With Love ....To Michael

For many of us, English music meant 'Michael Jackson'. The fondest memories i have is when 'MJ' visited India in 1996 as a part of History World Tour. I, remember it was everywhere on Television channels, Newspapers, and everywhere i went people were talking about it. Many of my friends wanted to visit Mumbai to get a glimpse of MJ- 'The king of pop', it was once in a lifetime oppurtuinity.

I was not so lucky, I live in Delhi and as a school going teenager it was not possible to visit Mumbai, but i would not miss a single chance to watch him on the television, everytime some news about MJ came i used to rush towards the television and would not move until it was over. Then the day came when MJ arrived on November 1, 1996 Mumbai saw the biggest crowd ever. Celebrities( Sonali Bendre and Raj Thackrey recieved Michael Jackson at the airport), fans and airport staff thronged at the airport to catch a glimplse of the star. Another thing i remember, how MJ had said he loved indian food (During his stay he had Dosa, Naan and Aloo parantha and not to forget his personal cook was of Indian origin).

After the concert was over, MJ left india but not before leavinng souveniers in the hotel room where he stayed - a signed mirror and a pillow cover and an unfulfilled promise to return to India for his million fans in this part of the world.

During my college years, I had a friend who would dance only on MJ's songs, do moonwalk and threw his hat in the air, i cannot recall any festival where this friend of mine had not won first prize. MJ was an icon for the youths of my generation and such was his glory that wherever he went girls would cry , shout and scream and his concert were always a complete sold out.

In 2002, MJ was again in the news but this time with serious charges of being a 'peadophile', a charge which was never proved. People were shocked and could not believe. My personal view -a kid with a troubled childhood( abuse at the hands of his father at a very young age), eight siblings, loving father to three childrens and someone who was looked upon at by the whole world. He was a 'idol' for the youngster wouldnot do something like this. The worse part about the whole situation was that even his elder sister accussed him( for being a 'paedophile'). Though she later retraced from the statement.

After this episode MJ never recoverd, he became depressed, dependent on drugs, his career graph was constantly heading downwards, was under debts worth millions. Towards the end of 2008, he decided to make a 'comeback' and was putting all his efforts to re-gain his 'lost glory' by doing the comeback tour. He signed 10 ( 50 according to the organizers) concerts. But the efforts were cut short in the afternoon of 25June, 2009 when the 'star of the century' moonwalked in to the pages of history forever. The end was sudden, the world was shocked and billions of fan all around the world were left heart broken. The whole world mourned the passing away of the 'Music God' they worshipped. Though MJ is not phsically with us but the legacy he left behind will continue to live.........

"MJ, was a star who was never born, never died.

He will remain in our hearts forever......"

Below are the links to some of my favorite songs:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kifkk3JT4o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqxo1SKB0z8&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI9OYMRwN1Q&feature=channel

Death in the bylanes of poverty

Two deaths in schools premises within a week. Both of them are girls and have history of some medical problem, the only diffrence is one of the girl belongs to the rich, educated and powerful class of the society and was a student of one of the best schools in the capital, and the other studies in an MCD school, parents are poor laborers and ofcourse are uneducated. But being poor is the reason enough to forget her untimely death.

Seven year old Shanno, a student of an MCD school died on April 17 after one of her teacher( Ms Manju rathi ) punished(making her stand in April sun and further putting bricks on her back) her for not being able to recite the english alphabets.

My question to Mrs Rathi and her Father-in-law is had her own child or his grand child failed to recite, would the punishment be same?

Even if Shano had history of epileptic attacks( as suggested by the school authorities), still is the punishment justified? Was it a punishment to the child or her own furstation for not being able to teach?

And for the school authorities, who have clearly washed their hands off. What have they done? Was Shanno not the responsibility of the school(if such is the behaviour of the school, no parents will ever send their child to school in the class of society where education is not important)? Even after fainting, no teachers rushed the child to the doctors.Why?

Then there is 17 year old Aakriti Bhatia, student of the famous Modern School, Vasant Vihar, who died of asthma attack in school on April 20. The parents are rich and educated. They hold dharnas, candlelight prayers were held, parents, friends and students from other well known schools such as Don Bosco, G.D Goenka flocked in to fight for justice for the death Aakriti Bhatia. Amid the hue and cry over the death of Aakriti Bhatia, Union Minister of State for Women and Children Development, Ms Renuka Choudhary was able to find time from her busy schedule to meet the Bhatias(Did the meet Shano's parents). After all this Mrs Bhatia had managed to register a case against the school principal Mr. Goldy Malhotra and the nurse 'Kutty'.

Kudos! to the efforts of Mrs Bhatia for managing to be in news even after the one and half month of her daughter's death.

My sympathies are with Mrs Bhatia, her loss is huge that no words can bring solace to her aching heart. But i have a simple question to ask- Is your loss not big enough to take you in to shock, that you still have mind and heart to go out, shout and scream, visit media people, visit Ms.

Choudhary and blame the school principal, nurse and authorities for the death of her teenage daughter.

I, myself have been an asthma patient for all my life, during my entire schooling i used to carry inhalers, and even at the slightest hint of an attack my mother would never send me school. I mean if you want to play the blame game, its up to you. In a schools 100s of kids study may be one them has stomach cancer and the other one has blood cancer, other kid may have Tuberculosis or someone may have some brain disorder. Is the schools supposed to have medication for every ailment. I agree, that school should have called for the ambulance but what is the guarntee the ambulance would have reached in time(in most of the cases the patient dies in the ambulance even before reaching the hospital). In such times the first things that comes to mind is to call the parents, that is exactly what the school authorities did.

It is my belief, being a chronic patient of Bronchitis since birth that Aakirti must have been feeling sick long before coming to school, the stress, dust and exertion of coming to schools only aggravaated her condition leading to her death few hours after coming to the school.

And the most important question, Did the Bhatia's ever informed the school about their daughter's acute problem.If not, why didn't they?

My point of writing this article is not to criticize the Bhatia's. My heart still goes with them (loosing their young child). But what about the little girl who lost life because of a frustrated woman who happens to be her teacher( according to our vedas teachers are gods!). Schools authorities have brushed their hands off, I am sure Ms. Rathi would have been leading a normal life, after few days she will resume working if not this then some other school, but what about the mother, father or sister of Shano. Will they ever be able to lead a normal life? Will shano's sister can go to the same school where her sister died?

While reading newspaper, couple of days back i could still find an artice on Aakirti (approximately 2months after her death) But nothing on Shano. Does her life has no value just because she was poor. Her death just got lost in the news of Bhatia's fight for justice. Who will fight for Shano?

Is it not the moral responsibilty of people like Mrs Bhatia (Who can understand the condition of Shano's mother better then her) to fight for shano as well, or of the media who has completely moved on of the episode to a more "breaking news".

My last question to whosoever is reading this article is Who deserves a severe punishment Ms Manju Rathi(who punished a student to death) or 'Goldy Malhotra', The principal or The Schools Nurse 'Kutty' who followed the instruction of parents of sending Aakriti home as per the instructions of her parents?

May the soul of both the girls rest in peace. May God give strenght and courage to their families to move on in this time of grief.