Akhyana

एक लड़की होती है   जिसे बचपन में गुड़िया दी जाती है , और छोटी सी थाली-चम्मच। उसे खेल-खेल में सिखाया जाता है कि “खाना बनाना सीख लो , कल को अपने घर काम आएगा।” वो पूछती नहीं कि अपना घर   कौन-सा है , क्योंकि उसे बताया जाता है जहाँ तुम जाओगी , वही तुम्हारा घर होगा। एक दिन एक आदमी उसे मुस्कुराकर कहता है — “ तुम्हारे हाथों का खाना बहुत अच्छा है।” बस , वहीं से शुरू होती है मेरी कहानी   एक रिश्ता जिसमें प्यार के साथ-साथ ज़िम्मेदारियों की एक लंबी सूची मेरी हथेली पर रख दी गई ओर जानते या अनजाने मे धीरे-धीरे में रसोई का इलाका बन गई चूल्हे की आँच मेरी उंगलियों में मिलने लगी मसालों की खुशबू में मुझे अपनी पहचान लगने लगी मुझे लगा यह मेरी उंगलियों पर चल रही पर जाने न कब में भूल गई यह मेरी मर्जी नहीं पर क्या यह ओब्सेशन है ? या फिर एक सीमित दुनिया में खुद को ज़िंदा रखने की कोशिश ? किचन साथी बना क्योंकि परिवार ने कोई स्थान न दिया । कहते हैं भारतीय औरतें भगवानों में बहुत विश्वास रखती हैं। पर क्यू उन्होंने भी तो मुझे मेरा स्थान न दिया पर मुझे तो आद...

  भारत में श्रम कानूनों की शुरुआत औपनिवेशिक दौर में हुई। सबसे पहले महत्वपूर्ण कानून था Factories Act 1881 । इस कानून का मुख्य उद्देश्य कारखानों में काम करने वाले मजदूरों , खासकर बच्चों , के काम के घंटे तय करना और कुछ बुनियादी सुरक्षा देना था। इसके बाद समय-समय पर कई कानून बने – न्यूनतम वेतन काम के घंटे ट्रेड यूनियन का अधिकार हड़ताल का अधिकार सामाजिक सुरक्षा महिलाओं और बच्चों की सुरक्षा ये सभी अधिकार मजदूरों को सरकार ने खुद से नहीं दिए थे , बल्कि लंबे संघर्ष और आंदोलनों के बाद मिले। आज भारत की लगभग 81% कार्यशील आबादी असंगठित क्षेत्र में काम करती है। इसका मतलब है कि देश की बहुत बड़ी आबादी मजदूर वर्ग से जुड़ी है। इसलिए श्रम कानूनों में कोई भी बदलाव करोड़ों लोगों की ज़िंदगी को प्रभावित करता है।   29 लेबर लॉ को चार कोड में क्यों बदला गया ? सरकार का कहना है कि आज़ादी के बाद से बने 29 अलग-अलग श्रम कानून पुराने हो चुके थे। इसलिए उन्हें “सरलीकृत” करके चार नए कोड में बदल दिया गया। ये चार कोड हैं: Code on Wages 2019 Industrial Relations Code...

  Rudramadevi was the queen of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal and is remembered as the dynasty's fourth independent ruler. Her life and rule are beautifully discussed in Cynthia Talbot’s essay, “Rudrama Devi: The Female King – Gender and Political Authority in Medieval India,” published in David Shulman (ed.), Syllables of Sky: Studies in South Indian Civilization (Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1995). Her father, Ganapati Deva , had no son as heir. So he decided to give everything to his daughter. From an early stage, she ruled with him and was trained in matters of administration and warfare. After his death, she took over the regions of government independently and continued the legacy of the Kakatiya state. From 1262 onwards, her reign was firmly established and continued until she died in 1289. What makes Rudramadevi’s story especially powerful is how she negotiated gender and kingship. She is supposed to have worn male attire and led her soldiers in battle. Some acco...

Himachal Pradesh ki khoobsurat pahadiyon ke beech ek shaant aur pavitra jagah hai — Baijnath . Yeh jagah sirf nature ke liye hi nahi, balki ek prachin mandir ke liye bhi mashhoor hai:  Baijnath Temple . Is mandir se judi ek interesting local belief aaj bhi logon ke dilon mein zinda hai. Mana jata hai ki yahan jo Shivling sthapit hai, uski sthapna khud Ravana ne ki thi . Haan, wahi Ravana jise hum aksar Ramayana mein burai ka pratik samajhte hain. Lekin Baijnath mein uski ek alag pehchaan hai. Local kahaniyon ke mutabik, Ravana Bhagwan Shiv ka bahut bada bhakt tha. Usne yahan kathor tapasya ki aur apni bhakti se is jagah ko pavitra bana diya. Dheere dheere mandir ke aas-paas log basne lage. Ghar bane, kheti shuru hui, parivaar bane, aur dekhte hi dekhte yeh gaon samriddh ho gaya. Yahan ke log maante hain ki unki tarakki aur sukh-shanti ka connection isi mandir se hai — aur is mandir ki shuruaat Ravana ki bhakti se judi hui hai. Isi wajah se Baijnath mein Dussehra baaki India se...

There was a time when I believed life was something we had to handle alone. Our problems were ours. Our emotions were ours. Our struggles were private. I thought independence meant not carrying other people’s feelings and not letting their stories become part of my mental space. But slowly, through experiences and small moments of connection, I began to understand something deeper about human existence. That understanding found words when I came across the idea of Ubuntu — “I am because we are.” This simple phrase changed the way I see myself, my relationships, and my place in society. Ubuntu is not just a philosophy; it is a way of living that tells us our identity is not built in isolation. We are shaped by the people around us — by conversations, trust, shared emotions, and collective growth. I began to realize that I am not separate from society. I exist within it, because of it, and as a part of it. Earlier in my life, I often felt confused about why people shared so much with me...

To know about caste, we have to understand first where caste comes from, and in the context of India, caste is in our society; we must understand that caste was not introduced by the British or by any outsider. It already existed within Indian society. We cannot completely reject or deny the theory of caste because caste is not just a social hierarchy. It is deeply rooted in society. It works as an identity. Caste is not always something that is wrong by nature. Many times, its meaning and significance were miscommunicated or misunderstood, often because of emotions and social conflicts. But in reality, we cannot say that caste does not exist. Caste may not exist clearly on paper, but it definitely exists in real life. It plays a huge role in society. If caste truly did not matter, then why does it appear so strongly in politics? Why does it matter so much in marriage? Why do different groups behave differently based on caste identity? Why do social divisions continue to exist? These q...

Namaste! Aaj main aapko batati hoon Himachal Pradesh ke ek secret hero ki kahani:  Shirgul Maharaj , jo aaj bhi Churdhar ke travelers ki raksha karte hai! Churdhar, jo Himachal Pradesh ke Sirmaur district mein hai, Shimla aur Dehradun ke beech Himalayan range mein sabse uncha ridge maana jata hai. Log yahan trek aur spiritual shanti dono ke liye aate hain. Kahani yun hai ki ek baar ek bhakt Churu apne bete ke saath Churdhar par dhyaan (meditation) laga raha tha . Tabhi achanak ek vishal aur khatarnak saanp (serpent) ne un par attack kar diya! Uski takat itni bhaari thi ki Churu aur uske bete ke paas bachne ka koi raasta nahi tha. Tab Churu ne man se Shirgul Maharaj ko bulaya  : unki aatma aur bhakti ki pukaar se Maharaj turant apni divya shakti dikhane ko aaye. Ek teevr divine strike se unhone bade se boulder ko tod diya , jis se zameen par bijli si chamki aur serpent ko maat mil gayi! Us divya bal ke baad wahi bleeding ridge “Churdhar” ke naam se jaana gaya — jiska matl...

  Introduction Jyotiba Phule spoke about the removal of superstition and the need for equality irrespective of caste and gender. His ideas encourage us to question social hierarchies and the way certain groups are treated as inferior. When we read the Ramayana tradition carefully, we can see that similar patterns of marginalization appear in the portrayal of certain characters, especially Rakshasas. This article explores how marginalization works in the Valmiki Ramayana through the depiction of three Rakshasa women: Tadaka, Shurpanakha, and Mandodari. Rakshasa Women and Social Identity Tadaka is presented as a revenge seeker after the death of her husband. Her violence is linked to personal loss, but the text mainly remembers her as a demoness who must be killed by Rama. Shurpanakha is shown as a widow who does not follow the expected rules of widowhood. She openly expresses her desire, which goes against the social norms of female behavior. Because of this, she is insulted, mu...

Rama's character in Raghuvansham, written by Kalidasa.  A significant moment in Raghuvansham is when Queen Kaikeyi teaches Rama and Bharata an archery lesson. She points to a crow and instructs them to shoot it. Bharata, however, refuses, stating that he cannot take the life of another living being without a just cause. Rama, on the other hand, does not question his mother’s command. He shoots the crow with clarity, hitting the target perfectly. Kaikeyi, observing this, asks Rama why he didn’t consider that the crow also had life. She questions how he could take his life without hesitation. Rama responds that a son should never question his mother’s orders. Upon closer inspection, they discover that the crow was a duplicate.