Over thinking Hurts

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Overthinking Hurts
By Nazema Parray
While going through my robotic routine my mind usually remain occupied with some things that are unimportant. The things that drains my mental health and makes me prisoner of my own unending thoughts.These endless thoughts that comes out of nowhere drags me to unknown places that seems horrible.

As a human we have become habitual of accepting commands and always thrive to finish them on time as if our minds are replaced with machines. Then comes the process of thinking that we  have kept on the loop in our mind. These thoughts and this phase of thinking is called Overthinking. Correct me if I am wrong if I would say this phase a Satanic phase because in this process we are at our lowest vis s vis our emann become weak.It is a process when our desires lead us to astray.
In this overthinking phase we want to understand the things according to our understanding.We want certain events to happen according to our wishes that has already happened or about to happen in future time. We don’t want to consider about the others way of thinking and their mental capabilities. We confuse our mind in tiresome issues that has taught us lessons and has made us better and stronger in present. We need to end this cycle by accepting the fact that past has gone future holds bundle of surprises and we need to concentrate on present moment.
Overthinking leads one to self doubts .If We really want to do something just act.  We as a Muslim should surrender ourselves and our future to Almighty as He Is The best planner in whole universe. We should break this satanic cycle by keeps our mind busy in zikr of Allah. Most of over thinkers are physically doing their work but they are mentally exhausting thier mind with the things that are not in our control.
Overthinking will lead you to nowhere.We cannot change others but yes we can change ourselves.Be The Change and stop overthinking about past and future.we should focus on what we have in plate at present and we should know the art of enjoying this platter as Everyone is not as fortunate as you .Be thankful Be Mindful Trust His Plans and Surrender Yourself To Him.

Pinky’s Childhood!

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PINKY’S CHILDHOOD!
( An Autobiographical story of eminent Odhisa writer Monalisa Parida to be taught in Nepal schools for Grade 7 Students)
      Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Pinky who lived in a small village, Chhoti. She was a lively child whose passion was playing, studying, writing poems, short stories. She was a bright student of Ramachandi Sikshya Niketan, Chhoti who loved learning new things and was always curious about the world around her. As she grew older, she realised the importance of education. Her parents were farmers who worked hard to feed their family. Despite their hardships, her parents valued education and always encouraged her to study.
       One day her father got some work in Cuttack, Odisha. Pinky convenienced her father to accompany him on the trip. It was a matter of  three days. So her father agreed. She packed her luggage and very excited to go there, where she could start her new professional life. When pinky reached at Cuttack, she saw the buildings, shopping Mahals, pakka roads etc. There were full of crowed where one couldn’t breathe fresh air. She felt suffocated. So, Pinky returned her own village where she could breathe clean air and played with her best friend Niki to whom she loved more than her life. Though Pinky was a bright student in her school but her family members especially her grandmother opposed her not to go to school whom Pinky loved more than her mother. But her family members allowed her cousin brother to study hard and supported him to reach his destination. When she saw the opposition of her family members, she was weird. And thought “Why is she not going to school?” But her father supported her to go to school where she can built her future.
    Pinky was inspired by her father’s word and decided to pursue her education further. Through her journey, Pinky realised that education was not just about getting a good job or earning money. It is about gaining knowledge, developing critical thinking skills and using that knowledge to make a difference in the world. She understood the value of education and how it could empower individuals and communities.
    By the blessings of Maa Ramachandi, support of her parents, relatives and friends now Pinky became an Assistant Professor of English at Bhubaneswar College of Engineering, Khordha, Odisha who is also an international recognised poetess of Odisha.
     The moral of the story is that education gives us identity and helps us to make the right decisions.

From Ancestral tradition to Uncertain Future: The Plight of Kashmiri Paper Mache

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From Ancestral Tradition to Uncertain Future:
The Plight of Kashmiri Paper Mache

A photo story by Farhan Sayeed Masoodi

The art of paper Mache has a long and rich history in Kashmir, dating back to the 14th century when it was first introduced by Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, a Daee who came to Kashmir from Hamdan in modern day Iran along with his followers, many of whom were craftsmen.
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Maqbool Jaan showcasing his products in his showroom which he has setup in his house.
The art of Paper Mache involves using of paper pulp to make decorative items, these items once moulded into shape are painted with vibrant colours and intricate floral designs. This art quickly gained popularity in the region and became an integral part of Kashmiri culture and at the same time, it became a source of skill work for Kashmiris and some, an ancestral profession. Gowhara (sister in law of Maqbool jaan) painting a paper mache flower vase.

(In Progress Paper Mache of Maqbool Jan in his in-house workshop)

 

Maqbool Jaan, a 58-year-old Paper Mache artist from the Lal Bazar area of Srinagar, has been practising this traditional craft since the tender age of 3 years after his father died and he had to learn this craft for it to become his source of livelihood and earning. Despite never having gone to school, Maqbool Jaan says that he not only learned the art of paper mache but also received moral education at the workplace of artisans, which he considers to be his school. He is deeply passionate about his craft and believes that it has the potential to provide livelihoods to many in the region.

Maqbool jaan giving final touches to a painting made for an costumer on order.

However, artisans like Maqbool Jaan face significant challenges in today’s world. Mentioning his experience, Maqbool says that he once visited the Craft Development Institute (CDI) to discuss increase in wages, he says that at CDI he was mistreated by the authorities and even abused by one of the higher officials, who said to him that “we should keep the artisans under our feet.” This lack of support from government officials has contributed to the decline in the number of artisans practising paper mache, bringing their numbers to a few hundred.
Maqbool Jaan fears that the younger generation would not be interested in continuing the tradition due to lack of opportunities and financial instability and that the art of paper mache is at risk of dying out. He believes that the government should do more to promote traditional crafts like paper mache and encourage younger generations to take up the art form. In particular, he suggests organizing workshops in schools and colleges to attract the younger generation towards the craft.

Maqbool Jan sitting among his finished Paper Mache showpiece works.

Despite these challenges, Maqbool Jaan remains dedicated to his craft. Working alongside his wife, brother, and sister-in-law, he creates intricate and beautiful paper mache items in his home. One room is dedicated as the workplace and one as a showroom. The products are sold both locally and internationally, providing a source of income for Maqbool Jaan and his family.

Family of Maqbool jaan working in a room which they have dedicated as a workshop.

  1. Maqbool Jaan’s story is a reminder of the importance of preserving traditional crafts and supporting the artisans who practice them. The decline of paper mache artisans in the region is indicative of a larger trend towards the extinction of traditional crafts. Therefore, the government must take steps to promote and preserve these crafts, ensuring that they continue to thrive for future generations.

Elections are soul of Democracy, opinion 4 March, 2024 issue by Syed Irfan Hashmi

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Elections are soul of Democracy
By Syed Irfan Hashmi
Elections are soul of democracy. The upcoming elections in UT J&K an opportunity for the people of J&K to change the fate towards betterment.
The upcoming elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) indeed present an opportunity for the residents to have a say in shaping the region’s future. Elections are a fundamental aspect of democratic governance, providing citizens with the chance to choose their representatives and express their views on the issues that matter to them.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir, Pandurang Pole has said that preparations were underway in full swing for the elections to the five parliamentary seats in UT of  J&K. Preliminary reports indicate that there could be around 8.7 million electors eligible to vote for the five Lok Sabha seats from J&K.
The parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in April-May.
Bharat as a vibrant democracy and J&K as integral part of Bharat. Every voter has responsibility to cast their votes for development, security, Peace and prosperity . This is the opportunity for 8.7 million people of J&K to change the fate. Everyone should Caste their votes for their potential candidates, through their votes, the people can express their aspirations for peace, prosperity, and inclusive development, as well as for the resolution of longstanding issues that affect their daily lives.
The complex history and unique circumstances of Jammu and Kashmir, the elections hold particular significance. They offer the potential for the selection of leaders who can address the region’s challenges, promote development, and work towards reconciliation and stability.
It’s important that the elections are conducted in a fair, transparent, and peaceful manner, allowing all eligible individuals to participate freely. Additionally, it’s crucial for the elected representatives to prioritize the welfare of the people, fostering inclusive governance and economic progress.
The elections in Jammu and Kashmir are an opportunity for the residents to contribute to the shaping of their own destiny, and it’s essential that the process is carried out with the utmost integrity and consideration for the diverse needs of the population. Upcoming elections are going to be proud event for democratic India.
The upcoming elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir represent an important opportunity for the people of the region to influence and potentially change the trajectory of their future. By participating in the electoral process, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir have the chance to elect leaders who they believe will best represent their interests and work towards addressing the unique challenges facing the region.
The upcoming elections in Jammu and Kashmir offer the people an opportunity to shape their own destiny and play a crucial role in determining the future direction of the UT J&K.
Article written by Freelancer Journalist / Socio Political Activist SYED IRFAN HASHMI.

The NEP’s vision is to make India competitive in the field of Strategic education

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The NEP’s vision is to make India competitive in the field of Strategic education
Vijay GarG
NEP is fostering inclusivity and merit-based research to address security challenges and encouraging multidisciplinary practices
Nelson Mandela once commented, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” Over the past few years, there has been a notable shift in the landscape of education, emphasizing its pivotal role in shaping individuals physically, intellectually, and morally. Education is seen as a liberating force, breaking the chains of darkness and bigotry. Recently, there has been a concerted effort to integrate real-life experiments of democracy, environmental awareness, globalization, and governance into the framework of the new education system.
The intellectual establishment plays a crucial role in providing theoretical rationale and strategies for educational advancements. It is imperative to explore how innovations in higher education can drive positive changes, instil confidence among the masses, and disseminate the latest global research and developments in education. This discourse aims to delve into the multifaceted aspects of the evolving higher education system, emphasizing the need for inclusivity and growth.
The strength of any higher education system lies in creating internal dynamism to ensure inclusive growth. Even a well-designed system is influenced by the individuals who make a difference. Human and financial relations are intricate matters that require constant monitoring by competent authorities. In India, universities are encouraged to improve their performance by transitioning towards a more merit-based, peer-reviewed research approach, aligning with the goal of establishing a highly efficient and inclusive educational apparatus.
The New Education Policy (NEP) has provided a framework to analyze and address multidimensional issues in the education sector, offering opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds. These guidelines aim to meet the key demands of higher education while maintaining a synergy between various stakeholders. The constant monitoring of the education sector by authorities is crucial for growth, especially in changing circumstances.
Acknowledging the gravity of challenges faced by higher education, it is essential to address concerns related to competition, comparison, and personal greed, which may lead to manipulation and shortcuts. The right to freedom of expression in democratic societies has been debated extensively, and recent developments in the academic world present new challenges and competition.
The efforts by the University Grants Commission (UGC) have introduced fair practices and policies consistent with present circumstances. Reforms in the examination system are aimed at ensuring that only talent prevails, fostering an environment that supports academic excellence.
The NEP’s emphasis on exploring domestic underpinnings, gender sensitization, and addressing the concerns of marginalized communities through Special Education Zones is commendable. Provisions such as Multidisciplinary Education and Research Universities (MERUs), the National Research Foundation, the National Educational Technology Forum, and the Indian Institutes of Translation and Interpretation create an environment for students to excel globally. These initiatives also highlight the importance of social responsibility.
The NEP encourages a new approach that provides a clear path for students interested in Security Studies, offering opportunities to learn new techniques. The provisions under NEP ensure the collaborative creation of ideas, providing insights into even the most complex issues.
At various educational levels, the NEP’s approach involves mentors fully engaging in new techniques and developing challenging strategies to meet the needs of all students. To enhance students’ standards, there is an imperative need for self-academic orientation and excellence, fostering problem-solving and inquiry-based learning activities. Introducing a new syllabus can provide a deeper insight into strategic and security-related affairs, offering a roadmap for foolproof encountering strategies. This approach addresses issues such as the rise of terrorism, its causes, and the funding nexus between organised crime and terrorism.
The NEP’s vision is to make India competitive in the field of Strategic education, attracting aspiring academicians and students. By providing multidisciplinary fervour, students will have wider exposure and opportunities for comparative studies, enriching analytical and theoretical rationale for crisis management in India.
As India faces myriad security challenges, there is an urgent need to address these issues on the international stage. The NEP’s input will undoubtedly make each discipline richer in content and varied in ideas, providing a holistic educational experience. Even science students will be exposed to the nuances of international, national, socio-political, and economic issues through multidisciplinary practices. The ingenious display of this government’s approach demonstrates a pure genius that promises to reshape the educational landscape.
Vijay GarG Retired Principal Educational columnist malout
2)” Face Examinations Without Fear”
Vijay GarG
If you are a student and are restless and nervous about the Board examinations, you are probably overcome with anxiety and fear. You find it almost impossible to concentrate, worrying that you might forget whatever you have studied so far. In a booklet titled Letter to a Student, Swami Purushottamananda discusses the crucial problem of examination fear.
He says fear of exams is the biggest enemy of students. Under its stress, some even fall physically ill. The word ”examination fever” has been coined in this context. Even students who have put in long hours of study become nervous at the time of exams. So, the Swami says, don”t lose heart, you can definitely gain control of the situation. To get out of the fear psychosis, Swami Purushottamananda requests students to ask themselves what they would gain by feeling afraid. For, fear brings sickness. But by being bold and brave, even an average student can do reasonably well in exams. But if a student shelters fear, it will deprive his mind and body of strength. “The only results can be this: You will ”forget” all that you have studied while writing the exam. It is this fear that makes you write confused answers”. He says, “Root out the fear complex lurking in your mind by combining self-confidence with disciplined study; have faith in your own strength and faith in your studies… The strong conviction that you would write the exams well, with a calm mind, is self-confidence. If you can develop this, fear vanishes and enthusiasm springs up in its place”.
Students can draw inspiration from the encouraging words of Swami Vivekananda, who had great faith in the power of faith. He exhorted the youth to first have faith in themselves. He said: “The history of the world is the history of a few men who had faith in themselves. That faith calls out the divinity within. You can do anything. You fail only when you do not strive sufficiently to manifest infinite power”. On different occasions Swamiji emphasised that “whatever you think, that you will be. If you think yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves strong, strong you will be”. He would say: “Never say, ”I cannot”, for you are infinite. Even time and space are as nothing compared with your nature. You can do anything and everything, you are Almighty”.
Vivekananda”s prescription for success is: “To succeed, you must have tremendous perseverance, tremendous will. ”I will drink the ocean”, says the persevering soul, ”at my will, mountains will crumble up”. Have that sort of energy, that sort of will; work hard, and you will reach the goal…”. He further said: “If there is one word that you find from the Upa-nishads, bursting like a bomb-shell upon masses of ignorance, it is the word fearlessness…. Strength is life; weakness is death. Strength is felicity, life eternal, immortal; weakness is cons-tant strain and misery…”.
For students who cultivate fearlessness, and who face the exams boldly, success is waiting round the corner. True, sometimes, unfortunately, even the most hardworking and dedicated of students find that the results are not good. However, even in the worst-case scenario of failure you should not think that it is the end of the world. Swami Vivekananda has taught that there is success and failure in every work. In fact, failures make us even wiser. Constant practice makes one perfect, so no one should lose heart in the process of trying.
For “tomorrow is another day” with fresh hopes and opportunities, and you should look forward to taking up new challenges and responsibilities.
Vijay GarG is  Retired Principal Educational columnist.

Rest in Heavens Mohammad Amin Wani

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Rest in Heavens Mohammad Amin Wani
By Rameez Makhdoomi
A pious soul, helping hand for all and a heart that had hate for none Mohammad Amin Wani Resident of Naidyar Naidbooni,  Rainawari passed away  at Tata  Hospital Mumbai  on 14 January 2024.
On 15 January 2024, he was laid to rest at ancestral graveyard at Malkah  near Zaroo Gun Factory amid sea of people.
He was son of well respected and noble personality late Ghulam Hassan Wani.
Throughout his life ,he dedicated his life towards lending a helping hand to all.  He was also dedicated and honest during his service career in Power Development Department ( PDD), known  as an hard working  official and worked untiringly.
He had great love and dedications towards teachings of Islam,  and often visited with full respect the Sufi shrines of Kashmir.
After retirement,  he set a shop selling daily commodities of use. The shop was center of attraction for the locality, discussing their issues and exchanging greetings. With locals getting benefited from Shop in diverse ways.
Mohammad Amin Wani offered smiling face to all and jealousy, hate, indifference were non-existent in his nature. He followed kindness and soft hearted approach.
He followed the path of following every  relationships very wholeheartedly and respected every relationship.
He has special love for kids and they used to throng his shop.
Mohammad Amin Wani funeral was attended by huge number of people from surrounding, distant  areas and all were full of praise for his versatile, kind and dynamic personality.
His colleagues who had got opportunity to work with him during his service tenure were all of praise for Mohammad Amin Wani defining him a generous and magnificent personality.
His local friends defined him as a loving and caring personality.
The lovely sense of humor of Mohammad Amin Wani was liked by one and all. It had the power to light up any tough situation.
He had often and regular habit of inquiring the well being of one and all . Attending five time prayers at local Mosque was another of his strong traits. The children used to address him lovingly as Amin Uncle.
May God bless the departed soul with heavenly abode .
( The writer is son in law of Late Mohammad Amin Wani).

Examination season has come, opinion 22 January,2024 issue

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Examination Season has come
Vijay GarG
It is often seen that when the exams are about to start, students face a lot of problems in preparing the syllabus completely. This problem comes especially to those children who do not study anything throughout the year. Then they search the internet for answers to questions like how to prepare for papers in one or months. There are many children who start studying when they feel that there is no other option but to study. This is completely wrong because so much It cannot be completed in a few days due to the large syllabus. Therefore, one should keep preparing for whatever is conducted in the class throughout the year so that there is no trouble in the papers. Never assume that you will read near the papers. Well new year acts as an alarm for students to wake up kids, now your exams are near. Let’s know about the ways, by which you can study more in less time. Make a schedule and read.
The most important thing to keep in mind The only thing that happens is the schedule. Time table is the easy way. which helps you to use the time to study properly. Here it is important that every student should make his own personal schedule. If possible, it should be pasted on the wall in your room. The schedule should be such that your personal responsibilities can also be accommodated and you don’t have any problem in working accordingly. Whatever you do in your daily life. Prepare the schedule keeping that in mind. It is morning time appropriate All the materials you have available related to different subjects, keep them together in one place. After this you have to choose a time when you can concentrate only on studies. By the way, the morning time is the most suitable for reading because at that time what is read is remembered quickly, but whatever time you think is right and appropriate, give it priority.
Distance from social
There are some students who are not interested in studies at all. In today’s time, this The reason can be social websites, watching videos on mobile, online games etc. Therefore, it is important to create a conducive environment for learning. In such a situation, it is necessary to stay away from these social sites for some time and read in a peaceful environment. Family members should also not visit the child’s room frequently if he is studying. Relax for a few minutes while reading Breaks in between reading time are also important because you are not a robot who can read for hours without rest. According to experts, 45 minutes from reading a 10- 15 minute break is necessary afterwards.
If you do not understand some things even after repeated reading, then you can take the help of your teacher or classmate. While studying, don’t think that this subject is very difficult, I won’t be able to read t, so leave it, but study with our heart to get good narks. Ask yourself the question instead of memorizing any lesson, try to understand it, so that it does not leave your mind. Never read while. Lying down because that way you will read less and sleep. Repeat instead of ending new in the last days Pay attention to the e. f any important information is found, write n your copy and underline t. Solve various model test papers. Ask yourself how hard you are working onwards the goal you want to Achieve it down for not, why so?
Take care of health Also take special care of your health during the papers. Stay away from any kind of stress. 7-8 hours of sleep is very important because with a tired body he mind is not interested in studying. Do not waste time on difficult questions in the exam. Which questions you well as hey come, do them first. Mentally prepare yourself what if something comes out of the syllabus in the paper, if you don’t remember what you have read then. Low to solve it instead of Janicking. Give more time o difficult subjects In school, you get equal time or every subject, whether out find it easy or difficult, But at home you can give more time to that subject, in which you think that you leed more effort in it. Sometimes it is seen that many children eat and drink when the exams are approaching. They also leave They should not do this at all as doing so can harm our health. If you fall ill when you will not be able to prepare well for the exams. Do not be afraid of exams. We should always understand he objective of the exam. Don’t be afraid of exams. If you study carefully when you can never fail and have good syllabus in less time. You can pass with good narks by preparing. Always remember one thing that the harder the struggle, the more glorious will be his victory.
Vijay GarG is Eetired Principal Educational columnist malout Punjab

Significant climate milestones of 2023

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Significant climate milestones of 2023

Vijay GarG

Vijay GarG Retired Principal Educational columnist malout Punjab
From registering the hottest summer on record to some significant steps at the yearly United Nations climate summit, 2023 was a year of extremes. Here are some climate-related milestones from this time.
Hottest year: The year is all but set to be declared the hottest in history. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), 2023 was 0.1°C warmer than the 10-month average for 2016, currently the warmest calendar year on record, and 1.43°C warmer than the pre-industrial reference period from January to October.
Highest sea surface temperature ever: Marine heat waves – periods when ocean temperatures are warmer than 90% of prior observations for a given time of year were widespread in 2023. According to the U.S. National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 48% of global oceans experienced them in August 2023. Global sea surface temperatures (SST) are usually highest in March. But per C3S data, global average SSTs remained at record highs throughout April, May, June, and July 2023.
Lowest Antarctic sea ice extent: Sea-ice extent is the area of ice covering the Antarctic Ocean at a given time. In 2023, Antarctic sea ice had record low ice growth from April. According to NOAA, sea ice in the Antarctic reached an annual maximum extent of 16.96 million sq. km on September 10, 2023, the lowest since 1979. This year’s maximum was 1.03 million sq. km, below the previous record low set in 1986.
Record carbon dioxide levels: Global carbon dioxide emissions are expected to have hit a new high in 2023, up 1.1% from 2022. The Global Carbon Budget Report, published in December 2023, said overall CO2 emissions, which climbed to a record last year, had plateaued in 2023 due to a slight drop in deforestation.
Loss and damage fund: The world’s first loss and damage fund for the impacts of climate change was created in 2023, at the start of the COP28 climate talks in the U.A.E. in early December. The fund will be based at the World Bank but managed by an independent secretariat. According to a senior U.N. official, it has received pledges of $792 million from governments, which is a lot but still well short of the billions required to fulfil its purpose.
Impact of food systems: For the first time in the history of climate summits, 134 countries at COP28 pledged to tackle the climate impact of the food industry. These countries represent over 5.7 billion people, 70% of the food we eat, nearly 500 million farmers, and 76% of total emissions from the global food system. But observers noted the declaration doesn’t include quantitative targets.
Vijay GarG Retired Principal Educational columnist malout  from my iPhone

Mind Management and artificial intelligence

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MIND MANAGEMENT AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
By
Vijay GarG
(Human mind is superior to any computer and artificial intelligence)
The human mind travels faster than any other object; the wise bard once proclaimed, “Mind is a part and parcel of human body, but while body resides here, where the mind resides, it is unknown”, it flees at a faster speed more than the thundering light, therefore controlling of human mind is most important exercise that the human being must adhere to manage it, who cherish success and happiest moment in their lives. To understand better the functions of various organs of the human body, human anatomy is there to be studied, but the practice of controlling the human mind is the most important lesson that every conscious and enlightened human must learn in time before it is too late. Mind controlling or management is a rigorous practice that can be achieved by various methods like spiritual healing process yoga practice, singing of glory of God, or various forms of physical exercises.
The entire creature and most importantly the human being when they are born are innocent, unenlightened, illiterate, or untrained, without an iota of knowledge of living. Gradually and slowly, they gain knowledge following their parents or society. They need, therefore, the training, and practice to learn the art of living and become good social beings in times. Domesticated animals are tamed and used for various purposes. Likewise, the human body, the various organs, and the mind must be dexterously trained and skillful to survive in life.
     The human mind is very sensitive and is attracted by the multifarious activities around the environment they live. Numerous pleasant and unpleasant, negative and positive incidents take place in day-to-day life. The human mind is moreover, attracted by negativism easily because it is easy to follow, but learning the traits of living needs hard endeavor, dedication, perseverance, and positive action. The human mind gathers information from the physical world and stores it just like the data memory in computers. As the programming and application data of the computers run, so the human mind functions, but the human mind is superior to any computer and artificial intelligence (AI), rather they are made by the human mind and out of discovery.
     There are three levels of the human mind which are categorized as sub-conscious, conscious, and super-conscious mind. The various data, statistics, and information are stored in the subconscious mind. All kinds of prejudice, physical information, etc. are directly related to the subconscious mind. The collected data and information received by the sub-conscious mind need to be filtered, modified, and edited before they are taken or used, so there is a need of conscious mind that must be enlightened enough to distinguish rights and wrongs, therefore; the conscious mind has the quality of storing and developing the useful, positive and motivating ideas and energy, the habit, behavior, etiquette, discipline and initiative are made and motivated by conscious mind in right direction, while the action taken out of subconscious mind in ignorance that leads the human often towards dark side of life.
     The developed and enlightened mind is conscious enough which is capable to accept the proactive, energizing, inspirational, and optimistic elements of the collected data and ignore or dump the negative objects like disposing of garbage.The human mind and intellectual self are, therefore, superior to any supercomputers or IA, because a developed human mind can think, edit, review, exam, monitor, make programming, etc. and AI and computers are also made out of the human brain and mind. Artificial Intelligence is therefore not an alien object, but the outcome of an enlightened human mind and intellect; it is for the use of assistance and facilities for human development.
    The conscious and enlightened mind therefore needs the proper use of physical materials like AI, computers, mobile phones, drones, or various scientific innovations and discoveries. A conscious human being is therefore conscious enough to strike the balance and utilities of various scientific tools, gadgets or AI. Human beings must not be slaves of such tools and machines, but they must be controlled by a conscious mind.
The entire world is full of miseries, suffering, agonies, natural calamities, sadness, and various odds in life. There are pains, deceits, misunderstandings, misconceptions, strides, tug of war, and wrestling in life, therefore, it is said that the physical world is an ocean of tragedy and misery; one must leave one day from this physical world. To undergo utter desperation, acute depression after loss, or over-optimism or pessimism is not the proper way of living. Weeping long for the loss or any kind of suffering till the last drop of tears is also not the solution to being safe from misery, it needs courage, the vibration of a positive mind, activities of positive thoughts, and positive action.
     Understanding the truth that life is full of sufferings and struggles, a conscious and enlightened mind is fully committed to be happy and act positively directed and inspired by wisdom and bliss. Napoleon Hill of the world best seller book, Growing Rich rightly depicted that a human being is a master and captain of his soul. The human mind is activated, vibrates, and includes fast due to various factors in which well-balanced physical marital relationships, music, singing and dancing, and various practices or poses of physical exercises are important in human life. Further, the auto-suggestion of positive thought processes as a daily practice in the morning and evening prayers are important spiritual practice as the author Norman Vincent Peale suggests. It is just like cleansing dirty particles from the cloth by watering and washing rigorously, As much as the dirty and worse behavior in the subconscious mind so the much the practice of healing by autosuggestion is needed. Auto-suggestion is taking out the garbage, the bad behavior, practice stored in their mind and replacing them with positive thoughts and inspirational events, and words so that people can change their unwanted behavior with positive thoughts, belief system, outlooks in life.
Shrimat Bhagawat Geeta, one of the best-sacred book of the world suggest;“safeguard one’s mind and soul from evil and never underestimate self or surrender before the evil, the mind, soul, and thought process itself is the friend or enemy of a human being. . Mind management therefore requires a lot of spiritual practices, devotions, and yoga practices followed by a lot of positive thoughts to combat the increasing number of vices and evils of this physical world. Only then, the world becomes paradise on earth. Every individual prospers and move forward if first and foremost they go through the well-defined and broad-based practice of mind management abstaining from the slavery of modern technology like mobile phone, AI, etc., and practice the art of living by genuine teachers The world is full of happiness and paradise to those who know the truth of natural process like birth and death, youthfulness and old age and control the mind safeguarding the evil aggression like jealousy, blasphemy, discrimination, bias consideration, prejudice, and unhealthy competition and race for earning money, glory and accumulating wealth and power
Vijay GarG is Retired Principal Educational columnist Malout Punjab

Call Me by My Name

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Call Me by My Name
How the lack of sex education in India is impacting society
By Ankita Anand
Trigger warning: Rape, assault
In an Indian mini-series called Who’s Your Gynac, the doctor exhorts her patients to chuck euphemisms and say vagina and penis when referring to those body parts. A Hindi film, Oh My God 2, shows a father taking on the education system, the judiciary and the society at large for shying away from sex education. These examples, though, still remain the exception when it comes to accepting sex education as essential. While the conservative/religious views remain that marriage and reproduction are sacrosanct, even married couples face a lot of issues because they received zero, little or the wrong information about sex while growing up. Over ten such people in their thirties that Unbias the News spoke to confirmed that sex ed in their schools was absent or nervously glossed over.
“You probably already know from movies”
Reet Sharma* is a marketing consultant for American Fortune 500 companies and a mother of two. She recalled: “I distinctly remember my ninth-grade teacher [in India] skipping the human reproduction part of the book saying ‘no giggling and you probably already know from movies’. I did not know from movies.” Anya Vishwas*, an equity, diversity and inclusion manager in the UK with two kids, said: “I didn’t understand orgasms . . . And it did affect my sex life, of course.” Urmi Srinivasan*, a Bangalore based digital marketing strategist, turned to porn in her teenage to inform herself. Yet, she added,
“I did not know how condoms help prevent pregnancy until I was, say, 18. I don’t remember having such talks with anyone in the family who could help me learn about these things.”
But teachers who understand the importance of sex education also exist. Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) based Kati Cysarek, an educational psychologist and teacher-trainer who works for children with traumatic experiences, would teach about sex ed in the eighth grade as prescribed in the government curriculum. The task of sex education is not easy, admitted Kati, because it has to be culturally appropriate, and language wise it is tough. She had a hard time finding words in Hindi that weren’t either obtuse or abusive. But she kept working on her aim of “normalising bodies” and making her students understand that “we [men and women] are basically equal. I wanted them to learn that our bodies are not a matter of shame.” While some of these discussions were held separately, many were held in a common space for all genders. The result of all these efforts was that the sexual harassment of girls there stopped.
Union of equals or forced submission?
Soon the women in the school also started approaching Kati for advice. A teacher who had married a man of her choice was horrified when he came and sat on her bed after their wedding. “I did not know he was such a terrible person,” the horror-struck newlywed reported, though the groom had only approached her to talk.
In other cases, Kati’s married colleagues had to face what can only be termed as rape and coercion, after having fought off their husbands’ advances for weeks.
To one woman, her spouse had shown videos of rape and told her sex was supposed to happen in that manner. The man assaulted his wife several times till she finally divorced him.
After Kati’s wedding day, her colleagues were extremely sympathetic towards her for what she must have “suffered”. When Kati insisted that sex did not always have to be painful, they concluded that white women probably have different bodies. Ultimately Kati started a kind of communication therapy, which she called “the most important thing for a couple”.
Dr Ankeeta Menona Jacob, associate professor with the department of community medicine in K.S. Hegde Medical Academy in Mangalore, Karnataka, also stressed on the need for pre-marital counselling: “In some religions, people are taught about these things. I don’t know how much the couples understand but at least they get some idea.” Otherwise, she lamented, couples have an “inability to talk about their sexuality or their desire to have sex. It is seen as something you do before going to bed with the lights off.”
Know thyself
This lack of knowledge even in married people is also something Aisha George noticed in her work. Aisha works with Hidden Pockets Collective, a non-profit “using various forms of digital tools to educate young people and advocate for policy changes around sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice.” Her frustration was: “Women did not know what was happening in their bodies. There should be a language to talk to them. Medical terms are complex and doctors are busy.”
There is an assumption that people with high, formal education would know more. But amongst the women who got in touch with Hidden Pockets, only about 15 percent had some knowledge about their own bodies. Aisha shared:
“Even married women assume that they can get pregnant anytime of the year if they are having sex. They do not know about ovulation.”
The taboo around education on sex, sexuality and reproduction has also led to women dissociating with their own bodies. Hidden Pockets found that when doctors asked women about the colour of their vaginal discharge or menstrual blood women did not know because they did not like to notice: “When it comes to something out of the vagina, it feels awkward and scary to women.”
Challenges in accessing information
Organisations like Hidden Pockets might do their best to spread awareness. But the access route to this information is also full of hurdles.
For couples staying in joint families, even going out to get the information is hard as they are not comfortable telling their parents about it. Even with pregnant women, often the husbands or mothers-in-law query the doctors, and women stay silent.
To know about medical termination of pregnancies, young men would approach the organisation with questions. But it would be difficult to give specific answers without having complete information from the woman herself.
A small number of these men also had questions about how to keep their partners “happy”. Some asked about how they can help their partners through their abortions. “But they never ask about contraception,” Aisha fretted.
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
But amongst those who approach Gytree, a women’s health and wellness platform, a greater number of male partners are willing to talk about sex related issues. They bring up a range of challenges from fertility to intimacy taking a backseat in the relationship. Swarnima Bhattacharya, Gytree’s co-founder, attributes these issues to a lack of sex education: “I am speaking of educated, well-to-do people who travel internationally. They can’t believe that something like vaginismus exists.
‘If there’s love, how can sex not happen,’ they ask. They feel these issues are not Indian, and happen only in the West.
I have had to tell people, ‘When other organs have problems, you accept it. So why this stigma around sexual organs?'”
On the other hand, men also have difficulty accepting women’s sexual desires as being natural. Swarnima shared, “Two to three men said, ‘It makes me wonder about her [sexual] history.’ Other men were even violent to women who articulated their desires or initiated sex.
Since many men are opposed to using protection or contraceptives, again because of the myth that these things adversely impact “male sexual prowess”, the entire burden of sexual safety and avoiding unwanted pregnancies fall on women. When, because of it being a taboo subject, women cannot discuss this with their partners, let alone doctors, they are the ones to suffer the most. Hidden Pockets has experience with women who wanted to learn about contraception and had similar, uncooperative partners. When these women use contraception without their partners’ knowledge, they also have to live under the constant threat of being discovered and the subsequent violence they might suffer at the hands of the husbands and their families for taking a decision about their own bodies.
Women and pain
That’s why when early on in her career Swarnima met women with injuries it made her wonder if they were trying to hide assault: “But actually some of these were accidental injuries because of ignorance.
There are women who have given birth but never had painless sex.”
Swarnima also met women with endometriosis who had to suffer painful penetrative sex. The doctors they met also focused on solving the problem for the sake of fertility, instead of seeing the alleviation of pain as the primary and urgent goal.
This does not help especially when women have a tendency to be guilty and shameful of such problems, and have been conditioned to minimise or dismiss their pain.
Ruptured relationships
A trust deficit in couples interrupts intimacy. There is also no understanding of how intimacy can exist without sex as well. Plus in India, Swarnima said, “There is a desexualisation of married couples. They are seen only as sanitised family builders. Then there are phases when one might go without sex for various reasons. At such times, partners should be helping each other in their journeys.”
But where basic sex education is missing such nuanced education of each other as sexual beings hardly happens. The Gytree founder mentioned the rise of apps coming up for dating for married people, and the survey conducted by these companies showed sexual void and discontent in married relationships as a common feature. Despite that, says Swarnima, “The language around compatibility still does not include sex.”
When no one is watching
It is not like everyone is relying on porn and quacks to get their sexual concerns addressed. Swarnima mentioned that of the two companies she knows of working on sexual health, one has closed down and one is active. That one targeted men and women in its advertising, and 94 percent of their business ended up coming from men.
The problem is in the world of startups, if you’re a sexual health one you’re seen as perverted. There are advertising restrictions, and pages get banned. Google searches flag the businesses. Slowly these companies are trying to change the language they use so that the information they provide can still be accessed by people without the pages getting blocked by platforms.
Earlier such startups struggled with getting likes and comments. Now they have a metric of “secret engagement”, wherein people do not like the post because they don’t want to be seen engaging with such content. But they save these posts. Companies have now started seeing this as an accepted metric of growth.
Mend the gap
To mend the gap of sexual education in India, the experts interviewed for this article suggested several measures. The public messaging around health in India has grown more accurate. The same needs to happen around sexual health, which should not cover only reproduction. Gytree gave the example of Africa where some sexual health campaigns started with talking about rape because that topic was considered acceptable. Similarly if there is resistance in India to a discussion on sexual awareness, first an entry point has to be found. Discussions around menstruation have become more widespread than they were a few years ago. Kati Cysarek mentioned how she used comics like Menstrupedia to educate her students. Hidden Pockets noticed that contraception and abortion are subjects their audiences were relatively open to hearing about.
Some workshops might be organised separately for different genders. But many of these discussions need to happen with everyone together so that the shame and stigma around sex being publicly unmentionable reduces. These presentations must be clear and specific, and the audience should not be infantilised. If videos are shown with words bleeped out, the subliminal messaging is still one of shame.
There is a need for strong political will to implement many of these campaigns. A strong awareness of sexual health needs to be seen by governments as a life skill, something that is a part of physical and mental health, and can help prevent violence and abuse.
When there is talk of women’s health, the central point should not be only on fertility but on their sexual health too, which includes education on consent and bodily autonomy. Counsellors and therapists need to be trauma informed, and queer inclusive. For those not comfortable with talk therapy, art therapy can help. For awareness campaigns as well, Hidden Pockets used creative methods including podcasts where people shared real life experiences, and songs in the local languages. Going to schools for them still remains the toughest challenge as they have to hear things like “children are here to study” and “this is not part of our culture”. It would take time for the education system to realise that they cannot hope to have mature, well educated adults who do not cause harm to themselves or others if they bypass sex education.
First published in Unbias the News.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
READ OTHER STORIES ON SEXUAL EDUCATION FROM AROUND THE WORLD
This article is part of The Talk, a series of stories, each produced by a different newsroom or team, painting a picture of the state of sex education around the world. During the month of October 2023, stories were published by Unbias the News, NADJA Media, CNN As Equals, Impact Newsletter, and Suno India. Kontinentalist and BehanBox will also be publishing reports.