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#MenToo: Punish girls who mock the law to shame innocents

June 16, 2019

The story of Karan Oberoi starts from a dating app and lands him in the #MenToo movement. In the entire saga, the sufferer was only a man who was attacked with selective motives. The Bombay High Court granted a Rs 50,000 bail to Karan month after he was arrested on the charges of raping and blackmailing a woman.

Well, in an FIR lodged on May 4, the 34-year-old fake victim had alleged that Karan Oberoi had raped her in 2017 on the pretext of marriage, filmed the act, and then extorted money from her under the threat of making the video go viral. On May 6, Karan was arrested and sent to the police custody. Later, he was remanded to the judicial custody as his bail plea was pending with the session’s court.

The FIR was false because Karan never promised to marry the woman (who is a Tantrik by profession) whom he met on the dating app; however, she lodged another FIR by staging an attack to ensure his bail gets denied. The attack was planned by her lawyer. However, the police turned the complaint on its head as it is found that the woman has orchestrated the attack herself but had tried to show that she was attacked because of the case.

Meanwhile, Karan Oberoi’s close friends like Pooja Bedi, Sachin Shroff, Danny Fernandes, Anveshi Jain, Chaitanya Bhosle, Varkey Patani, Sherrin Varghese, and Sudhanshu Pandey had spoken up in support of him on the social media. They started a movement called #MenToo and they did a great job being vocal to the media and retaliating the charges against Karan.

Pooja Bedi tirelessly campaigned against the injustice and she got support from various counterparts. The judge too added that the perusal of the messages exchanged between the complainant and the accused shows that the woman had voluntarily purchased gifts for karan and that there was no demand from his side. Justice Dere also reprimanded the police for not conducting the probe properly. The court further observed that the complainant wanted to get married to Karan but he had refused her and was avoiding her since then.

A month after actor Karan Oberoi was sent to the jail for alleged rape and extortion, the Bombay High Court, while hearing his bail plea, pointedly and repeatedly asked the police whether they had seized the 34-year-old rape accuser’s phones.

Well, police actually failed to act swiftly. There is no compensation to the time that Karan has spent in jail and the trauma that his family has gone through. One month is not a short period; however, Karan has people’s support. Think about those who are not celebrities and not even financially strong. Why should they languish in jail for no fault at all?

Karan got bail but there are many questions which are yet to be answered by the judiciary and police. On what basis was the FIR Lodged under such heinous crimes — Rape, Drugging, Filming, Extortion — or was it just based on her saying? What all evidence was produced? Why were the Date and Place not mentioned in her FIR?

Ok, let’s assume that police had to take her case and file an FIR. On what basis did they arrest Karan? Especially when he had SHOWN them the messages of her chasing him and also provided them with the fact he had filed a harassment case against her in October 2018! Why were her (so-called accused) cell phones not seized for investigation even when the judge herself raised this concern?

When the staged attack took place and the attackers named her lawyer as the one who paid them, why didn’t the police call her for questioning? When her lawyer said that it was HER master plan, why didn’t the police still call her for questioning? Why didn’t they arrest the accused after her attempt to tamper with the case? Why didn’t the police, even at this point, seize her phones?

When the high court admonished the Investigating Officer in the court for NOT Seizing her phone and Questioning her and asked WHY THE WOMAN WASN’T ARRESTED, what steps were supposed to be taken by the Investigating Officer? Why did it take the Police three days to seize her phone even after the observations of the high court (giving her over one month to destroy valuable data)?

Why have the police STILL NOT ARRESTED HER? Why and on what grounds she should be spared when it is proven that the case is false. Moreover, all these while, the lady, who falsely accused Karan, has remained anonymous. Her name has not got published anywhere; in spite of all the conspiracy hatched by her, she could manage to maintain her reputation by all means. Why shouldn’t she be named and shamed? Why shouldn’t she be punished for filing a false rape case and wasting the time of the judiciary and tarnishing the life of an innocent?

Something strange is going on in India. Women are becoming more educated and confident. Pre-marital sex is on the rise – there are many hotels that offer rooms for an hour or two to the couples seeking somewhere to have sex. However, at the same time, so are the numbers of women alleging rape on the false promise of marriage. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 38,947 rape cases were reported in India in 2016. In 10,068 cases – about a quarter – women claimed that it was rape on the false promise of marriage.

In Andhra Pradesh state, 45 per cent of all rape cases filed in the past two years fell into the false marriage category. When a relationship ends, women, who have had consensual sex, make false accusations of rape under the promise of marriage out of vengefulness, just to hurt the men or to extort money and promising to withdraw the charge if he gives them what they want.

The only solace for men like Karan, who have been falsely accused, is that many of these cases are thrown out of the court. However, this is not enough unless the so-called victim, when gets exposed, should get punished. Only then we can expect some deterrence in those women.

While there is a façade of the growing number of false rape cases in the media, it is actually an amalgamation of a lot of factors that lead to, in many cases, even real rape cases enter into the fake rape case category. Moreover, it is not to deny that there could be a small percentage where women have lied and extorted money out of men in cases of rape, but there is no clear statistic available on that.

While there are several voices in this narrative of false rape cases that speak about the intensity of it, there is also a major patriarchal agenda as the basis of these false rape cases. Many times, the legal system gets into the convoluted discourse of what is rape! Is it sex by force or sex without mutual consent? We are still trying to figure out what unequivocal consent means.

After the 2013 amendment in the rape laws, a woman now has the authority to decline to go through a medical test in rape cases. There are also several cases where the women file complaints after years of the actual rape happening and since the number kept increasing, it was only recently that the Supreme Court and High Court stopped giving the order in such cases. Going further, the court should take a bold step by arresting these fake girls who are making fun of the law and playing with the lives of innocent men. Even the society needs to be sensitive towards men.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Water levels in Maharashtra’s dams down to 6.8% of total capacity

Web Team

June 16, 2019

The water storage available in 91 major reservoirs of the country for the week ending on May 30, 2019, was 31.65 billion cubic metres, which is 20 per cent of total storage capacity of these reservoirs. This percentage was at 21 per cent for the week ending on May 23, 2019. This is revealed by the Central Water Commission (CWC). But situation in drought hit Maharashtra is very severe. The state has 355 talukas. 182 talukas have been declared drought-prone. According to data available for June13-14, Maharashtra has only 6.8 per cent water of total storage capacity in its dams. The situation is particularly grim in the Marathwada region where water level in reservoirs has dipped to an all-time low.

According to private weather forecaster Skymet this year, rainfall in Vidarbha, Marathwada, west Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat will be poorer than normal while southern India is expected to receive below normal rainfall. Monsoon is still passing through northern parts of Kerala. It is expected that cover many parts of coastal Karnataka and adjoining Maharashtra soon.

Total capacity of Maharashtra’s dams is 40,604,000 million litres and at present water level is at 6.8% of its total capacity ie 2,802,000 million litres, compared to 17% at the same time last year. Region wise and dam wise water level is as follows

Pune Region has 987,000 million litres water which is 6.4% of its total capacity of 15,199,000 million litres, compared to 20% at the same time last year.

Bhama Askhed Dam, 18,000 million litres. At 8% of its live capacity of 217,000 million litres, compared to 32% at the same time last year.

Bhatghar Dam, 29,000 million litres. At 4% of its live capacity of 666,000 million litres, compared to 6% at the same time last year.

Chaskaman Dam, 6,000 million litre. At 3% of its live capacity of 215,000 million litres, compared to 6% at the same time last year.

Dimbhe Dam, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 382,000 million litres, compared to 15% at the same time last year.

Ghod (Chinchani) Dam, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 155,000 million litres, compared to 0% at the same time last year.

Gunjawani Dam, 6,000 million litres. At 6% of its live capacity of 104,000 million litres, compared to 20% at the same time last year.

Khadakwasla Dam, 17,000 million litres. At 31% of its live capacity of 56,000 million litres, compared to 23% at the same time last year. The reservoir is 1 of 4 that provides drinking water to Pune city. The dam reached full capacity on 16 Jul with water having to be released into the Mutha river. The discharge was stopped on 4th Sep due to subdued rainfall in catchment areas.

Manikdoh Dam, 2,000 million litres. At 0.9% of its live capacity of 288,000 million litres, compared to 5% at the same time last year.

Nira Deoghar Dam, 4,000 million litres. At 1.7% of its live capacity of 332,000 million litres, compared to 5% at the same time last year.

Panshet Dam, 43,000 million litres. At 14% of its live capacity of 302,000 million litres, compared to 30% at the same time last year. The reservoir is 1 of 4 that provides drinking water to Pune city.

Pawana Dam, 40,000 million litres. At 14% of its live capacity of 277,000 million litres, compared to 18% at the same time last year.

Pimpalgaon Joge Dam, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 111,000 million litres, compared to 22% at the same time last year.

Temghar Dam, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 105,000 million litres, compared to 1% at the same time last year. The reservoir is 1 of 4 that provides drinking water to Pune city.

Wadaj Dam, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 33,000 million litres, compared to 14% at the same time last year.

Warasgaon (aka Varasgaon) Dam, 21,000 million litres. At 6% of its live capacity of 363,000 million litres, compared to 0% at the same time last year. The reservoir is 1 of 4 that provides drinking water to Pune city.

Yedgaon Dam, 1,000 million litres. At 1.5% of its live capacity of 79,000 million litres, compared to 60% at the same time last year.

Nashik Region, 311,000 million litres. At 5% of its live capacity of 5,823,000 million litres, compared to 15% at the same time last year.

Nagpur Region, 268,000 million litres. At 5.8% of its live capacity of 4,604,000 million litres, compared to 11.4% at the same time last year.

Bawanthadi Dam – Bhandara, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 217,000 million litres, compared to 11% at the same time last year.

Gosikhurd Dam – Bhandara, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 740,000 million litres, compared to 0.58% at the same time last year.

Asolamendha Dam, 16,000 million litres – Chandrapur. At 30% of its live capacity of 52,000 million litres, compared to 11% at the same time last year.

Dina Dam – Gadchiroli, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 68,000 million litres, compared to 0% at the same time last year.

Itiadoh Dam – Gondia, 53,000 million litres. At 17% of its live capacity of 318,000 million litres, compared to 22% at the same time last year.

Kalisarar Dam – Gondia, 12,000 million litres. At 46% of its live capacity of 26,000 million litres, compared to 17% at the same time last year.

Pujaritola P.U.Weir Dam, 000 million litres – Gondia. At 0% of its live capacity of 44,000 million litres, compared to 25% at the same time last year.

Sirpur Dam – Gondia, 30,000 million litres. At 19% of its live capacity of 1,60,000 million litres, compared to 1% at the same time last year.

Kamthi Khairy Dam (aka Pench Dam) – Nagpur, 34,000 million litres. At 24% of its live capacity of 142,000 million litres, compared to 33% at the same time last year.

Khindsi Dam – Nagpur, 8,000 million litres. At 8% of its live capacity of 103,000 million litres, compared to 12% at the same time last year.

Nand Dam – Nagpur, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 53,000 million litres, compared to 11% at the same time last year.

Totladoh Dam – Nagpur, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 1,017,000 million litres, compared to 9% at the same time last year.The reservoir provides drinking water to Nagpur city, irrigates around 1 lakh hectares of farm land and the Khaperkheda Thermal Power Station. 196,360 million litres is reserved for Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC). Dam needs to fill up to 450,000 million litres in order to provide water to satisfy all 3 needs.

Wadgaon Dam – Nagpur, 16,000 million litres. At 12% of its live capacity of 135,000 million litres, compared to 20% at the same time last year. Provides water to the Mihan-SEZ.

Bor Dam – Wardha, 13,000 million litres. At 10% of its live capacity of 127,000 million litres, compared to 25% at the same time last year.

Lower Wardha Dam – Wardha, 6,000 million litres. At 3% of its live capacity of 217,000 million litres, compared to 14% at the same time last year.

Marathwada Region, 39,000 million litres. At 0.54% of its live capacity of 7,259,000 million litres, compared to 15.66% at the same time last year. Click/Touch for dam wise details.

Jayakwadi Dam – Paithan, Aurangabad, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 2,170,000 million litres, compared to 28% at the same time last year.

Majalgaon Dam – Beed, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 311,000 million litres, compared to 10% at the same time last year. Primary purpose is to irrigate 93,885 hectares of land in Beed, Parbhani and Nanded districts.

Manjara Dam – Beed, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 177,000 million litres, compared to 16% at the same time last year.

Siddeshwar Dam – Hingol, 000 million litresi. At 2.66% of its live capacity of 81,000 million litres, compared to 0% at the same time last year.

Yeldari Dam – Hingoli, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 810,000 million litres, compared to 0% at the same time last year.

Lower Manar Dam – Nanded, 13,000 million litres. At 9% of its live capacity of 1,38,000 million litres, compared to 2% at the same time last year.

Lower Terna Dam – Osmanabad, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 91,000 million litres, compared to 650% at the same time last year.

Sina Kolegaon Dam – Osmanabad, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 76,000 million litres, compared to 5% at the same time last year.

Lower Dudhana Dam – Parbhani, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 103,000 million litres, compared to 18% at the same time last year.

Konkan Region, 911,000 million litres. At 26% of its live capacity of 3,511,000 million litres, compared to 34% at the same time last year.

Dhamni Dam – Palghar, 55,000 million litres. At 20% of its live capacity of 276,000 million litres, compared to 36% at the same time last year. Also known as Surya Dam, the reservoir is expected to irrigate around 19,000 hectares of farmland in Palghar district and provide water to the nearby 6 MW Surya Hydroelectric Project.

Kawdas P. U. Weir – Palghar, 8,720 million litres. At 87% of its live capacity of 10,000 million litres, compared to 94% at the same time last year.

Tillari – Sindhudurg, 101,000 million litres. At 22% of its live capacity of 447,000 million litres, compared to 26% at the same time last year.

Bhatsa Dam – Thane, 249,000 million litres. At 26% of its live capacity of 942,000 million litres, compared to 32% at the same time last year.

Amravati Region, 283,000 million litres. At 6.7% of its live capacity of 4,131,000 million litres, compared to 11.4% at the same time last year.

Katepurna Dam (aka Mahan Dam) – Akola, 10,000 million litres. At 12% of its live capacity of 86,000 million litres, compared to 3% at the same time last year. The reservoir provides water to over 8 lakh citizens of Akola and 64 nearby villages. In 2016, when capacity was down to 5,000 million litres, the municipal corporation had to limit supply to once every six days.

Hanuman Sagar Reservoir / Wan Dam – Akola, 24,000 million litres. At 30% of its live capacity of 82,000 million litres, compared to 62% at the same time last year.

Upper Wardha Dam – Amravati, 75,000 million litres. At 13% of its live capacity of 564,000 million litres, compared to 34% at the same time last year.

Khadakpurna Dam – Buldhana, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 93,000 million litres, compared to 0% at the same time last year.

Nalganga Dam – Buldhana, 5,800 million litres. At 8% of its live capacity of 69,000 million litres, compared to 14% at the same time last year.

Pentakli Dam – Buldhana, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 60,000 million litres, compared to 12% at the same time last year.

Arunavati Dam – Yavatmal, 13,000 million litres. At 8% of its live capacity of 170,000 million litres, compared to 8% at the same time last year.

Bembla Dam – Yavatmal, 53,000 million litres. At 17% of its live capacity of 303,000 million litres, compared to 12% at the same time last year.

Isapur Dam – Yavatmal, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 964,000 million litres, compared to 5% at the same time last year.

Pus Dam – Yavatmal, 000 million litres. At 0% of its live capacity of 91,000 million litres, compared to 0% at the same time last year.

Dear Father, I love you so much, today and always

Web Team

June 16, 2019

gurukul school of arts,fathers day — Image Courtesy : Gurukul School Of Arts

Be it the first outing, be it being the cycle coach, or being always smiling with all our wishes, guiding and encouraging us through all the tough times and odds, a father is one of the most important figure in a child’s life. They are heroes.

gurukul school of arts paintings,gurukul school,fathers day — Image Courtesy : Gurukul School Of Arts

It’s Father’s Day today and the students of the Gurukul School of Arts celebrated the day by making the portraits of their fathers.

Bihar Encephalitis death toll now above 80; doctors lay blame on ‘Malnutrition and Poor Hygiene’

Web Team

June 16, 2019

Bihar,Bihar Encephalitis death, Acute Encephalitis Syndrome,AES in Bihar — Image Courtesy: DD News

Experts say that malnutrition, heat, humidity, and poor hygiene are key reasons for the outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). All these factors are present in Muzaffarpur and surrounding areas of Bihar. Meanwhile, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan arrived in the state capital on Sunday to review public health measures for containment and management of the AES. According to fresh reports, three more children succumbed to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in Muzaffarpur. The death toll number rose above 80 on Sunday in the district. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to families of the children who died due to AES in Muzaffarpur.

Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey said that a team that was formed to ascertain the cause of this disease concluded that sleeping empty stomach at night, dehydration due to humidity and eating lychee on empty stomach were some of the causes of Encephalitis. He said, “Our government has tried to spread awareness which will be beneficial as well. Advertisement in newspapers, radio jingles, pamphlets and mike announcements are going to spread awareness regarding the disease. Health ministry is also working on it.” Doctors claim that the deaths are being caused due to excessive heat and humidity.

What is Acute Encephalitis Syndrome?

Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) including Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a group of clinically similar neurologic manifestation caused by several different viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, spirochetes, chemical/ toxins, etc. The outbreak of JE usually coincides with the monsoon and post-monsoon period when the density of mosquitoes increases while encephalitis due to other viruses specially entero-viruses occurs throughout the year as it is a water-borne disease. AES affects the central nervous system, mostly in children and young adults. It starts with high fever, then hampers neurological functions causing mental disorientation, seizure, confusion, delirium, coma.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is the most common cause of AES in India, with union health ministry estimate attributing 5-35 per cent cases due to JE. But the syndrome is also caused by scrub typhus, dengue, mumps, measles, even Nipah or Zika virus. In several cases, the cause of AES remains clinically unidentified.

Who is affected?

It predominantly affects the population below 15 years. There is seasonal and geographical variation in the causative organism. JEV has its endemic zones running along the Gangetic plane including states of UP (East), Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, and parts of Tamil Nadu. In India, AES outbreaks in the north and eastern India have been linked to children eating unripe litchi fruit on empty stomachs. Unripe fruit contains the toxins hypoglycin A and methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG), which cause vomiting if ingested in large quantities. Hypoglycin A is a naturally occurring amino acid found in the unripened litchi that causes severe vomiting (Jamaican vomiting sickness), while MCPG is a poisonous compound found in litchi seeds that causes a sudden drop in blood sugar, vomiting, altered mental states leading to lethargy, unconsciousness, coma, and death. These toxins cause sudden high fever and seizures serious enough to require hospitalisation in young, severely malnourished children.

Signs and Symptoms of the disease

Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) is characterized by an acute onset of fever and clinical neurological manifestation that includes mental confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma. Apart from viral encephalitis, a severe form of leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis can cause AES. Keeping in mind the wide range of causal agents and the rapid rate of neurological impairment due to pathogenesis, clinicians face the challenge of a small window period between diagnosis and treatment. Several government initiatives have been undertaken to educate and improve the hygiene of people living in the JE endemic zones. Government and non-government organizations have been instrumental in providing proper nutrition to the AES-affected population as most of the affected people belong to the lower economic strata of society.

The relation between hypoglycaemia, children, and AES

Bihar government officials claim AES is a syndrome not a disease, and cause of death in children was found to be prolonged hypoglycaemia that witnessed the delayed treatment. In 2014 research paper titled ‘Epidemiology of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in India: Changing Paradigm and Implication for Control’, co-authored by six researchers, a parallel was drawn between Muzaffarpur and Vietnam’s Bac Giang province where undernourished children were suffering from AES and hypoglycaemia that coincided with litchi orchards in the neighbourhood. “The possible association with some toxin in litchi or in the environment needs to be documented. Methylene cyclopropyl glycine (MCPG) which has been known to be a content of litchi fruit has been shown to cause hypoglycaemia in experimental animals,” the study stated. Several children in Muzaffarpur who suffer from AES before 2014 have a history of the visit to litchi orchards, the study found. The impact is worse on undernourished children who remain hungry for several hours.

Affected states and areas in India

According to the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme (NVBDCP), 10,485 AES cases were diagnosed in 2018 with 632 deaths across 17 states. India records fatality rate at 6 per cent in AES, but the fatality rises to 25 per cent amongst children. Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Tripura are the worst affected.

No doctors on call during the night

Meanwhile, on Sunday attendants of patients admitted to the SKMCH alleged that there were no doctors on call during the night. Mohammad Aftab told ANI, “My daughter is in the ICU room of SKMCH. The death toll is increasing day by day. There were no doctors after 12 in the night and only nurses are here. There are four bodies inside ICU.” Another attendant, Sunil Ram said, “My four-year-old daughter was admitted to hospital on Saturday. She was declared dead today. There is no facility in SKMCH.”

Black flags displayed

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan arrived in the state capital today to review public health measures for containment and management of the AES. Vardhan had previously said that the Centre was constantly monitoring the situation and supporting state health authorities to manage the encephalitis cases. The minister was greeted here with black flags displayed by workers of the Jan Adhikar Party Loktantrik (LJP) who shouted slogans against him.

Without Kashmir solution, India will continue to get eggs on its face

Hem Raj Jain

June 16, 2019

Kashmir issue — Image Courtesy: Rediff.com

On February 14, 2019, the Pulwama attack took place (which India alleged Pakistan sponsored militants carried out) in which 40 security personnel were killed. In response to it, India carried out an aerial strike at Balakot on February 26 even on Pakistani soil (and not merely on the soil of PoJK). Pakistan responded to it by February 27 aerial strike at military installations of India in which an Indian fighter plane was destroyed and Indian pilot was captured by Pakistan and was released soon after.

The Pakistanis were dancing and even General Musharraf (former Pak Army Chief and former President of Pakistan) was boasting and gloating that Pakistan is one-up (its videos and report available on YouTube and media) because India did not reply to February 27 aerial strike on India by Pakistan. However, PM Modi, BJP/Hindutva forces carried out a full-blown false propaganda during the 2019 Parliamentary election campaign that India is one-up and India will always go into Pakistan and will hit the terrorists if any terrorist attack happens in India in future by the Pak proxies (by saying that ‘Ghar Me Ghus Kar Marenge’).

This macho posture against the Muslim majority Pakistan by the Hindu majority India brought handsome political dividends to BJP in the 2019 Parliamentary election because communal nationalism got boost due to it and it electorally mobilised Hindus in great numbers who have been pushed by BJP towards theocratic State the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ as is evident from the statements of many office bearers and even Member of Parliament of BJP including MP Sadhvi Pragya Thakur during her election campaign at Bhopal (and will be more evident from next week when Hindutva forces will press for Ram Mandir at disputed site of Babri Masjid notwithstanding its title suit pending in Supreme Court).

Here one may be puzzled as to why Congress party and other opposition parties allowed BJP to get away with it (the fake macho posture against Pakistan) when Pakistan was one up as was known to them all and it was even mentioned in an editorial in prominent newspaper ‘The Times of India’ by defense commentator Manoj Joshi. However, this is not a puzzle at all because Congress and all other parties in India are under the debilitating influence of ‘Brahmanism’ (mainly priestly and preaching class) and do not want ‘Kshatriyas’ (warrior class) to gain importance in Indian politics. That is the reason Britishers sent Gokhale to bring Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa so that the Indians (about 2 million of them returned battle-hardened from World War I) could not raise guns for independence even after Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Punjab (from where a huge number of people joined World War I). India did not use superior air-force against China in 1962 and preferred to suffer a humiliating defeat, so on and on.

Now the bluff of the Modi government has again been called off. On the eve of the SCO summit as per the Government of India, the Pak sponsored militants have killed 5 CRPF Jawans and injured equal numbers in an attack at Anantnag in J&K. Now India is not going in Pakistan territory to attack these Pak sponsored terrorists. ‘Ghar Me Ghus Kar Marenge’ boast has now become an embarrassment for India.

Here, it is pertinent to mention that Indians have some funny ideas about State matters. The independence struggle was merely for partial independence because India sought independence only from the civilian element of the then government of the Britishers and not from its martial element as Indians did not raise guns for independence. Had the blood of both Hindus and Muslims flown together on Indian soil (as happened in 1857) after World War II (when again about 2 million battle-hardened Indians returned from War) no communal force (from Muslims or Hindus) would have dared to even ask for partition of India.

India paid the price for it when about one million Indians were killed and about 15 million Indians were displaced in horribly gory situation during India’s partition in 1947 (born out of so-called non-violent freedom movement led by Mahatma Gandhi and his politically naïve followers like Nehru, Patel, etc.) and Indians are still paying price for it. Whether debilitated ‘Kshatriyas’ of Hindu order under ‘Brahmanism’ like it or not, the last word on India’s partition is yet to be written and Kashmir problem will see to it.

After Balakot, the Congress and other opposition parties did not ask BJP/PM Modi as to why the government did not reply to February 27 aerial strike by Pakistan on India, because that would have escalated war and which have ended in retrieve of PoJK and that would have improved the clout of warrior class in Indian Politics.

Now the bluff of the Modi government has again been called off. On the eve of the SCO summit as per the Government of India, the Pakistani sponsored militants have killed 5 CRPF Jawans and injured equal numbers in an attack at Anantnag in J&K. Now India (contrary to what PM Modi promised rather boasted during the election campaign) is not going in Pakistan territory to attack these Pak sponsored terrorists. Which means ‘Ghar Me Ghus Kar Marenge’ boast has now become an embarrassment for India.

All “these eggs on India’s face” is the result of unresolved Kashmir problem which cannot be solved unless India retrieves PoJK. However, only a secular and socialist (welfare-State) India can do it as people of PoJK will prefer to join such India only and it can be achieved only when:-

India restores secularism by minimum of two writ petitions
India establish welfare – State by deploying huge State-capital of Rs 1,000 lakh crore in the interest of the people, to be recovered from about one million tax evaders

India in its apathy towards the suffering of Muslim Kashmiris has gone to such a length that it is openly flaunting its absurd and ludicrous Pakistan policy that India will not talk to Pakistan unless it stops terrorism. India is making itself laughing stocks by saying so without understanding that India should talk to Pakistan precisely because it is inflicting terrorism on India (after-all if a neighbour is throwing stone on some one’s house then he cannot say that he will not talk unless neighbour stops throwing stone). India talks such nonsense for the simple reason that ultimately in any talk Kashmir will be discussed and India knows that present-day communal India will never get Kashmir in any fair settlement of Kashmir problem and Indians cannot tolerate another partition of their motherland.

Therefore, India should stop playing over-smart and should understand that the powerful Western Christian world led by the USA will not be able to protect India on Kashmir issue forever. Any grave untoward incidence in Kashmir (especially in present increased alienation of Kashmiris after Burhan Wani incidence of July 2016) having a potential of converting Indo-Pak conflict into Indo-Islam conflict (in view of Pak former Army Chief General Raheel Sharif commanding ‘Sunni-NATO’ and Pakistani soldiers reportedly providing security to Palaces and Holy sites of Mecca, Medina in Saudi Arabia) will be extremely difficult for India to handle.

It is hoped that India will show the wisdom of solving Kashmir problem through plebiscite after restoring secularism and after establishing welfare State in India as mentioned above so that it does not face embarrassing situation of getting eggs on its face as is happening presently after un-responded Anantnag strike of June 12 by Pak sponsored militants.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Letters to the Editor: 16 June, 2019

Web Team

June 16, 2019

Major relief for senior citizens

Central Board of direct Taxes CBDT has given relief to senior citizens with age above 60 years and having annual income upto rupees five lakhs by exempting them from provisions of Tax deducted at source TDS on interest paid by banks and post-offices in case those requiring such exemption file form 15-H with banks or post-offices.

But it requires senior citizens to remember annual filing of form 15-H and to visit banks or post-offices every year to file 15-H. CBDT should provide filing one-time declaration in this regard by senior citizens with annual income less than rupees five lakhs rather than filing form 15-H every year. Declaration submitted by the desiring senior citizens should have commitment that in case income in some year exceeds rupees five lakhs, the assessee will inform concerned bank or post-office for deducting tax at source as per rules. Annual income of most senior citizens remains unchanged, and filing form 15-H is troublesome for them.

Madhu Agrawal

Provide drinking water facilities to bus passengers

The Kempegowda International Airport now witnesses huge footfalls of both bonafide passengers and visitors through the facility of inter-city shuttle bus services. The airport’s waiting area at the bus terminal has seating facility for the bus passengers and also has space allotted for bus ticketing offices.

However an adequate arrangement for a free drinking water facility needs to be urgently made available for the benefit of the bus passengers within the airport’s shuttle passenger waiting area. The lack of availability of adequate free drinking water facility at bus terminal thus causes a lot of inconvenience to many visitors and passengers who travel by both shuttle buses to the Bengaluru airport.

As the Bengaluru city is witnessing soaring high temperatures during this summer season, it is high time now to ensure necessary arrangements for drinking water is made for the benefit of airport bus passengers at the airport bus terminal.

Hence this is a kind request to the airport authorities at Bengaluru to urgently arrange for free drinking water facility at the airport’s bus terminal for the benefit of shuttle bus passengers arriving at the airport.

Varun Dambal

Monsoon musings

As predicted monsoon hit Mumbai in time and saving the maximum city from hot weather. Now it is flooding time with people dying in the floods and other mishaps. The BMC should be able to tackle the flood situation with disaster management system working in full swing and that 24X7 hours, helping out the affected people with relief measures. Monsoon misery in Mumbai is common, but we would like to see pothole free roads.

Nikhil Krishnan

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Ensure industrial safety and security of building workers

C K Subramaniam

June 16, 2019

building workers safety — Image Courtesy: safetyandconstruction.com

With monsoon rains starting in the right time and high-speed wind blowing across, the security of the working class in buildings is under high risk. At present, the National Building Code (NBC) regulates safety in construction activity and if any structure fails to comply with the codes, its builder will be penalised and in certain cases, the approval can get cancelled or the building may get demolished.

Public bodies like municipal councils are responsible to control the rapid development with limited resources, which brings in the need for technologies and ensure safety and security of the workers’ employed in the construction sector. The enforcement of welfare facilities for workers as per BOWC norms are not followed and Employees State Insurance (ESI) is often not considered too.

A large proportion of the Indian workforce remains outside the existing health and safety laws. There is no requirement to report accidents and ill health in many construction sectors. Hence, there are serious concerns that official statistics are seriously under-reported. Serious issues such as a blatant disregard of laws and workers unaware of their rights aside, the rise of unauthorised and illegal structures across the country can’t be ignored. The absence of sensible urban planning and lack of space have led to the continued spurt of such constructions.

Systematic hazard identification process through workplace inspection, incident reporting, consultation, and feedback from employees should be in place in industries. Risk management is a fundamental principle that should not be ignored. Health records of all the workers should be maintained and periodical screening of workers should be done by qualified and experienced medical professionals must be taken care of. Industrial safety and security of building workers must be ensured at all cost.

Employing migrant workers in hazardous conditions without proper equipment and protective gear continues in the city despite the stringent rules put in place by the local bodies and the Labour Department. Fall protection accessories while working in high-rises are still a dream for manual labourers as they manage with just a pair of ropes or some ladders. In the slippery ground during the rainy season, accidents are bound to happen. Contract labourers are made to work hard and take up highly risky jobs. Fall protection accessories while working in high-rises are still a dream for manual labourers as they manage with just a pair of ropes or some ladders.

Facilities such as bolt-on cable systems with cable fall arrester, track systems with a climbing trolley or top-mounted self-retracting lifelines are seemingly luxury items for even big companies. Cleaning of deep dug wells and the repairing of broken water pipelines in deep trenches still top the lists of risky jobs given to manual labourers without taking proper safety measures. If they agree to such works at the lowest labour cost, they will get more such opportunities. The question about personal security is just the last option then.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

BMC promises Mumbai is monsoon-ready

Vaidehi Taman

June 14, 2019

The administration of Mumbai, the city which comes in crises during every monsoon, has geared up towards safety this time. The city that has learned to live with it except that the media hyper aerates on it, and then waits for the next breaking news.

Every Mumbaikar knows it well why this unpleasant experience visits upon the city in monsoon. The BMC failed in its efforts to prevent waterlogging across the city. One, the city has a drainage problem. Every time it rains when the high tide is on, the rainwater does not flow out of the city. It backs up and inundates every low-lying part. Among the low-lying parts are the railway tracks, said to be a few feet below the mean sea level (MSL) and that explains their submersion.

The bureaucracy of the civic bodies is culpable too. They approve the poor work done by the contractors and are responsible for the delayed contracts because the standing committee takes its own time for venal reasons. Settling cuts is more important than getting the work done speedily. With Praveen Pardeshi appointed as the new Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, the civic body has geared up to tackle the monsoon of Mumbai.

The BMC authorities would be paying special attention to dilapidated buildings, road, and rail traffic, removing encroachments and security. The BMC has claimed that they would be clearing 2.44 lakh tonnes of 3.49 tonnes of the silt from the major nullahs and 2.13 tonnes of the 3.09 tonnes from the minor nullahs this month.

The BMC has also listed 398 buildings in the C1 category, dilapidated condition, which need to be vacated. Of these, 64 are in N ward (Ghatkopar), 51 in Andheri and Jogeshwari (K West ward) and 47 in Mulund (T ward), with 193 cases sub-judice and 46 with the technical advisory committee (TAC).

The compounding is by the garbage that chokes the escape paths. The storm water drains, over a century old in the island part, have not been completely renewed though a big-ticket project, the Brihanmumbai Stormwater Disposal System (BRIMSTOWAD), is underway at snail’s pace – the costs have escalated, and the pace is not improving.

However, the poor drainage system is not the only reason. It’s the intensity of the sleet and its timing coinciding with the high tides. It has a lot to do with the way solid waste is managed. Though it is a routine requirement to be routinely attended to, contracts for clearance of drains – nullahs as we call them – are issued late. The work starts after a lag and the contractor hopes the muck not cleared would somehow get washed away and he saves the expenditure of having to clean them up.

The contractors who failed and hold the city to ransom are not punished. They, in fact, continue to be bidders for the work year upon year, and no one bats an eye. In fact, it is routine. So live with it.

The city has a habit of calculating the loss of business or the impact on the economy. It may make sense to impose an equivalent as fine on the contractors. The elected ward representatives, who are there because they chose to be in civic politics, do not give a damn about the management of solid waste management in their bailiwicks. They do not inspect the drains, except when a bigwig of their respective party stirs out for a photo-op, oops, inspection. The biggie issues instructions; the officials nod their heads, and then wait for the next year for the theatre of the absurd. It gives the impression that the politicians are hand-in-glove with the contractors mainly because the city residents are not of the go-lynch mindset.

So, what are heavy rain and a disruption? It is not understood that solid waste management is not only a piece of work to be taken up before the monsoon. They need to be kept constantly clean because there are health hazards of not attending to them.

The 10 per cent of the city’s garbage is plastic, which means 650 metric tonnes per day. Each plastic bag weighs a few grams, even a plastic bottle. Imagine the abandon with which plastic is thrown. It is possible that the weight estimated is of only the garbage collected. The plastic bags are the real culprits while the other solid wastes, including construction material and thermocol too add to the crisis.

The cities, like others, have banned plastic bags under 30 microns. Stores are asked to charge customers for plastic carry bags to dissuade the use of plastic and encourage a return to the cloth bag. However, small stores use plastic of all dimensions with impunity and big stores have made a racket of it.

Above all, the city residents are the culprit too. They throw the garbage anywhere, but they are helpless as they are careless. Helpless because there are no convenient garbage bins and even if the claim is of 7,500 tonnes of garbage per day, it is the collected garbage.

The quantity of the uncollected garbage is anyone’s guess but they are what choke the drains. Walk through the slums, which accommodate half the city’s population and the picture about the solid waste management practices emerge – no bins and careless flicking of the garbage as far away from one’s dwelling.

However, the well-heeled are not innocent. They run shops and throw the garbage out on the sidewalk. They throw them out of the window. They are nonchalant about it, till the city is disrupted. But, this time, you may see some positive changes and very prompt resolutions to make Mumbai sage during monsoon.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Lives at Risk: Doctors choose Boycott over Duty

Rajesh Choudhary

June 14, 2019

Around 4,500 resident doctors in Maharashtra boycotted work on Friday (all the 26 government hospitals) in solidarity with doctors protesting across the country against the assault on two doctors from NRS College in Kolkata by the kin of a patient. The doctors’ agitation that started in Kolkata early this week has now spread across India. AIIMS Delhi along with the other centres in Patna, Raipur, Rajasthan, and Punjab joined the agitation in solidarity with their colleagues in Bengal. Medical services in some places were badly hit. The entire healthcare system in West Bengal has been affected for the past four days. Over 70 doctors have resigned in the state so far. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on PIL of Kunal Saha of People for Better Treatment, who seeks that the doctors’ strike be declared illegal, sought details of what steps had been taken by the West Bengal government on the attack on doctors and doctors’ strike, by next Friday.

On being asked about the effect of the doctor’s strike, Dean of state-run JJ hospital Dr. Ajay Chandanwale said, “Majority of resident doctors were on strike. Medical services were hit in the hospital. But we managed all essential services. Only planned surgeries are differed.”

According to reports, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) observed a one-day strike in the state. People faced a lot of problems as medical services were hit in the entire state, including Mumbai. Patients and their relatives were seen wandering to and fro. Doctors from Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital, KEM Hospital, and Nair Hospital, among others, struck work on Friday. Doctors from government medical colleges and hospitals in Maharashtra and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in Mumbai participated in the agitation. A similar attack on three resident doctors in Mumbai’s J.J. Hospital last year had affected medical services in the city after a strike was called till the government looked into the matter of doctor’s security at government hospitals.

Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) central president Kalyani Dongre said that over 4,500 resident doctors, as well as 5,000 interns, participated in the strike. Dr. Dongre said, “We shut down Out Patient Department (OPD), wards and academic services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We expressed our protest on our campuses with black ribbons, slogans, and street plays. Emergency services, such as casualty wards and operation theatres, were not hampered.”

The Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI) that represents over 5,000 medical interns in the State from government medical colleges, and the Municipal Medical Teachers Association, all MCGM Medical, Dental, OT and PT institutions also participated in the strike. The doctors have demanded deployment of strong and trained security personnel in hospitals for controlling crowds.

ASMI president Hrushikesh Mankar said, “Security at government hospitals across the country needs to be strengthened. The current Central government, including the Health Minister and Defence Minister, should look into the fraternity’s needs. Courts should enforce strong punishment against the culprits so that there will be no incidents like this henceforth”.

On the other hand, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warned striking doctors. She said that doctors who don’t return to work must leave the hostel. They are outsiders. The government will not support them in any way. She said, “I condemn doctors who have gone on strike. Policemen die in the line of duty but the police don’t go on a strike.” She has accused the BJP and the CPM of engineering the strike and playing “Hindu-Muslim politics.” Meanwhile, condemning the violence against doctors in Kolkata, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan urged patients and their attendants to exercise restraint and said he will take up the matter of doctors’ security with Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories.

TMC MP Sajda Ahmed said, “The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee is very grieved for the patients and common man of the state. They are suffering due to strike. That is why she warned resident doctors to call off the strike. Attack on doctors is wrong. Actually, doctors are like god and people should respect them.”

Doctors at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) were seen wearing helmets and bandages as they attended to patients. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) directed members of its state branches to stage protests and wear black badges in solidarity with West Bengal doctors on Friday. It will also ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to bring out a central law against such violence. The Delhi Medical Association too has called for a statewide medical shutdown. In Hyderabad, doctors staged a protest at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences. Instances of medical personnel being assaulted by relatives of patients are common across the country. In April, authorities of the RML Hospital in Delhi filed a police complaint against a patient’s relative after he allegedly slapped a woman doctor. Earlier this month, a case was registered against a 17-year-old boy and his friend for allegedly assaulting a doctor at a Maharashtra hospital after his father died during treatment.

It is notable that Medical services have been widely affected. The relative of a patient at AIIMS said, “My mother’s dialysis was scheduled for today, we were told to go and get it done from somewhere else.” Emergency wards, outpatient facilities, and pathological units of many state-run medical colleges and hospitals and a large number of private medical facilities in West Bengal were not functioning. NRS Medical College and Hospital Principal Saibal Mukherjee and medical Superintendent cum Vice Principal Prof. Saurabh Chattopadhyaya have resigned for failing to overcome the crisis at the institution. A delegation of the protesting doctors met Bengal Governor KN Tripathi and presented their demands.

Meanwhile, opposition parties slammed Mamata Banerjee for her threats to agitating doctors and sought her immediate resignation as the health minister. BJP leader Mukul Roy alleged that Mamata Banerjee has become authoritarian and is behaving like “Hitler”. According to reports, doctors’ strike has hit medical services in the entire country and patients had to face a lot of difficulties.

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