Yeh Mera India!!

The 'Recycled' School

2011-07-19T17:47:00.002+05:30

Innovative ways of educating children in India. Good to see such things happen.

Read On..

A school in Pune is a model example of how to follow a greener lifestyle. It's not just teaching its students chapters on recycling, but setting an example.

With walls made of plastic bottles, cow dung plastering interiors, roofs of bamboos and straws and pipes for ventilators, the Aman Setu Primary School on the outskirts of Pune in Wagholi is a school literally made out of waste materials of all kinds.

Its aim is to create an eco-foundation for its children: A fundamental lesson in recycling and conservation.

All classrooms have been built using the Earth Bag Technique - sacks filled with a mix of the earth and waste products have been sealed and stacked up like conventional bricks, tied with barbed wire and plastered over with a mix of natural waste.

The roofs have been waterproofed with old hoardings.

"By creating a learning space like this, we are bringing children closer to nature. Not only is the structure kinder to the earth, aesthetically satisfying, cool and comfortable, it is also a dynamic learning space. It's a hands-on experience for the children to know Mother Nature," said Madhavi Kapoor, founder, Aman Setu.

Staying true to its belief, the students of Aman Setu Primary School are made to play in natural spaces instead of designed playgrounds so that they learn about the flora and fauna and how to live eco-friendly.

They are also taught how to turn organic waste into fertiliser and grow vegetables.

If schools are all about laying the right foundation, this place seems to have got it right. Just as we say, - you learn what you live - here the young minds are learning how to live with nature.

Source: www.ndtv.com, July 04, 2011

Monkey Marriage in India

2011-07-19T17:37:00.004+05:30

Strange things happen in India. Here is one of them.

Read On..

The wedding of Raju and Chinki could put Bollywood to shame. The monkeys were married off in a hush hush ceremony by villagers in Rajasthan before the forest department could stop the 'wildlife crime'! The newly weds have now landed in a zoo.

The caretaker families of the two monkeys had planned an elaborate north Indian wedding for the two. Three-year-old groom, Raju, was to ride a horse from Banetha town in Tonk district, some 100 km from Jaipur, to bride Chinki's house in Talwas village in neighbouring Bundi district.

But the state's forest department clamped a ban on it, prohibiting the nuptial plans for the simians on the ground that it was a wildlife crime.

The dream of villagers were shattered - almost. Some over enthusiastic villagers took the monkeys into a nearby jungle and got them married secretly at 5 a.m. Wednesday. Before foresters could reach the venue, the deed was done. 'I attended the marriage. Almost all rituals were followed, including the seven rounds of the fire and the marriage vows,' a village told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Forest officials are not happy over the development. 'It is a kind of atrocity on the monkeys who were not even aware of what was happening to them. We had issued notices to the two families warning them against it,' a senior forest department officer told IANS.

A team of police and administration officials reached Talwas village, but by then Raju and Chinki were already a couple - in the nearby Antari Ka Jungle. 'The villagers took them to a nearby forest area and got them married,' said the officer.

Now the two monkeys have been 'rescued' and sent to a zoo in neighbouring Kota district. And that has saddened Raju's caretaker Ramesh who says he brought up the monkey like a son. 'We had made all the preparations. Marriage invitations had been sent to at least 200 people,' Ramesh said. He said he was surprised over forest department's 'diktat'. Ramesh claims he trained Raju with such perfection that he behaves like a human being.

'When I met Niranjan Pancholi, Chinki's caretaker, a few months back, I made the marriage proposal for them, which he happily accepted. We were planning to bring Chinki to our house in Banetha after the wedding,' said Ramesh.But the zoo is where the Raju and Chinki landed. 'My dreams are shattered,' said Ramesh.

Source: www.newdelhinews.net, 7th July 2011

Heights Of Superstition: Constable refuses to register theft, says he can't start day on bad note

2011-07-19T17:24:00.004+05:30

This is heights. A Constable refusing to register theft, saying he can't start day on bad note. What is bad note in that? Does he want us to gift him something daily so that he can start his day on a good note. Such are the people in Indian Police Department.

Read On..

''Please come after 2pm. If we entertain a complaint of theft incident in the beginning of day, the whole day would be passed while handling such complaints.''

Amandeep Saini, 27, of Naraingarh was stunned to hear the response of a constable, when the former approached him for lodging a theft complaint of a cellphone at police post PGI on Thursday. The cellphone belongs to a serving Lt Col R K Saini, who was admitted in Nehru Hospital in PGI since July 3, and was stolen from his bed.

Amandeep, a distant relative of the Army officer, said he went to police post with a written complaint which was turned down by the constable. When he stressed that cellphone was costly and swift action of cops might trace it, constable asked him to come back in afternoon, Amandeep added. The cell phone was stolen between 5am and 5:30am from the bed of patient on Thursday.

Source: Times Of India, July 8, 2011

Rs 10 Crore bill received for looking after Mr. Kasab

2011-05-24T16:08:00.003+05:30

It's been about a year since i found time to add something to my blog. The main reason being the blog sites being blocked in my prevoius office. But not now. And this time also its Mr. Kasab again, who has brought me back to write something on my blog..Such an Inspiration right..:)

Recently Maharashtra government received a bill of about Rs 10 Crore towards reimbursement of looking after Kasab. Instead of thinking about is that worth spending that large amount on the terrorist, the Maharashtra Government is writing a letter to the Central government that it cant bear the entire amount and the Central government should help them by giving some money as saving kasab is a national issue, not maharashtra's alone.

Well, i am out of words to tell about the mentality of the government officials. They are asking the central government to give them money to save kasab, instead can't they think that spending such an amount of money on a terrorist is useless. Can't they hang him soon and use the same money for other development rather than wasting money on a terrorist.

May be they dont want him to get hanged, so that they can eat the money using Kasab's name. Bigger Terrorists i can say.

Read on..

Maharashtra government is stunned after receiving a Rs 10 crore bill from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) towards reimbursing expenses on guarding 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab, lodged in the Arthur Road jail here.

Confirming that the state government did receive the Rs 10 crore tag from ITBP, Medha Gadgil, principal secretary, Home, said that the Maharashtra authorities are writing to the ITBP.

"We are in the process of writing to them. We will explain that 26/11 terror attacks is not only an issue limited to Maharashtra but a national issue," she said.

The state government received a request for reimbursement of Rs 10.87 crore from the Director-General, ITBP, New Delhi, R K Bhatia for expenses incurred between March 28, 2009 and September 30, 2010.

"What Kasab and his associates did is an attack not only on Mumbai but an attack on India and it is unfair to ask the state government to bear the burden (for ITBP guarding Kasab)," another senior Home department official said.

The ITPB was deployed in the jail in the run-up to the 26/11 trial, held in a special sessions court set up in the jail premises.

Last year, the home department sought an extension for the deployment of the ITBP which comprised around 200 commandos, armed with sophisticated weaponry and communication equipment, guarding Kasab 24x7.

The ITBP team was deployed for the trial period, after which the state government wrote to the Centre, seeking an extension, the official said.

Source : Times of India, 24th May 2011

Diet of mud and despair in Indian village

2010-06-25T18:07:00.004+05:30

Poverty is increasing alarming in indian villages. The rich are growing richer and the poor are becoming much more poorer. In few villages people have come to a stage of eating mud to survive as they do not have anything to eat. This is shame on the ministers and the government officials of those region. Indian Government should serioulsly look into such issues.

Read on..

"We live on a day-to-day basis," Suraj says, as the faint sound of hammering echoes across the village. "What we earn is what we spend on our families in a day." In Ganne, just off the main road about an hour south of the city of Allahabad, this is a simple fact of life. It is home to members of a poor tribal community, who live in small huts clustered around a series of shallow quarries.

Inside one of the huts sits a little girl called Poonam. She is three years old, and in the early stages of kidney failure. Like many children in Ganne she has become used to eating bits of dried mud and silica, which she finds in the quarry. Tiny children chew on the mud simply because they are hungry - but it is making them ill.

When reports first emerged of children eating mud here local officials delivered more food and warned the villagers not to speak to outsiders. But Poonam's father, Bhulli, is close to despair. What can we do? We eat the mud from the quarry when we feel hungry ."What can I say," he shrugs. "We can't afford to eat properly, so how can I afford to buy medicines for her?"

"I am really worried about my daughter, but I don't know what to do next. The poor need the government's help - if we had it, we wouldn't be in such a desperate state."

People like Bhulli and Suraj make their money filling lorries with bits of rock. It takes about eight hours for five men to fill one load. They carry the stones up from the quarry in plastic washing-up bowls balanced on their heads.

One of the women in the village, Phulkari, approaches to tell us about her little boy. "My son's name is Suraj, and he's started eating mud too," she says. "What can we do? We eat the mud from the quarry when we feel hungry." "Where do we get the money?" she asks. "We usually eat food only once a day. Last night we went to bed without eating anything at all."

The World Bank estimates that one third of all the very poorest people in the world live in India, and stories like those from Ganne have now inspired a national Right To Food campaign. There have been protest rallies in the heart of Delhi, as the Indian parliament prepares to debate a new Food Security Bill. It will dictate how many people in the country get access to massively subsidised food grain.

There's no doubt that India should be able to afford to feed its people. But the devil is in the detail. "It'll only cost the government about 1.2% of GDP to universalize a system of giving food for all, cheap food for all," says Kavitha Srivastava, the national coordinator of the Right to Food campaign.

"They can do it, if they have the political will. It's prioritising - where do you want to put the money?" "We think it should go in building people's nutrition levels. You can't have a country which is weak, which is hungry, which is anaemic. How can you have a nation like this?"

Now the government seems to be prepared to accept a new way of defining poverty, which will increase the number of people below the poverty line by more than 100 million to about 372 million. If you simply throw money at this problem...you'll have to throw four times the amount to get the result you want. And the government of India can't afford that.

If international poverty standards were used, the number would be much higher still - and some Indian economists believe it should be.But whichever figure is used, the poverty line feels like a rather fictitious divide because feeding more than a billion people is a massive logistical exercise. Vast quantities of food provided by the state go missing every day because of corruption and theft.

"Food ought to be a right," says Dr Kaushik Basu, the Chief Economic Advisor at India's Ministry of Finance. "And I believe this is a movement in the correct direction." "But what worries me at times is that we're being too glib and quick about the delivery mechanism."

Official estimates are that right across the country 75% of subsidised grain does not make it to the intended target in villages like Ganne. "So if you simply throw money at this problem, you'll have to throw four times the amount to get the result you want," says Dr Basu. "And the government of India can't afford that. The budget will go bust." In other words, the delivery system needs to be reformed as well - and corrupt local officials need to be taken to task. There is a long way to go.

Jean Dreze, a highly respected Belgian-born academic who has worked in India for many years, points out that the current debate is only about the most basic levels of food intake. There are fair price shops where people can buy subsidised foodgrain
"For a family of five to have reasonably good nutrition, nothing like meat or fish or any such thing, but just one egg per person per day, one banana, some dhal, some vegetables, a reasonably balanced diet - it would cost more than 200 rupees ($4.4; £3) per family per day," he says.

And that is far more than the amounts being discussed at the moment. It is a sobering reminder that feeding India is a daunting challenge - the government knows it, and the prime minister says it must be a priority. But the Right to Food Campaign insists they are not doing enough. The Indian economy continues to grow at impressive speed, and there is no shortage of food in the country. It just isn't reaching the people who need it most, on a consistent basis.

So in Ganne they continue to eat mud. And without finding a solution here in India, the world will come nowhere near the targets it has set itself for reducing global poverty.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk, 15th May 2010

Blind student in india, guided by blind teacher, gets PhD

2010-06-25T17:56:00.002+05:30

Hats off to the student and the teacher!!

He could not see it, but the thunderous, rapturous applause that will ring in Sanjay Jain's ears for a long time told him that he had earned it. Having just won the longest ovation of the ceremony, Jain stood up modestly, a big smile on his face.

For Jain, who is blind since birth, this was one of his life's best moments. He was awarded PhD in law during the 97th convocation ceremony of Nagpur University on Saturday. Interestingly, Jain's guide was head of law department Shirish Deshpande, who is also blind.

This is perhaps for the first time in the country that a blind guide successfully guided a blind scholar. Jain is only the third visually impaired teacher in the university after DW Wadegoankar and Shirish Deshpande. Jain pursued his schooling from a school for blind and also studied at National Institute for Visually Impaired in Dehradun. He, however, pursued further education from regular colleges.

“My friends, teachers and some members of RSS helped me by being my readers. In those days, all material was not available in Braille and there wasn't any technology,” he said. The subject of his thesis was ‘Taking women seriously – A critical inquiry into the changing parameters of judicial review and perspectives on protection and enforcement of rights of women with special reference to the Constitution of India'.

Jain was earlier rejected by Pune University after he applied for the post of a teacher. Not deterred by the disappointment, he bounced back by getting a teacher's job at the ILS law College in Pune. Sanjay met his wife Suleshi, who has normal vision, when she was a student at Nagpur University. They have a son named Sagar.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 6th une 2010

Cops in India tell mother to strip and have sex with her son

2010-06-11T17:52:00.002+05:30

Such a Shame. Being a government servant,indian police misbehaved in such a cheap manner. Such people should be stripped of their jobs immediately and should get severe punishment for what they did. This is really sick of Indian Police.

Read On..

In a shocking tale, police officers, including a woman constable in Delhi, allegedly asked a woman to strip and have sex with her son, a juvenile accused, inside a police post.

The victim, a resident of Delhi's Mayapuri area, alleges that she and her husband had rushed to the local police station after her two sons were detained by the police on charges of theft.

"While returning home from the Mayapuri police station with my wife, I saw a crowd outside our house. While entering I saw a male and a female cop ransacking the place. When we objected and asked about our sons, the cops started hitting us," said the victim's husband.

"After beating us black and blue they took us to the Rajouri Garden police post around 7pm. I saw both my sons there; they had been severely beaten. The male and female police officers there started flogging all of us. They wanted to know about theft of certain items from a car," he added.

The torture ended at midnight. But only the parents were allowed to go. The children were kept in detention.

"They told me to go back home and come back the next morning at 10. But when we showed up, the policemen asked us to go back and return at 4 pm. We went home. But suddenly around 2 pm on May 22, the cops came to our house and took us to the police post.

"There they started beating us again. But after a few minutes one of the constables took me and my younger son out of the room and locked it from the inside. I was worried about the fate of my wife and elder son," he added.

Inside the room, the wife alleges she found herself in the middle of something horrible.

"They locked me and my elder son Raju. Then they started questioning us about the stolen goods. When my son and I denied all charges, the constable asked me to strip in front of my son. When I refused the constable started beating me with his lathi and forced me to strip," she said.

"Then the cops asked me to have sex with my son. Both of us started crying and I begged them to let us go. Then one of the constables asked me to have sex with him instead if I couldn't do it with my son. We begged them again and again to let us go. Finally after about one or two hours they released us," added the victim.

Terrified by the whole incident, the couple went home, silently. But an NGO Society for Social Research Art & Culture got information regarding the episode and encouraged them to file a complaint.

Top police officers refused to comment on the issue saying that the matter was being investigated. But after the NGO interfered, a local cop took the victims to the police post to identify the culprits and assured action against them. The police had lodged an FIR against the victims under section 145/10 of IPC on May 24.

"One of the neighbours called us and narrated the whole incident. We found the victims and we encouraged them to file a complaint against the culprit cops. Then on June 8, the wife wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Police, narrating the whole matter. We have already emailed the victims' story to the NHRC," said Shahnawaz Akhtar Khan, an NGO worker.

MiD DAY has a copy of the letter written by the victims. When the accused policemen came to know that the family was planning to take action, they allegedly tried to bribe them.

"They gave us Rs 3,500 and told us to go away from the area. But I declined and returned the money. They later offered me Rs 20,000 to back off," claimed the victim.

Source: www.ndtv.com, www.midday.com, June 10,2010

Andhra couple stoned to death for 'honour'

2010-06-11T16:43:00.002+05:30

Just for the sake of intercaste marriage, people in india go to such an extent that they kill their own daughter and son in law, that too in front of everyone. Really dont know what they wanna prove..

Read On..

Honour killing isn't restricted to north India: a young Reddy girl and her Dalit husband were stoned to death on Wednesday night. Six people, including the parents of Baddam Swapna Reddy (22), were arrested and charged with murder on Thursday.

Swapna, belonging to the high-caste Reddy community, married Sunkari Srinivas (28) about three months ago. The couple was found stoned to death on the outskirts of Krishnajiwadi village in Nizamabad. Swapna's father B Lal Reddy, mother Radha, uncle N Ram Reddy and three aunts - Yadava, Padma and Shoba - were all booked for murder and under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Cops were deployed in the village after locals staged a dharna outside the girl's parents' house on Thursday.

According to villagers, Srinivas - who was first married to Savithri and has two daughters Nandini and Harini - met Swapna, fell in love and the two got married at Vemalavada temple in Karimnagar district about three months ago.

Srinivas hadn't divorced his first wife but she apparently had no objections to his second marriage. Fearing that their families would not accept their union, the couple began living in Hyderabad after their wedding. Srinivas, a trained computer mechanic, worked with a private firm.

Locals said the couple returned to the village on Wednesday and tried to convince the elders in Swapna's family to accept their marriage. The girl's family members were still in a rage. Later in the day, they allegedly descended on Srinivas's house in the village and attacked the couple.

Kamareddy DSP D Udaykumar Reddy said all the guilty in the double murder would be brought to book. Locals apprehend that those who carried out the crime belonged to the upper caste and hence would get away.

"About 20 members of Swapna's family came barging into our house late last night, dragged them out and lynched them in front of me," said Savithri, Srinivas's first wife, who is now a witness to the death of her husband and his second wife.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 28th May 2010

Children made to walk on fire, glass for ‘confidence’

2010-05-13T18:17:00.000+05:30

This could be an extreme lesson in testing the endurance of children as young as 10-14 years. A city school on Tuesday night made the kids walk on burning coal and broken glass pieces as their parents watched.

The school authorities, however, described the incident, which happened around 11pm at River Dale Academy on L P Savani School Road, as a "scientific and confidence-building exercise". The school claimed no one was injured in the event in which a few parents also participated.

The school had organized a two-day night camp for the students. In all, 125 students participated in it. A majority of them undertook the daunting task in the presence of around 50 parents.

"We have been organizing this event every year for the last seven years. I think there’s nothing shocking in it as it was just an exercise to boost confidence. In the past, no injuries were reported during such an exercise, so we are continuing," said Mahesh Patel, director of River Dale Academy.

"People are shocked as they came to know about it for the first time. Maybe it looks dangerous but actually it’s not. None of the parents objected and it was permitted by them. But in future we will take care if this hurts public sentiment," said Patel.

With the issue coming into limelight, district education officer K R Zanzrukia has ordered an inquiry. On Wednesday, parents of students participating in the camp gathered at the school in support of the authorities. However, many have not taken it lightly. "It is a gross violation of a child’s right," said assistant labour commissioner S A Trivedi, adding, "this is physical torture to a child."

District collector A J Shah said: "How can you adopt such tactics to build self-confidence in a child? There are many management techniques in the education system to build confidence." Rupin Pacchigar, chairman, Nagar Prathmik Shikshan Samiti of SMC that runs 270 schools with 1.36 lakh students, said: "This is ridiculous. This type of activity can only harm children."

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 22nd April 2010

Man who has not eaten food for several years

2010-05-13T18:06:00.003+05:30

Ever thought of starving or not having food for few days..i cant starve for few hours. But this gentlemen has not eaten any food for decades. Its not less than a miracle.

Read On..

Prahlad Jani grew in Charod village in Mehsana district in India. He claims to have been blessed by a goddess at the age of 8. He says he has survived several decades without food or water because of a hole in his palate. Drops of water filter through this hole, he says, sustaining him. He wears a red garment, nose ring, and gold bracelets. He also sports a ‘tikka’ on his forehead. His followers call him ‘mataji’or goddess.

Prahlad Jani, who has not eaten food or drunk water for 74 years of his 82-year-old life, will be kept under observation by the a wing of the defence ministry for 15 days. The members of Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Science (DIPAS) want to understand if this process can be replicated in others’ bodies. The observation is being undertaken at the Sterling hospital.

DIPAS Director G Ilavazhagan said, “Jani was earlier tested for 10 days at the hospital in 2003. Neurophysician Dr Sudhir Shah and his team had conducted the tests to certify that Jani did indeed live without food and water. He also did not pass out urine or stool.”

On why the defence ministry was interested in Jani, he explained, “We have soldiers manning border areas where food and water is not easily available. We are trying to locate Jani’s source of energy. If this can be transferred to the soldiers, or utilised by them in some manner, it will be greatly beneficial. It may help in working out strategies for survival during natural calamities, extreme stressful conditions and extra-terrestrial explorations like future missions to Moon and Mars.”

Ilavazhagan, however, was unsure what the study would reveal. “As and when a development occurs, we will reveal it to the world,” he said, adding: “Jani says he meditates to get energy. Our soldiers will not be able meditate, but we would still like to find out more about the man and his body.”

Jani says he was blessed by the mother goddess when he was eight and began living in a cave in Gabbar hills at Ambaji, to be called 'Mataji'. He has willingly accepted to be a subject of this exhaustive project where he will undergo a battery of advance tests, including MRIs, scans and blood studies. Jani, dressed in a red sari, nose ring and sindoor, spends his time in hospital meditating, offering prayers, keeping silence and giving blessings.

Mention of such ‘miracle men/women’ are there in the "Autobiography Of A Yogi” by Sri Paramahansa Yogananda in which he describes about such persons who have not eaten for years together. It is all possible for persons who are blessed by God. In their case they get divine energy from subtle space in their spine.

Source: www.ahmedabadmirror.com, 27th April 2010

People build a temple for dog in India

2010-04-15T14:23:00.004+05:30

All i can say is IT Happens Only in India.

Read On..

A community in Karnataka has established an unconventional temple to pay respects to the epitome of faithfulness - the dog.

The common dog has been raised to the status of God in Channapatna's Ramanagar district, where the people not only have built a temple for the animal but are also conducting poojas to the dog-God.

Besides idolising the dog for its faithful nature, the worshippers believe that the dog has the capability of donning a far more grave and unplayful avatar, when needed, to stop any wrongdoing or to set things right.

This aggressive animal is believed to work alongside the village deity. There are two idols in the temple representing the two faces of the animal.

Animals are commonly worshipped in Hinduism, the religion followed by the majority in the country. The ancient religion bestows animals such as cows with divinity.

It is also interesting to note that India, which is often known as the land of temples, not only boasts of ancient and historically significant temples but also some peculiar specimens such as the famous temple for south Indian actress Khusboo in Tamil Nadu and the temple built for politician and Dalit leader Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh.

Source: http://news.oneindia.in, 10th April 2010

No toilet, no bride

2010-04-15T13:01:00.000+05:30

The war against insanitation is being fought by women in Haryana by placing a simple condition before their daughters get married - her new household should have a toilet.

Suresh Devi, 52, a resident of Shahar Malpur village near Panipat, about 100 km from New Delhi, had been forced to defecate in the open till not so long ago, as there was no toilet in her home. But when her daughter got married, she made sure the bride had a toilet in her new home.

“My in-laws did not have a toilet at home and nor did my parents. Everybody at home used to go to the fields for defecation. We never had a toilet at home until the village panchayat (council) got one made last year.

“When I got my youngest daughter Sonia married off I made sure that there was a toilet in the household. After all one has to look after hygiene,” Suresh, a member of a family that is below the poverty line, told IANS.

In a country where 665 million people still defecate in the open and where killer diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, jaundice and malaria are all caused by lack of hygeine, the state government’s sanitation campaign has come as a major change.

“Our daughter will be married only to a family that has a toilet at home. This slogan dramatically decreased the percentage of people holding out against the construction of new toilets,” chuckled 70-year-old Satwant Kaur of Khanpur Koliyan, a village in the neighbouring Kurukshetra district, about 150 km from the national capital.

It has been nearly four years since the Haryana government embarked on a campaign to create awareness about sanitation among the masses through radio jingles, television advertisements, posters and banners.

Walls in many villages have been painted with slogans in Hindi reading - “Na byahun beti us ghar mein jismein na ho shauchalaya (Won’t get my daughter married into a household which does not have a toilet).”

Since 2005, 1.41 million toilets have been built across the agriculture-dependent state that surrounds the national capital on three sides. Out of the 1,417,960 toilets constructed from 2005 to Jan 31 this year under the total sanitation campaign, 947,828 units were built by families above the poverty line and 470,132 by those below the poverty line.

Under a scheme, 798 village panchayats have already received nearly Rs.112.9 million (Rs.11.29 crore) as reward from the state government for having a toilet in each household of the village.

Back in Shahar Malpur village, the movement has caught on with several families undertaking the construction of the toilets in their homes on their own, like in the case of 75-year-old Bhaiya Ram Sharma, who believes one has to change according to the demands of time.

“Our belief is that the toilets should not be in the home as the food is also cooked within the premises. Moreover, one also gets fresh air during the walk to the fields. But one has to change with the times,” Sharma said from his four room village house.

This was the belief which has been the reason behind people of this state using open fields for defecation. While men and children can go any time, the women have to do so under cover of darkness.

“Since my marriage and before that in my parents’ home we have always been going out. But with age and all the children getting married it becomes difficult to go out for defecation if there is an emergency and it is also quite unsafe for the women to go out at odd hours,” said Sharma’s wife Jeevani.

Source: www.sindhtoday.net, 13th March 2009

India has more mobile phones than toilets

2010-04-15T12:36:00.006+05:30

I have seen people in villages of India using cellphones for each and every small work like calling someone to the farm by giving a missed call, or by checking the price of the food grains in the cities by just calling over mobile. On the other hand, the government should take initiative of building and maintaining more toilets in the cities as well as villages. The toilets are seldom seen and if they are seen, they are very dirty and unhealthy. The government should address this issue asap.

Read On..

As the country’s wealth continues to grow, almost half the population have a hand-held device but less than a third have access to proper sanitation.
The lack of flushing toilets has led to continuing problems of water-borne illness and millions of deaths, according to UN experts who published a nine-point prescription for achieving the world’s Millennium Development Goal for sanitation by 2015.
Their report on India, the world’s second most populous country, shows 600 million people – 54 per cent of the population – defecated in the open in 2008, causing a health disaster.
At the same time, 545 million mobile phones are now connected to networks in the developing nation.
The Indian government has vowed to end open defecation by 2012.
Zafar Adeel, director of UN think-tank the Institute for Water, Environment and Health, called for ‘popular education about the dangers of poor sanitation’.
‘This simple measure could do more to save lives, improve health and help pull India and other countries in similar circumstances out of poverty than any alternative investment,’ he added.

Source: www.metro.co.uk, 14th April 2010

Cops leave accident victim to die on road

2010-04-12T13:02:00.003+05:30

Indian police can do anything for money. In this case they took the driver into custody immediately, who killed an elderly person in an accident. But they left the victim to die on road. They could have taken him to the hospital immediately so that he could have been saved. But they didnt do this since they dont have anything to gain from this. Instead they catch hold of the driver and his boss so that they can fetch money from them. This is the reality and Reality Bites.

Read On..

Police apathy touched a new low in the capital on Thursday, when cops allegedly left a senior citizen to die on the road while rushing the occupants of a BMW car, which had knocked down the victim on NH-24, away from the accident site.

Om Dutt Chauhan, 65, a retired DTC employee who was out on his morning walk with his son and neighbours, died after lying for half-an-hour on the road between Nizamuddin and Ghazipur, close to the Akshardham temple.

Eyewitnesses said the speeding BMW, driven by the son of a prominent east Delhi businessman, spun out of control and hit the divider before ramming Chauhan, who fell on stones kept on the pavement for relaying.

According to Chauhan's son Mahesh, a PCR van arrived at the spot within seven minutes of the accident. "They first reached out to the driver — Raman Singla, whose family owns a confectionery chain in east Delhi — his father Baburam Singla and brother Deepak Singla. The cops told us they were to be taken in the PCR van so that they don't escape," Mahesh said.

Minutes after retired DTC employee Om Dutt Chauhan was hit by a BMW car near Akshardham temple, S P Shukla, an eyewitness to the accident, said both he and victim's son Mahesh Chauhan pleaded that Om be shifted to a hospital. "Instead, the cops just drove away in the wrong lane (connecting Mayur Vihar Phase-II with Nizamuddin) and then turned right towards Noida. We kept requesting other policemen and traffic police gathered at the spot to arrange for another vehicle, but they kept saying another PCR would arrive soon and added that the delay was due to the traffic jam caused by the accident," said Shukla.

"We heard a huge noise and tyres screeching. We turned around and saw this out of control blue BMW spinning wildly on the road. It hit the divider, then knocked a man down and twirled a few times in the air before hitting the pavement," said eyewitness Rajesh, a class X student.

The police have ordered a high level inquiry into the incident. "The DCP (PCR) P S Bhusan will investigate the role of the two policemen posted in the PCR," said Dharmendra Kumar, joint commissioner (New Delhi Range).

The incident was reported around 6.05am though the first PCR call in this regard was received at 6.29am.

The police, though, had a different version of the incident. "The PCR cops have told us that they found Om dead when they reached the spot. They decided to remove the driver Raman Singla to the hospital as he too was injured in the accident and was bleeding from his forehead. It was also our duty to protect him from the mob who had already began pelting stones at the car. However, everyone's role in this case will be investigated," said joint CP Kumar.

Added the SHO of the Mandawali police station: "After the first PCR left, we tried to remove the body but were physically stopped from doing so by the kin of the deceased who said that we need to hand over the accused to them." Chauhan's body was finally shifted for postmortem at the LBS Hospital around 9.15 am.

Kumar added that Raman had been arrested for causing death due to rash and negligent driving. He said Raman was driving under the influence of alcohol. "We have so far not been able to establish whether Baburam Singla and Deepak Singla too were in the car as the PCR only found Raman at the accident spot. The accused's family tried to produce one Javed as the driver of the BMW but the claim seems to be untrue," said the JCP. A local court granted Raman interim bail for a single day on a personal bond of Rs 24,000.

Talking to mediapersons, Deepak Singla, brother of the accused, claimed that Raman was innocent. "Javed was driving the car. My brother was in the backseat and he was headed for the New Delhi railway station to pick up a relative. However, news reached us that the relative had got off at the Ghaziabad station and we were asked to go back to our residence at Dayanand Vihar near Anand Vihar. The driver, thus took a U-turn from Nizamuddin and met with an accident near Akshardham," he said.

Two months ago, another morning walker, a 44-year-old gallantry award awardee, had died after he was hit by an unidentified vehicle on Africa Avenue Marg. The family of the deceased, Major Alok Singh, had alleged that there was a delay of three hours in taking him to the hospital.

Source: www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 8th April 2010

Animals fed ice-cream in Coimbatore Zoo to beat the heat

2010-04-12T12:45:00.004+05:30

We always feel like eating ice cream and drink cold fruit juice in summer. The people in coimbatore zoo feels the same is felt by animals also. In rising hot temperature, animals also need something cold, they feel. Good Initiative, i say.

Read On..

Animals residing in the Coimbatore zoo being fed ice creams, watermelons, and other citrus fruits to help them beat the heat.

"We are facing so may problems regarding heat stroke...for that...to maintain the animals and also the birds...to keep them cool, we are, instead of giving them regular feed; we are concentrating on giving ice cream as well as watermelon ", said Perumalsamy, the director of the zoo at Voc Park in Coimbatore.

Pelicans are being fed fish with added doses of vitamins; other birds are also getting their meals with vitamins added to them.

The zoo authorities are even spraying water in the cages regularly to make the animals and birds feel more comfortable in the summer.

Visitors find the new initiative intriguing and feel such steps would benefit the animals.

"This is something new and this is for the first time I am witnessing this here. Moreover, the initiative taken by the zoo officials to protect the monkeys and other animals during this hot summer is something great," said Radha, a visitor.

This initiative would continue till the summer ends.

Source: www.dnaindia.com, 9th April 2010

TED India Talks: Harsha Bhogle - The rise of cricket, the rise of India

2010-04-09T14:53:00.003+05:30

The tale of a major global cultural phenomenon: Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle describes the spectacular arrival of fast-paced 20-20 cricket as it parallels the rise of modern India. He traces the game from its sleepy English roots to the current world of celebrity owners and million-dollar player contracts.

About Harsha Bhogle

Harsha Bhogle can talk about the business side of cricket, the technicalities of play and the psychology of the players with equal authority.

IIM-A alum and former Rediffusion ad man Harsha Bhogle has been called “the voice of Indian cricket” -- he's India's premier cricket commentator and columnist. Beloved for his insightful patter, he writes a weekly cricket column for Indian Express and interviews top cricketers on ESPNStar's Harsha UnPlugged.
He's been the front man for ESPNStar cricket telecasts from the day they launched in India. Now he has taken to the corporate lecture circuit with his wife and business partner, Anita, applying the wisdom of the game to help companies develop compelling business strategies.
"When Harsha Bhogle begins to talk, you cannot but sit and listen."
K. Pradeep, The Hindu

Here is the Video:

TED India Talks: Shukla Bose - Teaching one child at a time

2010-04-09T14:38:00.003+05:30

Educating the poor is more than just a numbers game, says Shukla Bose. She tells the story of her groundbreaking Parikrma Humanity Foundation, which brings hope to India's slums by looking past the daunting statistics and focusing on treating each child as an individual.

About Shukla Bose:

Shukla Bose is the founder and head of the Parikrma Humanity Foundation, a nonprofit that runs four extraordinary schools for poor children.

The word "Parikrma" implies a full revolution, a complete path around -- and Shukla Bose's Parikrma Humanity Foundation offers literally that to kids in poor urban areas around Bangalore. Parikrma's four Schools of Hope teach the full, standard Indian curriculum to children who might not otherwise see the inside of a classroom, with impressive results. Equally important, the schools build an "end-to-end" environment that supports learning -- offering lunch every day, health-care and family support. Beyond these schools, Parikrma has inaugurated several afterschool programs and has plans for setting up a central teacher-training hub.

Bose left behind a corporate career in 1992 to found Parikrma with a small group of friends. The nonprofit holds itself to formal business goals and strict accountability, and has developed some clever fundraising and marketing campaigns. As Bose puts it, the goal of Parikrma is to help build a better India by tapping its greatest strength: the vitality and potential of its people.

"Education of children is at the core of our aim to transform poor communities into self-sustaining, contributing communities. "
Shukla Bose

Here is the video:

Man sentenced to five slaps for rape in Ghaziabad

2010-03-23T13:13:00.000+05:30

In a most shameful punishment ever awarded to a rapist, a man accused of raping a minor was sentenced to 5 kicks as a punishment for his crime by the village panchayat in Ghaziabad.

The accused raped his niece when she was alone in the house at Saulana village on Saturday, Mar 13. The girl reported the matter to her parents who confronted the accused.

"After my daughter told me about the rape I confronted him. He asked me to settle the matter among ourselves," the victim's mother said in media reports.

But, they decided to go the police when he was allowed to go free with the filmsiest punishment of five kicks.

"The girl told her parents who threatened to go to the police. But the people in the area called a Panchayat and tried to cover up the matter," Superintendent of Police (SP) Capt M M Baig reportedly said.

Police said that a case under section 376 (rape) was lodged against the accused on Tuesday, Mar 16 and the victim has been sent for medical examination.

Efforts are being made to arrest the accused, police said.

Source: news.oneindia.in, 17th March 2010

Godman incarnation near Bangalore supplicated by cannabis

2010-03-23T12:55:00.001+05:30

One more superstition using gods name. People getting to have Ganja using gods name as a excuse.

Read on..

In a bizarre ritual, large number of devotees visit a temple in Bangalore's Chitradurga district and smoke cannabis during an annual festival as an expression of their devotion to the deity here.

Buzz up! The temple's main deity Nayakana Hatti Tipperudraswami is said to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva.Visiting this temple during the annual festival shows how men and women consume cannabis during this festival, held in March, in the name of the strange belief.

Also related to this 800-year-old unusual ritual is a belief of some people that smoking cannabis enables the smoker to develop a better focus in the worship of the deity here.

People here believe that God favours those devotees who smoke cannabis here and they attain 'salvation' after smoking cannabis.Legend has it that Tipperudraswami came to Nayakana hatti and stayed until his last days. The God created the pyre for his cremation.

"The fair is of Guru Eppseswamy (another name of Nayakana Hatti Tipperudraswami) is being observed every year for 800 years. He attained Moksha (salvation) at this place," said Shekharappa, Member of Temple Committee.

Some of the hermits believe that cannabis should be consumed by them alone as it is the sacred offering of God.

"In our Shavana community, many people call it (cannabis) as 'Ganja' or 'Patri'. But it is none of these. It is 'Shiva Patri'. I should say that only the Shavana community should be allowed to smoke it. No other people have authority over it," said, Niranjan Swamiji, a hermit.

Though it is illegal to buy, sell or possess cannabis in the country, the fair provides an opportunity to cannabis sellers and buyers, as they can trade cannabis here without any hassle.

Source: news.oneindia.in, 10th March 2010

Marriage made in heaven, solemnised in police station

2010-03-23T12:48:00.001+05:30

Policemen in UP helped a couple to get married in their police station when their parents opposed it :)

Read On..

The wedding card of this couple who eloped might read something like this — Satish Kumar weds Maya Pasi. You are cordially invited to attend the marriage at a police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao district!

Satish, 24, and Maya, 21 – both residents of Achalganj town in Unnao, some 65 km from Lucknow – who had run away from home ended up tying the knot, thanks to policemen who were moved by their plight.

“The Achalganj police station literally transformed into a wedding venue. We even set up a ‘mandap’ in the police station and decorated it with flowers and called a priest from a nearby town, who solemnised the wedding yesterday (Wednesday) evening,” police inspector Shreedhar Pathak told reporters Thursday in Unnao.

“When locals came to know about the marriage, they too turned up to bless the couple and participated in the ceremonial function along with police. We cannot put into words what we feel after helping the couple get married,” added Pathak, who along with other policemen made the wedding arrangements at the police station.

The couple were in love for the past two years and eloped two days ago after which the girl’s father filed a complaint with the police.

Acting on the compliant, the police carried out a search operation and nabbed the couple early Wednesday from the outskirts of the town.

Thereafter, police handed over the girl to her father, while they detained Satish for questioning. However, later in the afternoon the girl turned up before police and pleaded with them to let her marry Satish.

“We were moved by the tears of the girl…When we learnt that the consenting couple were adults and their marriage was opposed by their family members, we decided to get the couple married,” said Omkar Triptahi, another police official.

After conducting the marriage, the police officials called the parents of the couple and tried to explain to them the legal aspects of the situation and counselled them to accept the couple.

After counselling, both families accepted the couple.

Source: www.dailytimesindia.com, 11th march 2010

Bizarre superstitious ritual of lowering the infants into a 50-feet deep well

2010-03-23T12:34:00.001+05:30

One more act of bizarre superstitious ritual still happening in India.

Read On..

Authorities have launched an awareness campaign in Maharashtra's Sangli district to rid the locals of practising bizarre superstitious rituals.

Buzz up!
Villagers in Sangli follow a ritual of lowering the infants into a 50-feet deep well with a belief it would help in increasing the life of the kids.

This ritual is very old and the villagers observe it every year on the occasion of 'Gudi Padwa' or the Hindu New Year.

The ritual had the district authorities concerned.

"This is a very old tradition, but still it is not correct to carry it out in today's age. So I've asked the SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) to go to the village and talk to the villagers to discontinue this ritual," said Shyam Vardane, District Magistrate, Sangli.

This is just one of many incidents that people in various parts of India follow, especially in the rural areas.

Lack of education and awareness and prohibitive medical care often leads the people to practice bizarre rituals with a belief it would bring them good luck or prosperity or even long life.

Source: news.oneindia.in, 19th March 2010

Kerala oracles and devotees sing filthy songs on Hindu Gods

2010-03-23T12:17:00.002+05:30

In the previous post we read that people offered cigarettes and beer to god, here people are singing vulgar songs about hindu gods to get the blessings from their god.
I really dont understand how people can believe such things and follow them.

Read on..

Devotes and oracles gathered at the Kodungallur Bhagavathy Temple here to celebrate the Bharani festival, where they sang filthy and vulgar songs about Hindu gods and goddess with the belief that it praises their main deity.

Devotees here are free to sing any kind of songs but should be a vulgar one followed by ''ta-naro-tanro'' and throw turmeric, coconut on to the temple's sanctum sanatorium roof, while the oracles dressed in red attire holding sword with bells on their belly take a full round of the temple. Sometimes most of them hit themselves on their forehead with their sword in praise to their deity.

Surendran Kumar, a Hindu devotee from Coimbatore, who comes here every year with his entire group to celebrate, said that he has been following his father and brothers even mother to take up as an oracle.

Kumar further said it is the power of goddess, which draws him to do it every year without any fail. "I have been coming here for the past four years now. We are altogether 166 people. We have been becoming oracles as a family traditional from my forefathers, all my brothers and even my mother comes here every year," said Kumar.

"Only because of this our life is safe and secure we are very happily living. There is nothing like any pain or any break on our foreheads even we do not know why we are smashing ourselves we are not aware that time," he added.

The pilgrimage undertaken to the shrine on this occasion is believed to safeguard and bring lots of wealth to their families.

Another lady oracle Devaki Amma said she has been coming here since ages and there has been a kind of blessing in her family after visiting this place. "I have been coming here to this temple since 1943 and I am an oracle. We are around 55 devotees came together. For all of us the Kodungallur Bhagvati is our own deity, who protects us from all evils and has got every wealth like car, house and other things to our family members," she said.

The famous Kodungalloor Bhagavathy Temple located in Thrissur district of Kerala is open for all especially belonging to the lower strata in Hindu society on the occasion. The Goddess Bhagavathy is the presiding deity of the ancient temple here. The Bharani festival, known for its bawdy songs, attracts the largest congregation of Velichappadu or oracles, both men and women, in the State.

Kerala is a perfect place of communal harmony and is often mentioned as the god''s own country.

Source: www.newkerala.com, 20th March 2010

Devotees offer cigarettes, alcoholic drinks to Lord Muneshwara in Karnataka

2010-03-23T12:04:00.002+05:30

Heard anywhere of offering wine and cigarettes to god. It happens only in India.
Read On..

Offering flowers, sweets and fruits to god has been a part of age-old tradition in Hinduism but in Karwar district of Karnataka, devotees offer alcohol and cigarettes to Lord Muneshwara.

Sources of devotees from all over the country including Maharashtra and Goa visit this temple to get their wishes fulfilled by offering cigarettes and alcohol. According to Anand Raj Naik, a priest of Muneshwara temple, alcohol and cigarettes were liked by Him. Hence, it is been made a ritual here to offer as a religious offering to please and seek His blessings.

"People pray to Lord Muneshwara for fulfilment of their wishes and once their wish is fulfilled, they come here to offer cigarette, non-vegetarian food and wine. These things were his favourite when He was alive. Hence we are still following this ritual to please him," said Naik.

Every March, a fair is organized near the temple, where scores of devotees come to offer alcohol, goat and chicken.

"Lord Muneshwara has fulfilled all our wishes, even if somebody is sick in our family, I believe that lord will cure him. In return, we come here to offer him cigarette and wine," said Kiran Venkatraman, a devotee.

It is believed that lord Muneshwara also called "Khapri" by locals, came to Karwar 300 years ago and took to renunciation.

He then served the poor and the needy. After his death, a temple was constructed at a place called Karwar.

Source: www.dailyindia.com, March 21 2010

1000 Rupees notes garland for Mayawati

2010-03-16T21:18:00.007+05:30

Look at how money is being used in public in UP. Earlier they started using crores of money to build the statues of Mayawati and other leaders of SP, now 1000 rupees notes garland made for Mayawati. Where does this much money come from. Is it the tax money of people or is it the corruption money being used. Isnt there any account of such things in uttar pradesh.

Read On..

It was a one woman show at the BSP rally marking the 76th birth anniversary of its founder Kanshi Ram today with chief minister Mayawati being presented a garland made of hundreds of Rs.1000 notes while other leaders were literally relegated to the background.

The garland also attracted the attention of the crowd at Ramabai Ambedkar maidan as they could not make out from a distance that it was made of currency notes. Some were heard discussing about the "shining garland" and concluded that it could be made of some "imported flowers".

Mayawati, who arrived at the venue on a helicopter amidst sloganeering by supporters led by senior ministers Naseemuddin Siddiqui and Lalji Verma, took the lone chair in the middle of the dais, while all senior party leaders including the Assembly speaker Sukhdev Rajbhar sat much behind her or were standing.

Members of Bahujan Volunteer Force, assigned the task of controlling the cadres during such rallies, could not stop themselves from breaking into a jig during a cultural show at the event. Men and women donning blue danced enthusiastically to songs in praise of the BSP chief and she looked on.

Source: www.dnaindia.com, 15th March 2009

TED India Talks: Kartick Satyanarayan- How we rescued the "dancing" bears

2010-02-25T11:37:00.001+05:30

Traditionally, the Kalandar community of India has survived by capturing sloth bear cubs and training them to "dance" through extreme cruelty. Kartick Satyanarayan has been able to put an end to this centuries-old practice, and in so doing discovered a lesson of wider significance: make the practitioners part of the solution.

Kartick Satyanran works tirelessly to save India’s wild animals from illegal captivity and poaching -- most notably rescuing hundreds of “dancing” bears.

Known by many in India as the “Bear Man,” Kartick Satyanaran is the co-founder of Wildlife SOS -- a non-profit wildlife conservation organization famous for its campaign to rescue every “dancing” bear in the country. For many years, “dancing” sloth bears were the only livelihood of the Kalandar community, but the practice involves extreme cruelty by modern standards, endangers the bear population and is illegal today. He began the organization with his aunt and fellow animal rights champion Geeta Seshamani in 1995, and since then they have rescued over 550 bears.

Satyanaran began rescuing animals as a child, with a particular tendency to rescue snakes. Although he majored in business management in college, he returned to his early love of animal as a field assistant tracking tigers for the Wildlife Conservation Society. Now, through Wildlife SOS, he runs rescue and rehabilitation centers for India’s sloth bears, elephants, leopards and more, as well as several conservation and forest watch projects.

"Although we are proud of the life we can offer our rescued bears, in the sanctuary, we would prefer that there would not be a need for these sanctuaries and the bears could live unharmed in the wild."
Kartick Satyanarayan

Here is the video: