The Help- Different yet inspiring

Apartheid was the biggest tragedy of our world. It turned humans into animals and made them insensitive and violent. Social reformers, people from all over the world had tried to save those  oppressed by apartheid. But, if you could have gone back to 1963, during Civil War era to Jackson, Mississipi, would you have grabbed it and changed something? Something fundamental to the practice of apartheid? 'The Help' is about this. How a budding writer wanted to see change in society and stood her ground even if her people went against it. She stood for what was right and not what was set by others. She paved the path for African-Americans to stand tall and be proud of themselves rather then feel miserable. It started with, the Help.

It was that era when Americans and African-Americans had differences that were too wide to be measured. The African-American ladies worked at wealthy American's households as Help. They did all the house jobs, looked after the babies and earned very little for the amount of work they did. Aibleen Clark was one of the many women who worked as the help. Eugenia Skeeter was a budding writer, fresh out of college and craving for a job. She went to many magazines and finally got a job at a local newspaper as a "homemaker hints" columnist. So, to get some help, she asked Aibleen to answer some of the questions needed for her article. Soon, the two got talking about the problems Aibleen faced and how it had destroyed her life. Hearing all those stories, Skeeter remembered her own childhood maid and decided to compile a collection of stories from many maids and publish it.

At first, the help did not want to consider it. After a few weeks, they had no choice but to say yes as they thought it might improve their status and give recognition to them. So, Skeeter started her novel and soon got more than seventeen stories! Once she was done, she sent the draft to a New York City editor, hoping it would get published. And just a few weeks later, it was at every bookstore in Jackson. It became a rage soon and they earned a lot of money. But, if the people came to know that these stories were actually stories from their backyard, what would happen to the help? Moreover, what would happen to Skeeter and her career?

This movie is layered with humour, satire and deep thoughts. It shows how a singular person, if shown the right path, can create wonders! It's a truly touching movie and a must watch.

The three mentors- A poem-tribute to all the teachers out there

Teachers are the ones who mold you into what you are today. Without them there is no future for us, no hope for a good job. We are ever indebted to you. So, here's a self-composed poem for showing how much we care for you.

The three mentors

I was a seed searching for a path,
A way for me to grow.
When all of a sudden a bit of soil touched my heart
And I could sense I was no longer alone.

The soil said she was my mentor,
My guide who would teach me how to go through life.
She warned me not to take short-cuts or detours,
Else no amount of hard work would suffice.

Time passed on and I grew everyday,
Learnt so much from her.
Then she said one day,
This is all the knowledge I can give you dear
And saying that she went away.

Then came water, as patient as can be,
Who taught be how to live and learn from my mistakes.
He always preached that you will not survive if you are meek,
Always be alert and always be on your guard, never get scared.

Just as soil's time was up,
Soon that day dawned when water also resigned his job.
I thought my training was over and done,
But there were still things in store I had no clue about.

Air made her way up to me later,
And taught me to soar higher and reach greater heights.
She inculcated values and ethics,
With a hint of humour and laughter in sight.

My final test had come after all the hard work,
Sunlight had come to evaluate me.
With his hard stare and daring smirk,
I knew this wouldn't be easy at all.

After hours of questioning,
He finally came to a conclusion.
He looked down at me smiling
And said I was the perfect plant till now.

To this day I am indebted to my mentors,
Soil, water and air, they shaped me into who I am today.
Without them I would have still been that seed locked away,
From the whole world that looks up to me today!

Happy teachers day! 

Prime Minister addressing children- First of it's kind

On the occasion of Teachers Day, on 5th September 2014, Mr. Narendra Modi, the Honourable Prime Minister of India, addressed school-going children all over the country. Through video conferencing, children from Port Blair, Bhuj and even Assam could interact with the Prime Minister. In the history of India, this is the first time the prime minister has taken time to talk to children and help them out with their problems.

The event was held at Manekshaw Centre in the capital city, New Delhi. Smriti Irani, Human Resource minister accompanied sir in the interaction. The programme saw many children speaking on the importance of Teachers Day and why it is celebrated. In the end, Mr. Narendra Modi also said a few words which truly touched each students heart.

His main question was, why is teaching turning into a dying art? Nowadays, everyone wants to become a doctor, engineer or designer but no one wants to take up teaching as a career. Schools should try and teach students the importance of teaching and how noble it is as a profession. Nowadays with the coming of 24-hour television and internet, a child's life has no play. All he has time for is studying, watching television and spending time on his computer. Sir said that this is the time for children to be out in the sun and play, not sit and home all day! With the coming of technology, everything is at our fingertips. Search engines are always there if we need any help. But in Narendra Modi's words, searching on the internet are facts that are received by you, not knowledge. Knowledge can only come if you take the time to understand the person or thing you're looking for. Understand his life and what he has gone through in life and learn from him.

After his speech, the interaction session began and students from different parts of India asked many interesting questions to Sir. As a Prime Minister, Sir has taken a big step in getting to know the county's future citizens and has taken that extra time to talk to them. We can only hope that the tradition set by Sir continues and shines brighter in the years to come.