Day: August 6, 2021

DOWRY

 


Dowry is an ancient culture. It has ever been an essential part of a marriage. It means money, in cash and kind, which is brought by a bride to her husband’s house. It was meant to help the newly-wedded couple set up a new home and live happily. Thus dowry was all right then. Even now, there is no wrong in giving dowry willingly and when it is within reach of the parents of the bride. But it is a curse when it is heartlessly pulled from them.

Causes of Dowry System in India

1. Greed Factor 

Dowry demanding often is exemplary of the collective greed of society. Extortion in the name of compensation, social standing for the cost of groom’s education, his financial stability is the major factor of Indian marriages.

2. Society Structure 

The Dowry system is entirely the manifestation of the patriarchal nature where men are taken to be at a higher level than women in aspects of mental and physical capabilities.

3. Religious Dictates 

Religious constraints imposed by society on marriage customs are a factor towards dowry issues. These constraints don’t condone inter-religious marriage or between different religious sects, and so limit the number of suitable matches.

4. Social Constraints 

Apart from a similar religious background, some constraints are imposed based on social status and the caste system. Practices such as clan exogamy and caste endogamy have to remember while arranging a match.

5. Social Status of Women

The inferior social standing of women in Indian society is so deeply rooted in the country’s mind, that this treatment as commodities is accepted with no question, not only by the family rather also by women themselves.

Legal steps against dowry

The dowry system is criticized daily by all, but nothing fruitful has been done so far. Anti-dowry bills have been passed. Laws against asking and attempting dowry have been made many a time, but the scandal remains unabated.

Conclusion

But law alone cannot do much. Society Must also come ahead to help itself. Proper education of the public mind in this matter through various means is required. Schools, colleges, and universities should hold seminars and discussions to consider the problem of dowry. The dowry system is sound when one takes it as a gift given to the bride by her parents. If the groom’s parents demand money to get married as a “dowry”, then that is entirely illegal and wrong.

E.LALITHA

WE ARE HUMANS DUE TO OUR EMOTIONS

If we look at the world and think deep down we wonder, who made this beautiful world, this day and night, this cycle of life, these plants and trees, rivers, hills, mountains, lakes, blue sky and little stars blinking millions of miles away? Science that the universe came into existence due to a big bang.
After the formation of the earth, who brought life to this world? That's a secret we don’t know. Every scientist, every religion, every philosophical thought gives different explanations for the origin of life on earth. Who was the first living organism on this earth? 
Long long ago after the formation of the earth, and the presence of water on it, a small micro-organism known as amoeba developed. It is a unicellular organism which is believed to be formed firstly on the earth. Later, as millions of years passed, amoeba evolved and a multicellular organism was formed and then after further evolution monkeys and chimpanzees came into existence and from there humans evolved. 
Human body is not less than a machine. A heart that is beating non-stop, providing fuel to every part of the body so that it can function, exactly like an engine in any machine. 
Lungs inhale oxygen by breathing and this oxygen is provided to blood. 
Brain which is the most important part of a human body, controls all the functions of the human body, gives commands to every part of the body, receives commands from every part of the body, analyzes them and reacts accordingly. 
I wonder how beautifully this universe has evolved humans and made it the most unique creature by imbibing emotions into them.
A human being falls in love with the parents, family members, relatives and people of opposite gender. Love is something indescribable which every human possesses in his heart's corner. 
Happiness is something which gives pleasure to the entire body system. People struggle and live to be happy and everybody has different sources of happiness. People live to be happy. Sometimes love and happiness are interconnected. In fact all emotions are interconnected. Love can make you happy as well as sad at the same time. 
Emotions make us different from machines. We have emotions and hence have power to control ourselves.
We become sad and tears come out of our eyes, isn't that unique? We humans have feelings of pity and gratitude towards each other. 
Some humans are too full of emotions and feelings, and are known as sensitive humans. Who loves too much, cares too much, is sad too much and happy as well. 
No doubt every living organism which has life, also has emotions. Maybe plants and trees, ants and lizards also have emotions. Dogs, cats, cows, lions, fish. Every animal has emotions but why are they not like humans? Humans know how to express their emotions and how to control them. We can handle our emotions. Hence we are humans due to our ability to handle emotions. 
Emotions give humans and each living organism a reason to live and survive. Otherwise humans too would be like machines which keep on doing the same thing over and over again. There would be no development of individuals and of society. When a person gets success in his life he becomes happy. Everyone earns to live a happy life and for their loved one. 
Life is balanced due to love, hate, anger, sadness and happiness. Life is full of emotions. From birth to death.

Examination Should Be Abolished

“Change of focus distress the mind”.

“An excess of everything is bad”.

In India, it is increasingly felt that education system is highly examination oriented. Exams and tests are held at regular intervals. Success in the exams is at index of once intelligence. Exams do cause a lot of stress rather it can be said that a student’s academic future simply depends on the marks scored by him. His admission in reputed college depends solely upon his performance in examination.

As a result, students finds studies stressful, monotonous and exasperating. Unachievable targets set by the parents and perceptors, unbearable peer pressure, cut throat competitions makes one question the usefulness of the examination system. In my sense, it is all futile. We cannot deny the fact that it is resulting into spate of suicides, absenteeism and even the percentage of dropouts has increased.

Exams should be cancelled and replaced by less stressful and more fruitful forms of assessments for several reasons including:

1)     They do not define one’s skills and capabilities: Thomas Edison once said: “Tomorrow is my exam but I don’t care, a single paper can’t decide my future” and we all know what Edison achieved is his life, other successful people followed such a path and if they cared much about exams, they surely would not have achieved what they did.

2)     They do not differentiate between students: Exams do not depend on someone’s preparation only, they are also dependent on their physical and mental health, and their social situation; you most luckily would not get a second chance if you developed a diarrhea during exam, such a factor would decide whether you’re among best or worst students no matter how intelligent you are, and how much you prepared for the exam. So you see how unfair the whole system is!

3)     Cheating: The broken educational system values more grades than learning and that what obliged students to try any means –sometimes illegal ones- to pass to the next level, history is full of people who try every trick to cheat at exam time, modern technology also has made it much easier for students to pass their tests with less efforts and students’ last issue nowadays is knowledge.

4)     Stress: Exams take a toll on a student’s body and mind through the forms of stress and anxiety and you might end up in a mental institution. Because of exams, a medical student was caught eating pages from one of their recommended texts since he failed to absorb information from taking his lectures too literally.

It is also felt that examinations don’t prepare students for life. They simply enable the students to become reasonably well informed, fact churning individuals. There should be a system of consistent evaluation throughout the year and, the examinee should not be tested only for facts and information acquired by him but should be tested for life skills. So, the examination system should be abolished instead of examinations being conducted at the end of the academic session.

Place Of A Women In Society

It is rightly said woman is the backbone of society. From times immemorial, woman have been considered inferior to man in a patriarch society. Man has always treated woman not as an equal partner in life but as a mere slave. Biological superiority of man over woman has made him callous towards her. She has always being confined to the four walls of the house. Man has just treated her as an object of gratifying his sexual lust and physical desires.

Women have been denied most of the rights that give dignity of human beings. She has suffered a lot because of the whims and prejudices that man harbours towards her. But at the same time she has been called the better half of the man but unfortunately these are just sugar coated words. He abuses her physically, sexually, morally, economically and socially. There is no doubt that she has certainly been the victim of discrimination on the basis of sex. However, the scenario is changing very fast. The Constitution of India protects women’s rights by granting her equal status.

Woman have played a vital role in Indian struggle for freedom. Today, women are becoming more and more vigilant about their rights. They have discarded the Pardah system and have crossed the boundaries by exposing them in outer world. They are jostling with men in every walk of life braving their worth.

Education, political awareness and the impact of western culture have made her more vigil and aware about her rights. The concept of superiority of man is tottering. Today, woman have proved to be better doctors, administrators, pilots, academicians then many of the male counter parts. But despite this she is at the lower rung of the ladder in society. Though she is gaining economic independence but lately she is also exposed to sexual exploitation in offices and working places. Ironically, man still regards her as an unusual commodity.

To enjoy the glow of good health, you must exercise.

  • Exercise benefits every part of the body, including the mind. Exercising causes the body to make chemicals that can help a person feel good. Exercise can help people sleep better.
  • It can also help some people who have mild depression and low self-esteem. Plus, exercise can give people a real sense of accomplishment and pride at having achieved a goal — like beating an old time in the 100-meter dash.
  • Exercise helps people lose weight and lower the risk of some diseases. Exercising regularly lowers a person’s risk of developing some diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Exercise also can help keep your body at a healthy weight.
  • Exercise can help a person age well. This may not seem important now, but your body will thank you later. For example, osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones) can be a problem as people get older. Weight-bearing exercise — like jumping, running, or brisk walking — can help keep bones strong.

The three parts of a balanced exercise routine are: aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility training.

Aerobic Exercise

Like other muscles, the heart enjoys a good workout. Aerobic exercise is any type of exercise that gets the heart pumping and gets you breathing harder. When you give your heart and lungs this kind of workout regularly, they get stronger and are better at getting oxygen (in the form of oxygen-carrying blood cells) to all parts of your body.

If you play team sports, you’re probably getting at least 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity on practice days. Some team sports that give you a great aerobic workout are basketball, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and rowing.

But if you don’t play team sports, don’t worry — there are plenty of ways to get aerobic exercise. These include biking, running, swimming, dancing, in-line skating, tennis, cross-country skiing, hiking, and walking quickly.

Strength Training

The heart isn’t the only muscle to benefit from regular exercise. The other muscles in your body enjoy exercise too. When you use your muscles, they become stronger.

Strong muscles are also a plus because they support your joints and help prevent injuries. Muscle also use more energy than fat does, so building your muscles will help you burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight

Make physical activity a priority to:

  1. Improve your memory and brain function (all age groups).
  2. Protect against many chronic diseases.
  3. Aid in weight management.
  4. Lower blood pressure and improve heart health.
  5. Improve your quality of sleep.
  6. Reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.
  7. Combat cancer-related fatigue.
  8. Improve joint pain and stiffness.
  9. Maintain muscle strength and balance.
  10. Increase life span.

Physical therapists are movement experts who improve quality of life through hands-on care, patient education, and prescribed movement.

Physical therapists treat people of all ages and abilities and empower you to take an active part in your care. After an evaluation, your physical therapist will create a treatment plan for your specific needs and goals.

Environment and Development

 Humanity is regarded as a biological entity by the environment as directly dependent on the natural world. Many vital resources on earth have to be exhausted if there is already deteriorating atmospheric chemistry and dangerous growth of human populations. Natural environments irreversibly destroy the foundation of a safe climate. All living things that live on this earth come under the environment. Whether they live on land or water they are part of the environment. The environment also includes air, water, sunlight, plants, animals, etc. Moreover, the earth is considered the only planet in the universe that supports life. The environment can be understood as a blanket that keeps life on the planet safe and sound.

If present growth trends in world population, industrialization, pollution, food problems and resource depletion continue unchanged, the limits to growth on this planet will be reached within the next one hundred years. The most probable result will be a rather sudden and uncontrollable decline in both population and industrial capacity.

International Agents and the Environment:

Since 1990 the World Bank and other international agencies have a formulated environment-related support programmes, i.e., programmes supporting development, while supporting the importance of the environment in economic development. The WB supports the sustainable development view.

First, it has highlighted the need for assessing all those projects which are expected to generate adverse environmental effects.

Secondly, poverty is found to be the major cause of environmental damage. The reason is that the poor people heavily depend on the environment.

The WTO has recognised the trade-off between trade and the environment and that environmental concerns could lead to protectionism. In spite of this the WTO supports the objective of SD and has been involved in assisting multilateral environmental agreements and increasing the awareness of links between trade and the environment.

The UN Conference on Environment and Development in June 1992—the Rio Earth Summit—leached agreements among 150 countries on reducing global warming by limiting atmospheric emissions by the year 2000 to their 1990 levels.

360 Wander Writer

Welcome to the Roman World

Colosseum is a giant amphitheater . It is also called as the Flavian Amphitheatre . It is built in Rome under the Flavian emperors. Its construction began during the 70th Common Era. It was opened by the son of Vespasian , Titus . It had 100 days of game which included bull’s fight and other wild animals fight. It also had the Gladiator fights were  the Gladiators were generally slaves, condemned criminals or prisoners of war. Aside from the games, the Colosseum also hosted dramas, reenactments, and even public executions.

The Colosseum is a massive structure of stone and concrete . Marble seats were divided into zones: those for richer private citizens, middle-class citizens, slaves and foreigners and finally wooden seats and standing room in the flat-roofed colonnade on the top tier reserved for women and the poor . It is build using a complex system of barrel vaults. It has a seating capacity of about 50000 spectators in which it had 45,000 seated and 5,000 standing spectators. The final stages of construction of the Colosseum were completed under the reign of Titus’ brother and successor, Domitian.

Colosseum

The spectators were shielded from the sun by a massive retractable velarium (awning). Also a well know fact says that the Colosseum served as a church during the medieval times and a prominent fortress for the families of Frangipane and Annibaldi. The Colosseum was damaged by lightning and very badly affected by the earthquake. The play of Vandalism and pollution also played a major role in its damages.

Colosseum Cross-Section

It lost its decorative materials and all marble seats. After understanding the damages , the notable efforts of Pius VIII a restoration project was started in the starting of 1990’s . It is defiantly a major tourist attraction place with an average of about seven million visitors annually. Its construction is made as of it consists of four stories with a height of 45 meters high ,a width of 189 x 156 meters , a roofed awning of canvas . Despite its degradation, a still magnificent monument, a poignant and enduring testimony to both the skills and the vices of the Roman world.

Deserts-‘Something we should know’

Photo by Boris Ulzibat on Pexels.com

A desert is a stretch of land that can be rocky or sandy, might have zero to some vegetation, might be habitable or might not be live-able but most of all a desert is defined on the basis of amount of precipitation it receives. According to national geographic, a desert receives no more than 25 cm of rainfall per year. Now, let us have a look on the distribution of deserts in the whole world and the possible reasons of their occurrence in those places.

There are 5 types of deserts in the whole world-

  1. Sub tropical deserts- Due to high temperature in the equator, the air gets heated up and absorbs moisture and rise. It reaches high altitudes and the moisture precipitates and comes down as rains. The air cools and the heated air moves away from the equator reaching the tropics. Upon reaching the tropics it cools down and descends where it warms again. Thus it occupies the space meant for moisture laden air and there is no rains in the tropics leading to the formation of deserts in the region. Examples are The Sahara desert in Africa, the Arabian desert, the Syrian desert, the great Victorian desert in Australia, The Thar desert in India. The Sahara desert is the largest sub tropical desert
  2. Coastal deserts- These type of deserts are formed due to the cold oceanic currents that create low pressure in the surrounding regions and the moisture laden winds that should have travelled from the coasts to the continents ends up travelling away instead. Such deserts are formed in the western coasts of continents in lower and middle latitudes and in the eastern side in the upper latitudes (due to the anticlockwise flow of currents in Southern and the clockwise flow of currents in Northern hemisphere). Examples are the Namib deserts in Africa (formed due to Benguela current) and the Atacama desert in Chile (formed due to Peru current). Atacama desert is the driest desert in the world.
  3. Cold deserts and polar deserts- The cold and polar deserts are formed in the Temperate and polar region respectively. These regions are very cold and all the moisture immediately freezes to form ice. The cold deserts exist in regions of high altitude where moisture laden winds cannot reach. Examples are the Antarctic desert(the world largest desert), the Arctic desert, The Ladakh desert, Siberian desert
  4. Interior deserts- Interior deserts are found in the interior of the continents mostly the middle where sufficient moisture laden winds do not reach. Example is the Gobi desert that stretches along both China and Mongolia
  5. Rain shadow deserts-One another subdivision can be of those deserts where the mountains or any other physical feature act as a barrier for the moisture laden clouds. Example is the Death Valley for which four major mountain ranges(including the Sierra Nevada and Panamint Range, according to Wikipedia) act as a barrier and also The Gobi Desert for which the Himalaya act as a barrier(this river is the reason the yellow river appears yellow).

That’s all in deserts. Hit the like if you found it useful and share it among all those who might want to know something about deserts, after all they do form 1/3rd part (and increasing- desertification)of our earth’s continental mass.

Rename of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced today the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest sporting honour of India, has been renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The renaming recognises the ultimate hockey hero and legend of the sport, Dhyan Chand.

The prime Minister said the move was based on the numerous requests he received from across the country.

N.V. RAMANA

 President Ram Nath Kovind on April 6 appointed Justice NV Ramana as the 48th Chief Justice of India (CJI), accepting the recommendation made by his predecessor SA Bobde, who is due to retire on April 23. Justice Ramana, 63, who will take oath on April 24, will remain in office until August 26, 2022. It will be the longest tenure for a CJI in nearly a decade. Born on August 27, 1957, in an agricultural family in the Ponnavaram village in Krishna district of undivided Andhra Pradesh, Justice Ramana was a student leader during the nationwide Emergency in 1975. He lost an academic year too during his days as a student activist.

Justice Ramana worked as a journalist for a regional newspaper for two years before enrolling as an advocate on February 10, 1983.

As a lawyer, he practiced in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Central, and Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunals, and the Supreme Court of India in civil, criminal, constitutional, labor, service, and election matters.

He has specialized in constitutional, criminal, service and inter-state river laws, according to the website of the National Legal Services Authority, set up on November 9, 1995, to provide free legal aid to eligible candidates and organize Lok Adalats for the speedy resolution of cases. The CJI is its Patron-in-Chief.

Justice Ramana has also functioned as Additional Standing Counsel for the central government and Standing Counsel for Railways in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) at Hyderabad, besides serving as Additional Advocate General of Andhra Pradesh.

Money Management

“Money” is a medium of economic exchange in which prices and values are expressed. It is very important to live a life. Just like the three basic units of life- “food, cloth and shelter”. Money is also can be said to be the basic unit as we can but food, cloth and shelter with money only. So its management is also important. “Money Management” means budgeting, saving, investing, earning, spending money in the best way possible. Spending money to satisfy cravings/needs is a natural human phenomenon. The idea of managing money has been developed to reduce the amount of money that is spend on items that add no significant value to one’s living standards. In a nut shell money management means spending money carefully on the needs rather than on wants and wishes and also saving it for the better future.

In Indian Society, if we take a look, we can see that indian society people/groups were divided into different categories on the basis of their earning and living standards. People are divided on assets and income/expenditure. Based on these parameters there are broadly three categories (sub categories are also there) i.e., rich/upper class people, middle class people and poor/lower class people.

Rich/upper class refers to a group of individuals have highest place and status in society. These people are considered the wealthiest, lying above the poor and middle class in the social hierarchy. Middle class people fall between the poor class and upper class. They are neither poor nor rich. These people have a simple living and their earning are mostly equal or less than their expenditure resulting to short debts. Poor/lower class people are those who live under poverty. They are homeless, living on roads and slums, don’t have food to eat, usually dependent on begging and daily wage activities.

People ending up in the same category in which they are born, it is very less likely that a poor class person becomes a middle class one in this life span. There are chances that a rich person becomes a middle class one due to many reason but the chances of upgradation in class is very less.

The reason for such situations- “Wrong money management” and less/no knowledge of managing money. Rich people become more rich and poor become more poor and middle class reamains in debt, the reason behind this phenomenon is that knowledge of money management is not being taught in school and if we talk about poor class children dont even go to school. They don’t even know how to read and write. Money management is taught at home rather than in school. Many of us usually learn about money from our parents.

Talking about poor people, how can you say that they can teach their children about money when they themselves don’t have money to fill their stomach. Poor people just teach their children to go school and work hard. It might happen that the child will pass with excellent grades in his/her academic career but even after this their economic status and mindset remain poor and they keep running in the vicious cycle of poverty like a rat.

Children of upper class are given exposure and knowledge of money management from their childhood. As their parents have more than enough money and seeing their parents earning and managing money they also learn and their intellectual development happens in the same matter but it is not possible in the case of middle and lower class as they themselves don’t have enough money so how can they teach their children about the importance of the same.

Money management should be a topic of concern as it is an important aspect of one’s life which determines his/her status and standard of living. Money management be taught from school level only then children can understand the importance of it. Both government and private schools should organise lecture and seminars on the topic “money management”. If they can manage then parents should also be invited to attend such seminars and lectures. Parents should also give opportunities to their child to learn about the money, its expenditures, saving and management. Parents should send their children to the nearby shops to purchase small goods.

Tips for Money Management

1.Every child should be given the opportunity to go to schools. 2.Budgeting should be done to save money. 3.One should create a realistic monthly budget. 4.Everyone must track their spending. 5.One should build up their savings 6.Must pay your bills on time. 7.Have an investment plan. 8.Know your money priorities. 9.Differentiate between needs and wants.

Money is important to live a good life so as its management also. Money management is a skill that everyone must know to have a good present and better future. Children should be taught about money management at school from the very beginning. It is effectively must to manage money to have a good lifestyle. So don’t waste your time and manage your money now to have a healthy, happy and wealthy lifestyle.

Child Labour

Child labour is the worst form of child exploitation. There are more than 25 million child labourers in India. There is nothing more henious than this line. When it is time for children to play in the garden, they are forced to do banded labour. They have dreams to fulfill so it is need of the hour to stop this exploitation. They need play, education and nutrition. These must be provided to them but unfortunately they have to work in inhuman conditions. Childhood which is the most carefree period of a person’s life becomes a nightmare for them. they are mercilessly exploited at the hands of certain sections of the society.

Penury, in fact, is the root cause of all the troubles. It forces the poor parents to engage their children to work for them and earn something. The main culprits of the society are greedy contractors, the poor and uncaring parents and also the perceptors who do not teach. This gigantic wrong must stop and must be eliminated.

Law against child labour must be made strict and be enforced. Severe punishment should be given to those who indulged in or even encourage child labour. Though various steps have been taken by the government and many voluntree organisation are working to prevent the exploitation. Yet this social evil has not been eradicated completely. It is our foremost duty to look into this grave problem and take stringent actions in order to safeguard the rights of children.

The need of the hour for the government and NGOs is to come forward to establish institutes which provide free education and free meds. Primary education should be made mandatory. Until and unless we all get together to fight against the inhuman exploitation of children. We will not be able to eliminate this social stigma completely.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel- the man behind ‘Akhand Bharat’.


Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was known as the ‘Iron Man of India.’ An advocate he was born on October 31, 1875, in a farmer’s family at Nadiad in Gujrat. His father Zaverbhai had fought against the British and served in the army of the Rani of Jhansi. The sons learned patriotism from their father. Vallabhbhai and his brother used to go to the fields with their father and on the way their father used to teach them simple mathematics. Their father imbibed in them values like honesty and fearlessness. His mother too was an influence on him and instilled great religious values in him. Vallabhbhai showed leadership and determination early in life.

He wanted to study law in England. But he did not have the means as his family was very poor. His brother too was a lawyer. He had attended classes before the examination, but Vallabhbhai studied on his own, read law books. Sometimes he attended court sessions and studied the cases carefully. He learned more from observing lawyers. He then gave the examination and started his practice from a small room. Vallabhbhai soon earned himself a name as a prominent lawyer. Later on, he went to England and studied and passed the barrister at law Examination. On his return to India, he set up his practice in Ahmedabad. Vallabhbhai met Gandhiji at a political conference and was greatly influenced by him. He gave up his western-style attire and worked in the national movement led by Gandhiji.
In 1918 when heavy rain destroyed crops in Gujrat, the farmers of Kheda district were greatly disturbed. They had to pay the taxes in any circumstances. They approached Gandhiji to help them, Gandhiji delegated the responsibility to Vallabhbhai Patel. Under his leadership, the farmers launched a ‘NO TAX’ campaign, but on peaceful lines. Patel was with farmers and even started dressing like them. Vallabhbhai dressed in a Dhoti, Kurta, and cap. He encouraged the farmers to stand firm. They needed him and did not budge despite the government seized their land, crop, and cattle. Eventually, their determination won out and the government was faced to give up its demand for the taxes.

The Kheda Satyagraha

During the non-cooperation movement, Patel gave up his practice as a barrister which earned him thousands of rupees. He asked the people not to co-operate in any way. He set up the Gujrat Vidyapeeth to educate children and asked them not to send their children to government-run schools. Patel as a follower of Gandhiji also took to Satyagraha and spinning the charkha and boycott foreign goods. In 1923 the government ordered that the tricolored flag should not be carried on any of the roads in Nagpur where the government officers lived. The people decided to disobey this order. They were offended, “why should we not display our flag in our country”. Vallabhbhai Patel was called upon to guide them. Satyagrahis from all over the country poured in. The agitation went on for about three and a half months. Eventually, the government had to withdraw the order, and the satyagraha ended in a victory for the people.
Mahatma Gandhi was very pleased with his disciple and called him ‘Sardar’ which means leader. From that time he came to be known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

In 1942 the congress called on the British to ‘Quit India’. Many leaders were jailed including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. They were released after 3 years but this too did not deter them. Patel declared that they would not let anything come in the way of India’s freedom. Finally on the 15th of August 1947 when India became free, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister. Sardar Patel’s greatest achievement was the integration of the princely states with the rest of India. At the time of Independence, they were given the option of joining India or Pakistan or to remain separate (independent). Sardar Patel was foresighted and he felt that the future of India lay in the consolidation of these princely states. He pleaded to them to maintain the unity of the country to make laws together as one nation. Hence he initiated the ‘Instrument of Accession’. According to this, issues like Defense, External Affairs, Transport, and communication, etc. were completely in the hands of the Indian government while the rest other powers were in the hands of the princely states. The rulers on the Indian side of the border signed the instrument and merged their states with India. Sardar firmly dealt with troublesome states like Junagadh and Hyderabad which though on the Indian side wished to join Pakistan or remain independent. Overall the integration of the princely states with the Indian Union took place peacefully.

General Syed Ahmed El Edroos (at right) offers his surrender of the Hyderabad State Forces to Major General (of India) Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri at Secunderabad in 1948.

Saradar Vallabhbhai Patel was known as the ‘Man of Steel’, the Iron man of India, a man of few words, a dominant personality but cautious by nature. On his death in Bombay in December 1950, Jawahar Nehru the then Prime Minister of India stated that he was the Architect of Modern India. He left behind him a united India, he is remembered with reverence, and his qualities are greatly admired. The Statue of Unity was built in Gujrat in his honor.

The statue of Unity.

Legends of the Fox

The Fox spirit is one of the most popular creatures in Chinese mythology, as familiar in the canon of Chinese folklore as leprechauns are in Irish fairy tales. Every child knows about Foxes who take the shape of beautiful women and trick men into marriage. In contemporary Asian pop culture, there are films and TV shows featuring seductive Fox women. Yet these interpretations are simplistic and don’t give the Fox enough credit for its place in Chinese history, legend, and literature.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas (or Shan Hai Jing) is an ancient text with entries that date from the 4th century BCE to the 2nd century BCE. In this compilation of mythical and fabulous landscapes, the Nine-Tailed Fox is mentioned as companion to the Queen Mother of the West, a goddess who first appears 33 centuries ago on an oracle bone inscription from the Shang dynasty (1600 – 1046 BCE). During the Han dynasty (202 BCE – 220 CE), the Fox and the Queen Mother of the West could be found together depicted on funerary artefacts. With the Fox as a helping spirit, the Queen Mother could transcend worlds, guide the deceased to heaven, and confer immortality. The Fox was therefore an auspicious omen.

With the rise of Daoism in China, the Queen Mother evolved into the equivalent of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, and by the Tang dynasty (618 – 907 CE) had become the patron deity of women without family – Daoist nuns, courtesans, and female artists. There were suggestions that Foxes acted as messengers to the Queen Mother; there were also writings that referred to Foxes as celestial beings that lived in the Palace of the Sun and the Moon – definitely not demons. This made Foxes suitable candidates for worship. Foxes eventually came into their own and were no longer associated with the Queen Mother of the West.

Believed to be immortal, Foxes have been characterized variously as tricksters, drinking companions, avengers, scholars, seductresses, and faithful lovers. Always mischievous and sly, Foxes are nevertheless known for being intelligent, devoted, and good company.

Fox worship persisted into the Qing dynasty and survives even now in rural areas. The Fox cult has been curiously personal, influenced by local traditions; it varies by region, village, and even by the individual worshipper. Fox shrines tend to be humble, small altars or niches set up in backyards and bedrooms, with incense and offerings placed on boxes or an old table. Worshippers prayed for sexual fulfillment, fertility, wealth.

In Dragon Springs Road, the not-quite animal, not-quite human, not-quite celestial Fox is a perfect foil to the main character who is half-Chinese, half-Western, belonging to neither society. I have attempted to counter pop-culture by giving Fox back some of the dignity of her ancient roles. She has a higher purpose than mere mischief. I’ve also taken the liberty of giving her an extra power. For this, there is precedent. Are there not retellings of fairy tales? Fox-lore is only what humans understand of Foxes, and we only see what they allow us to see. Plus, novelists have always shaped myths to suit the theme of the story – in this case, one of identity and the decisions we make to be true to ourselves.

What causes dandruff?

Dandruff is a common condition that causes the skin on the scalp to flake. Dandruff is caused due to a fungus name Malassezia Globosa that feeds on oils on the scalp. The natural oils on scalp called sebum are key requirement to fuel the dandruff causing microbe. Malassezia feeds on these oils, breaking down it into oelic acid. The body reacts to presence of oelic acid by increasing the speed at which your skin cells renew. People with dandruff have too much sebum on their scalp. This enhances an overgrowth of malassezia, which can also cause atopic dermatitis and lesions.

Tips to reduce dandruff

  1. Apply apple cider vinegar.
  2. Apply mehndi.
  3. Use fenugreek seed.
  4. Use neem juice and neem oil.
  5. Keep yourself hydrated.
  6. Proper diet plan.