HOAX HARTHAL IN KERALA -- REALLY THOUGHT-PROVOKING

Dear Friends,

What to believe? What not to believe? ☹️☹️☹️ I was utterly confused from last night till today afternoon when I realized the truth. I believe many of you might have asked this question to others or at least yourself, last day or today morning if you happen to read the Whatsapp message about the so-called “Janakeeya Harthal” or the harthal called by the Social Media for the first time, here, in Kerala. The message said that this harthal will be held today without the support of any political party or organizations and it aimed to bring justice to the murdered girl in the Kathua case and to protest against the government. As per the information given in one of the messages, this will be a 24 hour harthal (12 am to 12 pm), today, the 16^th of April 2018. 

One of the messages was too much sensitizing the public emotion about the Kathua Incident and asked the public who are humane to join the protest today for the same, thus making the protest a major success by gaining the attention nationwide. It also said that: “Kerala will realize the power of Social Media once again.” The so-called rules of this innovative protest include all kinds of transportation including the KSRTC and even the Two-Wheelers and forcing all shops closed. It also said that: “Anyone who violates these rules will be considered, by the wise public, as human beings devoid of the humane attitude.”

Apart from this, I also received other message which reads: “Fake news about harthal circulating via Social Media” and later it was followed by another message which says the former news was fake. I googled about the same, enquired with my friends and colleagues, searched in news channels but . . . there was not even a single word of this protest except in the Whatsapp and Facebook. 

Today morning while travelling, I was amazed to see all the shops in Thalassery closed. I asked the lady who sat next to me in bus: “Is there any harthal today?” I repeated the question to a couple of my friends too, who answered: “No”. Today afternoon, on my way back to home, I saw some bus with a notice pasted in the mirror: “Justice for Asifa – This bus will stop running now”. Yet, there are some who is still not aware of today’s harthal. 

I wonder whether observing harthal here, in Kerala, could bring ‘justice’ to that poor murdered girl? Why our people are so obsessed with harthals and strikes for every issue? Why don’t we think of any novel kind of protests? Why don’t we think of those minority groups (daily wage earners) who really suffer due to strikes and harthals? Today’s was the THIRD hartal we had in Kerala. We already had approximately NINE state level harthals in 2018, till date. Last year, by celebrating a harthal on the 16^th of October, 2017, records say that we, Keralites have crossed the 1OOth strike last year. 

I am apolitical when I say this. It is true that I too enjoy when I get a day off. I do agree that it is a way of protest and if successful it can bring about good results solving certain issues. We, Keralites are highly literate. We are well aware of the rights and the freedom enshrined to us by our Constitution. We do support most harthals if that is for good. And, we are well known for our powerful civil society. 

Yet, today majority of us . . . the most literate Keralites, especially the youths became great fools due to this PRANK FAKE MESSAGE, the idea which originated in the mind of some ‘Intellectual’ or ‘Mad guy’. Whoever it be who created this hoax message, it is wrong in the eyes of law as this hoax harthal call over Kathua incident triggered tension in our state. Yet, I do consider it as an eye opener too. It showed us the great influence of Social Media in our daily life. We believe the news circulated through it without any question about its validity, truth or fakeness. We often receive hoax messages through Whatsapp and Facebook. Some of us do share it with others even without checking its truth. Thus, the fake news is circulated on a cyclic basis. Will there be an end to it? Though there exists some cyber laws which prevent the spreading of wrong messages, it still happens. 

I too had some experience of receiving the hoax message. But, I share it only after checking in the google to ensure its truth. Last day too I did this. But, there was no such news. I was greatly confused when my students told that today was harthal. My experience in the town (Thalassery) too enhanced my doubts. I did not believe the news only because of my previous experience of hoax message. So, I went for work today. I thought I was befooled as I believed there was no harthal. But now, I am very happy that I was not befooled as now the news came that: “Hoax harthal call over Kathua incident triggers tension in Kerala”. 

Yes. . . as said in the Whatsapp message, this hoax harthal was successful in one sense as it proved the power of Social Media. It also proved that many of us are mere slaves of Social Media.

I request all my readers to think twice before believing what you read in Social Media and also recheck the validity or truth of such messages or news you receive via Social Media before sharing it with your friends, relatives, colleagues, etc. Let us make sure that we all do this from next time if we receive any hoax message. Also, do your best to prevent the circulation of hoax or outdated messages. Let us all join hands for all good cause. Let this incident be an eye opener to all of us. Let’s act wisely from here onwards.

Hoping for the best,👍👍👍

Sai Varenya.

 🙂🙂🙂

MY DREAM

😍MY DREAM😍

                                             -Sai Varenya

It was a bright full moon day.

Standing amidst a big crowd in the party,

I felt myself alienated.

Suddenly, the lights went out.

I started walking and saw

The bright moon

Its unusual beauty

Fascinated me to a great degree.

With this single glimpse,

My face shone like a diamond.

With some unknown happiness

Which I can’t explain or

Put into words.

In a fraction of few seconds,

The dark clouds appeared

Covering the eye of the sky,

Which now began to lose its glory.

I wondered, “Where the eye of the sky has gone?”

Decided to search the hidden diamond,

I began following the passing clouds.

At some moment, I looked to the ground.

Then, I heard some vague voice.

Again, I looked into the sky.

Happy to see the hidden diamond

Gradually waving in the dark sky.

Now, the voice became much louder.

Oh! It’s a melodious song.

I’ve never heard such a

Melodious song in my life.

Its rhythm, its tune . . .

Everything is unique.

The very music is so powerful.

And, its music vanished my past sorrows.

The moon is growing large and large.

Glittering like a true diamond.

Again, I heard some big noise

Like a big thunder.

Which made me frightened.

A few seconds later,

I looked up the sky.

And was astonished to see a door.

Appearing in the midst of the moon.

Now, I heard some melodious song.

Accompanied with the music of

All the instruments of the world.

The stars appeared in the sky.

Piano and Guitar begins to play in high tune.

And stars came flying.

And formed a ladder from the door.

Of the moon to the Earth,

Where I was standing.

Then the door opened with a great blast.

I could see an Angel in White gown.

Adorned with garlands on her head and body.

Gradually descending to the Earth.

Through the steps of stars.

With a dazzling magic wand.

When the Angel circled the wand,

The whole place was metamorphosed.

Into a mysterious magical fairy land.

With golden boughs and colourful garden.

With plenty of fruits, flowers and birds.

This Angel was followed by

The seven stars which was transformed

Into the seven Angels when they

Touched the surface of the Earth.

They began dancing

To the tune of the mysterious song.

Other stars too joined them.

I was afraid.

I hid myself under a bush.

And watched all those amazing secret happenings.

I heard them conversing in some strange language.

They danced without a pause

And sang some melodies too.

The whole environment seemed to be in a jovial mood.

My face reflected that happiness and merriness

That I made a happy cry – “WOW”.

They noticed me and asked me something.

In their language, which I guess:

“Who are you?”

“And how you get into our secret party?”

My tongue stucked in my mouth.

I couldn’t answer.

They invited me to join with them in the party.

I accepted that request.

And danced with them to my level best.

The Angel asked me about my wish.

I was about to answer my wish.

When suddenly, I heard a big voice.

And opened my eyes.

Got up from my bed.

Only to find out that,

Oh! It was all a dream.

'MOTHERHOOD AND THE NUMBERS GAME' by Ama Ata Aidoo.

Since I couldn't find Aidoo's poem- 'Motherhood and the Numbers Game' when I searched for it in the Google, I thought of writing the same on my blog. You can get this below:

Motherhood and the Numbers Game

                                                - Ama Ata Aidoo.

'Now
that I am suffering so much
I know I am truly a mother,'

said
Egyeifi to the other screaming
woman

2 painfully hoarse voices
still managing to bellow like
cows in an abattoir;
4 veins swollen to
sizes larger than the
2 necks they stood on.

'meda w'ase
meda w'ase
 meda w'ase...
osiande,
ama meehu de,
saana moso
maawo!'

I always marvelled at the
non-logic
of it all,

and even managed
the educated lady's dainty grin
the day
they told me that in all the
20 years I was away,
my mother never slept a wink!

The woman who spoke
-my mother's friend-
stared straight into my eyes
bespectacled already
as it seems,
all eyes must be
20/20 visioned or not, when
folks turn 40 at the very least.

So
at 2 in the morning
I lie here in the dark
more sharp-eyed than
the cat my totem:

anxious
angry
sleepless-

blissfully anxious
happily angry and
nervously fulfilled

that

I
too
am
a mother.