A Certain Age

very poignant.

moving from the pervasive media to jails to filth, caste system, jobs of disrepute, and then internalizing it all, chunneling it through fears, and then moving the spotlight onto the insignificancies of our daily lives. you have managed to capture a great deal in a brief glimpse. well done.

Hi R, D`you know, people like you and me are out there doing their bit, trying to change things in whatever way they can. Unfortunately, the newspapers don`t think it`s worth promoting them. I feel if we give the positive news a push, many readers may feel it`s worth getting involved in movements, and DO something for those who can`t help themselves for whatever reasons. Give you an example. A housewife I knew in Hyderabad used to collect labourers` children each morning and teach them basics of hygeine/reading/writing and give as `prizes` a fistful of peanuts or a carrot. She never made headlines, but has contributed to society. I believe that instead of contributing to NGOs like, say CRY (no doubt it`s doing a fine job), it`s worth paying the fees of your servant`s child(ren) and TRACKING and MONITORING their progress, both academically and otherwise, personally, till adulthood. If each one taught one, in a decade we`ll be a different country. Merely feeling bad won`t achieve anything.
Thanks, though, for a thought provoking read.
S Jaywant.

Revathy,

A powerful piece of work – written with sincerity! I do think it would have had better punch if you had withheld the last-but-one and the last-but-two paragraphs – they distract from the message! Good job overall!

Sincerely,
BeeJay (in dog-house)

[Clearly one reads too many newspapers.]
Alas, those good old days!

(PS: The women’s jail sounds much worse than a dog-house!)

Revathy, a really powerful piece of writing about the cruelty of life and its ephemeral nature. But I guess life is not as cruel as people are, something echoed in the `Poor People are Dogs (or Even Worse)` article.

revathy:

i liked the first part (felt there were two columns in here)

After that they are either taken away by the families or they get ‘lost in the system.’ Her tone was emotionless, and she avoided my eye.

this sent shudders...life kitni sasti hay apnay daisON maiN