Shail explores contemporary issues, from health concerns about turmeric to the ethical implications of sperm donation and the cyber threats posed by digital wedding invitations, exclusively for Different Truths.

Turmeric under weather

Yellow, the colour of fertility,
of all things auspicious, now, sadly
under the scanner for possessing lead
chromate, not a reason to celebrate;
doing away with this pack of gold
not an option;
no dish is complete without it,
every haldi ceremony with it.
Consumption is essential for health
detrimental. Appearances deceptive
so, give bright yellow powder a miss.
mix in water; soak for a while, if it soaks
it is deemed fit, if not find a substitute.

Telegram’s Vicky Donor

What with genetic defects on the rise,
sperm counts on the decline
Vicky Donors like Pavel Durol arise;
founder of Telegram currently offering
a DNA giveaway for women under 37
interested in high-quality donor sperm
one in an eleven IVF available for free.
With a record of more than 100 children
fathered globally,
his genetic material promoted
to being the perfect, robust family.

WhatsApp Wedding Hack

Personal data hacked, phone infected;
what worse curse can be expected?
for the modern citizens in a slimy world,
run by technology at its scaling heights
falling down the ethical stream bytes?
Himachal Pradesh police gives alarming
signal ignites. “Nothing new.” True.
But what if it comes disguised in wedding
messages, on WhatsApp invites;
those that seep into your flashy
mobiles, today’s cost-effective substitute
for paper wedding files, all a gateway
to cyber-attack, a seeping malware
in APK files in and back?

Reference:

https://www.indiatoday.in/health/story/toxic-levels-of-lead-found-in-turmeric-haldi-sold-in-india-nepal-pakistan-study-2632218-2024-11-12

https://www.timesnownews.com/technology-science/is-telegram-ceo-pavel-durov-really-offering-free-ivf-with-his-sperm-heres-the-truth-article-115199662

https://www.news18.com/india/beware-of-wedding-invitation-scams-one-click-could-compromise-your-phones-security-9117431.html

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Shail Raghuvanshi

Shail Raghuvanshi is a poet, freelance journalist, copyeditor, voice actor, and artist with 30 years of experience in various media. She has worked as the Cultural Correspondent for India's first integrated media company, PLUS Channel, and has written course material for Madurai Kamaraj University's Post Graduate Programme in Advertising and Public Relations. She has also been a coach of Communicative English. She has published poems, short stories, and articles in leading magazines and anthologies.

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