The derogatory chapter in Class 3rd ICSE Hindi book ‘Roli’ has a derogatory chapter on doctors where doctors are portrayed as examples of bad people who can go to the extent of poisoning a healthy person so that he can treat and earn money.
Dr Anshuman Manaswi says, “This is scandalous and demeaning. What are we teaching our children about the noblest profession? Why are we poisoning their minds by giving such examples which are farthest from the truth?”
Dr Mukesh Batra is the founder of Dr Batra’s group of companies says, “Shameful and terrible. Look at the good work done by doctors during COVID. Against all odds, they have left their families behind, worked round the clock, even given their own lives to save others. The positive aspects of doctors should be highlighted in textbooks / their passion and compassion and not untrue and demeaning stuff about them. The part should be deleted from the textbook immediately.”
Dr Rajendra Khatal, a paediatrician said, “Medical professionals are people appointed by the almighty in White aprons to serve humanity. With some exceptions to date, they serve the human community with grace, dignity, honesty etc. The latest example is the same professional people as COVID warriors.”
Dilip Redij avid reader said, “This is a fanatic era where Baba Ramdev like people are respected as Medical practitioners, but doctor’s credibility is questioned. We are heading towards the Stone Age by inculcating false formations and wrong perspectives to school children. Don’t be surprised, if tomorrow’s youth prefers to become Baba Ramdev than the dignified medical practitioner or surgeon.”
Retired school teacher Sadhna Mahavadi said, “India is going towards fanatics; the narrative of school education is changed these days. I am really worried about the future generation.”
Social activist Trupti Desai calls for No Bra Day 4
Marathi actress Hemangi Kavi-Dhumal came into the limelight due to her Facebook post ‘Bai, Boobs and Bra’ (women, boobs and bra). There were mixed reactions on social media to her post. In response to Hemangi’s post, social activist Trupti Desai wrote “It was my long pending wish that we should celebrate “#No_Bra_Day” in Maharashtra from this year through our Bhoomatha Foundation.
Action speaks louder than words. By participating in #NoBraDay we can bring change in this male chauvinist society. There will be criticism, but it is equally important to take such steps. She further asked the women of Maharashtra to participate in this initiative.
Hemangi Kavi-Dhumal’s post reads, “Many women told me to wear decent clothes. You ask at least a hundred women, do you like to wear bras, 99 would say no. So why is it imposed on an actress or any girl? If you have an opinion, keep it with you. People get judgmental about me. Women should give up cowardice and express themselves.”
Asking women to express their views on her post, Hemangi said, “Many have appreciated my courage.” I liked it. But it takes guts to say such a thing. A bra is a part of a simple garment, what’s so bold about it? But this is the real beginning. I thought some women would say that I wouldn’t wear a bra after reading your post. But no one has dared to do so yet. There is a lot of struggle left for you. Girls should come forward and talk about it, that yes I will not use a bra. Don’t be ashamed; don’t be silent with a blanket.”
Sangita Amladi, a social activist said, “I think Indian women always wear them if they can afford it. This small-time actress has not visited our villages; she is making statements to remain in the limelight. Indian clothes don’t require much inner. Blouses used to be in such fitting that bra was really not needed and Petticoat was an undergarment. In Indian society, women’s garments themselves were considered inferior, and even now rural women will hesitate in drying their clothes in public. It’s their personal choice.”
Chandan Pawar, a journalist said, “Trupti Desai craves publicity, will wake up and pass statements if someone says something, otherwise sleeps. Seems like a mutual admiration club for both Trupti and Kavi, both needed media attention desperately. And apparently, it’s working for both.”
Lavanya Taman said, “There are significant Investments in the undergarment, lingerie, in India, and that there are also many start-ups in the market. I would believe that habits are not the same everywhere. Modern women may be bold but there are women who feel safe and dignified by covering their bodies with respect to themselves. Why would any woman make her body a display? There are tribes in India, in Amazonia, Africa, Papoutsis, and elsewhere, where bras and panties (at least, the types we know in our countries), are totally unknown. Until a few years ago women were not privileged to use sanitary pads. The actress and social workers are free to roam nude if their purpose of being in the limelight gets fulfilled.”
“The thing in India is that women are seen as sex objects, so whatever signifies or amplifies this objectivity, be it bras or panties, needs to be curbed,” said Dr Namrata Jain, gynaecologist and obstetrician.
Nishant Varma a Political Analyst said, “Nearly half of Indian women are under-privileged and as it is they don’t wear.”
Amrish Raj Morajkar said, “Seems to be a mutual admiration club for both Trupti and Kavi. Both needed media attention desperately. And apparently, it’s working for both.”
Trupti Desai, a woman in her early 40s, a gender equality activist from Pune and the founder of an NGO called Bhumata Brigade. Born in Nipani Taluka on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, Desai’s family moved to Pune when she was eight. The eldest among the three siblings, Desai did her primary schooling in her maternal village in Kolhapur. She was a home science student at Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersee College but withdrew in the first year due to family problems. She married an entrepreneur Prashant Desai.
She advocates women’s rights and has led several protests against limitations on the entry of women into religious places. In 2003, she became the president of an organisation called Krantiveer Jhopdi Vikas Sangh where she helped in the rehabilitation of slum dwellers. This was her first foray into activism. She campaigned against Ajit Pawar in 2007 over alleged financial irregularities at the Ajit Cooperative Bank. There were several allegations on her that she is a stooge of Right-wingers and that is the reason she attacked then the NCP and Congress government leaders. Some even criticise her for her selective activism. In 2012, Trupti Desai unsuccessfully contested the Pune Municipal Corporation election on a Congress ticket.
She took social activism by fighting corruption and injustice against women. In 2016, her NGO Bhoomata Brigade reportedly had 5,000 members, including men. She was also associated with Anna Hazare’s India against Corruption (IAC) movement. She is the follower of spiritual guru Gagangiri Maharaj of Kolhapur. In September 2016, she was approached for Bigg Boss 10 a reality show on colours TV, but she said that she will only participate if Bigg Boss will use a female as an anchor to the show.
A branch of the organisation also assists victims of eve-teasing, dowry issues and physical or sexual assault. In 2016, she visited the Haji Ali dargah in Mumbai to offer prayers but could not enter the inner sanctum. In 2018, she tried to enter the Sabarimala shrine but cancelled her plan after she was blocked by protesters at the Cochin airport. She successfully fought for the entry of women into the inner sanctum of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra. She has also fought for gender equality at the Trimbakeshwar temple and Kolhapur’s Mahalakshmi temple.
She is discharging the duties which are given to her. She became famous after she began her agitation for the entry of women in Shani Shingnapur in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. The Indians were deviating from superstitions and steep declines in clientele in the temples thereby decreasing the income of the priests and business of allied enterprises in the temple cities. To take care of the business of the priests and the entrepreneurs, the system planted Trupti Desai.
Several forums have alleged that Desai is a Christian agent who had converted about six years back and has taken up the agenda of destroying the Hindu belief system as well as the religious establishments. Some have accused her of being a Congress stooge since she indeed was a Congress party member who was given a ticket to contest a local election some years back and had failed. well! She never bothered about her failures, critics and social media attackers. She followed her path the way she decided.
She is an outspoken and agitator lady who loves media reportage on her since this gives her more influence. Recently she announced no bra day for women in Maharashtra and asked them to participate in this event. She sent her video appeal to the media across, but so far no such day or event is officially announced by her. She conceived the idea from one Marathi actress’s social media post to oppose patriarchal mentality.
But originally No Bra Day was initially observed on July 9, 2011, but within three years it had moved to the 13th day of the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October. Users on social media were encouraged to post using the hashtag #nobraday to promote awareness of breast cancer symptoms and to encourage gender equality. Some users on social media sites also encourage women to post pictures of them not wearing a bra. Some women embrace No Bra Day as a political statement while others prefer the comfort of discarding what they view as a restrictive, uncomfortable garment.
The event had spread worldwide. The event was spun off as a medical event in Toronto, Canada, that encourages breast cancer survivors to consider reconstructive surgery. First held on October 19, 2011, the medical event was named BRA (Breast Reconstruction Awareness) Day. It was adapted by an anonymous individual who conceived of No Bra Day as a way to encourage women to enjoy being braless and to become knowledgeable about breast cancer symptoms. The day is controversial as some see it as sexualizing and exploiting women’s bodies while at the same time belittling a serious disease.
Whenever we, as Plastic surgeons have to explain what Plastic surgery means, to the layperson, we have to always first clarify that it does not mean the use of any material made of Plastic in the operations that we do!!. The word Plastic derives from the Greek word “Plastikos”, which means “to mould” or “that which is mouldable”. As our Indian philosophy tells us, we are of the earth and to the earth, we shall return. Earth is clay and clay as we all know is mouldable. So our bodies can be moulded similarly and hence the use of Plastic surgery to do so.
Ancient Plastic surgery originated from India with the work of Sushruta, an Indian sage and surgeon several hundred years before the birth of Christ (BC). Sushruta wrote the “Sushruta Samhita”, a brilliantly detailed compendium of how to successfully perform many surgical procedures in different parts of the body. He also designed many instruments to perform these surgeries. We can be very proud of this heritage – of the origin of a major surgical branch in our own country so many centuries ago.
Modern Plastic surgery has its roots in the First World War where techniques were desperately required to reconstruct the mutilating and horrendous injuries in soldiers in that war. Dr. Harold Delf Gillies, a British surgeon is regarded as the father of modern Plastic surgery. Many other pioneers across the world, including Indian Plastic surgeons, then contributed to its tremendous development to the present date.
It is a commonly held myth among the public that Plastic Surgery is only for beautification. This is certainly not true. Beautification surgery or Cosmetic / Aesthetic Surgery is only one part of a huge spectrum of surgeries and sub-specialities that comprises the whole gamut of our surgical branch. Plastic surgery is a speciality that is involved in procedures literally from head to toe. Plastic surgeons do work FROM Hair transplantation and Scalp reconstruction following injuries TO reconstructive work on post-Burn contractures or injuries in the toes and ALL body parts in between.
Plastic surgery can broadly be divided into Reconstructive and Aesthetic. Reconstructive Surgery is in turn divided into several types: Cleft lip and palate surgery, Maxillofacial surgery, Craniofacial surgery, Hand Surgery, Reconstructive Microsurgery in all parts of the body for Post-trauma and post-cancer Reconstruction, Genitourinary reconstructive surgery, and Burns management. Aesthetic Surgery relates to beautification, reshaping, recontouring, and refinement of all parts of the body.
All of us have seen children born with Cleft lips and Cleft palates. The correction and repair of these congenital (from birth) deformities with the restoration of both appearance and function are one of the fundamental parts of this speciality. These children are operated on at a very young age between 3 months to 1 ½ year so that by the time they go to school, the external appearance, as well as the function of near-normal speech, is restored with the help of plastic surgery so that these children can grow normally without being teased or differentiated.
Facial fractures and injuries comprise the field of Maxillofacial surgery. Following road traffic accidents, falls, sports injuries or fights, fractures involving the facial bones are common. They are disfiguring and compromise function in terms of how the teeth of the upper jaws and lower jaws meet with each other for biting and chewing food and support to the eyeball and vision. Hence proper realignment and fixation of these fractures are very critical for both form and function. Once again, this is part of our Plastic Surgery training and expertise to help patients in this regard to restoring normalcy.
Craniofacial surgery is a complex subspecialty of Plastic Surgery, involving the treatment of deformities of the skull bones and upper facial bones present from birth in children, which can have a very serious effect on their brain development and sometimes vision, if left uncorrected. Plastic surgeons trained in this field can reshape and remould the skull and facial bones and reposition them in such a manner that the brain can expand with age thus allowing for normal growth and development of these children.
Hand surgery is a large and important part of our speciality. The treatment of congenital hand deformities, hand injuries, peripheral nerve injuries, injuries to tendons (which move the fingers and thumb) and restoration of useful hand function after burns is one of the most gratifying aspects of Plastic surgical work. The ability to perform successful reimplantation of amputated parts at the level of the fingers, thumb, hands/wrist, forearm, or even arm within a few hours of the accident/injury in a precise and meticulous manner to restore near normalcy of function is one of the most revolutionary advances in Plastic surgery in the last few decades and is a part of hand surgery.
Reconstructive Microsurgery is an exciting field wherein complicated tissue reconstructions in the limbs following severe mutilating trauma or in the face and neck following cancer surgery are done by Plastic surgeons all over the country. Large masses of tissues with skin, skin and fat, skin and muscle, muscle alone, bone alone, or even skin and bone can be harvested from one of many donor areas in a patient’s body along with their blood supply (arteries and veins) and transferred to another distant site on the body where the blood supply to these tissues is restored by joining their blood vessels to arteries and veins in the recipient area, thereby allowing reconstruction of complex 3-dimensional tissue defects. This ability of Plastic surgeons has transformed the ability of cancer surgeons to confidently completely and often curatively remove even large cancerous tumours from any area of the body, because they are now aware that the Plastic surgeon will be able to successfully reconstruct the huge functional and cosmetic defects created by complete removal of cancer, thereby improving the patient’s future quality of life significantly.
Several areas of Genitourinary surgery are also done by Plastic surgeons such as treatment of congenital hypospadias (urinary opening by birth not being at the tip of the penis but at different points along the shaft), vaginal reconstruction (congenitally absent vaginal canal), and gender reassignment surgeries for male-to-female and female-to-male transformation.
Treatment of Burns has been one of the traditional bulwarks of Plastic surgery. Intensive and dedicated management of burn injuries to a large area of the body by Plastic surgeons saves thousands upon thousands of burn victims in our country. Early removal of the burnt skin and replacement with skin grafts restores and heals these unfortunate patients and rehabilitates them back into society. Plastic surgeons also corrected the treatment of contracture bands and functional deformities of the joints following burn injuries that often severely limit function. Acid burn victims also turn to Plastic surgeons for treatment and restoration of appearance and function.
So to summarize, as seen above, Reconstructive surgery encompasses a very wide spectrum of procedures in multiple subspecialties treating patients from head to toe.
Aesthetic surgery is the other part of Plastic Surgery. Once again, starting from the head and face, the Aesthetic Plastic surgeon is trained to do restorative hair transplants for hair fall and baldness, to do facelifts and neck lifts to reverse the ageing process, to rejuvenate eyelids surgery for baggy tired-looking eyelids, and to do cosmetic rhinoplasties for reshaping noses in all possible ways. Moving lower down, Aesthetic surgery of the Breasts can augment/increase the size of the breasts with implants or the patient’s own fat; reduce the size of abnormally large breasts as well as reshape them; and lift sagging breasts that have drooped after breastfeeding or with advancing age or weight loss, to a pleasing shape and youthful position. Excess fat in the arms, chest, tummy, back, thighs, hips, and buttocks can be safely removed and the areas recontoured with liposuction or excess loose skin in all these areas can also be removed and reshaped by tightening procedures such as tummy tucks, arm lifts, thigh lifts and upper /lower body lifts in the case of laxity after massive weight loss. It is easy to see that Aesthetic surgery also involves the entire body from head to toe.
By now, we hope and pray that it is clear to the reader that Plastic surgery is a vast spectrum of different sub-specialities which together significantly change the patient’s form and function for the better. We wish to bring this awareness before the public, so the common man understands how varied and widely expanded this speciality really is.
On the occasion of National Plastic surgery day which is observed every year on July 15th, if this message of awareness of the vast potential of Plastic surgery and what it can do, is spread among our fellow citizens, we are sure it will help us to serve them better in the future.
Something to be Proud Indian on this Plastic Surgery Day 8
Plastic surgery is a surgical speciality (not only cosmetic surgery) involving the restoration, reconstruction, or alteration of the human body. It includes cosmetic or aesthetic surgery, hand surgery, microsurgery and treatment of burns.
India is the place where Plastic Surgery originated.
Shocked?
We always think plastic surgery is a western culture brought upon us, we need to reconsider our thought. The fact is that the origin of cosmetic and reconstructive procedures goes back more than 2500 years all mentioned in our glorious Indian history. It’s a common misconception that the “plastic” in “plastic surgery” refers to a synthetic material when it actually derives from the Greek word, Plastikos, meaning “To Mold” or “To Give Form.” Our honourable PM in 2014 also mentioned Plastic surgery skills originating in India.
The most primitive plantations were done by Lord Shiva by attaching an elephant’s head on his son’s body and by Ashwini Kumars who successfully replanted the severed head of Yagna. Thus the history of plastic surgery in India dates as far back or before the Vedic times nearly 4000 years ago.
During the 6th Century BC, an Indian physician Sushruta – widely known as the ‘father of surgery’ – wrote one of the world’s earliest pieces of literature on medicine and surgery. The Sushruta Samhita documented the etiology of more than 1,100 diseases, performing multiple types of surgical procedures – including three types of skin grafts and reconstruction of the nose (also known as Rhinoplasty).
In those times who had lost their noses as punishment for theft or adultery. The nose was considered an organ of pride and the concept of “Naak Cut Jana” was a blemish and Sushruta’s article provides the first written record of a forehead flap rhinoplasty, a technique commonly used today all over the world. Today, surgeons use skin grafts to restore areas that have lost protective layers of tissue due to trauma, infection, burns, as well as to restore areas where surgical intervention has created a loss of skin, as can happen with melanoma removal. Some grafts include blood vessels and muscle, such as in reconstructive breast surgery. Amazingly, these techniques are all explained in the Sushruta Samhita. Sushruta has been rightly called the “Father of Plastic Surgery”. The knowledge of rhinoplasty spread from India to Arabia and Persia and from there to Egypt and Italy in the 15th century. The contribution of ancient Indian surgery in the field of plastic operation can never be underrated.
World Plastic Surgery Day: Optimize your cosmetic procedures for best outcome 10
Whenever we think of plastic surgery, the thing that comes to our mind is the celebrity face. Plastic surgery came across me with Michael Jackson, his makeover made the biggest headlines in the media. Over time, Jackson’s facial structure changed. He had a forehead lift, cheekbone surgery and altered his lips. Those close to the singer estimated that, by 1990, he had undergone around ten such surgeries. For us, it was the greatest excitement and curiosity. But when he died despite having a battalion of doctors at his disposal, I realised one thing very strongly that the surgeries can make us look young but they won’t add years to our life.
One of the most obvious parts of Michael Jackson’s transformation was the change in skin colour.
Many claimed Michael Jackson did this to become more “white” and accepted, while Micheal Jackson took to the Oprah show in America to say that he had an underlying skin condition, which unfortunately many did not believe. The autopsy reports support Micheal Jackson as it was noted there were areas of normal pigment and areas of hyperpigmentation- typical of a condition known as vitiligo where patients lose pigment.
Here in Bollywood losing pigment is a deliberate choice, Complexion is a much-stressed topic especially if it involves Women. India is obsessed with fair complexion and has not left anyone apart. Many have now been fighting that being racist and worrying about skin tone should not be an issue and that dusky or wheat complexion has the same beauty to it. But still, they chose to look fair.
Kajol is known for her dusky complexion but one can spot a significant change in her skin tone. She went from dusky to white, but she dismisses that she got medical help and says it was a home remedy. One of the newspapers published an article about the craze of skin whitening Injections in actresses. Glutathione has a big market in India. Even though making use of IV glutathione injections is the most popular one, you will see many females popping those Gluta tablets. Each one of us wants to look beautiful and fair like cinema actresses.
Late actress Sridevi underwent multiple surgeries to look young but died also young. These days almost all celebrities are undergoing one or the other surgery to upgrade their looks. Priyanka Chopra is called Plastic Chopra by the media. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan revealed that “fake and plastic” are the worst comments she has heard about herself. Many such actresses are accused of looking static and artificial. Many of those who have undergone beautification surgeries are satisfied with the genuine improvements in their body image and greater satisfaction with their position in life after cosmetic surgery.
Plastic surgery may not add years to your life, but it can add life to your looks. Cosmetic surgery is mostly misunderstood as plastic surgery. Most people think that Plastic Surgery comprises the most popularly known surgeries that film actors have had so that they can retain their youthful appearance. However even though they are closely related specialities, technically, there is a fine divide between Plastic Surgery and Cosmetic Surgery.
The Cosmetic Surgeon aims to aesthetically improve a patient’s looks and hence the procedures, principles and techniques used to focus entirely on this outcome. The goal is to improve the proportion, aesthetic appeal and evenness of the body part on which a procedure is being performed. Cosmetic surgery can be performed on all areas of the body, including the head and neck. It is a voluntary choice made by the patient to have cosmetic surgery.
The main focus of Plastic surgery is to set the right defects to reconstruct to provide a natural appearance and restore normal functions of the body part that is being operated upon. It is defined as a surgical speciality that involves the reconstruction of facial and body flaws due to birth, burns, diseases and trauma. The goal of plastic surgery is to reconstruct and enable dysfunctional body parts to function in their normal and natural mode. Whereas through cosmetic surgery you can decide how you want your nose to be or cheeks to be or look to be. It also gives you the choice to look younger, but unfortunately, it does not give you the choice to live longer.
Influencers, Hollywood, Bollywood, the silver screen, social media celebrities and internet famous personalities have done the duty of getting that plastic surgery and flaunting it without a second thought. No hiding it all, no one being discreet, some even promoting it. With the Internet, advancements in technology and medical tourism these are easily accessible and affordable for anyone, hence the “norm”.
Let me sum up with a famous dialogue of Rakhi Sawant, the small-time actress who has a big social media presence, “What God has not given that doctors can give when it comes to your looks and body.”
World Plastic Surgery Day: Plastic surgery mostly misunderstood in India says Plastic Surgeons 18
In the age of the internet where a plethora of information is available at fingertips, but sadly the authenticity of information is always debatable. On the account of world plastic surgery day; Afternoon Voice spoke to some renowned plastic surgeons from Maharashtra regarding the fallacy about plastic surgery. Most of the surgeon’s advised not to believe everything out there, by clearing up some common myths and misconceptions about plastic surgery.
Dr Parag Telang, Cosmetic Surgeon from Mumbai said, “There is nothing artificial or plastic about plastic surgery. Plasticos is a Greek word which means “to mould”, there is no plastic used or involved in surgeries. There is another biggest misconception that Plastic surgery is only about luxury, which is not true. There are many reasons that people undergo plastic surgery. In some cases, it is a required medical procedure and in others, it’s due to accident or disease. In many cases, procedures are undertaken in order to address self-esteem and confidence issues that affect the life of a person.”
Dr Suresh Sanghvi, a Cosmetic Surgeon from Pune said, “The Biggest myth about plastic surgery in India is that in every operation of plastic surgery the surgeon uses skin from other parts of the body. Unless it’s not a skin grafting case no skin is needed to be removed from elsewhere. Meanwhile, I also want to mention those extreme cases in the media but generally plastic surgeons aim to give a natural result that fits a person’s unique features and is not straight away obvious. After all, the mark of great plastic surgery is that you can’t tell the person has had plastic surgery! Millions of men and women have plastic surgery procedures every year and they look upgraded.”
Dr Anshuman Manaswi, a Plastic Surgeon from Mumbai said, “Many people think that the only treatment available in plastic surgery is skin grafting. This is a false impression. Plastic surgery means restoration of any part of the body for function or beautification. Skin grafting is one type of plastic surgery. But plastic surgery also involves cosmetic stitching of wounds, face and nose beautification or liposuction (fat removal) or cancer reconstructions. The field is very vast and awareness needs to be built in the public for better utilisation of the techniques available.”
Dr Abhilash from Kerala said, “There is a hilarious rumour that the Men shouldn’t and don’t undergo cosmetic procedures. This is an allegory. In the modern era, quite a big population of Men commonly seek out cosmetic procedures, such as liposuction, breast reduction and facial feature correction. Looking good is not only the prerogative of a particular gender.”
Dr Varun Dixit, a Plastic Surgeon from Mumbai told Afternoon Voice, “There are many misconceptions such as; plastic surgery involves the use of plastic. Plastic surgery is only for beautification; Plastic surgery is only for the rich and elite. Plastic surgery is dangerous Plastic surgery is the same as Aesthetic surgery and so on. The awareness about plastic surgery is not adequate in our society.”
Dr Deepak Chaturvedi M.D. (Medicine) from Mumbai quotes, “Plastic surgeons have a significant, crucial and indispensable role in the management of victims of Burns, Acid exposure, accidents, Trauma. Their specialized role in managing these patients through their phenomenal “Reconstructive Surgery” knowledge actually gives them the position next to God. When I say this, I really mean it. But something has gone amiss in the last couple of decades. Most plastic surgeons because of the pressure of demand have started branding themselves as “Aesthetic/ Beauty Surgeons”. The demand is huge so the reward definitely is too attractive to miss. From botox, fillers to facelift to tummy tuck to Liposuction to Breast job to Nose job to Hair Transplantation… Plastic surgeons are busy in their efforts to provide “Eternal Beauty” to the people having “Unrealistic expectations”.
With the growing demand (full of unrealistic expectations) the myth that “Being good looking (or in shape) is the key to success and plastic surgery is the solution” is growing day by day. With the continuously growing demand and the pressure from all the corners of the society including the media and entertainment industry, this myth has no other way but to keep growing. In coming years, more and more plastic surgeons may drift from Burns and Trauma management towards the fascinating “Aesthetics and Beauty Surgeries”.
If we look into the history, the 1818 Battle of Koregaon is very important for Dalits. On 1 January 1818, 800 troops of the East India Company’s Bombay Presidency Army, with a large number of Mahars predominant among them, defeated a statistically greater force of the Peshwa Baji Rao II. A victory pillar (Vijay Sthamb) was erected in Koregaon by the British, memorializing the dead soldiers.
In 1928, B. R. Ambedkar led the first tribute ceremony here. Since then, on 1 January every year, Ambedkarites gather at Bhima Koregaon to celebrate their victory against the upper caste Peshwa regime of the Maratha Empire, whom they see as their tyrants. The Peshwas (de facto kings of the Maratha Empire who hailed to the ‘Chitpavan Brahmin’ caste) had their seat of authority in the Shaniwarwada Fort.
The Mahar Dalits regard this win as significant since it was a Mahar Dalit triumph over Brahmin Peshwas. The Elgar Parishad being held at the Shaniwarwada Fort is thus viewed as a symbol of Dalit assertiveness. According to the tale, Aurangzeb killed and mutilated Sambhaji Maharaj in 1689. Govind Mahar, from Vadhu Budruk (a village near Bhima Koregaon) collected the body parts and organised the last rites.
The memorial for Sambhaji Maharaj is said to have been constructed by the Dalit Mahars of that village. Soon after, Govind Mahar’s tomb was constructed in the village after his death. But Marathas refused to accept the role played by Govind Gaikwad and other Mahars in the last rites of Sambhaji Maharaj as Marathas of that village do have surname as Shivle (means Stitched), and were increasingly vocal about in the days prior to the January violence at Bhima Koregaon in 2018. They had specific objection to a sign at the site that acknowledged the contributions of the Mahars.
The name ‘Elgar’ literally means ‘loud invitation or declaration.’ On the bicentenary (200th) commemoration of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima, an event was organised on December 31, 2017. The ‘Elgar Parishad,’ convened by an alliance of 260 non-profit groups, was held in Shaniwarwada Fort in Pune and drew over 35,000 people. The program consisted of a number of cultural performances, speeches and slogans.
On 1 January 2018, violence broke out at Bhima Koregaon, where lakhs of Dalits had converged to commemorate the battle. One person was killed, and three others injured. In the months following the event, a number of people present at the event were arrested under laws such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). This included Surendra Gadling, Rona Wilson, Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale and Shoma Sen.
Pune Police alleged that the event was sponsored by Maoists. It was alleged by the Pune Police that the event was organised by members of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). They said that it instigated violence at Bhima Koregaon. However, Justices BG Kolse-Patil and PB Sawant refuted their claims. The Justices said that it was the two of them who were the main organisers and sole funders of the event, and that they had held a similar event against communalism and Hindutva in October 2015 at the same venue.
Adivasi activist Soni Sori, Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani, Dalit activist Radhika Vemula (mother of Rohit Vemula), retired Bombay High Court Justice BG Kholse-Patil, Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar, Bhim Army President Vinay Ratan Singh and student leader Umar Khalid were among the event’s organisers and speakers.
In the months following the incident, people including Mahesh Raut, Sudhir Dhawale, Shoma Sen, Surendra Gadling, Rona Wilson and Stan Swamy were prosecuted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Jignesh Mevani, a Gujarat MLA, has been charged with inciting religious animosity. 8 June 2018, Pune Police arrested Surendra Gadling, Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Shoma Sen and Mahesh Raut with alleged Maoist links for inciting riots.
28 August 2018: the Pune police carried out searches of nine rights activists, and arrested five of them. Those arrested include activists Varavara Rao, lawyer Sudha Bharadwaj, and activists Arun Ferreira, Gautam Navlakha and Vernon Gonsalves. The Supreme Court ordered them to be place under “house arrest. 26 October 2018: Arun Ferreira and Vernon Gonsalves. Another accused Sudha Bharadwaj was taken into custody.On the night of 17 November 2018: The Pune police arrested activist Varvara Rao.
On 9 October 2020, the NIA arrested 83-year-old Father Stan Swamy in connection with the case. The NIA alleged that the Persecuted Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PPSC) co-convened by Swamy and Sudha Bharadwaj was a front for Maoists, in 2021 Stan Swamy passed away and other have no relief.
Matter of concern to see big crowds without masks in hill stations, markets: PM Modi 21
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said it is a matter of concern that big crowds are thronging hill stations and market areas without masks and social distancing. During an interaction with chief ministers of eight North-Eastern states through video conferencing, the prime minister also said the vaccination drive needs to be continuously ramped up to combat the third wave of the pandemic.
The virtual meeting was attended by chief ministers of Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram, as also by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, among others. Modi urged people not to compromise on COVID protocols to prevent a third wave of coronavirus.
“It is true that tourism and business have been greatly affected due to Corona. But today I will say with great emphasis that it is not right to have huge crowds in hill stations, markets without masks,” Modi said.
“We all need to work together to stop the third wave of COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. Emphasizing the need to keep an eye on every variant of the coronavirus, he said experts are constantly studying how troubling the virus could be after mutations, but in such a dynamic situation, prevention and treatment are very important.
“We have to move forward by improving the infrastructure related to testing and treatment. For this, recently the cabinet has also approved a new package of Rs 23,000 crore. Every state in the North East can take help from this package to strengthen its health infrastructure,” Modi said.
The prime minister said the COVID-19 situation was worrisome in some districts of North-East and urged the chief ministers to stay alert and act fast to check the further spread of the virus.
The PM said stricter steps were needed at the micro-level to check the virus spread and called for greater emphasis on micro-containment zones. “We need to continue accelerating our vaccination drive,” he added.
While most parts of the country have seen a steady decline in the COVID-19 numbers, the northeast region has been a cause of concern with the number of cases either rising or not falling in line with the nationwide trend, experts have noted.
Advocate Ujjwal Nikam refutes rumours of entering politics 23
Special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who has been involved in a number of important cases at the state and national levels, is now in talks to enter politics. The reason for this discussion is that Shiv Sena leader and Cabinet Minister Eknath Shinde met Ujjwal Nikam on Saturday (July 10).
The question is whether he will join Shiv Sena after this visit. Even before this, there was talk of his joining the NCP. But the sudden meeting between Eknath Shinde and Nikam has raised eyebrows.
I will not join any political party, “Nikam said, adding that he had offered to contest the Lok Sabha. But I denied it. I have old ties with Shiv Sena leaders. But there was no political discussion during the meeting with Shinde.”
