WHEN WILL THIS MADNESS END?????

Will the average Indian males' sense of debauchery and depravity ever show signs of improvement???, the average Indian male continues to sexually abuse and molest both women as well as female children and then squarely lay the blame for the heinous crime committed by him at the doorstep of the victim who supposedly lured him into committing the crime through her come hither gestures or supposedly provocative dressing, honestly how inane and banal will it all keep getting........


In the latest instance of sexual depravity and debauchery committed against the hapless women of our motherland two Delhi based males not only brutally sexually assaulted a 15 year old girl in the bordering district of Ghaziabad but also proceeded to record her shame and humiliation on their mobile handsets for posterity.......

The girl in question who is a resident of the national capital's Pandav Nagar area was offered a joy ride on a motorcycle by her neighbour Fakira on the evening of May 31........

Trusting him implicitly as well as her own instincts about him, the 15 year old gullible girl soon found Fakira taking her to a house In Ghaziabad where his nephew and accomplice in this gruesome crime was already present........

The two of them offered the girl a sedative laced or laden cold drink which knocked her out for a good four to five hours and then proceeded to rape the victim more than once each while continually filming the nefarious deed on their mobile handsets for posterity and also to threaten the victim with........

They then proceeded to drop the dazed and somewhat incoherent victim off in the vicinity of her Pandav Nagar dwelling, but not before threatening her with dire consequences if she even let a whiff of what happened to her to anybody: family, friends, neighbours or then the police........

To succeed in their nefarious objectives, they even threatened the victim with instant disclosure by uploading the clips of the victim's shame and humiliation on facebook and other social networking sites of it's ilk.........

The girl in question somehow summoned up the courage to narrate her tale of woe and shame to her family members on the morning of Thursday, June 6, 2013, following which her family members filed a complaint against the accused fakira and his nephew at the area police station........

A complaint has been filed against the accused and cases been booked against them under the relevant and applicable sections of the Indian penal code based upon the version of events rendered/narrated by the victim and her family members, the area police have launched a manhunt to nab the culprits who still continue to remain at large..........

RARE FEAT INDEED............

In a first of it's kind six boys aged between the ages of 16 and 17 from the elite Lawrence School in Sanawar and their mentors have achieved the notable distinction of becoming the first school team to scale the majestic Mount Everest thereby adding another feather into our motherland's brimming cap.......


The composite team managed to set foot on the highest peak on earth after braving an arduous hectic, heart rending, sometimes anti-climatic yet heady and exhilirating 56 day ordeal; as one of the elated team members says "every minute spent in excruciating pain and increasing periods of self doubt was worth it as we doggedly fought through it all and ultimately accomplished what we set out to do".........

In their own words, "the ascent to the summit was anything but easy, we had to undergo a rigorous, tiring and gruelling year long mountaineering course at more than one institute, we did try our utmost to scale the Khardung La Pass in Ladakh during the month of January but had to give up our pursuit of the same as the inclement weather proved to be too much of an insurmountable obstacle even for us doughty souls"........

This gang of brave boys gives the credit of their achievement to the thousands of prayers selflessly sent up by their parents and numerous well wishers who spent many a sleepless night while worrying about their safety and well being........

"Never give in-in letter and spirit", 'is our beloved school's credo, and we are indeed proud of the fact that we succeeded in living up to our alma mater's credo and did our bit towards embellish it's already sterling reputation they echo'...........

Their indomitable spirit and their never say die attitude does force one's hand into reiterating the cliche that there ain't no mountain high enough or valley low enough that will not yield before their dedication to their avowed cause of etching India's name on all the highest peaks of the world.........

Here's wishing them regular, continuous and renewed success in every future endeavour they undertake..........

MASTER AJIT SINGH..........

Amongst all the despair, gloom, sense of despondency, mistrust, antagonism and increasing intolerance, comes this heart warming story of man who has made the eradication of the menace of drug addiction from the midst of a once flourishing and prosperous land his life's avowed aim........


Punjab has always been lauded as the land of the plenty, it is the land that the green revolution first made it's appearance in but very few of us are aware of the fact that this very land of plenty and abundance is also the drug capital of the nation and harbours within it a village that is home to more than 70% of such hapless and defenceless women who have lost their menfolk to the scourge of drug addiction......

Master Ajit Singh is the only ray or beacon of hope amongst the sense of despondency and gloom that engulf this village of widows barely eight kilometres away from the eponymous Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar district; Master Ajit Singh is a government servant who started this school in the infamous village of Makboolpura way back in 1990 and dedicated his life and soul to the noble cause of educating the children and offspring of these drug widows and other residents of the village........

The school still runs out of one room within his humble abode and provides succour and comfort to scores of children and families who otherwise might not have been able to afford a family education, "the Guru's have been kind Master Ajit Singh says, I pool in 80% to 90% of my earnings into the running and upkeep of this school and the rest is taken care of a few noble souls who are as committed to this noble cause as I am"........

Yes, there have been prolonged periods of self doubt, anguish and bitter opposition; but these and many more impediments have if anything only served to strengthen the resolve of this indomitable soul, "deep down I know that I ma their only hope he says, and they have nowhere to go if I lose heart and pack up my bags", he candidly admits.........

This village has come to acquire the dubious distinction of being called a village of drug widows as more than 70% of the women of the village have lost their male kith and kin to the ever prevalent and constantly increasing menace of drug addiction, "I have lost seven menfolk in my family to this dreaded disease a female resident of the village confides and would have ended up taking my own life in a fit of pique and utter helplessness."..........

"Master Ajit Singh has given us a renewed hope and sense of purpose, he has not only taught us how to live with out heads held high but more importantly taught us how to turn our back on the free drugs and intoxicants offered by those who want us to succumb to the wiles of these vices and fatten their pockets in the bargain," many a young resident of this once dark and desolate village echoes.........

"I will not rest until I succeed in my efforts to turn this so called village of drug widows into a village of scholars", Master Ajit Singh goes on to declare and "if the Waheguru wills so, I will see this day dawn dawn before I close my eyes forever", he lets out while taking a well deserved rest from his onerous labours and responsibilities.........

MAY HIS TRIBE INCREASE..........

SHAME IN TRANQUIL MANALI.......

As if the sexual crimes perpetrated against our own countrywomen and female children were not enough, some of us have taken upon us the onerous responsibility of sexually assaulting women of foreign origin and giving renewed credence to the widely held belief about India emerging as the rape capital of the world.......


In the latest in a series or spate of assaults against women belonging to foreign climes a 29 year old married American woman was brutally gang raped by three men who knew no better inside a moving truck in the sylvan locales of Manali, Himachal Pradesh........

The woman not only suffered the indignity or ignominy of being gang-raped but was also relieved of her personal belongings that included her purse containing quite a few dollars and a wad of Indian currency, cell or mobile phone and travel documents......

The lady in question who hails from California in the United States of America is happily married and was travelling through India in an effort to acquaint herself with the land of her dreams; she was travelling all on her own despite the numerous warnings issued by the American Embassy about travelling in pairs and had reached Manali on the morning of that fateful day (Monday morning).........

The lady then proceeded to Vashisth village that abounds Manali as the same is well renowned for its numerous hot water springs in order to spend some quality time with her friends who happened to be there at the same time, she ended up spending close to four hours in their company and then left for her hotel in Manali at around 1;15 am early Tuesday morning.......

She happened upon a truck passing by, stopped the same and enquired whether the gentlemen within the same would be kind enough to drop her at her hotel and boarded the said truck on being assured that dropping her would indeed be both an honour as well as privilege.......

To her dismay, she soon realised that the three gentlemen (?) within the confines of the truck had anything but honourable intentions and the driver of the truck turned the same in the direction of the Manali- Rohtang pass road where the three assailants took repeated turns in raping her between Bahang and Palgam villages while keeping the truck moving.......

According to her complaint made to the Manali police officials, her gruesome ordeal continued until almost 3:30 am when the three assailants took pity on her and dumped her in the vicinity of the Manali bus stand before making good their escape from the spot in the very same truck.........

A detailed medical examination carried out on the victim has conclusively established the incidence of sexual assault or then the commission of rape, Manali police officials have arrested three men in connection with this horrendous crime and efforts are being made to ascertain whether or not these three men are indeed the assailants who perpetrated this horrific crime on this hapless tourist who took them at face value and trusted them to her horror and dismay.......

One wonders what has happened to the age old and time honoured concept of "Athithi Devo Bhava" or my guest is my lord or then ruling deity for as long as he/she is around, have we given up this age old concept at the altar of expediency or then selectively take recourse to the same as and when it suits our pecuniary aims and objectives.........

CAUSE FOR CONCERN.........

A 16 year old gullible and unsuspecting young girl/damsel was allegedly abducted (kidnapped) and subsequently sexually assaulted (raped) by her 24 year old auto driver friend in the city's (Hyderabad) BDL Bhanoor police station limits......


According to police sources, the accused P. Nagesh, 24 had befriended this young girl who was gainfully employed in a private factory at Pashamaliaram and had gained her confidence during the course of the daily auto ride the two of them undertook as the said auto driver used to drop off this girl to her place of work on a daily basis.......

Things came to a head on the fateful day of May 25, 2013 when this unsuspecting young girl supposedly eloped with the said auto driver on the pretext of marrying him; the auto driver then proceeded to take this young girl to Parigi, Shankarapally where they decided to mutually cohabit in a friend's house in BDL Bhanoor until the wedding rituals were solemnised to their mutual satisfaction........

The said auto driver however had some other nefarious designs on his mind and proceeded to sexually assault the 16 year old girl in the same house more than once before dropping her off at a location in close proximity to her residence in Isnapur.......

Deeply dismayed and anguished by this unexpected and heinous turn of events, the traumatised girl confided in her parents and proceeded to narrate her tale of woe and pain following which the parents registered a police compliant against the alleged rapist at the nearest police station......

The police authorities took due cognisance of the complain and arrested the alleged abductor and rapist from his abode in Isnapur on Monday morning, cases of misleading and forcefully abducting a minor and sexually exploiting her have been booked against the alleged assailant who is cooling both his ardour as well as heels in judicial custody.........

A detailed medical examination carried out on the victim has confirmed beyond all reasonable doubt the occurrence and incidence of forced sexual intercourse........

BOON FOR RTI ACTIVISTS............

At long last the long held and cherished dream of many an avowed right to information act (RTI) activist has come true for the time being at least.......


In a landmark judgement that is bound to have far reaching consequences and bring a smile to the visage of many a RTI activist, the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) has ruled that political parties are public authorities who are bound to to respond to all RTI related queries within a specified six week period as envisaged by the same act.....

This welcome as well as long overdue ruling effectively lifts the veil or shroud of secrecy that engulfed the holier than thou political parties until now and the same will have little or no choice apart from sharing all pertinent information about their sources of funding and expenditure incurred under various heads........

Political parties and their affiliated state or regional units were forced to bite the dust on Monday as the CIC put paid to their hopes and aspirations of remaining outside the purview of this increasingly contentious act by saying that six national parties namely the Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Communist party of India (Marxist), Communist party of India as well as the Bahujan Samaj Party have been substantially if not completely funded through the back door or indirectly by the central and hence cannot remain impervious to the jurisdiction of the RTI act........

The CIC's opinion on this issue was made clear in a 54 page long order that even said that all the above mentioned six national parties will also have to share and provide details about both their major as well as minor donors if asked to do so........

The CIC ruled that political parties have the "character of public authority" under the RTI act as they perform and discharge public functions; this landmark judgement or ruling came in the wake of a petition filed by those activists who failed to receive a satisfactory as well as timely reply from the concerned political parties about the identities and other relevant details about their top 10 donors.........

RTI activists would be best served by filing petitions and garnering all the information they seek from these political parties about their sources of funding and such other information they require as sources close to all the afore mentioned political parties have clearly mentioned the fact that these parties intend approaching both the Delhi high court as well as apex court in order to have this ruling made by the CIC set aside at the earliest as they are of the informed opinion that this ruling impinges on their freedom and seriously jeopardises their sources of funding........

So make the best of the sunshine while it lasts as dark clouds will soon engulf the horizon the very minute the courts decide to set aside this landmark judgement or ruling by the CIC at the behest of the aggrieved political parties.........

VINA MAZUMDAR........

The long standing fight for women's due rights and their due place in society suffered a body blow as veteran women's right activist Vina Mazumdar passed away in the national capital of a lung related disorder three days back at the ripe old age of 87.......


Vina is survived by four children- three daughters and a son.......

An avowed and unequivocal advocate of increased women's representation in parliament, Vina had the rare honour and privilege of being the first Secretary of the committee on the status of women in India that brought out an epochal and path breaking report way back in 1974.......

Infact, so far reaching and all encompassing were the contents of that path breaking report that many a present day woman's right activist still continues to swear by the same and even term or call it the bedrock or foundation on which the edifice of the women's right movement in the country is based.......

She was also the founding Director of the Centre for Women's Development Studies (CWDS) an autonomous organisation of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICCSR) where she continued to hold the post of National Research Professor till her very last breath.......

Her pioneering spirit and undying devotion to the cause of women's emancipation will sorely be missed, Vina Mazumdar the living embodiment of a noble cause and unswerving dedication to the very same cause she espoused selflessly and held dear to her heart........