Rajvansh, a Bangladeshi migrant, has been fishing for ten years now.

He sits on a wrecked boat. His net, which appears torn in parts,

Rajvansh on his boat

lies in a dappled corner of his boat. A few fish are left in the open to dry. He smiles and says, ‘shutki’, a sought-after delicacy in Bangladesh. A torn shirt and a striped blue lungi are all that he seems to possess. ‘We stay by the river for about twenty days a month; there is no time to spend at home. The less time we spend here, the less fish we get’ he laments in his Sylheti accent.

Rajvansh’s father was a member of the Tawa Matsya Sangh that split in 2006 leading to a sudden deterioration of his family. Soon, Rajvansh and his brothers started fishing too. ‘I did not know the skills then, and would return with almost no catch,’ he says resentfully. After a couple of years, government banned fishing, declaring it as poaching. ‘The government does not leave any chance to destroy the life of the poor,’ he says, staring at the vast river with a blank expression.

After immense protests, the government lifted the ban and brought in the rule of ‘maro and khao’ (kill and eat). Subsequently, as there were no restrictions in catching fish, ‘now the rich and the powerful take away all the fish, leaving us with nothing,’ he says. The migrant society that existed during his father’s time aided poor fishermen in buying nets or building boats. ‘But now, even that is destroyed; everybody is poor now,’ he explains, struggling with the unfamiliar language, Hindi.

Pointing at his fifteen-year-old son, Prakash, who is also a fisherman, he says, ‘I wish I could send him to school, but I need him to catch more fish, so that I can take some food back home.’ Most days, Rajvansh and his son do not get a single catch of Naren, Rohu or even Katla, the most common fish varieties.

‘It is a difficult life for us, and with the emergence of middlemen, we make very little money, even if the catch is big, he mourns. Sometimes they sell the fish in the local markets, or to big merchants to sell it outside the state, in Kolkata, Mumbai and Orissa, but, most of the time the middlemen take a large share of their earnings.

Lush-green patch of land parallel to the river, pine trees across the shore, or the frosty river water is not a match to his ‘sonar bangla’, his place of birth, Bangladesh, he complains. His father left in 1970 and came to India during partition, when Rajvansh was about 10 years old. He clearly remembers the pain of leaving home. But, now home for Rajvansh is always on move. Living on a boat with some utensils to cook, a mosquito net, a gamcha and a tiny oil-burning stove, Rajvansh seems to have forgotten what a standstill home is like.

Rajvansh along with his two brothers and son, depart to catch fish before the sun rise. He visits his wife and daughters once a month when he goes back to Betul. None of the fishermen’s life is different. ‘The tribals don’t like us, because they think, fishing is their skill, but Bengalis are the first to invent fishing’ he says conceitedly. But, fishermen in Hoshangabad, tribals or Bengalis live nothing more than a nominal life. Their struggle and their pains are alike. The life of the fishermen in Hoshahgabad is at stake now; each day their life changes to new government laws.

Rajvansh leaves for his next endeavor of fishing. The sun brightens up his naive face, while he, from far away promises to keep fish for us the next day. His voice trails off, as he keeps shouting, ‘ kal esho. mach rakhbo’ (come tomorrow. I will keep fish)

Nalini Sriharan, who had been incarcerated for the last 19 years for the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, has moved the Madras High Court again on 8th November seeking her premature release. Challenging a Tamil Nadu government order which rejected her plea, the 44-year-old Nalini is pleading for justice.

In her petition, Nalini stated that in October 2007 the State government had considered her name for premature release. However, by Tamil Nadu government’s order (G.O.), her request for release was rejected under the Advisory Board Scheme. She challenged the Government order to a High Court in September 2008 following which the advisory board was reconstituted. On March 2010, the State government rejected her plea for premature release for the second time.

The Advisory Board, in its report, had said ”considering the social history, circumstances of criminal behaviour and the degree of criminality, her case is not fit for recommendation for premature release.”  Nalini, in her fresh petition before the High Court, challenged the validity of the Board’s recommendation.

The petition came up for hearing before Justice Sathyanarayana, who sent a notice to the concerned authorities of the State government to file a counter affidavit before 30^th of this month.

Pardon: on what grounds?

• Nailini has already spent 19 years in jail, which is longer than the usual term of sentence served by life convicts.

• She says, she should not be held any longer “as the real killers Sivarasan, Suba and Dhanu were already dead.”

• Media speculates she might be released on compassionate grounds. The subject of her release gained currency after Priyanka Vadhra paid a secret, unrecorded visit to Nalini in prison in March 2009.

• Nalini has a girl child, whose father, Murugan, is also in jail awaiting execution in the same assassination case. Nalini says her daughter, Meagra, needs her mother now after being away for so long.

The political stand

Contrary to what the media believes, the Prison Advisory Board had listed eight counts on which Nalini should not be released, including her reported refusal to apologise for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. Tamil Nadu Advocate General P.S. Raman submitted the government’s decision to the Madras High Court, citing the decision of the Prison Advisory Board, which examined the request. Janata Party President, Subramanian Swamy challenged Nalini’s right for remission. According to him Nalini has already got one remission – the reduction of death penalty to life imprisonment. The Congress party, the ruling DMK’s ally, welcomed the decision to keep Nalini in prison. Congress legislature party leader D. Sudharsanam told IANS: “Our stand is that of the Tamil Nadu government’s.”Congress leaders had opposed the release of Nalini and others convicted for the killing of Gandhi. According to investigators, she was part of the “killer team” that killed Gandhi for sending the Indian Army to Sri Lanka in 1987 that ended up fighting the LTTE.

Karunanidhi, the chief minister of Tamil Nadu,said,“I would be happy if she is released. But I will not exert pressure on anybody.”

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Karunanidhi, keeps mum on Nalini issue

Keeping away from LTTE issues,  he has always maintained silence over the Nalini premature release. He has decided not to ‘intervene’ in the case at all. Dr. Subramanian Swamy, the Janata Party president said the matter cannot be easily disposed of by just an Advisory Board. ‘There are many more stages to go through and I will fight each and every stage in the memory of Rajiv Gandhi’. “I am one of the parties that have to be heard before orders are passed. I had gone to court last time and the State government was then forced to take a stand against her release,” he added. He even met Tamil Nadu Governor Surjit Singh Barnala last week and urged him not to sign any recommendation of the State government for freeing Nalini Sriharan. But the Gandhi family has shown support to Nalini in various ways. Sonia Gandhi often writes letters to the officials in prison inquiring about Nalini’s health. Priyanka Vadra paid her a visit, and also admitted, “I have no hatred for her.”

Until the whole truth about Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination becomes credible and public, Nalini release would seem to be unjustified and suspicious. It is ironic that Congress leaders are so casual about the investigation of their iconic leader’s murder. It is left to the erstwhile critics of Rajiv Gandhi to demand truth and transparency for doing justice to the memory of the slain Prime Minister. Yet, despite all the hurdles, Nalini knocks at the door of justice once again, to get back her freedom. As we wait anticipating the future of the case, Nalini hopes for a premature release very soon. Never say die sums up her saga.

Related News:

Should Nalini be pardoned?

Why karunanidhi mum on Nalini’s case?

watch the videos:

Nalini pleads for mercy

Nalini’s early release hope dashed

The more he heard, the less he spoke;

The less he spoke, the more he heard-

Why can’t we be like that wise old bird?

The wise old night bird

In the age of computers and machines that symbolizes man’s progression towards development; the wise old night birds are being rapidly killed by the ignorant species called human for the sake of black-magic, a belief system that has no basis of reason or logic.

Use of owls in black magic and sorcery driven by superstition and taboos is one of the prime drivers of the covert owl trade. While the exact number of owls traded each year countrywide is unknown, it certainly runs in thousands and owls are becoming a rare species throughout India due to loss of their habitat.

In the name of superstition

Instead of celebrating the festival of lights, Diwali, and spreading joy, owls are sacrificed on that auspicious day to feed ignorant

Parts of owl being sold

superstitions across the country. Black magic practitioners, also known as tantriks in India, prescribe the use of owls and their organs such as skull, feathers, ear tuffs, claws, heart, liver, kidney, blood, eyes, fat, beak, eggshells, meat and bones to cure a wide range of problems and misfortunes.

Warding off evil spirits, curing prolonged sickness, desire to have a male child, remedy for infertility, and obsession to gain supernatural control over other people are some of the so called “outcomes”.

There exist popular owl recipes, which results in inhumane treatment of the animals.  One of the recipes reported in TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade monitoring network was:

“Keep an owl without food for eight days. Thereafter beat it well with a stick when it will begin to talk fluently like a human (language unspecified!) and tell your fortune with infallible accuracy.”

The superstitious use of these birds in “medicine” is similar to that of rhino horn, tiger penis, seahorse, and pangolin scales used in traditional Chinese medicine.  For example, some believe eating the owls’ eyeballs can give one improved night vision, while others use owl meat to make a gel for rheumatism pains. Politicians and industrialists, the ones who are supposed lead the nation, are also customers of these ‘recipes’.

Besides black magic, owls are trapped and traded for use in street performances. In such presentations, the owls are trained to hold amulets (called “tabiz”) in their beaks and then drop them into the hands of customers who purchase the talismans to ward off evil.

Mercy? At least for the ones who have not yet seen the world?

No!

owl eggs

Even owl eggs are being taken from nests, as they are thought to bring good luck.  The eggs are promptly taken to witch doctors whoperform rituals on them in order to uncover “lucky numbers”.  The deciphered digits are to be used that very day for gambling.

owls trapped in a net

There are various methods to trap the birds which includes glue-covered bamboo sticks (similar to limesticks used to trap songbirds for Ambelopoulia), spearing (which causes the animal to bleed to death), dome traps baited with mice or insects, flushing the birds into hanging nets, baited noose traps, snares, fall traps, catapults, slingshots, air guns, direct taking of eggs and fledglings from nests, and more.

Spreading awareness

Owls are a critical component of the ecosystem.  These predatory birds help to maintain balanced functionality of the forest habitats they live in. The loss of these species would have detrimental impact on their ecosystems, as well as on farming. But, most of all the generation next would know Owl the way we know Dinosaurs.

Save the birds

Awareness and education must be brought to Indians regarding the importance of these raptors.The future of the ‘wisdom birds’ is in our hands. Let’s be wise and stop this ruthless killing in the name of black magic.

Related News:

Illicit owl trade during Diwali

Watch video of owls being disturbed

Poachers trapping owls at Moshalpur

“All the prisoners have been prevented from moving around near my cell. Neither the prison staff nor the prisoners are allowed to talk to me. I am treated like a person with contagious disease  .”

 In a dark alley, Nalini Sriharan sits in a corner of an iron-barred room which has been Nalini Sriharan’s home for more than 19 long years.



Nalini Sriharan

 Nalini Sriharan, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the assassination of former President Rajiv Gandhi, has expressed “regret” over her act and says, “the assassination was a huge mistake.” Nalini is charged on 16 counts of murder, and found guilty under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code on all counts.

Nalini’s original death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after a reprieve was sought by Congress President, Sonia Gandhi following the birth of Nalini’s baby daughter, Megara. Megara was brought up by her grandmother, Nalini’s husband, Murugan’s mother in Sri Lanka.  Murugan was also sentenced to death in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. Recently, the girl sought a student visa to study in India, on the ground that her life was in danger in Lanka. Following a petition by Nalini, the Madras High Court directed the Centre to grant entry permit to Megara, on the grounds that she was an Indian just like her mother.

Pleas to be released

Nalini filed her first petition in 2005, that she was entitled for release as she had completed 14years in jail.     Three years later, the Madras High Court urged Nalini Sriharan to approach the Tamil Nadu government afresh with her demand of ‘early release’, stating that only the State government had the power to effect premature release of life convicts.

She appealed to the Madras High Court again in 2009 saying, “I would like to settle down peacefully… I am already 43. Due to my health condition after 18 years in jail, I cannot expect to live long.” M Radhakrishnan, Nalini’s lawyer, said, “Based on the content of the report, the court may ask the Tamil Nadu government to decide on Nalini’s case…or may ask the State government to approach the Centre for their advice.”

• Hunger strikes

Nalini went on a hunger strike in 2006 because she wanted her daughter, who lives in Sri Lanka, to be given a visa to visit her in India.

In 2009, demanding an advisory board to be set up, to decide on her pre-release, Nalini began her “indefinite” fast, which ended after jail authorities told her they would form an advisory board next month to consider her plea.

Glimmer of hope, dies

In 2008, Priyanka Vadra, daughter of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi, created a flutter by visiting Nalini in the prison. Nalini recounts “It was the historical moment of my life.” Priyanka Vadra said, “Nalini is also a human like us and personally I do not hate her for what she had done.” After the meeting, Nalini had hoped she would be released soon, but two more years have been spent in waiting.

Her 2009 petition for release was considered by the Tamil Nadu Prison Advisory Board which forwarded its recommendation to the Chief Minister Karunanidhi, who has forwarded it to the central government for appropriate action. While media speculation is rife that Nalini may be released on compassionate grounds but her cries for freedom, continue to fall on deaf ears.

Related News:

Sonia Gandhi writes letters to Nalini

Nalini moves to High Court for release from Jail

Nalini stays online from Prison to London and Canada

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