Blind-sight

My life changed last year.

For a brief period I had to think 10 times before climbing down the stairs, before going out anywhere. My preparations for a bath used to be like planning a trip.

This gave me a different insight into things. It also created a deep dread within me. It made me question many of the things I used to take for granted. It made me think.

By the grace of God, I have recovered now. But what about people who are differently-abled people?

Any one of you (readers of this blog) could find yourself in a situation like this (may God never show you such tough times). Have you ever thought what if you could not do the things you do now?

How many friends would you have left?

How would you live life?

How would you earn money?

Who will you become a burden on?

Will you find a life partner? Will a person without disability love you for who you are? Will they have the patience? Will YOU have the self-confidence to be with them?

If you were in a country like England then things would be quite easier.

But what if you were in India where the new DTC bus-stops have the wheelchair symbol (which stands for differently-abled people friendly). But when you look at some of the bus-stops and the kind of buses which stop there you will realise it is a BIG JOKE.

In India, if you fall no one will pick you up. If you die, no one will care. differently-abled people are treated like garbage especially in the smaller towns and villages where they represent an economic burden.

Blindness is one of my deep fears. I will admit it freely here.

There is a test that you can do to experience what a blind person feels. Just close your eyes and cover them with cotton wool. Then wrap a cloth over them and around your head, so that the cotton wool stays in place. Then just try doing something normal (like for example brushing your teeth or eating food!).

Try it, it will change you.

The aim of this post is to make you (the reader) realise (if you hadn't realised already) that there are individuals out there who do not experience the same life as we do.
And that any one of us can enter that category at any point of time.

So make sure you treat differently-abled people with extra sensitivity. Don't brush them aside (even if it is a beggar).

Make sure you do something for them.
Even spending some time with them would cheer them up.
Start small, even if it means spending more time with that neighbour who just fractured their arm.

Ask them if they need any help (mean it and don't be too eager to help, you don't want them to feel useless - they are NOT useless!).

If you can, go work with organizations who work with differently-abled people.

It takes five fingers to make a full hand. Not all five fingers are the same, nor can the hand work normally with any of them. Differently-abled people reveal to us the true meaning of life. Let us repay them well for teaching us this lesson!

:)

Maintenance of Children and Aged Parents

Under the Section 20 of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (HAMA) - 1956 children, husband/wife and aged parents are entitled maintenance and support.

The concept of maintenance with respect to divorce is very well known. Maintenance includes both while the case is in court as well as after the divorce.

But what is not well known (in my opinion) is the fact that the maintenance also extends to children (both legitimate or illegitimate) and aged or infirm parents. Section 20 of HAMA ensures this (see below).

This can be used by those people whose parents (in case of children) or children (in case of aged/infirm parents) have abandoned them to get what they deserve - a comfortable and peacful childhood/old age.

Abandoning old people and children is, I think, the most shameful thing anyone can do!


HINDU ADOPTIONS AND MAINTENANCE ACT, 1956

20. Maintenance of children and aged parents
(1) Subject to the provisions of this section a Hindu is bound, during his or her lifetime, to maintain his or her legitimate or illegitimate children and his or her aged or infirm parents.
(2) A legitimate or illegitimate child may claim maintenance from his or her father or mother so long as the child is a minor.
(3) The obligation of a person to maintain his or her aged or infirm parent or a daughter who is unmarried extends insofar as the parent or the unmarried daughter, as the case may be, is unable to maintain himself or herself out of his or her own earnings or other property.
Explanation: In this section "parent" includes a childless step-mother.

21. Dependants defined For the purposes of this Chapter "dependants" means the following relatives of the deceased:
(i) his or her father;
(ii) his or her mother;
(iii) his widow, so long as she does not re-marry;
(iv) his or her son or the son of his predeceased son or the son of predeceased son of his predeceased son, so long as he is a minor:
PROVIDED and to the extent that he is unable to obtain maintenance, in the case of a grandson from his father's or mother's estate, and in the case of a great grand-son, from the estate of his father or mother or father's father or father's mother;
(v) his or her unmarried daughter, or the unmarried daughter of his predeceased son or the unmarried daughter of a predeceased son of his predeceased son, so long as she remains unmarried:
PROVIDED and to the extent that she is unable to obtain maintenance, in the case of a grand-daughter from her father's or mother's estate and in the case of a great-grand-daughter from the estate of her father or mother or father's father or father's mother;
(vi) his widowed daughter:
PROVIDED and to the extent that she is unable to obtain maintenance-
(a) from the estate of her husband, or
(b) from her son or daughter if any, or his or her estate; or
(c) from her father-in-law or his father or the estate of either of them;
(vii) any widow of his son or of a son of his predeceased son, so long as she does not remarry:
PROVIDED and to the extent that she is unable to obtain maintenance from her husband's estate, or from her son or daughter, if any, or his or her estate; or in the case of a grandson's widow, also from her father-in-law's estate
(viii) his or her minor illegitimate son, so long as he remains a minor;
(ix) his or her illegitimate daughter, so long as she remains unmarried.

Indian Astrology: Horoscope Matching

Horoscope Matching is one of the major methods used to evaluate the compatibility of the couple before marriage, in India.

The system of evaluation is point based. Maximum number of points are 36. These 36 points are divided over 8 separate aspects of married life. These 8 different aspects are:

1. Varna: Varna indicates ego development between the partners. Max points: 1
2. Vashya: Vashya indicates the intensity of mutual attraction and affection between the
   couple. Max points: 2
3. Tara/Din: Tara/Din indicates the health and well-being of the couple. Max points: 3
4. Yoni: Yoni indicates biological compatibility and satisfaction. Max points: 4
5. Graha Maitri: Graha Maitri indicates outlook, objective, intellectual level and spiritual plane of existence. Max points: 5
6. Gana: Gana indicates the temperamental characteristics. Max points: 6
7. Bhakut: Bhakut indicates growth of the family, family-welfare, etc. Max points: 7
8. Nadi: Nadi signifies the health(outward physique) and constitution(internal metabolism). Max points: 8
   

The analysis is done using a table like the one shown below. Each of the aspects is taken along a row. The form that particular aspect takes in the boy and the girl is give. This dictates the total points obtained for that particular aspect. The final column shows the maximum number of possible points in that particular aspect.

Usually a score of 18 or more points is considered a good match unless there is a specific conflict within a paticular aspect (especially in the 'Nadi' category). A score of 36 points is considered bad because according to legends Ram and Sita had a perfect match of 36 points and their marriage was not a happy one.

Another important piece of information looked for in the two horoscopes is the presence of a Mangal dosh. In other words if either the boy or a girl has a Mangal dosh then he or she is Manglick (has a heavy Mars in their horoscope). In such a situation usually the match is not considered to be good.

:)