A Selfie With A Rape Victim...WTH!

So selfies still remain to be in controversy and here is a new low that a member of Rajasthan State Commission for Women has created! This woman, named Somya Gurjar, crossed the line and went a step ahead in clicking a selfie. She clicked a selfie with a rape victim and two of those pictures have now gone viral.

Via ndtv.com

The member of the Rajasthan State Commission for Women had gone to meet an alleged rape victim at the Mahila Police Station in North Jaipur. She was accompanied by the Commission’s chairperson, Suman Sharma, who is also seen in the selfie pictures.

When questioned about the shameful act committed by the woman, the chairperson, Ms. Sharma,  said that she did not know when Ms. Gurjar clicked the pictures while she was talking to the victim. But, in the pictures, one can clearly see the two women looking into the camera frame and posing. Now, what can be a more shameful act than this?

Being a student of journalism, we were always taught it is immoral reporting to show a rape victim’s face on TV or even reveal her name to the public. But here, these women, who claim they are from a Commission that works for women, are taking selfies openly with a rape victim. That too, in a police station! I mean, WTH? Is this what the world has come to?

Yes, we all know the world’s going crazy over selfies these days. In fact, there was yet another selfie controversy months ago when Pankaja Munde had clicked a selfie when she visited a drought-hit area in Maharashtra. But, the world still doesn’t seem to get enough of selfies! Forget the local public who do dangerous stunts to get themselves clicked at dangerous places which they find thrilling, but even politicians in India these days seem to be too much interested in selfies. The selfie bug seems to have spared none!

Via ndtv.com

No, it’s not bad to click yourself and keep a memory of moments, but this? Clicking a selfie with a rape victim? And what is she going to get out of it? Does she want to boast of the social work she does by meeting poor rape and abuse victims in the villages of Rajasthan and helps them out? Surely, that’s a good thing to do- helping poor, helpless women out! But, of course, not with a selfie!

This is among the most disgraceful acts I have seen happen! Instead of understanding the woman’s issue and plight and helping her deal with it, these women are engrossed in getting themselves clicked with her. Such shame!

It is indeed a high time that we look at things rationally and understand their severity. People should try to understand situations and give a thought before they react irrationally to those!

Celebrating 20K Views!

It such a delight for me to inform all my readers that my blog just completed 20,000 views and that makes so happy! I haven't been posting for quite some time now since work is keeping me busy. But, here's a big Thank You to all those who have ever visited my blog, read my articles, liked, commented and shared them. This would not have been possible without your love and support.

I know 20k views may not be a great thing for many bloggers. Yes, there are bloggers out there who get that many page views in a month. But, this was my first blog ever and it remains very special to me. It has taught me so much and watch me grow as a writer. I had started the blog merely to express my views on topics and it was never meant to be commercial. So, of course, I did not ever expect that many page views.

At first, I believed only a few close friends of mine, family and relatives would ever read my articles. Or even they won't. Yet, I believed in my friend's words, 'It is good for a writer to have a blog' and started off with this. This blog has given me so much that I cannot express in words.

Now when I see page views coming even from out of India (in fact, I get maximum page views out of India), I really feel great. Most of the traffic is being driven by search engines which gives a proof of the views being genuine. Thank You all for such love and support.

Once again, thanks to all my readers. And yeah, I have now ventured into entertainment blogging. You can visit my new blog at www.whatsinbuzz.com. Please read, like, comment and share my articles on my new blog too if you like them. Keep the love and support pouring in always.

Have a great day! :)

ROCKY Means Heartless. Now, It’s Proved!

What do you do when you are in your car and suddenly a teenager speeds by, overtaking you? Probably blurt out a few abuses! Or do nothing at all! Well, that’s the case for you and me. Not for ROCKY!

It was this disturbing news of a youngster shooting and killing a teenager for overtaking his car that caused havoc in Bihar a couple of days ago. And, interestingly or expectantly, it turns out that the accused in the case is the son of an influential politician. Rocky Yadav’s mother, Manorama Devi, is a legislative council member of the ruling JDU party or Janata United Dal in Bihar. Oh, now I do not wonder what may have prompted Rocky to commit such a heinous act for a petty reason as that!

There’s this problem with the children of Indian politicians. No matter whether they are the President’s son or a local corporator’s, the children of politicians in India think it is their birthright to scare people, to get them to do things as they want, to not charge them for anything or go ahead of them in any way whatsoever.

There have been so many cases in the past that have proved the existence of this sick mentality among Indian politicians and their families. According to them, it is a perk to be born into an influential family and that they can get away with practically any crime in the world with their political strength and wealth.

Rocky Yadav, just as his name, has proven that he is yet another heartless brat who went a step too ahead in dealing with a simple case of road rage, thus taking the life of innocent Aditya Sachdeva, 19. Aditya’s friends who were in the car with him recall the dreadful incident wherein their car was fired at, made to stop so that Rocky could hurl them with abuses and beatings. And, as if that wasn’t enough, Rocky also later fired at Aditya who succumbed to his injuries at the spot.

Now, what message does this pass on to the society, the teens and youngsters in our country? Road rage is already a sad condition prevalent in India. In fact, some of our citizens are so pathetic as drivers that a single minute of wait can piss them off like nothing else in this world. And, then there are people like Rocky who can scare the shit out of some or enrage the others for the terrible act that he did.

It is high time politics and politicians realize their position in the society. These are our representatives, elected by us for our own convenience so that they can serve us, maintain law and order and make the world a better place to live in. Unfortunately, the sole purpose of electing these representatives and handing them over with certain powers has now become dangerous for the people who elected them in the first place.

With these virtual ‘gundas’ in our society, roaming around and amongst us every day, how safe are we? Well, that no one knows!

A New Start – What’s In Buzz

How many times have you felt Monday blues? Or Tuesday blues? Or, maybe, Wednesday blues? Well, work can get real boring sometimes and the environment at work can make you hell tired at times. So what do you do in such a case? Curse your boss or dream of being a millionaire, not having to work one day? Well, here’s something that you can now look forward to!

I am launching my new blog – What’s In Buzz that will bring some perky and cool stuff to enjoy every time you feel bored. From entertainment, gossips, news, Bollywood, health and beauty tips and all kinds of viral stuff, this will be a blog for everyone, right from teenagers to housewives and working professionals.

The name ‘What’s In Buzz’ itself suggests that the site will have everything that is in buzz and is talked about in town. Gear up to read some interesting and fun stuff and share it with your friends and colleagues.

As from my readers of Take A Stand, I want some good wishes, suggestions and tips as to what I shall include in my blog and what not. If you really like the website, don’t forget to like, comment and share the posts.

Thank you all! 

Pankaja Munde And The Selfie Controversy

The grave problem of drought in Maharashtra has been becoming much of a topic for controversies these days. While there was news of lush hotels wasting a lot of water to maintain their lawns and keep them green, there immediately followed a news that claimed a massive wastage of water for maintaining politicians’ helipads. And, while the government has been making attempts to send water to the drought-hit areas by sending water trains, here comes another controversy!

Pankaja Munde, the Minister of Rural Development, Women and Childcare in Maharashtra, has now been accused of clicking and posting selfies in the drought-hit areas of Marathwada. The BJP politician posted a series of selfies to her Twitter account which sparked the controversy and invited criticism from not only the opposition and the ally but also from people all over the country.

Again, just like any other controversy, this issue has divided people into two categories- the supporters and the non-supporters. As explained by Ms. Munde in her disclaimer tweet, the selfies were taken to make people aware of the anti-drought measures being undertaken in the Marathwada region and to acclaim the great job done by the minister’s department in the region. And, while there are people who support the reasoning and the minister’s act of clicking selfies in the region, there are the others who feel the act is a mockery.

According to me, no, there is nothing wrong with clicking pictures of a place where your department is doing good work for the people and anti-drought measures are being implemented at full pace. However, I do not agree with clicking selfies for the same. I mean, why does the minister have to be in the picture to show that work is being done in the affected areas? Is it a proof that she actually visited the place to keep a tab on the work going on there? Or is it a mere selfie craze that has been rising manifold among people over the last few years?

In my opinion, one must understand for themselves where to click a selfie and where not! People nowadays have been going crazy over selfies and it has become a rage among youngsters, adults, common people and even ministers. However, the rising selfie craze can be dangerous for anyone and everyone, also including the Pankaja Munde selfie controversy. People nowadays want to click selfies everywhere and do not think once about doing the same. And, while this craze has been taking many lives since the last few days, it has surely put Ms. Munde into problems now.

If the only motive of Ms. Munde was to make people aware of the good work happening in the Marathwada region, she could have simply clicked pictures where the workers were working and anti-drought measures were being implemented. There was no need for her to be present in the pictures to prove her visit to the region. This, although her intention might not be what it is now thought to be, has put her into the controversy that she wanted to show off. She is also being accused of making fun of the drought in a way.

The rising selfie craze among people needs to stop now. If the situation continues, we will have more people losing their lives to performing dangerous stunts for selfies. And, although it sounds a bit weird and funny, there will also be a time when governments would collapse because a minister clicked and posted a wrong selfie on social media!

Kolkata Flyover Collapse: “An Act Of God”?

While the whole of India had one thing to cheer for yesterday since morning- the India vs West Indies Semi Final match, Kolkata experienced a massive disaster! A flyover in the making since 2009 collapsed during lunch hours in the heart of Kolkata on a busy street. The mishap killed more than twenty people and injured several others who were trapped inside the debris for hours and were finally rescued by the disaster management force and the Indian army.

Naturally the mishap is a grave concern not only for Kolkata or West Bengal but to the entire nation. A flyover, that has remained incomplete since 2009, comes crashing down on people at the heart of the city, trapping cars and killing people, and all we can do is wait and watch the sad clippings in the news. No wonder, the disaster management force and the Army, as usual, did a commendable job working overnight to rescue the trapped people while the entire nation enjoyed a terrifying semi-final cricket match on the TV.

But, the real question that lays here is, who is to blame for the loss of so many lives and property? All the people who lost their lives to the mishap or were severely injured by it and are fighting for their lives in hospitals were innocent people like you and me, who were out on the roads probably to buy stuff, get to work or simply enjoying a short walk after lunch. Unfortunately, they were struck by ill fate and had to lose their lives! And who is responsible for this loss? Well, no one takes the accountability, of course!

When asked about the mishap, the builders of the flyover quoted the accident as an ‘act of God’. Oh, I couldn’t be more surprised over that explanation! It is like, I make a cup of coffee, accidentally put salt instead of sugar, and then blame God for it! If the builders or the company who supplied material for the flyover’s construction doesn’t take accountability for the accident, who should? It could not be termed as a natural disaster, of course, for it was not an earthquake, a flood or cyclone. It was an accident, a mishap that has obviously occurred due to discrepancies in its work and a hole somewhere in the system.

When Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee was asked about the mishap, she very cleverly and easily blamed the previous Left government for giving permission to construct the flyover that was reportedly being built in a residential area. So, dear Ms. Banerjee, if that was the case, why couldn’t any action be taken against it once your government came into existence in the state? The flyover has been reportedly lying unfinished since 2009 and Mamta Banerjee’s government came into power in 2011. Why was no attention given to the incomplete flyover then that stood unfinished in a crowded area in the heart of the city? Why were everyone’s eyes closed on it through all these years?

No one wants to take responsibility for the serious mishap and people are attempting a blame game. Of course, that’s not something uncommon in India! We have always seen politicians playing that dirty blame game, keeping at stack the life of common people like you and me. This one is just another instance! Nor do the builders want to take accountability for the accident because it was an ‘act of God’. And what happens to the families of people who lost their loved ones in the mishap? Who will compensate the people who lost their cars or any other valued possession in the tragedy?

All questions remain unanswered as always. The only thing we can do is pray for the safety and recovery of the ones injured, sympathize with the families of the ones who lost their lives and dwell in cities with the constant fear of losing our lives to an ‘accident’ or an ‘act of God’!

It’s A World Of TERROR: EgyptAir Flight HIJACKED!

An EgyptAir plane MS181 has been hijacked by a group of unidentified hijackers when it was on its way to Cairo from Alexandria. According to reports, the plane has been landed at Cyprus after the hijackers contacted the control tower and sought permission for the landing. Nearly 80 passengers, including crew, have been believed to be on board.

With the dawn of 2016, terrorism seems to have taken a new birth too! Not that it had not existed before; oh how can we forget the Paris attacks in 2015, the attacks in India in 2008 and the fatal terrorist activities going on across the world since years! But terrorism seems to be taking a new birth currently, with a greater objective of destroying the world and humanity in general.

So the year began with the gruesome terrorist attacks in Pathankot, India that left many officers martyred. Following the fateful attack, when the country was put on high alert, suspected terrorists with explosives were arrested in certain parts of the country. Clearly, this indicated the planning of an attack, probably a bigger one that intended to kill humans and humanity. Like the previous ones were not enough to cause destruction, fresh attacks have been planned against the world by certain terror groups since years now.

Months after India suffered the Pathankot attack, Brussels in Belgium was attacked recently, allegedly by a suicide bomber, causing immense destruction to life and property. And, like that was not enough to scare people enough, Pakistan too recently faced a gruesome terrorist attack that has rendered many children without parents and parents without children.

While the world mourns in terror for the attack victims, while people are still making rounds of hospitals in Brussels and Pakistan to find their dear ones, here comes another blow in the form of the hijack!

What’s happening around us? While most of us are busy working and earning a fair income for ourselves and our families, how much can we guarantee our life?

India, recently, witnessed the story of Neerja Bhanot, a brave flight attendant, who had saved the passengers of a hijacked Pan Am flight in 1986 through the Bollywood movie, Neerja. While the world witnessed and watched in horror the story of the braveheart who risked her own life to save over 350 passengers on board, here comes the news of another hijack! God be with the innocent passengers and shield them from all dangers!

Terrorism has been taking the world by fire lately! The back to back terror attacks in different parts of the world clearly indicate that we are heading towards a dark future, a world of hatred and violence.

And what is all this done for? Religion? They are right when they say ‘Terrorism Has No Religion’! Because none of the religions in the world preaches violence to its followers! What is done in the name of jihad and God, in reality, is simply a gruesome act of mass killings and murders that do not take the terrorists anywhere but to hell. It is a second thing whether they get caught or not, but, surely none of the souls would be guaranteed peace for killing people, destroying homes and families and murdering humanity.

The entire world needs to unite against terrorism and give a tough fight to it so as to curb it. Yes, it is surely not an easy task to put an end to it but, together, things can be sorted out more easily!

First and the foremost, it is necessary to determine the financial sources of the terrorist groups. Once the sources are found, they need to be blocked as soon as possible. No, it certainly isn’t easy but, it is not impossible either. There are many loopholes in our administrative systems that these terrorist groups take an advantage of to destroy humans and humanity.

Let’s simply pray for the passengers on the EgyptAir flight and for all those who lost their innocent lives in such ghastly terror acts!

The Perks Of Being Born In An Influential Family!

India is a country that has come a long way ever since independence, a country that has innumerable technicians, doctors, scientists and creative brains that can lead it to progress. Yet, we remain in a country that treats different people differently, where people from influential families have a different set of laws to follow, unlike the common man and the downtrodden ones.

There are countless perks of being born into an influential family in India apart from having the luxury of going to school/college in expensive cars every day and chilling out in the centralized air conditioning in the house when the world burns in the sun outside during summers. Read them out below (sarcasm intended)!

1. You can drive a car even before you turn 18!

This is what a top cop’s son in Kerala has taught us! The teenager had been caught on camera driving his father’s SUV who is an IG in Kerala. And, guess what, the car he was seen driving was actually an official car of his father. Wow, if only we all could get that liberty, to drive expensive cars on roads, even without qualifying the minimum driving age!

2. You can kill someone with your car and get away with it!

We aren’t so alien to this one, are we? We have all seen the acquittal of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan from the hit and run case of 2002. The court, with its judgment, literally meant that the car was not driven by anybody. We wonder how it climbed onto the footpath and killed and injured people then! But, no worries dude! Salman Khan is influential and that’s enough to set him free, nay? And, do you remember Akash Ambani ramming his Aston Martin into another car and killing innocents?

3. You can shoot someone and get away with it!

I guess you know who I am talking about! How can we forget the popular Jessica Lal case that shook the entire nation? Manu Sharma, born in a wealthy and influential family, thought that it was okay to shoot a bartender who had refused to serve him drinks after the bar had closed late at night. Only after the media intervened and took things in hands that Manu Sharma was declared guilty and sentenced.

4. You can thrash people, bribe cops and walk free!

Oh yes, this one is especially for our beloved and well behaved politicians. Come elections and you will see newspapers flooded with news of thrashings and attacks by one political group to other. But, have you ever thought why these attackers never get punished? Why political party leaders do not stay behind bars after they ignite people to protest violently? Because hey, they are INFLUENTIAL!

5. You are above the law!

While we have been taught by our school textbooks that the law is above everyone else and it does not discriminate against people based on any grounds, the reality might be a little different! The wealthy and the influential ones seem to be above the law for they are acquitted of every other crime they commit.

It is high time people take a stand against the wrongdoings of others, no matter how influential and wealthy the person standing in front of them is. Yes, the battle would be difficult, no wonder, but, if these influential ones continue to be acquitted, there will be a time when laws would really be different for people, based on their caste, religion, wealth and social status!

Woman Of Worth - Ms. Jyothi Reddy!

It is the 8th of March and the entire world is celebrating International Women’s Day. So, first and foremost, here’s wishing every woman in the world a beautiful and happy Women’s Day.

Women are an example of strength, determination and endless power, unconditional love and what not! No offence, dear men, but women are the ones who have been bestowed with unmatched strength by God that makes them special in their own way.

Every Women’s Day, while wishing every other woman in our life a good life, we also remember the female heroes in the world for their remarkable achievements. We all know Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, Kiran Bedi, Mary Kom and Bachendri Pal. But, there are more woman heroes in the world than we know who have risen from zero and achieved success in their life with their determination, hope and strength. One amongst them is Ms. Jyothi Reddy.

Ms. Jyothi Reddy is a living inspiration to the world, a ray of hope for every individual in the world and not only women, to go ahead, chase one’s dreams and emerge successful. Her inspiring story begins from zero and ends where she is now a hero in the true sense of the word.

So the story begins when Jyothi was merely in her teens. She was born into a poor family and had three siblings. Since her father could not support and feed all the children, Jyothi and one of her siblings had to live in an orphanage on the pretext of having lost their mother to fate. Young and sensitive, Jyothi obviously did not have a good childhood staying away from her family in an orphanage. 

One night, on Maha Shivratri, Jyothi, along with her friends at the orphanage, went out for a movie, a love story that fascinated her and inspired her to free herself from the clutches of fate and build a better life that spells success and love. Since then, Jyothi’s dreams changed forever and she dreamt of marrying someone whom she loved dearly.

Fate, however, played a bad role and she was married off to a poor farmer by her parents when she was merely 15. Of course, her dreams crashed! While she had dreamt of marrying her love and leading a rich life, she was married off to another poor man who she hadn’t even known anytime in life. Her fate only expected her to toil in the farms all day, under the scorching sun and prepare dinner for her family after returning home in the evening.

Also, within two years, Jyothi had become a mother to two daughters. At that time, her earning was merely Rs. 5 per day. Naturally, she could do nothing special for her daughters no matter how much she yearned for it. She did not have money to buy them toys, clothes or medicines and all she could do was dream and hope that one day her fate would change.

Since she had lived in an orphanage before marriage, Jyothi knew the plight of girls who lived away from their families. In order to teach them and give them a better life, Jyothi soon began teaching at a small orphanage in Telangana. Soon after, she was promoted. She now visited multiple schools and orphanages all over Warangal in Telangana to teach children and secure a good future for them.

This is when her life took a turn for the good. An educated woman that she was, she now started dreaming bigger and better. She realized that she was not born to be a farm labourer in a small village and that she could achieve something bigger with her determination and strength. 

This is when the idea of visiting the US struck her mind. With the help of a cousin who motivated her to shift to the US, she managed to visit the country, find a job there and settle down temporarily. Once in the US, Jyothi took up many odd jobs before she finally decided to start her own business. In the meanwhile, she completed many courses in computers from some reputed institutions and she now had the knowledge, skills, perseverance and determination of becoming an entrepreneur.

In 2000, Jyothi founded the company Key Software Solutions which is now a $15 million IT empire. When success started rushing her way, she brought her husband and children to the US as well and settled down there for the good. 

Today, she owns about 6 houses in the US and 2 in India. She also had a dream of driving a car since her childhood which she now lives by driving a Mercedes Benz. 

Where once she did not have even a single pair of shoes to wear and had to walk miles barefoot to reach school, she now owns over 200 pairs of shoes! Where she did not have money to buy a sari back in Telangana, she now has saris worth lakhs of rupees. 

 And that’s not it. She now works with multiple associations across India that contribute to the education of girls and empower women to change their fortunes. Every year, she makes it a point to visit India to celebrate her birthday at orphanages with girls and children who are deprived of a quality life that they deserve.

Truly, she is a living legend! The Kakatiya University, that had once rejected her for a job opportunity, now has an entire chapter on her in English that is read by multiple students. She has literally made the impossible possible and lives a quality life today.

Jyothi has shown us that nothing can stop a person from reaching his goals once he or she is ignited with passion, determination and hope. No matter whether it is a man or a woman, one can achieve anything in the world with sheer patience and passion.

Now that’s a story worth sharing with the world on Women’s Day, isn’t it?

It Doesn’t Make You A Leader, Kanhaiya Kumar!

By now, the entire nation knows who Kanhaiya Kumar is and I need not give any introduction. The clever chap has risen to fame as any other celebrity or politician and has managed to remain in the news for quite a lot of time now. Presenting himself as a youth icon, a classic and living example of the ‘freedom of speech’, Mr. Kumar has played wisely to get an effortless entry into politics. Or, dirty politics, if I were to be more precise! But, dear Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar, that does not make you a leader!

Okay, this guy, Mr. Kumar has undoubtedly played well I must say. By now, every other true Indian at heart has recognized his bad game and strategy to shoot to fame and enter politics. The guy first controversially raised anti-India slogans and subsequently got arrested which got him immense fame, not only in India but across the world. His arrest made headlines even in the international media and the issue became more sensitive than ever.

Then, we have a set of many educated fools in India who supported the guy, criticized the government, demanded his release and also debated on the issue. And, as we have a great media that is always TRP-hungry, the guy got more publicity than ever, than he actually deserves and the issue became a national concern. After he was released on bail, Mr. Kumar has been making speeches at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), questioning the government and criticizing the Prime Minister, Mr. Modi. The poor guy feels that he is a leader now, or that is what some fools and the media are portraying him as!

But, Mr. Kanhaiya Kumar, no! You are not a leader! Yes I agree that you have played a wise game, you are now a popular person, the media, and some people are now projecting you as a leader and you have good prospects to enter into politics. But that really doesn’t make you a leader! A leader is someone to who understands the problems and agony of his country, of his people and emerges with solutions to curb them. They don’t stand on a stage and merely highlight problems or criticize the government.

Mr. Kumar wants to prove to the nation that he is very patriotic and cares about the present and future of Indians. But he has miserably failed in my opinion. For, a patriotic person is the one who loves his country and does something for it. You may not have the courage to go to the borders and safeguard our nation and that is perfectly okay. But at least, don’t extend your support to terrorists who don’t have any religion of patriotism, not even humanity. They are the vulture who only desire to kill people. And, supporting a terrorist makes you equally guilty as much as Afzal Guru was!

I don’t understand what is wrong with the youth of today. Of course, I don’t mean to generalize here, but there have been a few youngsters who have come up recently in the name of patriotism, religion, and caste to criticize the government and ask for their rights. We had Mr. Hardik Patel, a mere 21-year old, who rose as a leader to ask for reservations for the Patidar Samaj in Gujarat. And now, we have another sensation, Mr. Kumar, who thinks shouting slogans and serving a few days in jail has made him a leader, an orator and an icon of the youth.

Youth are the most valued assets of any nation. They are the future of the nation that they live in and they are supposed to safeguard the country while taking it to new heights of progress with their knowledge, skills and expertise. But, youth today have been becoming more destructive than ever, one again, I don’t mean to generalize here, but the last few months has proved this enough. They yearn for quick publicity and desire to become leaders. Of course, this is a good thing but the path chosen for this kind of fame and publicity has been leading them to more destruction than ever.

Both Hardik Patel and Kanhaiya Kumar have distinguished skills, good orator skills, and the capability to become leaders. If only, they would have used their knowledge and skills in a positive way, India would have seen more capable people contributing to its development and growth!

The ‘SELFIE’ Bug

I certainly do not need giving any introduction to this topic. The ‘Selfie’ bug, by far, seems to have bitten all and people can’t help but take more and more of selfies every day! Whether it is a random day at work, a shopping outing or a dinner date, ek selfie to banta hi hai, right guys? But what people can do to take one unusual and unique selfie is becoming more of a concern these days.

Who doesn’t like getting clicked? Of course, we all do! And, with sharing pictures on social media and chat applications becoming so popular these days, teens and even adults are just going gaga over selfies. Everyone wants to have one, a cool and unique one that would fetch over hundreds of likes on social media and make them popular among their circles.

And, why not? Photographs are the best forms of memories you can collect and live the special moments of your life days, months and even years later. Naturally, taking pictures and selfies has been becoming a rage in the modern times because every smartphone now has a brilliant camera, multiple easy photo-sharing apps and Facebook and Instagram, of course. But, to what extent the ‘selfie’ fever goes is something worth watching.

Just go to Google and type ‘selfie deaths’! A number of links appear- some news, some listicles and even photographs that show the horror of the issue. People literally have been going selfie-crazy, and, by the word crazy, I literally mean crazy! You even have a Wikipedia page in the name ‘List of Selfie-related injuries and death’ that provides information about selfie-accidents from 2014 to present. And, it is not funny!

Selfies are now becoming a leading cause of death among teenagers and youngsters. Most statistics reveal that the people who have attempted dangerous stunts for taking selfies and died or injured in the meanwhile are in the age group of 13-30. These are our youngsters, the future of our nation and also the world. No wonder, the desire to get popular among friends often drives them to take such extreme steps but to what extent we go purely depends on our own.

Of course, teenagers and youngsters in their twenties are not kids to not understand the ill-effects of trying dangerous stunts. People have died taking selfies while leaning on cliffs, climbing on high-rise buildings or standing on the edges of hills. Any sane person can naturally sense the danger while he or she is standing at the edge of a hill or leaning on a cliff. But the desire to get clicked and post pictures on social media has taken over the fear of losing one’s life, it seems! And, that’s why the word- CRAZY!

‘Selfie’, more than a trend has been becoming a threat to people these days. It seems to be a disease that is infecting everyone, especially youngsters and driving them to do unwanted things and stunts despite knowing the dangers they offer to one’s life. In my opinion, the rising ‘selfie-craze’ needs to be treated, with counselling and medication, so that people refrain from indulging into dangerous activities just to get clicked.

It completely depends on us on how far we choose to go or how soon we choose to limit ourselves. It is certainly not a bad thing to click pictures, make memories, preserve them and upload them on social media to share your beautiful moments with the world. But we should choose our own finish line and recognize the dangers of stunting for selfies.

Read also: The Tragic Data Behind Selfie Fatalities

7 Things That Happen Only In India

India is unique; the only country that displays enormous unity and diversity more effectively than any other. No wonder, being Indians, we all love our country and wouldn’t think a bit before offering our valued services to it.

But, while it is the most culturally rich places for any tourist to visit in the entire world, there are also many more things that happen only in India apart from people of different religions, languages and castes staying together. Read on!

1. People fight to be called ‘backward’

Yes, India is perhaps the only country where people want to be called ‘backward’ and ‘downtrodden. Because everyone wants a reservation!

2. Almost every other issue is made political

Politics, it seems, is in the blood of Indians. Whether a student commits suicide or a girl is raped, every other issue here, in turn, acquires a political shape.

Not to mention, the opposition always wants some or the other minister to resign!

3. Distance is measured in time

This, I can say, is the most exclusive things that happen only and only in India. Where our schools always taught us that distance is measured in kilometres, ask any Indian how far is your destination and they will tell you the time you will require getting there.

4. People do jugaad in almost everything

Indians, truly, are the biggest jugaadus in the world. Whether it is a simple door lock that has come up or a pipe that’s leaking, you will see people doing jugaad instead of calling professionals to get it repaired.

5. Robbers steal everything, right from chappals

While in India, even removing your chappals (sandals) at the temple door is risky. Because, robbers here are content with everything, even with your sandals!

6. Chillies are used as weapons

How many times did mom say, “Beta, bag me chilly powder rakho. Musibat me kaam aa jayegi.” Girls, especially, will surely agree with me on this. Because, in India, chilly powder is also used as a weapon apart from spice!

7. People are arrested for posting and liking on social media

Oh, yes! By now, we are all aware of this. It has been more than once that youth have got arrested for expressing themselves on social media through status messages or memes. Even people liking and commenting on it are not spared.

The Fight To Be Called ‘Backward’!

There are so many things that can happen only in India and the fight for being called ‘backward’ is one of them! There would be no other country in the world where people fight to be called ‘backward’. Thanks to a few castes in India, that have risen all of a sudden, out of nowhere, to claim reservations in the sector of education and government jobs.

In August last year, we saw Gujarat burning over the issue of reservation. The Patidar samaj in Gujarat had been fighting to given reservations in government jobs and the education sector. The entire movement was lead by Hardik Patel, a 21-year-old Patidar. The movement that shook the whole of Gujarat and the nation as well had many adverse effects on the common man’s life. Situations became worse when curfews were enforced at many places and schools, colleges and shops remained closed in order to avoid further destruction.

After the Patidar fight came to a standstill, history seems to have repeated itself. Now, it’s the Jats claiming reservation for their cast under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) or Special Backward Classes (SBC) category. The movement, yet again, seems to be getting serious and violent just like the Gujarat movement. Where on one side the country is fuming over the Jawaharlal Nehru University or JNU case, the Jat movement is helping attack India from the other side.

Our Prime Minister, Mr. Modiji, recently inaugurated the ‘Make In India’ campaign and a ‘Make In India’ week was celebrated in Maharashtra to encourage the growth and development of the country with more industries and Foreign Direct Investment pouring in. However, as they say, not everyone can see good happening, even when it is happening with their own Motherland. So, here are the great JNU students, who live and study in India, earn and support their families in this country, yet want the country to be destroyed. It is a shame that the students had organized a function to remember terrorist Afzal Guru who was hanged in 2012 for his role in the Parliament attack.

And, as if that was not enough, the Jats have now risen from nowhere to claim they are a part of the OBC category and deserve reservation. Like I said at the beginning of this post, some things happen only in India!

While the world if struggling to develop and become more forward and superior over others, some Indians are busy claiming that they are ’backward’ and fighting to be called so. While some Indians on the borders are fighting to protect us from our enemies, there are these Indians who are attacking our forces even from the within. While some Indians, irrespective of their castes and religions, are working together in ISRO and DRDO to take India to greater heights and make it a superior and self-sufficient nuclear power, there are some Indians who make use of the same nuclear power to destroy the country, burn it and kill innocents.

It is such shame that people, even in the 21st century, still believe in institutions such as caste and religion and demand reservations. And, by the way, both the Patidars and Jats, who have come up with the issue of reservation lately, are highly respected and influential castes in their respective states. Of course, they hold significant positions in politics and, unnecessary to say, have quite a good amount of income! At least, enough to support their families, feed them and educate them! Then, why the reservation fuss?

In my personal opinion, the reservation system should be completely eradicated from India and admissions in colleges and government jobs must be based purely on merit. If not, the reservation system must be changed and modified altogether, only to give reservations to people who are financially backward and cannot afford education. Caste should not be a barrier to this and no caste should be given reservation at all. Because most of the people and castes that fall under the reserved categories, do not need any reservation at all in the first place!