UNDISCOVERED CULTURE

“We want equal rights

We want to be the decision makers

We do not want to be looked down

We want equal opportunities, dignity and respect”

Sounds like the voice of women fighting for her rights?   

You got that wrong, at least if you are in the “Abode of clouds”–Meghalaya. The place which is well known for its natural wonders, the Cherrapunji, the abundant rain and the stretching valleys and lot more, also offers another reason for its fame. It follows a unique culture- a culture that is known to some but spoken by none, a culture that still prevails within the boundaries of the region and a culture that makes the place sound like an alien planet.

In the hilly regions of the North eastern India, a girl child brings cheers to the family and if it is a boy, the family is saddened. Women are decision makers. Husband hands over his salary to the wife. Daughters inherit the ancestral property and not the sons. Men take care of the household work. Children get the mother’s surname. In case of conflicts, the husband is threatened to be thrown out of the house and not the wife. The age old traditions we have be aware of seem to take a diversion in this region.

This culture is called the Matrilineal culture where women are treated well ahead of men. The ancestry is traced through the mother and maternal relations. This culture is prevalent not only in India but in many other regions like Cherokee, Haida, Hopi, Navoji, eastern Sri Lanka, Mosuo of China, Basques of Spain and France.

Though the male member is considered the head of the house, the sole responsibility of managing it lies in the hands of the woman. Some men are accustomed to this culture while a few have adopted it. However, there is certainly a sector of men who crave for a freedom from this tradition. Be it men or women, when treated as the weaker gender, the society is sure to witness a wave of agitation. People of Meghalaya are no exceptions to this. A group of men from this region have formed an organization, Syngkhong Rympei Thymai (SRT). This organization fights for equal rights and opportunities for men. More than twenty five years since inception, the organization is striving to break this social system by which men are forced into a sub ordinate position when compared to women. The battle is still not won.

A few kilometers away from the place, there is a different story. Rather the reality we know. Every day hundreds of women live in a world where their faint voice is lost in the buzz of men sovereignty.    Perhaps, the matrilineal system is not what women wish for. But for sure, every woman wants a society where there is no female infanticide, no dowry, no limitations on the dreams and aspirations of a teenage girl, no restrictions on her attire. When a woman in Meghalaya has the right to be treated with respect, so does every other woman in the other regions of the county. If you think a lot has been done for women; then you got to think again.

EAT. SLEEP. FIFA. REPEAT.

Great ideas are not born out of conferences and revolutions. All it needs is a simple conversation and crazy friends. One such idea struck Kannan and Srini- the two always enthusiastic KCTians. Both of them have one quality in common. They believe in following their dreams and passion. The darkness of the dawn hinted them the idea of a musical video. A video which is of not a regular genre, yet one that will have an expanded reach. The natural choice was the pulse of today ‘FOOTBALL’.

The team of two soon grew bigger with KCT’s football team members joining them. Aaqil M. Rahman, one of the members when asked says,” This is one chance to prove that the beautiful game is still alive in Coimbatore”.  The KYFC (Kauvundapalayam Youth Football Club) another team of football adherents involved themselves. A few friends agreed to join though they weren’t football admirers. Mr. Bharathwaj Murali, the cinematographer is one such person. They soon learnt the basics of the game and one of them told that getting to know the game was fascinating and has been a great experience.

To a few members and many more viewers, football is not just a game. It’s a religion, passion, way of life and adoration. “It is more like a drug that keeps me going” says Tejas, a football devotee from a very young age. With such a vibrant crew, a video as hypnotic as this, is no big a surprise. All they needed was a couple of days for planning, three days for execution and two days for the final editing.

Forgetting the scorching heat and repeated takes, each one contributed their best simply for the love of the game.  KCT’s dancers Srinivasan, Abhilash, Praveen, Sandesh, Karthi, Bharathi and Ashwin were also roped in. Off Road Adventures, an exclusive place for adventure sports supported them with a location for shooting.

With football fever everywhere, this video has created an impact. It is indeed a dedication for the most celebrated sport- football that brings countries across the globe under one stadium. Every frame in the video portrays the rhythm that runs through their heart. The appreciation received has boosted their confidence to greater heights and has encouraged them to create more such videos.

FOOTBALL- FIFA- For the Game. For the World

If you have missed this out! Watch it at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc5A2Kn0pfY&feature=kp

Directed by: Kannan, Srinivasan

Cinematography: Bharathwaj Murali

Choreography: Srini Shanmugam

Editing: Srini Shanmugam

Footballers: Sreejith, Sujin, Vignesh, Anjesh, Sabareesh, Gowtham, Sai, Tejas, Aravind, Ram, Vishal,

Nandeep, Anirudh, Aaqil

Dancers: Abhilash, Praveen, Sandesh, Karthi, Bharathi, Ashwin, Srini Shanmugam 

GOODNESS OF SMALL THINGS

Showers on a hot summer day, the silence of gentle breeze, the genuine love of a mother, a compliment at perfect timing, a friend who can understand your every thought, a good night’s sleep, memories of childhood days that bring a smile on your face, laughter, dreams that make you wish they were true, a stroll in the garden with a million stars above. Feeling good already?

They all have something common. They often go unnoticed and most importantly they do not have a price tag attached. ‘Good things come in small packages’ is a well- known proverb. Adding a little more, I would say ‘Good things come in small packages and are free of cost’.

In a materialistic world that we are unfortunately living in, there are certain things that no do require thick wallets.  As we grow the quest for fame, power, wealth grows. We prioritize our ambitions and chase it, give all that we have to reach it. In this course, we fail to take time for ourselves and enjoy the little things we come across each day. Worse still, a child barely a year or two old is so much exposed to technology and gadgets that nature, friends, outdoors are no longer as interesting as it used to be. 

The beauty that can be seen through eyes cannot be compared with that on a high definition screen. A house cannot become a home without our loved ones. How much are you ready to pay to watch a perfect sunset or your favourite dish cooked buy your mom?

Money cannot bring happiness when we are left all alone with no one to share. Success is not at its best when there is no one around to appreciate. Implies, money cannot buy friends, family and well-wishers. When life demands all your time and energy, acknowledge the little pleasures that come your way. We fight so much for a living that we forgot there is a life. Talking about things that are free we should remember that the list does not include everything. There are aplenty that demand our sweat, determination and passion. Again, money is not a criterion.

No use in worrying over what we don’t have because they are not worth it. Look around to see the countless blessings, for those numerous that we ignore without a second thought, thank strangers who have made a difference- it could be a smile they share. Life is beautiful only if we see the beauty in everything that is presented to us.

COLOURS OF LIFE

Moments pass by

Leaving behind colours etched in mind

Characterizing emotions even before I could read

Green, full of positivity, life and freshness

The colour of poetry, the colour of prosperity.

From passion to love, from danger to courage red holds it all within

The colour of the magnificent sky and the might seas

The breeze of blue, the breeze of tranquility.

A symbol of sadness and protest it is told to be.

To me, it is elegance and class.

The flashing yellow of a fire and the thread of determination.

Adding to the beauty is a tint of serene white,

Reminding me once again of the heavens above.

The greys of old age and the royalty of purple.

Life paints a thousand splendid colours.

And I turn back the pages of memories,

I recall the laughter, the happiness,

The moments of smiles and tears

Memories flash all in a glance

Then I think of the rainbow

That binds both sunshine and rain.

The colours of friendship, alongside.

Together standing as a symbol of promise

I know there is something above the clouds and beyond the horizon.

Yours dreams and destinations

With the spirit that never dies,

Here is a wish for you,

Be the person you choose to be.

My attitude! My future

Starts the month of March, it’s about women everywhere.  The International Women’s day was first observed in the early 20^th century. Clearly, women’s rights, women’s equality, safety of women, career of a women and their growth are not phrases of this century alone.  From the time of Eve, women have been looked down and this has not changed in the present era. An era ruled by technology. 

Today, landing on mars has become reality but a woman stepping outside her house in the late evenings, travelling alone, driving, taking up a career in a so called men dominated field, women in business, politics, and technology- name anything it will only invite the stares and surprised looks of many in the society.  This is the scenario prevailing not just in our country. How many of us know Marie Curie was not allowed to become a member of the prestigious French academy only because she was a woman?  Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Now that she is famous we know about it. There are many women out there who are deprived of recognition on grounds of gender imbalance.

Women tend to prioritize many above themselves- parents, family, relatives and almost everyone who come their way. The result is that their passion, career, goals and ambition take a back seat.  I agree that women have limitations. But going beyond the limits in spite of the limitations is what make a woman successful.

I do not support the feminist movements and activities. They seem to portray women as the fragile gender. Posters celebrating women, offers on women’s day, special shows on television, status updates on Facebook, radio and everywhere. All these look like mere advertisement.

Every time we talk about women’s equality we end up discussing about the incidents that caught the headlines in the recent times, how the world is unsafe for women - the list is endless. Think again, is this what we call the ‘modern world’? Respecting, appreciating and acknowledging women for a day and being the same old male chauvinistic society for the remaining 364 days of the year is pointless.  I firmly believe if every woman does not stand for herself, nobody will.

Now is the time to break the barrier, put an end to silent suffering, step outside the kitchen boundaries because there is a whole new world outside. Opportunities awaiting us and there is a call to succeed. Succeed- not with special allowances or with sympathy but because we deserve to win and show humankind that we have our way.

For yesterday’s words belong to a different language. Let’s be the voice of tomorrow.  Show the world that courage does not roar but a soft whisper and a gentle touch that says ‘WE CAN! WE WILL!’

Evolution – it can start with you, now, from where you are.

FOR DREAMS BIGGER THAN FEARS

March 02, 2014 started off like yet another Sunday. Little did I realize that this day could create such a big impact. Day 2 of EWEEK 2014 it was. A workshop by the dream team was organized for the sixth and seventh graders in Samathur, a few kilometers from the Coimbatore city.

Dream In! The team has been capturing the dreams of a million youth. But the day with these kids were unmatched.  Barely 13 years old but their thought process, clarity of vision, ambition, passion, the drive to be successful and willingness to learn were truly inspiring.

Most of them had no idea about the difficulties and the challenges life has in store for them. When the team asked few students on what they wanted to become in future, the answers we heard were unexpected. One wanted to be an aeronautical engineer and start his airline manufacturing company, a few aspired to become doctors and a couple of them wanted to be I.A.S officers. With their head held high and utmost confidence they told their name suffixed with 'I.A.S'. I was taken back. Dreams and ambitions had no limits. Lawyers, teachers, pilot, entrepreneurs, police officers and all they had was ‘A DREAM’.

All their innocent smiles spoke just one language-love. The kids welcomed all of us with utmost enthusiasm. Truly the ‘annas’ and ‘akkas’ had a special effect. Very inquisitive, they were fascinated by the very things which most of us hardly notice. Not because we see or do them every day but because we don’t stop to appreciate those simple moments. Funny! As we grow old our dreams shrink. The fear of failure, assumptions of what is possible and what is impossible, the million questions that arise every day, the ‘what if’s, the obstacles we see in our path to success, the reasons we give for not trying- all these limit our aspirations.

Future of our country is this! Enjoying all the privileges which we don’t really deserve, we are indebted to kids like them who have not experienced the same delight. The only difference is the place we were born. Sessions and workshops with such kids are absolutely necessary, not just to share with them what we know, rather assume to know but to learn and grow from what they can teach us. Until today, I did not realize meeting a kid can do so much, change the way I think, alter my approach to what I see around, make me consider every moment a miracle and enjoy life with all its hurdles.  

I couldn’t have asked for anything better. A big thanks to all who made it happen. I’m sure this was a good learning experience for the entire team.  

"Climb every mountain,

Ford every stream,

Follow every rainbow,

Till you find your dream"

-from The Sound of Music

To someone very special!

The first post in my blog.
To a awesome friend, sister, 'senior', an inspiration and what not! Jiju

 I can never forget the first day I met you, that was probably the first (and the last) time I called you "akka". From then on, you've always been an inspiration. We seem to share similar interests- writing, reading, quizzing, debating... Even without realizing the list of things I learnt from you seem endless. College days are unimaginable without you. An event in KCT that did not have the 'Jiju effect' is only a blank.  The moments spent in Namma cafe, Qubate, IIT FirstDot trip, Revozo and lots more will be fresh in memory always. For nearly a year now, you are an alumni and still, everyday there is something to remind me about you. Indeed fortunate to have a friend like you. One who patiently listens to all my complaints, gives me the best advice, revs my spirit and gives me the confidence that you are always there.

Happy 22 Jiju! You are simply awesome. Best wishes in all that you do. I'm sure you'll go places. Be just as you are. How much we love you zook! Happy birthday Fristaaa! A big hug from Namma Family. Have a great year and many more!

P.S.: Thanks for helping me with the blog name Myth! :D