The Sunshine Blogger Award

sunshine Blogger Award

I am thankful to Savy for conferring me with Sunshine award. She is one of my favorite writers and her writing is as beautiful as she is. Link to her blog is Savvy Raj

I nominated her for the award and she nominated me back. Normally in such scenarios I reply to the questions asked in the comments section but such was the quality of questions asked that I had to write a post to answer those. As I have already nominated my fellow bloggers, I won’t be nominating anyone this time. However, I will be asking a few questions to some of my fellow bloggers and would solicit answers to help me write my next post.

What is your take on equality of sexes?

There are two countries within our country

Rural:

I have workedat some of the remotest corners of India in Haryana, Rajasthan and UP and have seen women slug it out from morning 4:00 AM to 10:00 PM in night doing all the work with a veil covering their docile faces where as men leisure around gossiping, smoking pipe and hookah at the same time bossing around their wives. I encountered a gut wrenching sight during my Govardhan Parikrama when I saw famous Vrindavan widows with their heads tonsured, begging for alms. That poignant sight made me realize how much distance we have to travel before we talk of women equality.

Urban India:

Here women have all the liberties are free to do whatever they want to but still crave for more. Here if men utter something they are labelled misogynist, sexist and male chauvinist pig.

This is the section which is most aware and have taken advantages of all rules and policies which are implemented to empower women. Sometimes men have been at the receiving end as well. I feel dowry law has been the most misused marital law in urban India but still I feel urban women are much better vis-à-vis their rural counterparts.

Third sex (eunuch) probably is the worst affected in our society who are forced to live an abject and wretched live deprived of dignity. I won’t write much on them it’s just that their life is a living nightmare. Probably life in a hell hole would be better.

What is your idea of happiness?

Happiness doesn’t come from money, doesn’t come from love for it is easy to fall in love but difficult to stay put. All this talk of broken heart doesn’t impress me much. I think love is lot of hard work and sacrifice and there is nothing like dumping. It is that both people outgrow each other and I pity people who play the victim card. If you feel you have been wronged, go ahead make yourself better. There’s no stopping you.

As a normal human being who has not attained nirvana or self-actualization as per Maslow’s need theory undermentioned moments are the once which make me feel happy.

  1. When I teach small children in blind school.
  2. When I do something for my parents and make them happy.
  3. When I am with my wife and my children.
  4. When I am appreciated.
  5. When I do charity.

What is your idea of a perfect day in your life?

Getting up cheerfully with my wife and children, going to office after bidding good bye to my family including my parents, coming back to them after a great day and going out for a movie and dinner with them. Getting a promotion and a salary raise won’t hurt either.

Do you like to dance, if so what style or form attracts you?

As a Punjabi I have grown up dancing to and seeing bhangra and there is not much that I know about dance beyond that. My wife says I am very stiff dancer and I don’t shake legs at all while dancing. That’s the technical part. On emotional part I feel dance is a very good stress buster is rejuvenating and helps us increase fitness levels and some of my dancers friends tell me dancing releases happy hormone and has the same effect as that of marijuana or dope but without its side effects.

What are you most thankful for?

I am most thankful for I am physically and mentally stable so far and have most of the things that a middle class guy could think of. Of course the more the better.

Among the many valuable qualities what is the most important quality to develop as a human being?

I believe it is gratitude, charity and basic hygiene is what every human being should have. We Indians are miser when it comes to expressing gratitude and we don’t believe in charity it seems, though we are extravagant when it comes to ourselves. In USA or in other western countries even a janitor is treated with respect and people generally do lot of charity. Again I feel personal hygiene is of paramount importance and I find it odious to talk to or to be friends with those who don’t maintain that.

Phew!!! Savy this was one of the most difficult awards that I have nominated for but then again the quality of questions got my mind working and my fingers hitting the key board.

My questions.

Have you ever been depressed in life?

Is there a stigma attached in going to a psychiatrist?

Have you ever suffered from insomnia , if yes, what you did about it ?

19 thoughts on “The Sunshine Blogger Award”

  1. Life goes a full circle indeed! Poignant and profound post Siddhartha. I thank you for your very insightful answers to my questions . I sincerely appreciate your effort and thank you for the opportunity to think of these questions with your kind nomination of me as well .

    1. I had to reply to these questions. I probably could have ended up with a treatise if I had my way. As I said your questions like your writing gets my mind working over time. Btw do you know some good dance schools in Delhi where I can send my daughter especially for kathak.

  2. Congratulations !! You have answered really well
    Okay let’s answer your questions now
    1) yes I have been depressed and I am talking about actual depression here
    I feel I was in depression for almost 3-4 months after I had huge fights with my dad. Those fights were just beyond my capability to cope with them. I used to cry every night and I totally cut myself from every body. My college life was horrible and I was called names just because there was some rumour I had “daddy issues” my life was literally falling apart.
    2) I went to a psychiatrist. The one in my college. Yes, there is a stigma but for me my mental peace was more imp than getting names form society.
    3) I didn’t have insomnia for months but I had for days. I used to drink warm milk every night and I used to play mild music. I removed the clock form my room. Eventually my pattern was set back.
    I like answering to questions 🙂

  3. Congratulations dua ji🎉🎉🎉 beautifully answered
    Coming to my ans
    A1. Yes! I too have faced that like anyone of us. Im no exception I came out stronger and I love this version of me more. Im glad about what I faced has made me solid.

    A2. Stigma!! Really? Does society get to decide which doctor I should visit. This is an invalid question for me. Still considering it if it’s a stigma.. I say a stigma is planted and watered by Us. So please JUST STOP GET A LIFE.

    A3. No! Not really. Hoping not in future too.

  4. Your writing always offers valuable perspective. To dabble at your questions, yes I have been depressed before, a whole lot more than I have ever thought possible. Is there stigma in going to a psychiatrist? I believe for me and probably a number of my fellow Kenyan compatriots, it is more an aspect of the financial incapability and unwillingness to see a psychiatrist when you can accomplish pretty much the same thing by seeing your church counselor, then again, I tend to miser on spending. I have definitely had my fair share of insomnia. What do I do? Watch a lot of rambling videos and wait it out. Eventually my short attention span will triumph and lull me to sleep… Haha. Congratulations again Siddhartha.

    1. Thanks Dimple for your valuable insight and answering to my questions. I really appreciate it.

  5. Hi, I feel depressed for quite a while now and haven’t still gone to a psychologist. I don’t know, I guess I am still hoping to get through it myself. Personally, I don’t have a stigma against seeing psychiatrists. Also I haven’t had insomnia yet and hopefully I won’t.

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