WHY IS IT?

You know, I’ve been thinking for a while about our country, The Republic of India, not having established a certain solid guideline or decorum of what people can and can’t speak about on a public platform, especially considering our lawmakers, public figures and other prominent personalities.

Why is it that a person can have the audacity or even the courage of attacking another’s personal life even when it’s irrelevant to their topic in discussion?

Why is it that, when our country is already getting a lot of unwanted attention considering unsafe living environment for women, that public figures can openly on satellite channels make baseless obscene and derogatory comments about women?

Why is it that people do not consider thinking twice before making a remark about a woman?

Why is it that certain people who have repeatedly offended women are not at the first time given a suitable lesson so that he dare not think of doing it again?

Why is it that the other women in the household of the person who has outraged the modesty of another woman forget that they are women too?

Why do they forget that it could happen to them also?

Why, when our country is fighting to empower women, especially after the 

16^th December, 2012 tragedy, have we not yet learn to respect women?

Why is it that when someone, not specifically a prominent personality makes disrespectful comments about a lady, that it is nothing shocking for our society?

Why is it so normal?

When are we going to begin respecting the gender the majority of us worship for strength, prosperity and knowledge?

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO LEARN?

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?

BOOK REVIEW: THE LITTLE HEARTS

Anything about books or authors is music to my ears. So when I received an e-mail from Mr. Ravi Kumar R asking if I’d review his book, I agreed after we exchanged a few conversations. And this post is exactly that-an honest review.

Book Name: THE LITTLE HEARTS

AUTHOR: RAVI KUMAR R

PUBLISHER: BIBLICA PUBLICATIONS

CHIEF BOOK EDITOR: Mrs. SASI SUDARSANAN

BOOK EDITOR: GOPI GANESAN

GENRE: FICTION

Well, yes, the story is oozing with substance and aims to stir debates within your intellect. However, there’s a difference between certain thought provoking questions or facts and an abundance of them. You really need to brace yourself for pages of questions about political stuff, superpower and all, for which, honestly, you might already have the answers. Some of the philosophical sightings don’t really gel well.

The love story between the protagonist and his lady love Priya is very interesting with a dramatic climax. But at the same time, is pregnant with certain ‘pick up’ lines that are not only cheesy but also unbelievable when the narrator cites the lady’s reactions to them. He needs to get real!

Though, the book is filled with a lot of knowledge and questions about religions, belief systems, inequality et al., you can’t help the pounding in your head because of all the wrong grammar. The party pooper however, is the repetitive use of the same words very closely and even within the same paragraph. Also watch out for similar meaning words used together and various words used where the job could have been completed with the correct use of a single word. Every bit of the reader in you will undoubtedly make you wish the editor/proof reader had done a better job or the author had taken more interest at essay and prose writing back in school, especially when the narrator explains the obvious or unnecessary in a few situations. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE READER’S INTELLECT.

All in all, if you plan to read it, do so for the love story which actually is the most entertaining part in the book.

Note: As you read through the book, you will realize that the narration is quite immature and majorly feels like a translation. I think the immature part can be justified keeping in mind that the narrator is only 18 years old though he sounds like a 13 year old.