Flight stations!

I have been trying to identify the fixed flight stations of some birds in our garden. 

There is a family of Sunbirds in our garden, who make some trees their habitual flight stations. It is not easy to identify them as they are small and escape attention. It is their tuneful birdsongs that alert me of their presence. 

It strikes me that only rarely I have noticed any other bird on trees when one species have claimed their rights over a tree. Birds respect each other's territory.

With the parliament elections due in May 2019, the political conversations have become aggressive and confrontational. In  democracy, there is a need to accept diversity of ideologies and practices. But it is the opposite I witness during the TV interviews of politicians. The spokespersons of political parties offer no space or little space for other's opinions. 

It is wide world of opportunities and needs, if only we can consider democracy as a system where political parties develop their strategy to bring good governance to bring benefits to people in need. 

There is political space for all to compete for acceptance through dialogue and service. 

To me the birdsong is a metaphor for political identity. It is through what politicians say and do they occupy a space in public life to serve others. 

It is not by opposing an idea that we foster an alternative, but by demonstrating its viability. 

It is now fifty nears since there was an aggressive approach to promote better nutrition for children in India. Although it substantially helped to prevent malnutrition, does it not shock us when we find that thirty percent of children are stunted in growth! An idea that succeeded in its intent only to a certain extent!

It is in responding to opportunities creatively, any political party can have its distinctive influence in  the national polity!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)