Rethinking Legal Personhood for Nature: From Symbolism to Sustainable Governance

The debate over granting legal personhood to nature has gained significant momentum in recent years. Rivers, forests, and ecosystems have been recognized as "legal persons" in various jurisdictions, a move celebrated by some as revolutionary and dismissed by others as symbolic. However, what lies beneath this debate is a deeper question: how should human societies govern their relationship with the natural world?

The Limits of Anthropocentrism

Most legal systems, including India’s Constitution, approach environmental protection through an anthropocentric lens. However, Indian courts have increasingly leaned toward ecocentrism, with Supreme Court rulings recognizing the intrinsic value of forests, wildlife, and even declaring that all animals have legal rights. This framework, however, fails in two crucial ways:

1. Short-term benefit, long-term harm: Some actions may appear beneficial in the moment but cause enduring damage. Synthetic sports turfs, for example, offer convenience but leach microplastics and block groundwater recharge. The European Union has recognized this and begun restricting their use.

2. Invisible harms: When environmental harm does not have an immediate human victim, it often goes unnoticed. Species extinction exemplifies this: ecosystems collapse quietly, with long-term consequences that are rarely litigated or legislated against.

These blind spots reveal the limits of an anthropocentric model and suggest the need for a broader, more ecocentric vision, one that recognizes nature’s intrinsic value.

Why Legal Personhood Matters

The idea of granting nature legal personhood is rooted in the belief that rivers, forests, and species should have the right to exist, thrive, and regenerate. This is not only an ecological imperative but also an ethical and even spiritual one. Seeing nature as intrinsically valuable helps us cultivate civic integrity, humility, and responsibility.

Yet, in practice, legal personhood is often framed in human-centered terms. The Ganga, for instance, was declared a legal person largely because of its sacred role in Hinduism. However, this declaration was later stayed by the Supreme Court, showing the fragility of symbolic recognition.This selective recognition risks perpetuating the same anthropocentric bias it seeks to transcend.

Global Lessons: When Personhood Works

Despite these concerns, international experiences show that legal personhood can reshape governance when designed thoughtfully:

Whanganui River, New Zealand: Granted legal status in 2017, the river is co-governed by representatives of the Māori community and the state, backed by funding and legal powers.

Mar Menor Lagoon, Spain: Recognized as a legal person in 2022, the lagoon comes with universal standing, any citizen can sue to protect it. Spain’s Constitutional Court upheld this model in 2024, strengthening its legitimacy.

Atrato River, Colombia: Declared a legal person with community-based guardianship, linking environmental protection to local stewardship.

These examples demonstrate that personhood can succeed when it expands legal standing, secures resources, and embeds co-governance. It is not inherently symbolic, it depends on design.

The Challenge of Guardianship

Many personhood models rely on human guardians to represent nature’s interests. This raises concerns of accountability and potential conflicts of interest, especially when governments or commercial actors dominate the process. Yet, as the Whanganui case shows, guardianship can succeed when it is designed with community participation, independent funding, and clear mandates. The lesson is that personhood itself is not the problem, design is.

Seeds of Ecocentrism in India

India’s legal system is not static. The Supreme Court has already moved toward ecocentrism in landmark cases, recognizing intrinsic value in forests and wildlife. However, institutional frameworks remain weak. The National Green Tribunal operates under the Ministry of Environment, which raises concerns about independence. Reform could include an independent budget line and appointment process, similar to the Election Commission, to strengthen its autonomy. 

Urban planning bodies often prioritize commercial profit over ecological health. For instance, slum rehabilitation laws and policies rarely integrate sustainability considerations.

Toward Better Governance

If the goal is true ecological protection, then reforms must move beyond symbolic declarations. Practical measures include:

Establishing independent environmental bodies with their own budgets and appointment processes.

Granting citizens broader standing to hold violators accountable.

Embedding economic incentives that reward ecosystem protection, such as payments for ecosystem services, biodiversity credits, and sustainable procurement policies.

From Personhood to Responsibility

The real divide is not between anthropocentrism and ecocentrism. It is between short-term exploitation and long-term wisdom. Nature already follows its own laws; it is humans who need accountability. Legal personhood may serve as a bridge, but lasting change will come from embedding ecological responsibility into governance, markets, and civic life.

Conclusion

Granting nature legal personhood is not an endpoint, it is a tool. If left symbolic, it risks being another layer of rhetoric. But if designed to shift power, funding, and accountability, it can help reshape our relationship with the natural world. Ultimately, the question is not whether nature has rights. It is whether humans can learn to govern ourselves in a way that respects the interconnected whole of which we are only one part.

Call it what you want

She lost her crown, but found her calm.

The world tore down her name,

but in the quiet, someone whispered her truth,

and loved her, not in spite of her scars,

but because of them.

No longer seeking to prove herself,

she guards her peace, wears love like armor,

and lets the rest talk.

Say what you will.

I’ll call it what I want.

ICJ Issues Landmark Advisory Opinion on Climate Obligations of States: Legal Clarity for a Warming World

On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a watershed Advisory Opinion on the obligations of States in respect of climate change, a moment of immense legal and political significance for environmental law, state accountability, and global governance.

Requested by the UN General Assembly through Resolution 77/276, this opinion provides the clearest articulation yet of the legal framework binding States to climate action, and the consequences of non-compliance. With input from 96 States and 11 international organizations, it reflects both legal consensus and growing urgency.

Core Legal Findings:-

The Court’s conclusions carry profound implications for legal practitioners, policymakers, and public institutions worldwide. The ICJ held that:

1. States Have Binding Legal Obligations Under Multiple Legal Regimes

The Court identified obligations under:

Climate treaties: UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement.

Customary international law: Including the duty to prevent significant transboundary environmental harm and the duty to cooperate in good faith.

International human rights law: Linking environmental protection to the enjoyment of human rights.

Other treaties: Including the Law of the Sea, Biodiversity Convention, and Desertification Convention.

The obligations are not merely aspirational. They are legal duties, requiring action across mitigation, adaptation, international cooperation, and financial/technological support.

2. Breaches Trigger International Legal Responsibility

Where States fail to fulfill these obligations, by act or omission, such failures can constitute internationally wrongful acts. This includes:

Providing fossil fuel subsidies;

Failing to regulate private sector emissions;

Delaying or avoiding obligations under NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions);

Failing to support adaptation in vulnerable States.

Such breaches can give rise to:

Cessation of the wrongful conduct;

Assurances of non-repetition;

Reparation, including compensation or satisfaction, provided a “sufficiently direct and certain causal nexus” is established.

3. Legal Consequences Extend Across Borders and Generations

The Court affirmed that:

Obligations to protect the climate system are erga omnes, owed to the international community as a whole.

All States have a legal interest in the performance of climate obligations by others.

Injured States (including small island and developing States) have standing to invoke responsibility.

Obligations also concern the rights and interests of present and future generations, an important recognition in the context of intergenerational equity.

Implications for Legal and Policy Practice

For Legal Practitioners:

This opinion provides clear legal grounds for States and civil society to pursue climate litigation, both domestically and internationally.

It confirms that climate action is not simply a policy matter but a question of compliance with binding legal duties, a crucial point for advocacy, negotiation, and enforcement.

The ICJ emphasizes the due diligence standard: States must actively regulate non-State actors within their jurisdiction, particularly where inaction enables significant harm.

For Public Policy Professionals:

The opinion reinforces the legitimacy of climate governance frameworks grounded in law, from NDC enforcement to cross-border climate finance and capacity building.

It strengthens the case for mainstreaming international legal obligations into national climate policies and budgeting processes.

The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) remains relevant, but all States are accountable within their respective capabilities.

A Turning Point in Global Climate Governance

While advisory in nature, the ICJ’s opinion is authoritative and will likely shape judicial reasoning, negotiation frameworks, and institutional accountability for years to come. It joins a growing body of jurisprudence, alongside domestic court rulings and human rights decisions, that frame climate inaction as a legal, not just political, failure.

This opinion aligns international legal doctrine with climate science, offering States and institutions a coherent roadmap to uphold the rule of law in addressing the climate crisis.

Read the full opinion: https://www.icj-cij.org/case/187

Summary from the ICJ: 

Summary 2025/4

Historic Climate Ruling from the ICJ!

On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark Advisory Opinion on the obligations of States regarding climate change marking a critical moment in the fight for climate justice.

Countries are legally obligated under international law to protect the climate, not just by treaties like the Paris Agreement, but also under customary international law and human rights law.

These obligations apply not only to emissions reductions, but also to adaptation, cooperation, and support for vulnerable states.

Countries that fail to act or enable harmful emissions through fossil fuel subsidies, for example, may be committing internationally wrongful acts.

The Court confirmed that all States have a shared legal interest in holding each other accountable.

This is the first time the ICJ has laid out such a clear, unanimous legal framework around state responsibility for climate change. It sets the stage for more climate litigation, international cooperation, and stronger legal tools to protect our planet and future generations.

Read the full opinion here: https://lnkd.in/dCt-8chg

Where you belong

You do not have to reach, or try,       to earn the way you fill my sky.     You live in me so quietly, like roots that breathe beneath a tree.

No measure made of time or talk
defines the path on which we walk.
Even in silence, love holds true,
my stillness leans toward you.

I keep you not with grasp or chain,
but in the way I speak your name, only in thought, where no one hears, softened by hope and untouched by fears.

You are stitched into my simplest days, in quiet looks and in gentle ways.
The kind of love that needs no sound,
yet everywhere, it is all around.

No need for words to prove your place. You breathe in all I do.        Like petals fold to hold the rain, my silence gathers you.  

The Art of Letting Go: Embracing Self-Reliance and Rediscovering Yourself

In a world that often prioritizes tangible gains like services, money, and personal benefits, it is easy to feel disheartened when relationships fail to meet your emotional needs. If you’ve ever found yourself giving endlessly, only to feel underappreciated, this post is for you.

Let us start with a harsh truth: people aren’t always looking for love in the way you may be offering it. They might be seeking something transactional like support, convenience, or even validation. That doesn’t make them inherently. It is simply how many navigate life. However, what happens to you, the giver, when you’ve invested your heart and soul into someone who doesn’t reciprocate in the same way?

The answer lies not in blaming others but in redefining how you approach love, relationships, and most importantly, yourself.

Caring through others: the trap of emotional dependency

When you care for others more than yourself, it is often because you’ve learned to find validation through them. You pour your energy into pleasing them, thinking it will secure their love and your sense of belonging. However, here is the hard part: when love is conditional i.e based on what you provide rather than who you are, it leaves you empty.

It’s not their fault entirely, nor is it yours. However, it is your responsibility to shift the focus.

Why Self-Reliance is the Greatest Love Story You’ll Ever Write

The world changes when you start to prioritize yourself not out of selfishness but out of necessity. Becoming self-reliant doesn’t mean rejecting others; it means filling your own cup first. It is about listening to your heart and taking actions that resonate with your true desires.

Here are some powerful questions to guide you:

• What does my heart truly say?
• Is this what I really want, or am I doing it to please others?
• What do I want to do now, not out of obligation, but out of joy?
• Is this action light and freeing?
• Will this choice build a better future for me tomorrow?

When you let these questions guide your decisions, you stop seeking external validation. You start building a relationship with yourself that is unconditional, nurturing, and empowering.

People are not bad. They are just human

Here is another hard truth: the people who let you down may not even realize they are doing so. Most are just navigating their own struggles, caught up in their needs and desires. They are not bad. They are human.

Understanding this allows you to release bitterness and resentment. It gives you the freedom to set boundaries and move forward without anger weighing you down.

How to start your journey of self-reliance

1. Detach with love: Stop tying your worth to others’ opinions or actions. You are enough, even if no one else validates it.
2. Prioritize self-care: Invest time and energy in activities that nurture your mind, body, and soul.
3. Set boundaries: Protect your energy by saying no when something doesn’t serve your well-being.
4. Surround yourself with positivity: Seek out people who uplift and inspire you, not those who drain you.
5. Celebrate small wins: Every step you take toward self-reliance is a victory worth celebrating.

The power of choosing yourself

When you stop seeking love through others and start finding it within yourself, everything changes. You no longer act out of desperation or fear of being alone. Instead, you make decisions from a place of confidence and clarity.

This shift doesn’t just transform your relationship with yourself but it enhances your relationships with others too. You attract people who respect and value the authentic you, rather than the version of you molded to meet their needs.

The takeaway

Life isn’t about pleasing everyone, is about honoring your heart. It is about aligning your actions with your desires, building a future that serves you.

So, the next time you feel tempted to overgive, pause. Ask yourself: Is this what I truly want? Am I acting out of love for myself or out of fear of losing someone else?

Remember, self-reliance isn’t isolation it is liberation. When you choose yourself, you are not just living; you’re thriving.

It’s your turn. What does your heart say? Listen carefully. It knows the way.

Why small things matter so much to women in romantic relationships

You’ve probably heard the stereotype before.

Why are girlfriends often called insecure? Why do they seem to overreact or appear to nag about little things like texts, calls, or tone of voice?

At first glance, this kind of behavior might seem irrational or overly emotional. But if you look closer, there is a deeper reason behind it. And no, it is not because women are crazy. It is because they care deeply and are often trying to protect something valuable.

Let’s take a closer look.

1. Small Things Are Actually Big Things

To many women, the little things a man does or does not do carry meaning.

Why is that?

Because in the early stages of a relationship, she is still learning who you are. Those small things become signs of something bigger.

Do you respond when she reaches out?

Do you follow through on your word?

Do you listen when she talks?

Are you consistent and present?

These moments may seem minor, but over time they form a picture of how you operate. If you are careless with the little things, she may wonder how you will handle the bigger ones. So no, she is not overanalyzing. She is paying attention. She is asking herself, even if not fully aware of it,

Can I trust this person? Can I rely on him in the long run?

2. Women Invest Emotionally and Carefully

A woman’s time, emotional energy, and attention, especially during the most important years of her life, are incredibly valuable. She is not just looking for fun or excitement. She is thinking about emotional security and possibly even her future family.

Women often carry more of the emotional and physical weight when it comes to relationships, pregnancy, and care. So of course she wants to be sure she is investing in the right person.

When you ignore a message or miss a call, it is not just about that moment. It can represent something larger. Does this person take me seriously? Do I matter to him? Can I relax into this connection?

3. Emotional Sensitivity Means Deep Caring

Women are often more emotionally aware, not because they are fragile, but because they are tuned in. That emotional sensitivity is what allows them to care deeply, nurture others, and show empathy.

They notice subtle shifts in behavior. They feel tension before it is spoken. They sense distance even if nothingl has been said. This is not a flaw. It is a strength. But when those emotional alarms go off, it can cause real distress.

If a woman becomes emotional, it is rarely because she wants drama. It is usually because something she values feels threatened or unclear.

4. It Is About Trust and Emotional Safety

Too often, women are labeled as controlling or needy when they express a desire for communication or reassurance. But in truth, they are usually seeking emotional safety.

They are asking

Do you mean what you say?

Are you dependable?

Will you be there when it matters?

And beneath all of that

Would you be a loving partner, a steady presence, and someone I could build a real future with?

This is not about control. It is about safety, stability, and shared commitment.

5. The Relationship Impacts More Than Just Two People

When a woman is in a secure and loving relationship, it affects everything. Her mood, her health, her ability to give to others, and if she chooses to become a mother, the well-being of her children.

If she is in a relationship where she feels neglected, dismissed, or undervalued, it does more than hurt her feelings. It affects her on every level.

So when she seems sensitive, it is not because she is weak. It is because she understands what is at stake, even if she cannot always explain it in words.

Final Thoughts: It Is Not Insecurity, It Is Emotional Intelligence

When women care about the details, when they ask for attention, consistency, and care, it is not a sign of emotional instability.

It is actually a sign of emotional wisdom.

They are not being dramatic. They are trying to protect their heart, their time, and their future.

So the next time you wonder why that text, call, or forgotten detail matters so much to her, remember this

It is not about the call. It is about the trust.

It is not about the message. It is about being valued.

It is not about the small thing.

It is about something much bigger.

Why Gender Equity at Work Needs Legal Muscle, Not Just Motivation

Every time a woman walks into a job interview and is asked if she’s married, when she plans to be, or whether she intends to have children questions rarely, if ever, asked of men,  we are reminded that gender inequality isn’t about capability. It’s about structure.

It’s not that women don’t negotiate, or that they lack ambition. It’s that workplaces, education systems, and even the public space itself have been built with a default male body and mind in mind. Women, on the other hand, are expected to shrink — their presence, their expectations, and even their biological rhythms. We often hear women are less confident, more “emotional,” or less self-promoting. These aren’t personal shortcomings. They are symptoms of a society that quietly teaches women, from puberty onward, to doubt themselves and then punishes them if they speak up.

We cannot solve this by simply asking women to “lean in.” What we need is law. We need policy. We need systemic scaffolding that holds up equality even when the culture around it does not.

1. End Discriminatory Hiring Practices

It is currently legal in India to ask a woman if she plans to marry or have children in a job interview. There is no explicit provision in Indian labour law — including the Equal Remuneration Act, Maternity Benefit Act, or even POSH, that bars this line of questioning. It should be. A clear provision under the Equal Opportunity Code must be introduced, making such questions illegal, with penalties for non-compliance.

Every job interview must come under a formal anti-discrimination clause,  similar to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) framework in the U.S. Companies above a certain size should be required to file anonymised interview data for third-party audit.

2. Mandate Pay Transparency and Negotiation Audits

Women, statistically, negotiate less often and less aggressively than men. But the larger issue is structural: most organisations don’t offer pay transparency. That creates space for gender-based wage gaps to go unnoticed or worse, justified. Governments must legally mandate pay bands for all roles in medium and large organisations, and require that HR departments conduct annual gender audits of salaries, promotions, and negotiation success rates.

This is already being done in countries like Iceland and the UK. There’s no reason India shouldn’t follow suit.

3. Enforce Equal Representation in Decision-Making Roles

India’s corporate boards are still overwhelmingly male. Even in 2025, women make up less than 18% of board members in the top 500 NSE-listed companies. A 33% reservation for women on boards,  not as a token but as a compliance requirement should be enforced with clear penalties. This isn’t just a gender issue; companies with gender-diverse leadership tend to perform better financially and show higher ethical standards.

We also need the same enforcement in public offices, university senates, and workplace grievance committees. If women aren’t at the table when rules are made, those rules will continue to reflect male default assumptions.

4. Make Workplaces Hormone-Aware, Not Just Gender-Aware

Much of our current workplace model such as  9-to-5 routines, monthly reviews, linear productivity cycles, is built on male hormonal rhythms, which operate on a roughly 24-hour cycle. Women, whose bodies follow more complex hormonal patterns across a 28-day cycle, are held to a standard they didn’t help design.

This is not about special treatment; it’s about accommodation. Companies should be encouraged (and eventually required) to create flexible productivity models for menstruating and menopausal employees. These could include cycle-aware leave banks, hybrid work windows, and the right to opt out of non-critical meetings during certain phases.

This also applies to education. Girls going through puberty face both objectification and alienation in classroom settings. Teachers must be trained to recognise the psychosocial effects of adolescence on girls, not just discipline them for “distracted behaviour.”

5. Protect Women’s Right to Simply Exist in Public

The very act of a woman standing still in public space can invite suspicion. She cannot loiter. She cannot be idle. She must have a “purpose”, preferably work, errands, or care-giving. Otherwise, she is sexualised, policed, or pathologised. This is what sociologists call the “male default of public presence.”

Local governments must redesign public spaces through a gender-equity lens more seating, better lighting, community-driven vigilance committees (not surveillance), and strong anti-harassment enforcement. Cities like Vienna have implemented “gender mainstreaming” in urban design. It’s time Indian cities did the same.

6. Build Legal Protection for Unpaid and Invisible Labour

One of the most devastating contradictions today is that being a traditional wife or homemaker is no longer socially recognised, yet workplaces do not accommodate the unpaid labour women do at home. Care work, emotional labour, child-rearing, and household management continue to fall disproportionately on women, with zero legal recognition.

We need a legal framework that offers pensions, healthcare coverage, or time-banking for homemakers not just as welfare, but as a rights-based recognition of their contribution to the economy. Kerala’s new budget offering monthly pay to homemakers is a small but meaningful step in this direction.

7. Reimagine Masculinity Through Legal and Cultural Reform

Finally, none of this is good for men either. When women are punished for being too feminine, and men are punished for being too “soft,” both are trapped in rigid roles that crush mental health, empathy, and personal growth. Gender-sensitive school curricula and public awareness campaigns must target boys too — not to shame them, but to liberate them from hyper-masculine expectations.

Gender justice is not a “women’s issue.” It’s a societal reset.

The Bottom Line

A woman’s worth is not determined by how well she hides her pain, smiles through discrimination, or pretends to be either a man or a superwoman. The problem is not that women are weak. It’s that society, policy, and law still treat their strength as an exception, not the norm.

What we need is a complete rewiring of how workplaces, public spaces, and institutions perceive gender. Not as a box to be ticked, but as a foundational principle of fairness and dignity.

Until then, every policy that ignores the emotional, biological, and structural reality of being a woman in today’s world is simply unfinished work.

Why Marathi Cinema Remains Underrated and What We Can Actually Do About It

Marathi cinema doesn’t suffer from a lack of talent. The writing is sharp, the performances are strong, and the ideas are often years ahead of mainstream trends. What’s missing is the system or the scaffolding that helps stories travel, scale, and sustain. Until we acknowledge this and move beyond clichés like “there’s no audience” or “Bollywood has better budgets,” nothing will change.

Let’s take a closer look at that first excuse: “There’s no audience.” Why is that? Why don’t Marathi films reach viewers across India, or even abroad? Why don’t they get proper dubbing, visible marketing campaigns, or prime OTT placements?

One major reason is cost. Dubbing a film into another language can cost anywhere between ₹5–15 lakh. For producers working on shoestring budgets, this is often out of reach. So, even when a Marathi film has potential appeal beyond the state, it never gets the chance. It remains stuck in a local bubble.

This is where public policy could make a real difference. The government could create a dedicated fund to support dubbing and subtitling for regional films, something similar to what France’s CNC or South Korea’s KOCCA have already established. Even a small grant per film could open up national and international distribution possibilities. If we are serious about making Marathi cinema accessible, this is the most practical place to start.

Another core issue is budget. Most Marathi films are made for under ₹5 crore, and many for significantly less. With this kind of budget, there’s barely enough to complete production, let alone fund marketing, festival submissions, or long-term visibility efforts. And because the financial returns are uncertain, large studios and private investors tend to stay away. The entire ecosystem is trapped in a low-budget, low-return loop.

One way to break that loop is by creating a public-private funding body specifically for Marathi creative industries. This would allow the government to match private investment in select projects with national or global potential. Such funds already exist in other sectors, there’s no reason cinema should be left out.

But money isn’t the only missing piece. There is also a lack of support infrastructure. Many Marathi filmmakers come from theatre, literature, or activist backgrounds. Their strength is storytelling, not business strategy. Most do not have access to OTT aggregators, sales agents, or the legal knowledge needed to negotiate fair distribution deals. There is currently no system to train them in how to scale their work or build long-term IP.

What’s needed here is a formal accelerator, a short-term, intensive program that offers training in areas like intellectual property rights, distribution strategy, and international sales. FTII could lead such a program, ideally in partnership with the state. If we do this for tech entrepreneurs, why not for filmmakers?

Even within Maharashtra, Marathi films are at a disadvantage. Go to any multiplex in Mumbai or Pune, and you’ll find that Bollywood films dominate the prime-time slots. Marathi films, even good ones, are often relegated to morning or late-night shows. This has less to do with quality and more to do with revenue. Multiplexes earn more from a big Bollywood release than they do from a regional film, so they prioritize accordingly.

Other states have addressed this imbalance through policy. Tamil Nadu, for example, mandates a fixed percentage of screen time for Tamil films. Maharashtra could adopt a similar model, not to be protectionist, but to ensure that regional cinema has a fair chance in its own market. A minimum screen quota for Marathi films in the state’s theatres would be a strong first step.

Promotion is another major challenge. Most Marathi films lack the marketing muscle to compete in a noisy digital world. There are no consistent PR strategies, influencer tie-ups, or long-term audience-building efforts. Each film starts from scratch. And because there’s no shared infrastructure, the same problems keep repeating.

This could change if the state helped establish a shared marketing consortium, a collective effort where filmmakers can pool resources for outreach, publicity, and festival campaigns. Other states already have formal cultural export programs for cinema. Kerala, Assam, and even Manipur do more than Maharashtra in this regard. Given how much talent exists here, this gap is baffling.

Beyond logistics, there’s a cultural challenge too. Many Marathi creators are deeply uncomfortable with promotion. They feel it’s inauthentic or self-indulgent. This mindset is shaped by a legacy of social reform thinkers like Phule and Ambedkar positioned art as a tool for education and conscience, not self-glorification. But in today’s digital world, humility often becomes invisibility. If your work isn’t visible, it might as well not exist.

That doesn’t mean artists need to “sell out.” It just means we need to equip them with tools to promote their work ethically and effectively. Media training, branding workshops, and digital strategy sessions should be integrated into cultural funding programs. Artists don’t need to chase virality, but they do need to be seen.

There’s also the frustrating pattern where Marathi films only get recognition after being remade in Hindi. It’s as if the original only becomes legitimate once it’s translated into a Bollywood format. This isn’t just about language. It’s about media gatekeeping. National coverage from film reviews to award circuits still leans heavily toward Hindi or English content.

We need legal safeguards here too. In the European Union, platforms like Netflix are required to maintain a minimum quota of European content. India could take a similar approach. OTT platforms should be required to visibly feature regional language content, not bury it under dozens of clicks. Visibility quotas would ensure that Marathi films have a fighting chance in the algorithm-driven marketplace.

Finally, the issue of stardom. Marathi cinema does not have a real star system, not because the actors aren’t talented, but because there’s no ecosystem to support celebrity. No dedicated PR firms, no talent managers, no media pipelines. Stardom doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built and Marathi cinema has never invested in building it.

This can change too. The government could offer incentives to regional publicists and media agencies that promote local talent. It could also create grants for artist development, including training in public speaking, social media, and press relations. When actors become visible, the industry as a whole benefits.

Ultimately, the question isn’t whether Marathi cinema has value, it clearly does. The question is whether we’re willing to build the systems it needs to thrive. That means moving from individual effort to collective infrastructure. From occasional brilliance to consistent support. From isolation to visibility.

Marathi art doesn’t need saving. It needs scaling. And that’s a policy problem, not a creative one.

The clouds and the forests, a love affair.

The clouds and the forests, a love affair. 

Clouds are meant to be in the sky. 

So what if they wander or pass by?

Does it mean the forests lose their view?

Do they not deserve the clouds too?

Both deserve each other’s grace,

beyond the limits of time and place;

beyond what society tries to arrange;

an illusion built to keep people in place.  .

There’s something deeper and something true,

that’s felt by clouds and forests too.

Even if they don’t fit in the society's narrow frame,

they know their truth and they don't need fame.

The forests wait for clouds above. 

The clouds return for vapor’s love.

Though unseen now by society’s eyes,

one day their bond will open people's inner eyes.

What stays forever, who can say?

Those stuck in boxes fade away.

They suffocate to keep things right,

but miss the joy and pure delight.

So what if they make the world feel pleased?

They stay alive but with hearts that go on without ease. 

What of the happiness that can’t be seen,

but feels so real, so true and so keen?

Does it hold no value at all?

Is it impractical after all?

They’ll never know what dreamers have set to find 

and what the feelers and the visionaries bind.

It doesn’t matter how long it will last. 

Time is an illusion, future and past.

Only now is true.

That's where the clouds and the forests rule.

The villagers hide in fear,

as they can't grasp the sounds they hear. 

They can only watch our forests and clouds 

dance to the howls of the wolves. 

Let society chase the ghost of tomorrow,

a shadow that only deepens their sorrow.

The clouds and forests thrive in the now,

whispering secrets as they wow them now! 

For only the now is true, only the now is real.

Nothing else can one command or feel.

Take care of the now with all your soul,

and it will guide your steps without a toll.

All this, the clouds and the forests teach. 

They neither make a speech,

nor do they build a cage. 

Their life alone fills every page.  

Happy women's day. Happy????Nothing happy about it.

I am happy with the sex that nature gave us, but not with the gender that society imposed on us. This world has been built by men, for men—so what exactly do we have to celebrate?

Money is linked to productivity, yet women contribute immensely through unpaid labor—work that is highly productive but remains unaccounted for and unmonetized.

The institution of marriage was designed to own women as property.

The proportion of women in parliaments worldwide remains alarmingly low.

Fewer women qualify in various fields compared to men, especially in science.

The 9-to-5 work structure expects equal commitment from both men and women, yet there are no period leaves and insufficient paternity leave, making it harder for women to balance work and health.

Motherhood is fulfilling, and the heightened sensitivity that nature grants women makes them spiritually stronger, yet men continue to conduct themselves violently. Women are still denied equal access to education and food, are treated as "paraya dhan" (outsiders in their own families), and are questioned about marriage and children in job interviews, while men are not.

We experience gender-based violence—physical, economic, and emotional—yet society expects us to celebrate.

Mankind has always used force to dominate both women and nature, not because they are weaker, but because they are too difficult for men to understand. The go for the golden goose, unsatisfied with the golden eggs. 

Women are forced to become more like men to survive and succeed, while men have forgotten what masculinity truly is.

Meanwhile, nature itself is deteriorating. Women’s health is suffering—menstrual cycles no longer align with the moon, PCOD cases are rising, and reproductive health issues are increasing. The average age for menarcge has dropped from around 13 years to 8-11 years, while early menopause due to stress is becoming more common.

Why do women in offices mostly talk about what they cooked and their relationship with their mothers-in-law, while men do not?

We are already aware of the systemic issues:

● Gender disparities in education

● Unequal access to food

● Domestic violence

● Employment discrimination

● Female infanticide

● Property laws that still favor men in many cases

● The outdated and patriarchal system of ‘iddat’

There is also the feminization of labor—whenever a trade becomes mechanized and profitable, men take over. For instance, when farming relied on manual labor, women played a major role. But as tractors and machinery replaced manual labor, men took control. The same happened with grain milling (chakki)—once done by women, now taken over by men as it became mechanised at both small and large scales.

Society has never treated women well. What is there to celebrate?

● Men need to stop being violent toward women.

● Public spaces must be safe for women at all times.  

● Household work should be respected—perhaps even monetized. Male education in this field needs to be addressed. 

● Women should be allowed to pursue careers of their choice.

● Society must respect women. Period. 

There have been times when my sister, my friends, and I were not taken seriously—not because our concerns were invalid, but simply because we were women. Yet, when a man spoke on our behalf, people listened.

Why do we call them "women presidents," "lady constables," or "lady police officers"? Why can't they just be presidents, constables, or police officers? The answer is simple: because not all women get these opportunities, and those who do have to fight for them.

Meanwhile, boys today are not becoming men. They refuse to take responsibility for a woman, yet demand "50-50" in relationships. They cannot get pregnant or lactate, yet they expect an equal partnership while contributing unequally.

They use dating apps for one-night stands, flings, and friends with benefits, seeking pleasure without responsibility. But when it comes to marriage, suddenly, they care about caste, skin color, and family background. They mislead women, making false promises of a long-term future while only seeking short-term gratification.

I am sorry, but our agreeableness, sensitivity, nurturing nature, and physical vulnerability have always been exploited—and still are.

There is nothing to celebrate.

Communion

My spirit gleams with inner light,

revealing depths beyond all might. 

Its vastness flows without a bound, 

where precious wisdom can be found.

Strength glows pure, 

my essence free.

Having eloped with pure infinity,

my heart beats in dignity,

for it has bypassed time and married infinity.

Emotion- a call to pay attention

What is this force that stirs within,

an unseen tide beneath my skin?

It shifts, it sways and sometimes makes a sound;

it even moves my world and turns me around.

A mystery deep. I cannot see,

what triggers its next dance in me.

It overwhelms and it takes control

by flooding my body and gripping my soul.

Emotion—energy in motion’s name,

a force untamed, a blazing flame.

God, how I wish to hold it tight,

to guide its path and to dim its light.

Yet, though it storms and shakes my core,

I know its worth which I can't ignore.

For in its surge, it speaks to me,

revealing truths I cannot flee.

It binds me to my humanness,

a map to pain, to joy and to stress.

It marks the road where I have been

and points the way to dreams unseen.

So while I wrestle and while I plead,

I know this force is what I need.

For life’s great journey, fierce and true,

depends on what this motion cues.

Inside Out: A Poem

 

Inside Out

You feel the weight. The shadow’s press.
The world, unmoving, feeds your distress.
It does not shift, it does not care
and leaves you stranded, gasping for air.

A victim's lens, so clouded and dim,
draws all light inward and keeps it grim.
Yet pause, turn and refocus sight,
what if your gift could cast new light?

Two forms of one, a tale unfolds;
truth by carbon the parent told.
The diamond shines, its facets gleam,
a beacon bright, a dreamer’s dream.

Its brilliance comes from inner grace,
a self-lit fire and a boundless space.
Yet charcoal craves the light outside,
and in that longing, dims its pride.

What is life if not to share,
knowledge, joy, and love laid bare?
Carbon whispers of a light within your soul,
Its radiant flow can heal and make you whole.

Be not the charcoal, seeking more,
a bottomless pit or a closing door.
Instead, be diamond, radiant, and true,
the light within will guide you through.

Let not the world act upon you,
but you act instead, be bold, and break through.
From inside out, a light wave streams,
building others and fulfilling dreams.

Be the actor, take the stage
and turn the sorrow into sage.
For when you give, you truly see,
the boundless self you’re meant to be.

Discipline as living an authentic life.

We are taught during our childhood that discipline is from the outside in. However, this is just bulldozing. 

Rather than discipline, traditionally, a much healthier option is discipline as self-care.  

It is important for a person to have a vision and a reason to do something that resonates with themselves. Rather than feeling like a diamond being worked upon, they need to feel worked with and in the interest of. 

If this approach of discipline is taken during childhood, children would learn what authenticity is and they would create lives that are authentic to themselves hence they would likely be successful in their own eyes. 

'Success' is very personal and subjective as each one has a different vision of success for ourselves. 

What could be a greater failure than achieving success in the eyes of the world, only to feel like a failure within yourself? The pain comes from knowing that a shift is needed, but not being understood by others. The true pain lies in the realization of the immense courage and self-faith required to make that change.

Yet, there’s even more courage needed when the world sees you as a failure, and you must change course to live authentically. In such a case, the world doubts your ability or credibility.

Regardless of how the world sees you, one thing is certain: we all must die someday. So, why not live in a way that aligns with what you truly want to do?

Being true to oneself requires one to not give a fuck about what the world thinks but care about what you think and feel and actually backing up your vision, intuition and dream with courage, action and faith. 

Imagine the kind of uncertainty J.K. Rowling must have gone through when she first started and then continued working on Harry Potter. 

However, it is also important to not be a stand-alone island in this world but foster the process of osmosis and thus allow yourself the resource of perspective hence ensuring that you are not just inspiring, authentic and unique but also relevant and rich in your work. 

Why one has a major injury.

                                 

When one has a major injury, the news spreads soon among all relatives and family friends. Then, everyone contemplates and gossips about why one had that injury.  

They vocalize their thoughts to each other and it may even reach the injured person. 

Some say it is because of bad karma and some say it is because God wanted the injured person to not go in the direction they were going and some say that God wanted to punish them. 

Louise Hay who wrote a book on somatic causes of physical ailments titled 'Heal your body' says that accidents happen because of the feeling of rebellion against authority. 

In my opinion, even if there might be some truth or a lot of truth in what is said, the whole truth is known only to the injured person. 

The injured person needs to think and introspect about why the injury happened. The dots can be connected backwards. What was the person thinking about most of the time before the injury? What are they feeling most of the time? What did they pray to God for earnestly before the injury? 

We can make sense of the injury in the future too. But only from the present can we go into the future. The injured person then needs to take the opportunity of the present to not only work on their body but also their mind.  They need to not only reflect on what aspects of themselves they need to shed like old snake skin but actually shed them. The shedding is a very courageous thing to do.  The old safe crutches which are no more needed need to be given up for the sake of freedom and a life that is living and not dead. I say dead because a life in which ways of the past that are no more relevant in the present is then irrelevant to the present and thus is stuck in the past. Sometimes life gives a physical break to do a ton of mental and emotional work.  

Shedding self-sabotaging beliefs, attitudes, compulsions and habits needs self-awareness. For self awareness one needs to be present in each moment of the day.  Although it's not common, it is doable and a tendency that can be cultivated. 

Only from a place of self-awareness can one transform. We often have our eyes on the peak of the mountain but we don't remove the stone in our shoes. 

I have noticed that even though there may be problems in our lives, the real demons are internal. The problems are problems because we are not able to solve them.  So instead of working on problems, we need to work on ourselves and the truth is only we have access to the whole picture of our reality and this is a better perspective than anyone else's unless it gets covered up by Ego or ignorance. 

Presence is light and light lets us see the truth. 

How I'm healing my knee injury.

Dec. 6, 2024.

1. Warm milk with tumeric and pepper powder. 

2. Tea made of neem, tulsi, tumeric, pepper powder, lemon and ginger. 

3. Laddoos made of dink (boswellia). 

4. Daily soaking in sunlight. 

5. Sleeping early (between 9 pm to 10 pm). 

6. Basic physical therapy. 

7. Yogasanas, pranayam and meditation. 

8. Namsmaran and mantras.  

9. Regularly having quality  conversations with family members.  

10. Observing nature. 

11. Using a knee brace. 

12. Icing. 

13. Using a walker.

A dead person's essence.

A persons essence is not retained in his belongings. 

He carries his essence with him to the next body with his soul. 

His essence is retained through his vision, values and legacy. 

These are scalable and imperishable. 

This is the difference between Hinayana (lesser wheel) and Mahayana (greater wheel) Buddhism. 

Buddha never called himself God. He did not teach idol worship. Buddhism was like that for many years after Buddha's death.  His principles were lived by.  

When Mahayana Buddhism came, idol worship began. 

This is why all religions start with purity but they get distorted with wrong interpretations and ritualism. 

By being symbolic and protecting the symbols, we are loosing the real thing (essence). 

The symbols are secondary and the real thing is primary. Ram's fame was alive even when there was no Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Do the inner work.

They don't know who you are.  

They may throw stones or paint your face black.  

They may put you on a pedestal or pray to you or clap for you or salute you.  

They may agree to everything you say. 

They may reject everything you say. 

They may ignore you. 

They will never know who you are.  

The ones who know you make you feel seen and safe always, irrespective of the circumstance. 

Always keep in mind who you are.  

Always keep in your mind your vision because only you can see it.  

Your reputation preceeds you when you enter a room but they don't know who you are.  

Believe in yourself and believe in your vision.  

They don't know these things. 

In praise and criticism keep your calm. 

Yourself and your vision are the only reality that exists for you.  Because just as they don't know you, you don't know them.  

What happens outside should not matter.  

What happens inside should matter because what happens on the inside eventually impacts the outside.  

Go out of your mind

Go to the window. 

Open it. 

You will know why you are alive. 

The whole earth is just a creation for you. 

You are a creation of you. Everything is created because you experience it. 

Be real. 

Get out of your mind. 

Nothing is there. 

It’s just a place that keeps you stuck. 

Go to the window. 

Open it. 

Life is not short. Life is uncertain. Life is or is not.

Let the storm pass. 

You will see the bottom of the lake. 

Make the tortoise your friend. 

It is not a sea shell for you to break open, extract your pearl and throw away. 

It's hard exterior is there for a reason. 

It was an evolution to protect it from an unsafe environment. 

Pull back on the threats. 

It has realized that the ultimate power is self-dependence and not other-dependence. 

It is not a fool to trust, given your dirty track record.

It may not be able to go anywhere right now but at least it is alive. 

The world might think that it is too slow to progress as they compare it with the fast or the tall and settled ones. 

However, by staying safe, it can have the life it came to have. 

All experiences and growth are not necessarily exterior. 

Because it has life, it has hope. Hope is its first fundamental right and power. 

It knows the secret of divinity. 

Hence, it lives long and holds on to hope because it protects its only belonging- 'life' with all of its dear life itself. 

Another facet of divinity it benefits from is 'faith'. With this mighty faith, it travels long distances between continents without any effort because it flows inside the oceanic currents. This faith beats the faith of any fast or tall effort-taking personality. There is no comparison. Do you remember this-"Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven"? 

It does not do much because it is wise. It is a participant in a race bigger than marathons. It is not even a race of life but an education throughout all lives. It stays the course by never giving up. 

Authoritarianism towards children is comparable to the colonialism.

The capitalistic man was birthed by the invention of agriculture. He not only subjugated nature but also women and children. 'Value' which is actually subjective, started becoming more defined by him and imposed on the society. As tribes got converted to families, women and land began to be owned. Only that which could be used as a means of exchange and thus, quantified could be seen as valuable. Certain forms of humans were less valuable and thus, some humans, were less equal. So, the 'myths' or 'agreements' created all over the world, may have brought civilization but also corruption. Corruption because, some things became sacred and some profane, some humans important, others less important and nature was meant to serve man just as the earth was the center of the solar system. This is why Science and spirituality go hand in hand. They are logical and beyond the man-made myths. However, science is always catching up. :D Gossip fueled the myths and fostered groups like countries, religions and castes. This created class consciousness. To get man's rights met, he needs group advocacy for the same. What do children do? By the time most of them realize things, they are adults. 

So, just the way feminists say, 'personal is political', man stayed the same, on a global as well as in the smallest social unit. Below, I show how colonial mentality is quite similar to certain forms of parenting. Because the innocent ones are the easiest victims of a corrupted man. 

Many scholars and theorists have drawn parallels between certain forms of parenting and colonialism, emphasizing how power dynamics and control can suppress individual autonomy and development. Although all these thinkers do not explicitly equate parenting with colonialism, their analyses of power, control, and oppression provide a framework to understand how authoritarian and controlling parenting practices can mirror colonial dynamics. Following are some notable thinkers who have explored these ideas:

1. Paulo Freire

Freire’s concept of the "oppressor-oppressed" relationship in education can be applied to parenting. He discusses how oppressive structures inhibit growth and autonomy, similar to how authoritative parenting can stifle a child's development and independence. His notable work is titled 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed'.

2. Bell Hooks

Her key work  'All About Love: New Visions', Bell discusses how authoritarian parenting mirrors broader societal structures of domination and control. She emphasizes the need for love and nurturing in parenting rather than control and suppression. 

3. Alice Miller

Miller in his works like  'For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence' critiques traditional authoritarian parenting practices, comparing them to oppressive systems. She argues that such practices can have long-term detrimental effects on children, similar to the impacts of colonial oppression. 

4. Frantz Fanon

Although Fanon primarily focuses on the psychology of colonization, his ideas about the internalization of oppression can be extended to family dynamics. Authoritarian parenting can be seen as a microcosm of colonial dynamics, where parental control suppresses a child’s identity and autonomy.

5. Michel Foucault

Foucault’s analysis of power, surveillance, and discipline in society can be applied to parenting. The family can be seen as a site of power dynamics where children are disciplined and controlled in ways that echo broader societal mechanisms of control and domination. 'Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison' is one of his literray contributions. 

6. Adrienne Rich

In 'Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Experience and Institution', Rich explores the institution of motherhood and how societal expectations impose oppressive structures on women. Her analysis can be extended to understand how these structures impact children within the family, particularly in terms of control and lack of autonomy.

7. Gloria Anzaldúa

Anzaldúa’s exploration of identity, oppression, and cultural expectations can be related to parenting. She discusses how cultural and familial expectations can be oppressive, limiting individual autonomy and personal growth.

The works of these thinkers encourage a more nurturing, respectful, and autonomy-promoting approach to relationships, whether in education, family, or society at large. Change needs to happen at all levels.  Unless man changes, victims will continue to stay victims of victims and the cycle shall never end. 

Making walking a daily practice for all.

Each morning, I embark on a 20-minute walk, and the benefits I've experienced from this routine have exceeded my expectations. Just in the first 3 days of doing this daily practice, I felt stronger and lighter. It makes me have immense respect and regard for the magnificent human body. It doesn’t ask for much. Thanks to Mr. Darren Hardy for the book titled, ‘The Compound Effect’, I have realized that small daily habits not only create better results in your life but also create a long-lasting transformation in you.

Walking for 15 to 30 minutes is a habit that can be easily adopted in our daily lives. Walking in the morning is wise because the morning sun improves cognitive performance and focus. Sunlight exposure triggers the release of serotonin, known as the happiness hormone, enhances bone health, and potentially aids in the treatment of various skin conditions.

Spending time in nature can reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels and enhancing mood. Regular walks outdoors can also improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure. Additionally, being in nature enhances creativity, focus, and cognitive function and also boosts the immune system. Overall, it's linked to improved self-esteem and well-being.

To promote walking in nature for everyone, public health policies can prioritize creating accessible green spaces within urban areas, ensuring that parks and trails are well-maintained and easily reachable by public transportation or walking paths. Government initiatives can include implementing flexible work schedules or policies that allow for breaks during the day to spend time outdoors, promoting walking meetings, or providing incentives for employers to encourage outdoor breaks.

Labor policies could be adapted to include provisions for mandatory breaks or flexible working hours that accommodate outdoor activities. For instance, countries like Singapore have implemented green space initiatives such as the "Park Connector Network," which links parks and natural areas with walking and cycling paths, making it easier for residents to incorporate outdoor activities into their daily routines. Changes to the built environment can involve urban planning that prioritizes green spaces, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and mixed-use developments that integrate nature into the urban landscape.

Moreover, interventions to improve the public transport system would automatically increase walking as it would reduce the number of privately owned vehicles. Overall, collaboration between government agencies, urban planners, employers, and community stakeholders is essential to create environments that encourage and facilitate walking in nature for all individuals.

An Introduction to Feminism

Why are some people incapable of accepting gender equality at work but not inside the home? 

Why do some people see gender equality only as economic parity? 

Why don’t they see the need for positive discrimination for women? 

The answer is, they don’t know what they are doing. What we can do best is to accept it and forgive. However, we should not stop the resistance. 

I understand why feminists are angry. The reason is that basic things are not understood, accepted and appreciated. This is because people just follow what has been happening in every area of life without questioning. Einstein found gravity when he questioned the obvious. 

Somewhere there is a huge chasm between community and society. Community supports but society pressurizes. However, if the force of the bigger of the two is higher (which is the case mostly) then, the community cannot support its individuals. They are too small. 

This is why the feminists said, “Personal is political”. They said it because it is impossible to break though these historical chains without organizing ourselves and fighting for our rights as a group. We cannot focus on only changing the mindset of a few individuals. The change has to be massive for the mindset that has not changed for eons to bend.

Those who aren’t feminists often ask, “why do we need to fight and why are we aggressive”? My response is, that screams reflect the pain. Non- feminists, try to convince the feminists to ignore those aspects of gender discrimination which do not cause any physical harm. To this my response is, a title doesn’t cause any harm, what is in a name, idol worship doesn’t make sense; however, words create reality (Sankalp se Srishti) and that you can’t spit on a god’s idol. Things might not cause harm evidently and crudely, but why let unnecessary practices which harm subtly and which are based on gender based discrimination exist? It is better to follow the constitution rather than blindly follow traditions that are discriminatory and unnecessary. 

Non- feminists either don’t understand feminism or are unempathetic. Not being a feminist is not justifiable in modern day constitutional democracy. This I say to those who want to agree to disagree. They cannot afford to and should not be allowed to either. 

Also, it is necessary to mention that feminism extends to valuing feminine attributes that are in humanity as much as the masculine values. At present the world is quite lopsided. Feminism also means no gender based discrimination against men as well. Feminism is not at all anti-men. It is only about equality, justice and freedom. However, it sure does make non-feminists men and women uncomfortable. 

A Plea to the Indian Public to Detach From Your Identities for the Sake of the Nation.

After observing some festivals in Pune, I wonder if I am staying in a nation or among nations. 
On the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti (April 14, 2024) since 12 am there were bursting of crackers and music was played all day in a high volume. The roads were congested due to the gathering of many people all day long. 
This made me wonder if India is truly liberated. Ambedkar was a phenomenal and inspirational person because of his commitment to self-development, education, equality, the Constitution and him being a plausible leader in the society. I wondered about why were Bollywood songs played in order to celebrate the Chairman of the Constituent assembly and a mass leader who had nothing to do with showbiz. I also recollected how silent October 2 is  every year. On Gandhi Jayanti, no loudspeakers or bursting of crackers are experienced. 
I wondered why were there no popular meetings of locals to discuss local issues relating to governance, rules and regulations, or even the constitution, education, equality, etc. What was happening had nothing to do with the person who was celebrated. 
Similarly, on Ram Navami (April 17, 2024), I could hear devotional songs, recitation of mantras and kirtans. Are these celebrations a reflection of the people who were celebrated or the people who celebrated them? It is time that we put more thought into our celebrations. Celebrations in India need not always be consisting of loud music and dancing on the roads, especially given the sheer number of days that we celebrate. We need to reimagine celebrations so that they reflect the values and the principles of the person or the day that is being celebrated and also not cause public nuisance. For example, on Rabindra Jayanti (May 8, 2024), there was no loud music in Pune but I know of a talk that was held. The talk was meant to inspire the audience into imbibing the approach of Tagore in their daily lives. Another example is how Lokmanya Gangadhar Tilak used Ganesh Utsav and Shivaji Jayanti to organize people politically. 
Gandhi Jayanti is not celebrated with much enthusiasm (compared to Ambedkar Jayanti) because Mahatma Gandhi was not associated with any caste or religion. By the way, celebration of the inauguration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya had nothing to do with patriotism or nationalism. However, I have witnessed that event being celebrated by playing the national anthem. 
Are we really free? Are we really independent? Who is controlling us? Is it so that the masses cannot relate to Gandhi and Tagore because they did not come from Maharashtra? Then why could the relate to Ram?
 It is because, people identify with Ambedkar for his caste and with Ram for his religion. However, both of them had taught to rise above both these identities. 
Indian citizens need to first know what it means to be a citizen. To be free comes from the freedom to think. Freedom to think comes from critical and creative thinking. We are blinded by our caste and religious identities and enough cannot be said by the propaganda of political parties which feeds into identity based politics. 
We must not let any religion or caste monopolize any colour. Orange need not be associated with Hindusim and Blue with the Dalits or green with the Muslims. Similarly, major leaders like Gokhale, Agarkar, Tilak, Dadabhai Naoroji, etc. also need to be celebrated but these celebrations need to be inspired by their lives and teachings. 
I do not appreciate the fact that caste and religion have tremendous unifying power in India. As long a this is the case, as long as we stay divided, we are not free citizen of a nation. These might be strong words but the mind is more important than anything. Wealth, heaven and love are actually states of mind. Everything begins with a thought, for example the conception of a separate country called 'Pakistan'. 
The words non-discrimination and secularism are the basis of unity. I do not understand how India has forgotten about her most ancient quality in which she and the world used to take pride in- 'unity in diversity'.  
It was the westerners who divided and ruled. We became slaves because they wanted to rule. They rule even now as they had planted the seeds of sectarianism long ago. They created to system and left but we are stuck in the system. The root of the word 'Nation' comes from 'natio' which means race. So, in modern times and in a modern democratic republic, we need not belong to the same race to be members of a nation, but the calling to live as a modern and strong nation and maintain it is a calling to actually forget about our race/caste/creed/religion. 
It is important to understand that to be a strong nation, we need not be jingoistic, divisive, uptight rigid. To be soft is a stronger quality. Only this quality gave us the resilience to continue inspite of umpteen number of invasions. At-least within the nation, softness, fraternity, unity, harmony and respect is needed and the lack of these should not be tolerated. This is where we need to demonstrate our strength. Jai Hind. 

The Secret to Real Confidence

 A lot of life and life energy gets wasted in resisting the present. However, only the present is true. This moment is never going to come again. When we are children, we want to become adults as soon as possible and when we are adults, we want to become young or youthful again. Grace is all about acceptance of the present and honouring your present life conditions. 

I have wasted a lot of my life resisting my father. Even though I highly respected him and did what he wanted me to do, I did it with a lot of resistance and hence suffered myself and built resentment. Eckhart Tolle says you must either accept the present, change it, or escape it. If you help someone without wanting to, better not. This does not mean we only have to do things we like. It means, that we need to temper down our likes and dislikes. We need to arrive at a place of more acceptance and less judgment or else do something about it. Living with resistance not only affects, our mindset, thoughts and feelings but it affects our relationships, health and life circumstances. 

Only when we accept something the way it is right now, can we live with it or change it gracefully. 

Also, this resistance to what is creates a fission within ourselves. It makes us inauthentic and deprives us of integrity. This is because, rather than taking our circumstances as a part of ourselves, we reject them and focus on what others have or what we want instead. We cannot feel both happy and sad at the same time. So we cannot focus both positively and negatively at the same time. So, if we want something that others have, we can focus on that thing positively and also focus positively on the similar thing that we have or the way(s) in which that thing manifests in our lives. This way, we are focussing positively and are hence attracting it into our lives. 

However, if we focus on our own life situation in a negative way, it is not possible to focus on the life that we want positively. We feel negative emotions to see the gap between what we have and what we want or where we are and where we want to be. Then, we feel emotions like grief, hurt, jealousy, shame, guilt, etc. These are forms of pain. Eckhart Tolle talks about what he calls as 'pain body'. This is the pain that we have been carrying around due to the wounds that we have not healed. This is why different people feel emotional pain because of different circumstances. These circumstances vary in both intensity and type. 

When there is pain, we can remind ourselves about what we need to do in the situation by remembering the following acronym:-

P-Pay 

A- Attention

I- Integrate 

N- Now. 

This way, we can completely change the meaning of pain and be thankful for it having come up so that we become aware of our pain body and heal more. As Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev has said, many yogis have actually prayed for difficult circumstances to spiritually grow faster. 

As we know, our experience of the world is not actually how the world is. This is because the way each one perceives and experiences the world is different. For example, you must have noticed that after a spiritual practice, the world seems better, and everything you see is fresher and clearer. Whereas, if you are grieving, the thoughts that come to your mind are all negative. So, whatever happens to us, is not happening to us as a fact. Actually, what is happening to us is the same as what we are open to receiving. This is why they say like attracts like. Also, what we are open to receiving depends on the level of our vibration. Thus, the world is not literally a mirror to us, but our perception of the world is and that is all that we could, can and would be able to know of the world. People say that travelling the world is necessary as we know of only one life. However, this is a horizontal way of doing things. One may not travel the world but the depth of one's experience can be as vast as his awareness. So, wouldn't it be nice to travel the world while also increasing our receptivity? 

What I am saying may not be easily understandable for everyone. To put it simply, do not cry over split milk, make hay while the sun shines, if don't get what you want, like what you get and if life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

All pain is because of resistance and fragmentation. Acceptance and integration go hand in hand. The moment we accept our life circumstances the way they are, we love the parts that are to our liking or we are motivated to move forward to change the parts that aren't. Both these ways take us towards meeting our own needs and becoming more fulfilled individuals. This also raises one's confidence as we develop self-acceptance, peace and drive for action. In the process, especially while making decisions, we further integrate our parts by bringing all conflicting parts of ourselves on the same page and evaluating the priority of our various values. This way, we get to know ourselves and are more self-assured. 

You are The Purpose

Often it is said that a human needs a purpose in life.  However, what should those who are still figuring out their purpose do? What would motivate them to live a good quality life? 

Some say, the answer is self love.  Okay, but loving yourself is a weird and counterintuitive concept for many.  How can one love oneself, love is an emotion and also a verb. Love, in essence means to take another as a part of yourself. How can you take yourself as a part of yourself? This is why, the concept of self love is a bit difficult to comprehend. 

There is one way to explain it. There are two ways to go about it. 

First way: 

You are fragmented and hence you have many parts inside yourself which have different needs and thus pull you in various directions. Some are stronger than others. However, if you deeply accept and embrace all the parts within yourself and each of your parts relates to another in a harmonious way, the needs of all of them become important and you fulfill them in the best way possible such that it is advantageous to all your parts or the whole of you.  In this way, you practice self love and truly honour the value of integrity. 

Second way: 

This way is more external than internal. You don't need a purpose, you just need to know your value. This very moment of your existence has an impact on the world. Even your thoughts have an impact on the world. Thoughts emit a vibration  just like sound waves. The world was first created by a sound (Aum). God said, "let there be light". In Hindi it is said, "Sankalp se srishti". 

Also, at this moment you exist to expand the universe. You are a culmination of a long line of humans and you might lead to further expansion. The way you evolve has an impact on the future generations. 

I had read somewhere that the children of older and more educated women are more intelligent because of the higher education of the mother.

Also, although we cannot see properly from our current limited perspectives, we all are more interconnected and interdependent than we. Who knows, if you help a person today and he greatly benefits from it and after 60 years you see his grand daughter marrying your grandson. So, limiting love towards your own family or community is absolutely meaningless. Being all inclusive is the only rational way to be.  

So, irrespective of whether we value our lives or not, or we have a purpose or not, our lives don't stop being significant. Investing in yourself now, means that you are preparing yourself for when the opportunity arises and for when you are able and available to do what is needed to be done. 

Out of honour, pride and  gratitude to our ancestors and hope, responsibility and blessings to our future lineage, the natural outcome is to improve the quality of your body, mind, intelligence and develop yourself spiritually. 

As David Goggins says, "You are the purpose". 

Unlearning What Brings You Down

Once upon a time, I was quite triggered by a guy I liked who wouldn't reply to all of my messages. He would reply in single words or reply quickly when we were planning to meet.  In person, he had been quite sweet and caring but his not replying to all my texts made me feel quite hurt, angry and confused. He didn't have a plausible explanation nor did he apologize. So I lost interest but it got me thinking about why was his behavior on texts affecting me so much.  I had already come a long way since my childhood in recognizing my self-worth and what I deserve, and I have had very therapeutic experiences in which I was accepted completely for who I was.  So yes, despite all the inner work and correctional experiences, why was I being at the mercy of a boy? 

I was nudged into this direction by a podcast episode by Hailey Hoffman Smith titled 'How to work with your triggers and move to your highest timeline'. So, as she recommended, I felt the pain and discomfort completely and reminded myself that this trigger was actually calling my attention to a wound that I'd been carrying for a long time. I was happy and thankful for this pain and hurt to have come up because now, I can consciously give it attention. So, I did that during my meditation session but still couldn't understand why I was so hurt. However, sleep is an amazing thing.  👏  Just after a nap, it dawned upon me that we as children are quite sensitive and soak in everything.

The root of this pain came from me seeing myself in the role of Kajol in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. As a child I did that because I used to dress like her then but boy oh boy, it was an extremely unhealthy stereotype that I had internalized. First of all, I made looks very important in my mind but at the same time knew that you can not look very fashionable or glamorous but still be a good person. However, if a guy doesn't like you, it is mostly due to your looks. But this messaging was not quite strong. What was of primary importance and the root cause of my pain was seeing Kajol being devastated and shattered to know that the person she loved so dearly was in love with someone else.  This shows non-acceptance of the reality of people's wishes and extremely low self-worth that makes you feel bad about yourself just because a guy does not like you the way you like him. She did not see herself to be worthy enough to think that she had better things to do in life than whine over someone who didn't love her romantically. She did not have an Eckhart appreciation for life and the enormous possibilities that this amazing, juicy, resourceful and responsive world provides! She did not value her own life which is surely magnificent and amazing but temporary. The problem is that we create hopes and expectations of the future as we dream about it and we reject the present. In the 'Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle, he has put it quite sensibly.  He states that to be in the now or to be free, you need to forgive not just people, including yourself but also the past, present and future; and that there is no difference between forgiveness and acceptance. Both of them mean that there is no resistance to your experience of reality. This way, every moment is seen with new eyes. 

It is relevant here to understand that we keep making so many decisions and live our lives, without really questioning if the value-judgements that we live by are ours or are inherited from our ancestors or our society. Basically, it is called conditioning or socialization. We would accept that we are quite delusional if we actually realize the multitude of ways in which society has messed up our minds.  The 'civilizations' all around the have socialized us in every aspect of our lifestyle so much so that it has literally imprisoned us. I am using a very strong word here but if we actually trace back our thoughts or contemplate why we do the things that we do, we would notice that civilization has made life unnecessarily complex and the norms, expectations and values that we have internalized are often not healthful for us. Many of them are not nurturing or nourishing in any way whatsoever. The entire fashion industry is built around shame. Feeling less worthy and judging others goes hand in hand and it is not one person's fault. It is just the effect of growing up in a society that has a long but sure way to go spiritually.  

Last but not least, that realisation that I had internalized the need to pity myself, get hurt and feel disappointed because a guy didn't treat me the way I expected, was an aha moment! I am forever cured of this problem and it is in fact quite laughable to even think all this from a soul level.  That's because the present can't change, I don't want anyone who doesn't want me anyway and I know for a fact through experience that when I'm feeling bad, I am feeling that way because I am not aware of the truth. When you're aligned with the truth, you can't be sad.

So, now if anyone ignores you, to bother is none of your business. Live and let live but first, live! The best thing to do is to be grateful to have had the experience and thank the person for it.