Dr.Mahbub-Ul-Haq interschool debate'09

-By Ekakshra Mahajan & Riddhimma Shrivastava


In order to honour Dr.Mahbub-Ul-Haq the pioneer of human development programmes, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and the UNDP organized an Inter school debate every year. This debate has three rounds namely, The Regional Round, the National Round and the SAARC round. The 12th regional round of this debate was held on 6th October 2009 in Carmel Convent School Auditorium, Sector 9, Chandigarh. Topic provided by UNDP as per the Human Development Report this year: "Act Now to Reduce Global Warming- Poor Women have a higher stake?".Over 18 prestigious schools from the region participated.The excitement and anxiety were palpable in the auditorium as each participant took the stage.All the participants were applauded by the judges for their excellent performance The topic “Act now for global warming- poorer women at higher stake” undoubtedly went through a series of parley, discussion and debate. Most prestigious schools from the tricity took part in the debate which included Manav Mangal, DAV15, Sacred heart, Guru Nanak public school, Vivek high school, Mount Carmel, Bhavan Vidhyala, St. kabir, KBDAV, St.johns, St Stephens and Carmel convent were amongst the participants. Arshdeep of Manav Mangal started the discussion with third world countries mentioning how the poor women are extremely affected by Global Warning as they don’t have access to clean drinking water and they have to travel miles everyday. Mount Carmel quoted that we have to be a part of the revolution of resolving global warming and be the change. Sanya ojha of Vivek high school highlighted the irony of the situation where people wearing Armani suits and traveling in chauffeur driven cars complain about global warming but are least affected by global warming. Supporting the motion, she felt that poor women have no means to adapt to this unruly climatic change. Shayar Majumdar of the same school, who spoke like a veteran however felt that global warming and climate change are skateboards which keep on sliding to extreme positions. Aditya Chawla of St. Johns high school felt that the women and their families are barely able to scrape together a meager income to somehow cover expenses. Garima Yadav of Carmel Convent pointed out that women are 14% more likely to die of a disaster as compared to men. ‘It’s time to stop thinking and start acting.’ says Garima.Divir Gupta seemed quite oppressive of President Obama’s quote, ‘No nation however large or small can escape the impact of climate change.’ Chitwan singh of Bhavan Vidyalaya felt that Women must be the heart of relief efforts and rebuilding of shattered communities.
Mrs. Manjeet accompanying Shishu niketan felt that even though the competition level was very high the participants had crammed up their speeches and the "emotional touch was missing". The winners were Dav15' school's Akshay shrredhar who bagged the award for the Best Speaker For the motion category and Dav 15 also won the runners up trophy.
Gurpreet Sodhi of St. Kabir bagged the award for the Best speaker in the against motion category.Sacred Heart school bagged the overall trophy. The participants were elated.
Akshay shreedhar said,"I am very happy that my efforts have paid off." Nonica Singh, Donna Suri and Rene Singh were the judges.Nonica Singh said that content mattered the most and felt that all worked very hard all were good speakers.Ms Donna suri said that this was a great platform for students to work diligently and succeed in life.

I WANT TO GO BACK IN TIME!!! Mannat Sibal

I want to go back in time....

When 'getting high' meant,
enjoying the heights of the swing.
When drinking meant
just apple juice.
When dad was the only hero known.
When love felt in moms hug and
the worst enemies were only
our siblings!
When dads shoulder was
the highest place on Earth.
When hurt were only knees and
broken were only toys.
I want to go back in time
when goodbyes meant only till tomorrow.

Unfortunately.....
WE HAVE CHANGED
ANS SO HAS
EVERYTHING ELSE!!!

FRIENDSHIP IS THE BEST THING IN LIFE!! Mannat Sibal

Friendship is when friends push when you need it, but never too hard and they stand back when the time is right but never too far.But the true test of friendship is if you're willing to do it all back in a heartbeat. It's when your life is so much better because you know them and they bring out the best that lies within.
Friendship plays an important role in our lives No way do friends have to be exactly the same, I mean come on friends do have similarities but they also have their differences. The key to opening up the world of friendship is not just to focus on the similarities but to accept each others faults because true friends do not judge each other. Friends love unconditionally. Friends do have their little angry moments from time to time but at the end of the day all is forgiven and forgotten. Why let something that happened in the past ruin what great friendship you could have together in the future??? A true friendship has many memories, both good and bad, but all are important. When they look into our eyes they exactly get to noe that something is wrong and is bothering you and all they have to do is offer a hug and they make you feel a thousand times better. Friends can stay up all night on the phone talking for hours just because you cannot sleep and they would do anything to get that thing off your mind!!When you know that they'd never lie to you and would never hurt you and if they did you know that it would only be for your benefit. Sometimes you wonder how she knew, but then you realize that's just how close you are. They can make you laugh when skies are the darkest and they're there with a good movie and some popcorn when your totally depressed!.Have you ever noticed that when a friend is happy you find yourself happy too, even when it has nothing to do with you???To a friend I've found that nothing ever sounds stupid, funny or unbelievable and you never feel hesitant saying whatever it is and when you turn your back around you always see them standing there waiting for you to return. Don't ever loose faith in your friends, love them instead.To a friend I have found that there are many good friends around, but true best friends are hard to find easyto keep but if gone never to be seen....

The Zeal of Independence at Carmel Convent Mannat Sibal

Patriotism is in the air and with the same spirit Carmel Convent celebrates the 62nd Independence Day.
The festivities were marked with the flag hoisting ceremony by the chief guest, Father Stephan Fernandis. A parade was performed by the students of class 9 accompanied by the newly formed Carmel Band which was breath taking. Their synchronization was so astounding that it left the viewers with a deep sense of belonging towards our Nation. The students of class 8th later presented a tableau high lighting the mile stones on the road of independence of India in the fields of Agriculture, Technology and Sports. The show came to an end with a tribute to our “Kargil Heroes”and the “Mumbai Terror Attack Victims” Seeing such enthusiasm in the students Father Stephan Fernandis remarked, “Everyone has a right of freedom and today I could see it in the play which the students portrayed. The way they had shown how India developed or rather changed during these 62 years was just mesmerizing!”.
“The play was excellent and the presentation was absolutely fabulous!”, said a few sisters and teachers.
Every student now swells and says with pride, “I AM PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN.. JAI HIND!”

But I Say It Is My Dad! Mannat Sibal

Everybody says,
that if ever in our days,
we see footsteps walking,
beside our ways,
everybody says He is The One
the Almighty the creator of the Sun.
but to me today
i want to say it is my dad walking throughout
the way.
As to keep his word
I'll do anything in this world.
All he ever wants is,
love and respect.
nothing else in any other aspect.
People say that we may lead
our life,
our way but then again
I would like to say its my dad who
will guide me my way!

An awaited Encounter with Mr.Vipin Pubby By Mannat Sibal

After a long wait we got a golden opportunity to meet Mr. Vipin Pubby the Chief editor of THE INDIAN EXPRESS.
It was the end of the Golden Jubilee Year when we the reporters met Mr. Pubby. We grabbed a lot of information from him about the working of the press. I eagerly asked him, “How do you get so much information in so less time?? And how do you form the report before the time granted to you? As you could be having 4 situations at one time!!” to his reply he said, “The reporters have to be very agile and have to manage their time accordingly as mentioned above their might be 4 situations in the line but we have quite a few reporters who tackle the situation. Even if there are only one or one , they have to manage their time and complete their report and send it for printing”.

As all of us had different questions one of the reporters asked him, “What if you face a problem that there is something more important which has come up and that news has to be put up un tomorrows paper but the papers have already gone for printing?”. Mr. Pubby replied, “ if something of that sort happens we immediately stop the printing and reform the layout again and if we do stop the printing it would be only if the news has to be at the front page or it would be making the headline” i added, “is it so easy to stop the printing and just start all over again?” “Yes it is easy because printing just takes about 1 or 2 hours.” He clarified.

After this very interactive and educational session we all thanked Mr. Vipin Pubby for helping us clear our doubts. In very little time we grabbed so much from him that we respect all the journalists of the country who put themselves in an situation in which we normal people would never want to be.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN "ECHO" REPORTER

BY EKAKSHRA MAHAJAN

A day in the life of an “ECHO” REPORTER

ECHO literally might mean the repetition of sound for many.

But for all MUNers {model United Nations} it just stands for

The rocking magazine, that updated everyone on what was

Happening in every committee. Our day usually used to start

with a backup team accompanying the conference staff and the

ECHO people to CII or PHD chambers {the place where it was held}

This was one magazine where anyone could be criticized, anything

Could be reported, and any picture could be taken with a

“Not so nice caption”.

In one phrase it was a “rules are meant to be broken”

Kind of a magazine.

Our team, which had to represent the HRC committee,

Comprised of vasundhara and me and Trust me, it used to take us an hour just

to think of a suitable Starting and the rest just followed.

After all, if it began with factual details would we get many readers?

[Take yourself in this situation]

The usual thing that we experienced in those three days

Were the bewildered looks of the delegates whose either chits

had been reported or their malevolent practices.

Take for example the case of the delegate who was

representing New Zealand in our committee. Well she

was so shocked to see her yawning picture in the issue,

with a head turner caption that it seemed that her next

step would be to murder us. {lol;}

However the best thing which we can never forget

were the fake chits that we used to pass on to the delegates.

Like, we sent a chit to the delegate of Pakistan saying

“ I love your ideas. Would you go on a date with me”

Anonymous. {lol;}

And guess what? Instead of replying back and making

Use of such an interesting opportunity he reported it

To the rappoteur. Oh and I forgot to mention we had

Been asked to do all this “ natunki” by the executive board itself.

{Seriously}

God! What an interesting ex. Board we had. The chair’s “pataka”

The rapporteur’s “bebo” everything was just so remarkable.

The chair sent a chit to the delegate of India saying “ yummy

Yummy desi boy” which left a stagnant look on his the

Delegate’s face as he Expected the conference to be a decent one.

Everything was just too good to be true.

The last day was however the one to be cherished where

The ex. Board as well as the delegates danced and showcased

Their capabilities irrespective of who were their allies or friends.

It was thus a lifetime experience, which I would never forget.

But then it is a part of life that “good things come and go” and one can’t

Keep chasing them. So let’s just wait for the next MUN…

Until then this reporter wishes you a happy and gleeful

ASTANA-VISTA.

KYA JOOTE SE CHALEGA DESH!!!

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ



'SHOE MANIA': It's raining shoes everywhere!!!



In India, flying footwear is the new hunger strike, overtaking even the trendy Facebook protest as an expression of protest.


Latest in a string of four shoe-hurling incidents during the month-long elections underway across India, is when a 21-year-old computer science student took aim at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a sparsely attended rally in Ahmedabad.


The shoe, of a yet-to-be-disclosed brand, landed 20 feet from the Oxford-educated economist, who appeared not to notice the tumult. Known for his cerebral, if dry, oratory, Singh, 76, continued to hold forth on economic development, reading from a written speech.


Elsewhere in Ahmedabad, someone also lobbed a traditional wooden sandal (Kharaon) at the BJP prime ministerial candidate L K Advani. It was the second time a sandal of conscience has been launched in Advani's direction this election season.


"Joota: The ultimate nonviolent weapon," a front-page headline in the Mumbai Mirror tabloid on Monday. An editorial cartoon in the paper showed shoes being handed back to hurlers on silk pillows with a new wristwatch inside, "to get around the election Commission's code against bribing voters," the caption read.

The shoe-as-missile-of-discontent appears to have been inspired by Muntadar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who lobbed both his shoes at former President George W. Bush in December. Zaidi became an international hero. But he also drew a year in prison.

In India, New Delhi journalist Jarnail Singh kicked off the "shoe bite," as the gesture is known here, when he threw a shoe at the home minister, P. Chidambaram during a news conference this month in the capital. He said he was frustrated by the minister's reply to a question about riots in 1984 in which hundreds of Sikhs were killed.

"Shoe-throwing is a real expression of the frustration of the people," said Anil Bairwal of National Election Watch, a watchdog group. "But you have to consider that citizens are at a loss for what to do. For too long, they have hoped that the parties would improve themselves, be progressive, put the right people in the seats and work for the betterment of the people. But none of that has happened."


Throwing one's shoe at someone is seen as a powerful insult across South Asia and much of the Middle East. We Indians rarely wear shoes indoors after being out in the often unsanitary streets. Showing the sole of a shoe is also considered an act of disrespect.


So far, no one who has thrown a shoe in India has been jailed. Some pundits here say that is a sign of the health of the world's largest democracy. Others say politically astute leaders realize that arresting the offenders may only make them bigger heroes -- and politicians bigger villains -- in the public's eyes.


The only problem is that actually hitting a politician has proved difficult: Shoes are apparently inefficient projectiles.


Even so, some elected officials are taking precautions. In Gujarat state, Chief Minister Narendra Modi has started putting up volleyball nets around the stage at his rallies to make sure a shoe doesn't hit him.

10 THINGS ABOUT 10TH

1O THINGS ABOUT 10TH ..............................................................

BY :PIA BAKSHI

Hello beta! Which class are you in?
Uncle, I will be going to 10th.
Oh my god!That is so sad …..DO you know that when I was in 10th , I studied all the time……….filana filana……..
Ugh……….we have all gone through that conversation with everybody we have met in the past couple of days .Starting with a sympathy and ending with endless advice. We all rush back to our room and turn up thw volume of our favourite radio station to drive away the haunting memories of the night mares we have been having since the last day of 9th when we are the junction of 9th and 10th.It was difficult for all of us to reconcile with the fact that the girls who spent all their time in dancing etcetra were now going to be only on the study table.Music would be replaced by poetic recitations;novels would be replaced by intimidating arithematic books.
The first day of 10th is still remebered by us all. Wafter the cheers of excitement and hugs all the unsurity, fear and anxiety of last night returned bringing with it new apprehensions.Just then the teacher entered and the rest is history…………………………………..
We have completed 1 month in 10th and all our initial fears seemed silly.Our life is not synonymous with just studies , though it is an extremely important segment of the 15th year of our existence.We still danc e; sing; read ;write. The difference is that now we feel responsible at the threshhold of growing up.
10t is perceived by different people in different ways. Cumulation of this diversity has always intrigued me.Divanshi remarked,”It is certainly better than 9th.Simerpreet Kaur could not agree more. Though Sanam chawla thinks that 10th is hyped and no matter what we say the pressure persisits.Ganeev further adds that because of friends 10ht is just the same as the other classes.ON the other hand Chahat says,”10th has made me responsible .Arti Goyal cheerfully added,”Its great!Though there is still pressure we still have fun.Eman, agreeing with aarti, adds,”I love 10th Iit is not half as bad as projected.”.”Gurshhen says,”It is better tha more interesting than 10th.”Deeksha explains ,”children are under constant pressure because the 10th class certificate follows you in evry venture of yours….and this is bound to have negative consequences.
On a positive note eman further remarks,”You cannot achieve something unles you love itso I have started loving mt studies.”
WE still go out and meet uncles and aunties who in unecessary concern inquire ,”How is class 1oth going, beta?” with a sadistic smile. We reciprocate, with a sheepish grin of our own and prudly declare ,”Great!!!!!!!!!!Could’nt get better.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”…………………..

Reported by: Ekakshra Mahajan

The 22nd of April was widely celebrated as ‘World Earth Day’ especially in educational institutions nationally and globally. The idea was conceived in 1969 by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S Senator from Wisconsin and was accepted as one of the most powerful ideas of the era. It became very popular, drawing 20 million people in the first year (1970) itself. Yet, 39 years since the first Earth day was celebrated, it is disturbing to think that the forests continue to deplete and Global Warming is even more prevalent.


Earth Day was celebrated in Carmel Convent School with joy, hope and zeal. The programme initiated with a prayer praising the creations of almighty God and asking him to protect Mother Earth and bless the students and staff to help succeed in their endevour to conserve the environment. A video, ‘Inconvenient truth’ was played alongside depicting the beauty of the benign Earth, the most priceless gift of Nature and what human beings have made of it to satisfy their greed. As Fredreich Nietzche says,” The Earth has a skin and that skin has diseases, one of its diseases is called man.”

The students were given tips on conserving the environment and the use of plastic bags was discouraged, highlighting the repercussions of using the same. They were advised to use car pools, use CFL lights and follow the policy of ‘Recycle, Reduce and Reuse.’ The children were encouraged to undertake the responsibility of being custodians of this Earth and safeguard the planet thereby doing their bit for the environment. The message that ‘Every day is Earth day’ was conveyed to the audience by Sister Swati, the Vice- Principal of the school.

The trailer of the Walt Disney film, ‘Earth’ was played and children were encouraged to watch it in cinemas as a tree would be planted for every ticket sold.

Students of the secondary classes, inspired, decided to become torchbearers of the environmental campaign and therefore held the Face painting activity to exhibit their conviction with their faces painted to illustrate The Earth, The Greenhouse effect etc.

Followed by the programme was a poster making and slogan writing competition for the primary classes.

As Marshall McLuhan says
“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all the crew!”

SAVE HER.........SHE NEEDS OUR HELP !

GIRL CHILD

BY EKAKSHRA MAHAJAN

The tender cry on the soft pillow

silences the heart far below.

Finding it might be difficult

as the heart beats away,

but killing the child forever

is a sin committed today.

Girl child, yes is who I am talking about,

but you don’t care

as you yourself act as a lout

The poor thing can’t say a word,

but hopes to soar high in the sky

like a bird

Alas! you kill it

without a feeling

in your heart’s core.

The Last Day to Cherish

Reported by: Vasundhara Majithia

On the last day of the academic session 2008-2009, students of classes VI to the IX presented short skits and songs to express their gratitude and love to God for this memorable academic session which allowed them to grow as human beings and imbibe values from their teachers, fellow classmates and the Value Education classes. The program initiated with a prayer followed by the performances of class IX A which portrayed Environmental concern depicting water pollution and noise pollution followed by a song, 'Heal the World.' Class VII A staged a skit on the impacts of terrorism wherein the Khanna family lost their father to the Taj tragedy and was left indebted. Class IX B performed ‘No Full Stops in Life’ which encouraged students to follow their dreams wholeheartedly which was followed by ‘Happiness is an inside thing’ and ‘Friendship- A rare treasure’ which put forward the importance of Friendship and Giving. Class XI-B sang a song about friendship accompanied by the foot- tapping beat of drums followed by Class VIII-B which presented, ‘Power of Words and amazing Love.’ This was then followed by ‘The Judgment Day’ by class VIII A which opened with God meeting everyone and counting their deeds, good and bad. Mr. Simon Smith, G.Dog, Michael Jackson and Satan were greatly appreciated owing to the humorous script. Class VIII B celebrated and cherished this year and recollected whatever they had learnt this year followed by Class VI A, B and C who staged ‘Peace and community Building’, ‘Mismedia and I’ and 'Values I have Learnt this year’ respectively. It truly was a memorable day as every class endeavored to do their best and cherished their last day of togetherness with their Class teacher and fellow students. We all hope that next year will be as bright and meaningful as this one and will once again bring a radiant smile on our faces.

The Pre-Primary Annual Day

Photo journalist: Ekakshra Mahajan
Reported by: Vasundhara Majithia

As Carmel Convent School ushered into its golden jubilee this year, the tiny tots did not stay behind in conveying their excitement and enthusiasm as they put up a grand show marking 50 glorious years of the eminent school. The show was held in the school auditorium on 8th of February in the evening.The event was graced by Mr. Samwartak Singh, Director, Public Instruction, Schools. The show began with the symbolic lighting of the lamp which was followed by a prayer dance and 'Young King Cole.'The versatility of these budding artists enthralled the audience. The prime focus of the programme was to emphasize on the need of national integrity, honesty and environmental concern as well, through a vibrant and colourful display. 'Goldie Locks and the three bears' received a thundering applause by the audience as parents waited in anticipation to spot their girls in the entire regalia, dressed in swanky clothes supplementing the already bright atmosphere. Revamped versions of 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'The Honest Woodcutter' were staged which encapsulated the minds of the audience through a realistic presentation. The thrilled young artists focused on the nation's diversity and performed the folk dances of Gujrat, Kashmir and Punjab, posing the popular 'Singh is King' look.

"It was a lovely experience training the kids. They were full of enthusiasm and loved to dance", says Ms. Meenu Palta, the music teacher.

The toddlers, adorned in vibrant costumes performed with great vigour and fervour winning the hearts of all the viewers. The little children expressed their love and reverence towards their school in 'Qawaali Ki Raat'. The Carmel flag was waved at the end the finale and the Chief Guest stated that he was extremely glad to see the little ones, whom he fondly called 'his little stars' progressing in the responsible hands of Sr. Maria Christie. He further added that he was sure that Sister's hard work, commitment and diligence will take the school to even greater heights.

The principal Sr Maria Christie was moved by the innocence that the tiny tots reflected as they danced and sang around on the stage on this memorable day.She said, "I would first of all congratulate and thank all the students and the staff that made this program such a success. She further added, " no matter how arduous life might be or how difficult sustenance in this competitive world might be ,we must never lose the child in us that pines to smile at a walking old lady; that willingly gives her colours to her friend to help her beautify her drawing; that is untouched by malice, corruption and materialistic pleasures."

With a smile adorning their glowing faces and with great pride and happiness, after celebrating with each other the success of the show, the young, talented Carmelites returned home marking the end of their spirited celebrations….

Practices for the 'Joseph and his amazing technicoloured dreamcoat'

Photo journalist: Jannat Thapar

PEACE WITHIN

by: Kashish Madan

Peace day-2 minutes silence and then back to the hustle bustle of daily life ,
but have we really thought about peace,looked for peace,experienced peace.
peace is not just a word, it is a feeling,it is transcending all that which
fills our mind.peace is not something that can be bought or experienced just
like that,it is something that has to be attained. At the end of this journey
we call life,we may or may not have attained peace but if once we have experienced
it we have lived a lifetime. Peace is not absence of war or presence of friendship,
it is that strange calm that settles before a storm,it is that feeling of bliss that
permeates through us on reclaiming a lost loved one,it is the smile of an innocent
child,it is the love we see in the eyes of someone we care for. Peace can make war
seem like an obligation to be fulfilled,hatred a chance to make someone experience
love;sadness an opportunity to make someone happy.

Peace at the end of the day, is not something 2 minutes silence can bring,it is that calm within and if even a few people can truly experience peace then we humans will have learnt the meaning of PEACE WITHIN............

send off {class 12}

29th January
Reported by:Ekakshra Mahajan

Photojournalist:Jannat Thapar

29th January was indeed a day of tears and crumbs as class 12 students were invited for their farewell to cherish and celebrate the 14 glorious years they spent in their beloved school CARMEL CONVENT.
Adorned in gorgeous saris, most of them savoring the experience of wearing the Saree for the first time in their life perhaps,but only when they had overcome their fear of making a faux pas.

The program started with a message for the students and a touching candle march followed by a song sung by class 11 which was all about backpacks and stuff. However, the most breathtaking performance was the hip hop dance which rocked the audience off their seats.

After all the clapping and cheering was over, the students of class 12 gave touching speeches thanking each teacher and class fellow for their unconditional love and support.The most memorable speech was, however delivered by Ajab Boparai who confessed at first that she did not want to deliver an impeccable speech and casually thanked each and every teacher and revealed what she liked the most in their class, adopting the most affectionate means to do so.

After this came a round of games initiating with four corners after which the girls who qualified were split into teams and made to play a game in which they had to pass balls of all sizes from ping pongs to footballs, without dropping them, into a bag. Another interesting game that was played was grab the prize in which the girls who fulfilled the desired requisites had to run to the stage and grab their prize. The first one to do so would win the prize. Like for example "girl wearing pink earrings", so all the girls wearing pink earrings had to run to the stage and before the others and snatch the prize. It was quite a sight to see girls in stilettos and pencil heels running at the speed of lightening to grab their prize!gosh!

Next came the BHANGRA {oh..our favourite dance form punjabiyaan di shaan}.The foot tapping music and the enthusiastic vigour of the dancers excited everyone and filled the atmosphere with joy and exuberance.
Aakriti Sharma, a student of class 12 on being asked to describe her experience in one word exclaimed that it was "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" which literally means fantastic.Trishi Grewal on the other hand just had to say one thing"Treasure these years. They are not coming back."
But this year for the class 12 students was not without complaints.They were rather disgruntled that their overnight trip was cancelled and no cabinets were chosen from their batch this year.
At 12;30, the audience was asked to leave and the send off's were given titles and they headed towards a spread of lunch which they hoped would last forever ...............
"letting off is never easy!
but who so ever learns this act
has learnt the secret of life"

FRIENDSHIP IS FOREVER !!!

BY : DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

As Class IX approaches its end, this I would like to dedicate to all the people who have been more than just friends to me. Those who have supported me when I needed it most, those who've ever cared for me, those who've helped me and those who've loved me beyond recall. This I dedicate to all my friends. Even though next year we'll be together, we'll still be lost in our own personal abyss after that its up to fate if we ever meet again ( I wholly wish fate was in my hands ). This is to all those who have not contacted their friends since a long time. For you destiny has different ends try and make them meet.

WHAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN MINE !!

I stood at altar of time,

To accept what I had done,

To regret what I hadn't done,

But the blood that coursed through my veins,

Would not be bound in chains,

The confusion was shattering,

My sanity battering.

I looked back helpless,

To see what I had become,

Even though a lot of time had passed since then,

The memories were still as bright as the sun.

Today, I stood at the top of the hill,

Looking back at those plush fields,

Remembering the day we'd met,

Those scary woods that we'd tread.

The four of us had been together,

Bridged across life's various weathers,

Helped each other through sorrow and pain,

Any effort we made never went in vain.

But then came that sad day,

We had to go...................our own way,

We cried and wept,

our eyes wet,

But we knew nothing could be done,

We remembered how we had begun,

We hoped that time would heal,

These wounds deep and surreal.

But now again I stand at the Altar of time,

To see what became mine and what couldn't be mine,

We stand across some miles apart,

The spaces that have torn us from each other part by part.

But then again,

Time played its game,

By a touch of fate,

We met....all the same.

The clouds of misery,

Around dissolved,

The blanket of confusion fell,

My problems solved.

It was a reunion,

I had always dreamt of,

But it would come to light,

I had never thought.

Once again,

I now stand at THE ALTAR OF TIME,

To rejoice, not

for what had become mine,

but, for what

HAD ALWAYS BEEN MINE...

MY FRNZ!!

Yeh Hain Mumbai "Humari"Jaan

Yeh Hain Mumbai “Humari” Jaan……………..
By :PIA BAKSHI
Hello people,
I really don’t know how many people are going to read this letter from my side to the entire Mumbaikar community.
But, this is a tribute to all the residents of the amazing city of Mumbai post the day that left a mark on us all, the day that, without doubt, is one the most unpleasant unfortunate and unforgettable happenings in our country, the day a pall of gloom descended over the whole of India, the day Mumbai was struck by the 26/11…………….
26th November, popularly known as India’s 9/11, has strummed the brain chords of the people of the entire world, especially our country, our motherland, our India………..
This is a letter thanking all the Mumbaikars for showing camaraderie and a never say die attitude after that disturbing day………..
I remember that I had woken up from a deep slumber when I switched on the TV to tune into FRIENDS. While surfing through the channels, trying to reach my destination, my eyes saw something they certainly weren’t expecting………. I closed my eyes, blinked twice and widely opened them before gluing them to the TV set. And it wasn’t an imagination of two sleepy eyes but the truth. “Aamchi” Mumbai had been targeted mercilessly. The Breaking News flashed in front of my eyes reporting the trouble and pain it had caused. I remember shedding tears as I heard about families who lost their loved ones ,about families of the Martyrs .I still recall the frantic reporters claiming to be the first ones to bring live pictures from the scene. Seeing helicopters hovering and our men in black coming out of them above the beautiful Taj was a sight no one could have ever dreamed of. After a long struggle and a battle between the two forces ,Mumbai was free to breathe; to heave a sigh of relief; to be the city of dreams all over again, though the images of that day have left scars on everybody in India……..
After the horrifying struggle for almost 3-4 days, everybody expected Mumbai to have shaken up…..to be burning under the fire of hatred…..to be urging to take revenge.
But hats off to the Mumbaikars who peacefully settled matters through silent protests, candle marches and integrity instead of communal frenzy and mass killings. Hindus,
Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and people of all other religions came together to raise a voice against this atrocity. Just a month after the attack, Hotel Taj still stands tall and how! The Mumbaikars spirit never dies and people have resumed their old routine of getting up with a smile; reading a newspaper; having a bite; going to the office in the famous local trains; coming back home after a long and tiring day at work but still willing to take the kids to a movie and the wife for a dinner; returning home and sleeping off with dreams of a new day; of a new morning; of the first rays of sunshine and of the speedily recovering “Aamchi” Mumbai.
This sounds like a day in the life of any ordinary person. But mind you, Mumbaikars are not ordinary people, they are a group of extraordinary people with an extraordinary approach to life and an extraordinary vision………..
From being the epicenter of Fashion to being the house of our favourite stars; From giving us our Bollywood to giving us our stars; From teaching us how to live to teaching us how to integrate, “Aamchi” Mumbai has won our hearts again. The people of an area determine the fate of that place, therefore more than the place, the accolades are sent in the way of you all who possess the enthusiasm and love and warmth and happiness that we all wish to imbibe.
I am a resident of Chandigarh, a student of class 9th, and have never been to Mumbai in my 14 years of existence but you all know what, your plight has affected people not only near to your residential home but people from as far away places as Punjab. I am not a Mumbaikar, at least technically, but I am working towards being a Mumbaikar at heart. After all-‘Yeh Hain Mumbai “Humari” Jaan’ ........................
Yours truly; your friend and ,undeniably, your Punjabi Mumbaikar-
Pia.................

DESPERATE TIMES DON'T ALWAYS CALL FOR DESPERATE MEASURES!

BY: DEEKSHA BHARDWAJ

After the terrorist attack of 26th November in Mumbai, the mood and rhetoric in India is reminiscent to that of the U.S after 9/11. As in the U.S then, outraged Indians swear never again. The phrase ‘War on terror’ invented in the U.S after 9/11, is now being widely used in India. This is a dangerous militaristic mood. It led the U.S into the disastorous invasion of Iraq. Let it not lead India into the same sort of misadventure.

Americans reportedly called 9/11 another Pearl Habour and the analogy sparked a determination to respond with guns and bombs. Many Indians while sympathizing with the U.S pointed out that 6,000 people feared dead wasn’t a huge number when compared with 50,000 killed over a decade in Kashmir. The U.S was apparently suffering from a small dose of Islamic terrorism that has long since wrecked Kashmir. The reaction was hugely preposterous considering that these were the same people who had never equated Kashmiri terrorism with war and always told India to be calm and not bomb terrorist training camps in Pak. But when they got a taste of it at home they went ballistic, declared it war with terrorism and vowed to kill all those ‘bad’ guys.

Cooler heads pointed out that ‘The War on Terror’ was a meaningless phrase. Terror is simply a tactic used by certain groups, and you cannot wage a war against a tactic. You can declare war on an enemy country but not on an NGO – which is what terrorists exactly are. When terrorism arises from an ideology or set of grievances, imaginary or otherwise, killing a bunch of ideologues may simply deepen those grievances and create several more terrorists. There was no Al-Qaeda before U.S’s alleged ‘War on Terror’ but the invasion created large Al-Qaeda cadres which have now been cut to size but remain a festering sore.

Indians who accused U.S of over-reacting to 9/11 are now themselves following pursuit. The media hyped it as ‘The War on Mumbai’, 'War on India’, ‘War on Terror’ etcetera, etcetera. Journalists and politicians who cautioned against jingoism in U.S after 9/11 are fanning it today in India.

Even the normally so-called ‘cool headed’ people are so agitated that they want to drop grenades on Pak. After the Iraqi war haven’t we learned that bombing cannot eradicate terrorism or the extremist mind set? All our invasion will result in is a Pakistani military response which will strengthen the hands of those Pakistani’s who support terrorism. It will constitute to yet another grievance that shall be exploited by the extremists. Let us not repeat the errors of President Bush.

Angry Indians say action should be taken. True but the action has to be patient diplomacy and international pressure which shall bear fruit though slowly but effectively. Outraged citizens do not want to be told to take it easy and respond to terrorism with diplomacy. Alas! Some problems do not have quick and effective military solutions. Lets not forget Britain had to live with Irish terrorism for almost a century.

Let us in such times of trouble avoid Bush speak and recall the old prayer "Lord, grant me serenity to accept things I cannot change, the courage to change things I can and wisdom to know the difference."

I know friends they say that desperate times call for desperate measures but amidst all this chaos let us not forget how much we have to lose if we follow the path of violence. Besides threatening countless innocent lives we also pose the risk of creating stronger and more determined terrorists. Bombing Pak seems to be the most feasible solution to most of us but believe me it isn't. It is on this note that I end my article leaving the decision up to you so as to decide which is going to be the more effective solution - a THIRD WORLD WAR which shall not only risk a thousand lives, 90% of them harmless but shall also cause significant damage to our resources or PATIENT DIPLOMACY which shall set India as an asset to the whole world. I chose the latter which one will you pick?

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!!!!!!