The Soldiers on Foot

By ~ Gaurpriya Singh Roy

All capacities of the 7 oceans together wouldn’t be good enough to fit in our gratitude and indebtedness towards the Indian Armed forces. As a whole their greatness, pride, and impeccability are depicted in The Soldiers on Foot, I would be delighted to elucidate with you about the profound infantry regiment of the Indian Army,  One of the largest in the world also anointed as the “Queen of the Battle”. The infantry is the Indian Army’s backbone.

Infantry Day is ascertained in India to commemorate the first military event of Independent India, when the first battalion of the Indian Army’s Sikh regiment fought a battle to defeat the Pakistan Army’s first attack on Indian soil on October 27, 1947, in Kashmir valley, in an attempt to seize Jammu and Kashmir. 

They were part of the team defending Indian territory against Pakistani invaders advancing on Srinagar. Infantry Day 2022 honors the bravery and valor of the Indian soldiers who took part in the difficult mission.

During wars, infantry soldiers bear the main brunt of the damage. These men possess the traits like belligerence, physical fitness, and rigor. With the passage of time, the Indian Army’s infantry units have been modernized, equipped, and trained to rank among the best in the world. 

Bill Mauldin once said, “The surest way to become a pacifist is to join the infantry.” And I think it is justified after the rash decisions the Government exerted during such critical times of 1947, let it be influential political leaders approaching the  UN when India was already on the lines defending its land or let it be the delayed sending of the soldiers to the battlefield or be it declaring cease-fire even when Pakistan disagreed that his soldiers were at line Says the Himalayan blunders an extremely controversial war memoir penned by Brigadier John Dalvi. This book also explains why a Referendum was not Necessary after the Weapons were already taken, even after such missteps

The infantry regime remained fearless and followed orders courteously in 1947, The Sikh regiment’s first battalion landed at the Srinagar airbase. They demonstrated extraordinary courage and strength in thwarting the Pakistan Army’s invasion of Kashmir with the help of tribals. During the first India-Pak war, the Douglas DC-3, also known as the Dakota, transported troops from the Army’s 1 Sikh Regiment to Srinagar, as well as supplies and refugees. This regiment served as a border guard for the Indians. Thus, Infantry Day commemorates the first military event in India.

To vaguely narrate the night of the 26th; Initially, it was decided to send a brigade-level force. However, because the road from Pathankot to Srinagar was in poor condition, the Sikh regiment was flown in by Dakota aircraft. The road was then followed by the brigade-level troop. Around seven Dakota planes were built. Only two of these seven were from the Indian Air Force. The remainder came from private airlines. This included Biju Patnaik’s aircraft (former chief minister of Odisha). The troops were assembled in the middle of the night and airlifted at dawn. Everything was planned in a single night.

At this point, it is not even surprising how flawlessly trained and skilled our Jawans are, appreciating, acknowledging, and admiring their sacrifices and bravery is the only sinch thing we can do; soldiers like Capt Vikram Batra PVC (9 September 1974 – 7 July 1999) late officer of the Indian Army, posthumously awarded with the Param Vir Chakra.

Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai, commanding the 1st battalion of Sikh Regiment in Gurgaon wherein his role was making arrangements for the refugees, was given the nation’s second highest gallantry award, “Maha Vir Chakra” for his outstanding leadership, fighting spirit, and supreme sacrifice. He became independent India’s first officer to receive the Maha Vir Chakra, he was also called the first shed in independent India.

They forever live among us, and we to date celebrate them through their heart-whelming phrases like “Either I will come back after hoisting the Tricolor, or I will come back wrapped in it. But I’ll be back for sure”

~ Captain Vikram Batra.

“Ye dil maange more”~ Capt. Vikram Batra.

Well-known media platforms as such The all India Radio news also celebrated by tweeting :

The 76th Infantry Day is being celebrated today. It was on this day in 1947 that Infantrymen from #IndianArmy, led by 1 SIKH, landed at Srinagar Airfield and saved J&K from a ruthless and treacherous Pakistani invasion.#infantryday

Respect and pay tribute to the valiant Indian infantry soldiers who fought and were martyred to save the nation and its people during the Pakistan Army’s invasion of Kashmir during the period of independence. This year marks the 76th Infantry Day for the Indian Army and we humbly and truly honor them very mundanely through this glorious day.

Where there is HOPE

By: Gaurpriya Singh Roy

Life is a beautiful journey full of ups and downs, a journey to cherish and thrive. For many, it is a storm to pass, and for a few, it’s an exquisite voyage to adore. it’s all about the way you look at it, a game of perspective many fail to understand; yet everyone seems to have their unique point of view towards it, so it is fitting to say that life may mean so much to many and so little to some.

It is a tremendous joy to those who look up to life to be so gratifying, but it is a pity for those who don’t value it and dismiss it or attempt to throw it away.
People need to understand that there is always hope and life has so much more meaning to it than what they credit it for and throwing away life is not a solution but a poor escape that will only lead to further suffering of their close once, there is a great saying by Ain Eineziz, “you have been given this life because you are strong enough to live it”, this inspiring quote enlightens us on why we precisely have an entire week dedicated to aware and lend a shoulder to those who require us and let them know suicide is avertable.

World Suicide Prevention Day aims to raise awareness that suicide is preventable, improve suicide education, disseminate information about suicide awareness, and reduce suicide stigma.

It is conducted on the 10th of September every year since 2003 by the initiative of the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Each year, a different theme to focus on is chosen to shed light upon a different aspect of suicide prevention. This year’s theme, which will continue until 2023, is ‘Creating Hope Through Action,’ which aims to reassure people experiencing suicidal thoughts that there is hope and that we care about and want to support them.

World Suicide Prevention Day is a day to reflect on the importance of life and to remember that no matter how bad things appear, there is always hope. Many people know an individual who has committed suicide or who has lost a friend or family member to suicide, We can prevent this loss by raising awareness on this day. It also serves as a reminder to society that consistent and increasing advocacy for mental health resources is required so that people suffering from mental illnesses can get the help they require.

You as a reliable individual can be a Ray of hope to someone suffering by just Reaching out to them, who may require assistance. Certain behaviors are widely recognized as indicators of suicidal ideation. We can all learn the warning signs of suicidal intent so that we can intervene early.

Discussing this issue is an important first step toward ridding society of the notion that mental health issues should be kept hidden. On World Suicide Prevention Day, organize or simply attend a panel discussion about how mental health issues intensify suicidal thoughts.

The insights and stories of people who have lived through suicide can also be extremely powerful in helping others understand suicide and encouraging people to reach out for help, as well as individuals to reach out for help themselves, and the most important of them all is to ‘Look for resources,’ there is a wealth of resources for people to learn more about the causes of suicide and how to prevent it. Numerous books, films, and events are available online that can point you in the right direction. As it is said, “Knowledge not only gives you power but can also save your life”.

We fixate too much on the past/future and disregard the present, Age, health, illness, pain, and the influence of a substance or medication are all merely physical factors. Personality, beliefs, expectations, emotions, and mental health are all emotional and personal factors, Life experiences include family, culture, friends, and life events; How you put all these factors to use and the POV you determine to give is that all that matters in the end.

Arrey Forest: Native Environment vs Rigid Headway

By: Gaurpriya Singh Roy

“The Earth has enough resources for our need but not for our greed.”

This most often quoted phrase by Mathma Gandhi depicts his concern for nature and the environment, which initially gives a warm idea of how he envisioned the future generations to tend Mother Nature. Through the eyes of a man whose primary focus is development, it is condescending to believe he would even consider the existence of nature, wildlife, or anything that disturbs or is an obstacle to his developing habitat.

Let’s talk politically. 

In 1991, in his budget speech, finance minister Manmohan Singh declared: “We cannot deforest our way to prosperity, and we cannot pollute our way to prosperity”. These were his prescient words. While India had strong environmental legislation even in the pre-1991 era – the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972, Water Act of 1974, Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980, Air Act of 1981, and the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 – this ‘Environment vs Growth’ debate has become much more salient in post-reform India. 

For instance, problems, and thus environmental issues, have entered the mainstream. As the pressure on the environment has increased with development, environmentalism has evolved from an ‘elite’ issue discussed in seminars and conferences to a real issue affecting people’s daily lives, health, and livelihoods. Consider the water table declines and extended droughts in Vidarbha and Bundelkhand. 

For example, water logging in Punjab’s Malwa region has harmed the livelihoods of over 2 lakh farmers, or the pollution caused by unrestricted mining and thermal power generation using low-quality coal in Chandrapur, Maharashtra which causes 10,000 people to become ill with respiratory conditions each year. Also, considering the pollution of the Ganga, where effluent and sewage treatment capacity cannot treat even half of the flow. 

Second, there has been a surge in organized environmental advocacy. The Rio Convention (1992), the Kyoto Protocol (1997), and the subsequent ritual of annual climate change summits culminating in the Paris Agreement (2015) have elevated the environment’s global profile. In India, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have used Public Interest Litigation (PILs) and Right to Information (RTI) as practical effective tools for mobilizing action. As a result, no self-respecting government can now be accused of being soft or insensitive to environmental issues, at least in rhetoric.

Third, judicial activism has gained traction. The Supreme Court established a quasi-judicial body called the “Central Empowered Committee” (CEC) in 2002 to “monitor the implementation of the Hon’ble Court’s orders and place reports of non-compliance before the Court” concerning forestry issues, giving the committee broad powers. Since then, CEC has been an active watchdog on forestry issues, working quietly and efficiently. In popular perception, it was judicial action that forced the government to convert the entire fleet of buses in Delhi to CNG in 2001. A series of impromptu interventions by the court culminated in establishing a National Green Tribunal in 2011 as a professional empowered judicial body to adjudicate environmental and forestry-related cases.

As a result of these developments, the latest fad is “balancing” growth and environmental protection. This is a breath of fresh air in vocabulary. But have we discovered the proper mechanisms for striking such a balance? 

Not yet: Environmental issues are hotly debated, from the Sardar Sarovar Dam to the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant to Kanpur’s polluting tanneries. Over the last few years, the National Green Tribunal has heard over 1,600 cases, which is only the tip of the iceberg.

Thus, at what cost do we proceed with our buildout? 

Toward a brighter future for the upcoming generations to look at should be our prime focus rather than handing them a world full of concrete and rust, we should keep our center of attention towards providing them with a new and nourishing environment where their minds and body thrive with health and joy rather than forcing them into a world where they know no humble but only brutal growth. 

Kejriwal – A Man Of Systems

By – Jayishnu Agarwal

The Punjab elections gave India its most successful political startup, making its supremo Arvind Kejriwal one of the most influential and powerful people in India, leaving behind its opponents, clearly becoming the only one to be at least on the same track on its march to the finish line of the 2024 elections.

Kejriwal, an ex-Italian and civil servant, is one of the most educated and learned IItians in the country. He has worked in every system that exists and aspires to change the lives of people in this country, from corporate jobs to NGOs to policymaking. Arvind had been a part of every system, but his constant drive was to change the system. From his days in Parivartan to joining India against corruption, he has blatantly rallied against every political party and ideology and has had a phenomenal role in bringing the importance of the right to information to the public light. 

Arvind’s movement against corruption brought the entire country together, from politicians to writers, actors, businessmen, and even high-profile civil servants, rallying behind him, eventually bringing the Sheila Dixit government in Delhi down. He formed his own party that represented the plight of the common people and called it the Aam Aadmi Party to fight the Delhi elections. He claimed that his party would follow a democratic process, not make individuals into cult figures, promising to be grounded and not include corrupt people in the party, the one thing against which he fought and found his name popular among people. He promised to use the Maruti Wagon, a symbol of the middle class refusing to even have security. Eventually, he even won the elections and formed a government in coalition with the Congress, vowing to pass the Jan Lokpal bill that would make government officials accountable for their work, failing which he even resigned on a record day. He was loved by people for his integrity and was again unanimously elected with a thumping majority in the coming Delhi elections.

He suffered a huge setback when his party members, namely Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav, left the party, which later only cemented his place in the party as the party supremo. He became very popular among young people. His image of a learned, secular, and welfare-oriented administrator screamed for a change in the system that the young had long awaited. He began well, with his policy affecting the lives of the poorest of the poor. He aspired to make new schools and change the existing ones, including the happiness subject, for which he was appreciated across party lines. He seemed a little different from the other politicians who cared for the people and not a career politician who had joined politics to just raise his ranks.

However, things started changing as Kejriwal’s aspirations grew. It began with the onset of the 2017 Punjab elections. Kejriwal started doing things that every ordinary politician did, cemented his position in the party, and removed the rule that limited the number of times a member could be elected president. Next, he started promising things that were neither feasible for the economy nor able to be delivered. With this, he was stuck in a web of lies from which he never came out. He openly lied about the number of jobs delivered, and the number of buses installed, and also lied about the water supply facilities for which he had sold the dream. Even his closest friends in politics left him and were on record accusing him of escalating a riot in Punjab to win an election. 

In an interview, he went so far as to question the integrity of the RTI act. His politics now seemed to be that of a football match where he was just passing the blame and moving forward, playing the victim card time and again to gain public sympathy. He went so deep into vote bank politics that his image of a secular leader now seemed like that of a tourist agent offering free religious travel to the people of his state. After gaining complete control of the police in the state of Punjab, he started using his powers to threaten his opponents in the state of Delhi, misusing the public services as a private entity to silence his critics. So much irony for a person who has made his way up to criticising every other politician that has existed in the country. His party members were found guilty of rioting while he was outright defending them. Both the big riots that happened in Delhi in the last few years had AAP leaders at the helm of affairs while the party was still defending them.

The major problem I have with him is that he seemed like a change, a strong force in the political system that would change it forever, but now he seems like every other politician that has ever existed in the country; the same old people that have rotted the public system; a person who could go to any lengths for his personal gains. His actions have not only damaged his reputation but have made sure that no politician is born of a revolt against the system because of the living testimonials that he has provided. He has also crushed the hopes of every little youngster that wanted to join politics because of the dream they were sold off, and the idea that you could change India still remains a distant dream. Nevertheless, it has cemented the one belief that stands the test of time: that in India, politics is not for the common man and that the name “Aam Aadmi Party” is the biggest irony that has ever been in the modern politics of India. 

Our Monuments: What do they symbolise?

By – Anirudh Garg

On your first trip to the Taj Mahal, you would have been itched to click a picture of yourself trying to hold the monument from its tip, obviously imitating to do so from a distance and not actually grasping it. Well, it is nothing short of a ritual for any tourist visiting the Taj Mahal. While a few theories without a head or a tail try to justify that Shah Jahan chopped the hands of the labourers of the Mahal, the monument still holds immense significance in the Indian heritage.

Often termed as a symbol of love, Taj Mahal depicts the great architectural mastery Indians had from the very beginning. Today, the state-of-the-art monument is the prime tourist attraction and contributes a major chunk to Indian tourism.

While most of the monuments were built in the pre-historic and pre-democratic times, the latest addition to the Indian collection came into existence in 2018. Inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, the Statue of Unity, as its name suggests, symbolises unity. However, the reason behind its formation stands questionable because of its high cost. If economists are to be believed, the statue will continue recovering the revenue from its building cost in many decades to come.

A fact that is not new to any Indian is that our country preserves the most diverse cultures and heritages. The beautiful and visionary monuments built by the former rulers epitomize Indian culture and exude great Indian architecture. Other than their beauty, they also bring a sarcastic side to our notice. Being built centuries ago with minimal resources, the monuments still hold their structure strong to date. However, the infrastructure developed today using high-tech resources, doesn’t take a lot of effort and time to break down.

The Indian capital, New Delhi, and its neighbouring regions are a hub of historic monuments of great importance and pride. On one hand, Qutub Minar symbolizes victory, on the other hand, Lal Qila(Red Fort) is often seen as a symbol of rebellion. The Red Fort, for that matter, is a very important building for the Indian constitution as the nation’s Prime Minister hoists the national flag on it every Independence day. The ritual is being followed since our first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, performed the same on the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort.

Monuments play a crucial role in preserving a nation’s heritage and culture. Coming from different backgrounds, the citizens feel connected to each other’s culture through a glimpse of the historic structures. From Konark Temple in Odisha to The Gateway Of India in Mumbai and from Taj Mahal in Agra to the iconic temples in southern India, every memorial glorifies various cultures of our country. From depicting love to victory and from science to harmony, Indian architecture covers all bases making India a truly great country.

What If Every Month Was Pride Month?

By: T S Venkat Narayanan

One of the most common issues people around me have raised is –

“Why do we have to treat them special in the month of June? What even is the purpose of pride month? Isn’t it just another way for corporations and clubs to increase their profits/appeal?”

Okay, so first- pride month is celebrated to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which took place in the June of 1969.

Second, yes! It sure is a way for corporations to appear more ‘woke’ and youth-friendly.

Now, the most important question- 

“Why do we have to treat them special in the month of June?”

Well, pride isn’t about treating the people from the community in a special manner. It is more about treating them with respect (like we would treat other humans with), acknowledging their struggle and making them feel part of society instead of an outcast.

In this piece we shall look at how it would be if every month were to be pride month.

Now, with every month being pride month, the significance of pride month would obviously reduce.

“Ohh, how angry it would have all the gays with the spotlight off them for good.”

Ironically, this would instead make the community even happier as it would make more people aware and sympathetic of their struggle. 

It would also normalize their existence in the society.

What would this mean?

People would stare less at them, make them feel less uncomfortable. Companies and organizations would stop using them as a prop like they do in the month of June just to be discarded once the month is over.

Violence and crime against them would reduce in numbers, the members of the community would feel more empowered which would lead to them being more accepted in society, having better healthcare which would cater to their needs. 

Now, wouldn’t that be just nice?

Be An Ally To The Trans Community

By: Devla Pandey

Happy Pride Month! 

This article will be focused on awareness about the ‘T’ in ‘LGBTQIA’ which stands for Transgender. 

The first step involved to be an ally to the trans community is to be aware of some facts and definitions. The word ‘Transgender’ is an adjective denoting or relating to a person whose sense of gender identity does not correspond with the sex they were assigned at birth. Gender identity is the internal sense of being male, female, or something else, for trans people does not match their birth sex. A transgender woman was labelled as male at birth but has the gender identity of a female. A transgender man was assigned female sex at birth but identifies as male. Some transgender people don’t identify with one gender exclusively or no gender at all. These transgender people are often described as being “non-binary.” Another term that is sometimes used to describe people in this category is “genderqueer.” The opposite of transgender is cisgender, people who identify as cis conform to their sex at birth. 

Another important piece of information is that gender identity is not the same as sexual orientation. The latter term is used to describe a person’s innate preference for romantic or sexual relationships with men, women, or both sexes. Heterosexual/straight people are attracted to members of the opposite sex. Homosexual people (gays and lesbians) are attracted to people of the same sex. Bisexual people are attracted to both men and women. Transgender people may be straight, gay or lesbian, or bisexual. The flag that represents the transgender community was designed by American trans woman Monica Helms. It is a light blue, pink and white pent-colour pride flag. 

Secondly, we must acknowledge their struggles. Being a marginalised community, they’ve been oppressed and discriminated against for the majority of recorded history. Trans people are denied equal access to key social goods, such as employment, health care, education and housing. They’re marginalized in society and one of the weaker sections who are at risk of becoming socially excluded. Daily experiences such as not having separate toilet facilities; they have to use male toilets where they are prone to sexual assault and harassment and having to fill up application forms that use sex and gender interchangeably. The exclusion and discrimination have extremely affected the mental health of transgender persons. Stigmatization of gender-nonconforming and transgender children and youth is amplified in the educational system, which mirrors the rest of society in reinforcing strictly binary and patriarchal gender norms. Transphobia exists, which causes a lot of distress to trans people. Transphobia manifests itself in different forms, for example, physical attacks, discrimination in the workplace and negative media representation. Apart from it all, trans people also deal with gender dysphoria in many cases. It is a condition that causes distress and discomfort when the gender you identify with conflicts with the sex that you were assigned at birth. 

Lastly, we should express our openness and acceptance. The majorities of Transgender people learn to cope, particularly when they have the support of family and friends, and participate in Transgender organizations and social networks. Thus it is crucial to vocally support and fight alongside them against the discrimination they face. Normalise introducing yourself with your pronouns and not make assumptions about others’ pronouns. Be respectful and mindful of phrases or terms that are gendered. Also, consider donating to organizations that support and aid transgender people. Wish them a happy pride month, with a gentle smile!

Masked Love

By: Anagha V

“Dear Friend,

Occasionally, when I lay down and closed my eyes, I used to feel like a skatefish in pisciculture. Bleak lifelessness around me – a world drained of joy. They only saw in black and white, do you realize?

The funny thing is, I swam around. I floated around like a little plastic toy, discarded into the vast ocean by some rich spoilt kid. As light, weightless, and wasted. I felt my fins and tail as I traversed the water, the strong current against them. 

My teachers had always told my parents that I was a queer child and that I daydreamed too often. Maybe they did get some part of it right, but I never dared to make the pun evident. Who are dreamers but lost souls, right? 

My room used to be no different from my terror of a thought loop. It was almost like a black hole, everything sucked you in, and you lost your nature. You know, like the universe is no longer to be governed by the Laws of Senses. If absurdism gets narrowed down, the only thing defined in it would be human hypocrisy. They ask you to love and then say you are not supposed to. They preach to you to be true to yourself but accept only sugar-coated lies. I know.

My school was no better. It was not like my friends were any kinder. Their images flickered in and out of my daily life like a television channel on a poor signal. Despite being left with all these people around me, I was permitted only to use one bland, broken communication device. Will they ever know me for who I truly am? And then I’m in the pond again, my form obscuring my vision. Would it have changed who I am? Would I have forgotten who I was? I am glad you were there through all this. 

At times I used to feel like this life was a conspiracy. But then you told me about the other colorful, joyous worlds I could spiral into when I was lost. Maybe all everyone in such a wicked world as mine needs is an ally. Things did not seem as hard. I finally had the courage to stand up for myself. You were not right by my side physically, true. But you were with me, in your heart. That is more than anything I wanted or needed. All this suffocation of shutting myself inside is finally off my shoulder, and I just wanted to say thank you.”

People are often just scared to speak up for themselves. They have to realize that what makes them unique is everything about them- their age, gender, identity, sexuality, interests, and whatnot. The pride community is not for today’s relief or tomorrow’s comfort. It is a movement for as long as it takes. And it is home. To love is human, and to love is divine.

Pride and Disprejudice

By: Dibyan Goswami

“Genders are like twin towers, earlier there were two but now it’s just a sensitive subject”. This is exactly what is wrong with our perception of gender, gender in itself is not a sensitive or confusing subject but it is our arrogance that makes it so. The fact is straight-forward, gender is not a discrete spectrum but rather a continuous spectrum of human identities. It is nothing to be afraid of or to be disgusted with but rather a change that should be welcomed with warmth as it is this change of gender identity that accommodates fellow humans as humans.

Disagreers would often say how earlier there was no mention of LGBTQ ever and gender was binary. But that’s exactly where we go wrong, if we were to broaden the time upto which our “earlier” extended, that is, if we go back to the ancient world, there was never any mention of LGBTQ because there was no concept of heterosexual or homosexual relationships. There was no “us” and “them”, it was only “us” and it was all about loving who one liked. In fact, same sex-relationships were highly common in Mesopotamia. In ancient Mesopotamia, god Enki is said to have created a third-gender as servants for his daughter, thus, the non-binary gender was recognised thousands of years ago as the third gender. The Almanac of Incantations contains prayers for both opposite and same-sex marriage proving how gods even blessed same-sex relationships.

Records dating back to 600 BCE refer to same sex-relationships in China where it was believed that the upper class lover would dignify the lower class lover, bringing prosperity into his life. Chinese literature is home to several poems and anecdotes on same-sex relationships, one of these known as “the cut sleeve” tells how emperor Ai was resting with his lover Dong Xian who had fallen asleep on Ai’s robe. Instead of waking up Dong Xian, emperor Ai instead cut off his sleeve so that his lover could sleep peacefully and went to attend court in a disheveled state. Isn’t this a very wholesome story? There is nothing wrong in bringing back a tradition that can be home to thousands of such wholesome stories.

Back in 1250 BCE, the Indian law code, Manusmriti treats both same-sex and oppsite-sex relationships equally and the Kama Sutra references the third gender too. While the third gender (Hijra) is marginalized in present day India, there is nothing in ancient scriptures that marginalizes them. Our culture is undoubtedly one of the richest cultures in the world and we should be proud of it. While we talk of returning to our traditional values, it is still a taboo to talk about same-sex relationships. While the ancient Indian culture never stigmatized same-sex relationships and transgenders, “modern-day” Indian culture does, surprisingly, same-sex relationships in India were made illegal by a colonial era law establised by the Britishers. Now, in modern-day British culture, same-sex relationships are being welcomed as an indication of a more “modern”, self-aware and educated society. Irony lies in the fact that our society was always more welcoming and wholesome for the third gender and same-sex relationsips.

Thus, talks about pride month shouldn’t really trigger us or make us feel uncomfortable, rather they should act as a reminder of our ancient culture that made India the richest country at one point of time, home to the strongest empires and housing the most diverse and rich culture. Hence, as an Indian we should proudly talk about same-sex relationships and rights for the LGBTQ+ community. In the end, it is all about loving who you like as love knows no gender.

To Be Loved or Not To Be Loved

By – Krishanu Das

The feeling of love is one of the most beautiful feelings in the world. It’s a powerful emotion that can make us feel both happy and sad at the same time. The term “love” refers to an overwhelming emotion of heartfelt affection. But does it exactly define the true essence of Love? 

I was about 15 or 16 years old at the time, and I was trying to figure out a lot of things in life. I was running late, especially for an Indian kid from a middle-class family who was expected to have figured out their life by this point. It was difficult for me to find significance in many things, but one day I came across something that made perfect sense to me. It was probably insignificant to most others, but it meant everything to me at the time. My life was turned upside down, and everything that didn’t make sense before began to make sense. I met a girl. She wasn’t perfect, but she seemed to be able to complete me.

My friends thought I was crazy and that I wasn’t making any sense, but at the time, their opinions didn’t matter to me. This girl was all that mattered to me. She was in my class, so I made it a point to speak with her daily and get to know her. She was incredibly sweet to me, and I always felt “PERFECT” when I was in her company. I was so delighted that I used to look forward to going to school, and when school finished, I was upset, but the anticipation of seeing her again kept me awake all night. I was genuinely happy and everything was just “PERFECT”, but I suppose nothing is supposed to be perfect in this universe.

I went up to the girl and confessed my feelings for her with a lot of courage. Her smile had vanished, and I couldn’t think of anything else at the time. I’d exhausted all other options and was simply hoping to God that she’d say yes. But it appears that the universe had other plans for me. She said “no”, and I didn’t know how to react to it. Everything just went blank for a moment and I didn’t have anything to say. 

Everything that previously made sense to me began to disintegrate, and nothing appeared to make sense to me. Going to school was a burden, sitting in class was excruciating, and seeing the same beautiful face every day was depressing. I had blamed everyone up until this moment, and then I started blaming myself. Was it, however, entirely my fault? I’d only done one thing: I’d fallen in love. I had no idea how to communicate my feelings, and all I could think about was being rejected. My sorrow had turned to rage, and I couldn’t seem to settle down. The tension and restlessness were unbearable.

At this moment, all I could think about was blaming the girl, and my rage seemed to know no bounds. I simply wanted to express my rage, and I had painted her as the villain in this situation. I couldn’t accept the fact that she had rejected me, and seeing her made me feel horrible. Was she, however, the “terrible” person I painted her to be? She made a decision that she had every right to make.

At this point, I realised the issue was with myself and with society, which believes that if a person makes a decision for their own good, we label them as “bad” people if their choices do not coincide with our own. Every individual has the right to make their own choices, and we, as individuals in society, must respect those choices and learn to accept differing viewpoints. I felt it convenient to blame the girl because I had to learn it the hard way. “Consent” is something that transcends people’s and society’s opinions, so maybe I was supposed to be blamed at this point?

“Time is the finest healer,” as someone once said. I believe in my case, I just analyzed the situation and realised that sometimes not everything is in my control. That’s when I realised that not everything is supposed to make sense and that some things just “happen.” I believe that at this moment, I had made peace with all of my sadness, anger, and restlessness and that this helped me to escape from the situation.