The AICUF Story!

A Testimony of Sorts- Raising the Bar Studying in a city like Mumbai after being in Chennai for seven years is unsettling, to say the least. The people are different, their mindset is different and most of all, their behavior with respect to time is different. Mumbai, like Kolkata and Bengaluru, has a number of ‘Red Light Areas’. The general attitude towards Commercial Sex Workers and these Red Light areas is probably the only place where Mumbaikars are backward. The younger generation, however hasn’t quite decided where they stand as debates and discussions happen on a regular basis. I must admit that on some occasions we even joke about these Areas, and the events that occur there. When AICUF organized this event, ‘Raising the Bar’ as a part of Ujali, I was intrigued- no; everyone was intrigued. The seminar room was crowded to the point where people abandoned chairs and sat on the ground. The women from San Mitra trust introduced themselves, spoke to us about their work and t...

So this year's Ujali pretty much showed the world why it's so different from the other mainstream events. The underprivileged, the unheard, the unseen but very much existent came forward and told us about themselves, their lives, and the atrocities that society commits that brings them to tears on a daily basis.  We had Household Help , Bar Dancers , Commercial Sex Workers and people from the famous Warli tribe come and enlighten us about their current lifestyles and spoke to us like parents. Such love and care from someone who didn't know any of us, moreover someone who's been shunned and ignored for most of their life moved us all to tears. The outlet of these emotions is the whole point of this series of posts. We hope you like them. ​​ Those steep turns never met a sunshine, Those black mornings haunted great depths. The harmless nights became a memory And all moonlights drowned the dreams, of a better morning. When those bitter nights yelled and ruled, th...

My mind is where I belong All free to do this; All free to do that. Setting sail on my ocean of notions, Free to drop all my emotions. This essence of freedom, Gives me eyesome reasons: ‘Life is a beautiful process, And beautiful thoughts are what I posses’. This new scent in the air, Is fair. Introvert I used to be, Extrovert is what I am. For Freedom is the only thing I crave for, And the only thing I live for. -Aarzoo Malik  Miranda House  University of Delhi

So Dongri was an enlightening experience, and those who didn't go regretted, repented and whined about it for days. For this very reason, when the trip to Kamathipura, in Grant Road was announced, we received a whooping response! (remember, this was during the Holiday Season). We have a tie up with an NGO called "Oasis", and they have a Day/Night care center for the children of Commercial Sex Workers. On the 29th of May, 2015, we decided to go pay these beautiful children a visit. This was the second visit during the vacations as part of our “Kids and Smiles” theme. "There weren't a lot of children because a lot of them had gone home, so we, the enthusiastic volunteers, outnumbered the children present", said Riolia, the Human Rights Commission Co-ordinator with a sheepish grin.  They were very eager to know about and interact with us. We all introduced ourselves, following which they sang for us a welcome song. Then we taught  them some action songs...

I am a parasite, With the world, as my host. I receive what it offers me the most, A world with its absurd facts, never spurs me. I am made to adhere to the norms, in many distinct forms. You compare me to him, this makes me dim. You strangle me with fear and then... I roar; alone on the shore. I am a parasite with a life; on the tip of a knife. -Aarzoo Malik  Miranda House  University of Delhi

Why don't you see the truth; Hidden so conspicuously in plain sight Why is there a propensity to educe and ramble; What materialistic gain do you seek in preaching desultory theories; When you yourself don't see the light Listen,  carefully listen to the whispers that lead the way; Underneath the surface of this silent sound lies the true pining of soul; Open the inner eye and see what it has to say "The world is a phantasmagoria where the truth and falsity are juxtaposed The desires you cling to are incongruous and arrant Break free, shake them off; Attaining perfection requires only this warrant". Arjun Mitawalkar

Here, we have a very different and interesting perspective of life. The life of a Sailor! We encourage you to replace "sailor" with your own self and notice how the dangers and difficulties are so similar in comparison! "A man who doesn't sail till all dangers are over isn't a sailor and must never be put to sea."  A sailor is a person who faces all dangers and risks with a smile on his face and an open heart in the same way how he sees his loved one. Sailors leave all their memories behind and join the sea to earn their bread and butter with all the possible risk and sometimes even death .  A sailor never says no to go on board. If he does then he shouldn't ever be allowed to get back to the sea. When on a nine month journey,a sailor feels like he's on a floating island wherein the room given on the ship becomes his own personal bedroom and he carries on with his journey without any regrets.  "The tides do not command the ship but ...

Holidays : something we all dream of when college is at its worst, but curse when we sit bored at home with nothing but a bag of chips and the Facebook. Admit it, we've all had those "Facebook-is-life" kind of days. But don't you get tired of the Facebook? A lot of us did, and decided that there were better ways to socialise! We visited a remand home in Dongri on the fifth day of the fifth month of the year. Despite the holiday season, a whooping twenty three of us showed up. The place had a separate area for boys and girls and so we went to visit both of the groups separately.  When with the boys, we taught them an action song in Hindi, which they were eager to learn and participate. We played a lot of games with them and got to see them as the kids they are, albeit the ones who have faced dire circumstances. The caretaker also showed us some of the very creative things the children there had made,ranging from paper ear-rings and necklaces to wall h...

Yes, she has been in the news. Yes, she has suffered. Yes, in the vegetable state that she was, she fought injustice. But, NO! She did not deserve to suffer. NO! She did not deserve to be victimized. Above all, NO! it should never have happened to her. How long will we sit and applaud the sufferings of victims of rape and speak till our longs go dry against the abusers? Today, AICUF stands besides Aruna Shanbhaug, for the warrior that she was. She went into a coma at the tender age of 23. What would we be up to at that age? Working, planning future education, marriage are some of the things on that list. Even the thought of being in a coma for an hour scares us, but she laid there for 42 years, for no fault of her own. She lay speechless, motionless, powerless, defenseless, but always with a smile. This is what not only encouraged the nurses of KEM Hospital, Mumbai to fight against the mercy-killing controversy, but also to give their dedicated service to taking caring of her for th...

"Not all superheroes wear capes" -Unknown In today's world, we all live life in the fast lane. Gone are the days where you and I took one step at a time and stopped worrying about all these silly marks, assignments, deadlines, work in general. Now, let's pause and press rewind. Go back to where it all began. You're now a ghost, looking at your life as a timeline, as a third person.  Your mother is screaming in pain a s you break free into this world, lips pressed with determination. Your dad is jumping up and down and thanking God for the successful delivery without any complications. Then there's the family hug, where your mom is crying and holding you in her arms.  You're two and a half years old and you've finally taken your first step. You got up to walk into your mother's arms. She hugs you tightly and whispers how proud of you she is.  Seven years old. Your first milk tooth starts to shake, and fa...

MAGIS is the Latin word meaning 'more'. This event was organized by the Jesuit priests with the idea of allowing youth to explore, to go out of their comfort zone and work. Their aim was to let them experience the joy of helping others, the satisfaction of seeing a smile on a street child's face and to truly live for what Christ lived for. This year, MAGIS was held from the 9th to the 12th of April in Chakala, Andheri. The participants were mainly youth, and AICUFers from St.Xavier's and St.Andrews actively participated in both the organization and the activities of this camp. The participants were divided into groups and were given certain responsibilities that they all fulfilled splendidly. There were sharing sessions, called the "Magis Circle" through which everyone got to know each other very well. Shared here are some of the experiences of our fellow AICUFers: " Magis 2015 came as a package full of surprises. If the Holy Family Parish, Andheri h...

Look around you. Do you see them? Do you realize how they’ve changed your life irrevocably? Do you remember what they’ve done for you? In order to appreciate the unsung heroes of our life, ANAMIKA (AICUF’s women centred newsletter) asked its writers to share their story about a woman who has given their life some perspective, nudged them towards the right path and changed their life for the better. As you read these stories, we hope that you too are reminded of that unsung hero in your life.   PROCRASTINATION Procrastination (n) The action of delaying or postponing something I've always disliked maths. Always. Seriously, ask me to any mental addition even now, I'll just stare at your face blankly. Yet in 8th grade, I actually got 100% in the dreaded subject. Honestly, I don't think anyone was more astounded than me. It started towards the end of 7th grade, when I got a C in maths, where on the other hand, I had As and Bs in other subjects. I approached my...