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| Volume 12 |Issue 02| January 11, 2013 | |
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Star Diary Feeling Vulnerable I have been following the news about the rapes that are happening in our country and have been very disturbed. I am 16 years old and everyday, when I step out of my home, I see a group of guys sitting on the kerb opposite my house and drinking tea. They leer at me and make inappropriate comments sometimes, and I ignore them like my parents have asked me to but reading the news has made me realise how quickly a situation like that can escalate and turn into a nightmare. I worry about my safety all the time, but I know turning to the police and reporting these boys will only result in my own humiliation and possible retaliation from them. I feel vulnerable and helpless and I hate feeling this way. I hope that our law enforcers are better trained and sensitised to these issues now that some cases have come to light and there are consequences not only for the rapists but also bullies and eve teasers in the near future. Tammi Jahan
The Idle Mind…. Last week, I was attending a concert that was raided by the police. They suspected that there was alcohol and drugs being served at the venue which, in this case wasn't true. The concert was shut down and we were all bullied, searched, sneered at and finally asked to leave. What saddens and angers me is that we, the younger generation don't have much in the form of entertainment in this city. We go to school/universities and outside of that all we can do is go out to eat or hang out at each other's houses. There is only one decent cinema hall where they show movies other than Dhaliwood movies but these are mostly old movies that we've already seen. When we turn to alcohol and drugs for entertainment, they blame us for becoming bad people. If there are so many restrictions placed on us all the time and so little for us to do what else do they expect from us? Naveed Zaman WEDDING BLUES I attended my cousin's wedding last week and let me just start by saying it was completely chaotic. Some 2000 people or more were packed into the venue, barely able to move around, the bride and groom were swamped with guests trying to take photos of them. When the food was served, the crowd acted like they hadn't eaten in a decade and pounced on the available tables. It was fascinating to watch but also sad in many ways. When a wedding happens, people invite relatives and friends they haven't seen and perhaps will not see in many years, and when they arrive for the occasion, most of the time, the hosts barely have a chance to glance at them much less catch up with them. The poor bride and groom are trapped on a stage while people observe and photograph them like they are zoo animals. It is an absolute pandemonium and in the end, not too many people can claim they had a good time. Good food, yes, good time…not so sure. I wondered to myself, what is the point of all this. In many countries, they have small intimate gatherings of close friends and relatives, (100-200 people), and the bride and groom have a role to play aside from sitting around. They and their families interact with the guests, the whole event is relaxed and enjoyable and meaningful. In our country, it seems that the goal of having a huge wedding is to show off and people-please. The wedding is about everyone except the bride and groom themselves and I really think we should change this trend, follow the examples of other countries and also look back to the way things were done in the olden days when things were simpler and easier. Nabil Sayeed Copyright
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