The election campaign in India this time round has been the most expansive one. It has been touted by many as a jamboree, a must see political carnival. Frankly, speaking it is an entertainment in itself, clearly outflanking the over the top K serials of Ekta Kapoor. The 2009 Lok Sabha elections has got everything in it: flamboyance, wealth, drama, start power and loads and loads of suspense and action.

 

 PR firms, advertising companies and brand consultants are busy writing slogans, copies and with strategic positioning mind games for political parties and candidates, rather than for products and brands. Big bucks are also being spent on its visibility. Joining the fever called elections are the endless number of Bollywood celebrities like Aamir Khan,  Priyanka Chopra and others, all urging us to assert our right to vote.

 

The political parties and their candidates have used every viable media to communicate, place their mandate and persuade the rightful votes to their party. Whether you are watching a news channel, or a mindless programme on any one of the general entertainment channels, they are all out there. Ubiquitously present with scores of endorsement from aam janta (in the case of Congress) or the towering profile of Mr. L.K Advani, the Prime Ministerial candidate of Bharatiya Jana Parishad (BJP), beckoning us to vote for BJP. We cannot miss them. Surely, a time will come when the political parties will use chopper services to colour the sky with campaign messages.

 

During the last Lok Sabha elections, mobile users were confused, elated and surprised to be greeted by the deep voice of the then Prime Minister of India, Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He appealed the citizen of India to vote for BJP, for progress and for ‘India Shinning’. This time round the BJP has gotten smarter and wiser; they have used the medium of internet. They have entrenched themselves to every viable website. I am surprised at the intensity of their campaign. No matter which website I visit, even a website like www.timeanddate.com, has been inundated by its e-campaign. If you google for Mr. Advani, there are 598,000 hits against his name and for Mr. Manmohan Singh, there are 2,810,000 hits. Let me also write about the involvement of celebrities. I am sure their involvement comes with a huge price tag. There are very few, who would be doing this as a concerned citizen.

 

My heart wrenches to see so much money being spent on media visibility and so called campaign. How I wish the political parties, would loosen their purse and voluntarily donate to feed hundreds of hungry stomachs, or provide education to the underprivileged children, build shelter homes for the destitute and fight for social irregularities such as child marriage and female infanticide. If the political parties would have done their duties and fulfilled their commitments, when voted to power, they wouldn’t have needed to rely so heavily on reaching to the voters through the media. I hope the voters can see through this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Indian Idol 2008 and the subsequent win of ‘Prashant Tamang’, not only catapulted Indian Nepali / ‘Gorkhali’ community to the mainstream; it also brought it closer to my life. I was brought up in a multi-cultural set-up and environment of Guwahati city, Assam, India. During my childhood, I was influenced by the language and culture of my friends who belonged to Assamese, and other tribal communities of Assam. My interaction with my own community was limited since there were only a few of us in my neighborhood (most of them were my cousins) and school. I saw no difference between my friends and me, except for the fact that they didn’t understand the language I spoke at home or the specific customs we followed and celebrated. It didn’t strike me at that point that it was so because I belonged to a minority and scattered population. It was during my growing years that this reality grew more real and certain questions started bothering me about the identity of my community.

As a teenager, I remember being ridiculed and called by names such as ‘kanchee’ and the song ‘kancha re, kanchee re’. I would fight back saying that I am not a kanchee. Such was my anger and frustration that one day after being subjected to countless such teasing and derogatory remarks; I hurt two rowdy neighborhood boys (of my age) by throwing stones at them. It’s a separate story that their wailing mothers created quite a scene at my house.

I was so antagonized with numerous such incidents, that I sub-consciously started distancing myself from my community. In public places, I would try to speak in Assamese , rather than my own language , with my parents and relatives. It all seems so ridiculous now.

Except for the language and the festivals (dassain and Bhanu Jayanti particularly) we celebrated, I kept myself away from further association and exposure to it. However, the fact of the matter is, one cannot run away from his or her identity / roots, culture and family. Ironically, during the year 1999, I was adjudged Miss Personality of Cotton College for presenting my community — dressed in chaubandi cholo- a traditional Gorkhali wear. The occasion even made me popular than before and was instrumental in my historic win as the  ‘Debating and Symposium Secretary’.

I have to admit, that it was only recently that I started developing a desire to know about my community, its history, personalities and its angst. Off course I shouldn’t forget my brother Kamal, who with his passionate zeal  influences me over and again. I started reading, interacting, understanding and even attempted at penning down my interpretation of it. Soon, the desire changed into a thirst to know more and more. This took me to the meeting held on December 21 2008 at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi organized by Bharatiya Gorkha Parishangh. A huge melee of people: young and old alike, women and men from different states and background, had assembled to discuss issues pertaining to Gorkhaland. I felt a surge of emotion, as I heard passionate speeches and met with people who had only one dream ‘Unity and oneness of Gorkahilis’.

I understood the importance that Darjeeling has in our lives. Its status as a Gorkhaland will not only give us our due rights but most importantly bind us as one. It doesn’t matter that we were not born in that pristine hill, what really matters is that it will give us our long deserving status.

I came away from that meeting with a promise to myself. I promised to be with my brethren in this movement. I promised to make my voice loudest while demanding our rights. I promised to take pride in the fact that I am part of a community which is known for its fearless valor and integrity.

CHANGE OF LAW BY SUPREME COURT OF INDIA (with ref. to Accident)

 

On the eve of Children’s Day, Chief Justice of India, Honourable Justice Shri K. G Balakrishnan promised former child labourers rescued by BBA that the time would soon come when child labour and exploitation of children would be eliminated from society.  In a programme organized by the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA) with Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), the Honourable Justice was joined by other eminent judges from the Supreme Court and the High Court. 30 children from Rajasthan and a Bal Mitra Gram (Child Friendly Village) of Meerut had an interactive question and answer session.  At the beginning of the programme, the children performed a skit weaving the true story of how children in many parts of the country are still in the grip of child labour and illiteracy and how important education is for a bright future. It won the hearts of the judges.

 

Q-  Pradeep Kumar who was rescued at the time when he was being sacrificed by his parents, wanted to know – “Whenever children complain, the police say that they would take action; but then nothing happens as the employers go scot-free. What should we do in such a situation?

 

Ans – Chief Justice of India Justice K. G Balkrishnan replied – “Children or anybody can write to National Legal Service Authority (NLSA) or to the Supreme Court Legal Services and we would take action and any such reports would be welcomed.”

 

Q- Rakesh, 12 years  and a child labourer for 6 years asked – “There are so many street children and many are trafficking for forced labour. Why are authorities not taking action against the traffickers and what measures should be taken to solve this issue?”

 

Ans – Honourable Justice Shri Arijit Pasayat echoed the same statements as the Chief Justice of India’s and said – “You can write complaints on a post card and send it to the Supreme Court and action would be taken against your complaint.”

 

During the conclusion of the programme, Honourable Chief Justice of India, Justice Shri K. G Balakrishnan expressed his happiness at the children and their wise, probing questions. He said –”These children will shine like stars. I congratulate BBA for their success and this programme has made us also are more sensitized by problems that these children encounter.”

 

The President of BBA, Shri Ramesh Gupta said that this group of confident children after all that they went through, shows that there is hope in the society. And this is right message on the children’s day. 

This news has been sourced from http://www.bba.org.in/news/141108.php

If you have a function/party at your home and if there is excess food available at the end, don’t hesitate to call 1098 (only in India ) – Child helpline. They will come and collect the food. And give it those thousands of hungry and starving children.

Please circulate this message which can help feed many children.

Mr. Barua, had left his home to buy some fish for the afternoon; Harilal, a rickshaw puller, was looking forward to his days wage; Mrs. Malati was busy shopping the days errand …unfortunately, they and others never got to go back home. They become unsung martyrs in the bomb blasts that charred Guwahati on 30 October 2008. An irrevocable carnage ripped the whole of Assam, killing 70 people and  400 people injured.

 

Sitting at home in Delhi, an inconsolable anger filled me up, as I helplessly watched visuals of charred and mangled body, injured and shell shocked people lying all around, sprawling pool of blood; dismembered body parts and angry people protesting against the failure of the state machinery. Thick smoke prevailed over the city. Metallic skeletal of cars, scooters, lied everywhere. My city, my home, my people, my identity was burning up in inconsolable flames. And, experts have warned that it is just a prelude, a more deadly strike of terror is yet to follow.

 

Northeast has been a bed fellow with terror and violence for a long time. Centre’s apathy and the lack of political commitment by the political leaders has further worsened the situation. I really don’t care who is the mastermind behind the gruesome mathematics of these bomb blasts? Whether the banned outfit ULFA or Bagladesh’s jihadi outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam (HuJI)? Or what their demands are? The fact of the matter is that carnage took place, killing innocent people, disrupting and scarring the lives of many, for ever. And no matter how much we try, we won’t be able to restore what is lost.

 

I remember before the Thursday’s event, a bomb blast was a common place event. Besides, grabbing a few lines in the daily local media, no body really cared (except for the ones affected by it). We had happily developed a sense of immunity against it. My area — Ganeshguri Chariali- where I grew up, has witnessed several bomb blasts in the last decade. Whenever we hear a loud noise or our house received an earthquake like bolt, our reaction is ‘must be another bomb blast in the market’ .That’s all. We had accepted it as a part and parcel of our life. But it is to be no more. Ironically, it took 13 bomb blasts to shake us up from our state of disillusionment. It also, strangely, united people into an unknown and unspoken solidarity, as people, irrespective of religion or community, rushed to help each other; thronged the streets in protests against the failure of the administration; lit candlelights in memory of those who lost their near and dear ones; held peace protests condemning terrorism ‘Terrorism down, down’. Thanking the good samaraitans, Mr. Nazir Hussain, a petty shop owner, and a survivor of the bomb blast said, ‘I was lying in a pool of blood and had sustained injuries on my leg. Some bystanders brought me and others to the hospital. I am alive because of their prompt actions.” I am glad that this time round, people have come out of their cocoon and have understood that if anybody can stop this gruesome vortex of terror, it is us.

 

Post the blasts, politicians of different hues and parties, were seen battling each other in wining political brownies for themselves. A few site visits and all they could come up is that the ruling party has been inefficient and has failed in gearing up its act. Even a child could have come with that analysis; we don’t need the frame makers to tell us that. What we want are true answers, action points, discussions in the parliament and strategies to thwart the menace of terror. Those sitting at the corridors of power and helm of affairs, please don’t politicise the issue, please don’t pass lofty statements such as ‘this is a politics of hate’. For once, let your conscience win and place your individual interest over the collective welfare of the people. Feel for the ones who have lost their family, the injured who may not have a very bright future or something to look forward to.

Chronology of terror in the North Eastern region:

October 1 2008- Tripura (Agartala) : 74 people injured in five explosions

October 21 2008- Imphal (Manipur) : 17 kiled in a powerful blast near Manipur Police Commando Complex

October 30 2008 – Assam: 13 blasts

 

 ”At no stage in my years of study had I been taught how to deal with
8-year-old victims of gang rape in a rural clinic without enough sutures
to go around.”

– Dr. Halima Bashir, a young Darfuri woman whom the Sudanese
authorities have tried to silence by beatings and gang-rape, writing in
her memoir “Tears of the Desert,” which will shortly be published in the
United States, at considerable risk to herself. One day she gave an
interview in which she hinted that the Darfur reality was more
complicated than the Sudanese government version. The authorities
detained her, threatened her, warned her to keep silent and transferred
her to a remote clinic where there were no journalists around to
interview her, she recalls in the book, as cited by New York Times
columnist  Nicholas D. Kristof. Then the janjaweed attacked a girls’
school near Halima’s new clinic and raped dozens of the girls, aged 7 to
13. The first patient Halima tended to was 8 years old. Her face was
bashed in and her insides torn apart. The girl was emitting a haunting
sound: “a keening, empty wail kept coming from somewhere deep within her
throat – over and over again.”

Courtsey:Global Development Briefing

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Pinky Pradhan’s comment

This is one of the worst form of human rights violation. Its beyond my  imagination that world over, its children who have to face the consequences of civil unrest or inadeaquecy of the Government to book the criminals. In India, too, everyday , one gets to read about crime such as rape,sodomy or sexual abuse of minors, as young as six months old.My housemaid’s 3 month old daughter was also not spared. I fear at the very thought of being a mother …

1 out 3 women face violence behind closed doors…

Protection of women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 recognizes the right of women to violence free homes.It is a civil law aimed at providing relief to millions of women wives,mothers,daughters,live-in partners and sisters affected by physical, sexual, verbal,economic and emotional forms of abuse. To access these right, a woman can approach the nearest Protection Officer, Registered Service provider, Police Station, Magistrate or the National Commission for Women. A Domestic Incident Report (DIR) can be filled in by the Protection Officer or a registered Service provider.

To mark the International Year of Sanitation (IYS) and as a run up to SACOSAN III, the Water and Sanitation Program South Asia (WSP-SA) is pleased to announce the Media Partnership Program for regional media professionals (in print, electronic, audio and audiovisual media) who have been writing/producing/documenting water, sanitation, hygiene and health related stories in their countries.

GUIDELINES

Applications are invited from media professionals (in print, electronic, audio and audiovisual media) that have been covering water, sanitation, hygiene and health as mainstream issues. Approximately thirty media professionals shall be selected to participate in SACOSAN III which will be held in New Delhi. The winners shall participate in the six-day SACOSAN event , from 16 to 21 November 2008, being organized by the Government of India (Department of Rural Development) at New Delhi. The selected professionals will also be invited to visit field-based innovative initiatives that have resulted in adequate provision of water and sanitation services, improved hygiene behavior and have had a positive impact on the health of the target populations.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

Eligibility: Professionals with at least three years experience in print,electronic, audio and audiovisual media with general circulation are eligible to apply for the program.The program is open to media professionals from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh and is likely to be extended to Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives,contingent to availability of funding. Preference shall be given to entries received from women media rofessionals.

The following products are eligible: Newspaper entries (op-eds., features, news),Magazine entries, Television programs (news, talk shows, and documentaries),Radio programs (news, talk shows, and documentaries)and News portal entries (news, documentaries).Visit these links to access entry form and more information on the programhttp://www.wsp.org/index.cfm?page=page_disp&pid=18066/ http://www.wsp.org/index.cfm?page=page_disp&pid=18047

Candidates may submit several entries that have been published/broadcast between 1 August 2007 and 31st July 2008. The deadline for submission is 30th August,2008, 1700 hrs, IST. The entries should be submitted by email at wspsa@worldbank.org. The entries must state in the subject line “Media Partnership Program Entry” along with the name of the country (e.g. India). In case there is a problem in sending entries by email, please contact us for alternative arrangements.

Please see country specific addresses in the web links provided above.For print entry, include one original or electronic copy of the article (s)(i.e., masthead with tear-sheets or original clips).For electronic entry, a print-out/ print-screen version of article(s) must be included. For audio and audiovisual entry, include an electronic version (word or pdf) of the script/ transliterated version, and a CD containing the entry OR an electronic file below 5 MB for e-mail delivery.

Themes: The subject of entries should be on:

Best practices in water, sanitation, hygiene and health — Sanitation for Dignity and Health; Health impacts of water and sanitation ; Sharing experiences of local initiatives in water, sanitation and hygiene practices

Language: Entries will be judged in English. Please provide translated version of print entries or script/ translated English version for audio/ audiovisual entries

THIS INFORMATION WAS SHARED TO THE AUTHOR THROUGH A GROUP EMAIL.PLEASE SEND ALL YOUR QUERIES TO THE EMAIL MENTIONED IN THE POST

Anyone who has lost their child can post a message on this website and a search will be set in motion simultaneously in 40 cities in the country.  Launched by Don Bosco National Forum for Youth at Risk in association with UNICEF, www.missingchildsearch.net will be closely watched and monitored by child welfare organisations in all major cities in the country and a search will be generated immediately. The Don Bosco National Forum for Youth at Risk is a major partner of Childline India Foundation and extends service to hundreds of children who are victims of war, conflict, natural calamities, sexual exploitation, trafficking and HIV/AIDS. They also take care of street and working children.