The past year in law school, somehow, I've done / read a lot of stuff relating to domestic violence (DV). My first tryst with anything related to domestic violence was an internship at this place called Majlis, in Bombay. Majlis is an NGO fighting for women's rights in various spheres and was started by Flavia Agnes. It was a wonderful experience, and though it may sound cliched, the internship was an eye opener.
I then did a project on DV in Crim Law I. I also studied it in Family Law I. And roomie gifted a book, Strange Fits of Passion, by Anita Shreve, which is a wonderful insight into what goes through the mind of a victim. In the book, the central character is 'free' in the sense that she at any point does have the liberty to go to the police and report the case. So at times, while reading the book, you would ask yourself - why the hell isn't she doing that? However she is so terrorised of her husband (she keeps on saying, "He'll kill me") that she doesn't. She chooses to flee to another town with her baby and live incognito, but she doesn't report the case. I won't tell you how the book ends, but I would recommend it to you all (thankoo momo :)!).
Domestic violence cases are complex in the sense that they deal with something which happens behind closed doors. I've never come across anyone who I know personally and has been a victim - but something does need to be done about it. So this post is about the 'Bell Bajao' Campaign. Some of you might have seen the ad on TV, which in my opinion is a piece of brilliant advertising work(done by Ogilvy & Mather). Boman Irani's in his house, but he can hear shouts etc from a neighbouring house - one can make out that the woman is being battered. So he goes up to the house, rings the bell. There is silence. Then the man opens the house. And Irani asks, "Can I use your phone?". The man looks sheepish, very. And as far as I can remember, the ad ends. It goes without saying that the ad does have a lot more to it - visual impact etc is awesome :)
So well, while this does not suggest a long term solution obviously, I really think it's a nice innovative idea. To be honest, I've never done much of social work - have always been too lazy to take any kind of initiative. When I saw the ad though, I was really enthused. It's a nice idea which does not require much of one. As DV is a crime which happens inside the house, proving the same is difficult. With the advent of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, the law has changed dramatically. Nonetheless I'm not too sure whether much has actually changed or not. Also while legal action is one option, a simple ringing of a bell, consequently making the abuser aware of the fact that everyone knows, an action which threatens and corners him and one which should ideally lead to a phone call to the cops, can change things. So I really do hope that I help. And would want you all to too!
The link of the campaign's website is -
http://www.bellbajao.org/index.php
Ok now time for my 'I like' thing. Ok currently, I like my birthday presents :D Birthday was on the 11th of this month, and got some really nice gifts from 'frands'. Sigh. I LOVE birthdays because of this! Yes I'm horribly materialistic and LOVE gifts :D Thank you so much to aforementioned frands and to everyone else for all the wishes (yes yes I LOVE them too, not that materialistic!)!
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Checklist for the hols!
In case I forget :P. Oh and not in any order of priority.
1. Read!
2. Watch movies and sitcoms and serials!
3. Try to resource episodes of OTH (S. 4 onwards?) and Grey’s Anatomy (S. 3?)
4. Work! (Internship)
5. Exercise!
6. Swim! (special emphasis)
7. Not think about stuff I'm always thinking out.
8. Let it be. Do NOT think.
9. See South Bombay during course of internship (excited here :)).
10. See a play in Prithvi!
11. Learn how to drive (sigh- this is dad induced)
12. Eat healthy (umm, Mum induced)
13. Shop! (Certain essentials - a white kurta, a skirt, a belt)
14. Get pretty chappal repaired (sigh).
15. Meet certain friends definitely - D, Sr, Sa, Sho, GS, RS, Shi. Call them first!
16. Umm start work for eventually getting the desired b'day present from parents (B’day in March - but need to get on the job now itself :D).
17. Ok some B'wood flicks which need to be seen in the theatre - Ghajini, Luck By Chance, Dilli 6.
18. Download new music!
19. Do up room.
20. Be happy!
Post Script - drove today for the first time, I take back my reservations, was awesome fun! It's like playing those racing games in real life (I can hear people going duh - but still!)
1. Read!
2. Watch movies and sitcoms and serials!
3. Try to resource episodes of OTH (S. 4 onwards?) and Grey’s Anatomy (S. 3?)
4. Work! (Internship)
5. Exercise!
6. Swim! (special emphasis)
7. Not think about stuff I'm always thinking out.
8. Let it be. Do NOT think.
9. See South Bombay during course of internship (excited here :)).
10. See a play in Prithvi!
11. Learn how to drive (sigh- this is dad induced)
12. Eat healthy (umm, Mum induced)
13. Shop! (Certain essentials - a white kurta, a skirt, a belt)
14. Get pretty chappal repaired (sigh).
15. Meet certain friends definitely - D, Sr, Sa, Sho, GS, RS, Shi. Call them first!
16. Umm start work for eventually getting the desired b'day present from parents (B’day in March - but need to get on the job now itself :D).
17. Ok some B'wood flicks which need to be seen in the theatre - Ghajini, Luck By Chance, Dilli 6.
18. Download new music!
19. Do up room.
20. Be happy!
Post Script - drove today for the first time, I take back my reservations, was awesome fun! It's like playing those racing games in real life (I can hear people going duh - but still!)
....
A few disconnected observations...
Today are the last day of hols. Tomorrow I'll be in a train, and day after, I will be back in law school. I don't wanna go back. I'm trying to make myself feel 'positive' and am trying to be optimistic (which is very difficult, because I am actually an eternal pessimist), but well am failing. I'm dreading the deadlines, submissions, exams...grr! Oh and today I learnt that one of my first cousins, quite a close one, is off to the States to study. That's one more on the list of those bound for North American countries. She (cousin) is going, my own brother is going, a really really close Bombay friend is going (from now on, NM) and a certain Virgo (ass! Hence CV) is going - the first for a two yr course, the second for a four year course, the third for four / five months. My sense of isolation currently is rather marked. Sigh. I realise that their going is 'inevitable' (as the Mother calls it), that 'everyone has to go', but, to put it crudely, it rather sucks. I feel like Peyton in One Tree Hill. She keeps on saying that everyone leaves.
Yes, I'm rather a sitcom buff. Was, actually.
While reading the paper today, came across a shocker - our lovely government is reserving faculty seats for SCs and STs in the IITs. Faculty seats! Gosh. Umm, no wonder so many are off to U.S. !
There's this Rajasthani restaurant near my place, called - 'Jodha Cooks for Akbar'. I'm not a 'hard core' feminist, but did feel slight indignation and amusement on reading it.! It's a blatant sterotyping of women and an assumption of what their roles should be...! I'm sure it was unintentional, but that's what makes such labelling worse. Oh and it's quite funny too. I'm quite sure that Jodha anyway didn't cook for Akbar- they must be having a zillion bawarchis (or well whatever they're called!) to cook for them. Plus I don't think Akbar had Rajasthani cuisine (isn't Rajasthani cuisine vegetarian? Wouldn't he like have Mughlai, umm, non-vegetarian food?). I dunno what they've shown in the movie though. Lol, anyway there are allegations that there are misrepresentations in the film. Oh and weirdly, most chefs in these restaurants are anyway men... so well, Jodha does not cook for Akbar!
I realise that the last observation was especially pointless. But well had been wanting to write it down for sometime!
Today are the last day of hols. Tomorrow I'll be in a train, and day after, I will be back in law school. I don't wanna go back. I'm trying to make myself feel 'positive' and am trying to be optimistic (which is very difficult, because I am actually an eternal pessimist), but well am failing. I'm dreading the deadlines, submissions, exams...grr! Oh and today I learnt that one of my first cousins, quite a close one, is off to the States to study. That's one more on the list of those bound for North American countries. She (cousin) is going, my own brother is going, a really really close Bombay friend is going (from now on, NM) and a certain Virgo (ass! Hence CV) is going - the first for a two yr course, the second for a four year course, the third for four / five months. My sense of isolation currently is rather marked. Sigh. I realise that their going is 'inevitable' (as the Mother calls it), that 'everyone has to go', but, to put it crudely, it rather sucks. I feel like Peyton in One Tree Hill. She keeps on saying that everyone leaves.
Yes, I'm rather a sitcom buff. Was, actually.
While reading the paper today, came across a shocker - our lovely government is reserving faculty seats for SCs and STs in the IITs. Faculty seats! Gosh. Umm, no wonder so many are off to U.S. !
There's this Rajasthani restaurant near my place, called - 'Jodha Cooks for Akbar'. I'm not a 'hard core' feminist, but did feel slight indignation and amusement on reading it.! It's a blatant sterotyping of women and an assumption of what their roles should be...! I'm sure it was unintentional, but that's what makes such labelling worse. Oh and it's quite funny too. I'm quite sure that Jodha anyway didn't cook for Akbar- they must be having a zillion bawarchis (or well whatever they're called!) to cook for them. Plus I don't think Akbar had Rajasthani cuisine (isn't Rajasthani cuisine vegetarian? Wouldn't he like have Mughlai, umm, non-vegetarian food?). I dunno what they've shown in the movie though. Lol, anyway there are allegations that there are misrepresentations in the film. Oh and weirdly, most chefs in these restaurants are anyway men... so well, Jodha does not cook for Akbar!
I realise that the last observation was especially pointless. But well had been wanting to write it down for sometime!
A few questions
1. There's this movie coming out, with the the tagline - 'When do you know it's love?'. My question - when do you know it's not love, or rather, when do you know it's no longer love? And does that then mean 'The End'? What is the end? No talking, forgetting everything, pretending it no longer existed? What if there is no 'end'? I don't know how many of you watch Grey's Anatomy (please do, it's super fun!) but well at the end of Season 3 there's this scene where Meredith screams to the world in general and to Derek in specific - 'It's over, it's so over.' - signifying to the audience that Meredith and Derek (the main couple) are finally off. Umm... but next season they're back at it again. Then I was reading the newspaper today, there was this news about a couple which has gotten back (and is probably re-marrying) after they got divorced way back in 1998. How does this work ya?
Oh and does one just 'give up' when the other is confused? Is it an 'insult' to one's 'self-respect', is it self-humiliating and degrading to not give up? Is an agreement to 'discuss' things after a certain time period, to keep everything in 'abeyance' - does that signify the end? During that 'time period' what does one do? Treat the 'thing' you had as the end? Again what does one 'do' if it's the end? And then again, what if it's not the end? What if there still is love and before you say it, there is love enough? Can someone please answer these questions?!
2. To divert a little, why o why does law school have to be endured for 5 long years?! I'm currently sitting at home, dreading going back and hence am in the phase where I don't like college. So well - isn't it inequitable that friends from school doing a Bachelor in Arts / Science / Commerce degree, get to graduate two whole years before me?! And even those engineering people graduate a year before! It's so unfair! I don't wanna go back? Why does such regimentation in education have to be endured?! Why can't I just educate myself by reading as many Somerset Maughams and other authors that I like?! (Ok such 'revolutionary' thoughts have to be read in context of the mood that I am presently!)
3. Is the key to 'living life' to not take things too seriously? How does that work out ya? Is it 'cool' to break rules and not take them seriously? Is it 'cool' to take law school academics 'un'seriously when in the process I might just lose more years and stay for more than 5 yrs in that place?! How does one fall in love and not take it seriously?! A fling is different but how does one treat a relationship 'un'seriously only because apparently one is 'young' and has a lot more to see?
4. Last question - rather, set of questions. How does one compartmentalise stuff in one's brain and not let one thing affect the other? Does one have to pretend that something never happened so that it doesn't affect the other stuff?
Ok, those are my list of questions. Could someone please answer them?! Oh and a disclaimer before I sign off, I LOVE law school, it's just that it's end of hols and I don't wanna go back : ( !
Oh and does one just 'give up' when the other is confused? Is it an 'insult' to one's 'self-respect', is it self-humiliating and degrading to not give up? Is an agreement to 'discuss' things after a certain time period, to keep everything in 'abeyance' - does that signify the end? During that 'time period' what does one do? Treat the 'thing' you had as the end? Again what does one 'do' if it's the end? And then again, what if it's not the end? What if there still is love and before you say it, there is love enough? Can someone please answer these questions?!
2. To divert a little, why o why does law school have to be endured for 5 long years?! I'm currently sitting at home, dreading going back and hence am in the phase where I don't like college. So well - isn't it inequitable that friends from school doing a Bachelor in Arts / Science / Commerce degree, get to graduate two whole years before me?! And even those engineering people graduate a year before! It's so unfair! I don't wanna go back? Why does such regimentation in education have to be endured?! Why can't I just educate myself by reading as many Somerset Maughams and other authors that I like?! (Ok such 'revolutionary' thoughts have to be read in context of the mood that I am presently!)
3. Is the key to 'living life' to not take things too seriously? How does that work out ya? Is it 'cool' to break rules and not take them seriously? Is it 'cool' to take law school academics 'un'seriously when in the process I might just lose more years and stay for more than 5 yrs in that place?! How does one fall in love and not take it seriously?! A fling is different but how does one treat a relationship 'un'seriously only because apparently one is 'young' and has a lot more to see?
4. Last question - rather, set of questions. How does one compartmentalise stuff in one's brain and not let one thing affect the other? Does one have to pretend that something never happened so that it doesn't affect the other stuff?
Ok, those are my list of questions. Could someone please answer them?! Oh and a disclaimer before I sign off, I LOVE law school, it's just that it's end of hols and I don't wanna go back : ( !
