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How I spent a National Holiday at home?

Blazing with high fever, sore throat and no capacity to breath had led me tormented and burned out the entire work weak. The idea of having a National Holiday in middle of the week gave me strength. When I decided to stay at home then the idea was to spend a day resting and refueling myself. What did I actually do?

So far, rested a lot, read few chapters of the book I am currently reading “A million thoughts”, watched few Youtube videos on Vegan recipes and when my focus from book drifted, had a long chat with our house maid on her worries about her kids education and enjoyed the real quiet outside. Its 2nd Oct, which is Late Mahatami Gandhi’s Birthday. Its his 150th birthday and hence an important day for policy makers and government. Its also my late grandfathers birthday and hence important for my family in a lot of ways.

But the normal public enjoys the stay at home mid week. All shops are closed and most offices are too hence what does it mean???? Less crowd on the roads. Awesome for me as I can then quietly sit in my room and enjoy the nothingness around me specially when I know that I only have today to heal myself.

While I was enjoying my day, I did want to splurge in some media activity. Decided to watch “Article 15”. Yeah I know, the right day to watch this movie. To tell you little about this new famous Bollywood movie- Its story of a new cop fighting the racial discrimination in a small town in India where 3 girls of lower background are brutally assaulted by town’s upper cast contractor and some corrupt cops. They say that this was a hypothetical scenario but oh so many times we hear incidents like these from all over the country.

Why the name Article 15?

The film deals with Article 15 of the Constitution of India, which prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. While not based on one specific event, the film is inspired by multiple true life events including 2014 Badaun gang rape allegations and 2016 Una flogging incident. – Description from Wikipedia

I am very very late at coming around to this movie particularly because I knew that its an intense topic and the way my life had been going these days, I didn’t really want to see something disturbing. But today was a perfect day to watch it. Its not only a brilliantly shot and produced movie with great cast, specially #ayushmannkhurrana but the thought, story and reality hidden beneath the story is what moves you. I am pretty sure that this is why people had strong emotions when they watched it two months ago is theaters. Its a feeling that someone did something they should have done.

Vande Mataram

For me the strong part was the music. There is a powerful poem, Vande Mataram written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1870 and was later sung by Rabindranath Tagore. It was an important piece of Indian Independence Movement. This song was also a prayer in schools when I was growing up. We sang this every day for 12 years in the morning prayers. So obviously I am nostalgic. I also belong to an Army background so it is still very common to hear brave stories of my late grandfather and his brother who were in Indian Army, the stories of partition , tragedies that unfolded after that and the things missing in new India. The point I am trying to make here is that my whole nervous systems gets active when I see something like this or hear Vande Mataram (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYmIFEJ5YJc ). Maybe, deep down we are all patriotic.

Some of my friends or relatives would cringe reading my thought on how most Indians are patriotic when there is discrimination still alive in the country , people spitting on roads and corruption which is causing the lower and middle class to suffer more than they can afford to. But I still believe that people are not bad rather they are deluded or busy finding their footings. I get it, its difficult to do something when every one of us is suffering.

A friend, Anastisia from Greece (https://www.facebook.com/AnastasiaSalichou ), who works passionately on human development and is a transformation coach once told me that she was surprised to see many Indian’s contacting her for help when people in the west always have this notion that India is calm and pristine society. Its true that Yoga comes from India , Ayurveda too and many sages who had wisdom way before any scientists had discovered things. But somewhere down the line, we lost it. There are many reasons I think are behind this this is for later blog. Today I am not able to find any decent Yoga School in Delhi which allows or advocates learning the Yoga rather than just practicing it? Why are the fees of many famous Yoga schools are so high that its seriously looks like marketed to foreigners. Its sad but still we do love our country and many many of us wants to make a change.

People are making a difference –

Like a friend of mine, Shilpi Siwach who is working with women with lesser means and producing sustainable fashion brand for the country #ruhaniiyat. She quit her job and gave employment to those who needed the most and is constantly producing sustainable products for the country and world. Follow -> (https://www.facebook.com/ruhaniiyat/ ), Pranav Rawat, a real mountaineer who is making India see the goodness of real fruits grown without chemicals but with love and passion. He is fighting a tough battle against the mindset of Indians who are looking at shiny objects and not paying any attention to the lack of nutrient value in the fruits. He is what we need today. Follow -> (https://www.facebook.com/pranav.rawat). Kush Sharma, who left his corporate career to start Rural Odyssey. Follow -> (https://www.facebook.com/RuralOdyssey/ ) and is passionately making people see the real India while simultaneously giving livelihood to local villagers. Or a recent encounter with Jyoti Kataria who is encouraging people to turn vegan and to not harm animals for the taste buds satisfaction. You can find her in metro with her posters. She is brave and really sincere in her approach. There are many others who are making a different when no one is watching like those who close the lights when they leave meeting rooms, don’t waste water when they are done washing their hands, talk politely and with equality with every person who interacts with them, who don’t intend to cheat the public with their new ventures, who are not littering the city and most of those who are being the best citizens and humans they can be in their own ways.

Its not easy to make a difference yet its easy

I have always been more drawn towards helping people but there are moments when I felt plagued with road blocks ahead. There have been times when I stumble out of my own initiatives because of some or other life’s stone peltings on me. I am still close to #Happy60ing (https://www.facebook.com/Happy60ing/ ) but there have been months that I could muster strength to forget my problems and give someone else a reason to smile. Its even silly to write this and I feel, what the hell? How can I ever be this selfish but when I look at my past few months of struggling with my health, my surroundings, life’s difficult games then I know that it was difficult. BUT, no matter what, till we are alive, we have to fight.

There have been things I have been meaning to do for so long for #happy60ing and for something else close to my heart but some or other fear stops me. I am sure there are things you want to do too but you are just not able to because lets face it, you are actually on the corporate hamster wheel and stuck in 14 hours of job each day, fighting a health battle, stuck in a bad relationship which is sucking all the energy you have, in midlife crisis which is now even common in 20s. But maybe if you do something, anything then there is a chance of inspiring someone around you that one eventually encourage a few more. You see? We all can do something , anything to improve the lives of everyone around us. We don’t have to do a Big Thing to make a difference. What do you say?

What next?

Is there anything you have been meaning to do lately? Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed as you feel that you are not enough? Then my friend let me tell you, you are enough. Share this with a friend who you know has great deal of potential but is plagued with fear. I am certainly thinking its time to let this body on road again. We will see when we encounter a problem..

What is that one thing you want to do? Or maybe you are already doing something then share with all of us here….