Class Consciousness, words of a Young Leftist

Be it between a teacher and the students, landlord and the tenants, party cadres and party leaders, the power holder and the general public, everywhere I see I find the theory of Marx applicable to explain the situation. I find the practical implication of Marx’s idea of ‘class struggle’ true to its roots when I see the oppression done over the weak faction of the society by the oppressors, the power holders. It’s true that the human society has advanced a lot form the initial agrarian state of the society. Back then oppression was limited to land owners over the peasants, but now the oppression of human beings has reached newer dimensions, whatsoever Marx’s ideas of ‘conflict’ and ‘struggle’ have not withered away, it can still be applied to understand the society and I am certain that it will be kept on being applied if youth like us ceaselessly keep on advocating about the ideas of Marx.

Inequality will not end from our society unless we are to educate people about the social construct of the society. Only if the Leftist intellects play the role of teachers of ‘class consciousness’ then can we spark the idea of ‘class struggle’ amongst the people, only then can the people start fighting for equality and creation of society with no discrimination and exploitation. If the people are to achieve the final goals of social ownership and equal responsibility among the dwellers of the human society, the dissemination of knowledge of Socialism and leftism is a must.

I having been a part of the leftist society of my country, believe that the social construct of my society is such that leftist philosophy and policy needs to be primarily brought into effect to terminate the differences that rests amongst the people which has resulted in concentration of power in a small group of individuals. For the very cause I have been working from my side to enlighten whoever I can about ideas of Marx and what can be done from the side of general public to establish a fair and just society.

                                                                                                            Adwait 'COMRED'

Why are there columns of Yellow tiles in the side walk?

For the visually impaired

All the new sidewalks that are being constructed in Kathmandu these days show a series of distinctly colored yellow tiles running through the middle of them. It made me wonder what they were. At a point I even started cursing the government in my head, assuming that the tiles were simply objects of decoration, another case of redundant expenditure so characteristic of public projects.

When I saw a group of workers digging along the middle of sidewalk passing in front of my college, I was certain that they were in the process adding those same yellow tiles. It was too much for me, and found myself agitated every time I walked the sidewalk.

Coincidentally, I was surfing the internet one day when I recalled those yellow tiles. On Google I typed ‘Odd yellow tiles on the sidewalk’. Instantly trusty Google displayed answers on the screen. I felt a fat smile form on my face as I read. Immediately I was praising Nepalese policymakers.

The yellow tiles were being laid as part of tactile paving, a special paving used as warning indicator for people who are blind or have partial visual impairment. The tiles come with a distinct texture which the blind people can feel via their cane or shoes and that way they could follow the sidewalk with ease. But this is not the only purpose tactile paving serves.

I also learned that Japan was the pioneer in introducing tactile paving and that the tiles are used as early warning mechanism as well. Change in the texture of the tiles would suggest things like turning ahead, stairs ahead, slope ahead, crossing ahead etc. The primary purpose although remains a medium of directional guidance. In addition, there is a clever reason for coloring the tiles yellow: a distinct yellow would create contrast from the sidewalk so those with partial blindness could see distinguish it.

This was very rejuvenating revelation for me. I am seriously pleased with the government for taking commendable initiative to ease commute for people with visual impairment. I suggest the concerned authority to add tactile paving at all places in the urban centers. 

Comred

Published in Setopati, on June 6, 2016

http://setopati.net/readers-column/14527/For-the-visually-impaired/

Smoking Debut (Short Story)

Smoking Debut

“Smoking causes cancer; Smoking kills; Smoke at your own risk” Sahil could see the words and a disturbing picture of a pair of lungs all decayed and black. He held the pack in his hands, cautiously he unwrapped the seal of the pack. He could now see them, lines of sticks; cotton like material in the top. All of a sudden, “You don’t smoke boy, do you?” a hoarse voice spoke. Sahil was almost out of his breath. Scared he looked back at the voice. It was Sahil’s uncle whom he’d been staying at since the day earlier.

Shail was taken by surprise when he found the pack of cigarettes in his uncle’s study table, for Sahil had no idea that his uncle smoked. Sahil had no intentions of lighting the sticks and trying out smoking, when he picked up the pack. Most of his class mates were smokers, he’d stayed with his friends together when they smoked but he’d never tried out smoking for himself. It was not that Sahil didn’t want to smoke, he wanted to smoke but he never had the courage to ask his friends for a puff. He’d held cigarette stick in his hand before, he’d even tried smelling how a stick smells like. He was aware that cigarette stick contained tobacco in them. The only thing was, Sahil knew quite a lot of things about cigarette but he’d never smoked one.

Sahil’s uncle approached Sahil, Sahil still awestruck watched his uncle right in the face. Uncle took hold of the pack from Sahil’s hand. He took out a stick and from one of the drawers of the study table, he took out a box of matches; Sahil watched speech less. [STRIKE] a flame, the matchstick was ablaze; Sahil was still motionlessly watching as his uncle lit the cigarette pressed in his lips. Cloud of smoke came out from uncle’s mouth as he exhaled the puff he’d taken. And came uncle’s voice, “You can try one if you want to, I’ll tell nobody… Here you go boy..” Uncle offered Sahil a stick from the pack. Sahil was hesitant at the beginning but he did take out a stick and pressed it in between his lips.

[STRIKE] Another match had been lit. Sahil’s uncle brought the match closer to Sahil’s lips. Sahil inhaled as his uncle lit the cigarette stick pressed in Sahil’s lips. Immediately after [COUGHS] ahmmm… ahmmmm… ahmmmm.. Sahil felt very intolerable, he could not keep the smoke inside himself, he coughed out all the puff he’d taken in. Sahil’s uncle smiled as Sahil restlessly coughed. But Sahil didn’t stop at that. He inhaled another puff in himself and this time he didn’t cough, he exhaled a gust of smoke out from his mouth like any other professional smoker would. Sahil and his uncle smoked together. Sahil painfully coughed a few times as he had still not learned how to inhale the smoke properly. With puff after puff, the cigarette stick got shorter and shorter, in no time the stick had diminished to the filter.

“Boy, stop inhaling, you’ve puffed in enough”, Sahil’s uncle said. And then came Sahil’s content smile. His uncle told him that he had no intentions to spoil Sahil and he’d offered him to smoke only because he felt like Sahil would want to at least try to feel how smoking feels like.

 He told his uncle, “I am never smoking again” but inside himself, Sahil was making plans about what he is going to do the next time he smoked.