SP Govt's traffic drive - A complete farce

The Samajwadi Party-run government in Uttar Pradesh is running a traffic drive these days. Working on the orders of the State Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, police are checking vehicles for black filming, use of seat belts and helmets, speed etc.

However, like any other scheme or announcement by this government, the traffic drive too is a simple eye wash for poor public. In the name of traffic rules it is only the law abiding citizens who are being harassed whereas the high and mighty are having the last laugh.

I have a personal incident or rather frustration to share -

It was Sunday evening (21 December) and the area was the front of VVIP (very very important person) Guest House which happens to fall within the limits of a sensitive zone as it houses the Chief Minister's official and personal residences within a kilometer.

A Maruti Alto car rams into my car from the back as I had stopped at the traffic light. I got out of the car, talked to the driver meanwhile two ladies sitting at the back said sorry and accepting their apology, I came to my car.

As I started moving getting the green signal, the same car rammed into my car again. This time I lost my cool and stopped the car and called the dozens of cops standing at the corner watching the whole incident, while sipping tea.

I demanded action. Suddenly a politician looking guy appeared from somewhere and started intervening, taking the side of the Alto driver. He introduced himself as the former president of Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha (SP Youth Wing).

The cops asked me to pull over to the side and while, like a law abiding citizen, I pulled over, the cops and the politician helped the Alto drive run away from the accident site.

This is the ugly face of the Samajwadi Party government - lawlessness or jungle raj!!!

A citizen cannot expect safety from either the government or from the police which, it seems, is on the payrolls of politicians. One of the cops said, "we are here for the Chief Minister's security".

His statement explained the situation to a certain extent - in a state where the Chief Minister does not find himself safe, how can anyone be safe!

Anyway, I did as much as I could - I took away the driving licence of the Alto driver, according to which his details are:

Name: Ashish Shukla
S/O: Susheel Shukla.
Driving Licence No: UP32 20130011513    
Address: 570/S-150 Sainik Colony, Azad Nagar, Alambagh, Lucknow

I know that he will easily acquire a fresh licence as getting a driving licence in this state is not a big deal, especially if you are friends with politicians and cops!

Yet, I am trying to share this incident hoping there will be at least one honest and law abiding politician or police officer, who will react to it and will make sure that this Alto driver gets some kind of punishment and his licence is not renewed, because obviously he doesn't properly know how to drive!

Amen!!!
   

Trashing Gods!

Generally, Hindus are genetically religious people. A small corner for worshipping is common in most of the Hindu households. Idol worshipping is part of their religious practices.

There are occasions and festivals when Hindus worship these idols for a set period of time, after which they are immersed in water - mainly a river or ocean.

It is said that keeping the idols after those auspicious days, and not immersing them in water may bring bad luck.

Being a Hindu, I also observe a few of the above mentioned practices. Earlier, I never did this immersion practice but recently I started, just out of sheer enjoyment and fun. 

However, a recent experience opened my eyes and I decided that the idols which are sitting in my car for over a month waiting to be immersed, will not go anywhere.

(I had thought I would immerse the idols in water or put them at some place where they are not disrespected, but due to my over busy schedule I could not do so and the idols remained in my car)..

During a recent visit to Kanpur, I happen to notice this ugly sight (see the photos)..

These idols were just lying like a heap of rubbish near the river Ganges. People were walking by those poor idols wearing shoes albeit at home, I am sure, the owners of those idols took off their footwear before worshiping them.

Some people wee throwing their wastes on the same heap taking it for rubbish.

The neglect and disrespect of those hapless idols, which we take pain to choose with care when buying and which we worship during the festival, presented a sorry and ugly picture of religious rituals. I decided that the idols which are sitting in my car will not be discarded this way.

They can stay in one of my flower pots and decay into soil. I am no more bothered about bad luck!

The picture of that heap of broken and maligned idols also made me think that it is time we should innovate better ways for their immersion.

No religion tells us to pollute our environment and no religion recommends insult to deities in any form.

It's not only idols but we also need to find better environment friendly ways for disposing off the material used for worshipping - be it idols or garlands or coconuts or any other thing.

After seeing these pictures my mind changed. And if even one more mind changes after reading this (the piece of my mind), I will feel I have done a bit of my duty towards society and my country.

In India, laws exist, their execution doesn't!

This young British couple James (27) and Alexandra (24) chose India for committing a suicide. Not because they were charmed by the Indian heritage and culture or were awed by Hinduism in anyway. But for the simple reason that committing suicide is easiest in the country. people cooperate if one wants to end his/her life.

The couple bought some sleeping pills, easily available over the counter (OTC) at any chemist and druggist shop. They popped the pills and topped them with some cough syrup, which too can be bought anywhere without any prescription.

Before executing their plan to end their lives, the couple also tweeted "One prescription in India (after you have told the doctor what to write), will take you far".

The event has raised serious questions over our whole system of medical and health.

Very few chemists in India ask for the prescription and show the strictness to not favour the buyer with medicines which are not allowed to be sold over the counter. Moreover, acquiring a prescription is also not a big deal. A small tip and there are so many doctors who are ready to earn an extra fast buck, who will oblige one.

On top of these (chemists and doctors), there is a whole system of medical and health which has laws for all sorts of cross and checks, which unfortunately never gets implemented.

It's rare to see any chemists being blacklisted and sent to jail for selling drugs which should legally be sold only if they are prescribed. It's even rarer to see any doctor being locked behind bars for writing a prescription, which, he/she also knows, is not required for the patient.

Same is the case with advertising in relation to medical and health products. Every day, there are advertisements of medicines for gaining height, gaining weight, losing weight, increasing hair growth, lightening skin tone, enlarging breasts, enhancing sexual pleasures etc etc.

The companies selling these 'miraculous treatments' are blatantly flouting the Indian law which says a company cannot assure such results which have not been proved scientifically.

But then,who cares!

Law in India is only for books and not for execution - be it for drugs or for any other crime, it may be murder.

           

Part of Nobel Peace Prize

Who deserves Nobel prize and who doesn't that's an issue for debate. Here, I don't want to dwell on that. At this moment, I just want to recall an incident, which the recent announcement of Nobel Peace Prize has brought back to my memory.

It was 2004 and I was the Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express newspaper, in Lucknow. Bachpan Bachao Andolan had planned to raid the Grand Circus which was running in district Gonda, Uttar Pradesh state. The circus was keeping about 12 adolescent girls from Nepal. Apart from making them work in the circus, the owners (two brothers from Meerut) were sexually exploiting these girls as well.

As planned we reached the circus pretending to be just a group of journalists willing to understand the circus life. All was well for initial hour or so before 3-4 of us women journalists tried to probe and locate the girls. The circus owners had shoved the girls in a corner and asked them to not come out till the guests were there.

However, the journalists' probing eyes found them. But before we could talk to the girls and get an idea about their plight what they are going through, we heard some ruckus at the front. Before we could realise what was happening, one of the owners came running towards us flashing a pistol.

We saw that everyone was running helter skelter. The owner shouted, "close the gates, don't let anyone go out". We started running towards the gate and what we saw was horrifying. Some journalists could make it and escaped out but some of them were trying to quickly go out of gates and save their lives.            

Their effort resulted in their trashing. I still remember a foreign journalist who was beaten and her camera was smashed! It was a shocking incident!

So those who were left inside (including me) decided to stay in and face the situation. A colleague of Kailash Satyarthi, Rama Kant Rai was with us and he also stayed back.

Although a bit scared I was also enjoying the situation as for a journalists such situations are good stories! We had no idea if we would be able to go out in the free world or not!

A few of us who were left inside the circus were trying to have a talk with the owner who was not ready to listen to anyone but stressing on killing everyone then and there.

Suddenly we realised there was police force outside, led by the Superintendent of Police (SP) Gonda, Amitabh Thakur. The gates were opened and the first thing Amitabh Thakur asked was, "Where is Alka Pande". I came forward surprised as this was my first meeting with him. He specially asked me, "Are you alright madame?" Perplexed, I said, "Now, yes, since you are here".

The police then got the girls from the circus released and all of us were also freed. The circus owner brothers stayed in jail for quite some time.

How the police reached the place, I came to know later on. My photographer Vishal Srivastav had managed to go out before the situation had become tense inside the circus. He had made an intelligent move and had called the then editor of The Indian Express, Mr Raman Kirpal, in Lucknow, who had immediately contacted the Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh and had informed him about what was going on in Gonda. He had also told the DGP about me - the Indian Express correspondent and that explained why Amitabh Thakur was asking for my welfare.

That incident was one of those several ones which people who supported Kailash Satyarthi, were involved in and therefore we all must feel as part of the Nobel Peace Prize!!!

 
  

Road Safety - direct from New Zealand to Uttar Pradesh

Road Safety Policy Released

Uttar Pradesh has become the first state of India to introduce a Road Safety Policy. The policy talks of strict penalties the moment someone breaks road safety laws. The government has also constituted a Highway Police for the execution of the policy.

The move by the government is worth appreciation. We also hope that the policy will be implemented in its true spirit, sparing no one - be it a bureaucrat or a politician or a common man/woman.

Nonetheless, if policies and laws were able to tame the human behaviour and put everything or anything in order in society, there would not have been any dowry deaths, sex selective abortions, road rage deaths, child labour, harassment of women, domestic violence and the rest. The list of such crimes is exhaustive! Ironically, there is either a policy or a law against all such criminal acts but how many people face the legal action! 

In Uttar Pradesh, at least 30,000 people die in road accidents, every year. This means at least 80-85 people are becoming prey to untimely and tragic death every day. Unfortunately, the people involved in these casualties are mostly those who are young! The government aims to curtail the situation by launching this Road Safety Policy.   

The New Zealand police force is training the Uttar Pradesh police the tactics of taming the traffic. Acording to Grahame Morton, the New Zealand Ambassador to India, their force is teaching the Uttar Pradesh police about their three-pronged strategy - road design, vehicle safety and driving ethics.

These three points make it mandatory to take a stock of the situation on the roads of Uttar Pradesh.  

A few of the following points emerge instantly:

**  People in Uttar Pradesh do not wear seat belts in their four wheelers and similarly those riding two wheelers are averse to wearing helmets. According to them, these are just another decorative features in their vehicles and the associated law is useless. Therefore, they just hold the seat belt across their bodies or put the helmet on their heads when approaching any crossing with cops around.

**  People in Uttar Pradesh think that 'speed limit' is just another fancy of traffic police. They love speed and therefore never  follow the speed limit signs. They zoom fast, be in a shopping area or on a congested road or even if there are school children crossing the road.

**  People in Uttar Pradesh have a special liking for horns in their vehicles and they honk even in 'silent zones'. The more shrill and ear deafening the horn is the better for them. The first thing they do after starting the ignition is to put their hands on the horn and toot even if the road is empty or even if they are passing next to a hospital.

**  People in Uttar Pradesh enjoy overtaking and for that they cross even the straight double lines in the middle of the road which denote 'no overtaking'. Most of the times these 'speedy people' can be seen driving on the other side of the road blocking the way for people coming from the other side and also making it dangerous for other commuters.  

**  People of Uttar Pradesh do not believe in 'one way' signs. You cannot find even a single one way in the state which does not have vehicles coming from both sides. 

**  People in Uttar Pradesh feel that the roads are meant only for big SUVs and MUVs and the small cars should find their way at the sides of the road. Also, these small cars must allow the big vehicles to overtake them, irrespective of traffic conditions. In a case otherwise, the owners of small cars are sneered at or sometime beaten as well, if the big vehicle owner is a powerful one and in most cases he is. 

**  People in Uttar Pradesh prefer to drive their vehicles on high beam - that too the brighter the better. Either they are not aware of the low beam facility in their vehicles or they just do not care that their glaring light blinds people and is dangerous even for them.   

**  People in Uttar Pradesh do not like to go around a roundabout (too cumbersome for them), no matter if it causes traffic snarls or puts the lives of other people in danger.  

**  In Uttar Pradesh all laws relating to traffic are meant for the common mortals, and the category does not include politicians, their goons and henchmen, as well as bureaucrats. They are never taken in the purview of traffic rules. They can park their vehicles anywhere with no fear of it being towed away. Traffic police confront these government drivers at their own peril, knowing well that they can be abused, manhandled or beaten up by these 'all mighty' drivers! 

These are just a few observations regarding 'road design, vehicle safety and road ethics, which anyone who has ever walked on any of the roads in Uttar Pradesh, would have noticed. 

Now, going back to the original topic of road safety policy, it is pertinent to quote here that the people who cause fatal accidents are mostly the drivers of some influential person. 

The reasons why they are undeterred and arrogant on the road is because no one dares to penalise them when they break any traffic law or do not follow road safety measure or forgo their road ethics! 

In such circumstances how much will this Road Safety Policy help, its an issue of concern. There is only one way the government can underline its seriousness and sincerity to the issue is by ensuring that the new policy covers all and sundry and its implementation does not spare anyone, irrespective how big and influential the law breaker is!

Lets make our own Malalas!

A young woman Ramlali, from a Lucknow village, works in a local school where she cooks Mid-Day Meal for children. In the same school her two daughters study. Her relatives who are against sending daughters to school attacked Ramlali and beat her badly fracturing her hand. In the past also, they had beaten the mother and daughters only because they did not want Ramlali to work and send her daughters to school. Last attacks were also so violent that Ramlali had to be admitted in a Trauma Centre. The anti-education brigade had tore the school books and had also beaten the girls. 

Ramlali had lodged complaints with the police, twice but to no avail. The third time was so distressing and demoralising that the woman had to fled from the village along with her daughters. Now, she cannot continue with her work because of threats as well as her physical condition. The family has come to the city seeking some help and justice. The daughters cannot resume their studies till the issue is sorted.

The story of this woman appeared in one of the Hindi newspapers today and it made me think how Malala Yousafzais are made. Just like Malala of Pakistan, Ramlali was also adamant to educate her daughters and make them capable enough to make their own decisions in life. The daughters too are good in studies and were doing their mother proud. 

However, when Malala Yousafzai was attacked for promoting girls' education, the world acknowledged her efforts and since then she has been globe trotting as an ambassador for girls education. She is spreading the message and inspiring others to push the issue of girls' education. 

Ramlali is only a humble version of Malala in the making!

  

Incidentally, when Ramlali was facing the wrath of male chauvinists who opposed her determination to educate her daughters, there was a high level meeting, headed by the Chief Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh government, was being held. 

The Chief Secretary, holding the highest office of bureaucracy in any state government) was reviewing the status of literacy campaign in the state capital. The meeting had the representation of all the who's who working in the field of education in government as well as private sector.

I hope anyone of those stalwarts attending the meeting has read the story and is already contemplating to act for Ramlali and  her daughters. It is time for them to convert their words and commitments into action. It is the most opportune time to create our own Malalas, who are emerging from the remote rural corners of the nation, and advocate for girls education through them.  

Naturally speaking

Every time there is a debate on Hindi, it leaves me miffed!

Hindi is our natural language. We have one of the biggest film industry churning out dozens of movies every year which are linked not only by our neighbours, such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal as well, and mind you - none of them is solely a Hindi speaking nation.

Then why Indians, at least once a year, have this debate and discussion on 'State or status of Hindi'???

The fact is that we do not need to see the problem elsewhere when the culprit is amongst us. It is one us who demeans Hindi or puts it at an inferior place to other languages, especially English.

The only problem or obstruction in Hindi is the pseudo elite class which finds it below their dignity to understand or speak in Hindi. Many of you, like me, must have witnessed these pseudo elites, who are invited to important conferences and seminars as specialists. They start their address with an apology for their lack of knowledge of Hindi or for their bad spoken Hindi. Starting with their bad spoken Hindi, they take no time to switch over to complete English, ignoring the fact that the majority of audience or participants, for whom the event has been organised in the first place, cannot understand a word of English.  However, these intellectuals carry on unabated without realising the fact that the audience has either lost interest or has started communication amongst themselves.

Same people, who do not find themselves comfortable with Hindi, go home after the seminar or conference and watch Hindi serials. They are also spotted watching and also relishing Hindi movies.

I feel Hindi comes to Indian as naturally as Mandarin to any Chinese. The only difference is that Chinese do not find it demeaning to speak in Mandarin whereas in India many of us find it below our status to speak in Hindi.

Hindustan, Hidustani, Hindu, Hindi... all these words are coined from one word. They all underline broad heartedness and a readiness to assimilate and accept different religions, isms, lifestyles and also vocabularies from different languages. This is the reason why Hindi is getting enriched with every passing day.

Although there are people who cry hoarse for the distortion of Hindi as it has assimilated words from English, Persian, Urdu and also Arabic. But, in my view, this has enriched the language. This new, versatile and dynamic face of Hindi has increased its comprehensibility and has popularised it even amongst those who do not have Hindi as their native language.

A language can survive only if it changes with time.

Kudos to Indian film and television industry for not only keeping Hindi alive but helping it grow younger and more attractive day by day!!!
  

Harassment Unlimited!

You go to buy a product in India, the salesmen in the shop will treat you as the queen of England. Four people will hover around you, they will ask you for coffee or cold drink and the rest! And if the product you are buying is a big electronic item, such as refrigerator, microwave or a television set, the pampering from the sales guys is all the more.
However, once the item is sold, the same company service centre and its representatives will harass you to no end! It seems they get some kind of vicarious pleasure in seeing you getting irritated and feeling hassled, so they delay everything and take their own sweet time.
I have been undergoing a similar kind of experience for last four-five days. My refrigerator (Samsung) has developed shome short circuit and it is making the main switch of the electricity connection trip every time the refrigerator is turned on.
Now one can imagine how frustrating it may be to have a non-functional refrigerator in this hot and humid climate. We have to be careful how much food we buy or cook so that it is finished in one sitting. we buy milk and finish it in one go before it is off. We are not getting cold water and worst of all - we had to use the refrigerator of our neighbour to keep some essential medication, required to be kept under refrigeration at all times.    
We called the Samsung centre and do not step out of the house waiting for the mechanic. After 4-5 calls and 10-15 hours of wait, finally the mechanic comes and does what all mechanics do in India - use their best practised and usual trial and error method! Fiddle with a few wires, change a small part, make the machine somehow start, and make you shell out some money. I was happy that at least the refrigerator started.
But my happiness did not last long. The machine could not cope with the small part changed by the mechanic (which I don't think was the real problem to start with) and it was silent and dark again.
Now the series of calling the Samsung starts - 20 calls in one day - we again do not move out again - wait for the mechanic to come. The whole day passes waiting for him. Again, after 10-20 calls, a little bit of shouting and long hours of wait, the mechanic comes again.
I am still not sure if he understands the problem!
I also do not know if he will be able to sort it!!!
So, the question arises - why aren't these mechanics go to school to learn about these machines?
Why are they given 'on the job' training?
Why do they learn by trial and error?
Why do these call centre executives lie through their teeth?
When will we have proper after sale service in this country?
When will a customer will always be a king/queen even after he/she has purchased the item???
When????
          

Inhumane Humanity

For last three days, every morning the newspapers are reporting crime which depicts the intolerant, inconsiderate and insensitive face of the humanity.

* A worker stabbing the boss with a pair of scissors because the boss fired the worker.

* A minor girl was taken from an orphanage and raped.

* Ten people including 3 children died due to electric shock from cooler.

* The angry mob attacking a government officer so badly that he lost one of his eyes.  

* A boy commits suicide because his parents scolded him for smoking.

* A speeding truck killed a retired government officer.

* Miscreants set ablaze a woman after raping her. 

These are only a glimpse of what is going on in more or less all the state of India. The mornings leave me sad and depressed. I am miffed thinking as to what kind of era we are living in? where is the Indian culture (of which, we keep ranting, we are so proud of) gone? What has gone wrong with humanity? Where are we heading to? Are we retrograding instead of moving forward? Where are the values like patience, tolerance, respect, consideration, affection and courtesy gone?

Aren't such happenings disturbing enough to shake people up!!!

Many may find me anti-national but every morning when I read the newspapers and spot such gory, barbaric and shameful incidents, I feel like we are cursed to have been born in such a nation - or to have reached such a time when human values have no meaning - when money and power has made people resort to animal like behaviour.  

I have no answer, no solution and no remedy for this situation but I am just expressing my anguish with my friends!

If anyone out there has a solution, please come forward. I will be more than willing to do my bit to bring a change in our society - improve the human nature and bring back our old values, which we cherished as our heritage till now. 

Making Lucknow A World Class City!

A pull-out with the national English daily 'Hindustan Times', today, talks about various features of Lucknow as a modern and 21st century city. It feels good to read some stalwarts writing for the special pages and talking about the city we all feel so proud of!

But, honestly, have we left the city worth being proud of?
Increasing cases of eve-teasing, harassment of common citizens in public offices, cacophony of shrill and indiscriminate honking, blazing and blinding lights lights of vehicles, unruly traffic and irrational overtaking, misbehaving police, pain-stained office walls, overflowing dustbins (even at the posh most market areas, such as Hazratganj), pile of rubbish in every corner, and the rest!
If all this was not enough, even the culture of 'pehle aap' ('after you') is fast turning into 'me first'.
Haven't we turned the city into a mini uncultured and uncouth Delhi where people are judged by the labels they wear or the car they get out from, and where people have no qualms in pushing others in order to make their way!
The newspapers daily report of some incident in the city which shames all of us - be it an MLA's son snatching an advocates car, or a pervert taking pictures of girls travelling in autos!
And we all blame either the government or someone else for the falling values and the chaos around us.
In fact, the city has been hijacked by a bunch of bureaucrats and politicians - originally the public servants and the people's representatives - who display no respect for the common citizens.
The most deafening sound of horns comes from the cars which have blue or red beacon on top of them. The glaring light at night is from an official car of a bureaucrat or a politician, which blinds the ordinary citizen driving his humble small car. The only vehicles which one can spot parked with pride at the 'no parking' areas are those of either government officers or of politicians. All those vehicles which refuse to follow the traffic rules are, not surprisingly, the official cars.
Its high time we Lucknow residents need to stop and introspect - where and what went wrong and which are the possible ways we can improve the city and bring it back to its past glory - it may require educating the bureaucrats and politicians or taming their drivers.
This is not all, the authorities as well as the public needs to start respecting the tourism destinations in the city and all across the state. while authorities can ensure better and proper publicity of so many beautiful getaways, Uttar Pradesh has to offer, the public should learn to keep our state and city clean.
Also, the authorities have to learn now that rules are for everyone - irrespective of the allegiance of a person who flouts them.

The day we curtail the culture of accepting bribe from autos and letting them stop anywhere, or charging daily fee from the small kiosks and letting them encroach the footpath, or allotting the contract for parking (to powerful man linked to politicians) at pavements or places where there should not be any parking, or letting the bigger and  mightier get away when they break rules (the list is exhaustive), we will be taking the first step to bring Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh on a world map.
And it requires efforts from each one of us!  

 
            
    

The Condom Culture!

As many would have feared, the Narendra Modi-led Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government in India has started its moral policing. The Union Health Minister Mr Harsh Vardhan has asked the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) to slow down on promotion of condoms but push culture instead to curtail the infection from spreading.

The diktat is matter of concern! Two issues relating to the order should be paid attention to.

One: As the NACO too has understood and clarified that commercial sex workers (CSW) and men having sex with men (MSM) cannot be taken under the purview of the order as "morals won't catch their attention" - which means by promoting cultural values, we are conveying a message that it is an immoral and illegal act when CSWs indulge in sex with their clients or when MSMs follow their sexual preference.

The other aspect of this point is that sex is a totally personal issue. Just like a person cannot be compelled to like a certain food or follow any particular religion as both are personal choices of a man or woman, similarly sex is a personal choice and an adult man or woman should be free to decide his or her preference for a partner.

The cultural values what parents pass on to their children decide if that child on growing up will have multiple partners or have sex with other than his or her own partner. Preaching a grown up man or woman with this moral will hardly make a difference. So, what is required at the moment is to inculcate high morals in our children, rather than taming the adults.  
       
Two: Second part of the issue is the existing pattern of advertising for condoms. Most of the advertisements on television these days present condom as a mean to enhance the sexual pleasures. Nowhere the advertisement mentions that it protects the couple from catching HIV infection or any reproductive tract infection or sexually transmitted infection (RTI/STI).

These advertisements do not speak about family planning, either. A country with an overflowing population - where no development can be felt due to number of people or where the roads are bursting to the seams due to ever-increasing users, isn't it necessary to promote the use of condom to check the growth of population or for spacing in children to ensure better for the mother?

Whilst doing case studies on HIV/AIDS, I have met many men, especially truckers or migrating population, whose testimonies emphasised on the importance of condom for checking the spread of HIV/AIDS and RTI/STI, and also curbing the unwanted pregnancies.

It would have been a laudable initiative had the Union Health Minister asked the advertisers to change their style and focus more on health and population with the use of condom than on adding to carnal pleasures!
     

Single Mother - An Invisible Parent

At last, there is at least one government agency that has recognised the mother as a parent of her children. Also, the agency has shown some sensitivity to single mothers, who may be unwed, divorced, widowed or separated.

It elated me to the hilt when I read a news story in today's newspaper, according to which the University Grants Commission (UGC) - a statutory body set up by the Indian government in 1956 to coordinate, regulate and maintain the standards of university education - has asked varsities and affiliated degree colleges to include 'mother's name' in all the testimonials of students - ranging from application forms to degrees and certificates.

As a single parent of my children for last twenty years, I never got this honour of being recognised as their parent. Despite the fact that I was bringing up my two children all alone, fending for them while working 10-12 hours a day, I was always devoid of this honour.

The honour went to the father who was not even aware of his children's whereabouts.

From junior schools to their colleges, every time I was filling up a form, I was forced to write the name of my children's father even though his contribution in parenting was nil. He was neither physically nor financially present in our lives.      

Many a times I raised my voice against this bias - I tried to explain that he is no more with us and it is me who is bringing up my children - physically, financially, emotionally, mentally and in all other possible ways.
Yet, I failed to convince the male chauvinists sitting behind the counters that I also can be the parent of my children, and my role can also extend and go beyond giving them birth. No one was ready to officially acknowledge the active role of a mother in parenting.

And he, who had no presence in his children's lives, his name continued to mock and stare at us from all documents. The children grew up with their father's name as their parent, who was permanently absent from their lives. I remained an invisible parent.

Gradually, as they grew they applied for passports and driving licences, and the same pattern continued - "Father's name".

I kept slogging and sacrificing and he carried on having the honour of being the parent of my children.

Now was the time when children also resented writing their father's name. The realisation was strong that there was no father but the mother was playing father and mother both. They also started arguing - "it is my mother who has brought us up and looks after us then why should we write the father's name"? However, their argument, obviously, fell on deaf ears.

Now, UGC has finally realised the embarrassment and frustration the single mothers like me must have gone through in their lives. Though the decision is late and too little as the same recognition is required at all the places, everywhere, in every form we fill up.      

You ain't allowed, if your name is not in the list!

Who says I am an Indian citizen?

I have only the following documents to prove my citizenship:
A valid passport issued by the Government of India!
A valid driving licence, issued by the Government of India!
A Permanent Account Number (PAN), issued by the Government of India!
A Voter Identity Card, issued by the Government of India!

These documents we keep so securely and use, as and when required, to prove our identity
But the same documents become useless pieces of paper if you name is not in the Voters' List!

I agree that to cast your vote, one has to have one's name in the Voters' List. But, in case one's name does not appear in the Voters' List for any reason, shouldn't there be a provision to check the person's identity and get the name included in the list, if the person is able to show all valid ID proofs?

The Election Commission has been making claims to have gone totally high-tech and is using all means to encourage and motivate the voters to cast their vote. Not having one's name in the Voters' List is not the fault of the voter.

These lists are prepared by the paan chewing clerical staff of the government, which reaches office not before 11 a.m., then goes for morning tea for an hour, and before they start working, its already lunch time for them. A list, which is being made manually, may have flaws by all means, for which the voter should not suffer.

The argument given to me is that I should have checked my name in the list. So, tell me how do I suppose that my name would automatically be struck off the list? I never go to Income Tax office to tell them that I am alive but name is there in the tax payers list. If I take a loan from a bank and don't pay for five years, still the list of defaulters has my name, its not struck off. So, if the government has issued a Voter Card to me (in 2007) my name should have been in the list! But, it is not!!!

What my point is that in this age of internet, the Election Commission should evolve a system where if a person, whose name is not in the Voters' List, presents his/her valid IDs, his/her name is added then and there and that person is allowed to cast his/her vote.

If we cannot do this much, we have no right to call ourselves a nation living in the 21st Century. If everything has been made so high-tech, why can't we have a system to include those voters who have voters cards but their names have been struck off the list.

I felt so disheartened today! It seems like my own country has disowned me despite me carrying several proofs to confirm my citizenship, only because my name was not in the list!!!

 

Skewed Intolerance!

"More bomb blasts in India than in Afghanistan".
Along with Pakistan and Iraq, India accounts for almost 75 per cent of blasts in the world".
This was the headline in one of the newspapers today, which obviously portrays how tolerant we are!

However, the paradox is that Indians are becoming intolerant enough to even kill someone....

What made me think think like this was a news story that appeared a few days back. The story (dismissed in just two paragraphs) narrated the incident in which a boy was shot dead in an incident of road rage. The incident took place in Delhi, the capital. The poor fellow had committed a crime of overtaking the vehicle of the spoilt brats of some rich and mighty. The brats took out their pistols and shot several rounds until the boy was dead. There was no follow up of the story.

Another story that shook me was of a woman, who was killed by her husband, in Assam. Her crime was to be overwhelmed on seeing Rahul Gandhi in person and giving a peck on his cheeks.  

Even today I read two stories from Uttar Pradesh, that displayed the intolerant behaviour of our fellow Indians: A band master was killed at a marriage ceremony only because he did not play the tune desired by a person, who incidentally happened to be a government employee. In another case, a DJ (Disc Jockey) playing at a wedding was beaten black and blue with sharp weapons only because some people did not like the song he played.

This intolerance amazes me to no end! Reason: The same Indians have easily tolerate when they spot a person easing him/herself on the roadside, spitting paan (betel leaves) at corners of any public building, littering parks and other public places, stealing electricity, not paying their taxes or loud music being played in the middle of the night.

Interestingly, there are laws which prohibit such acts, yet no one reacts!

This makes me think aloud as to which era we are living in? Why can we be so angry to beat a person for not playing the desired song and why cannot it ignites a reaction when we spot a person peeing on the road?

I fail to find a rationale behind this skewed intolerance!!! Does anyone have an explanation???