Modi’s comments on Malnutrition in Gujarat- Derogatory and Childish!!!

My Letter to The Hindu dated 01-09-2012

Mr. Modi’s remark that his State has recorded high levels of malnutrition because the middle class is more beauty conscious than health conscious is immature and condemnable. Voluntary slimming has nothing to do with malnutrition, which is caused due to the unavailability of food and water. When Mr. Modi says Gujaratis are largely vegetarian, he obviously excludes Muslims. His comment is the latest in a series of episodes highlighting his lack of understanding and wisdom. In his book Karmayogi, he glorified the inhuman practice of manual scavenging as a spiritual experience. The fact that economic growth does not necessarily lead to reduced poverty is a cause for concern because the benefits are not trickling down to the poor. Mr. Modi should make the right efforts to make Gujarat a truly vibrant and inclusive State.

For your reading: The Hindu Editorial dated 01-09-2012   

The Modi index

So now we know why Gujarat has such appalling numbers when it comes to malnourished children. Asked by the Wall Street Journal what he was doing about the persistently high rates of malnutrition in his State, Chief Minister Narendra Modi lamented the fact that young girls just don’t listen to mummy. “If a mother tells her daughter to have milk, they’ll have a fight. She’ll tell her mother, ‘I won’t drink milk. I’ll get fat’.” As Mr. Modi put it to the WSJ, Gujarat is “a middle class state. The middle class is more beauty conscious than health conscious.” If Mr. Modi’s startling revelation is true, it is another feather in the cap for Golden Gujarat. This must be the only place on the planet where girl children under the age of three, driven by blind, anorexic ambition, defy their unfortunate mothers. For that’s what the malnourished child numbers are about. According to the last National Family Health Survey (NFHS), the percentage of underweight children in the State actually went up between NFHS-2 (1998-99) and NFHS-3 (2005-06). And that was largely on Mr. Modi’s watch. He became Chief Minister in October 2001.

The NFHS-3 tells us that 47 per cent of children below the age of three in the State were underweight. That figure was 45 per cent in NFHS-2. That’s about twice the average for sub-Saharan Africa. It is also marginally higher than the nationwide average of 46 per cent. The percentage of Gujarat’s children who are ‘wasted’ also went up from 16 to 17 per cent between the two NFHS surveys. Mr. Modi also suggested malnourishment is a problem because “Gujarat is by and large a vegetarian State.” An interesting line of argument, but one based on the preposterous assumption that a vegetarian diet is incapable of keeping the human body well nourished. Truth to tell, the question that stumped Mr. Modi is one that even professional economists have struggled to answer. Throughout the world, anthropometric indicators of human well-being tend to move in tandem with growth rates. This is what makes Gujarat, which is a prosperous State in the macroeconomic sense, something of a puzzle. Some of its human development indicators are as bad as or worse than India’s poorest States. Any serious administrator would have already studied this problem and started taking remedial steps. What makes Mr. Modi’s hokey answer so distressing is that the problem of child malnutrition is clearly not even on his radar as Chief Minister. “We will try to get a drastic change in this,” he lamely promised. Maybe we’re seeing the birth of a new measure of insensitivity, if not malnourishment. The Modi Index?

Amend the Constitution for upholding reservation for SC/STs in promotion.

Reservation is a social remedy not a social malady

Read how the Upper-caste readers spat venomous words against social justice in The Hindu dated 25-08-2012

Reservation

Now that the government has announced that it will amend the Constitution, if necessary, to provide reservation for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in promotions, I wonder whether quota is the only means to uplift the backward sections. When I was in school, I knew nothing about the caste system. I believed that all are equal. But when I grew up and was trying to secure admission to a college, I found that a friend got admission in a very prestigious institution without much effort.

When I asked him how it became possible, he said “ reservation hai yaar, mujhe to aise hi mil jata hai ” (thanks to reservation, I get admissions easily). Only then did the reality of the caste system sink in.

Ajit Mishra,

Kanpur

The UPA government is ready to amend the Constitution to provide promotion quota to those who have got a government job on quota. Where is our country headed?

Vinal Gupta,

Raipur

Reservation in promotions is unjust. It is not only the general category but also efficiency that will suffer. Lawmakers should take decisions in the interest of all.

Faninder Shekhar,

Chandigarh

The SCs and the STs have been discriminated against for thousands of years. They must be helped so that they can be brought on a par with the rest of society. But they cannot be allowed to overtake because of their caste. By extending reservation to promotions, we will do a great disservice to the nation.

K.C. Ramudu,

Kurnool

In this time and age when technology is making rapid strides and merit should matter, we are still talking about reservation for certain sections as if what has been done for them over the decades is inadequate.

Prabhu Raj,

Chennai

My response

It’s ironic that a reader carrying a caste tag like Mishra talks about ‘casteless society,’ ‘reservation as a divisive factor’ etc., Let these readers first remove their caste tags from their names and also have a look at the number of castes in the matrimonial advertisements. I really wonder whether they are reading the newspapers regularly. Had they read, they would have had firsthand information on caste bias and atrocities against the Dalits. Anyway, whatever is said and done, the psyche of the elites won’t change. That doesn’t mean that I should stop speaking to them. I should speak, speak, and speak till the deaf ears listen to the voice of the voiceless.      

My Letter to The Hindu dated 27-08-2012

One can understand the anger of the readers who oppose reservation in promotions. They fear that it will upset the apple cart of the ‘upper’ castes. The policy of reservation in employment has, no doubt, played an important role in the progress of the SCs and the STs. It has provided them a means of livelihood and social prestige. It has certainly ensured the first step towards equality. But the National Commission for SC/ST data shows that the presence of SCs in Group A and B categories is poor. They have been facing discrimination for ages and measures such as quota in promotions are necessary for their progress. The promotion process is not free from caste bias. The risk can be neutralised only through reservation.

North-East Exodus: A Blot on the Secular Fabric of our nation

Dear North East friends!! Please Come Back!!

The recent mass exodus of the North East people from Bangalore is a blot on the cosmopolitan character of the city. I wonder whether we, as a nation, are progressing towards attaining universal brotherhood or fragmenting on the basis of language and religion. What makes these recent threats more appalling is the fact that they go against the fundamental right of equality granted to the citizens by the Constitution.

Failure to stem parochial hatred will lead to it spreading to neighbouring States. Radical elements who promote anarchy by spreading hatred should be marginalised. It is unfortunate that the rumour-mongers have a parochial outlook, especially towards one of the most vibrant cosmopolitan cities of India. The sentiment, “regionalism-above-nationalism,” which is prevalent across the country in varying proportions is lamentable and should be addressed effectively. Placing the interest of one’s region above that of the nation is a threat to unity, and those doing so should be taken to task. These rumours spread by vested interest groups reflect the desperation of some political groups that disrupt normal life to gain political mileage. We should not get carried away by their actions. Bangalore or any other city does not lend itself to the concept of locals and outsiders.

The Centre and the State government should act immediately against the divisive forces who have been fomenting trouble with the sole objective of gaining a political identity for themselves. It is only be a matter of time before this brand of regional parochialism spreads its ugly and vicious tentacles to other States. It is high time the government realised the gravity of this situation and took stringent and rigorous action to advance the cause of the North East people it seeks to represent. We can only hope that the parochial tendency does not spread to other States enabling the North East people to come back.

My Letter to The Hindu dated 20-08-2012  

It was pathetic to see media images of students running about to escape the perceived threat. Hooliganism will rob the cosmopolitan character of Bangalore or any other city. The government should deal with it with an iron fist and send the signal that it will ensure the wellbeing of the north-easterners in every possible way.

If Doctors turn Criminals? If criminals become doctors?

The incident in which a five-day-old female baby died at a government hospital in Jalandhar district of Punjab after she was taken out of the incubator, apparently because her father could not afford the fee of Rs 200 is totally atrocious and inhumane. It invites our wrath when a physician who has taken the Hippocratic oath that he will “fulfill according to his ability and judgment this oath and this covenant...he will apply...(treatment) for the benefit of the sick according to his ability and judgment; he will keep them from harm and injustice,” has done this serious crime.  

Throughout our history, medical institutions have largely been charitable, nonprofit establishments existing primarily to serve the community. This incident has proved the deterioration and decay of public health care system in India. The government has a moral obligation to meet the basic needs of all of its members. Every Indian, rich or poor, should have access to free health care he or she needs. Despite mushrooming of sophisticated state of the art hospitals in cities serving the rich, thousands of rural India's poor patients have to depend upon government hospitals when they desperately need health care. This heart breaking incident carries the message that there is an urgent need to strengthen the public health care system in India so that deprived sections of the society could have greater access to medical aid in time.

The virtues of caring, compassion, and charity, and a sense of community have been perpetuated by good physicians whose primary concern has been the alleviation of human suffering and the restoration of health. We must not allow such important and fragile virtues and ideals to be extinguished by the self-interest that drives responsible doctors to kill an innocent life. We must not allow the motive of economic gain to enter so directly into the practice of medicine, placing the well-being of patients in serious jeopardy, and undermining the trust so essential to the physician-patient relationship.

For your reading the report appeared in The Hindu -27-07-2012

Newborn dies as father couldn’t pay Rs. 200 for incubator

The father of the premature baby could not pay for the incubator

A five-day-old baby girl died at the government-run Civil Hospital at Jalandhar as the staff stopped treatment when her father could not pay Rs. 200 charged for use of an incubator.

The incident came to light when Sanjeev Kumar, a daily wage painter, and his wife Anita accused the staff of “killing” the baby born prematurely in the hospital on July 20. The child required extra medical assistance as it developed complications, including jaundice, immediately after birth.

On Wednesday, the staff asked Sanjeev to deposit Rs. 200 for running the incubator. But he was not able to arrange for the money.

Apparently, the staff withdrew all treatment and handed over the baby to the mother, who pleaded for some more time. Within hours, the condition of the baby deteriorated and it died in the arms of its hapless mother. When the shocking incident came under media spotlight, local health authorities went into overdrive to shift blame. Witnesses said some hospital officials tried to argue that a written request was necessary from the child’s parents to allow use of the incubator. Sanjeev, who is not a literate, was not aware of such regulations.

Finally, the Chief Minister took “cognisance” of the situation and ordered a fast track inquiry into the incident.

On Viswa Bharati Incident: My Letter to the Hindu dated 12-07-2012

The Viswa Bharati incident is a wake-up call for policymakers to introduce a strong law that protects children from all kinds of violence. The horrible and disgusting incident has stressed the need to treat corporal punishment, a brutal method of enforcing discipline, as a criminal offence. It comes in the way of children’s development. It is a shame that children of our nation, which propagates non-violence, are often disciplined with the rod.

In response to The Hindu Report dated 09-07-2012

Santiniketan hostel warden arrested, released on bailA court in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday granted bail to the warden of a hostel of Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan after she was arrested for allegedly forcing a class V student of Patha Bhavan to drink her own urine as punishment for wetting her bed.


The court condemned the incident and criticised the police for booking the accused under bailable charges. It also asked why the accused was not booked under the Juvenile Justice Act. It directed that the warden bear the medical expenses of the girl student who fell ill after the incident on Saturday.

The parents had lodged a complaint against Uma Poddar, the warden of Karabi Hostel of Patha Bhavan, alleging that she had cruelly punished their daughter after she wet her bed on Saturday.

“The warden was arrested on Monday morning following a complaint by the parents of the student. She was produced before a court and was later granted bail,” Rishikesh Meena, Superintendent of Police said.

Ms. Poddar was booked under sections 341, 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for wrongful detention and negligent and malignant acts likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life. All the sections are bailable.

A complaint was also lodged against the parents by the University authorities for allegedly attacking the warden. They were also arrested and later granted bail during the day.

Meanwhile, the University authorities claimed that the child was not asked to drink her urine but lick the wet mattress of her bed.

“The warden told the student so only to terrify her. Moreover, it is a kind of superstitious practice aimed at curing bedwetting. We, however, do not endorse it,” Vice Chancellor of the University Sushanta Dutta Gupta said.

Ms. Poddar has been removed from active duty. Asked about the arrest of the parents, the university authorities said they had only informed the police about the attack on the warden. It was the police who took follow-up action.

In a related development, a group of lawyers filed a Public Interest Litigation petition at the Calcutta High Court seeking action against those who had violated the rules framed by the Court on corporal punishment.

Corporal punishment should go!!

What punishment for corporal punishment?

A hostel warden at Visva Bharati University in West Bengal who forced a young girl student to drink her own urine as a punishment for bedwetting is a national shame. This incident is a wake-up call for policymakers to introduce a strong legislation that protects children from all sorts of violence. This horrible and disgusting incident has stressed the need to treat corporal punishment as a criminal offence with severe punishment for the teacher as well as the institution. It is ironical that in a nation with laws to prevent different types of cruelty against animals, the Police don’t find any legislation to protect our children whom we call our future. Had the police booked the warden under the Juvenile Justice Act, then she would have been arrested and put behind bars for five years. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights is now tasked with protecting the rights of the affected child by monitoring and enquiring into grievances or complaints of violation of child rights and initiate action without waiting for some more similar incidents to finally wake up to a realisation.

Corporal punishment is a brutal method of ascertaining discipline and has major reactive effects on the physical and mental health of the inflicted. The prevalence of corporal punishment in schools and all other settings as a social norm goes on unquestioningly causing untold harm to children. Punishment in any form in school comes in the way of the development of the full potential of children. Corporal punishment leads to adverse physical, psychological and educational outcomes including increased aggressive and disruptive behaviour in the classroom, school phobia, low self esteem, anxiety, suicide and retaliation against teachers that emotionally scar the children for life. Does not the police know that the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which has come into force with effect from 1 April 2010, prohibits ‘physical punishment’ and ‘mental harassment’ under Section 17(1) and makes it a punishable offence under Section 17(2).

It is a shame that children in our nation, which propagates non-violence, were often disciplined with the rod. If the educational institutions and the society want children to become silent recipients of violence in their tender years, then these punishments will hamper their physical and mental wellbeing in future. It is high time the government should ensure that children are not subjected to corporal punishment and they receive education in an environment of freedom and dignity, free from fear.

For your reading, the news report that appeared in The Hindu (09-07-2012)

Santiniketan hostel warden arrested, released on bail

Warden Uma Poddar, arrested for imposing a cruel punishment on a 10-year-old hostel girl for bedwetting, being produced in a court in Bolpur in Birbhum district on Monday. Photo: PTI

A court in West Bengal’s Birbhum district on Monday granted bail to the warden of a hostel of Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan after she was arrested for allegedly forcing a class V student of Patha Bhavan to drink her own urine as punishment for wetting her bed.

The court condemned the incident and criticised the police for booking the accused under bailable charges. It also asked why the accused was not booked under the Juvenile Justice Act. It directed that the warden bear the medical expenses of the girl student who fell ill after the incident on Saturday.

The parents had lodged a complaint against Uma Poddar, the warden of Karabi Hostel of Patha Bhavan, alleging that she had cruelly punished their daughter after she wet her bed on Saturday.

“The warden was arrested on Monday morning following a complaint by the parents of the student. She was produced before a court and was later granted bail,” Rishikesh Meena, Superintendent of Police said.

Ms. Poddar was booked under sections 341, 269 and 270 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for wrongful detention and negligent and malignant acts likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life. All the sections are bailable.

A complaint was also lodged against the parents by the University authorities for allegedly attacking the warden. They were also arrested and later granted bail during the day.

Meanwhile, the University authorities claimed that the child was not asked to drink her urine but lick the wet mattress of her bed.

“The warden told the student so only to terrify her. Moreover, it is a kind of superstitious practice aimed at curing bedwetting. We, however, do not endorse it,” Vice Chancellor of the University Sushanta Dutta Gupta said.

Ms. Poddar has been removed from active duty. Asked about the arrest of the parents, the university authorities said they had only informed the police about the attack on the warden. It was the police who took follow-up action.

In a related development, a group of lawyers filed a Public Interest Litigation petition at the Calcutta High Court seeking action against those who had violated the rules framed by the Court on corporal punishment.

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Battling bias

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Battling bias