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Showing posts with the label rape

Scent of spring: Songbirds, cherry blossoms, and warmer days

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    Spring, perhaps the most awaited season of the year, is about to grace this region of the world with its presence. I know spring is about to arrive in Delaware because after a series of unusually frigid mornings, which lasted from December through February, cheerful chirping of red-breasted robins, blue jays, and chickadees has now filled the morning air. In contrast to spring mornings, winter mornings are so hushed and uneventful that one may even question if birds exist in this land at all. To me, birdsongs are the harbinger of spring.  With the first sight of a bluejay perched on the backyard fence or a cardinal dancing on a leafless cherry branch, I know that my wait for spring is almost over, for I’ve learned from past experiences that an increase in bird activity signifies the approach of spring!  In this part of the world, during spring, nature comes alive with an abundance of activity. Everywhere I look, I witness signs of life. I witness new life in the ...

In a quest for freedom

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I asked around, I asked Bengali-speaking female friends and acquaintances from Bangladesh and India what they understand by the word, Freedom.  The Daily Star link When asked what freedom means to her, Ranita Ghosh Chakrabarti, an Indian American working in higher education, said, “To me, freedom is my ability to make my life’s decisions by myself. Although I will welcome suggestions and advice from family and friends, I should be able to make my own decisions without hesitation or regret. I should be the driver of my own car.”  Photo credit: Tithi Living without the fear of men eve-teasing, staring with lustful eyes, or sexually assaulting them is what many modern women understand by the word, freedom. However, “My body is mine” or “No means no” only exists in a utopian world.  Angira Nandi, who works for a Business Processing Outsourcing company in Kolkata, India, believes that financial independence is what makes a woman free. “But when her very right to safety is at s...