If you are not happy with this one, go make your own pk

As expected Raju Hirani's recent movie 'pk' created a lot of controversy because of the subject it dealt with, the bad practices in religion. Some lunatics are claiming that it hurts their religious sentiments (no surprise here). As expected these people are demanding to ban this movie, but their argument has no legal or logical sense. So, as usual, they are trying to attack movie theaters and attack the messenger rather than the message. This is not the first time any movie has been targeted like this or people are demanding to ban something because their so-called sentiments are hurt. Surprisingly these are the same people who also like to claim that India is a very tolerant country and Hinduism is a very tolerant religion. The good thing is that this time apart from some right-wing Hindu groups some Muslim and Christian groups are also against this movie, so it seems every religious group is feeling offended by this movie. Maybe this is because pk is not against a particular religion or section of society but it attacks on commercialization of religion and exposes attempts to scare people in the name of god. This movie also like another similar movie 'Oh My God' doesn't attack the concept of God or doesn't question the existence of God, I guess in a country like India no commercial filmmaker can dare to do that. The movie just raises some uncomfortable questions about the way people practice their faith in today's world. These questions try to expose the way religion is marketed today. I guess this is why many people and organizations who depend on such things to make their living or who are addicted to such marketing are getting offended. 

I always wonder why don't these people or organizations make some movie that can counter the points raised in 'pk'? Many of these organizations are very rich, they collect a lot of money from donations from various sources, and they even have very strong political backing, so all resources required to make a movie is definitely not a problem for them. These people also claim to know everything about their religion. If this is the case, then for them it should not be a big deal to write a good script that can prove a movie like 'pk' wrong, and expose every lie. If they are so sure then they should be able to expose the lies propagated by Raju Hirani and company easily. There is no need to damage public or private property, no need to create a law and order situation. Just one movie or even a documentary exposing 'pk' is enough. If they don't want to make a movie because it is too much of a hassle then they can even challenge people associated with this movie for civilized debate or drag them to court. They also have the right to protest or raise their objections but in a lawful and civilized way, why don't they do that? Does their religion teach them to use violent ways for such trivial things? If yes, then what type of religion is that which can not tolerate disagreement or questions? If not, then why they are going against the teaching of their own religion?  

The main purpose of any movie is to entertain people, they sometimes also try to deliver some message using this platform of entertainment. If any such attempt provokes discussion or raises some questions in people's minds then any such attempt should be welcomed, not attacked. Many mythological movies show many nonscientific things under the name of miracles but scientists or atheists who don't believe in such things don't go and attack cinema halls showing these movies or demand to ban them. In any civilized and tolerant society, everyone has freedom of expression. This freedom should be protected and cherished. The freedom of expression is very important for the progress of any society or country. People of every country have to decide in which direction they want to take their country; conservative and intolerant or liberal and tolerant, choice is theirs.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. 'Oh My God'- A courageous attempt in main stream Hindi cinema.
2. My favorite scene from movie OMG.

Yash's encounter with Pune and Varanasi

During our recent India visit, Yash traveled with me to Varanasi and Pune. This time he could share his own opinions about life in India with me because this time he traveled along with other family members and his improved analytical abilities allowed him to compare things. His first encounter with India was with airports and the staff there, I must say that even I was impressed by the well-maintained domestic as well as international airports and very courteous staff.

In the first segment of our trip after we landed in Mumbai, stayed in Pune for a day and then went to Varanasi, a very colorful and amazing city. He stayed there for a week and during that week visited malls and marketplace, traveled by rickshaw, city bus, cycle rickshaw, and also by walk. As much as he loved meeting family members and travelling with them he hated the roads and traffic of Varanasi. He really freaked out when people honked at him aggressively, the sound was really loud for him to tolerate. I wonder why people need such a loud horn for their vehicles. It creates a lot of noise pollution as well as inconvenience for people, especially for kids and seniors but no one seems to care about this in India. They honk aggressively even at kids and seniors. Loud and aggressive honking was the most annoying part of Varanasi's traffic for Yash. Roads were narrow and traffic jams were a regular event, other vehicles hitting or dashing cycle rickshaws in crowded traffic was a regular affair, it seemed exciting for Yash as he had never seen anything like this before. People throwing trash on the road, and spitting wherever they want also surprised him. He was also amazed to see that kids, as well as grownups, were equally contributing towards making the city dirty. He tried to tell few times to his cousins and others that it was not a good thing to do but he soon stopped doing that when he found out the futility of offering any such advice. Yash didn't dare to come with me to my village as he was scared of having no electricity and no toilets (I should mention here that this time I was pleased to see that most homes had a toilet in our village). He preferred to stay in Varanasi and enjoy the traffic chaos rather than visiting the village.

After experiencing the chaos of Varanasi he came back with me to Pune and landed in another chaos. But he found Pune much less chaotic than Varanasi. Honking was there but not that aggressive and loud, more traffic but fewer jams, and somewhat less garbage on the streets. People's attitude towards following traffic rules was not much different in both places. Actually, we counted once during nighttime (when there were no traffic police) how many people stopped at the red light, and to our surprise more than 90% didn't bother to stop. Despite all this, he liked Pune more in comparison with Varanasi. Pune people should stop complaining about all the traffic jams and other problems, our city is much better than the constituency of our PM. I wonder why all PM candidates of India fight their election from one of the most undeveloped states or parts of India? Is it just because they are safer seats and they can win it without putting much effort or is it because they really care about these places and want to develop them? The constituencies that Indian prime ministers have represented for years are not considered as most developed cities or villages of India and they remain considerably undeveloped even after being represented by one of the most powerful politicians in the country for many years. Let's hope our current PM Mr. Modi manages to change this and when Yash visits Varanasi next time he doesn't find any difference between Pune and Varanasi. After all, Varanasi is already a well-known city and tourist hub, it should not be hard to develop it compared to other parts of Uttar Pradesh. I know why Yash liked more in Pune compared to Varanasi. But when he compared Pune with New Haven he preferred New Haven. Let's hope that the difference gets reduced in the coming years and the gap between Varanasi, Pune, and New Haven becomes more narrow.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Terrorist do have a religion

The Peshawar school massacre by the Taliban shook many people across the world. It was not the worst massacre by terrorists and it was not the first time schools or children were attacked by terrorists, but even after that, the brutality of this attack is really disturbing. Whenever any such attack happens, we start hearing phrases like "terrorists don't belong to any religion" "terrorists don't have any religion" "these people are not humans," etc. I always wonder how much truth is there in these statements. All these statements are mainly used by people to try to dissociate the religion (especially their own religion) from such barbaric acts but to me, these statements sound too hollow and meaningless. If we look carefully some of these terrorists who kill innocent people and others who spread hatred against certain communities do use religion as a tool to attack and spread fear and hatred. They do claim to represent the true form of some sect or religion. I am not talking about Islam or Hinduism or any other particular religion as most religions have fanatic elements in their teachings which are misused by some people to create fundamentalists some of which manifest themselves in various forms of terrorism. Politicians as well as terrorists use religion as a tool to divide people. One wants to divide and rule while the other wants to spread fear and rule. This has been going on for many years, and no religion has been able to dissociate itself completely either from politics or terrorism, only the intensity and level of involvement differ from time to time.

What is there in religion or some of these ideologies (like communism or Maoism) that people are willing to kill hundreds of innocents in the name of protecting or propagating it? Why these people don't feel the guilt or shame of doing such barbaric acts in the name of religion or their ideology? Why religion is such a powerful force that it makes people go blind and makes them hate others just because others belong to some different religion? Can we really dissociate religion from these barbaric acts? Why there is so much communal violence if all religions teach peace and love? Why scriptures are quoted to justify violence, discrimination, or gender bias? The truth is that terrorists who use religion to kill people do belong to some religion. They all derive their justification from some holy book, they all claim that they are killing to protect the word of their God. Many of these terrorist organizations brainwash young and impressionable minds, misguide them by using some religious teachings, and convert them into lethal terrorists. This has been going on for so long and various religions have not done enough to curb this.

Followers of any religion are not willing to question or object strongly to any content from scriptures that are used to justify violence. Once it is claimed and accepted that that particular book is a word of God very few dare to question it. Most of these books contain something that could be misinterpreted but these things are ignored because it is understood that as these books also teach love and peace so few minor things don't matter. However, some anti-social elements make use of some of these objectionable or outdated messages and propagate hate and violence. As no one dares to condemn these sections of any of the books, these things get taught, and people interpret them to suit their own propaganda. That is why I think now the time has come to ask some serious questions to keepers of all religions. They need to make it clear that there is no place for any violence or hatred under the name of their religion. If there is some outdated or objectionable material in their own holy book they need to make it clear that it is outdated and no more applicable. They need to be very strong about this message and condemn any group that tries to propagate hate in the name of their religion. Religion might be a need for many but communal violence or hatred should not have any place in any civilized society.

Isn't it a time to think about whether there is some inherent flaw in organized religion? The time has come for all of us to unite and stand against such criminals. The time has come to question religion and holy books, whenever they are used to justify any violence and hatred. The time has come for all civilized humans to speak up and ask questions. We can not just wait for our turn to become victims of such violence, it will be too late by that time, so speak up NOW.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:

1. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30507836

Bhanwari Devi - a national icon and great inspiration

Two years ago on 16th December, a horrific incident of rape and murder happened in India's capital New Delhi. The brutality of the crime shook the entire nation, people were angry and frustrated about the regular occurrence of such crimes and the delay in delivering justice. This anger and nationwide protests forced the administration to deliver the judgment in a timely fashion in this particular case, but still, many victims are still waiting for justice for the crime that changed their lives. After going through the trauma of sexual abuse these victims have to relive that horror every time they go to court and come back without any solace. Our society and this system have to step up to end this trauma of these people. 

This post is not about that incident but about a brave woman Bhanwari Devi who not only survived one such assault but also fought against the culprits, against the system that failed to deliver justice to her. She is still bravely fighting her battle and waiting for justice to be delivered. Nandita Das's movie Bawander is based on the story of her life, it is worth a watch if anyone wants to know her story. She faced many hurdles during her fight for justice, not only the criminals who committed this act were from the upper caste but they were also politically very powerful which helped them to manipulate the police as well as the judiciary. But this brave lady didn't lose her courage and hope, she didn't even leave the village no matter how much they taunted her and tortured her family with social boycotts. Her argument was, if she didn't do any wrong why should she be the one to suffer. It was not she who did anything shameful so why she should leave the village, why she should feel guilty? All who know how the caste system in villages works and the various roles it plays in politics can understand how much courage and conviction are required to fight against these things. In many villages, women are not even allowed to step outside the home or village unless it is for some work or medical treatment, so one can imagine how much resistance Bhanwari Devi must have faced to even register a case against the culprits who raped her. People like her don't get much national attention or recognition as their stories carry very limited use for media and politicians. No political party is interested in taking up such issues as caste dynamics is an integral part of the politics for all parties. They don't look at criminals just as criminals but their religion or caste also becomes very important as it can mess up their political equations depending on which religion or caste the victim belongs and which religion or caste the perpetrator belongs. So, each political party bases its reactions based on its political calculations related to caste and religion. This is disgusting but it happens all the time and so far no political party tried to break away from this pattern. Unfortunately, the victims of such heinous crimes have to face the brunt of all this mess. First, they suffer at the hands of criminals who commit the crime, and then at the hands of the system which fails to deliver justice to them.

I don't know how long Bhanwari Devi and people like her have to wait to get justice from this system. I am glad to see that she still has faith in this system and waiting patiently for it to deliver what it promises to every Indian (speedy and fair justice). She is a great example of courage and determination. She showed that if you are not at fault no need to feel any guilt or shame or run away avoid taunts or be scared of social torture. But not everyone who goes through this has courage and patience like her, for them, the system needs to step up. The story of her fight is a great inspiration for all of us. Bhanwari Devi is definitely a national icon, our politicians and justice systems need to learn something from her.  

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:

1. 'I have to hide my face in public, the man who raped me roams free'

2. http://selfrealization-vinay.blogspot.com/2012/12/yes-we-all-are-guilty.html

My memorable visit to Snehalaya

During my recent India visit one entire day was spent visiting institutes like Maher (an NGO run by Sister Lucy Kurien) and some institutes associated with Dr. Girish Kulkarni's Snehalaya. One of my mentors who is also a very close family friend Mr. Chandrashekhar Vairale made this journey possible for me. I wanted to visit these places during my last India visit but it didn't materialize because of so many reasons, but I am glad that I could find some time during this visit. I have no hesitation in accepting that this visit was one of the most revealing experiences for me. 

We started our day by visiting an NGO Maher (which means mother's home), this organization provides shelter and support to women and their children who face various difficulties in society because of various reasons. The work done by this NGO in this area with limited resources at their disposal is really commendable. I was really impressed by the dedication and sincerity of the people involved in this work. The types of cases they handle are not easy, one should listen to the stories they tell about the victims it is not easy to listen to those stories without getting disturbed but these people deal with these things daily. My entire day was spent visiting various institutes run by dedicated people who believed in helping people in distress. Next, we visited an NGO run by a very young man Mr. Anant Zende which works towards the upliftment of kids from "pardhi samaj." This visit was also very memorable. People of this community are facing various problems, they are looked at with suspicion and many times forced to engage in acts like robbery because of social conditions. The work done by this NGO to rescue the children of these families from this vicious cycle is very commendable. It was inspiring to see that Anant is doing this work along with his regular job at school. His story and dedication were proof that if anyone wants to engage in such work it is possible under any circumstances. We all can give some reason not to do any such work but if we really want to do it is possible and Anant is an example of this.

Snehalaya is doing its work mainly to help women and children in distress. Their work in the area of helping HIV-positive people was highlighted in Amir Khan's show Satyamev Jayate. One needs to visit this place to witness the amazing work they are doing to help these people. They are not only helping them to survive but also trying to make them independent. They also have their own radio station, farms, and cows for milk production and are always looking for new ideas that can help them become self-sufficient. All these organizations receive very little or no government support, they mostly rely on people's donations to carry out their day-to-day activities. It is not easy to take care of so many people with so limited resources but all of them are doing a great job. I was really impressed to see their dedication and commitment towards their work. Hats off to Dr. Girish Kulkarni and his dedicated team.

I don't like traveling much. During my India visit, I rarely visit so-called popular tourist destinations, they don't attract me much. I have a long list of places recommended by various friends and relatives that I have not visited yet because of my reluctance to travel. I don't visit temples/churches or mosques to pray as I don't believe in the traditional concept of god or prayers but I go to see them for their architecture and history associated with them and I love this part, it fascinates me a lot. But institutes like 'Snehalaya' or 'Maher' are temples/churches/Mosques of humanity according to me. I visit them to pay my tribute and respect to great humans like Dr. Girish Kulkarni or Sister Lucy Kurien who work towards the welfare of underprivileged people in our society. My head bows to everyone who works there with so much dedication and love. These types of institutes and the people working in them care for people who are abandoned even by their own family members. They not only take care of them but also try to make them stand on their own feet and begin a new life. This all is very incredible stuff, a truly divine experience. One thing that I noticed was that most of these people were inspired by the life and work of Mr. Baba Amte. He was a great social worker who dedicated his entire life to working towards the rehabilitation of abandoned people from our society. His work for leprosy affected people in the era when they were treated like untouchables is legendary. It is really unfortunate that his work didn't get as much recognition as Mother Teresa's work in the same area but I was glad to see that he inspired so many people to work towards similar causes. His work and legacy have been carried forward by many people like his own sons Dr. Vikas and Prakash Amte, Dr. Girish Kulkarni, Anant Zende, and many others. One really needs to visit these places and see the work with their own eyes to experience it and then only one realizes the effect of Baba Amte's work and teachings on them.

It is my humble request to all my friends and readers of my blog that whenever you have time please go and visit these places to see their incredible work. Don't believe some hearsay or advertising, visit these places and get informed about their work and then decide whether to help or not. If you are convinced about their sincerity and relevance then please donate whenever possible in whatever way you can. They don't ask for money or anything when you visit them so don't worry about that but always remember that these types of institutes heavily depend on donations from people like you and me for their day-to-day activities so one should think of donating them something, it can be money, your time or clothes. Many people in our society are not fortunate enough to get many things that most of us take for granted. If we all all can chip in a little bit institutes like Snehalaya can work to make these people's lives as normal as possible.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk4Q3n5rcmQ
2. http://vssanant.blogspot.com/p/about-us_14.html

Story of my attachment and detachment with BJP

While I was watching the documentary "Ram ke naam" by Anand Patwardhan I remembered the tension and turmoil of those days. Back then (between 1989-1992) I was a teenager with a very confused and impressionable mind. Along with me Indian politics and society were also going through a transition phase. Political and economic discourse was changing for the first time after independence. The central government was thinking of opening its economy, radical reservation policy was announced to increase the participation of backward sections of society. During the same time there was a new emerging star on the horizon of Indian politics in the name of BJP. The actual party was formed in 1980 but it could make its presence felt only after it started Ram janmabhoomi aandolan.

The propaganda and highly charged speeches delivered by some excellent orators of that time (like Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bal Thackrey) attracted many people to this movement. It was said that as Babur and the Mughal king destroyed a temple and built the mosque (Babri mosque) now it is our (Hindus) turn to take revenge. We Hindus should destroy that mosque and build a Ram temple as that was the very place where lord Ram was born. I don't know what archaeological evidence they had to claim that the site of the mosque was the exact spot where Ram was born but this was what was propagated very aggressively. It was also told to us that it is not a legal matter but it is a matter of faith and when there is a question of faith then all laws and courts should stay away from this as it is a matter of faith for 80% of the population of India, if they all think this is right then it is right and the court has no authority to say anything about this. The logic and oratory skills of many speakers who were propagating these ideas very aggressively attracted a lot of people to this movement. Young kids like me also felt that it was very logical to reclaim our heritage and build a temple by destroying a mosque. There was huge polarization in Indian society with a lot of tension, this polarization worked in favor of the BJP and it slowly became a major political force in many states as well as in the center.

After listening to all these speeches and watching some videos made by VHP and related organizations about why it was necessary to destroy that mosque I had many questions in my mind. Some of them were, what problems that one more Ram temple would solve? What evidence do we have that Ram was born at exactly that place where the mosque stands? India was facing many serious problems back then (many of them still exist) what purpose does this temple was going to serve to solve any of those problems? If Babur broke any temple back then and now we go and break that mosque then what is the difference between him and us? No one from my immediate surroundings was willing or capable of answering those questions so I decided to get more information and study the issue myself. After much research and reading I discovered that all this movement and polarization was purely for political gain. It was all done to get votes and grab power, no one was actually interested in a temple there but everyone was interested in using that issue as a political tool to polarize voters. That was the time when I got detached from the political philosophy of the BJP. I was attracted to it because of my young and impressionable mind but when I realized that it was instilling communal feelings in me, making me hate Muslims for no reason or for something that happened centuries back, I moved away from it. Since then I have seen some leader or other belonging to BJP trying to make use of this brand of politics to serve their political purpose. This type of brand spreads divisiveness and hatred among different sections of society. There is no doubt that this polarization helps to consolidate votes based on religion or caste, and win elections but I feel this is really bad for society as it sowed seeds of divisiveness among different sections of society. It encourages hatred and demolishes trust between communities. It destroys the social fabric of a country by creating a rift between different sections of society, especially, the majority and minority. This is the main reason why I stay away from their brand of politics. This is a very simple story of my attachment and detachment from the BJP. I don't oppose BJP blindly but I oppose their brand of politics. I oppose each and every attempt by any party or politician to create a communal rift in society. It seems that the BJP is trying to improve, they and their supporters claim that it is a secular party and believe in taking all sections of society together but so far it doesn't reflect in their actions. The day they really start practicing all-inclusive politics, I am sure many more people from different communities and religions will join them to take India forward. Until then, they may win elections and stay in power, but their brand of politics will only polarize India. 

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. In the Name of God - Ram ke Naam (1992 Documentary on Babri Masjid Demolition)
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQaV2cWL1D4

Is use of lethal techniques by police in every case justified?

Within a few days after the much debated grand jury decision in the Michael Brown shooting case, another similar decision in the Eric Garner case fueled this debate once more and created widespread protests all over the USA. In this case also, a person who didn't commit a serious crime died because of the use of excessive force by a police officer. One can debate whether the chokehold used by Daniel Pantaleo was necessary or not, but the truth is we lost one life and no one seems to be taking responsibility for that. Apart from the issue that people from certain races normally face more aggressive behavior from police, there is another very serious issue about how police deal with arrests. The question that comes to my mind is, is the use of lethal techniques by police to arrest people in each and every case justified? Maybe in most of the cases, no one gets seriously injured but what about cases like Eric Garner where people not only get seriously injured but lose their life? Police have no clue about the medical condition of the person whom they are trying to arrest, there is no way to get that information in advance so wouldn't it be wise to be cautious and act accordingly for nonviolent crimes.

As I mentioned in my post related to the Michael Brown shooting, any law enforcement agency's job is tough. Every day they have to face unpredictable and dangerous situations. They are trained to protect themselves as well as innocent people around them but I think they are also trained to act with severity against people who break the law or who don't follow their instructions. This severity then crosses the limit on some occasions which result in tragic incidents like Eric Garner's death. I don't think that playing the blame game or debating who is at fault would solve this problem. No doubt that the guilty should be tried in a court of law but I think in the current system it is very difficult to point out who is at fault. Major reforms in police training and protocols are needed. This should be followed with a public awareness campaign, these things look like the only viable options that can help to avoid such instances. When I was discussing this case with my son he told me that in some places authorities are trying to tell officers that try to "talk them down don't take them down." This sounds like a good idea where nonviolent crimes (like shoplifting) are involved. If talking with the concerned person to convince him/her to follow police orders can save some lives then I think it should be considered as a first option. After all, the police department's job is to eliminate or reduce the crime from society not to eliminate people who break the law. If crime can be reduced without hurting people then this approach should be tried but at the same time public awareness campaign also should be carried out to educate people on how to behave with police. These reforms have to be a two-way process, blaming only one section (police) is not going to help. Many people just panic or get scared when approached by police and do many things which they may not do normally and this creates problems for them as well as for police. If people understand that the police are there to protect them and not to harm them then they will follow the orders and cooperate. 

Both these events, Michael Brown's shooting, and Eric Garner's death are tragic. Both these tragedies could have been avoided by the use of some patience and restraint on the police's part but I think they are not trained to do that. I am not an expert in law or police department regulations but in both cases grand jury didn't think that any illegal or wrong act was committed by a police officer. But if we look at countrywide protests against both these decisions then it is clear that people don't agree with this. Maybe as per the law of the respective states, nothing illegal or criminal happened, but the fact is that two people lost their lives and this needs serious introspection and some corrective measures. I hope these incidents start a serious debate to look for ways to eliminate occurrence of such instances rather than violent protests and blame games which will make the matter worse. Every human life irrespective of race, religion, ethnicity, or nationality is precious and every possible attempt should be made to save it. The police's job is to protect people and not harm them. We all should also recognize and appreciate that police are doing a tough job of protecting citizens from bad elements of society. They are required to use lethal techniques while dealing with hard-core criminals but these techniques should not be considered as the only option to deal with every law and order situation. At the same time, citizens have some responsibilities along with their rights. They need to help the police rather than make their job more difficult. I think if both people and the police understand each other, try to build a bond of trust then we might be able to avoid such instances. I hope concerned authorities take these incidents seriously and devise some action plan which can help to resolve this issue.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. We Must Stop Police Abuse of Black Men
2. It Wasn’t Just the Chokehold
3. Protesters Fill the Streets Across the Country Over Decision in Eric Garner Case
4. Deadly Force, in Black and White

Use of abusive and divisive speeches in Indian politics

The recent uproar in the parliament over a derogatory speech made by Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti has resulted in a lot of debates and discussions. The words she used while campaigning for BJP in Delhi were definitely not acceptable. After such a strong protest and maybe on the advice of senior leaders of her party, Ms. Jyoti apologized "if her comment hurt anyone." I wonder how she expected that after using such derogatory language it won't hurt anyone. The words she chose in her speech are definitely used to insult people who don't subscribe to her faith and political ideology, she not only used abusive language but also made a divisive speech where she questioned people's patriotism if they don't believe in the Hindu god Ram. She rightfully apologized for her abusive language but she and her party defended her divisive comments. Unfortunately, she is not the only one and BJP is not the only party who is trying to defend such divisive comments made by their leader there are quite a few political parties who do the same thing.

Any use of abusive language should be avoided on public platforms, but rarely do politicians in India show this restraint. They address each other with many derogatory names and adjectives but I can understand the theatrics they do to appease their base, so, I always ignore when they abuse each other, especially during election campaign speeches. But one can not ignore it when they start negatively painting communities or when they use derogatory words to insult people who don't support them, this propagates communal hatred and divisive politics. This leads to communal tension, sometimes it even leads to communal riots which are difficult to control once they start and that's why this is more dangerous. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's speech comes exactly under this category of hate speech. She was not insulting any political leader or party, she was talking about all who don't agree with her political ideology and questioning the patriotism of people who don't respect a god from her religion. She literally abused everyone who didn't agree with her views, and this is not some ordinary party worker or some insignificant politician (fringe elements) this is a union minister in Mr. Modi's cabinet. This is the same Modi who declared on Red Fort not to indulge in any communal propaganda at least for 10 years so that the country can focus on important issues like development. But it seems no one from his own party or cabinet heard that part of his speech or they just ignored his request because these leaders think that politics has to be divisive, and without polarizing votes how can they win elections? Not taking any strict action against such people encourages such behavior, it reinforces the idea that as long as you are popular you can get away with anything.

As it happened many times in the past with BJP and many other parties this time also most of Sadhvi's comments were defended by her party. She apologized for using that abusive word (the word means "bastard") but not for the rest of her speech. BJP offered various explanations to defend her, their spokespersons even quoted many other instances where people used some derogatory words for Mr. Modi but they all failed miserably to differentiate between a personal attack and an attack on the entire community or the entire opposition. Nowadays abusive and divisive speeches are used very frequently in politics. Politicians who use them understand their impact very well. They use these types of speeches to their advantage but now it is time for people to understand this dirty game played by politicians and act accordingly.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. Ruckus in Parliament over minister's abusive remark, opposition demands PM's statement
2. Modi's minister uses derogatory language, defends remark

Rohtak brave hearts and issue of eve teasing

The Video of two sisters thrashing eve-teasers in Rohtak city bus has gone viral in Indian news and social media. Everyone must stand up for their own rights, against any injustice, torture, or harassment. These girls did the right thing if these boys were continuously harassing them and were not willing to listen even after repeated warnings or requests. When I heard their interview on NDTV then it was disturbing to know that in a city bus full of men and women no one dared to help these girls when a few boys were trying to molest them. This bystander approach is really worrisome, and we see this attitude almost everywhere where people silently witness wrong things happening in front of their eyes. They choose to ignore them or choose to keep silent because they think it is not their business, after all, they are not victims so why should they react. It was also disturbing when during the interview one of the sisters advised all the girls that if they face a similar situation then they should beat the guy who dares to tease them as much as they want or until they are satisfied before taking him to the police. I think this advice is more emotional than practical. Violence is not the only option to resist any harassment, there are many other nonviolent ways to resist. Also, there should be a proper investigation of this incident before jumping to any conclusion by knowing only one side of the story.

The real issue here is the teasing and harassment of girls in public places. The problem of eve teasing or taunting in public places is very common in India as well as many other countries (I even see it in the US also). This is a serious issue and needs attention from people as well as law enforcement agencies. Confronting the wrongdoers like eve-teasers or molesters is the right thing to do. Every boy or girl has the right to stand up for their rights and fight for their safety. Under extreme situations where nothing else works use of force should be exercised as an option. There is no doubt that wrongdoers should be confronted so that they don't think that they can get away with such behavior easily. But to thrash them every time is not a solution to stop these things from happening. I think this girl might have said this because she was very angry because of this episode, but whenever the media telecasts something like this they should also give warnings about the dangers of violence. This interview should not send the wrong message to the youths of India that they can take the law into their own hands and punish people if they think that something wrong is happening. Every effort should be made to handle the situation by avoiding violence. This is why we have rules and laws. If people make their own decisions and try to punish wrongdoers on the spot then why do we need to have any law or justice system?  We can just let people punish wrongdoers in whatever way they feel appropriate, but we all know that this is not a practical and logical approach to handling any crime. 

Violence might look like a viable solution to solve any issue temporarily but hardly it works to find a long-term solution. Right to use force should be exercised whenever the situation demands it, but if possible, it should be considered as the last option. One can be assertive and forceful without the use of any physical force. If many boys and girls take inspiration from this incident and stand up or speak up whenever they see any such misbehavior then it is a good thing. But if they start indulging in physical fights to solve issues like this then one can only imagine the chaos which we might have to deal with. So, let's ignore this particular sentence from the interview and focus on the courage to fight misbehavior and stand up against any harassment. Hopefully, this incident will inspire people in the right way. Once we all start raising our voices against such things then automatically it will send a strong message to these molesters or wrongdoers.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. Rohtak sisters thrash men who harassed them on moving bus
2. OTHER SIDE OF ROHTAK BRAVEHEARTS

Shooting of Michael Brown - a murder, a police encounter, or a self defense?

There is no doubt that the police have a very hard job to do. The kinds of situations and challenges they face every day are so unpredictable and dangerous that it is very difficult to apply normal logic under some of these situations. But at the same time, many of these situations deal directly with human life and death, even a very small mistake can kill an innocent person or allow a dangerous criminal to get away. So, police officers need to be vigilant, careful, and attentive all the time. This all needs a lot of training along with a lot of physical and mental strength. That is why people from the police force or military are respected and honored for their service because they risk their own lives to save others every day. But when you read about the incidents like the shooting of Michael Brown then you doubt whether everyone in the police department is honest and dedicated towards their job. Under the circumstances Michael was shot raises many uncomfortable questions for which there are no easy answers.

Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager was shot dead by Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014. I don't think after reading the full story one can deny that Michael might have made some mistakes on that day (like stealing a pack of cigars from a store, getting into an argument with a police officer, or trying to resist the arrest). However, the question is, were his mistakes serious enough to fatally shoot him? Did he pose such a serious danger to Officer Darren Wilson's life that he shot Michael multiple times with the clear intention of killing him? If Michael committed some criminal offense then Officer Darren should have tried to arrest him, if at all he was required to use a weapon he should have tried to use it in a nonfatal way. Many teenagers do a lot of stupid things, many of these things they do without knowing the real consequences of their actions. There is no doubt that kids who make these types of mistakes should be punished if the mistake breaks any law or harms anyone to make sure that they don't repeat the same mistakes. But there are nonviolent ways to deal with such unpleasant situations, one needs to show a lot of patience while dealing with them. Brutal force should be used only when it is absolutely required. Every effort should be made by law enforcement officers to handle the matter without causing any serious injury when they are dealing with common people. This is because one can recover the lost or stolen items, one can chase or hunt criminals but one can not bring back lost lives and that is why this restraint and caution is necessary. 

This issue becomes more serious because of the racial angle involved in it. The victim Michael Brown was Black and Darren Wilson was white. One can understand why there is so much anger and protest against the grand jury's decision to acquit Officer Wilson. It is not only about the death but about the real intention behind the act of fatal shooting. Unfortunately, many protests are turning out to be very violent with a lot of destruction of public property. These kinds of violent protests rarely help the cause, but they do shift the focus away from the real problem as serious law and order situation is created due to violence and public property destruction. So, if people wanted to register their protest against the decision of the grand jury they should protest in a civilized and peaceful manner to register their protest, violence is not going to help. Also, this incident should be investigated by an unbiased and diverse jury so that people also believe that any decision taken is an unbiased decision. It is the job of investigating agencies to conduct a transparent investigation.

Some available statistics indicate that black teens are 21 times more likely to be killed by cops, this data is worrisome and concerning. If it is true then this problem needs urgent attention. Because of the many complexities involved, it is often difficult to decide whether such shootings are really a result of self-defense (where an officer shoots a person to save their own life) or potential murder. Police should try to show some restraint and caution while dealing with teenagers, if required they should be given special training for this. At the same time, teens also should be made aware of the role of police in their society and their own responsibilities as citizens of society. Spreading awareness among police and teens about their rights as well as responsibilities can be a first step in this direction. Michael is gone and I hope there is a proper investigation in this case to reveal the truth. The main focus should be on how can we avoid these types of incidents in the future. Let's try to accept first that there is a problem and then only we can find a solution for this. Unless both sides (society and law enforcement) which are part of this problem are actively involved in solving it I don't think there will be any viable solution for this. We all are part of this problem so we all have to be part of the solution also.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Michael_Brown
2. Ferguson’s Grand Jury Bought Darren Wilson’s Story
3. Deadly Force, in Black and White

Mythology is not science

Birth of Karna (my favorite character from Mahabharat) was a marvel of genetic engineering in ancient India, Ganesha's head replacement was an example of plastic surgery; these are meanings that students might derive from some of the statements that India's PM Mr. Narendra Modi made recently. There are already people who believe that whatever great discoveries are made in the area of science are already described in ancient Indian scriptures, and such statements only validate such unscientific thinking. It is a different issue that such people fail to explain if those discoveries were already mentioned in those books then how come Indians failed to report it to the rest of the world and how come only when someone else reported them then only these people suddenly realize that it was already mentioned in their holy books. The only agenda these people have is to push their own ideology and religion as a superior force and claim credit for others' hard work. Anyone who really studied science and with a real scientific temperament would feel amazed by the sheer ignorance of these people. These people fail to understand the difference between mythology (which is fiction) and science (which is based on reproducible data and verifiable evidence). 

Mythology is full of very interesting and inspiring stories. Among these stories, Mahabharat is my favorite one. Many stories from this great epic are full of interesting characters and incidents. To make them entertaining authors have included many fictitious incidents like they do in all fiction books like Harry Potter. It is to the credit of the author's great imagination that these books are so entertaining and popular. Many of the incidents mentioned in fiction books are also inspired by some real-life incidents, they make use of real city names or dates just to make these stories sound real. But at the same time, we all know that no one can fly on a broomstick, people can not defy gravity without any external help, unicorns don't exist, and animals don't talk in any human spoken language, but we all love to read these stories and watch these things on the screen. However, if scientists discover some invention, for example, a touch screen or the wireless phone, already mentioned in some story or movie like Star Wars after a lot of hard work and research, we don't give credit to that book or movie for inventing it. Maybe scientists or inventors get some idea from these movies but to make these things a reality is an altogether different ball game. It requires a lot of study, planning, hard work, and many experiments (most of which fail), to make any invention work. It is not easy to bring fiction into reality but the hard work of many scientists makes some of these things possible. Flying was considered impossible just a few centuries ago but now we have so many devices which one can use to fly in group or solo. This was possible due to the hard work of many people who worked tirelessly to develop this technology. These are the people who should get the credit for this invention, not someone who might have mentioned in some story that humans can fly without any technical details about how can they defy gravity and fly.

Such statements coming from a person like Mr. Modi who is the prime minister of India are very surprising if not shocking. He can have his personal opinion about any issue but as a prominent public figure, he should know that his statements are going to have a huge impact on many impressionable minds who follow him. Mythology is not science. They are different and one should not try to mix them as none of them will get any benefit from such mixing, it will only breed ignorance and stupidity.  

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. PM Modi takes leaf from Batra book: Mahabharat genetics, Lord Ganesha surgery
2. Indian prime minister claims genetic science existed in ancient times

Reviving Sanskrit - Forcing it on students is not a solution

The main purpose of any language is to act as a mode of communication between people. Language also helps in preserving historical records and transmitting knowledge from one generation to another. No one can deny the use and importance of language in our society. The need for communication is very essential part of human existence and different languages serve this very important purpose. I don't know the exact count of world languages, but I am sure there are hundreds of them. Some ancient languages like Heabrue are even spoken today and some like Sanskrit are not. The languages that are not spoken in today's world are also studied as there is a vast amount of literature that can be useful even today. Sanskrit is one such language. It is not a spoken language anymore, but there exists a vast amount of literature in Sanskrit. Most of that literature is translated into many other languages and available for everyone to read, so, not knowing Sanskrit is not at all a hindrance in today's world to studying the literature that was available only in Sanskrit a couple of hundred years back.

I am writing this post on this issue because I have first-hand experience about being forced to learn Sanskrit. I was forced to study this language in 10th grade because Sanskrit was considered as a "scoring subject." During my school days, we had three language curricula, Marathi (regional language) and English were compulsory and one could choose the third language. We had Hindi and Sanskrit as options as the third language. I chose 50% Hindi and 50% Sanskrit. My favorite language was Marathi, but between Hindi and Sanskrit, I always liked Hindi better than Sanskrit and found it much easier to understand and study because I was more familiar with that language because of Hindi movies. But in 10th grade, I was part of so so-called scholar batch which was specially trained by our school to score better in the board exams and that is why everyone in that batch was forced to take only Sanskrit as the third language as it was supposed to boost our overall score. Our Sanskrit teacher was really nice, she was a calm and polite lady with a lot of patience, she tried her best to train everyone by taking extra classes at her own home but I struggled to understand even the basics of Sanskrit. I was not at all happy that I was forced to study it. I knew that it was not going to help me to boost my score but it would reduce my score, and that's what happened. I managed to somehow pass that subject by scoring 53 out of 100. I really hated the fact that I was forced to study Sanskrit. I was too weak or scared to register my protest in school. Neither my parents nor I had any clue about this language, they felt bad for my struggle but beyond that they couldn't do much. It took a lot of time and effort from my side to overcome my dislike for Sanskrit due to this bitter experience. The point here is forcing any language on students is not going to make them like or popularize that language. The same story was with English, many of my friends struggled in English because there was no connection with English, and we did not know how to read or speak English. Many of my friends struggled to pass English, it was the second lethal subject after maths that students used to fear. they studied it because it was compulsory and even after studying it for 5 years (from 5th to 10th) most of them didn't like or have any clue about it. 

I am not against teaching any particular language in schools as some of my friends got this impression when I was debating with them about this issue. In Indian schools two languages are compulsory (the regional language and English), so they already teach two languages to students. The third language is for academic purposes, so let students choose which one they want to study. Students should get a choice, let them choose which Indian or foreign language they want to learn as a third language. If they opt for Sanskrit then by all means teach it to them. I am sure it is a wonderful language like many others. Even though I studied that language for 3 years I am in no position to comment about that language as my opinion will be very biased. Sanskrit or any other language can not be revived by forcing people to learn it, this is not a correct method to revive any language. Spread awareness about the merits and demerits of learning Sanskrit, create enough job opportunities that will require people to know that language, and then people will learn it on their own. Forcing it on students might create more students like me who dislike that language just because they were forced to learn it. I hope school authorities offer Sanskrit as an option for a third language rather than making it a mandatory subject. Every language deserves to be taught in school but proper platforms should be developed and methods should be used so that students don't suffer. I hope the interest of all students is taken into consideration before implementing any such decision. 

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. Make Sanskrit compulsory: Singhal
2. German row: parents move court

Crook Rampal and his goons should be punished

The recent drama that happened in Haryana during the process of following the High Court's order to arrest a self-styled godman Rampal has raised some serious questions about some of these religious organizations and their work. This fella Rampal and his supporters dared to stop the entire police force from following the court order to arrest Rampal and present him in court as he failed to appear before the court even after repeated summons issued in his name. The resistance shown by his supporters to stop his arrest was shocking. It was a blatant show of contempt for the law. They believed that their guru Rampal was someone above the law, they also expected state and law enforcement should treat him differently than they treat common people. This type of unreasonable expectation is not uncommon, in India politicians, celebrities, and such babas expect this type of treatment and many times they get it. So, it was not unreasonable for this baba who has a couple of million followers to expect the same special treatment. This mentality is created and perpetrated by people in India, they think that politicians and babas or gurus are above the law. These supporters think that all these are special people who should be treated differently no matter what crime or mistake they commit.

Rampal and this incident is just an example of to what extent this human worship mentality can push people. People are willing to die to defend their idol who they think can do nothing wrong. This is worrisome as well as pathetic. I used to get angry at the foolishness of these people but now I only feel pity for such people. Failure of government and administration to stop these types of incidents from happening is another serious issue here. Very often political parties and politicians make use of these babas and imams for their own political benefit. This nexus between politics and religion is beneficial for both as they try to help each other whenever possible. This nexus makes both of them powerful and allows them to control people's minds. It is difficult to bring any law to stop such things, only proper education and mass awareness might put an end to such blind following but that is also not guaranteed. Even so-called educated people fall for such babas and corrupt politicians. The basic principle that everyone must be treated as equal in front of the law is not followed when the culprit is some politician, religious leader, or celebrity. But at the same time, many common people suffer at the hands of the law just because they don't have the proper knowledge or resources. If the government claims that the law is the same for all then they walk the talk and demonstrate it. "Justice for all" and "everyone is equal to law" should not just remain slogans. I hope in the future such incidents are avoided and no politician or any influential person is given any special treatment in front of the law. 

News reports say that at least six people died inside the ashram during this whole standoff. If people died because they were held hostage and didn't receive proper medical treatment then this should be considered a murder. This crook Rampal and his goons should be booked for obstructing the justice and murder of these innocents, no one involved in this incident should escape the clutches of law. Even people who made the mistake of risking the lives of their own children by bringing them to the site of conflict should be tried for negligent parenting. Strict action taken against all of them, this might stop others from repeating the same in the future. If the administration for any reason fails to take any strict action against people involved in this episode, including the police who were involved in beating the journalists who were trying to cover this incident then it will set a bad precedent and encourage others to repeat this blatant disregard for the law. Let's see what choice the administration makes.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. 'Very tough operation' under way in Rampal's ashram, over 100 injured
2. प्राइम टाइम : हिसार में सरकार का सरेंडर!
3. Rampal Lives in 12-Acre Ashram, Owns BMWs, Mercs

We need to stop objectification of human body

During one of the panel discussions on one of NDTV programs social scientist Kamla Bhasin raised a very interesting point, she called nakedness a natural phenomenon but objected to nudity which in commercial media tries to objectify the female body. Kamla Bhasin made very interesting argument against the widespread nudity in advertising and movies which objectifies male and female (especially female) bodies and presents them as a consumer product. She also took a strong objection to derogatory lyrics of some Hindi movie songs which clearly present the female body as some object for male enjoyment. She raised similar concerns during the episode related to domestic violence and gender sensitivity on Amir Khan's show Satyamev Jayate. She insisted that nakedness is natural, and there is nothing wrong in it but nudity is purposeful, and especially female nudity which directly results in the objectification of female body (especially in movies) is also the result of age-old patriarchal culture.

One can argue that what type of clothes to wear or how much to expose one's body is entirely a personal choice, and what is shown in movies is a matter of artistic freedom. But I guess she wants to question whether this is done because of individual choice or because of pressure to present oneself in particular form because of the prevalence of patriarchal culture. One can clearly see this when men are all dressed up in suits and on the same stage one can see women wearing revealing clothes and high heels that too in nicely air-conditioned rooms, which must make them feel chilly and uncomfortable. If all this is because of individual choice then no one should object to it but is it really like this? No one can question an individual's right to choose what dress they want to wear on any occasion but whenever I talk to people it doesn't seem like like there is a choice. I see many women and men complaining that they can not wear same dress on two different occasions because people will taunt them or pass some adverse comments about their dress. I always wonder whether people dress up out of choice or out of compulsion or pressure to fit in? I never used to feel comfortable in suits and many traditional Indian dresses and on many occasions, in functions like marriage or festival celebrations, I refused to wear them and faced a lot of criticism for doing that. I didn't care what people thought about me when they saw me like that but it seems many do care and they care a lot about what people will say about their external appearance. They care so much that many dress to fit into that image of real men and real women at the cost of their own comfort and choice.

To pressurize or force anyone to expose their body is equally bad as to force them to cover it. Surprisingly most people don't believe that because of aggressive advertising, there is tremendous pressure on men and women, especially on women to dress and look in a particular way. Specially women are considered modern, liberal, or progressive only if they wear certain type of clothes, this stereotype is very common all over the world. I see many people talking against the burqa or ghoonghat where women are forced to cover their bodies, this system is part of some cultures or religion but not many people raise their voice against pressure on women in today's world to expose their body or dress in a certain way. I always wonder why only one of these things is considered regressive and forceful? It seems many believe that wearing a burqa is more oppressive than a bikini walk which is mandatory during many beauty contests. It also seems that people find it hard to believe that women can choose by their own will to wear burqa, sari, or ghoonghat but they easily believe that all women choose to wear revealing clothes out of their own choice. Actually, in both cases, if it is done under any direct or indirect pressure, there is no individual choice. The human body is treated as an physical object in both cases. If forcing women to wear a burqa is wrong them forcing them to walk on a ramp in a bikini is also wrong. The male body is also objectified heavily in movies which is again a very serious issue. I agree that it is a very recent phenomena compared to female body objectification but we can see that it has also started. One can see many products in the market and aggressive ad campaigns which strongly advocate of certain body types and shapes for men and women both. 

We need to stop this human body objectification. I don't think it is easy to stop this process because this objectification is so seamlessly done that many times people don't even notice that they are being objectified. They follow it as a fashion trend or a way of looking beautiful or just to fit in the image of an ideal man and woman created by this seamless objectification process. With examples from my own family and friends I can see how seriously it affects the minds of people. I was so surprised by this phenomenon that I started thinking that it is a myth that people choose their own dress, my observation says that most people choose their dress based on what others think about their choices, and very few dare to choose what they want. One can give different names to that force, one can call it peer pressure, gender stereotype, fashion trend, culture, or some other name but I found very few who were willing to go against the popular norm and dare to think differently. I know it is a tough battle, and it is not easy to stand alone from a crowd, I know how it feels. But still, I hope I see some more people who are willing to take this path, who are willing to question this objectification, challenge the stereotypes, and defy these unjust norms. After all, progress depends on all unreasonable people who challenge the status quo and demonstrate that it is possible to change things.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:
1. हम लोग : आगे बढ़ती लड़कियां, पीछे खींचता समाज
2. http://www.onebillionrising.org/249/kamla-bhasin-south-asia/

Who owns Jawaharlal Nehru?

The ugly spat between Congress and BJP, the two largest national parties of India over the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru during the celebration of his 125th birth anniversary has generated a lot of political drama. The issue was really a trivia. The Congress party organized an international symposium to celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. They invited leaders from various political parties (like Mamta Banerjee from Trinamool) to take part in the symposium but not the current prime minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi. This has created a political storm and wrestling match between the BJP and Congress over who owns the legacy of Nehru. Who can appropriate Nehru and who can't. This controversy is totally unnecessary and displays the primitive and shallow nature of politics which both national parties are trying to play just to score some brownie points. One can agree or disagree with Nehru's policies, one can analyze or criticize his tenure as first prime minister of India, but one can not deny his contribution to India's freedom struggle and his role in establishing a democratic system in India. One also can not ignore his role in recognizing the importance of science and scientific aptitude for a young country like India. He took an active interest and all the necessary steps to establish some of the major scientific institutes which we cherish even today. No leader is perfect, they all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and that is why we debate and discuss them, and Nohru or Gandhi were no different. But it is really unfortunate to see such a pathetic tug-of-war between two major political parties over the legacy of a national icon.

The question people are asking is, who owns Nehru? Is he Congress party's personal property as he belonged and represented Congress for his entire political career? Is he the personal property of the Nehru-Gandhi family which is still a major player in Indian politics? Do India and its people own him as he was their first prime minister? According to me, no single political party or family owns the legacy of a leader like Nehru. Of course, the family in which such individuals are born and parties or people with whom they were directly or indirectly associated might feel more strongly for them, but any public figure is open to praise or criticism by anyone. Saying that only Congress can appropriate Nehru and no one else should dare to honor him or celebrate his birth anniversary is a sign of extreme narrow-mindedness. National icons belong to the entire country irrespective of any party or group. It is not easy to become a national icon, winning an election is fine, becoming prime minister or chief minister is also okay but not every PM or CM becomes a national icon and Jawaharlal Nehru has the status of an international icon. He belongs to everyone. Any praise and criticism about his policies or actions should not be considered a direct attack on his legacy or personality. People who don't believe in Nehru's ideology or his policies are free to disagree with him or criticize him. Of course, people will feel odd if the group or party that continuously insults and discredits Nehru or Gandhi suddenly tries to claim their legacy. At the same time, one also should understand that people may change their opinion and if now suddenly they feel that Gandhi or Nehru's policies or ideas were right, and they should respect them, then this opportunity should be given to them. Only time will tell us what the real purpose behind the sudden change of hearts of these groups is. One should not doubt anyone's intentions without any evidence, a chance must be given to prove that their feelings and intentions are honest.

I feel this drama was totally avoidable and unnecessary. Unfortunately, political parties are making personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, or Sardar Patel tools of political tug-of-war between them (especially Congress and BJP). Both parties are actually insulting these people by engaging in such public spats. The whole of India is proud of these people and everyone who is influenced by their work should celebrate their legacy, at the same time, any constructive criticism should also be welcomed. No particular party should claim ownership of these national icons. I hope this controversy settles down soon and we get to celebrate the real legacy of these people. Let's hope that people remember them for the work they have done for India not just because of the party they represented.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Chhattisgarh incident - if it is not an eyeopener then we are already a dead society

The unfortunate tragedy which unfolded in Chhattisgarh has shocked me deeply. It's not that I don't know how these government camps are conducted and what is the situation of sanitation in government-run clinics but I was still shocked by this incident. At least 13 women lost their lives and many more are in critical condition after getting sterilization operations performed in one of the government-run camps. This is not the first time any such mishap happened in government-run camps but I think the loss of lives on such a large scale never happened before. The public health system is in very bad shape in India, a lot of corruption, and lack of accountability plagues this system so much that it is almost dysfunctional. The population control program is part of the health ministry of the central government as well as the state government. Every state sets some targets that it needs to complete to get the required funding which is allocated for that specific purpose and pressure to fulfill those targets can result in horrible incidents like this one where people lose their lives. Lack of transparency, poor follow-up, and inquiry into such incidents allows most culprits to roam free. The system has failed to put any check on the occurrence of such unwanted incidents. Along with people who actually conduct these camps (doctors and medical officers) government machinery and health ministers are equally responsible for these mishaps. Unless all directly and indirectly concerned people are held accountable and punished appropriately I don't think these types of instances will stop.

This is a cruel joke on people and their lives (especially poor and uneducated), they are dragged to these camps with the lure of money or some holiday from their work and doctors casually play with these people's health. Any medical procedure like surgery, especially something like a sterilization operation should not be performed without informed consent. Here word "informed" is more important than consent, it is very easy to get consent from these uneducated poor people who sign any form just in exchange for a few bucks or just because some "educated" person like a doctor is telling them to do so. They think that if some doctor or some respected politician or educated person from their village is telling them to do this thing then it must be good. We can call it consent but it is not informed consent which is a must for any medical procedure like this. The government or any agency can not hide behind the technical rules that we did our job according to rule books and it is people's fault that they go to such camps and die.

Lack of transparency and accountability at every level is a major reason why such incidents keep on happening. This is the same state where ~100 people lost their eyesight after a cataract operation in government camps, and there was no news about what happened to those culprits involved in that incident. These incidents create headlines for few days, and there are attempts to politicize these issues to score some political points but slowly some other issue takes over and people forget about it, in the end nothing substantial happens to put an end to these tragic events. Politicizing any event like this is bad but some political accountability is needed for such incidents. After all, politicians are an important part of the administration that plans and executes such events. They are the people who get the credit for any successful implementation of government schemes, so, they should also get the blame and punishment for such disasters. Normally, only poor and uneducated people are the victims of such events. These are the people who are not active on Facebook, Twitter, or WhatsApp, they are not going to flood social media with their protest posts but they are equally important citizens of India and they need the same treatment that is offered to any citizen from any metro city.

Unless they establish proper mechanisms at every level to make sure that SOP (standard operating procedures) are followed wherever people's health issues are in question we will keep on witnessing such events. Just a resignation or arrest of one doctor or officer is not a solution to this serious problem. We need systematic and administrative reforms if we want to put an end to such incidents. If this incident is not an eye-opener for the people and politicians of India then I am afraid that we are a dead society that doesn't care about the lives of the poor of our society. I hope this incident is the last such incident and necessary steps are taken to avoid such tragedy in the future.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

Links:

1. Chhattisgarh sterilisation tragedy: Directors of drug company arrested; doctor blames govt

2. Chhattisgarh Sterilisation Deaths: My Resignation Won't Solve the Problem, Says Raman Singh

Kiss of love - protest against attack on individual freedom not against any culture

Recently protest movement against moral policing, "Kiss of Love" was in the news. This protest was given this name because people decided to kiss each other as a form of protest against moral policing. Interestingly, this protest started in the state of Kerala and rapidly spread to other parts of India. As expected many organizations associated with Hinduism and Islam opposed these protests calling them against Indian culture and a violation of the civic code of conduct. Moral policing is not a new phenomenon in any country, some fanatic, self-declared culture protectors try to impose moral or cultural values which they think are right. These organizations don't care whether it is legal or illegal to impose these things on other people against their will, they do it in the name of protecting ancient culture or traditions. Very often protests like Kiss of Love are blamed on the influence of Western culture, however, ironically India is the country that has produced works of Khajuraho and texts like Kamasutra. The extreme response of these organizations to these protests is not surprising to me but their violent reactions and justifications offered for such violent attacks are major concerns.

Actually, protests like Kiss of Love are not in any way an attack on any culture. These protests are not meant to insult anyone or hurt anyone but this is a way of protesting against unjust moral policing. This protest is a simple way of conveying the message that you can't force your values on others. If someone is breaking the law arrest them and punish them legally, torturing them or harassing them in public is not the solution or a way to protect any culture. Moral values differ from person to person, for some eating non-vegetarian food can be an immoral thing to do, but that doesn't mean they go and beat all people who choose to eat non-vegetarian food. They have the right to propagate the benefits of vegetarian food and the drawbacks of non-vegetarian food but they don't have any right to force their dietary choices on others. In the same way, someone might think females not wearing a burqa is an immoral thing, or drinking alcohol is a sin, or eating beef or pork is a sin, these people are entitled to have whatever beliefs they want but they have no right to force it on others. There is a machinery and system in every state and country to take care of things that are against the law and let them do their job. In a democracy, people even have the right to protest peacefully against any law if they feel it is an unjust law. Peaceful protests, debates, and discussions are signs of a healthy and inclusive society. Moral policing is not a sign of a progressive, tolerant, and open society rather it is a sign of a regressive, intolerant, and backward society. India claims itself to be a very tolerant and progressive country so people should be ashamed of such attacks on the personal liberty of people in their own country.

Indian culture or for that matter any culture is not so weak that it can be threatened by people kissing in public. It is the same culture that has produced Khajuraho temples and books like Kamasutra, so why such a violent stand against a mere protest? And if any culture has some bad elements or repressive traditions then what is wrong in changing those traditions? What is wrong in protesting against any regressive practices that are still practiced? Such protests should be welcomed rather than condemning them, and any attack on personal liberty should be opposed. I hope these types of protests are taken in the right spirit rather than considering them as an attack on any culture. Individual liberty is a very important aspect of any society. I hope individual liberty and fundamental rights are respected and protected, if not then as a society we should be ready to witness many more such protests. Let's see how many attempts are made to crush such protests and what is the ultimate result of such bold protests.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]

City on steroids - is this a real development?

During my recent visit to India, I saw great enthusiasm among people about the issue of development. One reason for this can be the issue of development was also debated during the recent general election for parliament. This also had a backdrop of phenomenal economic development in the last decade or so, people in India have experienced phenomenal economic growth in the last few decades and this has created a lot of enthusiasm about more economic development. I don't think anyone will disagree that economic development is necessary for India to generate more jobs for its youth. This is the reason many cities in India are growing very fast, but the main question is are they growing in the right direction? 

My home town Pune just a couple of decades back a small city with a beautiful climate and was surrounded by beautiful hills. Since the last decade or so it has grown very fast, so fast that if someone who visited this city 8-9 years back visits it now they may not recognize that it is the same Pune. It hosts a large number of software and other companies, industrial and economic growth of this city in the last decade or so has been phenomenal. This growth has also resulted in a real estate boom in this city, prices of properties and lands are skyrocketing, and there is some type of construction work going on on every empty land. This has resulted in a lot of unplanned growth in Pune. Even the hills are not spared from the construction. Many hills are now occupied by some sort of construction (legal or illegal). It is hard to imagine that the place on which these structures are standing was a beautiful hill just a few years back. Development as such comes with some side effects which are manageable if handled properly but unplanned and uncontrolled development comes with many serious side effects. These side effects can have serious consequences like flash floods, and they affect the lives of the people who live in them. As expected, pollution levels are going up in each and every city in India, and there is no proper mechanism to monitor this or any serious efforts made to handle these issues. The unplanned growth of cities is putting a lot of stress on the already overburdened infrastructure of those cities. Traffic conditions are horrible in many places which causes a lot of inconvenience to travelers, and people's habit of not following any traffic rules makes it worse. 

Currently, Pune looks like a city on steroids, growing uncontrollably in all directions wherever it can find empty space. Definitely, economic growth is happening and people are getting richer, one can see economic prosperity coming in families but at the same time, quality of life in terms of proper infrastructure, school system, and government services, is not improving for everyone. Government offices are still very crowded with rampant corruption, and economic development has not been able to check corruption. The public school system is still in horrible condition and it is a tough task to get your kid admitted to any good private school without any political influence or paying heavy donations. There is an upper middle class who can afford to do all these things as they earn enough money to support this type of lifestyle. But at the same time, there is no change in the lives of many lower-middle-class people who are somehow stuck in the same vicious cycle of poverty and lack of proper education. Stress on the city's infrastructure is immense. Pune really needs a properly planned metro, monorail, or some reliable public transport system that can reduce the number of vehicles on its roads. The current public transport system is not able to satisfy the requirements of the growing population which needs a reliable alternative to commute in the city. I think this is the story of more or less all growing cities in India. Some cities like Delhi and Mumbai managed to modernize their public transport system but even there also still there is huge gap between demand and supply.

I wish that concerned authorities take into consideration the consequences of this unplanned growth very seriously and take appropriate steps. Once the city grows with many illegal and unorganized constructions it is really difficult to get rid of them just because so many people occupy these places and it is impossible to take any action against them. This has happened in the past and it seems the administration has not learned any lesson from these incidents. I only hope that economic or real estate growth happens with proper planning and according to available resources in that city. This will allow people to enjoy a comfortable life without being worried about whether they can reach the hospital in time during any medical emergency because of heavy and undisciplined traffic on the roads of the city. People of Pune also should play an important role in this, they need to follow traffic rules and try to keep their city clean. If Pune can show that a growing city can be disciplined and well-organized, it can become an example for all other cities to follow. A city on steroids will grow for sure but that growth is not healthy and natural and I think the people of Pune prefer their beloved city to grow naturally retaining its beauty and natural climate. Let's see if people choose planned and organized growth or if they are fine with this unorganized rampant growth which might create more problems than solutions.

Thanks for reading and please share your views on this topic.

[Copyright: Vinay Thakur. Please contact the author for re-posting or publishing]