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Thirteen traditionally
symbolises bad luck not only in superstitious India but
even in advanced countries. There is an invariable course
to avoid anything happening on 13th. One really cannot
trace the genesis of it because dictionary just says one
above 12 is 13. That is fine, as gentle as the
Britishers. There is the tendency not to inaugurate
anything on this so-called inauspicious day. Likewise,
celebrations of various hues are sought to be postponed
or preponed to somehow escape the wrath of 13. One can't
recall instantly what all transpired on 13th to earn such
ignominous label of being sign of bad luck. In
individual's life certain things must have happened that
spread like wild fire to take within its ambit all those
prone to superstitious dispensation. As far this state is
concerned, at least one holiday occurs on 13th every
year. They like to call it a 'Martyr's Day'. Obviously,
the day must have been unlucky for those who left the
good earth nearly 68 years back on 13th. Other than that
there is hardly anything on record. Yet ......more |
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Problems of Ageing Betrayal of the voters Will nemesis ever catch Development: Bangladesh's Is there no remedy for
corruption in J&K? |
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EDITORIAL Thirteen traditionally symbolises bad luck not only in superstitious India but even in advanced countries. There is an invariable course to avoid anything happening on 13th. One really cannot trace the genesis of it because dictionary just says one above 12 is 13. That is fine, as gentle as the Britishers. There is the tendency not to inaugurate anything on this so-called inauspicious day. Likewise, celebrations of various hues are sought to be postponed or preponed to somehow escape the wrath of 13. One can't recall instantly what all transpired on 13th to earn such ignominous label of being sign of bad luck. In individual's life certain things must have happened that spread like wild fire to take within its ambit all those prone to superstitious dispensation. As far this state is concerned, at least one holiday occurs on 13th every year. They like to call it a 'Martyr's Day'. Obviously, the day must have been unlucky for those who left the good earth nearly 68 years back on 13th. Other than that there is hardly anything on record. Yet people by and large regard 13 as sign of bad omen. Then why not avoid it. But in real life, things are indeed happening on 13th or for the 13th time. For instance auspicious date for many marriages come on 13. It is quite another thing that the superstitious ask Pandit Ji for another date, if possible. 13 continues to be a day when many infants are born the world over. No one can say that 13 happens to be 'issueless' day or doctors try to advance or retard delivery by a day. That is not on. As many babes see the light of the day on 13 as on any other day of the month. Once born on 13th, obviously Birthday is also celebrated on this very date. There is nothing to suggest that such babies born on 13th remain exposed to bad life throughout or face odds that others born on different dates do not encounter. Then many auspicious festivals including Diwali could very much occur. And here is the beginning Indian year the Bikram Samvat that commences from 13th April. The BC year shows it as thirteenth April but the Indian Samvat is 1st of month of Baisakh. Now many things auspicious occur on Baisakhi including Mundan ceremonies. Even Onam is on 13th. It is possible that some particular exams might commence on 13th or the subject dreaded by a student has paper on 13th. It could create hypothetic apprehensions. But then result remains the ultimate judge to give verdict on 13th being really unlucky. The first Navratra can start on 13th when many inaugurations of new showrooms and other things take place. First Navratra is considered very auspicious. Surely, it does not become inauspicious if it occurs on 13th. These thing amply substantiate the usual belief of 13 being unlucky only for some. But otherwise, it is indeed lucky for others. It depends on individual to individual asto the real meaning of lucky or unlucky. In the same family between two brothers or two sisters or between two kins in the same house, 13 can be have different impact which may quite be the opposite of one as compared to the other. Politically, 13 has assumed added significance. The minority Vajpayee Government lasted just 13 days and Vajpayee had to bow out unable to muster requisite simple majority support. This aspect was fully exploited by those lying in wait to capture Delhi throne. As luck would have it, Vajpayee again assumed helmsmanship of the country which lasted exactly 13 months. It was then that to a specific question of prowling scribe the BJP spokesperson confidently stated that their next Government would last for 13 years! Does it mean 5+5+3 or is it 3+5+5 or 5+3+5? It makes 13 all the same. The case of Lucky 13 indeed ! |
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Problems of
Ageing people in India Senior citizens are posing an increasing challenge to countries across the globe in providing medical, social and financial assistance. A United Nations report has said that population of the aged is expanding at an unprecedented rate in both developed and developing countries including India due to improved health care. Today there are more than 578 million people in the world over 60 years. They strain medical systems in many developing countries who find it difficult to protect even the health of children and young people. As per the UN report, the number of people over 65 will grow by about 21 million per year by 2050. By then 97 per cent of the growth of older population will be in developing countries with more than 25 per cent in India alone. The number of senior citizens in India in 19.1 was 26 million. In 1991 it rose to 57 million or seven per cent of the total population. According to authorities of Helpage India, a voluntary organisation working for the elderly, by the turn of the century India will have about 76 million people above the age of 60. By 2050, the number of people who are 65 or more years of age could be about 20 per cent of the total population. The age structure of the population of any country is a characteristic that indicates the trends in birth and death rates. Up to the turn of this century, the age structure was in the shape of a very narrow pyramid. In other words, it meant that the base was full of young people. The number of people above 65 was very small. Barring a few exceptions, there were no men above the age of 80. Things have begun to change. By 1990, the base had become broader due to better health care and reduction in infant mortality. The number of men above 65 was also much more and the number of women above 65 was even more than men. A significant number of men were alive by 75. There were some above 80 or even 85. By the middle of the next century there may be little or no tapering of the pyramid till about 40-45. A large number of men will be alive at 85. Why did this happen? During the second half of this century, the survival rate of children due to reduction in infant mortality rate a result of better prental and post natal care began to go up. The death rate came down because of better health care and lack of mass deaths due to epidemics like influenza or plague or cholera. This has resulted in a population growth rate of 2 to 3 per cent. It means the population doubles every 25 years. What are the social and economic impacts of this changed population structure? The elderly people have to face many problems. All of them have retired from government or private service or business and have to manage their affairs from pensions or interest on savings. A revolutionary shift in attitudes towards the elderly also appears to be underway. One result is that a considerable number of the elderly are growing old away from their children. Very few old couples choose to live with their children who are worked in the same place where they woked or even, while their children live in same cities or towns at the place of their employment. Many elderly women are also reluctant to move in with their children, because they know that they would not occupy the traditional position of the mother-in-law. Instead they would be guests, staying under the grace of their daughters-in-law. In a growing number of cases, this divide between the two women, has led elderly couples to move in with their daughters. The stat of Kerala is paying a price for its success in family planning and health care. The state has a large population of grey heads. According to Dr Naresh Purohit, who has carried out a study on the subject, Kerala's once famous matriarchal joint family system is breaking down under the impact of unemployment. The migration of the younger generation to other states, Middle East and further, is leaving a large number of elderly people alone and uncared for. Many other states will face the problem sooner than expected. With mortality rates dropping, the problem of greying population is bound to catch up with every state eventually. Earlier the age of retirement was 55. The Government expected to pay pension for about 15 years but pensioners are now living much longer than the anticipated 15 years. A large number will live up to 80 or even more. The burden on the exchequer for paying pension to this vast number of elderly nonproductive population will be enormous. Most of them will be below the minimum income for income tax. This additional burden will strain the economy of the country. A very small number of retired persons get medical help from the their employers, either Government or private. The Central Government Health Scheme which involved a one time payment of Rs. 1,400 at the time of retirement assured the employee and his spouse medical help for their lifetime. Very little medical help was necessary in the first few years after retirement, but with advancing age more help has become necessary. The medical help required by retired employees who live well beyond 75 or 80 will be much more. It is doubtful whether any Government can provide free medical aid on a paltry deposit of Rs. 1,400 paid initially. Employees in Defence Ministry can get free medical treatment for their parents in their hospitals. This number will also go up. And some day, not far away, there may be more parents receiving medical aid from army hospitals than the young jawans and officers. And the burden on the budget will be enormous. Senior citizens who retired from private or their own business have to meet their own medical expenses. With the cost of medicines and medical services going up every day, this is going to be very difficult for a large section of the elderly population. Those who depend on their children for the upkeep will become a burden once the medical expenses will start shooting up. This will surely strain their relationship, when the younger generation has to decide whether to look after the health of their ailing parents or to educate their own children in a highly competitive world. What is the solution? One way is to invest in old age homes and medicare while you are young and working. In the words of Lt. Col. Athavle, who leads a senior citizen's group in Pune, "Factors like inflation, children caught in the two income rat race, and the scarcity of living space have together conspired to weave a tragic web around the increasingly isolated aging society. People need good day care centres with attached medical facilities, which can lighten the load on the young." There are only a few old age homes today, but many more will be needed in the next century. These are not destitute homes run on charity, but good places like quality nursing homes, where elderly people can live comfortably on their own in one or two room apartments with their own resources. The food comes from a common kitchen and there is a hall for entertainment with TV or movies. There are doctors to attend and provide medical services. Community transport is available. Exercise facilities like walking or playing games suitable for the elderly are also available. Elderly people will have to adjust themselves to live in such old age homes. Sons and daughters, daughters and sons-in-laws to talk to and the grandchildren to tell stories may not be around. There will be loneliness and non-involvement in family affairs. In the words of an old age home matron, "Many elderly end up as psychic cases. And old age home can take care of the food and shelters, but cannot meet the emotional needs. The bodies of these senior citizens are frail, but their minds are alert and crave for love and to be loved." It's high time that the Government and the economists start thinking about the growing problem of elderly in India. |
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Will nemesis ever catch up
with the crooks ? Nearly 60 lakh cognisable offences are registered every year. But just about 5 lakh are sent for trial and the delay in justice can be anything from a few months to over 20 years resulting in an abysmally low conviction rate. The delay compounded with loopholes in the law leads very often to denial of justice or rendering the very exercise futile. The investigating agencies face flak when an important case ends in acquittal. Modern theories to combat the problem emphasise on reform. Reform is a package. It cannot be brought about in bits and pieces nor will it come through sermons and lectures. It can be effected only by a vigorous follow up. The law states very clearly that no confession before the police is admissible and that the statements before the police are not to be signed. This gives a free hand to the witnesses to turn hostile or change their statements when the cases come up for trial. The predicament of the law keepers is highlighted by a report of the Police Commission set up in 1977 : "Functioning under the constraints and handicap of an outmoded system, the police performance has undoubtedly fallen short of public expectation. "The present culture of the police system appears as a continuation of what obtained under the British regime, when the police functioned ruthlessly, as an agent for sustaining the government in power, as distinct from enforcing laws, as such, as an independent and impartial agency. "The dividing line, between objectives of the government in power, as such on one side, and the interests and expectations, of the ruling political party, on the other side gets blurred in actual practice, and the image of the police as an impartial law enforcement agency suffers in consequence." In the situation, the police find it difficult to play their lawful role and make their performance acceptable, to the people at large. In the perception of the people, the egregious features of the police are politically oriented partisan performance of duties, brutality, corruption and inefficiency, degrees of which, vary from place to place, and person to person. The basic and fundamental problem regarding the police today is how to make them function as an efficient and impartial law enforcement agency fully motivated and guided by objectives of service to the public at large, upholding the constitutional rights and liberty of the people. Many reform commissions were set up both before and after independence but their findings were never implemented. The governments have been taken for a ride to the point of total inertia. The legal system is punitive and not citizen oriented. How does it help a person to send a thief to prison for having looted another's life savings ? How does it help a depositor, if a company after luring an investor with high interest rates disappears and is later fined ? Small investors have lost hundreds of thousands of crores in various scams. The perpetrators go scot free and enjoy the fruit of loot. Why should a prisoner get free boarding and lodging ? Can't we make sure that he earns for his upkeep, instead of just being a guest ? Can't we make sure that the prisoner compensates a victim or his relations by working for those left without a breadwinner ? Why can't this be a part of the jail reform ? The jail reforms made or suggested so far have only concentrated on better jail conditions and better treatment. It is time that the prisoners when convicted should also be required to adequately compensate their victims from their earning either in prison or even after finishing their jail sentence. It should be equally applicable to the scamsters, who have siphoned off hundreds of crores of rupees. No reform is going to come cheap. It has to start with the political parties themselves, who should make it a point to insist on a clean, crime free record, before nominating any candidate for contesting election on their behalf. It is time to select the best to adorn our parliament. It should be made clear to the prospective candidates that there is no law, which exempts parliamentarians from the consequences, of any act passed by them. Any law which exempts them from legal consequences, would violate Article 14 of the constitution. It is important to redress the citizen's grievances by speedy and prompt justice. No amount of activity, by the executive, can improve the situation, unless those guilty, of violating laws are brought to book quickly. Nearly 60 lakh crimes under the Indian Penal Code are reported every year. The crime goes up every year from 3 to 4%. All India disposal of the Indian Penal Code cases by the police is 79 to 80% and all India chargesheeting of the cases for 1995 was 74.3%. As per Crime India publication, all India percentage of disposals of the cases for 1995 was 18.3%. In Maharashtra, West Bengal, Arunachal and Manipur, the percentage of disposal was less than 10%. The number of people facing prosecution is staggering. As of now, there does not seem to be any likelihood of improvement in the scenario. Whatever may be the urgency, the legal process cannot move at a faster rate. However, for those who wish to delay, it is easy to do so by going in for repeated appeals to higher courts on one technical ground after another. The more the accused the easier to delay proceedings. It has been noticed, in some cases, that each one of them appealed, on one of the same or slightly similar point to courts after courts, not for getting any legal clarification, but for delaying as long as possible. Much as it is essential to render justice to the accused, the rights of the aggrieved and the wrong done to him also have to be kept in view. The informal committee of the Chief Justices (1984-85) made it clear that mere dissatisfaction of a litigant with the judgement on the merits is not relevant for a second appeal. The committee observed "experience is that in spite of the right of second appeal being confined to a substantial question of law, many frivolous second appeals are filed and argued with vehement persistence at the admission stage, to obtain an interim order. "There is often a nagging feeling in the minds of judges that a serious scrutiny of second appeals at the admission stage is liable to make a judge unpopular, leading sometimes to agitational methods by the members of the bar. The embarrassing reality today is that a large number of second appeals are admitted because of such pressures though they do not raise even a semblance of a substantial question of law. To avoid these unseemly features, the committee suggested that for second appeals, a procedure similar to section 256 of the income tax be adopted. The jurisdiction may be advisory, instead of appellate. The application to refer stated substantial question of law may lie with the district court, which decided the first appeal. Power, whether legislative or administrative or quasi - judicial is open to challenge. If it is in conflict with the constitution or the governing act or the general principles of the law of the land, or if it is so arbitrary or unreasonable that no fair minded authority could ever have made it. There is a price tag in holding any high office. The tag is in the form of good conduct and behaviour. A person may be acquitted for want of fool proof evidence. But it does not always prove the innocence. The evidence is more often than not tampered with or witnesses either bullied or compromises effected. There has been no dearth of good advice. What we have been lacking is in implemention. A few improvements can be brought about by the judiciary on its own and some will need a change in law. It is time that something be done quickly so that the common man may get justice, quickly and during his lifetime. PTI Feature |
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Development: Bangladesh's Manila, (WFS) -- People call her the Mother Teresa of Bangladesh. Angela Gomes, 47, who has worked in rural Bangladesh with missionary zeal, was honoured along with four others recently at the 1999 Ramon Magsaysay awards ceremony held in Manila, Philippines. Gomes, who is the founder of Banchte Shekha (Learn How to Survive) was cited for "helping rural Bangladeshi women assert their rights to better livelihoods and gender equality under the law and in everyday life." Speaking at the Magsaysay Center in Manila, Gomes, who hails from a village near Dhaka, recalled how as a student she saw the painful conditions of women when she toured rural areas with missionary sisters. Gomes promised herself she would do something for women. After graduation she taught at the Sacred Heart School in Jessore, a town on the Bangladesh/Indian border. A Catholic, she arranged to live in the compound of the Catholic Mission in Jessore, in exchange for teaching and translating for Italian brothers. Jessore is a transit point for trafficking in women to the brothels of India, Pakistan and the Middle East. Children are smuggled to become camel jockeys in the Gulf States. Gomes was drawn into charity work in the slums. "I heard stories of oppressed women," she writes in her autobiography 'How I Reached'. "Opportunists had taken possession of their lands on various excuses. They lived inhuman lives in the slums. They worked in the households of other people and could eat very little of the food they got as they had to feed their children from that food. Moreover, they had to suffer the oppression of their husbands." Gomes confidently thought that addressing the causes of the women's helplessness would take only a year. It turned out to be a lifetime's work. Gomes spoke with many of the women who had fled the villages. After hearing their stories of child marriages, dowry problems, domestic violence and forced divorces, she thought they should go back after learning some livelihood skills "so that they would not have to leave behind their ancestral property and so that they would live in peace in their own place." But employment back in the villages was a problem. To solve it, Gomes trained for a month in jute handicrafts at a centre in Satkhira. She then passed on her skills to women around Jessore. "I realized that education and income generation are two means of escaping men's oppression," Gomes said in a recent interview. Pressed by the women for more work, she approached the Rajshahi Sericulture Board for free training and started a silkworm project with five women. "We couldn't find land so I made them plant mulberry cuttings on both sides of the road and by the railway line for 22 days, "Gomes recalls. "But to my great regret, a group of troublemongers cut down and destroyed the plants." After two years she had to leave the Mission which gave her shelter. But she was not ready to give up her personal mission. She decided to go around the villages, talking to women and learning from them. Since she had no money for rickshaws, Gomes borrowed a bicycle from the Mission. Later, she walked. Gomes concealed her youth by rubbing butter oil on her hair to make it gray. To avoid scandal as an unmarried woman moving around freely, she invented a husband who was abroad for higher studies. To belie the growing belief of the people that she was barren, she invented a son and daughter. To be safe in a predominantly Muslim country, Gomes changed her Christian name to Anju, a Muslim-sounding name, covered her head like Muslim women and said her prayers their way. Her knowledge of the Quran proved to be a saving grace. She became the favourite of religious people like pirs (Muslim saints) and quazis (virtuous persons). "I took shelter in the house of quazi, Uncle Gani, at Enayetpur," Gomes writes. "He had three wives and I developed a good relationship with all of them." In 1976 she started Banchte Shekha, working among poor women. She said prayers and read from the Quran to the women and helped them to develop income generating skills. Gradually, the organisation branched into areas like education, health, micro-credit and legal rights and expanded rapidly. For 23 years Banchte Shekha has had a community development programme which campaigns to prevent child marriages; ensures that girls go to school; prevents men from taking second wives and curbs domestic violence. Among its income generating activities, Banchte Shekha markets quilts embroidered in the traditional Nakshi Kantha style, where running stitches are used to make designs of one's choice. A member of the association won first prize in the National Sewing Competition and the opportunity to travel to London, where she introduced Banchte Shekha to BBC audiences all over the world. The sale of handicrafts is now managed by Rokaya Apa. In 1987 the group introduced an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) method to help villagers quickly solve disputes instead of spending money and time in the courts. Each ADR committee is made up of 11 members, seven women and four men -- a maulvi (Muslim clergyman), a teacher, a member of the union parishad (the smallest unit of Government) and an influential village leader. Motivating men to participate in alternative mediation councils was a long and difficult process. There are now 414 ADR communities in 438 villages. Banchte Shekha has benefitted 200,000 women and men in 40 unions under 10 districts through legal aid, paralegal training, alternative dispute resolution and programmes in adult and adolescent education, health, vaccination and micro-credit loans. It also lobbies law enforcing agencies, local politicians and members of the legal profession on the issue trafficking of vulnerable persons. Gomes says that as a result of Banchte Shekha, "Along with male members, women have been able to take correct decisions, to understand the need and importance of education and as a result, the rate of female education has increased. Timid women come out of their houses and have become conscious of their rights. Women have been able to learn necessary skills and.... create resources." In the beginning Gomes was attacked by influential people in the villages and faced criminal cases for trying to bring women outside their homes. Today things are different. Project Director Anup Kumar Saha recalls how Gomes sold her gold earrings and necklace in order to buy bamboo poles to start a project. It was a lesson in humility, Gomes says in her book. Among her role models are her mother who was hardworking and charitable to neighbours in their village, and Mother Teresa. Dr Mina Ramirez, a trustee of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation, said in her introduction that Gomes has been called the Mother Teresa of Bangladesh. Gomes will use her Magsaysay cash prize to start an Open Rural University where girls can take courses that prepare them for a lifetime of self sufficiency. "The development of women depends upon their empowerment," Gomes said in her lecture. "The political aspect is very important [for women] to establish their position socially, economically and legally. Real empowerment is only possible if they can make political decisions and participate in the implementation of Government rules and regulations." |
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Is there no remedy for
corruption in J&K? Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah has once again --- perhaps for the umpteenth time --- bemoaned the large scale corruption and malpractices committed by the Government officials of Jammu and Kashmir. Now, Farooq Abdullah is an honourable man. Forthright and straightforward too. One has every reason to believe what he says. Moreover, being at the helm of affairs, he is expected to know his officers and cabinet colleagues better than others. So, when he describes all of them or most of them as corrupt, one has every reason to accept this as an authentic statement coming from the horse's mouth. But, the question that naturally arises is --- who else but the Chief Minister himself is best placed to deal with the menace of corruption in the State administration and who else but the Chief Minister himself wields all the requisite authority to punish or penalise the perpetrators of corruption in the State set-up? At a public meeting recently, Dr Farooq Abdullah was modest enough to admit that he had failed to chasten the erring corrupt officials. "Even the Almighty seems to be helpless before these thieves", said Dr Abdullah. Now, this raises a very paradoxical situation. Does this imply that the hapless populace of the State must reconcile to bear with the liability of a corrupt administration and accept the excesses committed by the corrupt State functionaries as a natural fate which must be tolerated because there is no remedy? Does this imply that the Chief Minister's candid confession that he is unable to check the mounting menace of corruption is in a way also the confession of the failure to keep in check the vested interests influencing the highest echelons of authority through blatant use of money power? The common refrain is that the fountain-head of corruption emanates from higher offices while the Government's anti-corruption drive is directed mostly against the middle and lower rung officials. There is often big fanfare and press hand-outs whenever a petty Patwari is apprehended accepting a bribe of Rs. 50 or a junior clerk is apprehended demanding a goodwill amount of Rs. 100 but not a single eyebrow is raised when a senior bureaucrat or a Minister spends crores from the exchequer for needless renovation of his residential bungalow or when lakhs are spent over avoidable air trips by the high-ups and their families. It is an open secret that corrupton in the State has set new records in recent years with money being openly demanded for appointments and transfers of even the Class IV employees. Who should be held ultimately answerable for this sorry state of affairs? That is the question. Another disturbing factor is the recent report citing figures to prove that Jammu and Kashmir tops the list of the States which have over-spent the Central grants without following the conventional "regularisation of excess spending" procedure whereby a State Government is supposed to justify each item of excess spending to the Public Accounts Committee. Jammu and Kashmir heads the list with unexplained Government spending worth Rs. 18,582.11 crore during the last few years. Where has all this money gone even as the Government has no money to pay salaries to its employees? That is the question. Why is the financial crunch harder for the lower and middle cadre employees even as there is no crunch effect on the misuse of Government vehicles, Government aircraft, Government STD and Government funded residential renovations cum constructions by the highest rung State functionaries? That is the other question. The rampant corruption in Jammu and Kashmir also carries another implication particularly peculiar to this State. The blatant corruption coupled with nepotism during the 1980s has always been cited as an important contributory factor to the genesis of mass alienation that facilitated the advent of Pak sponsored militancy. It would be tragic, indeed, if no lessons are learnt from the recent past and things are allowed to gradually revert back to 1989. Meanwhile, the general impression with the common man is that the more corrupt is an official the higher he rises in hierarchy and the most corrupt has the prospects of rising the highest. This leaves Umapathy echoing poet Josh Mallianbadi's refrain"Shaitaan Raat Bhar Mein "Kaptaan" Ban Gaye---" |
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