Please Spread the Word. And, Pray!

Hijab- The What and Why, and Why Not

This is something I worked on during my internship with Alternative Law Forum.

Date: 15 July 2012

Hijab Issue

The recent controversy regarding donning a Hijab by Muslim students has spurted in Jain PU College, Moodbidri in Karnataka state of India. The question at hand is whether such a blanket ban on wearing Hijab to college is violation of the right of freedom of speech and expression, guaranteed under Article 19(1) of the Constitution of India, or is it just a matter of maintaining uniformity and following a dress-code in educational institutions like schools and colleges.

Hadiya, the student who was denied permission to attend college because of her donning a Hijab, has approached higher authorities. In a letter to Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Channappa Gowda, she has sought official permission to do so.
Hadiya said that she would go as far as to the Governor or even the President if she fails to get a positive response from the Deputy Commissioner.

Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) advised Hadiya Iqbal to take her case of being allowed to attend classes wearing the traditional Hijab before the constitutional bench of Supreme Court.

Following the controversy, some students of Sri Ramakunjeshwara First Grade College, Ramakunja, boycotted classes over the management’s dress code.

The college, run by Sri Ramakunjeshwara Educational Institutions, does not permit students to dress according to their faith. Muslim students are allowed to come to college in burqa or headscarf. But in the classroom, they are expected to remove it. On Thursday (12 July 2012), girls who came in headscarves to class were asked to remove it. Following this, students started protesting and refused to attend classes. The protest has been going on for three days; the strength of students protesting has crossed 100.

Reasons for the Ban

Jain PU College has refused to allow the student, Hadiya, to attend classes wearing a Hijab. Their argument is simple and consistent from the start- they are not encroaching upon any religion or the right to freedom of speech and expresion; they just wish to promote uniformity between all students.

Article 19 (1)(a) provides freedom of speech and expression to every individual who is a citizen of the State. So long as this freedom is not being misused, the State is under the obligation of protecting it.

Cases at hand

In the case of Bijoe Emmanuel & Ors vs State Of Kerala & Ors [1], three children were expelled from school after they refused to sing the National Anthem.

The appellants-three children belong to a sect called Jehovah's Witnesses who worship only Jehovah-the Creator and none other. They refused to sing the National Anthem: 'Jana Gana Mana' because, according to them, it is against the tenets of their religious faith-not the words or the thoughts of the National Anthem-but the singing of it. They desisted from actual singing only because of their aforesaid honest belief and conviction but they used to stand up in respectful silence daily, during the morning assembly when the National Anthem was sung. A Commission was appointed to enquire and report and it reported that the children were "law abiding" and that they showed no disrespect to the National Anthem. However, under the instructions of Deputy Inspector of Schools, the Head Mistress expelled the appellants from school from July 26, 1985.

It was held that the Fundamental Rights of the appellants under Art. 19(1)(a) and 25(1) have been infringed and they are entitled to be protected. The expulsion of the three children from the school for the reason that because of their conscientiously held religious faith, they do not join the singing of the National Anthem in the morning assembly though they do stand respectfully when the National Anthem is sung, is a violation of the fundamental right to freedom of conscience and freely to profess, practice and propagate religion. 

Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution guarantees to all citizens freedom of speech and expression, but Article 19(2) provides that nothing in Article 19(1)(a) shall prevent a State from making any law, in so far as such law imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the said right. Art. 25(1) guarantees to all persons freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion, subject to order, morality and health and to the other provisions of Part III of the Constitution. 

While on the one hand, Art. 25(1) itself expressly subjects the right guaranteed by it to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of Part III, on the other hand, the State is also given the liberty to make a law to regulate or restrict any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practice and to provide for social welfare and reform, even if such regulation, restriction or provision affects the right guaranteed by Art. 25(1). Therefore, whenever the Fundamental Right to freedom of conscience and to profess, practise and propagate religion is invoked, the act complained of as offending the Fundamental Right must be examined to discover whether such act is to protect public order, morality and health, whether it is to give effect to the other provisions of Part III of the Constitution or whether it is authorised by a law made to regulate or restrict any economic, financial political or secular activity which may be associated with religious practise or to provide for social welfare and reform.

As we have seen from the above discussion, wearing of a Hijab to college can by no stretch of imagination be said to hinder ‘public order, morality or health.’ Further, the Constitution has given only the State the power to come up with regulations or restrictions regarding the provisions guaranteed by Article 25(1). A private institution, like a college in the said case, cannot come up with internal laws or dress codes that hamper the practice of some religion. Any law which may be made under clauses 2 to 6 of Art. 19 to regulate the exercise of the right to the freedoms guaranteed by Art. 19(1)(a) to (e) and (g) must be 'a law' having statutory force and not a mere executive or departmental instructions. 

The ban on Hijab has no statutory basis and is merely a departmental instruction. It cannot, therefore, form the foundation of any action aimed at denying to citizens Fundamental Right under Art. 19(1)(a). Further it is not possible to hold that the restriction on wearing a Hijab was issued 'in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relation with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence' and if not so issued, it cannot again be invoked to deny a citizen's Fundamental Right under Art. 19(1)(a). 

We see that the right to freedom of conscience and freely to profess, practise and propagate religion guaranteed by Art. 25 is subject to (1) public order, morality and health; (2) other provisions of Part III of the Constitution; (3) any law (a) regulating or restricting any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practice; or (b) providing for social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus. Thus while on the one hand, Art. 25(1) itself expressly subjects the right guaranteed by it to public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of Part III, on the other hand, the State is also given the liberty to make a law to regulate or restrict any economic, financial, political or other secular activity which may be associated with religious practise and to provide for social welfare and reform, even if such regulation, restriction or provision affects the right guaranteed by Art. 25(1). 

The question is not whether a particular religious belief or practice appeals to our reason or sentiment but whether the belief is genuinely and conscientiously held as part of the profession or practice of religion. Our personal views and reactions are irrelevant. If the belief is genuinely and conscientiously held it attracts the protection of Art. 25 but subject, of course, to the inhibitions contained therein.

In the Bijoe Case, it was held that the Fundamental Rights of the appellants under Art. 19(1)(a) and 25(1) had been infringed and they were entitled to be protected. Appeal in the Supreme Court was allowed and the judgment of the High Court was set aside. The school was directed to re-admit the children to the school, to permit them to pursue their studies without hindrance and to facilitate the pursuit of their studies by giving them the necessary facilities.

The ratio of this case highlighted a very important point with respect to India being a secular state and what it actually stands for. The judges, while delivering the judgment, added: our tradition teaches tolerance; our philosophy preaches tolerance; our constitution practices tolerance; let us not dilute it.

AIR Manuals

Article 19  protects some of the important attributes of personal liberty as independent rights and the expression as independent rights and the expression ‘personal liberty’ means in Article 21 all the varieties of rights which make up the personal liberties of men[2].

The purpose of the guarantee under Article 19 (1)(a) is to prevent public authorities from assuming guardianship of the mind[3].

Right to freedom of speech and expression carries with it the right to propagate and circulate one’s view an opinions subject to certain restrictions.[4]

Insulting religion or religious beliefs of any class of citizens (Section 295A, IPC), is a reasonable provision in interest of public order, as tendency of such insult will clearly be to create public disorder, and hence this section is valid.

Pagdi V Hijab: Curbing Religious Freedom

St Edward’s School, Simla, had recently been involved in a controversy after they stopped a Sikh boy from wearing a pagdi to school[5]. In April 2012, after over one-and-a-half months, the  old controversy regarding wearing full-sized turbans finally came to an end with the Principal taking back the order and allowed students to wear headgear. He assured students that they could wear full turban without any problems in a written letter. The school had issued an order in March 2012, refraining any of the Sikh students from wearing a full turban tom college. They were allowed only to wear patkas, and had been doing so since then. Shimla Deputy Commissioner Onkar Sharma had directed school Principal John Bosco to settle the issue on priority.

Parallels can be drawn between the two cases. In both these situations, two common points arise- hindrance of Right to Education preceded by curb on the right of freedom of expression. Since the Shimla controversy took more than a month to settle down, with time, it can be expected that the Kannada School will also lift the unreasonable ban on wearing Hijab.

---

[1] Bijoe Emmanuel & Ors vs State Of Kerala & Ors on 11 August, 1986 (Supreme Court of India)         http://www.indiankanoon.org/doc/1508089/

[2] AIR 1950 SC 27 (111) : 51 CriLJ 1383

[3] AIR 1958 SC 578 (616)

[4] AIR 1957 SC 896 (899)

[5] http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/shimla-convent-school-allows-students-to-wear-turban_100614561.html

Slut Walk arthaat Besharmi Morcha

SlutWalk Delhi arthaat Besharmi Morcha.
Sunday, 31 July.
10.30am to 12.30pm.
Jantar Mantar Road.


See you.

Second Time Lucky!

It's super edited, so i'll say all the credit goes to my sr. reporter. I finally feel like I'm being guided, and its a wonderful wondeful feeling. :)
http://epaper.mailtoday.in/Details.aspx?boxid=102636343&id=37700&issuedate=1062010

Have fun :)

First By-Line

Yes I got my first by-line in today's Mail Today, pg 14!!

Its a great feeling to see my name there :D.

The image isn't all that clear, so posting a link (or you can just click on the pic).(http://epaper.mailtoday.in/Details.aspx?boxid=24942390&id=37557&issuedate=762010)

"By Mishika Singh in New Delhi".. Fancy, ain't it??

Also, Happy Birthday to my chuddy buddy (amongst other things), so double celebration!!

On a High,

Mish-ika ;)

DELHI UNIVERSITY FOR DELHI-ITES?

For Mail Today:

-----------------

June 1, 2010: Lok Abhiyan, an initiative taken to bridge the gap between the government and the people, organized a seminar Face to Face for students aspiring to take admission in Delhi University (DU) on Tuesday evening. Presided over by BJP leader and President of LoK Abhiyan, Vijay Goel, the seminar included eminent panelists from the University to address problems faced by students and teachers in DU.

“This seminar will give a chance to all freshers to have one-to-one with the highest authorities in DU”, said Nupur Sharma, President of Delhi University Students Union. Goel raised some important questions on behalf of the students which included problems with accommodation of out-station students in University colleges, preference to Delhi Students, online submission of OMR forms, and the success of Information Centres all over Delhi.

Goel questioned, “If Maharashtra can give preference to domicile, why not Delhi University?” He emphasized on the fact that 70% of the seats in DU are taken by outside students, therefore creating problems for students here. Also, the accommodation provided to out-station students is not upto the mark and students struggle to rent flats in Mukherji Nagar, Kingsway Camp, etc.

However, Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental clarified that in the general category only 10-15% students are from outside Delhi. He further defended his stand by explaining that SC/ST reservation is a constitutional obligation and the University can’t turn its back on them. “The seats of these (SC/ST) categories will be filled only by tribes from outside. Such a condition is inevitable.”

To counter the problem of accommodation of out-station students, Pental informed that two hostels with an accommodation of thousand each are under construction in Dhaka Village, 1.5km from the University campus. Two more hostels are being planned in the same area.

The question however remains if Delhi University is indeed for Delhi-ites and, therefore, should give some relaxation to residents of Delhi for admissions, or should it continue to be a centralized academic institution knows for its educational standards and not because it is situated In Delhi.

Mishika Singh

Tree Protest By KNC Students

23.02.2010

Description:

It started on the morning of 23rd February 2010, with a group of students skipping classes to stop the felling of some trees opposite Kamala Nehru College.

By afternoon, it became an 'issue' for the Government as we were 'disrupting' their work.

The CPWD has been asked to UPROOT eleven trees on SIRI FORT ROAD for the widening of roads. Even though they have got permission from the Forest Department to do so, there is NO PERMISSION from the UTTIPEC for widening of roads. In spite of the Supreme Court order which requires a mandatory permit from UTTIPEC, the CPWD is going ahead with the cutting of trees ILLEGALLY.

Also, if the roads are widened, there won't be any footpath for pedestrians to walk on. Is two weeks of Commonwealth Games reason enough for the government to cut these tress and put the lives of thousands of college students at risk??

24.02.2010

The first protest took place on 24February. It started around 10am and went on till 1pm. We were able to postpone the felling if trees, but no on k new till exactly how long.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/25/stories/2010022558670200.htm

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Girl-power-resists-chopping-drive/articleshow/5613693.cms

06.03.2010

The PWD resumed their work on the night of 5th March around 10pm. We were able to stop the felling of trees that time too but immediate action needed to be taken to put an end to this. Another protest was organised on March6th against the PWD. Participation of people had died out majorly, as only the very few who actually felt for the cause were present. Nevertheless, we continued with out POA.

13.03.2010

The fight is still going on with no outcome as such. The deadline of the feeling of trees has been extended from March end to July end, ensuring that the work is done as soon as we start with our summer breaks.

All the time people talk about raising their voices against the wrongs that are being done. But it's strange that when you actually do that, not many join you. Moreover, you are suppressed even before you start. "Tum system ko nahi, system tumhe badalta hai" has a whole new meaning for me after going through all this for more than 2weeks now.

Two weeks of Commonwealth Games does not mean we sacrifice our environment and risk thousands of young lives.

Join us on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&ref=ss&gid=322711103667 and help our voices get heard.

Pictures: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=photos&ref=ss&gid=322711103667

Videos: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=361264443128&oid=322711103667

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnkBlU0LwaY

Disappointed,

Mish-ika

"Friends!"

Just some pictures of my "friends", who I have known for more than a year now.

(The boys name is Ajay, and the girl is Baby.)

I recently got them some clothes for winters, which were too over-sized for their tiny little bodies, but I'm sure they'll keep them warm.

Happy New Year to them too! :D

Just a thought..

This blog was a part of my curriculum for my subject 'Development Communication and Traditional Media In India'. Now that my sem is over, there is no valid reason to continue this blog, except for the fact that I really want to.

Lets see if i manage to do that.

Mish-ika

SARASWATI SHISHU MANDIR

Located in the district of Sitamarhi, Dumri is one of the better villages of Bihar. And it being my own village, I’m more than proud of it.

I went to Dumri this August for our housewarming. The old house, on which the foundation of the new one is also laid, is said to be more than hundred years old.

Since we had been given this assignment way back in July, I used this opportunity to work on it.

Saraswati Shishu Mandir School in the only private school in Dumri, owned by RSS or the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Apart from this, there is a government school in the village too.

Even though the number of students enrolled in the government school are more than 750, not more than 50 turn up on a daily basis. Also, since the education provided here is free, neither the parents, nor the children take it seriously and turn up only when they wish too. It is because of situations like these that even though the enrollment rate is high, the literacy rate continues to be a big question mark.

On the other hand, Saraswati Shishu Mandir has about 150 students enrolled, and the attendance over here is above 140 everyday. The reason behind this is mainly that it is a paid school. Although the fee here is a nominal Rs.100, not many parents are able to afford it. Also, the concept of mid-day meals, like in government schools is not there. In fact, the way it functions is quite like schools in urban areas-morning assembly and classes till 3p.m. and a lunch break in between. The food is not provided by the school. Students get packed lunch from homes. Uniforms are also a must. Because of all these reasons, not all are able to afford this school.

The lowest class here in pravesh, which is an equivalent of nursery over here. Prep is bodh. Then comes pratham, dwitiya,tritiya, chauth and pancham- classes first, second, third, fourth and fifth as we know it. The school terminates at class five, after which those who are interested either go to Sitamarhi, or drop out of studies.

Although there is no acceptance of the fact that boys are encouraged more to go to school, there is a noticeable difference between the number of girls and boys enrolled. This difference, as would be expected, is decreasing with every batch that leaves the school.

The school here is run by seven teachers-2women and 5men, including one principal. Although not very highly qualified, all of them are minimum graduates. Graduation is the eligibility criteria for teaching here, though same have gone up to the level of M.A. and PhD.

As I entered the school around 9am, I was warmly welcomed by all the teachers, the students hopping around nervously seeing the camera in my hand. I attended their vandana, or the Morning Prayer which started at 9.30am, shortly after all the students had arrived and spread their mats and arranged the deities for the prayer. This was followed by singing praises about their school, remembering their aim and what they wanted to seek by coming to this school, and finally ended with students entering into their respective classes.

I interviewed one student from each class, and trying to be fair, I let others hang around in the background. Although shy, the answers I got from most of them were pleasantly surprising. They referred to their fathers as businessman, want to become doctors, engineers and the likes of it, and claimed to study because they wanted to, and not because they were forced into it. They said they’d rather come to school and spend 6hours with friends than go to the fields and work in the heat. Whatever the reason maybe, the fact that they wanted to study makes me feel immensely proud of my village.

The liking for the teachers was apparent throughout, although when asked about if they beat them up, students just smiled. The teachers also played the favorite student game with them. Very clearly, the more academically inclined ones were given all the work, while the others seem to enjoy the no-responsibility world. But this, in no way, seemed to hamper the functioning of the school.

The subjects that are taught here are as follows:

Hindi: Hindi

Gannit: Maths

Angrezi: English

Sanskrit: Sanskrit

Vigyaan: Science

Samanya Adhyayan: General Knowledge

Indriya Vikas/Kala: Moral Science/Art

I got a chance to get hold of the report card that is given to parents after very 6months, and that is also quite an interesting specimen. The parents are also required to fill in every six months, describing their child’s overall development. Another interesting aspect about the school that I couldn't’t help but notice was that teachers were referred to as bhaiya/didi (brother/sister). The same was true for teachers when they spoke about/to students.

The literacy rate in the village has seen growth in the past 4-5 years mainly. Even though RSS is doing a lot for improving the education level over here, there are still some issues that need attention.

About 6-7 children hungout around my house everyday while I was there. They were mainly children of people who worked for us and none of them went to school. None of them wanted to. Even of you sponsored them, they are not interested in studying. Their argument is-“why should I leave this life where I have to do nothing?”. I have the answer, but unfortunately they don’t want to understand.

Shortage of Vaccines Increases Death Toll In Capital

Children are dying in Delhi hospitals because of an acute shortage of vaccines for preventable diseases. The blame is on the government which has not been able to meet the demand for vaccines. It takes three months for the consignment to arrive after the order has been placed. Because of this, the death toll has increased significantly. At the Capitals Kalavati Saran Hospital, 44 children have died in 2008-09 because of these preventable diseases. Another 27 children died in Safdarjung hospital due to lack of vaccines.

The extent of shortage is of a whopping 17 crore and is increasing every year. The shortfall of requirement and procurement was around 14.5 per cent in 2008-09, and has deteriorated in 2009-10 to a shortfall of 22 per cent.

The basic problem is because of closure of the vaccine producing public sector units by the government. Re-opening of these units hasn't happened and the dependence on the private sector has grown.

Immediate action needs to be taken as this is some issue that can be taken care of if the government puts in effort.

Baingan ka Bharta, With Foreign Genes??

The genetically-modified (GM) brinjal has been cleared for environmental release by a high-level committee under the environment ministry. But the ministry has reserved its decision in view of a raging debate over the issue.

But the issue here is that even if the ministry were to approve it, states can discourage GM brinjal as agriculture is a state subject. GM brinjal carries a gene called "Bt" from a bacillus thuringiensis which releases toxin to kill fruit ans shoot borer insects. This is the main advantage that has encouraged the growth of GM brinjal.

But there are certain problems pertaining to this. Two European geneticists -Prof. Gilles-Eric Seralini and Prof. Michael Antoniou had warned India against accepting GM crops and foods. They termed it as a technology that had been rejected in Europe and was now being dumped in India. The last thing we wanted after being China's dumping ground was this, specially since it pertains to the health of the country.

GM Free India is an umbrella of several groups against GM foods, who have said that the expert committee hasn't adequately answered all the questions raised about the safety of Bt brinjal. Bt Brinjal has side effects on human health as it affects our immune system adversely. Consumption of the Brinjal would decrease human resistance to infections and lead to the body becoming resistant to anti-biotic drugs, making cures difficult. India doesn't have any public sector lab to test GM content. Because of this, the discretion is based entirely on reports coming from labs outside the country.

Since questions are so many and not enough satisfactory, the ministry has put a hold on the release of Bt brinjal. keeping the health issues in mind, a decision will soon be taken.

Hullabaloo over Hijab in Kuwait

A hijab, as commonly understood in the English-speaking world, is the type of head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women, but can also refer to modest Muslim styles of dress in general. The Arabic word literally means curtain or cover (noun), based on the root meaning "to cover, to veil, to shelter". Most Islamic legal systems define this type of modest dressing as covering everything except the face and hands in public.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/kuwait/6307598/Kuwaiti-women-MPs-refuse-to-wear-hijab-in-parliament.html

The following article tells us about how Rola Dashti and Aseel Al-Awadhi, who were among the first four women to elected to Kuwait's National Assembly in May, have angered their Islamist colleagues by refusing to wear hijab in parliament. They might be accused of flouting the sharia(It refers to the legal framework within which the public and private aspects of life are regulated for those living in a legal system based on Islamic principles of jurisprudence and for Muslims living outside the domain. Sharia deals with many aspects of day-to-day life, including politics, economics, banking, business, contracts, family, sexuality, hygiene, and social issues.), but that isn't stopping them from protesting against what they think is not a required custom. In fact, one of them has gone a step ahead by demanding the scrapping of an amendment to electoral regulations that says they have to observe sharia in parliament.

A statement by Dashti, "you can't force a woman to wear hijab", might have created controversy in Kuwait, but it is good to know that women still are able to raise their voices as and when the need arises. Hopefully, history will be created with the implementation of this rule, or at least scrapping of the previous one.

Perfect Bride?? What the HELL!

I know it's slum development for this week, but this is something I just can't resist writing about. I came across this serial called "Lux Perfect Bride" on Star Plus yesterday when I was randomly surfing channels. So this is what I saw- some 5-7 young girls sweeping the floor, cooking, washing clothes, and doing all sorts of gharelu things, with a voice-over that said something like- "Itna to ladki ko aana hi chahiye. Agar khana bana aur saaf-safai nahi aati ho toh woh ek acchi bahu kaise bann sakti hai?"

What the hell? What exactly are these my-life-is-almost-gone-and-this-is-my-last-chance-to-gain-fame type aunties really looking for when it comes to choosing a daughter-in-law? Education comes way down their lists. It's almost like they are getting a maid to do all the household work, just that she should be VERY fair, and VERY good looking, and yes, their sons have a say in this too!

Just when I thought media was becoming a tad bit more responsible towards portrayal of women in ads, serials, movies, etc, there comes this superbly degrading show which burst my bubble even before it got shaped.

These are the things which should be banned. This not-so good looking aunty ji thinks only good looking girls will make nice bahus. What kind of people are these? They themselves have ugly looking sons who have nothing better to do than come on some reality show for their supposed soul-mate. Same goes for girls. I wonder what they were thinking, or if they were thinking at all! So much for fame and money!

P.S. Personally, I would want in-laws who can cook well so that I get good food when I come back home after woking hard all day (that is IF I ever get married).

"Boond boond mein hai yakeen!!"

The above mentioned title is a tag line used by a famous mineral water company. Sadly, it is only a tag line and does not provide any guarantee that the water we consume from this, and many such bottles, is safe to drink.

Have you ever felt that the water you are drinking only looks clean? That its possibly sewage water that had just been bleached, not one treated?? Well, I have, many times. When I first saw this scene in Slumdog Millionaire, where Jamal is refilling used mineral bottles and re-sealing them with quick fix, I didn't really pay much attention to it. It was only when I saw this happening with my own eyes on Muzaffarpur railway station this August I realised how serious this problem is. Most of us buy a bottled water before even thinking twice about what we are about to consume. We just accept it as a matter of fact that it must be clean if it says so.

For some reason, I never purchased a bottle of water. When on a bus stop, I always got my water bottle re-filled from the 1/- "Fresh Drinking Water" fellow. I don't know the reason behind it, but now I think it was maybe because I never trusted any of those mineral water companies.

In India, if all the reports about various mineral water scams are to believed, this is the industry making the largest profit. You can just pick up any bottle, fill it with water from any source, seal it and circulate it in the market. Thanks to us consumers, chances are no one will even notice what is happening.

I hope next time when you buy bottled water, you get reminded of this and regret carrying your own bottle (which I always do, as rule!).

The need for sex education- Whay is that even a question??

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/ludhiana/Sex-education-a-must-in-schools-Experts/articleshow/4960523.cms

I don't even see what the other side of this argument is. Sex education should be made mandatory in our schools. Its good that chief minister Parkash Singh Badal feels the need to introduce some personality development classes, but they obviously can't be used as a substitution for sex education.

In a country like India where sex talks are considered a taboo and parents refrain from discussing it with their children, sex education is the only way to ensure that adolescents don' feed on half-baked for them, which is dangerous for them, as well as those around them!

This is something that I came across while I was reading about the need for sex education, and I really wanted to share it with all of you. Do read it.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/134572/10_reasons_we_need_comprehensive_sex.html?cat=52

"Independence" Day??

How ironic is it that we spend the whole year going for lunches, dinners, movies, picnics, meet friends, travel in public transport, and attend all other things, but on our very own "independence" day, this very independence disappears?

People don't move out of their houses

because of bomb scares. Parents don't allow their children to go out with friends because of the same reason. And then we talk about the spirit of celebrating "independence" day!!

Maybe the kite is symbolic of how our freedom gets strained on this very special day. It soars as high it can, just to compensate for the fact that we can't even move out of our homes without creating a scene or getting into an argument with family members. How ironic!!

Well if i was the PM of the country. I would definitely discourage this whole idea of people staying at home. Kite flying is good, but organising competitions would be a far better idea. At least that will get people out of their cocoons.

This is how I spent my day..

Cheero, our enetertainment buddy! Kite flying, a bit of jamming and a lot of fun!

Blame it on the rains?

Friday rains brought the city to a complete standstill. Whole of page 4 in Sunday Times was devoted to the consequences of the heavy rainfall the capital had witnessed two days earlier.

The tree toll, as reported by NDMC was 100, and over 119 by the MCD, although the residents claim that the figure could be much higher. The main reasons for such a high number of trees getting uprooted are stated to be lack of proper care, trees growing old, and lately concretization around trees. This caused massive traffic jams and major power disruption all over the city. The water logging on the roads that slowed down traffic to such a large extent show how unprepared our city is for rains. One shower and the city comes to a halt!! The MCD also refused to get trees cleared from residential areas because that's not a part of their job. Only public places are supposed to be cleared by them!

Power was disrupted in many areas for as long as 5 hours. Areas in east Delhi, like Mayur Vihar, waited till 10pm for power to be restored. Discoms said that they had to employ extra manpower to attend to the crisis. There were about 12 trippings of 11KV lines. as reported by the NDPL. Some areas had to wait till morning for electricity.

If this is what rains can do to our city, I'd be rather thankful that we are having irregular monsoons. Whats the point of praying for rains in a city like ours which becomes dysfunctional after every shower?

The this-and-that of measuring poverty..

http://www.ptinews.com/news/231843_Income-wrong-tool-to-measure-poverty--Sen

Poverty can be defined as whether households or individuals have enough resources or abilities today to meet their needs.

"The income approach to poverty, which considers people earning less than a certain amount annually as poor, is not an accurate measure of how well people live...precedence to one's capability or the capacity that people have of choosing and leading their lives." Amartya Sen

The above statement is something that I agree with because measuring poverty just on the basis of income undermines the quality of life of people. This also is closely associated with the fact that the amount of money spent on each member of the family may not be equal, but then the "aggregate family income" may not adequately reflect the deprivation of neglected members.

The other option that has been used to calculate poverty is on the basis of calorie intake. According to this method, the minimum calorie level intake for people in urban areas should be 2100cal and 2400cal for people in rural areas. But Abhijit Sen, member of Planning Commission, said that if this was taken into consideration, 64% of urban population and 80% of rural population would be below poverty line. (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/measure-poverty-by-income-not-calories-sen/488417/0).

These stats don't co-incide with the stats given by the rural development committee, which clearly show that there is no consensus on the quantum of populace living below the poverty line.

The Plight of Women 'Empowerment'!!

"Empowerment means moving from a position of

enforced powerlessness to one of power".

"Tall claims of women empowerment and taking health care to the remote areas sounded hollow..."

(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/jaipur/Woman-delivers-baby-on-road-dies/articleshow/4872324.cms)

With a phrase like this for the first line of a news story, one will be compelled to think how empowered we, as women, really are. The news item refers to a case in the Gatla district of Jaipur. Although the article mainly focuses on how the condition of women in India is still not as good as it is expected to be after so much (mostly false claims!) has been done to improve their condition, it also throws light on gender issues. The baby being a girl resulted in the husbands' reluctance to accept the child, seen as a typical case of gender discrimination. It also questions the efficiency of the government in times like these.

Ironically on the same day, i.e. August 9, 2009, another article was published in Times of India newspaper about a woman in Delhi who delivered a girl in a n open park near Nizamuddin dargah. Even she had been abandoned by her husband but now finds some strength in the Ladli Scheme under the Janani Suraksha Yojana. The article throws light on the various programmes by the government, and many more by non-government organisations (NGOs) to improve the condition, mainly health related, of women in our country. A number of names have been mentioned which are working towards this cause. "..she is one of the very few who have managed to benefit from the government's social welfare schemes..." With so much being written, maybe one can hope for a healthy future for Fatima's daughter, Alisha.

It is hard to gauge how much of it is really the way it is mentioned though. So many schemes that exist are hollow from within as their existence is mostly namesake. To actually measure the growth that is taking place we might need to wait longer, as such a substantial growth is yet to be witnessed.