Men, Women and Feminism.

My google search for the word “feminism” showed up as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of equality of the sexes” along with a group of its synonyms.

 Feminism for me meant that  every woman gets to exercise her rights without hindering and ignoring the rights of the other gender. But suddenly I had to tell myself that this was not how we all have been taking “feminism” to be. Or at least, not all of us in most of the times.

Often we lead our lives with wrong notions of the most basic of certain ideologies.  Feminism as an ideology joins the list too.

An example of feminism is viewed in this country can be taken by examining a case of rape.We should talk not only about the victim who went through suffering, but also about the rapist. Sadly, whenever we come to know about an incident of rape, some take this as a chance to blaspheme. Few people around us speak irreverently about God and sacred things, whilst another bunch of people argue about the victim’s conduct. People speak that the victim became a prey in the clutches of the rapist just because she disobeyed the patriarchy and decided to dress in what is considered to be an ‘exposing manner’.

 

 

The reason why I am trying to connect rape with feminism is because it’s concept comes out of our mouths only when a girl or a woman gets raped. A sheer amount of sympathy for the victim is shown by people and then the issue just becomes another headline in the newspaper. But how many of us have talked about what exactly makes the rapist a “rapist”? Why aren’t some people ready to address the issues of both the genders to make the ideology stand in itself? Till how long will people talk about feminism without understanding what exactly the ideology is about and put it into action?

We will be able to draw a line under the epidemic of rape only when we start talking with a constructive frame of mind that is ready to accommodate and address both genders. You should make yourself understand that you don’t have to be a woman to accept feminism but you only need the willingness to comprehend the issues from both the perspectives.

~ Halin Roche (SYBA)

DIWALI DELICATESSEN

The much awaited festival is finally here!! Diwali, known as the festival of lights is the time of the year when you visit all your friends and relatives and treat them with sweet and savoury Diwali delicacies. Not only is it a joyous occasion for Indians, but also for every foodie out there with a sweet tooth and zest for desserts. Be it the diamond shaped kaju katli or a bowl of syrupy sweet gulab jamuns, just one bite is enough to make you want more. So, for all such foodies who just can’t resist exotic and fragrant sweets, here’s a list of must try sweets during this Diwali season :-

1. KAJU KATLI
The first and foremost must have on the list is Kaju Katli. It is the quintessential sweet
without which Diwali is incomplete. This lip smacking sweet is an amalgamation of
condensed milk and creamy delicious cashew nuts topped with a shiny layer of food grade silver foil.

 

2. GULAB JAMUN
Another one on the list of piquant sweets is Gulab Jamun, often referred to as Indian donuts. They are like deep fried dumplings made up of khoya, milk, and sugar, which is then soaked in maddeningly sweet sugar syrup.

3.  JALEBI
Sticky, sugary and makes you go back for more, that’s just how this sweet can be aptly
described. This sweet is made from maida and sugar syrup in circular shapes and is a typical sweet for festivals.

4. KHEER
This savoury sweet can be referred to as the Indian pudding prepared using creamy milk and topped with raisins and almonds and sometimes with saffron. It also has many varieties known as firni, payasam or meetha bhaat depending on the region.

5. BOONDI KE LADOO
Small drops of a batter aka boondi are deep fried into hot oil and then soaked in simple syrup and formed into balls. They are bright orange in colour and full of flavour.

6. RASMALAI
Before you even taste it, you will be intoxicated by the aroma of this exotic dish which is a perfect blend of cottage cheese drenched in cardamom infused milk syrup originally hailing from West Bengal.

7.  BESAN KE LADOO
These ball shaped sweets made from chickpea flour are a mouth-watering delicacy seen
especially in Maharashtra. It is considered as a homemade staple for Diwali.

8. COCONUT LADOOS (NARIYAL KE LADOO)
This delectable sweet is made from ground coconut, and is rather easy to make. This makes it a favourite among many.

9. SOAN PAPDI

This is usually used as a gift during diwali. Its texture being crispy and flaky is garnished with sliced almonds and pista is a beloved sweet. It has a texture that melts in your mouth as soon as you bite into it.

10. ZARDA PULAO
If spicy dishes are not for your taste bud and that is the reason for not having pulao then
think again! Zardao pulao is sweet in taste and rather simple and easy to make with an
interesting recipe.

11. SHAKKARPARA (SHANKARPALI)
This is what I like to call a binge on snack. This recipe can be sweet or salty and enjoyed with friends and family while snacking.

12. MOHANTHAL
Traditionally a Gujarati dish, mohanthal has the goodness of roasted gram flour,
ghee, sugar, khoya, and milk. The best part is, it has a longer shelf life if you’re not able to finish it by the end of Diwali.

13. GUJIYA
This scrumptious dish is made during the festivals of Diwali, Holi and Teej. Filled with a
concoction of khoya, almonds and green cardamom, it is a sweet relished by all.

                                                                                                ~ ASHWATI SUNILKUMAR, FYBMS

Indian Hunger Crisis: How much are we to blame?

Global Hunger Index (G.H.I.)  ranked our country at 102, on index of 117 countries indicating serious levels of Hunger.  First and foremost, we need to know that ‘hunger does not really mean people are going to sleep on hungry stomach’. It simply means that children are not getting the right nutrition.

Global Hunger Index (G.H.I.) is a tool designed to track hunger at global levels. It helps to understand and raise awareness of the hunger struggle and provide a way to tackle levels of hunger among countries. 

The G.H.I. is based on four indicators:

 1) Undernourishment

 2) Child wasting

 3) Child stunting

 4) Child mortality

 

Joel Spicer, CEO of Nutrition International, in his blog suggests that

We can’t break the inter generational cycle of malnutrition and poverty without focusing on women, adolescent girls, newborns, and children . 

Apart from that, how we are to blame? 

India being blessed with 52% of cultivable land; Farmers are producing twice the food to feed the current population without even having advance technology. Today, the family of the same farmers is starving because the urban non-agricultural crowd are buying in more quantities than we consume. Leading to the waste of valuable resources worth rupees 50,000 crores every year used in food production. Food wastage and poverty are also some of the reasons why billions of people are malnourished. Well, this reminds me of the quote by Mahatma Gandhi: 

“Live simply so that others may simply live.”

 We also need to understand that adequate contentment from food is necessary. Eating must involve not only the mind, but also the body. Your body must happily accept the supplement you provide to it.

 “ You are what you eat”.

 The point here is that even if you are blessed with three meals a day, you too may have unknowingly contributed to the fall of India’s Hunger Index by not consciously choosing the right amount, and indulging in overeating 

Diwali is just a few days away…

So, let’s make sure that no one goes to sleep on an empty stomach. A simple way to do this is by consciously not wasting food. 

There are also many initiatives for the same. If you have any extra food, you can contact any of these organizations,

• Robin hood Army (www.robinhoodarmy.com )
• Red FM India has installed public fridges in different places. You can keep the leftover food here or you can even contact them for installation of a public fridge in your neighborhood. (www.redfmindia.in )
• India Foodbanking Network (Fund a School Meal Program) ((www.indiafoodbanking.org )

Or you can simply give the food to the beggars nearby.

This Diwali let the light, destroy the darkness that  hunger brings! Let’s make sure everyone has a happy Diwali.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy Diwali!

 

• MANSI MUDALIAR

         TYBMM, JOURNALISM

 

Rote Learning and it’s decaying effect on The Education System

– Swarna Srikanth TYBMM (Journalism)

Betty bought some butter, but the butter Betty bought was bitter, so…ever tried to memorize or learn such tongue twisters? Did you involve yourself in visualization of the scene or just mugged it up? 

Rote learning refers to memorization without comprehension. It’s useful in learning that revolves around recall and remembrance rather than further processing – recognition and reflection. In simple words, it is called ‘cramming’ or ‘mug up’. This aids in recalling facts like nursery rhymes, phonetics and multiplication tables but not for higher order thinking. Memorization isn’t the most effective way to learn, but it’s a method adopted, accepted and aced by many learners. And most of us are so accustomed to it that the only thing we learned in schools is, mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell!

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Why should education be thought provoking and not rote?

Meaningful learning trains children to apply knowledge to new situations. By transforming education from rote learning to thought provoking learning, innovative solutions to new problems is possible. 

A night before examination – a message popped- “Kitna study kiya?” That very moment made me realize that education is meant to ‘study’ and learn with understanding rather than mere mug up.

The education system needs to shift from learning rote to learning with understanding. A rote learner might have the answer but no reason to justify. Effective learners become eminent achievers, who can question and debate on situations and scenarios. Rote learning at educational institutions make us a nation of followers, rather than leaders. Therefore, it is extremely essential for educational institutions to take up active learning. Let children have practical experiences and learn from it. One of the major driving force behind this change, can be the leaders, teachers and principals and other eminent personalities in this field!

One such example is , Arghya Banerjee, who was running the Indian operations of Irevna around 2006-2008, then a fast-growing equity research outsourcing firm, when he experienced the famous Indian talent crunch first-hand. This had such a severe impact on him that he decided to start his own school, The Levelfield School, a combination of traditional and modern approach to learning.

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of mind to think”- Albert Einstein

 

 

(All ideas and view belong to the author)

 

 

 

 

Top 5 Offbeat Hangout Spots

Why go to Marine Drive and Juhu Beach again and again when in a metropolis like Mumbai, one can have lots of choices in trying to zero in on the perfect place to chill with friends? We have got the cream of the crop for you.

So here are 5 most amazing and quirky places to hangout in Mumbai –

1. The amazing escape, Andheri. 

This is a real life escape room adventure that places your team inside a themed game room. You have to discover clues, solve puzzles and open locks so that you eventually escape the room! The challenge? You only have 60 minutes! 

(photo by Mystery room on mysteryrooms.in)

2. SMAAASH, Lower Parel. 

Sports, bowling ,virtual reality, music, SMAAASH has it all. It gives you an interactive and innovative social experience for family, friends and children . SMAAASH recently launched a new trampoline park that is spread over 1700 sqft at its lower parel centre which can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

(photo by smash on smaaash.in)

3. Zero Latency, Lower Parel. 

Want to escape the world for a while? 

Free-roam virtual reality lets you and your friends explore virtual worlds like you do real life. You’re taken inside a game, where your body is the controller and your mind believes it’s real.

4. Whats The Fun, RCity Mall, Ghatkopar.

The only ones in India to have a two level zombie themed Laser Tag Arena.  Laser Tag is an action packed game where players wear electronic vests and ‘tag’ each other with ‘phasors’ to score points. A must visit for all HIMYM fans.

5. OWG paintball, Andheri west.

We all must have seen people play paintball in the west, and even in movies. OWG paintball will help us experience this in real life. Get your friends together for a night of heavy-duty gaming, where you put on your masks and gear up to shoot your opponents on a night of colorful paintball. 

                                                                                                                         – Gayatri Vajha, SYBMS