Striving for Secularity

The preamble to the Constitution of India refers to the ideals of “justice”, “liberty”, “equality” and “fraternity” to declare India’s existence as a “secular” nation. These words very well reflect the hopes and wishes of the founding fathers of the Constitution; but do they ring true in a society where some still cling on to the grievances of the past.

Ever since the bloody partition of India in 1947, religious tensions between Muslims and Hindus still hang heavy in the air. Long gone is the “single, composite culture” [Kakar 14] in which everyone lived by cheek and jowl. With the Hindu nationalist BJP currently in power, the principle of secularism can no longer be expected to bring about ‘unity in diversity’. Rather, it now takes on the role as a dividing force among communities.

On 12th March, the day of the Hindu festival Holi , an incident of communal hatred took place in Jianagla, a small village in the state of Uttar Pradesh. A number of posters were put up all over, demanding that the local Muslims leave the area by the end of this year. These were signed by the “Hindus of the Village”, with the consent of a BJP MP. One of the oldest Muslim residents of Jianagla said in an interview: “We have been living in harmony for generations, and do not know who came up with these posters.” [1]

This outrageous act has come as no surprise, as just a week ago, the BJP leader Yogi Adityanath became the newly elected CM of UP. Notorious for his hate speeches against Muslims, his coming into power has brought about unrest and feelings of “insecurity” among the minority community; “If they kill one Hindu, then we will kill 100 Muslims.” [2007 Azamgarh speech]

Recently having read Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh, I am able to draw certain parallels between the situation in Uttar Pradesh and the fictional village of Mano Majra. Yogi Adityanath, a figure of high status who possesses the gift of persuasive oratory, largely reminds me of the young Sikh bigot in the novel. Furthermore, the inhabitants of Jianagla represent the simple minded, easily swayed people of Mano Majra.

It is evident that in both societies, brotherhood and amity have given way to feelings of communalism and hostility, all as a consequence of succumbing to the fanatic words of the more “educated” [Khushwant 148]. Just like the evacuated Muslims of Mano Majra, the Islamic community of Jianagla were under the impression that their Hindu and Sikh brothers would never turn their backs on them. But they were eventually proven wrong.

This historical recount has opened my eyes to a reality that still bears semblance to the religious circumstances of the past; when “inequality had become an inborn mental concept” [Khushwant 70] and the public gave the upper hand to the extremist voices of society. And so the pressing question is whether, with the increasing involvement of political parties with faith, the promise of a “secular” India can be fulfilled by the people themselves.

 

 

[1] Gupta, Priya, Shuchi Bhatnagar, Pallavi Mukherjee, and Devashish Bhuyan. “Posters Asking Muslims To Leave Are Seen In Uttar Pradesh! Is It The Trump Effect?” Rajnikant V/s CID Jokes. N.p., 16 Mar. 2017. Web. 26 Mar. 2017.

Picoult’s Shortcoming

Having lived next-door and spent almost every waking hour with each other as children, it was only natural that Chris and Emily would grow up being teenage sweethearts. It’s normal at that age: to obsess over a single person and everything else that comes with them. However, Jodi Picoult’s far-fetched narration of their romanticised relationship is more than a little unconvincing, especially considering the turn of events. From the highly inexplicable nature of the two lovers, to their nonsensical actions, The Pact has been an underwhelming and tedious read with a thin storyline.

The premeditation of their suicidal deaths is something one would expect from reading the title. Apparently, Emily had experienced molestation as a child [an event which is conveyed in a brief two-page account] and was suffering from severe depression. She was currently pregnant with Chris’ child, but believed that she possessed almost brotherly feelings for him. When she suggests a suicide pact, Chris seems to pliantly agree. Yet, his decision would only make sense if Emily had actually told him what she was going through. With Chris knowing zilch about Emily’s hardships, his claim that she should be relieved from her “great pain” is completely groundless. To top it all, he wasn’t even suicidal. Why he agreed to the pact in the first place is beyond my understanding.

Asking someone to kill you is basically a cry for help, whether it be professional or personal support. Although Chris’ and Emily’s relationship was a so-called “fusion”, in which “they couldn’t function without each other”, Chris backed out of pact, going against Emily’s wish of them choosing to die together. All the while, Chris showed no interest in consulting a psychiatrist, or even coaxing out the troubled thoughts she kept bottled up inside her, by himself. If he really truly, loved her as he claimed to, he would have gone to any extent to make sure she didn’t kill herself, rather than putting a bullet through her head.

The story changes course, now revolving around a murder plot; Chris aided and abetted the suicide of his dearly beloved. In a court scene, towards the end of the book, he suddenly decided to step up and attest to his pulling of the trigger that led to his girlfriend’s death. Even though the jury had all the evidence they needed to prove him guilty, including this testimony, Chris was let out with no charges whatsoever. The reason given was that despite there having been a premeditation and deliberation of killing, there was less so of willfulness from his side. This ridiculous assessment on behalf of the jury hints that they were so moved by Chris’ revelation of the truth, they decided against sentencing him to any form of punishment; an accusation for first-degree murder wasn’t even in the picture.

The obscurity of this novel makes me wonder what emotions the author was trying to invoke in the readers. There are many issues within the plot that I wish were given more thought and addressed more thoroughly. All in all, although The Pact fell short of my expectations, I hope to find a written work by Jodi Picoult that is to my liking.

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

From: Steve Luukkonen
Sent: 23 November 2016 20:24
To: Kiara Kanwar
Subject: Lunch Idea!!!

“Hi Double K!!!!

So rumor has it you were not too excited about lunch today, especially since this is a taste of things to come!!! I had an idea I was going to announce to the Phys Class and it’s a big idea, but I think if done well could be an awesome two weeks of lunch!! What if, as a lead-up to our nutrition unit in the spring, we put together a lunch menu of our own, a doable one (nothing crazy) but still very healthy! Then each day we follow that menu and make our OWN healthy lunch, either in the classroom, or out in the flagpole if it’s nice out!! There’s enough budget left in the PE department where I can cover most of the expenses but there might be some that I may need from you all!! What do you think?!? Something worth bringing to the class?!? Hang in there as I know these types of lunches are frustrating!!!

Much care,

Mr. L ☺☺☺”

This email was sent to me on a Wednesday night. The same Wednesday night I had a complete emotional breakdown. And this isn’t your run-of-the-mill behaviour, so my roommate was quite perturbed when I tore into the room, threw myself on my bed and let loose a series of unfamiliar whimpers and whines. I completely lost it. Why you ask? Even the hat trick of tests I sat for that morning was no match for what was in store for me and the rest of the school that afternoon. After the sounding of the lunch bell and upon entering the cafeteria, I was soon to learn that the most dreaded day on my calendar had decided to put in an appearance; it was Employees day.

Don’t get me wrong. The whole purpose of Employee’s Day is to give the workers a break from regularly having to cater to us, and for us to develop a better sense of appreciation for their services. I acknowledge all of this, and am ever grateful for our work staff. But all my self-seeking mind could think about then was whether or not I was going to find anything substantial to fill my stomach with. I am anti-white bread, anti-processed meat and unquestionably anti-soggy fries. And of course, all these components made up the infamous packed lunches the school rather generously distributed to the line-up of somewhat qualmish looking students. I wonder why; “Here’s a healthy, nutritious, filling lunch packed with saturated fats, carbs and more carbs!”

You could only imagine my elation at reading Mr. L’s email. All at once, my brain was filled with recipe ideas for each day of the week, each meal a distinct theme, like ‘Mexican’, ‘Mediterranean’ and everyone’s favourite, ‘Breakfast’. It was evident that I was getting ahead of myself, turning a blind eye to the awaiting constructive planning of kitchen equipment, appointed cooking and cleaning duties and requisite bazaar trips. In spite of having being caught up in all the excitement of the packed-lunch free days to come, I still hadn’t forgotten why I had wanted this so badly in the first place. The Exercise Physiology class is definitely going to find putting together their meals from scratch to be truly beneficial in several aspects;

1.Knowing where you get your ingredients from, and how fresh they really are ensures that what you are consuming has no traces of preservatives, additives or even worse- food-borne pathogens.

2. They say that you should be able to count the ingredients on your plate on one hand. Preparing your own food makes you aware of how much of each component you are adding to the dish; you are in full control of the composition of your meal.

3. There is no stopping the creative juices that flow when concocting a meal of your choice. Experimenting with new flavours, altering and creating new recipes and even practicing your cooking skills allows your artistic and inventive side to take over to appreciate and produce original food combinations.

4. Food does so much more than just taste good and fill your stomach. Mr. L’s primary intention of carrying out this project is to expand the class’ knowledge of what goes into our mouths, which could either be full of nourishment or highly detrimental to our health. You can learn about nutritional value, daily calorie intake, food groups and a basic balanced diet all by cooking your own solids!

5. Countless studies have unlined the positive impacts of mindful eating. When you eat in, you can regulate your portion sizes and put an end to binging and overeating. This also prevents consequential weight gain.

6. Sitting down and savouring the food made from your own hands not only gives you a sense of gusto and accomplishment, but appreciation for even the smallest grain of rice.

Ironically, this is exactly why our school has a day such as Employees Day marked on its calendar; to get the students to realise the effort put into laying out three meals a day for them.

As I see it, by the end of the two weeks, my classmates and I would have fully experienced the rewarding results of following through this project. It is very possible that the benefits we reap will beyond question be deep-rooted in our lifestyles

Writing with a Purpose

It is no secret to anyone that Orwell possessed a talent for writing prose with a purpose; he had a way with words . The remarkable first issuing of his poem at the age of 11 even then offered insight into his regard for politics, and nationalistic sentiments (Orwell, Why I Write, par. 2). Already definite that he wanted to become a writer, young George took the initiative to find ways to make the highly-compelling connection with literature, which he had so long awaited. This proved foreseeably demanding since literature as a subject then was discouraged, and the publication of works was unworkable. Uncoincidentally in 1984, Winston’s drive to write, bear a semblance to that of Orwell’s, and the oppression they both faced as writers in a time of acute politics and war.

Based on his personal experience of living under fascist and imperialist authorities, Orwell came to the conclusion that the basic constitution of language quickly deteriorated under such regimes (Orwell, Why I Write, par. 5, (Orwell, Politics and the English Language, par. 14). The declaration in his essay Politics and the English Language, that “when the general atmosphere is bad, language must suffer” is a clear correlation to the creation of ‘Newspeak’ in 1984, and the resulting impairment of thoughts, because “if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought” (Orwell, Politics and the English Language, par. 15). The conception of Newspeak by the Party was to primarily eliminate all inessential words, to further curtail any form of creative thinking, or even a sense of cognizance; to expel all heretical convictions. This would then be ideal for the imposition of the Party’s philosophies on society, and the stranglehold on their actions. It was almost like they were ripping apart the human brain, and configuring it with their own brand of super glue, into shapes never seen before.

George Orwell always discussed language in the same breath as government supremacy at great lengths on grounds of being a witness to the manipulations and ramifications of political affiliations. It was a preoccupation that arose from frequent encounters with Poverty and Failure under British imperialism, and drove him to produce canons “against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism” (Orwell, Why I Write, par. 7). Orwell was no stranger to the lies that could be fabricated to mislead the public through the perversion of language. His prime purpose of writing prose was to divulge all falsehood and be granted a chance to be heard. Mindfully, he sought to write “less picturesquely” and “more exactly”(Orwell, Why I Write, par. 10). In 1984, there was a probability that Newspeak would be the only language spoken by 2050. Orwell would maintain that this be the warning for our forthcoming evasion of literature, and perhaps ultimately strife and communal collapse. “The worst thing one can do with words is surrender to them.” (Orwell, Politics and the English Language, par. 17)

 

Simplicity is Key

The purpose of the following passage is to call attention to the importance of simplicity in texts. An average reader must be able to comprehend and absorb the information the writer is laying out for them, and subconsciously form ideas in their head based on that particular content.  High-sounding/ overwrought language is not always required merely because the issue being addressed is a complicated one. This can be confusing to an individual with a different cultural background, cognitive disability, or even reading disorder. If one is communicating with a mass audience, simple phraseology is ideal; acting as a lubricant to help encourage them to grasp the concepts of one’s works. Lucidity and simplicity go hand in hand; one aids another. Funnily enough, the incorporation of these two elements in writing has never been an easy job for most authors. Intelligible stories are much more memorable and effective than baffling, extravagant texts, which can be quite misleading to some. Having coherent structure and length are also essential to keep in mind while writing; this captures the essence of your article and make your argument more compelling.  Here is what is hopefully a fairly basic and simply written fable that delivers an unambiguous message to its viewers;

 

The Peacock and the Crow

   Once upon a time there was a crow that lived in a forest with other crows. Their lives were monotonous with no excitement whatsoever. That was until a new bird came to town. It was a peacock with feathers unbelievably vibrant and glossy.

“Hello there! Where might you have come from?” questioned the crow. The other crows crowded around him, cawing excitedly about the newcomer.

The peacock held his head high and announced proudly, “I am from one of the most intoxicating jungles of India, the Jewel of South-east Asia.

The other crows gasped in awe and admiration of the exotic bird’s appearance. As night fell, there was still a buzz in the air, when the creatures settled down to rest for the day.

The following morning, the crow set off to look around for a tit-bit to fill his stomach, as he was feeling quite hungry. He flew over the canopies until his gaze settled on a baby pigeon, perched alone on a branch of a tree. He dove sharply, speeding towards the small bird, but misjudged, and hastily spiralled downwards. This was most unfortunate, as he could not free himself from the roots of the forest floor.

“Help! Somebody please get me out of this mess!” the crow pleaded, desperately.

As if by magic, the leaves of a bush parted to reveal the most breathtaking creature the crow had ever laid eyes on; the peacock.

“Peacock! O peacock!! Please help me get out of this…!” spluttered the crow, helplessly flapping his wings.

“What seems to be the matter?” the peacock cooed calmly.

“I’m stuck! Can’t you see? I want you to help me out!” cried the crow.

The peacock ruffled his feathers in alarm and cried, “Goodness me! You don’t think I’m actually going to get in that muck, do you? Oh, no no! My feathers would get all soiled and sticky from the mud on them! If you think I’m going to risk getting these feathers dirty for you, you are very wrong!” And he daintily stalked off leaving the helpless crow behind.

Moral: Don’t judge a book by its cover.

 

 

Living Vicariously and Learning- A Path of Resilience

(written through the eyes of Ian McEwan)

The novel, as a form, has made headway. It is now an exemplary tool that has granted each and everyone of us access to the elements that enable our examination of our own consciousness, motives, fall throughs and victories. Literary tradition has bestowed upon us the gift of fervour and depth; a sort of richness, through which we can convey this flow of consciousness. A novelist, especially, has the highest privilege in doing so; it is them who have the fullest potential of living vicariously through the personas they create.

I was in my early fifties when I was working on Atonement. So, how did a middle-aged man like me think that he could encapsulate the emotions and the on-goings in the mind of a 13-year old girl, and put them into words? In one’s youth, whether one is a boy or a girl, is indifferent to the cause that both genders undergo the same conditions presented by life. The prepubescent stage of life is notably a reservoir for all writers. Like Briony, I was a compulsive daydreamer and lived the life of an only child. Although I hadn’t yet acquired her possession of predetermined ambitions about writing, I did go around narrating about myself as in the third person, perceiving myself to be a character in a novel that I had written.

While writing my first drafts of this novel, I took on the agreeable task of impersonating not only a 13-year old girl, but a 77-year old woman recalling a 13-year old girl. This presented me with an extensive freedom, and I was in a position to get away from myself by embodying an elderly woman novelist. I began to notice the alterations in my tendencies and capabilities; I would describe things that I had not once in my lifetime ever been bothered to discuss, like the weather. Or I could slow things down for the reader and become more expansive, adopting a deliberate, cognitive unfolding of events with a prominent visual sense of setting. To me, Briony was a novelist who took on a different approach to myself.

Ultimately, novelists do learn a few lessons from the material they produce themselves. These are usually the same lessons we want our readers to assimilate. Toward the end of the novel, the readers should have had a sense of upliftment delivered to them, despite the unfortunate play-out of events. My journey with Briony has been one of its own satisfactions, as she had lived an examined life; she committed a great error and made the lifelong effort to address herself to her actions . One has to overlook the mere event and focus on the true intentions of the characters– their moral consciousness and awareness of thoughts and deeds.

Regardless of age, we are all embodied consciousnesses. Our conceptions and inclinations are all set in the terms of being a body. Rather than merely taking into account what people have said and done, and then detailing the physical characteristics to generate a particular mood around things, why not let your characters walk around with your thoughts? Once writers start to pay heed to the disappearing signs of youth, we tend to write through another body, with a different story; our story.

My Hallyu Wave

The term ‘Hallyu’ literally means ‘flow of Korea’, and has set off a ripple through the hearts of millions across the globe ever since the 1990s. It has swept across the shores of countless countries and has brought with it the phenomenon of the highly-anticipated Korean form of entertainment; pop music, television dramas and movies. It is without a doubt that the most rapidly growing area is K-Pop, which I am ecstatic to mention, is now being viewed as a subculture rather than a mere genre of music. Out of those innumerable affected hearts, one of them that would like to share the very thoughts throughout her K-Pop wave journey, is yours truly.

My primary exposure to K-pop was listening to my first ever K-pop single ‘Up & Down’ by EXID at a performance at my school’s basketball tournament. There was something about that song that just got me hooked; I couldn’t put my finger on it. Later, after stumbling across scores of K-Pop music videos, it hit me that the songs all carried that same pounding energy, pulsing beat and lyrical sensation. In addition to the chilling, yet heartwarming tracks, it is the high-grade spectacles produced in various MVs and live concerts that captivates the public’s attention; nothing has impressed me more than these visuals.

Funnily enough, it never mattered to me that the only music I listen to is sung in another language; one I don’t understand. Instead, to me, this is the justification of the actuality of my adulation for K-Pop. I am able to immediately pick up on the feel and emotions through the strains of the instruments, and the tone of their bittersweet voices. However, there did come a point where I was too curious to remain unfamiliar with what I was listening to. This exact desperation for a translation is what drove me to wanting to learn Korean. K-pop was nothing but too worthy and transcendent of my expectations to go unheard or be passed through from one year to the other. Up to this time, I try to find ways to catch up on practicing the language by watching Korean dramas or simply watching online lessons. It is unlikely that my infatuation with K-culture will wane.

I am reduced to a perfect nonplus when is comes to the lifestyle choices aspiring  K-Pop idols are required to make;  dropping out of school early, training rigorously for fifteen hours a day; all while bearing in mind that only a small percentage of them will make it as artists. It is now clear to me that an idol’s life is not all fun and games and hog heaven like many perceive it to be. Despite the airs and fronts a good deal of idols put up, their audiences do receive plenty of exposés (perhaps an illicit love affair) that generally and temporarily peel off their masks. Personally, this is really a striking reminder that we are all errant and, at the end of the day, do encounter the same ever unchanging difficulties.

 

The American Dream

     I’m sure the whole of Holcomb would agree that the Clutter family was indeed an idealised American family living the idealised American dream. There was no doubt that they were each of good repute and were admired for their individual qualities. Herb was a “man’s man”, a self-made man and an everyman. His family followed in suit. Well-respected was the term that best described them. Unluckily, the Clutter’s halcyon days came to an end when they were murdered by two men who happened to be in pursuit of the same Dream. A coincidence? I think not.

    In the murderers’ eyes, the Clutter family’s lives was an idyll, and this didn’t sit well with them. It was in their purest of intentions to shatter their Dream out of complete spite and jealousy, and their incompetence to attain the Dream itself. Despite being “the least likely to be murdered”, the Clutter family embodied the American Dream. This was something that was from the very beginning, out of reach for Richard and Perry. Hickock and Smith’s backstories were sob stories, and above all, the main cause for the Clutter murder.

    Smith experienced his own set of childhood traumas and felt that he could never live up to his full potential, while Hickock merely wanted more; the normal standard of achievement was unworthy of his time. Together they shared a common enemy; “the Enemy was anyone who was someone (they) wanted to be or who had anything (they) wanted to have.”. Their outlooks on life were bitter and apathetic from the start due to their anguished pasts. Indirectly, the Clutter family did take the penalty for Dick’s and Perry’s dejection and frustrations.

    There is a small yet recurring pattern while looking closely at the deaths of the Clutter family and the two murderers. A fine line is drawn between the theme of the American Life Ideal and Death in this novel. Dick and Perry’s  executions, that ensued from their arrest and burning desire for more, just elucidates that there is no escape from death if you want to achieve that quintessential lifestyle. The same goes for the Clutter family, whose lives tragically ended by the hands of  greed of those very wrongdoers.

Through Capote’s eyes, one can see the negative, perhaps fatalistic, side and consequences of the American Dream. It doesn’t matter through which means you are trying to pursue the Dream; starting from the bottom and building your way up to the top, or merely attempting to take away someone else’s Dream, Death will catch up to you. In a way, the novel is trying to portray the complete irrelevance of the Pursuit, that unfortunately goes hand in hand with the disengagement and voidness of character one unconsciously picks up.