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Dear readers, greetings!

This isn’t a typical, routine post covering a new article, story, or poem. Rather, this is an interaction-focused post where I want to talk and engage with you. It’s simply an effort to know your views, spark discussions, and share our mutual experiences.

At the same time, it’s a way of taking you along as I revisit my writing journey on Substack. For all my new readers, I have a few Reading Recommendations. If you’re new to my work, these will be a nice treat! At the bottom of this post, you’ll find my a few previously published pieces that I highly recommend. Even if you’re not a new reader and have already read them, you can still enjoy a reread. So please, find, click, and read.

I’ve been writing on Substack for more than a year now, which is obviously not a long duration, but not short either. I’ve been publishing under my publication, Creative Ideas, where I write on different topics, exploring various ideas across multiple genres. Many of you might already be aware of this. A few of you are my regular readers; I know this very well, and I’m incredibly grateful to you!

Yes, it’s true I wasn’t publishing new content as frequently as many other writers on Substack. My initial plan was one new post every week. Then, the timespan between two consecutive posts began to widen. Now, the frequency has declined to a new low. Only one new piece every month! It feels ridiculous! But what is also true is that I never use AI for writing, so it takes time. You may call this just an excuse, but I’ve always tried my best to come up with new “ideas” as quickly as I can.

Now, I’m at a crossroads, completely confused about what I should do. You can help me make the right, wise decision.

Thoughts of quitting Substack are gripping my mind because I’ve failed to receive the level of positive reaction I was expecting.

However, this doesn’t mean this is my last post. There is no such immediate plan. You’ll definitely see more new work coming up soon.

As we all know, Substack solely relies on Stripe for writers to start paid subscriptions. However, Stripe is not fully supported in India currently. Substack says that Indian writers can use an “invite-only” option on Stripe to set up paid subscriptions. I tried that as well, but to no avail; my request for this did not elicit any response. Perhaps it used to work a few months ago, but it no longer does nowadays.

This clearly means that I can’t access paid subscriptions on Substack.

If you’re an Indian writer, please share your experience with opening a Stripe account and setting up paid subscriptions. If you find that I’ve misunderstood any part of this issue, please correct me.

So, I then tried to use Buy Me a Coffee, which also declined my sign-up request. For reasons I do not know, it has recently excluded India from its list of supported countries! Fortunately, I managed to open accounts on Ko-fi and Patreon, though both are still awaiting their “first paid supporters”. Directly pasting my PayPal or bank account details on Substack is, in my opinion, a violation of their terms of service. If you have better information regarding this or know of alternative strategies I could try, please let me know. I have read about Beehiiv and Razorpay. Have you ever tried them out?

Furthermore, if you’ve any information on when the regulatory hurdles between India and Stripe will be resolved so that Indians can enjoy “equal” access to paid subscriptions, please share it here. I hope for a positive outcome soon. Is there any possibility of Substack adding alternative payment modes, such as PayPal? If this happens, it will be a highly anticipated and welcome step.

I waited for almost a year before I even dreamed of a paid subscription. I also waited until I reached 400 subscribers. Yet, despite reaching these milestones on Substack, I have thoroughly failed to monetize my writing. This means I haven’t made a single penny! It hurts! However, I would’ve no problem with absence of paid subscribers as long as I could get “paid supporters” instead. Even a one-time tip is sufficient, rather than a monthly or yearly commitment.

But having zero paid supporters for my publication is hard to digest and very discouraging. To the readers who love to pay for content and who are paid subscribers elsewhere, I would like to ask. Are Ko-fi and Patreon unfavorable among Substack readers? Is it necessary to keep posting on these platforms as well to get people’s attention? Do people only start supporting after you do that?

I’m sorry to say this, but I’ve to admit it. It is too difficult for me to continue writing for free any more. I don’t know why people aren’t supporting my publication, so please speak frankly in the comments below. Let me know what is missing from my writing.

Apart from this, another minor factors to blame for creating this unbearable situation for me as a writer include my Low Subscriber Count. Despite using many tactics and putting in a lot of effort, I’ve only managed to gain a little over 450 subscribers, which isn’t an impressive figure in my opinion. That said, I’m satisfied with the number of likes and views my work receives based on this subscriber figure. I also receive nice comments from readers, no doubt! Maybe the Algorithm is not in my favor! You can guide me on how to increase my subscriber count by leaving an elaborate comment below, which will also help others reading this.

Secondly, I’ve started doubting my writing skills and language proficiency due to the lackluster response. I know very well that I’m not an extraordinary writer, and I never project myself as such. Rather, I consider myself an average writer who simply aspires to generate a decent income through writing. I’m fully aware that there’re numerous, much better writers on Substack.

But is it strictly necessary to be an extraordinary writer to get paid? Your opinion on this matters a lot.

Here, let me inform you that English isn’t my first language; it has always been a foreign language for me. It’s my second, or rather third, language. My mother tongue is different, my national language is different, and then English comes in third position as an international language. However, I was a student of English Literature at the college level. Since then, I’ve also worked as a freelance English writer. Hence, I’ve had a long-term bond and good experience with English reading and writing, though maybe not with English speaking. I also do editing and extensively use a grammar checker before publishing. Still, you can inform me of whatever English proficiency issues you come across in my writing.

Just freely speak about what you think, and whether or not I stand a chance (even a distant one) of earning from writing on Substack. This will make it clearer to me whether or not I’m hitting in the dark and wasting my energy. Without hesitation, you can also advise me on where I can or should improve my performance as a writer.

If I’m fortunate enough to have reached out to the “most successful” paid writers through this post, I urge all of you to express your views or talk about your experiences. How much time did it take to get your first paid subscriber or paid supporter? How big of a role does publishing frequent posts play in your success? Your words will not only help me, but also many other writers reading this.

Lastly, I want to promise here that if I get good financial support from readers or subscribers in the near future, I will publish new posts with increased frequency, higher quality, and superb ideas. Readers will find more frequent publishing activity, more meaningful content, better-researched information, and more thoroughly analyzed data from my publication.

In addition, I have a “writing plan” ready where I will write on topics suggested by my paid readers or supporters.

RECOMMENDATIONS

👉A delicate, heart-touching, and humane tale, as well as a love story involving two “special” young characters. It’s a fictional short story spanning two chapters. You need to read it to know why they’re called special characters, how they meet each other, and how their love blossoms. What circumstances lead to specific situations in their lives, and what troubles arise in their relationship? How do the equations change between them? Does their love finally translate into a lifelong union, or do they get separated?

👉A science-based article celebrating the value of scientific innovation in our lives. It’s a bit lengthy, but you will enjoy it because many things are narrated in an intriguing way, providing well-researched, cross-checked information alongside lighthearted fun. Today, we can’t even imagine this world without science. Have you ever wondered what would’ve happened if the human minds were incapable of identifying and developing science? What is ACER? What are the most significant scientific wonders gifted to mankind?

👉 Artificial Intelligence (AI) needs no introduction today, as the entire world is witnessing a significant overhaul of human life thanks to this wonderful technology. However, alongside its positive side, there is a buzz surrounding its negative effects too. AI can learn our languages and mannerisms. It can replicate the human voice and create fake videos. Humanoids can mimic the way we walk and talk. But can AI learn human morality? That’s a big question requiring a proper answer.

👉 At present, the world is experiencing an atmosphere of negativity, making people’s lives difficult, either directly or indirectly. Every country is affected more or less. Breeze is an attempt to present this reality through fictional storytelling. Chapter 1 is entirely dedicated to a love story between two young adults, and more chapters are in the pipeline. Want to know what happens to their love story?

THANKS FOR READING!

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Third floor, second floor, first floor...
Coming down is an elevator with irregular speed.
Eager are the people on the ground floor to go up.
As it reaches the ground and the gates open,
Some are coming out, others are entering.
Some are familiar faces, others are new ones.

Two particular humans, two faces, four eyes,
Who seem unfamiliar with each other.
One is entering, the other is leaving. 
Their eyes meet, then casually drift away. 
Still, their minds signal to them something else. 
The same routine scene continues for days.

Suspicious and curious, one’s mind starts to function!
Revisiting the past is the main thing happening in it.
Thanks to the other’s facial features, 
Some clues it receives. 
The other feels nothing unusual but cannot ignore eye contact.

A day comes...
The latter is busy talking on the phone while leaving.
The former listens to a particular name while entering.

Many such cases we can envision…
This may involve two people,
Either two males, two females,
Or one from each gender,
Who could be of different ages,
Even representing different generations,
Could belong to different classes and backgrounds,
No matter how different in nature they are.

This is a case of bustling business building, 
Housing various departments of a large company.
Thousands of footfalls a day it witnesses,
Well known for its premium cafeteria and canteen,
Providing the best refreshment experiences,
Where employees and visitors sit for a while.
The favorite regular venues for people working here.

Of the two people in question, 
One is brand new here, 
Whereas the other is a regular employee here.
One day, the new one visits the cafeteria,
When the regular one is also present,
Who seizes the opportunity to talk to this special person.
After exchanging greetings, the regular one asks,
“May I know your name?”, the answer is given,
“Did you study at Divine Hope School?”, the answer is Yes.

This particular story relates to two young adults.
A young man is asking a young girl,
Whose answers take him over the moon.
He immediately reveals his name,
Which comes as a pleasant surprise to her.
She feels extremely happy to meet him.
Now they are seen hanging out, talking, and laughing!
Until yesterday, they were two strangers.
Today, they have become a sensational talking point!

They were very close childhood friends.
Neighbors as well as students of the same school,
Many hours a day, they used to spend together.
Good camaraderie, their parents also shared. 
Every function, party, ritual, festival,
They celebrated them all together!

But something unpleasant happened,
Separating the two families.
A misunderstanding flared up between the two couples,
Creating cracks in their relationship.
At the same time,
The boy’s father got a transfer to another city,
Forcing them to leave the place immediately.
The girl’s family also vacated their house later on,
Shifting to a new home, a new city.
Their issue remained unresolved forever! 

Both houses remained locked for quite some time.
Both couples started their lives afresh in new environments.
Both had no idea where the other family went.
Both failed to contact each other.
Both got busy with their lives from then onward.
Both found solace and friendship in new neighbors.
Both chose to forget their old neighbors!

But heart-wrenching...
This separation fell upon the two kids,
Who had little sense of what was happening.
Enrolled in new schools,
With no other option,
They studied alongside new students.

For the rest of their childhood,
Then years of growing up and adulthood,
Being children to adolescents to young adults,
School days followed by college life,
New friends came and went away from their lives.

What was missing? 
The comfort and closeness in friendship,
The selfless and innocent bond,
The pure love and warmth,
Which they once shared as children. 

Later with realization...
That they loved each other in childhood,
Their souls have refused to fall in love with anyone else!
They have rejected proposals, 
Never romantically involved.
No boyfriend, no girlfriend.

With passing time, 
They also came to realize...
Irrelevant became their friendship in their lives!
Blurred became their memories!
New connections were indeed needed,
Considering their present and future life.
They still couldn’t forget to remember each other,
Harboring a wish to meet each other once in a lifetime!

Now after two decades or so,
Destiny has brought them together once again.
They’re now working under the same roof.
Their old friendship revives within hours.
No words, no expressions, no vows!
No proposal required!
Now both know it very well... 
They’re in love!

Their faces sparkling all the time, 
Their glittering, beaming, moist eyes, 
Their innocent smiles and spontaneous laughter, 
Their sense of exploring the best moments of life, 
Their joy of living the present to the fullest, 
Are all like never before. 
All thanks to the resurrected past connection! 
That’s what life is all about!

Mixed reactions from their parents come, 
When they first hear of this reunion. 
One thing they are sure of is extreme happiness, 
Which they are witnessing in their offspring. 
But they are doubtful… 
About reopening a chapter in life!

Gone is gone, and done is done! 
You can’t go back, 
You can’t reengage with your past! 
You have to move on, 
You can’t stay put in life! 
This is how their minds are thinking. 
“They didn’t even try to contact us once”,
Their ego whispers to their minds.

The issue between them was petty,
Which they also realized later on.
Whatever ill effects it left, 
Time has already healed.
Thoughts are troubling them though.
Their neighborly bond is a thing of the past,
Something relevant to their past!
Something irrelevant to their present!

Two sets of parents must find the will to meet.
Their hearts say yes, 
Their minds say no!
Hesitation, confusion, worry, fear, indecision!
Pressed by the young lovebirds,
Two ladies, "their mothers", get ready to talk!

Connected, finally!
They’re linked by phones now.
Voices from both sides crack initially,
Oozing sheer emotion.
Hearing each other’s voices after so many years,
They still know who’s speaking,
Such a familiar voice!
No formal greetings required!

They go on to talk for so long,
Reviving old memories!
Their present lives, 
Family issues, 
Future of their kids,
All fill their conversation,
Speaking just as they did years ago.
Both now want to see each other’s grown-up children.

The time from the past can’t return,
But its relevance can return to the present.
Human relationships can be reconnected,
And their lost relevance can be regained.
That’s what life is all about.

And a meeting is arranged!
Both couples can’t wait any more.
Their kids’ workplace,
No other venue,
They find is the best for this!

Right now...
The girl’s parents are sitting at the cafeteria,
Where their daughter first found her childhood friend.
Emotions and excitement, 
They can’t hold them back!
The moments of waiting make them nervous too. 

Her father suddenly senses a touch from behind.
Somebody has put his hand on his shoulder!
Swiftly turning around, he finds their old neighbors,
Standing right there, in front of them!

They look at each other,
Meeting after so many years!
Before any word is spoken, 
Warm handshakes and emotional hugs take place!

Within minutes,
Their children join them,
Whose transformation,
From child to young adult,
Surprises their neighboring couples!
A teary reunion of two disconnected families!
Happy, content faces, people can see!
The entire day, they spend together here!

Both families are reading from one page now...
Both love this sweet reconnection and reunion.
Both were the finest neighbors in their lives.
Both feel those were their golden days.
Both wish to be united in the future.
Both want to deepen this relationship.

What follows this meeting,
Anyone can guess…
Endless phone calls and video chats,
Warm visits to each other’s homes,
Constant reassurance of love and bond,
Quietly paving the way for a grand marriage.

And very soon...
Bridegroom sliding the ring onto his bride,
The engagement ritual is performed!
People celebrating their childhood love,
The lovebirds are blessed with a lavish wedding!
Neighbors turning into relatives, 
Both families vie for a lifelong bond!

The newlyweds step into a new chapter,
Unfolding a fulfilling married life!
They live happily ever after...

If you found this piece valuable, please like, share, and restack it. And you are invited to leave your comments below.

And you might also like the previous poetic piece. Please click to read Relevance Lost!

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What do we do right after waking up? We all check Substack to see if there are any new likes, more views, extra comments, additional restacks, or a higher subscriber count. This is especially true when we have recently published a new note or post, whether it is an article, a poem, or a story. These numbers make us sentimental. If we see a positive surge, we feel happy; if it shows an exceptionally high surge, we go crazy; and if there is a lukewarm response, we feel a bit disappointed. But how realistic and practical are these figures?

Let us look into this and analyze Substack’s genuineness by carrying out a reality check on readers, views, likes, and restacks. We fully believe the numbers our Substack accounts show us. However, the credibility of these statistics is a bit controversial, as they may not present an accurate picture.

My writing venture on Substack marked the completion of its first year this month. Prior to Substack, I tried Medium, and the experience was horrible, disastrous! Forget about likes; it did not generate a single view. I waited for weeks, months, and even a year, but it remained the same, viewless!

In the beginning on Substack, I was simply curious to see if I could generate any views at all. Back then, even getting five to fifteen views over ten days evoked happy feelings in me, which felt more satisfying than today’s over 300 views. My second excitement was receiving likes. Even a single like boosted my confidence because it indicated my Substack was active, working, and not lying idle on the internet. My old posts still have just one, two, or three likes, including one my own. But steadily, post after post, my views and likes continued to increase day by day.

Substack is good for growing your subscribers, readers, likes, and restacks. All of these continue to grow over time, provided that you remain active by publishing new posts or notes. Today, creators also publish audio and video content.

However, growth rates differ from one writer to another. In my case, my subscribers are still under 500, while many others have crossed the 1k, 2k, or even 3k mark within the same one-year timeframe. Many factors are responsible for this, including the magical element called the Algorithm, but we will not discuss those factors here.

The numbers associated with a new work or post can be assessed from two different angles.

👉 From the Angle of VIEWS:

What are views? The strategic and logical answer is that views represent the total number of times a post is opened or viewed. However, the use of the term “view” is vague and ambiguous. And we are drawn into believing that this figure also represents the number of readers. For instance, we commonly assume that 300 views must mean 300 readers. This is how most of us interpret it.

Now, let us see how misleading this figure could be. As a newbie on Substack, after publishing my initial posts, I used to click them over and over to check the views and likes. Doing so raised a doubt in my mind. Are my own clicks also counted as views? After digging into the issue, my doubt was confirmed. Substack counts our own clicks because it does not currently have the mechanism to filter out the self-generated traffic created by authors.

We all have a tendency to refresh or reopen our posts after publishing, at least for the first two to three days. We do so to check stats and read comments. Therefore, if the self-generated clicks (or views) are 20, then the actual views reduce to 280 instead of 300. In addition, if someone opens your post five times, those are also counted as five views. Suppose ten subscribers or readers click on your post five times each; then 40 extra views are counted and added to the total. Hence, the actual number comes down to just 240 views, not 300! Plus, random web surfers who are not part of Substack are also likely to click on it casually with no intention of reading. Even guessing the number of such views is difficult.

Once we press the Publish button, Substack shows that the post has been emailed directly to all subscribers’ inboxes. The stats report also shows the percentage of subscribers who actually opened it. That is something we can know. However, look at the screenshot of Traffic Sources below. Can anybody tell us what is meant by “Direct” and “Other”? Please share your thoughts in the comments section. These categories probably refer to views from non-Substack members, such as visitors from social media.

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👉 From READERS’ Angle:

Again, we believe views equal readers! In the case above, after excluding all “invalid views,” let us assume 240 views mean 240 readers! We remain under the impression that 240 people have read a particular post. Wow, that’s great!

But what is the definition of a reader? Readers can be of many types, such as the following.

Type A is the one who reads everything from start to finish, maybe including the comments.

Type B is the one who stops after reading just half of your text, or reads only some portions of it.

Type C is the one whose interest is to read only the first paragraph or opening lines.

Type D is interested in reading only titles, subtitles, and major points, or only wants to view the images.

Type E is the person who opens your post only to see how long or short it is.

Type F is the visitor who has accidentally opened your post and leaves it immediately.

Type G is the user who opens it just to see who has liked it, or to read the comments, or to check if there is any restack.

All such people are collectively referred to as readers. Some people are “fond of restacking.” They spend most of their time on Substack restacking notes and posts. We feel grateful to them for the restacks, which they also do for many other writers.

Nonetheless, a “genuine reader” is someone who reads everything from the first word to the last. This exactly refers to the “Type A reader” mentioned above. However, no method currently exists to track data for such readers to confirm they have read every single word.

Substack currently lacks a system to measure the “read time” that users spend while reading. In contrast, Medium tracks this metric and pays its writers based on the average time readers spend on their content. We can say Medium outperforms Substack in this specific aspect.

Apart from this, there is also a possibility that even a genuine reader may not be a reader in the truest sense. Here is how it happens. Considering the above description of non-genuine readers, you might immediately think that those who press the like button, leave comments, and restack the post are definitely genuine. After all, they would only do so if they had read the entire content. Very good, completely agreed! This is a reliable rule to identify at least some of our genuine readers. Moreover, the substance of their comments can also reflect whether or not they have read everything.

However, when we visit their profiles by clicking on their profile pictures, we see that they are all WRITERS, not READERS! This means that if they read our work, they are technically our readers. Practically, however, they are authors themselves, sometimes on a much larger scale, holding far better recognition than us on Substack. This creates a case of “writers reading writers’ writings.” Where are the readers, then? Truthfully, I have been trying to locate pure readers on Substack, but I have failed to find even one, simply because everyone here is a writer! Substack provides the same platform to everyone during sign-up. There is no option available to declare that you are a reader and not a writer.

Furthermore, there are writers who read your work solely because they expect a Reciprocal Read from you. It is a kind of mutual understanding! “You read my work, and I read yours.” In the same breath, “You like my post, and I like yours.” This is an absolute reality. If you do not read their work, or if you stop reading more, they will subsequently stop reading yours. They expect a reciprocal response to their gestures, whether it involves reading, likes, comments, or restacks. Meanwhile, we continue our endeavors to find 100% genuine readers.

There are also Supporters in the Guise of Readers. This means that some writers become your supporters. They are kind-hearted, good people who want to see you grow on Substack. However, they do not think it is necessary to read your work. Instead, they directly hit the like button, leave a short comment, and/or restack it! Maybe they read a few lines, but for that reason, they cannot be called readers. If you regularly find short comments on your posts like “Excellent,” “Beautiful,” or “Very good,” you need to understand that these individuals are your “supporters.” Please understand that there is nothing wrong with having supporters or becoming one yourself. In fact, it is a good thing. On the other hand, it is also true that they are not actual readers. They likely do not read because they lack the time; they are very successful and busy writers themselves.

Now, it is the turn of Paid Subscribers! This relates to those fortunate writers who have attained the blessing of paid subscriptions. I have no personal experience with this because I have had zero paid subscribers so far.

People might say that our paid subscribers are definitely the genuine readers. Okay, fine. But who are they? Obviously, they are people who can afford to pay, or they are wealthy, benevolent individuals. Chances are, they are not interested in reading your work; rather, they are interested in seeing you keep going as a writer because they find you to be promising. This means they “support” your writing through a paid subscription, not necessarily by taking an interest in reading what you write. However, this does not apply to each and every paid subscriber. Such paid subscribers are mostly those who pay for monthly or yearly subscriptions. Some of them may be your regular readers, while others read only a few of your posts. Maybe some even forget that they are your paid subscribers! It becomes easy to make your paid subscribers read your writing if you make it available only to them. Then, they will consider themselves exclusive and take an interest in reading.

What about writers becoming each other’s mutual paid subscribers? Maybe this is happening. But how and what will they earn then?

Lastly, the focus now turns to those people who neither hit the like button, leave comments, nor restack. They do nothing. But most likely, they read everything with full interest. They may be shy, reserved, or even well-known people, who do not want to be identified for whatever reason. Or, they read Substack posts on the web, outside of its platform itself. They stand a high chance of being your genuine readers!

Please share your experiences, knowledge, information, and opinions in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

If you liked this analysis, you might also enjoy my previous one! Please click on the link. Maybe Substack Wants To Be New YouTube.

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Brakes are pressed.
The red light turns on.
Two vehicles stop at a traffic signal.
Between them is a distance of a meter or so.
Two humans, two faces, four eyes.
A matter of only a few seconds!



Their eyes meet and swiftly flee.
Their minds get startled!
Both identify each other at the first glance. 
Both inwardly deny noticing each other.
They pretend to be blind to each other’s presence. 



Their fleeting glances struggle to focus on other things. 
One tries to be glued to the mobile screen. 
The other pretends to be checking belongings. 
Palpable is the level of awkwardness in their mannerisms. 
Palpitation in their hearts gets abnormal. 
A weird sense of what to do makes them clumsy.



The ego clash takes centre stage. 
A sense of self-respect emerges. 
Their facial expressions stand out from others. 
No exchange of greetings or pleasantries.
No smiles, no words, no waving hands! 
No hi! No hello!



To be or not to be?
Becomes a million-dollar question.
Should we talk?
Why should I take the initiative? 



They had good relations years ago. 
They spent good times together. 
Every day, worked together, enjoyed together. 
Maybe, there was more to it. 



However, all this has become a thing of the past now. 
Now they have different paths to follow.
Their professions have changed. 
And so are their lives!



They have moved on.
Yet in the course of daily routine,
Their paths still cross sometimes.
And they always ignore each other.
But this is the first time their encounter is this close.



One may guess endlessly about the state of their relationship.
Maybe, they were close friends once upon a time.
Or, they are relatives, no longer on talking terms.
Or, they were neighbors in the past.
Or, they used to be just office colleagues.
Or, they were known strangers or acquaintances.
Or, they are former lovers, now just exes.
Or, a divorced husband and wife.



They could be anybody.
But no, they are not close relatives!
Like father and son, siblings, or uncle and niece,
Whose bonds are far beyond the need for formality,
Who would talk of this chance meeting once back home.



Here lies the fear! 
If they break silence now, 
Only the old issues will surface again. 
Only the old wounds will be revived. 
Both sets of minds and hearts are experiencing
Vibrations of thought, emotion, and memory.



You did what you shouldn’t have.
You didn’t support me when I needed you.
You said something to me that was unexpected.
That day you wronged me.
Once you betrayed me!
Or is it some other such issue?



Maybe everything is fine between them.
There have been no issues at all.
Or, time has healed every issue.
The point is, they don’t need to talk now.
Why try to renew the connection today,
Which was automatically turned off years ago?



Lost, the novelty in mutual understanding!
Vanished, the freshness of camaraderie!
Evaporated, the warmth in interaction!
Their relation has lost its relevance. 
Their laughs, talks, jokes, disputes, feelings!
All have become irrelevant today!



Just like the kids who refuse to play with teddy bear!
Now that they have grown up,
It has become irrelevant to them!
They want to explore new things now.

 

Now they have nothing to do with each other. 
Put simply, they don’t need each other. 
Whatever they had is no longer relevant today. 
It's become history, a past!
They have other relevant priorities now.
That’s what life is all about. 



Time is elapsing...
One second feels like one minute.
They keep glancing at the traffic signal,
Witnessing the countdown of the remaining seconds.
The wait feels unusually long.
People are revving their engines.



Maybe they still visit each other’s social media accounts!
And they know what the other is doing nowadays.
Maybe, through third parties or other means,
They know what is happening in each other's lives.



Nevertheless, it is certain that
Their memory system reminds them
They haven’t forgotten each other’s personal traits.
A peculiar voice still echoes in the ears.
A favorite food, a classic hairstyle!
Still lingers in the mind.



Five, four, three, two, one... 
As it nears the end of the red light,
They seem lost in thought. 
And once the green light is on,
The hustle-bustle of traffic starts again. 
Vehicles are overtaking both of them. 
Some are alerting them by sounding the horns. 



They scramble to move on, on their vehicles. 
One goes straight.
The other takes a right turn.
And life follows the mundane routines!

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Accepted without any argument!
We can't bring back our past.
Can't turn our present into our past.
Can't go back in time.
Gone is gone!

But...
We can remember it.
We can cherish it.
Enjoy it, celebrate it, and that way,
We can also relive it!

Who's stopping you from delving into your past?
So you can remember...  
Life's best events and precious moments,
The essence of bygone times!
Treasure your Golden Memories!

Upset, unhappy with life's current state?
Whenever your present hurts you,
You have a remedy from your past.

The remedy of reliving yesteryear’s golden times!
Moments that either you miss today,
Or you have forgotten to recall.

The feel of earlier times is still there,
Buried alive within you.
Lying idle on the path of your life, 
Yet vivid and glorious!
The aura still lingers!
No matter how far behind your life has left it.

The fragrance, the elegance,
The magnificence, the significance,
 Of life gone by!
The sweetness, the softness, the warmness,
Of feelings we once used to experience!
All are securely stored as our memories.

Just dig into your heart, and shake your mind.
And you will have it.
Go, indulge in the realm of those beautiful memories.
Rediscover the bloom and the charm,
The excitement and the eagerness of life.

In terms of taking advantage,
Remembering the past can teach us lessons!
Past experience shows the way today.
Childhood memories solve problems even in old age.

Let people claim you’re living in the past!
What's the logic behind
"Living in the present",
Dutifully, strictly, consciously, all the time?
What if it serves no purpose?
What if life needs support from yesteryears?

People might question the state of your mind.
But the emotional act of recalling can enrich it,
Benefiting your soul and life.
Remembrances won't leave you lost in time.

Why people think so is because...
We believe in the future and dreams!
We believe in moving on and forgetting!
In marching ahead, and never looking back!

When it comes to dreams at night, 
We can still enjoy our favorite scenes.
But are they real or just hoaxes?
Weird, horrible, absurd, irrational!
They can haunt us too, or at leastupset us.

What if in your dream, a memory comes alive?
Then you can't escape from remembering!
That dream will bring back your past.

While daydreaming, 
We can also visualize our future life,
Heavily relying on sheer...
Possibilities, Probabilities, Plausibilities!
Invoking an imaginary world! 
Based on desire, aspiration, hope, luck!
With or without logic and viability.

Memory lies inside our life.
Dream lies outside our life.
One is real, the other is surreal!
Something already existed, 
Versus something yet to exist.

Memories are occupied by life, 
Securely saved as lived realities. 
Dreams are unoccupied by life, 
Secretly saved as imagined realities.
Dreams may or may not come true.
Memories always come true!

If you value them,
If you can recall them,
Memories are relayed live from your past.
They are realistic, reliable, relivable!
Just reopen the door of your heart!
And switch on the camera of your mind!

Sweet memories possess healing power!
That offers you respite...
From the present-day heat in your life,
From anything wrong that breaks your heart.

Why then be afraid?
Because of so many negative things,
Which are also stuffed inside your past?
They’re capable of haunting you even today?
And that's why you sealed, years ago,
The whole package of your memories?

But you're doing a business of loss!
You're neglecting sweet memories,
While getting rid of bitter memories?
Losing a token of life’s most valuable assets,
Which you have earned so far?

Haven't you gone down memory lane?
Haven't you met your old-time friend?
Haven't you revisited...
your school or college after many years?
Haven't you traveled...
to your old city and old residence?

Doesn't something remind you of someone special?
One whom you loved, or who loved you?
Don't you remember somebody who’s no more today?
Let your tears fall while remembering them.
Let your heart attain purification.

When last did you check?
Old photos, album, or videos,
Old jeans, devices, papers, 
Anything that once held
A special place in your heart!

They bring back... 
The sequence of events
In front of our eyes.

Cherish memories of the time...
You enjoyed with your parents!
You shared with your siblings, friends, children, and relatives!
You spent especially with someone you revered!
When you felt you were the happiest person!

Reminisce the best moments...
From your childhood, school days, and college life,
From the best phases of your life,
From the best places you have visited,
From your family life, social life, and professional life.

Dig out golden moments...
Of performing well in exams and receiving accolades!
Of hanging out with friends and celebrating events!
Of birthdays, marriages, festivals, and parties!

Oh...
The celebrities, the icons,
The idols, the stars, the leaders!
Songs, films, audio,
Videos, voices, and visuals!
Their reminiscences come with
Nostalgia and different vibes.
They instantly take us back
To their entire era.
And we cherish...
A particular part of our lives!

You're lucky if you have somebody,
With whom you can share your memories!
But if not, no problem,
You can do it alone!

Who's stopping you from delving into your past?
So you can remember...  
Life's best events and precious moments,
The essence of bygone times!
Treasure your Golden Memories!

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It is difficult to choose the right terms to describe her life, her career, and ultimately, her death. Words like icon, legend, or legendary singer, and phrases like “the end of an era’” all fall short of describing the stature she attained. Some artists transcend all limits, moving beyond any label or description.

She did not just sing her songs; she lived them, deeply mesmerizing her audience. She cast a spell through her craft of highly melodious singing and sweetness of her voice. There is an intoxicating element in her singing that makes us wish the song would never end. At times, a childlike innocence, and at others, a profound maturity in her tone make her a unique singer. Her “forever youthful voice” simply makes people fall in love!

[If you don't know her, read this as a standalone story, it’s very interesting. Be sure to listen to her songs and watch her videos too. Even with the language barrier, you can still enjoy her voice and music.]

Her story as a singer began even before India’s independence. She started singing in 1943, and four years later, India became independent in 1947. A musician of modest background was giving singing lessons to his students when he accidentally discovered that a true talent was hidden within his own family. He was the father of four daughters and a son. Consequently, two of his daughters went on to conquer the art of singing, ultimately changing forever the trajectory of songs and music in India, particularly in Indian cinema.

Asha was the younger daughter, while Lata was the elder. Lata Mangeshkar, also known as the Nightingale of India, was the first in the family to become a star singer, followed by her younger sister, Asha. While Lata always held the number one position in the Indian music industry, Asha was never far behind. She undeniably remained in the second position. Later, both came to be known as the pride of India. They are also revered as Maa Saraswati (the Goddess of Song and Music). And look at the coincidence. Lata also passed away at the same age of 92! She remained hospitalized for some time, suffering from pneumonia and complications from Covid-19, and people also sensed she would not survive.

After her sister’s departure, people felt like we still had Asha Bhosle with us. They expected her to reach her centenary as she was fit, fine, and healthy! Even after entering her 90s, she walked upright without any support! She lived an active life, attending functions, giving interviews, appearing on TV shows, and even performing live. And she even maintained performing riyaaz (singing practice) every morning!

She gave her final live performance at age 90, a feat unheard of for any artist! At 91, she not only sang for a private video but also appeared in it alongside her granddaughter. Just a few weeks before her death, her final recording, “The Shadowy Light,” was released. In this song, she clearly indicated that she was ready to go. It is available on Spotify; you can listen to it.”

As far as her singing ability with age goes, she sang with the same energy and vocal quality in her 80s and even 90s. Moreover, there was no sign of any breathing sound at that age! This was remarkably exceptional because even when we listen to today’s young singers, especially in Indian cinema, we can easily notice their breathing!

Thus, she was very happy and healthy, living her usual life. But, one night, news came, stating that she had been admitted to the hospital. And, the next day, on April 12, 2026, she was declared dead, and the cause was cardiac arrest! All of a sudden, she quit so quietly, so surprisingly! With her death, India lost its supremely talented Melody Queen, who was singing for the past “eight decades”! She recorded her first song at a tender age of 10!

Unlike her sister, Asha had to struggle to establish herself as a credible singer. Her main challenge was how to create her own identity by differentiating herself from her sister, because industry insiders constantly criticised her, claiming she was copying her sister! Naturally, being siblings, they shared certain similarities. And, she took this challenge upon herself. As a result, she developed her unique voice and style through effort and hard work. However, how she managed to grab songs from the industry was even more interesting!

And the idea was, she started accepting songs that had been rejected by her sister! Lata was not willing to sing songs that lacked cultural conformity based on Indian cultural values. While Lata was a traditional girl, Asha had a more liberal mindset. So, Asha started singing those songs in which female characters on screen were shown singing and dancing in a seductive manner, wearing glamorous outfits. This required a special singing style and vocal artistry! Her first super hit song sung in this way came out in 1958 (Aaiye meherbaan baithiye jaane jaan), which is still very popular. Listen it below!

What followed next was that she became the voice for female characters playing vamps, villains’ companions, or other side roles. The lead female voice was mostly assigned to her sister or other established singers. Enthused by her boldness as a singer, music composers also started mixing suggestive or double-meaning lyrics into her songs. But she was not deterred, and she never stopped!

However, she sang in such a beautiful and brilliant way that, ironically, people ignored all the so-called improper elements of her songs, and they became a huge success! People were simply enjoying her singing rather than the lyrics. In the meantime, music composers noticed her great singing talent and realized she was no longer copying her sister. She now had a distinctive voice, different from her sister’s!

So, now they wanted her to sing for the main characters, the heroines of the films. In the next couple of years, she became a well-established, popular singer. And subsequently, she established herself as a whole brand called Asha Bhosle! Her sister had already become a brand. So, here we can see how, without even engaging in direct competition, she drew a parallel with her sister!

Above watch her performing live her evergreen classic love song! As her career progressed, she had the opportunities to sing all types of songs across all genres. However, she became synonymous with sensuous or hot songs, cabarets, as well as dance numbers! She had no problem with it, so she continued singing in this style. But that was not her only identity; she is known for all types of songs. Her lovely voice and great singing make the onscreen heroines look much more beautiful than they actually are! Listen to the track below; she recorded it in 1995 for a 20-year-old happy-go-lucky girl onscreen!

Indian film songs explore all human emotions, with love and romance being the most celebrated. Thus she sang songs expressing every emotion and mood. She sang for all genres such as romantic, emotional, sensuous, patriotic, sad, devotional, and comedic. The following two songs are from 1999 and 2000!

She also sang ghazals and qawwalis. And most importantly, she brought utmost perfection every time she sang! Beyond films, she sang for many non-film albums too. She also collaborated with international artists. On her 80th birthday, she is performing in a live concert with a European orchestra in the video below.

Post-90s, she recorded remixes of her older hits. The following is a 2014 version.

Her singing versatility ranges from Indian classical to Westernized tracks, from ghazals to dance numbers, from qawwalis to hip-hop and disco, and from bhajans (prayers) to pop, rock, and rap! She was the stalwart who helped bring Western influences to Indian music and cinema. She sang in over 20 languages and worked for almost all regional film industries in India. Truly, she redefined the meaning of versatility; when it comes to range, she was even more versatile than her sister.

What makes Asha bhosle a unique singer is her equal command over two extremely different forms of song. On one hand, there is purely Indian classical song, and on the other hand there is highly westernized song. At one end you have the ghazal (Indian culture) and at other, you have pop and rock (Western culture). These two things are diametrically opposed to each other. Yet, she mastered both! If you cannot believe this, listen to the two songs below in a quick succession.

Her dedication is unquestionable; she devoted her entire life to music and songs. She came from a musical family and she had been singing since her childhood! Apart from being a singer, as a person, she taught us three things. First, she believed in evolving with the times. As the decades changed, she changed too; whatever novelty came her way, she learned and adapted to it. She remained up to date with the latest technology until her last days, such as using Bluetooth headphones with her phone. Second, we can learn from her to keep working; she was active until her last breath! And third, she showed us how to live to the fullest no matter how old you are! She was still walking, talking, and laughing even after entering her 90s!

She touched millions of hearts for so many decades and will continue to do so for centuries to come. Asha cannot die; she lives on in people’s hearts even after her passing! She has only physically left us. Her voice and work are with us. How fitting it is that, in Hindi, the name “Asha” means “Hope”, and hope never dies! Asha Bhosle will continue to live on and on…

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Birds are seen flying around and above there, and so is their chirping heard, especially in the trees. Light wind with cool air is flowing, providing much-needed relief from the afternoon heat. And slight smoke, humidity, and particles of soil in the air are also present! Still, there is enough daylight despite the sunset is almost done! It helps a bunch of clouds paint the sky colorful! This makes the surroundings a beautiful, spectacular, natural scenery!

[Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. The story, characters, events, places, countries, and their names are all fictional and imaginary. Any resemblance to anything real is purely coincidental.]

The young man, Jimmy, tells his sweetheart that they will have to wait more because the situation is not conducive for marriage. He wants to first let things settle down and circumstances improve. The young girl, Tina, refuses to wait any further, saying that everything has intensified and so it is unlikely to normalize anytime soon! Their very serious, anxious, somewhat heated, yet romantic-in-nature arguments continue.

He says, “You know it very well, there is uncertainty all over, nobody knows what’s going to happen in the coming days. Even what will happen the next moment is unpredictable. The situation has worsened to this level.”

She replies, “Exactly, that’s what I’m telling you. Why are you so worried? I’m insisting on marriage because of the current difficult situation, and you’re avoiding it for the same reason? So what if things are unfavorable? I need a perfect answer. When are we going to get married?”

He argues, “See, you’re not a kid. You’re a mature adult, well-educated girl now. Why don’t you try to understand? Okay! You’re just 20, not 30 or 40. Why are you in such a hurry about our marriage? Can’t we postpone it for one or two years? Don’t you trust me anymore? Do you suspect I will betray you?”

She politely answers, “Because I don’t want to die before my marriage to you! I want to die as a married woman, as Jimmy’s wife!

He gets agitated. “Oh, come on, Tina! Nothing of that sort is going to happen. You’re not going to die. Why are you troubling your mind thinking like this?”

Now she calms down, but gloominess surfaces on her face, and her eyes are getting wet as tears welled.

He tries to pacify her. “Okay. Look at the beautiful trees here, those blooming flowers, these cheerful birds, the stunning sunset! Why are we wasting these golden moments discussing nonessential things? Forget all this, and tell me, don’t you remember our school days? When we used to be just friends, and every time there was such a charming natural environment, we enjoyed it a lot. This lovely breeze is witness to our love, which always connects us even if we are away from each other! Let’s fall in love again in these exhilarating moments with the same seasonal spell and romantic vibes present right now! Look at me in my eyes. Marriage, I can’t, but what I can is give you a passionate kiss”.

He holds her face in his palms, rubs his thumbs over her eyes to wipe teary moisture, and tries to kiss her lips!

But... all of a sudden... before their lips meet... at that very moment... some ear-piercing, ultra-loud sound with high volume erupts from somewhere, disrupting the peacefulness of the campus, killing the vibrancy of their private moments, and storming the entire area!

“No! Oh God! Air raid siren is ringing!”, Tina utters fearfully.

“It’s alerting about impending missile attacks near here”, Jimmy speaks abruptly, feeling very anxious.

Around them there is no one near, but far away they can see people shouting, rushing, and running for shelter or hiding in bunkers or any other safe places.

“We have to protect ourselves, and I don’t know? If any bunker around here? Let’s run in the open field towards the main gate. Come on, move fast, run fast, Tina, fast!”, he tells her impatiently while dragging her hands.

Hands-in-hands, they’re now running on the road to leave the campus site as soon as they can.

And... BOOM... !!!

Hardly... they are maybe thirty meters away, and they hear a massive explosion behind them. Frightened, baffled, and nervous, they turn around only to see, in front of their naked eyes, the whole campus building collapsing on the bench they were seated on just a few seconds ago!

A huge fire broke out at the site, and they are now engulfed in the cloud of heavy smoke, dust, debris, and sand.

However, as luck would have it, they came out unharmed!

Though so shocked, terrified, and panicked as they are, they cannot understand how to react! The mixed emotions of both happiness and unhappiness are surfacing on their faces! They hug each other but cannot believe what has just happened. They escaped death in a matter of seconds!!!

After recovering from the shocking experience, regaining composure, regaining confidence, and cleansing their clothes and bodies, Tina tells Jimmy, “Let’s pray to God to bless the person who blew the siren in the nick of time!”

Both these young lovers are residents of Restarneia. However, Jimmy is not its citizen. While he lives here at his uncle’s home for educational purposes, his parents and family live overseas. Tina and her family are natives of this country. Her residence is about five kilometers away from Jimmy’s apartment.

“Both neighboring countries are at war, and it’s been the fourth year since the beginning of the conflict! Unfortunately, the situation continues to become tense and grim day by day! There is no sign of a truce yet. Our country is very small, and now it seems that the entire region of it is going to be converted into war zones. A state of emergency has already been declared for the entire nation. Attacks can take place anywhere, anytime. So be prepared and take care”.

The President of Restarneia (RSA) is seen addressing the nation on TV the same night when this missile attack occurred at the college campus in the southern part of the country.

The entire conflict between Restarneia (RSA) and Munskyneia (MSA) started some five years back when RSA refused to sign an agreement pertaining to a long-disputed border issue with MSA. Then, following this, other minor issues also popped up, and it led to a full-fledged military war.

As per size and population, MSA is a much larger country than the RSA. Both these countries have the same culture, and they follow the same religion too. They speak the same language. The foods, customs, traditions, lifestyles, and economic status are also almost the same. By physical appearance, people from both countries look the same, so nobody can identify who is from which country. Even both countries use the same currency!

The next morning, a group of locals who gathered at a grocery store discuss the current state of the war. As their faces reveal, they are all too worried about it, because now their region is also under the grip of war, becoming the direct targets of enemy attacks. The president’s last night’s address also clearly underscored this point. Until now, no doubt, they were affected by this war, but only up to an “indirect war-related crisis” without any violent attacks on people and places.

A woman says that they must now stop saying that nothing will happen in their southern region just because only the northern part of their country is bordering Munskyneia. She adds that nobody ever imagined that one day a missile would land in the south too? But yesterday, that too actually happened, and an entire building on the college campus was bombarded! Fortunately, the college administration had already closed it a week ago, and nobody was there, so no casualties have been reported.

An elderly man agrees with her and informs the gathering that in his entire lifespan he has never seen any airstrike, neither in the south nor elsewhere in the country. Yes, the events of military aircraft flying over have occurred many times, just as what is happening today also. He adds that they are the country’s own military planes flying to ensure the safeguarding of the people and to instill confidence in them.

One of them raises the price rise issue, saying that they cannot buy even the most essential groceries at fair prices, and many of them remain out of stock! Look at the huge price hike in the previous two years when it comes to cooking gas and gasoline that people use on a daily basis. Even vegetables and fruits have witnessed a significant increase in prices due to the war.

Another woman says that there has been no water supply at her apartment for the last five days, and they have to arrange it from other areas.

A man replies to her that, as people of the country, they have to solve such public service issues on their own without expecting much from the government, which needs people’s support and cooperation in these critical hours. He adds that the situation cannot be handled only by the government alone, so people should not put the blame on it because it is doing its best to provide the necessary civil services.

A girl argues with him, questioning, who else has the power and authority to control the situation? She adds that, thank God, they can still watch TVs, listen to FM radios, and use the internet and mobile phones in this part of the country. But, in many other regions, TV and radio services have been badly affected due to damage by airstrikes to their towers. Internet services and mobile networks are being intermittently hampered there. Now, all these services will be in trouble in the south also.

The store owner joins the discussion, saying that for sellers like him the situation is still manageable, but for the jobseekers it is the worst. Young people are avoiding their marriages because there are no job vacancies!

At this time, Jimmy is talking to Tina on his smartphone, who is still in trauma and very disturbed.

He says, “Have you told it to your parents? I haven’t to anybody.”

She replies, “Not yet, and I don’t want to, either. Because, as you know, I’m the only child of my parents. How painful it would be for them to hear about it!”

He says, “Okay, but be positive, optimistic, and courageous, Tina. The final round of war is going to take place. Then, everything will be fine, super normal.”

“But who knows what lies ahead! I have heard that the police department is now evacuating people in our town, and people are also vacating their apartments”, she says with heaviness in her voice.”

“Whatever happens, our love will win at last. Maybe we are separated by a distance of thousands of miles, but our hearts will remain attached! Let’s promise, whenever the breezy air flows past, we will feel this attachment, the presence of each other! I love you, Tina!”, he tells her with a lump in his throat.

She tells him, “Tina does and will always love you, Jimmy! Yes, I do promise!”

**********

Thank you so much for reading Chapter 1! Your feedback will greatly help in developing this story, so please feel free to leave your comments, writing your views about this chapter as well as suggestions about the next ones. Please look out for Chapter 2 to be published soon. And, if you have liked this story, you might like the previous story, Life Can’t Be That Selfish, so please click and read it! Thanks again!

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We will return to this main issue pertaining to YouTube soon. Before that, let’s venture into history first. People from all countries would agree on one thing! Most probably, a phenomenal phase occurred everywhere but at a different time, meaning somewhere earlier, somewhere later. But it had a certain level of high impact and craze among people everywhere, which people cannot stop talking about even today! Unlike the mobile phone revolution that took place everywhere almost simultaneously or within the same decade, this phase or revolution occurred in different countries in different decades. Any guess? We are talking about the telecommunication revolution instigated by the arrival of television, or TV. No, this article is not about TV or its revolution, but its mention is necessary here. So, in short, we can say that in developed countries, TV reached every household two to four decades earlier than in the developing countries like India. In the United States, it happened as early as in the 1950s!

Before TV, it was radio that created hysteria amongst people with its broadcast services. But, in terms of “visual appeal and impact”, TV was the first. Here, we’re talking about smaller screens as household goods, so a cinema screen is a different thing. FM radio has once again occupied a significant place in people’s lives today!

In India, it wasn’t until the second half of the 1980s that TV started to invade every household. And, from then onward, TV ruled people’s hearts until 2000. Those years are called the Golden Era of TV in India, and maybe Indians lived their happiest lives at that time. And two major reasons are cited behind it. One is the supreme quality of TV programs and serials shown then, all suitable for family viewing. And, second was the availability of only one or two TV channels, both run by the government itself. Indian writers who lived that era can write entire books on this. But then, after the beginning of the new millennium, TV lost its “original charm” due to the influx of multiple TV channels, creating confusion in people’s minds as to what to see and what not to. This also led to the decline of qualitative content on TV. It was then followed by the onset of the mobile phone revolution combined with the internet age.

In subsequent years, people’s eyes that once used to be glued to TV screens finally got fixated on mobile screens, mainly of smartphones, tablets, or laptops. And, if we carefully observe the last decade, then we can confidently say that the main “visual attraction” for the people on mobile screens is YouTube, and that it’s revived their “lost craze for intriguingly watching”. However, there is a significant difference between viewership patterns of TV and YouTube. The main contrast is that TV used to assemble family members to watch it, whereas YouTube is watched mainly by one person individually. So, in a sense, TV was instrumental in unifying the family, but YouTube has isolated them!

Anyway, the biggest Plus Point of YouTube over TV is that it is not a time-bound platform! For TV, you have to be present in front of it at the specific time; otherwise, you will miss something to watch. Nowadays, definitely, lots of TV content have repeat telecasts, but even then you still have to follow the timeline. But, on YouTube, you can watch your favorite content whenever and wherever you want to, as per your convenience and multiple times with unlimited repeats. Keep reading, please; soon we will be addressing the main issue!

Imagine the time when there was nothing like YouTube, and remember a very serious news that was aired with remarkable footage of the incident. Now, suppose that, for any reason, you missed that news on TV; then that footage would probably be gone for you forever. But today you can find the missed footage on YouTube through the news channels run by many news agencies! You can do the same for any show, interview, series, etc. that you have missed on TV. Now, without any regrets, you will open YouTube, search it, and watch it with ease!

YouTube is also used by people as a replacement for TV because they know it very well that if anything worth it is shown on TV, then the same would be available on YouTube. So no worry relating to missing something! Moreover, many TV channels telecast live TV as well as live streaming on YouTube, too. This means a kind of watching TV on your palms, thanks to YouTube! So, in a time when people are living fast life, pursuing hectic lifestyles, running here and there, and lacking free time, YouTube comes as a blessing for them!

Before the internet, there was nothing like social media. And, before social media, there was no term like “social influencer”. A similar but broader term was social reformer, which is not commonly used today. There were only influencers, including celebrities, politicians, actors, and so on. Back then, nobody could imagine that an ordinary person could become an influencer without gaining prior popularity. But that’s possible today! There are so many of them who have emerged on various social media platforms; YouTube is one of them! They have achieved this feat through the route of followers and subscribers! Social influencers on YouTube, also known as YouTube influencers, have become part and parcel of life for many people due to their regular onscreen presence and appealing presentation. People can see them, their mannerisms, their style of presentation, and their entertainment, in addition to learning through the thoughts, ideas, and information they impart. They can also directly interact with them through live videos!

In fact, YouTube has given birth to so many minor YouTubers who don’t have millions of subscribers, but they’re earning a steady income through their channels. Google data shows that in 2025, there were approximately 60 million “active channels” on YouTube! This way, YouTube is also a means for employment generation.

YouTube has become a powerful stage for talented people. If you have a talent, you can showcase it through YouTube. And that’s it! It may take time, but if the algorithm favors you, your videos will go viral, and you can become a YouTube sensation overnight! Earlier, all they had to do was find a good platform, go for the audition, face rejections, endure failures, and embrace struggles for years!

So, considering all these aspects, people would never expect a decline for YouTube anytime soon. But we have to protect it from artificial intelligence to ensure its safe future, more so when AI is used in the wrong way!

Now, let’s focus on this issue, the main topic as expressed in the title itself. First of all, here is what Google says when we ask it one simple question. Is AI content allowed on YouTube? The below screenshot shows its answer.

So, this clearly shows that there is no problem if you publish AI video on YouTube! But, “following its guidelines”, you need to ensure that there is no harmful material in it and that you declare it as not an original video, and also that you disclose the use of AI (be it visual or audio). It also shows that YouTube has its own built-in AI tools to help creators disclose AI use. However, a big question is, how many creators are following these guidelines?

If we try to study what YouTube as an organization says about the use of artificial intelligence, it appears that its AI policy as well as policymakers are confused as to what to do and how to deal with it because there’s a lack of clarity. The reason may be that AI can be either good or a menace as well, depending on the situation. Whatever the case may be, the truth is that due to poor or confused policy, AI-generated videos are flourishing on YouTube. Look at the Google screenshot below.

This indicates that there is particularly “no law” that can prohibit AI use on YouTube! And such use is made to directly link with Intellectual Property (IP) Law and Privacy Law. In simple terms, IP law prevents anybody from using your work (writings, designs, videos, music, etc.) without your prior permission, meaning that you hold full ownership rights of your work. And the Privacy Law provides protection to your personal data, such as name, address, contact number, health records, etc. So, apparently these two laws are insufficient or ineffective to prevent misuse of AI on YouTube. But, in addition to this, the responsibility is also imposed on “platform policies and community guidelines”. What does this mean? If any reader has a better understanding of all this, please write it down using the comments section.

Now, look at another Google screenshot as shown below.

Here, it shows YouTube’s AI policies! But the same things, as above, are said in different manners.

Again, the last Google screenshot is about consequences of violations of AI policies and YouTube’s recent updates on this issue.

Okay, as a summary of all screenshots, one important point has emerged, which is a rule of “Discloser” through “Label” using the “AI tools”. This means that once you apply this tool, you will be able to put an AI mark on the screen itself. However, it looks like creators are not paying attention to it, maybe because they don’t have full knowledge about it. Or they’re just ignoring these guidelines. And, even if videos are labeled as AI videos, people are not going to notice or understand this label, as they’re not aware of it!

Other than this, many AI software also provides tools for such labels, e.g., Sora watermark! And honest creators use it too to disclose the unreality of their videos. In fact, on YouTube, there are also some videos with this label. Look at the screenshot of a video below.

To watch this video, click here.

So, the whole issue now revolves around the Awareness Factor. People should be aware of what AI is and what the AI label signifies. And creators should know and strictly follow the policy, rules, or guidelines of AI use! Maybe YouTube needs to start an Awareness Campaign in this regard.

Or else, it can choose from one of the two options.One option is to completely ban AI-generated videos, which is a great idea to maintain its credibility and believability, but it’s very difficult to implement. Can it be possible to automatically detect and delete the AI content? If yes, then what if the AI is used in a good way (e.g., for educational purposes)?

And what about the imposition of very Harsh Punishment for violation of the AI rule, such as termination of creators’ entire channels?

However, the other option is very viable, which is an Automatic Disclaimer at the beginning of every AI video, stating something like “You are going to watch a video involving Artificial Intelligence, what you see in it may be unrealistic.”

Thank you so much for giving your time to read this entire debate! Please feel free to suggest your ideas using the comments section. You are welcome to pinpoint any mistake or wrong information. You can also write about where you disagree. And, if you liked everything, please restack or share it with others. Lastly, please subscribe.

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When things make your day unhappy.

When thoughts make your mind unclear.

When thorns make your move uncertain.

Songs have the singing machinery,

which can divert your mind!

Sing a song!

If you find your mood has derailed.

If you feel upset with someone.

If you fail to control your emotions.

Songs have power of tunes,

which can fine-tune your brain functionality!

Sing a song!

In moments of worries affecting your activity.

In moments of challenges lying in career.

In moments of troubles arising in relationship.

Songs have instrumental elements,

which can boost your mental strength!

Sing a song!

To defeat your loneliness.

To decrease your mental stress.

To deactivate your hostility.

Songs have melodious magic,

which can invoke good spirits in your heart!

Sing a song!

At the time of long wait in life.

At the time of suffering in life.

At the time of examination in life.

Songs have musical energy,

which can electrify your mind and body!

Sing a song!

So you can manage your gloominess.

So you can overcome your loss.

So you can heal your broken heart.

Songs have lyrical force,

which can supplement your wellbeing!

Sing a song!

Because you need to recover from illnesses.

Because you need to fulfill responsibilities.

Because you need to focus on priorities.

Songs have verbal power,

which can fill your life with enthusiasm!

Sing a song!

Instead of indulging in immoral things.

Instead of craving for materialistic power.

Instead of running after money.

Songs have composition craft,

which can guard you against evils in life!

This poem demonstrates the significance of music and songs in our life. A habit of singing songs can ameliorate our living process, especially because today human life is marred by many negativities in and around it. Even if you are not good at singing, you can sing it in your mind!

If you liked it, please share it with others, or just restack. Your comments on what you think after reading are always awaited! And, yes, please don’t forget to subscribe to my Substack. Thanks for reading!

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open wells containing dirty water,

unhealthy and poisonous!

Water of frustration, failure, fear,

distress, suffering, and anxiety.

Such elements try to sink me forever.

But then...

At the right time, or in the nick of time,

jumping back, bouncing back,

I manage to float, to swim, to climb,

so as to come out unharmed!

I accidentally get myself locked inside

abandoned cages capturing scary animals,

dangerous and violent!

Animals of anger, arrogance, envy,

greed, hatred, and lust.

Such evils try to overpower me forcefully.

But then...

At the right time, or in the nick of time,

jumping back, bouncing back,

I manage to defend, to fight back, to break free,

so as to come out undefeated!

I regularly travel on

public transit buses carrying negative persons,

rude and mischievous!

Persons of communalism, criminalism, colourism,

vulgarism, selfism, and egoism.

Such characteristics try to suppress my voice unethically.

But then...

At the right time, or in the nick of time,

jumping back, bouncing back,

I manage to confront, to disagree, to get off,

so as to come out unaffected!

This short poem talks about the vulnerabilities of human nature, as well as the strength and spirit of humans! Here, “I” represents all humans, you, me, and every reader. If you liked it, please share it with others. And, if you have anything to say, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment. Also, please subscribe if you haven’t already. Thank you so much!

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First, let’s make it clear what Substack was all about, and what it is now. And, what it’s aiming to be in the future! Not long ago, it was founded in 2017 with the main goal of helping writers monetise their writing through publishing as well as sending “newsletters” to their subscribers. It is said that in the very beginning, the original idea was to help journalists express their opinions and present news or events in a free and fair manner. Later, very soon, people started to write blogs on it, and hence it became a Blogging Platform for writers.

Now, the term Newsletter is overwhelmingly ambiguous for many of us, who believe it to be a piece of writing on anything or everything. This written text is sent via email to people directly into their inboxes, which is then called the newsletter. This is a simple general understanding! However, if we look into the dictionary, it describes the newsletter as a text material of a particular organisation, profession, or business, which is sent to the concerned people through either mail or email. This way, it provides updates, information, anything new, or necessary news to them. In the case of an online platform like Substack, it can be imagined as an e-version of a physical copy of a literary magazine you have subscribed to. We can see how elegantly this term was coined by combining two words, News + Letter!

So, this means that a newsletter of a hospital will inform all doctors, nurses, and other staff members that on a particular day, they are going to organise a free cancer checkup camp. Okay, but why would any hospital need a writing platform like Substack when the newsletter can be sent directly to the hospital members using their email IDs? And, what does the writer have to do with this newsletter? Here, for this imaginary camp example, we can assume that the writer would write, prepare, format, and then send it through emails, who would then be paid by the hospital for this writing task. But again, what does Substack have to do with it? True, as long as the hospital only needs to inform the hospital employees, it doesn’t need Substack. However, imagine if this hospital wants to publicise, advertise, and marketise this free camp to the larger population, then it does!

In case of individuals, rather than any organisation, who possess expertise in their respective field or niche, they can write newsletters and sell their expertise through Substack! Suppose that you’re a fitness trainer with substantial experience. So you can write on many subjects including best exercises, nutritional foods, new gym equipment, your own experiences, etc. Hence, many fitness enthusiasts will become your subscribers, and some of them will pay you through a paid subscription. Many experts in other fields can be imagined as beauticians, teachers, doctors, brokers, chefs, economists, consultants, guides, web developers, designers, bankers, automobile engineers, IT & AI specialists, travel agents, and many more. They would write about their expertise and experiences (or hire content writers), and interested people would read it on Substack. You can also offer a special paid course to be purchased! Interestingly, the term writing itself is so elusive because it means many things; an essay written by a child is also called writing!

Then what about the Real Writer? Who’s this real writer? Let’s divide all writers into two broad categories! They are either Expertise Writers or Real Writers! The writers we have just talked about above are all the expertise writers who write based on their expertise and sell it on the platform like Substack, offering expert views and ideas. On the other hand, real writers include all the story writers, novelists, poets, article writers, and autobiographers, meaning those who are also affectionately called the Authors. Their only expertise is writing itself, which they explore while writing on either one particular genre or multiple ones. And, there are scores of readers interested in their writings, and they also become their paid subscribers! Also, they can be of two types, one is those for whom writing is their hobby with no interest in monetisation, and the second type is those who aspire to earn from their writings. Well, there’s no doubt that on Substack, the most popular amongst them are those who write about their “personal life experiences” through poems or stories!

It looks like we’re drifting away from the main issue. The above commentary was necessary to present the current scenario yet to be discussed. So, back to the Substack’s origin, where we left the real topic. After its foundation, it quickly grew into a blogging site. Then, after 2 years, in 2019, Substack introduced Audio Feature to facilitate the publication of prerecorded audio content, which is called Audio Post or Podcast! Additionally, the Listening Feature on writers’ posts was also added, using which we can listen to the written text instead of reading it.

In 2022, Substack Chat was introduced for interactions between the publisher and their subscribers, as well as among subscriber communities. As we know, the publishers can choose to restrict this chat only to their paid subscribers! Even more specifically, apart from Public Chat, this feature allows Private Chat too, so you can chat privately with only one particular subscriber, which nobody else can read! However, most writers use this chat as a tool for promoting their new posts only.

The same year, in 2022, Substack’s Video Feature came out! This allows publishers to also use video content in addition to the audio content and the written post! It’s called Video Post!

Then, soon, again, one more feature was added! After owning Twitter, Elon Musk tried to buy Substack too, but couldn’t succeed as his offer was rejected. This year, in 2023, the Notes Feature was introduced by Substack to its users to write down and publish their thoughts or ideas in a smaller text. This feature is believed to possess a more powerful viral element compared to the long-format posts! Well, at present, the notes with the phase “please connect me with...” are the most favourite among people on Substack!

Next year, in 2024, Live Video Streaming started on Substack, allowing live sessions on various topics. Now, most recently, in 2025, they have introduced significant updates to both the Video Feature as well as Live Streaming to enhance their performance on the Internet. With this video update, the audio content is also played using the same video format; the only difference is that the screen remains blank with the display of the logo while running the audio! And, if we carefully observe, the videos on Substack now exactly look like the small videos on YouTube, known as Shorts! It has the same format and similar types of Like, Comment, and Share buttons! Do you think that Substack craves to transform itself into another YouTube? Please write down in the comments section.

Below is a Google screenshot!

What all these features and updates involving multimedia suggest is that Substack wants to grow holistically in all directions! Maybe it wants to experiment with everything available on the internet! Substack is no longer empathetically using the term Writers. Instead, it now says Creators who can also create audios and videos. It has no longer remained a Blogging Platform! On its website or app, we can hardly see the term Newsletter now, which is only seen on webpages associated with Substack. Instead, it uses the word Post!

Look at the screenshot of Substack’s main page below!

It looks like Substack is dissatisfied with the performance of its “real writers”, who might not be able to generate enough revenue for it. As we know, it gets 10% of the money earned by them. Now, maybe it wants to attract more and more “expertise writers” who have better earning potentials, and they can also become Podcasters and Video Creators! Obviously, it’s very clear that somebody who possesses only the “writing expertise” can’t become a podcaster or video maker! You’re encouraged to write down your views, what you think.

Anyway, it’s certain that Substack is currently undergoing its evolution phase! Now putting aside its present speculative role of an online platform for writing and reading, let’s see in which other directions it could evolve in the future.

Possibility #1. Substack may become one more sensational site for video publication, like YouTube and TikTok. In the previous post regarding YouTube, we saw how it’s facing challenges due to the influx of AI videos. You can find a link below. Maybe both viewers as well as YouTubers would lose interest in it and turn to Substack. Moreover, the expertise writers may start posting videos as a replacement for written posts. For example, an expert chef would prepare videos on how to cook a particular food item, instead of writing about the recipe and process. It’s probable that the readers on Substack, too, get tempted by videos surfacing on their home pages! In general, people’s overall “interest in reading” has declined significantly in recent years due to the habit of watching and listening online.

Possibility #2. Substack’s Audio Post is best suited to podcasters; they would probably flock here, and their paid subscribers will pay them depending on what they are speaking about. Maybe singers and musicians who love to podcast their new creations, too, would become fans of Substack!

Possibility #3. Substack’s Notes Feature has already been dubbed as a Social Media! More and more people are preferring short notes rather than long posts. Apparently, preparation and publication of the long post demands a time-consuming, arduous task. Whereas you can write notes in seconds! Another fascination is that Substack allows users to embed images as well as videos in Notes! Imagine if celebrities come to Substack and begin expressing their random thoughts through Notes, then it would soon convert into a social media site like Instagram, X, or Facebook! And, yes, beware, there are already so many “fake celebrities” here!

Possibility #4. Substack Chat stands a good chance of becoming a popular chat platform like WhatsApp because it facilitates “private chatting” too! Maybe people are already using it for this specific purpose. Some are busy finding their romantic partners here! Even scammers are also busy tempting people to click on suspicious links, telling them they have won a lottery, prizes, or something like that.

Possibility #5. Substack’s Live Stream Feature has already been attracting writers (now creators) and their subscribers. So, they would possibly stop writing at all if they were paid more handsomely for going live! And, what about “private live stream” on Substack? If you have any information regarding this, please share it by writing it down below.

Today, Substack’s tagline A New Economic Engine For Culture seems to focus on the creation of revenue through all cultural activities. You’re welcome if you suggest a different interpretation of it. We can see today that Substack provides six different choices to us, as shown in a screenshot below!

That’s it! Wishing Substack a super success in the future, here we end this discussion! You might find this entire idea expressed here as absurd or misleading. No problem, write it down. But, please remember that this is not a Criticism of Substack! You can call it a Review of Substack written after an observation through the eyes of any writer, especially the Real Writer! Apart from your views relevant to this discussion, you should also write about any sort of error, wrong information, or lack of knowledge that exists anywhere from start to finish.

Thanks a lot for reading!

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YouTube is one of those rare things that has achieved extreme popularity among people WORLDWIDE! The number of its “active daily users” is more than 122 Million! The number of “hours they spend daily” watching YouTube content is more than a whopping 1 Billion (it's billion, not million)! The craze for it is such that the short-format videos on YouTube, widely known as YouTube Shorts, are generating at least “200 Billion views per day” (yes, billion)! We assume that all data shown here, provided by Google, is truly accurate!

One such short video shows a woman being attacked by a mammoth bear when she was entering a house, probably her home or office. And her pet dog rescues her by confronting the wild animal. A few-second video ostensibly appears to be exactly CCTV footage taken from a camera placed at the door of that house. The big size heavy dog succeeds in saving her by forcing the bear to run away! Though it’s questionable whether or not a dog can fight a giant bear, which is a wilder, heavier, bulkier animal. But, people in the comment section hail the bravery, courage, and loyalty of this dog, and their comments receive many likes, too!

In another video, the Short, we can see a tiger attacking a lady from behind her when she was checking something, maybe a tyre of her car, stepping out of it on a jungle road. The tiger firmly holds her body while brutally dragging her inside the bushes. And, again, this “few-second video” has ostensibly been shot by a camera situated inside a car parked just behind her car. The scene is so real and believable because the shadows or reflections of this entire sequence of events were also conspicuously visible on the bonnet of the second car. However, it doesn’t show what happened to her thereafter. People post comments starting with OMG, expressing panic, pains, and sympathies to her, and about being cautious while traversing any jungle!

In both cases, the screams and other voices of the victims, as well as their colleagues or relatives, sound very natural and realistic! The horrible sounds produced by the wild animals are very convincing, too! So, these videos are finally passed off as the Real Ones, and people believe them to be such!

But, when we click on the icon of the video creators, then we can see that they already have many other similar types of videos in their accounts, all of which are not as perfectly flawless as the above examples, meaning that most of them are identifiable as Fake AI-generated videos. They lack perfection, leaving some apparent errors which we can easily spot, such as unconvincing shape and size of the animals or a change in the number of animals throughout the scenes. For such erroneous videos, people write comments declaring them “AI videos”, which also generate many likes, too. Even when we read the description of the creators on their channels, somewhere there they have admitted they’re making AI-generated videos! However, some other creators don’t care about putting such information or a disclaimer!

In fact, nowadays, there are numerous fake Shorts on YouTube, showing animal-human confrontations. However, if we seriously apply our minds to find out the truth, it’s easy. As a basic logic, we can think who’s recording the video? In the jungle, when someone was facing a dangerous, life-threatening situation like an animal attack, then someone else was recording the scene? Instead of helping the victim? Moreover, the screen of the video remains steady without any shakes or jerks felt by the cameraman! And, in case of a camera without a human, can there be a CCTV camera installed in the jungle, that too at the exact sight of the attack? This tells us everything about the credibility of the video.

On the other hand, there are many Shorts too that require neither identification nor clarification, because at first glance, we can tell that they’re fake AI videos. For example, funny videos of widely known political leaders like Trump, Putin, or Modi. However, whether or not this may become the case of defamation is another thing, irrelevant to this topic. The same way, those AI videos that are purposefully made to create laughter, such as a Gorilla dancing in front of people.

In contrast, some Shorts depict accident scenes where they don’t have to use AI at all, because everything is scripted and performed by the actors involved. For example, someone hanging from a bridge or lying idle on the road when s/he is noticed by random travellers!

But, but, but... wait... There are many similar breathtaking, shocking Shorts too on YouTube, which are GENUINELY REAL, including human-animal confrontations, unusual, rare fights between two animals, people taking risks to save animals or birds trapped in dangerous conditions, and videos sans animals like people escaping from life-threatening situations or accidents. In fact, the AI-generated videos have just recently started creeping in!

So, here, we arrive at the main point of this topic, just as the title describes. Because in such a scenario, it’s become too difficult for us to determine what’s real and what’s unreal, what’s genuine and what’s fake, fabricated. Only some months ago, people used to see everything real on YouTube, especially on the Shorts. YouTube Shorts are a favorite among them because watching them is a fun and matter of a few seconds only. And, at the same time, they provide wholesome entertainment and information as well. While traveling, it’s also a most preferred time-pass activity. People make these videos to depict just everything, for example, travel vlogs, fashion, arts, recipes, and various talents. Obviously, the creators earn money through their videos! Thanks to YouTube Shorts, we come to know how many wonderful things and people with outstanding skills exist on this planet.

But, this YouTube craze is supposedly not going to remain the same as it is now in the future! Because, as shown above in two examples of animal attacks, what people initially believe to be true turns out to be untrue later. When they learn that these videos are actually unreal, created with AI technology, they feel they have been fooled, deceived. Their trust in YouTube is shaken. What happens next is, they hesitate to click on these videos, then will try to avoid watching them, and subsequently, they will boycott them. So, thus, their craze will die down soon. This is the case for only the Shorts, but if AI is going to be incorporated in the long-format videos lasting for a few minutes to more than an hour, then they will likely meet the same consequence, and people will gradually lose interest in YouTube. Maybe they will look for a new platform as a substitute for YouTube!

Well, a big question that arises here is, after all, who wants to see AI videos on YouTube? Particularly, scary scenes like animal attacks? Probably nobody, because real video, real world, is the essence and identity of YouTube. Apart from earning money, the creators are publishing AI videos on YouTube because they want to exhibit their AI skills, and this way, they’re advertising and promoting their business using this platform. And, maybe, their purpose is seemingly to attract the attention of the filmmakers. Their AI skills are perfectly suitable for filmmaking, not YouTube. Also, YouTube’s strong capacity of “rendering any video viral” plays a significant role in choosing YouTube over other similar platforms like TikTok or social media like Instagram, X, and Facebook.

We can imagine that if AI can do the wonders by creating Artificial Reality on screen, then it can mesmerise the cinema audience to a great extent. Again, with reference to the above examples of real-like attacks by wild animals, suppose that a film’s screening is ongoing and there comes a long high-octane action sequence lasting for maybe more than 15 minutes, which showcases people’s beloved superstar, the film’s hero is fighting with three tigers (yes, 3), invoking all adrenaline, goosebumps, emotion, horror, and screams amongst viewers. Running scenes, chasing scenes, hiding scenes, scenes of tigers overpowering him, scenes of him overpowering the tigers, scenes of various tricks like using a piece of wood to defend himself, etc. Of course, at last, the hero comes out victorious, somehow managing to defeat the violent creatures! Eventually, maybe he finds a gun!

Now, unlike YouTube shorts, this scene is not going to create any confusion or negativity in people’s minds because even before putting their feet inside the cinema hall, they are well aware that what they are going to watch is UNREAL, meaning an art of filmmaking. Broadly speaking, ever since the invention of cinema, people have known that there’s nothing real in it, and what they see onscreen is a piece of acting, prearranged shooting, editing, and camera tricks, or technology!

YouTube has such an abundance of content that today it’s only the second-largest search engine on the internet after Google. In other words, the platform or website that people frequent is Google on top, followed by YouTube in second position! However, there is a great difference between the services they both provide. Google delivers search results in Print Format, meaning webpages, whereas YouTube presents everything in Video Format. So, if compared in terms of time being spent by people, then maybe YouTube is at the top, because people obviously love to watch videos rather than read content. What’s interesting here is that YouTube is probably the major factor that snatched from people their interests in Reading, working against the passion for blogging and platforms like Substack!

Anyway, apart from the comfort of watching on the screen as against mental exercise of reading, there’s another concrete reason behind YouTube’s incredible popularity. We can find possibly everything on YouTube, if not randomly, then by searching with keywords! Let’s see the wide variety of genres of videos on it. It ranges from educational & learning, entertainment & mimicry, music & songs, dance & gymnasium, vlogs & expat interviews, film reviews & reactions, filmmaking & behind the scenes, political debates & interviews, celebrity life & interviews, entire films & film clips, culinary & beverages skills, sports & gaming, arts & crafts, painting & photography, drama & magic, fashion & glamour, to news & news analysis. And, there is Live TV streaming also available on YouTube!

But all of this is going to be affected badly in the near future if the issue of the potential ill effects of Artificial Intelligence on YouTube is not addressed soon!

Here, Part 1 (Season 2: Artificial Intelligence and Human Life) ends! If you liked this post, you might also like the previous post from Season 1. Please click on the link below. In Part 2, we will see the rules and regulations stipulated for publishing videos on YouTube. And the practical solutions to fix the pertinent issue of the AI-generated videos on it. Please use the Comments section to express your views and ideas on the subject matter, or any discrepancy, fallacy, or disagreement in this post. Your comment can be helpful while writing Part 2! Thank you so much for reading up to this point!

Go To Part 2

SEASON 1

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Part 1: Migration...

Part 2: Migration...

Part 3: Migration...

[Disclaimer: This is an honest attempt to present an Evaluation of a scenario, situation, or trend without Bias and Criticism, which always remains debatable.]

A vlogger from England had been touring India alone and making videos of places and people with expectations of getting more views and new subscribers. In his 30s, his name is Fred, and one day he was enjoying himself at a stunning riverside tourist spot! All of a sudden, his wallet slipped out of his hands and fell into the water, washing away all of his money, a total of ₹ 6700! After checking his pockets, bag, and other belongings, Fred was terrified to realize that he had no more money left, not even a single coin! He sat on a nearby bench to get an idea of what to do now. While sitting there for more than an hour, he noticed that a tea seller was repeatedly calling him, waving his hand. As Fred approached him, he received a warm welcome. “What would you drink, tea or coffee?” He was not speaking fluent English, but like other commoners in India, he too could manage a few basic conversations with foreigners. Fred frankly said, “Tea, but I have no money”. He said “No problem”, giving him a cup of tea along with some biscuits. Fred thanked him for his kind gesture and left. At around 5 p.m., as he had no other option left, he started walking to reach his hotel room, 15 km away. Soon, a lady pedestrian greeted him and asked where he was heading. She was speaking fluent English, so Fred narrated the entire incident of money loss and also told her that he had no money even in his hotel room, as he was facing a technical issue with his online money transfer portal! He would have to spend two more days without money! She expressed her sympathy and said that his location was too awkward to reach, as there was no straight way, and as such, he might go missing! Now, Fred looked completely worried and afraid! But, very quickly, she suggested that, as it was a long distance to walk, he should try getting a lift from vehicles going that direction. And, this idea worked for him, and he reached there within an hour! The next morning, he told the hotel manager his story of financial crisis. The manager told him not to worry about such things in India, allowing him to stay there and pay later, without any cuts in his usual facilities besides breakfast, tea, lunch, and dinner! During these two financially critical days, he also ventured out to visit nearby places without having to pay any money to anyone!

Back to our main topic now! After observing the Disadvantages as shown in Part 3, it is clear that for a happy life and optimal success in India, what Americans need to do is to minimize the impact of disadvantages for the sake of maximizing the benefits of Advantages as described below. And, you can do so by incorporating the elements of Acceptability, Adaptability, and Open-mindedness in your life, just like the American YouTubers, Rick and Korbin, whom we talked about previously. Readers should read this entire post and try to juxtapose the disadvantages and advantages to determine which are more considerable. And, yes, you will also get to know why Fred’s story makes sense here in Part 4.

******* ADVANTAGES *******

• Remote Jobs And Online Connection

The best thing about India’s internet services is that you can do all “remote or freelance jobs” with a steady, uninterrupted net connection, 4G as well as 5G! While living here, you can continue working for your American firm through an online platform. Here, the cost of using a mobile connection, meaning unlimited calls and internet data plans, is comparatively very low; you can recharge these plans on a monthly or yearly basis, with options of prepaid and postpaid plans. If Google is to be believed, it shows the cost of 1 GB data in India as 0.26 USD, whereas the same in America costs you 6 USD! Though if you check the recharge plans provided by Indian telecom companies running mobile networks, the cost for 1 GB is even cheaper. For example, one plan for 219 INR (2.47 USD) gives you 30 GB of internet data with a validity of 30 days! So, it means without having to pay too much, what you get in return is the convenience of being connected anywhere in the world for hours, including online chats, calls, video calls, or video conferencing with your relatives and friends living in America. This also means that psychologically, you will never feel disconnected or away from your country.

• Earnings In Dollars, Spending In Rupees

You can easily continue working for whatever businesses in the USA you are involved in while residing in India. There are businesses that do not require your regular physical presence at the site; only a few visits a year can be sufficient. For example, you own a grocery store, an apartment, or a farm, which you can rent, or you employ people to run it. You can do all administrative work online or through calls, video calls, or emails. If you can afford it, you can invest more money into even larger projects or industry there. This will ensure that your income will be generated in dollars, but your spending will occur in rupees! And, as covered in Part 2, this way, you will save lots of money!

• Working As In-house Employees Or Entrepreneurs

Job opportunities in the Indian private sector are increasing day by day, and many Western expats have already been engaged working in Indian companies for many years. Maybe a degree issued by American universities like Howard, Columbia, or Boston is a plus point for Americans, because Indians holding such foreign degrees always get preference in jobs in India. As discussed in Part 2, an industry of Information Technology took shape in India, which has now grown into an IT hub. And, on the other hand, the market for AI (Artificial Intelligence) is rapidly growing here. India has already been known as “pharmacy of the world”, providing 20% of global supplies of generic medicines with exports to over 200 countries. Other blooming sectors which can provide lucrative jobs are telecommunications, finance, and automobile. And, in case you are financially affluent and willing to invest in India, the best thing is to become an entrepreneur. If not investing on a bigger scale in the beginning, then you can launch a startup, which the Indian government is encouraging and supporting. You should know more about this, and the government of India scheme called Make In India. All information is available on the internet.

• People’s Socialization And Social Vibes

In contrast to almost empty streets and gardens in America, here in India, Americans will find people everywhere who are not quiet walkers but quite talkers, the communicative and lively folks. So, for those Americans suffering from cultural fatigue, their life can be revived and restarted with a resurrected sense of living. You can rejuvenate your lives by adapting to such an expressive environment, no matter actively mingling with them or not. More than any other culture, Indian culture believes in people’s socialization and participation. Be it religious events, community gatherings, marriage functions, educational programs, political rallies, or sports activities, Indians participate in large numbers. Even if you are not directly involved in such a gathering, for example, a marriage ritual being performed at a neighbor’s home, you can still enjoy it by watching and observing from a distance, and absorb all social vibes! Nonetheless, when you actually participate in them, such as celebrations of Holi, Diwali, or Navratri, you will multiply these vibes, enjoyment, excitement, and sense of living. This will ensure your Good nights in true spirit, meaning Happy Sleep! And, the smallest social gathering present all the time is people at the tea stalls.

• Weapon Free Environment

Carrying any sort of weapon, be it a gun or a knife, is illegal or a crime under Indian laws. Unlike every third US adult owning a gun, in India, nobody owns any arms at all. Even keeping them at home is also perceived as a sin. So, only security personnel, such as police or army men, keep guns, rifles, or firearms. And, in rare cases, if you are facing any threat to your life, you are allowed to keep a gun, but only after obtaining a valid license issued by the police department. That way, many celebrities keep guns, but ironically, they never have to use them because they remain surrounded by their security guards! In public life, no doubt, scuffles, quarrels, and skirmishes happen, but they remain restricted to fist fights only. However, if someone brandishes even a small knife, that person would immediately be caught by people, be labelled as a goon, and be handed over to the police. And, yes, for the real goons, smaller ones or dangerous criminals, they always remain hidden from the public, working secretly. Moreover, schools are the safest places, and crime against children is something that people cannot tolerate; it is a big no-no! In India, it is believed that inside children the Almighty resides, so they are considered sacred souls!

• Tasty Foods And Mouthwatering Drinks

Culinary art is one of the many things that India is known for. So, India is a kind of food heaven! Here you will find a thousand different food varieties. You will go crazy for the meals, collectively called a Thali meaning a big dish, in which roti (flatbread), sabzi (cooked vegetables), dal-bhat meaning a liquid substance of cooked split pigeon peas and boiled rice, and curry (Indian base gravy) are common ingredients, but it may also include many other tasty varieties. And, this Thali may be either purely vegetarian or non-vegetarian with meat, fish, or chicken. In taste and texture, all this differs from one Indian region to another, and from one restaurant to another. So, you will enjoy the meals as they are very healthy and tasty. But when you go for the snacks, fast foods, or junk foods, you may find them very spicy, oily, salty, or sugary, which may cause health issues. Maybe once your stomach is accustomed to eating them, you can enjoy them. But, generally, it is always advisable for anybody, Indian or foreigner, to eat such foods in limited amounts. Names and information about all Indian cuisines and snacks, along with their recipes, are just a click away on Google, so no need to write them down here. With practice, you can learn to cook these Indian meals as well as snacks at home. Apart from food, you will also get many different variety of mouthwatering desserts, cold drinks, sharbat, ice cream, cakes, fruit juices, soda, lemonade, and many more. And, of course, different types of tea with different flavors!

• Rich Culture With Family Values And Concept Of Coexistence

A well-known identity of India is Unity in Diversity! It is a multi-language and multi-religion country with different regional cultures under one common Indian culture! All religions exist here, and there are 22 official languages. And, all languages encompass vast literatures! So, the term “rich culture” means an amalgamation of many different things, including literature, traditions, rituals, festivals, clothes, foods, arts, music, and songs. When it comes to life values, Indian culture believes in strong family values, such as giving respect to elders and the insistence of “family first” in every aspect of life and in decision-making. Moreover, the “concept of coexistence” is also rooted in Indian culture. Different religions and faiths, different languages and regional diversities, different backgrounds of people in terms of social, economic, educational, and family status, different work cultures and workforce classifications, different strata of employers and employees, all coexist with harmony in India. That is why Indians can adjust themselves anywhere in the world; they truly know the art of coexisting with others. If your kid grows up in such a broad, integrated environment, he or she will be exposed to multiple cultural things to learn from, ensuring an extra-holistic child development. By the way, there are international English medium schools too in India if you insist on the American curriculum. Maybe your child will be speaking the Indian accent of English, which you might dislike.

• Yoga, Ayurveda, Spirituality

India is a land of all these three disciplines! Yoga has now been accepted and celebrated throughout the world. Ayurveda is not far behind on the path of acceptance. Yoga is best for maintaining and improving overall health, whereas Ayurveda is known for its healing power. Ayurvedic clinics and even hospitals are available in India; however, the availability of Ayurvedic spas has become more common in Indian cities nowadays. Maybe to find yoga centers and trainers for you is not an easy task in India, because many of them have gone to Western countries to teach them Yoga! And Indians do not need them either, as Yoga is their own practice, or if needed, they would learn through many learning materials available in libraries, book stores, and TV programs. You too can learn it this way! On the other hand, Spirituality is a way of finding complete peace and tranquility of mind, and thus invoking happiness in life, no matter how rich or poor you are in terms of external wealth. An abundance of literature, books, audios, and videos is available on subjects of yoga, Ayurveda, and spirituality in India.

• Hospitality and Helping Nature of Indians

Whenever you go, you will receive an affectionate welcome with smiling faces from Indian people, pronouncing Hi, Hello, Namaste, and How Are You! And, as you are a foreigner, meaning a guest to India, you will get even more special attention because, as per Indian tradition, guests are treated like they are Gods. So, you will be offered water, tea, coffee, drinks, and snacks by not just your acquaintances but also by strangers. They will talk to you, listen to you, and try to understand your problems, showing all eagerness to help you. And, referring back to the above imaginary story of our fictitious character Fred, in the hour of crisis or any emergency, you will get all possible maximal help and support from people, financially as well as emotionally. You might view crowds on roads as a nuisance, but in case if you have encountered an accident, even a minor one, then the same people will rush from all directions to help you immediately. And, within minutes, there will be an ambulance van carrying you to the hospital! In the same vein, if you knock on any door, no matter at midnight, it will surely open, and you will get a warm welcome and a good response from the inmates. But, yes, with reference to Fred’s incidents, you need to remember that you must have a “genuine theory of circumstances” requiring help from others, meaning that you cannot present a fabricated story to scam Indians, because they are not going to be fooled! Otherwise, you will never feel helpless and hopeless in India!

• Cost Of Living, Amazingly Affordable

Since the beginning of this entire topic in Part 1 and then in Part 2, many things have already been covered about this factor, meaning the Cost Of Living, which is believed to be the main driving force behind migration by Americans. So, we will not go into details now. Rather, here we would look into the difference between the prices of a few essentials involving both countries. All data shown below are derived from Google searches!

First, the cost of housing. In USA, the average price for a 3-bed 2-bath apartment (1400 Sq Ft) ranges from $100000 to $900000. The same in India ranges from $56000 to $170000. It shows that at the lowest USA price, you can easily buy a fully furnished, lavish apartment in India. The monthly rent price for the apartment in the USA ranges from $1500 to $4000, whereas in India, this range is $200 to $700! Obviously, the prices vary depending on the prestige, value, or popularity of a particular area.

Average prices for popular cars in the USA are around $50000, but with this price, you can buy a luxury car in India!

The range of basic clothes prices in the USA is $20-$50, and for branded items it is $100-$200. In India, you can easily buy branded clothes in the range $20-$60.

Children’s school education up to high school in a private school costs you between $5000 and $50000 per year in the USA, in some cases, even higher costs. Whereas the same cost in India is $200 to $23000 annually. These figures largely depend on which school you choose for your children, because in both countries, some schools are inexpensive, but some others are highly expensive elite schools!

So that is it! Again, with full respect to every culture and people, Part 4 ends!

In Part 5, most probably the final part, we will see a comparison between the USA and India, more about Indian culture and people, and Do’s and Don’ts for Americans willing to relocate to India. Thanks a lot for reading this entire text! Your views are always awaited in the comments section!

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Migration... (Part 1)

Migration... (Part 2)

[Disclaimer: This is an honest attempt to present an Evaluation of a scenario, situation, or trend without Bias and Criticism, which always remains debatable.]

Some six to seven years back, two American YouTubers, who used to review English movies on their channel, stumbled upon a Hindi film trailer and reviewed it as they had found it very interesting. And, to their surprise, within the next few hours of uploading that video, they received a massive positive response from Indians through likes and comments! They also recommended many Indian films for them to watch and review. Until then, they knew very little about Indian cinema and film stars. Hence, they watched their first Hindi movie with the help of subtitles and reviewed it as they had liked it so much. Again, they received scores of comments and likes from Indians applauding their review, which they had never imagined, never expected! Subsequently, what happened was a kind of history! They were so overwhelmed by the love and affection showered upon them by Indians that they dedicated their entire YouTube channel to Indian cinema! Not only this, later on, apart from reviews and reactions to Indian films, trailers, songs, and scenes, they also started reacting to videos featuring anything about India, such as Indian foods, tourist places, festivals, remarkable news, traditions, clothes, and cricket!!!

We will get back to them in a short while! For Americans who wish to migrate to India, blending yourself with the Indian population is easy because Indians are warm, welcoming, talkative, and mingling-crazy people. But, yes, the thoughts concerning differences in physical human looks, also involving skin tones, might trouble your minds. No matter how much you consciously try to suppress them in your mind, they keep surfacing again and again. Well, nothing is wrong with it as it is human nature! However, you need not worry at all. See, Indians themselves look different from each other, and this does not necessarily mean region-wise different looks. In the same area or city, all over India, you would find this difference. Unlike Americans, who are mostly well developed, well built, and well nourished, Indians are uncategorised as they are either fat, thin, tall, tiny, heavy, slim, obese, muscular, fit, or frail. And, when it comes to skin complexion, the majority of Indians have dark or brown skin. However, the rest of them have all skin colours, including fair, wheatish, pink, dusky, black, etc., meaning that you will also come across Indians with skin tones exactly resembling American Whites, Hispanics, and Blacks. But, because facial features differ from one ethnic group to another, you will be identified as a “foreigner” at least for the initial phase of your life in India. Maybe due to your healthy bodies and physiques, and many of you possessing blue or hazel eyes, you might find overall Indians as less attractive, less good-looking! While Indians too have different eye colours, most of them have brown or black eyes.

Now is the time to look into the Pros and Cons of living in India for Americans, and describing the Advantages and Disadvantages is a better way to do so. We will start with the disadvantages first, so we can have a better understanding of the advantages. Keep on reading, you will find many interesting things you do not know yet, and the rest of the story of the American YouTubers!

***** DISADVANTAGES *****

• Missing American Freedom, Taste, and Glamour

India is a democratic nation, and its constitution grants equal fundamental rights to all its citizens. However, as a foreign, there may be some limitations for you, such as not being eligible to cast your vote in Indian elections unless you have acquired Indian citizenship. And, in India, you may not enjoy all the constitutional rights entitled to you as per the American Constitution, because one country’s constitution differs from that of another in one or the other way. It also means that you have to obey, follow, or live according to the Indian laws and orders. This is a very complicated subject matter, and only an experienced, qualified lawyer may explain it correctly, so we will not dig into it further. But, apart from its constitutional value, the term freedom also carries its human as well as cultural value. So, you will need to live as per Indian societal and cultural rules and regulations, and follow the Indian lifestyle to some extent, instead of the American way of life. For example, wearing clothes according to the Indian standards, no skimpy dressing, no nudity. Similarly, gestures like kissing and hugging in public are not yet acceptable in Indian society. Of course, you can do all this at a private venue like your home. Another example is that the concept of Dating does not exist in India, so you cannot ask any Indian to go on a date with you. You may also find that women’s participation or gender equality in India is not as equal as USA. Above all, you will miss eating American food because you may not find all of it in India. So, in other words, you may miss the overall ambience and “freedom vibes” attached to your American life and culture! However, India does not expect any foreigners to adopt Indian culture, for example no need to wear a sari if you are a woman. In fact, it would be a surprise for Indians if you wore it.

• Language Barrier And Hinduism

Maybe these two factors were the real hindrance keeping Westerners away from India for so many decades. English is stated to be one of the many languages spoken in India. However, the truth is that most Indians speak their mother tongues only, and Hindi is India’s common spoken language that connects them together. On the other hand, even if they know English, due to a lack of speaking it, they will avoid talking to you or any foreigners. This means Indians are good at English writing and reading, but not necessarily at English speaking. But, also, this does not mean that you will not find anyone speaking English, you will have to find them out! And, of course, the Indian English accent will be an added challenge for you. The same as this, another thing is Hinduism, which you are completely unfamiliar with. Hindu is the main religion in India, and Indians are the most religious people! So, you will have to be witness to the religious fervour, rituals, celebrations, gatherings, marches, preachers, devotees, and temples, meaning the vibes of Hinduism all around you. Photos and statues of Hindu gods and goddesses, devotional songs, and worship videos are all omnipresent in India. The same scenes will be seen for other religions too. This will be an entirely new experience for you.

• Densely Populated Areas And Congested Public Places

In India, in popular areas mainly of the cities, you will find people and people all around. You will witness crowds walking on the roads, crowded traffic on the roads, public transit buses running packed to full capacity, railway coaches full of passengers, and people stuffed inside sharing rickshaws. The same scenes will be witnessed in markets, malls, cinema halls, exhibitions, political rallies, social events, religious gatherings, college functions, marriage ceremonies, devotional processions, business parties, and various celebrations! During the seasons of festivals, in famous old city markets, you might get a shock of your life seeing that there is no place to even stand, where to put your feet is a question due to the heavy rush of people for buying. So, you will miss all the comfort zone associated with American public life. However, this does not mean that you will not find any peaceful, serene surroundings; for that, you just need to go to the outskirts of the cities!

• Chaotic, Annoying Road Experiences

Indians are infamous for their nonsensical traffic sense. People tend to drive like go-to-hell-everybody-else, I will reach my office or home first. But, due to this, they always get late reaching there. You will notice people overtaking vehicles from both the right and left sides just like a race, overspeeding and suddenly pressing brakes, honking unnecessarily, and even coming from the wrong side. People taking risks crossing the roads from anywhere, any side, is another normal thing. On the roads, the sudden appearance of animals like cows, dogs, and monkeys is not unusual. Traffic jams and road rage are common in India. And accident rate is very high, including train accidents. It is therefore highly advisable for you to avoid driving in India, at least for the initial period. A better option is to always use public transit or keep an Indian driver for your four-wheeler and drive pillion on your two-wheeler. Another thing you can be annoyed by is the bad civic sense of Indians, such as spitting and littering on the roads and streets! So, obviously, Americans have better traffic and civic sense, which you will miss in India.

• Basic Public Utilities And Amenities Not As Per American Norms

If you are unaware, you need to know that there is no practice of using toilet paper in India. The rule of thumb is that Indians use only water for both flushing and cleaning; however, bidets are in use, but Americans do not use them! Toilet paper is available in malls and markets, which you will have to purchase for your home toilets. At luxurious five-star hotels, yes, they provide it. But, at public toilets, you will have no option but to use water! So, it will be better for you to train yourself to use water as soon as possible.

In the same manner, you will also need to learn to live without the cool temperatures of an Air Conditioner because you may install five ACs in your home, but when you venture out, there you will have to endure the heat. You may or may not find ACs in all buses, whereas not all cabs may run ACs despite being equipped. However, BRT buses and metro trains provide an AC facility. For long-distance trains, you have to choose AC coaches. However, the recently launched Vande Bharat trains are all entirely air-conditioned.

While at malls and big restaurants, you will enjoy AC, most of the shops and small-sized eateries use only fans. At roadside street food carts, you will get neither fans nor chairs! Yes, many middle-class households, and most of the business establishments and government offices are equipped with AC, but at small or big bus stations and at the railway stations, you will not have it. Sometimes, ACs are placed, but they are not in working condition; yes, such things happen in India!

And, the infrastructure of roads, streets, bridges, gardens, etc., may not be on par with American standards. Also, on the magnitude of cleanliness and hygiene, maybe India is not as good as America!

*** ACCEPTABILITY, ADAPTABILITY, AND OPEN-MINDEDNESS ***

Now back to the story of the two YouTubers, who are indeed the real people, not the fictitious characters! Yes, we are talking about Rick and Korbin, two Americans, who run the channel called Our Stupid Reactions, which currently has more than 1.4 million subscribers! After falling in love with Indian cinema, unlike many other foreign YouTubers running channels based on Indian cinema, their love has not remained restricted to Indian cinema only. But it has expanded to India as a country, its culture, its places, and all Indians! Afterwards, they did visit India too, and even Rick is now married to an Indian girl whom he met through the comment section of this channel itself! Their family members also show up on this channel. Now, they have a full grasp of not just Indian cinema but India as a whole, including its culture, traditions, clothes, values, and foods. Despite still living in America, they have soaked themselves in many things from India! And, they have also quit their career as small-sized actors in Hollywood! Why telling their story is worth it here is because the same level of acceptability, adaptability, and open-mindedness is required of you if you want to relocate to India. If you can do so, you will script your success story in India. If you cannot, then you might face difficulties. Readers can (should) visit their channel by clicking below.

Our Stupid Reactions

Again, sorry, we have to stop here! This post is going to get too long for readers to read! As such, we cannot include the text for Advantages here in Part 3, which will be covered under Part 4. And, apart from that, we still have many things to talk about, affirming our total respect for all cultures, countries, and people. Thank you so much for reading the entire Part 3! We will meet in Part 4, going to be released very soon!

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(NOTICE: You need to read Chapter 1 first, because Chapter 2 starts exactly from where Chapter 1 ends.)

Click Here To Read Chapter 1

“Hi! I’m Dr. Hope. I’m an eye surgeon. I want to meet Mr. Game.”

When she reads this, she is glad to see that there is, at least, someone who wants to help improve their upcoming married life! And, she happily shares with him Mr. Game’s number.

On the other hand, apparently, as it is understandable, the parents from both sides are worried, thinking about their marriages! Any parent who has a child with a disability would live a terrible life. They would wish their son-in-law or daughter-in-law to be a normal person who can take good care of their children with disabilities. So, once they come to know about them, Miss. Green and Mr. Game, loving each other and wishing to marry, they just cannot help themselves but to oppose this marriage! They are all on the same page when it comes to this particular marriage, because it involves one spouse who cannot see the other one and another spouse who can neither speak nor listen to the other one! If this marriage happens, it is certainly going to make their lives miserable! If they have the same disability, they can still manage, but in this case, it is something rare, unthinkable! However, Miss. Green’s mother admits that her daughter always wished her spouse to be a disabled person so he could fully understand her feelings, difficulties, and limitations. But, after full discussions, they all agree and decide that they must try to persuade them against this marriage!

In the meantime, Dr. Hope keeps talking to Mr. Game, who constantly refuses to go for any sort of treatment. He argues that it is his destiny to live a life with blindness. He does not see any possibility of treatment that could make him see the world! He thinks about it as a complete waste of money and time. He even doubts the intention of Dr. Hope, thinking that he is doing all this to accumulate money. In his mind, he labels him as a greedy man! However, still, Dr. Hope continues his efforts to seek his approval and urges him to carry out at least some medical reports. He argues with him that he has done quite a few surgeries, following which the blindness of some patients has completely gone! Once Dr. Hope consults his parents, relatives, and friends, they all unanimously support the purpose behind this eye surgery. Miss Green, her parents, and well-wishers are also very hopeful about the positive outcome of the surgery!

After pressure coming from all sides, Mr. Game finally gives his nod for the surgery! So, first, all necessary medical reports are done! And, they are deemed good from a doctor’s perspective. Dr. Hope sees a fifty-fifty chance of a positive result after the surgery, meaning he may or may not be able to see. Hence, with an optimistic view, after follow-up appointments with the doctor, it was decided to go for the surgery! And, a date is finalized!

Finally, on that day, many people, including the parents from both sides and Miss. Green, are waiting outside the operating room! Everybody is eager to hear good news! As soon as Dr. Hope comes out, all eyes are now fixated on him, who reveals that the surgery is successful, but how much eyesight he will gain is difficult to say. He explains that it is possible that he can see some blurry vision only, and in case if his vision is better, even then it will take time for him to be able to have normal eyesight, requiring more follow-up treatment! Due to this type of mixed response given by the doctor, they all cannot understand whether to be happy or not!

And... life goes on… !

Since his eye surgery, four years have passed now! And, fortunately, thanks to all the efforts by Dr. Hope, Mr. Game is living a normal life, leaving behind his days of blindness! However, he has to wear spectacles! Now he has also learned text reading and writing in the print language. He is no longer using Braille script! But, he is now employed at a new location, far away from the city of Miss Green! However, their relationship is still intact, the same as before. They are now meeting online, messaging each other, and even seeing each other through video calls! Sometimes, he sees her in person when he has to visit the old office in her city, and they travel on the same bus too!

However, during the same course of time, the parents from both sides have now developed differences in their opinions. They are no longer on the same page as before! Her parents are now supporting this marriage, and as soon as possible, they are willing to see their daughter married to Mr. Game, who is now a “normal” man. But his parents, especially his father, are still against this marriage. However, their reason for opposing it has changed. They think that, now that their son is a normal, healthy man, he should marry a normal girl without disabilities.

Her mother argues with his father, “How could you be against this marriage now? The whole scenario has changed; now they can live a happy married life! She has waited so long for him, so much so that she also rejected marriage proposals from men without disabilities! And, remember it was my daughter who is the reason why your son is seeing this world today with normal eyesight! Had she not met him, he would still be living with his blindness!”

His father replies. “My son has received at least three marriage proposals from beautiful, well-educated girls with no disabilities! Why shouldn’t he consider them? And, I can see he’s no more interested in marriage to your daughter. Whatever feelings now he has left for her are just sympathies, nothing more than that.”

Being angry with his father’s rude opinion, her mother tries hard to persuade her daughter to get married to Mr. Game soon before it gets too late. But Miss. Green wants to give him as much time as he wishes to take before their marriage.

She explains to her through her sign language, “Look, Mom, love and marriage are two different things! Loving someone is different from living with him your entire life! I won’t marry him if I find he has lost even the least interest in our marriage. And, now I can see that that’s happening too! His attitude towards me has changed post the surgery. He’s lost the warmth in his relationship with me. He’s not looking into my eyes, which he should be while talking to me. Why is he avoiding eye contact now, when he can actually see me?”

A few days after. Once again, the same bus, the same road, the same two people! Fortunately or unfortunately, they are both sitting together side by side, just like they were on their first chance encounter! Other passengers are unaware that they are texting each other on their smartphones.

Miss Green writes, “We may not be meeting the same way, as usual, on this bus in the future, and this could be our last meeting!”

“Why’re you saying so? What do you mean?” Mr. Game writes hurriedly.

“Because my company has opened a new mall.” She writes.

He cannot wait for her next message, so he writes, “So what?”

“The newly-opened mall is very near to my home, just a walking distance, and my boss has already transferred my job there, so I won’t have to travel this much on any bus anymore!” She replies.

“Oh, come on, we will be texting each other, no problem.” He writes.

“No, I don’t mean to say this alone.” She immediately texts him a new message.

“Now, what else do you want to tell me?” His new message.

Now that she is busy writing a long text, Mr. Game looks around, tries to find out who is present or absent on the bus today, gives a smile to someone looking at him from afar, and says Hi to the one who is nearer to him. He also keeps on looking at her, wondering what the hell she is writing. Meanwhile, his attention goes out, and he sees what is happening out on the streets. The shops on both sides and people seemingly busy with their usual lives. A handicapped woman coming out of her car with the help of a walker captures his mind. It reminds him of his days of disability, which he wants to forget forever. He takes a deep breath, and suddenly the bus jolts due to the brake being pressed by the driver to halt it at a bus stop. When the bus was just about to depart again, Mr. Game came to realize it was his bus stop! No, wait, wait! He shouts, and within seconds, he gets off the bus. He did not have time to even wave a bye gesture to Miss Green, who was so glued to her writing she did not know he had gone! When she completes her text, she looks to her left, where he was sitting, and looks out only to find that his bus stop has gone and so has he! She reads her text again to discard typos or other errors, and with a heavy heart presses the send button!

On the other hand, Mr. Game reaches his office and gets busy with his professional tasks. So much so that he has forgotten she was writing something at the time he left the bus! During the lunch break, however, his eyes get fixated on her text message sent three hours back. Oh, no!, he sighs. He puts aside his lunchbox and starts reading the text message.

“Look, we aren’t school or college-time lovers who find it very difficult to get separated. In fact, we didn’t know each other a few years ago. We were totally unfamiliar when we met for the first time. Of course, it’s true, we both developed feelings for each other over time, and our disabilities were the basis for why we started to love each other and then decided to get married! But now, circumstances have changed. You are no longer a disabled person, though I’m still what I was! You can easily find a normal, healthy life partner. Yesterday, I was watching how happy you were while interacting with a beautiful, normal girl sitting next to you on the bus. Moreover, after your treatment, I have been noticing that your feelings for me have changed a lot. Earlier it was love, but now it’s just sympathy or empathy, whatever! As far as my life is concerned, I will find someone else as my life partner, no matter whether a disabled or a normal one. That’s what life is all about. Truly, life is so selfish! So, let’s move on! Go ahead, Mr. Game, live your dream life. My best wishes are with you! Goodbye!”

He reads the entire message in one breath and, as if nothing has happened, returns to his workplace after completing the rest of his lunch!

As usual, both go to their respective homes as the day comes to an end. The next day, the same bus arrives at the same time. New passengers, as well as regular ones, minus Mr. Game and Miss Green, are scrambling to adjust themselves inside the bus. The absence of both of them becomes a talking point for those who know them. They are aware of her transfer to a new location, but are unsure why he is not seen on the bus! Mr. Nice immediately dials his number. Soon after saying Good morning, he asks him why he is not on the bus. Mr. Game informs him that he is on leave for some days, so he will not be coming.

Here, Miss Green joins her workplace at the new location. People are welcoming her, and the introduction process to the new colleagues is going on. She is seen interacting with them through her gestures. As today is her first day here, she has worn new attire, decking herself with a new hairstyle, new shoes, new jewelry, and new lipstick! Obviously, she is looking much more beautiful than ever! She seems very calm, cheerful, worry-free, and relieved! She is in the mood to start a new life afresh. People are helping her in what way they can to make her feel comfortable and happy. After about an hour, as she is all set to start her work, someone comes and hands her her phone, which she unknowingly left somewhere in the mall. She gives a smile to that person and hastily checks it. And, there she finds a text message sent by none but Mr. Game!!! Nervousness, eagerness, emotion, and confusion are gripping her mind. Because yesterday, as she did not receive any prompt reply, she is not expecting any message from him now! And, after taking time, anticipating a long text message, with hesitation, she goes on to read…

“Life can’t be that selfish! Bye for now! See you soon!”

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[Disclaimer: This is an honest attempt to present an Evaluation of a scenario, situation, or trend without Bias and Criticism, that always remains debatable.]

First Please Click Here And Read Part 1

Mr. Johnson is an American tech professional with more than 15 years of experience in this field. He is ambitious to launch a new startup in India, so he has already planned to migrate to India along with his family and maybe to spend the rest of their life there. Tonight, though, he is coming alone to India for some needful preparations. At around midnight, he lands at the Mumbai airport! He has booked his room in a hotel at Bandra, a popular area in Mumbai. To reach there, he hires a rickshaw, which is the most popular, people-friendly, and ubiquitous public transport vehicle in India. The rickshaw driver, Vikas, says that the meter of his vehicle has gone out of service, and so they have to negotiate a fixed fare price, which Mr. Johnson agrees to and reaches his destination. In the morning, when he meets his Indian friend, before anything else, he immediately asks him one question. How much did you pay the rickshaw driver? He says he paid 600 rupees. Only then is it revealed that Vikas charged him the fare as much as three times what is usual, reasonable, and acceptable! Mr. Johnson is now going through a feeling of having been cheated by the autorickshaw driver. But is Vikas really a cheater in this particular case? To know this, please continue reading until the end.

Americans, the citizens of a Superpower, cannot be hoodwinked like this so easily. They are very smart people! Really, absolutely, so if they are choosing to do something, there has to be a concrete reason behind doing so. It means if they are coming to India, they would first see and calculate the monetary gains. That is exactly what they are doing because their financial benefits are enormous, owing to the currency exchange rate, with a mammoth gap between the US dollar and the Indian rupee.

If you are an American who belongs to the middle class, as soon as you land in India and put your feet on Indian soil, you automatically turn into the rich class! This is a reality! Here is why and how it happens. Imagine you are having 800 dollars in your pocket, but now that you are in India, not in America, the value of that currency is equal to more than 70000 Indian rupees! And, if you are carrying this much money in your pocket, then you are definitely a rich and elite! So, in one sense, you need to do nothing but simply change your location, and you become wealthy!

For this reason, here we must understand a simple logic that fuels the minds of average Indians like Vikas. Their general impression is that “West means Wealth”, which is correct too to some extent, no doubt about that. But as they are also aware of how small a rupee is against other currencies, be it dollar, pound, or euro, they always exaggerate the situation, overestimating the money that can be possessed by each and every foreigner! For them, any Westerners, especially the whites, have treasures of money.

But who is to be blamed for creating such an overhyped image of their wealth in Indian minds? And, the answer is, they themselves, meaning it is the West itself. Going back to the first part of this topic, we remember that we talked about how the West created a misleading impression of India in the minds of Westerners, showing only the poverty and uncleanliness existing in India. However, when it comes to exhibiting their own photos and visuals to create their image in the world, they did exactly the Opposite, and maybe they are still doing so! This means generations of Indians have only seen high-quality photos and stunning videos captured by advanced cameras, featuring the best parts of cities with splendid views, spectacular roads, and ultramodern infrastructure, that too alongside attractive people donning fashionable outfits and glamorous looks. And, the people they show are all white? It is said that they never, ironically, allow anybody, mainly the outsiders, to click photos or film videos of their slums, poverty, garbage, or beggars!

To point this out is necessary because only then can we understand the thinking of autorickshaw drivers like Vikas! They are mostly the poor people, the commoners, struggling to make ends meet. So, whenever they find foreigners, especially the whites, whom they consider the wealthiest people in the world, they are tempted to earn some extra bucks! For them, if they are white, they are wealthy. This temptation drives them to overcharge people like Mr. Johnson. They do the same with rich Indians too, who are new to a particular area. Moreover, their logic can also be viewed differently by imagining that if in his country, Mr. Johnson travels an equal distance as he did in Mumbai and pays some dollars as a fare, why should he pay any lesser amount here? For travelling the same distance? Maybe why, in the first place, he agreed to pay 600 rupees was because he found it to be a reasonable fare for that much distance! But, obviously, the theory of “location change” pops up, which we must abide by, and the fare prices would also change accordingly. So, the conclusion is that on the face of it, Vikas is dishonest, a cheater, but he has his own reasoning behind overcharging the foreigners.

Okay, enough about Vikas! We put both Vikas and Mr. Johnson aside. They and their whole episode are both purely the products of imagination, not the real ones. Now, back to the currency exchange rate that currently fluctuates above 88 rupees per one dollar. This makes the cost of living in India approximately on average six times cheaper than that of America. For example, as per Google, the price for 1 litre of milk in the USA is $3.48, but in India it costs just $0.56! Maybe, as India is not a cheese-loving country, Americans may fail to buy it at a low price in India.

Even if, for a while, we do not consider the employees or jobholders such as Mr. Johnson, who are earning handsome money, and just concentrate on the unemployed people, retirees receiving pensions, or those who are financially dependent on their offspring, they are going to be benefited hugely from this money exchange rate. On the one hand, they will save lots of money, on the other hand, they will also avail all household goods that are the best in Indian markets! And, today, the process of online money transfer and online payment via the internet has become very convenient with various platforms and different modes. By the way, saving money has become a necessity in today’s world that is coping with uncertain economies, high unemployment rates, financial crisis, and employee layoffs, because nobody feels secure about earning a steady income. The recent news about the US government shutdown is adding to the woes of common Americans. Regarding this, here is an interesting post,

Americans Pay While Politicians Play

by Michael Cohen! We will talk about the benefits of the jobholders later!

In part one, we saw how Indian films on the internet and YouTube videos have improved perceptions about India globally. However, these are the more recent occurrences in this regard. The following is a further breakdown of how, when, and what happened.

IMAGE MAKEOVER FOR INDIA AT GLOBAL STAGE

• Information Technology (IT)

The whole story started with the beginning of the new millennium, when in India, jobs generated by Information Technology became a favourite among the job seekers and job providers as well. With this, English-speaking countries like the USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia came into contact with the India-based market dealing with online jobs as well as outsourcing services. And, companies offering jobs in BPO, KPO, call centres, medical transcription, website content writing, data entry, etc. emerged, handling tasks in English. It was then that they came to realise India’s worth as an English proficiency country. However, in the beginning, Indians were considered newbie, amateur folks meant to be assigned some outsourcing work only, maybe because then India’s on-the-job employees were either undergraduates or graduates. So, Indians were insulted for their English errors, even for a minor error, by the clients sitting in their overseas offices, mainly in the USA. But thanks to this insult, Indians worked hard, 10 to even 15 hours a day, and today India has become an IT hub! India is now providing end-to-end IT services, software development, cloud computing, digital transformation, cybersecurity, etc. with involvement of Indian companies such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro, and Infosys. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest emerging sector in India.

• Medical Tourism

At the same time, India did significantly well in its healthcare sector, making all necessary improvements and advancements. This means India has not only built new multispecialty hospitals, but the existing hospitals have also undergone overhauls, renovations, and innovations involving hospital campuses as well as overall systems. All hospitals, be it private or one run by the government, are now enriched with world-class facilities and advanced medical equipment. It is a known fact that many skilled Indian doctors work in the USA, who must have recommended their American patients to opt for India to seek medical treatments and surgeries. And, as discussed above, the obvious reason behind it was the savings of money! For example, as per Google, on average, the cost of Knee Replacement surgery in 2025 in the USA is $39000, and the same in India is just $1689! At such a low cost, you get the same treatments, medicines, facilities, and results. Plus, you get extraordinary care from the nursing staff, too! So, they came here, stayed until full recovery, and extended their stay for touring India as they had saved tens of thousands of dollars. Thus, medical tourism has helped change their views about India. This whole scenario of getting medical treatments in India also applies to other Westerners, not just Americans.

• Rupee Against Dollar

It is obvious that the factor that determines “how much lower” is the cost at which you are buying things in India when compared to the prices in America is the strength of the Indian rupee against the dollar. Now, fortunately or unfortunately, whatever you may call it, this strength has witnessed a trend of falling down further and further for the last 25 years. For example, some 20 years back, it was fluctuating around 45, meaning one dollar was equal to around 45 INR. But now it has slipped to a double, meaning reaching somewhere around 88 INR. The same has been the story for other Western currencies, too. So, the cost of living in India has been getting more and more affordable or economical for anyone from the West with every passing year. So, in a sense, the falling nature of the rupee has attracted tourists from around the world to spend a few days in India, which eventually helped improve India’s image in the world.

• Better Infrastructural Development

One thing is very clear about average Westerners. What they call development or progress is nothing but physical structures that provide various facilities and amenities to the public. This is absolutely true because whenever they are seen talking about India, they are praising or criticising mostly about these things. You can find many such videos on YouTube. What they discuss includes roads, hotels, skyscrapers, trains, buses, airports, gyms, swimming pools, public transports, restaurants, cafes, gardens, railway and bus stations, and many more. India has witnessed a sea change in the last 25 years when it comes to this physical constructional progress, or call it modern infrastructure, which has been attracting them towards India. So, all the above things have become better and are still getting better, year after year. In every big city, there are now certain areas having all the latest amenities and technology, which they describe as “Modern India”. Almost all large cities are now running metro trains and AC buses too. The long-distance train services have also undergone a makeover with the introduction of high-speed express trains like Vande Bharat. Shortly, there will be bullet trains running in India. At present, there are 140 airports, providing both domestic and international services. Still, there exist some misconceptions causing hesitations in the minds of those who wish to migrate here.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT INDIA

• India Is Poor

This tag for India is inappropriate because India as a whole is not a poor country. Poverty still remains one of the main issues, but it does not mean the entire population of India is suffering from it. Rather, it is the middle class that comprises the largest population of the country. However, the population of the high middle class and the wealthy elite class also exists in India. As per Google, in the world there are 284 Indian billionaires, putting India at the third largest group after the USA and China. Asia’s richest man is also an Indian. And, with rapid economic growth, India is presently placed at the fourth position as the largest economy in the world.

• Muslims In India Are Marginalised

They think like this because Muslims are the minority community in India. However, if we ignore the borders dividing countries, and think at the world level, then we find the Hindu community being a minority. Anyway, Muslims living in India are the most prosperous, most successful, most highly educated Muslims in the world. Indian influential people and celebrities include Muslim geniuses, too. For example, from film personalities, the great legendary singer Mohammed Rafi, the great legendary actor Dilip Kumar, the oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, and three Bollywood Khan superstars at present, namely Shah Rukh, Salman, and Aamir. Three presidents of India and many renowned cricketers have been from the Muslim community. They also occupy high positions in society at all levels because the Indian constitution gives all citizens equal rights regardless of their religion.

• India Means Only Arranged Marriages

Their belief is that there is no scope for love marriages in India. And, they view arranged marriage as a compulsion or compromise in life because, as per their notion, falling in love is essential before marriage. But, the facts they largely ignore are that the arranged marriage may translate into a love marriage after getting married, and a love marriage may also end up in a divorce! Anyway, most of the marriages in India are indeed arranged marriages, but it is not true that there are no love marriages. Overall speaking, if the boys and girls are in their 20s, parents do not approve of their love marriages, so they have to opt for arranged marriages. Parental approval is a must, a big influential factor for marriages in India. But, if the couple is older, they are allowed to do a love marriage on the condition that they would solely be responsible for taking care of their married life at the financial, social, and professional levels. In other words, while the parents with a conservative and traditional mindset insist on arranged marriages, the well-educated parents happily give their nod for love marriages. The marriages of many great personalities and celebrities from India are love marriages!

OMG! This topic, with full respect to all cultures, nations, and people, keeps going on and on, necessitating us to take a break. So, surely, a Part Three is going to be! Sorry, here in Part Two, the things as promised in Part One are missing, but they will be covered in the next part. Please watch out for it to know about Indian culture, its positive and negative sides, pros and cons for Americans living in India, dos and don’ts for them, and much more. Thanks a lot!

[Disclaimer: This is an honest attempt to present an Evaluation of a scenario, situation, or trend without Bias and Criticism, which always remains debatable.]

Two school students, Sophia and Henry, are at their school in America and talking about some serious things during recess break. Sophia says that next year they will not be meeting each other at that school as usual. Henry eagerly asks if she is not happy with that school, and which school she is going to join. Sophia clarifies that she loves that school, but her parents are planning a relocation to some other country. Henry cannot believe this, he says nothing, but his eyes and facial expressions pose a question “why?” Now she explains that her parents are worried that children and students are no longer safe in any schools in their country. Because the next shooting incident might occur in their school, too!

The above imaginary school scene with fictional characters throws light on the current moods of people of America. Americans are not happy with their American lives! They find it difficult to believe that everything is alright in America. They sense that something is missing from their lives. People are driven by their personal ego. Public life is overwhelmed by a cynical attitude of nobody-is-talking-to-anybody. More or less, life in America is losing its charm, soul, and spirit; it has become so mechanical. People are running after materialistic things and achievements. At work, they are encountering burnout syndrome.

To escape all this, they are planning to migrate to some other country where they can find their lost perspective and meaning back in life. So are they going to some other Western and European countries, the Middle East, or any Asian countries? Americans migrating to countries like Spain, Canada, and Portugal is common, but this time around, they are in search of a new destination. To find the answer as to what has caused this migration and which their new destination country is, please continue reading further.

It is very obvious that if they choose to migrate to a country where they get the same culture with similar people and similar problems, they will neither feel secure nor get satisfaction and advantages in life. Most probably, they will fall in love with a country that is different in culture. But before discussing that, we would look into the factors responsible for the migration tendency in Americans.

FACTOR #1: Now that the internet has pervaded every aspect of human life, spreading all over the world, used by people, no matter whether poor or rich, it is going to influence all of us both ways, positively as well as negatively. We all know about the positive influences that the internet has had on our lives. But, it has also created an “online culture” that is drastically affecting people’s personal as well as social life in general. One outcome of this culture is popularly termed as “social media”, but contrarily, it is promoting social distance among people, especially from those who matter the most in life, and hence it is also channelising loneliness in society. People remain remotely connected, mostly with unknown people, but do not know who is living in their neighbourhood. They do not remember the last time they met their cousins or other relatives. Even within a family, people are not interacting enough due to the addiction to mobile screens, widening the gap between family members. People are spending time playing video games, watching videos, and chatting with virtual friends, but they are avoiding face-to-face meetings, making excuses like being busy! Life in such an environment may lead to desperation, anger, frustration, loneliness, and emptiness. It is probable that Americans are the worst affected by this type of side effects caused by the internet. Maybe Americans have failed to put enough emphasis on family values, social ethics, community interaction, and celebrations. Rather, they have focused more on economic materialism!

FACTOR #2: One tough and problematic question is how much modern, liberated, and unconventional one culture can be? It gives rise to more questions, like, should there be any restrictions on modernity concerning cultural behaviour? Can there be no limits to liberty assigned to any culture? Once upon a time, Americans were proud of their Western Culture, but now they seem to be tired and unpleased with their culture that boasts of full human liberty in life. Now, maybe when they witness boring and nonsensical things happening in and around their lives, they are seeing faults in their culture, in which tangible things giving physical pleasure take precedence over intangible peace of mind. Maybe the reason is that cultural freedom is causing family and social conflicts. They can see that it was their culture that inadvertently promoted nudity in the names of fashion and glamour. It also inadvertently encouraged affairs and infidelity in the name of freedom and human rights. As per Google, the divorce rate for the “first marriages” in America is as high as 40 to 50 percent!

FACTOR #3: In comparison to the first two factors, this third factor is projected as the most valid driving force behind the migration of American citizens. They manifest that there is nothing wrong in their culture and social life, because of which this migration is happening. Okay, agreed, accepted. So, the third “most legitimate factor” is all about Economic and Political uncertainty in the USA. And, it is most likely economic rather than political in nature. The American people are facing a kind of financial crisis due to the “high cost of living”. The middle class is the worst victim of this factor. They can see increased prices for everything they are going to buy. This includes healthcare, housing, food, groceries, and transportation. They also find it difficult to afford to pay high taxes and educational fees. This escalating living cost is attributed to the effects of the recent pandemic of COVID-19. Job opportunities with attractive pay packages have also declined. They also realise that there are work-life imbalances in their lives. In addition to this, they are not enthusiastic about what is happening at the political level, especially after the second presidency of Donald Trump!

So whatever the reason, the fact is that they are leaving America! And, the reason for migration may vary from one individual to another, depending on personal thinking. If only for the third factor, if they want to be financially secure, then they would choose a country where the living cost is very low compared to the USA. For that, they have to explore options of migrating to one of the Asian countries, out of which only India can provide them with the best living costs. So, are they really coming to India? India is also the land of spirituality, yoga, and Ayurveda, which can provide them all sorts of healing, tangible and intangible, which they might be seeking if the first two factors are also the driving forces!

If we take a glance at America-India relations during the last twenty years or so, one thing is clear that it has been becoming better and better, meaning if it was neither-friend-nor-enemy type, then it is becoming friends type, and if it was like friends, it is slowly converting to a kind of close friends! Here we are talking about the relation between two countries, not necessarily about that of the people of those countries, because many times this relation is determined by the political ideology of the governments, which may or may not reflect people’s perception and opinion. Sometimes people are totally ignorant about what is going on between their country and a particular foreign country. Sometimes, people are not pleased with what their government is doing with other country or countries. And, sometimes, they are even exactly opposed to what their government or leader is doing to some particular country.

The recent episode of US President Trump’s Tariff War launched against India is temporary, most likely going to be a short-lived political tactic only! Both countries are the world’s vibrant democracies, with one being the oldest democracy and the other being the largest democracy. After India became independent in 1947, India-America relations have witnessed many ups and downs, most probably due to political ideology or strategic failure. And, Russia has continued to be a bone of contention, determining the temperament of this relationship. And the reason is the status quo of Russia being a friend to India, but America not being a friend to Russia. This scenario has remained unchanged since India became a democratic nation. If Russia improves ties with India, America feels uncomfortable, and if India improves ties with America, then Russia feels displeased! There is an ego-clash-like situation between America and Russia. Anyway, this type of political environment is not going to stop or change people-to-people relations and harmony between countries. Maybe they have to face visa-related troubles! As narrated below, there is a long history of strong friendships and relations between people of both countries!

Today, Indians are viewed as the most adventurous and talented migrants in the world. In any country, you would find at least a thousand Indians. This is because Indians going abroad has been an unstoppable trend that started even before India’s independence. Our father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was also sent abroad for study and a job, so he was also among such migrants. The main purposes of Indian migrants are either study, business, or job, which they suppose would make them wealthy. Holding an academic degree granted by a renowned foreign university was and is still a big deal in India. Ironically, in contrast to the above-discussed moods of Americans, with every passing decade, what has shown an upward turn for Indians is an attraction for a luxurious lifestyle and the glamour of Western culture. What followed was a tendency to settle down in foreign countries for the entire life, and the USA has been one of the most favoured nations for Indians; so much so that many of them even chose the illegal route. And, what is even more surprising is the increasing inclination to leave Indian citizenship! Why Indians are leaving India and its citizenship is a serious issue that requires a thorough analysis. But, that is not the relevant topic here. So, we will leave it for now.

In fact, the relevant topic we are dealing with here is just the reverse! You might be baffled as to what it could be after all! Have you ever heard about a trend of Westerners coming to India to make it their permanent home? No, probably not. There is no surprise if people from a developing country like India migrate to a developed country like the USA, a superpower! It reflects a natural human tendency! Well, in big cities in India, not just at present but in the past too, you would easily spot Westerners walking on the roads. It is a common sighting. Their different looks and clothing make them immediately identifiable as non-India and are referred to as “foreigners” by locals. They are mostly tourists or nomads who come to see India or to spend their vacation, and a few of them are also students studying at Indian universities. And their presence in India is increasing with each passing year. But are they seriously migrating here, in India?

There is no doubt that, for the last twenty-five years, with the internet connecting countries at a global level, people with varied cultures and traditions have come closer, and that is why they are travelling a lot in other countries. And, simultaneously, through the online medium, the internet has played a significant role in improving India’s image globally, especially in Western and European countries. Due to this, people around the world are more interested than ever in knowing India. Until now, for centuries, no doubt, whenever there was a mention of India, they would refer to it as “a great country” and “a beautiful country” but without having fully known what India is.

If we look at the film-based YouTube channels, we can see that a large number of them are run by non-Indian YouTubers who review or react to Indian films or film songs, or to any content about India. Nowadays, Indian films are watched all over the world through online platforms, and new movies are also released in big cities in many countries. Most of the vloggers touring the world also include India as one of their favourite nations in their itinerary. Through films, videos, or real-life travel experiences, people from the West now feel that a wrong image of India was created in their minds by their media or governments, which they were never able to verify. India’s photos and videos in newspapers and television kept demonstrating India as a backward country, labelling it as a “third or fourth world country”, because India’s poverty, slums, uncleanliness, and lack of basic civil amenities were only highlighted. However, there was another side, a positive side, of India, which was hidden until now. But today, when they see for themselves the real image of India, they realise they were misguided!

And, just like any other country, India has not remained untouched by the online culture as discussed above. However, in comparison with other countries, India still boasts of “vibrant social life”. Here too, people are seen hooked to their smartphones, but they are also seen sparing time to spend it mingling with their “offline” friends and relatives. There are tea stalls available at every nook and corner of India, where people gather in person to talk, to discuss, to laugh, to enjoy, to have fun, or to share their grief and pain.

Now, back to the main topic! So, yes, it is India that Americans have chosen as their new destination for migration. And, by saying Americans, it does not mean all Americans! Those who are willing to migrate, and especially those who have a positive outlook about India, are definitely coming to India to live. It is a nascent trend, which may not be called a trend yet, but it is quietly happening at a slower pace, which may gather pace in the near future.

Here, with full respect to every culture and country, Part One of this topic ends! While here, we talked about migration trends existing in both countries, including the negative side of American culture, in Part Two, we will talk about Indian culture, including its negative side, advantages and disadvantages of living in India for Americans, and useful tips, including do’s and don’ts! Please use comment section to express your views. Request you to read the second part also! Thanks a lot for reading!

Please Click Here To Read Part 2

We all remember our school days when we had to study all subjects, not any specific stream, including Mathematics, History, Science, Geography, and Literature. And, we were intrigued by all of them, though we had likes and dislikes more or less for them, and there was our favourite subject too! Now that we have left those days far behind, let’s think which field, based on them, has served the cause of humanity the most. Maybe we are on the same page, agreeing that it is Science! Because, at least when it comes to life’s physicality or physical aspects of life, no other field has done exceptionally well when compared to Science. This means all physical things we use and enjoy today owe their invention and continuance to the field of Science, which constantly keeps up evolving with time, changing environment, and new challenges, current or upcoming. For example, some 30 to 40 years ago, there were no mobile phones, the internet, and computers in public life! But today, they have become inseparable parts of our lives! Thus, without doubt, we must salute all scientists for all their contributions to the services of human life!

It is mind-boggling to think about the beginning phases of human life! Obviously, the way we are living today was not the same at the beginning. Even it cannot be the same a few hundred years back! If we divide human life as per scientific advancements, then it can be categorized as Health advancements, Construction advancements, and Communication advancements. Here, by communication, for the sake of clarity in our understanding, we will limit its meaning to the act of communicating through spoken or written language, ignoring its other meaning, that is, the transportation.

It is also unclear exactly when the wonderful intellectual movement called Science was born, and what was the very first scientific invention or research or discovery. Maybe if we search online using internet or offline using libraries, then we can get some insight into the time when the word Science was first coined and what was the first thing that got to be associated with it. But that is not the relevant topic we are dealing with here.

As for the history of human life, we can imagine that during the primitive age, our ancestors used to eat everything raw, be it vegetables or meat. Here, something very amazing is that one food item has remained constant from ancient times to today in terms of “how it is eaten”. And that is nothing but the fruits because they ate them raw, uncooked, and we are still eating them raw! Okay, then, the time came when they identified a natural element called Fire, and learned how to artificially ignite it, and then by using it, they started cooking. Can we call the act of igniting fire a science?

Anyway, afterwards, they started cultivation with seeds, then emerged the idea of building huts, then came the language to communicate, then the travelling and transportation using animals like horses, then the medication for treatment of illnesses, and so on. There may be a discrepancy regarding which happened first and which later, but we will avoid discussing that, as it is irrelevant here.

So, this suggests that human life continued to remain in its law-quality state unless and until the intellectual magnificence of Science swung into action, having its effects felt all across everywhere. Hence, we are very grateful to Science for all its pioneering scientific novelties, as a result of which, many subsequent chains of sequences kept happening in human life, which finally progressed into the modern life we are living today. In other words, the scientific evolution of human life has since continued with many new advents, discoveries, inventions, innovations, research, and advancements taking place every now and then, which is still ongoing. Have you ever wondered what was or were the major phenomenal scientific things that shaped the primitive human life into modern life? So, let’s look into it. This is the relevant subject here.

Many of us would immediately think that Newton’s discovery of Earth’s Gravity and Albert Einstein’s theory of Relativity were the greatest scientific phenomena ever. There is no doubt about the greatness of both, but how much they were connected directly with human life is debatable. Definitely, without them, we wouldn’t have traveled into space or reached the moon, but maybe, in many other aspects, our life would have remained the same as it is today!

The vast sphere of science can be divided into three major but widely different domains, which are Medical, Engineering, and Telecommunication, all of which can also be further divided into subdomains. And, the Four Pillars of Science we are talking about are also related to them. Because all four carry equal significance, just like “four pillars of a housing apartment”, let’s put them in alphabetical order, and by picking their first letters, it becomes ACER. Yes, this combination of ACER has changed and is still changing many things in our lives. What is this ACER? Keep reading to know it. Once you finish reading, you are requested to write down your suggestions, telling whether you agree or disagree with the matter regarding ACER. Or else, you can also suggest your own set of pillars of science.

One Phenomenon from Medical Science:

Starting with the letter “A”, this invention occurred in the medical field. A dentist named William T.G. Morton first used it to treat a mouth ailment on 16 October 1846!

Maybe medical science is the oldest science because the study of all the oldest civilisations gives references to their particular practices for care and cure of diseases, such as Ayurveda in India, Acupuncture in China, and ancient Egyptian medical practices. As far as the modern medical science is concerned, it looks very certain that medical practices would have come into existence with orally taken medicines. First, the tablet and syrup were invented and then the injections. For so many years, they must have remained the only available sources for treatment. And, maybe an identification of many deadly diseases like typhoid, malaria, or cholera was established by then. Then what happened is something that brought in a sea change in dealing with the dangerous diseases, transforming inflicted human bodies into complete recovery. You might have guessed it right. True, it is the Surgery without which Medical Science would have stopped at a certain point. And since the first surgery to the present time, surgical science has evolved a great deal. But what was the remarkable milestone that helped this science grow further and further? One phenomenon, a wonderful invention that changed the entire scenario of how the process of carrying out any surgery is done. Without which the science of surgery, and for that matter, entire medical science, would not have been what it is today!

Even the smallest surgery requires numbness of the human body, involving the whole body or a local body part. Otherwise, it would be too painful for the patient, beyond any logic or imagination, causing uncontrollable physical movements and mental trauma due to unbearable pain. And in case of a large-scale surgical incision, the patient would die succumbing to that painful state! This means you need to send the patient into a state of either complete unconsciousness or numbness of a particular targeted area of the body.

Thus, any surgery is highly indebted to a wonderful thing called ANESTHESIA, without which the concept of surgery would not have prospered. All types of surgeries are available today, no matter how serious the patient’s condition, suffering from either a life-threatening disease, or serious physical wound, or a complex mental disorder. They are performed involving even all vital body parts like the liver, kidney, heart, and even the brain. Look at the following marvellous case. An anaesthetist has administered anaesthesia to a local part of the brain, and a brain surgery is being performed, all while the patient is awake and talking to the surgeon and nurses! It is called Awake Brain Surgery or Awake Craniotomy! And, as stated above, the credit goes to William T.G. Morton.

By the way, you might be intrigued to know that even thousands of years ago, in ancient India, there existed Ayurveda, which was treating patients with all diseases. And the first surgery was performed by an Indian surgeon named Sushruta, and therefore, he is considered “the father of surgery”. Ayurvedic treatments are still in practice, and we can call Ayurveda the oldest medicinal domain! Similarly, Trepanation is the oldest surgical procedure that existed in Ancient Greece.

One Phenomenon from the Science of Civil Engineering:

As “C” being its first letter, next is an invention that thrilled and thrived the field of engineering. Joseph Aspdin is credited for this, who first created it in 1824. Looking back at our ancestors’ primitive life, they were accustomed to living in caves or huts made by using stones and wooden pieces. And, then, after many years, they were using rectangular bricks made from clay mud to build raw houses, then they started using iron rods for support to their housing structures to strengthen them.

If we juxtapose that era to the present time, meaning the raw dwellings of that time being compared to nowadays’ solid structures, we can easily imagine we have come a long way when it comes to technicality, methodology, and systems of structural physicality of any building, for example, residential towers, business offices, markets, factories, and many more.

Today, we can construct a structure of any size, no matter whether small, large, or ultra gigantic, with any shape and any design. Skyscrapers, roads, bridges, under bridges, drains, underground tunnels, canals and dams are all possible today! At present, we cannot even imagine our world sans these infrastructural facilities. However, in the past, for developing a city, the basic requirements were a drainage system for all sorts of waste, including excessive rain water, solid dwellings to live and do business, a water supply system to provide water to people, and roads for transportation purposes. Have you ever wondered what the key element is that plays the most vital role in the process of making solid construction? By now, you might have already guessed it.

Yes, all thanks to Joseph Aspdin, who invented CEMENT in 1824, that we are living a much better “modern life” today. In fact, the “concept of city with urban facilities” took birth when the “idea of constructing a solid structure” became a reality, which owed its inception to the phenomenon called cement. With this, a simple chemical formula emerged where cement is mixed with sand and crushed stones, and then water is added to this mixture to turn it into a thick liquid substance called concrete, which is then applied to a raw structure made of iron rods. And, within hours, this structure encompassing all materials becomes as solid as a rock! Interesting, call it an irony or not, but this formula has transformed, and is still transforming, the natural jungles into the “jungles of cement and concrete”.

One may argue that if not for the cement, any structural construction could have been possible using rods of copper, steel, or iron with the help of other materials like wood and stone, for example Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, and the Taj Mahal. Maybe the factors of availability and affordability of these materials, and of the feasibility of such structures in common usage, were behind the advent of cement.

One Phenomenon also from the Engineering Science:

The experiments for creating this invention, starting with the letter “E,” had already begun years before even scientists came to know that it was also a natural element existing from endless time! When we refer to ancient times, people then noticed something unusual when they were rubbing amber, and it started to attract any lightweight particles like dust. In 600 BC, a scientist named Thales of Miletus studied this and documented his discovery. In fact, so many scientists in different time zones spanning centuries were involved in developing the idea of using this element for the sake of mankind. Their efforts and hard work finally showed results with the transformation of human life from the dark phase to the phase of light! If not for this invention, we would still be living a terrible life, coping with the darkness of the nights. We can say it was for this scientific phenomenon that we are seeing light at night today. All types of bulbs and tube lights, because of which we can see things crystal clearly at night, were the earliest products from this invention. Later, the physical ingredients or hardware of all devices associated with human entertainment and telecommunication, starting from radio, television, tape recorder, phone, speaker, computer, to even smartphone, owe their existence today to it.

Now, for you, it has become clear that we are talking about none but the ELECTRICITY and its invention. Before human knowledge and intervention with regard to electricity, it was present in nature. Yes, the natural lightning happening in the sky during the rainy season is a form of electricity, and this was first established by Benjamin Franklin in 1752. However, more than a century ago, in 1600, the term “electricity” was coined by William Gilbert. Consequently, the first light bulb was developed between the decades of 1870s-80s by Thomas Edison and Joseph Swan.

As said above, first came the electric bulbs, so people got liberty from darkness, then came the ceiling fans giving humans liberty from summer heat, and then the first landline telephone! They all happened in quick succession. Followed by radio, broadcasting news and entertainment programs! Then onwards, what started was a whole bunch of products that we fondly call Electronics, including but not limited to TV, refrigerator, mixer grinder, air conditioner, and washing machine. Today, the electronics industry is booming because people love to use all types of electronic devices having any size and shape, be it an OLED TV in the living room, an oven in the kitchen, an air purifier in the bedroom, or an air cooler in the garden.

And, above all, people’s love for smart gadgets like smartphones and laptops is insane, beyond any explanation! With these gadgets, we can say, an entirely new generation of electronics has started. So, surrounded by the world of electronics, we could rarely find a moment when we are not using any electricity! For example, if we are walking on the road in the daytime, even then we have our mobile phones in our hands, charged with electricity!

Now, besides electricity’s huge role in our daily life from morning to night, let’s see where else it is used. Many medical equipments are run through the use of electricity, such as X-ray machine, CT scan, and MRI scan. Even the smallest medical device, called a pacemaker, uses electricity! Most of the Engines of trains use electric energy. And, very rapidly, we are embracing electric vehicles to reduce dependency on fuel. On the other hand, all industries use it in very large amounts. So much so that there are bulky generators placed to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity. In the agriculture sector, it is used for pumping and transporting water to the farms for the cultivation of crops.

And, yes, it is interesting to know that a Power station is the place where the electricity is produced. Hydropower is the oldest, and nuclear power is the latest formula for producing electricity. Another emerging formula is solar power, which uses sunlight to generate it. While, generator produces it by converting mechanical energy into electric energy, the battery does the same by converting chemical energy into electric energy. Until a few years ago, wires and cables were the only means for the transmission of electricity, but now wireless electricity is also available using the Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) technique, mainly for charging devices and vehicles.

One Phenomenon from the Science of Telecommunication:

This phenomenon is more like a discovery rather than an invention, which has since changed the entire dynamics of human communication networks. As R is the last in the present alphabetical order, so is this in chronological order too. This discovery, beginning with the letter “R,” happened at last among all phenomena listed above. It is also the most challenging and awe-inspiring discovery because it was like creating from zero, where nothing exists! In one sense, it was similar to the invention of electricity; in another sense, it was far more complicated. While both have a direct connection with nature, as the electricity caused by lightning in the sky happens only during the rainy season, this natural substance was and is present all over everywhere, day and night, ever since the formation of the Earth. Where a much bigger challenge of discovery lies is the difference between their attitudes, because we can feel the electricity as it gives us an electric shock, but this substance is like a supernatural element, totally intangible, something that we cannot see, cannot hear, cannot smell, and cannot feel!

Without further ado, here is the revelation. It is a natural element called RADIOACTIVE, and its natural functionality or activity is known as RADIOACTIVITY. And while performing this activity, meaning performing radioactivity, it emits something in the natural environment, which is unseen, unfelt, insensible, and imperceptible. This emission is called “radiation”, which is a more popular term today. And, indeed, just like its discovery, to present its succinct explanation is also very complicated, requiring many details! So, let’s try to understand it as simply as possible. After experiments, what it emits or radiates were identified as “rays” and “waves”. Consequently, exploration of those rays gave birth to the invention of the X-ray machine in the medical field. And, simultaneously, the exploration of those waves led to the invention of Radio, and then, subsequently, Television in the communication field. Its contribution to medical science is also impressive, as it paved the way for the formation of the Radiology field, which gave us equipment like CT scans and MRIs.

The person who first discovered this radioactive element in 1896 was Henri Becquerel, and the one who coined the term Radioactivity was a lady named Marie Curie; both were jointly recipients of the Nobel Prize in physics! Here, too, like in the case of electricity, many scientists were involved! So, other notable scientists were Ernest Rutherford, Pierre Curie (Marie’s husband), and Frederick Soddy.

We can say that if electricity was the root cause behind popularising the use of “electronics”, it is radioactivity behind popularising the use of “technology” in the present scenario. Firstly, today, we are enjoying high-speed “wireless internet” thanks to the same radio signals or radio waves that worked for the radio and TV during their initial phase.

Secondly, when it comes to the mobile phone era, it is an innovation entirely dependent on and derived from this scientific phenomenon. Going back in history, it was the walkie-talkie that was the ancestor of today’s mobile phone. This device was the same as a radio set, but it had a two-way communication system, meaning capable of both sending and receiving voice messages. Then, with new innovations, there came cordless telephones, and then wireless telecommunication networks. So, today’s mobile networks, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth all work using the same technology.

To understand this better, we must know more about radiation, a natural phenomenon. There are two types of it, non-ionizing radiation (low energy) and ionizing radiation (high energy), both existing in nature. While formal is harmless, ionizing radiation is harmful to any living being. And, apart from its natural existence, both types of radiation can also be produced by humans using specific methods based on scientific formulas. Now, up to the time of radio and TV, during emissions of the radio waves (the non-ionizing radiation), these waves sent from transmitters were able to be captured by only antennas placed at homes. However, to run mobile networks effectively, we need clusters of towers emitting non-ionizing radiation, also called radiofrequency (RF) radiation! And, despite non-ionizing radiation being harmless, we are advised to keep a distance from these mobile phone towers.

On the other hand, exposure to ionizing radiation is dangerous, and on many occasions, especially while visiting hospitals, we are prone to such exposure as it is widely used in equipments of medical science, as mentioned above. Nuclear plants also use ionizing radiation, so its leakage or spread in any way is always a big worrying factor for society. In history, the atomic bombs dropped on Japan were based on this formula!

By the way, the mobile phones held in our hands also emit radiation at “safe levels” and when its radiation comes in contact with the radiation emitted by towers, a connection is established!

All scientists associated with ACER, some of them as mentioned above, may or may not be the greatest in their respective fields of science. But, no doubt, they all were the pioneers who showed the way to the next generations of scientists for exploration of their research and invention to develop more advanced scientific formulas. As such, they must receive their due recognition, respect, and adoration!

Yesterday, a school boy asked AI to do some assignment writing on his behalf! And this is what happened. AI categorically refused to do so on the grounds that it is immoral! What do you say? Do you think I am lying? Kidding you? Yes, you are absolutely right. This incident is a product of my imagination, coming out directly from my mind, or maybe it happened somewhere in my dream last night. I do not think this is possible at present with the current scenario, despite the latest development or the highest level of research in the field of AI today. So, if I asked AI to perform a writing task for me, it is going to do so because it is nothing but a man-made machine, technique, or system! Such an introduction is needed to draw your attention to the topic of this post. AI is one of the very few things everyone is talking about today, people are taking an interest in it, and in the world, a trend of evolving it with more and more new scientific inventions is ongoing! Nonetheless, research on combining humans’ ethical framework with Artificial Intelligence is also underway, and we may soon find incidents like the above happening in real life too! Please read the entire post.

General understanding of the AI

You might be surprised to know that the term Artificial Intelligence was coined a way back in 1956 by a computer scientist, John McCarthy. It is only now that we call it AI in a more popular, fashionable manner! Let’s now delve into where its concept came from. If we go back some 20 years in the past, there was no term like AI in public life in the world, as it was a domain concerning scientific research only. In a broader sense, we can call any system an AI that works using its own Intelligence; however, it cannot include the mechanical machines such as the engine of any vehicle, as it works as per command controls operated by the driver running that vehicle. Having said this, it is imperative to look into AI’s history, but it is not a pertinent topic here. So, generally speaking, can we remember the first occurrence where anything based on artificial intelligence was used? Was that the Digital Watch? Can we call it the first thing that used a kind of intelligence? Probably not because it was working as per a preset program to show us the right time. However, maybe it was the Calculator where such intelligence was first exercised to calculate given figures. We can call it the "beginning of conceiving the idea of using AI in human life". The calculator then kept developing to be able to carry out more complex calculations.

Of course, afterwards, the wonderful gadget called the Computer came, which changed everything associated with the burdensome mental work of the human mind. Though the primary form of the computer used some pre-installed programs and commands to work to store mainly data, it might or might not be directly associated with AI. However, when MS Office was put into practice, we can call it an AI software because it was able to detect spelling errors in its MS Word, perform arithmetical calculations in its MS Excel, and prepare presentations in its MS PowerPoint.

When the extraordinary, unthinkable innovation called the Internet came out with its World Wide Web services, its utility, for a while, remained limited to the purpose of sending and receiving emails only. But, shortly, its other purpose of storage and retrieval of information also became a reality. And, we can say that that was the time when the first version of powerful AI took place in the form of Search Engines of Google and Yahoo, because, by “using intelligence,” these engines were able to search across all data available on the Internet to find out relevant information required by humans, that too within seconds! However, there is a sea change in how they used to work then and how they are doing now. A few years back, it used to just capture web pages, highlighting the keyword searched by us and/or its dictionary meaning. Nowadays, with advanced AI support, the search engine shows an entire explanation about the keyword searched, collecting information from various web pages and preparing the explanation within seconds!

Below is a screenshot showing this-

Era of computerisation, Internet, and Artificial Intelligence

In this way, up to this point, AI was serving the needs of human life in a positive way. On account of its positive side, this computerisation and the internet entered all the sectors of public life. Computerised systems became an essential part of offices, institutions, and industries. For example, the utilisation of ATMs changed the entire banking system. And then, alongside all this, what ushered in was the time of mobile phone mania, which we are still reveling in. However, unfortunately, this was followed by misuse, fraud, and scams involving mobile networks or internet connections. Please keep reading, we will soon address the main topic.

Now, let’s talk about the overwhelmingly positive impression that AI has left on people’s minds, that is why it is very popular today, having its special significance in today’s life. It is possible that some people may not be aware of it, but they are surely mesmerised by its functions. Generally, when they speak something into their mobile phone and it acts accordingly, that’s AI. When they find directions by watching the map on their mobile screen, that’s AI. When they see funny videos on YouTube involving stars or celebrities, that’s AI. When they ask ChatGPT to do something, and it creates content or shows results with accuracy, that’s AI.

The buzz surrounding AI might have begun when mobile phones started learning human languages. And now we can see how readily it generates live subtitles when somebody is speaking in YouTube videos. It can produce even live translated subtitles in a different language other than the spoken language, working just like an interpreter but a way faster than a human interpreter!

AI is helping a great deal in creating humanoid robots that can talk to us and do many tasks that we do. So, in this way, AI is entering every aspect of our life with its effects felt across all industries. For example, in the music and film industries, it is producing AI-generated visuals and audios. We now have soundtracks where yesteryear’s singers are singing today’s songs of new singers, you can easily find such songs on YouTube! So much so that a singer who died decades ago is now singing new songs, all thanks to AI! No need to mention the AI-generated funny videos on YouTube. In the future, people’s favourite late actors or those who have aged too old could be seen playing roles on the screen as lively, energetic, and young as in their prime! But, many people including the diehard fans of these singers and actors find this move very immoral!

On the other hand, governments are seeking jobs and employment opportunities for their people in the AI sector. Many IT companies, including giants like Microsoft, Google, and Apple, are busy creating new tools and software that can enhance the role of AI for the betterment of human life. And, the education field is also not left out, meaning there are degrees and courses based on it, which are increasingly becoming popular as career options for students, such as B.Tech and M.Tech in AI, B.Sc in AI, and M.S. in AI.

But, this hoopla surrounding the benefits of Artificial Intelligence is just working to bury the negative side of it. Ever since the formation of human civilisation, people have been living with the concepts of culture, humanity, philosophy, spirituality, ethics, morality, and human values. We cannot suppress or censor their roles in our lives. As long as any technological advancements are working in helping humans’ struggles, easing physical and mental labor, that is fine. This means if computerisation and the internet are facilitating our routine activities by reducing mental stress, physical exertion, and time, it is good.

For example, while writing, if it shows spelling and grammatical mistakes, it is a good sign, indicating a positive outlook. Nonetheless, it is a reality that due to our typing habit, our handwriting skills is facing big challenges! Anyway, going a step further, if it types on the screen what we speak, even then it looks fine because it is helping us in our writing endeavour. But, with a next step marching into the direction of AI revolution, when a situation comes where it does my writing allowing me to sit idle, then it does not look good or fair, it sounds like something is wrong. In this way, any writer would write an entire book, and as an author he or she would put his or her name, despite the book having been written with the help of AI-generated ideas and texts. In case if this writer makes a declaration about the resource providing such services, say ChatGPT, it does not close the chapter there either, because AI is supposed to derive content from the pages available on the internet itself. So, there may be copyright infringement! And, for many years now, plagiarism over the internet has already been a big concern to be addressed for any work of writing.

For painters, many painting softwares have already been in use for quite some time now. They provide tools to draw and paint on screen using fingers or a stylus pen, such as various brushes, pencils, erasers, and many others. With this, the painter can create an entire beautiful painting on the screen by applying his imagination, concentration, and hard work. And, these softwares have also been going through phases of advancements. Up to this point, it looks good, no problem! However, there is also a faction of painters who consider these softwares unethical! But, when the time comes and these painters sit comfortably on their chairs, open their laptops, and then ask the AI to create beautiful pictures according to the given inputs and information about the outcome of the pictures. And there the AI goes, and these pictures are ready on their screens. No matter if a bit of editing is done to such a picture by the painter, he or she cannot claim its full credit because it is not a result of human creative arts. Moreover, these AI-generated paintings will lack originality because chances are they will resemble many images available on the net! Again, it will be a situation like one painter copying another!

Now, imagine a criminal who possesses an AI humanoid robot, and he asks it to kill the person knocking on his door, believing him to be his enemy. As the robot does not know what is moral and what is immoral, it performs this cold-blooded murder! But, later, it turns out that instead of the enemy, there was a brother of this criminal, who was knocking on the door! And, what about the online fraudsters, thugs, and scamsters? AI will make their task even easier if the “ethical side of AI” remains unaddressed.

In case of students, they will have very easy access to AI resources to write and complete their assignments, academic papers, or even homework! It is agreeable that schools and colleges may frame strong rules and regulations with regards to AI-generated texts, but are they going to stop using online resources? For the last twenty years or so, they have already been using online sources for this purpose, where their papers are written and prepared by well-educated writers sitting anywhere in the world and working as freelancers!

AI assisting doctors in a surgery is acceptable, but carrying out the entire surgery is something serious to be addressed. If diagnosis is done by AI, lab reports are done by AI, and surgery is also done by AI, then what will be the roles of human doctors? The point is that artificial intelligence may not replace human intelligence! There should be a limit.

Can AI learn our Moral Science?

So, where do our ethics stand today in a scenario as such? That is why ethical or moral intelligence is needed to be aligned with AI. A general logic is that if AI can learn our intelligence, understand our languages, then it can also adapt to our moral science. Only scientists involved in inventing and implementing AI can tell us whether it will be possible to incorporate our moral science into AI and make it feasible while considering its real use in public life.

If done so, AI will make judgments on its own as to what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad, what is moral and what is immoral. For instance, one research institute has completed its research, and now it requires literature detailing it. It will approach the AI and provide all data, points, inputs, outputs, results, etc., and the AI will agree to generate the contents they need. On the other hand, a news reporter approaches AI and asks it to write a news story about corruption involving a politician without any proof, AI will say no to write because it will sense that it is not a morally right thing to do.

One argument in this regard is that there are general laws in every human society that strongly prohibit and prevent any misuse of things like AI. In addition to this, laws specifically made for AI can also prevent unlawful activity done through AI in any way. But, it is like keeping our house open, unlocked, and expecting law and order to protect it! All fictitious examples shown above are for the purpose of understanding only; there can be many other examples in many other situations.

Oh, thanks, if you have read up to this point! Please remember this post is like an open discussion. You are invited and encouraged to suggest your views in the comments section. Your feedback will be appreciated, even if it is about mistakes in writing or flaws in thinking. By the way, there would certainly be AI-generated contents on Substack itself! Thank you again!

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The probe agencies involved in investigation of the Plane Crash in June in India, killing more than 260 people, have submitted their “Preliminary Report”, meaning no conclusion has been drawn yet, as it mainly shows what they found after listening to the cockpit voice recorder and reading the flight data recorder derived from Black boxes of the ill-fated plane. However, the final report after concluding the entire probe will take more time, perhaps a year or even more. But what this preliminary report says deepens the mystery of this crash even further!

Firstly, before discussing about the report, let’s have a recap of how this crash happened. On June 12, 2025, an Air India plane carrying 242 people, including crew members and pilots, starts its journey to London in the afternoon. After running on the runway for a few seconds, it takes off absolutely normally. However, within the next few moments, it faces trouble going up into the sky. Its nose remains in an upward position, but it actually slowly starts descending after climbing 625 feet. By then, a plane’s device called RAT gets ejected out, indicating dual engine failures. And then, due to a lack of power and thrust, it finally crashes into the buildings of a hostel for medical students! The entire episode from start to crash did not last even for one minute! In fact, the plane remained airborne for only 32 seconds!

Now, as per the preliminary report, or let’s call it preliminary findings, the plane’s switches providing fuel to engines were pushed down from RUN to CUT OFF positions seconds after it had gone airborne. This is the reason why the plane crashed because the fuel supply was immediately stopped, resulting in dual engine failure! The voice recorder inside the black boxes has now revealed what transpired between the two pilots during those critical moments. As it is obvious that it was a “matter of a very short span of time”, lasting for less than a minute, there is no scope for a revelation of any lengthy conversation or discussion. The pilots must have completed formal greetings or normal talks of day-to-day life before boarding the plane. Moreover, the procedure of takeoff is very sensitive issue that requires silence, calmness, presence of mind, and full concentration in the cockpit. As such, according to the report, one pilot is heard saying, “Why did you cut off?”, and in a reply, the other one is heard saying, “I didn’t do so”. The report also says that both switches were once again immediately shifted back to the RUN positions. But, unfortunately, before the fuel supply reached back to the engines, the crash occurred. Had the plane remained airborne for a few more seconds, this tragedy could have been averted!

Now, based on this report, people are drawing their own conclusions about what happened, how it happened, and who did what! The entire focus is now being diverted to the roles of both pilots, the captain and the copilot, putting aside all other theories which were otherwise claiming fuel contamination or engine malfunction or bird hit or accidental flap retraction. But, now, one thing is very clear that all investigating teams are facing a tough time ahead, necessitating hard work, because it has become too difficult to find out the truth, to gather evidence, and then to reach any conclusion. Thankfully, there is a sole survivor of this crash, who can provide them with some significant clues in terms of what was happening inside the plane until it crashed. Anyway, below is an honest attempt to project five theories categorised based on their degree of likelihood, meaning the first showing the highest likelihood and the last with the least likelihood. Readers are invited and encouraged to suggest their theories in the comment section. If there is any error, please point out.

Theory #1. MENTAL CONFUSION & HUMAN ERROR

It is likely that the plane was encountering a flight anomaly, or technical snag related to engines or other components, or some other serious problem, just after takeoff. And, both pilots were busy performing swift, stressful actions to find its solution. As per general understanding, as what we see in photo or video, the cockpit is a very complex area that encompasses many switches, plugs, monitors, a steering wheel, lights, etc.; only aviation experts know it better. This means that many things have to be checked for the detection of anything wrong, only then can it be fixed. In this case, during such a crisis, one of them mistakenly moved the switches to the cut off positions. And, once this mistake was realised or noticed, the switches were shifted back to the run positions. Or else, in a state of confusion, he thought of “restarting the engines to solve the problem”, just like restarting mobile phones! Thus, he himself did the entire procedure of switching off and on. Then, the other pilot asked him, “Why did you cut off?” and he answered, “I didn’t do so”. We all tend to adopt the style of “initial denial” once abruptly asked about our mistake. What followed was the Mayday call, and the plane crashed within the next moments.

Theory #2 CUTOFF HAPPENED AUTOMATICALLY

Prior to the takeoff for London, the plane had returned to Ahmedabad airport a few hours ago. And, before it had had sufficient time to cool down its engines, it was again assigned a long flight to London lasting for 9 hours. Maybe, in haste, when the switches were placed to run position, they were not put properly in the right places with the right manners, meaning they were stuck somewhere between the two positions. Though the fuel supply was normal at the starting point of the takeoff, after a few seconds, those switches slipped down automatically to the cutoff positions. Or, maybe, their sockets had gone loose. As per general logic, when the plane takes off, maybe, its run switches’ handles face earth’s gravity, making them more prone to slip down to cutoff.

When one pilot noticed those switches, he immediately pushed them back to run position. Then, he asked his colleague, “Why did you cut off?”, and he answered, “I didn’t do so”.

Theory #3 PRESENCE OF THIRD PERSON IN COCKPIT

Only aviation experts can explain if any crew member or passenger is allowed to enter the cockpit, especially at the time of the takeoff. For those typical second, the plane’s nose is supposed to remain in an upward position, making it difficult for anybody to walk and enter the cockpit. However, it is possible that someone may be present inside the cockpit from the very beginning of the flight. In this case, it seems likely that there was somebody with the pilots, be it flight engineer, flight attendant, or anybody else. And, this person, for whatever reason, retracted the fuel switches back to cutoff! For example, this person just wanted this flight to return to the airport! This theory cannot be completely denied because if the voice recorder does not reveal anybody else’s voice, it does not necessarily mean there was no third person. In case if we also have visuals captured by black boxes, only then can we ascertain the absence of any third person.

Theory #4 SABOTAGE & BRAINWASHING

This is one of those two theories that surfaced immediately after the plane crash. There is a history in the aviation field, which has a link to this theory, where the plane was either deliberately destroyed or hijacked. Such crimes are committed to kill people or to create panic. In this case, despite no direct evidence suggesting sabotage, this theory cannot be ruled out either. This could be with two patterns. First, before the takeoff, a malfunction or fault was attempted to the engines of this aircraft. Maybe, the switches’ sockets were tampered with, turning their functioning loose so that they would retract back to cutoff automatically after a few seconds, in a similar way as discussed above in theory 2. Here, the entire engineering department and technical personnel come under suspicion. Second, someone whose mind was brainwashed to cause this crash entered the cockpit and switched off both switches! Maybe, some extremist elements were involved, who wanted revenge for India’s recent military operation called Sindoor!

Theory #5 SUICIDE BY PILOT

Even before the preliminary report came out, there was wide speculation about this theory. Some western media and global aviation experts, including experienced pilots, were pointing fingers at the role of the pilots. Now, when the report has been published, the information provided by this report, especially the tiny interaction between two pilots, has corroborated their doubts. One thing must be remembered that many suicide cases turn out to be murders after thorough investigation! If this theory proves to be true in this crash, it would a rarest case.

Here, in reality, in essence, both pilots seem to be unaware of how the switches were turned off! One is asking and the other is denying! In case if one pilot was suicidal, he would have most probably attempted to prevent the other pilot from restarting the fuel supply. And, maybe, he would have confessed his misdeed or ill intention. Or, instead of replying to the question, he would have gone incommunicado! On the other hand, if someone wants to commit suicide, then he would consume poison, hang himself, or jump into a river. Why would he take the lives of so many people, especially those unknown people who have nothing to do with his life???

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