Category Archives: India

Girl Meets Belief

By Ishita Shukla, 16, India.

In 1425 CE, Joan of Arc, a 13-year-old girl, believed that she heard the voice of God telling her to drive the English out of France. Consequently, she was tried for witchcraft and heresy in 1431 CE, at the age of 19.

Crazy, right? But what if she wasn’t crazy and deeply believed in something? The greatest thinkers of the world believed in some concepts so strongly that it changed the world. Different people have faith in different things. And that’s ok; 7% of the world population are convinced Atheists. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have faith in other people, in a better world, in the mysteries of the universe. Some blindly trust a higher power, and others have faith in their morals and actions. I believe in people, and their confidence in a higher power, which makes me feel safer.

However, it is hard to develop strong credence, not just in ourselves but in the ancient and immortal God. People take years to search for their passions, the ideologies worth for them to fight for. In this complex world, with new innovations, evolving dogmas, surprising tenets, it is hard to maintain our faith in a person or thing because we don’t always get what we desire and blame it on the higher power rather than our actions. It is a constant struggle where we are never sure of the outcome.

So why is it easy for some than others? I am still searching for an answer. I believe many abandon faith when circumstances are difficult and answers are slow in coming. Learning to trust takes practice because faith isn’t maintained when we fail to see the reality behind our higher power and morals. Faith requires a vision; faith requires seeing with spiritual eyes.

“For we live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV).

And of course, it also requires the perky “p” twins, perseverance, and patience.

Ah, and this leads to a question. We have all walked through life long enough, our blissfully empty heads. But what do you believe in? What is your calling? Who do you blindly trust? What ideologies are worth fighting for?

No one has enough power to force you into believing something, but it is much harder to introspect ourselves.

By Ishita Shukla, 16, India.  She adds: “I am an aspiring writer from Hyderabad, India. I write to express myself, my views on topics that are so common that they are rarely talked about for e.g. fears, belief system, etc. My dream is to do research in economics while continuing my love for writing and reading. Writing is a very cathartic activity for me. I pour all my insecurities, my passions onto the paper.”

Lessons 

Lessons 
By Bhagyashree Prabhutendolkar, age 16, Mumbai, INDIA

if only I could go back in time
and whisper to my younger self,
i would ask her to calm down
before dipping toes into adulthood,
telling her it would sometimes
feel like growing up around venom
and you would shatter
when the demons would spin
pretty lies for your pretty self,
but you mustn’t drown in their tales,
for purity flows through your veins
and the venom can’t touch your bare skin,
it will turn to ashes dear.
you deserve to catch the stars
and reach the sky;
and you mustn’t love anyone else,
than your dear dreams that make you survive
you have a reason to live, a passion to die for,
never betray them who make you smile
in the worst days of calamity
and help you rise from nothing,
for they are your dreams
just breathe.

By Bhagyashree Prabhutendolkar, age 16, Mumbai, INDIA. Bhagyashree is a high school journalist, public speaker, 
poet and a recipient of 'The Hindustan Times Scholarship Award.' When not writing, she likes to paint the whispers 
of nature on paper to accompany her poems. She aspires to pursue a career in media and creative writing.

The Codependency between ‘Peace’ and ‘Trust’


By Aliya S., grade 7, INDIA

The literal definition of peace would mean a state of calm, quiet and serenity. But the human race is far more complex, so we would refer to peace as a time of truce—no wars, no violence and no issues that need to be resolved, whereas trust is considered to be the belief of sincerity, either thought or expressed by a person. While the concepts of peace and trust are commonly misidentified as each other, in reality, they are interdependent in order to create a long-lasting, somewhat fantasized period of harmony. 

Obtaining peace is no easy feat, as it has to be mastered from within. Only a person at peace with themselves and their surroundings can achieve peace as society. There is only one path to peace, and that requires change. Change of thought, change of expression and changing actions to words, which believe it or not, has been proven (occasionally) to be more powerful than actions. Currently, peace is a fictional concept, because it requires something most of us lack-a sense of mutual trust. 

(Indian) Farmers have left their homes and have chosen to raise their voices even in the harsh circumstances they now face, because they do not trust the government and ITS corporate policies THAT they fear. Our deterministic chaos is but one pesky gnat that prevents us from living peacefully, whereas the lack of trust and therefore, communication, acts as a barrier instead. Farmers, the souls of our very nation, just wish to come to a mutual agreement with the government to ensure that they receive at least a minimum support price (MSP) for the crop they grow, harvest and sell. Instead, they sit out in the cold, protesting because they fear the new farm laws. The people who spoke up for them, who were supposed to be encouraged, were punished instead. This brings us back to the notion of change, and how the mere thought of change in our society can lead to drastic measures taken just to prevent it. 

The lack of communication has caused a rift between two sides, which can only be solved with the government delivering practical solutions through dialogue, which will reinforce trust-leading to peace.

By Aliya S., grade 7, INDIA.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Black Lives Matter illustration
Black Lives Matter

“As Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.’ One of the best ways to connect with someone is to look them straight into the eyes. In that moment we share our feelings and the walls that kept us apart disappear.”
By Christina Schulz, artist.

This artwork adorns the front cover of our Autumn 2020!

Black Lives Matter

Written by Aliya Shetty Oza, grade 7, Mumbai, India

“Dark skin is not a crime and light skin is not a prize.” – Urbanrogue
 
The human race can adapt under various circumstances that could possibly challenge them and their very own existence. Our strengths combined with our smarts and abilities have risen above these problems generation after generation. Humanity has faced troubles and challenges of all different sorts and origins, ranging from natural disasters, wars, greed and corruption, and more recently a global pandemic.
 
But I don’t think there is a specific number that could represent the amount of suffering caused by closed minds and clouds of judgment. There will always be factors that differentiate us from animals, one of them being judgment. Judgment is a way to perceive others and the world around us by mental and emotional means.
 
Judgment can lead to misfortune and simply, chaos. There are thousands being judged every single day because of their race, nationality, culture, skin, gender—to name a few. People have to fight for their rights as citizens of their respective countries and inhabitants of the planet. People must learn to not hate those that are different, but to cherish their diversity. Don’t criticize your differences; celebrate them. Learn from them. History has taught us all about the acts of mankind and how they have affected lives. We let prejudiced thoughts and beliefs like racism, discrimination, inequality, etc. thrive among us so that they settle into our system eventually. 
 
If you scroll through the latest news and more recent topics, you will find dozens of articles and headlines about the brutal murders of innocent, unarmed black people. Sources say that the police officers of the United States were behind most of these deaths. An officer named Derek Chauvin, now infamous due to his bad deeds and acts of consequence, was the killer of an unarmed black man named George Floyd. There have been countless tributes and protests globally to stand up for the black people. As a result, officer Chauvin has been charged with 2nd degree murder and is behind bars because he pinned George Floyd to the ground with his knee pressed on his neck for over 8 minutes. Floyd’s last words were, “Please, I can’t breathe.” Witnesses present that day watched the lights go out in his eyes. How can a police officer, which has sworn to protect the citizens, end up killing one instead.
 
Covid-19 has taken lives and businesses and continues to do so. It has brought down countries and governments to their knees. It doesn’t distinguish between countries, religions or persons. It has actually reminded us that we are all equal irrespective of our culture, finances, race or gender. The disease treats us all equally, why can’t we treat each other equally? 

This pandemic has already ended countless lives. Now we need to come together and help each other. Education, for instance, plays a vital role in our lives and without it there are misunderstandings, problems and worse. Money and finances can also shape a person’s life. If you are privileged, help others. Give your time and importance to helping others that are less fortunate and don’t have the same opportunities that you might. What you give, you receive. Always remember that. 
 
In this unprecedented crisis, it is our collective responsibility to contribute in every way possible. In circumstances where we cannot be of help to others, let us not be the cause that derails the efforts.