Mes Pensées (My Thoughts) :)
A few of my thoughts on a plethora of subjects
Death leaves heartache difficult to heal, love leaves sweet memories no one can steal.
When I think about him and through the wonderful things people have been sharing during this past month, the thoughts that come to my mind about him are: caring, jolly, helpful, respectful, storyteller, hard working, always spreading smiles, family-man…. but it is truly impossible to summarise in words with justice, the great man he was in life.
I hope someday I become half the person he was, for he set the bar high. Truly people like Avô are one in a million.
He lived a life that was full of dignity, joy & happiness. He was always there to encourage us, right from the time we learnt to walk; taking immense pride in all of our achievements, no matter how trivial they seemed to us. He was always there to support and cheer us on. He always showed us how important it was to be honest and hardworking. He emphasized the value of family and was a perfect role-model of how a husband, father, grandfather & friend. It’s these little vitures of him that we now value most.
What brings solace to us at this time is that he may be gone, but his legacy and spirit still lives on. We can’t foresee the trials and adversities that will test us along the way. What we can do is live our lives as best we can with purpose, thoughtfulness, & conviction that he is looking down upon us & guiding us in our strife to do our best. And at times when we do make him proud, I know he will be smiling, telling everyone up there, ‘सब लोग ताली बजाओ’!Rest In Peace Avô, we love you & miss you!
Time to get back
I have been a little busy,
Or maybe just plain ol’ lazy.
I have haven’t been active on WordPress for nearly 2 years,
But now it’s time that my blog reappears.
For your blessings and wishes for the same do I pray,
I hope to do justice to each passing day.
Be the change that you wish to see
“In a free society, government reflects the soul of its people. If people want change at the top, they will have to live in different ways. Our major social problems are not the cause of our decadence. They are a reflection of it,” Cal Thomas
A social issue is one that affects a large proportion of the population of a country. Often, it is a result of factors extending beyond an individual’s control and local geographical environment and thus requires conscious combined effort in order to be resolved.
India is no stranger to social issues, and has been battling with several of them, since time immemorial. The most infamous among these being the practices of social stratification through the caste system, Sati which refers to self-immolation by a widow on her husband’s funeral pyre, child marriage where marriages were often fixed while the children were still infants, debt bondage and the purdah system of female seclusion which required females to over their bodies so as to cover their skin and conceal their form.
However, even today, India continues to grapple with numerous social evils ranging right from overpopulation and related issues such as poverty, unemployment, malnutrition, lack of access to health and sanitation facilities, illiteracy and corruption; to violence and related issues such as terrorism, riots and religious/caste-based violence, naxalism; to social issues such as gender discrimination including dowry, rape, domestic violence, honour killing, female foeticide, etc.; and even environmental problems such as pollution and scarcity of resources.
Efforts by the government, international agencies like the U.N., World Bank, W.H.O., etc. and even individual citizens have provided some respite. However, the path to the desired goal is long and treacherous.
As Indians, we all look forward to a day, when we have together with the concerned authorities rid our glorious nation of all these various social evils that plague her. Until then, let us all put our best foot forward, as we make efforts to contribute, even in a miniscule way, towards this change we envision and say, “Ham honge kaamyaab ek din!”
Focus on Food Safety to remain Healthy
“WHO will dedicate its 2015 World Health Day to food safety to catalyse collective Government and public action to put measures in place that will improve safety of food from farms, factories, street vendors and kitchens. Also in 2015, WHO will, for the first time, publish estimates of the global burden of food-borne disease, finally showing the scale of the problem,” Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General
7th April marks the founding of the World Health Organization (WHO); and since 1950, this day has been celebrated annually as World Health Day. It serves as a wonderful opportunity to draw global attention a major public health issue.
When we eat, do we wonder how a particular item has landed on our plate? or how many parasites, chemicals, contaminates, additives and adulterants have we ingested along with our food which can seriously mess up our immune system? The answer to these questions is usually negative. Thus the theme aptly chosen for this year is Food Safety, as it is one that concerns each one of us, though we do not often dwell in great depth on it.
With the world shrinking and globalization spreading its wings, the growing consumer demand for a wider variety of foods has resulted in an increasingly complex and longer global food chain. In a race to feed the world and producing additional food to satisfy the growing population, the quality of food is slowly degenerating. This is definitely not a good sign. Unsafe food starts a vicious cycle of diseases threatening the nutritional status of the poor and underprivileged. With the supply of food items becoming scarce, the poor section of society is often compelled to switch to unhealthy diets which pose many health risks. Not only the poor, but the rich man’s plate too is not free from such hazards because of the expanding use of additives, preservatives and antibiotics in crops. The rising number of deaths caused by food-borne diseases is a testament to this.
Each individual should thus make it their prime responsibility to follow the universal ‘five keys’ to food safety:
- Maintain cleanliness
- Separate raw and cooked food
- Cook thoroughly
- Keep food at correct temperature
- Use safe water and raw materials
Apart from this, we need to be conscious consumers by being informed and making efforts to know about the food we eat – reading the labels when buying and preparing food, familiarizing ourselves with the dangerous microbiological and chemical agents in our region, taking care when preparing specific foods which can be dangerous if not handled properly and learning about the foods of cultures we are not familiar with. We also need to handle and store food safely, making wise choices relating to what we choose to eat and drink.
Lastly, we need to teach others and spread the message in our communities so as to ensure that slowly but surely, everyone has an access to #SafeFood.
10 Things to do in Goa – A Goan Perspective
1. Excite your taste buds with the local cuisine – Cafreal, xacuti, vindalo, ros, udthamethi, ambot-tik, seafood, serradura, bebinca, dodol, doce, fenny ….. the list just goes on, and you won’t be able to get enough.
2. Get an adrenaline rush by indulging in some water sports – Goa has a variety of water sports to cater to everyone’s varied adventurous nature. Right from a banana boat or Jet Ski ride to parasailing, wind surfing, kayaking … Goa has it all!
3. Explore Goa through a Heritage Trail – the marvellous Churches, Temples, forts and houses will give you a glimpse about Goa’s varied yet valuable history and heritage.
4. Take a leisure drive through a serene quaint village either by your chosen mode of transport. It’s guaranteed to leave you feeling calmer and happier.
5. Visit the Saturday Night or Ajuna Flea markets during season time – you will be spoilt for choice and your wallet will definitely be lighter than when you entered.
6. Dance, kroak or drink the night away at the numerous discos, pubs and shacks – truly one of the best ways to unwind.
7. Laze on the beaches, soaking up some surf, sun and sand while watching the world go by.
8. Connect with nature by going crocodile or dolphin watching, visiting the Dudhsagar waterfalls, visiting the wildlife sanctuaries, taking a trip to a spice farm or taking a ferry ride
9. Do not miss the festive celebrations, be it Carnival, Shigmo, Ganesh Chaturti, Christmas, Diwali, New Year or Holi – the celebrations in Goa will truly leave you spellbound.
10. Catch one of the most awaited Sunburn or Supersonic music festivals and get your dose of music and entertainment – compliant with international standards.
Towards New Horizons – Union Budget (India) 2015 – 16
The Union Budget 2015 – 16 has on the whole managed to garner favourable reactions across several fronts, despite initial negative reactions from the markets due to the lack of “Big Bang” measures owing to a mind-set cultivated through the years that India’s Union Budget was a roadmap drawn up by the Government to lead the country towards the path growth while bearing in mind the prevalent populist schemes and had to specifically spell out a list of measures that would be sacrosanctily followed for the coming financial year. This however, would often lead to disappointment from different sectors as both these had divergent end goals and it was indeed quite a task for the government to balance on this fine line without tipping the balance either way.
In his first full-fledged Budget however, Mr. Arun Jaitley’s (and the government’s) vision for an equitable growth of India is clearly visible. The focus on comprehensive development is evident from the decisions to grant the states greater autonomy pertaining to their growth through higher financial allotments; the Make in India campaign which is set to boost manufacturing in the country tremendously and transform India into a global manufacturing hub and provide employment opportunities; and measures taken to curb black money in the form of several Bills entailing stringent norms and punishments for offenders. The proposed reduction in corporate tax by 5% over the next 4 years too is a step in the right direction towards creating a conducive business environment in India as is the Goods and Services Tax which will definitely improve India’s rank on the basis of ease of doing business, which is currently poor. The deferment of the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) and the waiver of the Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) have been widely appreciated by foreign investors. Significant emphasis on growth through infrastructure and investment creation as well as social welfare through a social security system that ensures accident/health/life insurance and pensions for all are apparent in the budget with proposed schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and the Atal Pension Yojana. The Clean India Movement with special focus on the Swachh Bharat Mission seems to be the right step towards achieving these goals.
Although there have been no changes in the tax slabs, there are certainly options for taxpayers to save more through the increase in the medical health insurance limit under Section 80D and the abolishment of the Wealth Tax. The personal saving several schemes outlined in the budget certainly aim at benefitting taxpayers. Another scheme that is noteworthy is the Gold Monetisation Scheme which will allow the depositors of gold to earn interest in their metal accounts and the jewellers to obtain loans in their metal account and enable the country to take advantage of its existing stock of over 20,000 tonnes of gold.
In short, the Union Budget 2015 – 16 has been aptly created bearing in mind that it is indeed “time to take off” for India Inc., towards new horizons!
Mes Pensées (My Thoughts) :) 