Friday, November 22, 2019
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
Women & the four pillars of Justice.
This blog post was published as a featured post on Women's Web. Featured Posts are a careful selection of highly relevant and interesting posts picked by editors @Women's Web .each day
The Times of India dated 7th of November, 2019 published a study " Litigants lose nearly 50,000 crore annually in India " .The report went on to say that all states & Union Territories s spend less than 1% of GDP on judiciary .Delhi is the only state which spends 1.9 % of GDP on judiciary. The average for India works out to 0.8% of GDP on judiciary. The score by the states on the four pillars of justice namely legal aid, judiciary, police & prison is equally pathetic.
The represenation of women in judiciary is slightly more than one fourth, at 26.5 % whereas in the police it is merely 7 % & for prisons, it is slightly better at 10 % .Because the number of women lawyers is less, the empanelment of women is even lesser. Only Tamil Nadu ,which had a good number of women in the judiciary & police, came out on top in diversity. Diversity helps the cause of justice.
The India Justice Report , 2019 says that vacancies in police, prison & judiciary is the main cause of delay in justice. And denial of justice over long periods leads to economic loss & may lead to social unrest & instability . Prisons are overcrowded except jails for women. Legal aid looks like a cruel joke as it is pegged at only 75 paise on a per capita basis every year.
Women are caregivers & caretakers .So its better to utilise them in areas such as prison reforms & even in police & the judiciary.Women are the sensitised lot & are more responsive than men in cases of rapes of women, children, etc.Even today , the POSCO act is rarely invoked to punish the accused in the cases of child rapes. This would change ,if women are in charge . So, the need of the times, is more women in the workforce. A beginning ,can be made by increasing the number of women in the lower strata of the police, prisons & the judiciary. Over time, these ladies from the lowest ranks can move to higher ranks in the respective fields . Since women are less in the work force , appointing them at the higher levels without relevant experience would seem unfair & may be unworkable.
The percentage of women in the workforce is less than 25 %.There are many reasons .One is patriarchy as women are supposed to manage home & hearth. Safety is another factor .And because, there are few women in work force , there is lot of gender disparity in wages, in both informal as also the formal workforce.
Hence ,more women need to be brought into the work force. And they need to do paid work not housework. This will increase India's GDP by 20 % as per one estimate .
In another study by two Harvard students, it was found ,that more women in workplace would lead to a rise of nearly 27 % in the GDP of India. There is lot of discrimination which happens during hiring ,over qualifications, experience, etc. So the need is to increase gender diversity, to get more women into doing paid work.
Unfortunately, in India, the women are leaving paid work & sitting at home taking care of family & housework. This ,in spite of higher GDP & higher employment .As women get better educated & get married into higher income families, they give up paid work because of socio cultural reasons. The Government wants women to take an increased role in the armed forces & yet ,there's lot of resistance. A silver lining has been the commissioning of flight commander S. Dhami as Flight Commander in the officer cadre .Lieutenant Commander Karabi Gogoi has been selected as the Assistant Naval Attache at Russia. She is a naval engineer & at present is posted at Karwar naval base, Karnataka.Lets trust, this the beginning ,of a long line of female officers in the Armed Forces.
Similarly, government should enforce that more women are at work in the police, prisons & the judiciary .Though private companies can do their bit in hiring more women , government can set the finest example, by making it easy, to hire women. Women in correctional services & law & order services would lead to better safety environment for all ,especially for women, children & the elderly. And hence ,better law & order promoting peace. As the number of women increase in the judiciary, the police & the prisons, legal aid will get utilised to help the underdogs . This will lead to amore equitable society. This will lead to stability, in which India can prosper faster, leading to better living conditions for all .
Since vacancies in judiciary are more at lower rungs,as high as 52 % in Mizoram it would suffice if women are employed on contactual terms initially .This would ease burden on the exchequer .Because shortly & surely, women would set up such a high bar that there they would earn their place/ s in the aforesaid services .And the number of judges at subordinate courts need to rise too .In India, there is one judge for 50,000 people. This needs to improve. So more judges are needed at subordinate courts .And the courts need to work in shifts ,as there are lakhs of cases pending in courts .This shift working will help clear the backlog of pending cases. This will help in employing more women as well.
.Just like in the local self governments, there is reservations for women , even at lower rungs in judiciary, police & prisons, 50 percent or more jobs can be reserved for women .This is allowed by Indian constitution under Fundamental Rights.Article 15 ( 3 ) of the Constitution allows reservation in favour of women.Moreover, India is a signatory to the Convention for Elimination of Dicrimination Against Women . India has also signed the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights .
The women need to have a bachelor's degree in law .With this basic degree , they can dispense justice at lower rungs with some basic training thrown in. A similar plan can be drawn up to employ more women in the police & prison services. The best among the women so employed, must be given chances to rise up in the services. Soon, there will be more & more women breaking the glass ceilings. Obviously, the percentage rise in India's GDP will the cream on the cake !
And as more women participate in the labour market by doing paid work, gender parity in wages will become better & better. And gender equality will lead to better family life, less stress, better health & a society that has does not judge on masculanity.In short, better living conditions for all !
The Times of India dated 7th of November, 2019 published a study " Litigants lose nearly 50,000 crore annually in India " .The report went on to say that all states & Union Territories s spend less than 1% of GDP on judiciary .Delhi is the only state which spends 1.9 % of GDP on judiciary. The average for India works out to 0.8% of GDP on judiciary. The score by the states on the four pillars of justice namely legal aid, judiciary, police & prison is equally pathetic.
The represenation of women in judiciary is slightly more than one fourth, at 26.5 % whereas in the police it is merely 7 % & for prisons, it is slightly better at 10 % .Because the number of women lawyers is less, the empanelment of women is even lesser. Only Tamil Nadu ,which had a good number of women in the judiciary & police, came out on top in diversity. Diversity helps the cause of justice.
The India Justice Report , 2019 says that vacancies in police, prison & judiciary is the main cause of delay in justice. And denial of justice over long periods leads to economic loss & may lead to social unrest & instability . Prisons are overcrowded except jails for women. Legal aid looks like a cruel joke as it is pegged at only 75 paise on a per capita basis every year.
Women are caregivers & caretakers .So its better to utilise them in areas such as prison reforms & even in police & the judiciary.Women are the sensitised lot & are more responsive than men in cases of rapes of women, children, etc.Even today , the POSCO act is rarely invoked to punish the accused in the cases of child rapes. This would change ,if women are in charge . So, the need of the times, is more women in the workforce. A beginning ,can be made by increasing the number of women in the lower strata of the police, prisons & the judiciary. Over time, these ladies from the lowest ranks can move to higher ranks in the respective fields . Since women are less in the work force , appointing them at the higher levels without relevant experience would seem unfair & may be unworkable.
The percentage of women in the workforce is less than 25 %.There are many reasons .One is patriarchy as women are supposed to manage home & hearth. Safety is another factor .And because, there are few women in work force , there is lot of gender disparity in wages, in both informal as also the formal workforce.
Hence ,more women need to be brought into the work force. And they need to do paid work not housework. This will increase India's GDP by 20 % as per one estimate .
In another study by two Harvard students, it was found ,that more women in workplace would lead to a rise of nearly 27 % in the GDP of India. There is lot of discrimination which happens during hiring ,over qualifications, experience, etc. So the need is to increase gender diversity, to get more women into doing paid work.
Unfortunately, in India, the women are leaving paid work & sitting at home taking care of family & housework. This ,in spite of higher GDP & higher employment .As women get better educated & get married into higher income families, they give up paid work because of socio cultural reasons. The Government wants women to take an increased role in the armed forces & yet ,there's lot of resistance. A silver lining has been the commissioning of flight commander S. Dhami as Flight Commander in the officer cadre .Lieutenant Commander Karabi Gogoi has been selected as the Assistant Naval Attache at Russia. She is a naval engineer & at present is posted at Karwar naval base, Karnataka.Lets trust, this the beginning ,of a long line of female officers in the Armed Forces.
Similarly, government should enforce that more women are at work in the police, prisons & the judiciary .Though private companies can do their bit in hiring more women , government can set the finest example, by making it easy, to hire women. Women in correctional services & law & order services would lead to better safety environment for all ,especially for women, children & the elderly. And hence ,better law & order promoting peace. As the number of women increase in the judiciary, the police & the prisons, legal aid will get utilised to help the underdogs . This will lead to amore equitable society. This will lead to stability, in which India can prosper faster, leading to better living conditions for all .
Since vacancies in judiciary are more at lower rungs,as high as 52 % in Mizoram it would suffice if women are employed on contactual terms initially .This would ease burden on the exchequer .Because shortly & surely, women would set up such a high bar that there they would earn their place/ s in the aforesaid services .And the number of judges at subordinate courts need to rise too .In India, there is one judge for 50,000 people. This needs to improve. So more judges are needed at subordinate courts .And the courts need to work in shifts ,as there are lakhs of cases pending in courts .This shift working will help clear the backlog of pending cases. This will help in employing more women as well.
.Just like in the local self governments, there is reservations for women , even at lower rungs in judiciary, police & prisons, 50 percent or more jobs can be reserved for women .This is allowed by Indian constitution under Fundamental Rights.Article 15 ( 3 ) of the Constitution allows reservation in favour of women.Moreover, India is a signatory to the Convention for Elimination of Dicrimination Against Women . India has also signed the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights .
The women need to have a bachelor's degree in law .With this basic degree , they can dispense justice at lower rungs with some basic training thrown in. A similar plan can be drawn up to employ more women in the police & prison services. The best among the women so employed, must be given chances to rise up in the services. Soon, there will be more & more women breaking the glass ceilings. Obviously, the percentage rise in India's GDP will the cream on the cake !
And as more women participate in the labour market by doing paid work, gender parity in wages will become better & better. And gender equality will lead to better family life, less stress, better health & a society that has does not judge on masculanity.In short, better living conditions for all !
Sunday, September 29, 2019
Friday, September 27, 2019
Book Review : The Magician .
Sonia Rao's debut book makes a splash with its cover ,which is sepia coloured ! A woman holding an ornate cage & looking at it intently as if trying to declare, that she can do as she wishes .She means to say ,perhaps ,that she writes her own destiny ! Empowering !
This story is about three friends .They are in different stages of their life. There is Sasha who is an ace fashion designer, Shantha who is a famous Tarrot card reader on love & Nilima who is a professional working woman.They all have a complicated relationship with love.Sasha feels that she is being betrayed . Shantha feels that she has never get what she wants . Nilima has love in her embrace.
And yet, as the story progresses, everything changes. Is Sasha able to keep up her professional commitments amidst her personal life being torn apart ? What about Shantha ? Does she meet anybody who loves her passionately ? Or is she going to lose ? Nilima 's life goes downhill & how ! Will the three of them find happiness or will it remain elusive ? The story moves on with twists & turns.
One of the characters is fond of masala chai. And the author describes masala chai in such a manner that, I felt the aroma of masala chai wafting across the room ! And the author talks about tribal arts & revival of the traditional arts & crafts. This is needed, as many arts & crafts are being lost because they are no longer able to generate any income for the craftspeople.Sonia Rao has served traditional crafts & arts by making some of them a part of the story. This will create awareness .
Needless to add, looking forward to book two of this trilogy weaved by Sonia Rao !
THE MAGICIAN
(The Tarot Trilogy Book 1)
by
Sonia Rao
(The Tarot Trilogy Book 1)
by
Sonia Rao
Blurb
Fashion designer Sasha Kapoor always felt she'd missed out on love as she had an arranged marriage. And when her husband turns up at their 15th-anniversary party with a strange woman, she knows that her marriage is dying. With constant surprises and disasters to contend with, will Sasha ever get a chance at true love?
Shantha is much sought after for her tarot card readings on love, but can’t seem to help her own love life with a string of broken relationships behind her. Now, sparks are flying between her and a sexy bartender but will this relationship fizzle out too?
Young professionals Nilima and her husband are so besotted with each other, they give the word ‘soulmate’ a complex. Theirs is a match made in heaven…till tragedy strikes.
The Magician is a heart-warming story of these three dynamic women as they discover the meaning of true love through loss and longing.
Who is a Magician? If it is a Tarot Card, then it the Major Arcana card in the deck and symbolizes life-changing issues.
But if it is a person, then it is Sasha, the main protagonist of my novel, The Magician. In this urban, contemporary romance, fashion designer Sasha, who caught within a loveless marriage, now seeks true love. It is also Shantha and Nilima who face their own challenges in love and try to rise above them.
It is also every woman. This is because, as Shantha says to Sasha in the book, “Imagination is your strength. You have the power to visualize and then manifest what you want. You are the Magician.” Each one of us is The Magician because we hold within ourselves the power to create the life of our dreams.
But how did this cover happen? There is a lovely story behind it. While researching the many tarot decks online, I saw this card on the Attic Shoppe website and I knew at once that this was my “Sasha.”
Go back and have a look at the cover again. Doesn’t it just grip you too? Part practical, part whimsical, part traditional, part digital, this card, like the book, is a labour of love.
The designer, Bethalynne Bajema, created this card for her Black Ibis Tarot card deck. The love she put in is very evident in the vibe one gets from it. Every time I see it, I am inspired to bring a touch of magic to the everyday routines of mundane life.
Carrying on the serendipity, Bethalynne immediately and graciously agreed to my request to make this card my book cover. Such generosity is hard to come by and I believe it is the Universe’s way of saying “you’re right on track.”
(Bethalynne can be contacted here: Instagram)
Shantha is much sought after for her tarot card readings on love, but can’t seem to help her own love life with a string of broken relationships behind her. Now, sparks are flying between her and a sexy bartender but will this relationship fizzle out too?
Young professionals Nilima and her husband are so besotted with each other, they give the word ‘soulmate’ a complex. Theirs is a match made in heaven…till tragedy strikes.
The Magician is a heart-warming story of these three dynamic women as they discover the meaning of true love through loss and longing.
Thoughts from the Author, Sonia Rao
But if it is a person, then it is Sasha, the main protagonist of my novel, The Magician. In this urban, contemporary romance, fashion designer Sasha, who caught within a loveless marriage, now seeks true love. It is also Shantha and Nilima who face their own challenges in love and try to rise above them.
It is also every woman. This is because, as Shantha says to Sasha in the book, “Imagination is your strength. You have the power to visualize and then manifest what you want. You are the Magician.” Each one of us is The Magician because we hold within ourselves the power to create the life of our dreams.
But how did this cover happen? There is a lovely story behind it. While researching the many tarot decks online, I saw this card on the Attic Shoppe website and I knew at once that this was my “Sasha.”
Go back and have a look at the cover again. Doesn’t it just grip you too? Part practical, part whimsical, part traditional, part digital, this card, like the book, is a labour of love.
The designer, Bethalynne Bajema, created this card for her Black Ibis Tarot card deck. The love she put in is very evident in the vibe one gets from it. Every time I see it, I am inspired to bring a touch of magic to the everyday routines of mundane life.
Carrying on the serendipity, Bethalynne immediately and graciously agreed to my request to make this card my book cover. Such generosity is hard to come by and I believe it is the Universe’s way of saying “you’re right on track.”
(Bethalynne can be contacted here: Instagram)
Read an excerpt
Grab your copy @
Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
About the author
This Tour is Hosted by
Grab your copy @
Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
About the author
"Sonia Rao is a writer, editor, and award-winning blogger. Her fiction has appeared in many prestigious anthologies such as Voices Old & New and Jest Like That (edited by renowned editor-writer Shinie Anthony).
As NaNoWriMo’s Municipal Liaison for all-India and founder of the Wrimo India group on Facebook, Sonia has motivated thousands of people in India to write a novel every November since 2011. She has also curated and edited the first Wrimo India Anthology, Vengeance—A Sting In Every Tale.
Sonia likes to believe she is ‘high-minded’ but strangely, her fave hobby is thinking up torture devices for those autorickshawallahs who consider the roads to be their personal spittoon. Who knew?"
As NaNoWriMo’s Municipal Liaison for all-India and founder of the Wrimo India group on Facebook, Sonia has motivated thousands of people in India to write a novel every November since 2011. She has also curated and edited the first Wrimo India Anthology, Vengeance—A Sting In Every Tale.
Sonia likes to believe she is ‘high-minded’ but strangely, her fave hobby is thinking up torture devices for those autorickshawallahs who consider the roads to be their personal spittoon. Who knew?"
This Tour is Hosted by
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Spotlight : The Magician
THE MAGICIAN
(The Tarot Trilogy Book 1)
by
Sonia Rao
(The Tarot Trilogy Book 1)
by
Sonia Rao
Blurb
Fashion designer Sasha Kapoor always felt she'd missed out on love as she had an arranged marriage. And when her husband turns up at their 15th-anniversary party with a strange woman, she knows that her marriage is dying. With constant surprises and disasters to contend with, will Sasha ever get a chance at true love?
Shantha is much sought after for her tarot card readings on love, but can’t seem to help her own love life with a string of broken relationships behind her. Now, sparks are flying between her and a sexy bartender but will this relationship fizzle out too?
Young professionals Nilima and her husband are so besotted with each other, they give the word ‘soulmate’ a complex. Theirs is a match made in heaven…till tragedy strikes.
The Magician is a heart-warming story of these three dynamic women as they discover the meaning of true love through loss and longing.
Who is a Magician? If it is a Tarot Card, then it the Major Arcana card in the deck and symbolizes life-changing issues.
But if it is a person, then it is Sasha, the main protagonist of my novel, The Magician. In this urban, contemporary romance, fashion designer Sasha, who caught within a loveless marriage, now seeks true love. It is also Shantha and Nilima who face their own challenges in love and try to rise above them.
It is also every woman. This is because, as Shantha says to Sasha in the book, “Imagination is your strength. You have the power to visualize and then manifest what you want. You are the Magician.” Each one of us is The Magician because we hold within ourselves the power to create the life of our dreams.
But how did this cover happen? There is a lovely story behind it. While researching the many tarot decks online, I saw this card on the Attic Shoppe website and I knew at once that this was my “Sasha.”
Go back and have a look at the cover again. Doesn’t it just grip you too? Part practical, part whimsical, part traditional, part digital, this card, like the book, is a labour of love.
The designer, Bethalynne Bajema, created this card for her Black Ibis Tarot card deck. The love she put in is very evident in the vibe one gets from it. Every time I see it, I am inspired to bring a touch of magic to the everyday routines of mundane life.
Carrying on the serendipity, Bethalynne immediately and graciously agreed to my request to make this card my book cover. Such generosity is hard to come by and I believe it is the Universe’s way of saying “you’re right on track.”
(Bethalynne can be contacted here: Instagram)
Shantha is much sought after for her tarot card readings on love, but can’t seem to help her own love life with a string of broken relationships behind her. Now, sparks are flying between her and a sexy bartender but will this relationship fizzle out too?
Young professionals Nilima and her husband are so besotted with each other, they give the word ‘soulmate’ a complex. Theirs is a match made in heaven…till tragedy strikes.
The Magician is a heart-warming story of these three dynamic women as they discover the meaning of true love through loss and longing.
Thoughts from the Author, Sonia Rao
But if it is a person, then it is Sasha, the main protagonist of my novel, The Magician. In this urban, contemporary romance, fashion designer Sasha, who caught within a loveless marriage, now seeks true love. It is also Shantha and Nilima who face their own challenges in love and try to rise above them.
It is also every woman. This is because, as Shantha says to Sasha in the book, “Imagination is your strength. You have the power to visualize and then manifest what you want. You are the Magician.” Each one of us is The Magician because we hold within ourselves the power to create the life of our dreams.
But how did this cover happen? There is a lovely story behind it. While researching the many tarot decks online, I saw this card on the Attic Shoppe website and I knew at once that this was my “Sasha.”
Go back and have a look at the cover again. Doesn’t it just grip you too? Part practical, part whimsical, part traditional, part digital, this card, like the book, is a labour of love.
The designer, Bethalynne Bajema, created this card for her Black Ibis Tarot card deck. The love she put in is very evident in the vibe one gets from it. Every time I see it, I am inspired to bring a touch of magic to the everyday routines of mundane life.
Carrying on the serendipity, Bethalynne immediately and graciously agreed to my request to make this card my book cover. Such generosity is hard to come by and I believe it is the Universe’s way of saying “you’re right on track.”
(Bethalynne can be contacted here: Instagram)
Read an excerpt
Grab your copy @
Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
About the author
This Tour is Hosted by
Grab your copy @
Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
About the author
"Sonia Rao is a writer, editor, and award-winning blogger. Her fiction has appeared in many prestigious anthologies such as Voices Old & New and Jest Like That (edited by renowned editor-writer Shinie Anthony).
As NaNoWriMo’s Municipal Liaison for all-India and founder of the Wrimo India group on Facebook, Sonia has motivated thousands of people in India to write a novel every November since 2011. She has also curated and edited the first Wrimo India Anthology, Vengeance—A Sting In Every Tale.
Sonia likes to believe she is ‘high-minded’ but strangely, her fave hobby is thinking up torture devices for those autorickshawallahs who consider the roads to be their personal spittoon. Who knew?"
As NaNoWriMo’s Municipal Liaison for all-India and founder of the Wrimo India group on Facebook, Sonia has motivated thousands of people in India to write a novel every November since 2011. She has also curated and edited the first Wrimo India Anthology, Vengeance—A Sting In Every Tale.
Sonia likes to believe she is ‘high-minded’ but strangely, her fave hobby is thinking up torture devices for those autorickshawallahs who consider the roads to be their personal spittoon. Who knew?"
This Tour is Hosted by
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Monday, September 16, 2019
Spotlight : More Unfairy Tales
MORE UNFAIRY TALES
(Carthick's Unfairy Tales Book 2)
(Carthick's Unfairy Tales Book 2)
by
T.F. Carthick
Blurb
A knight rescues a damsel in distress. They marry, the whole kingdom rejoices, and everyone lives happily ever after. The end.
Or at least that's what Official sources say. But what tales do insiders tell? What secrets lie buried deep inside Davey Jones' Locker?
What, dear reader, about The Unfairy tales?
The stories the Knight-in-Shining-Armour and the Damsel-in-Distress have never wanted you to know. Tales which Fairyland had kept locked up in secret and thrown away the key. Until our rogue bard went back in time and ferreted out skeletons hidden within secret cupboards of desolate mansions.
Our fearless crusader of truth and justice brings to you the second volume of revelations from fairyland.
You will find five more unfairy tales hidden within the pages of this tiny tome, the sequel to Carthick's Unfairy Tales. Stories of elves out to decipher the ways of men and dwarves seeking to reclaim their own histories. Of spurned witches and lost wolves. These stories are going to change everything you have ever believed about fairyland and give you a peek underneath the gossamer threads of glamour and magic peddled by the Fae.
Or at least that's what Official sources say. But what tales do insiders tell? What secrets lie buried deep inside Davey Jones' Locker?
What, dear reader, about The Unfairy tales?
The stories the Knight-in-Shining-Armour and the Damsel-in-Distress have never wanted you to know. Tales which Fairyland had kept locked up in secret and thrown away the key. Until our rogue bard went back in time and ferreted out skeletons hidden within secret cupboards of desolate mansions.
Our fearless crusader of truth and justice brings to you the second volume of revelations from fairyland.
You will find five more unfairy tales hidden within the pages of this tiny tome, the sequel to Carthick's Unfairy Tales. Stories of elves out to decipher the ways of men and dwarves seeking to reclaim their own histories. Of spurned witches and lost wolves. These stories are going to change everything you have ever believed about fairyland and give you a peek underneath the gossamer threads of glamour and magic peddled by the Fae.
Read an excerpt
Grab your copy @
Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
About the author
He is an Engineer and MBA from India’s premier institutes IIT, Madras and IIM, Ahmedabad and currently works as an Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Consultant at one of the world’s leading Consulting Firms.
This Tour is Hosted by
Grab your copy @
Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
About the author
T F Carthick is a Bangalore-based writer and blogger who has been blogging since 2008. He is an avid reader of Children’s Fiction, Science-fiction and Fantasy. Enid Blyton, J K Rowling, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Neil Gaiman and Douglas Adams are some of his favorite authors. His paranormal thriller ‘Bellary’ was one of the three stories in the book Sirens Spell Danger, published in 2013. Six of his stories have featured in multi-author anthologies and literary magazines. He has written over 50 short stories, many of which can be read for free on www.karthikl.com.
He is an Engineer and MBA from India’s premier institutes IIT, Madras and IIM, Ahmedabad and currently works as an Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Consultant at one of the world’s leading Consulting Firms.
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Saturday, September 14, 2019
Spotlight : The Runaway Bridegroom
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Westland Boks
Publication Date: August 31, 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
Available across all bookstores in India
Genre: Romance
Eight-year-old Chanda Maheshwari and thirteen-year-old Veerendra Singh Choudhry are married as per custom. But when the bridegroom runs away immediately after the wedding, the Maheshwari family’s world comes crashing down. They move to Jaipur to begin a new life in the city.
Fourteen years later, as a management student in Delhi, Chanda takes up a temporary job at RS Software Pvt. Ltd and finds herself falling head-over-heels for her boss, Ranveer Singh. But, for all her feelings, Chanda is still a married woman. Meanwhile, Ranveer’s secretary, Shikha, is determined to win him for herself. Even though his second-in-command, Abhimanyu, keeps getting in the way, she keeps a steady eye on the main prize. So when Ranveer starts to show an interest in Chanda, Shikha is furious. Back in Jaipur, an astrologer predicts that Chanda’s errant husband will soon make an appearance.
A secret childhood marriage, a vindictive secretary and unwelcome cosmic predictions—how much can Chanda deal with? And does anyone care about what she wants? Torn between the man she loves and the claim a missing husband still has on her, will Chanda ever find happiness?
Available across all bookstores in India
It would be great if you can add this book to your TBR
Sundari Venkatraman is an indie author with forty-plus titles to her credit, which have sold more than 1.5 lakh copies around the world. Her books consistently feature in the Top 100 Bestseller Lists on Amazon in both Romance and Asian Drama categories. Her latest romance novels have all been on the #1 Bestseller slot in Amazon India for over a month.
As a child, Sundari loved to read books with ‘lived happily ever after’ endings. They were all about good triumphing over evil. As a teenager, her favourite books were romance novels from Mills & Boon. She was fascinated by them, so much so that she began to visualise the stories set in India.
Sundari was forty when she began her writing journey, completing the first draft of her first novel in thirty-five days. She has not looked back since.
You can stalk her @
Grab Your Copy From
Monday, August 26, 2019
Friday, July 5, 2019
Movie Review : Article 15
"We became Harijan ( Mahatma Gandhi used to address dalits as people of God , Harijan ) or bahujan ( many people ) but we never became the people, "says the activist. And so the dalits remain marginalized in our Bharat & never mainstream.
The film Article 15 by director Anubhav Sinha is overflowing with such innumerable dialogues which are right on spot .And there are many scenes, which are symbolic of what is happening in our nation .Article 15 is a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution. It prohibits discrimination & allows for reservations for upliftment of the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, women & children.
This film is said to be inspired by the hanging of two girls in north India. A young IPS ( Indian Police Service ) appointee, Ayaan ( Ayushmann Khurana ) is posted to a small town in north India. On the first day of his posting , he is prevented from meeting a group of dalits as his juniors tell him that these people are forever complaining about sons & daughters who go missing & then return later. .He meets his team & the contractor who is in charge of setting the toilet in the police chowki . The contractor says that a new commode will be put as the old one has become useless ...symbolic of swachh Bharat. Can a toilet signify cleanliness & that too, in every aspect ?
And the toilet muck keeps dirtying the police chowki throughout the film symbolising the quicksand of dirt & muck surrounding the nation's police force. The political parties have used the police forces to fulfill their agendas thereby politicizing the police & ruining the reputation of the police. So much so, that the protectors have turned perpetrators .
The two missing girls are found hanging the next day ,early morning before Sunrise .The bodies are sent for post mortem .The lady doctor who is doing the post mortem is under tremendous pressure for obvious reasons. The police force personnel are non chalant about the death of the girls & keep informing their boss, the young IPS that whatever we may do for them, it hardly matters. A furious Ayaan demands to know , "Who are they ? "It is as if even mentioning the names of the marginalized would pollute them.
Ayaan talks to his writer activist wife about the case & she is all ears. The wife is his voice of conscience & he promises that he will do his best .Ayaan is trying to understand why even half a century after we gained independence, casteism continues to ruin the nation.
Were the girls raped ? Can the higher castes rape girls from lower castes even as the higher ups declare that its a sacrilege to drink or eat anything touched by the untouchables ? Crimes are always between unequals....the powerful perpetrator/ s & the hapless victim/ s. And a female & that too dalit, means doubly helpless .And a male & from upper social echelon means doubly dangerous .... even fatal.
There are parallel tracks of a dalit neta who is a rebel & his love interest. There is another track about an upper caste leader teaming up with the disadvantaged taking undue advantage of the coalition. The coalition wins & yet, can it remain viable, when casteism is lurking beneath the surface ? Ayaan also meets his college friend who works for the government for another department. He goes missing & his phone is off as well. Ayaan asks his team to find his missing friend. Where is he & what has become of him ? What happens to the young fire brand leader who has gone underground ? Does he get his due ?
Amidst all this, the IPS officer is subject to an enquiry as he asked about the caste of his police team members.He is alleged to be partisan .He is suspended.Will he continue with his investigation ? And where will it lead to ? Will the dead girls get justice ?
All the actors have acted well. Even the tiny role essayed by Isha Talwar as the IPS officer's wife is portrayed well. The director Anubhav Sinha deserves kudos for highlighting the problem of caste politics & hopefully, the country should start talking about how we can all resolve casteism.
And as the young neta says, "More people die in gutters than at the borders...." The film depicts that we all have conspired to remain silent even as we see the marginalised being pushed down deeper . We want the disadvantaged to remain stuck in the muck , so that the most unwanted work like manual scavenging, deskinning dead animals & the like is done by them.
And unless, the marginalized are brought into the maintsream vide upliftment through reservations , & other means , there cannot be Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.
The film Article 15 by director Anubhav Sinha is overflowing with such innumerable dialogues which are right on spot .And there are many scenes, which are symbolic of what is happening in our nation .Article 15 is a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution. It prohibits discrimination & allows for reservations for upliftment of the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, women & children.
This film is said to be inspired by the hanging of two girls in north India. A young IPS ( Indian Police Service ) appointee, Ayaan ( Ayushmann Khurana ) is posted to a small town in north India. On the first day of his posting , he is prevented from meeting a group of dalits as his juniors tell him that these people are forever complaining about sons & daughters who go missing & then return later. .He meets his team & the contractor who is in charge of setting the toilet in the police chowki . The contractor says that a new commode will be put as the old one has become useless ...symbolic of swachh Bharat. Can a toilet signify cleanliness & that too, in every aspect ?
And the toilet muck keeps dirtying the police chowki throughout the film symbolising the quicksand of dirt & muck surrounding the nation's police force. The political parties have used the police forces to fulfill their agendas thereby politicizing the police & ruining the reputation of the police. So much so, that the protectors have turned perpetrators .
The two missing girls are found hanging the next day ,early morning before Sunrise .The bodies are sent for post mortem .The lady doctor who is doing the post mortem is under tremendous pressure for obvious reasons. The police force personnel are non chalant about the death of the girls & keep informing their boss, the young IPS that whatever we may do for them, it hardly matters. A furious Ayaan demands to know , "Who are they ? "It is as if even mentioning the names of the marginalized would pollute them.
Ayaan talks to his writer activist wife about the case & she is all ears. The wife is his voice of conscience & he promises that he will do his best .Ayaan is trying to understand why even half a century after we gained independence, casteism continues to ruin the nation.
Were the girls raped ? Can the higher castes rape girls from lower castes even as the higher ups declare that its a sacrilege to drink or eat anything touched by the untouchables ? Crimes are always between unequals....the powerful perpetrator/ s & the hapless victim/ s. And a female & that too dalit, means doubly helpless .And a male & from upper social echelon means doubly dangerous .... even fatal.
There are parallel tracks of a dalit neta who is a rebel & his love interest. There is another track about an upper caste leader teaming up with the disadvantaged taking undue advantage of the coalition. The coalition wins & yet, can it remain viable, when casteism is lurking beneath the surface ? Ayaan also meets his college friend who works for the government for another department. He goes missing & his phone is off as well. Ayaan asks his team to find his missing friend. Where is he & what has become of him ? What happens to the young fire brand leader who has gone underground ? Does he get his due ?
Amidst all this, the IPS officer is subject to an enquiry as he asked about the caste of his police team members.He is alleged to be partisan .He is suspended.Will he continue with his investigation ? And where will it lead to ? Will the dead girls get justice ?
All the actors have acted well. Even the tiny role essayed by Isha Talwar as the IPS officer's wife is portrayed well. The director Anubhav Sinha deserves kudos for highlighting the problem of caste politics & hopefully, the country should start talking about how we can all resolve casteism.
And as the young neta says, "More people die in gutters than at the borders...." The film depicts that we all have conspired to remain silent even as we see the marginalised being pushed down deeper . We want the disadvantaged to remain stuck in the muck , so that the most unwanted work like manual scavenging, deskinning dead animals & the like is done by them.
And unless, the marginalized are brought into the maintsream vide upliftment through reservations , & other means , there cannot be Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Spotlight : The Clockmaker
BLURB
Can you change destiny? What if you can?
Ashish, a passionate clockmaker is frustrated with his life - financial insecurity, his ongoing nightmares and his family, wife Lata and son Vicky, are driving him crazy.
Lata is having a tough time in life with her arch-rival, Rashmi. Vicky wants to be a biker than rather join the family legacy of the clockmaker. He also has a crush on Kavya who is more interested in supporting her family than romancing around.
Lately, Ashish starts hallucinating things. The black hooded man, who traumatizes him in the nightmares, warns him of dire consequences if he doesn’t return the timepiece that was given to Ashish by his father at his deathbed. Burdened with despair, Ashish wishes he could change his destiny and end all his miseries. By sheer chance, he discovers the power of the timepiece. Ashish was still figuring out what to do with it when an incident shatters his life completely. Without second thoughts he uses the power of the timepiece to change his destiny. But, can he really change it?
Amid the chaos of the busy by-lanes of the East Delhi unfolds a paranormal, supernatural, Indian drama that will leave you thrilled.
The Jungle Series – Get ready to be assaulted!
Grab your copy @
About the author
Paromita Goswami is a writer and storyteller by passion and a rebel by choice. She says the world is full of stories and as a writer, she loves to pen them down. Her work is not genre specific. From literary fiction to children book to paranormal thriller and women fiction, Paromita Goswami‘s books offer a variety of life to her readers. Besides writing, she is also the founder of a reading club that enhances book reading habit in children. She lives in central India with her family.
You can stalk her @
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