by "Didi, we came to work at 5:30 am this morning. The stars were still twinkling. We felt scared walking down the street. And we'll need to come even earlier tomorrow." Naively, I asked why. "Its the day after Diwali and there will be so much work. You know, my father doesn't sleep at all. He wakes up at 3 amtakes a bath does his puja and then sets out to work."
That's how my Diwali day began.with this conversation with my maid's daughter. Mother-daughter duo finished working, took their Diwali bakshish with folded hands and a smile and moved on to their next stop. A house in Chilla gaon. I didn't have the heart to ask when their Diwali would start. And deep in my heart, I knew it would be over even before it began.
In the evening we went down to burst crackers. My daughter was all excited. My husband lit the first one and then threw it on to the lawn. I cringed. I said don't throw it there. He asked why. Well, I mumbledbecause it's more difficult to clean. Then it was my daughter's turn. Beta, please throw the burnt crackers in this corner. She gave me a puzzled look. What's got into Ma? Why must she nag even on Diwali?
Well Beta, because if there's one thing that the Citizen Journalist show has taught me, it is to break on through to the other side.
Karan Thakur
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One weekend and a tale of two tragediesNow is the winter of our discontent - Richard III, William Shakespeare.
Newtown. New Delhi.
In the immediate aftermath of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook,
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Raped: Speak up and suffer!Yes, that is exactly what my country the so called largest democracy dishes out to its citizens. My friend who was horrifically raped and then pushed out of a
Chandrabhan Prasad
Why UP's forwards and backwards oppose the Quota Bill on promotionsTake a tour of the newspaper archives of the month of May every year and when it comes to National Capital Region (NCR) news, there is a clear pattern.
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What's with Indian men?A new show that hit TV screens this week asks the question, 'What's with Indian Women?'. But given the sheer volume of crimes against women in this country this
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Towards an active citizenryA person coming out of a crowd could become a whistleblower, standing against what are disabling forces to raise his/her voice, setting a hard-hitting example for many others to
