My DAD in the OGs....................

My Dad in the OGs…………………
By: Pia Bakshi


“Smartly dressed in the olive green sporting a beret on the head with a stick in the right hand and numerous medals glorifying the entire attire, accompanied by an aura of authority and confidence and a spirit of patriotism”-This is how my papa would look when he would wake me up for school. This picture is engraved in my mind for, god knows how long now. Seeing my father in the whole regalia was now a routine and my day was incomplete without getting a good look of him like this; like my dad in the OGs…..
“Not to question why…….but to do or die….”My day would start and end with this saying –quintessential of an army officer; and of my dad in the OGs…………….
I remember ,how as a kid ,I would wait for papa to get back home and catch a glimpse of him in this attire before going to the park……As his gypsy would pull through the driveway, I would jump and run to open the door to be the first one to receive him. This was the highlight of my day. As he would change into his comfortable casuals, I would slip into his uniform’s shirt which in itself was like a gown for me. But none the less, I would give my million dollar smile for the pic that followed. I actually felt that I could never look better.
As I began to grow up I tasted another flavour of the army life-Papa would stay away from home for a long time. I would see all the kids with their fathers and it did prick initially but I soon realized that m y father was not with us, not out of choice but out of duty which for an army man inevitably is a choice. I soon respected this angle all the more. I still remember that when people would talk about their father, I would proudly declare that my dad is in the army; serving the nation; he is my dad in the OGs……
Then soon I witnessed one of the best and the worst part of being an army girl.
The frequent postings caused a 360% change in my life after every 2 years .From Dalhousie to Delhi; From Meerut to Gwalior, I have seen it all. This might seem like instability to an outsider. But getting to know different kinds of people- from untouched places like Dalhousie to the hip and happening crowd in Delhi,. I have seen and lived with them all. If this sounds instability then you certainly need a reality check. In the 14 years of my existence I have come across so many people that it has inculcated in me one of the best possible traits –to be Amiable and mingle up with different kinds of people with great ease. All because of my dad in the OGs……..
Another great thing about being an army kid is that you get an opportunity to live in a colony. The sense of camaraderie that follows in itself speaks volumes of its importance. Getting to learn, grow, celebrate and mourn together makes the Army family the strongest and the most bonded. I was lucky to experience it because of my dad in the OGs………….

Even now when I recall the old times, I am flooded with nostalgia. I remember how eagerly I would wait for papa to come home for his Casual Leave. Annual leave, (which was the longest), felt like bliss. The scene 24 hrs before papa’s arrival would be-Mama in the kitchen cooking papa’s favorite meal with great love and enthusiasm; my sis and I sitting in our room, diligently and with full on dedication making cards for papa; our helper would be busy in getting the home cleaned and just in the perfect condition. The anticipation and excitement on getting to see papa after such a long time was inexplicable. And then there would be a phone call. Ma would rush to get it and on the other side of the call ,one could hear papa in his deep baritone saying,” I am just 5 minutes away”. All of us, including our helper ,would rush to the door and wait………….After what seemed like hours papa would enter and we would all jump n excitement. The moment he would enter we would all bombard him with the silliest of questions which at that moment meant important. After all he had come home; my dad in the OGs……..
And in the wink of an eye the time to return would soon come by. And before we know it Papa would be gone. This was followed by tears from the side of all us but now it is easier to reconcile. People say that for an army officer his Nation comes first. But for papa both his nation and his Family were the top most priorities and I proudly say that Papa carried out responsibities on both fronts with great expertise, like a true man; my dad in the OGs…..
My papa is currently posted in Ferozepur and at the moment is home for his Annual Leave and yes! You guessed it –I am very excited.
Even if Papa is not around and even though I am staying in a civil atmosphere ,I am still an army brat; I am still the daughter of my dad in the OGs………
In case you are wondering why I am writing this then I think you need to know that today i.e. 8th December is celebrated as Armed Forces Day…Today is the day that gives these brave hearts the love and admiration they deserve; today is the day when these real life heroes get recognition for their work; Today is the day when these “dudes” are given accolades for their tremendous work.
If any of you reading this were not aware of this great day then don’t feel bad. You do not need a day to acknowledge these true men .It is an inner feeling. If you respect them and their efforts from within then you truly deserve to be one of the members of the army family.
These people, even after all their sacrifices, are left unnoticed. Not many bother to go through some article like this. But these are the men who give up their today for our tomorrow. It is time we introspect and rationalize.
Well I need to go ……………..and make this day special for my father;
my dad in the OGs……………

TERRORISM: A GLOBAL THREAT

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

MORE THAN earthquakes, its terrorism that shakes mankind. The forces of nature are blind and as such indifferent to human suffering. The earthquakes occur just because that is how nature functions. Man seems to be the most dangerous enemy of the earth who ravishes it, its resources, and monopolizes and devastates everything on its surface. Now, the greedy humanity is eyeing the moon, the planets and beyond. But, these things aside, a section of misguided humanity has a different perspective of the world inhabited by its own limbs, i.e. the other fellow beings. They have converted themselves into terrorists and their religion is terrorism.

The scourge of terrorism is universally endemic barring a few countries for some reasons. Like a double-edged sword, it hacks right and left indiscriminately or like a blind mad elephant kills anything and everything that comes in the way as it marches on towards its target.

At present, it is more frightening than the likelihood of the third world war, which is more calculating and sane than in the past. It could be Al-Qaeda, LTTE, Maoists or any other fundamentalist or politically motivated groups. Among the terrorists that kill in the name of religion, the structure is minus one. Leaders of the first and the second wrung two. The technical hands/experts are the third slot. The ground forces, the executors of the evil plans. The so-called leaders or the planners do their nefarious work from secret and safe hideouts or from places with front camouflaged establishments. Of all, the worst type belongs to the fundamentalist groups. The suicide bombers belong to this group. They are programmed to kill like unfeeling robots. They are incapable of possessing any conscience and are devoid of rationality.

To most, ignorance is bliss. I would quote an incident that made me itch to consider what is happening in our country. It was when a group of university students in Delhi shouting anti-government slogans demanding that laws stricter than Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) should be applied to terrorists. A journalist asked the mike holding student leader to elaborate POTA. He started beating about the bush giving foolish, irrelevant explanations and finally shying away with an embarrassing smile. Pity surged forth for this young man and numerous others like him. If university students can be so naive and ignorant, what could be said of terrorists?

Obviously, they are just programmed like robots and they can do only one thing and that is to kill and destroy. Creating anarchy, affecting a nation's economy, demoralizing and destabilizing governments and causing panic among the masses are some of their motives.

Those they kill include Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Parsis, and anyone. Men, women, children, the good and the bad are all bundled together and are killed, for powerful blasts or indiscriminate shooting do not have the intelligence to distinguish between human species.

Governments around the world acknowledge this modern cancer that pesters the civilization, but they are hindered in their efforts to counter it. There is distrust of each other in international relations. Narrow national interests, exposure of their vulnerability to the other nations, their sense of inadequacy in dealing with terrorism etc are a few of the things that the world doesn't fight terrorism as a united front.

No country would like to share expertise and technology with other nations to fight terrorism, which unfortunately is still not recognized as a common enemy. The security agencies and intelligence gathering network suffer from inadequacies in many aspects. People are also not much cooperative as they fear harassment at the hands of the police more than an injury in an attack.

In Stalin's era when the notorious KGB (KGB was a Russian organization with a military hierarchy aimed at providing national defence) men knocked at a door, nobody dared speak up. It was feared more than a devastating fire. When there was in fact a fire, someone would shout, "Neighbors, it is only a fire in the neighborhood not the secret police."

The government wakes up after the harm has been done. Then a red alert is declared. Security is beefed up. Then TV channels show handbags or purses of ladies being searched as classic examples of the very alert police. The oft- repeated clichés of red alert or beefing up of the security or posting police men at the site of the blasts look more a mockery than anything of any practical use. These activities are actually mere futile exercises and are always hard to sustain by the insufficient police. The bomb blasts in Mumbai are the latest example that epitomize the slackness on part of the government that was supplied with a warning but to no avail.

The need of the hour is for the governments to sincerely treat terrorism as a global problem faced by the entire humanity and not by any given nation and discuss all its aspects in detail to find ways and means to effectively deal with it. Patchwork, here and there, is no solution and the cancer will keep spreading its tentacles with immunity.

M 'n' M ('M'eeting the 'M'ayor)

M `n’ M (MEETING THE MAYOR)
By: PIA BAKSHI
WHOPIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is how we the students of the reporters’ club replied to this new venture of ours.We had gotten the oppurtunity to interview the mayor and yes it definitely was something that we were looking forward to .our liason was going on on for a long time but finally that day the mission was accomplished.We set out all geared up to bombard him with our questions.
All five of us, namely Archita, Deeksha, Kashish, Urvashi, Jannat, Ma’am and I sat in the car. I was completely sandwiched but honestly speaking I did’nt really care.I was anyways too happy to notice any of the minor loopholes.I sat in the car rehearsing and we could all feel our excitement crossing all bounds.We were practically jumping in our seats until the time we realized that we should spare the poor car.
And after what seemed like the longest drive of my life, we reached the MUNICIPAL CORPORATION office.We had our new member JANNAT THAPAR, as our official photographer cum reporter who was geared up for her first day at work.As soon as we stepped down she was ready with her camera and we were ready to pose.We went inside and met Gaurav Sir who is a senior reporter from Dainik Bhaskar.After a briefing by sir we all went upstairs to see the office.
At first glance we found the building to be imposing but later as we stepped in we loosened up.Afte all we were reporters and were no less than any other person in the office premises at that time…… ummm ……………..atleast at that moment we thought so.
“The mayor is on his way and should be joining us shortly”said his PR consultant and that is the time we actually got a feel of it;that is the time we realized that we are in a government office;that is the time we understood that this is the place where all the serious business takes place.
We were taken to see a presentation on their latest project SCADA.It felt great to be one of the earliest members to be able to see and understand it.After this briefing we went to the mayor’s office .The office had something about it ;something that made it special;something that made you want to be here.
We saw his table-a lamp , a pile of files a calendar and a picture of Saibaba-at once we got an idea of his true personality.We seated ourselves on the comfortable couches and waited for the moment .
And then came the Mayor,Mr.Pradeep Chabbra,the first thing that struck my mind when I saw him was that he looks to nice and sweet to be a politician and this forming the base of our second question.
But before we could start the mayor jestingly asked us if the questions were difficult. This broke the ice and then the first question was asked by me regarding his childhood.To this he replied,”My childhood has been very difficult.I lost my father at the age of 14.So life has been full of struggles for me.I am a self made man.”
Deeksha took on from here and asked,”Sir, politics has always been perceived as the most corrupt field.What is your take on that?”He said that each and every field is corrupt but the problem is that the corruption is publicised whereas the goodness is not even considered.”
Then Kashish asked him what he would do if he became the prime minister of the country.He wittily replied,” I am a ambitious, not over ambitious.”
And with that we ended our tete'-a-tete' with the Mayor of the city beautiful.
We came out of the building feeling a sense of accomplishment that yes,we have achieved what we wanted.We got to know and learn a lot about the mayor and from the mayor.Hearing everything from the horse’s mouth in itself was a great feeling.As I sat in the back seat of the car ,I realized my experience at the MC office and believe me this was the first time I felt like a REPORTER in the true sense and essence of the word.

EXCHANGING IDEAS DURING THE "IDEA EXCHANGE"

EXCHANGING IDEAS DURING THE “IDEA EXCHANGE”
BY: PIA BAKSHI
I was in school sitting in the computer room trying to finish the report (within the deadline)of the event that took place in the school premises on that fateful day.Then entered Puniita Ma’am with a news I certainly wasn’t expecting.We had been invited to the Idea Exchange in the Indian Express office which, otherwise, is quite a restricted meeting.And this event was to be graced by the eminent actor Anupam Kher .We have seen him as a father who lost his son in SARANSH ;as an alchoholic father in DADDY;as a schezophrenic man in MAINE GANDHI KO NAHIN MARA;and as an intense actor in A WEDNESDAY.But we were given the oppurtunity to see him as he was.He was to be himself and it was a great experience t see the actor we see on the silver screen in his real avtar.We arrived at the Indian Express Office at quarter to 4.The meeting was to start at 4.Well in time we went to meet the Editor-in –Chief,Mr Pubby who was kind enough to give us comfortable seats that gave us just the perfect view .We were all sitting and preparing when the reporters walked in.And we realized that- Yes, the moment was not far away .Soon we would be sitting in the presence of the great reporters and…. Anupam Kher.
Dressed in a simple sky blue shirt and a pair of denims entered Anupam Kher .But don’t go by the the simple understated attire because with this casual style came confidenc e and an intimidating aura as a must-have accessory.After a warm greeting to all the people present with a special reference to the three of us i.e Deeksha, Kashish and and me, the series of questions began.
A pinch of humour; a teaspoon of wit; a bowl full of intellect; a cup full of optimism; honesty as garnishing-and the recipe of Anupam Kher’s special answers is ready.Not a single moment was monotonous.Every single moment was full of fun and gave us a chanceto learn and grasp more.
We were all expecting a very serious atmosphere but it was truly surprising to see the casual, warm and friendly environment.The first question asked was about hi s baldness and he took it in the best sport .He quoted a sensational statement that would change the lives of many people-He said that”BALD IS FASHIONABLE” and the elan with which he said it we were bound to agree.
Further when asked about his work as the Head of the CENSOR BOARD, he repplied that he wanted to bringforth anything that was true but at the time censor anything that was objectionable.
When a senior reporter asked him that out of KIRRON KHER and him who the better actor was, he candidly said that without doubt it was him.Further justifying, he mentioned that while he had done 100s of movies ,his wife had done 20 or so –so their was no comparison.
Our inquisitive Deeksha asked him what he thinks of how the movies are being projected now and how they affect the child psychology .To this he answered that movies are just an extension of the writers’ imagination and therefore, essentially, they are not meant to inspire and mould the minds of the young viewers .He further added that the parents should take an initiative in making sure that what their children watch is suitable.
When I asked him about his entire experience in the film industry, he was flooded with nostalgia. He said that it was truly brilliant.With its ups and its downs-all have made him the man he is today.I further asked him, “Both your debut movie that was SARANSH and your most recent ,A WEDNESDAY ,speak volumes of your talent and calibre.But which is your personal favourite and why?’’
He replied by saying ,”My choice would be DADDY because it spoke of human failure and to play such an intense character in itself was a challenge.Also MAINE GANDHI KO NAHIN MARA for the same reason .”
And after getting a picture and a couple of autographs we rounded up our brief rendevouz.As we were walking back I was elated .Walking through their corridors I actually realized that I ,at the age 14, had just spoken to one of the most distinguished actors in the entire film industry.With that thought in mind, I involuntarily gave myself a pat on the back and went towards my car.Well, it is certainly the truth that while speaking to him none of us were nervous.And now when I look back I actually feel like I had accomplished a big thing-I did not lose my composure on seeing such a big star and that in itself was such a big achievment for me and my friends.On that note I end the description of that day –THE DAY OF MY FIRST INTERVIEW!!!!!!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN "EDITOR"

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN “EDITOR”
BY: PIA BAKSHI

As my car went inside the gate I could feel the adrenalin rush…….I stepped down to make an entry in the visitor’s book and that is when I realized….hey! I wasn’t a visitor, I was an intern...I was working with them …for the next two days I was a part of the Indian Express family …
Then I spotted my fellow Reporters’ Club members, or should I say my colleagues .……..Yes, we were given the chance to edit the children’s day supplement of the Indian Express and boy, were we excited.
The distance from the parking to the main building was like the longest walk of my life.I was overwhelmed .After all this was the first time they had students our age do something so big.
We first met ma’am Chhavi who aqcainted us all with our basic task that day.We had to shortlist 80 articles out of the 300 they had received.After a quick briefing we set to work. We went to their conference hall. It was imposing but we realized that, if we have been given this oppurtunity, we surely have something in us.So with full confidence in ourselves and our abilities we sat down on the comfortable chairs getting a little familiar with the place.And soon we were given a huge pile of articles and pictures etc. sent in by various schools. Our basic aim was to keep everything that was original and eliminate everything that appeared to be copied.
I actually felt like Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada .The difference was that while she rejected clothes we rejected articles .Also while she did it with no qualms; we were actually experiencing a mental battle. All these children had made such great effort but it is ardous to keep all articles.After what seemed liked a whole day of deliberations we finally drew a consensus as to which articles to keep and which to avoid.
We were then introduced to ma’am Shweta who was also, once, a carmelite.Her expertise and experience inspired all of us and helped us learn all necessary things for our future ventures.
13th Nov too, we were asked to come to view the designing of the page.We practically saw how a dull white paper is changed into a pageant of colours.Aso we went through our shortlisted entries and checked them for any grammatical errors.Sitting on the reporter’s seat I was experiencing what I had longed to experience –a feeling of being an editor; a feeling of being trusted with the responsibility of a newspaper; the feeling of knowing that –Yes! You are capable of realizing your dreams.
Next, we visited the canteen where we were treated to a sumptous bread pakoda floating in my favourite ‘imli ki chattni’.That was truly a satisfaction of taste buds.With each bite, I was savouring the taste of this snack.Not because of the way it was made or anything but because this was the first time I went to the canteen of a workplace after a hard day’s work.
We bade farewell to all the people who were instrumental in helping us realize our dream.Also we thank the entire team for being so supportive .We also appreciate the effort of all the students who had sent their articles to this esteemed newspaper.I sat in the car knowing that from on we all could proudly call ourselves-“STUDENT EDITORS” ………and I drove off taking with me the experience of a lifetime.AS I rolled down the window to catch a glimpse of this office I was fludded with nostalgia.
“Yes today we had done someone proud –our families; our friends; our teachers; our school; our mentor-but most importantly the someone was “US”. It is difficult to gain respect in the eyes of others but it is all the more difficult to gain respect and pride in your own eyes.We were our scrutinizing critics and that day we pleased the critc in us……

A SAFE SOUL?

A SAFE SOUL???
BY:PIA BAKSHI


Unaware of her future
In her mother's womb
Lies safely a little soul


a soul so pure
a soul so unsure
Her paternal would not accept her
when she will be born
The thought would scare her mother
from night till morn
Inside the soul would face
Anticipations for a new phase
While the mother knits a sweater
waiting for her daughter
to make her life better
The father spurns her back to reality
which for a girl is all cruelity
Soon the dream has no meaning
nor does the sweater she was weaving
Bound in the shackles of society preesure
the mother decides to kill her treasure
to kill a soul ,that never saw her
to kill a soul,that pined for a touch of her mother
to kill a soul that meant no harm
to kill it without any alarm
a girl soon will die of this perception
a girl soon will be a victim of oppression
The mother is suppressed
utterly depressed
Soon will come tha day
when she will go the extra way
To see the world
would be the soul's desire
Not to feel first the funeral pyre
The day knocked at her door
when she could avoid it no more
Unwillingly supporting this suppression
she went ahead and got abortion


Unaware of her future
once,,,,,, in her mother's womb
laid "unsafe" a little soul

student editor

“Aap kis kaam ke liye aye hain?” asked the gatekeeper as we drove in through the gates of the Indian Express with Punita ma’am. ”We are the editors for the special children’s day supplement.” We nonchalantly replied, but all of us were excited and it really was hard to remain calm ad composed. Chavvi, an Express staff member briefed us and told us we had to choose authentic and original articles. As we sat down in the conference hall, segregating the articles I realized that it was a tough job, you had to put in the articles of those children who really seemed to have worked hard, that was just one day’s work.
The next day we edited the articles and chatted (well, actually gossiped), a little with Sheveta an ex- Carmelite also working with Indian express. She gave us a lot of tips which helped us in editing.
All this really wasn’t work,, the serious atmosphere that prevailed was filled with spurts of girly chatter. Doing all of this brought a lot of joy and cheer to us for it was something different and a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. These are two days I can never forget, the two days when I was a student editor.

Obama’s win, time to re-adhere to what we preach in our country

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

``My idea of society is that while we are born equal, meaning we have a right to equal opportunities, all have not the same capacity,`` said father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and this was what proved to be correct in the recently held US elections where `the Black` what most of the news papers called Barack Hussein Obama captured the seat of United Nations’ Top Dog registering a landslide victory. ``The quote says, all have not the same capacity so a `Black’ may have the qualities which a `Wihte’ do not posses.


I do not know whether I should comment on the election of Obama but I am sure that the same sets an example for our country’s politics as well where most of the political battles are fought over communal and casteist issues. Obama belongs to a community that had been struggling to make its mark after inching up from the age old slavery. He also had many examples where forefathers of his community had failed to make their mark despite their sincere effort to make the world realize that no human being is big or small by birth.


Mahatma Gandhi and prior to him many thinkers and observers pleaded for the cause of equality but never achieved a complete success. Now when the whole world is looking and though a little bias is still apparent in the reaction to Obama’s election. Obama is at top and no wonder that our great leaders had tried first to initiate the society into equality besides creating room for the downtrodden and suppressed as their matter of right. I felt particularly happy while reading that Obama is impressed by the Gandhian philosophy.


Though it is indisputable that most of the observers and political commentators highlighted Obama’s victory but most of them said it to be a historic Black’s entry into the White House. Another matter as I read in one of the national dailies that Obama during his campaign never tried to take advantage of the colour of his skin. Ironically, most of the papers and other media eulogized his victory as a Black’s victory and those who did not write it straight painted the background of his picture black thus saying it through visual and not words.


Is it not enough to indicate the bias? Anyhow he had made history and what makes be happier over it is the fact that he got it riding on the Indian principle of equality. And all we need is to re-adhere to what we have been preaching to the world that all are equal and thus deserve equal treatment.

A CUB NO LONGER

BY: ABHIVYAKTI SAXENA



I was wandering in the world…

Thinking......

Remembering the day…

when I had been sinking,

Into a river full of evil.

When my mother came and pulled me out

She protected me in and out

I sat....

Remembering the carefree life I had

I did not know what was to be sad

My life was filled with comfort and leisure

All I had was happiness and pleasure

When I wept the household shook

But now not even I person looks

I miss my mothers consoling hand

Upon my head like a magic wand

I miss those lovely birthday treats

Those gifts and presents and loads of sweets

The new things which my father bought

From classy shoes to beautiful dolls

I remember my sister’s sly grin

whenever I used to enter in

I knew she had played a prank

For this was her habitual plan

Then we used to screech and shout

Till my mom sent I of us out

Now remembering those days…

Are fond memories of mine.

I may be older and much stronger

I regret being A CUB NO LONGER.

I.E in I.E : VISITING THE IDEA EXCHANGE AT INDIAN EXPRESS

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ


Our liaison with The Indian Express began when we first went for a visit to the office to find out how the organisation was working to bring out a newspaper full of information every morning. The visit left us so mesmerised that we became eager to know more. Since it failed to satiate our hunger and desire to know more about reporting and editing, we looked for more opportunities to gather information. And finally the continuous effort of Punita Ma'am and the constant support of Sr. Maria Christi helped us get enrolled for an internship program with was scheduled to start of with us, Kashish, Pia and me attending one of their most prized endeavors, THE INDIAN EXPRESS – IDEA EXCHANGE! At hearing this all of us turned in unison to ma'am and the expression on our faces could only be described as awe. We were about to leave our footsteps on the sand of history. We were the only fortunate people who didn't belong to the Indian Express but were to be allowed to witness this prestigious event. And all this was to the credit of the Resident Editor of The Indian Express Mr. Vipin Pubby who very kindly opened the doors to let us learn much more.

The person whom were to meet is a big name of Bollywood and we never had imagined of siting face to face with him asking questions. He is a man of virtue, of honor; he is undoubtedly the star actor of a Wednesday. Yes my friends it is Anupam Kher that I mention.

It was by the touch of fate that we the members of the Reporter's Club were given a chance to interview the eminent personality during the prestigious Idea Exchange programme. It was the very first time that outsiders, moreover class 9 interns were allowed to witness this awesome event. Since we were the only fortunate ones to have sat there and witnessed this happening so let me quote one of the incidents,

On being asked whether being bald had made him conscious, he wittily replied "Bald is fashion. Moreover one of my fans gifted me a shirt saying, some have hair other's have brain. So you know it was never that bad."

This was only one of the anecdotes that he mentioned there. Anupam Kher as it is has been a great actor but to imagine that he has such a wit was beyond bounds to me before I actually sat across him. It was indeed a lifetime event at this age. We really had it, guys!

The event served a dual purpose while increasing our knowledge it also provide us with some humorous events that we shall recount years later too. It was indeed like killing two birds with one stone. We had gone there expecting some entertainment of meeting a film star but ended up gathering practicability of life!!!

THE MEANING OF LOSS.....IN MY WORDZ

BY: KASHISH MADAN


Loss may mean the world to every person on this earth, but to me it has come to mean an entirely different thing. Loss for me stands on a completely different level than pain or anything else associated with loss.
Loss for me is the losing of identities, of that something which makes it difficult for you to understand what this world is all about, of being afraid of being simple and sweet, innocent and understanding.
I wonder at times whether I’m actually made for this world, for even though I understand I do not feel it enough, for even though I know it seems I do not know at all. It feels at times I am too naïve to survive in this world, too confused to know and accept my identity. Perhaps if I had a second chance, but then this is life, you don’t get second chances.
Maybe this is life, the search of identities and beings, of seeing loss as the road to the real you, because at times you have to lose something to get it back. Till loss persists, the search for your identity goes on; maybe loss isn’t so bad after all.
Loss for me has come to mean a search. A search for the real me.

SOLITUDE:

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

Solitude,

An emotion crude,
It comes to haunt one,
Unnerving some,
Scaring all,
Making them shout and for help call,


It makes the best of protagonists fear,
What's in store for them as the future nears?
Makes one cry out for help,
Shout and scream, shriek and yelp.
With elapsing times the feeling grows,
Eating at one like hungry crows.
Life as such becomes miserable,
Taking away all that is desirable.


Help! Help! Help!
Shout and scream, shriek and yelp.


Forgetting one and all,
Only to remember that in the end you'll fall.
Love and compassion, kindness and passion,
Become a part of the past that'll never again happen.
Silence everlasting seems to reign,
It moves with you, your energy it drains.


Help! Help! Help!
Shout and scream, shriek and yelp.


But no one comes to your rescue,
The whole world seems to go askew.


So take initiative,
Make your life better,
Share your feelings or in the end,
You'll be the one to suffer,
THE ENDLESS PAIN OF SOLITUDE.

WHY NO DIWALI GIFTS?

BY : DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

Another house meeting, some more agenda’s, more solutions but still one common problem why no Diwali gifts? Yes friends, the dominant question today at the MC office was the demand for Diwali gifts by the office personnel. Our elected heads today focused more on their selfish demands than on pressing issues such as the depressing condition of the streets throughout the city. It is a sad predicament in which our local government has landed. 

While important issues such as encroachments were touched still the house kept on deviating back to their major concern: Diwali Gifts. The question stood on floor for almost three quarters of the meeting. While others were busy debating why Diwali gifts had not been distributed amongst the staff some intelligent minds still thought straight. Mr. Mukherjee finally brought the house back to agenda by demanding an explanation to the bills that had been passed but not executed. Next, Mr. Chandpuri reminded the house of the reality of the situation asking why were laws that weren’t going to be executed passed in the first place, quoting the example of the June 2007 fire laws. The issues which seemed to major concerns of the politic environment were considered for merely seconds before the council went back to dissecting the diwali issue. Chaos ensued and no sense prevailed. 

The Commissioner though not thoroughly satisfied with the direction in which the meeting was heading chose to answer the questions. Keeping apace with his diplomatic strategy he silently calmed everyone down by showing his concern on the deteriorating condition of the police staff and further by adding that necessary steps shall be taken on behalf of the commissions to tackle encroachment problems. He assured everyone that diwali gifts had not been distributed since their feasibility was matter of great concern.

All in all maybe if our leaders wish maintain their positions on the board then it is high time they start considering issues that will help us as well instead of continually deliberating on selfish trivialities such as diwali gifts.

DRAMA IN NEWS OR NEWS IN DRAMA?

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

Our life is a frenzy of emotions and to add to our daily tensions of surviving in this competent world are the ever hyping news channels of today. Yes friends, I undoubtedly am talking about the Hindi news channels of INDIA. Any small occurrence is the 'big thing' for them. When in an endeavor to scare people they are at their best. Even in news channels dramatism is the talk of the town. Dramatizing the news in order to gain the uppermost position on the TRP charts is the need of the hour. But in this process, are the news channels showing the real content on their channels? Or they are just creating their own sensational lines for feeding their 24 hour slot! In the process of the dramatization, one cannot dilute the essence of the news. This mantra needs to be enunciated clearly amongst the producers who today desire nothing but popularity.The sensitivity no longer prevails in the news. It seems that they could go to any extent to achieve the maximum eye balls at TRP. Every news channel airs every piece of news – they consider important - for 48 hours and that's to say for the whole day forgetting to look at any other news; as if nothing else important thing was happening in the world other then that.As such to gain those eyeballs new methods are being brought into practice. Dramatization has become a part of our news crunch. The news nowadays has become like a thriller episode of an action movie. All the news channels are trying to do is sell their stories by exaggerating the unnecessary details and in this process, over hyping the entire news.Every other day, a new news channel is been launched. Although on the positive side this increases the competency in the news channels thus, promising better news. On the negative side it adds another drama tv to our television further deteriorating the quality of the already diluted news.Freshness is always welcomed in life. With elapsing times things do change for the betterment. But too many experiments are not always healthy. We can only hope that our news channels don't forget their basics. The entertainment channels are enough to give the daily dose of drama to the audiences and thus there is no need at all for the news channels to follow their example. Sensationalizing news doesn't mean that we forget the news piece itself. So friends stay tuned. 'MILTE HAIN, EK BREAK KE BAAD.

Mera Bharat Great (wid a rollin 'r')

BY: PIA BAKSHI


Yes, this independence day this slogan was more popular than its original version.Wondering why ....then read what the gen next had to say about thier MOTHER TONGUE(now only on their mother's tongue.)Dhuvan from SD college says,"I am more comfortable with English...even in school I had major problems with hindi."On the other hand Smita from PU says ,"hindi is my language...I am anyday more "comfy" with it.Shruti,from MCM says,"hindi is a language I have no clue about."Stammering while speaking hindi or making some basic grammatical errors while using our matra bhasha is the new fad amongst "youngistaanis".but if this is in then i am definitely, totally and certainly out.using words as a weapon and being cool as an obsession ppl today are brutally attacking and mercilessly killing this language.Shivangi Gulati,an alumnus from our school and currently in pu says,"for me "hinglish " is the way to go since i am comfortable with both the languages.But sorry to disappoint you my friend, hindi is now just a nominal mother tongue.with something as wannabe'ish as "funky boys" or "cool chics" written on the bonnet of their cars the future of our country proudly declares-i don't like "the" hindi... i like "the" english........ya right............we all laugh it off but today lets introspect, today lets rationalize, where are we heading.we don't respect our language but still shout out "jai hind" and "vande matram".why this confusion ?why this contradiction?introspect, rationalize........Neha Bakshi ,from pu says,"we try to emulate "firangis " in everything -their accent with the rolling Rs was just the beginning".she further added,"there was a time when rajma chawal was the favourite but now sushi is the thing..even if the cuisine doesn't satisfy your taste buds..why is the question".col.sanjiv bakshi said,"not being comfortable in their shoes is just a reflection of their insecurity ,unconfidence and unsurity."a 19 yr old from pu says,"hindi is so not my language.english is the way to go.it is my mother tongueyes english has more value on a global platform but in our quest of mastering thi language ,english has become an obsession ,an addiction.ppl or the youngsters today are giving weightage to anything that is english and ignoring anything that in some way or the other is hindi.LO BEHOLD! fab india is the craze & khadi bhandhars are dying a natural death,a legacy started by the father of the nation....Rachit from pu says,"lets be us yaar, yes lets be hindustaani."adding to that thought ,lets be Indians ,lets live upto our pehchan (i mean i-d-e-n-t-i-t-y).hightime we get back to the reality, get back to our roots and not be floaters.lets live up to the saying "Mera Bharata Mahaan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I JUS' WANNA PLAY MA MUSIC ?

BY DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

"Music speaks what cannot be expressed, soothes the mind and gives it rest, heals the heart and makes it whole, flows from heaven to the soul."

The old adage just gives the essence and importance of music in our life. Music has come a long way ever since its introduction into the humane world 50,000 years ago. But the success of music cannot be counted in days, perhaps minutes and seconds would be adequate. 

Music is a completely different era of a lifetime that has become a part and parcel of our daily chores. 'Music is becoming more and more a soundtrack of our lives' says Saadgi, a student of class IX. It is becoming a constant background presence in our cars, at our workouts, and on our computer speakers at home. We may not consume music for our own sake but it permeates our lives. 

Even as you read this article digesting the facts that I'm feeding you with there are still people around the globe who are sauntering around with ipods or artist's penning down new songs. Every 7 people out of 10 listen to music on a daily basis for at least 2 hours a day. Music has evolved with man. Man unconcerned has evolved beyond imagination. Music has treaded a long way from the simple and nerve soothing blues to the ballistic but good sounding rock.

Music has progressed more than its competitive acts such as dancing, which reflects in the talent hunts conducted on a yearly basis. Programs such as the American Idol, Indian Idol, and Voice of India etcetera encourage young budding musicians to come forward and showcase their talents. They provide a platform for them to excel in the particular field. Further the popularity of these shows tells the tale of the rising passion for music in today's generation.

From the romantic tunes of Enrique to the rocking music of the Jonas Brothers, Shakira's hip-swiveling songs to Rihanna's acoustics and of course the heart throb of the nation Hillary Duff's hip-hop to Vanessa's blues.................Music has different genre's and styles.

'I love Hillary's latest album, Dignity, it's so awesome, I mean she's fantastic', says Harleen.

'Shakira's songs are worth an ear', says Donna.

'Enrique rocks, he has a terrific voice and the lyrics of his songs are as good as the tune', says Sejal.  

Music is a moral law; it gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to imagination, charm and gaiety to the world and life to everything else. It influences, inculcates and inclines. It changes the state of mind of a person. Music captivates. Rhythmic music always catapults the attention of everyone. Music takes us out of the actual and whispers to us dim secrets that startle us to make us wonder who we are, for what are we here, whence and whereto. When asked, Vanshica exclaims 'Music need not seek attention, it catches it automatically. There is something mystical about music; you can hear it even in the silence of things.'

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music", says Saachi a student of class VIII.

Music does what nothing else can do. It portrays different feelings from diverse angles and goes beyond itself to calm and compose a person. But is all kind of music aiming for the same. I don't think so. The change in the nature of man has brought about a change in music as well, it has not only become more aggressive but also abusive. What was meant to soothe soul now diverts it. People incline towards what they see and hear and this type of music doesn't have the best of effects on people, especially on the younger naive generation. Driven by an impulse they listen to such music when suggested and due to lack of proper judgmental qualities they lead themselves into unwanted trouble by reciting these kinds of songs in front of elders and even go further ahead by influencing siblings by such things.

Words are a dual edged sword; they can cut and slash, whereas they can also heal and cure the wounds of the past. Music should be used as a medium of spreading happiness and joy instead of propagating hostility and menace. Some unruly people threaten music by using an opprobrious approach, which is highly unjustified.

Take music as a way to cleanse your soul and answer your inner woes not as one to jeopardize your innocence and scorch your conscience.

A DAY IN THE OFFICE OF THE NEWSPAPER

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

An imposing building, long driveway and a perfect corporate working atmosphere greeted us as we steered into The Indian Express office in Panchkula. With thousands of queries in our minds we had gone to this office to satiate our hunger and know about the working of a newspaper. To help understand things better we had Puneeta ma'am with us and as we alighted from our vehicle a suave Mr. Mufti Ali warmly welcomed us to the office and later escorted us to the editorial hall where news from the whole world were pouring on the computer screens.

Significantly, we had gone to the office at a time which is considered to be 'peak hours' in terms of work and hence the editorial was alive with all the hands moving frantically on the keyboards. The monitors had been frequently changing texts and printers continuously releasing pages. Peeping occasionally on one or the other computer, we were finally guided to the room of the Resident Editor of the Indian Express Mr.Vipin Pubby, who then showed tremendous patience to respond to our volley of questions.

We were excited beyond belief to know how a newspaper is run. A curious Urvashi pounced at the chance and voiced her query,

"How do you basically design a newspaper?"

"Designing involves experts; we appoint trained design personnel's for the same" Mr. Pubby replied.

"But the breaking news, how is it incorporated in the news edition?" Abhivyakti put in.

"Usually we have reporters working till late hours at night. So, if the news reaches us till 12, by when generally it does reach us, it is included for the current edition. But if somehow it is delayed, it of course is covered the next day"  

"How do you decide what is the best matter to publish?" I inquired.

"Well, it's basically on how important the news is. Sure we put in articles that attract the attention of the masses, but that's not all is it, we also have other things to cover in a news daily.So we consider it from a reader's point of view then further decide what's best."

"But now-a-day's people are more interested in paparazzi than the usual knowledge giving articles. Even though it is that way Indian Express has a way of putting in more knowledge giving articles" Archita asked.

"Well, that's one reason that Indian Express is not as popular as maybe the Times of India. But we have a reputation to live up to and that's the standard which we are trying to maintain. And as far as the paparazzi is concerned it more of the youngsters who are so keen to read it. Indian Express aims for others as well. We do provide what we consider a sufficient amount of it." Mr.Pubby replied.

Pia who is interested to pursue journalism as a career eagerly put in "What traits do you look for in journalist?"

"Of course one should be a graduate, that is properly educated, alert to one's surroundings, quick to grasp things, interested in the affairs of the world, a good writer and perhaps a good typist." He smilingly added "You may willingly do a course in Mass Communications also but it won't guarantee you a job over the others because most importantly we look for a vigilant citizen who is keen to investigate" 

Still not satisfied with our success we took Mr.Pubby's leave and moved on to the other reporters. Here we came to know that this office was basically to handle the local and regional stuff whereas they depended on their Delhi head office for national and international stories. "Since national and international stories are the same so there was hardly any time to waste preparing them here when the pages are transmitted online immediately after being prepared in Delhi or as a matter of fact in any part of the world." Khushboo one of the reporter's we conversed with clarified.

Anyhow, after a strong verbal and theoretical dope regarding sharing of news content and preparation of the paper, it was time to move on to some practical knowledge. We walked up to Bharti who gave us a bird's eye view regarding news gathering and designing. Later Sumit clarified our doubts regarding the photography section.

Then it was again Mr. Ali who took us to the printing press in the basement of the building. Oh! It was a huge facility and a gigantic machine. By the time we reached there the newspaper was about to publish. We hardly had to wait a few minutes before the machine started roaring and within seconds, thousands of copies of well-folded newspaper piled up and were removed manually to the dispatch section, where they were being packed by dozens of the men. As we took to our vehicle, the newspaper vehicle loaded with packets of papers also left the premises. We were a little confused and felt it was so early for the paper to leave the office as it was supposed to reach our houses in the morning.

Parul another one of the reporters cleared our doubts and said that the paper was supplied to the whole region from here and the early edition would be going to far off plaes that took hours of long drive to reach by the morning. The paper which we get at our house is the updated late city edition packed with all the local stories and was published after midnight. Completely satisfied with our progress we set off for a long traipse to our car. Here we came back home with enough knowledge about the way a newspaper shapes up at its office.  

INDEPENDENT INDIA

BY: URVASHI KAPILA


The land where Ganga and Yamuna cleanse the soul. The land which offers, respect to all religions, dignity to its diverse population and celebration to millions of festivals. Yes, that land is my Mother India.  

It's an immense pleasure to look back at the 61 glorious years of our country's Independence and to be called an Indian. 
It's a country where Catholic lady stepped down to make way for a Sikh prime minister who is sworn in by a Muslim president to serve a country whose population comprises 80% Hindus. It is this diversity of India, which showcases its true spirit. Over years India has been ruled by innumerable foreign invaders who came here looking for riches but became a part of India's culture and added more spices and flavours to the country. It is this 'unity in diversity' which has made Indians beat all odds and crown India as the next world power.  

The true power of India is its people, as today every 6th person in the world is an Indian. Also this human resource is educated, skilled and motivated, with more degree holders than the entire population of France. Today India has shed its image of a country with snake charmers and is recognized as the world leader in the field of Information Technology. 

 

The Indian economy is the fourth largest in terms purchasing power. And with an ever-eager-to-buy middle-class which is now close to half a billion it is likely to emerge as the second largest consumer market in the world. We Indians are not only amongst the wealthiest races but we also cherish each paisa sometimes by saving it and sometimes by splurging it.

In the field of Science too, progress had been eminent as Indian scientist form 12 per cent of the work force in United States, 34 per cent at Microsoft and 36% at NASA. These scientist break new grounds in their respective fields and help, not just India but, the entire mankind tread with the times  
Whether the world wants it or not, it will be difficult not to interact with Indians in more ways than one. It is important, therefore, to understand, with much greater clarity and honesty than before, the meaning to be an Indian and the pride that it brings along

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BY: ARCHITA AHLUWALIA


Begins with ?Hey was sup???. ?Nothing much?, and concludes with ?tc?? ?>3 u? is the prevalent netlingo and the latest fad among the tech wizard teens. Young Carmel brigade, a lot too eager to chip in has also joined the bandwagon and is experimenting in the new domain?.?

Going home and chatting with friends you spend your day with in the school, so as to be a part of the social network, is an ultra cool style statement for most Carmelites. The so called cool obsession of being on blogs or of creating one of your own has now begun from the early teens. Most commonly and frequently visited sites are Orkut, Facebook and MSN messenger, which are giving a cut throat competition to information giants like Wikipedia and Google?

The ultimate objective to join these social sites is to appear hip- hop - happening in their respective groups or rather their JING-BANGS and make friends with the opposite sex. Gullible, impressionable, immature minds sometimes land up in big time trouble as they try to stretch themselves a little too far from the set normal limits and overindulge. They go to the extent of disclosing their identities and other confidential details to the strangers without realizing the repercussions of their acts.?

Over dosage can be transforming for an individual as the young teenagers? project themselves very differently from their natural self. As a result of which their entire persona goes for a six.?

Students tend to go astray and deviate from their goals as they get glued to the PC and while away their precious, never to return time, only to regret later. So let?s all take a stock of the situation because it?s never too late and take corrective steps by imbibing internet mannerisms and etiquettes. The mantra of success is use INTERNET IN MODERATION?.

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Reported? by-Archita Ahluwalia?.??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????

A GLANCE BACK

BY: KASHISH MADAN


The past has a way of coming into the present and influencing it in such a way that it is our past which defines our present.
India is known for it's spices and colours,it's diversity of religions and different sects ; but most of all it's known for it's satygrah and it's khadi, it's Nehru and it's Gandhi.
The freedom struggle of India was a call for action ,action against the British who were oppressing it's people day in and day out.
Since that fateful day in 1857 when the Indian sipahees rose against their British officers ,India's destiny was decided by her people.
From Mangal pandey to M.K. Gandhi,the time was tough and painful,the road taken full of harsh realities of how difficult the mission undertaken was.
It was men and women like Lala Lajpat Rai ,Laxmibai, Jawaharlal Nehru,Bhagat Singh,Chandrshekhar Azad,Sarojni Naidu and many more, some well known and others perhaps lesser known, that India attained it's goal.
The path which our ancestors took was both tough and difficult,but it is precisely because they took this path that India stands where it does today.
It is the dreams and aspirations of those men which have formed the base for our present.
It is the dreams of the past which are forming the reality of the present.
It is up to us now to make sure that these aspirations do not die out for both our present and future is dependent on them. 
 

A DIFFERENT TIME

BY: KASHISH MADAN

It was a different time 
A different age
A time of fearlessness
A time of courage
A time to show 
What it really meant to be Indian
It was a time of sacrifice 
It was a time of pain 
It was a time to show 
That we could conquer all
A time to rise 
A time to rebel
A time to show 
That fear abided in no heart 
It was a time of love 
It was a time of hope
It was a time to show 
That we were all one
A time of celebrations 
A time of victory
It was a different time 
A different age

RAK-SHA 'BAND'HAN

BY: KASHISH MADAN


Raksha Bandhan is a festival celebrating the bond of affection between brothers and sisters. Rakhi for many centuries has encompassed the warmth shared between the siblings.History has it that during the medevial era when the Rajputs were fighting the Muslim invade , Queen Karnawati the widow of the then King of Chittor realised that she could in no way defend the invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat,Bahadur Shah, she then sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor touched by the gesture, accepted the rakhi thereby accepting Queen Karnawati as a "sister" and immediately started off with his vast troops to protect Queen Karnavati. Since then rakhi has been a symbol of love and protection for all.It is widely believed that due to our fast paced lives the relationship of siblings has gone through a change and they are no longer as close as they once were.Here is what our students say:My brothers are a bit irritating but the little things they do are very touching.They definitely will be my support in the long run. - Preetika Sihag IX
They are a bit young but as they grow older i'm sure they'll help me in my time of need. - Simran Sodhi X
My brother will always be there in times of need no matter how much we fight. - sukhmani X
Me and my brother don't really talk that much because of the age difference but we still care about each other and he is always there when i need him. - Mehak Dhillon VIII
Me and my brother have a love'n' hate relationship and though we fight a lot at the end of the day i know he'll always be there for me and he'll help me out if i get into any kind of trouble. - Ramneek XI
We have a very beautiful relationship and if any time he needs me i'm there for him and if i need help he's there for me.He has always supported me and there's nobody like him. - Parul Khanna IX
Well whether you love them or hate them,whether you argue with them or have a sentimental chat with them, brothers were, are and will always be our support in times of need .So let's just FIGHT ON!!

I RESPECT THOSE ARMY MEN…..

BY: ABHIVYAKTI SAXENA

 
Those bravehearts , full of pride,
who ensure that none of us ever cried.
Fighting on the frontiers, with guns in their hand.,
Fighting for their country…. for their Motherland.
Never do they feel a sense of Superiority,
Serving the nation is now their priority.
While the entire country cherishes a gold medal win.
They put their lives at stake despite
knowing chances of survival are slim.
Surviving battles or the enemies crimes,
They put up a good stand from time to time.
Sail through this with bravery and valour,
Have seen through life in every flavour.
Those Protectors of the nation, those Gentlemen,
Oh ! How much I respect those ARMY MEN……