Author: akshay
-
Giving Love A Chance
There were 3 JCBs working on a single section of road in Indiranagar today. The section which contains metro entrance A. I exited the metro today via the same entrance. But I did not go to the road where the JCBs were. I hadn’t had lunch. So I went on the main road under the…
-
The Search for Meaningful Work
People who are stuck in a paradigm of work that they don’t believe in will often have a vague feeling of discomfort and discontent within them. This can take the form of a frustration, or a question. When it is framed as a question, they’re able to ask and explore the answer to the question.…
-
Two Kinds of Frustrations with Progressive Spaces
By “progressive”, I mean what’s popularly referred to as “progressive”. The movements, the NGOs, the protest sites, and the like. It is easy to find people frustrated with progressive spaces. But there are two kinds. One has the not doing the right way frustration. The other has the not doing the right thing frustration. Not…
-
Irreverence is the Only Cure to Traditionalism
All challenges to progressive change come from an unwillingness to question and rewrite traditions. Power — capitalism, caste, patriarchy, etc — is kept alive by traditions around who does what kind of labor, whose opinions count, whose solutions are considered useful, and who is considered capable of doing what. While traditions like gender roles and…
-
No Matter How Rich You Are, You Won’t Be Able to Afford a Hospital Visit in 2030 — Here’s How It Will Play Out
From 1947 till 2025, the government healthcare system has constantly been hollowed out, albeit slowly. But in the next 5 years, there is going to be a sudden shift towards extremely expensive, insurance-based healthcare system (like the horrible system of USA) in India. And it is going to make it impossible for you to afford…
-
The Diary of a Revolutionary Person Working Inside the System
Day 1 of being a revolutionary person working inside the system I saw injustice being meted out by the system today. I decided to stand up against it. I was thrown out of the system.
-
Stop Fixing Problems
I read the book “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus” long ago. There’s one chapter or so in the book that talks about how women talk about problems and how men try to “fix” them immediately, and how, often, it is not a solution that’s needed, but just space to talk. Many feminists…
-
Tired of Mental Health “Excuses”?
Of late, I have started seeing a pattern around the responses people have to mental health issues. The first time someone talks about their mental health issue(s), people are incredibly supportive. They are like “Incredibly brave of you to share this”, “Please reach out if you need anything”, “How can I help you?”, “Sure, take…
-
God Has No Shoulders
“People believe in god because there are things that frighten them beyond their control and the idea that someone is there to look after them gives them hope and stability”. Growing up as an atheist, I’ve heard this argument from several people who wanted me to dial down my atheism. And it did work on…
-
How To Do Nothing
It was past 10 PM when Shubhangani, Swathi, and I stepped into Goobe’s Book Republic in Church Street this Tuesday. We had met at 6:30 PM in Blossom Book House and had been chatting non-stop all of the night. We had had Blini Creamy Mushroom and Blini Chicken Taco at Blini Bistro where we also…