Love is the most significant thing in human’s life. Each science and every single literature masterwork will tell you about it. Humans are also social animals. We lived for centuries with this way of life, we were depended on one another to tell us how our clothes fit us, how our body is whether healthy or emaciated. All these we get the honest opinions of those who love us, those who care for us and makes our happiness paramount.

Love is a set of emotions, behaviors, and beliefs with strong feelings of affection. So, for example, a person might say he or she loves his or her dog, loves freedom, or loves God. The concept of love may become an unimaginable thing and also it may happen to each person in a particular way.

What is love? My mind did say,
A caring touch?
A gentle way?
It’s both of these, but so much more,
Numerous aspects , to explore.

What is love? I searched my soul,
A loving glance?
A hand to hold?
It is these things, but just one part,
Of the beauty that lies within the heart.

What is love? I asked my heart,
It seemed the best place,
Where I should start.
Is it fireworks, comets, or astral displays,
Which cause us to feel, so deeply this way?

What is love? It’s simple you see,
It’s essential as air,
For our souls to breathe.
It replenishes your faith, and self- esteem,
Allowing you to fulfill, all of your dreams.

What is love? You’ll be glad to know,
Is the chance for two hearts,
To share and to grow.
Trust, compassion, and a listening ear,
Will dispel all your doubts, cast out all your fears.

To love is to share life together,
to build special plans just for two,
to work side by side,
and then smile with pride,
as one by one, dreams all come true.

To love is to make special memories
of moments you love to recall,
of all the good things
that sharing life brings.
Love is the greatest of all.

And when this love gets decorated with the threads of marriage it becomes perfect,
In every single way.
A beautiful fairy tale is a wedding day.
The theme of the day is to have love and laughter.
And to live your days happily ever after.

Marriage is not a house or even a tent ,it is before that, and colder. It is like the edge of the forest, the edge of the desert.

Even child abuse specialists do not routinely screen for domestic violence. This shows how much more education we need to do, even among experts, to understand the known links between violence of the child and the parent.

But what happens when this love turns into a daily hatred. Domestic violence is an perfect example of this statement .

Domestic Violence is a worldwide crime and occurs across cultures in every social grouping in society regardless of age, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. It is a fundamental violation of the human rights of each and every victim whether male or female adult .It can be defined as abusive, violent behaviour by one or both partners in a close intimate relationship and it can be physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse .

Although women make up the vast majority of victims of domestic violence, children and men are also victims. Research shows that children are affected because they are present during the abuse and a high percentage of men who abuse women also abuse children .Violence also occurs when a woman is pregnant and this can cause threatened or actual miscarriage. In a study at the Rotunda Maternity Hospital in Dublin, 12.5% of women reported having experienced domestic violence during a pregnancy and 75% of these women had experienced violence during their pregnancy.

We’ve often heard the adage, “Precaution is better than cure”. Now more than ever, as COVID-19 spreads like wildfire, we need to stay indoors. Reducing contact is the only way to control the virus. But social distancing means we’re going against our primal instinct that makes us human – being social. And while social media does help in being connected, it lacks physical affection, comfort and intimacy. In these times of extremes, all of us are feeling some kind of distress, a sign that we need to take care of our mental health.

Some of us are lucky to have loving homes, where we can stand by each other. Even as India is now put under lockdown for 21 days, can we assume that each person has a safe space to go back to?

As per World Health Organisation, 1 in 3 women face some form of domestic abuse. This adversely affects their mental and physical health. Moreover, throughout history, women’s bodies have been sites of violence. Societal norms expect women to take care of household duties; since ‘honour’ is linked to their virginity, women’s bodies become more vulnerable. Violence within intimate relationships of LGBTQ+ communities has also witnessed an increase. How then does quarantine and self-isolation affect those who’re caught in abusive situations?

When it comes to abuse, you believe there’s no way out. There is always help. There is always a way out.” ― Rev. Donna Mulvey

Data provided by the NWC states that there has been 100%increase in domestic violence.At a time when women are already shouldering higher proportions of the domestic burden during the lockdown, escalating tensions due to depleting resources are further accentuating domestic violence behind closed doors. Denied access to traditional forms of support – family, friends, doctors – the threat for these unfortunate women looms largest where they should be safest – inside their own homes.

Today I’m becoming a voice of one such victim, FATIMA.

FATIMA was brutally abused and forced into having sex with relatives and strangers by her husband for money. She is presentally suffering from anxiety and depression.

I still remember the day of 21 st March
The day I decided to become his forever.
Yes, we have became partners.
With shimmering bangles and a glowing gown,
I decided to walk with him forever.
In the presence of lord,
We promised to let us share the joys.
We were word and meaning, unite.
If he was thought and I was his sound.
The halt of the car lands me into reality,
I rush towards the door to welcome my love.
I am excited and nervous ,
After all it’s my anniversary today.
Dressed up with the perfect dress,
I smile shyly with Hope in my eyes.
Everything was flawless today,
I ensure that I dont commit any mistake .
Yet as always , he pulls my hair,
He slaps my face, he kicks me on the floor.
I love him so much, so I don’t have the strength,
To walk right out the door.
There’s blood on my face,
Everything hurts,
And all I can do is cry.
I dont know what made him mad,so this is what he does.
I wish I knew his reason why.
My heart won’t let me leave him,
And it hurts too much to try.
I wonder if this is how my life will be
From now until I die.
He says he’s sorry.
He says he loves me.
He takes me in his arms.
He even starts to cry.
I tell him I forgive him
And that everything is fine.
For now at least because I know
It will happen again in time.

Confinement is fostering the tension and strain created by security, health, and money worries. And it is increasing isolation for women with violent partners, separating them from the people and resources that can best help them. It’s a perfect storm for controlling, violent behavior behind closed doors,”

Where does the solution lie? In a society like India’s, where this malaise is deeply entrenched, experts say building awareness is vital. Sensitization campaigns and platforms like the ones established by Breakthrough, an NGO working to making gender-based violence a mainstream issue, can help.

Even child abuse specialists do not routinely screen for domestic violence. This shows how much more education we need to do, even among experts, to understand the known links between violence of the child and the parent.

The boys had always been her reason to stay, but now for the first time they were her reason to leave. She’d allowed violence to become a normal part of their life.” ― Liane Moriarty

As the steps to contain the transmission of the virus might require more stretches of isolation and confinement for the public, the government all around the globe, need to address the upsurge in domestic violence immediately. In this context:

It is critical that governments utilise a human rights and intersectional based approach to ensure that everyone, including the most marginalised, has access to necessary information, support systems and resources during the current crisis.
The state governments need to declare helplines as “essential services” that should remain open during lockdowns.
Media can sensitize the public against gender-based violence, publicise resources and services available and encourage the equitable sharing of domestic tasks at home.
Increase resourcing for NGOs that respond to domestic violence and aid — including shelter, counselling, and legal aid — to survivors, and promote those that remain open.
Ensure women’s timely access to necessary and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services during the crisis, such as maternal health services, safe abortion etc.
Finally, the perpetrators of domestic violence must be brought to trial and repeated offenders must be dealt with strictly as per the provisions of law.

So, as you all can see my topic for today is Child Marriage.

First of all lets start with understanding what child marriage actually is. So, child marriage is any formal or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF). According to the UNICEF, India has the highest number of child brides in the world i.e. 15,509,000 approximately. 27% of girls in India are married before their 18th birthday and 7% are married before the age of 15.

Why Child Marriage happens? Child Marriage happens because of a belief that girls are more inferior than boys and that they are burden on a family, so to get rid of them their parents get her married. Other reasons why child marriage happens are listed and explained as- (1)POVERTY: Child marriage often happens in poorer households, many families marrying off their daughters to reduce their economic burdens. Also, less dowry is expected for younger brides. (2)BETROTHAL: Before their birth, some girls are promised in marriage in order to “secure” their future. Once they reach puberty, they are married officially. (3)LEVEL OF EDUCATION: Many families consider girls as “paraya dhan”. And therefore educating a girl seems waste of money to them. They believe that girls are born to do household works and they will always remain inferior to men. (4)HOUSEHOLD LABOUR: When the girls are deemed to be more productive they often get married and suppose to take care of household and children. (5)GENDER NORMS: Normally girls are seen as inferior to men and therefore they are expected to be adaptable, docile, hardworking and talented wives. (6)VIOLENCE AGAINST GIRLS: Some girls are married early because of so called “kharab mahaul”. These are only some points, the list is endless.

India has committed to eliminate child marriage completely by 2030. India acceded to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, which sets a minimum age of marriage is 18, and ratified the Convention on the Elimination if All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(CEDAW) in 1993, which obligates states to ensure free and full consent to marriage.

In the end, I just want to say that girls are not inferior to boys, they are equally productive and even more. A girl does all the hardwork like going to office, taking care of in-laws and children, taking care of household, and etc. she is a multitasker, a boy cannot do this, he cannot perform several functions at one time but a girl can do. Girls are more capable than boys. Never underestimate the power of a girl. She performs various roles like, mother, sister, daughter, wife, etc.. A boy is nothing without a women. If there were no women than I don’t think so anyone would’ve existed. Spending each penny on women’s education is worth it. Today, women’s are leading the world, and still in some parts of the world they are treated like a burden. Women are mot a burden!

Stop child marriage and give them a chance, they’ll make you proud!

A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform~Diane Mariechild

We have been hearing and knowing the term ‘racism’ at some point in our life. But the less we knew that the issue would become so serious that it would have a large and uneven impact on the peace and harmony of the human race? Yes you heard that right. So lets begin with some of the case studies and the recent incidents on this case.

Recently a man named George floyd was murdered on the streets of America choked by an officer of the Minneapolis police department. This happened in broad day light with a lot of people around shocked. Unfortunately George floyd couldn’t survive but some of his last words were ‘I can’t breathe’. NOW THE MAIN THING GEROGE FLOYD WAS A BLACK MAN AND BLACK LIVES MATTER. The killing of George floyd went online and gained alot of headlines and support from the world, the terms used for the support on social media were, #blacklivesmatter #icantbreathe, Another shocking incident took place when the well known anonymous group returned after 6 years to send a message to the police department regarding the injustice and criminal acts that the department has been involved in. This also caused a lot chaos on the streets of America as the protestors were on the street asking questions which obviously harmed the peace and harmony of the City.

Now coming towards India and how can we justify racism in India. The beauty product ads that go through our screen everyday promote racism, Yes you heard that right. For example if a dark toned guy/girl goes for an interview or say proposes anyone legimately they get rejected as shown in the ads just because of their skin colour, this is where unknowingly racism is being promoted.A number of people experience depression and anxiety due to the fact that their skin colour is dark.

Everyone is unique in their own ways in their own colors in their own potential and skills and lastly each of us are beautiful and wants to seek love and respect and also give it in return.

Racism will only cause chaos,deaths,depression,anxiety,suicidal thoughts among the one who are the victims and lastly racism doesn’t only come with black colour, it is also involved in religion, caste, nationality etc.

3D printing is a process of making 3D (three dimensional) solid objects from a digital file with extreme precision. This technology is also termed additive manufacturing as the 3D printed object is created by additive processes i.e. by laying down successive layers of manufacturing material one over the other. The physical object to be made is first designed in software like CAD then the design is fed to some computerized machine which builds it layer by layer. In 1984 Chuck hull was the first person to file his own patent for 3D printing and in 1986 he got his patent and the first commercial 3D printer SLA-1 was released.

Benefits of 3D printing:

1. Improves customisation. Materials can be easily modified to suit a particular individual’s requirement or to suit a particular task.
2. With the assistance of software and technology, we can make changes simply by a click of the mouse. It makes manufacturing process more flexible.
3. Unlike subractive manufacturing, it provides maximum productivity with minimum wastage. The end product will be of robust quality. Thus manufacturing becomes more efficient.
4. Use of 3D printing in manufacturing will reduce cost and time. Recently, China has used giant 3D printers to make 10 full-sized, detached single-storey houses in a day. The cost of each house was less than $5,000.This is a good example of how 3D printing can be used for the producers’ advantage and consumers’ benefit, thus benefiting both parties.
5. 3D printing creates more jobs for skilled labourers.

There are also some grave concerns about 3D printing technology. Dangerous and destructive weapons can be made easily using 3D technology that will threaten the security of countries. The whole process involves computer software and computerized machines. It is universal truth that computer software will succumb to cyber attacks. As such it is not a foolproof system.

Applications:

In the field of Education-

In the field of education it is of immense use. Students of all streams can make use of this technology to their full advantage and benefits.

In the field of Medicine-

 In the world of medicine 3D printing can be used to create biomaterials like cells, tissues by bio-printing and create prosthetic devices. It is difficult and expensive to produce prosthetics that fit a patient. With 3D printing, measured prosthetics can be modelled and printed at significantly lower cost. Bioprinting allows for the 3D printing of artificial organs, helping solve organ failure issues in patients faster, important to both the patient and his/her family and to healthcare systems.3D printed tissues have been developed for pharmaceutical testing as a cost-effective and ethical means of helping identify the side effects of drugs and validating safe dosages.

In Construction Sector-

3D printing is used to produce architectural scale models, enabling a faster turnaround of the scale model and increasing the overall speed and complexity of the objects produced.

In Art and jewellery making-

 3D printing allows production of customized jewellery at a very low cost. Recently, the Prado Museum organized an exhibition of paintings by well-known artists rendered in 3D. The purpose was to allow visually impaired people to feel these works that were previously inaccessible to them.

These are just a few of the countless ways, from education to medicine to industry to the arts, that 3D printing technologies impact our world today. Covid-19 gave a heavy blow to the manufacturing and other sectors in India crippling the entire economy affecting the livelihood of everyone in the country. In reviving and rejuvenating the economy the 3D technology will be of immense and tremendous use in all sectors. The government can encourage research and training in 3D technology in India to reap all its benefits and advantages.

The real illiteracy today’s world facing is lack of sacraments . Parents send their children to school so teacher can teach them but they forgets that they are the first teacher who teaches moral values to their child such as respect , humbleness , honesty. That’s their duty to give sacrament to their children . School can provide them only academic knowledge, but the basic etiquettes has to be taught by their parents only . Parents generally avoid their responsibility of teaching their childern the basic ethics and blames the school for children’s wrong deeds and instead of exhorting their child, they rather scolds them and says “What are you learning in school” . Parents should remember that they are giving fees to school only to provide academic knowledge and basic ethics described in the books but it’s actually the duty of the parents to make children to follow those etiquettes. Child spends maximum of 8 hours of his day in school but the rest of the 16 hours with family.
Hence, when a person makes ethical mistakes after growing , the blame goes to their parents who didn’t taught them to respect people, to take right decision ,  who didn’t taught them the difference between the good and bad deeds ,who let them be a part of a bad company which developed such mentality & influenced them to do bad activities.These are the things which has to be taught to a person from the childhood itself . So, it’s the duty of all the parents that rather than scolding children even for their smaller mistakes ,explain them the right thing.
That’s how a true & cherish development of a child takes place to be a better human ,better citizen.

Will the irrational indifferences based on our skin colour and facial features fend or will they continue till the end?……

Racism-this is a term which has been lingering from ages, even in today’s modern time where mind sets have changed or mabey are still trying to be changed people are still stuck to old beliefs and myths which they are not ready to leave, when will the day arise where we stop distinguising ourselves based on the colour of our skin or even based on our facial features, when will the day arise where we shall stop distinguishing Africans from Americans and just call ourselves as humans. Many of us look forward for a day where we stop tagging ourselves and live under one name that is “Humans of Mother Earth”. We have the same red blood running in our veins and we live, we eat and we work in the same environment which is equal before us all, but still distinguish and discriminate each other based on our colour.

The case of George Floyd has shook us once again, once again hue and cry has mixed its chaos with the flood of fury. Unrest has spread its wings over the land of liberty. Even though several civilizations have passed and our surroundings have drastically changed but we have been unable to adapt our mind towards the terrifying truth. This sensitive issue is just a reminder for us all that even in the modern age of twenty first century where people have reached the moon and are striving to go on mars we still are here with our narrow and conservative mind sets lurking around the same issue and ruining our lives and putting lives of many others at risk, education does not really change mind sets and that’s true after all. Great voices like Martin Luther king who had a dream to see a country free from any kind of racism or discrimination or Obama who with his leadership highlighted the concept of unity in diversity or Rosa parks who defied a man of a different colour in poisonous times where racism was like a plague and stood for equality and raised her voice over the wrong. 

Racism is not only a problem which exists in the land of the free and the home of the brave but it also exists in India as well, from time to time we see news and headlines surfacing newspapers, news channels and social media over racist attacks based on colour and facial features, calling out derogatory terms to people of other communities and insulting there culture is just one of the reasons which has widened the divide between West and East and North and south in India. Even after so many awareness campaigns, education, laws, and millions of protests and unwanted bloodshed the cycle of terror, tumult and trauma just does not seem to end. Not only that gender indifferences and social indifferences still slither like a poisonous snake in our society, such indifferences which are increasing day by day not only destroy societies but also damage mental health, they leave behind a wound whose scars pass on for generations and can become the spark to a ferocious fire.

I would like to quote James Baldwin “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Will the disturbances and disarray in society be solved soon when the whole country is moved or will the disorder continue after all this comes back to a standstill.

• Abdhi Upadhyay