Ninety years ago in 1930, the father of modern psychiatry Sigmund Freud published a famous essay called “Civilisation and its Discontents”.

    Writing in the aftermath of the First World War, amid radical scientific and medical breakthroughs in the field of psychology and also the growth of authoritarian movements like Nazism, Freud explored the tensions between the impulses driving human behaviour and the constraints imposed by the structures of civilisation.

Today, our global civilisation faces the profound challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has thrown up a wide range of “discontents” and poses a complex dilemma of how to balance individual impulses and freedoms with collective responsibility.

Lockdowns, border closures, travel restrictions and mandatory face-coverings have all impacted the personal lives of women and men across the world on an unprecedented scale.

 At the same time, the coronavirus has shone a harsh light on existing inequalities in our civilisation, from the distribution of economic resources to access to health and justice services.

“COVID-19 has been likened to an x-ray, revealing fractures in the fragile skeleton of the societies we have built. It is exposing fallacies and falsehoods everywhere… while we are all floating on the same sea, it’s clear that some are in superyachts while others are clinging to drifting debris.”

If we are to successfully overcome the pandemic, then we need to recommit to the values of solidarity, cooperation and equality that underpin the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the founding of the United Nations, as well as the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the beginnings of Japan’s post-war democracy.

All of these significant anniversaries are interlinked, and underscore that the path of human progress is rarely straightforward. Our civilisation and common human heritage is shaped by war, devastation and loss just as much as by idealism, ingenuity and liberty.

Only an honest reckoning with the complexities and ambiguities of our past can enable us to meet the challenges of the present and future. This is particularly relevant to the current crisis, and how nation states and international institutions like the World Health Organization have responded.

COVID-19 has laid bare the interconnected nature of global risks, and the extent to which even well-resourced health systems can be rapidly overwhelmed when crises hit.

The virus will not be overcome unless all states work together, pooling resources and expertise to strengthen health systems, develop and distribute an effective vaccine, protect health workers and provide the necessary care to all who need it in society. This must particularly include vulnerable groups such as refugees, migrants, the elderly and infirm.

Priority must also be given to efforts to support fragile and poorer states, which have weaker health systems and lack the capacity to provide social safety nets to limit the immediate economic and humanitarian impact of the pandemic. It is essential, once an effective vaccine is developed, that it is made accessible and affordable for all countries.

Leaders and citizens alike need to recognise that our world is in a state of profound crisis, and the multilateral system faces its gravest threat since 1945.

The response to COVID-19 and the challenges of ensuring a rapid, equitable and sustainable economic recovery from the pandemic is straining the limits of international solidarity. It has brought into question the interconnected global systems of trade and international travel that have been taken for granted in recent decades.

In addition, we continue to face the longer-term existential threats to human existence posed by climate change and nuclear weapons, both of which are headed in an increasingly dangerous and unpredictable direction, due to neglect – or in some cases, wilful destructiveness.

It is an especially sad irony that this assault on multilateralism is being led by the United States – the country that played the single biggest role in the establishment and maintenance of the multilateral system after 1945, and which helped Japan become the thriving democracy and economic powerhouse it is today.

The practice of giving dowry is common in our country. Dowry is the money or gifts given to a daughter by her parents at the time of her marriage. Unfortunately, this has become a social problem. The family of the boy demands large sums of money from the girl’s parents. For this reason the birth of a daughter is considered a curse in our society. She is considered as a financial burden on the family. The boy’s family considers it as their right to make demands and a lot of unpleasantness is caused at the time of marriage. Sometimes people even refuse to go through with the marriage if they feel they are not getting enough money.

The girl is very often tortured by the husband and his family for bringing insufficient dowry. Sometimes they are compelled to commit suicide to escape ill-treatment. Worse still, people even resort to murder to do away with a bride who has not brought enough dowries.

Dowry deaths have become a very serious problem in our society. Various legislative safeguards have been introduced over the past fifteen years to combat this problem. But the tragic truth is, that marital and domestic violence including dowry deaths have continued to grow and spread.

The Dowry Prohibition Act was passed in 1961 but it has not been effectively implemented. It was further amended in 1986. Under this law, a person who is convicted can be imprisoned for five years and fined up to fifteen thousand rupees.

But laws alone cannot help to control the menace of dowry deaths. Social awareness, especially amongst young men, needs to be developed through public campaigns. The education and economic independence of women also needs to be encouraged so that their parents do not feel compelled to marry them to dowry seekers.

Dowry system is one of those much discussed systems. Although it is one of the most hated systems surprisingly it is growing day by day. Now- a-days this problem has created a lot of hue and cry in our country. This increasing system is a growing injustice to our society and morals. It should be immediately stopped.

Marriage is one of the most sacred and holy ceremonies in our society. But the horror of the dowry system has made this ceremony one of the feared institutions. In ancient Indian society there was no question of the dowry in marriages. It was considered to be a sin.

Dowry system is an insult to our society. It reduces the position of both man and woman. Many educated men are demanding dowry. Thus dowry system is also an insult to our education and culture. Poor people cannot afford dowry. Many handsome and brilliant girls remain unmarried because they are poor.

Strict laws have been prescribed to check dowry system. But nobody looks at it. Rich people are giving heavy dowry to their daughters. They do not feel unhappy at such crime. Dowry system continues in spite of all steps to check it. However, it can be completely checked if the awareness against this system is created among the girls. If they vow not to marry greedy men, if they become economically self-dependent, then this ugly system will automatically disappear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why do people go to the beach? Why is it such a big attraction during the summer? Everybody has different answers to these questions. The beach is a big thing to me for a number of reasons. The first reason is because it is a place I have been going to ever since I was younger. My parents met at the beach and grew up in beach towns. The beach is apart of them and they thought to share this special place with me. Not all the time, but most of the time people stick to things that are familiar to them. My cousin came to visit my family and me this summer from Kansas. He has only been to the beach twice in his life. So when we took him to the beach this summer he was so excited and fascinated by it. He wanted to go to the beach everyday and that’s what we did. The beach is such a familiar thing in my life I don’t even think twice about it. So seeing my cousin get excited about it opened my eyes at how many people don’t get to experience the beach. But being away from home and at college for two months has made me realize how important it is to me and how big of an impact it has had on my life.

The beach is also a huge part in my life and I’m sure in other people’s lives because it is relaxing. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore, the sand between my toes, and just having a great time with friends and family is the best part. The beach is a getaway for some people. The beach is also a symbol that signals school is out. When people think of summer they think of the beach. The beach is the place where people go to enjoy themselves.

People go to the beach for the different activities you can do there. You can go swimming in the ocean. Go parasailing, running, party, and fishing. A popular beach near me has an arcade, aquarium, rides, and mini golfing. There is always something to do. From the activities listed or to just relax with friends and family. The beach holds a number of ways for you to enjoy yourself. You can always find things that interest you at the beach. Every summer I do this surf camp that the beach I go to offers. I have been going for years because I wanted to get involved in an activity instead of lying on the beach getting a tan.

There are so many other reasons why people like to go to the beach and everybody is different. There are plenty of different things that people can get into. If you can’t find something enjoyable to do or you don’t like the beach you aren’t looking hard enough. There are plenty of reasons to like the beach and I understand that some people just don’t like the beach, but there are plenty of activities around the beach to do also.

 

 

 

  Yes, yes ! You read it right !!

Quite a mindboggling and thought-provoking heading !

Isn’t it ?

     A very famous quote says that actions speak louder than words but have you ever imagined in your weirdest dreams that how miraculously our life would be turned upside down if a simple electronic device like keyboard, could talk.

This heading must have surely caught your first hand attention and indeed it’s idea created a tickle in my mind as well, so much so that plenty of thoughts hovered over my mind as to how amazingly absurd this world would be if all our unspoken thoughts actually get heard by everyone around !!

The only part in the computer system which is capable of conveying our thoughts to the ever complicated wired machine’s brain by sending our messages in the form of inked words would create an interesting havoc if its buttons would actually speak up the words being pressed upon them !!

Thinking of the funniest consequence which comes to my mind is the one when in a working place of 10-20 employees typing together on their respective keyboards eventually turning it all into a remarkable fish market filled with the voices of their talking keyboards !!

Just imagine the state of their minds amidst of all such different cracking noises 😛

Another most important use of these keyboards is found almost everywhere in this era of booming social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter where people are spending almost half of their lives typing their thoughts on the computers spreading it around the world !

Imagine the today’s so called love birds talking to each other via these social networking sites using these keyboards. How interesting it would be if the keyboards starts questioning your love ? If it begins to modify your loving thoughts being conveyed to the person on the other side of your computer, wouldn’t you feel as if there’s a love counselor sitting between you both ??!!

What if it leads to your relationship status being changed to “It’s Complicated” from “I am Committed” ??!!

Oh wait a minute !

How can we forget ! What a disaster it would result into if their parents are sitting beside them while they are sharing their love messages 😛 Giving you a shiver even in your imaginations ??

Oh yeah dude ! Chill down, it’s just a thought !

Of course all of their love would turn into a spark giving rise to World War 3 !!

On a serious note, this imagination can actually cost the security of our country a great high price and trembling its very foundation !!

Though there has been a remarkable advancement in the field of technology whereby the most important details and information are transmitted in the most secured manner via various means of encryption but still there are many areas where sensitive data is still transmitted through simple computers, thus our not-so-common imagination of talking keyboards would compromise the integrity of the information being transmitted and would cause a terrible threat to our nation !

This weird imagination can lead to a catastrophe to fall on our nation’s security and confidentiality !!

Another interesting incident is surely the one you all must be thinking about and it has eventually clicked my mind too !

So much entrancingly hilarious it would be if all these ideas of mine actually be a result of my negotiation with the keyboard itself !! If all my thought processing is shared with its own words and thoughts ! I think it would be very amusing if the theme of my article is itself going to guide me the way to pen down the cognition of its essence !!

A mere imagination but what a wonderful thought !

Isn’t it ?

But it’s actually not as easy as it seems to be!

Every unique action has an equal and inexorably exclusive opposite reaction !!!!

So simply let our thoughts be conveyed by the ink of our mind and not by a talkative piece of science !!

 

The hillock near Karamadai is part of the 1,049.74 hectares of land declared as reserve land by the Coimbatore District Collector | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The forest area in Coimbatore district has seen a significant increase after District Collector S. Nagarajan declared 1,049.74 hectares of land, as reserve land. With this, the size of the forest area in the district has increased from 1,22,215.13 ha to 1,23,264.87 ha, said District Forest Officer D. Venkatesh.According to the official, 1,049.74 ha of land, belonging to the Revenue and the Forest Department, were declared as reserve lands, under section 26 of the Tamil Nadu Forest Act, 1882. The 1,049.74 ha declared as reserve lands in the district are located in Kemmaramplayam, Karamadai, Tholampalayam and Marathur in Mettupalayam taluk, Odayakulam in Anaimalai taluk, Zamin Uthukuli and Pollachi town in Pollachi taluk.Forest Minister K. Ramachandran appreciated Mr. Nagarajan and Coimbatore Forest Division for the achievement. The Minister told officials that Coimbatore district has set a model for other districts by increasing its forest cover and protecting crucial passage of wild animals — referring to the declaration of 50.79 hectares of private land in the Kallar elephant corridor area as private forest. Kattanjimalai, located at Marathur village in Mettupalayam taluk, is the largest single area which was declared as reserve land. The hillock, spread over 817 ha with thick vegetation, was classified as government poramboke Poachers used to hunt lesser-known species at this place and the Department had registered three cases related to the use of country-made explosives for hunting. With the place declared as reserve land, Forest Department staff will conduct regular patrols and monitor the area,” said Mr. Venkatesh. The Coimbatore forest division has become bigger by 1,049.74 hectares, with district collector S

declaring the parcels of revenue department land abutting the reserve forest in Mettupalayam, Anaimalai and Pollachi taluks as the reserve land. With this, the Forest cover has increased to 1,23,264.87 hectares from 1,22,215.13 hectares.

Forest minister K Ramachandran has appreciated the collector and forest officials for increasing the forest cover in the division to protect the passage of wild animals. Earlier, district forest officer D Venkatesh and team had collected details of the revenue department land adjacent to the reserve forest at Kemmampalayam, Karamadai, Tholampalayam and Maruthur in Mettupalayam taluk, Odayakulam in Anaimalai taluk, and Zamin Uthukuli in Pollachi taluk and submitted the same before the district collector a few days ago with a request to declare them as the reserve land.said .they had identified 1,049.74 hectares, of which just and the remaining to the revenue department,” a source privy to the development said.

This is the first elephant corridor in the state to be brought under the private forest act. The move will help preserve the most critical elephant corridor in the state. The landowner can enjoy the property, but cannot undertake any development work without obtaining permission from the forest department. The landowner also cannot fell the trees,” the DFO said.

 

 

 

By: G Gnana Priya dharshini