‘Scars of child-abuse are deep-rooted’

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July 31, 2015

Savio Rodrigues’s newly launched “Karmic Ishq” – is a book that reaffirms the power of love. It is the story of two young adults who find love and promise in each other. However, their innate fears, and their attitude towards life, quickly turn their relationship volatile. Both of them had suffered abuse in childhood, and deal with their scars differently. Eventually, they start feeling they are a burden on each other… until, they both find love, in their own way. Savio very well portrayed these young emotions by living a social message for acceptance. Here are excerpts of the interview with our Editor-in-Chief Vaidehi Taman

Please tell us about how you devised this theme of the book? Is it based on real life story?
While the core-essence of the book has been inspired by a real-life story, it has been developed further to be told as a fictional story.

Child abuse is a serious concern in our sophisticated and fast-paced society. It is also a concern that is always brushed under the carpet by the people closest to us. In most cases, it is the abused children who become the object of ridicule, even though they are the victims. The scars of child-abuse are deep-rooted and it is these scars that determine the attitude and trust towards love and relationships in the future.

I truly believe that love is the only healer. It can heal the deepest of scars caused by the degeneration of human nature.

What are the personal and social challenges undergone by this young generation especially, when they are abused?
Having interacted with several survivors of child sexual abuse, I believe the first casualty to child abuse is trust. The second is the ability to understand and reciprocate love. The biggest challenge is the ability to confide in one’s parents and family members, especially if the abuser is from the family. Also in almost all cases, the survivors are afraid to address the issue because of the taboo associated with it. Unconditional love is the only cure.

‪What is your advice to the society at large?
Child abuse happens, it is real. Consequently, as parents and responsible adults in the society, we need to keep an eye out to identify, nab and punish such predators that destroy the mental, emotional and physical psyche of our little children.

‪Goa is a place where many poor children are forced to render sexual favours to foreigners. There are many cases of drugs, child sex trafficking, what is your take?
Paedophilia is a crime associated with every state in India, not only Goa. In Goa it gets prominence because of some of the International tourists who indulge in paedophilia activities. Having said that, there is no denying that the child-sex activities are real and the government both state and central are doing very little to arrest the situation.

‪Tell us something more about your book “Karmic Ishq “
Karmic Ishq – is a book that reaffirms the power of love. It is the story of two young adults who find love and promise in each other. However, their innate fears, and their attitude towards life, quickly turn their relationship volatile. Both of them had suffered abuse in childhood, and deal with their scars differently. Eventually, they start feeling they are a burden on each other…until, they both find love, in their own way.

‪What is your message for our readers
In my interactions with victims of child abuse amongst family, friends and known associates, I learnt that the scars continue to be manifested in some, even though hidden. Some have found healing in their love and relationships; others, despite being in loving relationships, are finding it hard to overcome the memories of their abuse.

Through this book, I want to highlight the impact of these incidents on the future relationships of the victims. In order to do that, I would tell you a real-life story without revealing the identity of the survivors. The aim of the narration is to connect the reader with the characters – their joy, pain, inner fears and rage.

I’m enjoying being married and doing nothing: Rani Mukerji

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Afternoon Voice

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July 31, 2015

Actress Rani Mukerji, married Yash Raj Films (YRF) head Aditya Chopra last year, said that she is currently enjoying “being married and doing nothing”.

In an interview to Vogue India August 2015 issue, Rani talked about life post marriage, her choice of films and her future plans.

When asked if she sees herself producing or directing a film in the future, Rani, who has completed two decades in Bollywood, said: “There’s nothing stopping me. Adi (Aditya Chopra) would never say no. But I see the way my husband works. He’s the most hard-working person in his studio and the last one to leave at night. I wouldn’t want to risk his or his company’s name by doing something juvenile. For now, I’m enjoying being married and doing nothing.”

As for five years from now, she wants to see herself doing some “kickass films” and having “lovely babies beside me as I go to the set”.

Rani, who has delivered powerful performances in films like No One Killed Jessica and Mardaani, credits three men, including her husband, for spotting her talent in her initial days.

“Yes, he (Aditya Chopra) did, and so did Shah Rukh (Khan). Aamir (Khan) recommended me to Mukesh Bhatt and Vikram Bhatt forGhulam (released in 1998). These three men have been integral to my career,” said the actress.

She also recalled the time when filmmaker Karan Johar asked her to lose weight before Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.

“Karan is so hyper. If you see that scene today, where’s the weight? I was actually happy that I didn’t look like everyone else. Today, people think about it far more than we used to,” said the actress, whose film choices have changed as she feels that “it’s embarrassing for a 37-year-old to do the roles she did in her twenties.”

“I’m not delusional. I’m conscious of what the audience wants to see me in,” she stressed.

My fashion label resonates with me: Madhuri Dixit

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Afternoon Voice

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July 31, 2015

Madhuri Dixit Nene has entered the fashion world with her Madz clothing line. The dancing diva of Bollywood says the range represents her style sense and her approach towards life at its best.

The first line by the ‘Devdas’ actress under her label is inspired by her online dance academy. Dance With Madhuri – DWM sports apparel line is designed keeping dancers and athletes in mind. It is the brainchild of Madhuri’s husband Sriram Nene, read a statement.

The actress is also working on a personal offering – Timeless by Madhuri Dixit for Madz.

“Madz and Timeless were two concepts which seemed to fit who I am. For Madz, we wanted to create a pret line of clothing that epitomised my approach to life: outstanding quality, great values, and good for everyone,” Madhuri said.

Munde vs Munde

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Afternoon Voice

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July 30, 2015

Dhananjay Munde and Pankaja Munde involved in war of words over Chikki scam in the state assembly.

Women and Child Welfare minister Pankaja Munde has said that she is ready for investigation for the allegations of irregularities in the purchases worth Rs 206 crore by her department. The Maharashtra Legislative Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar had asked the Pankaja Munde to submit a written explanation with regards to this case. On the other hand, NCP leader Dhanajay Munde has asked Pankaja to resign first before going ahead with the probe. There was a heated debate about the Chikki scam in the state assembly as both Dhananjay and Pankaja clarifying their stand on this issue. He asked the government to present the documents about the deal signed between it and Suryakanta Mahila Audyogik Sahakari Sanstha. If Suryakanta had produced 27 lakh kilo chikkis then they should explain how much money they have incurred on the electricity and water bill. There have been irregularities in the purchase of plates, water purifier and mats. He wanted Pankaja Munde and Vinod Tawde to follow Lal Krishna Advani who had stepped down after his name cropped up in the hawala scam. Congress MLC Sharad Ranpise had moved a breach of privilege motion against Munde.

Dhananjay also presented some documents which mentioned about Pankaja’s role in the scam. Munde said that the Fadnavis government has lost the confidence of the people after coming to power. He added that the government is only misleading them. He asked why the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is silent over this issue and wanted him to make a statement in this regard. The opposition is targeting the BJP government by raising the Chikki scam and Vinod Tawde’s fake degree case in the assembly.

Pankaja Munde said, “These are politically motivated charges. I deny all charges against me. I am ready for a probe and truth will be unveiled.”
Later Fadnavis himself came forward to defend Pankaja and said, “I am willing to make my stand clear on this issue. The opposition is blowing this issue out of proportion. The erstwhile Democratic Front government has been indulging in scams. We will conduct a probe pertaining to the contract and purchases made by the Democratic Front government during the last 15 years.”

Munde has been accused of corruption by the opposition after it emerged that her department awarded contracts for various items including the sweet snack `chikki’ for tribal area schools without calling for e-tenders. Education minister Vinod Tawde has also faced allegations of irregularities in a contract for purchasing 62,105 fire extinguishers worth Rs 191 crore for zilla parishad schools.

Coming out in Munde’s defence, leader of the House and senior minister Eknath Khadse said, “Mere allegations do not mean that corruption has actually taken place. I know of a hundred cases like this.”

When will we give ‘befitting reply’ to our enemy?

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Vaidehi Taman

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July 30, 2015

Linking the Gurdaspur attack to Pakistan, Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that the three terrorists had infiltrated from there to carry out the strike and asserted that the government will do everything possible to prevent cross-border terrorism. An unexpected right turn taken by the three terrorists inside the Dinanagar police compound towards the near-empty police barracks rather than a bustling residential police complex on the left marked the attack in Gurdaspur. As did the death of SP Baljit Singh around noon that ratcheted the encounter to a kill all operation, and the two light machine guns (LMGs) subsequently fitted on an adjoining hospital even as patients and doctors ran for cover in the crossfire during the 10-hour-long Punjab Police operation. Who were they, from where they came and what was the intention of attacking police station, leaving the populated residential area aside? No one knows, but as usual all speculations and allegations are hitting the headlines.

The terrorists who attacked Gurdaspur, in Punjab’s worst attack in over a decade, came from Pakistan, thinks Rajnath Singh by warning of “a befitting reply”. On the other hand, Narendra Modi held talks with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and agreed that top officials from both countries, led by their National Security Advisors, should resume dialogue after a lengthy stand-off. Pakistan said, “It categorically rejects the Indian assertion.” A statement from its foreign office said, about the Gurdaspur incident, blames were apportioned to Pakistan in the Indian media, even when the encounter with terrorists was still going on. The attack threatens to renew tension between India and Pakistan after the recent conferral of their premiers achieved a thaw in bilateral relations. Moreover, no investigations have concluded anything yet.

According to police, the night vision glasses were recovered from a place near Talwandi village. Agencies are now investigating as to who provided these devices to the terrorists. These night vision glasses are not available in the open market and are used only by the American forces and their allies. Reports suggest that the Taliban militants have been looting NATO supplies in Afghanistan and using them during terror attacks. Investigating agencies have recovered a set of night vision glasses which is made in the US, if you have to believe them then this evidence speaks volumes about the possible Taliban role in the Gurdaspur attack. The whole country is vulnerable to the terror attacks and the threat from ISIS or Taliban is not only looming on Punjab but also the whole country. In spite of knowing this, government has never given any fitting reply to Pakistan.

Meanwhile some foreign media came up with their own theories. Here many things are not clear, if there is a IS lead attack on India how will it “provoke an apocalyptic confrontation with America”? And why will America attack IS with all its allies? How come all Muslim countries get united, because till date Shia Muslim country is the enemy of Sunni Muslim countries, all deceptive assumptions. However for India, there is a need to work with other countries in sharing the intelligence inputs and take necessary counter measures. America’s main obsession is world domination and if it should help to enlist IS’s and Pakistan help against India to achieve their purpose, they would do so.

Media can incite riots with this news and create panic/ suspicion/ hatred and fear among people of India. Such reports telecast and repeated will make smaller groups to form to fight each other by which time the local evil forces would join together and attack the frightened groups weakening them further even before arrival of IS evil forces.

United States of America is the world’s biggest war monger. War comes to India, only because it is being thrust on us. The US weapons lobby never rests. War is their market; the world exists only for its profit. The slavish dependence on USA that some Indians have will set citizen against citizen and bring great tragedy to India. We don’t have to look far. We have many examples like: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, the countries of South America and the list goes on. We need to disengage from Western manufactured stories and follow the Indian way of peace and dharma. This is the price every country pays for being fascinated and addicted to USA. Constantly being fed doomsday stories, fearful of our own shadow and suspecting each other.

India needs to be more sensitive when it comes to making comment after every terror attack, and also our country needs able intelligence to avoid these attacks. The governments have changed but terror threat to this country always continued taking innocent lives.

Salman Khan wasn’t driving; lawyer says as appeal hearing starts

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Afternoon Voice

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July 30, 2015

The hearing of the appeal filed by Bollywood star Salman Khan against his five-year sentence in the 2002 hit-and-run case started in the Bombay High Court today as his lawyer argued that the trial court made a mistake in holding that the actor himself was driving the car.

Salman was convicted on May 6 by the sessions court for ramming his car into a shop in suburban Bandra on September 28, 2002, killing one person and injuring four. He was sentenced to five years in jail for, among other charges, culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Justice A R Joshi today also dismissed an intervention application filed by Sushilabai Patil, mother of Ravindra Patil, the police bodyguard of the actor who was eye-witness to the mishap. Ravindra Patil died during the trial in 2007.

She had sought cancellation of Salman’s bail, granted by the magistrate earlier and by the High Court after admitting his appeal. Salman had been convicted twice for cognisable offences in Jodhpur and he should not get bail, she had said.

The application also contended that Salman may be awarded the maximum sentence of ten years for culpable homicide.

However the HC refused to entertain the plea, saying that Ravindra Patil could not be said to be a victim of the mishap (as his mother had argued, to justify the intervention).

In another development, in response to an application by Salman’s lawyer Amit Desai, the judge imposed certain restrictions on the media. The media cannot make audio or video recording of the court proceedings and comment on the arguments; it should report only facts, Justice Joshi said.

Desai argued that the lower court wrongly rejected Salman’s defence that it was his driver Ashok Singh and not he who was driving the car at the time of mishap. The prosecution had also failed to prove that the actor had taken drinks before the accident, Desai said.

Advocate Desai said there were three witnesses – Patil, singer Kamaal Khan and Ashok Singh (driver) — who were in the car when the mishap occurred. But police chose to rely only on Patil’s statement though he was dead and hence not available for cross-examination.

Police did not make any effort to bring other eye witnesses to depose about who was actually driving. The trial court discarded the defence that Ashok Singh was driving the car, saying he had been “got up” to help defence 13 years after the mishap, but a defence witness can step into the witness box only after the prosecution’s case is over, Desai argued.

Rope made in Bihar jail used to hang Yakub Memon

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Afternoon Voice

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July 30, 2015

A rope supplied by a Bihar jail was used to hang 1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Yakub Memon on Thursday, an official said.

The rope supplied by Buxar Central Jail was used for hanging Yakub Memon, its superintendent, SK Choudhary, said.

“The rope is supplied to different jails across the country for hanging purposes and it was used to hang Yakub Menon,” he said.

Choudhary said that the particular rope is made only in Buxar jail.

“It is spun in the jail premises.”

In 2004, the rope was sent from Buxar jail to the Kolkata-based Alipore jail for hanging Dhananjay Chatterjee, convicted for raping and killing a 14-year-old.

The same rope was used in 2005 when Mohammed Afzal Guru was executed for his role in the 2001 parliament attack.

Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab was hanged in 2012 with the rope manufactured in Buxar jail. Kasab was convicted for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai carnage.

Yakub Memon’s body buried amidst high security in Mumbai

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Afternoon Voice

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July 30, 2015

The body of Yakub Memon, who was hanged at Nagpur Central Prison at 6:43 am on Thursday for his role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, was buried in a graveyard in Mahim on Thursday evening amidst heavy security.

Yakub’s body was interred at the Bada Kabristan in Marine Lines, where his father had also been buried. His body was handed over to his brother Suleman and cousin Usman, who had been camping in Nagpur since Wednesday, after the postmortem.

The execution of Yakub, whom the Supreme Court had described as the “driving spirit” behind the 12 coordinated blasts on March 12, 1993, that left 257 dead and 713 wounded, was preceded by a vigorous last-gasp attempt by his lawyers to prevent the hanging that continued through Wednesday and spilled over to the early hours of today.

In an unprecedented event in the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court rejected his petition seeking a stay on execution and found no infirmities in the apex court’s dismissal of his curative petition.

Memon, woke up at 3.30 am on Thursday, was permitted a warm bath.

He offered namaz and read the Holy Quran at the Nagpur central jail before his scheduled hanging.

He was provided a set of fresh clothes and offered a breakfast of his choice.

Memon was sent to the gallows — on his 54th birthday on Thursday — after several of his court appeals and clemency petitions were rejected by various court.

Like every death row convict, Yakub was asked about his last wish before being executed.

“I want to meet my daughter” – this is what the 1993 Mumbai blasts convict’s last wish was.

Yakub’s brother informed that jail authorities arranged for Memon to talk to his 21-year-old daughter over phone.

Yakub was very happy and relieved after talking to his daughter, his brother informed.

Yakub’s last wish was to speak to his daughter Zubeida ahead of his hanging.

That wish was fulfilled by jail authorities who made Yakub speak to his daughter over phone.

However, Yakub would regret not celebrating his daughter’s 22nd birthday which falls tomorrow, exactly a day after his birthday.

Pawar too atributed love affairs to farmers’ suicide: Khadse

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Afternoon Voice

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July 30, 2015

Days after Union Minister Radha Mohan Singh stoked a controversy by his remark that love affairs were among the reasons for farmer suicides, a BJP leader said NCP chief Sharad Pawar had made a similar statement in Parliament in 2013.

“Pawar had told Parliament thrice – in the Lok Sabha on February 26 and August 6 and in the Rajya Sabha on August 16 (in 2013) that love affairs was one of the reasons behind farmer suicides,” State Agriculture Minister Eknath Khadse said in the Assembly.

Taking exception to Khadse’s remark, NCP created a ruckus and demanded that his statement be expunged.

The NCP members rushed to the well of the House following which Speaker Haribhau Bagde’s adjourned the proceedings for 20 minutes.

“Pawar had said that as per the National Crime Records Bureau, the causes of farmers suicides include family problems, illness, drug abuse, unemployment, property dispute, bankruptcy or sudden change in economic status, poverty, professional problem, love affair, impotency, cancellation/ non-settlement of marriage, dowry dispute, fall in social reputation among others,” Khadse said.

Interestingly, during his reply in Parliament on the matter, Union Agriculture Minister Singh too had cited the NCRB data.

Jaidutt Kshirsagar of NCP said a note, containing Khadse’s statement on Pawar and the latter’s reply to Parliament, was circulated without the Speaker’s permission and demanded a probe into the issue. He was supported by Prithviraj Chavan.

Khadse replied that he had sought permission from the Speaker to make a statement on the issue in the House and said a probe be ordered into how the note was distributed.

NCP leaders Chhagan Bhujbal and Shashikant Shinde demanded that Khadse’s remarks be expunged as his statement on Pawar’s reply was circulated without the Chair’s permission. “This is not as per rules,” they said.

Bhujbal said Pawar had given Rs. 76,000 crore loan waiver package to farmers in times of distress. “But (Radha Mohan) Singh has not given even Rs. 76,” he said.

19 ‘near-miss’ incidents in Mumbai airspace since 2013

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Afternoon Voice

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July 30, 2015

A total of 19 ‘near-miss’ incidents involving aircraft of various operators has been reported in Mumbai airspace in the past two-and-a-half years, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

The number of “near-miss” incidents in Mumbai airspace during 2013 were nine, while in 2014 the number stood at four, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

A total of six such incidents has been reported this year (up to June 30), the minister said, adding that all such incidents are investigated by Airprox Investigation Team and its recommendations are implemented.

Airprox is a situation when two aircraft come dangerously close to each other.

As per the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), airprox is defined as a situation in which, in the opinion of a pilot or air traffic services personnel, the distance between aircraft as well as their relative positions and speed have been such that the safety of the aircraft involved may have been compromised.

This situation is expected only at a time of actual risk, not potential risk.

The Mumbai Air Traffic Control handles approximately 780 take-offs and landings per day, in addition to the overflying aircraft.