26/11 – Thirteen Years Later

On this day, it has been 13 years since the horrifying 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Everytime I think about these attacks, a chill goes down my spine.

On this day, 13 years ago, 10 young terrorists of Lakshar-e-Taiba entered Mumbai through the Arabian sea and caused a havoc no one could have ever imagined. They targeted 5 places and held mass shootings, injuring 300 people and killing over 166 people in the process. Though 9 of these terrorists died during the 4-day operation, 24 year old Ajmal Kasab was caught, who was responsible for the shootout on Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station.

During these 4 days, Mumbai and her people witnessed a horror like never before. It scarred them in a way one cannot describe. Mumbai and her people have gone through a lot, not only in the 26/11 attacks, but many others like the 1993 blasts, the 2006 train blasts among others. My heart goes out to the people who had to witnesses all this and who were directly affected by these horrifying incidents. No words can describe the pain of the people who have been involved in this .

26/11 will not be forgotten, and neither will the people who were in it.

I have written a poem dedicated to Mumbai 26/11 attacks.

  26/11

On that day, Mumbai experienced a horror like never before

An incident that shook its people to their very core.

Some cried to express, some stayed silent,

They just couldn't digest an act so violent

Their pain had to be revealed,

Because sharing was the only way that they could heal.

It's been thirteen years now, but the chill is still the same

Of thinking about this, of hearing someone utter this name.

This attack may be written down in history,

But so will the way Mumbai and her people gained victory.



~ Aahana Jain

#BLACK LIVES MATTER

#Black Lives Matter. This was something that could be found in every corner of the internet after 25th May. It is good that even white people come together alongside black people to fight such matters, but it is also sad at the same time that discrimination and racism is still happening in this world. Do you know that George Floyd didn’t even do anything illegal. He was only SUSPECTED by a white officer, Derek Chauvin, of passing a counterfeit $20 bill. The officer didn’t even have any proof to arrest George. And even if George Floyd did pass a counterfeit bill, the officer didn’t have any right to kill him. Maybe arrest, but not kill him so brutally.

It is good that Officer Chauvin was charged and is currently in jail; still, he took the life on an innocent black man. Did he even think for a minute about George’s family and friends? No, he did not. And that is the hard truth of the world. But we can change this truth.

We can change it by not doing racism. By treating people equally no matter what they look like or where they come from. In fact, why should we be labeled as ‘black’, ‘white, ‘brown’ or ‘oriental’ people? Why can’t we be just ‘people’ without all those labels. After all we all are humans, just with different colors, facial features, languages etc.

For people who like to read books on such realistic matters and those people who think that racism is okay, please read the book “The Hate You Give”. It is a novel written by Angie Thomas and now a movie also. It tells the life of Starr Carter, a seventeen-year old Black girl who sees her teenage black best friend being shot by a White police officer for no reason. You can read about Starr’s struggle to get her best friend justice against the white people. The book has many positive reviews from John Green, Teen Vogue, Entertainment Weekly and many others and is also a No.1 New York Times Bestseller.

Lets Fight Corona Together

The whole world has been jolted to a stop due to the Corona virus. The way the world is going on right now, with all the lockdowns and quarantines, one can say that this virus has in a way started controlling our lives. Now nobody can watch movies in theaters, eat good food in restaurants, go for relaxing vacations etc. Why ? Because of the fear COVID-19 . Now, it is our choice to let it go this way or to improve the situation and get everything back to normal. If we want our normal lives back, we need to stand up.

Right now, anyone who is reading this might not be a doctor or a scientist who is working towards defeating Corona, but being a normal person does not mean that we can’t help fight this pandemic. We can help fight this by staying in our homes, wearing masks while going out, going out only when necessary and taking all the precautions. Think about the people out there who are risking their lives for us. Think about their families and their children. Don’t you think that we at least owe this much to them. Is staying in your home for a few weeks really that hard? Doctors are again and again uploading videos saying that please stay at home so that they can also live a more peaceful life. Please think before stepping out of the house.

My request to everyone is that please stay safe, stay at home and pray for all the people who are fighting for their lives and for the people who are working towards defeating this virus.

Thank You.

WOMAN EMPOWERMENT

When we think of women empowerment, all that comes to our mind are pictures of women protesting and shouting slogans. But there is more to women empowerment than just protests and rallies. Most people just ignore these protests and think its a waste of time and energy. But have you ever thought why these women protest? Have you ever stopped and even heard what the protest is about before shaping an opinion about it? Think ! The women must be protesting only because they are not getting what they deserved after requesting silently. If their demands are still not met, they have all the right to raise their voice. It should be the self-realized duty of every individual to treat a woman with respect and dignity. If they still don’t get the respect they deserve, its very sad considering that in our country women are also believed to be goddesses.

But everywhere the situation is not like that. Many offices and organisations are being started by women or have them on important posts. Now the only job for women isn’t only teaching at schools. Women can now also be found in challenging jobs like police, defense, aviation, businesses etc. Although it took a lot of struggle, women have earned their respect in the society and are forging ahead towards making the world a better place to live in for everybody and there is nothing we can or should do to stop them. After all, it’s only a woman who can mange the house, look after her kids and husband AND still have a respectable job.

Although, it is not only the working women who deserve respect. Taking care of the house and family is in itself a very challenging job. It’s like having a job and not getting paid for it. But still women work selflessly in making the house a good and peaceful place to live in physically and mentally. A man can still leave his job saying that he is retiring, but a woman never leaves or retires from her job as a hardworking housewife. Therefore, even if a woman doesn’t work, she still deserves the same respect as a working woman.

So, as an individual, it is our duty to respect each and every woman globally.