Honor killing?

Over the past 3 months, I have read almost 6-7 cases of couples being killed by parents or by the community for marrying outside their caste. They call it ‘honor killing’ as it has brought dishonor to the family or community. I fail to understand, what happens to their ‘honor’ when they kill anyone, whatsoever be the reason. Is human life so cheap that it could be taken away ruthlessly just because two people decide to spend their lives together? Is caste the only criteria for a successful married life?

I would have still found it reasonable if we could blame it on the ignorance and illiteracy of our backward villages for this act, and be satisfied that our Tier 1 cities are swiftly moving towards ‘caste-creed-no-bar’ motto.
But, over a period of time, I have realized that those highly educated people holding respectable positions in top-notch companies and staying in posh sky-scraper apartments of the metros, are the most conservative lot. For them, inter-caste marriage continues to be an arena of contention. Are they really living in the 21st century?
There's a huge difference between getting education and being educated. This is well reflected by the fact that most of these honor-killing cases have been reported in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh etc.

Why do we use our cultural boundaries to divide us rather than embracing the diverse culture which our country possesses? Hope people could understand the importance of unity in diversity and may some peace flourish on Earth!

The Daily Hobby

After reading one of my friend's blog posts got me thinking - Do I have any interest that I pursue on a daily basis, no matter how busy I am? Well, I thought seriously and I was not disappointed with myself :-) Reading daily news is an interest that has never lost its importance despite all odds.

It would seem to be an uninteresting interest to many members of the female community, but to me, reading news is as important a part of the daily chore as brushing teeth. I like to browse all the news sites atleast once a day, and if I am not very busy, I'll browse them twice or thrice to get the latest updates. It has been my habit since many years. And I guess it runs in my family. Way back, when I was at home, or even now when I go home for vacation with my brothers, there will be a queue to grab the newspaper. Each one of us would be waiting for our turn to get hold of the local and national daily.

I like reading National and International News, IT updates, sometimes even Business and Share Market sections. The Sports section never interests me unless India has won some match. And even if there is nothing interesting to read in these news sites, the 'Health and Fitness' section has always been my absolute favourite.

Hope this interest remains cultivated in me for many more years to come. I also hope that my friends who do not have the habit of reading newspaper, could get started with it. Its always good to keep oneself updated with the latest happenings in the country and around the world.