Poem: The surge of power in the Sea

Waves crashing, eyes flailing I look out to see,

The power coursing through the seas.

It never stops to astonish me, 

The decisive nature of the tide. 

We watch in silence and look out at the seas,

Hoping for a warm greeting to lap at our feet

But the surge of waves never stop in greeting

Their emotions are as strong as metal beams.

They ask not for love but give in plenty.

But we humans know only to destroy,

Love and pure beauty.

Love is extrinsic to our nature,

So much so that we feel the need to

 Destroy our givers,

The ones who sustain our existence.

But the sea, it has astounding beauty.

It does not love so it expects not to receive, 

It does not ask for aid to sustain its family.

It still gives and it teaches us too,

To respect and care for our family.

Each wave has different meanings.

The sea has its high and its low,

but it never bottles up its feelings. 

Power and strength are what the sea teaches me.

It does not have disdain for our ways 

But compassion that guides my journey.

Black History Month

Michelle Obama was born on January 17, 1964, in Chicago, Illinois. She attended Princeton University, graduating in 1985, and went on to earn a degree from Harvard Law School in 1988. Following her graduation from Harvard, she worked at a Chicago law firm, where she met her husband, the future U.S. president, Barack Obama. The couple married on October 3, 1992. As First Lady, she focused her attention on current social issues, such as poverty, healthy living and education. She has supported several causes for women empowerment and building a future for young people. 

She is a force of nature. She served as the First Lady of the U.S.A. for 8 years. She has been the backbone of America and has been the epitome of strength through her time as the First Lady. She is a true leader. Every word she utters is with true conviction. She has served in the shadows as a public servant, working towards making America a better country for each citizen. She is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. A great mother, wife and daughter she has excelled in every aspect of her life. She has founded and supported countless causes to make the world a better place for every woman and child. 

In May 2006, Essence listed Michelle among the "25 of the World's Most Inspiring Women.” They could not have been more right. She speaks for the entire nation every time she presents a speech to the country. She is an amazing student and has paved the way for several African-American women worldwide to achieve their dreams. She is one of the biggest advocates for women’s rights and for the rights of every citizen. She strongly believes that every human being matters. She also boldly speaks about LGBT rights and is a big advocate of human decency. She is the definition of confident and is the greatest role model today for women and children worldwide. I believe that Michelle Obama would make a great president of the United Stated of America.  For Black History month, I could not think of anyone greater to honor than Ms. Obama. 

Uri Attack: A Face of Imprisonment

Two Pakistani teenagers, who were wrongly accused of having served as guides for the terrorists who attacked an Indian Army base in Uri, were repatriated home on Friday afternoon,  At the end of 171 days in the custody of the Indian Army and National Investigations Agency, a day after being formally cleared by investigators, Faisal Husain Awan and his school-friend Ahsan Khursheed were brought to the Attari border-crossing shortly after lunchtime, their eyes covered with black blindfolds, and handed over to Pakistani authorities. The NIA had, earlier this week, told a court in Jammu that it was releasing both youth as its investigation had found no evidence against them.

A spokesperson for the Indian Army, which held the two youth on September 21, also alleged the two youth were “working for Jaish-e-Muhammad terror outfit”. Later, however, Praveen Swami, an Indian Express journalist, threw up evidence that the two were at home on September 17, the day Global Positioning System data recovered from the Uri attackers showed that they had crossed the Line of Control.

 A woman doctor working for the Central Reserve Police Force, who treated the two teenagers following their arrest, told The Indian Express that they told her they had participated in the attack itself, providing details of how incendiary substances were used to set the tents at the 12 Brigade on fire.The NIA, however, found the two youths’ supposed confessions did not tally with actual events on the ground, suggesting that they may have been coerced to give this testimony during the first days of their arrest.

Two innocent teenage boys have faced unimaginable trauma. Their only fault was that they crossed the line of control by accident. Their villages were located extremely close to the line of control and this mistake could have been made by any other child. These boys were held captive by the Indian Army for 171 days. They had no family and nobody to defend them. I sometimes imagine myself in their shoes and my body shakes with fear. They were made to lie so that they could evade torture. Guilt flows through my body as does shame. These boys were suspected to be terrorist just because they were Muslims. Not only does it speak shamefully about us as Indians, but as human beings as well. Our constitution ensures equal rights for each human being but these rights were denied to these children simply because they were Muslim and the Indian Army needed someone to blame. I would like to salute Mr. Swami for his contribution to the release of these two children. To all adults out there, I would just like to ask you to follow what you preach as that kid could have been yours. These boys had a family and a life which we ripped away from them. 

International Women's Day - A Tribute

‘Looking back, moving forward’. This statement could not be more true. For centuries women have been downgraded by society. People say that a women’s hand is behind every man success. Personally, I have find that to be extremely degrading. Women are not helpers who hide in the shadows. They are as strong as they want to be. Throughout history women have defied the rules of society and proved our worth. There is no better way to celebrate international women’s day but by honoring the smartest and bravest women’s who have carved the paths for success. They have stood up the man and defied every speculation.

Amelia Earhart was the first women pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. With a dream that truly reached the sky she succeeded where no man could. Her bravery and passion led her to become the greatest female aviator in history. Amelia was born on July 24, 1897 in Atchison, Kansas. In 1923, Earhart, fondly known as "Lady Lindy," became the 16th woman to be issued a pilot's license. She had several notable flights, becoming the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, as well as the first person to fly over both the Atlantic and Pacific. In 1937, she mysteriously disappeared while trying to circumnavigate the globe from the equator. Earhart was legally declared dead in 1939.

As a child I ember being fascinated by the wildlife. I was often scared by the anger they posed. Jane Goodall all but proved me wrong. Jane Goodall created one of the most trailblazing studies of primates in modern times when she dwelled with Tanzanian chimps to observe their behavior. Born on April 3, 1934, in London, England, Jane Goodall set out to Tanzania to study wild chimpanzees by sitting amongst them, bypassing more rigid procedures and uncovering discoveries about primate behavior that have continued to shape scientific discourse. Jane was named a Messenger of Peace by the United Nations in 2002 and a Dame of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II of England in 2003.

Women have shaped history but so have children. The finest example of this is Malala Yousafzai. Malala was born on July 12, 1997, in Mingora, Pakistan. As a child, she became an advocate for girls' education, which resulted in the Taliban issuing a death threat against her. On October 9, 2012, a gunman shot Malala when she was traveling home from school. She survived, and has continued to speak out on the importance of education. She was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize 2014and won, becoming the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

I have always admired some people’s passion and dedication to their work. Simone Biles is definitely one of those people. Simone Biles was too young to qualify for the 2012 Olympics, but the 4-foot-9 gymnast has completely dominated her sport since her senior debut in 2013. Not only is she the first female gymnast since 1974 to win four consecutive all-around titles at the U.S. national championships, but she’s also the first woman ever to be the all-around world champion three years in a row. Her passion for her sport is her best quality.

There have been so many amazing women that it is impossible to honor them all. But they are in our hearts and mind. We are all special and all of us have the capability to shine. These icons inspire us every day to aspire bit and shine even brighter. Not only have they carved the way to a brighter future for all women but have also gained our deepest respect. On International women’s day, I would just like commemorate and congratulate each and every one of them.

By: Tarsha Swami 

Trump and the World

The unthinkable is only unthinkable until it happens. Like the attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, President Elect Donald Trump winning the 2016 US elections now seems historically inevitable. All over the world leaders are asking themselves what Trump’s policies will mean for them. No one can say for sure but Trumps speeches during his campaign have given a lot of insight on what is to come.

The largest impact of Trump on the world will likely be his policies on climate change. During his campaign, Trump denied the science of climate change and called it a “con job” and a “myth”.  In 2015 Trump announced his plans to void the Paris Accords, which seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. He plans to permit mining of shale gas and oil, which defeats the target of reducing greenhouse gases. This will slowly but surely increase global warming worldwide. The world could lose its last chance to act unitedly to save our planet.

Further, Trump’s policies could have big economic impacts. Trump has accused China of “Dumping” and of “Devaluing” their currency, the Yuan. He has threatened to bring trade cases against China to the US courts and to the World Trade organisation. If implemented, Mr. Trump will get into a trade war with China causing its economy to slow down. China has the second largest economy in the world. Any country trading with China will be affected, causing those countries’ economies to slow down as well.

Furthermore, Trump is threatening to cut back trade with China, so as to make sure that North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un does not lead North Korea any longer. North Korea has nuclear missiles. If North Korea is put in a corner, then it can unleash these missiles on Japan and South Korea. The result of this could be war.

President Elect Trump’s Defence policies could also cause an economic slowdown. During the elections, Trump announced his plan for an increased budget for defence, but also promised to reduce taxes. If taxes are reduced, the government will then need to borrow money to pay for an increased budget for Defence. This means less money for investments in the economy, which will slow down trade and investment worldwide.

In addition, Trump plans to void the nuclear agreement with Iran. Iran is the biggest producer of oil globally. Before the nuclear agreement, other countries ere banned from importing oil from Iran. Sanctions were lifted off imports of oil from Iran after the nuclear agreement was finalised. If the nuclear agreement becomes void, then the sanctions on export of oil by Iran will return, causing oil to become extremely expensive worldwide. This will cause a huge economic issue.

Trump also plans on stopping Muslim immigration because he believes that the Islamic states are the biggest “sponsors of terrorism”. This could lead to a Muslim versus non-Muslim divide worldwide. That might make terrorism worse, not better.

Trump also wants NATO to pay for protection against Russia. This has European officials worried as Russia ha become extremely strong after defeating Ukraine. Instability with Europe being so powerful is hazardous.

Global diplomacy has been likened to a game of chess‑and Trump is threatening to toss all the pieces off the board. No one knows if Trump is going to deliver on these threats but there are plenty of reasons to be very nervous. 

The Freedom of Speech

In the 16th century a philosopher named Giordano Bruno claimed the earth was not the center of the universe. We learn that in school today but his views offended the Christian church who burned him at the stake on February 17, 1600. If heroes like Giordano Bruno had shied away from expressing their opinions perhaps we would still think that the earth was flat.

In India today we have a big debate about free speech. Some people think we should not hurt others religious feelings, Others say we should not say things against our country. When our constitution was first written the right to free speech was absolute like in most democracies. But in 1951 many conditions were imposed to limit our free speech right. In the decades since many books have been banned and many writers prosecuted because they wrote what someone or the other found offensive. Since independence 52 books which have won international awards have been banned by the central or a state government in India. Who knows how many Bruno’s were among these authors.

Society’s change and grow when they are confronted by new ideas and opinions. If we had shied away from change, we would still be burning woman in the name of sati and ostracizing people because of their cast. Hurt feelings are a small price to pay for positive change. Change is painful but free speech is the only way to accomplish it. Some people say that if we have free speech then bad ideas can incite people to violence. The answer to that claim is that we have laws to punish people who are violent. The answer to a bad idea is a good idea not gagging somebody’s mouth.

Those who claim that we should trust the government to decide what we can and cannot say forget our history. From 1975 to 1977 all our free speech rights were suspended and the government used censorship to arrest tens of thousands of innocent people. Let’s look at the societies that trusted the government with unlimited power: Nazi, Germany, Imperial Japan and Starlin’s Russia. Those societies are dead along with millions of people. Where they kill free speech they will kill people too.

A Dream for Peace

In my thoughts and dreams

I see a place filled with joy and love

Prosperity and harmony and peace --

All brought on the wings of a dove.

But when I wake up all I see

Are newspapers flashing headlines constantly?

About wars, deaths, violence, hatred

And the destruction of humanity.

But it is up to us to create

This long-desired peace,

To make our dreams come true,

And all this violence to cease.

Cause we all come from people

Who somewhere, somehow,

Have this destructive impulse

To hatred and intolerance we bow.

So do we all join hands in the name

Of peace and harmony?

Or do we destroy ourselves and

Not set the winds of change free?

Do we preserve love, compassion,

Peace and humanity?

Or do we let it go, shatter it

With violence and insanity?

So let's join hands and create peace

Work till all negativity is shed --

For living happily is much better,

Far better than being dead.