Prutha Goa

There is an insidious disease that plagues members of Indian society – apathy towards any problem that does not particularly apply to oneself and the unwillingness to battle with the powers that be to right an injustice done to a fellow human being. Ratna Vira’s new book It’s Not About You addresses the issue of bullying, a rampant problem in our society that Indians are apt to sweep under the rug. Ratna is the author of the national bestseller Daughter by Court Order , another socially evocative novel that forces us to face upfront the injustice meted out to women in India. It’s Not About You tells the poignant tale of 16 year old Aksh and his single mother Samaira taking on the school authorities and the bullies who leave Aksh battered and bruised. Bullying comes in many forms. At times it takes place within families or it could be bullying by colleagues, schoolmates, etc. The main aim of this book it to motivate the listless Indian public to recognise this averse behaviour for wha

By Maya Lin Noronha 'Don’t tell me you’re going to college dressed like this.’ ‘Yes! Why?’ 'There is no way you are stepping out of this house wearing such a cleavage revealing top!’ 'What’s wrong with it?! All my friends dress like this. Stop being so old fashioned!’ 'I don’t care about how everybody else dresses up. You are my child and you will dress modestly. Go and change right now!!’ 'Just because you dress like a relic from the Dark Ages, don’t expect me to follow suit!’ A conversation like this is enough to suggest the presence of a teenager in the home. You can blame it on the turmoil of hormones, peer pressure or anything else but the adolescent years spell a period of emotional tumult and chaos for both parents as well as teenagers. Theirs is a different world and unravelling the mystery of adolescent angst poses a mighty challenge to most parents. Stepping in tune with your resident teen can be the equivalent of scaling Mount Everest. In the 21st Century