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2016 – Let’s talk about it |
While writing about 2016, I thought of asking my sons to also express about the year that went by. There is a lot of learning from what was a difficult year for many, but there is also a great deal of enthusiasm about the future.
2016 had a bagful of surprises. A number of predictions went wrong, especially those surrounding elections. That we have Donald Trump as the President of the USA makes it difficult to answer who is more unpredictable, the American voters, or the man himself. What is known for sure though is all that has happened already and is now in the past. Here are the top associations that come to one’s mind when one thinks of 2016:
The reason for the break was that editors of Shehjar had tragedies in their families. However, Managing Editor, Deepak Ganju is overwhelmed with the support received from our readers and says that other good things must continue even if some good things end prematurely. Neha Ganju Tanna’s (Deepak Ganju’s daughter) passing is a deep tragedy but we are committed to continuing good things in her name and memory. Nency Koul (my mother) too fought cancer in the bravest way possible but passed away in this year. We hope to use this publication to promote increased awareness about cancer detection and to gather support for cancer research and patient causes. You can write to us at editor.shehjar@gmail.com. We feel confident that 2017 will be a great year for all of us but even more so if we take certain steps for success. Let us discuss ideas and embrace change, learn more and take risks to profit from the learning, listen better and introspect more, and through everything that happens in our lives and around us let us keep a positive attitude. 2016 in the United States was, first and foremost, an election year. The beautiful thing about an election year is that it provides a clear and concise way to gauge the political, social, and cultural direction of the country. The ugly thing about an election year is that there’s an election. And from looking at the election of 2016, one thing is very clear: 2016 made no sense whatsoever. For the young people of the United States, 2016 was an absurd assemblage of events with no clear pattern. At first, it seemed as though many of the issues that we see as pertinent to our lives were finally being heard. People seemed to be actively defending the rights of the marginalized groups in society. The cost of education was becoming a serious topic of discussion. We saw a country come together in the wake of tragedies such as the one in Orlando. The momentum of 2016 had an air of progress about it. And yet, come election day, many young people were surprised and disappointed in the outcome. The perceived progress that we had thought we were making was not reflected in the political arena of our country. The candidates that we effectively had to choose between were two that a majority of people did not like. For many, the legacy of 2016 went from one of progress to one of regression on November 7th. And yet, this is not what I took from 2016. Rather, through 2016, I learned an extremely important lesson. We are all surrounded by a bubble of ignorance. I live in a social media landscape full of people with opinions very similar to mine. But in order to understand how others see the world, you have to extricate yourself from the bubble and venture out into the world. And what you find out there, as many people did this year, was surprising. Understanding the way other people feel is imperative to understanding their actions. 2016 taught me, above all else, the value of empathy. Arman Koul As the year comes to an end, the world takes a second to reflect on the past year and think about the future. 2016 proved to be an emotional rollercoaster, with an array of events that will shape our world, both positively and negatively. First, let's think about some of the good things that happened this year. Music made a huge boom with hot songs coming from top artists from around the world. Popular favorites in America were One Dance by Drake, Closer by the Chainsmokers, and Starboy by the Weeknd. On the other side of the world, India boomed with hits like Kar Gayi Chull from Kapoor and Sons, Bol Do Na Zara from Azhar, and High Heels Te Nachche from Ki and Ka. Furthermore, popular movies rocked the theaters, like Dangal, Airlift, Star Wars, and Finding Dory. 2016 was also home of the Rio Olympics, which kept the whole world proud and patriotic. Unemployment in the United States hit the lowest point since the recession, the Chicago Cubs broke their losing streak, India made steps towards having a eco-friendly environment, and global child hunger rates quickly decreased. Huge technological advancements were also made this year. Researchers isolated the gene that holds ALS, malaria was eradicated from Sri Lanka and the Americas, and the Giant Pandas escaped endangerment. Although 2016, held some hopeful events, some aspects of the year were not enjoyable. The world lost some great people like Alan Rickman, David Bowie, Harper Lee, Prince, and Muhammad Ali. Terrorist attacks in Berlin and Nice devastated the world and spread fear. Political tensions rose throughout the globe: the United States was divided during the grueling Presidential Election, India debated over the consequences of demonetization, and restlessness rose in Kashmir over the death of Burhan Wani. All in all, 2016 was an exciting year full of highs, lows, and everything in between. It kept us on our feet and curious about our future. I know that 2017 will be a marvelous year and that we will continue to make progress and positive change in the world. Shyan Koul |
We missed Shehjar for so long. Glad that it is back and we appreciate those who are making such endeavor despite personal issues. We wish you success and a Happy New Year to all readers.
Added By Santosh Raina
Welcome back Shehjar. Happy New year.
Added By Surendar Trisal
Happy New year to all readers of Shehjar. Loved the perspectives. I add that we should promote peace through better management of our security interests.
Added By Vikas Raina