MAKE A TELLING CONTRIBUTION.........

Friends, fellows and fellow Hyderabadis, the juvenile justice board and the government has let us down once again as it it's wont; the juvenile justice board by declaring the sixth and most brutal assailant in the Nirbhaya rape case a juvenile based on a school leaving certificate that is not even worth the paper it was documented on.........


And the government in it's infinite wisdom by drafting and presenting before parliament and the a nation as a whole a watered down toothless and utterly spineless version of the much awaited Lokpal Bill that was supposed to provide a lasting solution to the monster of corruption that has become the bug bear of our daily existence.......

The government version of the Lokpal Bill is nothing more than cruel joke perpetrated on a seemingly unsuspecting populace by a bunch of no gooders who have appropriated unto themselves the mantle of being our lords and masters rather than our servants as envisaged by the constitution of our glorious land......

Fellow Hyderabadis and all well meaning Indians we need to take a decision once and for all regarding the fact whether or not we are comfortable with another authority that will only legitimise the scourge of corruption and accord it official sanction or then need and desire an authority who will help us in getting rid of this afore mentioned scourge in an effective and telling manner.......

Do come forward, take a stand and make your voice resonate loud on clear on the afore mentioned two contentious issues and other such issues that you want the authorities to do something about and initiate immediate action upon.......

Hyderabad for Change' is one such community platform that accords you with the golden opportunity of letting your voice resonate and ring loud and clear, so stop being just another nameless and voiceless face in the crowd and step out and carve out your own distinct identity......

The administrators of the Hyderabad for Change' initiative on their part will collate, collect, codify and edit all such opinions, demands and plaintive cries for justice in the form of a citizens' charter that will be presented to both the chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh as well as the union home secretary for due acknowledgement and further action.......

So be a part of history in the making and tellingly contribute towards giving our future generations a nation that they will be immensely proud of nurture, respect and cherish, so do shed the procrastination, sense of lethargy, self pity and do something about being the change that you want to see on the ground.............

RECONSIDER YOUR ILLOGICAL DECISION........

Will the Juvenile Justice Board now reconsider it's highly contentious decision about declaring the sixth and most brutal offender in the Nirbhaya rape case a juvenile and let the law take it's own course and deal with him accordingly now that the bottom has fallen out of it's "juvenile" decision in this regard.........


The so called juvenile's mother blew the lid off the juvenile justice board's irrational and childish decision by declaring that she herself was unsure of the fact that he was seventeen and a half or eighteen or even older than that as there was no birth certificate or any other such supporting document issued at the time of his birth that could authenticate the date mentioned on his school certificate.........

"Humein din taarikh ka pato nahin hai", the so called juvenile mother's candidly admitted to a leading English daily in Khari Boali a dialect spoken in these parts of Western Uttar Pradesh; she went on to add that she just took the so called juvenile to the village school and presented him before the school teacher saying that here is my boy who is now five years of age so kindly enrol him in the school........

"The school authorities simply admitted him to the school and started teaching him after that", "only the people living in cities or bade shehars bother about details like birth certificates and such others, we village dwellers are largely illiterate and such documents or procedures are therefore meaningless to us she signs off".........

To compound matters or confound the already prevailing confusion regarding the accused number 6's age, no one- neither the school authorities, neighbours or any other resident of the village can come forward and authenticate or verify his date of birth with a modicum of surety and certainty...........

Now that the veracity of the school certificate itself is being questioned one wonders whether the all important Juvenile Justice Board will rescind it's decision and agree to the victim being subjected to a bone ossification test as that may prove to be a more certain or scientific way of determining his age rather than a certificate that blindly recorded the approximate date of birth submitted by parents who themselves have no clue regarding the same........

While one does agree with the fact that a bone ossification test is an approximation at best and has an error factor of plus or minus two years, the same will at least throw up a range of say between eighteen and twenty and therefore give the board, trial court and nation as a whole a fairer idea about the supposed juveniles true age.........

The only fact that is certain is that the sixth accused had been admitted to the government primary school in Budaun some time in and around July 2002 going on to attend the school for a one and a half year period before mysteriously dropping out, in his support, the school's headmaster goes on to say, "we asked the boy's father when the child was born and the answer forthcoming was six or seven years ago"........

Therefore, the school head master in his infinite wisdom then decided upon the sixth accused's approximate date of birth on his own and put down the date of June 4, 1995 on the certificate thereby making accused number 6 precisely 17 years 6 months and 12 days old at the time of the horrific incident on December 16, 2012.........

The only fact that one is now interested in is whether or not the juvenile justice board will rescind it's illogical, hasty and ill conceived decision as the sham document on which this decision was based has been blown to smithereens and proved to be nothing more than apiece of paper who's very authenticity and antecedents are in doubt.........

Will the seemingly "juvenile" board come to it's senses at long last and let the sixth accused face the music and pay for his horrendous sin or then continue to be bull headed and maintain it's stance about it being the final arbiter in the matter????over to the juvenile justice board for more on this highly controversial issue.......

STATUS OF INDIAN WOMEN.......

The mood of the Indian woman is angry and it is clear why it is so. Despite the plethora of words, millions of tears and lakhs of slogans commemorating or marking a turning point in our modern history, more than half of the urban Indian male populace still continues to cling on to the age old and redundant opinion of women not stepping out of their homes and hearths after dark.........


An overwhelming majority of such men display a marked propensity for self praise and flattery and prefer to call themselves "brutal realists". But, are these very same men brutal realists or just passive status quoists who have a vested interest in denying the Indian woman her due right to step out wherever and whenever she likes at a time of her choosing and the oft touted argument about the outdoor climes being anything but safe for women is just another myth conveniently propagated by men to side step their responsibility towards providing safety, security and succour to women.......

A nation wide survey conducted by India Today magazine a little over a fortnight ago threw up the following or below mentioned statistics and only serve to fortify the overwhelming sense of freedom from the chains and shackles imposed by a patriarchal and regressive society on it's fairer sex:.......

* an overwhelming majority of 87% of all the women polled said a resounding yes to the death penalty being made mandatory for all first time as well as serial rapists, only 10% of all the women respondents said a no to the death sentence.......

* 40% of all the women polled gave a thumbs down to the Delhi government's response to the anti rape protests in the capital and termed it "BAD", 30% of the women polled felt that the response of the government of the day was unduly "HARSH", while a measly 23% of all respondents polled opined that the response of the concerned government was "APPROPRIATE".........

* 38% percent of the women polled felt safe and secure while venturing out on their own at any time of the day or night, while 54% of the women who responded to the questions put to them by the pollsters expressed a sense of apprehension and danger to life and limb while stepping out of their houses........

* 56% of all the women polled were of the opinion that the male politician was less than conducive towards the needs and aspirations of the Indian women and totally insensitive to their plight, while 32% of the women respondents disagreed with the majority of women and felt that the male politician was sensitive towards the plight of the fairer sex.......

* 52% of all the male respondents polled expressed the rather sexist opinion about women not being allowed to step out of their homes and hearths after dark while 44% of the male respondents surprisingly felt that their female counterparts should indeed have the right to step out of their homes after dark........

This "mood of the nation" poll was carried out across 19 states and questions and rejoinders were posed to 12,823 respondents who happen to be/were also eligible voters. The comprehensive survey covered all age groups , gender and the rural-urban divide from 102 parliamentary constituencies and 2 assembly constituencies within the parliamentary constituencies. House to house, door to door and face-to-face interviews were carried out........

Cold statistics and nameless figures may only serve to highlight the sense of angst and forlorness prevalent amongst the Indian women, but the true test of our social progress will lie in the manner in which the trials are conducted in the 23,000 odd thousand rape cases that make an appearance before various Indian courts........

Speedy and time bound trials, sure and timely justice and a sympathetic and congenial court atmosphere is what the battered and hapless Indian woman is looking for, will this meagre hope and expectation continue to be a pipe dream or then become a concrete reality within the near future, well the answer could provide the real measure of the status of women within this patriarchal, regressive and oppressive society.........

POINTS TO RUMINATE OVER..........

Here are a few point to ponder for all those bleeding hearts who have been crying themselves hoarse about the blood thirsty attitude of the common Indian who has been demanding an amendment in the laws governing crimes committed by juveniles and the crying need for making an example out of the sixth and most brutal rapist who has been termed a minor by the juvenile justice board.........


* Firstly, any and every system of dispensing law has three sides or dimensions to it: the retributive, the reformative and the deterrent; and all three dimensions or sides need to work with each other in complete harmony, now you as is your wont conveniently seem to be missing the wood for the trees and only looking at the reformative aspect of the law while completely bypassing the other two, please tell me how is this lopsided view of an extremely volatile situation going to help the situation and assuage tempers and passions that are already at a fever pitch......

* Secondly, the premise on which this most brutal rapist and assaulter has been branded a juvenile is tenuous at best, the principal of the school in Budaun where this serial offender was a student till class six is on record saying that he simply went by the date tendered by the alleged juvenile's father and duly recorded the same on his school certificate in the absence of either a birth certificate or any other supporting document.........

* Thirdly, this so called juvenile is not committing an offence or crime for the first time, various petty crimes ranging from theft to small robberies have been registered against him on more than one occasion, he is alleged to have not only committed a robbery but also assaulted the hapless man who was robbed just before he and his accomplices committed the heinous crime that shook the very conscience of this great nation, and you still continue with the same plaintive cry of giving him a chance to reform and restore himself even when crime has become his chosen avocation and way of life.........

* Fourthly, this person (if one can call him that) left his village home at the tender age of eleven on his own accord and has never looked back ever since, in fact, his family members came to know of his whereabouts when they saw his visage splashed across the front pages of various newspapers and television screens, his father is mentally unsound and his mother has to not only fend for herself and her husband but is also saddled with the arduous responsibility of providing for his five siblings; the mother is on record saying that she does not want her prodigal son back as his return would only make their already meagre existence that much more tenable with the threat of social ostracisation and banishment from the village looming large over the horizon.......

* Fifthly, you seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill as is your wont, the so called mob that is seemingly baying for his blood does not want toe either publicly execute or lynch him, the point that these well meaning people are making is that this rapist should not be allowed to get away lightly considering the severity and dastardliness of the crime, he should be made to pay in full for the atrocities committed by him so that his plight could act as a deterrent for somebody with the same intent.........

* Sixthly, will Messrs Ananth Narayan, Malavika Rajkotia, Nina Nayak and a host of others who have been crying wolf at the merest hint of amending this contentious law as it stands give a written guarantee to the concerned court about his subsequent behaviour once he is unleashed on the Indian populace come early June, let them give a written undertaking to both the concerned court as well as Indian nation as a whole about the conduct and behaviour about this particular individual and also establish the fact that they will be responsible for his behaviour for the next decade and more......

* Seventhly, the UN charter that is being touted or quoted ad nauseum by these self styled champions of juvenile rights never mentions the age of majority to be eighteen, the Beijing charter and other such documents on which this now contentious convention is based is conspicuously silent on the age of majority as conclusively proved by lawyers of the eminence of Subramaniam Swamy and Aryaman Sundaram.......

* Eightly, one fails to understand the very premise of the arguments being put forth by these bleeding hearts who are all extremely worried about the rights of a violent criminal and rapist who is yet to show the faintest semblance of remorse, whatever happened to the rights of the victim who met her waterloo at the hands of this motley crew of monsters masquerading as human beings.........

* Ninthly, the testimonies/dying declaration of the victim, her male friend or companion and five co-accused have more than conclusively established the fact that this supposed juvenile was the most brutal and barbaric of the lot, he was neither inebriated nor under the influence of any drug or any other psychotropic substance, yet you want to let him get away scot free despite the dastardliness and brutality of the crimes perpetrated on him on the twenty three year old brave heart; I for one fail to understand this convoluted logic.......

* Tenthly, the capital's Tihar Jail has been widely recognised as a centre of excellence as regards it's reformative facilities and the efficacy of the same, so then why don't we send this rapist there for a period of ten years at the very least and duly accord him the opportunity of atoning and paying the price for the barbaric crime that he committed against humanity as a whole........

* Eleventhly, the Indian Penal Code as we have come to know it decries that anybody and everybody over and above the age of twelve years of age can be tried as an adult if the concerned court finds him inherently capable of possessing the mental and emotional capacity of understanding the enormity and consequences of the crime/s committed by the person in question, so why should an exception be made in the case of this monster who is physically, intellectually and emotionally mature enough to carry out this dastardly crime, yet is being allowed to get away scot free on a mere technicality concerning his age at the time of having committed the crime; wither justice and humanity as a whole......

While, I for one am staunchly opposed to the death penalty as a matter of principle and firmly believe that the same should only be accorded to those beyond redemption, I am equally alarmed by the rising figures of crimes being committed by juveniles and the fact that fifteen year old's have begun raping and disposing of their victims with increasing impunity and scant regard for the law; the message needs to go out loud and clear that the Indian nation as a whole is no longer willing to put up with such dastardly crimes against humanity, so once and for all let's begin the process by making an example out of this monster who has committed grievous crimes against humanity as a whole in general and women in particular, let's incarcerate him in Tihar jail for the next decade at least as that is where he well and truly belongs..........

TUESDAY TIDINGS!!!!!!!!

Do pardon me if I sound kind of sarcastic and embittered but the juvenile justice board's decision in the case of the sixth and most brutal rapist has indeed made me a cynic and my over ruling emotion is just to chuck it all and publicly execute these six rapists who all but killed humanity as we have come to know it on that fateful night of December 16,2012.........

a few of our authors and commentators never cease to wax eloquent about India's evolving society and our enhanced status amongst the hierarchy or pecking order of nations, do these very same authors wear blinkers or then live in a cocoon of their own??? the ugly reality is that we are a nation of sexists where the woman is looked upon as nothing more than an object of sexual gratification and an outlet for her supposed lord and masters lust and sexual pleasure.......

terrorism as I have come to know it does not have either a religious or colour based identity; then why are these orchestrated protests being carried out against Kamal Haasan's labour of love "Vishwaroopam"??? the director has merely stated a few unpleasant facts that stare us in the face every single day of our lives without pulling his punches in the bargain; if extra constitutional authorities are going to henceforth determine the fate of every creative enterprise then let's do away with the Censor Board and legitimise these self styled protectors of the law and people's sentiments....

whatever happened to our "inclusive" spirit and "all encompassing" world view???? one wonders why we are well on our way to becoming a narrow bigoted society that is hell bent upon literally lynching everybody with a contrarian point of view.........

hope the rain turns into a veritable deluge and thus cools down inflamed passions arising out of the Telangana as well as Vishwaroopam related issues........

Miracles will never cease; it's just begun to rain in good old Begumpet raising expectations of a serene, pleasant and rain soaked evening........

Really angered and dismayed by the juvenile justice board's hasty and ill conceived decision, when will we ever learn that the victim's rights always need to take precedence over those of the assailants or perpetrators........

WILL SHE EVER GET JUSTICE???

Well, the juvenile justice board in all it's infinite wisdom all but dealt a death blow to the clamour for justice for the 23 year old brave heart who lost her valiant battle for life after a brutal assault on her by six monster reincarnates.


The juvenile justice board accepted the school certificate submitted by the authorities of the school in Budaon that the sixth and most brutal attended till class 6 in his village that certifies him to be 17 years 6 months and 11 days old at the time of the heinous crime being committed and also summarily rejected the application for a bone ossification test put up before it by the Delhi police.

What this simply means in layman's terms is that Nirbhaya's most brutal assailant who not only perpetrated the most inhuman crimes against her but also goaded his fellow assailants into following in his wake will walk away relatively scot free after a mandatory three year incarceration in a correctional facility and will therefore spend no time in jail whatsoever.

Child right proponents and human right activists have welcomed this judgement and have said on record that this extremely violent human being can be reformed through a tried and tested process of care and counselling before being unleashed on the Indian society at large.

Which brings us back to the moot point whether the concerned judge should go by the spirit or the letter of the law which implicitly states the fact that anybody under the age of 18 is a minor and therefore cannot be tried under the laws applicable to adults or then base his ruling on the premise that the assailant or culprit is mature enough to carry out/perpetrate this heinous crime on an unsuspecting victim and the punishment in that case should be commensurate with the gravity of the offence committed.

Yes, India does swear by a United Nations statute that classifies anybody below the age of 18 as a minor, but the very same statute also rates rape as the most brutal and inhuman crime that can be carried out against somebody. The United Kingdom and United States of America also conform to the very same statute but also accord their judges the flexibility and elbow room to try persons between the ages of 16 and 18 as adults and try them under the same sections of the law depending upon the heinousness and brutality of the crimes committed by them.

A little over 33,300 crimes were committed by minors in India during the years 2011-2012 as per the figures put out by the very same juvenile authorities and around 27% of all the crimes committed by juveniles fell into the serious or heinous category of rape and murder; while this may pale in comparison to the approximately 1.2 million such crimes carried out by juveniles in the US of A during the same period, this lopsided argument cannot tide over the mitigating circumstances.

Why don't the laws of our country accord our judges the very same flexibility to try the accused/assailants according to the laws pertaining to adults based on the severity/ heinousness or barbarity of the crime committed and will not letting the most brutal assailant get away scot free rob the deceased victim of the very same rights guaranteed to her under the Indian system.

Laws should always be in tune with the changing times and all punishment should be based on the mitigating circumstances of the crime committed, the efficacy and effectiveness of the laws and their deterrent effect will be dealt a body blow every time an adverse judgement is passed based on the letter and not spirit of the law.

One is sorry to sound a little cynical and harsh, but one cannot help feeling that this judgement meted out by the juvenile justice board will only prove to be a shot in the arm for such latent or wannabe criminals who will become even more emboldened now and carry out such brutal assaults with growing impunity.

As for dyed in wool human and child right activists who cry themselves hoarse about the appalling and seemingly inhuman conditions prevailing within juvenile homes and correctional facilities, I would like to ask them why they haven't being devoting their concerted energies towards improving the standards of these very same homes instead of crying wolf whenever the opportunity arises.

The prosecution has all but made up it's mind about appealing against the judgement of the juvenile justice before the High court; will the 23 year old brave heart's ravaged soul get the much desired justice from the High Court at least, well that is the million dollar or then should one say rupee question.

DEBATES, DISCUSSIONS AND STREET PLAYS.......

Continuing with it's avowed commitment to be the change that we all want to see on the ground, Hyderabad for Change' envisages to start a slew of programmes and events like day long seminars, street plays, debates, discussions, forums, panel discussions with specialists in various disciplines and so on and so forth all devoted to the burning issue/cause of the safety and security of the Indian woman........


This multi pronged approach will get off the ground in a humble manner with a series of debates and discussions slated to be held in various autonomous colleges over the next month or so and such other educational institutions where the students themselves will propose, carry and take the topic under discussion to it's logical conclusion, the steering committee of the Hyderabad for Change' initiative will only play the role of facilitators and initial talks with the principals of three colleges have already been initiated........

The steering/committee/managing committee of the Hyderabad for Change' initiative would also like to take this opportunity of inviting amateur theatre groups on board; these theatre groups can come on board and make the requisite arrangements needed to stage ten to minute long skits or short plays on any women's related issue that catches their fancy; while it may not be able to pay these groups huge sums of money as the initiative has no financial backing whatsoever as of now, we promise that these groups will be wined and dined to the best of our ability........

Well meaning professionals in various disciplines like behavioural sciences, laws pertaining specifically to crimes against women, safeguards for a woman within both her workplace and home environment, constitutional guarantees provided to women and such other related subjects are more than welcome to come on board and express their interest in making such presentations in an interesting, informative and user friendly format in the shortest time frame possible so that the venue and timings of such impromptu dialogue sessions could be scheduled in the near future........

People with a sensible, pragmatic as well as seemingly unique and original points of view on women related issues may condescend to post the same forthwith on the Hyderabad for Change' community page on facebook, all such posts will be carried with their own bylines and duly acknowledged by a member/members of the steering committee.........

Friends, fellows and fellow Hyderabadis, the struggle to guarantee the Indian woman her rightful place under the sun and existing patriarchal social structure will be anything but a walk in the park, the same is bound to be long drawn, arduous, thankless, seemingly fruitless, totally thankless and is definitely bound to ruffle more than a few feathers in the bargain.........

The latent fear of unpleasant consequences is however not going to deter us from waging this titanic struggle and beginning the process of making a difference where it is most required, so do shed your inhibitions, reluctance and reticence, come forward, step on board and be an integral part of history in the making.........

Our government, bureaucracy, armed forces, men in khakhi and other such forces with vested interests have already begun discrediting this movement and safeguarding their very own narrow and selfish interests, while male chauvinists and supremacists have even more stridently voicing their now common refrain about amendments to the laws pertaining to women's safety and security related issues being misused to their disadvantage........

Let's defend this unholy nexus and put them in their rightful place once and for all, do come forward and do your bit as all of us do owe a debt to our mothers, sisters and other womenfolk who are the solitary reason for our being around in the first place.......

EMPOWERING WOMEN!!!!!!

Here's a really close look at the recommendations made by the Justice J.S. Verma committee/commission/panel on the burning issue of the empowerment of women:


The ten new rights as envisaged by the Verma committee for sexual offence victims are as under;

} Right against marital rape even if the wife is above fifteen years of age. Marital rape as of this moment is only punishable when the same is committed against an underage wife below fifteen years of age. The Verma committee in it's infinite wisdom has recommended the following caveat or amendment: "Consent will not be presumed as taken or given in the event of existing marital relationship between the victim and the accused.

} Right of private defence to the extent of killing the alleged assailant in case of a real or existing threat to the life and limb of the woman in question and the same holds good even in the case of an acid attack. This is in addition to the already existing right to kill somebody who attacks a woman with the intention of either raping her or then vicariously gratifying his unnatural or immoral lust.

} Right against voyeurism: Wherein the victim can seek the prosecution of any person who without her consent or assent secretly watches her engage or indulge in a private act where her genitalia, breasts and buttocks are in view, or then covered by her inner or under wear, or if she is watched in the act of relieving herself in a lavatory or then in the act of a sexual nature that is not necessarily performed within the public domain. An offender who is convicted under this proposed legislation may be punished for a period of three years in case of his first transgression or offence and for a period of seven years for a repeat or serial offence of the very same nature.

} Right against Stalking: The victim shall now enjoy/have the right to report anybody who follows/stalks or comes into contact with her despite an unambiguous expression of disinterest on her part. Such an offender may be incarcerated behind bars or then ensconed in a jail for a minimum period of one year and a maximum of three.

} The victim in question shall henceforth enjoy the right to call or term the assault on her as a rape even if she does not offer any kind of active or passive resistance to the act of penetration or violation. This lack of resistance on the part on the victim cannot be construed as consent on her part as there might be other reasons for her pronounced inability to offer any kind of resistance and the same shall be made even more succinct or specific in a clarification sought to be introduced in the provisions pertaining to the heinous crime of Rape.

} Right to term or call the assault or violation as a rape even if there was no penile-vaginal penetration. A wide spectrum of sexual acts involving the penetration of the vagina, anus or urethra to any extent by either a body part of the accused's body or any other object manipulated or controlled by him shall now be brought/covered under the purview of the widening definition of rape.

} Right to maintain a studied/stoic or complete silence on all queries/questions pertaining to her character, or then her previous sexual experiences or dalliances with any person or persons. Evidence related to either of these personal issues shall henceforth deemed to be irrelevant to determining the defence of consent in the entire gamut or spectrum of rape, molestation or sexual harassment cases.

} The victim shall henceforth also enjoy the right to seek prosecution of the the police officer who refuses to register an First Information Report (FIR) on a complaint of rape, molestation or sexual harassment (eve teasing). The errant officer shall be liable for a prison term that could range to a maximum of five years imprisonment.

} The right to exempt herself from seeking the concerned government's permission, sanction or consent to seek the prosecution of a member of the armed forces who has committed a sexual offence against/upon her in disturbed areas covered under the purview of the contentious and controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). This amendment has been introduced keeping in view the fact that the consent of the government had to be sought before registering any such complaint against a member of the armed forces.

} The express right to invoke the principle of chain of command responsibility under which senior officers of both the police force as well as armed forces shall henceforth deemed to be responsible for the conduct of their subordinates and held responsible for the sexual offences committed by and improper or inappropriate conduct of their juniors.

Well, the Verma committee or commission has certainly done the job that was envisaged and a lot more besides as the recommendations made by it have not only empowered women but also brought about a sea change in the way in which rape as well as other sexual offences against women have been viewed thus far.

The rumblings of discontent have already begun with senior army and police officers scoffing at the recommendations pertaining to the chain of command and the law minister terming the implementation or incorporation of the recommendations made in relation the contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act a near impossible thing.

The onus of ensuring that the recommendations of this visionary committee indeed see the light of the day and bear fruition lie with the teeming millions of women and other well meaning gents who are equally committed to the noble cause of making this country a safe and secure place for it's womenfolk.

Eternal vigilance, relentless pressure and the thwarting of any attempt made to circumvent, dilute or then bury the revolutionary recommendations made by this committee is the crying need of the hour. Will the common man as well as woman exert this much desired relentless pressure or will they let yet another opportunity of making themselves both seen, heard as well as be counted slip out of their grasp. Well, that's the million rupee question.

MONOSYLLABIC ANSWERS AND GOLDEN SILENCES......

SCTV takes immense pride in bringing you an exclusive interview with Shri Manmohan Singh the honourable prime minister of India on the eve of the country's sixty fourth Republic day in the backdrop of the Justice J.S. Verma committee report and tragic death of the 23 year old brave heart some time back.........




# What are your first impressions on the contents of the Justice J.S. Verma committee report and it's far reaching recommendations?

* I am yet to read the report and have asked the home as well as law minister to answer this question.



# What are your views on the police brutality perpetrated on the peaceful protesters who had assembled in their thousands demanding justice and timely action against Nirbhaya's assailants?

* See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.



# In hindsight do you feel that you should have addressed the nation on this issue a lot sooner than you ultimately did?

* What to do, I did certainly want to address the nation a lot sooner, but my high command took that long to accord me the permission to speak on the issue for two and a half minutes.



# What are your views on the Verma committee's recommendations pertaining to the disqualification of MP's and MLA's charge sheeted for various sexual offences?

* Silence is golden.



# Do you think that the Verma committee is justified in demanding the revamping of the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act)?

# The defence and home ministers will study these proposals in detail and respond at an appropriate time.



# The Verma Committee has lambasted both the police force and the government as well as other powers that be for their apathy and indifference towards the plight of the common man. Your views on the same?

* Meri chhupi hi mera jawaab hain.



# Will the recommendations of the Verma committee be acted upon in a time bound expeditious and judicious manner?

* We are yet to initiate internal deliberations on the recommendations made by the very same committee, requisite responses shall be framed after extensive and exhaustive deliberations.



The news anchor is almost at the end of his tether and is going ape at the monosyllabic answers forthcoming from his excellency the prime minister of India to all his queries, he however makes a renewed effort towards getting the prime minister to shed his reserve and reticence........



# So what message will you will be sending out to the nation on the occasion of it's 64th Republic day?

* Message what Message? I simply parrot the speech that my high command (read Ms. Sonia and Rahul Gandhi) clear.



The news anchor has literally gone around the bend by now and winds up the interview with the most ineffectual, pliable and subservient prime minister in independent India's history in a hurry.........



Thank you for taking the time out and granting me an audience Mr. Prime Minister, your answers on a series of issues have certainly left the nation even more in the dark and fumbling for answers to questions pertaining to the safety, security and well being of crores of Indians.........



REJOINDER: This hypothetical interview is only meant to be a spoof and is not intended to either demean the prime minster or ridicule his exalted status in the hearts and minds of the common man on the streets of the nation...........

BE THE DIFFERENCE!!!!!

All self respecting fellow Hyderabadis,


The enlightened, all encompassing and far reaching report submitted by the Justice J.S. Verma committee has bestowed us with all that we were asking for by way of justice and a whole lot more besides and the onus of ensuring that the political establishment initiates requisite and time bound action on the contents of this revolutionary report now lies upon us.......

Barrage the powers that be at both the state as well as central levels with a slew of demands and petitions haranguing them or then forcing them to act upon the illuminating recommendations made by the committee in an efficacious and time bound manner as this and only this will ensure the safety and security of the fairer sex and at long last accord them their due place in society........

The comprehensive report of the committee has alluded to the prevalent patriarchal mindsets and societal structure on many an occasion, introspect, question your motives, beliefs and value system and initiate necessary and much desired action to end these reprehensible tendencies once and for all thereby levelling the playing field..........

Make an effort towards getting to know your neighbours, fellow society members and try and establish a lasting rapport and find a common meeting ground with them, identify and isolate potential rapists, trouble makers and anti social elements and nip their nefarious tendencies in the bud........

Gather on the streets of your city, town, kasba in gargantuan numbers if the incumbent government fails to initiate action on the slew of recommendations made in this very same report, the home minister had promised that the demand of summoning an extraordinary session of parliament could be looked into once the committee submits it's report, the committee has submitted it's report so exert promise on the home minister to honour his promise.........

Avenues like the Hyderabad for Change' community page, social networking sites and a whole host of other such avenues provide you with a golden opportunity of making yourself both seen and heard, so stop indulging in inane activities like constantly updating your facebook posts by posting self laudatory photographs and recycled shairs and poetry......

Being responsive, responsible and mature is the crying need of the hour so be all this and a lot more besides, make optimum use of such god given avenues, barrage the same with well meaning suggestions, ideas, issues for immediate consideration, issues and laws that need immediate attention/amendments to the same and so on and so forth so that a peoples charter can be presented to the powers that be at both the state and national level and make sure that this peoples' charter and not the self serving actions of the political class are the way forward........

Simply liking the Hyderabad for Change' community change will not serve any purpose, actively contribute your thoughts and innermost desires and I as one of the administrators, managers of this community page assure you that I will not only collate, collect and compute all these thoughts and suggestions, but also give them a definitive shape in the form of a people's charter and that the very same shall be bound and presented to the chief secretary of the state with a lot of fanfare......

Friends, the political class will let us down once again by making a whole slew of promises and not acting on the same, more than 350 sexual offenders grace the hallowed portals of parliament as well as the state legislatures at the present moment , so do you expect far reaching action from these very same sexual offenders who will firstly look at protecting and preserving their vested and selfish self interest instead of doing right by all people concerned.......

We need to be the change that we need to see in society, so do come forward and be the same, thereby changing our very own as well as the rest of the world's perception about us as a society that is still languishing in the dark ages and times begone........

VINDICATING THE HONOUR AND SELF RESPECT.....

Dear Justice J.S. Verma and fellow committee members,


The average Indian or stereotyped Aam Admi will forever remain indebted to you for having presented a report that looks at the issue of rape and a host of other related issues from the prism of a rapidly growing modern society that wants to spread both it's horizons ans well as wings and therefore needs modern and receptive laws to facilitate that growth.........

Once again thank you for.......

# not being swayed by the prevalent popular sentiment and emotions, rejecting the clamour for the death penalty being summarily accorded to all rapists and sticking by the prevalent practice of imprisoning a rapist for a minimum period of seven years ranging to a life sentence depending on the heinousness of the crime committed....

# recommending that the very same period of imprisonment should be increased to 20 years or the remainder of a rapist's natural life if the rape committed by the assailant either causes the death of the victim or then leaves her in a vegetative state, the same holds good in cases of gang rape too........

# Convicts/rapists should be jailed/incarcerated for the rest of their natural lives if a gang rape either causes the death of the victim or then leaves her in a vegetative state, the same sentence would be applicable in repeat or multiple cases of gang rape committed by the same set of assailants......

# recommending a minimum jail sentence of 10 years in cases where the victim is a minor and correspondingly increasing the same to 20 years or a life sentence encompassing the remaining period of an assailants natural life in case the minor dies or is then reduced to a vegetative state during the course of the barbaric crime being perpetrated on her........

# proposing that the assailant/rapist should also be made to pay a monetary penalty, bear the medical expenses of the victim in addition to the prescribed jail term in the case of several sexual offences.......

# clearly and precisely defining new terms and offences such as voyeurism, acid attacks, stalking, cyber stalking and cyber voyeurism, marital rape, inappropriate touching and gestures and a whole host of other terms that were vague and ambiguous and therefore facilitated the acquittal of the assailant more often than not.....

# Bringing the same or above mentioned terms under the purview of the existing/proposed new laws that need to be drafted to arrest the committing of such crimes and recommending requisite jail sentences for each one of them........

# clearly establishing the "breach of command responsibility" for the first time and making senior police officials and security forces accountable for the sexual crimes committed by their subordinates.........

# asking for the immediate removal of the archaic and derogatory expression "outraging the modesty of a woman" from the sexual offences lexicon........

# outrightly rejecting the popular demand for a downward revision of the age of majority of a minor or juvenile and recommending that status quo should be maintained in this regard considering the "neurological state of the adolescent brain" and abject lack of reformatory and rehabilitative facilities in almost all Indian jails.....

# proposing amendments to the existing Peoples Representation Act and electoral laws and enabling the disqualification of tainted MPs/MLAs in cases wherein a court takes due cognisance of certain offences registered against them or in the case of an elected representative furnishing a false affidavit at the time of his/her election......

# debunking the government's ill advised and hastily conceived approach/move of replacing rape with the generic gender-neutral crime of "sexual assault".......

# And making a whole slew of other recommendations pertaining to the extra constitutional nature of khap panchayats, questioning their validity and existence and questioning their authority to issue diktats pertaining to inter-caste marriages and so on and so forth and calling upon both the state as well as union governments to initiate necessary action for their disbandment........

The nation as a whole could not have gotten a better gift on the eve of it's 64th Republic Day, thanks a tonne for giving the nation this invaluable gift and upholding the dignity, honour and equal social status of the fairer sex...........

A STERLING EXAMPLE!!!!!!

On yet another dull, dreary, gloomy and heart rending day when yet another three year old toddler was brutally raped and killed by a 21 year old youth in Andhra Pradesh's Karimnagar Town, the awe inspiring, jaw dropping and seemingly unbelievable story of 24 year old Mumbai resident Prema not only acts as a beacon of light in these dull and gloomy times but also serves as an example worth emulating for other Indian womenfolk..........


Prema who is the daughter of Jayakumar Perumal a humble auto rickshaw driver and resident of the Mumbai suburb of Malad achieved the unique distinction of topping the National level Chartered Accountant's examination with an aggregate score of 607/800 (75.66%)........

What is even more heartening is the fact that this bright young lady cleared this seemingly insurmountable hurdle at the first attempt despite studying out of a 300 square foot chawl which is not exactly a salubrious atmosphere for such a mind boggling activity........

"The atmosphere was certainly a bit stifling, but never ever proved to be a deterrent", according to the 24 year old Prema as she was singularly focussed on aceing the exams thereby making her doting parents and teachers immensely proud of her in the bargain........

This all India topper attributes her success to the sterling efforts of her parents and teachers; especially her parents who ensured that her path was strewn with roses all the way despite having studied till class 5 and 3 respectively and toiling long hours as an autorickshaw driver and domestic help for almost their entire lives.........

What is even more heart warming and inspiring is the fact that her younger sibling Dhanraj (22) who calls his elder sister his mentor and inspiration in life also registered at ICAI along with her and scored a rather modest 450/800 in the very same qualifying examinations.......

Both the siblings now plan to complete their article ship by April and subsequently become proud and contributing members of India's burgeoning corporate world, "we have everything planned down to a T", the brother and sister go on to say, shyly confiding that setting up a firm of their own in the long run is their ultimate goal in life.........

Fellow Indians, I hereby give you Prema Perumal a living example of the dictum "that nothing is unachievable, if you are determined and singularly focussed on your ultimate goal", a shining example of making it big on her own accord with lots of help from her proud parents and teachers every step of the way........

24 year old Prema Perumal, a young Indian woman, inspiration for millions of others like her and a living embodiment of the fact that the Indian woman is in no way inferior to her supposedly superior male counterpart............

Dear Ms. Krishna Tirath.........

Dear Ms. Krishna Tirath,


Honourable Minister for Women and Child Development;

Madam, the plight of the Indian woman is indeed pitiable to say the very least and needs to be revisited or looked at in an extremely humane and compassionate manner, more importantly, there are urgent issues pertaining to the safety, security and very existence of women that need to be addressed forthwith, but you instead seem to be focussing your energies on demanding the death penalty for Nirbhaya's rapists and murderers.........

Your ministry's role becomes all the more crucial in the present scenario what with the steadily increasing clamour for far more stringent and women friendly laws and you should be concentrating your energies on enabling your ministry to act as the nodal agency in this regard and forwarding your recommendations and suggestions to the law ministry and constantly reminding the law ministry about it's role in this issue instead of pandering to the gallery and the more militant and blood thirsty sections of our society...........

A golden opportunity has been accorded to you on a platinum platter and you need to grab the same with both hands; end the confusion and uncertainty pertaining to the grey areas within the existing laws that have been exploited by rapists and their ilk ever since one can remember and facilitated their getting away scot free almost all of the time........

Seek the help of legal luminaires and the best legal minds and come up with precise definitions of eve teasing, molestation, attempt to rape, marital rape, sexual harassment within the workplace, and last but not the least what happens in a scenario where both the partners willingly initiate the sexual act, but the female participant expresses her unwillingness half way through the same, does her expressing her unwillingness constitute a transgression of the existing laws in this regard and come under the umbrella of rape..........

Summon a meeting of avowed defenders of women's/human rights like Brinda Karat, Sushma Swaraj, Kiran Bedi, Brinda Grover, Malvika Rajkotia, and other such notables have a series of pow wow's with them and come up with a draft bill to supplement the already existing draft of the Crimes Gainst Women Bill that was drafted by a legion of women's organisations but is yet to see the light of the day pending the requisite parliamentary approval..........

Shrimatiji, the existing Juvenile Justice Act needs to be looked at afresh in the view of changed circumstances and social paradigms; thirteen, fourteen and fifteen year olds have shown a remarkable penchant for raping people belonging to the opposite sex with increasing impunity and a scant regard for the law while we continue to persist with an archaic and outdated law that has failed to keep up with the changing needs of an emerging and constantly evolving modern society........

Look at the exiting laws afresh and initiate the process to reducing the age of majority to sixteen from the existing eighteen, grant the presiding judge the discretion to take a decision on whether or not the accused should be treated and tried as an adult in view of the mitigating circumstances and gruesomeness and heinousness of his act/crime.........

Immediately initiate action on all the above mentioned measures and a lot more besides if you really want the country as a whole to develop the impression that you are indeed serious about discharging your ministerial responsibilities and more importantly coerce your rather reluctant party leaders into summoning an extra ordinary session of parliament that will be exclusively devoted to extensive debates on the plight of women in this ancient land and enacting or then strengthening or suitably amending already existing laws in order to guarantee the safety and security of the Indian woman........

Sterling deeds and not mere words will make you go down in history as a minister who was more than willing to put her money where her mouth was, the ball lies in your court and you and only you can make the much desired decision about your rightful place in the history of the evolution of the fairer sex in independent India........

INDIAN POLICE: LAW UNTO ITSELF????

The nationwide outrage and indignation over the Nirbhaya gang rape case/incident seems to have had little or no effect on the state police forces as no Director General of Police (DGP) has thus far responded to the notices issued by the Justice J.S. Verma committee that was expressly set up to recommend suitable amendments to the existing laws pertaining to crimes against women and how to give the same more teeth and efficacy..........


No other top ranking police official has made himself/herself available before the above mentioned commission till date with the notable exception of the incumbent Delhi police commissioner Neeraj Kumar, and he too responded as Delhi was the epicentre of the nationwide outrage and he had nowhere to hide.......

The views of the respective heads of state police forces were sought in the first place as the police forces were in the best place or position to furnish vital or strategic inputs to the panel by citing or listing out specific lacunae or shortcomings in the law that need to be suitably tweaked and effectively plugged in order to ensure the safety and security of Indian women........

Their views were all the more important as they more often than not are the first point of recourse or reference whenever such crimes are committed and are best equipped to provide these highly desirable vital inputs because of their first hand experience in initiating probes and carrying out investigations into the various kinds of crimes committed against hapless women.........

But, was it right to expect something better from a force that has become highly politicised and seems to think that it's sole prerogative is to ensure the safety and security of their political over lords and masters, don't believe me, then sample this pearl of convoluted logic furnished by a top Delhi cop who remarked that the heightened security provided to Supreme Court Judges and politicians at both the national and state levels enabled them to take daring and far reaching decisions that were highly desirable in the long term interest of the nation.........

As for the common man on the street, does anybody care about her/him in the first place; there is a nationwide shortage of more than five lakh police personnel to begin with and respective state and central governments have paid scant or no attention towards filling up this huge vacuum, various reports on much desired and long overdue police reforms are gathering dust in the store rooms of various Vidhan Sabhas and their contents remain a source of mystery and conjecture as their recommendations are yet to see the light of day.......

Two bit politicians who face no threat whatsoever to either life, limb or property are provided with the much coveted "Z" plus coveted security cover at an immense cost to the state exchequer while the common man or much abused Aam Aadmi continues to flounder in the dark and has to fend for himself whenever accosted by elements hell bent upon causing grievous harm to his body and soul.........

Far reaching police reforms and citizen friendly policing practices are the crying need of the hour, existing vacancies amongst various police forces not only need to be filled up on a priority basis but the same policemen and women also need to be sensitised towards the needs and sensibilities of the common man, the over hyped sphere of VVIP security needs to be revisited and security personnel deployed according to the existing threat perception and vitality or importance of the VIP in question in the national context........

The common man on his/her part needs to inculcate a sense of trust and friendliness towards the men and women in khakhi, though, I know that this is easier said than done as a happy marriage or then a marriage of convenience between the two antagonised forces is the crying need of the hour as this and only this can ensure the safety and security of both the Indian Aurat as well as Aam Aadmi............

TIME FOR INTROSPECTION????

I distinctly remember that barmy Hyderabad winter evening a little over a month ago when a group/bunch of total strangers had come together at the Peoples' Plaza on Necklace Road to express our dismay, consternation and indignation at the tragedy that had befallen the 23 year old Delhi brave heart and were all holding placards in our hands demanding justice and the death penalty for the perpetrators of this heinous crime against humanity........


That crowd or collection of individuals then took a distinct shape and form and we got to know each other as individuals, each of us with our very own distinct identities, thought processes, ideas about what needs to be done in the aftermath of the horrendous Delhi rape and united by the common refrain of making this country a far more safer and secure place for it's womenfolk.......

Thoughts some rational, some irrational and some others that were seemingly sacreligious were bounced off each other and notes exchanged without as much as a by your please and vows taken to keep up the momentum until each of us saw the change that we so ardently desired materialising at the ground level.......

Some of us participated with a great deal of gusto and a sense of unbridled enthusiasm in the midnight march between Lower Tank Bund and Khairatabad and went home none the wiser after the experience after experiencing the pointed barbs and rejoinders of a few misguided menfolk who were sterling examples of the patriarchal mindset that off late has come to identify us.........

A community page/forum entitled Hyderabad for Change' emerged as a result of all the long drawn out deliberations and commitments towards being the change that we sought within the society and ourselves, a few committed and articulate individuals did come forward and express their ideas and thoughts without fear of favour affection or ill will and did not hesitate to call a spade a spade and pulled their punches where it mattered the most........

One is dismayed and disheartened at the recent turn of events as one sits down to write this piece or rather outpourings of a disillusioned heart and soul; Hyderabad for Change' has been around for a little over a month and yours truly is the only one who has taken the pains to articulate his thoughts on various issues pertaining to women and our patriarchal and sexist society at large over the last ten days, fortnight or so whereas other members of the coordination or steering committee have maintained a studied or stoic silence for reasons best know to them........

Whatever happened to the righteous indignation that was expressed about having let go off a golden opportunity of having brought the government to book and making it more accountable in the aftermath of the long drawn out agitation for the Jan Lokpal Bill as the panacea for the menace of corruption, whatever happened to the numerous declarations about keeping up the momentum and bringing the government and system to it's knees this time around.........

Words indeed come easy but the only true warrior is the one who puts his/her money where his/her mouth is, most if not all of us have certainly shot off our mouths but woefully failed to put our money where our mouths were, the situation on the ground is worse off than ever before, yet we are contented sitting back and rocking on our favourite chairs at home having fooled ourselves into believing that I've done my bit.....

The war against patriarchal mindsets and a seemingly callous and indifferent society will not be won by mouthing platitudes, sermons or raising a clamour for justice as long as the same is in fashion and guarantees you your fifteen seconds of fame on national television, this war is a long drawn out struggle that may take years to fructify, patriarchal mindsets are a manifestation of our deteriorating thought processes that have fructified over eons of time and will not go away in the batting of an eyelid.......

Hyderabad for Change' does indeed need to live up to it's avowed aim of being the much desired change on the ground and I for one am more than willing to host the next brain storming session at my humble abode in Begumpet at any time that is convenient to the committee members next Saturday or Sunday.......

Messrs Khushboo Choudhary, Anita Narayanasamy and others of your ilk, do come forward and galvanise the required quorum of six or more members as envisioned.......

LADIES: KINDLY STEP FORWARD>>>>

Nothing seems to have improved on the ground even after a month of the passing away of Delhi's 23 year old brave heart who succumbed to the grievous wounds inflicted on her by a group of six satan reincarnates masquerading as ordinary men......


Delhi's infamous auto wallahs continue to be a law unto themselves and fortunately or unfortunately the same seems to hold true for every two bit Indian city pretending to be a metropolis, they steadfastly refuse to ply by the meter, only frequent routes that appeal to them or guarantee them the maximum returns, and last but not the least resort to implicit threats and strong arm tactics when confronted with a head strong passenger who doesn't hesitate to take recourse to the men in khakhi.......

How will the situation on the ground ever improve as long as their is an active collusion between the supposed defenders of the laws and those who break the same with impunity and disdain, this marriage of mutual convenience certainly beats all comers and gives every scam that the hapless public has been subjected to a run for it's money, sample this for example, the concerned auto driver collected an excess amount of Rs. 20 over and above the fare payable according to the pre paid booth at Secunderabad station........

The auto wallah simply demanded the excess fare a mere two hundred yards away from the afore mentioned railway station and threatened to offload yours truly if his demands for excess fare were not acceded too; and the response elicited from a police constable who happened on the spot surely took one's breath away, the response being "adjust karlo sahab, kaiko in logon ke saath panga lete", is it any wonder then that the auto wallahs continue to be a law unto themselves........

How about a typical example of the sexist and supercilious male mindset that continues to rule the roost even now; a female lawyer friend of yours truly who resides in South Delhi found a portly forty plus male brushing past her car at a traffic light from the wrong side and inflicting scratches on the glossy finish of her new car........

She summoned up the courage to get down from her car and accost the culprit, but the response that she elicited from this portly Delhi wallah not only left her ruing her fate but also wondering whether things on the ground would ever improve in times to come; the response that got her goat being, "saali laundiyon ke haunsle is liye buland hain kyonki police aur sarkaar unki taraf dhyaan de rahi hain, agar us saali kaa rape nahin hua hota to tujhe teri auqaat batata", certainly leaves one wondering ki sarkaar aur police ka dhyaan kis taraf hain?????

One really wonders whether we well and truly are living in a country that has well and truly acquitted itself to it's existence within the twenty first century where both the sexes are standing shoulder to shoulder in all walks of life and where equality between both sexes is the need of the hour rather than the exception, medieval and highly sexist and reprehensible mindsets that seem to be getting cruder and more offensive by the minute.......

Scant regard and utter disdain for the law and the consequences that can befall someone who is a repeat/serial offender, continued instances of crimes against women and even a gradual increase in such cases despite increasing awareness about women's rights and the deafening clamour for long overdue justice; one really wonders whether our motherland has really entered the twenty first century or still continues to exist in the Dark Ages where womenfolk were nothing more than the goods and chattel of their lords and masters who could use them as they pleased......

Women of the world unite you have nothing to loose and everything to gain, mothers and daughters in law please come together on the same page and lane if you want to the harbinger of real and far reaching change, come together and defeat the nefarious tendencies of menfolk who want to keep you subjugated for eternity, TUM BHARAT MAATA KI BETI HO, RANI LAKSHMI BAI KI DHAROHAR HO, AAGE BADHO AUR APNA JAYAZ HAQ ZULMIYON AUR ATYACHARIYON SE CHHEEN LO; well meaning men like me and thousands of others are always willing to lend their mite towards this noble cause, but the fact of the matter is that we are in a conspicuous minority.........

CHANGING SEXIST MINDSETS.........

Rape, rape, rape; one has only been hearing off this term and nothing more for the last one month and more ever since a group of six deranged individuals accosted and brutally raped the 23 year old brave heart Nirbhaya who succumbed to her grievous injuries after a valiant 13 day long struggle for life.........


The term "rape" was originally conjured up by the Romans and means nothing more than carrying away and forcing oneself upon a woman against her will; women were regarded as the property of the menfolk at the time and any assault on them was perceived to be an assault on the prestige and social standing of her owner or mentor and this nocturnal tendency of looking upon women as nothing more than the personal goods and chattel of the man who has acquired her sadly continues till this very day in some quarters..........

Chemical castration, permanent castration, bobbitisation, hanging and so and so forth are being widely touted as the panacea or long term solution to this perennial problem, but I am indeed sorry to say that we again seem to be missing the woods for the trees like we almost always do and searching for solutions for the problem without addressing it's very root cause........

Incest, marital rape, domestic violence and physical and mental harassment of women who do not accede to the sexual demands of their so called lords and masters are areas that need to be addressed first and foremost as these are grey areas under the existing laws pertaining to the heinous crime of rape and far from satisfactorily addressed under the existing sections of the Indian penal code........

The problem of domestic violence and marital rape is indeed far more serious than was being originally thought, a recent survey carried out in a weekly English magazine of national repute threw up the startling and rather disturbing fact that 84% of Indian women felt that a reasonable amount of physical violence was acceptable as long as their menfolk remained faithful to them and stuck by their side through the trials and tribulations of married life..........

Another startling fact thrown up by the very same survey was the fact that INCEST is indeed India's most darkest, gruesome and well kept secret, Fathers, Uncles, Brothers, Cousins and Neighbours are more often than not the perpetrators of such barbaric crimes on their unsuspecting and gullible daughters, sisters and nieces and in most cases the perpetrators are well aware of the loopholes within the existing laws by not ejaculating within the vaginas of their hapless victims or then being suitably gentle and considerate during intercourse so that the victim is not bruised, battered and physically wrecked as desired by the so called guardians of the law..........

So archaic, out of date and lopsided are our methods and ways of means of establishing this heinous crime that we still continue to persist with the inhuman two finger test that the rest of the civilised world gave up more than twenty years ago; a victims version of events is only given credence and taken seriously when she is bruised, battered and resembles someone who was run over by a speeding truck, sex workers who come forward to register such cases are openly ridiculed and in turn accused of conjuring up flights of fancy in order to entrap men who failed to pay them for their services.........

Here's an example of the kind of questions that are asked of the victim by the defence counsel, was the penetration partial or complete, for how long did the sexual intercourse last, was the perpetrator brutal or gentle in his behaviour towards you, where all did the perpetrator touch or feel you during the commission of the heinous act, were you disrobed with brutal force or then were your vestments removed one by one and so and so forth.........

We need to address such burning issues and sexist mindsets before seeking knee jerk solutions to this age old problem, castration and so on and so forth can at best curb this problem and put it on the back burner for so long, but the right kind of inculcation of values, education, upbringing and initiation into sexual practices will slowly but surely help in the eradication of this problem from it's very root, so let's all kindly pay attention to the eradication of these sexist and deplorable mindsets and social mores and save solutions like castration and such others for tomorrow.............

DEBATE ON CASTRATION......

Fellow Hyderabadis' here is a golden chance to be seen, heard and contribute your mite towards levelling the playing field for the hapless women folk of our motherland; a few well meaning folks are organising a debate on castration and other such related measures that can act as effective deterrents against the rape epidemic that seems to have afflicted the nation as a whole off late........


This debate, discussion and healthy exchange of ideas and thoughts is slated to be held at Peoples' Plaza, Necklace Road, Hyderabad from 1600 hrs or 4 pm onwards on Saturday 19, 2013 and is open to all those who want to share their thoughts on this and other related issues..........

Chemical castration and bobbitisation have certainly proved to be effective deterrents in America and other European countries and there is no earthly reason why they can't prove to be as effective in our very own backyard provided the political establishment accedes to the long overdue demand for the adoption and legitimisation of these seemingly contentious measures.........

India for long has been a land where the female form/mother goddess/ Shakti/ Durga/ Kali or any other name that you prefer to call her by has always been someone who has always been deified, respected and venerated, so why should things be any different now.........

The Vedas, Ramayana and other such repositories of ancient rituals and practices are replete with examples of women and men standing shoulder to shoulder and participating as equals in social, religious as well as economic activities, so why are we regressing instead of going forward now when we well and truly have entered the so called modern age............

Equality, emancipation, safety and security are not mere words, but the birthright of women who comprise 50% of our teeming population, so do come forward and contribute your mite towards making your mothers/ sisters/ female friends and others feel safe, secure and an integral part of a system that seems to take perverse pride in denying them their legitimate and deserved rights...........

WOMEN'S EMANCIPATION: UTTARAKHAND ISHTYLE????

Dearest Government of Uttarakhand,


Your recent decision to cursorily stop womenfolk from working after 6 p.m. smacks of sheer arrogance, indifference to the plight of women who are forced to step out of the sacrosanct four walls of the house in order to supplant and sustain the family income and above all prove that they are eminently capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts when it comes to equality within the workplace...........

This decision not only reveals a sexist, regressive, medieval and contemptuous mindset but is also a convenient way of bypassing and shirking the onerous responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of womenfolk who venture out on the streets of the capital, and other cities and towns..........

Will the government that has conjured up this deplorable decision or more specifically those "enlightened" folks whose minds have engineered this laughable decision take upon themselves the onus of providing for the families and kith and kin of the womenfolk who are affected by this nonsensical decision or better still provide them with alternative sources of income that enable them to earn a honest livelihood and step out from their respective offices by the government imposed curfew hour of 6 pm................

Where will those enterprising entrepreneurs who have pumped in crores of rupees into setting up and establishing such business concerns that begin their workday around or after 6 pm go, a significant majority of these organisations are equal opportunity employers where both sexes work shoulder to shoulder, will the government offset the losses caused to such economic ventures until such time that the employers manage to train a new set of employees to take the places of those displaced by this decision or then supplement their bottom lines by subsidising them to the required extent until they recruit an adequate number of people to replace those whom they have lost on account of this decision that defies all logic...........

Why don't you concentrate your energies on modernising and tuning up your police force and other security agencies, providing them with the latest communication and investigative implements and methods, recruit an adequate number of people to take care of the safety and security related needs of fifty percent of your population, usher in police reforms that will put an end to all the sexist and regressive mindsets that seem to have become the exclusive domain of many a police force over a period of time........

Whatever happened to that oft repeated promise of necessarily deploying at least a minimum of two police women at every existing and proposed police station and setting up prompt and quick rescue teams expressly meant to cater to the needs to the victims of sexual crimes, will the helpline that was supposed to be set up so that women folk could summon help whenever required ever see the light of the day or then will all these and other measures that need to be initiated to usher in a sense of safety and security amongst the hapless womenfolk be sacrificed at the altar of expediency and brushed under the carpet just because you have taken an executive decision that prohibits women from frequenting work places after 6 pm...........

One certainly expected better from a modern day government that has vowed to usher India into the next century with cutting edge reforms and active participation and partnership of women in the processes, shame Government of Uttarakhand, shame on you for displaying a mindset that would have certainly been in place during the Old Stone Age, modern environments and modern day living calls for progressive mindsets that equate men and women on the same plane and provide them with opportunities on an equal footing...........

Cultivating such a mindset and manner of doing things forthwith as doing so would only be in your best interests, do so because the Indian woman has awaken from her deep slumber at long last and will not hesitate to confine you to the dustbins of history and deep dark dungeons where you rightfully belong, pay heed to this warning forthwith and immediately withdraw this joke of an executive order before you are confined to the opposition benches of the state legislature for more years than you can count........

UNINTENTIONAL COMIC RELIEF!!!!!!!!!

Trust the Delhi Police to provide you with some unintentional mirth and comic relief at the most inopportune of times, well the Delhi Police or more specifically the East District police authorities certainly did not disappoint and provided all this and more with their colossal list of do's and dont's for home makers and other young women who go to school and college.........


The best part of it all is the fact that the Delhi Police Headquarters are completely in the dark and blissfully unaware of this latest gaffe and colossal list that first made a surreptitious appearance on the walls of the Lady Shriram and other such notable colleges over the last couple of days or so.........

Additional Commissioner of Police Tejinder Luthra was initially flummoxed, flabbergasted and at a conspicuous loss of words when intensely questioned by NDTV's Nidhi Razdan about the existence and widespread circulation of the same; he at first out rightly denied the existence of any such circular or flier and finally promised to look into the same and withdraw it if required after a departmental enquiry pertaining to it's point of origin..........

Well, the naysayers and self styled wise men and women who have been having a field day castigating the Delhi Police and questioning it's professionalism and investigation techniques are indeed exploding with uncontrolled mirth and falling over themselves in their glee at being accorded yet another golden opportunity to question the professionalism of the Delhi Police and pat themselves on the back for their wisdom, sagacity and deep insights into the minds of the Delhi Police higher ups........

No matter however well intentioned the list of do's and dont's that contains such gems like: young women should go straight home after school and college, avoid deserted and poorly lit roads, only board buses that are fairly well inhabited, carry their mobile phones with them at all times, raise a hue and cry and scream themselves hoarse at the merest hint of trouble and signs of a stalker, keep their families and friends informed about their whereabouts at all times and so on and so forth only seems to highlight the highly condescending and patronising attitude that the Delhi Police so brazenly displays towards Delhi's fairer sex that makes up for 50% of it's population......

One really wonders why the Delhi Police higher ups did not display the same alacrity with regard to setting it's own house in order, meting out exemplary punishment to all those policemen and officers who were on duty on the routes taken by the now infamous bus on the fateful night of December 16,2012 or then initiate long over due measures to sensitise it's loutish and boorish officers towards the needs and concerns of the fairer sex and addressing the same in a sympathetic and humane manner..........

Or for that matter, why didn't the Delhi Police conjure up a similar list for the menfolk who brazenly go around raping, molesting and groping the women in Delhi almost as if it was their god given right, educate them on the consequences of their misplaced bravado and totally out of date ideas of male machismo and last but not the least put the fear of god into their minds and souls by roughing up a few wannabe lotharios and subjecting them to the third degree methods that they seem to specialise in........

Was the release of the ill advised list of do's and dont's simply a misplaced attempt at proving or underlining the fact that the Delhi Police is indeed doing something about making Delhi's streets safer and more secure for it's womenfolk or then simply an attempt to foist off it's onerous responsibilities onto the shoulders of Delhi's unsuspecting womenfolk?? well every concerned and well meaning Indian citizen is waiting for an answer from Messrs Luthra and company.......

Come on Messrs Neeraj Kumar, Tejinder Luthra and co. you surely can do better, pull up your socks and start concentrating your concerted energies on making the national capital the safest place in India if not the entire world for it's womenfolk, conjure up and initiate gender sensitive training and orientation programmes for the lakhs of policemen that make up your force and thereby prove that the Delhi Police is definitely numero uno in it's designated sphere............

MISSING YOU PAPA!!!!!!!

Dearest Papa,


You would have been celebrating your seventy seventh (77th) birthday, but then chose to end your earthly sojourn and leave for your heavenly abode a little over four months ago, September 6, 2012 to be precise..........

That fateful morn will forever be enshrined in my memory banks till my very last day on planet earth, and that mournful telephone call that informed both Rachna and me of your passing will resound in our ears for eternity........

What more can one say about the person who meant more to the two of us than life itself, I do know that a lost of our family members and relatives continue to snigger behind may back and keep casting innuendos alluding to the fact that I wasn't there by your side during your last years on this planet, but you are well acquainted with the fact that this came about due to extenuating circumstances rather than our not wanting to be on your side..........

But, all that is water under the bridge and Rachna and me are trying to honour your memory and all that you meant to us by carrying out a small ceremony in your honour in a Gurudwara and making contributions to both CRY as well as the Concern India foundation as a mark of our love and profound respect for you........

You took immense pride in sharing whatever little you had selflessly and reached out to as many people as you could enveloping them in your warm embrace and we remain committed to doing the same no matter what the rest of the world has to say about us..........

Love you Papa, miss you in every moment and steadfastly trying to become a pale shadow of the exemplary human being that you were and will continue to be for eternity.........

Have a great day wherever you are, Love Always, do keep blessing and guiding us every step of the way............

INDIAN WOMAN: TAKE A STAND.........

The foot in the mouth malaise continues unabated with the latest hopper onto the bandwagon being a Bharatiya Janata Party member of parliament from Chhattisgarh who answers to the name of Ramesh Bains.........


His deeply regrettable and insensitive comment goes something like "while rapes being committed against girls/women who have attained the age of 18 and are adults legally are understandable and somewhat justifiable, rapes that are committed against girls below this age are indeed a heinous crime and a blot on humanity and the perpetrators of all such crimes should be accorded the death penalty without exception".........

Mr. Bains, a rape is a rape period how does the fact that a woman and not a child was raped make it any less heinous or understandable, the fact of the matter is that the life of the victim is unalterably shattered post the incident/crime committed against/on her and leaves her a shadow of the person that she used to be in most if not all such cases..........

Our politicians and leaders have displayed their callousness and disdain for the fairer sex time and again and I for one strongly believe that the time has come for the Indian woman to do the same; compile a data base of all such netas who make these insensitive and sexist comments and make sure that you exhort all other women residing within that particular constituency to boycott that leader and refrain from voting for him..........

Politicians and others of their ilk have always taken and will continue to take the Indian woman for granted until the Indian woman learns to stand up for her own right both legal as well as political/constitutional and come together on a common platform thereby forming a formidable vote bank that any wannabe neta can bypass at his/her own peril..........

Dispel the long held belief that the Indian woman is nothing more than a subservient puppet who casts her invaluable vote at the behest of the menfolk residing under the same roof and in conjunction with their long held political beliefs, the roof will not come down on your head if you hold disparate beliefs vis a vis the menfolk and assert yourself politically, there may be consternation, hints of threats and attempts at coercion, but do remain steadfast in the face of such attempts and only listen to the voice of your conscience if you indeed want to make a change and be the change that you want to see within the country as well as society..........

Educated and enlightened woman can take the lead in this regard and form self help groups/bodies whose express aim would be to acquaint their lesser educated counterparts with the need to vote to cast their vote judiciously/independently and sagely if they want to safeguard their interest and ensure their safety and security.........

An enlightened and responsive leadership is the cornerstone of any emerging and seemingly equal society so do cast your vote judiciously and only vote in those leaders who not only espouse the concerns of the fairer sex but remain committed to their avowed aim of ushering a sea change in the status of women in this highly patriarchal and misogynistic society.........

Always remember that you comprise 50% of any society and will have to demand your due rights if not snatch them by the sheer dint of your numbers if the male dominated society around you continues to deny you your just rights, so do unite, come together and form a homogenised force as the same is only in your own best interests; always remember the age old dictum, "united we stand, divided we fall"............