Living on the Edge of Finding a True Identity…!!

Life and Self-Identity

Being different is not a bliss that I used to feel when I was younger, and to move towards the top on the hill with some extraordinary was a matter of distinction as well. But the hardcore realities and experiences of life asked me to change my perceptions. To be different is okay so far it is not creating isolation for you in a social, cultural environment, and your relationships. To be able to survive, and with a better lifestyle and find a graceful space on this stage of the world is an art that we must learn if not have mastered to date. The different, unique, artistic, abstract, compassionate, and nice people are exemplary but unfortunately don’t fit in the present world. 

Living in this world means we have to be strong, own our self-esteem, and keep our success and goals on top. Never to compromise on things that really can hurt us, and our efforts to reconstruct and to build ourselves are highly important for us. The best thing is to never compromise basic ethics, values, principles, and then things are going to work great for others. It is not necessary to adapt everything that the current situation or the environment can offer. The check and balance is something that everybody has to put on himself, not by others in a way around. 

Making a success story in this cutthroat world of competition is something that matters. But it will happen after one sees and finds his true identity as to what is the real meaning of life. How we can boost our living standards, and work on improving our concepts, ideas, knowledge, and skills for our betterment, and how to look for a greater vision to be different but acceptable. We can keep our sanctity and uniqueness alive if we do not hassle with the rest of the world. Let’s decide our journey and way to live in a way, and then things will be all that great. 

Keeping our line straight and understanding is the right path that will lead us to a pure life in this mortal world and will enable us to enter Paradise in the afterlife then everything is cool. It is not a matter of concern to follow our dreams that were either childish or closer to impossibilities. As soon as we accept the real-world scenario, and how it asks us to move then things will be all okay, and we will have peace of mind, heart, and soul that is highly essential for us, to sync in with the current world expectations, and to have a real normal life that is mostly hard to survive and find in the present world scenario. It is a matter of time that people value outer presence, financial status, lifestyle, bold is beautiful. It is a way of the world and we have to face this bitter reality, and why not with optimism and passion to serve ourselves, and the closed ones in the best ways that we can to not just survive, but to live peacefully…!!

Post-Pandemic Times Has Change the Global Human Psyche..?

Post-Pandemic life and Human Psyche

It is been almost two years that the world is facing the trauma of a contagious viral disease named Covid-19. The corona has taken many lives, many are still in hospitals, and millions of people suffered and recovered from this pandemic. But the aftermath is continuously going on, and the different variants are still in the global environment. The mutated virus of the corona is still lingering on, and so the world has suffered from losses of lives, the rise of different ailments, infections, economic disasters have taken the world by storms. Many people have lost jobs, running businesses have been shut down, hotels and tourism are badly affected. 

The psychology experts were expecting that such a disastrous pandemic that took the whole world by storms within a few days must have changed the human psyche. As everybody faced the issues whether the dissembling of education, business, loss of loved ones suffering the near-death experiences, the phobias and fear. Everything and everybody became untouchable for others. The new world order was to cover half of the faces with masks, to use sanitizers, to avoid handshaking, hugging, the intimacy of every kinds. So, they thought and hypothesized that people would have a different mindset during and after the pandemic spike would be over. 

But it is sad to see that the world and human beings, in general, have become more self-centered, selfish, and the ways of sympathy and empathy have not become the way of the world. It is really important to note that brutality has risen in the land of oppressions like in India, Jerusalem, Syria, Myanmar, and many other places. The robberies, corruption, rapes, and victimization have been raised in every part of the world. The most civilized societies of America, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and others are no exception. The violation of laws and rules is so common nowadays. People have lost the merciful nature in a generic sense that every religion teaches for sure. It is sad to see that ethics, values, and humanity have not risen in standards but in fact, worsened. 

People and authorities are still afraid of the Covid-19 virus and its mutated virus variants. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen goodness and peace prevailing in any society, the murders and all sorts of white and blue-collar crimes have risen. It proves that people are getting senseless, selfish, and immune to the problems of others. They have forgotten the fear of God Almighty, and what will they answer in the life hereafter. It is sad, disturbing, and in fact, heart-wrenching to see and be a part of the world that is cruel to others, and getting, even more, worst to their fellow human beings in an individual and collective capacity. Have mercy if you want to get mercy from others, and in the eternal life after final death….!!

How Sanity Works for Different People Who Care about Self-Esteem as Well

Sanity and Self-Esteem

Life is unpredictable and so are human beings, with a variant psyche it is the most difficult thing to predict anything about this race. The conflicting situations among the human conscious mind, subconscious and unconscious desires, and instincts vary so much that it is really hard to imagine how people will react in different situations. For people like me, self-esteem and keeping our sanctity are always very important. But I ask myself a question as if I maintain my respect within or outside society to the level that I always craved for…!!

I am not asking for the glitz, gloss, and glamorous life of a celebrity but a simple and normal recognition that anyone can look up for having in his or her circle of relations and social relations. The most important thing is our very own sanctity that we need to never compromise on it. But we do it in the name of life, friendships, not to spoil a social relationship, to secure our jobs, and for a lot of other things. It is not the case with me as I am in a dilemma of being nice to everyone, and then trying to snap at people who have crossed their limits and have intruded into my circle of self-respect. 

What a strange psyche we carry with a desire to be loved and respected by others, How different people play with our emotions depending upon how weak we are concerning a desire to find someone who cares for us without anything in return. How we lost our trust and our very own sanctity in trying to reach the unreachable, and it is not subject to that we desire for the stars. They are as ordinary as us but those people come and then stay in our lives for the sake of the fulfillment of their problems, loneliness, the desire of being social, lust, material desires, and lots more. When they find their needs fulfilled out in some other and better way then they don’t care a second to kick us out of their lives. 

Why do people try to fool us and play with our true feeling and emotions as they know that we are really keeping them very special in our hearts, minds, and souls? This question is not solved by me to date except a notion that expectations need to be kept in control, and then don’t let others be your masters of emotions. As they might leave at any instance, and they will use you for their very own instinctive desires that also include the carnal or bodily lust. Then they can easily find an excuse to leave, and many people these days don’t even bother to create an excuse. They are experts in using our weak points in emotions then silently blocking and walking away, and they damn care as if we are in pain. We want them to reconnect or at least respond to our pure and sweet gestures with a token of friendship, and an assurance that they are busy but have us in their lives and hearts. 

Does it cost anything to let people feel easy, relaxed, comfortable, and to give them a status of being connected? Why if someone is emotionally imbalanced and a person who cannot get out of any good or bad experience so easily tries hard to reconnect, and then bashed to the core with losing all dignity and disrespected for what. Forgiving another person respect that he never deserved or for being a fool enough to form expectations from that person who held and controlled us for his or her temporary cravings. Al least we can have a catharsis that we were used to serving someone in his or her difficult times, and does it matters?

The self-respect is so much compromised by us actually that we expect that their words and actions had some base and that they were actually behind their temporary desires and they don’t find a reason or grace enough to say goodbye respectfully. They cannot even excuse us for using our time, feelings, emotions in every way and now they don’t need us anymore. At least, it will suggest to us that we were badly used, and then we have to recover our nerves for the greater good of our own lives, values, and for people who matter in our lives. Then we may learn what are our success goals, and as we cannot be that cheap and selfish, which is a really good human trait. Then we have a way to move forward and work for our very own success and soul satisfaction to be or right path. It is important for our worldly life and hereafter for sure…!!

Self Awareness is a Gift that Few People Cherish but Many Can Learn…!!

Optimism and Motivation for Self Awareness

Life is a continuous struggle that we as humans try to live for our best. We try hard to find the real meaning of life and why our existence is so important for the universe. But, unfortunately very few lead to worthwhile conclusions, and even helpful to sustain and to strive for our very own attainment of heights of glory, peace of soul, and above all to be a part of a better human race. Yes, we must try hard to look to find our real being, and self-awareness is bliss in a way. When people get aware of how their hearts and mind coordinate, and how to give guidance to one’s subconscious and unconscious mind in the right way then things are all going to be very well for us, and humanity in general. 

Deciding to live in peace with what we are gifted by the Divine Rulings, and what is the limitation to our actions, and how to control the wild side that usually exists in every ordinary human being. I am not talking about the superhumans, who have great self-control or are gifted to look beyond their worldly desires, and materialistic approaches towards life and towards other beings. The craving to find relaxed life, true love, and to find success in everything we do is a wish that no sane person can deny for…!!

Each individual has a soul and a desire to live in the best of conditions, and that does not mean to bully, to crush others in the game of success, or to reach the top of a hill, by moving and shaking the inside out of others. If there is a self-awareness of our capabilities, the blessings that we already carry, and our aptitude that must be directed towards something that we highly crave. Then our unconscious mind will take us towards that path with the right decisions and actions at the right time. The wishes must be realistic and there must be an overall positivity in everything we desire for. Some people like to keep the pessimistic approach towards life and other people. 

They want to harm others with their words, actions, and an inside craving to see others suffer. It might be due to their experiences, and the hard and harsh things that others have done to them. But the important thing is to always try to stay away from the emotion of revenge. I don’t ask you to present another cheek if someone slaps you at once. Self-respect is such a precious part of self-awareness that one must never compromise on it. But to keep our nerves in control, and to refrain from damaging another person with our words, actions and attitude are not recommended. Either we must be able to say the truth in front of the one who is hurting our true emotions and giving a jerk to the soul. In another case, forgive or forget is the best option…!!

The concept of forgiveness and forgetting carries a pearl of inherited wisdom, as we let our mind and soul not be able to suffer from the things that don’t matter in our path and struggle to live a better life. Then the second-best thing happens that we don’t want our emotions and energy in negative ways, and give ourselves a lesson that other person’s deeds and words do not reflect me. I am going to define myself in the way I see myself, and how I want to grow and groom. Self-nurturing and growth is natural process, and we keep on learning at every age. If we are aware of our own flaws and weaknesses then we are better able to correct and control ourselves for our very own good life and physical, emotional, and mental health, and to have a peaceful soul….!! 

Something About the Author

 Life is a journey from cradle till grave embraces someone. But what comes in a journey is not always by someone’s choice, and still we live our lives with our own set of goals. We are triumphant at very many times, and then sometimes there are trials and errors that make us learn to do something else that was not in our personal set roadmap. It is called learning from events, life lessons and the experiences that shape our personalities. Ask us to be strong, confident, learn new things, and then an individual is all settled to swim in the deep oceans. One thing that goes for me from my childhood is trying to learn new and innovative things. If you give me a book then I don’t need to have any social activity or media to shadow me with loud and dramatic sounds.

Well, I am not in any way anti-social in any way if you assume from my earlier description. I love to interact, communicate, read, and write blogs, articles, poetry, music, movies and social media. Off course, reading and writing wear and still are my passion from the childhood. I did my first Masters Degree in Business Administration. It was something of a dream by the youth of 90s. It was really interesting to go through such diverse subjects, and to come to know about new theories and concepts. My majors was in Marketing. It was all fun to study but the craving to read and more than that to get a degree in literature was in my veins, pushing me to move for another degree, and the one I always love to attain! So, there I went with an admission in Masters in English Language and Literature. It opened my eyes to a new world. Full of ideas, thoughts, thought provoking philosophies by different authors and poets.

I guess that was the point in my life when I felt that I must be a writer and to have my own book by my side one fine day. My hunger to read more of world’s literature didn’t stop me top English only. I read the cream of Urdu literature, Russian, Brazilian, French, Latin, German, American and Chinese literature. There I feel my outer and inner eyes got a wider opening, and I could sense the human nature and psychology to a greater depth. I moved with people and cultures and tried to understand human miseries, sorrows, joys and generic emotions. Literature helped me be a better, sensible, calm, silent observer, to understand the value of integrity and self-esteem which are my prime focus where I am living or working. So, these things are not compromised otherwise I am a very compassionate person.

Even I try to forgive and forget the typical professional politics and other such games. Being professional and keeping yourself to your own tasks, and within your comfort zone is mostly up to you. I studies and learnt it from proper professionals who were my mentors at different stages of personal and professional life. I got my third degree in Philosophy as anybody who thinks quietly or loudly is a philosopher in my opinion. The study of philosophy made me realize the fact “Grass in Not Green for Everyone”. So, all we need to do is to keep on moving with our own goals, and with our best pace.

To never lose motivation and optimism for the sake of some people or experiences. Who actually came in my way to teach something new and how to be a part of the bandwagon of obsessive cult of people who can bulldoze anyone for the sake of saving their jobs or to make points? I am a simple, normal and a sane person who loves to do what he is assigned to do, and then there is my comfort zone that is out of my job and daily chores. I am self-blogger and a love to read, write, watch movies and travel if get chance and fine time.

To never lose motivation and optimism for the sake of some people or experiences. Who actually came in my way to teach something new and how to be a part of the bandwagon of obsessive cult of people who can bulldoze anyone for the sake of saving their jobs or to make points? I am a simple, normal and a sane person who loves to do what he is assigned to do, and then there is my comfort zone that is out of my job and daily chores. I am self-blogger and a love to read, write, watch movies and travel if get chance and fine time.

British Colonial Rule Made Transgender a Subaltern Community in India

Transgender Rights Protests in India

The rule of law changed when the great Mughal Empire collapsed and the whole sub-continent was taken over by British authorities. The result was a disorientation and exploitation of so many classes of the society. The eunuchs did not enjoy the same positions as they had in the Mughal times. The colonial power had so much hatred against the transgender community as they introduced a separate act of law against these folks. It was called Criminal Tribal Act (CTC). It was necessary for all eunuchs to get a registration, and their movements were restricted and controlled. Some historians are of the opinion that colonial power was afraid of the valor and power that Transgender community had enjoyed in the earlier times, and they found it vulnerable to their own existence.

What was the Criminal Tribal Act, and how it affected the status of Transgender community?

       The Criminals' Tribal Act (CTC) was introduced to restrict the activities of the eunuchs in the society. It was pre-supposed that the transgender community was actively involved in kidnapping of kids, castration of male children for their own purposes of begging, and sodomy was an active state of their daily lives. The facts were quite different as they owned not just the royal pensions, places to live but agricultural lands to grow and earn. It was taken over by the British Empire.

       Under the act of CTC, men who were crossdressers and pretended to be like women were subject to legal punishment

“Under the CTC, wearing female clothing was a punishable offence for men. According to this law, “any eunuch ... who appears, dressed or ornamented like a woman, in a public street or place, or in any other place, with the intention of being seen from a public street or place, or who dances or plays music, or takes part in any public exhibition” could be sentenced to up to two years of imprisonment plus a fine. Moreover, the CTC criminalized “all persons of the male sex who admit themselves or on medical inspection clearly appear to be impotent”.

       The Colonial law rundown eunuchs to let go of their basic sources of generating income, and they were deprived of all public and civil rights. The Black Law didn’t favor anyone or anything but pushed the transgender community into deeper level of poverty and social isolation. The English people could only comprehend human beings having just two sexes, male or female. Even homosexuality was a punishable state as per British law and perception. The result was the separate living and the secret ways of earning like begging, theft or the prostitution. 

British Colonial Heads were Afraid of Power Enjoyed by Transgender Community

       Historians have reported that the British authorities desired to obliterate the Hijras as a clear and distinctive socio-cultural community, and having a separate gender identity. But the matter of fact was that they could not find success in their deliberate efforts, and the result was that many leaders had picked up the real psyche of the colonial power. They could not save the transgender community from desolation and deprivation but accepted them as a third gender in their circles. The colonial psyche prevails in India even nowadays, and many conservative leaders oppose the Hijra rights in India and even in Pakistan. The subaltern minds are still captivated by the new colonial power, and that is Hindu Extremist rule in India. The Hijras had no special or mentionable place in the Hindu Mythology. This is what Roy is her novel under discussion mourns of.

Theresa May – British Prime Minister Apologized about Colonial Black Laws

        Recently, we have heard and read British Prime Minister “Theresa May” taking a big setup to recognize and to put an apology in front of the former colonial states where the British ruled. She has admitted that British colonial rule had left many marks of marginalization and producing so many subaltern communities due to the black laws that were implemented in South East Asia, Middle Eastern and African countries under the British Empire. She has proved to be a civil enough to understand and speak about the strange and discrimination based laws like the CTC in Sub-continent.

        Well! Nothing can change the course of history but a recognition of a prime and measures to protect the world from further damages is a positive mindset. Not, it is time for the local rulers of India, to recognize that they could not follow suit the wrong legacy of the foreign powers that ruled over them, and keep such large number of Indian society out of bound for the sake of difference of languages, castes, faith, gender identities, and economic factors. The current Indian elections have not proved to be a sign of progress and change of subaltern mindset.

       As in the words of Arundhati Roy “Making another Hindu Colony is the aim of the ruling party and its alliances”. People like hers are ray of hope to continue to struggle for the rights of people like Anjum, Tilo, Sadam Hussain, Musa Yeswi, Revathy, Udaya aka Miss Jabeen, Msulims of India, People fo Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and many more like them. Otherwise, things seem to be moving towards the older concept renewed by BJPs past five year rule, and their agenda to make India “Pavittar”, by converting it into Hindu India. Rashtriya Savek Sangh’s Ideology (the ancestor and sister organization of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in India). 

Muslims have Become Marginalized and under Hindu Extremist BJP Party Rule

Muslims have never gained that real freedom in India that Congress, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru along with Muslim leaders of the same part claimed. The genocide, mass rape and kidnapping and stealing of assets of 1947 is part of documented history. The statement doesn’t end here as there was always a class difference while dealing with Muslims of higher ranks in India. The results of the subjugation is visible in Arundhithi Roy’s novel under discussion named “The Ministry of Utmost Happiness”. 

It is not a writing by a Muslim otherwise the fundamental Hindus must have labeled it as a biased opinion. She is Half Hind and half Syrian Christian, and she is depicting a clear picture of suburbs of red Fort and Jama Masjid of Dehli. It was an ancient walled city built be Mughal Emperor Shahjahan. So, the name is still chanting there as Shajahanabad and Roy has used it as the same.

 Here we meet Mulaqat Ali, his wife Saeeda begum, their transgender son Aftab/Anjum, the teacher, musician and the other characters. They are the predecessors of Mughal Royal family but they live a marginal life. They live in smelly, dirty and filthy old small alleys. They do not enjoy the luxuries of modern life and they are offered with little of what a capital of a multi-community country like India must have offered.

The recent CAB law by Modi government has proved that Hindus either want to do a complete genocide andethnic cleansing of Muslims or want to convert them into Hindus like Queen Isabelle and Emperor Ferdinand did in Muslim Spai (Andlusia). Whole India is on riots and even the positive minded Hindus and Sikhs have stood with Muslims, and the attacks of Jamia Delhi or Aligarh University are highly condemned by world community.  There is light and sound show on regular basis, and the state activities are performed in Red Fort as well but the surrounding area and people are marginalized, not by white colonial rulers as Gayatri Spivak keeps on pointing. But the colored ruling elites who either belong from the same city or at least from the same country.

Urdu – A Diminishing Language Only as it Represents Mughal and Muslim Presence in the Sub-Continent

Urdu is vulnerable to get diminished as people have stopped using it, considering it a language of Muslims of India. In Mughal era it was a public, educational and literary language of whole Sub-Continent that includes India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Now the language spoken by Anjum in the novel and the great heritage of Mir Taqi Mir, Mirza Ghalib and rest of Urdu poets will no longer be cherished by Indians, being a language of Muslims. Narrative of extremist Hindus whose representative is the present government in India. Roy has shown her own grief of the situation in her current novel.