong interviews to the contrary: some people felt harassed and pressured and did not understand the document that they were told to sign. We will endeavour to make it known to the authorities that this is NOT consent. We are lobbying the MOEF and the Human Rights Commission. 

On your advice, Madhulika, we’ve been working with Sankar Pani, who seems very committed and capable and maintain strong contact with BijayLal ji - thank you so much for putting us in touch with him. 

We have launched our ‘Parks Need Peoples’ campaign and will be launching a further focus on evictions from Similipal and Kanha tiger reserves shortly. 

I’d welcome any thoughts you have on how we can best stop this wave of further evictions from tiger reserves nationally, which seem mostly to be illegal as per the Wildlife Protection Act and the FRA. 

I would be very interested connect up with you on this issue, Sudhansu. Please get in touch and let us know about your work on this. 

I’m copying my college Sophie Grig, who is working closely on this issue. 

With best wishes to you 

Jo, Survival International.

 I will be continuing to be the support system on whatever capacity to help my fellow tribals.

 

My loving Odisha....

Do I have words to describe my beautiful place Ódisha' the place that is full with love and affection. The place that greet people all around the world by folding their hands saying 'Namaskar'. The place where women drape saree on their head to pay respect to the elders. The place that has thirteen festivals in twelve months. The food and culture that always takes the breath away of many people around the world.  The place that has most ancient history and archaeology engraved within. The place full with beautiful landscapes, beaches, paddy fields, forest...where live the most indigenous population of the country.
My travel all around Odisha  not only made me realize who I am but where I really belong to. It certainly has made my soul and heart devoted to the place and people. Nothing can truly lure me other than the..
                   'The smell of burnt wooden of mud chula in the villages
                    The green paddy fields of farmers
                    The yellow oil seeds plants covering the field
                    The scream of necked children in the pond
                    The morning alpna drawn by the women
                    The 'Pakhal bhat' and the traditional food
                    The festivals that brings many untied hearts together
                    The traditional song, dance, culture, colourful saris that echo the love
                    The place that is endowed with temples and purity chants the blessing
                    The people, language, tradition nothing can be compare with
     All that my heart says 'Proud to be Odia girl' that belong to the most beautiful place of the world!!
                                 
                              

Existence....



I felt existence in their smile

Last night I was asked what existence is.

I slept off with confusion; I woke up with a smiling face..

My heart ponders with thoughts saying how beautiful existence is

Existence is in the lap of my mother

Existence is in the smile of a child





I felt existence holding the newly born calf

Existence is in the touch of a wrinkled hand of elderly

Existence is in holding a new born baby

Existence is in holding a newly born calf

Existence is in smelling the earth as the first rain drench it

Existence is in walking bare feet on the dew drops inside the forest

Existence is in the touch of your lover after meeting years together

Existence is within us, it is everywhere…

Siddhartha once said 'Stop searching, Stop worrying, Everything returns!!!Give Love....'

I felt existence in her wrinkled touch and smile