How to keep the spark alive in your relationships

Relationships are manifestation of love within you. Love is one of the most intense emotions which dominates and defines the existence of human relationships. Relationships differ in their expression of love; it can be in the form of profound parental love, intricate bond with siblings, strong connection with friends, or passionate one with your partner. No matter what the relationship is, but it surely adds a meaning to our life.

During the commencement of a relationship, everything feels amazing and exquisite. However, with time the magical spell of the relationship starts fading and there are those moments when you wonder- why the hell you got into the relationship at the first place? Continuous endeavors are required to maintain and nurture a healthy and happy relationship.

The first and foremost element necessary for maintaining a happy relationship is mutual respect for each other. Love can only coexist with mutual respect and admiration. It is the foundation of a strong relationship and your actions should reflect the respect you have for your partner. Dr John Gray stated, “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus,” so get used to the fact that you and your partner are different beings. You should learn to respect the differences of opinion and thought process.

Trust is an essential key on which the life of your relationship depends. It helps the individuals involved to have an unmatched degree of confidence in their relationship. It is the base on which every relation grows. Trust helps in providing emotional security and thus is one of the most important building blocks that nurture the relationship.

Another indispensable element is communication between the partners. Effective communication can only happen when you trust your partner. To open up our heart and confess our innermost feelings, we need to have the conviction that the person we are talking to will not let us down, no matter what. We should not anticipate that our partner is bestowed with mind reading prowess. Living in silent melancholy and not communicating what you want is both frustrating for you as well as your partner. Non addressal of vital issues leads to death of a relationship.

One of the most underrated notions is the idea of personal space in a relationship. We do not realize the importance of personal space, but its lack leads to monotony in a relationship. Personal space gives you time to celebrate your own individuality by investing time and energy in things you like doing. It is great to be with somebody whom you love but it is equally significant to have some quality time alone or with friends. It gives you something other than your relationship to talk about, when you are with your partner.

If you have common hobbies, it is an added advantage and if you don’t then do try to inculcate interest in their hobbies. Indulge in your partners interests with him as it helps you both to connect at a deeper level and showers both the partners involved with unexpected moments of love and sharing, thus strengthening the relationship.

Every relationship is different and you are the best person to discover the driving force that makes your relationship going.  Keep the romance alive by leaving small love notes or surprising each other, get bit unpredictable to spice up your love life with a pinch of excitement. So, make some efforts in analyzing your relation and keep it nurtured and healthy, both for your partner and for your own happiness.

Disaster Management in India

The republic day celebration on 26^th January 2001 in India came to a standstill when a massive earthquake left thousands of people homeless and helpless. The air became heavy with heart wrenching cries of desolation, blood stained lifeless limp human forms were seen all around and tears mixed with drool streamed down the soiled faces of motherless toddlers, whose eyes were looking for their mothers. The people of Kutch lost everything within a blink of eye, they witnessed the tragic meltdown of their dreams and aspiration in the debris of their own house and their heart was punctured with irreparable loss of their loved ones. It has been more than fifteen years but some of the scars of devastation can still be seen.

Efforts to cope up with such fatalities resulting from disasters are not in line with the frequency and magnitude of disasters. However, the last decade has seen unprecedented emergence of disaster management at global level. India too has realized the significance of proactive and preventive approach towards integrated disaster management. The quick reaction of national disaster management authority of India in June 2013 during the destructive Flood in Uttarakhand is a proof that we as a country still need to gear up our efforts to manage disasters. However, the humanitarian aid and rehabilitation thrust of the government to redevelop the Kedarnath shrine is noteworthy.

As per the world disaster Report 2009, major disasters which cause destruction of life and land are hydro meteorological events related to climate change like floods, storms triggered by cyclones, heat waves, drought etc.

If we look at disaster profiling of Indian subcontinent 85% of its area is vulnerable to disasters. Storms spawned in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal result in cyclones which are intensified by the coastal configuration and low depth topography of ocean bed. It leads to gales, heavy rain and intense storm surges.

Floods are perennial in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Orissa. In Indo-Gangetic- Brahmaputra plains floods render lakhs of people homeless and lead to damage of several hectares of crops. 

Scanty or no rainfall leads to situations like Latur and severe droughts in arid and semi arid areas of the country which account for about 40 million hectares of land. Earthquakes resulting from crustal movement in the Himalyan region which falls in seismic zones lll-V make most of the north eastern states vulnerable to tremors. Forest fires often threat the existence of both flora and fauna.

The above mentioned disasters lead to major causalities. On the basis of their origin, they are often classified as natural and manmade disasters. 

Government of India has set up two institutes in New Delhi — the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) with an aim to mitigate the damage potential of natural disasters. Their endeavour is to control the advent of a hazard into a disaster by identifying its causes and minimizing or preventing its damaging impact. To accomplish this some administrative policies are introduced which govern the existence of overcrowded buildings in earthquake prone zone; land, vegetation and drainage planning in flood prone areas and certain laws regulate various facilities to minimize the risk of disasters. The Disaster Management Act 2005 has been instrumental in providing a legal and institutional framework for disaster management in India at various levels. The federal policy of India clearly illustrates that the prime accountability of disaster management rests with the State Governments. The Central Government precisely monitors the policies and guidelines including requirement of technical, financial and logistic support. Most of the operations are carried out in collaboration with central and state level agencies. 

Tragically, statistics are an indication that the present disaster management plans have so far focused on the post disaster period of rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction rather than preventing deaths. There is need to link disaster management and development plans, keeping in view the three phases of disaster management i.e. pre crisis, during crisis and post- crisis. Probably planning in advance and carrying out informative drills and workshops to deal with unforeseen disasters can result in prompt response and can minimize substantial loss of lives during calamities. Sustainable Development and preparedness to combat a natural crisis can reduce the impact of disaster.