Rethinking Rakhi (and trying to get a present!)

A recent discussion with a friend on "Removing the protector's tag from the male" as a method of reducing sexist inequality, prompted me to think about a tradition I've been a part of since I was born. And it lead to this crazy idea that I think I'll implement. And maybe, others will too.

I'm getting ahead of myself, so should probably start from a brief introduction. The tradition in question here is "Raksha Bandhan". The origins of the festival can be read about in detail here. In brief, however:

Raksha Bandhan in Sanskrit literally means "the tie or knot of protection". It is an ancient Hindu festival that ritually celebrates the love and duty between brothers and their sisters. The sister performs a Rakhi ceremony, then prays to express her love and her wish for the well being of her brother; in return, the brother ritually pledges to protect and take care of his sister under all circumstances. It is one of the several occasions in which family ties are affirmed in India.

Source: Wikipedia (Original Page here)

Now, I'm not against "affirming family ties". Neither do I protest the holiday that a fortunate few get on this happy occasion. I also have no problem with the sisters badgering brothers for expensive gifts. I do, however, have a small problem with this particular part:

The brother ritually pledges to protect and take care of his sister under all circumstances.

Note how, its the brother vowing to protect the sister. I do not find this fair at all. I'm not saying that this is wrong. I'm saying that for years, this ritual is incomplete. 

How would I change it? Its pretty simple really. At the next "Raksha Bandhan", I'll tie a Rakhi on the wrist of my sister. And she'll tie one on mine. And we'll both wow to protect each other. And that's the spirit I want. Not the brother protecting the sister, but each sibling protecting the other.

In this beautiful country of ours, thousands of sisters take care of their brothers everyday. From the mother's ire to the bitter winter. Sisters have given up comfort, food, shelter and sometimes their lives to protect their brothers. Its time we celebrated the fact that a sister can be an equal protector.

The premise is simple, really. Instead of doing away with this tradition, we evolve it. We respect and celebrate the fact that today, it matters not who is protecting whom. There are people who would argue that biologically, men are stronger than women. Yes. But then we have a myopic view. Who said these days, protection is only physical?

You see, a sister is an ideal person to protect you from social awkwardness, bad friends, waste of time and sometimes even protect you from yourselves. She'll make you wear that helmet, take your medicines, scold you for drinking too much (and much much more). Sisters are amazing beings, and I have only listed a few of their many qualities. (Although, I personally believe that women are as capable of being as physically dangerous as men with the right training, that's not the debate here.)

So, it is time we accept that status quo has dangers beyond the physical, and that each sibling needs protection. And lets remove the sexism out of it.

From this Raksha Bandhan, I'll tie a rakhi to my sister, and ask her to protect me. And I know she can, and she will.

PS: Try explaining this to your sister, and telling her that you need a gift too. You'll see how physically dangerous they can get. I did. Oww!

PPS: I know the idea is slightly crazy. You've seen the name of the blog, what did you expect? Wisdom?

If you fall in love

If you like a girl, have a crush, or whatever you like to call it, what do you do ? I have, and have friends who have faced the said situation. Here is a small list of steps that can be followed. 


Step 1. Ask around, talk to your best friends. Is she committed ? Like, seriously committed ? <With her around, act cool, manage all those butterflies>


Step 2. Available. Great. Now :
a.) if you know each other, find out more reasons to bump into her. Random places. <Now, drop the act cool part, start a bit of complementing, the stuff>
b.) You don't know her directly. Look for a common friend. One of her friends maybe. Or one of her friend's friend is your friend's friend. Or whatever. Renew contacts. Networking is important.


Carry this on long enough to draw attention to the fact that this ain't natural. The worst feeling anyone ever gets is when the other party doesn't realize (or care a damn) that you are alive. Out of sight, out of mind is okay. But do not be a stalker, or over do it. Now that can freak out anybody. Chances gone.


Step 3. VERY Imp. Plan something together, all her friends included. Pay special attention. <Make sure all other guys are clear on your territory. Solve all those issues beforehand. > Make sure that she has a subtle realization of the special treatment. Girls LOVE the cute stuff. Try to do some. And hope it works. 


Step 4. Develop trust. The chances of your success/failure will be pretty evident at this stage. Girls are not douche bags (generally no). They understand your intentions. < PS Make sure your intentions are good. Or you're just a perv. :X >


Stage 5. If you think (without the usual delusions ) that you stand a chance, ask her out. If you have been true ( not to say lucky), you might be rewarded for your efforts. Might be. 

These steps are not exactly applicable to all of us. And I write from a lot of experience and input gathered from friends. Inputs are welcome, as always. 


Ah, yes. Before the post is criticized for being manipulative, realize that this is probably the safest way to approach the said situation. Also, never lose your self respect. 


What do you say ?


PS : Very important.

So, why must I study this ?

A recent conversation with my peers at college got me thinking about the reason many colleges have subjects which have absolutely no relation with the rest of the course curriculum. Lets take an example. I love a subject, say X. I have read a lot of books on it, and elsewhere in the world its uses are profound. 

But when I face the same course in my college, the love turns to hate. Its a great subject, yes it is. But its NOT NEEDED. Why does an IT engineer have to score good marks in subjects like chemistry or physics, I understand not. We shall more likely land on the moon rather than use this knowledge in our careers. Then why do we spend so much of time and effort on a (forgive if I am wrong) useless subject ? If the same amount of time and effort is used on including more practical aspects of theoretical subjects, or to improve the implementation of the learnt concepts, the output per unit time shall be more, where it counts. Also, this shall leave more time for all round growth of an individual. Hobbies can be taken up, extra-curricular events can be held. There is more to the world out there than rote-learning, and its time the colleges realized that.

Too much of Mr. Heisenberg ?

Whose fault is this ? I cannot say. Its an amalgamation of old ideas and old ideals. But what can we do ? We are not Anna Hazare, we cannot protest openly. The resentment in our hearts remains. Yet, there is hope. If more and more people realize that this utter wastage of time, effort and money, maybe change can dawn on college education in India. 

In stark comparison, consider the curriculum in Stanford ( here ). This leaves nothing to be said. If we are to attain the same heights as those greats have done, then we need to change. And not a small feeble attempt at change to appease the masses, as we see more often than not. College education even in premier Indian colleges, institutes and universities needs to see major changes. Mr Sibal, listening ?

And yes, this is just a photo-icon kinda thing I liked

I plan to use this as a thumbnail, icon kinda thing.

A lesson from Harry Potter (and welcome)

Hi,

Where there is life, there is hope. The post from a friends fb status update, made me stop and wonder. Is life enough to have hope, or is this another blatant overtly optimistic status message ?
Dunno.

Well, the more I thought about it, the more I am convinced that the vice-versa holds more weight. For without hope, what is life ? What is life of a person who doesn't hope for progress. Be it financial or educational, stagnancy is death. Or worse.

Just watched the last Harry Potter movie. Strangely, a life without hope reminds me of (dunno why?) a dementors kiss. So, I think (and I may be wrong ) that a life is worth living only when there is hope.
It can be anything you hope for. Anything. Better weather. Better looking girls in the next batch in college. More money, bigger house, faster car, anything. It has to be.

So, in my first post, this is what I wanted to share. A lesson from Harry Potter. Save your soul, yourself. Hope !
  
Ah, yes. This is me. Glad you people read this far. Hoping for better, always !