Aswini Ashok

Prequel:  Touring Hampi: Day 1 at the temple side "To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasant sensations in the world" -Anonymous Day 2: I woke up by 7 A.M and after a hot shower, packed my bags and checked out since I did not want to waste money on the hotel room unnecessarily as I was leaving the same night anyway. Again walked to the KSRTC Station. I have started knowing the routes like the back of my hand. Luckily found a cloakroom in the bus stand where I deposited my bag and carried only the essential things in a small bag. This time I was cautious to enquire H-A-M-P-I to get the correct bus, unlike the previous day fiasco. The city bus dropped me at Hampi near Virupaksha Temple. I switched on the maps and walked to the ferry point. Plus the tuk-tuk driver had already assured me the ferry point was at the backside of the temple only. The backside of the temple opened into a view of a beautiful river which I never thought was there initially. It ...

Travel clears the clutter in our minds. We always look up at people having something up their sleeves. The world may not be the same for everyone but everyone has their own ways approaching it, making it more beautiful and meaningful. At the end of every trip, there are some experiences that cease to escape us. Sometimes it looks so juvenile but that keeps pushing us, snowballing into more awesome experiences in the future. When I had my first solo trip to Mumbai, I was so proud that I could actually survive on my own anywhere. My recent solo trip for 2 days to Hampi gives me a sense of pride and satisfaction to love myself more which I will keep doing for the rest of my life. It all started out of nowhere, if I had thought too much, I would not have done so many things in my life. This is one such thing. I wanted to GO, I just booked the tickets for the next weekend, not even caring to check the CNF probability. My to and fro tickets were on the Waitlist until the chart prepa...

         Being a feminist in a society like India is like being one step away from landing in Jail. It is not just about dealing with jerks on a regular basis but controlling the urge to punch them right away. All my life I have been a feminist, knowingly or unknowingly. During my early years, I used to loathe the word ‘feminist’ believing it is indeed a problematic word to describe equality. I championed myself as anyone who battles for equality but feminist. Don’t blame me yaar. Even Indira Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee too refused to be referred to as feminists. Probably, now I have missed the chance to associate myself with them with my profound knowledge of understanding feminism is of course equality. Even with that understanding, I was a closet feminist for the next stages in my life. I have always believed that inequalities will die a natural death if we don’t acknowledge it and just mind our business believing there is no inequality. Just like Cancer cu...

Avni rolled on her bed, fighting to sleep, discarding the memories of the day for the umpteenth time. Sleep was a thousand miles away. She could not fathom the logic behind Ansh’s behaviour earlier that day. Avni recollected what just transpired between her and Ansh a few hours back. Ansh: I am allowing you to be with your friends however and wherever you wish, but, not allowing you go to this party late at night that too in Delhi. Avni: Excuse me! What do you think you are? Keep your ‘allowing’ business with yourself. I am neither asking your permission nor assistance. I just informed my plans out of habit. Don’t you dare come up with this allowing business anymore! By this time, both were fuming with rage. Ansh: But don’t you remember I am your fiancé. Avni: Yes. I remember very well, which is why I am trying to keep my temper. But that doesn’t mean I am letting you decide my life on my behalf. You may give your suggestions, but, I warn you your ‘allowing’ di...

Every election season we get torn between two narratives. One is the majority and politically correct stand of exercising our voting power by hook and crook. The other is by the extreme leftists on how the current electoral system is a mess and no good will happen through voting. Amid this there are other miscellaneous narratives on how a single vote will (not) bring any ‘huge’ change or the need for representative electoral, etc., etc., However, one cannot deny the fact that every election season we get worked up on who to vote for or who to vote out, unless otherwise, we are following any party or person blindly. That makes it simple sometimes. Anyways as millennial voters, we are time and again lectured on the need to vote for the right candidate irrespective of the party. Let me illustrate how I have religiously followed it and loosened my stand over time. It was in the year 2015, I have developed a severe hatred  against our ex-Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for the scam...

The book “Mr. Gandhi and the emancipation of the untouchables” is a book adaptation of the paper submitted by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar on the “Problem of the Untouchables of India” for the Session of the Conference which was held on December 1942 at Mont' Tramblant in Quebec in Canada. Critical Digest brings this title as one of the many titles published by them on Ambedkar’s thought-provoking speeches and writings. The book exclusively deals with the problems faced by the untouchables in India and puts forward recommendations to overcome the social inequality backed by Hindu religion, by providing a fair level of political play for the untouchables. It also questions the role of leaders of India on their role of the emancipation of Untouchables. Ambedkar demands the following for the emancipation of untouchables in this book: Separate constituencies where the untouchable representatives are elected only through untouchable voters. Hindus should not interfere with this....