Patriotism in young generation

The answer can both be 'yes' and 'no'. Today the world has changed a lot. And with it, young
generations are also changing. However, it is still good to see that even today, patriotism still exits
among youngsters but not all youngsters are patriotic. In my country, i have seen youth who on
Independence Day didn't even care to raise the flag. May be many of us don't even realise where we
would have been today if Mahatma Gandhi hadn't brought Independence to India or if Sir
Seewoosagar
Ramgoolam
hadn't
brought
Independence
to
Mauritius.
To many of us, Freedom means to have fun, to enjoy with frnds, to pass time with grlfrnds or
boyfrnds or to go to the cinema, or to stop being, each and every time, ordered by our parents. But if
we think about it all these things, if all these is possible today; it is becoz of great people like
Mahatma
Gandhi
who
indeed
is
very
patriotic.
For me, my ancestors come frm India but we(My greatparents' generations) have been living in
Mauritius for many n many years. Now, its the Mauritian Blood that runs in my veins and i love my
country a lot. several times, i have seen Mauritian youths criticizing Mauritius, they don't love
Mauritius at all as we r still a very small developing country n after completing their education many
of them have immigrated to big countries like England, USA,....But however my Country may be,
its
my
home.
n
a
home
is
home
whether
it's
small
or
big.
So to all youngster, many of you who don't like their country, think of our forefathers who fought for
u so that you can live freely in your country today. LOVE YOUR COUNTRY AS IT IS!! we shuld
go and ask a person retired from army what its means to be patriotic and how much u feel when u r
abl to do something good for ur country. Don't ask politicians bcoz many of them are rearing
corruption inside them, hiding behind a veil frm the public's eyes..

Domestic Violence
Domestic violence and abuse can happen to anyone, yet the problem is often overlooked, excused,
or denied. This is especially true when the abuse is psychological, rather than physical. Noticing and
acknowledging the signs of an abusive relationship is the first step to ending it. No one should live
in fear of the person they love. If you recognize yourself or someone you know in the following
warning signs and descriptions of abuse, reach out.
Domestic abuse, also known as spousal abuse, occurs when one person in an intimate relationship or
marriage tries to dominate and control the other person. Domestic abuse that includes physical
violence is called domestic violence.
Domestic violence and abuse are used for one purpose and one purpose only: to gain and maintain
total control over you. An abuser doesnt play fair. Abusers use fear, guilt, shame, and intimidation

to wear you down and keep you under his or her thumb. Your abuser may also threaten you, hurt
you, or hurt those around you.
Domestic violence and abuse does not discriminate. It happens among heterosexual couples and in
same-sex partnerships. It occurs within all age ranges, ethnic backgrounds, and economic levels.
And while women are more commonly victimized, men are also abusedespecially verbally and
emotionally, although sometimes even physically as well. The bottom line is that abusive behavior is
never acceptable, whether its coming from a man, a woman, a teenager, or an older adult. You
deserve to feel valued, respected, and safe.
Recognizing abuse is the first step to getting help
Domestic abuse often escalates from threats and verbal abuse to violence. And while physical injury
may be the most obvious danger, the emotional and psychological consequences of domestic abuse
are also severe. Emotionally abusive relationships can destroy your self-worth, lead to anxiety and
depression, and make you feel helpless and alone. No one should have to endure this kind of pain
and your first step to breaking free is recognizing that your situation is abusive. Once you
acknowledge the reality of the abusive situation, then you can get the help you need.
Signs of an abusive relationship
There are many signs of an abusive relationship. The most telling sign is fear of your partner. If you
feel like you have to walk on eggshells around your partnerconstantly watching what you say and
do in order to avoid a blow-upchances are your relationship is unhealthy and abusive. Other signs
that you may be in an abusive relationship include a partner who belittles you or tries to control you,
and feelings of self-loathing, helplessness, and desperation.
To determine whether your relationship is abusive, answer the questions below. The more yes
answers, the more likely it is that youre in an abusive relationship.

Reservation should be abolished or not

"It is against the fundamental principles of humanity, it is against the dictates of reason that a man
should, by reason of birth, be denied or given extra privileges" -Mahatma Gandhi
The Constitution of India does provide special privileges to the downtrodden sections of society
called Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The special provisions were primarily for a limited
period often years from the date of application of constitution. There is no fixed period for
continuation of this privilege. The constitutional safeguards continued to be extended each time by
ten years. before the period of earlier ten years expired.
According to historians, the most important factor in the growth of caste system: was the
occupations. Occupations were classified in order of their social status, initially based on Karma and
the percentage of the Gunas; Sattav, Rajas, Tamas the system became very rigid. During the British

reign, it was proposed that the Scheduled Castes be treated as a separate community and granted
separable representation under the Government of India Act 1935. After Independence, the
Constituent Assembly Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights and Minorities headed by Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel, recommended special privilege to the Schedule Caste and Scheduled Tribe for a
limited period of 10 years. The privileges were meant for the upliftment of the lower castes, but it
has become gross abuse in the hand of self-centered politicians and so called Dalit Leaders, Dalit
Leaders argue that' higher castes have suppressed the lower castes for a long time, so now they will
a have to suffer equally for long period. Some argue that Reservation is a political, social, economic
and constitutional policy to accord justice by absorbing the SCs and STs in the social mainstream.
In 1992, the Supreme Court ruled out that reservation quotas could not be applied in promotions of
Government employees beyond 1997, but Parlia through the 86th Amendment bill restored the
scheme of reservation for SC and ST in promotions too. The government has further given
reservation to OBC ( Backward Classes) . Our Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, pointed
that In an unequal society where the Schedule Castes, Scheduled Tribes OBCs are still suffering
from historical disabilities, what they want is Social and empowerment and-not mere welfare.
Whatever may be the intensions of Mr. Vajpayee, the point is: Can Social justice be actually
restored to such cross sections of society, at the cost of gross injustice to the rest?
While providing privileges in the Constitution for a limited period often years, it was felt that the
feeling of casteism would vanish. But even after 55 years of independence, reservation based on
birth, has catalyzed the widening gap, caste differences, hatred among different castes. Sixty years
of reservations has enabled these Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to occupy most of the
higher posts in government offices and institutions. In many cases their hatred towards high caste
has been clearly pronounced. This could certainly not be the dream of our founding Fathers.
Reservation has resulted in mediocrity and repudiation of quality. With the help of legislative
support of reservation, the 'not so eligible' have climbed to the high posts and the better qualified,
with high marks are just facing the injustice being done with them. In the educated urban middle
class, there is a strong feeling of displeasure, discontent who repeatedly suffer due to their privileged
counterparts.
Reservation based on birth has resulted in benefits to already benefitted family again and again.
Once a person of reserved caste gets benefit, his social status, economic status become high, now
again his family members are getting the benefit thus depriving other needy of his own caste.
For more than half a century, India has maintained quotas for socially disadvantaged classes in
government jobs, political bodies and educational institutions. Brahmins and other supposedly
privileged groups were left to fend for themselves. Here in the State of Rajasthan, however, the
government recently proposed an idea that some say turns the logic of affirmative action on its head:
it wants quotas for high caste Indians, albeit on the basis of economic need.
Supporters say they are merely trying to make the system fairer. But to many people, the initiative is
yet another example of how interest-group politics is subverting the goals of a vast experiment in
social engineering that already bestows preferential treatment on roughly half of India's billion-plus
people.

"The existing quotas ... deny the eligible the opportunities they rightly deserve," !be news magazine
India Today said in a recent editorial. "Every other day one caste or the other is struggling to be
labeled Other Backward Classes .. The quota system, in reality, has become a huge political
enterprise."
The trouble began in 1990, when Parliament passed a law reserving another 27 percent of
government jobs for members 00,743 lower castes, or "Other Backward Classes". The measure
infuriated young upper-caste Indians who saw it as a threat to their employment prospects.
The Supreme Courts endorsement of the expanded quota system came with the caveat that 50
percent of government jobs should be filled solely on the basis of merit. The court also created a
National commission on Backward Classes, which so far has added 676 socially and educationally
disadvantaged casts to the original list.
In deciding which groups to include on the list, the Commission considers factors such as literacy
rates, the prevalence of child marriage and more obscure benchmarks such as whether widows are
permitted to remarry (considered a sign of backwardness because upper-caste widows typically do
not remarry).
The process can seem arbitrary. India's Muslim minority, for example, is outside the caste system
and therefore, has been largely left out of quota policies despite a history of discrimination. Still
other groups have been overlooked because "they are so backward, they have no knowledge of the
system", said Ram Surat Singh a retired judge who chair the Commission. And some castes are
considered backward in some states and forward in the others.
In the mid-1990s, for example, Rajasthan's Jats applied for inclusion in backward-classes list. They
cited, among other things, 1931 census data revealed child marriage in their community was more
prevalent than among other official backward castes, according to Dharam Vir, a Jat leader.
In 1997, the Commission recommended to Parliament that the Rajasthan Jats be added to the list.
But it wasn't until two years later, during a heated election; campaign, that Vajpayee promised to
follow through on the pledge, after mass rail by the large and well-organized Jat community.
Although Jats once were tenant farmers, many now own land as a result of independence
agricultural reforms, and are, therefore, better off than many higher castes who do not own land,
government officials say.
"The Jats got the reservation because of their agitation and political power said C.P. Joshi, a Cabinet
Minister in the State's Congress Party government,", recently proposed a 14 per cent quota for
upper-caste poor in government jobs. '. parties are fighting for their political survival and they are
using the reservation as a tool."
By setting up a Group of Ministers (GoM) to study the possibilities~ Constitution Amendment Bill
to provide for job reservation to the forward cast economic grounds, the Union Government has set
the ball rolling for yet an controversy on the concept of quotas. The decision to refer the issue to II

GoM after the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, committed himself to constitute amendment at
a public meeting in Rajasthan. The Prime Minister's commitment in response to a resolution
orchestrated by the Rajasthan Chief Minister, Gehlot, recommending statutory changes to reserve 14
per cent of Government jobs for the poor among the forward castes. Mr. Gehlot's shrewd move put i
pressure on the Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajasthan unit, even triggering an internal revolt. A
campaign on the same issue by the Social Justice Front has been in full for some time; it gained
strength after Jats were included in the list of Other Backward Classes a couple of years ago.
In a State where the forward castes continue to playa significant role in determining election
outcomes, Mr. Gehiot's move set the terms of the discourse. With elections to the State Assembly
due November 2003, the BJP could not have possibly stayed out of the promise-making game. The
high level of unemployment is a general problem, but it is particularly severe among people
belonging to the forward castes. The proportion of educated unemployed should after all be higher
among the forward castes than among castes kept out of the education system over the years.
Political parties across the spectrum can hardly afford to gloss over this reality in a context where
the Government continues to be seen as of job provider. Add to this the sense of power that comes
with Government jobs in most parts of India and one can understand the desperation in the quest for
such opportunities.
A Constitutional Amendment, however, is not as simple as promised by PM, Vajpayee. A proposal to
include the poor among the forward castes in the reservation bracket was made by the Congress
party in the context of implementing the MandaI Commission's recommendation. The Narasimha
Rao Government's proposal to reserve 10 per cent of Government jobs for the poor among the
forward castes was struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1992 in Indira
Sawhney vs. Union of India. Article 15 (4) of the Constitution, inserted by the Constitution (First
Amendment) Act, 1951, is very specific. The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes aside, it
sanctions special provisions "for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward
classes." Article 16 (4) sanctions reservation in Government jobs for "any backward class of citizens
which, in the opinion of the State, is not adequately represented in the services under the State."
Article 340 relates to the appointment of a Commission to investigate the conditions of backward
classes what is established by a series of Supreme Court judgments is that only social and
educational circumstances can be taken as determinants of backwardness. The proposal now is to
amend the Constitution but amendments are subject to judicial review and need to avoid falling foul
of the 'basic structure' doctrine propounded and refined by the Supreme Court. These issues will
come up when the Govt begins to discuss the idea initiated by Mr. Gehlot and endorsed by Mr.
Vajpayee. A consensus among political parties might turn out to be a necessary but insufficient
condition for making reservation for the poor among the forward castes a feasible proposition.
What all these assurances show that how the quota system has become an integral part of the
political game ? NO thought is being given to end this reckless extension of reservation.
The concept of affirmative action began on the right note with reservations only for the SCs and
STs, for a limited period of ten years, but now it has become a virtual free for all with not only the

backwards, but even a section of the so called forwards trying to secure a slice of the cake.
Evidently logic has been overruled by politics.
All our social and religious reformers have tried to break casteism down. It is regrettable that we
have not been able to treat all men as equal even today. In modem world there is no place for caste
or racial discrimination. What matters is the capabilities of a person and his contribution to the
society. By giving reservation to Dalits or Tribes we are inflicting handicaps on those 'more
advantageously placed' due to their birth in a particular caste. Our policy makers need to be more
pragmatic Reservation of all kinds must be abolished at all , if found essential, it should not be based
on caste, creed or birth, but on the basis of financial and economic status and benefits should reach
the grass-root level, to the real needy one. Rightly said by Mr. Jetterson, "That all men are created
equal, that they all endowed by the creator with certain unalienable rights, life liberty and pursuit of
happiness."

Is life too hectic to enjoy fully?

Recently Ive found myself annoyed by how busy my friends and family seem. In today's fast paced
world we often zip through life full speed and never slow down to just breathe. We are so busy
trying to get to appointments, tuitions, meetings, and gatherings. Don't get me wrong, these things
are okay in their place, and I applaud those who are out there trying their best to live a successful
life. I mean I am guilty of this myself. While it is sometimes a necessary thing to do this, I had to
ask
myself,
Do
I
really
need
to
be
this
busy?
Sometimes, we are too busy to notice were too busy. We are not really wired for the rapid pace we
are living. Our brains can transfer information very swiftly, but most of us need time to process
experience, just the way good bread dough needs time to rise. This is an era of over-booked
schedules, instant messaging, fast food and express transportation. Life has become so fast, so busy,
and so pressured that, for many, it has become stressful, depriving us of pleasure. Listening to the
people I interact with, I hear one common grievance, There is no time. Now I realize that
busyness is not an absolute: everyone has a different threshold. While we are all affected by the fast
pace of our culture, people are different. Their circumstances vary; their families are unique, and
their experience is individual. I have one friend for whom more than one social engagement a
weekend is just too much; others love to party, party, and party. And most people would trade in
bored and stagnant for a little stress if they were engaged in doing something they loved. I am also
aware that there are many who have no options; who must work exhausting hours simply to survive.
Nevertheless, we always have a choice; there is always an unnecessary event in our life that we can
sacrifice
to
enjoy
life.
In our busy, busy world, however, I sometimes feel as if I am the odd one out. I consider my life to
be somewhat filled and fulfilling