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YOU REALLY WON’T KNOW WHO ALL WILL BE THERE TO SEE YOU OFF WHEN YOUR MOMENT COMES

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We know nothing about our future, yet we all have a future.

As narrated by anonymous in Lucknow.

It was just the other day when I had gone for a cocktail dinner to one of my friend’s place, on the occasion of his daughter’s wedding somewhere in Gomti Nagar. I had really done a lot of planning to be there. Having come, all the way from Delhi. But for some reason my wife couldn’t accompany me on that particular day.

Considering it will be a late night. I had hired a cab for the evening; and was expecting to have some great recalling moments. Catching up with some very old friends.Whom I had not met for an eon now. Besides that, I also expected many unknown, yet distinguished guests on the occasion. Overall a formal flashy gathering, where I wasn’t wrong.

The party had just about begun in the first floor of a guest house that he had hired. The epicenter of the venue was quite well lit, with a festive ambience. Buoying with some lilting ghazals and appropriating the celebratory occasion to a rocking start.

I too saluted the moment by gulping down some whisky, as I waved out for some piping hot chicken-tikka-kabab, in the freezing, yet enjoyable ambient temperature. And, as I put a piece in my mouth, very strangely it went straight down my throat and into my food pipe before I could even chew it and started choking me. I felt a little alarmed and cussed to begin with.

First, I tried to gulp it down with some whisky and then some water. But to my shock both whisky and water started oozing out of my nose but the chicken remained where it was. I rushed to the toilet thinking I’m about to vomit but there too nothing great happened as the chicken piece or the chicken bone, still remained stuck.

In all of this some fifteen to twenty minutes must have passed. By now the party was in full blast, when I could hazily see, some unknown, yet smartly dressed up couples and their children around me. Just then, I felt I was close to a blackout. But there appeared not a single known face in the tangible surrounding. Whom I could have shouted for help. Moreover the music was too loud. And, by now I was beginning to feel a little embarrassed.

It was an unexpected and painful moment for me. When I could feel my present withering to a repulsive future. Coming my way on fast track; to grip me. I was now in deep agony now, for over twenty minutes. Breathing heavily through my nose and messy all over, is when I decided to leave. For I didn’t want the party to get spoilt. And by now my eyes had even blurred. All the fluid stuck in my throat was dripping out of my nose. My hanky was all wet and by now some people had also started noticing me.

Fortunately, I was able to locate my cabby in the car park. I waved at him. He appeared to be a smart guy. As he smelt something was wrong with me, just by observing my body language and drove the car right up to where I was standing, as if in divine sync. I slid in, and in panic, I asked him to take me home. And even though, he could make out, I was unwell, He did not say a word till he put the car in motion.

By now, another five minutes had passed. I called my wife at home and told her to be at the gate, to take me to a doctor forthwith. Briefly describing, what was stuck in my throat. She panicked upon hearing this. I was in deep agony by now. My eyes were closing and I was breathless.

Meanwhile, the driver, while he was driving, opened his water bottle and asked me to forcefully drink some water even if I couldn’t. Which I did, but nothing improved. On the contrary I became a little more uncomfortable. He then slowed the car and started patting me on my neck, but I remained uncomfortable. By now, I could make out we were crossing ‘Bhaisa Kund,’ the cremation ground at around 9.30 in the night. That was indeed scary. As, I found it quite still and dark, with I  so close to it. Will I be brought here tomorrow? Was the weird feel I got. And, will I survive this onslaught of chicken-tikka-kabab, I wondered, in surrendering emotion.

It was one of the most frightening moments of my life for obvious reasons. Since, no one from my family was there to hold me, except, the cabby who appeared as a family then. Who happened to be a young guy, and my only source of inspiration. Perhaps, the divine co-passenger sent from heaven, for the hallowed moment. I helplessly thought, will I make it from here? I pondered in pessimism, but by then my head had slumped forward, almost resting on the dashboard; perhaps the end was near, thought the cabby.

Is when I suddenly felt he had stepped up the vehicle. We were to turn right but he took to the left and in just about five minutes he stopped in front of a small hospital. He rushed inside and got a wheel chair and took me straight to the emergency ward with the help of a ward boy. By now, I was hardly able to converse, but the driver explained to the doctor, and the doctor with a minor procedure pulled out the chicken piece and advised me not to attempt it, ever again. And with that my trauma had subsided, but myriads of introspection arose.

Because, the last one hour had given me a feel of life’s biggest certainty, death. It also conveyed, you have very little control over your future. So enjoy every moment and create similar situations for others also. As anything can happen anytime. And all around you, you only have fellow passengers. For you don’t know who all will come to see you off. And, who all, you’ll see off, when the moment comes.

And, last but not the least, the incident took me close to an accident victim. Who suddenly dies away from his family and without any forewarning. He has no one to see him off. But my case was slightly different. Where, the fellow passenger, the driver in this case had come to see me off. For a moment I thought, the strong thread of family would have helped me go past that last flicker. From the feel of future to actually arriving at the future–death. But I guess the longing best wishes of my family and the presently departed souls at Bhaisa kund still wanted me alive and about, and so pulled me back with the lease of life. But then who knows when it will strike again.

*****

ALL WOMEN’S ROUGH & TOUGH PINK FLEET OF MERU CAB

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

Meru lady cab driver Jyoti Gupta
Meru lady cab driver Jyoti Gupta

 

It was a novel experience when my wife and I were driven home the other day from Delhi Airport by Ms Jyoti Gupta, a lady cab driver, of the pink fleet of radio cabs, christened ‘Meru Eve,’ recently introduced by Meru Cabs.

To begin with Jyoti briefly narrated how the chief executive of Meru Cabs, Siddhartha Pahwa, announced the new service from a dais decorated with daisies and gladioli at the time of launch. The holistic concept being, how to make women safer in Delhi; where the newfound breed, of these daring and young female cabbies were adding value.

Meru lady cab driver
Meru lady cab driver

We had some luggage that needed to be transferred to the luggage carrier atop and tied. I offered to help but she refused priding she could do that just alone, and she did it. And while she was doing that we could see some male cabbies prying and smiling at her.

And as we started from the airport, I could see both male and female eyes gazing at her, for she was a novelty- a cab driver, who had dared to break into the hitherto male bastion of cabbies.

In the small conversation that followed she told us why she took up to this career. Surely, it was not for any pantomime. But the intense and rancid pattern of daily abuse from her husband. She now had two college going children, and was up in arms with her husband, seeking divorce; and had merited class ten herself, from Haldwani.

Quick to learn and savvy about business numbers. Knowing her vehicle inside-out. Not scared of the male rowdiness or the male overwhelm on the road. And while driving, she appeared quite a seasoned and inveterate, as I was not missing the male counterpart for a change.

And, there was something captivating about her. For she was not sulking to the challenges of a tough profession, but was gaga about it. As, by now she had already demonstrated the definition of toughness. That was moving away from stark physicality to an enduring mindset which females too had. And, last but not the least she conveyed the ultimate mission of life, that was common for both man and woman, and it was only the short lived difficulties that are different.

All the best Jyoti!

#OSHO INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION CROSSES LAXMAN REKHA BY DEMEANING INDIAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS-shouldn’t they apologise to the nation?

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#OSHO INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION CROSSES LAXMAN REKHA BY DEMEANING INDIAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS-shouldn’t they apologise to the nation?

index    We all know what Chandra Mohan Jain (11December 1931-19 January 1990) aka Acharya Rajneesh from 1960s onwards, aka Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during 1970s and 1980s, and aka Osho from 1989 stood for:

ss    As a professor of philosophy he drew enough polemics while he traveled throughout India during 1960s as a public speaker. And his outspokenness and out-of-turn criticism of politicians and the political mind space, that included Mahatma Gandhi and the institutionalized religion made him controversial of the irreparable sort. And the legacy goes on even after his death. But this time the Osho International Foundation has crossed the holy Laxman Rekha as this is what they wrote in #The speaking tree on February 7th 2015.

Quote

‘Why Politicians Create Chaos In The Country

Osho

    ‘Freedom came to India very suddenly, without any preparation. All the so called leaders were only efficient in creating a little bit of chaos here and there, and when freedom came they were absolutely at a loss as to what to do because all their efficiency was in creating chaos.

    So even though freedom did come, those leaders still know only one thing; how to create chaos. They go on doing the same. And those leaders know perfectly well that the only way to be in power is to go on creating chaos. The whole concern of those who are in power is to remain in power, and they can only remain in power if the country remains in chaos. So people go on fighting and they go on managing somehow, proving to the world that they are very much needed, otherwise the country will fall apart. And the interest of the people who are not in power is also in creating chaos because that is the only way to come back into power or to come into power.’

Unquote

osho_international_pune_20111015    While the column targets the Indian Politicians and rulers. The first paragraph cited above, targets even the freedom fighters of India. Perhaps, the author tried to continue moving in the shoes of Chandra Mohan Jain alias Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh alias Osho without realizing the battle for freedom had started way back in 1857 with the 1st mutiny, and so, to say “freedom came to India very suddenly, without any preparation. All the so-called leaders were only efficient in creating a little bit of chaos here and there, and when freedom came they were absolutely at a loss as to what to do because all their efficiency was in creating chaos” is completely wrong and ill willed.

ll    Secondly, freedom struggle and gaining of Independence was not the brain child of any single Politician. Rather, it was the aspiration of approximately 30-35 crore Indians that was ably driven by father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, together with Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel to name a few, and many more freedom fighters who even died for the cause of Independent India.

And, moreover the first breed of Politicians, were actually freedom-fighters who definitely did not want chaos for the nation; and took up to the role of Politicians only to steer India out of the woods and therefore to paint freedom fighters with same brush as Politicians is criminal.

Self-styled Gurus and foundations, who have hallucinated all their lives about love and sex, should be well advised not to touch upon certain hallow chords of the nation which are beyond them, and especially for a foundation that has a sobriquet of “sex guru.”

For make no mistake Freedom-Fighters are above any self-styled God-man; so please watch out.

*****

ARTICLE: ARE SOME AMERICAN COPS MERE DUFFERS LIKE ERIC PARKER?

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Sureshbhai Patel lying paralysed in hospital
Sureshbhai Patel lying paralysed in hospital
3rd degree torture by Eric Parker
3rd degree torture by Eric Parker

 

Madisan, Alabama policeman Eric parker is charged with 3rd degree assault and is being fired, after authorities say he threw down a handcuffed 57 year old man from India who was walking around town, while visiting some relatives. Though the FBI is investigating this incident in which Sureshbhai Patel has been paralyzed, yet this brings us to a horrific and nagging question. That is about the IQ levels of some of these American cops who shoot from the hip to prove no point, and in the process they only reveal their racial bias. A media report now suggests Sureshbhai Patel was used as a guinea-pig by Eric Parker to teach his colleague how to pin down criminals. But even that is cruel, animal like and atrocious by any standards. And in the process he has paralyzed Sureshbhai; and his racial sound bite about ‘a black and skinny man roaming the area’ has only embarrassed the black skinny but otherwise healthy President of the US- Barack Obama.

Policeman Eric Parker
Policeman Eric Parker

Even in some earlier instances American cops have gone overboard, by not being able to distinguish between the turban of an Indian Sardar and a Muslim terrorist of the likes of Osama and have subjected them to humiliation. They have also demeaned Indian dignitaries at airports. So the moot question is. Are American cops insulated from rest of the world, that they can’t even decipher sartorial niches and accomplishments of other countries. And so, shouldn’t they be given a complete run down on various kinds of attires worn across the world since America is the world’s greatest economy and people from all over the world flock here some way or the other. Also, a rerun of visuals at regular intervals about world’s whose who, will help.

NJ cop shooting a black man when both his hands are out of the car
NJ cop shooting a black man when both his hands are out of the car

And, in this episode also Eric Parker from all corners looks and behaves like a duffer. Not being able to decipher between a hardcore criminal and a 57 year old non English speaking gentleman, and behaves as if all non English speaking individuals are criminals. The video released only enrages the world. As a cop he should have been more aware than a normal American citizen to decipher between a criminal and a gentleman. So what creates such duffers in the US Police Department is again the moot point when they boast of such a high standard of police training with a sensitive and thinking mindset.

In 2000, the US Department of Justice (USDOJ) Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Offices and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) collaborated to pilot an innovative post-police academy training strategy with Reno, Nevada Police Department. This problem based learning strategy, titled the Police Training Officers (PTO) Program. Institutionalized adult learning theory and problem solving tools into a process that encouraged new officers to think using proactive mindset, enabling the identification of and solution to problems within their communities

The APOSTC or the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission requires law enforcement officers to go through and pass the academy and be certified as police officers of the law. Before going through the academy, they must be employed full time as a cop, meaning they have to work an average of 40 hours per week and within 6 months of being employed they need to complete the academy training in order to be certified. Failing to do so will nullify their employment and they will have to wait two years before submitting another application.

While the training has various physical and legal requirements. It also talks of some important physical, legal and behavioural aspects that the candidates should possess such as:

  • Age should be at least 19 years.
  • Have a high school or a GED
  • Have a valid driver’s license
  • American citizenship
  • Good moral character with no felony or misdemeanor or convictions, and isn’t a registered sex offender
  • Complete medical examination by a licensed doctor or a physician and be certified for good physical health and fit for physical demands of the Police Academy.
  • Complete psychological examination and in case they fail this test, a 2nd comprehensive test will be administered by an agency that is commissioned by the commission and in case a candidate fails, both the test, he or she must wait for a year to become eligible again.

All academy trainees must complete 480 hours of basic academy training.

  • The overall score of all the written exams, first aid exams, legal issues exams should not be less than 70%.
  • Successfully complete and pass the physical agility test.
  • Pass all 43 hours of firearms training. Must qualify in two out of three attempts in the firearms course.

So while the training of Police in the US is all comprehensive there is need to screen officers who nurse racial biases. With the wherewithal of the US, it should not be difficult to identify such policemen and indoctrinate them with better virtues and humanness. For one can perform police duties even without paralyzing dark and skinny ‘Sureshbhais’ for if South Africa could give up apartheid why can’t a minority of police officers in the US. But then to arrive there. The US must first accept the scourge of racialism in its Police force and not just sham away from reality.

*****

THE OBSOLETE SWING OF 9 TO 5 – OFFICE HOURS

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With the rough noose of target around one’s neck and loads of life to carry on with; merely observing office timings has become more of a head count drill and a calculation of salary mechanism for the accounts and HR. For what, if I only observe office timings but don’t achieve my targets. I may still be sacked, even when I am a regular office attendee. But what, if I achieve my business targets and don’t achieve my attendance target. I may have to take a salary cut along with a sack for breaking office discipline, in spite of achieving my business targets. Where, management, at sweet will may be kind enough to sanction my accrued incentives.

Perhaps, there has always been a simmer of sorts between the Management and the employees on this account– office attendance–leave and the targets. Mind you, mere office presence, between 9 to 5 does not get you to your targets, with present day complexities and the sordid hustle and bustle of life. So something, close to high octane energy, something different together with a meandering passion is required to achieve those never ending and ever accruing professional targets of life.

The stated 48 hours of office in a week is just about sufficient to prepare the springboard from where you could dive to pluck your target. But the tedious groundwork starts brewing the moment you get up from your bed; is when your soul starts mating full flow with the business targets. That then moves with you to every corner of your house that you go to, including your precious morning throne. Supposedly your most private moment, where not even your better half is allowed, but those business targets are.

And, beyond the breakfast table, or to any other morning ritual of yours, including your morning prayers, and prayers collectively in tandem with your colleagues for targets. Thus, building the spiritual bulwark for the organization.

The average travel time to office in big cities has increased to over an hour one way and during this time also, you are glued mostly to your business and organizational targets. Where, all you do is to think, plan and set up a daily bit-by-bit approach towards achieving those milestones moments. For in the mornings it is not a rare sight to see business executives waiting impatiently to speak to their clients while they may take any mode of conveyance, including personal cars and two-wheelers, crowded buses and metro rail or a suburban local. And your business pursuit doesn’t just get over when you leave office for most us carry it home whether you like it or not. And the buck doesn’t stop there, as post a Sunday afternoon siesta, when the Monday morning blues erupt in you, is when you open your laptop to prepare for the Monday morning review, cutting into your well deserved weekend. For, if the review goes well your week is made, else, you need to build your entire week all over again. So, what earlier was in the confines of 9 to 5 has spilled beyond the time warp. Some management’s who are abreast to this reality, are sailing through competently with tweaked systems and procedures-employee friendly, but some are still struggling, only to conceive the reality.

The intricacies and pressures of both sides could be better understood. Only, if the modern day employer more appropriately termed as ‘management’ had ever done a job and the ‘employee’ ever ran an enterprise. For both uselessly keep visualizing the other side of the grass is greener, when it is actually a bald zone.

The point of essence is; today’s employee is not a 9 to 5 guy but a 24 x7 guy. Who at times operates from the designated office, from the road, his personal car or even a two-wheeler, airport, railway station, jam packed bus or a bus stand, cab, crowded local suburban, metro rail and at some lucky moments from his residence; for you can’t exist anymore on a obsolete routine of a mere 9 to 5 show up. And in all of this your gadgets (Smart phones and laptops) have become your office.

*****

Title : Mahindra rise moment of Life

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BECOMING MARKET LEADER IN TAMILNADU
Posted by Kamlesh Tripathi with On 21-Aug 2014
Story Picture

‘MAHINDRA RISE MOMENT’ OF MY LIFE

BECOMING MARKET LEADER IN TAMILNADU

    In the year 1991 I was transferred from Jaipur to Chennai as Area Manager. It was a sector shift from Automotive to Farm Equipment. A cross country movement and an exposure to a new work culture. And I vividly remember, how a colleague of mine had even jokingly remarked at that time about my transfer from automobiles to tractors–‘So Kamlesh! now your ‘speed’ reduces but ‘torque’ increases.’ Quite connoting to the characteristics of an automobile and a tractor. But there was a bigger barrier beyond speed and torque. That was the local vernacular ‘Tamil language’ that was utter Greek to me. And my palate that was not akin to the local culinary in all frankness. So, I felt, overall, it was a dim and a losing proposition for me. I landed in Chennai draped in apprehensions. Not knowing fully the local ball game. Yet I was oozing with some valid convictions and arrived procedures as a springboard.

    As a territory, I had Tamilnadu (TN), Kerala and the Andamans. To sell and service, the rugged, Red Mahindra Tractor. Therefore, I needed to rub shoulders with TAFE the local giant. I was told we had an effective network of well laid out, ebullient, dealers and officers. The HO mandate was to become Market leader in two years. More pronounced and reminded often by M&M icon Mr Alan Durante, President and Head of Marketing, AD & FES then.

    If my memory serves me right. TN market was then on an upswing and hovering around 8k-10k tractors annually, between 1992 -1996. TAFE were market leaders, followed by us. But the gap was only widening. With great expectations I had landed in Chennai. When, I decided to do three simple things that I thought would help us achieve our goals:

1.     I took a whirlwind tour of all Dealerships. Basically to establish an effective interpersonal rapport with the owners and their employees that was required as a force multiplier, and even more because I hailed from the North. Bought an English to Tamil translation book to learn and remember some key words. Required for day to day business.

2.     Took a complete inventory of Dealer infrastructure- (hardware, software, systems and processes) from all our Dealerships and branches and did a similar exercise for competitors. To understand where we stood. And, that was an eye opener.

3.     Launched a local ground level tactics “To be the best in each activity.”  Such as paid up stock, availability of spare parts, Dealer finance, Manpower training, Showroom display, Field contact, Tractor workshop record, Vehicle downtimes, Dealer branches and service points for doorstep service.

    During my first year in Chennai. We did not get significant results. To establish ourselves as market leaders. But on realising our level of activities. TAFE too pulled up their socks and started with aggressive wholesale, in districts of Chengalpet, Madurai and Tirunelvelli. I still remember the stinkers I then used to get from Mr Alan for not becoming market leaders.

    But the crafty tempest of TAFE did not deter us, and we continued with our sincere efforts in programming and monitoring the market almost on a daily basis.

    And then on a particular month in F-93, if I remember correctly. We did become Market Leaders for that particular month beating TAFE in their own home ground. For a couple of months we played down this big achievement. To let any fluke pass over. But our efforts were beginning to manifest and soon we became market leaders in all 25, 35 and 45 HP categories.

    Soon Chennai office was also adjudged runners-up, winners and runners-up in financial year’s f-93, f-94 and f-95 in Area Office performance award.

        Today I realise. That was truly a ‘Mahindra rise moment’ for me.

By Kamlesh Tripathi

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By Kamlesh Tripathi

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ARTICLE: KILLING FOR FALSE HONOUR, BUT DYING FOR REAL LOVE

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Islamabad and Delhi are located around seven hundred km apart and are divided by an explosive and turbulent international border, with ever increasing aggressive efforts to keep each side sanitized from the overall influence of the other. Yet there appears to be a commonality of sorts that refuses to die. The madness of honour killing. The ethnicity of large parts of Pakistan and that of north India was never too different before independence and even now per se. But post independence India opened up, and moved on- though not whole hog. But Pakistan preferred to remain where it was, rather took some steps backwards.

index rr jjj ppp

Yalda Hakim, Afghanistan born correspondent and presenter of BBC World News, highlights. How in Pakistan women who dare to pursue relationships of their own choice are in danger of losing their lives. She says in her recently published article in TOI- “Dying for Love”

‘In a country fighting to preserve patriarchal and tribal traditions, Pakistan’s women can face brutality- and even death- if they fall in love with the wrong person.

Arifa 25, dared to stand up to her family, running away with the man she fell in love with and secretly marrying him. The following day in a busy street in Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city, her male family members surrounded the newlyweds and, at gunpoint, dragged Arifa away. After great difficulty her husband, Abdul Malik, managed to establish that she was alive and had been hidden somewhere. Fearing for his life, he has lived in hiding for three months. He says,

“In Pakistan, love is a big sin. Centuries have passed, the world has made so much progress- men have reached the heavens. But our men are still following age-old customs –which focus on denying women freedom.”

In May 2014, the case of the young pregnant woman Farzana Parveen shocked the world. She was stoned to death by her family for marrying the man she was in love with, rather than the man they had chosen for her. This happened outside Lahore high court, in front of the policemen and passersby.

In November, following worldwide media attention, Parveen’s father, brother, cousin and former fiancé were all found guilty of murder and given death sentence. But more often than not, those who commit these brutal acts against women are never charged, protected by tribal laws.

Last year alone, more than 1,000 women were murdered for so-called honour crimes. Some hard-line religious scholars believe that only through the killing of an offending family member-usually a woman-can honour be restored to the rest of the family and tribe. Few people in Pakistan nowadays are willing to challenge these tribal traditions and customs. In fact, according to a recent survey, an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis support the full implementation of Sharia law- Islam’s legal system.’

In 1979, General Zia-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s military dictator, introduced the so called Hudood Ordinance- a controversial set of laws that attempted to Islamise Pakistan. Among other things, it made adultery punishable by stoning and lashing. In 2006, the then President Pervez Musharraf tried to protect women, but the enforcement of his reforms has been limited and adultery remains a crime. Karachi’s central prison for women is where many of those accused of adultery end up.’

BUT IS NORTH INDIA ANY DIFFERENT THAN PAKISTAN IN TERMS OF HONOUR KILLINGS?

Yes only in terms of the scale which is less. While we can say what happens in Pakistan is barbaric, but then honour killings are often reported in the northern regions of India also, and mainly from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh as a result of marrying without their family’s acceptance and sometimes also for marrying outside their caste.

And in contrast honour killings are a rarity in South India and the western states of Maharastra and Gujarat. In some other parts of India, notably West Bengal, honour killings completely ceased about a century ago, largely due to activism and influence of reformists such as Vivekananda, Ramakrishna, Vidyasagar and Raja Ram Mohan Roy. Wish they had also spread their activism in North India.

REPORTS OF SOME SPECIFIC HONOUR KILLINGS IN NORTH INDIA

The Indian state of Punjab has a large number of honour killings. According to the data compiled by the Punjab Police, 34 honour killings were reported in the state between 2008 and 2010: 10 in 2008, 20 in 2009 and four in 2010’

Haryana is also notorious for incidents of honour killing, mainly in the upper caste of the society, among Rajputs and Jaats; considered literate. And, so can we say it has nothing to do with literacy levels?

Bhagalpur in the eastern state of Bihar has also been notorious for honour killings. Recent cases include a 16-year-old girl, Imrana, from Bhojpur who was set on fire inside her house in a case of what the police called ‘moral vigilantism.’ The victim had screamed for help for about 20 minutes before neighbours arrived, only to find her smouldering body. She was admitted to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries. In May 2008, Jayvirsingh Bhadodiya shot his daughter Vandana Bhadodiya and struck her on the head with an axe. In June some incidents were reported from Delhi.

In June 2012, a man chopped off his 20-year-old daughter’s head with a sword in Rajasthan after learning that she was dating men. According to police officer Omkar Singh, the accused told the court that his daughter Manju had relations with several men. He had asked her to mend her ways several times in the past. However, she did not pay heed. Out of pure rage, he chopped off her head with the sword.

A young couple who were planning to marry were brutally murdered in Garnauthi village, state of Haryana on 18 September 2013 because they were having a love affair. The woman, Nidhi, was beaten to death and the man, Dharmender, was dismembered alive. People in the village and neighbouring villages approved of the killings.

MEASURES AGAINST HONOUR KILLINGS

In 1990 the National Commission for Women set up a statutory body in order to address the issues of honor killings among some ethnic groups in North India. This body reviewed constitutional, legal, and other provisions as well as challenges women faced. The NCW’s activism has contributed significantly towards the reduction of honor killings in rural areas of North India. According to Pakistani activists Hina Jilani and Eman M. Ahmed, Indian women are considerably better protected against honor killings by Indian law and government than Pakistani women, and they have suggested that governments of countries affected by honor killings use Indian law as a model in order to prevent honor killings in their respective societies.

In a landmark judgement in March 2010, Karnal district court ordered the execution of five perpetrators of an honour killing in Kaithal, and imprisoning for life the khap (local caste-based council) chief who ordered the killings of Manoj Banwala (23) and Babli (19) a man and woman of the same clan who eloped and married in June 2007. Despite having been given police protection on court orders, they were kidnapped; their mutilated bodies were found a week later in an irrigation canal.

In June 2010, scrutinizing the increasing number of honor killings, the Supreme Court of India issued notices to the Central Government and six states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, to take preventive measures against honor killings.

Alarmed by the rise of honor killings, the Government planned to bring a bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament July 2010 to provide for deterrent punishment for ‘honor’ killings.

In recent times, the Khap system has attracted criticism from groups, citing the stark prejudice that such groups allegedly hold against others. Women’s Organisation AIDWA has made allegations, in some cases where the Khaps are alleged to have initiated threats of murder and violence to couples who marry outside of the circle.

Supreme Court has declared these ‘Khap panchayats’ as illegal, which often decree or encourage honour killings or other institutionalised atrocities against boys and girls of different castes and religions who wish to get married or have married.

So honour killing is utterly illegal and has to be ruthlessly stamped out. There is no honour in these killings and atrocities. In fact, it is nothing else but barbaric and shameful. Brutal atrocities committed by feudal-minded persons deserve very harsh punishments. And only by acting against it can we stamp out this atrocious feudal mentality. The other thing that needs to be crushed along with it are the Kangaroo courts that are mushrooming all over.

But in all of this the most scathing has been the behavior of some political parties both in Pakistan and India who in the interest of votes have never taken a bulldozing approach either jointly or severally towards all such individuals and self styled institutions who promote honour killings.

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Article: #SwachhBharatAbhiyan (SBA) – Include existing Public Toilets in SBA

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done well by wielding the broom to clean a road and its surroundings, thereby, burnishing the lost grandeur of ‘dignity of labour.’ He has also formed a formidable team of star citizens, who have given impetus to the campaign launched in around 4041 statutory towns. Where in you find cine stars, sports persons, social activists, industrialists, professionals and even politicians, psyched out. Icons like Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Ambani, Kamal Hassan, Sachin Tendulkar, Shashi Tharoor and many other distinguished personalities have graced the campaign, by lending both, social and glamour weight.

So with all of this, the speed and velocity of the campaign looks set to deliver the goods. However, the priorities within this need to be tweaked, mainly to prioritize the initial tranches. Where, I have some pointed and granular suggestions to make, that oozes right out of my firsthand experience. Create as many Public toilets as possible, in the shortest possible time and also include the existing ones in the campaign. Perhaps, this suggestion of mine may give the whole campaign a better fillip in converting the movement into a mass movement with the least of resistance. Arising, more out of the immediate necessity of the deprived public, in this case the general public; because of the limited, shabby and poor infrastructure that throws the spanner in the development of India.

For it was just, yesterday when I was driving down the crowded market area on Hill Road in Bandra, is when I felt like relieving myself. I stopped the car, got off and started looking for a public urinal. Keeping strictly in mind the Prime Minister’s message of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan, and trying to observe it to my heart’s content.

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I must have spent about half-an-hour in the crowded market area, in which time I must have covered more than a kilometer but I still could not find a public toilet. Is when I saw the logo of a petrol pump to my heart’s delight, as we all know have toilets. ‘Wow- what a relief’ I said to myself. And this got me thinking.

If this is the condition of Mumbai, one of the biggest metropolis of India what about other cities? With a burgeoning population, Mumbai has a deficit of at least 47,000 toilet seats, and the cost of constructing one toilet is INR 150,000, say authorities, so we can imagine the cost involved. This shortage in 2001 was a whooping 125,000 toilet seats when the Brihan Mumbai Muncipal Corporation (BMC) had conducted its first survey on the sanitation needs for the country’s commercial population. Going by 2001 figures, the ratio of toilets versus population comes to a whopping 1: 50 or 3,000 people using it daily in Mumbai.

MUST COMPLIMENT THE OIL COMPANIES

After relieving myself, I sincerely blessed the oil companies that thought of customer convenience, by having toilets in all their retail outlets which Indian Railways couldn’t provide in all platforms. Further, I thought this is a big opportunity to include these readily available toilets, as part of the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan as pay and use toilets to catapult the campaign exponentially.

Today, India has about 45,000 filling stations more than Canada or UK as of March 2012, and most are with the facility of a toilet. If these toilets are made to join the SBA on a pay and use basis we can have a sudden flurry of toilets and that will certainly help the SBA.

For the Government to make public toilets, every 1-2 km, in crowded market areas along the road side may be a gigantic and close to a non doable task, so here is the way forward. Today, the immediate pressing need for the Public at large is a convenient network of clean toilets spaced around close proximity and concomitant is the wielding of broom to keep it clean. While it may be possible to construct new toilets on highways and open roads but may be extremely difficult in the already cramped and crowded market areas and this is where these toilets can come in handy

CAMPAIGNS CAN CHANGE REALITIES

Even though Government of India has transcribed incentives for building public toilets. All is not achieved merely by announcing incentives on paper alone, as it requires mindsets to change–that running a public toilet too, is a respectable venture; something like Sulabh Shauchalaya.

And so, India needs a renewed and intense campaign to promote public toilets as a doable business by respectable Individuals, Unemployed Youth, Business Houses, Societies, Builders, NGOs, SMEs, Hospitality Industry and under Corporate Social Responsibility.

Government should promote people having genuine intent of doing this noble task, and who have spare Land on which Private – Public Toilets could be constructed, or even existing toilets that could be utilized at prime and vantage locations as pay and use toilets.

The building bylaws should be tweaked to incentivise for mass proliferation of such public toilets and also sops in the form of rebate in property tax or any other, are a few boons that should be considered by the Government, if possible.

Running public toilets could be ticked at par with running hospitals as both reduce human suffering. Modi Government could further do well in bringing about this social change. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in fact has orated in one of his speeches abroad that he is currently busy in construction of Public toilets.

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Article: YOURS, MINE BUT NOT INDIA’S- FESTIVALS

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KAMLESH TRIPATHI

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Yesterday, on the eve of Christmas I was told our office is not closed. As majority are non Christians who don’t celebrate Christmas. So we need to work on Christmas. A similar thing happened on Eid where again our office remained open. And, on both the days, I left in the morning only to return in the evening. Barely squeezing in time for a few text messages of ‘good wishes’ on the occasion to my Christian and Muslim friends, leave aside celebrating with them. I found this approach of certain establishment’s quite non-secular. But I was even more surprised when none of the so called secular parties of India came forward to address this non-secular issue. And, contrary to this on Holi and Diwali, the two major Hindu festivals, when our office remained closed no Christian or Muslim could come to work even if he wanted to. And with the same hypothesis this too was non-secular.

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India should celebrate and grieve together. Unless we reach out to minorities in their thick and thin, and the minorities reach us in the breath, a sound weaving of minds will never happen, as everyone will celebrate their festivals only as a community and we won’t have too many national festivals.

After all; all our Gods reside in this very country and they all have Indian passports; and it is only for some non-secular establishments to realize this vintage fact.

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ARTICLE- MIND THE BRAND IMAGE OF YOUR SURNAME

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Oxford dictionary defines the word ‘surname’ as a ‘hereditary name common to all members of a family.’ And in India many families can have the same surname, provided it comes down their lineage and is acceptable to them. In other words surnames are just family, caste or even trade and trait names. But certain towering personalities take their surnames to unimaginable heights and some bring it down. But bringing it down is only okay till it doesn’t start affecting the generic surname in an adverse manner.

Let us start with the father of the nation’s surname- Gandhi. I would call it one of the tallest surnames of the world. Today, Gandhi is almost a synonym for non-violence, freedom struggle and nobility. Many Gandhis may have come and gone thereafter, but this one Gandhi, the father of the nation has stood the ground; thereby raising the brand image of this surname.

Today, some contemporary and tall Gandhis, appear in certain ways, to be in ethereal sync with the father of the nation’s surname, even if they are not up there. Just as Indra and Rajiv Gandhi became the Prime Minister of India, Sonia Gandhi the Congress President and Chairperson of the UPA and Rahul Gandhi Vice President of the Congress Party. And, so the overall brand image of surname ‘Gandhi’ deceptively conveys, as if all Gandhis are a towering personality by default. And in some way or the other guiding India, and could even be dynastical. Surname ‘Nehru’ too had a strong brand image but never got the critical mass to surge ahead, I guess.

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It is typical of India, certain surnames always zoom you to certain professions, traits and banners. Just as the Khans, the three top stars of India; remind you of acting under the Bollywood banner- the famous trio of Shahrukh, Salman and Amir. But then one Khan could be known as a trouble maker that pulls down the brand image of other Khans. And, the Kapoors, who too remind you of the erstwhile number one family of Bollywood; Prithviraj and Raj Kapoor. And this is how certain brand images of certain surnames have been built.

And, then the Ambanis sounding generic to business; reminds you of Dhirubhai Ambani and his sons Mukesh and Anil now running the biggest business empire of the country. While we come to sports, Tendulkar, Gavaskar and Amarnath brothers connect you to cricket in the manner Amritraj brothers connected you to lawn tennis to name a few sportsmen.

And, I can’t move ahead unless I talk about one of India’s most famous surnames ‘Singh.’ It signifies the ruling class of India. Even the Sikhs as a community wear this famous surname. Many Rajas and erstwhile rulers have used this surname Singh and have given it a high brand image. Lord Rama too was from this clan. Some famous Singhs of India are Dr Karan Singh, Giani Zail Singh and Dr Manmohan Singh who unfortunately got reworded to Maunmohan Singh. But, then, where do we place the famous Yadav Singh involved in this huge scam in Noida.

Then you have one of the oldest and strongest surnames in the name and style of ‘Yadav.’ It originates from Lord Krishna, a Yaduvanshi and therefore considered holy. But then how does it battle the whining cry of criminals such as Pappu Yadav, Lalu Yadav and the more recent ones Shiv Kumar Yadav involved in rape crime. And the lackluster Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav who need to do much more in the stream of governance. Probably boxer Vikas Yadav and psephologist-cum-politician Yogendra Yadav bring some reprieve.

‘Modi’ was never a strong surname brand in India. But there again one towering personality like Narendra Modi has made the surname ‘Modi’ as an international brand now having being picked as number two out of thirty most performing of the world leaders.