Aagaz of Teej at Atiyana
Like every year since 2005, Aagaz, an NGO organised the Teej festival at Atiyana, a village the NGO has adopted in Ludhiana district, for the downtrodden and weaker sections of the society on Saturday.
This year Aagaz is celebrating Teej with a difference as the theme was 'importance of a girl child'. Spokesperson of Aagaz, Preeti Kansal said when Aagaz celebrated Teej at Atiyana in 2005, it was after a gap of 25 years that this village was celebrating the women oriented festival. After the success then on, celebrating Teej has been a regular feature in this village.
This year Aagaz is celebrating Teej with a difference as the theme was 'importance of a girl child'. Spokesperson of Aagaz, Preeti Kansal said when Aagaz celebrated Teej at Atiyana in 2005, it was after a gap of 25 years that this village was celebrating the women oriented festival. After the success then on, celebrating Teej has been a regular feature in this village.
Women of the village start inquiring much ahead of the festival from Aagaz members, who visit the village regularly. Preeti said the village women keep waiting for the festival as they plan to invite their married daughters during Teej, as per the traditional practice.
Women of the village start inquiring much ahead of the festival from Aagaz members, who visit the village regularly. Preeti said the village women keep waiting for the festival as they plan to invite their married daughters during Teej, as per the traditional practice.
Aagaz retrieved this traditional folklore festival in the village as Teej now a days is celebrated only among the urban women at their kitty parties, while the rural folks miss its excitement amidst their daily struggle of survival, she added. Apart from talks on the theme, poetry recitation and various other competitive games were organised on various topics. The traditional 'Boliyan' was also sung by women on the importance of a girl child and students performed a play 'Dhiaan Dhiaanian' on this occasion, Preeti added.
Aagaz retrieved this traditional folklore festival in the village as Teej now a days is celebrated only among the urban women at their kitty parties, while the rural folks miss its excitement amidst their daily struggle of survival, she added. Apart from talks on the theme, poetry recitation and various other competitive games were organised on various topics. The traditional 'Boliyan' was also sung by women on the importance of a girl child and students performed a play 'Dhiaan Dhiaanian' on this occasion, Preeti added.
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Village in Melghat gets electricity
Residents of the remote Raksha village, about 270 km from Nagpur, in the heart of the dense forest of the Melghat tiger reserve, will finally see the light, literally, as they have received solar home lighting systems provided by the NGO Nature Conservation Society (NCSA), Amravati district, and the Grand Lodge of India, a social organisation.
The initiative was part of the 'Jyotirgamaya' programme, an endeavour of Grand Lodge of India to provide solar lights to villages where there is no electricity.
Under this initiative, 50 houses received solar panel and light connections. The NCSA identified the village, supervised and coordinated with the villagers who belong to Korku tribe, while Grand Lodge of India financed it. The NCSA will look into the maintenance of the solar panels. There are plans to collect Rs 2 per day from a family for the facility which will be used for the maintenance of the panels, said Nishikant Kale, coordinator, energy wing, NCSA.
There are at least 26 villages inside the Melghat tiger reserve which have no electricity.
Balram Biswakumar, chief of the Grand Lodge of India said the villagers can make good use of this facility, especially for education of their children, who can now continue their study even during night hours. Solar torches, to enable villagers to move out at night, were also distributed.
Till date, 23 such Jyothirgamaya projects have been completed by the Grand Lodge of India.
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The making of a global changemaker
“We are fighting against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which gives the army the power to shoot on suspicion or arrest without warrant. This act has led to the violation of a number of human rights by the army”, says Monika Khangembam, a final year student at Commits Institute of Journalism and Mass Communication, Bangalore, who participated in the British Council Global Changemakers 2011 — Asia Youth Summit, in New Delhi between July 17 and 23.
Monika, originally from Manipur, spent her childhood years in the states of Manipur and Sikkim. She did her under-graduation from Chennai and is currently pursuing Public Relations and wants to use her education to fight for human rights in her home state. “I interned with an NGO called Human Rights Alert, Manipur, which organises protests and creates awareness in cities like New Delhi and Bangalore about the conditions in the North-Eastern states. It was they who informed me about the Youth Summit,” said Monika.
She was one among the 60 ‘global changemakers’ selected from 1,500 student applicants worldwide. “I had to submit an application and go through a screening process. The applicants had to submit a two-minute video showing the kind of work they do and we were interviewed via Skype,” added Monika. Sixty young people from 27 countries, came together to discuss issues close to their hearts, and share their experiences, from climate change to social entrepreneurship and human rights. The selection also comes with substantial financial assistance to these students to carry out their work.
“I spoke about the atrocities committed by the army which is a result of powers given to them by the Act. The enforcement of the AFSPA has resulted in innumerable incidents of arbitrary detention, torture, rape, and looting by security personnel. Instead of being our protectors they are the ones who are torturing the people. The participants from other countries were taken aback as they did not have any idea about the existence of such rules in a democracy,” said Monika while recounting her experiences of the summit.
As a young activist, Monika gave a presentation of the work she did in association with the NGO, which include arranging legal aid and rehabilitation of widows. One of the participants in the programme from UK, Steven Dominique Cheung, a British-Chinese braoadcaster, has promised that he would be making all attempts to raise the human rights violation issue with the European Parliament, and adopt a resolution that would turn the spotlight on Manipur and the struggle against human rights. “It was an eye-opener for me. Interacting with young activists, entrepreneurs, event managers, I learnt about various issues all over the world”, she pointed out.
During the course of the Summit,� Monika met former UN Undersecretary General and former minister of state for external affairs, Shashi Tharoor, who promised his support to any activity she undertook in her fight against human rights violations.
“In India, association with celebrities becomes important if you want to get the attention of the media and the general public. I hope we are able to work towards a permanent solution to the problem,” said Monika.
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Human body demystified at expo
With the faint smell of formaldehyde in the air and pictures of various organs on the walls, an entire school was transformed into a giant exhibit of the human body.
‘Medex2011’, a medical exposition organised by the Perambur Branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), went all out to unravel the nuances of the human body in a way that laymen could understand. It is the first of its kind to be organised by an NGO.
Doctors and paramedical staff explained the exhibits and charts which covered various branches of medicine including anatomy, pulmonology, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynaecology, infertility, ENT, eye care, psychology, neurology, dental, medical and surgical gastroenterology, nephrology and nutrition. Dr Vijayachandar, president of the IMA, Perambur branch, said, “We have� specially focused on anaemia at the nutrition stall, as it is a prevalent problem in our society.”
The two-day exhibition, that was held during the weekend saw more than 4000 visitors. With 21 awareness stalls and 56 sponsored stalls, the visitors had plenty to look at. Also, children eagerly listened to the explanations given by those at the stalls.
A “Vanishing Man” exhibit showed a man holding a cigarette transform into a skeleton. Preserved specimens of various human organs, foetuses and dissected limbs made a fascinating display. Preethi, a visitor, said, “It is a little creepy, but we don’t get to see such things anywhere else. The stalls were really informative.”
Kavitha, a nurse in training, spoke about the ABC (Airway-Breathing-Circulation) of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and demonstrated the right way to administer it. “While giving mouth to mouth resuscitation, one should blow at least 12 to 20 times a minute if it is an adult and 20 to 30 times per minute for a child. While giving CPR, an adult requires 70 to 80 compressions a minute, and a child requires 80 to 100 compressions,” she said.
Seminars, competitions and quizzes were conducted throughout the day. The IMA held their Doctor’s Day celebrations, with their state leaders being present at the function. More than 400 doctors participated in the exhibition.
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Missing children statistics alarming
Time lapse, insufficient information database and an ineffective tracking system minimises missing children’s chances of ever coming back home. Statistics show 8,945 children being abducted annually in India, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s (NCRB) annual report on Crime in India (2009). While according to RTIs filed by an NGO in 2009, an average of 60,000 children were reported missing annually.
Evidence collected by CRY- Child Rights and You and its partner alliances points to a large-scale occurrence of missing children in India. At a public hearing in Delhi here on Friday, families from communities in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, of children missing, recovered or found dead provided a first hand account of ‘what they did when their child went missing’.
According to the Zonal Integrated Police Network, the number of missing children from all 10 districts of Delhi stands at a mere 468, of which 380 are FIRs, 88 are Daily Diary entries where as the number extracted through RTIs from just 8 districts, stands at 1,260, of which 835 are FIRs, 403 are DD entries, for the period between January 1, 2011 to April 30.
Details of 22 children and the police station-wise distribution from the North district could not be traced through the RTIs, highlighting the problem of proper documentation. While two districts, namely, South-West and East did not provide with the information applied for.
In Uttar Pradesh, as a result of the PIL filed in January 2008, on February 6, 2008, the UP Government completed the compilation of total missing children in 2006, and as many as 3,649 children were found missing.
Responses to RTIs from the State Bureau of Crime Records of Madhya Pradesh from 2003-2009 reveal an alarming 57,253 missing children, of which 28,779 were girls and 28,474 were boys, between ages 0-18. Ten per cent of these children are still missing-which could mean killed or trafficked while official data states 700 children go missing annually from the State, though RTIs from just 6 districts (Mandala, Balaghat, Shiwni, Dindori, Chhindwara and Katni) reveals a much higher number -- 796 boys and 887 girls missing (total: 1,683) in 2007 and 2008.
CRY along with its partners, is working to make sure that the shockingly large numbers of missing children don’t remain an appalling secret. Through observations of the socio-economic profile of the areas, the most vulnerable to being trafficked, running away or getting lost, are children living in areas such as poor communities, slums, unauthorised and resettlement colonies.
Recommending a proper child tracking system and a common missing children’s database to be maintained for quick recovery of the child, and a better understanding of the trends/ patterns for preventive and responsive strategies, CRY as said missing children cases should be reported as an FIR, as this forces the police to put the case before a court.
A common database should be established to make tracking missing children simpler, faster across districts and States and provision of special care and protection for rescued children should be made to ensure their rights are protected.
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India, Pak should not stop dialogue: Kutty
The 'aam aadmi' in Pakistan is very curious to know more about the 'aam aadmi' in India, said secretary general of Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) B M Kutty, who is in the city to attend an event organised by city-based NGO, Sarhad. Kutty would be felicitated for his work as India-Pakistan activist for more than 60 years, on Sunday at 10 am, at Sarhad Bhavan in Katraj.
"Citizens of both the countries want to communicate with each other. This is a very positive sign. The common people were never against each other. There are certain vested interests and external forces that have kept us from mingling freely. Now, more and more people have joined the cause for peace," said 81-year-old Kutty.
The Kerala-born octogenarian migrated to Karachi 60 years ago and has since been involved in peace-building through cross-border communication.
Kutty has recently published a book on his work - 60 Years in Self Exile: No Regrets, which profiles his life and times across the border. "I call it an autobiography of a political worker," said Kutty.
The triple bomb blasts in Mumbai on July 13 did not deter both the countries from coming together and taking their dialogue forward. "It was good to see an uninterrupted dialogue with Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar's recent visit to India," Kutty said.
He believes neither country should surrender communication because of terrorism or militancy. "Remaining silent will further incite terrorism. Trade and commerce between the two countries should increase by opening important land, sea and air routes along our borders. Fact is people from Pakistan are interested in fostering links with India. Thousands of traders in Pakistan want to do business with India. This kind of communication is important and will help curb terrorism," said Kutty.
Easing of visa restrictions is a must to further boost cross-border dialogue, he said.
Moreover, the Joint Judicial Committee, set up with participation by both the countries, has a very important role to play in building peace, said Kutty, citing the release of Indian fishermen by Pakistan in April. "The PPC has been fighting for fair treatment towards fishermen of both the countries for the last 25 years. The judiciaries of India and Pakistan are taking action to resolve different issues between the two countries, and this, too, is a very positive development," Kutty, who envisions a larger peace process, said.
"It's not just about India and Pakistan, but about South Asia as a whole. We want people from all South Asian countries to come together and work towards peace."
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Girl 'rescued' from parents
Efforts to rescue a girl allegedly kept confined by her parents turned sour for some members of a Jaipur-based NGO on Saturday. In their rescue bid, they were not only manhandled, but a case of kidnapping was also slapped on them. ?
The incident took place in Sikar district's Reengus police station area. Laxmi, a resident of Abhawas village in the district, had written several letters to the NGO's office here claiming that she was being kept confined by her parents. ?
"The girl had disappeared last year following which the family members registered a missing complaint with us. We found the girl and brought her back to her parents recently," ? DySP Bherunmal Meena said. He said Laxmi claimed to have married one Manoj Khateek from her village in February . ?
"The couple says Laxmi became pregnant, but the family members forcefully got her aborted," the officer said.Hearing the news, Manoj filed an FIR against seven people, including local SHO Ishwar Singh, constable Ramdev, local politician Laxmikant and Laxmi's parents. ?
Laxmi had allegedly approached the local police several times saying she was being confined against her wish, but the cops did not pay heed to her. Later, she started writing to social activists. Meena said a team from the NGO including social activists Kavita Srivastava and Nisha Sidhhu, reached the girl's house to rescue her. ?
While Kavita returned to Jaipur with the girl, Nisha and some others were manhandled by the family members. They did not let them leave the village. and snatched Nisha's purse. The family members have also registered a case of kidnapping against unidentified people. We have taken the statement of the NGO workers and are investigating the case," Meena added. The girl is now at a women's shelter in Jaipur.
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NGO report card gives MLA Sangle top rank
A report card rating performances of MLAs across Mumbai has rated MNS MLA from Vikhroli Mangesh Sangle as the best in the city, followed by Congress MLA from Sion Koliwada Jagannath Shetty and BJP MLA Sardar Tara Singh from Mulund. The worst rated MLA was BJP’s Prakash Mehta.
NGO Praja Foundation, which accessed data of proceedings in the Vidhan Sabha, data from city and suburban collectors’ offices, Mumbai Police and State Election Commission through RTI applications, released a rating card for 32 out of 36 MLAs of Mumbai on Thursday — leaving out the four MLAs who are also ministers.
The parameters followed for the 100-point marking system included educational qualifications, filing of Income Tax returns, criminal record, number of sessions attended, number of questions asked, importance of questions asked, utilisation of the total local area development funds between December 2009 and March 2011 and perceived accessibility and level of corruption by voters in the constituency. Sixty per cent weightage has been given to performance of MLAa as defined by the RTI applications and 40 per cent on the perception amongst the citizens.
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Soul Collective
Prayas Youth Forum began in 2008 when 11 friends decided to reach out to disadvantaged children. Today, hundreds of students are rallying behind them in their cause
When 11 friends, all belonging to the Sinhagad Institutes, came together in 2008 and decided to visit a few of the nearby schools and introducing the children to the basics of computers in the Wadgaon area, none of them had thought that three years later they will be supported by a 350-strong group of young volunteers. Prayas Youth Forum, started as a college initiative to help needy students understand the working of computers, has today evolved into an NGO. The organisation now helps rural schools and colleges develop their websites and also donates computers to many of them, among other things.
Even though most of the founder members are working in different software companies, they continue to be connected to Prayas' activities. The idea for the initiative was born when 23-year-old Nikhil Pathare, a student then, asked ten of his friends to visit his native village with the aim of providing the students there computer literacy and career guidance. "I belong to a rural family from Bhambora in Karjat. When I initially came to the city, I faced a lot of problems, which any student coming from a rural background naturally will. Thus, the idea of helping people like me took root,” says Pathare. In 2008, these eleven friends visited Karjat on their own expense. “We visited about four to five schools with our laptops and showed them how the machines work. We introduced them to basic computer functions and also talked to them about the different kind of career opportunities one has today. We received a very good response,” adds Pathare.
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Minor boys trafficked from Bihar rescued
The Shivajinagar police have rescued 13 boys, who were trafficked from Bihar, from a bag stitching unit. The minor boys were forced to stitch rexin bags at the stitching unit.
According to the police, an NGO had filed a case stating that some minor boys had been trafficked and brought to the city and they were forced to work in a building on Broadway Road in Shivajinagar and based on that the police conducted a raid on the building. The police found that the boys were made to work in unhygienic working conditions.
The rescued boys have been identified as Sujithkumar, Sunil, Rajaram, Sathruddin, Rusthan, Dinesh, Krishnananda, Sabad, Ibrahim, Junaid, Gafoor, Ravindra and Sanoj.
The men behind this, Jithendra Prasad Yadav and Mohammad Sarfaroz Sheikh, are absconding and efforts are on to nab them, the police added. Further investigations are on.
Man gets lifer for murdering wife
The Fifth Fast Track Court has convicted a person accused of murder to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000.
Nagaraj has been convicted on charges of murdering his wife Chandrakala in June 2009. The couple were married in June 2004 and were staying in Laggere in Rajagopal Nagar police station limits.
Nagaraj had allegedly harassed his wife for dowry and is accused of killing his wife by setting her ablaze at his residence in 2009.
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RWCs to give more teeth to urban residents' bodies, says NGO
The city-based NGO, People's Action, organised a meeting with the members of the Residents' Welfare Associations (RWAs) of different wards with an agenda to discuss the formation of Residents' Welfare Committees (RWCs).It is being planned that the RWCs will work in cooperation with ward councillors and the district administration to ensure quicker redressal of citizens' grievances.Formation of the RWC is planned as a step towards empowering the citizens in a positive, collaborative manner. With an agenda to discuss the formation of RWCs, Sanjay Kaul, founder of People's Action, along with other representatives of the society, met different members of resident bodies at the Gymkhana Club."RWCs have been successfully set up in every ward in Delhi and we would like to form similar committees in Gurgaon also. These will be groups of residents' representatives nominated via registered RWAs in every ward. The district administration and the RWAs would be on same platform to resolve the grievances of the citizens," said Kishore Asthana, JAFRA representative.The RWCs will have a holistic approach in solving problems faced by an entire ward. This would be better than RWAs that are mostly concerned about what is happening in their own colony. The RWCs will take a larger view of the problems and help bring these issues to the notice of the administration.The MCG would be approached by the organisation so that the councillors of each ward are kept in the loop. "RWCs will ideally meet once a month and the minutes will be given to the mayor and the municipal commissioner. In the next meeting, they will be asked about the progress on the grievances. All proceedings, including the replies received, would be made public," said the representative of the society.
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Debojit, Anwesha win Guwahatians' hearts
The Guwahatians enjoyed a musical weekend with a live concert of singer Debojit Saha and Anwesha Dutta Gupta at the Pragjyotika ITA Machkhowa Centre. The event was organized by a city-based NGO Anandam Ek Lakshya.
The chief guests for the evening were state PCC chief Bhubaneshwar Kalita and minister for tea tribe welfare Prithibi Majhi.
The audiences were seeing swaying to the popular numbers belted out by the two talented singers. Both the singers, who rose to fame as winners of a reality show, managed to enthrall the audience with their captivating voice.
Shvani Das, an audience who was seen enjoying the concert with her friends said, "I always liked Anwesha's voice and Debojit was the first winner of reality talent show from this region. We have a special place for him in our hearts."
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