The Gorakhpur incident was indeed a horrific one which jolted the entire nation. The devastation wrought by the loss of over 70 children’s lives in just five days will be hard to forget, especially for those who lost their dear ones.

After the incident appeared in the limelight, the emerging loopholes were shocking and embarrassing. Some media investigations revealed that the incident could have been prevented but it sadly wasn’t due to irresponsible behaviour and mismanagement.

The blame game soon started and the principal and the doctor were made scapegoats to be sacrificed. Dr Kafeel Khan (head of the encephalitis ward and an assistant professor at the Pediatric department) was removed from his position and Dr Rajeev Mishra (then principal of the state-run Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital in Gorakhpur) was suspended.

However, a fact finding committee of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) gave a clean chit to Dr Rajeev Mishra and Dr Kafeel Khan as far as medical negligence was concerned.

The Times of India reported, “The committee has recommended that administrative inquiry and action could be initiated against the two doctors. The inquiry has also revealed that oxygen supply was interrupted for a short time on the night of August 10, as the supplier had failed to replenish stocks due to non-payment of his dues for the last 5-6 months. The report also reveals that the hospital was handling cases of patients needing oxygen supply more than its capacity.”

The main culprits – those who had delayed in making payments to the oxygen supplier after consistent reminders – were seeking to escape in this entire episode.  The so-called responsible and elected authorities exhibited extreme of callousness.

This is evident from the fact that despite repeated reminders by the oxygen suppliers to clear the money that was due, and despite the college administration reaching out to the state government, the funds were never released. This neglect and lack of response ultimately took the lives of these children.

However, the UP government denied the allegations of delaying the funds to the medical college.

“Health Minister Sidhartha Nath Singh said the government had released funds on August 5, but Mishra cleared the payment on August 11, after the deaths of at least 60 children over five days this month,” The Indian Express reported.

The principal, who was accused of receiving the payment on time but deliberately delaying its release to the oxygen supplier, blamed the delay on bureaucratic procedures and the chief minister’s visit.

According to a report on Scroll, “Mishra claimed that he had written at least three or four letters to the state medical education department in July, asking for the release of about ₹2 crore allocated to the college in the state budget. The funds were released on August 5, Saturday.”

In the report by Scroll, Mishra further explains the reasons behind the delay in payment to the supplier.

“The process of paying a bill involves clearance from the treasury department, said Mishra. The college sends a bill voucher to the treasury, which is verified by officials, who send back a token. The college sent the voucher on August 7. ‘On August 8, the token from the treasury was released,’ he said.

“But, on August 9, Chief Minister Adityanath came on a visit to the hospital, which kept the hospital administration busy, claimed the former principal. It was only on August 10 that the hospital could send the token to the bank for the transfer of Rs 52 lakh to Pushpa Sales’ account. ‘We do not do a direct bank transfer via RTGS [real time gross settlement],’ said Mishra. He explained that because Pushpa Sales and the hospital have accounts in different banks, the inter-bank transfer took a day.

“Mishra left for Rishikesh on the night of August 9 as a member of a technical committee overseeing the establishment of a laboratory. In the afternoon of August 10, he got a call from Pushpa Sales that the next truck with the liquid oxygen would not be sent. 

“‘He [the owner of Pushpa Sales] has been sending letters threatening to cut the oxygen supply so many times,’ said Mishra. ‘Payments have been delayed, but we have always paid him. I explained to him that it was the bank’s delay and that he would get his payment.’

“Mishra said the hospital did not expect the company to cut off supplies.”

To avoid having to take responsibility for the deaths of over 70 children, the BJP came to the support of the Uttar Pradesh government. BJP national president Amit Shah said that events similar to the Gorakhpur tragedy have happened before.

Why did the UP government wait (as principal Mishra says) until July to release the funds to the hospital? The tragedy which took the lives of over 70 children could have been avoided if the funds had been released on time.

This particular incident also highlights the inept management of the concerned agencies – a government-run hospital relying on a single oxygen supplier, who, just for the sake of money, took away the right to breathe for innocent children. The government should take lessons from a blunder of this magnitude. Unfortunately, they are busy playing blame games and taunting each other.

The post The Deaths Of Over 70 Children In Gorakhpur Could Have Been Prevented appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

One can hardly deny the fact that our country is suffering from a social crisis today. And I believe the reason behind this can be explained in just four effective words from Plato – “Your silence gives consent.” But the purpose of mentioning this statement is not to make you understand how important it is to speak against the government. It is to let you know how wonderfully our government has understood this philosophy of Plato. Hence, to gain the consent for carrying out any sort of work (no matter how undemocratic it is) all they need to do is to make everyone silent.

The very purpose of having a democracy is to hear many voices presenting different opinions. But today, in the largest democracy in the world, attempts to silence those voices are no longer limited to student activists or common citizens. While celebrating 70 years of our freedom, the fundamental right to freedom of expression was snatched away from the elected Chief Minister of Tripura, when Prasar Bharti refused to air his Independence Day speech on Doordarshan and All India Radio.

On the morning of August 15, Manik Sarkar, the Chief Minister of Tripura, was even directed about what he should not say in his speech. Later, when he delivered his speech in which he talked about unity in diversity and economic equality, he was asked to ‘reshape’ it. And when he declined to do so, the broadcast of his speech got denied.

The only parts of his speech, which authorities might have found offensive were the ones in which he said, “Today, the spirit of secularism is under attack. Conspiracy and attempts are underway to create an undesirable complexity and divisions in our society; to invade our national consciousness in the name of religion, caste and community, by inciting passions to convert India into a particular religion country and in the name of protecting the cow…” But how are his views in any way different from the words coming out of Lal Qila on the very same day, which said, “Aastha ke naam pe hinsa nahi chalegi (Violence won’t be tolerated in the name of faith)”?

One might argue that government has no role in censoring his speech and it is the work of the officials of Prasar Bharti, but what is interesting is that his speech continued with the following words, “…Because of all this, people of minority and Dalit communities are under attack. Their sense of security is being shattered.” Now if his speech had been blacked out for going against the guidelines, like ‘anything obscene or defamatory’ or ‘affecting the integrity of the nation’, it could have been blamed on the officials. But his speech, perhaps, went against the idea of the government’s ‘New India’, where there is no place for dissent and criticism, especially in cases related to minorities and Dalits.

The last time someone shared the exact same views was just a week before this incident, and despite the fact that it came from a man who once held the second highest constitutional post in India, the fate it met was not very different. Former Vice President Hamid Ansari’s views about a sense of insecurity creeping in among the Indian Muslims (which is backed by a large number of facts) triggered tremendous outrage from the ruling party. The current Vice President said it is ‘a political propaganda’. The Prime Minister’s complete incivility during his speech for Hamid Ansari’s Rajya Sabha farewell cannot be forgotten in decades to come.

Now if a Vice President can be labelled a follower of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (by many right-wing leaders) for expressing concern for his fellow citizens, how can one expect ordinary citizens to break their silence on atrocities against any section of our society? The Prime Minister accused him of following the ideology of Congress and Muslims during his career as a diplomat and said he might have felt unease while following the Indian constitution for the last decade. By fiercely insulting anyone who raises questions about minorities and Dalits, they are simply proving Hamid Ansari’s point.

These are definitely not isolated cases. Walter Cronkite had said, “Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy, it is democracy.” And hence, the constant attacks on the press – the ban on NDTV India, clampdown on newspapers in Kashmir and other parts of the country, recent raids spurred by baseless allegations, are not attacks on just the freedom of the press, but on democracy itself.

The university is undoubtedly a place of dialogue, discussion, debate and dissent, to ultimately strengthen democracy. But frequent attacks on the freedom of university students are also gaining momentum. Rohith Vemula’s voice was among the first ones to be silenced, and it was silenced so ruthlessly that he chose to remain silent forever. Kanhaiyya, Umar and Anirban were labelled anti-nationals and terrorists on the basis of doctored videos and fictional stories. Their voices were silenced so brutally that an ordinary citizen would think twice before raising questions against any authority. The attempts to attack their freedom of speech have not yet stopped. Last month, Kanhaiyya Kumar’s had a speech scheduled in my city, Aurangabad. At the eleventh hour, the organisers received a notice asking them to cancel the event, from the authorities. After asking for the reason for the cancellation, the authorities simply said that they had received these orders from ‘above’. This was later revoked after a hunger strike by student activists.

Gurmeher Kaur’s incident was not only about a girl receiving rape and death threats for opposing the student organisation of a powerful party. It was about how freedom of expression on the internet can be crushed with the help of trolls and threats. And one can again argue that the government has no role in promoting such things, but the pictures of Prime Minister felicitating some of the worst abusers on twitter at his own residence – who are constantly engaged in threatening girls with rape and murder – and following them through his private account tells an entirely different story. On July 1, 2016, the PM hosted a group of 150 social media influencers at his residence, where he asked them to use ‘positive language even while facing abuse’. But quite a few of those 150 supporters are alleged to be abusive trolls. One of them, Tajinder Bagga, was appointed as BJP spokesperson shortly after. Besides this, calling Najeeb a member of ISIS and Shehla Rashid a prostitute are just some of the many ways in which trolls have tried to curtail freedom of expression.

Sadhvi Khosla, a former member of BJP’s IT cell, shared her experience of working there, in Swati Chaturvedi’s book “I am a Troll”.  She said, “It was a never-ending drip feed of hate and bigotry against the minorities, the Gandhi family, journalists on the hit list, liberals, anyone perceived as anti-Modi,” and alleged that she herself was forced to send trolls and abusive messages.

The striking connections to the government or the ruling party in all these cases definitely indicate something. The ideological ambition of BJP is an open secret and their communal nature an undeniable truth. The consent required for achieving all these goals can be gained by making everyone silent. Attempts are being made to do the same, but by doing so they are creating a sense of awareness in citizens about their freedom of expression. And for every voice that is silenced, the task of silencing voices is multiplying, because the people of India have understood that their silence gives consent.                                                

The post Vice President Or Chief Minister, No One Is Allowed To Criticise The Government appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

The internet is a free space, where anyone can speak their mind, but it is also a platform that allows many to hide behind a desk. Anonymity not only offers entertainment and an escape from reality, but it also gives people a license to say and do things online most wouldn’t do in real life.

It is a fact well-known that trolls hiding behind fake IDs are always on the prowl to attack people online.

The latest app that specializes in this nameless messaging is Sararah, an anonymous messaging app that’s taken social media by storm. Like its predecessors Ask.fm and Sayat.me, the app enables one to send messages to anyone who has the link to their profile, without the person knowing who sent the message. Since the app came out in February 2016, the number of users has almost reached 300 million. And even though the purpose of the app, as per its creators, was to encourage constructive criticism online, there also seems to be a lot of hate spreading through it.

The Dark Side Of Anonymity

In the past, this hatred has had drastic consequences with people even taking their own lives at times. In 2013, when Ask.fm, another anonymous app became insanely popular, it was claimed that messages received by some teenagers were partly responsible for pushing them to commit suicide.

And even though instances of app use leading to suicides is yet to be reported in the case of Sarahah, the truth is, that like other anonymous apps, Sarahah hasn’t exactly been a joy ride for all its users, with many users having also received abusive, hateful and ‘creepy’ messages.

Kaavya Pillai (24), who works as a journalist in Mumbai is a case in point. Pillai joined Sarahah because it sounded exciting and felt that everybody needed some validation once in awhile. She says that while she mostly received positive messages from people, she also faced her share of harassment. “I was harassed on Sarahah by one specific person besides which I got a couple of sexual posts which were pretty creepy. My response to the unpleasant ones was generally just humour. The sexual ones is disgust and more humour because that’s how I cope”.

Kaavya is not alone when it comes to receiving lewd posts on the app. Wamika Singh (23), who works as a conceptualizer in Delhi has also received a message that made her feel uncomfortable. “I did get a creepy message where someone wrote that they wanted to kiss me and maybe more,” she says. However, she does not use the app anymore. ”See, Sarahah is like a reality show winner. Got fame very fast, started trending but then it loses its charm very soon. How long are you going to be pleased with anonymous messages?”

For Sahiba Khan (24), a business reporter, it was her religious identity that became fodder for online venom with someone accusing her of being an ‘orthodox Muslim’. Her reaction to this accusation was to share the negative message because she says, she isn’t afraid of her haters.

People from the LGBTQ+ community have also been receivers of a lot of hate on anonymous apps like Sarahah. Neeraj Mehra (23) who lives in Delhi has also received hateful messages on the app for identifying as a queer person. He says, “Many of them were body shaming me, there were particular messages related to anal sex (in Hindi) and some related to me being out and having opinions.”  

How Can This Form Of Internet Addiction Affect Mental Health?

Many like Mehra say they weren’t personally affected by the messages and chose to leave the app because they got bored of it. A lot of concerns still remain when it comes to the mental health of teenagers – a demographic that forms a large portion of internet users around the world and that uses these apps.

Titli Sarkar who has worked at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata and is currently completing her M.Phil in clinical psychology, talks about how teenagers are addicted to the internet. She says, “Teenagers are mostly impulsive. They are driven by the id (the part of the mind in which innate instinctive impulses and primary processes are manifest) and there is a tendency to be popular and more socially acceptable among their friend circle,  so they easily fall into such apps. And getting addicted to apps like this can lead to depression and anxiety.”

I have never used the app and don’t intend to do so. The idea of sending and receiving anonymous messages doesn’t appeal to me, even just for fun. But what I realized through scrolling on my social media and talking to people who’ve used the app is that each person’s experience is their own. While an app like Sarahah encourages people to send constructive criticism and positive feedback, it is not free from hate. Probably, what we as consumers of the internet, can do is to fight the negativity with love. Maybe we can make sending positive thoughts a trend because the internet is wonderful and should have no place for hate.

The post How Sarahah Brought Out Our Ugly Side Full Of Hate, Disgust And Perverseness appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

राष्ट्रीय सहारा, हस्तक्षेप, 19 अगस्त 2017

अमेरिका की संस्था सेंटर फॉर डिज़ीज़ कंट्रोल को केंद्र सरकार ने यहां भेजा। उसके शोध वैज्ञानिकों ने अनुमान लगाया कि टीके लगने के बाद अब जेई (जापानी इन्सेफलाइटिस) कम है, इसमें भी अधिकतर मामले जल-जनित हैं। लिहाज़ा,अब अधिक काम इसे रोकने का है। एईएस (एक्यूट इन्सेफलाइटिस सिंड्रोम) के दो मुख्य कारक हैं-मच्छर-जनित जापानी इन्सेफलाइटिस और जल-जनित एन्ट्रोवायरल इन्सेफलाइटिस। अभी आईसीएमआर और एनआईवी, पुणे के शोधों में स्क्रब टायफस का भी पता चला है। मच्छर-जनित इन्सेफलाइटिस क्यूलेक्स मच्छर द्वारा संचारित होता है। वहीं जल-जनित इन्सेफलाइटिस दूषित जल के कारण। सुरक्षित पेयजल और स्वच्छ शौचालय तथा हाथ धोने की शिक्षा ही इसकी रोकथाम में ज़रूरी हैं। इसका कोई टीका कहीं नहीं है। बस पेयजल और मानव मल के मिल जाने को रोकना ही इसकी रोकथाम का मुख्य उपाय है।

आज जवाबदेही का समय है, इन्सेफलाइटिस उन्मूलन अभियान के लिये। 2017 में इन्सेफलाइटिस से पिछले तमाम वर्षों की तरह ही हो रही मौतें अभियान के सतत संघर्षों पर बड़ा सवाल खड़ा करती है। प्रयास कुछ भी रहे हों, लेकिन स्थिति जस की तस है तो जवाबदेही बनती ही है। वैसे इस साल अभियान का संघर्ष बेअसर रहा है। इन्सेफलाइटिस नाम की महामारी सबसे पहले 1977 में पूर्वांचल में पहुंची। वैसे दक्षिण भारत में वर्षों पहले इसने दस्तक दे दी थी। मैं उन दिनों गोरखपुर मेडिकल कॉलेज में कनिष्ठ पद पर सेवारत था। मरीज़ सुबह आते थें, शाम तक उनकी मौत हो जाती थी। समझ में ही नहीं आता था कि हुआ क्या? लक्षणों के आधार पर इसे इन्सेफलाइटिस समझ कर संभव इलाज वर्षों तक किया जाता रहा।

आधुनिक जांच की सुविधा तब कुछ थी ही नहीं। इसे तब मच्छरजनित जापानी इन्सेफलाइटिस नाम दिया गया। वर्षों प्रक्रिया चली। कभी इसके प्रिवेंशन पर कोई ठोस काम नहीं हुआ। हर साल मासूमों का मरना, विकलांग होना जारी रहा। सिलसिला वर्षों तक चला। स्थानीय सांसद आदित्यनाथ योगी ने लोकसभा में 2000 के आस-पास से हर सत्र में मामले को सभी सरकारों के सामने प्रभावी रूप से उठाया।

2005 में इस महामारी को उन्मूलित करने के इरादे से इन्सेफलाइटिस उन्मूलन अभियान नाम से एक अभियान गोरखपुर और आस-पास के सात ज़िलों में प्रारंभ किया गया। पहली मांग थी कि जेई के खिलाफ टीके मास स्केल पर लगें। साथ ही, फॉगिंग के ज़रिए मच्छरों पर नियंत्रण पाया जाए। सूअरों के बाड़े आबादी से दूर किए जाने की भी मांग उठाई गई। राज्यपाल के दौरे के दौरान उनके सामने भी इसके टीके की मांग उठी। फिर 2005 में तत्कालीन केंद्रीय स्वास्थ्य मंत्री भी दौरे पर आए। उनके सामने भी यह मांग उठाई गई। अंतत: सरकार ने चीन से टीके आयात करके 2006 में पैंसठ लाख टीके मास स्केल पर लगवा दिए। जेई उसके बाद काफी कम हो गई।

2007 के बाद घटकर यह छह से आठ प्रतिशत ही (कुल एईएस का) रह गया। अभियान ने उसी साल फॉगिंग के लिये राहुल गांधी को फैक्स किया। उन्होंने संवेदनशीलता दिखाते हुए मेडिकल कॉलेज का दौरा किया। एरियल फॉगिंग के लिये हेलीकॉप्टर भी काम में लगाए गए। लेकिन प्रदेश सरकार की सहमति नहीं होने के कारण एरियल फॉगिंग नहीं हो पाई।

उस साल इन्सेफलाइटिस से मौतों की संख्या ने रिकॉर्ड तोड़ दिया। ग्यारह सौ मौतें और चार हजार मासूमों की भर्ती, उससे पहले एक छत के नीचे कभी नहीं हुई थी।

2007 में अभियान की मांग पर अमेरिका की संस्था सेंटर फॉर डिज़ीज कंट्रोल को केंद्र सरकार ने यहाँ भेजा। उसके शोध वैज्ञानिकों ने अनुमान लगाया कि टीके लगने के बाद अब जेई कम हैं, इसमें भी अधिकतर मामले जल-जनित हैं। लिहाजा, अब अधिक काम इसे प्रिवेंट करने का है। एईएस के दो मुख्य कारक हैं-मच्छर-जनित जापानी इन्सेफलाइटिस और जल-जनित एन्ट्रोवॉयरल इन्सेफलाइटिस। अभी आईसीएमआर और एनआईवी, पुणे के शोधों में स्क्रब टायफस का भी पता चला है।

मच्छर-जनित इन्सेफलाइटिस क्यूलेक्स मच्छर द्वारा संचारित होता है। वहीं जल-जनित इन्सेफलाइटिस दूषित जल के कारण। सुरक्षित पेयजल और स्वच्छ शौचालय, हाथ धोने की शिक्षा ही इसके रोकथाम में जरूरी हैं। इसका कोई टीका कहीं नहीं है। बस पेयजल और मानव मल के मिल जाने को रोकना ही इसके प्रिवेंशन का मुख्य उपाय है। खुले में शौच के कारण बरसात के दिनों में यह जल जमाव दुश्वार हो जाता है।

जवाबदेही का समय है आज

आज जवाबदेही का समय है, इन्सेफलाइटिस उन्मूलन अभियान के लिये। 2017 में इन्सेफलाइटिस से पिछले तमाम वर्षों की तरह ही हो रहीं मौतें अभियान के सतत संघर्षों पर बड़ा सवाल खड़े करती हैं। प्रयास कुछ भी रहे हों, लेकिन स्थिति जस की तस है तो जवाबदेही बनती ही है। वैसे इस साल अभियान का संघर्ष बेअसर रहा है।

अभियान और 2017

नवम्बर, 2016 से ही उत्तर प्रदेश के पूर्वांचल सहित बिहार में सैकड़ों जन संसद का आयोजन। छह बिंदुओं पर बहस हुई। प्रधानमंत्री को हज़ारों पोस्टकार्ड भी भेजे गए।

अभियान ने साथियों सहित शरद ऋतु के बाद ‘चाय बहस’ का जगह-जगह आयोजन किया। उन्हीं छह बिंदुओं पर बहस हुई। हजारों लोग इसमें भागीदार रहे। यह सिलसिला तीन महीने तक लगातार चला। पूर्वांचल में, कुछ बिहार में भी। फिर जगह-जगह से ढेरों पोस्टकार्ड भेजे जाते रहे।

उत्तर प्रदेश के विधानसभा चुनाव में इन्सेफलाइटिस को एक अहम चुनावी मुद्दा बनाने का प्रयास किया गया। फिर भी किसी राजनैतिक दल ने प्रमुखता से अपने घोषणापत्र में इसे जगह नहीं दी। पीएम ने जरूर कहा कि इन्सेफलाइटिस से मासूमों को बचाने की कोशिश होगी। आदित्यनाथ योगी ने लोक सभा, अपनी अधिकांश जनसभाओं में जोरदार ढंग से इस मुद्दे पर आवाज़ उठाई।

अभियान ने मजबूरन इन्सेफलाइटिस उन्मूलन के लिये अपना छह सूत्री ‘‘जनता का इलेक्शन मैनिफेस्टो’ बना कर सभी राजनैतिक दलों और अधिकांश प्रत्याशियों को प्रेषित किया। 2017 के चुनाव से पहले की है यह बात।

प्रधानमंत्री को ईमेल से भी कई बार छह बिंदुओं की बाबत लिख कर भेजा गया।

इन सब के बावजूद भी कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ा तो इसे क्या कहें। उत्तर साफ है, इन्सेफलाइटिस उन्मूलन अभियान की विफलता।

इन पंक्तियों के लेखक जो इन्सेफलाइटिस उन्मूलन अभियान, गोरखपुर के चीफ कैंपेनर हैं, ने दो अगस्त, 2017 को स्वास्थ्य मंत्री, भारत सरकार से इन्सेफलाइटिस पर नियंत्रण के लिये तीन वर्ष पूर्व ही बने हुए नेशनल प्रोग्राम को तत्काल रिलीज़ करने और हालिया मॉडल ऑफ वॉटर प्यूरिफिकेशन को एनआरएम के ज़रिए व्यापक प्रचार कराए जाने का अनुरोध करते हुए पत्र लिखा।

बहरहाल, अभी तक कुछ भी नहीं हो पाया है। डॉ. सिंह ने पुन: आग्रह किया है कि इन बिंदुओं पर सरकार शीघ्र कुछ ठोस कदम उठाए। मासूमों की इन्सेफलाइटिस से प्रभावी हिफाजत अपरिहार्य है। वैसे तो कहीं भी सभी मासूमों की सलामती जरूरी है।

डॉ. आर एन. सिंह, वरिष्ठ चिकित्सक गोरखपुर

यह लेख मूलत: India Water Portal हिंदी पर पब्लिश किया गया था।

The post गोरखपुर इन्सेफलाइटिस की कहानी वहीं के सीनियर डॉक्टर की ज़ुबानी appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

Nepotism does not just exist in Bollywood. It’s prevalent all over India. I was on my way to meet a friend at AIIMS hospital in Delhi. I saw a small crowd of people wearing blue t-shirts and with a tag of TCS protesting against the administration of AIIMS. Both the police and media were present. I went closer to them and asked them, “What happened?” Suddenly everyone started speaking at the same time. I instantly took out my mobile from my pocket and started recording as everyone does nowadays. They said they had been chucked out of the company with a very short notice of one week.

They had been working there for a couple of years and were suddenly kicked out just because AIIMS’s permanent employees had decided to hire only their own relatives and loved ones for their job. They said there were 95 people who had been treated like dogs. One of the girls cried in front of me and said, “This job was the only hope for my family and now they have snatched this too.”

I am not part of the protest and I don’t know them. But I know this platform is one of the best platforms which understands the problems of the young ones.

Right now, 95 people are protesting outside AIIMS to get justice. Their jobs have been taken away. Many of them are from lower middle-class families. They thought they were working with an employee-centric company but they did not know that nepotism existed here too. The Narendra Modi government is already a failure in creating jobs but they didn’t know that their existing jobs would also be taken away. Today these 95 people are being kicked out. Who knows? Tomorrow, it might be your turn.

The post Accusing AIIMS Of Nepotism, 95 People Protest After Losing Their Jobs appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

हर राज्य की अपनी भौगोलिक या राजनीतिक परिस्थितियों के कारण एक ख़ास पहचान बनी हुई है। इसी भौगोलिक पहचान के कारण बिहारियों से इस तरह के सवाल पूछा जाना आम है- ‘अच्छा तो तुमने बाढ़ देखा है क्या?’ ‘तो तुम भी बाढ़ में फंसी थी या फंसे थे?’ ये सवाल कुछ हद तक सही भी हैं। लेकिन सवाल जब आदत बनने लग जाएं तो इसका मतलब मतलब वो प्राकृतिक नहीं हैं बल्कि मैनमेड बन चुके हैं। कोसी बाढ़ भी नेचुरल डिजास्टर नहीं बल्कि एक मैनमेड डिजास्टर बन चुकी है।

साल 1979 से 2008 तक लगातार बिहार में बाढ़ से तबाही हुई है। उसके बाद बीच में एकाध साल रुकी भी लेकिन फिर वही तबाही, ऐसे में इसे प्राकृतिक कहना उचित नहीं। बचपन से पढ़ते थे कि ‘बिहार की शोक’ कोसी नदी को कहते हैं, ये नदी बस एक शोक बनकर ही रह गई है। कभी थोड़ा ज़्यादा तो कभी थोड़ा कम। जैसे इस साल की बाढ़ में अभी तक तकरीबन 253 लोगों की मौत हो चुकी है। नतीजतन उसका पानी सोशल साइट्स पर भी नज़र आ जाता है।

कोसी नदी नेपाल में हिमालय से निकलती है और अपना मार्ग बदलने के लिए जानी जाती है। दुनिया की कुछ जटिल नदियों में बिहार की कोसी नदी का प्रवाह भी है। कुछ भूगोलविदो ने कोसी के प्रवाह और चीन की ह्ववांगहो या पीली नदी के प्रवाह का तुलनात्मक अध्ययन भी किया है। दोनों ही नदियां अपना मार्ग बदलने के लिए जानी जाती हैं। इसलिए बिहार के संदर्भ में बाढ़ की समस्या जटिल तो है लेकिन इसका निदान असंभव नहीं।

नदी की जैसी प्रकृति है वो वैसी ही रहेगी। अपवाह तंत्र (drainage system) पढ़ाते समय भूगोल के स्टूडेंट को यह बताया जाता है कि जैसे मनुष्य अपने शरीर से छेड़छाड़ बर्दाश्त नहीं कर सकता वैसे ही नदियां भी उनके साथ होने वाली छेड़छाड़ बर्दाश्त नहीं कर सकती। बारिश के बाद नदियों का जलस्तर बढ़ना प्राकृतिक है। लेकिन अंधाधुंध तटबंध बना कर उसके प्रवाह को रोकना अप्राकृतिक है। तटबंध बनाकर हम बाढ़ पर नियंत्रण की कोशिश करते हैं, जबकि ज़रूरत फ्लड मैनेजमेंट की है। बाढ़ प्रबंधन की ना कि नियंत्रण की।

कोसी, बागमती, गंडक ये हिमालय से निकलने वाली नदियां हैं जो अपने साथ, मिट्टी, कंकड़, पत्थर (जिसे गाद भी कहते हैं) लेकर चलती है और मैदानी इलाको में आने के बाद पलट देती है, अब तटबंध बने होने के कारण यह नदियां घिर जाती हैं और गाद बाहर नहीं निकाल पाती। जब पानी का दबाव नदी पर बढ़ता है तो नदी अपना गाद तटबंध की तरफ पलटती है और तटबंध साफ! इसलिए जहां तक समझ आता है तटबंध बनाने से बचा जाए।

बिहार का बड़ा हिस्सा अभी बाढ़ की चपेट में है, मृतकों की संख्या लगातार बढ़ती जा रही है। खबरें ये भी आई थी कि गंगा का जलस्तर भी बढ़ रहा है। अगर गंगा में बाढ़ आया तो बिहार के लिए तबाही का मंज़र क्या होगा ये अंदाज़ा लगा पाना भी मुश्किल है। बिहार में गंगा में बाढ़ के लिए फरक्का डैम को बहुत कोसा जाता है, हाल में 15 अगस्त के अपने भाषण में मुख्यमंत्री नीतीश कुमार ने भी इसका ज़िक्र करते हुए कहा था कि फरक्का डैम से आने वाले गाद के कारण गंगा में बाढ़ का खतरा लगातार बढ़ते जा रहा है। जिस फरक्का डैम को नीतीश कुमार तोड़ने की बात कर रहे हैं आइये ज़रा समझते हैं उसके बारे में।

बंग्लादेश की सीमा से 16 किलोमीटर की दूरी पर मुर्शीदाबाद में बना फरक्का बांध (फरक्का जल समझौता इसी से जुड़ा है) 1975 में बनकर तैयार हुआ था। बांध बनाने का मकसद कोलकाता बंदरगाह पर जमे गाद को हटाना था। यहां इतना गाद जमा हो गया था कि जहाज नहीं चल पाते थे, कोलकाता बंदरगाह हुगली नदी पर है। तर्क ये था कि गंगा के 40 हजार क्यूसेक पानी को फरक्का बांध के जरिए हुगली में मोड़ दिया जाएगा और पानी के दबाव में गाद खाली होगा। लेकिन हुआ उल्टा! दरअसल, फरक्का बांध के होने की वजह गंगा की प्रवाह में अवरोध होता है। अन्य नदियों और ‘हमारी गदंगी’ का गाद बांध के अवरोध से वहीं रुकता जा रहा है और वहां गाद का टीला बनता जा रहा। कोलकाता बंदरगाह की समस्या भी जस की तस है, बांग्लादेश के साथ पानी की समस्या अलग, और गंगा में गाद की समस्या अलग।

भूगोल के हिसाब से एक बांध की उम्र का आकलन 50 साल है (अनुमानित) फरक्का बांध को 42 साल हो चुके हैं। ऐसे में इस बांध की उपयोगिता के संबंध में बयानबाज़ी कम और एक ठोस निर्णय लिया जाना ज़रूरी है। विदेशों में बीस साल बाद ही बांध की समीक्षा शुरू हो जाती है।

The post बिहार बाढ़ के बीच नीतीश कुमार को क्यों सता रहा है फरक्का डैम का डर? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

Sarika Zute was on the cusp of adulthood. Children of her age group are generally nonchalant and perky. But Sarika had forgotten all the perks associated with being a child. Low in spirits and high in anxiety, she committed suicide on August 8.

Sarika was like millions of other children in India. What distinguished her and others like her from the rest was that she was born to a farmer.

Hailing from Pathri Taluka of Parbhani district in Marathwada, Sarika was about to complete her senior high school level studies (class 12). Her education was meant to bring about a better future, for her as well as her parents. However, she thought it better to end her life and free her father from one of his ‘burdens’.

In her suicide note, she wrote, “Dear dad, uncle committed suicide five to six days ago due to the burden of loans that he had taken for his farm. I know that you have taken loans for cultivation on our farm and also for sister’s marriage. However, the seeds sowed stand burnt due to the lack of rain. You have no means by which you can earn and return those loans. And now you have the added responsibility of marrying me off as well. How will you be able to earn any money in such a tense situation? I don’t want you to follow the footsteps of uncle and commit suicide under pressure. Therefore, I am ending my life.”

For the past two years, the media has been rightfully paying attention to the plight of farmers grappling drought. But along with the farmer, his family equally faces the unfortunate effects of drought. In the water crisis faced by millions of farmers across India, their wives and children also undergo a copious amount of mental and physical trauma.

A family is a closely knit group of people inter-dependent upon each other. So, stress faced by one member of the family is also bound to affect the other members.

Millions of farmers in Maharashtra are reeling under huge debts they incurred to cultivate crops in accursed lands. Successive droughts, coupled with depleting groundwater level, has made it difficult for them to feed their family and tend to their cattle. In such situations, many of them are unable to repay the loans taken from the banks and money-lenders.

Farmers are under tremendous pressure, especially if they have a young daughter of marriageable age as marriage is a costly affair. What makes it taxing for the bride’s father is the factor of dowry. Dowry is still an indispensable part of a marriage in India, and very often it becomes a matter of prestige for the father of the bride in society.

Like Sarika, Mohini Bhise, an 18-year-old girl from Latur, reportedly committed suicide to save her father from having to pay the dowry for her marriage. In her suicide note she wrote, “When a prospective groom comes to see me, the first question that they ask is – how much dowry will you give? Why does everyone ask for dowry? This practice must stop. Why should a girl’s father always bend? Hence I am ending my life. After I am gone, do not observe any religious ritual in my honour (shraddha). Also, no one should cry. Then only my soul will rest peacefully.”

A drought does not affect just one individual; it affects the person’s whole family. To escape their anomic situation, people find succour in death. But there are many Sarikas and Mohinis who still live trying to find succour. But alas, the living have no tomb.

The post This Girl’s Suicide To ‘Ease Her Father’s Burden’ Shows How Hard Drought Hits Families appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

By Prateek Gupta:

It isn’t every day that you get to see journalists howling like wolves on TV screens.

Okay, er… yes, you see it every day.

Let’s do this again.

Not every day that you get to see elite news panellists having serious discussions with sanitation workers on prime time slots. Ravish Kumar invited actual people who work as manual scavengers as panellists on his prime time show on NDTV.

The issue at hand was manual scavenging.

On August 6, three sanitation workers died while cleaning sewers. Within the last two months, seven people have lost their lives.

The issue of manual scavenging is nothing new, and every media house and political party is well aware of the same. But even the deaths and ailments of the poor workers fail to move them. Ravish Kumar, who is known to be a no-nonsense journalist began his prime time by saying, “Humara sheher kaun saaf karta hai hum iske baare mey bohot kam jaante hai (We know very little about those who clean our city)!”

The prime time addressed several issues, problems, and challenges these workers face while manually cleaning the sewers. Almost all of them have almost died while doing their jobs. Even though the use of machines has now been started, there is a serious lack of infrastructure and authoritative will.

Naresh, a sanitation worker, revealed that on average, a sanitation worker cleans 25 to 30 sewers a day. They land in the sewer holes without any protection on their bodies, such as gloves, or masks. He further stated that he has to clean all sorts of garbage with his hands, which causes serious infections and diseases.

In a country where sanitation workers are looked down upon and are treated like untouchables, Ravish Kumar called them into a well-lit news studio in South Delhi and addressed them with decency, as he does with any other panellist, whether rich or poor.

Delhi is classist, and so is any other city. We hardly converse with sewage cleaners or try to know their realities. Not to forget the extreme care and caution taken to avoid the minutest physical contact while handing out money to them.

Ravish has broken several psychological, social, and physical barriers by inviting them to the studio to have a discussion.

Whenever some issue is being talked about in the news, journalists invite experts and leaders to share an opinion on that topic. The expert may or may not have on-ground knowledge of the issue, he might only have knowledge gained from books or might defend the ideology he associates with.

But a sanitation worker puts facts before the moderator without mixing them with an opinion, because he has no opinion on the issue. He faces the issue and he wants it to be resolved.

Journalists should engage more in such activities – going beyond boundaries and breaking societal barriers. Not only will it help in gaining unbiased trust from the viewers, but also in making the world a better place to live in.

The post Ravish Kumar Does Journalism Right By Inviting Sanitation Workers To Talk On His Panel appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

It will be a miracle of sorts if I even get to the point where I am called for a job interview. Because the whole job application process is self-advertisement. The job selection process is never designed to look at ‘who’ you are – rather what qualifies and disqualifies you for the job is based on how well-designed your self-advertisement package is (CV, reference letters, corporate antiquates like your dress code, the way to sit on the chair, your eye contact, smile and a look of confidence even if you’re unhappy).

The modern-day job selection process is designed for you to objectify yourself. You prepare to submit yourself to the company/organisation/institution as an asset. They may offer you some modicum of freedom and creativity. That too is designed to enhance the possibility of you becoming a better asset to the company. Your true freedom and creativity will be taken away if you ever get selected.

I have reached the stage of an actual job interview twice in my life. I was recommended to apply to these jobs by friends who were insiders and who thought that I met the qualifications. But I failed miserably on both occasions. I didn’t even get any feedback from either of the organisations who interviewed me.

Let’s look at the commonly asked questions in job interviews. I will elaborate why I think I will never know how to answer them in a way that pleases the interviewer and also why I think several questions are quite wrong for people who grew up in Asian and other non-western cultures.

1. What is your strength?

This is a question commonly asked in most interviews. You are expected to speak about your best qualities and abilities. I find this question hugely uncomfortable because I was taught not to engage in self-praise. I was taught to believe that praising one’s own abilities and strengths is the job of egotistic and ignorant people. I felt stupid trying to answer this question. An inflated ego is not something I was taught to appreciate. We are taught to appear humble and become humble. I already failed from the first question.

2. Why did you choose this field?

The interviewers actually wish to hear what qualifies you for the field you have chosen. When they ask you this question, you are expected to explain to them your special inclination for the field you have selected. You need to enumerate your skills and abilities that make you ideal for the field. This is when I find myself in an awkward situation. I am uncomfortable with this kind of ‘self-advertisement’ and trying to do a ‘sales pitch’ of myself. This idea is so diminishing – to reduce myself through self-objectification is something I can never do. And answering something like: “I chose this field because I enjoy doing ‘this’ or ‘that’ which is closer to the job I will be doing if I get selected and I hope to find the ‘meaning of life’ here,” will automatically disqualify you.

3. What are your skills and hobbies?

The interviewers will not be impressed with reading, painting, singing, dancing or listening to and telling stories as skills and hobbies. They prefer that you speak of hobbies that are relevant to the job. If you are applying for jobs that apply logic, you may reveal your special interest in solving puzzles. This is where you must prepare to give up your innate skills and hobbies that qualify you as a happy person, creative person. You must prepare to take on new hobbies and skills that fit the job if you get selected. This is the start of submitting your genuine freedom and creativity.

4. Where do you see yourself in five years?

The modern-day employers (with their corporate mindset, no matter which company, organisation or institution the employer represents) seek candidates who have a vision for themselves and this vision must be in line with company/organisation/institution’s vision which is tangible material growth. They like to hear that you set the highest achievable position as your goal. You are considered qualified if you are able to tell the interviewers that you wish to hold a particular senior position at the end of five years. But a person believing in karma might say: “I believe in doing good now and don’t have expectations for the future.” This will lead to instant disqualification. By this question, you are told that you must always focus on the future, and not to enjoy and live the present moment. I feel this is a wrong question to ask a candidate who grew up in a culture which values the concept of karma and not in achievement-driven cultures.

5. Are you a good leader?

The modern-day company, institution or organisation desperately wants people with leadership qualities. Those with good leadership qualities are expected to excel in their field. They expect to hear from you about some sort of ‘plan’ in life to ascend the ladder of success (ultimately more tangible material achievements). You are expected to have the ability to lead a team and get work done from other candidates (basically means ‘be in-control of the job environment’). What happens if you don’t value much of this tangible material achievement? What if you would rather value more of the intangible intellectual and emotional achievements? And what happens if you don’t like to be a leader, rather you prefer to be a ‘coach’ or a ‘facilitator’ and create a job-environment that is not obsessed with vision but enjoys the here and now? Will you still be selected?

6. What is your salary expectation and why?

This is again a hugely uncomfortable question for me as in the process of answering this question, I am putting a ‘monetary label, a ‘price tag’ on myself. It means I am ready to become an asset and I am okay with self-objectification. I am allowing the company/organisation/institution to objectify also my intellectual and emotional side and not only the physical side of myself. And you will be thoroughly assessed by the company, whether the price tag is actually lucrative enough for them or not, during your probation period if you ever get selected.

So the job selection process is just a preparation for the submission of your genuine freedom and creativity. As a person who cherishes freedom and creativity and refuses to sell their soul to these companies, I will never pass any modern-day job interviews.

Thank you and Namaste!

The post Why I Will Never Pass Any Modern Day Job Interview appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

किसी वॉटर फिल्टर से मतलब है कि वह बैक्टीरिया, क्लोराइड, भारी तत्व (जैसे- पारा और सीसा आदि), कीटनाशक पदार्थ और इससे जुड़े सुरक्षा सम्बन्धी सभी मुद्दों समेत पेयजल में पाए जाने वाली अधिकांश सामान्य अशुद्धियों को दूर कर दे। यहां पर किसी उपयुक्त वॉटर फिल्टर के चयन के महत्व और उससे जुड़े सुरक्षा सम्बन्धी विभिन्न मामलों को बढ़ा-चढ़ाकर कहने का कोई कारण नहीं है। आरम्भ में कम लागत, तुलनात्मक रूप से अच्छा प्रदर्शन और रख-रखाव सम्बन्धी कुल सुविधाओं ने सुनिश्चित किया है कि स्टोरेज टाइप नॉन-इलेक्ट्रिक रसायन आधारित वॉटर फिल्टर- आउटपुट लागत, रिफिल/कार्टरिज की कीमत और वार्षिक रख-रखाव सहायता जैसे मामलों में एक लोकप्रिय विकल्प हैं। ‘कंज़्यूमर वॉयस’ के लिए यह समय आज के घरों में इन अहम चीज़ों की लागत और उपयोगिता का मूल्यांकन करना था।

देशभर में बिक रहे नियमित ब्रांडों के आधार पर हमने गैर-इलेक्ट्रिक स्टोरेज वॉटर फिल्टर के 10 ब्रांडों का तुलनात्मक परीक्षण किया। हमने इस मामले में प्रासांगिक भारतीय मानक ब्यूरो के दिशा-निर्देशों के आधार पर परीक्षण कार्यक्रम विकसित किया। ये परीक्षण मानक परीक्षण के तौर–तरीकों के साथ ही ब्रांडों द्वारा किए गए दावों के अनुसार संचालित किए गए। इस क्रम में उत्पाद परीक्षण से जुड़ी अन्य आवश्यकताओं पर भी गौर किया गया। ज़रूरी और रासायनिक परीक्षणों के अलावा, वॉटर फिल्टर के मामले में दो बेहद अहम परीक्षण किये गए- गंदलापन, (टर्बिडीटी) और ई-कोली ताकि भौतिक और सूक्ष्मजीव यानी बैक्टीरिया संबंधी सुरक्षा की जांच की जा सके। सभी प्रकार के वॉटर फिल्टर से उम्मीद की जाती है कि ये प्रभावी तरीके से पानी से भौतिक और माइक्रोबियल यानी बैक्टीरिया संबंधी अशुद्धियां/मिलावट को निकाल दें। ताकि उपभोक्ता के लिए उसकी प्रभावी अवधि के दौरान पेयजल की सुरक्षा सुनिश्चित की जा सके। निर्दिष्ट प्रयोगशाला परीक्षण में मास्क्ड और कोडेड नमूनों के परीक्षण किए गए।

कंज़्यूमर वॉयस की सिफारिश: टॉप परफॉर्मर- प्योर इट; कीमत में किफायती- एक्वा श्योर

भारतीय मानक ब्यूरो आईएस 7402-1986 (समय-समय पर संशोधन किया गया) द्वारा सेरामिक वॉटर फिल्टर के लिए विशिष्ट निर्देश तय किए गए हैं। ये फिल्टर सस्पेंडेड मैटर्स (निलंबित पदार्थ) और बैक्टीरिया को हटा देते हैं लेकिन इनसे, घुले हुए ठोस या रासायनिक पदार्थों को छानने की उम्मीद नहीं की जाती है। यहां याद रखें कि इन नतीजों का विश्लेषण पेयजल के लिए ज़रूरी आईएस 10500 के विशिष्ट निर्देशों व मापदंडों के आधार पर प्रयोगशाला में किया गया।

इन दिनों वॉटर फिल्टर की कई अन्य श्रेणियां उपलब्ध हैं, जिनमें नई तकनीक जैसे यूवी (अल्ट्रा वायलेट) और आरओ (रिवर्स ओसमोसिस) लगे होते हैं। इनसे बड़ी संख्या में अशुद्धियों और आवांछनीय मिनरल्स, ठोस तत्व और अन्य स्थायी अशुद्धियों को निकाला जा सकता है, खासकर कि आरओ के द्वारा। भारतीय मानक ब्यूरो ने कुछ साल पहले यूवी तकनीक को वॉटर फिल्टर में शामिल करने के लिए भारतीय मानक आईएस: 14724:1999 लागू किया था।

जांच के मुख्य परिणाम

• परफॉर्मेंस में ब्रांड प्योर इट सबसे अव्वल रहा, इसके बाद एक्वास्योर और कैंट गोल्ड रहे।
• एक्वा स्योर कीमत में किफायती ब्रांड रहा।
• सिर्फ प्योर इट, एक्वा स्योर और यूनिटेक्स जैसे ब्रांड ही विभिन्न अंतराल में किए गये परीक्षणों में ई-कोली को 100% तक कम करने में सफल रहे।
• सिर्फ प्योर इट ही एमएस2 वायरस को 100% कम करने में सफल रहा। बाकी सभी ने इसे 90 से 99.99% तक कम किया।
• आर्सेनिक जैसी धातु को पूरी तरह से हटाने में कोई भी ब्रांड पूरी तरह सफल नहीं है। इसमें 9.4 से 93.05% तक कमी आयी। हालांकि, कुछ ब्रांडों ने ही इसका दावा किया है।
• एक्वा फ्रेश ने 28%, बजाज ने 8% और टाटा स्वच्छ ने 70% तक कीटनाशक हटाए। बाकी सभी ब्रांड कीटनाशक लिन्डेन को 100% तक हटाने में सफल रहे।
• सभी ब्रांड टर्बिडिटी यानी गंदलापन को स्वीकृत स्तर (1 एनटीयू) तक कम किया, जबकि डाले गए पानी में यह 25 एनटीयू था।
• फिल्ट्रेशन यानी छनन की दर सबसे अधिक युनिटेक्स और कैंट गोल्ड में पाई गई।
• रिफिल और कार्टरेज खुदरा दुकानों पर आसानी से उपलब्ध है।

परीक्षण के नतीजे

प्रमुख परीक्षण मानकों के लिए एमएस वायरस परीक्षण/माइक्रोबियल टेस्ट (टीपीसी/कीटनाशक (लेंडेन)/(भारी धातु (आर्सेनिक) एमएस2 वायरस परीक्षण)-

वायरस एक छोटा संक्रामक एजेंट है जो अन्य जीवों की जीवित कोशिकाओं के अंदर होता है। वायरस जीव-जन्तुओं से लेकर पेड़-पौधों तक सभी तरह के जीवन रूपों को संक्रामक बना सकते हैं। हाल में पेयजल संबंधी ज़रूरी मानक (आईएस 10500) के आधार पर एमएस2 वायरस का परीक्षण किया गया। आउटपुट सैंपल का तब फिर परीक्षण किया गया, ताकि प्यूरीफायरों की वायरस हटाने संबंधी कार्य कुशलता की जांच की जा सके।

• परीक्षण किए गए अधिकांश ब्रांड, एमएस2 वायरस के प्रतिशत में 99% से अधिक की कमी कर पाने में कामयाब रहे। प्योर इट ब्रांड ने इसे पूरी तरह से हटा दिया, युनिटेस्क ने इसे सिर्फ 90% हटाया, जो किसी फिल्टर द्वारा पेयजल के शुद्धिकरण के मामले में वांछित नहीं है।

माइक्रोबियल यानी सूक्ष्मजीव परीक्षण (टीपीसी)

पयेजल की सुरक्षा पर विचार करते समय बैक्टीरिया और बीमारी पैदा करने वाले जीवाणुओं की उपस्थिति चिंता का विषय होता है। टोटल प्लेट काउंट (गैर रोगजनक) का परीक्षण किया गया, ताकि आउटपुट पानी में फिल्टर की कार्य कुशलता को तय किया जा सके। सूक्ष्मजीव संबंधी क्षमता तय करने वाले मुख्य परीक्षण- निर्दिष्ट नियमित अंतराल पर एंड्योरेंस टेस्ट किया गया।

• प्योर इट और ऊषा ब्रिटा के अलावा किसी भी अन्य ब्रांड ने पूरी तरह से इनपुट पानी से सूक्ष्मजीवों को नहीं निकाला। हालांकि, टीपीसी का स्तर 4-18 के बीच रहा जो उच्च नहीं है और गैर-रोगजनक भी है।

कीटनाशक (लिंडेन)

विभिन्न पेयजल स्रोतों जैसे, भूजल, वर्षाजल, धाराएं आदि में आने वाले कीटनाशक पदार्थों को ध्यान में रखते हुए यह परीक्षण किया गया। क्योंकि कुछ ब्रांडों ने दावा किया था कि वे कीटनाशक पदार्थों को हटाने में असरदार हैं, इसलिए यह परीक्षण शामिल किया गया। 0.5 पीपीएम सांद्रता के कीटनाशक लिंडेन को इनपुट पानी में मिलाया गया। आउटपुट पानी का बचे हुए अतिरिक्त कीटनाशक के लिए परीक्षण किया गया।

• अधिकांश ब्रांडों ने कीटनाशकों को हटा दिया। बजाज फिल्टर सिर्फ 8% कीटनाशकों को ही हटा पाया।

भारी तत्व (आर्सेनिक)

राष्ट्रीय मानक के अनुसार पारा, कैडमियम, आर्सेनिक, सायनाइड, लेड (सीसा), क्रोमियम और निकल को पयेजल में उपस्थित नहीं होना चाहिए। परीक्षण में शामिल कुछ ब्रांडों ने भारी धातुओं को हटाने का दावा किया था। भारी धातुओं को हटाने की कुशलता के परीक्षण के लिए हमनें इनपुट के तौर पर आर्सेनिक का उपयोग किया और आउटपुट वॉटर में इसकी उपस्थिति के लिए ब्रांडों का परीक्षण किया।

• वॉटर फिल्टर का कोई भी ब्रांड परीक्षण में भारी धातु यानी आर्सेनिक को पूरी तरह से हटाने में सफल नहीं रहा।

अवशिष्ट क्लोरीन

पेयजल में क्लोरीन अवशिष्ट की उपस्थिति बताती है कि क्लोरीन की पर्याप्त मात्रा उन बैक्टीरिया और वायरस को सक्रिय या निष्क्रिय करने के लिए आरंभ में पानी में डाली गई, ताकि यह सुनिश्चित किया जा सके कि पानी पुनः प्रदूषित होने से बचा है। अवशिष्ट क्लोरीन वॉटर फिल्टर से निकलने वाले पानी में निश्चित रूप से नहीं होनी चाहिए। 3 पीपीएम क्लोरीन को वॉटर फिल्टर के अंदर के पानी में डाला गया और फिल्टर से निकाले गए पानी का संग्रह किया गया।

• किसी भी ब्रांड में क्लोरीन नहीं पाया गया।

ई-कोली

पानी का जैविक या माइक्रोबायोलॉजिकल प्रदूषण लोगों के लिए चिंता का विषय रहा है। पर्यावरण में पाए जाने वाले वाले कई सारे संक्रामक सूक्ष्मजीव जिनमें शिन्गेला, ई-कोली, सालमोनेला, एस आयरियस, यीस्ट और मॉल्ड शामिल है। इनसे जी मिचलाने, उल्टी, डायरिया और पेट में मरोड़ जैसे लक्षण व बीमारियां पैदा होती हैं। इस परीक्षण के संचालन के दौरान ई-कोली को नियमित अंतराल पर विभिन्न अन्तरालों- 300, 600, 900 और 1200 लीटर के बाद मिलाया गया। मिलावट के स्तर को उच्च रखा गया ताकि उत्पादों की कुशलता को विपरीत परिस्थितयों में जांचा जा सके। आउटपुट वॉटर का परीक्षण फिल्टर की कार्यकुशलता के परीक्षण के लिए किया गया।

गंदलापन (टर्बिडिटी)

इसका मतलब पानी में घुले हुए ठोस पदार्थ से है और जिनसे हल्की प्रकाश की किरणें निकलती हैं और पानी में फैलती हैं। इस तरह गंदलापन पानी को धुंधला कर देता है और अधिक खराब मामलों में यह पानी को अपारदर्शी बना देता है। पेयजल में गंदलापन 3 एनटीयू से अधिक नहीं होना चाहिए, और आदर्श रूप में इसे 1 एनटीयू से नीचे ही होना चाहिए। वॉटर फिल्टर/फिल्टर के लिए यह एक प्रमुख गुणवत्ता संकेतक है और इस मामले में आईएस: 7402 की ज़रूरतों व मानकों को ध्यान में रखते हुए परीक्षण किया गया।

• वॉटर फिल्टर के सभी ब्रांड उस स्तर तक गंदलेपन को हटाने में सक्षम थे जो पयेजल के लिहाज़ से उन्हें सुरक्षित और उपयुक्त बनाता है।
  

भौतिक या पदार्थ संबंधी मानक

क्षमता/छनने की दर/निलंबित कण/संवेदी परीक्षण क्षमता

स्टोरेज या भंडारण वाले वॉटर फिल्टर में अक्सर दो भंडारण पात्र होते हैं, एक ऊपर का जिसमें शुद्ध करने वला पानी जमा होता है और शुद्ध होकर नीचे की पात्र में जमा हो जाता है।

• ऊपर और नीचे के पात्रों की क्षमता दावे की करीब थी।

छनने की दर

यह एक खास समय के दौरान फिल्टर से निकलने वाले शुद्ध पानी की मात्रा होती है। छनने की दर जितनी अधिक होगी, फिल्टर से निकलने वाली पानी मात्रा उतनी ही अधिक होगी।

• सबसे अधिक छनने की दर युनिटेक्स में पाई गई, उसके बाद कैंट और ऊषा ब्रिटा की रही। क्रिस्टल में यह सबसे कम रही।

संवेदी पैनल परीक्षण

इसका संचालन सभी ब्रांडों के लिए आउटपुट पानी के संवेदी गुणों की जांच के लिए किया गया।

• जीरो बी को छोड़कर सभी ब्रांड पूरी तरह से स्वीकृत हैं।

सामान्य मानदंडों के लिए

पैकेजिंग/मार्किंग/यूजर मैनुअल/निर्माण व बनावट/सुविधा

पैकेजिंग

राष्ट्रीय मानक के अनुसार फिल्टर की पैकिंग मजबूत होनी चाहिए ताकि यातायात के दौरान क्षति से उसकी पर्याप्त रक्षा की जा सके।

मार्किंग

वॉटर फिल्टर पर ब्रांड का नाम, उत्पादन का सीरियल नंबर, निर्माता का नाम और निर्माण की तारीख और एमआरपी लिखी होनी चाहिए।

• क्रिस्टल और यूनिटेक्स को ये जानकारियाँ देने के मामले से अक्षम पाया गया। निर्मित/विपणन संबंधी जानकारियां लिखी नहीं थी।
  

उपयोगकर्त्ता पुस्तिका (यूजर मैनुअल)

• इंस्टालेशन यानी लगाने, रखरखाव और सफाई संबंधी जानकारियां, संचालन संबंधी निर्देश, वारंटी, तकनीकी जानकारियां दोनों भाषाओं में होनी चाहिए।
• प्योर इट, बजाज, टाटा स्वच्छ और एक्वा स्योर ने सभी जानकारियां दी हैं।
• क्रिस्टल, ऊषा और यूनिटेक्स ने आवश्यक जानकारियां नहीं दी हैं।

निर्माण एवं बनावट

परीक्षण किए गए सभी ब्रांडों के निर्माण और बनावट उत्तम है।

सुविधा

पैनल के सदस्यों ने देखा कि फिल्टर लगाने, फिल्टर सफाई और इसे बदलने के मामले में कितने सुविधायुक्त है। सुविधा से जुड़े तत्वों में थोड़ा अंतर होता है, कुछ सुविधाजनक हैं तो कुछ अधिक सुविधाजनक है।

आफ्टर सेल्स सर्विस यानी विक्रय बाद सेवा

कंज़्यूमर वॉयस की टीम में अधिकाशं ब्रांडों की आफ्टर सेल्स सर्विस का परीक्षण किया। इन ब्रांडों में क्रिस्टल, युनिटेक्स, ऊषा ब्रिटा, कैंट गोल्ड, एक्वा फ्रेश, एक्वा स्योर, और प्योर इट शामिल हैं। सम्बंधित निर्माताओं के समक्ष औपचारिक शिकायत दर्ज की गई। कैंट, ऊषा, एक्वा स्योर, और प्योर इट ने मामलों का निपटान शिकायत दर्ज होने के दो दिनों के भीतर कर दिया। चूंकि क्रिस्टल, एक्वा फ्रेश और युनिटेक्स ने निर्माता/विपणनकर्ता का नाम और अन्य जानकारियां नहीं दी थी, इसलिए शिकायत उनके वितरक/डीलर के समक्ष दर्ज कराई गई और समस्या के समाधान में एक सप्ताह से अधिक का समय लगा और वह भी कई दफा पहल करने के बाद।

वॉटर फिल्टर खरीदने के दौरान उपभोक्ताओं को सलाह दी जाती है कि विक्रय बाद सेवाओं के लिए निर्माता और विपणनकर्ता के सम्पर्क नंबर और पते ज़रूर देखें।

विश्लेषण

उपरोक्त परीक्षण नतीजों के आधार पर निष्कर्ष यह है कि रसायन आधारित वॉटर फिल्टर साफ और लगभग पूरी तरह से सुरक्षित पयेजल उपलब्ध कराते हैं, जहां नलकूप/भूजल की गुणवत्ता पर हम निर्भर नहीं होते हैं। इस तरह के फिल्टर भारी धातुओं और कीटनाशक पदार्थों को हटाने का दावा नहीं करते हैं, हालांकि परीक्षण करने पर भारी धातु में कमी 9.4 से 93% के बीच पाया गया। कीटनाशक हटाने में 30 से 100% पाया गया। बैक्टीरिया को हटाने के मामले में ईकोली 99% से 100% और वायरस में कमी 90% से 100% के बीच रही।

ये फिल्टर ग्रामीण और कस्बे दोनों क्षेत्रों के लिए अनुशंसित किये जा सकते हैं, जहां बिजली की समस्या है और कीमत का महत्त्व है। उत्पादों की कीमत 1300 से लेकर 2500 रुपये के बीच है और इसके संचालन की कम लागत अन्य फिल्टर (आरओ और यूवी सिस्टम) की तुलना में काफी कम होती है। आरओ सिस्टम की अनुशंसा वहां के लिए की जाती है जहां टोटल डिज्ल्ड सॉलिड (टीडीएस) उच्च होता है और यूवी सिस्टम का उपयोग कम टीडीएस वॉटर के लिए किया जाता है।

गैर बिजली वाले भंडारण वॉटर फिल्टर के लिए नियमित रखरखाव और साफ सफाई की आवश्यकता होती है। इनमें 15 से 30 दिनों में कार्टेज का बदलना आवश्यक होता है। इसलिए ऐसे फिल्टर के कुशल संचालन के लिए ध्यान रखने के आवश्यकता है और उपयोगकर्ता पुस्तिका (यूजर मैनुअल) को अवश्य पढ़ना चाहिए। अंत में, सिर्फ वे फिल्टर ही खरीदें जिन पर उनके निर्माता/विपणनकर्ता का विस्तार से उसकी पैकेजिंग पर जिक्र हो, ताकि आप अपने घर में और समय पर विक्रय के बाद सेवा ले सकें।

निर्माताओं की प्रतिक्रियाएं

परीक्षण नतीजों पर आधारित इस लेख के प्रकाशन से पूर्व नीतिगत आधार पर इसे संबंधित निर्माता/विपणनकर्ता से शेयर या साझा किया गया और इस संबंध में उनके विचार/टिपण्णी आमंत्रित की गई उनकी प्रतिक्रियाएं संक्षेप में यहां दी गई है।

सुरक्षित है फिल्टर्ड वॉटर पीना

आज के दौर में फिल्टर का चलन आम हो रहा है। बाजार में कई किस्म के फिल्टर आ गये हैं। शुरू-शुरू में जो केंडल वाला वॉटर फिल्टर होता था वह पानी सिर्फ छान सकता था, एकदम शुद्ध नहीं बना पाता था। लेकिन अब जो अत्याधुनिक फिल्टर है उससे होकर जो पानी निकलता है वह पूरी तरह से शुद्ध होता है यानी पानी तमाम बैक्टीरिया, वायरस और अन्य अशुद्धियों से मुक्त। आरओ वाले फिल्टर भी बेहद प्रभावी माने जा रहे हैं। जल जनित बीमारियों के सभी विशेषज्ञों ने भी कहा है कि स्टैंडर्ड फिल्टर हो तो उसका पानी एकदम सुरक्षित है। लेकिन साथ ही उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि बाज़ार में दोयम दर्जे के फिल्टर भी मिल रहे हैं, उसके पानी के सुरक्षित होने की गारंटी नहीं है। फिल्टर्ड पानी पीने से जल जनित बीमारियों से बेशक बचा जा सकता है, बशर्ते फिल्टर सही हों।

कैसे अशुद्ध होता है पेयजल

हमारी पयेजल आपूर्ति की पद्धति में इतने छिद्र हैं कि कहीं से भी बैक्टीरिया, वायरस या दूसरी अशुद्धियां उसमें दाखिल हो सकती हैं। इसलिए जो पानी आप पीते हैं उसको लेकर खासे एहतियात की ज़रूरत है। पानी अमृत है तो यह विष भी है। पानी वह चीज़ है कि भरपेट पीकर निकलें तो प्रचंड गर्मी भी आपका कुछ नहीं बिगाड़ सकती। लेकिन अगर प्रदूषित हो तो फिर यह रोगों को खान भी है। राष्ट्रीय राजधानी क्षेत्र को बीमार बनाए रखने में पानी की सबसे बड़ी भूमिका है। इसलिए इसे सिक वॉटर (बीमार पानी) की संज्ञा दें तो अतिशयोक्ति कतई नहीं होगी। ये ना समझें कि सप्लाई में गंगा वॉटर आ रहा है तो कोई फिक्र नहीं। अब गंगा का पानी कितना प्रदूषित है लोगों को बताने की ज़रूरत नहीं, इसलिए पानी को हमेशा फिल्टर करके या उबालकर ही पियें।

जब पानी अधिक हो जाता है तो वह पेयजल को प्रदूषित करने का कारण बनता है। जैसे बाढ़ आ गई, खूब बारिश हो गई, शहर के नाले भर गये, ऐसे में स्वच्छ पानी के पाइप में लीकेज होने पर प्रदूषित पानी आ जाता है। सीवेज का पानी भी पेयजल में मिल जाता है। ये प्रदूषित पानी कुएं में जाकर भी मिल जाता है। दिल्ली में 50% आबादी को ही ट्रीटमेंट प्लांट में शुद्ध किया हुआ पानी मिलता है। 25% लोग ट्यूबवेल से पानी पीते हैं बाकी लोग हैंडपंप से या दिल्ली जल बोर्ड के टैंकरों से और निजी सप्लायरों के द्वारा उपलब्ध कराया जाने वाला पानी पीते हैं। पानी सप्लाई की पाइप लाईन भी पुरानी हैं। दिल्ली की झुग्गियां पानी की वजह से फैलने वाली बीमारियों से हमेशा त्रस्त रहती हैं।

पानी को उबालना ज़रूरी

जिनके पास कीमती फिल्टर खरीदने के पैसे ना हो, वे क्या करें? उन्हें भी निराश होने की ज़रूरत नहीं है। आप पीने वाले पानी को अच्छी तरह उबाल लें, सिर्फ गर्म कर देने से काम नहीं चलेगा। उबालने का साधन उपलब्ध ना हो तो पानी नहीं पीना बेहतर है। पानी से भीगी सब्ज़ी को कभी कच्ची नहीं खाएं, उसे उबालकर और पकाकर ही खाएं, चाय-काफी भी गर्म ही पीनी चाहिए। बाज़ार में मिलने वाले गन्ने के रस या कटे फल में भी पानी है, उनसे भी परहेज करें।

यह लेख मूलत: India Water Portal हिंदी पर पब्लिश किया गया था।

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Love – an unparalleled emotion, an intense passion, it’s a high that you forgive yourself for. It’s an emotion that transcends higher than mere physicality, beyond the realms of race, colour, nationality and yes, gender – though some people are ignorant enough to believe otherwise.

Religion – it’s faith. It’s something that leads mortals to believe that there is something higher than them, some force that guards as well as condemns them. In a twisted way, it unites people but also drives them apart.

These are two diverse concepts – but often, religion is used to separate people who are deemed to be in an ‘unnatural relationship’. In this piece, the positive connection between these concepts is portrayed by a man who truly believes in it and also works hard to help other people become aware of the same.

Ankit Bhuptani, founder of the Gay And Lesbian Vaishnava Association (GALVA) in India, a devotee of Krishna, has read various scriptures and texts that have convinced him that Hinduism has no qualms against homosexuality. An interesting observation that he made was that amongst the ten important rituals of Hinduism, only two of them hold gender as a barrier. The association was founded by ISKCON follower William in America 30 years ago – but it was Bhuptani who founded it in India.

According to GALVA, Hinduism is liberal, open-minded and has no place for homophobia. Bhuptani firmly believes that only when other religions started coming to India, did Hinduism get influenced and became against the LGBTQ community. After all, in Hinduism, there is a book on how sexuality and desire are connected to yoga and spirituality for purposes of upliftment. Vatsayayan’s “Kamasutra” is not treated as a vulgar book for the simple reason that kama or desire is seen as a ‘level of life’.

The organisation has discussions and intellectual debates on scriptures, spirituality and sexuality that occur once every month at a member’s house, where about 20 people turn up. Workshops are also conducted, and picnics are organised once in a while where prasads are distributed. GALVA’s other activities include organising same sex marriages (they’ve organised about four until now), parades and pride marches in India once a year, tentatively in January, in association with Queer Azaadi Mumbai. The pride march usually takes place a week post Republic Day to signify that even though India gained freedom and democracy years back, certain factions of the society are still struggling for the freedom to be themselves. Their main goal is to make sexuality a normal, day-to-day subject. Bhuptani’s glad that since GALVA began, a gay Catholic group has also been set up.

Bhuptani, who himself is a part of the LGBTQ community, says that he’s open about being gay. He tells us about the time when he had to fight with his own thoughts of being gay. “When I was 17, I found out that I was gay for the very first time,” says Bhuptani. Initially, it was difficult for him to discover his sexuality and he was so frustrated that he was on the verge of killing himself.

“As for my parents, they act as if they are ignorant about it – but they do support me, partially. They know that I give many interviews and speeches in many places. I think they are proud of me – but I can’t really say whether they support me completely,” says Bhuptani who also has a YouTube channel on which he discusses matters related to spirituality. He also works as a resource mobilisation and communication manager at VIDYA, an NGO which seeks to provide education to children living in Mumbai’s slums.

The GALVA movement has played a vital role in his personal life as well. It has boosted his confidence and he feels proud that this movement has helped many people fight with their sexuality crises. The movement has given people an optimistic and positive perspective about religion and the LGBTQ community.

Bhuptani says, “People message me once or twice in a day, thanking me for what I did and I feel happy about helping them. But I’m not really satisfied as such. Till the day the Supreme Court demolishes Section 377, I’ll fight for equal marriage rights – and when that’s done, I’ll feel fully satisfied. Only then will I feel like I’ve achieved something. I know I can accomplish that goal. But as someone rightly said, ‘Be patient, good things take time’ – and so, I will go according to this message, while also trying to achieve my goals.”

Since the past few years, people have changed their perspective about the LGBTQ community. People have become more open about it and have also provided moral support to the community. The media also seems to be playing a key role in influencing the people in a positive manner. It gave an impetus to the judiciary, by focusing on topics like Section 377. Due to these signs, Bhuptani hopes that the Supreme Court will decriminalise homosexuality. “Our expectations for a positive judgement are really high. And if there’s no positive judgement, we’ll have to start from the scratch. But there’s no looking back,” he states.

On being asked about Bollywood’s portrayal of the LGBTQ community, he says that the industry has to be a little sensitive and understanding when it comes to portraying the LGBTQ community. “We are portrayed in a comic way, in which LGBTQ people are mocked for being who they are. This upsets me. Bollywood follows stereotypes which are bad. For instance, gay people are the ones who act girly and like being around girls, which is wrong. It’s not even funny. I’ve hardly seen any movies where LGBTQ people are portrayed in a positive light. In that respect, ‘Kapoor and Sons’ was one of the best Bollywood movies I’ve ever seen. This is, by far, the only movie that has broken the stereotypes about gay people. I really liked the movie,” says Bhuptani.

“As for the web series on YouTube, they are doing a brilliant job,” says Bhuptani. “Their creativity and message is so hard-hitting that it change the perspective of a variety of people. This can, in a way, even influence the decisions or policies of the government. ‘All about section 377’ is comic but also sentimental, because the protagonist and the director of the show have depicted it in a wonderful manner. I’m hoping to see similar web series on YouTube,” he says.

On being asked about the recent surrogacy ban, Bhuptani replies in a single word, “Ridiculous”. “We live in a country like India that’s democratic – but still the Government does not fail to put a ban on every possible thing. How contradictory can this be? This ban is unfair, especially for the people who are a part of LGBTQ community,” he quips.

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Image Source: Ankit Bhuptani/Facebook

The post A Young Gay Krishna Devotee Is Fighting To Prove That Hinduism Has No Place For Homophobia appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

It was a difficult day when Debashree, a bright young architect was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. Life was filled with ambition and hope until TB happened to her. Almost five years, later Debashree is on her way to recovery although her family, a middle-class Indian household is under debt. Debashree’s illness ate up their savings and put them into financial problems. Like her, there are thousands of such families who have been pushed into debt and poverty by this disease.

TB is India’s severest health crisis with the highest burden of 2.8 million cases globally and 478,000 deaths each year. An often forgotten fact is that in India, TB disproportionately affects the poor and is an engine of poverty pushing families into debt. A large number of TB affected individuals have unstable incomes and work in the informal economy. Hence, addressing TB is incomplete until we address economic and livelihood issues to help vulnerable individuals fight TB. Further, poverty directly influences nutrition levels, which in turn affects the vulnerability to TB and the recovery from TB when infected. This is especially relevant for women and children who have limited or no economic resources.

The government’s recent proposal to provide economic benefits to TB patients undergoing treatment under the government’s TB program is a landmark patient friendly decision. Under the new scheme, the intention is to provide economic benefits to TB patients who need it the most, helping patients and their families escape catastrophic health expenses and providing some economic security. TB affects a large number of India’s poor due to social, economic and environmental factors. People infected with TB frequently experience severe economic barriers to health care, including high expenses related to diagnosis and treatment, as well as indirect costs due to loss of income. These barriers create economic hardship and prevent or delay TB diagnosis and treatment, leading to increased transmission, suffering and death. Hence, we need to applaud the government’s decision to address economic and livelihood issues as a remarkable and sensitive step to help vulnerable individuals and communities to fight TB.

Making Aadhar mandatory for availing these benefits, poses a considerable challenge for many of these patients. This is because the on-ground realities are quite different. Many patients do not have Aadhar cards, stable employment and housing. Also, the process of obtaining Aadhar is long, and patients who are already battling severe side effects, poverty, stigma and undernutrition cannot easily manage to enrol in Aadhar.

Even when patients do have Aadhar, there have been reports of significant exclusions for genuine beneficiaries in Aadhar linked schemes. A recent study in the Economics and Political Weekly reported that close to 66% households experienced fingerprint authentication errors, Aadhar seeding issues and poor connectivity in Andhra Pradesh.

While linking Aadhar to economic benefits will ensure transparency and curb leaks, it is equally important that officials at the ground level, state level and central level be adequately prepared for these challenges. It is also important that the gaps in digital infrastructure at the state, district and ground level be addressed before such an initiative is scaled up.

This forces us to consider if necessitating the Aadhar for patients fighting a difficult disease is indeed wise. If it is unavoidable and necessary, it is important we consider alternatives as well. If a patient does not have an Aadhar card, the on site personnel should help them enrol at the treatment centre for the same, fast tracking the process as exceptions.

Of course, this is easier said than done because the health workers are often already overburdened. They will require sufficient reskilling and access to technology to speed this process up. Until their Aadhar is generated, a Voters ID card, Ration Card or other proof of identity should be used, and economic benefits should be provided to patients in need irrespective of current enrolment status. This is critical as economic factors, and lack of food-security often pushes patients to stop treatment or give up. If we place any significant barriers to economic benefits, we may be acerbating their suffering and financial desperation.

The post Making Aadhaar Mandatory For TB Treatment: What It Can And Cannot Do appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

In May 2017, Jagadesh Kumar, a 54-year-old Indian carpenter, who was working on a stadium being built for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar died of a heart attack. According to his relatives, he became unconscious half an hour after leaving the stadium. The tournament’s organisers claimed his death was not caused by his working conditions. However, the country for long has come under the scanner for labour abuses meted out to migrant workers from countries like India, Bangladesh, etc. who have been working to build infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

As per a report by the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery in 2016, the World Cup’s organising body, three Indians employed at World Cup sites had died of heart attacks in the last 18 months.

Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup in December 2010. Since 2011, 1718 Indian workers have died in the country, an RTI reply given by the Embassy of India in Doha has revealed. And 160 Indian workers have perished in the first seven months of 2017 alone.

Data provided by the embassy also reveals that between 2004 and 2017, 3154 Indian workers died in Qatar, with more than 200 workers dying each year from 2007 onwards.

Yet, the abuse faced by migrant workers in Qatar is well documented. In May 2015, in its report titled “Promising Little, Delivering Less”, Amnesty International had heavily criticised the Qatar government’s response to address the widespread exploitation of migrant workers who had come to build the infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the country. The report had said that there were instances of migrant workers not being paid their due wages or being paid late, having their passports confiscated by their employers, working in hazardous conditions, forbidden from joining or working in trade unions, among other instances of exploitation.

In another report, Amnesty International again exposed ‘the abuse of world cup workers’. “Migrant workers building Khalifa International Stadium in Doha for the 2022 World Cup have suffered systematic abuses, in some cases forced labour,” Amnesty had said. This is the same stadium where Jagadesh Kumar had worked.

As recently as May 2017, the organisation again reiterated how migrant workers at World Cup construction sites continue to suffer abuse and exploitation.

According to a Reuters report in May 2017, the Qatari government had denied that workers were being exploited. YKA tried to get in touch with the Supreme Committee for Legacy and Delivery, the World Cup’s organising body, but they were unavailable for comment. This story will be updated if we hear back from them.

The Indian government seems to be quite aware of the alleged abuse that labourers face in Qatar. In May 2015, Sushma Swaraj, the Minister of External Affairs had tweeted that since 2007 there had been 109 deaths in site accidents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his official visit to Qatar in June 2016 had raised the issue of the abuse of migrant workers. Qatar had reassured that labour reforms would improve the conditions of migrant workers from India.

However, the fact that more than 270 workers died every year from 2014 to 2016 and that 160 have already died in the first seven months of 2017, perhaps points out that some really stringent measures must be taken by both the Indian and Qatari government to improve the lives of such vulnerable workers in Qatar. Else, Indian workers will continue to die in huge numbers on Qatari soil.
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Image source: YouTube

The post The Abysmal State Of Indian Workers In Qatar: RTI Reveals Over 2500 Deaths Since 2007 appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

एक छोटी सी बच्ची जिसकी उम्र लगभग 7-8 साल होगी और उसके कुछ साथी अचानक से ट्रेन के भीतर आये, कटोरा साइड में रखा और अपना करतब दिखाने लगे। कोई ढोल बजा रहा था, कोई गुलाटी मार रहा था तो कोई नाचना और गाना शुरू कर दे रहा था।

ये बात तब की है जब मैं ठंड की छुट्टियाँ मनाने गुवाहाटी जा रही थी। लगभग आधा रास्ता मैंने तय कर लिया था। मैं गुवाहाटी से कम-से-कम 100 कि०मी० की दूरी पर थी, रात के लगभग 8 बजे थे कि तभी कुछ बच्चे अंदर आये और उन बच्चों ने अपने अजीबो-गरीब हरकत से सभी का मन मोह लिया। सभी लोग बड़े दिलचस्पी के साथ उन्हें देखने लगे। हमारे साथ शैक्षणिक भ्रमण के लिए जा रहे छात्र-छात्राएं भी सफर कर रहे थे। छात्रों का गुट भी आश्चर्यचकित हो एकटक से उन्हें देखने लगा। उनके करतब देख लोग ज़ोर-ज़ोर से ठहाके भी लगा रहे थे। माहौल बन गया, बच्चे और ट्रेन में बैठे लोग इसका भरपूर आनन्द उठा रहे थे कि तभी सब कुछ बंद कर उन्होंने अपना कटोरा उठाया और सबसे पैसे मांगने शुरू किये। अब बात तो सही है भइया उन्होंने इतनी मेहनत की है तो मेहनताना भी उन्हें ज़रूर मिलनी चाहिए। इसी आशा के साथ उन्होने अपना काम शुरू किया।

किसी ने पैसे दिए तो किसी ने खाने का सामान, जिसने जो दिया उन बच्चों ने सब रख लिया। पर जब उसके सहभागी ने पूछा “कितने पैसे मिले”? तब वह छोटी सी गुड़िया टाँस भरी आवाज़ में बोलती है “80रू ही हुए कुछ ने तो पॉपकॉर्न और बिस्किट देकर ही फुसला लिया।” उसकी इस बात पर लोग ज़ोर से हंस पड़े और आश्चर्य भरी निगाहों से देखने लगे। शायद कुछ लोग ये भी सोच रहे होंगे कि “उम्र इतनी सी और ज़ुबान कैंची की तरह।” पर लोग इसके पीछे का कारण जानने की कोशिश नहीं करते, मजबूरी और हालात शायद उन्हें ऐसा बनने और करने पर मजबूर कर देते हैं।

मुद्दा वो नहीं जो मैं ऊपर अभी तक आपके साथ बाँट रही थी, विषय तो बहुत ही गंभीर और चिंताजनक है। सवाल उन बच्चों के भविष्य का है, जो आज ट्रेन में नाचने को मजबूर हैं, पैसे मांगने को मजबूर हैं। मैंने तो चार को देखा है, देश भर में न जाने ऐसे कितने बच्चे होंगे। इनको देख ज़हन में दो सवाल उठते हैं। पहला कहीं इन बच्चों को साज़िश के तहत धंधा तो नहीं कराया जा रहा और वो पैसे जो उन्हें  मिलते हैं वो पैसे गलत कामों के लिए तो नहीं जा रहे। दूसरा शायद वो सही में इतने गरीब हैं कि उन्हें अपना पेट भरने के लिये  इन कार्यों का सहारा लेना पड़ रहा है। दोनों ही मामले बेहद संवेदनशील और भयानक हैं।

दोनों ही विषय मन को विचलित करती है, हमारे सामने चुनौती प्रस्तुत करती है। जिनके हाथों में पढने के लिए किताबें और खेलने के लिए गेंद होनी चाहिए, उनके हाथों में भीख मांगने के लिए कटोरा दे दिया गया है। उनके ऊपर पूरे घर-परिवार की ज़िम्मेदारी दे दी गयी है, जिसे वह बखूबी समझते भी हैं और निभाते भी। पर क्या इस तरह हमारी आने वाली पीढ़ी शिक्षित हो पायेगी? क्या भारत में सभी को इंटरनेट से जोड़ने की योजना सफल हो पायेगी? कहीं वो किसी ऐसे दलदल में पैर ना रख दें, जिससे वो भविष्य में निकलना भी चाहे तो निकल ना पायें। उनके उम्र के बच्चे खेलते हैं, कूदते हैं, जिद करते हैं, माता पिता से लड़ते-झगड़ते हैं। पर उन्हें कुछ भी नसीब नहीं हो पा रहा और वो इन सबसे अंजान बैठे हैं। कहीं “जिम्मेदारी रूपी दीमक” उनके भविष्य को खोखला ना कर दे।

भारी चिंतन का विषय है यह। सवाल भी हज़ार हैं, पर जवाब देने वाला कोई नज़र नहीं आता। शायद जवाब उनके पास भी नहीं होंगे जो लोग उस रात ट्रेन में ठहाके लगा रहे थे।

लेख में इस्तेमाल की गयी फोटो प्रतीकात्मक हैं।
फोटो आभार : फेसबुक

The post ट्रेन में करतब दिखाने वाले बच्चों की हकीकत डरावनी है appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

Democracy in any country is a messy business. And in India, the regulated periodic elections bring people out on the streets in full force in a way that is unseen in other countries of the world.

Concepts like ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ have changed since Plato and Aristotle. The theoretical foundations of society have been changing through countless socio-political processes. Nowadays, we have new spaces and new apparatuses that we can use to understand these changing phenomena. Biopolitics is now a word that takes another value in our lives. Our idea of subjects and individuals will not be the same for too long.

Subjects and the use of power by entities like the state and state actors are no longer a secondary matter as history and philosophy join together to provide ideas and support to contingent and evolving opinions.

Politics cannot be well-thought-out in the absence of participation of the people, whether such participation is represented, as in the parliament, or whether it’s with direct democracy involving direct participation of the masses. In any kind of situation, the participation of the subject underlies the whole idea. It avoids political activity from becoming something akin to an army or led by a devout group of believers wherein only the will of the group’s head is followed.

India is a nation with the number of political parties ranging in double digits. It follows a multi-party system and today, there exist many political parties at regional as well as national levels.

If we look at the era between the 1950s to late 1960s, this period is defined by Rajni Kothari as the period of Congress predominance. The dominance of the Congress in this era was witnessed both at regional and national levels. However, the gradual emergence of regional parties made it difficult for a single party to attain clear majority to form a government. Thus began the need for coalition politics.

Coalitions bring instability in functioning and policy making. A coalition government forms when two or more political parties form an alliance, compromising on their respective party policies and agendas.

A coalition is made up of democratically elected representatives, but in itself, it is a way to grab power regardless of the verdict of the electorate. Coalitions create political insecurities because no one knows when the government may destabilise.

The opportunistic nature of certain people to usurp power by using their charisma deceives the people and breaks their trust. This shows how political propagandists can dehumanise individuals, especially when they become subservient to the will of unjust institutions rather than their own conscience.

The people of Bihar had to suffer from flawed and corrupt leadership. When political leaders and their constituents are subjected to the same laws as ordinary people, only then the state becomes a rational social structure, instead of being a tool for domination.

The 2015 Assembly elections in Bihar were contested against communal forces by the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) and Janta Dal United (JDU), along with the Congress. After the alliance, Lalu Prasad Yadav said, “We are coming together to defend secularism by defeating Modi, Amit Shah and the RSS.”

Nitish Kumar, the present Chief Minister of Bihar, had at the time vehemently argued, “Our biggest challenge is to defeat the forces of communalism represented by Mr Modi.” 

With the victory of the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar, analysts had said that coalition politics in India was far from over. The coalition was composed of the Indian National Congress and two former rivals: the RJD and the JDU. Although the three parties had varying ideologies, a common enemy united them.

Bihar’s ‘Mahagathbandhan’ didn’t even last two years before the political game in the state took a U- turn. Now, Nitish Kumar has switched to Modi’s side and formed government with the support of the BJP. Along with this, secularism seems no longer worth fighting for as the CM of Bihar shifts his stance from defending secularism to having ‘zero tolerance‘ towards corruption. This move, which reeks of moral bankruptcy and sheer opportunism, has been given an artful spin.

But the amidst all this political drama, much of reality seems to have been lost. Despite all the overemphasis and suggestions that elections have high stakes, politics in Bihar may not be of as much gravity as the prevalent narrative suggests. Some people still believe that the results could damage Modi’s standing within his own party.

Was Nitish Kumar previously ‘secular’? And now that he has allied himself with the BJP, has he become ‘communal’? Should we ask some questions as to why Nitish Kumar’s morality was not outraged during the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat? Why did he support the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee? Why did he distance himself from the NDA when Modi was made the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate? And why, today, does the issue of corruption trump the atmosphere of violence and fear that is all around us?

It is interesting to see that some of Nitish Kumar’s supporter are busy erasing what he and the BJP have said against each other in past. But I think they should press the pause button because who knows what happens next. In politics, there are no permanent enemies or friends. The truth is that both communalism and corruption should be resisted in an uncompromising and nondiscriminatory manner.

The duplicity cuts across the parties. Can the BJP who, at present, are targeting the Congress and Lalu Prasad Yadav for corruption, explain their cosy relationship with the Reddy brothers in Karnataka – the mining tycoons charged with massive fraud? Or how they are at peace with Congress defectors in uttarakhand? Last but not the least, how is the BJP at peace with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who have a softer stance towards the Kashmir conflict?

All said and done, political parties will continue to rely on coalitions regardless of electoral verdicts. This has its advantages as well as disadvantages. In the ultimate analysis, it is the competency of the government and not whether it is a coalition or an individual party which plays an important role in impacting the welfare of the people. Whether the right decisions come from a coalition or an individual ruling party, they will always be appreciated and rewarded by the public.

However, coalition politics in this part of the world are not stable; they are prone to the constant flux of power. People need to refuse the corruption of power. Wherever there is an accumulation of power, corruption will prevail and with that, domination and oppression of the individuals by the state. Coalition politics brings out opportunism and the vested interests of certain individuals take priority over that of the community as a whole. In other words, we can say that such politics can be linked to a future where everything belongs to the state and no one is free.

But what happens if the process is corrupted? Ambiguous psychological apparatuses are used these days to make people believe what is not true. This supports the idea of a ‘transversal’ vision of reality but demands the involvement of main social structures like governments, schools, etc which are capable of establishing the reality.

When politics comes into the act, the entire landscape becomes organically dynamic. With this, if the state, as a major institution for subjects, is not able to provide whatever the parts involved need, instability in the form of revolutions or questioning of authority is impossible to stop.

When politics is measured as responsibility instead of creating advantages for the wealthy and dominant groups, then the end goal will bring success to the whole of society and therefore ensure its transformation and autonomy. It must ensure a better future, not only development in a materialistic way.

Nowadays, coalition based government try constantly to aspire to a better political system considering the responsibilities of the ‘wise ones’ over the rest. However, many times, these more well-off actors of the political system couldn’t resist the idea of pursuing a better future – not for the people but themselves.

Many times, authoritarianism and the need to procure material wealth become the driving factors for exercising any political activity which results in growing dissatisfaction among those who couldn’t enjoy that wealth. They start to see the gap between themselves and the ones in power.

To govern then becomes a disguise for looting, with those in power justifying their actions by arguing that it is their right to make an authoritarian use of resources – that many could not really understand how it is to govern a country or a city. The ‘elites’ do not always bear an altruism that will promote the well-being of the majority but are constantly susceptible to ideas that maintain their own status as a beneficent minority.

Unfortunately, those who exercise power in the form of authority will have to become more creative and constantly develop new tools to maintain power.

Arif Khan is a research scholar at Dept. Of History and Culture, Jamia Millia Islamia. He is interested in conflict studies. He regularly writes on Kashmir conflict, and other issues of socio-political concern. He can be reached at karif2172@gmail.com.

The post Has Bihar Changed The Future Of Coalition Politics In India? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

Nagma, a 15-year-old girl, came to my place with her mother for daily household work. While her mother was busy doing her work, she sat quietly on the floor and tried to write her name upon a crushed page.

I asked her, “Which class are you in?” Her reply astounded me. Nagma said, “I am illiterate but I feel lucky that I take care of kids in a play school and assist them in learning. I wish my parents could also send me to school, not as a caretaker but as a student.”

This girl motivated me to do something for her. I started teaching her and helped her in getting admission in a nearby school. That was the time I realised there are millions of children who want to study but don’t have access to education, or rather, quality education.

Why should one be punished for being born in a poor family or in a small village, where there are no schools?

Meanwhile, the Bihar Board examination results were highlighted in the news and the dismal situation of education made me more restless. The startling fact that only 35% of the student passed the Board examination clearly showed how paralysed the Indian education system has become.

With more research on this, I got to know that there are, on an average, 20-25 government schools in a district of Bihar with very poor results in the Bihar Board examination.

The country today faces huge water scarcity. We do have an adequate supply of water in our rivers, but most of that ends up unused and flows into the ocean. Similarly, the country has a huge demand for skilled human resource. We have an adequate supply, but we’re not making sufficient efforts to provide quality education to our youth and to upskill them.

With the vision of minimising the gap in education opportunities for a student studying in a convent school in Delhi and a student studying in a government school with poor infrastructure and untrained teachers in a village of Bihar, I left my corporate job and started helping students of nearby schools.

Then, I came in contact with Jaspreet Kaur (student, Delhi University) and Saloni Sethi (student, Delhi University) who shared a similar ideology and enthusiasm. We decided to change the face of education in India with ‘Padhte Chalo, Badhte Chalo!’ to ensure that quality education reaches all students for free.

The idea of educating every student, irrespective of their financial conditions, and staying in contact with them 24×7 was easy to think of, but we had a hard time finding a solution where every student who wanted to learn became a part of our initiative.

Long hour discussions and on-ground analysis of the situation helped us understand the power of mobile technology and its penetration in rural and urban India. We thought of making the best use of mobile technology. We were looking for a platform like WhatsApp which was easy to use and could connect us to a large audience. Although the reach of Whatsapp was immensely powerful – as every person who owned a mobile had this application – it could not be effectively used to spread education.

While doing our research on education technology that can help us connect with students across India and continuously monitor their performance, I got to know about Eckovation, a social learning platform. Using Eckovation, we are able to not only communicate with students but also provide them with features like watching video lectures, attempting quizzes and asking their doubts – all in one place which was only a click away. This way we are constantly connected with students and are able to provide guidance and analyse their performance.

With the help of the Eckovation platform, we are helping around 500 students. Some of them study in government schools and cannot afford private tuitions while some also belong to public schools who just require additional guidance to help them along the way. This platform has helped us bring equality in education for all. Students from low-income families studying in government schools are learning and competing with students from high-income families studying in premier schools of Delhi.

We have prepared a model for students appearing in Class 10 board examinations in English and Hindi medium. Students who follow this model and give one hour per day to the studying group will greatly benefit in their board exams. The only prerequisite is that students should have basic reading and writing skills.

We also have an advanced program for students who already have a good understanding of the subjects. Students who perform well in the phase tests of the initiative are prepared for competitive exams like JEE Mains, NEET, NTSE, Olympiads.

Happy learning.

The post I Left My Corporate Job To Make Sure Every Child Gets Quality Education For Free appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

एकसाथ तीन तलाक़ को उच्चतम न्यायालय की 5 सदस्यीय बेंच ने गैरसंवैधानिक घोषित कर दिया और केंद्र सरकार को इस पर 6 महीने में क़ानून बनाने को कहा है। उच्चतम न्यायालय ने उम्मीद जताई कि केंद्र जो कानून बनाएगा उसमें मुस्लिम संगठनों और शरिया कानून संबंधी चिंताओं का खयाल रखा जाएगा। वहीं अगर 6 महीने में कानून बनकर तैयार नहीं हुआ तो सुप्रीम कोर्ट का यह आदेश जारी रहेगा। ऐसे में एक बात तो तय है कि मुस्लिम महिलाओं के अधिकारों को लेकर जो जीत हुई है, वो कहीं ना कहीं तलाक़ से जुड़े अन्य महत्वपूर्ण विषयों पर भी एक बार फिर से चर्चा को अनिवार्य बना देगी।

गुज़ारा भत्ता से सम्बंधित प्रावधान

1985 का बहुचर्चित शाहबानो केस, जिसमें 62 वर्षीय शाहबानो को गुज़ारा भत्ता देने से इंकार कर दिया था। इस मामले में उच्चतम न्यायालय के ऐतिहासिक फैसले में कहा गया कि सीआरपीसी की धारा-125 जो पत्नी, बच्चे और अभिभावक के गुज़ारा भत्ता से सम्बंधित प्रावधानों को समाहित करती है, हर किसी पर लागू होती है। फिर मामला चाहे किसी धर्म या सम्प्रदाय से जुड़ा क्यों ना हो।

लेकिन इसके ज़बरदस्त विरोध के कारण सरकार ने उच्चतम न्यायालय के फैसले को पलटते हुए मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ के प्रावधानों के तहत केवल चार माह दस दिनों तक ही मुस्लिम महिलाओं को गुज़ारा भत्ता का हक़दार माना। हालांकि आगे चलकर 2001 में डेनियल लतीफ बनाम भारतीय संघ के मामले में उच्चतम न्यायालय ने गुज़ारा भत्ता की अवधि को इद्दत तक सीमित करते हुए कहा कि गुज़ारा भत्ता की राशि समुचित और पर्याप्त हो ताकि जीवन काल की ज़रूरतें पूरी हो सकें। ऐसे में वर्तमान फैसले में जो क़ानून बनाने की बात की जा रही है, उसमें ये पक्ष महत्वपूर्ण होगा कि तलाक़ पर बनाए जाने वाले कानून में गुज़ारा भत्ता से सम्बंधित प्रावधानों का स्वरूप क्या होगा?

समान नागरिक संहिता और मुस्लिम समुदाय में बहुविवाह

सरकार के साथ-साथ मुस्लिम महिलाओं के अधिकारों से जुड़े स्वयंसेवी संगठन, उच्चतम न्यायालय के इस फैसले को एक बड़ी जीत मान रहे हैं। ऐसे में लाज़मी है कि समान नागरिक संहिता और मुस्लिम समुदाय में बहुविवाह जैसे मसलों पर भी एक कानूनी पहल की जा सकती है। हालांकि इन मुद्दों पर भी मतभेद देखने को मिलता है। मुस्लिम धर्म पर आधारित क़ानून के पैरोकार इसे धार्मिक आस्था से जोड़ कर दिखा रहे हैं और संविधान के अनुच्छेद 25, 26 और अनुच्छेद 29-30 के तहत धार्मिक स्वतंत्रता का पक्ष रख रहे हैं। वहीं इसके विरोध में ये तर्क दिया जाता है कि मानवाधिकार से जुड़े मामलों का धर्म और उसे अपनाने की स्वतंत्रता का इससे कोई लेना-देना नहीं है।अगर ऐसा है तो बाल विवाह पर रोक लगाने वाला शारदा कानून, मुस्लिम पर्सनल लॉ द्वारा बाल विवाह की मंजूरी के बावजूद हिन्दू और मुस्लिम दोनों पर समान रूप से लागू नहीं होता।

आज ये प्रश्न भी उठता है कि मानवाधिकारों से जुड़े सवाल को किसी धार्मिक संस्था पर छोड़ना कहां तक जायज़ है? ये पुरानी बात थी जब संस्था के अभाव में विभिन्न कार्य धार्मिक संस्थाएं देखती थी, जिनका आधार भी धार्मिक होता था। लेकिन आधुनिकता की ओर अग्रसर समाज की ज़रूरतें भी बदलती हैं और इससे लोगों की अपेक्षाएं भी। आज के जटिल समाज में किसी भी समस्या के लिए एक उचित संस्था की ज़रुरत है। ऐसे में मुस्लिम महिलाओं के अधिकार से जुड़े मुद्दे को धर्म आधारित संस्थाओ पर कैसे छोड़ा जा सकता है? कई मुस्लिम देशों ने बहुविवाह पर प्रतिबंध लगा रखा है, सर्वप्रथम इसकी पहल 1926 में तुर्की ने की थी। लिहाज़ा इसमें कोई दोराय नहीं है कि इस पर एक सार्थक पहल की आवश्यकता है।

नए क़ानून को लागू करना एक चुनौतीपूर्ण कार्य

किसी विषय पर कानून बनाना और उसे लागू करना एक और चुनौतीपूर्ण कार्य होता है। मुस्लिम महिलाओं की शिक्षा का प्रतिशत काम है, वहीं मुस्लिम महिलाओं की ग्रामीण आबादी, शहरी आबादी से कई गुना ज़्यादा है ऐसे में किसी क़ानून की सामाजिक स्वीकृति भी ज़रुरी होती है। महिलाएं कई सामाजिक बंधनो से घिरी हैं, साथ ही समाज में उनके उचित प्रतिनिधित्व की भी कमी है।

ऐसे में किसी नए क़ानून को लागू करना एक चुनौतीपूर्ण कार्य होगा जिसका अंदाज़ा हम इस बात से लगा सकते हैं की घरेलू हिंसा अधिनियम 2005 को 10 वर्षों से भी ज़्यादा समय के बाद भी प्रभावी रूप से लागू नहीं किया जा सका है। तीन तलाक़ पर आया उच्चतम न्यायालय का फैसला मुस्लिम महिलाओं के लिए एक तत्काल राहत की बात है पर इसकी सार्थकता तभी होगी जब इस पर एक प्रभावी कानून लाकर उसे लागू भी किया जाए।

सकारात्मक सोच और पहल की ज़रूरत

बढ़ती शिक्षा, माइग्रेशन और बदलती सामाजिक-आर्थिक संरचना के कारण कई मानवाधिकारों को लेकर चर्चा होती रही है। साथ ही ये धार्मिक और रूढ़िवादी कानून वर्तमान बहुजातीय एवं बहुसांस्कृतिक समाज की वास्तविकताओं एवं आकांक्षाओं का प्रतिनिधित्व नहीं करते हैं। किसी एक सर्वमान्य कानून के अभाव में सामाजिक बिखराव की स्थिति उत्पन्न हो सकती है, ऐसे में उच्तम न्यायालय का ये फैसला एक सकारात्मक पहल साबित होगा।

यह सच है की जन्मदर नियंत्रण, गर्भपात और दत्तक-ग्रहण नियमन (एडॉप्शन) भावनात्मक मुददे हैं, जिन्हे सावधानीपूर्ण सुलझाया जाना चाहिए। लेकिन यह भी सुनिश्चित किया जाना चाहिए कि धार्मिक और अन्य आधारों पर मानवाधिकारों का हनन नहीं होना चाहिए। उच्चतम न्यायालय का वर्तमान निर्णय, कानूनी जीत के साथ-साथ एक भावनात्मक जीत भी है, जिससे मुस्लिम महिलाओं के अधिकारों के लिए लड़ रहे लोगों को एक भावनात्मक बल मिलेगा। साथ ही यह उनमें मुस्लिम महिलाओं के अन्य मुद्दों को लेकर एक सकारात्मक सोच भी पैदा करेगा। लिहाज़ा मुस्लिम महिलाओं के लिए उच्चतम न्यायालय का निर्णय तत्कालीन राहत की बात तो है, पर ये जीत पूर्ण तभी मानी जाएगी जब केंद्र सरकार एक प्रभावी क़ानून को लागू कर सके।

The post तीन तलाक पर फैसले के बाद मुस्लिम महिलाओं से जुड़े अन्य मुद्दें भी सुलझेंगे? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

तीन तलाक पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट का फैसला आया। फैसला खुशी देने वाला है, क्योंकि इस तुरंत दिए जाने वाले तीन तलाक को गलत ठहराकर सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने मुस्लिम महिलाओं को एक अन्यायपूर्ण व्यवस्था से आज़ादी दिला दी। ये लाज़मी है कि इस फैसले से लोग खुश होंगे, लेकिन एक बात है जो स्वाभाविक नहीं है! क्या इस फैसले पर खुशियां मनाने वाला हर शख्स बराबरी के सिद्धांत में यकीन रखता है? क्या हर ऐसा शख्स स्त्री-पुरुष की एकता को मानता है? क्या हर एक ऐसा शख्स अपनी निजी ज़िंदगी में औरतों की आज़ादी में बाधा नहीं डालता है? क्या जो हिन्दू मर्द इस फैसले पर जश्न मना रहे हैं, उन्हें वाकई मुस्लिम महिलाओं से और उनकी मुसीबतों के प्रति चिंता है या फिर इस जश्न की वजह धार्मिक विद्वेष ही है?

दरअसल हिन्दू समाज के एक बड़े वर्ग में ऐसी भावना कूट-कूट कर भर दी गई है, जिससे वे मुसलमानों को अपना वर्ग शत्रु समझें। मर्दवादी सोच की प्रधानता वाले हमारे देश में सुप्रीम कोर्ट का तीन तलाक पर आया फैसला भी हिन्दू मर्द की मुस्लिम मर्द पर विजय के तौर पर ही प्रचारित किया जा रहा है। और अगर आपको लगता है कि ऐसा नहीं है तो इस तीन तलाक के खिलाफ झंडा उठाए लोगों की पहली पंक्ति में आपको ऐसे लोग मिल जाएंगे जिनके मंच से सार्वजनिक तौर पर मुस्लिम औरतों के खिलाफ दोयम दर्जे की बयानबाज़ी हुई थी।

ऐसा माहौल बनाने की कोशिश हुई है कि जैसे मुस्लिम पुरुष ही सबसे ज़ालिम होते हैं और अपनी पत्नियों के साथ अमानवीय व्यवहार करते हैं। जबकि हिन्दू धर्म की महिलाओं की स्थिति कहीं से भी कम चुनौतीपूर्ण नहीं है। अक्सर राजनीतिक दल ध्रुवीकरण के लिए जनता को दो भागों में बांटने का काम करते हैं और इन्हें एक-दूसरे के खिलाफ खड़ा कर दिया जाता है। सभी महिलाओं के हित एक समान हैं, अब ऐसा तो है नहीं कि गरिमा और सम्मान से जीने का अधिकार केवल मुस्लिम महिलाओं को ही है और हिन्दू महिलाओं को नहीं!

जो भी लोग सुप्रीम कोर्ट के फैसले के बहाने एक धर्म विशेष के प्रति नफरत फैलाने का काम कर रहे हैं, उनसे ये सवाल पूछे जाने की ज़रूरत है कि भाई तुमने महिलाओं की स्वतंत्रता को सुनिश्चित करने के लिए क्या किया है? या फिर तुम अपने जीवन में उतने ही स्त्रीवादी हो जितना इस मुद्दे पर हो? यकीन मानिए अगर ऐसे सारे लोग हकीकत में महिलाओं के अधिकारों के लिए इतने चिंतित होते तो आज ये मुल्क सही में महिलाओं के लिए जन्नत बन चुका होता।

ताज्जुब तो  ये है कि मेरे ऐसे दोस्त जो स्कर्ट तो छोड़िए, जींस पहनने को भी संस्कृति पर हमला मानते हैं और लड़कियों का एक से ज़्यादा मर्द से बात करना स्वीकार नहीं करते, वे भी तीन तलाक के मुद्दे पर नारीवादी हुए जा रहे हैं। एक सज्जन तो ऐसे भी मिले जो सती प्रथा को गौरवशाली अतीत मानते हैं और तीन तलाक पर बधाई बांट रहे थे।

हमें ये समझने की ज़रूरत है कि अगर आज हमारे देश में समस्याएं हैं तो ये किसी एक धर्म विशेष के लोगों की वजह से नहीं हैं। साफ लफ़्ज़ों में मुसलमान आपके हर मसले की जड़ नहीं हैं। इस सन्दर्भ में आजकल खूब शेयर किए जा रहे उस वीडियो का ज़िक्र बेहतर रहेगा, जिसे अमेरिका के युद्ध विभाग ने 1943 में हिटलर के खिलाफ प्रचार के लिए जारी किया था। इस वीडियो में हिटलर का उदाहरण देते हुए ये बताने की कोशिश की गई है कि कैसे कुछ लोग अपने फायदे के लिए जनता को बांट देते हैं। ये लोग जनता के एक वर्ग को ये बताने की कोशिश करते हैं कि देखो तुम्हारी सारी समस्याओं की जड़ वो दूसरा वर्ग है, हिटलर ने ऐसा ही यहूदियों के लिए कहा था। आज ट्रम्प अमेरिका में दूसरे देशों से आकर बसे हुए लोगों के लिए भी यही कह रहे हैं और भारत में मुस्लिमों के लिए भी ऐसा ही कहा जा रहा है।

एक आम हिन्दू के जीवन में तीन तलाक के खारिज होने से शायद रत्ती भर भी परिवर्तन ना हो, इससे उसके रोज़गार की संभावनाएं नहीं बदल जाएंगी लेकिन फिर भी वह उन्माद में चूर है, मानो उसे कोई खज़ाना मिल गया हो। महिलाओं की स्वतंत्रता के लिए प्रतिबद्धता काबिले तारीफ होती है, लेकिन यह भी ज़रूरी है कि नीयत साफ हो।

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Torrential downpour in the eastern part of the country over the past week has resulted in many rivers flowing above the danger level and causing flood along their course. While the flood situation in Assam is said to be the worst in 13 years, its neighbouring states, Arunachal Pradesh and Bihar are also submerged.

Climate change experts say the main reason behind the flood is the changing rainfall pattern in northeast India. Dr Abdhesh Kumar Gangwar, an environment and climate change expert and the programme director of Centre for Environment Education, says the global temperature has increased which is leading to more evaporation from the seabed and higher precipitation. “Because of climate change, we are witnessing extreme weather events. We are having floods in some areas and drought in some other areas at the same time. Rainfall is the same, but before industrialisation, rainfall used to be slow and gradual and we had more rainy days and enough land to absorb the water. Now, the same amount of rainfall comes down in a very short period of time which is leading to flooding,” he says.

Grim Situation In Bihar

More than half of the districts of Bihar are deluged with almost all the rivers flowing above the danger-level mark. According to the Bihar Disaster Management Authority, more than 3,867 villages in Purnea, Nalanda, Patna, Kishanganj and Madhubani districts are bearing the brunt of the flood. As many as 133 villages in Madhepura, Sitamarhi and Gopalgarh were affected between Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Bihar, the number of people affected by the deluge stood at 73 lakh on August 16, according to the state’s daily flood report. The flood has claimed 72 lives in the state so far, with 16 lives lost between Tuesday and Wednesday. In this period, 48 new relief camps were set up, taking the total number of camps to 504.

This time around, the floods have reached even those places that have not witnessed one before. In Pashchim Champaran district, a few blocks have seen three to four cycles of flash floods. The situation has worsened in eight of the flood-affected blocks this week. According to the locals, the district has never experienced flash floods of this severity. Vinay Kumar, secretary of NGO Water Action says half of the affected populace in Pashchim Champaran has never seen a flood before.

Vinod Patel, a farmer from Ramgarh district lost his belongings after his house was washed away in the floods. “I found the remnants of my house a kilometre away. I am just trying to salvage whatever I can,” he says. According to a news report, the flood situation worsened in Bihar after 4.85 lakh cusec water was released on Sunday from the Gandak barrage in Valmikinagar.

Anirudh Kumar, joint secretary, Bihar Disaster Management Department, says the situation was critical in Madhubani, Kishanganj, Katihar, Champaran, Supaul, Araria, Saharsa and Madhepur. Forty-eight teams of National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force and the army were working round the clock to rescue people. He says 2.78 lakh people have been rescued so far and 1.6 lakh have been relocated to a safer place.

The Indian Air Force has also pitched in with a helicopter, two aircraft, four boats and 90 troops for the rescue operation, a senior Air Force official says.

Supaul resident, Rahul Kumar, says streets in Kishanganj and Araria were under waist-deep water. According to chief public relations officer of East Central Railway, Rajesh Kumar, 18 trains have been cancelled and the others were running late because of the flood. “Katihar-Siliguri rail route was closed and there was no contact with the northeast,” he says. Kosi river, which had wreaked havoc in Bihar in 2008, is inundating villages and eroding lands in Supaul.

Assam Continues To Suffer

In Assam, which is experiencing the third wave of flood this year, 24 of its 32 districts are under water. About 33.45 lakh people and 2,970 villages have been affected, according to a report by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority dated August 16. The government has set up 304 relief camps, where about 1.39 lakh people have taken shelter. Floods this year have claimed 140 lives in the state.

The third wave of flood hit Assam as people were beginning to return to their villages after biding time in relief camps. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, the quantum of rainfall Assam has received so far this month is twice the normal expected rainfall.

Seven rivers–Brahmaputra, Dhansiri, Jia Bharali, Puthimari, Beki Sankosh, Katakhal and Kushiyara–were flowing above the danger level till the evening of August 16. Instances of swelling rivers breaching embankments are being reported with four such instances reported on August 16 alone. Earlier this week, Jia Dhol river breached an embankment in Dihiri village in the western part of the state and submerged 22 villages.

A worried Anu Rabha of Bamun Gaon in Dhemaji district says, “My entire agricultural land is under water. I have lost all my cattle, too. I urge the government to compensate us for this loss as we are suffering. This happened because the Guyekhowa embankment is breached and this is the fault of the administration.”

In the eastern part of Assam, Dhemaji is the worst hit by the deluge. It lies cut off from the rest of the world since the district administration closed the Kumtia bridge. Severe erosion is taking place in Udalguri, Nagaon, Bangaigaon and Chirang districts, affecting agriculture fields, houses and schools.

According to the disaster management report, as on August 16, more than 1.43 lakh hectares of crop area was affected in Assam. The worst affected district was Bhuragaon with more than 17000 hectares of crop area under water.

Arunachal Pradesh Submerged

In Assam’s neighbouring state Arunachal Pradesh, heavy landslides caused by incessant rains have blocked many roads. The remote Anjaw district lies cut off as the main road connecting it to the neighbouring districts has been blocked since August 8 owing to a landslide.

Some villages in the district were cut off from each other due to the flood a week ago. Flood has isolated four districts in the state–Anjaw, East Siang, Namsai, and parts of West Siang districts–and submerged a part of National Highway 415, which leads to the state’s capital Itanagar. After the water receded, the highway was opened for small vehicles after some repair work. A 400-metre-long stretch of road caved in last week due to water logging.

Deputy chief minister Chowna Mein visited the flood-affected sites on Independence Day and remarked that the state’s measures to control damage in case of heavy rain were proving to be effective. He observed that much work needed to be done to further minimise the damage. The flood has damaged many roads and bridges in the state.

Syeda Ambia Zahan and Pranab Kumar Das from Guwahati, Ganesh Prasad from Bihar and Saurabh Sharma from Lucknow have contributed to this story. All reporters are members of 101reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.

This post was originally published here.

The post The Massive Destruction Caused By Floods In Bihar And North East Should Worry Us More appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz, an award-winning online platform that serves as the hub of thoughtful opinions and reportage on the world's most pressing issues, as witnessed by the current generation. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out more.

अरे! डेंटिस्ट भी कोई डॉक्टर होता है? डेंटिस्ट जान थोड़े ही बचाता है! डॉक्टरी हो नहीं पाई तो डेंटिस्ट बन गए! एक ही दिन में ना सही पर डेंटिस्ट यानि कि दंत चिकित्सक इस तरह की सोच का अक्सर ही सामना करते हैं। लेकिन दंत चिकित्सा का लेना-देना सिर्फ दांतों और मसूड़ों से है, ऐसा सोचना बाकी सभी धारणाओं की तुलना में ज़्यादा हानिकारक है। एक जानी-मानी कहावत है कि हमारे मुंह की दशा बाकी के शरीर का आईना होती है। ज़्यादातर शारीरिक बीमारियों के लक्षण मुंह के अंदर दिखाई देते हैं और दंत चिकित्सक उन लक्षणों को जांचने और उनसे जुड़ी बीमारियों को भांपने में सक्षम होते हैं। लेकिन फिर भी देखिये हम डेंटिस्ट लोगों को क्या-क्या सुनना पड़ता है-

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