Pussy Riots Do It Again!

The world is no mood to accept dictatorship or power by wrong means. Vladimir Putin’s election to office of the President in Russia has been stated by the Russians as through unfair means. Pussy Riot, a Russian feminist punk-rock musical collective in Moscow, has been convicted for performing against Putin, through its song, Madonna, Drive Putin Away at an Orthodox cathedral in Moscow on February 21.

Only three out of the seven members have been arrested so far and charged with hooliganism. The band members have gained support internationally due to the harsh trials against them and a risk of a possible seven-year sentence.  However, according to Levada Center poll, only 44% of the Russians believed that the trials are harsh and unfair, while 17% believed it was not.

This incident only highlights the way the Russian government curtails the freedom to speech. Jane Buchanan, a senior researcher on Russia at Human Rights Watch in New York, said the band members were only exercising their right to free speech with their performance. "To face criminal changes with a heavy sentence is scandalous and it speaks volumes to the environment for free speech and political opinion that's critical of the government," she said.

With the arrest of the Pussy Riot members, the Russian government has sent out a message to activists across Russia that criticism of the government will not be entertained. We can only appeal to the Russian government to abhor its old ways, but it is of no use.

LOST AND...NOT FOUND!

 

 On a Saturday, you switch on your television set and the screen is still blank. And then you realize that there’s a power cut. Dismayed, you go on for some other household work. When the electricity resumes, the TV automatically switches on with a blaring sound. You and your family members go berserk hunting for the remote control to reduce the volume of the TV set. Every family member thinks he/she saw the remote control at this or that place. Then, how on earth did it vanish? This mystery still continues for many of us for a lot of things.

Before you go out, you frantically search for your house keys or car keys. And then, again the question comes: how on earth did they vanish? You try asking your family members about the lost treasure and the answer comes: how would I know? Or the nail cutter goes missing from the drawer when someone from your family needs it. Or even the water from the bottles stored in the fridge goes missing after you are back from work and you are in dire need of some cold water.

These are few of the examples which carry on in our daily lives. Sometimes, the pen is missing when you have to urgently note down a phone number. Worse, even your cell phone can go missing and desperate calls from your landline or from others’ cell phones may not help you find your phone if your phone is in a silent mode. Then, the question is back: HOW ON EARTH DID IT VANISH?

Well, there is no solution to this question and we have to live our lives with this mystery which has or will usurp half of our lives.