Sunday Mania and Tanu Weds Manu returns

Ready for take off

When we say “humans are not machines” I feel we are not completely correct. Actually we are just like the machines that need battery refill or replace from to time to time to work fine. Jokes apart, I wonder how this weekend concept came into existence. Surely from observing a steady down trend of delivering capacity, the need of rejuvenation struck. Just like recharging of a battery. But sometimes if our charger is not functioning well or there is an issue with the plug point, don’t our mobiles take longer to get recharged? Similarly, a well spent weekend recharges us enough to face the challenges at work place for the five days to come and a sleepy, drooling one leaves us fatigued and stressed.

Feeling happy already

For the last few weekends’ lethargy got over me and Avishek and we really overslept and returned to office on Mondays feeling heavy. This one was different, especially Sunday, i.e., today. A complete utilization to exploitation of time, led to spending an awesome Sunday. 

Our yummy breakfast

Starbucks at Viviana mall

We started off early today, contrary to most holidays. Bed tea made by hubby made my day, almost as it was getting kick started. Movie tickets were booked for “Tanu weds Manu returns” and we decided to watch it after a sumptuous breakfast at starbucks. When we reached, the mall was just opening, with a handful of customers. A mouth smacking breakfast of chicken wrap, chicken sandwich and café latte, promised the day to be beautiful.

An entertaining movie for sure

For the movie I had initially intended to write separately, but later decided otherwise. “Tanu weds Manu returns” is a complete entertainer. It amazed and amused me to see the overpowering and convincing act that Kangana Ranaut had put up for a completely non realistic, brainless script.  Frankly I do not know if it is for the masses or classes and frankly I do not believe in any such distinction, but I left the theatre with a smile and feeling light. Kangana is omnipresent beautifully in all frames with delightful support from Jimmy Shergil, Swara Bhaskar and others. However R. Madhavan is hardly felt, though he carried out the silenced act nicely enough, but his silence and confused mind irritates a bit. But in totality, if you are looking for some light moments, fun punches and loud laughter, catch this one. And if you are not looking for any of these, still catch this one only to see Kangana’s conviction, her effortless acting, her Haryanvi accent  and her skill of the craft. This movie was an icing to my succulent Sunday cake.

Madhavan confused, Kangana at her best

Later a delectable lunch of Muttun Roganjosh, Rumali Roti and Malai Kulfi with Rabri at The Yellow Chilli made me content, added loads of calories and ended our day long Sunday expedition. We had started when the mall was empty, when we left not before loads of window shopping; the mall was crowded and abuzz.

The Yellow Chilli

Tomorrow, when Monday morning blues and blows strike, I will be happy atleast to have made most of my weekend. 

The pics of me that I have shared are clicked by my Husband Avishek and he is quite upset that I did not click any good pic of his ;-)

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

Bombay Velvet- Not a velvety show

Ranbir and Anushka in Bombay Velvet

This one was a huge blow, from the kind of elements that came together to making it; it was supposed to be velvety indeed. Bombay Velvet, Anurag Kashyap’s latest is more of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali movie, rather than a successor to Gangs of Wasseypur. It is not that I am a hater of Bhansali; he did contribute to the craft before he decided to float in different hues and make over the top cinematic experiences like Devdas or the more mournful Sawariya. Anyways that is Mr. Bhansali’s saga; here we are to discuss what went wrong with Mr. Kashyap.

I guess a huge part of the budget went on to create these looks

When Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Anurag Kashyap and Kay Kay Menon deliver an output as cliché as Bombay Velvet, it literally leads to disillusionment. The movie is about an era when Mumbai was engulfed in dirty politics and mind games of few power players. In the midst of chaos and delinquency, many a goons rose from the heart of the unprivileged societies and made their way to see money. Their ways were crooked and their minds too. Ranbir after a Besharam and Roy plays the character of Balraj, a guy grown up in the dark dungeons of poverty and prostitution but aims the sky. His character’s rustic ways, street fighter attitude and possessiveness, is enacted well by the actor, as expected but all these could not come together to create any magic on screen. Ranbir is a real favourite, but his latest choices have left admirers of his craft heart broken. Anushka, as Rosie, the sexually abused jazz singer, also does justice to her character, but again failing to create any spark. Together the leading pair had a sizzling chemistry, but without any solid story line, how long can the audience be wooed with chemistry and biology? For that we can refer books. And now, the debutant director/producer turned actor, Karan Johar as Kaizad Khambatta, an impressive name for sure, suits a power player, but not him. Though he was not a complete mismatch for the character, but borrowing a word from Karan’s patent vocabulary, I would say, it was too cliché to attract any attention! Khambatta’s relationship with his super hot wife, his running fingers on Balraj’s hand, give a slight hint towards his sexual choices, but the narrator neither opens it nor closes it, and the ultimate effect is nullified. I believe Mr. Johar can be better on screen if he does characters that suit him more.

Anurag and Karan

True Mr. Kashyap, who earlier made smaller budget, meaningful stuff, fumbles on the path of big budget movies like this. The attention given to recreating the era, is appreciable, the cast great (mostly) but with the kind of skill Anurag comes with, he should have known that serving the same old story packaged in an embellished box, will not earn him a blockbuster. Yet having said all these, I still keep faith that these stalwarts will move ahead of this failure and continue to making great cinema. Afterall “Gangs of Wasseypur” needs a successor and a worthy one. In the last season of “Koffee with Karan”, Anurag had commented that Ram Gopal Verma is past; true it is but sad it is. For the maker of “Pyar tune kya kiya” and many other awesome climatic excellences, this downfall must have been painful. I hope this is not what awaits Mr. Kashyap. I am not a part of this movie business, yet I love art of any form, and I believe when an artist sees the downfall, atleast another artist shouldn’t make derogatory comments.

So here’s wishing best of luck to the team for their next venture and also to the people who plan to watch the movie. I hope Mr. Kashyap’s next fulfils the expectations of the audience, who spend their hard earned money for a piece of entertainment and in returns gives celebrities a super luxurious life. I guess it is their responsibility to make cinema which is worth watching.

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

Cobalt Blue-a book review

For sometime now, I was starting to read a book, loosing interest and switching to another. Can this be termed as a phase of non-creative limbo? Well I don’t know, but a good read, is one of my essential companions. And I was missing company. Just a few days back, a friend of mine handed over a book to me “Cobalt Blue”, a catchy name I would say and hinted towards its unfamiliar story line. I decided, cobalt blue, it is! Originally a Marathi novel written by Sachin Kundalkar, the one I read is translated to English by Jerry Pinto. These names were new to me; I was unknown to the writer’s writing style or anything related to him. Yet I started my journey.

My curiosity as usual led me to search about the author and I found him to be a National award winning Marathi film director and screenplay writer. And Jerry Pinto is also a National award winning writer and journalist. Excited with my newly acquired knowledge on these stalwarts, I began with my efforts to discovering the key to the emotional treasure hunt.

Cobalt blue is different, the story has two narrators contrary to most other books I have read. It is the journey of Anuja and Tanay, two siblings from a typical middle class Marathi family, but not typical themselves. With their different schools of thoughts, they go on to unfold their respective love stories. But there is a small problem, they loved the same guy. A paying guest who had come to occupy, the tower room in their house to Tanay’s annoyance, as he had always longed for the room. The story is divided into two parts, first is Tanay and his picture-perfect story, well not exactly so and the second is Anuja and her story, which I doubt whether to call a love story or not.

The story begins with Tanay describing the good and bad moments of his love life with this guest of his. It becomes quite evident that these two share same or similar sexual orientation. However there is a reigning aura of mystery or should I say coldness about this guy. Though he was born to affluent parents, he lost them in an air crash. His life had seen its share of sheer melancholy and loneliness, which he had adapted to. In his childhood he was even subject to sexual abuse by his uncle. The series of adversities infused an eerie chill in his behavior, a passionate artist, a great listener but he did what he wished, at times cruelly trampling the wishes of others. A tough guy to understand, I would say. Infact the three characters which I can safely term as the main protagonists, are unusual and different from the crowd. Tanay had his share of affection and love from him, until one fine morning he decides to leave with his sister Anuja, giving a cruel blow to his desires and dignity. In the other part, Anuja goes on to describe her unconditional love for him, which changed her from the tom boy she was. But did he ever love her? Anuja never knew. His coldness hurt her but she could not control her emotions getting attached to his charm. Why did he leave with her and later why did he desolate her to suffer and drown in insecurities? The author did not clarify and that is the charm of this read. The novel leaves you unanswered and you learn to love the void.

Cobalt Blue is a simple read, about simple people in not too simple situations. It is an emotional tale of love and betrayal, well the later I am not too sure about. But in totality, a different read which does not go into increasing your language vocabulary but tickles certain emotional chords for sure.

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

Respect Cutural Diversity

    Kashmir-Epitome of the creator's excellence

Talking of diversity the first thing that knocks the door to my thought library is BIO diversity. It is intimidating to think of the magnum opus that the creator has created, what diversity and the word appears too meagre to describe its enormity. We Homo sapiens form a puny part of this world enriched with diversity. Yet the impact is substantial and how, is no rocket science to guess. It is noticeable how well the diversity has been accepted in the savage world, but the so called social beings are seemingly reluctant to accept it in their society. The contrast is more evident when the worlds are juxtaposed. However we Indians are lucky to be residing at the heart of a nation that can safely be termed as brand ambassador of Cultural diversity.

The beauty of the back waters-Kerala

In our National Anthem the poet and God of emotional expression Rabindranath Tagore, has painted this uniqueness with his master stroke of magical words. As a kid I used to be fascinated at the look of the Map of India and wished to be able to set foot on every unique corner and imbibe its eccentric beauty and diverse culture. But as candles got added to my birthday cake and as reality syndrome struck me, I started knowing the flip side of this diversity. I understood that we are more Bengali, Gujarati or Punjabi than an Indian. The beauty of Cultural Diversity lies in togetherness of dissimilarity, togetherness of caste, creed and genders. But today my motherland sees havoc in the form of heinous crimes against women and the toll is ever increasing. Somewhere every moment, a woman is raped, murdered or killed in her mother’s womb. Diversity is belief in the almighty whatever may be the form. It may be Lord Krishna in temples, formless Allah in mosques, Jesus in a cathedral, the belief should remain unaltered. Then why this blood shed, why this terrorism, why in my land of secularism, each one of us is not left alone to preach our belief in peace?

Sun sets to the beautiful Ganges- Kolkata

The never ending land of sands- Rajasthan

Yet, my land is unique, God created it with utmost care. From the snow-capped Himalayan mythical horizon, to the sandy deserts of Rajasthan, from Bihu in Assam to Mohiniyattam in Kerala, the beauty of diversity is etched in every frame. While Gujarat dances to the Garba tunes, Bengal flows in effervescence of Durga Puja. While someone celebrates Eid, there are others who wait for the bells to jingle in Christmas. God has done his bit by bestowing India with the most incredible and diverse landscape. And we with our colourful cultures transformed the plane canvas to a riot of magnificent colours.  Now we just need to Respect this unique cultural diversity and make it the strength of our living and the nation as a whole. Such that we all call ourselves only INDIANS, because “peace is not unity in similarity but unity in diversity, the comparison and conciliation of difference”-Mikhail Gorbachev.

Some flavors of India

Bihu-Assam

Kathakali- Kerala

Garba-Gujarat

Folk dance- Bengal

Bhangra-Punjab

Folk Dance- Rajasthan

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

THIS POST WON THE BEST ESSAY TITLE ACROSS RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED IN A COMPETION HELD IN THE ORGANISATION FOR CELEBRATING

"CULTURAL DIVERSITY"

My prize!!:-)

My mom deserves a Queen's treatment

A Rabindra Sangeet by Asha Bhosle on the greatness of motherhood

“ Ar ami je kichu jahi ne,

Janani bole shudhu dakibo,

Tumi na rakhile ghriho ar payibo kotha,

Kende kende kotha berabo”

Few lines of the greatest creator ever Rabindranath Tagore on the enormity and divinity of motherhood! It means “I don’t want anything else; just I will call you mother, if you don’t keep me with you, where will I find home, where will I roam about crying.” The entire song is included at the beginning of my narrative, but it is in Bengali, so my non Bengali friends might not be able to enjoy completely. But believe me; the tune will touch your soul.

Me and Ma on my wedding day

Mother, the divine creation of God, a representative of him near us! When a baby first learns to speak he says “MA” meaning mother. So the word “MA” is more than it appears, it is the connection between the divine power and humanity. It is a mixture of such tones that the texture of it is such that, it is the first word an infant can utter. Such is its greatness. I am not a mother yet, but I have the best mother in the world. And every child thinks so. Sometimes when I think of her greatness I feel so meagre, so selfish, so small in front of her complete selflessness. Since I gained senses I have never seen her think about her comforts. Her only aim was to keep the three us (we are three sisters and I am the youngest) happy, healthy and content.

The three of us in my Anniversary Celebration in Kolkata

I have no idea, how can anybody be so self giving, and I guess that is why she is mother. I only hope when I have a little one to call me MA, I can be a bit of my MA.

Ma near Siddhi Vinayak Temple

A candid moment on My Wedding Reception

As a kid, contrary to my sisters who were closer to Baba, I was my mom’s shadow. They would call me “koler bachcha” meaning “baby in the lap”. And I was so. For every little thing I wanted her to be with me. Slowly time passed and I became more independent and self reliant. But I never distanced out, the umbilical connection reigned supreme in my existence. I believe she played a friend, a guide, a teacher and a lot more like every mother does. She is really an expert; can you believe, being from a Bengali Medium background, how much effort she must have put to teach me English? Immense is the word! I was adamant not to have tuition teachers, I feared their rebuke. As I entered into adolescence sensations unknown to me tickled my belly, again it was she who came to hand hold, my best buddy, my mom. I was not quite able to distinguish between righteousness and distractions, my expert explained all. Being a mother to a daughter entering into adolescence, is a challenge I guess. But she was quite a child psychologist I must admit, always understanding and seeing my newer signs with compassion. This is very important in the process of growing up, befriending kids before they are too distanced out. In a famous Bengali short story by Rabindranath Tagore, named “Chuti” (meaning freedom), he describes the importance of mother in an adolescent boy’s life. How he when taken to urban life by his uncle for studies, suffers when exposed to a completely different environment compared to his simple village life. The author describes with great lucidity how at a certain age a child is understood only by his mother. When he is too old for lullabies and too young for taking a stand, he suffers from identity crisis and how only motherly touch can keep him going. In the story ultimately the boy, gains freedom through death.

Avishek, Me and Ma in Lonavala

MA allured by nature in Matheran

But as I grew further, I understood that I was also the means for her to confide. With teenage came crushes, attractions and I discussed all with her. My expert always explained how normal these feelings are. In the darkness of the night both mother and daughter would share their concerns, likings and dreams and sometimes shed a tear or two. But reality struck us when my father passed away. My sisters were married then and it was my mother and me to take care of the household. I had started my engineering and it was a long way to go. And it was at that time, when my expert proved her expertise the most. A woman who was completely unaware of the world outside the four walls of her house, suddenly became self reliant. She knew she had to make me independent. From managing funds to household chores, she was the Dasabhuja (Goddess Durga with Ten hands) I worshipped. I completed my studies and that too with flying colours. Although Baba will be missed forever, because we all are a bit of him, but Ma did all she could to keep us unaffected of the loss. And then I left home, leaving her alone for a job and till today I am away from home. I got married to the most compassionate heart I can think of and today my mom spends few months with us in our Mumbai residence every year, though she is settled in Kolkata.  

with Avishek in Mumbai

With me in Mumbai

In a party in Kolkata

I don’t know if am a good daughter or not, but I bet I want to and I try to. She was, is and will be the first and only expert in my life, a woman of true substance and intellect. Though we stay away from each other, but the umbilical connection is as strong as it was and I am still her baby in the lap. 

But what she did was not easy, rearing three daughters to generous and good human beings and playing friends to them is tougher than it appears. For my sisters both my parents had shared responsibilities. But in my case she was alone for a major part in the path of my growing up. Infact it was during the time of making crucial career choices, when I needed Baba the most, God deprived me of his love and support. I have been and still the constant reason for her stress, from coming late from college, to making right career choice to my relationship with my then boyfriend and now husband, I have always stressed her out. But she took all with a smile, yeah it is true she rebuked at times only to embrace with more love. Even today, she remains anxious if I have had my breakfast or not, if I have reached office safely or not and the list is long. Till date I discuss my career, my professional ups and downs with her, even though she does not understand everything, I don't know how she give me a solution. But I feel I have stressed her out quite a lot, now she deserving pampering and care. That was the reason why me and Avishek took both our moms to Gangtok this January. It is heart warming to find, how little things satisfy mothers, the happiness we saw in their eyes is priceless. Hence I think she definitely deserves an Advanced Aroma Therapy Oil message, to destress. 

Thank you for making me pour my feelings, with moist eyes, I will end with a poem I wrote for her.

We decided to pamper our mothers a bit so took them to Gangtok this January

“As I grew up with you at my side,

I thought life was a joy ride.

But as candle got added to my birthday cake,

It was time for me to be awake.

You taught me to be independent and take the rough waves bravely,

But in lonely nights, I will always miss your touch in melancholy.

When my head aches, with tensions and fear,

I miss your lullabies, they are so dear.

Phone call and Skype has made it easy to connect,

But that is not enough to breach the cleft.

Yet I feel you, day and night,

Even when I think, that survival is a fight.

 What ever happens in the time to come,

I am your daughter and you are my expert mum.”

“I’m blogging about why my mother needs to de-stress with a Parachute Advansed Aromatherapy Oil massage for the #StressFreeMom activity at BlogAdda.”

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

Love you Ma

MY MUMMY STRONGEST

A Rabindra Sangeet by Asha Bhosle on the greatness of motherhood

“ Ar ami je kichu jahi ne,

Janani bole shudhu dakibo,

Tumi na rakhile ghriho ar payibo kotha,

Kende kende kotha berabo”

Few lines of the greatest creator ever Rabindranath Tagore on the enormity and divinity of motherhood! It means “I don’t want anything else; just I will call you mother, if you don’t keep me with you, where will I find home, where will I roam about crying.” The entire song is included at the beginning of my narrative, but it is in Bengali, so my non Bengali friends might not be able to enjoy completely. But believe me; the tune will touch your soul.

Me and Ma on my wedding day

Mother, the divine creation of God, a representative of him near us! When a baby first learns to speak he says “MA” meaning mother. So the word “MA” is more than it appears, it is the connection between the divine power and humanity. It is a mixture of such tones that the texture of it is such that, it is the first word an infant can utter. Such is its greatness. I am not a mother yet, but I have the best mother in the world. And every child thinks so. Sometimes when I think of her greatness I feel so meagre, so selfish, so small in front of her complete selflessness. Since I gained senses I have never seen her think about her comforts. Her only aim was to keep the three us (we are three sisters and I am the youngest) happy, healthy and content.

The three of us in my Anniversary Celebration in Kolkata

I have no idea, how can anybody be so self giving, and I guess that is why she is mother. I only hope when I have a little one to call me MA, I can be a bit of my MA.

Ma near Siddhi Vinayak Temple

A candid moment on My Wedding Reception

As a kid, contrary to my sisters who were closer to Baba, I was my mom’s shadow. They would call me “koler bachcha” meaning “baby in the lap”. And I was so. For every little thing I wanted her to be with me. Slowly time passed and I became more independent and self reliant. But I never distanced out, the umbilical connection reigned supreme in my existence. I believe she played a friend, a guide, a teacher and a lot more like every mother does. She is really an expert; can you believe, being from a Bengali Medium background, how much effort she must have put to teach me English? Immense is the word! I was adamant not to have tuition teachers, I feared their rebuke. As I entered into adolescence sensations unknown to me tickled my belly, again it was she who came to hand hold, my best buddy, my mom. I was not quite able to distinguish between righteousness and distractions, my expert explained all. Being a mother to a daughter entering into adolescence, is a challenge I guess. But she was quite a child psychologist I must admit, always understanding and seeing my newer signs with compassion. This is very important in the process of growing up, befriending kids before they are too distanced out. In a famous Bengali short story by Rabindranath Tagore, named “Chuti” (meaning freedom), he describes the importance of mother in an adolescent boy’s life. How he when taken to urban life by his uncle for studies, suffers when exposed to a completely different environment compared to his simple village life. The author describes with great lucidity how at a certain age a child is understood only by his mother. When he is too old for lullabies and too young for taking a stand, he suffers from identity crisis and how only motherly touch can keep him going. In the story ultimately the boy, gains freedom through death.

Avishek, Me and Ma in Lonavala

MA allured by nature in Matheran

But as I grew further, I understood that I was also the means for her to confide. With teenage came crushes, attractions and I discussed all with her. My expert always explained how normal these feelings are. In the darkness of the night both mother and daughter would share their concerns, likings and dreams and sometimes shed a tear or two. But reality struck us when my father passed away. My sisters were married then and it was my mother and me to take care of the household. I had started my engineering and it was a long way to go. And it was at that time, when my expert proved her expertise the most. A woman who was completely unaware of the world outside the four walls of her house, suddenly became self reliant. She knew she had to make me independent. From managing funds to household chores, she was the Dasabhuja (Goddess Durga with Ten hands) I worshipped. I completed my studies and that too with flying colours. Although Baba will be missed forever, because we all are a bit of him, but Ma did all she could to keep us unaffected of the loss. And then I left home, leaving her alone for a job and till today I am away from home. I got married to the most compassionate heart I can think of and today my mom spends few months with us in our Mumbai residence every year, though she is settled in Kolkata.  

with Avishek in Mumbai

With me in Mumbai

In a party in Kolkata

I don’t know if am a good daughter or not, but I bet I want to and I try to. She was, is and will be the first and only expert in my life, a woman of true substance and intellect. Though we stay away from each other, but the umbilical connection is as strong as it was and I am still her baby in the lap.

Thank you for making me pour my feelings, with moist eyes, I will end with a poem I wrote for her.

We decided to pamper our mothers a bit so took them to Gangtok this January

“As I grew up with you at my side,

I thought life was a joy ride.

But as candle got added to my birthday cake,

It was time for me to be awake.

You taught me to be independent and take the rough waves bravely,

But in lonely nights, I will always miss your touch in melancholy.

When my head aches, with tensions and fear,

I miss your lullabies, they are so dear.

Phone call and Skype has made it easy to connect,

But that is not enough to breach the cleft.

Yet I feel you, day and night,

Even when I think, that survival is a fight.

 What ever happens in the time to come,

I am your daughter and you are my expert mum.”

Click on the following link to know about the widely trusted expert when it come to hair color: GODREJ EXPERT

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

Love you Ma

My Airtel App

It was just a few days back that I was listening on radio that in Mumbai if you have the means and money you can buy everything. But there is one thing, the ad said, that you can’t afford to buy in this city and that is, yes you have guessed it right, TIME. Though meant in a joking term, how true it is. Time is an indulgence in city life and more so in Mumbai. Every one of us will agree that each Monday morning we start a new week and update status in our social networking sites as “Monday morning blues” and in the blink of an eye the week is gone. However the reverse is also true when it comes to weekends. Hence the technological advancements are very much necessary which eliminate manual or physical intervention and gets the work done in soft. Otherwise the little time that we get after running after money will be lost in standing in queues and visiting shops.

A world of Digitization

In this era of digitization, everything is either on the laptop or mobile screen. Out of the said two, the later is more useful as it is a shadow of our existence. We eat, we drink and we carry our mobiles. Such is the dependence and hence anything that saves time, manages our requirements on connectivity and also gives added benefits is extremely lucrative. In this era of apps, there are apps to book cabs, order food and so on. But when I came to know of this My Airtel App, I was excited because it is first of its kind, at least in my knowledge. I have been using airtel for a long time, and the same is true for many of my family members. An extremely reliable service provider and hence I really hope that its app is as good as the service is. For more details click on the link below:

MY AIRTEL APP

My Airtel App

 As expected I downloaded the app straight away and started my research to build an opinion on its usability. And to my surprise it is better than I had anticipated. Three features of the app I liked most:

1. Firstly like greedy kid, I liked all the offers that are provided on using this app. This is crucial in this competitive market where each day newer and better apps are launched with mouth watering offers. I believe all the offers associated with this app are very much usable and interesting.
2. Secondly this idea of managing all airtel provided services in one place is really very time saving. Many of use many services and hence this makes life simple for us. We can also pay bills of our family and friends which makes the app more versatile.
3. Lastly I believe the beauty and success of any app is in its user friendliness and I found this app extremely so and hence I would like to use it.

We all enjoy using apps because it saves time and energy and it’s easy to use. And this app brings comfort in that sphere of life which is crucial and regular in use. Hence this one will definitely be successful.

Life is easier

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

(Pics courtesy google images :-))

Women Empowerment through EDUCATION

A woman is empowered because she is born so

I am neither a feminist nor male chauvinist; I am a humanist believing in equality. Equality which is not a theory, equality which is not a hypothesis, equality which is existent! I belong to the school of thought, where women are not sub-optimal to males, in any genre, where womanhood is not spent pleasing the opposite sex in ways more than one. I want empowerment of all, in a manner that gender bias is eradicated just like a disease like small pox. I distaste a society where woman is expected to leave her career to raise a child against her will to prove her maternal instinct; I do not want to be part of the society where a woman does not have the basic right to choose her path. Again I hate a society where a pretty girl enjoys extra privilege in office compared to her hard working male colleague. I am not a sexist; I just crave for an empowered society.

Gender equality

The dictionary meaning of empowerment is “to give power or authority to”, so what is the meaning of woman empowerment then? It is not rocket science to know, that it means to give rights to make choices, to give woman the power to be opinionated and liberated. But just by mere uttering these words won’t empower woman. Empowerment cannot come through a video featuring the who’s who of tinsel town, some privileged classes. It can come, only and only through the light of education. In a society like ours where the type and number of heinous crimes against woman are numerous, empowerment to make choices is a distant dream. Women hardly know their rights, leave alone exercising them. If educating the masses, including all genders is not started on a bigger scale, which only the government can do, nothing will empower woman. They will continue to get thrashed by the cruel blows of drunken husbands, completely unaware of the existence of a law that protects them. “Education” is the only way to reach anything near empowerment. And if anyone, who can afford to contribute towards the cause, don’t invest into making videos or songs, invest into constructing a school, if you genuinely have the heart for it. It is not that I am against this media hype, actually if used constructively can be impactful. But, there is but! These tools will not reach out to the ones who are not literate enough to appreciate, and those who can understand it, already know of it. Again I come back to the same point, education, education, education!

Education,the only way out

Recently a blogger friend of mine Maniparna had shared a narrative about the torture the tribal people and especially women are subjected to. Egregious is an understatement, to define the inhumanity that their bodies, mind and soul endure. A huge number give away and some are mortified survivors, I thank Maniparna for this enlightenment. Though the narrative was about a survivor it told the stories of many who could not survive the lust, inhumanity of the protectors turned goons. Empowerment is required in places like that, and not to the fortunate lots like us. Just give a thought, places where women travel miles in the scorching sun to fetch water, can empowerment be a priority? Places where teenage tribal girls are subjected to unprecedented pain for lust and fun, can the light of empowerment reach? I guess the answer is NO. Again development and Education!

Tribal women- the worst effected and least known

 I started this narrative to write about my thoughts on women empowerment, but as I went on with it I understood how far we are from it. I plead, that the Government at large and we at our levels start spreading education, teach your domestic helps, teach your sweeper and teach any interested person deprived of it. That is empowerment! And is the only path to empowerment.

Some exemplary faces

Aritra Chakrabarty Sengupta

I am a woman, a caring daughter, a loving wife and a doting mother.

I feel empowered when I am respected for my virtues.

I feel empowered when my soul is recognized and not my body.

But if the golden time of empowerment never comes and I die waiting for it.

I will still feel empowered because I am born as a woman.

Aritra