Was Jallikattu Hijacked?

The recent events of widespread violence in Chennai and others parts of Tamil Nadu has left a bad taste in the mouth of numerous law-abiding citizens. This is definitely not part of our rich Tamil heritage and culture. We were always known to be a peace loving state with undisputed humanitarian qualities. In one stroke all the good work done in the past few days was destroyed.

Let me rewind to the past few days, I had been closely watching the protest against the Jallikattu ban engineered by vast groups of youngsters. Initially I thought it would wear off in a day or so, but surprisingly that didn't happen. On the contrary it gathered momentum evoking reactions from not only the state government, but also the government of India.

This combined show of unity shook the corridors of power, so much so that we had some of our leaders dashing off to the capital pleading for support and solutions.

I wonder what the situation would have been if our erstwhile leader, whom we lost a few months ago, had been around. I seriously suspect that the scenarios would have been different.

Right now I reserve my comments about Jallikattu, as I am no expert in these matters. However what riled me were the statements vociferously aired about this sport being our culture and heritage and no force on earth should deprive us of this. My question to the youth is whether it is only Jallikattu that is so important an issue to bring you out onto the streets? What about other burning issues plaguing our society, aren’t those too against our Tamil culture and heritage. Why are you mute spectators to those goings -on?

It will be a proud day for every Indian citizen when we see an uprising against corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and other government officials. We see zero entry of criminals in politics, eradication of all kinds of mafia, protection of our women, balancing of wealth, welfare schemes which actually reach and benefit a wide segment of society.

Coming back to the events of 23^rd January, based on TV visuals and newspaper reports, I can easily conclude that the vast majority of genuine protesters were not responsible for the recent carnage. So who were these people branded as anti-social elements? Repeatedly they venture out fearlessly, unmindful of the repercussions of their actions. In an era of advanced technology, identifying these elements should be a straightforward exercise. What matters now is the determination of the custodians of the laws, who should take it upon themselves to do the needful.

It is this very aspect that I have spoken about- accountability. The need of the hour is ensuring that all government agencies are held accountable for their actions.

I would be only too delighted if my wishes come true, and we see the evolving of a movement to preserve our society and allow all to live with dignity and fearlessness.

A second independence movement if I dare to say, and this time the enemy is within us, a more daunting task I am afraid, but not impossible to overcome.

The youth of today create a future for the youth of tomorrow. A subtle and meaningful tag line to keep our hopes alive.

Why are marriages not made in heaven?

What is marriage? Various definitions are available to explain marriage, like a bond, social contract, union, relationship recognized by law etc.

All the above are book definitions of marriage, but in my opinion marriage is ‘A merger of mind and body between two consenting adults for a lifetime relationship’.

At this point the definition of relationship plays a pivotal role in my definition. I particularly like the explanation by Dr. Dan Ardebili.

“If you break down the word Re-la-tion-ship: Taking a journey on a ship with your partner and learning how to relate to one another. It is a journey to relate or learn from each other and from everything around you. You are taking this life journey together, creating magic moments and working through the hard or tough times, and most importantly growing stronger together”.

So it is a life-long journey as defined and expected by society and planned by God. But how many of us actually fulfill these obligations. A marriage is supposed to create lifetime magic moments, but sadly no longer. Divorces are on the rise, separations are common, extra marital affairs are now in fashion.

These trends are disturbing and the sacred marriage concept is in danger. We now have ‘live in relationships, children out of wedlock, single parent etc. things which were literally unheard of decades ago.

Today lots of marriages are besotted with numerous issues. Why does this happen? Are there solutions in sight? Is there a fool-proof formula to prevent failures? Is it possible for two individuals to give a lifelong commitment to each other? Can they learn to sacrifice and compromise for a life time? Can the passion be kept alive for a long period?

Well two individuals who sometimes till a year back were complete strangers suddenly find themselves living together, sharing, answerable to each other etc. This could become a shock factor once the initial euphoria is over.

Until each partner loves the other more than himself or herself no marriage will be a successful. Give each other their individual space, respect each other are the other factors which could help a marriage become stronger.

We grew up hearing the phrase “Marriages are made in heaven”, a phrase no doubt created by man to appease doubting individuals about marriage. But in today’s scenario how relevant is it? The more we think about it, we realize that the fact of the matter is that ‘Marriages may not be made in heaven’

God created the concept of marriage with a purpose in mind, have we fulfilled his expectations? A question we should ask ourselves.

Author’s Perspective on Sensual Attractions by A.J. Karan

Why did you select this topic for your book? This is a question I have been asked on innumerable occasions.

While contemplating the genre of the book I wanted to write, I was convinced about one aspect. It should be different, unique, distinctive and rare from the regular ones.

After a long and protracted thought process, my attention was drawn to a facet of our lives which we tend to protect, shield, guard and feel uneasy to discuss, though it is an integral part of our lives.

We have advanced in so many fields, but somehow are extremely orthodox when it comes to our sex lives. Some of us even consider it a taboo to talk about it. So I decided to venture into a topic which I had never written before, exploring unknown territory is never an easy task, but I was intent on doing so, and went full-steam ahead.

It was time to emerge from the shadows of obscurity, and though I am not in favour of excessive permissiveness, neither do I wish us to fear and exist under the diktats of an intolerant society.

Coming back to the book, there are ten stories in all and each has a twist. A few have a cryptic ending, as sequels have been planned for them. Trust me, almost all the episodes and incidents in the stories actually happen in our society. Some of you may disagree, but the fact of the matter is that every occurrence expressed in the various stories are not unnatural or bizarre by any standards.

There is a very thin line separating an erotic novel from porn. Now again some of you may dispute that, and even state as to what is the difference. Well in my opinion, there is a distinct one. An erotic novel will have a story-line and is interspersed with sex, whereas in porn it’s completely opposite, as the story factor plays a secondary role.

To provide clarity in which category the book falls, I have ensured that due attention was given to language and the style of expressing love-making scenes. Strictly no expletives was my strategy, which translated into my style of writing. I also ensured that every story had a logical plot and not just sex with a weak story-line.

Sensuality is part of our lives and it's time for us to be expressive in that regard. Please read the book with an open mind and let the sensuality within you flow.

It’s available on Amazon as well as many bookstores all over the country. For your convenience please find a link below.