LOC: Line of C...

Short Story Writing Competition
Monday, 30 September 2019
Topic : LOC


LOC: Line of C...


Bangs and screams on both sides.

Things being hurled towards and back.

Tension gripped the air.

The intensity increased minute by minute.


"Oh God! This is another India - Pakistan war".

My grandmother's words sent chills down my spine.


Another war!

A slideshow of gruesome pictures started running in my head :
Violence, Bloodshed, Murder, Police, Curfew…

Noooo!
God, not another war!

I prayed silently within, even as I sat a mute spectator of the ongoing clash, which seemed to be gaining momentum with each passing second.

It all started with trespassing.
Trespassing the defacto " Line of Control".


The "other side" had immediately sprung to action.
The trespasser was immediately taken hostage (after being beaten black and blue, that is).
His pictures and videos were being circulated around. Videos of him being beaten and pictures of him bruised and bleeding.

A kind of vicarious, sadistic pleasure seemed to fill the enemy by sharing these.
I couldn't stand the sight of those for a second.
God knows how his family would have borne it.

"Hope he is set free quickly" I murmured.

"Nothing to worry. He will indeed be released under political influence and pressure" assured my grandmother.

Thank Heavens that her words came true!

The MLA of our area intervened and made sure that the man was immediately released.

He threatened the people of both side with dire consequences for any such future nuisances and street fights.

He forced the other side to apologize and made people of both sides shake hands with each other as a friendly gesture.

It all finally ended with a feast sponsored by the MLA, and a night full of merriment.

Nevertheless, I knew that all of this festivity and friendliness would last only for a day or two.

Living in a house very close to the LOC, I had witnessed such fights every other day.  In fact, they had now become an amusement for me.

The LOC…

The dreaded LOC which I have never dared to cross since my childhood…

It is the street dividing the two major colonies in our tiny town.

The Line of Colonies

It's the most ominous border which I have seen.

Being a small-town girl, the war between the two colonies was the greatest war I had ever seen or heard of.

If India-Pakistan were being compared to our two colonies, then their enmity must be great!

Book Review : The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

BOOK REVIEW

Introduction

1. Title : The Secret 

2. Author : Rhonda Byrne

3. Publisher : Atria Books, New York

4. Genre : Nonfiction, self help book

5. Reason of choice : It's a book which had the most profound influence on my life and changed my outlook and made me more optimistic.

I first heard about the book in an interview of my favourite actor, where he mentioned it as the book which gave him clarity in life. That sparked my curiosity and I set out to search high and low for the book. Along with that, the title of the book and the cover design were both intriguing enough to get me to pick it up from the bookstore shelf.

Review

Self - help books have turned out to be the new big thing in the book market. They have become quite a rage owing to the advice and assistant they offer;  which is much needed in today's hyper - accelerated, over - stressed up world. Tons of such books are to be found in the market, but few can claim to be a revolutionary success like "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne. 

"The Secret"  is a New Thought book which focuses on the "Law of Attraction" and suggests simple tips and tricks to engage the Law in practical life. Even though it carries along a fair share of criticism, the 2006-released book is getting increasingly famous with each passing day and is one among the  hot favourites of the masses.

The author of the book, Rhonda Byrne is an Australian who was initially into television production and later turned into  a bestselling author and a spiritual entrepreneur. The book is said to be an outcome of the life lessons she had learnt during a traumatic phrase of her life. 

The book is contains inputs by 24 other people besides the author, who have all shared their opinions and experiences and about the Law of Attraction. Given how each carry their own strong sense of individuality, it is astounding that they all speak as one voice. There is no hint of any disparity or conflicting views in the book.

Simply put, the book elaborates on the fundamental principle that our thoughts have a profound impact on our lives as we tend to attract what we always focus on or  think about.

Within its 200 pages, the book gives a number of detailed  techniques and methods (along with real life examples and experiences) to implement the Law of Attraction in our daily lives in order to bring about positive changes and live the life of our dreams. 

What makes the  book appealing is it's clarity and simplicity. There is neither any ornamental language nor any ostensible content. Every word in the book seeps down directly into the heart of the reader and it is possible for the reader to develop a deep connection with the book and be able to relate with its contents.

Due credit has to be given to the designers of the book. The book cover, illustrations on the pages and the placement of content in the pages are all done in such a brilliant manner that they elevate the book to another level and add their own bit of philosophical touch to the book. 

"The Secret", which was first released as a standalone book, has now grown to be  "The Secret" series, with "The Power", "The Magic", "The Hero" and "How The Secret changed my Life" being the succeeding books in that order. The evolution of a single book into a series testifies the widespread influence and popularity of the book.  Furthermore, it has been translated into more than 30 languages and is read and celebrated all around the globe.

"The Secret" can act as a spiritual gateway to people who are willing to embark on a life discovering journey and help them in tapping into their own innate power. It can also probably make people dig deep into their own roots. This is because the book clearly states that it has been inspired and drawn from the teachings of many ancient religions and cultures.

Criticism

The book has been criticised by sceptics who doubt the truth and functionality of the Law of Attraction and call it out for being unrealistic and impractical.  It is also rejected or harshly judged by people with a scientific bent of mind, as they demand the logical / scientific proof of the Law of Attraction. While such criticism is valid, it is upto people to have a deeper and subtle understanding of the concepts and draw the line between being a fanciful dreamer and being an optimistic person.

Conclusion

To sum up, "The Secret" is surely a book which is highly recommended for everyone. It's for people of all ages and from all walks of life. A book which is bound to open a whole new world of light and hope to everyone who reads and absorbs it; there's no wonder that even with a strong backlash, the book continues to shine forth and illuminate the lives of people all around the world.

Movie Review : The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

MOVIE REVIEW 

Introduction

1. Title : The Secret

2. Creator : Rhonda Byrne

3. Production  :  Prime Time Productions

4. Genre : Documentary film

5. Reason of choice : It's based on the book "The Secret", which had a deep and profound impact on my life.


I accidentally came across the movie when I was browsing the Internet for some information about the book, "The Secret". I decided to give it a try as I was  highly influenced by the book. The movie gave me a more clear and vivid understanding of the book.


Review

Best-seller  books being turned into movies is a fairly common phenomenon. But, a movie becoming such a rage that it is turned into a  book (which goes on to be a best-seller and later evolves into a book series) ; is something unheard of and also seems borderline impossible.


But that is what makes "The Secret" movie stand out!


"The Secret" is a Australian - American documentary movie created by Rhonda Byrne (an Australian who was involved in television production and later went one become a bestselling author). It was first released in March 2006.


Featuring the interviews of about 24 eminent personalities, the movie is based on the "Law of Attraction".  It's all about the fundamental principles of the above stated law and it's application in routine life. The teachers share their own understanding and experiences regarding the Law of Attraction in the movie, while also suggesting some practical techniques to harness the law to create a dreamlike life.


All the 24 teachers involved in the movie are like pieces in a puzzle, they fit together perfectly to make the complete picture. All their thoughts and teachings are in sync with each other and with the overall premises of the movie. They speak as one voice, which makes the movie run smoothly without any kind of abruption.


The entire movie consists of basically three kinds of scenes:

Type 1. Interviews of the teachers

Type 2. Re - enacted scenes of the real life
experiences of the teachers

Type 3. Random pictures and short clips to  illustrate  the concepts being explained.

All the three types of scenes blend seamlessly together, which lends a coherent flow to the movie.


The interview scenes of the teachers leave an everlasting impression, owing to the charismatic personality of all the teachers. Their explanations are all simple, clear-cut and straightforward,  and their way of addressing is filled with such warmth and friendliness that it is quite  endearing.


The scenes where the real life experiences of the teachers are re-enacted are quite an highlight of the movie. It is done in such a realistic manner that it almost feels like the viewers are witnessing the scenes live. It is bound to affect the psyche of people, as it adds credibility to the theory explored in the movie.


The pictures and short clips, which are inserted in between the movie to illustrate the concepts, are the icing on cake. They are all well-chosen and perfectly placed. They add value to the movie as they make it more easy to understand and relate to.


A special note of applause to the hypnotizing opening of the movie. The voice-over of Rhonda Byrne, along with the dramatized scenes which depict the historical importance of the Law,  suffice to arrest anyone's attention at once.


The movie has high production values. Filming, audio recording, background music, editing, graphics, voice overs, etc are all done right, and put together, they produce the desired effect. The teachers are all competent public speakers, with fluent speech and engaging body language. They excel in the re-enacted scenes as well. A word of appreciation to the actors involved in Type 2 and Type 3 scenes. They are all well picked and  pass muster. The editing is neat and the movie has a suitable length.


The most striking thing about the movie is it's close resemblance with the book. Though it can be argued that this is due to the fact that the movie preceded the book; it is still worth noting that turning visual content into a textual form is, infact, more difficult than vice-versa.



Criticism


Despite all its positives and popularity, the movie is mired in controversies and criticism. Sceptics and rationalists have judged, criticized, refuted and even mocked the movie, for its seemingly "pseudo scientific theories" an fanciful ideas. The movie has not been too successful in convincing the minds of intellects, thought it has successfully strung the heart strings of the masses. A large number of people find hope and optimism from the movie, while a few others find it to be ridiculous and mere whistling in the wind.



Conclusion


Highly recommendable for people who are in search of hope, meaning and optimism in life; the movie needs to be taken with a grain of salt as it's easy to get too carried away with all the viewpoints and possibilities spoken of in the movie. A word of caution to such people : please remain grounded and develop a subtle and deeper understanding of the subject. But it's only meant for audience with an emotional, philosophical and spiritual outlook. Cynics, pessimists, analysts and the rest of the kind are advised to give it pass.

Comparative Study: "Harp of India" and "Coramandal Fishers"

Question:

A comparative study of Henry Derojio's poem "Harp of India" and Sarojini Naidu's poem "Coramandal Fishers", tracing imagery, the theme of patriotism, Indian-ness and development of Indian poetry in English.

Answer: 

Indian English Literature can be said to be the youngest among all the literature of different Indian languages. This is because English came in to India as a foreign language i.e., the language of the oppressor during the colonial rule. So, it can be said that English Literature of India has a very unique and interesting history. Here, we try to know more about this history by doing a comparative study of two of the most important early English writers of India.

Henry Derojio is said to be the first English poet of India. Though a foreigner by birth, his spirit of patriotism towards India was unmatched. He considered India to be his Motherland and wrote of its glorious past. On the other hand, Sarojini Naidu was a native Indian with a deep sense of patriotism and nationalism. She wrote about every simple thing which was "Indian". One similarity between both was that both came from Bengal.

Henry Derojio's poem "Harp of India" is about the glorious past and rich heritage of India, which is now lost, forgotten and lies enslaved by the British. The poet expresses a hope that his country returns to the glorious past one day.

Sarojini Naidu's poem "Coromandal Fishers" is about fishermen; it is a wake up call by one of the fishermen to his brothers to rise and set to work. Though the poem has an endearing charm of simplicity on the surface, it can be interpreted in a political perspective as a wake up call by the poet to her countrymen to rise and fight for their country.

The language used by the poets vary vastly. While Henry Derojio's makes use of some Old English words in his poem; Sarojini Naidu's language is entirely simple and clear, and is new English. The difference in language points to the various phrases of development of Indian poetry in English.

As concerning imagery, Sarojini Naidu's poem comes across as more vivid as it includes imagery appealing to all the senses. The poem is full of sounds, tastes and sensations, which makes the poem come alive for the reader. It can also be said that the poem is one big metaphor in itself, when seen from a political perspective. As regards Henry Derojio's poem, the use of imagery is limited; but the ones included are made use of effectively. The most powerful imagery used in the poem are that of the harp (indicative of Indian culture) and of chains (to indicate slavery).

The poems have varying degrees of 'Indian-ness" about them. Henry Derojio was an Indian poet of foreign origin while Sarojini Naidu was a native Indian. This difference between the two poets can be seen subtlety reflected in their poems. Derojio seems to love his country for its glorious past i.e,, he is more focused on the past of his country and hopes to see it return to its past glory.

On the other hand, Sarojini Naidu, as a native, is more attuned to the present condition of the country. She is attuned to her surroundings and picks up the simplest of things as the object of poetry. The most commonplace things of an Indian's life became her point of focus, thus lending her poems a unique touch of "Indian-ness".

Patriotism is an underlying theme in the poems of both the poets. While it is expressed overtly in Henry Derojio's poem, hidden underneath the surface in Sarojini Naidu's poem. Love and respect for the Motherland can be felt overwhelmingly in the poem of Derojio. In Sarojini Naidu's poem, it is more subtle and is hidden away from view. It can only be seen when the poem is read from a political perspective.

In conclusion, it can be said that both the poems i.e., "Harp of India" by Henry Derojio and "Coramandal Fishers" by Sarojini Naidu are unique in their own ways. They are both masterpieces in their own right, as they both are expressions of love and respect towards the Motherland, albeit in different ways.

    

I'm Just Me...

IDENTITY

I'M JUST ME

Not the one

To fit into 

society's constraints

Not the one

To shrink myself 

for other's selfish gains

By society's 

standards 

To be defined

I am 

way 

Too refined

In just any one 

divisional boxes, 

I don't get in

In any 

stereotypical category, 

I don't fit in


To anyone else's 

expectations, 

I no longer heed

Everything that I am, 

will be shown 

only through deed

Let them 

see me as a 

worthless weed

The Hall of Fame 

one day, 

I'm sure to lead

No longer do I 

put up any given 

society's label

As to create 

and show my own, 

I'm now able


As a rose 

smells sweet 

with any other name

So to bloom forth 

by myself, 

that's my only aim

Unapologetically, 

I am only, 

just only ME

And that's what 

I am always 

going to be



6 September 2019
Pen A Poem Competition
REVA University