Blog@GraceJunction

On 30 June the TOI Ahmedabad on its front page flashed “Treat LIVE IN AS MARRIAGE”.

The news highlighted that the National Commission for Women has said that, a woman in a live-in relationship should be entitled to maintenance if she is deserted by the man. In far-reaching recommendations to the ministry of women and child development, the Commission has sought a change in the definition of “wife’’ — as described in section 125 of CrPC which deals with maintenance — and suggested that it include women involved in a live-in relationship.

Now what the commission desires seems right at a glance however it protects the wrong woman, the commission in making this recommendation is providing a legal status to an illicit act. Think about it!! (more…)

“Life-On your Terms”. This is the quote I came across on the cover page of an investment review magazine of one of the biggest banks in the country; for some reasons I’ll keep it unnamed.

The magazine is a research magazine which shows the past performance of all the investment products available in the market. In short the magazine is giving us data to analyze and understand where to put our money so that we can make more money and when we have more money we can live our “Life on our Terms”.

But can we really live “life on our terms”?

If i see it from the material perspective may be “yes”. You see people around us taking control of their life: deciding what to eat, drink, when to drink and with whom to live, what brand, and even pre marital, post marital relations et cetera. These are components that people consider when defining “life on their terms”, doing what they want and when they want without strings and without any moral standards. (more…)

Dear Sarita,

I am writing this letter which I am sure has come as a surprise to you. But it definitely would have brought back memories of our college days when we would exchange letters, I wish I had some of them with me today to read. But those carefree days when we would hold our hands and walk through the park, those tasty kulfis which we would relish and long nights where I would keep reading those letters and keep dreaming well in to the night.

Another reason I am writing is that I could not bear to listen to your voice on the phone, it is too painful for me, I still remember when you would keep calling just to persuade me to give our marriage another chance, but I believe I was blinded by the beauty of my colleague then to reconsider my decision to go through a divorce. But I guess it is now too late to think on those issues. (more…)

A friend of mine once took his dad for finishing some errands and to visit some friends. His dad never knew riding I suppose, but from the time he sat behind my friend’s two-wheeler, he kept on giving directions about what to do, when to change gears, when to apply brakes, whether to speed up or slow down, which road to take etc. Since it was his dad, my friend obliged and his dad’s assertions just grew stronger and stronger! At one particular point during their adventurous journey, his dad literally tore him apart for his allegedly irresponsible riding! That was it. The last straw. My friend stopped his vehicle. He asked his dad to get down. When he did, my friend quietly rode off asking him to reach home on a rickshaw!

We have had many a laughs about that incident, and poor uncle learnt a hard lesson that day. Now, by no means have I cited this incident to celebrate my friend’s decision making skills. It was not a good thing by any (Indian) standards. But I have highlighted the incident just to bring to your notice what happens when someone is victimised by back seat driving. Its really bugging when there is someone with you who gives you directions all the time. It’s as if they don’t trust your skills at all and also that they are judging distances and anticipating objects and vehicles better than you! It can be annoying. (more…)

A very strange trend, definitely looking like a trend, can now be seen in our land. People are becoming very famous in a day. So much that most people know them and about them in a just one day! Every newspaper and news channel covers them, many times for hours together!

Till that day happens, they move about, almost invisible to society, and many times even to kith and kin. They do umpteen things, but these are hardly noticed or even if they are, they are not worth a news. It doesn’t discourage them, and they go about their narcissistic lives with an almost unswerving dedication till the skeletons tumble out of the closet or the time bomb stops ticking and explodes.

What happens is so startling that people discuss it for days and weeks together! Even the judiciary and the investigators get busy and our sensation thirsty media men are kept on their toes. But most often than not, our subject under discussion is not alive any more to respond to the applause and attention! A case of Posthumous fame!! And even if they are alive, then they are either in hiding or in a place, where a lot of attention is also coming from khaki clad body guards (if we can call them so!) and more famous inmates! (more…)

‘Love Marriage’ is perhaps unheard of for some of our readers! In India, there used to be a time when almost all marriages were ‘Arranged Marriages’ wherein the parents chose the bride and the groom, at the time they thought apt and got their children married. Often, the couple would never have met before the marriage, and some times only for a brief time. But there were some bold couples who decided things for themselves and got married, often without the blessings of the elders, mostly because they were from different faiths, financial or social status, or castes. These marriages were called ‘Love Marriages’. These couples were often ostracized and abandoned and such a move was branded as unacceptable. (more…)

Baby girl… What has become of her! No one wants her! Not even the one who gave her birth! Why is this happening?? Just because the nation and the society thinks that “she” is a burden! Burden to be brought up, burden to get married off, and then the burden of taking care of her even after her marriage! Why doesn’t a nation or its people take men and women equally?? It is because we have accepted it that way!? No one wants to break the boundary. Everybody wants to play safe!

When young, I mean not married, people fight for the cause “Save the Girl Child” but what about when it comes to self!?  “Are they still able to stand for the cause? No is the answer. Pressurized by the (in law) family, by the society for the want of the boy child to continue their family heritage et cetera, they also give in! What is there in the continuation of the family!? Gandhiji’s heir are here among us….but who cares for them….no one ……! (more…)