hello!!!well, in the course whch m pursuing rite nw, v hv a papr on RESEARCH....since my specialization is Television, Radio and Films; my research topic is...REPRESENTATION OF DISABILITY IN HINDI FILMS IN THE LAST FIFTY YEARS....while i ws collecting sm material for it,i came across this wndrful story....its brilliant....it shows the general deterioration of the society v r living in....jst go ahead n read it...i cn assure u...its worth d effort..happy reading...
DISABILITY CERTIFICATE
On a train to Xi'an, a pretty attendant glared at middle-aged man who looked like a migrant worker and said loudly, "Ticket check."
The middle-aged man searched all over, and finally found it, but he held in his hand. The attendant looked at him queerly, and laughed. "This is a children's ticket."
The middle-aged man flushed, and stuttered out, "Isn't a children's ticket the same price as a disabled ticket?"
The attendant eyed the middle-aged man once over, and asked, "Are you a disabled person?"
"I am a disabled person!" "Then let me have a look at your disability certificate."
The middle-aged man tensed up. He said, "I don't have a disability certificate. When I bought the ticket, the ticket-seller asked me for my disability certificate, and I had no choice but to buy a children's ticket."
The attendant forced a smile: "Without a disability certificate, how can you prove that you are disabled?"
Without saying a word, the middle-aged man gently took off his shoe and pulled up his pants leg - he only had half a foot.
The attendant gave it a glance, and said, "I need to see documentation! The printed seal of the Disabled Person's Federation."
His face bitter, the middle-aged man explained, "I'm not a resident here, so they wouldn't give me a disability certificate. And I was working at a private construction site. When it happened, the boss disappeared, and I had no money to go to a hospital for an evaluation...."
The conductor, who had been notified, arrived to inquire about the situation.
The middle-aged man explained once more to the conductor that he was a disabled person, and he had bought a ticket whose price was the same as a disabled person's ticket....
The conductor asked, "Your disability certificate?"
The middle-aged man said that he had no disability certificate, and then showed the conductor his half-foot.
Without even looking it over, the conductor said impatiently, "We only acknowledge documentation, not people! People with disability certificates are disabled people, and only those with disability certificates can enjoy disabled persons' tickets. Hurry and buy a supplemental ticket!"
The middle-aged man was crushed.
He searched through all his pockets and luggage, but only came up with a few yuan, not enough to make up the ticket price. With a tearful face he said to the conductor, "After half my foot was crushed off in the machine, I couldn't work anymore. With no money, I couldn't even go home. This half-price ticket I bought with money collected by people from my hometown. I beg you to have compassion and spare me!"
The conductor said resolutely, "That's not possible."
The attendant took this opportunity to say to the conductor, "Let him shovel coal at the front of the train - let him do some volunteer work."
The conductor thought it over, and said, "Good!"
An older comrade sitting opposite the middle-aged man couldn't stand it, so he stood up, looked the conductor straight in the eyes, and said, "Are you or aren't you a man?"
The conductor didn't give an answer: "What does this have to do with whether I'm a man?"
"Just tell me, are you a man?"
"Of course I'm a man." "What proof do you have that you are a man? Give me a look at your Male Certificate!"
The people around them started laughing.
The conductor was taken aback. He said, "I'm a full-blooded male standing right here, you think this is a fake?"
The old comrade shook his head: "I'm like you. I acknowledge documentation, not people. People with Male Certificates are men. No Male Certificate, not a man."
The conductor was stuck. For a moment he didn't know how to respond.
The attendant stood up to help the conductor out of his predicament. She said to the old comrade, "I'm not a man. If you have anything to say, say it to me."
The old comrade pointed at her nose, and said, "You're not even a human!"
The attendant shook with fury, and screamed, "Wash your mouth out! Tell me, if I'm not human, then what am I?!"
The old comrade remained calm, but he smiled slyly as he said, "You're human? OK, then let me have a look at your Human Certificate....."
Once again, everyone around them burst into laughter.
Only one person didn't laugh - the middle-aged man with half a foot. He quietly watched all that went on, and at some point, his eyes started to well with tears, not knowing if this was shame, or appreciation, or hate.
Monday 30 November 2009
Wednesday 25 November 2009
THE FEMALE IN A BLACK JACKET
It was bright and sunny as I set out of my newly acquired apartment for a stroll. As usual, the departmental store overlooking my apartment was choc-a-block with customers. One look at the store reminded me that I was in desperate need of some crockery and needed to procure it.
Something inherent in me held me back from walking towards the store. But pushing this gut feeling aside, I headed towards the store. A strange thing happened as I was to enter. The guard stationed at the entry, stopped me and raised an alarm. Several female guards appeared at once and holding me tightly from all the sides, dragged me towards a secluded area....(Don't ask how embarrassing it was!!) I tried my level-best to protest but it was futile. Such was the grip of those hefty females that it made me lose my voice completely. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't mumble a single word.
I was taken inside a dingy store-room where I was frantically searched from head to toe. Unable to bear these bizarre activities, I hurled out abuses to the female guards and inquired as to what was going on. I was asked to shut up. Those guards then said something, which almost blew me off. They said that they had been informed by the police that some local goons had planned to rob their store that morning. What gave me the shock of my life was that those goons had apparently planned to send a young female in a black jacket, who would initiate the robbery...(Goodness, why did I have to wear my black jacket that very day?) Anyway, I tried to convince them that they had made a blunder and that I was no criminal and had no plans of looting their store.
Thankfully, as my failed attempts to convince them continued, some cops entered the room. One of them, probably an inspector, was carrying handcuffs in one hand and a photograph in the other. He seemed to be quite baffled as he was staring squarely into my face. He ordered the female guards to loosen their grip over me. Showing me the photograph that he was carrying, the policeman said that he was extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to me. Apparently, my face did not match with that of the female, who was part of the local criminal gang, whose activities were being tracked by the police via a series of sting operations.
Thank heavens for the intervention of that policeman, who came in, just in time and played my saviour. But such was the impact of that dreadful day on me, that till date I could not muster up the courage to even look at that black jacket again!!!! :):):)
Something inherent in me held me back from walking towards the store. But pushing this gut feeling aside, I headed towards the store. A strange thing happened as I was to enter. The guard stationed at the entry, stopped me and raised an alarm. Several female guards appeared at once and holding me tightly from all the sides, dragged me towards a secluded area....(Don't ask how embarrassing it was!!) I tried my level-best to protest but it was futile. Such was the grip of those hefty females that it made me lose my voice completely. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't mumble a single word.
I was taken inside a dingy store-room where I was frantically searched from head to toe. Unable to bear these bizarre activities, I hurled out abuses to the female guards and inquired as to what was going on. I was asked to shut up. Those guards then said something, which almost blew me off. They said that they had been informed by the police that some local goons had planned to rob their store that morning. What gave me the shock of my life was that those goons had apparently planned to send a young female in a black jacket, who would initiate the robbery...(Goodness, why did I have to wear my black jacket that very day?) Anyway, I tried to convince them that they had made a blunder and that I was no criminal and had no plans of looting their store.
Thankfully, as my failed attempts to convince them continued, some cops entered the room. One of them, probably an inspector, was carrying handcuffs in one hand and a photograph in the other. He seemed to be quite baffled as he was staring squarely into my face. He ordered the female guards to loosen their grip over me. Showing me the photograph that he was carrying, the policeman said that he was extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused to me. Apparently, my face did not match with that of the female, who was part of the local criminal gang, whose activities were being tracked by the police via a series of sting operations.
Thank heavens for the intervention of that policeman, who came in, just in time and played my saviour. But such was the impact of that dreadful day on me, that till date I could not muster up the courage to even look at that black jacket again!!!! :):):)
Sunday 1 November 2009
JUSTICE FOR ALL: A MYTH
I just came across a newspaper article a few days back, which talked about the dismal condition of our judicial system. Sheetal Singh, was a peon in a government organization, who was falsely implicated in a robbery case and expelled from service. He filed a petition in the court, pleading guilty.
Twenty-two years after this, the court declares him guilty. But by this time, Sheetal had already crossed his retirement age and lost his accumulated wealth in fighting the case. He is no less than a pauper today. This was the result of the injustice meted out to him by the Indian judicial system. It is rightly said that justice delayed is justice denied. According to the Indian Constitution, if a citizen is denied social, economic or political justice, it is referred to as injustice.
We have seen quite often that on account of the loopholes in our judicial system, neither the culprit gets appropriate punishment nor the victim is compensated at the right time. Even the compensation cannot be equated to minimizing the injustice. The dominance of pressure groups leads to the verdict going against the victims. Such injustice is not a rare sight in our country. Even history talks about injustice when Shah Jahan chopped off the hands of the two hundred laborers who built the Taj Mahal, so that those laborers could never be employed by other emperors to make beautiful monuments.
The time has come when the blindfold of the lady in the white robe, representing fair justice, should be opened. She should now be allowed to see the injustice all around, so that the balance in her hand is able to measure justice and mitigate the injustice.
Twenty-two years after this, the court declares him guilty. But by this time, Sheetal had already crossed his retirement age and lost his accumulated wealth in fighting the case. He is no less than a pauper today. This was the result of the injustice meted out to him by the Indian judicial system. It is rightly said that justice delayed is justice denied. According to the Indian Constitution, if a citizen is denied social, economic or political justice, it is referred to as injustice.
We have seen quite often that on account of the loopholes in our judicial system, neither the culprit gets appropriate punishment nor the victim is compensated at the right time. Even the compensation cannot be equated to minimizing the injustice. The dominance of pressure groups leads to the verdict going against the victims. Such injustice is not a rare sight in our country. Even history talks about injustice when Shah Jahan chopped off the hands of the two hundred laborers who built the Taj Mahal, so that those laborers could never be employed by other emperors to make beautiful monuments.
The time has come when the blindfold of the lady in the white robe, representing fair justice, should be opened. She should now be allowed to see the injustice all around, so that the balance in her hand is able to measure justice and mitigate the injustice.
WHAT LIES BENEATH THE MATTRESS....
As a child,I had always seen my mother selecting the big and beautiful polythene-bags and putting them under the mattress. It was as if "come what may,nothing should happen to those 'holy' sheets of polythene".
From where did mankind actually inculcate this bizarre habit?Well, that is the million dollar question. I have no qualms in admitting that even I tend to consider the space under my mattress as the safest place on earth for those bags. Moreover, I derive some kind of a morbid pleasure when I refuse to share my bags with others. I know this is bizarre. But then, I am just so possessive about them that I am afraid to part with them.
Now the scientists are telling us that these polythene-bags contribute a hell lot towards polluting the environment and disturbing the ecological balance. As a result, there is a worldwide ban on them now. This ban is yet to become completely functional in our country...I thank heavens for that!!!!
If this ban comes into being in all parts of India, what will happen to the scores of polythene-bags lying patiently under my mattress?No, I will not let them die a silent death. So I request the Indian government not to pay heed to whatever these headless scientists have to say!!!Or less come up with an alternative solution...but please please please don't impose a BAN on them for God's sake....
From where did mankind actually inculcate this bizarre habit?Well, that is the million dollar question. I have no qualms in admitting that even I tend to consider the space under my mattress as the safest place on earth for those bags. Moreover, I derive some kind of a morbid pleasure when I refuse to share my bags with others. I know this is bizarre. But then, I am just so possessive about them that I am afraid to part with them.
Now the scientists are telling us that these polythene-bags contribute a hell lot towards polluting the environment and disturbing the ecological balance. As a result, there is a worldwide ban on them now. This ban is yet to become completely functional in our country...I thank heavens for that!!!!
If this ban comes into being in all parts of India, what will happen to the scores of polythene-bags lying patiently under my mattress?No, I will not let them die a silent death. So I request the Indian government not to pay heed to whatever these headless scientists have to say!!!Or less come up with an alternative solution...but please please please don't impose a BAN on them for God's sake....
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