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Reflection Supplementary Issue A Tribute To Damini From Editor's Pen
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Independence: Dr. Ruchida Barman 2 We Are Women: Basilia
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Without Any Existence: Iram Fatima 'Ashi'
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Yes, I'm A Woman: Richa Dixit 7 Shame Day: Meenakshi Sharma
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R. K. Verma's Tribute To Damini
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Guidelines For Submitting Your Manuscripts
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Inormation To Be Provided With Your Manuscript Wanted 13 Print Issues Of Reflection 15 New Regular Columns 16 Managing Editor: Iram Fatima 'Ashi' Magazine Artist: R. K. Verma Pages Layouts: Team Reflection Our special thanks to Dr. Ruchida Barma, Basilia, Richa Dixit and Meenakshi Sharma for their valuble contribution to this supplementary issue. Managing Editor reflection18@ymail.com III
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From Editor's Pen "Damini's" gangrape and attempted murder of a 23yearold medical student on a moving bus was most heart wrenching case in the history of crime against woman, which is highly talked about not only in India but also in other parts of the world. Through this special issue Reflection family we are giving tribute to a pure soul, who became a prey for six sick minded drunken men, those not only raped her brutally but wounded her body such an extent that she had lost her life. The mental and physical pain of that innocent girl, could be imaged by her statement in which she said 'do not hang my culprits, just burn them alive’. We salute her fighting spirit and deep desire for life when she told 'mother I want to live' in her worst physical conditions. She bravely fight for life in between 16th to 29th December, but our prayers failed to save her as same as our system failed to project her and she closed her eyes forever, but she left fire in our hearts to fight for her justice. Public protests took place in Delhi, where thousands of protesters clashed with security forces. Similar protests took place in major cities throughout the country and out of country too among Indian communities. Our Indian government said "to do everything in their power to take up radical reforms, ensure justice and reach out with robust public services to make women’s lives more safe and secure"
We trust our Indian constitution and looking forward for justice for her and protection for our sisters and daughters, so that none of such sick mind dare to commit such crime. I would like to give special thanks to Mr. R.K. Verma for contributing wonderful paintings, each and every single painting of his is depicting painful story, Dr. Ruchida Barman who wrote such a thought provoking article which would surely leave its reader with open window of thinking. And other poets and writers those penned down their feelings for our special issue.
I wish our little effort would contribute awareness in this revolution; we pray may our India’s brave daughter Damini’s soul rests in peace. And this type of incident would never ever repeat in any part of world. With best wishes
Iram Fatima 'Ashi' Saudi Arabia (NRI)
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INDEPENDENCE
Dr. Ruchida Barman ( India) We all take pride in calling ourselves an independent nation. We are proud of the way India fought the external forces ruling over us. But what Independence is this??? Are we really free??? Do we know the meaning of freedom??? Is this the kind of freedom our forefathers imagined and fought for??? Did they sacrifice their lives to make December 16 happen??? I am sure they must be tossing and turning in their graves seeing these incidents. Freedom brings responsibilities as an undeclared package. The constitution of the country has provided us with Fundamental Rights which, we are all aware of. But how many of us remember the Fundamental Duties. None of us would even remember the names of them. Why? Because we want to take but not to give. Enforcing our rights does not mean encroaching on others rights. We need to make the society members aware of this. As educated and aware members of the society are we fulfilling our roles of being educated??? I am
afraid NOT. I am sorry to say so but this is true. We hate to come out of our placid and comfortable white collared jobs and take up the responsibility of making the nation developed not just economically but also in the mindset and thinking of the people of the nation, to make them actually free from all kinds of bondages be they of their gender roles, be they of their superstitions so mon and so forth. It is easy to sit and pass judgment on the people involved in any kind of crime that where are we going?, What is happening to the people? Why are we becoming without Ethics and Morals? etc. But if this is happening are we not a part of society? Are we doing something to rectify this situation? Are we doing something to sensitize people over these issues? Or are we unconsciously promoting these very things?? I humbly request all the educated cream of the country to please take some time out for a brainstorming session on these
lines, to come out of their comfort zones, to work on the streets and not in plush offices, where the actual INDIA is. After all why did the December 16 case happen? Is the conscience of the male dead? How can anyone be so inhuman? Only and only because of our upbringing and the set of values given to us from our cradles. If men are made to respect women from their cradles they would not do the heinous act that was done on that unfortunate day. It is very truly said by Gandhiji:足 HATE THE SIN NOT THE SINNER. So we need to investigate the reason behind the inhumanity of the molesters. What prompted such a cruel act? It is nothing but the upbringing that tells them this is where they are stronger than women. They can prove their mettle here but again they were 6 and she was alone. The balance was in their favor. Was it that they were taking their frustration out on this single woman against the race of women for their being more successful and stronger??
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The males cannot see the Independent Woman and want to bring home the fact to her that she is not strong and cannot be stronger than them. She cannot dare upset the equation of the society which dictates that Men are stronger than Women, so she better be in her pre足decided Space. The uneducated males treat the woman like a doormat. Reports allege that the one of the accused Ram(the driver) was an alcoholic and when his wife was alive often fought with her after drinking. On
that fateful night too he and his friends on giving lift to the ill足fated couple passed lewd comments on the duo for being out so late together. Who are they to do so?? Who gave them the right to do so?? And are they the girls or the boys parents?? Or are they the dictators of society??? When the girl protested while being raped and bit the hands of three molesters they got outraged and reacted by beating her with the Iron rod and passing it through her body. They could not take the resistance from her, because
Painting: R. K. Verma
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their upbringing said that females cannot and are not supposed to fight back. Merely letting the women work outside home does not make us modern or Independent This is the call of the hour I request Females and Males alike to please become Independent in their thinking and resolve to change the mindset of the people around them on these issues only then can we actually proudly claim ourselves to be INDEPENDENT in the true sense of the word.
Dr. Ruchida Barman
We Are Women Oh sister! Scream not in pain No one will help you it is just vain People portray women to be brave Why do they let us rest in grave? Hearts made of stone will never melt To them, to help is sin, to help is guilt Neither in womb nor on land We dwell in peace only in death garland We see no life, we see no dream Unheard story everywhere, unheard scream Bring us back to life, not to hell Don‛t imprison us in disrespectful shell Evil we see in disguise of humans Insane world, selfish, crowded with demons
Basilia (India) 4
A Tribute To Damini Damini was a 23 year’s old student (Delhi, India). She was coming back to home, she boarded the wrong bus. And gang raped by six men and thrown to die on the road. She was wounded, exposed, devastated. She has gone into coma five times since 16th December. She was unconscious, critical and hanged between life and death, passed away peacefully at 4.45 a.m. on 29th Dec 2012 in Singapore during her treatment. All six accused have been arrested and are in Delhi's Tihar Central Jail. Her death is a failure of our prayers, she may have lost her battle for life, but looking at the fighting spirit of common people I can say that her death will not have been in vain. She is related to me by the universal bond of humanity and on being a woman I am feeling disturb and expressing myself through this poem.
Iram Fatima 'Ashi'
Painting: R. K. Verma 5
Without Any Existence Born to serve you, To be used as you may need, I am just an instrument of pleasure, To be consumed by your insatiable lust! Made just to fulfill expectations To be broken, shattered and stomped on I was made for subjugation To be cut into pieces and thrown into the trash! I exist without any existence, Never had any choice of my own, I am a thing to be sold and gifted A mannequin for decoration . I am a girl thrown near bin, I am a sister with no rights, I am a daughter who's a burden, I am a languished wife. I placed you, in my womb Cared for you as a sister Loved you as true beloved Gave you my life as your wife. For you, I am just a plaything you play with my emotions to have my body! Feel free to tease, I am a roadside lady, or rape, after you have beaten the hell out of me!
Iram Fatima 'Ashi'
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Yes , I am a Woman ! Richa Dixit (India)
I am a soul, I am a heart, I am a daughter, I am a sister, I am a mother….. Yes, I am a Woman!
For no sin! Of whose sin I am paying off? If not you here, Then is it God?
I am gentle, I am tough, I am beauty, I am innocence, I am royal, I am power, Yes, I am a Woman!
Woman is the world of man No me, no men…! And then they argue, it’s a man’s world … Remember, I am non –renewable resource of energy, Conserve me, respect me, I deserve this, I am a woman, not a scrap, Don’t you dare think to use and throw me!
I am a life, for your a life, I am a pious river of love, I am a festival, I am a rhythmic hymn, Yes, I am a Woman! I bore ages of disrespect, negligence,
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Yes, I am a Woman! Better you learn me!
Shame Day
You've been sufferd , But we've been buffered . You'd been struggled , But we've not triggled . You was crying, But we were frying .
You was trying , & We'd not shrying . You'd been Used , We were confused . You'd been killed , We've been filled .
You want to live , But we were unable to did . Newspapers with .. , In the dustbin pit .
But we shall not Leave you struggle effortless , We will make you After life with fullfillment ..
Proud to those Parents Who birth a Brave girl as you .. You siblings are ; Proud feel to be a part of you . We were unable to save you , But shall be brave as you . Now we will cry for you , We will dry for you .
We will give you the faith , We will provide you the justice . Now, its enough to us .. There will be no that Bus .. We'll fought for you , We've all the clue .
We want justice !!.. We want freedom !! .
We need changes around us No schemes but in thinkings .. Wake up friends !!.. wake up !......
Meenakshi Sharma (India)
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Wounded Woman R. K. Verma's
Tribute To My Nation's Daughter Damini
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Damini incident was most horrific in the history of crimes against women. When we decided to do this supplementary issue, we requested our magazine artist Verma to make some paintings on this subject. It was really a very short notice but he did his best and did this series, Wounded Woman,' for the magazine. Two of the paintings we used in an article and a poem and of them we are placing our Art Section. Editor
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Guidelines For Submitting Your Manuscripts 1- You should have a proper pen name, pen name like girlie2000, lifeisadream, won't do. If you use your real name, it will be highly appreciated.
2- You can send anything written by you, stories, poems, essays, interviews, reportage, novel summaries etc. You can write anything new to send us but you can always send your previously published work as well.
3- Be original, plagiarism in any form is unbearable so it will be your responsibility to deal with, if
someone claim or complain about your work. The editor and the publisher will not be responsible for any of the published work.
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9- Our long term dream is to publish unpublished writers, please do your best to provide us with your best work. It may go to the printed version of our Magazine.
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Please include the following information with every manuscript. If you are submitting as a word processor file, such as Microsoft Word, the best approach is to add points 1 & 2 to the top of the manuscript and the bio information to the end of the article. Please supply a separate file for the image captions or add them to the end of the article after your bio:
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Wanted Associate Editors
Qualification: At least a graduate degree in English Literature. Postgraduate degree in English Literature is preferable.
Experience: None, but you must have some published English literary work either online or in print.
Work Nature: The Managing Editor may send you poems, short stories, articles and full lenght
novels with some instructions. Your main work will be to proofread and correct the stories and poems for spelling, grammar and punctuation. The Managing Editor may ask you to write a chapter wise summary of a novel. You'll have to send it back after completing the given task to ME in the prescribed time.
Magazine Artists
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Magazine Photographers
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Please apply with the following details-
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Name:
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Note: If you got selected for the magazine you'll automatically become team reflection and no member of the team reflection will be allowed to disclose the contents of the forthcoming issue of the magazine to anyone or anywhere. Besides you will not be allowed to participate in any contest conducted by the magazine, you'll even not be allowed to comment on the participating entries. You'll always be allowed to write for the magazine but you'll have to send your entry as a general writer to the ME. The HR department will go through the applications received for the various posts. After scrutiny of the applications HRD will send its recommendations to the ME, whose decision will be final. Appointment letters shall be sent individually to the selected candidates.
Aiswarya Head HRD
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Print Issues Of Reflection The launch of Reflection's first issue was long awaited. The issue was online in the last week of the last year. This issue was an instant hit among the readers and writers all over the world.We earned the reward of, 'MOST TALKED ABOUT MAGAZINE,' with the help of our earnest readers and writers. The readers and writers all over the world are sending inquires about the hard copy of the magazine everyday. Well there are so many inquiries but we cannot inform everybody individually so we decided to inform everyone through this supplementry issue that there will certainly be print issues of the magazine this year. Our publisher, 'MOPH,' has decided to print three special issues of the magazine every year in the months, April, August and December. All these issues shall be available on eBay to be sold all over the world. The cost of each copy will be decided by the publisher but we assure everyone that it will be just the printing and postage cost of the magazine. As all these issues will be collectors' specials, we are determine to make it sure that the quality of papers, printing and binding must be of very good. So please wait for April, the month when you'll be able to read and touch the magazine pages.
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New Regular Columns Reflection proved to be very popular among readers and writers all over the world. So there is a dire need to involve our readers and writers with this magazine, so We’re launching a series of new regular columns for the readers and writers of the magazine. Some of them are given hereunder.
Why I Write: This column is for the writers to let their readers all over the world know that what prompt them to write.
Under Fifteen Zone: This zone is for the writers who are under fifteen. Either you
mention that you want to submit their entry for under fifteen zone or they they shall added there by default, cause it is necessary for every writer to mention their age while sending your manuscript to the magazine.
Your Reflection: This columns is meant for both the readers and writers to leave their
feedback about the magazine. As a reader or a writer you can suggest anything for the betterment of the magazine. We shall publish your comments with your name and country name. We want everyone to get involved in these, not just our writers. More than ever, we’re inviting people to leave comments, to join the discussion, and to keep track of the columns they enjoy the most. We’ll also be actively hunting down feedback, so make sure you’re letting us know what you think – we want 2013 to be an awesome year and, hopefully, these columns are going to be a part of that. Editor
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I humbly request all the educated cream of the country to please take some time out for a brainstorming session on these lines, to come out of their comfort zones, to work on the streets and not in plush offices, where the actual INDIA is. After all why did the December 16 case happen? Is the conscience of the male dead?
Dr. Ruchida Barman