Message of Christmas

With snow hailing in from the dark sky, I hear a baby’s cry ; the darkness is being dispelled by the growing light and I can sense the delight as Jesus is here with all his might.

With the tintinnabulations of the bells and the carols its time to celebrate Christmas. It is not just the time to have fun and frolic but also to live for others and share happiness and sorrows. Jesus was the son of god but he underwent lot of sufferings to bring peace, harmony and relief to people. The life of Jesus gives us the message that on this earth each one of us has to take pain to reach to our destination. We get real happiness in sharing love and living for others.Its also the time to retrospect oneself. Christmas also denotes that hard times come and go as they are the part and parcel of life. Beautiful spring arrives only after a dry and chilly winter. Life is a perfect amalgamation of all human emotions. Prosperity and adversity are like seasons that are not permanent and come with a pre-allotted time period. Love is the essence of life, this is what makes life beautiful and gives courage to survive in hard times. As the supreme being of this planet we must learn to love all living creatures present here. Love should also not be conditional, because if it's conditional then it's not love it's a deal/selfishness. Love should be immaculate and selfless, just as Jesus loved his fellow men selflessly. The joy is not in taking rather it is in giving.So let us all make this Christmas very special by enjoying the gift of 'sharing'. Let us all pray that everyone lives in peace and harmony & also thank God for all he has given and ask him to bestow us with perseverance, love and kindness.

Oxygen... a movement view

21/12/2008

Felo-de-se

Suicide.....crime, compulsion, cowardness or the last option. Different people may have different opinion about it. Most of us condemn suicide and are perhaps sure that we would never opt for it. The picture that emerges in our mind on hearing suicide is probably of a person with a cut vein or a person hanging from a ceiling fan but do we ever realize that there are numerous ways of virtual suicide. Intentionally or unintentionally we indulge ourselves in self-annihiliating activities. A person not eating on time, abstaining form a healthy routine and not following his heart & soul is gradually proceeding towards suicide. Do we sit in a ship that is bound to sink absolutely not, then why do we adhere to a system that will only lead to destruction and nothing else. Lets stop for a moment and retrospect that we do not find ourselves guilty of felo-de-se ie. deliberate act of self destruction. There are so many things that we accept blindly and follow them without giving it a second thought. We live in a system that considers suicide -a sin on one hand while on the other hand it forces people to jump into the well. If we consider it as an impiety then why do we not make provisions that no one resorts to such an act. On the contrary our constitution has grave loopholes in which a person trying to do something may get entangled. In this context, an incident is worth-mentioning. When Medha Patkar was on fast protesting against a government policy then she was arrested by the local police on account of attempt to suicide. What an irony is that we do not provide basic amenities to people, take away their rights and when they stand up for their rights then they are arrested or accused for multiple charges. Its disturbing that we are killing ourselves slowly with or without realizing and even though it strikes us , we think it to be the normal course of life. Life is precious and each one of us are here on this planet for a purpose , so lets not waste life by not thinking and acting prudently.

Oxygen... a movement view

14/12/2008

Moving from ‘me’ to ‘we’

It is very human to think for oneself. We all plan our lives, the food we want to relish , the clothes we want to wear, the subject we would like to study and the person we would become in our lives.But how often do we care to think about others or even in a collective manner. If we think for the good and betterment of others then we too will be benefitted. Modern lifestyle , the demands of our job and the gradually popping up of nuclear family-culture are few of the reasons that are causing drift between people. Whenever we think, it is ‘me’ that comes to our mind first and not ‘we’. This is quite obvious because we have been brought up in such a society that probably has failed to nurture in us the quality of doing things collectively. We see that the examination timings of various schools are different so children residing in the same colony are unable to meet each other or play together. This prevents mingling of children and the exchange of ideas between them. The examination pattern is also such that it is to test how much a child can memorize and not as to what extent the child understands or interprets a particular subject. Examinations should never be conducted under pressure because it will yield nothing in the long-run. In such a case the child just crams the lessons without understanding. Examinations should always be conducted at an ease without harassing or torturing children. The schools should not only aim at academic excellence but also look into the interests and requirements of the child. If we think only ‘me, me and me’ then one will be left alone in life. By thinking about oneself one only can achieve transient happiness but if we move ahead along with others then we will experience everlasting happiness. So lets direct our thoughts and actions from ‘me to we’.

Oxygen... a movement view

7/12/2008

Live and let live

Love and hatred are two very strong emotions that can blinden any person. Hatred can have violent manifestations which can be fatal for others and at the same time be self-destructive. In recent past, terrorism has emerged as the biggest threat to mankind and world peace. People have used this weapon to prove their might and dominance over others and in due course brought death and darkness to those who were absolutely innocent.Terrorism is not the problem of a single country, it is a global problem. It is the responsibility of the nations that they do not use terrorism for political gains. Rage, anguish and hatred may also be the reason behind such activities. People who get themselves entangled in such notorious deeds may be the ones who have faced injustice and inequality or they may be deprived of love & care which makes them indifferent to the grief and agony of others. People undergoing severe and prolonged unemployment may also be easily manipulated or misguided to commit such nuisance. But the unscrupulous people behind all these are certainly not poor and deprived ones, they are people who have harboured wrong notions and attitude towards others. They have made themselves impermeable towards all rationalism and emotions. Its high time that the world stands united against terrorism and takes drastic measures to put a check on it. At the same time the basic needs of people have to be fulfilled so that they are not compelled to resort to any inhumane act and make arrangements for the rehabilitation of those who want to get out of this menace. Uprooting terrorism is probably not possible but it indeed can be curbed. Let us all bring into practice the maxim ‘Live and let live’.

Oxygen... a movement view

30/11/2008

Role of Media

Media is an importance of mass communication. Television, radio and newspapers are the cheapest and most easily available sources of information. These not only bring various information about the day-to-day happenings of the our country and the entire world but also present the popular ideologies persisting in the society.Its been evident ever since renaissance that newspapers have been instruments of bringing change in the existing thought-process and social set-up.The power of media was well-realized during our freedom struggle when our national leaders used media as an effective tool to urge people to stand together for their nation. The used media with great dexterity to mobilize people and convey their demands to the then ruling British government. Irrespective of the era , media has played a vital role in any revolution. It has helped people to know about the various developments taking place which will affect them in one or more ways. The information served by the media helps us form our view regarding a particular matter. The saying “the pen is mightier than the sword” suggests the immense power vested in few pages of the newspaper that we get our doorsteps every morning. The people who are managing this media have a great responsibility to bring forth correct news and give food for thought to its readers/viewers. Despite of all these media too has its own limitations. But these limitations should not stop them from showing the true picture of any thing or matter because media the mirror of the society which is supposed to show the truth to people. Today our nation is looking for more such dynamic reporters, journalists and editors who can take up the responsibility of presenting the correct information in the correct way on the right time, to the vast majority that solely depends on media to get a know-how of important regional, national and international happenings. The role of media can be depicted in the form an increasing graph with a few depressions in between. It is media that can give proper coverage to events and activities that are relevant and of paramount importance to people. It should also bring into limelight small but novel ideas or efforts that can bring about a positive change in our social set-up.Let us thank media for all it has done , for helping our nation gain international fame and for being a constant source of information. In turn media should also seriously endeavor to bring justice and relief to all those who need it immediately.

Oxygen ... a movement view

23/11/2008