SG OwnBlog

I should be sorry for the highly controversial and click bait title. But I am not. There are some things in life that you can not just let go. This taunt is one of them. Recently, Thomson Reuters published a report stating that they have found out the world's most dangerous countries for women . This was the eight iteration of their annual undertaking where they assess several metrics to reach a conclusion as to where countries stand. This year they have concluded that India is the most dangerous country for women. In the world. Even after Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria. Yes, you read that right. Even a war torn country with a barely functioning Government is safer for women that India. I know for a fact that India has its share of problems. But Somalia and Syria being better than India in terms of women safety was a bit hard for me accept point blank. Liberals in India picked it right up. This is as clickbaity as my own title here. The only difference is that they won't...

I met Ali in the Leh airport,he drove us in our hotel. The very next morning we went for sightseeing. He used to drive very fast. I repeatedly told him to drive slow, he followed for  a short time; again continued in his own speed. On the way to Nubra valley the road was very stiff and the altitude was very high. As I was sick before our tour it was difficult for me to bear that fast ride.After coming back I complained our tour  operator for his driving and asked for another driver. Pangong Tso Iti Sidhartha Where I am, dogs are as well Our tour operator assured me that he would tell him to drive  comfortably.The next day Ali came drove the car and I enjoyed my entire remaining  trip. Sometimes he used to push the accelerator and I just told "Ali.....ahista"...he became consous. We used to chat during this long drive. I asked him "How old are you Ali?he replied "22years mam."He told me "At the age of 16 I started driving w...

Christian evangelicals are similar to parasites [1] . The similarities are simply astounding. Among all predatory religions, Evangelical Christianity has done, by far, the greatest harm to humankind [2] . Like leeches, the Evangelical sucks the lifeblood of an unchristian society till it descends either into chaos and incessant civil conflict or the relegation of the culture to the pages of history   (Bowden, 1985) . Even in the 21 st century this unashamed activity continues   (Bhosle, 2003) . [3] Source: https://www.economist.com/node/21543526 Evangelicals usually have a similar methodology when it comes to proselytization. Like parasites, the target is usually one belonging to the most vulnerable section of society. This does not necessarily mean that they try harvesting only the most down trodden of the society   (Kelly, 2001) . And most certainly, the objective is never the upliftment of the persons involved. The target groups may, for example, belong t...

It is mid March in Mumbai. It is supposed to be hot and humid. As it usually is all the year round with monsoon and December exceptions. But it's cloudy today. To be fair, yesterday was also cloudy but today is dark. As dark as it usually is just before a downpour. It may rain and I don't have an umbrella with me. It's not that a change of weather is bad. I like rains. But the suddenness is rather strange. I am not the only one confused with the weather change. The birds seem to be totally messed up by the onset of darkness. It was about 9 AM in the morning. The birds had just perched on the trees for their daily routine. The cloud came. They possibly understood that to be the beginning of the evening and end of day. Next thing I know, I see hundreds (yes, literally hundreds) of birds rushing back to their nests. This is not a unique scene. I have seen this umpteen number of times in the monsoons. This is the first time I have noticed it in March (as far as I can remember) ...

This is my first post this year. I know it's late. It has been a long time. I have paid the domain renewal about a couple of months back. But I did not feel like writing something new. The urge just did not come. It is not that I suddenly feel like I must write something. But this seems as good as a time as any, For one, my savings are getting better. This is despite all my financial mismanaging. None of that is very surprising. My personal expenses are ridiculously low. So that helps. Whatever high expenses are there are entirely towards rent and travel expenses to and from home. That includes the flight fares. I got my confirmation in Axis as well. It was a simple uneventful letter that I got from my CTO. The contents were pretty ordinary. But it felt reassuring nonetheless. My Dad also retired from his 30+ year job with SBI and is not enjoying the benefits of retired life with my mother back in Kolkata. About time. He has earned it.

This is a guest post by my mother, Lily Ray Gangopadhyay. Once again in Mirik after 17 years, I felt very nostalgic because when we used to visit this place, my sons were little kids. Mirik is one of my favorite places. In 17 years it has obviously changed a lot, but still it remains sparsely populated,little crowded and a clean place.   Dad striking a pose (caption by Sarthak) Since this hill station is not at very high altitude one can enjoy a very comfortable stay here and the roads are very inviting.The lake is the main attraction of this place, the Buddha monastery,view point are very nice. I was lucky that the weather was so clear that Mt. Kanchenjunga was clearly seen all the time. Just for a restful walking around the lake, sitting on the grass and gazing at the bushes of pine and fur trees and the peaks of the Himalayas, this is my most preferred destination. How to go>> one can take a taxi , share taxi or bus from NJP statio...

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (henceforth named as Mr. Shankar) is not new to controversy. Not even with topics like homosexuality. What the event was At an event in the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Ravi Shankar gave a talk on the occasion of the Nehru Memorial lecture on 13 th November, 2017. One among the audience lamented that he was ill-treated since he was known to be a homosexual. Then Mr. Shankar stated that he needed to accept himself as he was and love knew no boundaries. Let’s see and hear what he said… Let’s quote Mr. Shankar verbatim as reported by some of the newspapers . ‘ You treat yourself better, doesn’t matter how others treat you. You don’t think you are sick or something’s wrong with you. If you stand up, nobody can insult you… But if you feel weak and meek, and if you feel bad about yourself, nobody can make you feel better.’ Indian Express reported this in addition as well. Let me quote it directly here as well. ‘ This is your tendency now. Just ack...