30 per cent of rural households landless, live off manual labour

T. C. A. Sharad Raghavan

Literacy, second most common form of deprivation.

Nearly 19 per cent of India’s rural population in 2011 lacked at least one of seven socio-economic parameters used to estimate deprivation that include source of income, the presence of an able and literate adult and quality dwelling.

The first socio-economic and caste census in India since 1934, the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 (SECC), was released here on Friday by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Among the crucial findings of the exercise, conducted by the Ministry of Rural Development, was that about 30 per cent of rural households are landless and derive a major part of their income from manual, casual labour. The second most common form of deprivation was literacy with close to a quarter – 23.5 per cent — of rural households having no literate adults above the age of 25.

Releasing the census, Mr Jaitley said the findings would form the basis for States and the Centre to take policy decisions on schemes and programmes. “It provides a basis for helping to target groups for support and for policy planning,” he added.

However, the data released on Friday pertained only to the socio-economic parameters of the SECC 2011. The detailed caste-based data that will include figures for the Other Backward Classes will be placed before Parliament.

“Although it is called the Socio Economic and Caste data, the release so far has been of only the socio-economic data. The detailed caste-based data has not yet been released. However, Parliament has asked for this data, and so it will be placed before them at some point. At that point, it will be made public," said National Statistical Commission Chairman Pronab Sen.

Deprivation, not income

The extent of and approach to deprivation captured by the SECC 2011 contrasts with the poverty estimates of the erstwhile Planning Commission, which were income-based. As per the Commission’s last estimate, in 2011-12, 25.7 per cent of India’s rural population was below the poverty line ie. with an income below Rs. 816 per capita per month.

Dr Sen, told The Hindu that the poverty estimates of the Planning Commission and the SECC were not comparable. “This census measures deprivation on the basis of what a household does not have as against the Planning Commission’s poverty estimates that looked at the income an individual does have,” he said.

Source: thehindu

శ్రీ కౌముది జూలై 2015

Why Love Should Come After Marriage

Posted by: Praveen Kumar

Relationship experts opine that the best way to enjoy marital bliss is to marry someone first and then fall in love with that person after marriage. Well, today there are so many couples who date just to break up soon after for the slightest reasons.

May be this is the reason why experts suggest to marry first and love later. Well, when you are dating someone, you would naturally try to see reasons for not committing to that person because you are not tied down yet.

But marriage is a committed relationship. So, you would naturally try to see more reasons to stay with the person unless you really hate that person. Maybe, that is the reason why some find falling in love after marriage a better option. So, there are some advantages of arranged marriage too.

Also, in the dating world, you tend to have so many choices. This would make you a bit confused about what you really want in your partner.

Why Falling In Love After Marriage Is Better

Commitment Is More Important In Marriage

In dating, romance comes first. But in marriage, commitment comes first. It is a fact that relationships last longer due to commitment and not romance.

Marriage Considers Many Factors

When the marriage is an arranged one, many factors are considered by both the parties. In dating, romance dominates the relationship. In such cases, a person tends to get carried away by the emotions. The chances of a relationship going wrong would be more when you are emotional.

Stability Plays A Role

We marry to gain some stability and also to start a family. When stability is ensured, romance can gradually enter the picture to make the bond more beautiful. When we are young, we tend to think that romance is the only important thing to consider but stability is a factor that influences the shelf life of a relationship.

Loving Your Spouse Is Easier

As you tend to stay with your spouse under the same roof, the chances to get intimate would surely increase. This makes it easier to fall in love with your partner after marriage.

Source: boldsky

Foods For Weak Memory And Heart Problems

Posted by: Iram Zaz  Published: Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Heart and brain are the vital organs of our body. In today's life, weak memory and heart problems are a common problem. Almost all people forget the things that we are untented to do on urgent basis. People also suffer from increased cholesterol level and high blood pressure. 

This is mostly due to deficiency of essential nutrients important for brain and heart. People are addicted of eating wrong type of food (junk and processed foods) that increase cholesterol level which causes heart problems. These artificial foods also damage your brain and cause weak memory.

However, we are also blessed with some best foods that improve function of both heart and brain. These foods will not only improve your memory power and concentration but will also keep your heart healthy. Have a look at some best foods that keep your heart and brain healthy


Walnuts
They are also rich source of omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamin E. Some people even say that the shape of walnut inside resembles human brain. Walnuts remove all the deposited plaque from the arteries and prevent the risk of stroke and heart attack

Rosemary
It contains carnosic acid which offers protection from brain and heart damage. It prevents memory loss and also protects your heart from the damaging effects of free radicals.

Pistachio Nuts
They are rich in thiamine (vitamin B1) which helps in keeping your heart and brain healthy. They increase memory power and concentration. They keep your blood vessels flexible and prevent heart diseases.

Almonds
They are rich in antioxidants, vitamin B6, E and omega 3 fatty acids. They increase the memory power and decrease bad cholesterol level. Therefore, you must eat handful of almonds daily to prevent heart problems and to increase mental concentration.

Avocado
It is rich in good fats that are must for a healthy heart and brain. It helps in enhancing memory and also heals many heart diseases. It sharpens your memory by increasing the blood flow to the brain.

Gooseberry (Amla)
It is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants. Vitamin C in amla increases immunity and helps in the healing process of the body. It also increases the blood flow to the brain and heart and protects them from damage. You can have amla juice or amla jam

Onion
It is rich in antioxidants known as quercetin. Onion also increase blood flow to brain and heart. Thus, onions help to supply all the essential nutrients to these vital organs. If you add onions in you daily daily or in salads, your brain and heart will be healthy.

Black Seed (kalonji)
Black seeds are rich in antioxidants and protect the brain and heart from free radical damage. They improve memory and concentration. They also prevent high blood pressure and heart diseases. Have black seed powder after mixing it with honey to enhance it's taste.

Blueberries
They are rich in antioxidants that provide protection to brain and heart from damage. They increase mental power and increase blood flow to the heart.

Fish
Fatty cold water fish like salmon, tuna and trout are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. They protect your heart and improve brain power as omega 3 is important for both.

Red Apple
Apple skin contains high amounts of antioxidants such as quercetin. Red apples contain anthocyanin, which sharpens memory and also prevents heart damage. It is also useful for people suffering with weak memory and heart.

Sage
It is beneficial for those who have weak memory and a risk of heart attack due to increased cholesterol level. It improves concentration, relaxes the mind and protects your heart from damage.

Pumpkin Seeds
They are rich in zinc and omega 3 fatty acids which decrease cholesterol and sharpens your brain. Pumpkin seeds increase concentration and sharpens weak memory.

Honey
No food can compete honey in it's health benefits. It is used for almost all ailments. From cold remedy to increasing the sperm count. It is rich in almost all essential nutrients. It contains all B vitamins, antioxidants, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium etc. Therefore it is best for your heart and brain. It increase memory and the fructose sugar present in it supplies energy to brain.

Dates And Figs
Dates and figs are rich source of phosphorus and other essential nutrients also. They increase memory, concentration and protect the heart from damage.

Beetroot
It increases blood flow to the brain and heart, thereby it enhances memory and keeps your heart healthy. Apart from this it is good for overall health and also increases hemoglobin level.

Source: boldsky.com

శ్రీ కౌముది జూన్ 2015

8 Fascinating Wedding Traditions Around the World

Katie Waldeck

May 31, 2015

What event typifies a culture better than a wedding? Read on for some of the most unique wedding traditions across the globe. Do you have a great wedding tradition in your family or culture? Let us know about it in the comments!

1. Kenya: Spitting on the Bride

The Maasai people of Kenya have what is perhaps one of the most unique matrimonial customs on the planet: the father of the bride actually spits on the bride’s head and breasts after the ceremony! And it’s not just in wedding ceremonies, either—in Maasai culture, spitting is a way to show respect to others.

2. Lebanon: Late Nights

In much of the world, it’s customary for the newlyweds leave the ceremony before many of the guests. That’s not the case in Lebanon, however; in this Middle Eastern nation, it’s customary for the happy couple to stay until every single guest has left.

3. South Korea: Wedding Ducks

Many Korean couples receive carved mandarin ducks as a wedding gift. It’s believed that mandarin ducks mate with their partners for life, and that ducks symbolize peace and fertility.

Though far less common in modern ceremonies than it once was, traditionally, the duck carvings actually have a place in the ceremony. Before it starts, the ducks, minus the necks, are wrapped in cloth and carried into the ceremony. The bride then puts the wrapped ducks on the table when she enters, and, after the ceremony, the mother of the groom throws the ducks at the bride. If she catches it, she’ll have a boy; if she doesn’t, a girl.

4. India: Stealing Shoes

Known as Joota Chupai, or, quite literally, “stealing shoes,” this Indian wedding tradition involves the eldest unmarried woman from the bride’s side of the family stealing the shoes of the groom. At the start of the ceremony, the groom removes his shoes when he enters the mandap (similar to a western wedding altar) and the young women of the bride’s family find a clever place to hide them. The groom then offers a “ransom” of some sort, often pocket money, to get them back. It’s a fun tradition that’s meant to symbolize the uniting of two families.

5. Germany: Log Cutting

In Germany, the bride and groom saw a log in half immediately after the ceremony. Known as baumstamm sägen, the log sawing is symbolic of the first major hurdle the two face as a couple.

6. Greece: Crowns

Crowns are a mainstay of a traditional Greek Orthodox wedding ceremony. These crowns, tied together by ribbon, represent the union of two families, two souls and the creation of a new kingdom. During the ceremony, the priest switches the crowns back and forth between the bride and groom and, wearing the crown, the bride and groom follow the priest around the altar 3 times. The removal of the crowns represents the end of the ceremony.

 

7. Romania: Kidnapping the Bride.

In Romania and many other Eastern European countries, the bride can expect to be kidnapped by the family of the groom. It’s all in good fun, though: a little bit of alcohol or a song, or even a little money is enough to meet the “ransom” demand.

8. African Americans: Jumping the Broom

A popular ritual for African American couples, jumping the broom almost certainly has its roots in traditional African tribal weddings, particularly in Ghana. It’s a way to honor your heritage and join two families. After African Americans were legally able to marry, the practice of jumping the broom went out of favor. It didn’t gain popularity until the landmark television miniseries “Roots” depicted it. You can read more about the fascinating and heartbreaking history of jumping thebroom here.

Source:  care2

How Indian Girls Are Winning Their Way Out of Arranged Marriages

by Kevin Mathews | May 30, 2015

Rights for women in India are notoriously abysmal, and a lot of that starts with how Indian families force their young daughters into marrying strangers. While there is a law in the country forbidding Indian girls from marrying before the age of 18, it’s a fairly nominal rule considering that nearly half of all girls in the country are wed before 18 anyway. Finally, however, some of these girls are starting to escape these marriages and regain their autonomy in Indian courts.

Though urban areas have mainly eradicated underage weddings, the custom still flourishes in rural areas and remote villages. At this point, basically all Indians are well aware that these marriages are illegal, but that hasn’t stopped them from continuing with this practice. Many communities resent that Indian politicians have tried to impede on centuries-old traditions and continue to arrange underage marriages in defiance of the law.

As a result, 47 percent of girls in India are married by the age of 18. Young brides miss out on a lot of opportunities because of these sham weddings. They must quit school and become mothers before they are mature enough to handle this responsibility. Although economic opportunities are not plentiful for women in the country, they are especially stifled for girls trapped in these marriages.

When the law against child marriage was first implemented, it included a clause that unions where one or more of the participants is underage could be annulled. However, given prevailing societal norms against female empowerment and divorce, no one dared to try to contest these marriages. Women who divorce are practically considered lepers, and the court proceedings for divorce are unnecessarily long and expensive, undoubtedly designed to discourage people from pursuing them.

All that changed in 2012 when Kriti Bharti, a psychologist and children’s rights advocate, met Laxmi Sargara, a teenage girl whose parents married her back when she was just one. When she reached 16, the age where she was supposed to move in with her husband, Sargara learned that his family had been so abusive to another bride that she killed herself, obviously worrying her.

On Sargara’s behalf, Bharti appealed the court to end the marriage. Though these annulments were unprecedented, the judge agreed that the law was on the book and granted her an annulment. After this initial success, Bharti went to court advocating for many more child brides and has won 28 annulments. Generally speaking, Bharti finds that comparing dates on birth and marriage certificates is sufficient to show judges that the girls had been married illegally.

It’s not always so easy. Right now, Santadevi Meghawl has been trying to escape a marriage she wants no part in. As an infant, she was married to a 9-year-old boy. Now that Meghawl is a teenager, her husband’s family is demanding 1.6 million rupees ($25,000 USD) to give her an annulment. The husband has also threatened Meghawl’s life if she pursues an annulment in court. Meghawl is standing her ground, though, and vows to escape the marriage so she can study to become a teacher instead.

Continued victories in these court battles will be critical for cutting down on further child abuse. If Indians know that a reluctant bride will be able to later annul the marriage in court, it will begin to discourage them from forcing girls into these situations in the first place.

Source: care2

శ్రీ కౌముది మే 2015

శ్రీ కౌముది ఏప్రిల్ 2015

శ్రీ కౌముది మార్చ్ 2015

Caste determines spending on food, choice of work: NSSO

Rukmini S.



How much and what people eat and what work they do differs significantly by caste, new data from the National Sample Survey Office show. However, these differences are likely to be correlated, rather than caused by caste.

The NSSO released two new reports this week: one on household consumption expenditure by a social group and the other on employment and unemployment by a social group. The data show that while food takes up a larger share of the total expenditure of Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) households, compared with those if Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and “others,” the food items that the different social groups spend on, changes with caste. Higher castes spend significantly more on milk and milk products. But spending on cereals and eggs and meat does not change significantly by caste in absolute terms. Among non-food items, higher castes ramp up their spending on education and rent, the data show.

While in general SC and ST households spend substantially less than OBC and upper caste ones, substantial regional differences exist, the numbers show. The total consumption expenditure of a rural SC household in Tamil Nadu is more than that of an upper caste household in rural Bihar, while that of a rural SC household in Kerala is almost as much as that of an upper caste rural household in Gujarat.

SC households are most likely to be engaged in casual labour in rural areas, but in regular wage jobs in urban areas, the data show, while OBC and upper caste households are more likely to be self-employed or in salaried jobs.

While the new data do not have information on wages, earlier research by Sukhadeo Thorat, Chairperson of the Indian Council of Social Science Research, had shown that even among casual labour, SCs have lower wages. “This should be seen as correlation rather than causation,” a senior NSSO official explained of the new data, asking not to be named.

“SC and ST households are among India’s poorest, and both the occupational profile and consumption patterns should be seen as a function of poverty,” the official added.

Source: thehindu

‘Babri demolition and Clean Ganga mission share an ideological thread’

Bageshree S.

‘Science too has become a target now’

Demolition of the Babri Masjid and the Clean Ganga Mission share a common ideological thread, even though the latter is subtle and therefore easily accepted by people, argued S. Settar, eminent historian and the former chairperson of the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR).

Speaking at a national seminar here on Saturday organised by the All India Save Education Committee, he said: “All animals, all books and all rivers are sacred. Why make any distinction?” The subtle ideological campaign of cleaning Ganga, he said, is more dangerous than the blatant bringing down of a monument.

He regretted that cow today has become “more important than a human being” and yajna is being projected as an environment-cleansing act. Such “absurdities”, he said, were being propagated by people worried about knowledge becoming accessible to all and the power over it slipping out of their hands. The Indian way has always been “to possess and protect knowledge, but not to part with it,” said Prof. Settar.

With a “committed rightist” at the helm of ICHR now, whose area of study was the Mahabharata , one can expect “Kurukshetra for the next few years,” said Prof. Settar.

He said that while history has always been the target, science too had become a target now, with highly regarded scientific platforms making space for “absurd arguments”.

Satyajit Mayor, Director at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, said that making claims about scientific advances in ancient India is easy and leads to an “ignorant happiness” that we had everything in the past. However, “such chauvinism is completely irrelevant” in the realm of scientific reasoning, he added.

Source: thehindu

An open letter from a mother after ban on Nirbhaya documentary

TIME TO WAKE UP! Our justice system is so quick to ban but so busy when it comes to passing judgement.

New Delhi | Updated: March 7, 2015 7:52 pm   

By Jyotsana Mohan Bhargava

To whomsoever it may concern,

So you banned the documentary. I hope you saw it before. And in your role as sole arbiter of what we should and shouldn’t see, read, wear or eat, you’ve decided banning the documentary will help us in some arbitrary manner. But can you help us get rid of our sense of helplessness, our sense of frustration? And more than that, our feeling of utter and complete sadness?

I cried watching her parents speak. With dignity in their voice and pain in their eyes, only the heartless listening to them can remain unmoved. They sold their land, they lost their daughter in a way no one ever should and the Home Minister says he is upset about the film!

There are claims that the rapist has been glorified, that he has been given a platform. Is that all you see? Do you not hear the dark thoughts, do you not shudder when he says, without remorse that the girl deserved it and that future rapists will just kill? Or worse, if that’s possible, when his lawyer says he will set his daughter on fire if she were to step out like this? Ban the film, but what will you do about this mentality? Is this the legacy my country has for my daughters?

There was a time when I drove to work at 3.30 in the morning for my shift. I now look back and think – was I crazy? Being brave in Delhi is actually being stupid and if things remain the way they are, my kids will miss out on many college experiences because I won’t let them ever get on a DTC bus. Many young girls of course will have no choice.

Then of course there is this argument about women and their clothes. I recently shifted to the UAE. Not buzzing Dubai, but laid back Abu Dhabi. I expected it to be…I guess, conservative. But what a change! From abayas to shorts, women dress in what they want and happily walk the streets even as late as midnight. In Delhi my kids don’t even go to the park, which is just five steps across my house (at night). Here in Abu Dhabi there is no fear, because there is fear of law. Because justice is delivered swiftly. I have been here almost a year and in all this time there has been one major incident – and the reason it shocked the city was because nothing remotely similar had ever happened. A woman, some say with links to the jihadis, stabbed an American teacher. The culprit, who was covered from head to toe, was picked up within forty eight hours and has already been charged with the death penalty.

So my girls go and play outside but sadly I am from Delhi which means I need to keep checking on them. I have no answer when my elder daughter asks – “why do you keep coming…” even though this is a city where you can leave your wallet in an unlocked car with its windows rolled down.

The Delhi Police wanted the film restrained because it would apparently create fear. Really? Half the fear in this city is because we can’t really trust our own police. Have you ever been to a local police station? I have. Sniggering men with an air of such importance that I think our misplaced VIP culture begins right from here. It took me ten months to get a passport verification for my domestic help. I was made to call one police station after another; each policeman who answered too busy to help. So then, can you imagine the plight of a poor family that goes to report a rape at one of these police stations? I sometimes think that Indians don’t help others in distress on the road because they don’t want to get involved in a situation which they probably think will get messy. Harassment comes in different forms.

We are flawed on so many fronts that ‘it takes a village…’ may also not be enough. Our justice system is so quick to ban but so busy when it comes to passing judgement. Perhaps that’s why sections of the media and society are so quick to pass judgement. Some say no to the death penalty because it serves no purpose. It probably doesn’t if each punishment is ten years apart and loses all impact. But our justice system will take the time that it will; and nobody can question it. There are very few like Neelam Katara who have the forbearance to carry on and on. Our system can break even the strongest.

Then there are those like Meenakshi Lekhi who are more worried about how this film will portray India in a bad light, that we will lose out on tourism. May I please just tell the respected politician that our reputation is already smeared. Expats here tell me how they would love to visit India but have heard such horror stories that they would rather just go somewhere else. Once when I was travelling to Spain, I was told to watch out for people trying to steal wallets. I actually laughed. If you are an Indian, then that’s just a cakewalk to deal with. Banning a film will not take away the truth that Delhi is not just our political capital, it is also our rape capital.

So then here’s what we have learnt. Let’s bury our heads in the sand, look the other way, but let’s just never look in the mirror.

I grew up playing out in the sun and cycling with friends. My kids stay at home unless I can take them for some after-school lessons. I quit my job so I could let them have some fun. I have only female help in my house because it is always better to be safe than sorry. They are young right now but one day when my girls question me and want more, what will I tell them?

That their country failed them.

The views expressed by the author are personal. The article was first published in the blog Jo’s World. Log on to http://jomohan.wordpress.com/ for more articles by the author

Source: indianexpress

No Proof Required: So why not ban the RSS?

Narendra Modi in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. (PTI)

Written by Surjit S Bhalla | Published on:March 6, 2015 12:00 am   

The Narendra Modi government has lived up to its promise of being the best formation to set the economy right. Even the RBI has applauded the economic thrust of the Union budget by cutting the repo rate by 25 basis points. But on several social issues, the government has faltered and, according to several experts, this was one of the major reasons why the BJP got thrashed in the Delhi elections.

However, on one important social issue -- women’s empowerment -- Modi’s record has been outstanding. His appointment of several women in the cabinet has been noteworthy, though one can, and one should, complain about the incompetence of some of these ministers -- just as one should complain about the incompetence of some of the male ministers. Most remarkable, however, was Modi’s frank assessment of India’s record in killing unborn girls. In his Independence Day speech, Modi announced to India, and the whole world, our shameful record on female foeticide, and our shocking discrimination against women. His goal was to revolutionise and change the feudal mindset of the Indian public, and especially that of the Indian male.

Given this background, it has been nothing short of pathetic to watch BJP spokespersons writhe and contort under the yoke of defending the indefensible. The BBC made a documentary on the Delhi gang-rape of 2012 -- the rape that shocked the world in its brutality. The BBC received permission from all the authorities involved to film an interviews with one of the rapists. The documentary is about the sick mentality prevalent among males in all societies. From one’s understanding (along with the BJP Ban Brigade, I haven’t yet seen the film), the documentary is an honest look at the mind and mindset of one of the convicted rapists of the young woman -- Mukesh. How can anyone, least of all a responsible government, object to the screening of the interviews?

Once Home Minister Rajnath Singh made the decision to ban the film, the BJP posted its women leaders (Shaina N.C. and Meenakshi Lekhi) to defend the urge to ban. Curious -- just asking -- did the BJP think that their male representatives were incompetent to advocate and defend the ban on a movie about rape? However, it is highly unlikely that the men could have done worse. Here are the arguments presented by the BJP’s women leaders defending the ban.

Shaina NC: “We should respect the wishes of the parents of the rape victim.” If she had got her facts right, she would have known that both parents of the victim were strenuously arguing for the documentary to be shown. Indeed in an “illegal” (?) peek at the documentary shown last night by the BBC, the very first acknowledgement is to the victim’s parents.

Meenakshi Lekhi: She thankfully avoided the error of “parents will be upset”, but fell into several other traps, many of her own making. For example, she argued that all that the BJP was doing was conveying the “sense” of Parliament. Even though Parliament might have shouted approval of the ban, Lekhi should have reminded herself, and viewers, that Parliament is not above making mistakes -- unless the BJP now thinks that the Emergency was all right because it was approved by Parliament.

graphic-ban Illustration by CR Sasikumar

But Lekhi dug herself deeper into the mess of illogical and factual errors -- mistakes first made by Rajnath Singh. She claimed that the filmmakers had violated the law by filming without permission -- they hadn’t. She claimed they had not shown the uncut film to the Tihar jail authorities -- they had. And, somewhat shockingly, she argued that the screening of the film would affect tourism and should therefore be banned. Some might legitimately argue that the RSS’s thinking affects tourism -- so should the RSS be banned?

The simple conclusion is that the BJP jumped into the ban advocacy without looking at either the facts or, more importantly, the merits of the case. There are three major things wrong with this ban. First, if you are concerned about male violence against women, as you should be, you should make sure the film is shown, regardless of legal technicalities. (If the government still wants to ban the film, it should re-read Modi’s Independence Day speech.) Second, it is legally wrong to oppose the screening of the film after giving it legal approval and after the documentary-makers have fulfilled all legal commitments. Third, in this day and age, by arguing for a ban on a film that can easily be shown and seen on YouTube (even if you try to police that space), you are revealing to the world that you just don’t get it. Worse, you are stating, in a very public fashion, that you care more about false and fake national honour than the wellbeing and respect of women. H ow difficult is it to understand or appreciate that respect for women in all dimensions (reduction of foeticide, rape, domestic violence, etc) will do much more to preserve and elevate national honour than crude attempts to ban the screening of an unfortunate reality?

Unfortunately, and this is worrisome, the instinctive urge to ban (rather than think) is most prevalent in the newly BJP minted state of Maharashtra. This state has a young chief minister from whose youth we expected some modernity, if not progressivity, not the kind of regressive policies followed by Devendra Fadnavis’s government in banning of comedy shows and extending the existing ban on cow slaughter to the slaughter of bulls as well. What is it with young chief ministers in India, regardless of political persuasion, that they are so backward — for example, Akhilesh Yadav, Fadnavis and Arvind Kejriwal? Oof, bring back the old, ring out the new.

Regarding the extension of the cow slaughter ban to bulls (male cows), can someone please explain to me why cow slaughter is banned, but not the slaughter of buffaloes? Both give milk and, in that sense, both are “holy” or mother-like. Is there an implicit “racist” bias here, given that the buffaloes are mostly black and cows mostly white? Or is it the case that the cow is socialist and therefore fits in with the Preamble of our modified Constitution, and the buffalo is part of a capitalist disorder?

There is a larger disease at work in India -- it is the urge to ban anything that the “powerful” do not like. It is wrong to ban the screening of India’s Daughter, just as it is wrong to ban cow slaughter. And just as equally wrong to ban extremist political organisations like the RSS, unless they violate the law.

Bhalla is chairman of Oxus Investments, an emerging market advisory firm, and a senior advisor to Zyfin, a leading financial information company. Heis co-author, with Ankur Choudhary, of the book ‘Criconomics: Everything you wanted to know about ODI cricket and More’

Source: indianexpress

I'm Kejriwal's baap, just that my home turf is not Delhi: Bacchu Kadu, independent MLA from Amravati

From dumping snakes in government offices to climbing atop a water tank in Sholay style to shake up authorities. A brash style of functioning separates Bacchu Kadu, independent MLA from Achalpur (Amravati), from others of his ilk.

From dumping snakes in government offices to climbing atop a water tank in Sholay style to shake up authorities. A brash style of functioning separates Bacchu Kadu, independent MLA from Achalpur (Amravati), from others of his ilk. A votary of equality of the disabled, the 44-year-old had organised a blood donation camp at St George's Hospital on February 20 where 600 physically challenged people turned up. Kanchan Srivastava spoke to Kadu in a medical van after he donated blood for the 83rd time. Edited excerpts:

You are a lawmaker, but you often take the law in your own hands. Why?

I can't keep quiet when I see that government officials are harassing the common man. To teach them a lesson, it is necessary to break the law at times. It attracts attention of everyone and they are forced to do their job.

Do you want to become Arvind Kejriwal of Achalpur?

I am Kejriwal's baap (much above him), for I am holding constructive movements for past two decades such as conducting blood donation drives of disabled people. I don't believe in wasting people's time and energy by holding road shows. I am not so popular because I don't live in Delhi where even a small work is noticed.

So, who is your inspiration?

I derive a little bit of inspiration from Anil Kapoor-starrer Nayak. My funda is – first Gandhigiri or else, Bhagat Singh.

You exchanged the Indian flag with your wife during your wedding and instead holding a feast, you gifted tricycles to disabled people. Was this a publicity stunt?

I and my wife just wanted to show respect to the nation. As regards the feast, I was part of Zilla Panchayat then and had requested district officials to provide 100 tricycles to the needy. After eight months of following up, I could get just one which left me disheartened. I thought why waste money on feeding guests who were not hungry. Instead, we helped the needy.

You are currently holding an agitation. Why?

Since years, I have been fighting for the rights of people with disabilities, but the government has nothing. Our demands include compulsory spending of 3% funds in civic bodies, speedy issuance of disability certificates, hike in disability support pension, filling up vacancies for them, expansion of housing scheme for APL disabled. We want government to set-up a separate commissionerate for differently abled people under social justice department.

Have you got any assurance from the government?

The social justice minister has assured us that all our demands would be met in three months. If that happens, we will collect blood equivalent to the CM's weight and treat ministers with laddoos. If not, we'll hold blood donation drives in front of their bungalows.

Why don't you join BJP or Shiv Sena?
My organization Prahar has helped over 20,000 people avail medical treatment and 25,000 people get their caste certificate. There is a lot need to be done in my constituency, especially for farmers and on education and health front. I don't think that I am doing any less compared to MLAs of Sena or BJP. Moreover, I don't want to lose my independence by joining any political party.

Source: dnaindia