Aekam’s Diary: Candid

Let’s go beyond politics

Unfiltered and unpretentious

Law and Politics

Growing up in a family of lawyers, judges, and social activists is all fun and games till you have to hear about law and politics 24/7.

Legal cases and law making aren’t always as interesting as they are portrayed in television dramas and thriller films. They are about boring taxation, lengthy arbitration, petty property disputes, repetitive damage claims, and time consuming paperwork. But even in these aspects, law and politics are as important and as vital as ever. It guarantees a sense of security, livelihood, justice, and hope in our everyday lives.

Law and Politics cannot be separated because they have a symbiotic relationship. Therefore, in my mind, it is impossible to have one and not the other. My exposure to these subjects ignited the curiosity in me to explore them further. This curiosity led me to become the founding managing editor of my school’s economics magazine (in which I explored the political and international relation side of economics), take the Moral Foundations of Politics course by the Yale professor, Ian Shapiro, and so on.

Poetry and Prose

One of the primary reasons for taking English A Literature and Language, Higher Level, and Hindi B Literature, Standard Level, in my IBDP programme was my love for writing. This blog in itself is proof of that. Although most of my private poems and stories remain locked away I continue to enjoy writing them for myself and to keep by ability to put my emotions and experiences into words alive. Some of political poems (in both HIndi and English) are available in the blog section of this Born Politician.

I am lucky enough to be part of a generation which isn’t afraid to rebel, to scream their feelings from a rooftop, or to write them in a string of tweets at 1 am. But I continue to believe that serious literature is the only tool which make feelings, experiences, and emotions immortal.

Words matter. They matter more than actions. Because once the tip of the pen touches the naked piece of paper- there is no going back. It lives forever.

Animals:

I am incomplete without my insane obsession with any living being that is not a homo sapien. My six dogs and my rescued cat are proof of my intense love for animals. Despite being an atheist, I am a vegetarian by choice. This decision stems from my inability to consume the very organisms that teach me unconditional loyalty, strength, and passion. Reptiles, mammals, fish, birds, and insects, they are all (without exception) are a form of art. Their body is designed to withstand what we cannot. And that beauty is irreplaceable.

Horse riding:

For the better part of my life I was not sporty. My visit to Kashmir, where I had to take a long horseback ride, made my realise that that it is perfect mixture of physical exercise and my love for animals. Its like I had found solace and happiness in such a busy world. Imagine being in love with not only your sport but also with your game partner.

I have rarely been happier.

Photography:

Burk Uzzle put it perfectly when he said, “Photography is a love affair with life.”

Instead of writing why I love photography, I am attaching a few of my photographs. If they convince you of the beauty of this art form, they are good enough to give you a sneak-peak into my persona.