MONTH-IN-PERSPECTIVE
Jammu & Kashmir: 30 girl students from the state were on a nationwide tour under the Indian Army’s ‘Operation Sadbhaavana’ programme. While in Delhi, they visited Lok Sabha and other prominent places of historical interest. One of the important stop was Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Both the President Pranab Mukarjee and the group of girls were enthusiastic about the visit and naturally as a souvenir, they had a group photograph with the president to take home a copy of it. It was naturally uploaded on the Facebook. Finding it on social media, those who were apparently unhappy with the girls’ posing for photograph with president, started threatening and abusing the girls. So it was not the BJP or the Prime Minister Modi, it was the president, the Symbol of whole of India, that these groups of people did not like. Apparently, they are against the idea of India. May be they would have celebrated if they had met the Pakistani president. Strangely there were hardly anybody who came to the defense of those girls. No PDP, the major partner in the government. No BJP, the junior partner in the government, came to help these youth. Even civil society, except Radio Jockey Nasir of 92.7 Big FM, who felt ashamed at “Our own sisters being trolled, abused and tarnished for meeting the Honorable President”.
Strangely even the police have not acted upon it, saying 'we have received no complaints'. After 68 years, of being associated with the Indian union, which is constitutionally secular besides its traditional secular practices, Kashmiris could not overcome its sectarian Muslim mindset. That is rather sad.
New Delhi: In India, the mindset is to accuse the governments and its functionaries and of course our political fraternity for any financial wrong doings, broadly called as corruption. It is so in most countries too. But the big-time, humongous practice of wheeling dealing behind the scene by corporates do not come to the limelight, since many times corporates bring media also on board as partners in crime.
And comes the news about Central Vigilance Commission investigating Wal Mart India, into the allegations of its executives having been involved in bribing government officials to get clearances and permits to setup stores in India.
But then most big business have always indulged in this kind of practices. Look at defense purchases, they are dime a dozen. All kinds of agents, brokers, middlemen operating in connivance of unofficial patronage by officials in different levels of departmental hierarchy. With the FDI opening, and Prime Minister Modi’s overdrive for FDI into Indian economy, can have innumerable instances of underhand dealings with expenditure being accounted by these global corporations, as management fees, consultation fees, training expenditure, public relation expenditure, to name a few. These are all time-tested modus operandi of private enterprise anywhere in the world.
Thus corruption in Private sector is also a big manace that need to be simultaneously and aggressively tackled.
‘Economics is a bustard science and profit a stinking concept,’ was a statement attributed to Barnard Shah long ago. It is not who said it, that is important. It is, what is said of relevance, that is important. The above statement does convey money being somewhat dirty. Money need not be dirty, since, it makes the world go round. All of us need a certain amount of money as an economic medium of exchange. But the question always remained, how much? There has always been a battle of rice and avarice, where rice is a need and avarice represents extreme greed.
There was this news item in the print media, datelined New Delhi "MFs should lower salaries of Sr. executives: SEBI". According to the report, the salary package generally offered to CEOs of Mutual Funds is between Rs.1 crore to 1.5 crore per annum, which works to around Rs.8 Lakhs to Rs.12.5 Lakhs per month. By any stretch of comparison, it’s a good salary, which can allow not only a very good life but also very good savings to invest.
But then there are, as it is always possible, some over greedy person popping up to vitiate the atmosphere. According to the report, one particular CEO of a fund house drew a salary of some 4 to 5 times than the norm. Reportedly last year he drew Rs.5 crore as salary. Naturally SEBI, the capital market regulator, is unhappy and wants these Mutual Fund houses to adopt a more cost effective structure.
It is true that individual capability at the level of CEO cannot have a bar. Better productivity has to be higher compensated, that’s the bench mark. Naturally the industry is not happy with this SEBI intervention. Nobody likes to be reined in or told to mind the steps. But the performance related package can be the middle of the road approach. If the profits are more payout can be more, not only to CEO, but to all productive operational staff as well. This will not affect the cost structure and therefore the Net Asset Value shall be better for distribution to all investors.
If the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is unhappy, with Mutual Fund managing houses, and saying so, it is just performing its legitimate role, period.
Two cheers to SEBI
Indian Medical association (IMA) is an association of doctors of India. Supposedly the biggest. You become a collective of a profession to not only improve its performance bar vis-à-vis the end users, but also to protect its interest. Bigger the group, greater is its strength. But it is also a known fact that within the profession there are many, who are there in the profession only to promote their own interest. It is a fact of life and is prevalent all over the world. Medical profession, although flaunted as the noblest, is no exception to it.
To influence a reasonable course for a patient friendly regime, government enacted Clinical Establishment Act in 2010 (CEA). This act presupposes a display of services offered by the clinical establishment and cost thereof. Idea was, there is no ambiguity and the patient is not in for an unpleasant surprise. As expected IMA has opposed the idea of display of cost. What needs to be appreciated is CEA has not prescribed any cost structure and the freedom to decide on the cost is always with the establishment. Hence the opposition has little logic.
Problem can be, if the government decides what could be the cost each establishment has to charge. Each establishment has its own standard of maintenance, for which it expends labour and resources and therefore has a cost factor and therefore the establishment must have its freedom to fix its charge. Of course to regulate the monopolies and restrictive trade practices, a bar can be introduced as the upper limit.
Now the IMA has come up with the idea of accreditation as an alternative to CEA registration, and have approached the Union Health Minister with their proposal. While IMA is free to do what is right for them. It is for the government to take the call, not to dilute the law which protects the interest of the patient, while not compromising the interest of members of IMA.
All pay commissions are same, this one is no different from the earlier ones. All commissions, while increasing the pay packets, have recommended reduction in government staff strength, rationalization of recruitment and to dump dead wood. But no-government, in the past, have acted on the recommendations of pruning the staff strength, or to send home those who are non-performing. Thus, the latest burden of Rs.1.02 lakh crore, as the annual increase in staff payment has to stay. It’s a political decision, not an economic decision. It’s a political decision because, you are dealing with an organized labour, it is not easy to take on this section of the labour. ‘Ab ki baar Modi Sarcar’ is looking for labour reforms. It is not clear what kind of a reform is on the agenda of the present government. It is also true that among the government employees, only 1/3 is truly productive and 1/3 may be just waste. But all government of the past have only tried to live with these facts of life. This has certainly hurt the country both economically and socially. The tragedy is this expensive organized sector is not even 10% of the working population of the country. Thus more than 90% of this section are denied the benefits available to the organized sector. This is a sector most governments, both central and state, have done precious little. Of course the present dispensation of NDA is trying to do something through Jan Dhan Yojana, Jan Suraksha Yojana and likes. But they are nowhere near the pay packages of these organized government sector employees. Some of the glaring examples of people who are truly committed and working are Anganawadi workers and those who work as ASHA. Their contribution to the child health, maternal health, child nutrition etc. is far greater than any of these government employees. Not only they do not get better paid but also exploited by concerned government departments. This is a sad aspect of the governance dimension of our Yeh Mera India.
Haryana: What do you do with a Chief Minister, who presides over dalits’ ill treatment, atrocity, even killing, does precious little to assuage the wounded feelings. In 45 days there have been at least 3 attacks on Dalits in Haryana. In October two kids including a 9 month old were burnt to death by upper cent Hindus, after dilly dallying the Chief Minister Khattar handed over the case to CBI. Then a father and daughter were smeared with cow dung on their face merely for entering the house of an upper caste family, and now comes the news a dalit beaten to death for rambling into a venue of an upper caste wedding. Something is seriously wrong with this Khattar administration.
In the meanwhile, a brave dalit woman, an IPS to boot, has been shunted out for standing up to an unruly and ill mannered minister. Nobody had heard the name of the minister Anil Vij. From now on at least in the news paper and in electronic channels, he will be known. Not only he was ill mannered in asking a lady IPS offer to ‘Get out’, when she stood up to his rudeness and crudeness, he also managed to get her transferred to an innocuous post as punishment. The chief Minister, Khattar didn’t have even the basic intelligence of calling the IPS officer, and discussing the issue of illegal liquor business in the state, the issue that triggered the verbal duel. From now on at least Sangeeta Rani Kalia would be better known and wish there are more who will stand up to the corrupt & inept state administrations.
Maharashtra: There was this notice issued by the Mumbai City Police Commissioner, Ahmad Javed some weeks ago, to his junior police fraternity. Reportedly it says that “there have been reports of Police personnel behaving in objectionable manner and abusing their power especially in public areas. In recent times, it was seen that police officers beat up people in petty arguments so also misbehave with women. Incidents have also happened in police stations and outside too. Image of Mumbai police is being ruined due to the acts of few policemen and this has to stop” the notice has asserted.
Policemen misbehaving in public is as old as Indians independence. It is no news at all. But the top policeman of the city of Mumbai recognizes the existence of violent mindset among policemen is indeed a news. That is how the newspapers reported “City police chief issues circular warning cops against brutality”.
Police violence towards general public is an all India phenomena. Every state in India has the dubious record of police high handedness. Principle should be pari passu. The violence policemen indulge should be paid back in kind by legally appropriate means. There should be an element of mental torture which the law of the land should conceive and implement. Human rights of a person does not permit us to be physically violent in repaying the violence back to the perpetrator, but a mental violence can be resorted to make a person realize to some extent, how violence hurts. Will this ever happen? The notice reportedly informed “Depending on the nature of the offence, the punishment will be decided”. Hope this notice shall have its salutary effect.
Rabiyabi Shaikh was travelling with her husband Kasam Shaikh in the Konkan Kanya Express from Mumbai to Karmali in South West Maharashtra. She is 65 years old. Some time on 11th Dec., early morning she goes to the toilet of her coach No:S-10 and while coming out of the toilet she slips and one of her leg gets stuck into the toilet commode. It happened between Khed & Chiplun. She cried for help and her husband who was standing outside the washroom alerted co-passengers who in turn alerted officials in the train. Reportedly all rushed to the woman’s distress and dismantled the door of the toilet, to ease the rescue operation. All efforts were in vain. However when the train reached Ratnagiri the entire battery of rescue team-staff, doctors with Regional Railway manager B.B. Kadam- attended on the lady in distress and decided to detach the entire compartment. So that, rest of the train can proceed on its designated journey, along with other passengers of S-10.
Reportedly it took some 8 hours for the ‘operation rescue’ of this elderly lady. The Indian style commode was appropriately cut by gas cutter to remove the leg unhurt. It was an extremely professional, committed and humane management of the entire operation. Two Kudos to Konkan Railway. And did we hear India is intolerant! Where is this Khan fraternity of ShahRukh-Amir duo. Do you harken!
The print media reported about the acquittal of Salman Khan on 10th Dec, the charge of culpable homicide, on the accident that took place on 28th Sept 2002. Was that expected, the way, the case was going on in the high court of Justice AR Joshi?!
The report of 11th Dec, describing the persona of Salman Khan, it stated “Wearing blue jeans with black and white shirt, Khan initially looked composed. However, he became emotional after the judge acquitted him. He continued to sit in the witness box till Justice Joshi left the court room. Overcome by emotions, he broke down”.
It was as if from a bollywood film, top lawyers fighting the case with bag full of money. He was acquitted, since, ostensibly, prosecution has ‘failed’ to nail him, according to the Judge. It is also true that the learned judge had the privilege of ruling the evidence produced by the prosecution against Khan as ‘weak’. How can the prosecution challenge the learned judge except in the Supreme Court! In the meanwhile Salman Khan is a free bird.
For 12 years, it was Salman Khan who was driving his SUV under influence of alcohol. On the 13th year a driver Ashok Singh was parachuted into the scene. And this was taken on the face value, as the driver on that fateful day. Indeed Salman had to break down, since it was the lie that saved him.
As a nation, we attend to our duties only when we are forced to do it. Look at Indira Gandhi's emergency period, all offices, trains, government buses were all running on time, punctual to the last minute. It must have taken away our democratic rights, but it forced us to recognize that duty too is part of our public life.
And comes this report from Mumbai “NCP slams move linking toilets with contesting polls”. The govt. of Davendra Phadanavis had decided to make it mandatory for candidates contesting local bodies’ polls to have toilets at home. And why not!? After 68 years of independent India, with maximum number of billionaires after the U.S, trying to be a super power in coming years, has still some 50% households without toilet.
It is a monumental comment on our priorities that the ‘Abki baar Modi Sarkaar’ is the first elected government that made ‘Swatch Bharath’ one of its national priorities. Without ‘Swatch Bharath’, indeed India cannot be a ‘Shreshta Bharath’.
That the Maharashtra government deemed it fit to enforce the toilet condition is certainly exemplary to be practiced by all over India. About having toilet at home, there has been talk since decades, but it made little progress. Now that it is made mandatory to contest polls, it will have the salutary effect. If people’s representatives are not serious about having their own toilet at home, how can the general public be expected to fall in line. Opposition or no opposition, this has to be implemented.
Karnataka: The issue of ‘Devadaasis’ or the female servant of God has been in the public domain for a long time and yet the authorities in both, state of Karnataka and the central government, have been rather inept in handling the sorry state of these women.
The problem of dedicating young dalit girls to serve the local deities in the temples has been a practice from time immemorial. They remain spinsters and more often than not, are sexually exploited by influential people, all in the name of God. It is an evil practice and there have been activism for quite some time to ban the practice. Both Karnataka and Maharashtra governments, in its border areas, where this practice is infected, have enacted legislation to ban the practice but has failed to contain it, due to poor implementation. According to National Commission for Women (NCW) there are about 2.5 lakh dalit girls who are dedicated to temples in Karnataka- Maharashtra border areas.
Piqued at the apathy of the federal government in Delhi, Supreme Court pulled up the centre for its lackadaisical approach in addressing the issue. Reportedly court had earlier on Sept 11, had granted 8 weeks time to the government to come up with a roadmap to eradicate the evil system. But having noted that nothing had happened, responding to a PIL filed by an NGO S.L. Foundation, that there could be hundreds of young girls being pushed into this practice on the full moon day occurring on 20th Feb, court reacted angrily that it is a serious problem and should be addressed promptly. Reportedly court gave another 4 weeks for the central government to act firmly and decisively, so that the practice of ‘Devadaasis’ becomes a thing of the past. Hope the ‘Ab ki baar Modi Sarcar’ acts.
There was this news some days ago, about 2 girls missing from Bhatkal traced in Goa.
These two girls, reportedly minors, were attending a religious school. Reportedly one of the girl’s father, was physically assaulting his daughter regularly. Reportedly, the brother-in-law of the girl, that is the husband of the girl’s sister, chanced upon the sight of the girl being forced upon by her father, who is also father-in-law of this man. Hence this brother-in-law also forced himself upon this unfortunate victim of a father’s animal instinct. Story, if true, is incomprehensible. These two animals, the father of the girl and her brother-in-law, should not only be punished for the crime committed on a minor, but should also be socially boycotted by the community. That perpetrators and victims belong to Muslim community is not relevant.
Kerala: The Prime Minister of the country Shri Narendra Modi was visiting for the first time, the state of Kerala. Some pleasant expectation by general public could have been the norm. But what followed the visit was most disappointing. One would have expected him to build bridge with the state and its people, on his maiden visit to the ‘Gods own land’. It is the first Indian state, which had achieved, at least for the record, 100% literacy. It is the best Indian state in Human Development Index (HDI) as per UNDP. Has the lowest population growth. These are the areas he could have complimented the state, and as a national leader, could have got closure to average Malayaali. But what happened!
The controversy of withdrawal of invite to the CM could have been gracefully handled by the PM, by prevailing on the organizers to invite the CM of Kerala. In the event, he allowed the pettiness to prevail and took the attack on the Kerala Government on its political turf. He converted the visit to an election rally, something eminently avoidable. This attitude can neither win friends nor influence people. It was sad to see him as just another politician out to score points.
World: British Medical Journal (BMJ), sometimes ago had published a story giving accounts of the experience Indian doctors allegedly facing in their professional life.
Describing these accounts of these medical professionals working in high tech private hospitals with their 5 star ambience, it has suggested that Indian doctors are under pressure to meet revenue targets.
According to the report in BMJ, it says that these doctors are made to overprescribe surgeries or investigation which are unnecessary and even risky, by the management of these privately owned hospitals. And that they are forced to do it for the fear of losing their job.
Supports for Advocacy & Training to Health Initiatives (SATHI), is an NGO based in PANE, has reportedly documented the problem relating to these doctors. The report of SATHI titled “Voices of Conscience from the Medical Profession, informs about the sharp rise in privately owned multi-specialty hospitals, whose main aim is to generate revenue and profits for their investors. And doctors are encouraged to indulge in unethical practices, including risky procedures and needless surgeries like appendecectomy or tonsillectomy. These private hospitals are generally catering to those individuals who are covered under health insurance schemes.
Of course these informations are already available and circulating in the public domain, but for BMJ to make a story about the mercenary aspect of our medical profession is rather a sad development.
It was paranoia at its worst. Or else just for speaking Arabic, if two passengers could be stopped from boarding a flight in the U.S, what else is this!
Two Americans of Palestine origin were booked to fly New York/ Chicago. Being Palestinians, Arabic is their natural language of communication between friends. An American, felt uncomfortable hearing Arabic, post Paris attack, and informed the airlines staff that he is afraid to fly with them. While boarding process was on, these Palestinians, who are already US Citizen since many years, were asked to step aside for others to board. Reportedly, these Palestinians were friendly with other co-passengers and were even distributing some sweets. But were asked for another drill of security checks. They had moved to U.S some 15 years ago, and at being suspected of security risk, they told the staff “if the person does not feel safe travelling with us why doesn’t he travel by bus?” and even called the police to deal with the unexpected situation.
Reportedly they were cleared to travel after some hours of delay of the flight on police intervention. The West is going over the bend. They need to be realistic unlike Donald Trump mindset.
Theocratic living will always have problem with the dynamic practical world. Whatever be the theological leaning, the people, who are the brokers between the general public or devotees and the superior power called, God, Allah and Iashwar etc, are there to serve their own beliefs. That the world has gone on for hundreds and thousands of years, changing with the changing times, does not disturb them. They are also being sustained by a small section who keep these brokers, - the Pujaries, the Priests, the Mullahs etc. that is how they get their sustenance.
There was this news from Lima, Peru, where the law makers, the elected members of the Congress, reportedly rejected a bill to permit abortion in cases involving involuntary sexual assault leading to pregnancy, ordinarily referred to as rape.
Now here is a victim of circumstances carrying a forced burden, which if allowed to sustain can, in all probability, besmirch the honour of the lady in question. But the system, bolstered by the clergy, is saying “damn her honour, we will not allow the termination of her pregnancy”. This was, despite the conciliatory words of the Pontiff in recent times, from Vatican. When will some section of the society understand the pain of, at least, those who are victims of another man’s atrocity.
World of homosapiens is full of idiots. Westerners can be just as stupid as anybody else. Or else what was the need to force small children outside the school premises, into the open, while raining & in freezing temperature, only because they wanted to pray and they were Muslims.
Mirfield Free Grammar School in West Yorkshire, England had reportedly forced dozens of Muslim children that left them soaking wet and cold, out of school premises after refusing to give them permission to offer their daily prayers indoors.
If this action of the school is true, it is pure inhumanity and shall sure to lead to hatred from those small children who are in all probability were in an impressionable age group.
While it is true that there is a section among Muslims who have caused lot of consternation across the world, it is also true that such action as it happened in the Mirfield School only exacerbate the atmosphere which is already vitiated. This approach and attitude shall simply cannot help improve things, instead it can only increase completely avoidable bitterness. These small children, deserve a better treatment in the larger canvas of our global citizenship.
Strangely even the police have not acted upon it, saying 'we have received no complaints'. After 68 years, of being associated with the Indian union, which is constitutionally secular besides its traditional secular practices, Kashmiris could not overcome its sectarian Muslim mindset. That is rather sad.
New Delhi: In India, the mindset is to accuse the governments and its functionaries and of course our political fraternity for any financial wrong doings, broadly called as corruption. It is so in most countries too. But the big-time, humongous practice of wheeling dealing behind the scene by corporates do not come to the limelight, since many times corporates bring media also on board as partners in crime.
And comes the news about Central Vigilance Commission investigating Wal Mart India, into the allegations of its executives having been involved in bribing government officials to get clearances and permits to setup stores in India.
But then most big business have always indulged in this kind of practices. Look at defense purchases, they are dime a dozen. All kinds of agents, brokers, middlemen operating in connivance of unofficial patronage by officials in different levels of departmental hierarchy. With the FDI opening, and Prime Minister Modi’s overdrive for FDI into Indian economy, can have innumerable instances of underhand dealings with expenditure being accounted by these global corporations, as management fees, consultation fees, training expenditure, public relation expenditure, to name a few. These are all time-tested modus operandi of private enterprise anywhere in the world.
Thus corruption in Private sector is also a big manace that need to be simultaneously and aggressively tackled.
‘Economics is a bustard science and profit a stinking concept,’ was a statement attributed to Barnard Shah long ago. It is not who said it, that is important. It is, what is said of relevance, that is important. The above statement does convey money being somewhat dirty. Money need not be dirty, since, it makes the world go round. All of us need a certain amount of money as an economic medium of exchange. But the question always remained, how much? There has always been a battle of rice and avarice, where rice is a need and avarice represents extreme greed.
There was this news item in the print media, datelined New Delhi "MFs should lower salaries of Sr. executives: SEBI". According to the report, the salary package generally offered to CEOs of Mutual Funds is between Rs.1 crore to 1.5 crore per annum, which works to around Rs.8 Lakhs to Rs.12.5 Lakhs per month. By any stretch of comparison, it’s a good salary, which can allow not only a very good life but also very good savings to invest.
But then there are, as it is always possible, some over greedy person popping up to vitiate the atmosphere. According to the report, one particular CEO of a fund house drew a salary of some 4 to 5 times than the norm. Reportedly last year he drew Rs.5 crore as salary. Naturally SEBI, the capital market regulator, is unhappy and wants these Mutual Fund houses to adopt a more cost effective structure.
It is true that individual capability at the level of CEO cannot have a bar. Better productivity has to be higher compensated, that’s the bench mark. Naturally the industry is not happy with this SEBI intervention. Nobody likes to be reined in or told to mind the steps. But the performance related package can be the middle of the road approach. If the profits are more payout can be more, not only to CEO, but to all productive operational staff as well. This will not affect the cost structure and therefore the Net Asset Value shall be better for distribution to all investors.
If the Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is unhappy, with Mutual Fund managing houses, and saying so, it is just performing its legitimate role, period.
Two cheers to SEBI
Indian Medical association (IMA) is an association of doctors of India. Supposedly the biggest. You become a collective of a profession to not only improve its performance bar vis-à-vis the end users, but also to protect its interest. Bigger the group, greater is its strength. But it is also a known fact that within the profession there are many, who are there in the profession only to promote their own interest. It is a fact of life and is prevalent all over the world. Medical profession, although flaunted as the noblest, is no exception to it.
To influence a reasonable course for a patient friendly regime, government enacted Clinical Establishment Act in 2010 (CEA). This act presupposes a display of services offered by the clinical establishment and cost thereof. Idea was, there is no ambiguity and the patient is not in for an unpleasant surprise. As expected IMA has opposed the idea of display of cost. What needs to be appreciated is CEA has not prescribed any cost structure and the freedom to decide on the cost is always with the establishment. Hence the opposition has little logic.
Problem can be, if the government decides what could be the cost each establishment has to charge. Each establishment has its own standard of maintenance, for which it expends labour and resources and therefore has a cost factor and therefore the establishment must have its freedom to fix its charge. Of course to regulate the monopolies and restrictive trade practices, a bar can be introduced as the upper limit.
Now the IMA has come up with the idea of accreditation as an alternative to CEA registration, and have approached the Union Health Minister with their proposal. While IMA is free to do what is right for them. It is for the government to take the call, not to dilute the law which protects the interest of the patient, while not compromising the interest of members of IMA.
All pay commissions are same, this one is no different from the earlier ones. All commissions, while increasing the pay packets, have recommended reduction in government staff strength, rationalization of recruitment and to dump dead wood. But no-government, in the past, have acted on the recommendations of pruning the staff strength, or to send home those who are non-performing. Thus, the latest burden of Rs.1.02 lakh crore, as the annual increase in staff payment has to stay. It’s a political decision, not an economic decision. It’s a political decision because, you are dealing with an organized labour, it is not easy to take on this section of the labour. ‘Ab ki baar Modi Sarcar’ is looking for labour reforms. It is not clear what kind of a reform is on the agenda of the present government. It is also true that among the government employees, only 1/3 is truly productive and 1/3 may be just waste. But all government of the past have only tried to live with these facts of life. This has certainly hurt the country both economically and socially. The tragedy is this expensive organized sector is not even 10% of the working population of the country. Thus more than 90% of this section are denied the benefits available to the organized sector. This is a sector most governments, both central and state, have done precious little. Of course the present dispensation of NDA is trying to do something through Jan Dhan Yojana, Jan Suraksha Yojana and likes. But they are nowhere near the pay packages of these organized government sector employees. Some of the glaring examples of people who are truly committed and working are Anganawadi workers and those who work as ASHA. Their contribution to the child health, maternal health, child nutrition etc. is far greater than any of these government employees. Not only they do not get better paid but also exploited by concerned government departments. This is a sad aspect of the governance dimension of our Yeh Mera India.
Haryana: What do you do with a Chief Minister, who presides over dalits’ ill treatment, atrocity, even killing, does precious little to assuage the wounded feelings. In 45 days there have been at least 3 attacks on Dalits in Haryana. In October two kids including a 9 month old were burnt to death by upper cent Hindus, after dilly dallying the Chief Minister Khattar handed over the case to CBI. Then a father and daughter were smeared with cow dung on their face merely for entering the house of an upper caste family, and now comes the news a dalit beaten to death for rambling into a venue of an upper caste wedding. Something is seriously wrong with this Khattar administration.
In the meanwhile, a brave dalit woman, an IPS to boot, has been shunted out for standing up to an unruly and ill mannered minister. Nobody had heard the name of the minister Anil Vij. From now on at least in the news paper and in electronic channels, he will be known. Not only he was ill mannered in asking a lady IPS offer to ‘Get out’, when she stood up to his rudeness and crudeness, he also managed to get her transferred to an innocuous post as punishment. The chief Minister, Khattar didn’t have even the basic intelligence of calling the IPS officer, and discussing the issue of illegal liquor business in the state, the issue that triggered the verbal duel. From now on at least Sangeeta Rani Kalia would be better known and wish there are more who will stand up to the corrupt & inept state administrations.
Maharashtra: There was this notice issued by the Mumbai City Police Commissioner, Ahmad Javed some weeks ago, to his junior police fraternity. Reportedly it says that “there have been reports of Police personnel behaving in objectionable manner and abusing their power especially in public areas. In recent times, it was seen that police officers beat up people in petty arguments so also misbehave with women. Incidents have also happened in police stations and outside too. Image of Mumbai police is being ruined due to the acts of few policemen and this has to stop” the notice has asserted.
Policemen misbehaving in public is as old as Indians independence. It is no news at all. But the top policeman of the city of Mumbai recognizes the existence of violent mindset among policemen is indeed a news. That is how the newspapers reported “City police chief issues circular warning cops against brutality”.
Police violence towards general public is an all India phenomena. Every state in India has the dubious record of police high handedness. Principle should be pari passu. The violence policemen indulge should be paid back in kind by legally appropriate means. There should be an element of mental torture which the law of the land should conceive and implement. Human rights of a person does not permit us to be physically violent in repaying the violence back to the perpetrator, but a mental violence can be resorted to make a person realize to some extent, how violence hurts. Will this ever happen? The notice reportedly informed “Depending on the nature of the offence, the punishment will be decided”. Hope this notice shall have its salutary effect.
Rabiyabi Shaikh was travelling with her husband Kasam Shaikh in the Konkan Kanya Express from Mumbai to Karmali in South West Maharashtra. She is 65 years old. Some time on 11th Dec., early morning she goes to the toilet of her coach No:S-10 and while coming out of the toilet she slips and one of her leg gets stuck into the toilet commode. It happened between Khed & Chiplun. She cried for help and her husband who was standing outside the washroom alerted co-passengers who in turn alerted officials in the train. Reportedly all rushed to the woman’s distress and dismantled the door of the toilet, to ease the rescue operation. All efforts were in vain. However when the train reached Ratnagiri the entire battery of rescue team-staff, doctors with Regional Railway manager B.B. Kadam- attended on the lady in distress and decided to detach the entire compartment. So that, rest of the train can proceed on its designated journey, along with other passengers of S-10.
Reportedly it took some 8 hours for the ‘operation rescue’ of this elderly lady. The Indian style commode was appropriately cut by gas cutter to remove the leg unhurt. It was an extremely professional, committed and humane management of the entire operation. Two Kudos to Konkan Railway. And did we hear India is intolerant! Where is this Khan fraternity of ShahRukh-Amir duo. Do you harken!
The print media reported about the acquittal of Salman Khan on 10th Dec, the charge of culpable homicide, on the accident that took place on 28th Sept 2002. Was that expected, the way, the case was going on in the high court of Justice AR Joshi?!
The report of 11th Dec, describing the persona of Salman Khan, it stated “Wearing blue jeans with black and white shirt, Khan initially looked composed. However, he became emotional after the judge acquitted him. He continued to sit in the witness box till Justice Joshi left the court room. Overcome by emotions, he broke down”.
It was as if from a bollywood film, top lawyers fighting the case with bag full of money. He was acquitted, since, ostensibly, prosecution has ‘failed’ to nail him, according to the Judge. It is also true that the learned judge had the privilege of ruling the evidence produced by the prosecution against Khan as ‘weak’. How can the prosecution challenge the learned judge except in the Supreme Court! In the meanwhile Salman Khan is a free bird.
For 12 years, it was Salman Khan who was driving his SUV under influence of alcohol. On the 13th year a driver Ashok Singh was parachuted into the scene. And this was taken on the face value, as the driver on that fateful day. Indeed Salman had to break down, since it was the lie that saved him.
As a nation, we attend to our duties only when we are forced to do it. Look at Indira Gandhi's emergency period, all offices, trains, government buses were all running on time, punctual to the last minute. It must have taken away our democratic rights, but it forced us to recognize that duty too is part of our public life.
And comes this report from Mumbai “NCP slams move linking toilets with contesting polls”. The govt. of Davendra Phadanavis had decided to make it mandatory for candidates contesting local bodies’ polls to have toilets at home. And why not!? After 68 years of independent India, with maximum number of billionaires after the U.S, trying to be a super power in coming years, has still some 50% households without toilet.
It is a monumental comment on our priorities that the ‘Abki baar Modi Sarkaar’ is the first elected government that made ‘Swatch Bharath’ one of its national priorities. Without ‘Swatch Bharath’, indeed India cannot be a ‘Shreshta Bharath’.
That the Maharashtra government deemed it fit to enforce the toilet condition is certainly exemplary to be practiced by all over India. About having toilet at home, there has been talk since decades, but it made little progress. Now that it is made mandatory to contest polls, it will have the salutary effect. If people’s representatives are not serious about having their own toilet at home, how can the general public be expected to fall in line. Opposition or no opposition, this has to be implemented.
Karnataka: The issue of ‘Devadaasis’ or the female servant of God has been in the public domain for a long time and yet the authorities in both, state of Karnataka and the central government, have been rather inept in handling the sorry state of these women.
The problem of dedicating young dalit girls to serve the local deities in the temples has been a practice from time immemorial. They remain spinsters and more often than not, are sexually exploited by influential people, all in the name of God. It is an evil practice and there have been activism for quite some time to ban the practice. Both Karnataka and Maharashtra governments, in its border areas, where this practice is infected, have enacted legislation to ban the practice but has failed to contain it, due to poor implementation. According to National Commission for Women (NCW) there are about 2.5 lakh dalit girls who are dedicated to temples in Karnataka- Maharashtra border areas.
Piqued at the apathy of the federal government in Delhi, Supreme Court pulled up the centre for its lackadaisical approach in addressing the issue. Reportedly court had earlier on Sept 11, had granted 8 weeks time to the government to come up with a roadmap to eradicate the evil system. But having noted that nothing had happened, responding to a PIL filed by an NGO S.L. Foundation, that there could be hundreds of young girls being pushed into this practice on the full moon day occurring on 20th Feb, court reacted angrily that it is a serious problem and should be addressed promptly. Reportedly court gave another 4 weeks for the central government to act firmly and decisively, so that the practice of ‘Devadaasis’ becomes a thing of the past. Hope the ‘Ab ki baar Modi Sarcar’ acts.
There was this news some days ago, about 2 girls missing from Bhatkal traced in Goa.
These two girls, reportedly minors, were attending a religious school. Reportedly one of the girl’s father, was physically assaulting his daughter regularly. Reportedly, the brother-in-law of the girl, that is the husband of the girl’s sister, chanced upon the sight of the girl being forced upon by her father, who is also father-in-law of this man. Hence this brother-in-law also forced himself upon this unfortunate victim of a father’s animal instinct. Story, if true, is incomprehensible. These two animals, the father of the girl and her brother-in-law, should not only be punished for the crime committed on a minor, but should also be socially boycotted by the community. That perpetrators and victims belong to Muslim community is not relevant.
Kerala: The Prime Minister of the country Shri Narendra Modi was visiting for the first time, the state of Kerala. Some pleasant expectation by general public could have been the norm. But what followed the visit was most disappointing. One would have expected him to build bridge with the state and its people, on his maiden visit to the ‘Gods own land’. It is the first Indian state, which had achieved, at least for the record, 100% literacy. It is the best Indian state in Human Development Index (HDI) as per UNDP. Has the lowest population growth. These are the areas he could have complimented the state, and as a national leader, could have got closure to average Malayaali. But what happened!
The controversy of withdrawal of invite to the CM could have been gracefully handled by the PM, by prevailing on the organizers to invite the CM of Kerala. In the event, he allowed the pettiness to prevail and took the attack on the Kerala Government on its political turf. He converted the visit to an election rally, something eminently avoidable. This attitude can neither win friends nor influence people. It was sad to see him as just another politician out to score points.
World: British Medical Journal (BMJ), sometimes ago had published a story giving accounts of the experience Indian doctors allegedly facing in their professional life.
Describing these accounts of these medical professionals working in high tech private hospitals with their 5 star ambience, it has suggested that Indian doctors are under pressure to meet revenue targets.
According to the report in BMJ, it says that these doctors are made to overprescribe surgeries or investigation which are unnecessary and even risky, by the management of these privately owned hospitals. And that they are forced to do it for the fear of losing their job.
Supports for Advocacy & Training to Health Initiatives (SATHI), is an NGO based in PANE, has reportedly documented the problem relating to these doctors. The report of SATHI titled “Voices of Conscience from the Medical Profession, informs about the sharp rise in privately owned multi-specialty hospitals, whose main aim is to generate revenue and profits for their investors. And doctors are encouraged to indulge in unethical practices, including risky procedures and needless surgeries like appendecectomy or tonsillectomy. These private hospitals are generally catering to those individuals who are covered under health insurance schemes.
Of course these informations are already available and circulating in the public domain, but for BMJ to make a story about the mercenary aspect of our medical profession is rather a sad development.
It was paranoia at its worst. Or else just for speaking Arabic, if two passengers could be stopped from boarding a flight in the U.S, what else is this!
Two Americans of Palestine origin were booked to fly New York/ Chicago. Being Palestinians, Arabic is their natural language of communication between friends. An American, felt uncomfortable hearing Arabic, post Paris attack, and informed the airlines staff that he is afraid to fly with them. While boarding process was on, these Palestinians, who are already US Citizen since many years, were asked to step aside for others to board. Reportedly, these Palestinians were friendly with other co-passengers and were even distributing some sweets. But were asked for another drill of security checks. They had moved to U.S some 15 years ago, and at being suspected of security risk, they told the staff “if the person does not feel safe travelling with us why doesn’t he travel by bus?” and even called the police to deal with the unexpected situation.
Reportedly they were cleared to travel after some hours of delay of the flight on police intervention. The West is going over the bend. They need to be realistic unlike Donald Trump mindset.
Theocratic living will always have problem with the dynamic practical world. Whatever be the theological leaning, the people, who are the brokers between the general public or devotees and the superior power called, God, Allah and Iashwar etc, are there to serve their own beliefs. That the world has gone on for hundreds and thousands of years, changing with the changing times, does not disturb them. They are also being sustained by a small section who keep these brokers, - the Pujaries, the Priests, the Mullahs etc. that is how they get their sustenance.
There was this news from Lima, Peru, where the law makers, the elected members of the Congress, reportedly rejected a bill to permit abortion in cases involving involuntary sexual assault leading to pregnancy, ordinarily referred to as rape.
Now here is a victim of circumstances carrying a forced burden, which if allowed to sustain can, in all probability, besmirch the honour of the lady in question. But the system, bolstered by the clergy, is saying “damn her honour, we will not allow the termination of her pregnancy”. This was, despite the conciliatory words of the Pontiff in recent times, from Vatican. When will some section of the society understand the pain of, at least, those who are victims of another man’s atrocity.
World of homosapiens is full of idiots. Westerners can be just as stupid as anybody else. Or else what was the need to force small children outside the school premises, into the open, while raining & in freezing temperature, only because they wanted to pray and they were Muslims.
Mirfield Free Grammar School in West Yorkshire, England had reportedly forced dozens of Muslim children that left them soaking wet and cold, out of school premises after refusing to give them permission to offer their daily prayers indoors.
If this action of the school is true, it is pure inhumanity and shall sure to lead to hatred from those small children who are in all probability were in an impressionable age group.
While it is true that there is a section among Muslims who have caused lot of consternation across the world, it is also true that such action as it happened in the Mirfield School only exacerbate the atmosphere which is already vitiated. This approach and attitude shall simply cannot help improve things, instead it can only increase completely avoidable bitterness. These small children, deserve a better treatment in the larger canvas of our global citizenship.
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