TERRORISM: NO RELIGION, ATHEISM: PROBABLE SOLUTION.

Since the time I have gained consciousness about the outer world, a question has continued to pester me. The answer is still unavailable but in my vision I have found a solution to it. You must be thinking what is the damn question that I have been pondering about. So, here my friends, I present to you the biggest question that almost every individual at one point of his life always wonders about -

“DOES TERRORISM REALLY HAVE NO WAY OUT?”

Now, after reading this you might think of flipping through the pages, thinking I am going to give a massive lecture on terrorism and its aftermath. But wait, don’t misunderstand me. I have something else in store for you.

Today in the world everything comes down to either politics or religion. Even if you wear a shirt or dress of a specific color you are labelled. Politics, according to me, is a cause of terrorism which can’t be uprooted. But the other kind can be stopped or atleast prevented to a limit.

Few days ago, I had been reading about Percy Bysshe Shelley, the great Romantic poet and his famous work “ The Necessity of Atheism “ and how he was rusticated from Oxford due to this work. The vehemence with which he opposed every force including the pressure from his own family and did not stop the publication of this work, greatly inspired me. It made me think of our condition in the present society.

Almost every individual in our society has become so narrow-minded that it is very difficult to broaden one’s perspective. In pre-Independence India, every Indian had become aware of their need for independence and thus they rose above the petty rivalries related to religion. This gave rise to a massive front against the Britishers. No man or woman recognised themselves by their religion. Their only identity was “INDIAN”.

Speaking about a more relevant issue, let’s talk about the universally dreaded name- ISIS ( ISLAMIC STATE OF IRAQ AND SYRIA ). There is not a single individual in this whole world who is not aware of this name - the other name for TERROR. They recognise themselves as a part of the so-called “Islamic State” but the irony is that they go about killing people of all faiths including Muslims. Such people can’t be termed as religious fanatics. These are inhuman people who don’t care about anything or anyone - their sole aim is to spread hatred and ignorance among the people. It is because of people like them that a particular religion is thoroughly misjudged and criticised. Even political parties tend to misuse religion for gaining votes and a seat in the Centre or State.

Now, after discussing about this problem at length, I seem to realise that if the cause of all this tension and anxiety is religion itself, then people must try to take an alternative path by following Atheism. It’s the sole way through which this kind of terrorism, in the name of religious fanaticism, can be stopped in the world. Hypothetically speaking, if all people stop following their religion and start treating every human as their own friend then only this devastating war that is raging in the world today can be stopped. Therefore, I implore to all my readers to think about this matter and also ask the above mentioned question to themselves and their near and dear ones for finding a solution to this problem. I believe that it can only be through a joint venture that we, as the future generation, will be able to stop this catastrophe.




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ANUMITA MUKHERJEE IS A 1ST YEAR ENGLISH HONOURS OF ST. XAVIER’S COLLEGE KOLKATA. She is a dreamer and a well wisher of all creatures, likes to read novels and write about various issues.

Another GoT Character analysis

Perhaps George R. R. Martin himself never dreamt that his book will be such a whacking success when he wrote The Song of Ice and Fire. And there was no looking back since the first time the TV adaptation of his books titled The Game of Thrones aired in 2011 on HBO. Directed by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, Game of Thrones is now all set to air it's sixth season this April and the trailer has already set aflame the anticipation of the millions of fans worldwide. 

The creator himself, George R.R. Martin

But let's cut this short. Every single person on earth perhaps knows about GoT or at least heard of it from a friend or otherwise. And I'm not going to write about the most talked about American fantasy drama series like just another fan. That is too mainstream. Instead I plan to go overboard and analyze few of my favorite characters in it. And yes, one more thing, I'm not going to include Tyrion Lannister in my list because of the obvious reason that he has to be there. Peter Dinklage is a demi-God, accept it. Period.

So to begin with, I choose a 'dark character'. Petyr Baelish aka "Littlefinger" portrayed successfully by Aidan Gillen, is hated by many, I guarantee. Some call him a pervert, some spineless and some perhaps overambitious. The Red Keep's Master of Coins, according to me, maybe selfish but is shrewd and conniving at the same time. He's well informed of everything going on in King's Landing which he dexterously uses to achieve his own ends. His betrayal of Ned Stark was just a way to seek his long seething vengeance against the House of Stark for stealing away his love interest- Catelyn. His second act of betrayal was perhaps conspiring with the Tyrells to kill King Joffrey. Now keeping aside the loyalty and morality issues (which are so rare in the series), every single viewer will nothing but bless Petyr for it. I mean, come on, we all know what a douche Joffrey was and even we dreamt of strangling him every night. Littlefinger is a self made man and  you all have to admit that he's smart enough for many 'Royalties' out there and his rival Varys himself acknowledges him to be "the second most devious man in the Seven Kingdoms".

If you've already assumed that I'm fond of self made characters and my second choice will be Varys then you're in for a surprise. The feminist streak in me actually compels me to include a female character in the list and that will be my all time favourite Arya Stark (successfully portrayed by the cute Maisie Williams). The middle child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark is undoubtedly the coolest of all Stark children; she is just plain awesome. Beside her unconventional, out of the box behaviour and manners we love that independent streak in her- she's smart, adventurous, brave, and also friendly with people of lower statuses. Need I say more? She's tomboyish, a troublemaker at times, unapologetic and the biggest surprise package in the show. She may not ever sit on the Iron Throne, but who cares, the girl has already won our hearts. Arya has perhaps the strangest story arc and gets herself into the strangest situations thus keeping us intrigued all the while.

Not doing much injustice to the male characters I must say, GoT is perhaps more interesting because of their female counterparts. Be it the young and fiercely Arya or the witty ambitious and seductive Margaery or her cunning granny Olenna Tyrell or of course the manipulative despot, Cersei Lannister,  whose incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime is both shocking and rebellious. Even a minor character like Myranda, the kennel master's daughter and Ramsay's "bedwarmer", has enough depth to intrigue the audience.

Game of Thrones has a sprawling ensemble cast, estimated to be the largest on television, which is one of the biggest contributing factors to make it perhaps the best television series of all times. And one has to admit that every actor in the cast does justice to his or her character. And lastly, you cannot afford to miss the sixth season to be premiered on HBO on the 24th of April. Who doesn't want to know if Jon Snow is actually dead or is it just another bluff by the showmakers! 

IS he alive? Well you gotta wait for 24th April to find out!

About the author :- 

A bibliophile, writer and a passionate music lover, Utsa Ghosh, is seeking her majors in English from St. Xavier's College. At the same time she takes a keen interest in politics  and is a vehement supporter of social and political reformism in India. Also read :-

Another open letter

Sorry for the Apocalypse (or not?)

Successive dark tunnels.

Craters the size of earth’s moon.

Air as smoky as a thousand forests burning.

Almost no place to step a foot safely.

Showers bring misfortune and not relief.

People outside their homes might as well have been cursed by Fortuna.

Every day that someone makes it home safe, is nothing short of a miracle.

And many others like me suffer through this, regularly.
No, it’s not the apocalypse. It’s the roads of Behala.

The Joka-BBD Bag metro railway constructions had begun way back in July, 2011. The works resumed after a stall in 2012 and here we are, in 2016, still waiting for its completion. So we’ve had leap years twice in that time window, changed the government in the centre, seen Orkut phase out of existence, and witnessed “the King of Good Times” going bankrupt. And still we wait. The latest assurance claims that the work is expected to be completed by June, 2018,  by the latest. To believe that or not to believe, is the question that the commuters would be asking themselves. If you are one those among the unlucky bunch who has to travel across the D.H.Road stretch from Pathakpara to Joka, then there are some unique experiences you must have gathered, and all of them not just because of the metro railway work in progress.

If you are taking an auto-rickshaw ride and happen to sit in the front, then may the Lord bless you since you are hanging on to the steel holder for dear life as it bounces along, adjusting with the crater filled tracks. Bonus brownies if it has rained. Then the ride is an Aquatica water-ride at a significantly cheaper rate.

Buses are the primes of all the transportation vehicles. And so are their demands. Running behind them from one stop to the other because they wouldn’t stop, fighting with fellow commuters to get on board and finally ride on an imbalanced vehicle that slants so much to one side that it could turn upside down any moment.

And thank heavens for Ola, Uber and their kinds, otherwise the yellow taxis wouldn’t budge from any part of the city towards Behala. Never. A 50 minutes drive in normal traffic is a 1 hour and 56 minutes drive in Behala traffic.

Behala in 2011

Trying to cover a distance of one or two stops on foot is another deal, altogether. With almost non-existing footpaths and half the traffic passing over the road-verge, you are waddling through a stream of people, cars and bikes, dogs and cats, hawkers and makeshift shops, like Barry Allen at a normal speed. Only time walking peacefully is possible is when the city has a strike, the rate of which has surprisingly gone down over the years.

Picture courtesy: The Telegraph

What is commendable after all this, is the hope that people hold on to. Despite all the difficulties of everyday lives, the commuters cooperate in the belief that someday all of this will pay off and traveling would be smooth and peaceful. Leaving aside all the exaggerations and elements of humour, the situation in Behala and in all the other places where similar projects are going down, is not the safest. The alternatives put forward are not the best possible ones offered, once the regularities were disrupted. Every day, there are accidents, big and small. All that is requested is that the safety of the civilians be given more regards. Maybe it won’t be too bad to actually be “Sorry for the Inconvenience”.

Picture courtesy: Behala Facebook Page

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

SUCHARITA GANGULY IS A VERY NEW ADDITION TO OUR EXPRESS FAMILY. THIS MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENT FROM ST. XAVIERS INSTITUTE, KOLKATA, IS AN AVID READER AND WRITER. APART FROM WRITING SHE IS ALSO A DOG LOVER AND FAN OF SHERLOCK.

Being The Newest Misfit!

Missionary Girls' schools are different, yes. Leaving aside the fact that they somehow manage to become your second home amid all the 3650+ rules in 365 days and that you can giggle about 'boy biology ' together; of course most being weird theories- it's a place totally cut off from reality, to an extent, yes. 

 Twelve years to become a lady, twelve years to learn what is socially accepted conduct.  How to treat the opposite sex with subtle, careful, courtesy. How to not be the dreaded 'misfit' in 'society'. Yet when school finally ends you are clueless about what lies out there. Why? Well because out there you have open streets leading to anonymous bends, you have people who find procrastination a better utility than knowing your identity. You certainly do not have caring motherly, friendly teachers to haul you up when you fall or to tend to your bruised knees and definitely not similar people who care to glance at your tears. 

Credits - Rinita Das

|| "Twelve years to become a lady, twelve years to learn what is socially accepted conduct.  How to treat the opposite sex with subtle, careful, courtesy. How to not be the dreaded 'misfit' in 'society'." ||

"It's dangerous, it's not comfortable, but that is where and how you live, everyone does. ", they said ; "but no worries you've got time we'll teach you", they lovingly cooed into young ears.  What now? I am  here standing, waiting for the loving voices to soothe me again but they do not come and I feel deaf. Lost, uncertain I stand unheeded as social crowds walk past often pushing through like I am some three dimensional hologram.  Oh! How I loved exploring, I did, back in the bound world. I guess it's because somehow I knew I would get a hand to be lead by if lost or find fellow lost companions in identical situations. In here, it isn't  fun, the definition of fun seems different or perhaps I was taught to interpret it backwards. Here there is "fun"  in mockery not discovery, 'fun' in  snatching success away and not in the simple act of sharing. 

Monica might have summed it up perfectly for us. 

They snigger, they dominate, they make jokes out of attempts. What I cannot place however, is were they always here? Were they never a part of the carefree yet caring world I know, fragmented and thrown out here just like me? Or just the fruit of my mind in mayhem. Queer how people conveniently forget the simplicity and choose to overlook gratitude. Lonely and unsure as I am, I can not help but wonder is there nothing that is still aloof and pure here? Nothing that isn't vile and vicious?  Or do they not like good things as they are?

Me? Well I am just another new face in the crowd, the newest misfit straight out of loving hands into rugged roads. Attempting to me find my foothold, I may forget simplicity too(who knows) but as long as I can keep it I take the other choice, better choice( according to me of course). Then? Well future is uncertain and time has seen more promises broken than efforts made to be keep. So I'll just stare in awe, my thoughts running astray in disarray while I am being called the newest misfit stuck between being 'a lady from the disciplined school' and the disciplines of a greater world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR : 

RINITA DAS, A STUDENT OF SISTER NIBEDITA GOVERNMENT GENERAL DEGREE COLLEGE FOR GIRLS, IS OUR NEWEST "MISFIT". SHE IS AN AVID READER AND WRITER. SHE CONSIDERS HERSELF TO BE AN OBSERVER OF PEOPLE AND HOPES TO TOUCH SOULS THROUGH HER WRITTEN WORDS.