A Bill to protect Indian women

A group of minister of government have finalized draft of anti-rape bill. It will be placed before the cabinet. Anti-sexual assault bill will be passed soon. It must be passed before March 22 to become law.This law will make acid attacks, voyeurism and stalking non-bailable offences.These laws have been made to protect women; the real protection is empowerment. When there is grave poverty, all other rights are negated. A poor women stands no chance; her rights disappear when she has to face men who are working in positions higher than her. Poverty must be eradicated before we can enact laws which would give rights to women.The age of consent has been reduced from 18 to 16.Legal age for marriage is 18( minimum age). Being a traditional society, this does not make any sense. This means that female children that young will be given choices. Are they ready mentally to make that choice? These laws are made to give legal protection, but they are not protecting.This would negate child rights given by 'Protection of Child against Sexual Offences Act' passed in 2012. It would be negating Juvenile Justice Act. No child of 16 would understand what is an "informed consent" This could lead to more crimes against the female child.Emotional development of the child is being sacrificed. There is already need for change in it.First the child has to be protected by law, because it is the child which becomes a woman.What is morally incorrect cannot become legally correct. But we are promoting what is legally correct as if it is morally correct.What happened to our culture and traditions which do not allow this "age of consent" legislation.We are not promiscuous.Just enacting law cannot protect women; patriarchal mindsets have to change so that women achieve better status in society. Women must shake free of superstitions and traditional mindsets; the change should start from within women themselves.

The Great Escape

It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood movie—two criminals escape prison. The escapists want to look like ‘A-team’ perhaps; out conning the diplomats? Two Italian marines who had murdered Indian fishermen were held in judicial custody in India. On promise that they will return after casting their votes in their elections, they were allowed to go to Italy. They were to return as they are awaiting trial in Indian Court; but the criminals did not return to India after voting in Italy. India cannot be taken for granted, as they presume. Italians will learn that India is a powerful nation and not just a any third world country who need not be taken seriously. What is the meaning of going back on word given? If criminals are sent out with a promise of return, promise must be honoured, it is made between diplomats of the two countries.

Italy must listen to Indian courts. It did not. So Italy is still struck in backward mindsets? Have they no idea that this is 21^st Century.  They will be taught lessons in modern history by international organisations.Excerpts from this blog published in February last year under the title "Human Life is Precious" is given below:
 

Two Indian fishermen who were fishing off coast of Kerala in Southern India were shot dead by Italian marines five days ago. The marines have been charged of murder. The Indian police had arrested them and had taken them into custody. They have been now sent to 15days of remand as this is what is done till court hearing takes place. This has aroused the local people and protests are going on. They want justice to be done when lives of fellow Indians were lost for no reason.

What is most hurtful is that is our simple fishermen’s lives so cheap that foreign marines take it as fun to shoot them? They had said they had thought these fishermen "looked like pirates"; for these marines, travelling in high seas, a game of “let’s shoot Indian pirates for target practice” was full of fun. Is value of human life so cheap? Do Indians look so so small that couple of lives was nothing to these marines?
Our status in the comity of nations is determined by how well we conduct ourselves in international conventions. It is also determined by how well our people are treated by outsiders.

We Indians have adopted to world culture; and we work as engineers, doctors, and managers, all over the world. We want to be respected. All people need respect, however big or small. We Indians are highly educated people, and we know our rights well. Guarding our Honor is very important to us. We want human dignity. We should to be treated like fellow human beings, and not as any animal—shooting down fishermen! It is outrageous!

Growth and Good Governance

When there is good governance in states in the union of India, there is much growth. Good governance can come about when there is coordination between the institutions and the people running them. Firstly, politicians have to be committed to the goal of good governance and they have to make sure that the bureaucracy under them is functioning smoothly; secondly they have to make sure sufficient funds are allocated in different organisations under them; and thirdly, they have to make sure that the funds reach the people. The results are not seen immediately, not within the next election. Only in retrospect we can judge good governance because the resultant growth comes much later.For the benefits to reach the people, and for the average voter to mature and realize the resultant growth would take a long long time.

However some trends can be seen. If there is private investment in growth, there is corruption. There is really no way to avoid it. The theory is that, if there is healthy competition in procurement and  in allocation of projects, there will be less corruption. But this always does not work here.Influence of power changes the way open competition adopts to Indian exigencies.No amount of vigilant media can expose the incongruity in the effect of power in private investments.

 Can we really measure growth and development? Literacy rates rise if there is prosperity. Infant mortality or public health cannot be measured and cannot reflect growth. There are correlations; like higher school attendance occurs when there is reduced crime rates.Few states which have industrialised show poor health index for the people.There is 99% literacy in one of the states, but crime rate is very high in the same state. Can wealth be used as an index of progress of the people? There are states where male population has migrated to different parts of the world and is remitting wealth to their respective families; so they are wealthiest. But the wealth generated is not result of progress within the state. People as individuals are create wealth for themselves and the country.Some states which are far away from New Delhi, are doing very well. Because they do not expect anything from the union government, and carry on with development within their state by themselves. With less dependence on approvals and funds, they can perform well. With good leaders, many states have evolved good governance; when leaders have found a solution to protection of property rights with good land records(computerized); where tax rates are regularised; where there is increased tax compliance because of simple methods of e-filing; where wage regulation gives the option to make deals with workers; where employment has been generated.Those states which have incorporated greater computerisation in their bureaucracies have greater chance of prospering. Greater computerisation can bring about transparency efficient and speedy implementation of policies. The option to opt out of corruption is present now.Let us take it.

Do we have bio-security?

Every year many foreign pests and disease causing germs enter our country bringing loss of plant and livestock species. Transgenic species pose risks.The losses caused by them are more than which missiles or bombs can cause. Weeds like ‘parthenium’ have entered India and are causing lung ailments among the people. Bird flu is causing diseases in poultry farms. We must take care of plant health, animal health and marine health. So a Bill has been introduced in our Lower House to provide for an Authority for prevention, control, eradication and management of diseases from outside India. The Bill tries to bring together plant protection animal health and marine resources (diseases in fishes) under agricultural bio-security. Parasites infesting imported birds and fishes kill our native species.Because of freedom to export and import and diversification of agriculture, new species have been brought to India. Native species which were disease resistant have been lost. Out break of diseases can endanger our nation.Genetically modified species bring their own kind of insecurity. Proper management of risks is needed  before introduction of foreign plants in India. Wheat rust is a disease that came from outside India.The loss of health of plant species leads to major agricultural losses. There is pest risk analysis done by our stationsWe need to watch for bio-terrorism.Someone may introduce a disease causing agent in our country affecting our entire population. If dangerous diseases are introduced here, we may have to face major disasters. We must safeguard ourselves from hidden dangers. In a lab, we must investigate plant and animal species brought from outside before allowing them to enter India.We have Directorate of plant protection quarantine and storage stations and animal quarantine stations. We have the duty to inform the government if any new organism has entered our country.We must try to control by post entry quarantine. Agricultural Bio-security Amendment Bill has been passed in lower house(LS)But implementation is the most important aspect of this law. If we are not taking care of this security now, our future is in danger.

Are we safe?

It is Women's Day today and Indian women are wondering "are we safe" How to make us more safe?What is wrong with our society? Can we really celebrate women's day when there is so much tension in our minds? How quickly can we bring about changes in this patriarchal society? A generation or two, may be.Empowering women is our main goal now;women must form associations and join self-help groups and give confidence to each other. More cases of crimes against women is reported now. So we are more aware now then ever before.Neither new law nor police force by itself can give higher status to women. Women must aspire for a better status.Society must change for that.

Loan waivers for farmers

In the year 2008, loans which farmers had in banks were waived. The government paid towards the loans, so that the farmer is not pressurised. But this waiver helped the rich farmers and did not help the eligible farmers. Now, five years after, it is found out that the money did not reach those for whom it was meant for.The government had given Rupees 71000 crores so that farmer's debts can be waived. There were gross irregularities in 20% of the cases seen so far. Of the 90,0000 bank accounts seen so far, in 20,000 cases, benefits were given to ineligible beneficiaries. Some borrowers used the funds to buy jewellery. Sometimes the banks in view of attaining targets, allowed cheap loans to buy non-farm assets. Those who were responsible for not verifying or not certifying properly will be questioned. Many banks encouraged their customers to 'show' as if they were marginal farmers, to avail/claim the waiver of loans. They were reducing their farmed lands to show this.It is time for the truths to come out.What claims were made and for whom? Bank chairmen are now made to make a list of eligible persons for loan waivers.

The reason (for investigating this) is that, there is possibility of recovering benefits from the ineligible persons. We can find out who the real farmers who were denied loans or waivers and help them. Who are those officers who allowed fraudulent claims?

There is possibility that records were fudged, so that the rich farmers benefited more. With so many farmers committing suicide, it is about time we examined what are the irregularities and who are those denied benefits. So many farmers are selling their organs in their body( like kidney) in order to get free themselves of the loans. No matter how hard they try, they fall into deep debt traps.Farming is proving to be a profession which will not give profits. If more farmers opt out from farming, then how will people get food????Future is a question mark.

The unknown India

There is the unknown India which newspapers and magazines do not report about. Only the 'news' from the metros(major cities) seem important and all others seem irrelevant. So large parts of India is still unknown the modern reader. Newspapers bring to attention the problems of the people--their distress, their protests, their aspirations.Whole of rural India is unrepresented in our periodicles.Unrepresented India comprises of tribals(adivasis), farmers, dalits, and minorities. Some states like the Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab are nearby the national capital and are covered well by reporters. 'News' from many far away states like Mizoram, Assam, Sikkim and Nagaland cannot be found in any of the periodicals or newspapers.Then there are some states like Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh and Karnataka who feel unrepresented and ignored. Many regional states feel that the central ruling power is ignoring their problems. They know that their feelings, aspirations and  affiliations are ignored. For example, the torture of  ethnic minority in our neighbouring country is an issue which the people of the deep southern state wants the Indian government to know. But  the central government  trivialises the issue altogether. The local newspapers, TV channels and magazines of the state reflect their voices; but these voices are not heard outside the state.

When will 'news' from remote areas matter? When tribal people, land less farmers revolt, they are heard. For example,farmers are standing in water(in rivers) to protest against dams.Their causes are ignored.When farmers do not produce enough and prices of vegetables rises high, then their plight comes to light. Then, nothing is done as the farmers cannot become an united group. Same holds true of tribal populations who are protesting against land acquisitions. Their causes are never heard. News are just not reported as if they do not matter. In depth coverage is just not done.Only name sake reporting is done--a single line in 'news channel'

We do not know 'how to present the 'news' or 'how to make good quality comments'. We need correct perspective for that. We only see how the 'news' affects us. But these 'news' affect all of us because our nation's progress is our people's progress.Shallow reporting is highly insufficient.The common people's plight is not covered, while corporate interests are fully covered.Many times stories are planted to provide credibility to interests of the corporate firms.  For example, conflicts over natural resources is presented in a different viewpoint. Struggle between the capital wielders and labour is shown differently. This kind of misrepresentation will bring about more disillusionment and more public unrest in the future times to come. To know ourselves, we must know our India, the entire India.