the need of rural india

I had put up another poll on orkut but could not write on it since a long time. This may not be of interest to all as it is concerned with the development issues that the social sector is looking at. The “NGO community” members of orkut were the respondents to this poll. I took their opinion on what they perceived should be the highest priority of the social sector when it comes to rural India. The options to choose from were – mother and child health, livelihood, rainwater harvesting, HIV/AIDS & water pollution. The maximum votes went to livelihood (32 percent) while maternal and child health followed closely with 28 percent votes. HIV/AIDS was next on the priority list & water pollution and rainwater harvesting received least importance (10 percent).

My verdict on the poll results: They were very much up to what I expected.
Livelihood is truly the most important problem faced by rural India and all other issues mostly are interlinked to this aspect. If there is some source of income only then other issues in life can be thought about and dealt with. If there is hunger and lack of basic elements of life other issues always take a back seat. A mother and her newborn can be healthy only if they get adequate nutrition and follow good health practices. A man can notice the water pollution and unhygienic conditions around him only if his basic need of hunger and a respectable life is fulfilled. Several studies on HIV/AIDS have found out that its prevalence in rural India is again due to lack of livelihood only. Villagers migrate leaving their families behind in search of work and come back with the fatal disease infecting their entire family sometimes. Hence similar to the fellow NGO community members I also feel that livelihood generation is the most vital issue. I work on mother and child health related issues but always feel that it is best to integrate these components and adopt a comprehensive approach.

daily soaps: not that bad!

I have been thinking of writing on this since a long time..All of us (specially the housewives) are familiar with the "K serials" that fill up all the prime time slots everyday. Well let me confess after avoiding these soaps for years I have myself become a regular of atleast 2-3 of them. Thinking of what drew me to them I could come up with 2 v "feminine" reasons - one the get up of the females and two my own boredom! In between I always get to read how these shows are a real waste of time and how unrealisitic and vague is the story line of each.











The amount of critcism that these shows recieve should have successfully created a wave of protest and dislike for them. But the truth is these shows go on and on and on undettered and the list of "K" serials has increased so much that every channel you switch on you find some woman dazzling in a saree plotting and scheming and what not...but i have a different point to make..


I think there is indeed something positive about these shows that keeps them going. Atleast "something" has to be nice about them -

• They keep the women engaged - I guess if a survey is done among housewives who are alone all day, the prevalence of depression in them would be found to be reduced drastically as compared to the times when there was no Balaji Telefims or other such production houses!


• They act as reminders of our festivals- Now this is something I really appreciate about these shows. Even small festivals like teej (which is slowly losing importance) is depicted with such fervour and excitement that one feels like being a part of the festivities.


• Sitting at home you can know what is the latest fashion!! :))


• It has given employment to so many people who otherwise may have struggled and struggled and then got disillusioned with their lives.
• This is also a boon for the behind the scene workers who have guaranteed work and meals now.


• ???!! Can you think of more?

I am not here for some advocacy campaign FOR the "K" serials but the whole point was to make you see that nothing is without a purpose. If these soaps have been sustaining themselves for years there is definately something about them that keeps them going.

September 9, 2007

It was like any other day...just that 2 days were to go before the much talked of 9/11 day (not that it is related to the contents of my writing :)).

I was sitting on my bed watching TV after lunch..the little one inside me moving slowly as if rocking itself to sleep after a nice lunch with momma :)
Suddenly the movements got vigorous and I looked at my tummy ..what I saw was the most amazing site I had ever seen.

I could see my tummy swaying with the baby and could make out the patterns of movement!
Having discovered this it is always so much fun to look at my little angel move within me as if wanting to connect to me and to tell me how it is feeling in its "protected area"!

Now as time goes by and the dday gets nearer my eagerness to tuch and hold this magic of god increases by the day....