The Global Gender Gap Report, 2018, ranks 149 countries on the progress they have made towards gender parity in four areas of development – economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. The South Asia region ranks second lowest in the Global Gender Gap Index 2018. According to the report, ‘if the current rate continues, South Asia will take 70 years to close the gap’.  India stagnates at 108^th position in 2018, with a score of 0.665 as compared to 0.669 in 2017.

Though India is slightly ahead of the South Asian average of 34.2% in 2018, it has to close a gender gap of 33%, which is much higher than its three South Asian neighbours, including  Bangladesh (in 48^th position), Sri Lanka (in 100^th position) and Nepal (in 105^th position).

In the Global Gender Gap Index, India is in the lower rung of the ladder, due to its weak scores in two indices- economic participation and health, and survival.

On economic participation, India has fallen three notches down (142^nd position) with a score of 0.385, much below the global average of 0.59.  The report states that the global average on economic participation fared badly due to the poor score from the populous countries of India and Mexico.

The contextual data in the report reinstates that Indian women constitute only 28.7% in the labour force as compared to 81.7% of their male counterparts. About 49.3% of the young women and girls in the country are neither in education nor in employment. About 65.6% of per day, unpaid work is done by the women folk.

Though women enter the labour market, 70.3% of them are employed in the informal sector and work in the most unfavorable and unsafe environments. In the workplace, women encounter significant obstacles in pursuing managerial or senior official positions. The presence of women in management roles is another barrier to achieving economic gender parity. The report highlights that only 11.7% of women could break the glass ceiling and be in the senior leadership position of publically traded companies.

On the health and survival sub-index, Sri Lanka is the South Asian country which has achieved gender parity. India slipped down to the third-lowest (147^th) position in the global list of countries. India was in the 141^st position in 2017.  The 2018 report indicates that the ‘country underscored the issue of missing women and the gaps in access to health care for women and girls’.  In spite of the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign, it is starkly evident that the country has not made a dent in challenging the negative social norms underpinning the violence against women.

On educational attainment, India is at the 114^th position and has succeeded in fully closing its tertiary education gender gap at 27% for the first time, and keeps primary (92.9%) and secondary (62.2%) education gaps closed for the third year running.

In terms of political empowerment, in the South Asia region, Bangladesh has reached a level of gender parity of more than 50%, while India has closed only nearly 40% of its gender gap. Only 11.8% of females are represented in the parliament, and 18.5% in the ministerial positions. Women are seen only as vote banks by political parties. The big political parties offered only 11-12% party tickets to women in the state elections. In spite of the promise made by the NDA government of 33% reservation for women in the Parliament in their 2015 election manifesto, the Women’s Reservation Bill is still pending in the Parliament.

The Global Gender Gap Report also focusses on Artificial Intelligence. The report states that ‘Artificial Intelligence is a prominent driver of change within transformations brought about by the fourth industrial revolution’. Though India has the second largest artificial intelligence (AI) workforce, it has one of the largest gender gaps with women constituting only 22% of the talent pool.

Reiterating Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), India has to make adequate commitments to implementing its policies and legislation for achieving the goal of gender equality. Programme evaluations and corresponding tracking of allocations, and utilization of the resources should be through a transparent process.  The thrust should be in creating an enabling environment for women and girls in all spheres of life – promoting positive gender norms for a transformative gender-equal society.

The post What Does India’s Lowly Position In The Global Gender Gap Index Indicate? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

To,

My Fellow Indians,

Today, I take the liberty of writing this letter to all of you, on behalf of the rest of Kashmir.

I am a Kashmiri, and it’s unfortunate that I need to prove that I am proud to be an Indian. I can die for my motherland, just like other Indians. I am deeply pained by the Pulwama attack, and I mourn the death of our martyrs, just like the rest of you.  Believe me or not, I was not able to sleep that night, for I couldn’t stop thinking about bravehearts and their families.

I know there are people spreading terrorism in the name of Islam, but believe me when I say that Islam does not allow us to hurt anyone. The Holy Quran categorically states “… take not life, which God has made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus does He command you, that you may learn wisdom” (Quran 6:151).

Suicide is prohibited in Islam. It is considered to be the biggest sin. It was narrated by Thaabit ibn Dahhaak that the Messenger of Allah, Prophet Mohammed once said: “Whoever kills himself with something will be punished with it on the Day of Resurrection.” 

Jundub ibn ‘Abd-Allah said, “A man among those who came before you was wounded. He panicked and took a knife and cut his hand, and the bleeding did not stop until he died. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, said: ‘My slave hastened his death; I have forbidden Paradise to him.” Narrated by al-Bukhari (3276) and Muslim (113).

It is evident by the above mentioned Hadith (Sayings) of the Prophet, that in no case suicide is permissible in Islam. Suicide bombing is absolutely haraam (forbidden), and cannot be justified by any means.

I condemn the Pulwama attack vehemently. I do not support terrorism at all. I believe that no religion supports terrorism. No one can justify terrorism in my name.

Meanwhile, I would like to pose one question to my nation, to my fellow Indians- why I am being targeted in my own country for the things which I have not committed, for the things which I don’t support at all?

Today, I would like to make one thing clear once for all, that being a Kashmiri, does not mean that we support terrorism in any way, no matter what. I am against terrorism of all forms. I request my fellow Indians to treat me equally. I am equally pained by any untoward incident which occurs in our country. I am a citizen of this country. India is my Pride. I don’t hesitate in chanting Vande Mataram! I urge my government to take a strong stand against terrorism and terrorists, and to give a befitting reply to those who are responsible for the Pulwama attack.

My request to my fellow Indians is, please don’t look down upon Kashmiris as anti-nationals, we are as patriotic as the rest of you. We stand with the entire nation in this hour of grief. Our armed forces are our great heroes and our pride, and I have nothing but the highest regards for them and their family. I pray to Allah to give these martyrs the highest place in Jannah (heaven) and to grant courage to their family members in this hour of grief.

VANDE MATARAM!
JAI HIND!

The author of this letter can be reached at his twitter handle Ibne_fakhr or through his email id commonkashmiriboy@gmail.com.

The post I Am A Kashmiri But A Proud Indian First. Why Is That So Hard To Believe? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

By Kinjal Sampat

The experience of ageing is made up of two parts: the wearing down of the body, and the social constructs and prejudices about ageing. Deteriorating brain and muscle capacity are largely non-negotiable facts of life, limiting one’s ability to get a job or remain employed. However, the labour market often exaggerates the impact of ageing, which results in the elderly having no work, or work for which they are poorly remunerated. In India, where nearly 92% of the workforce is employed in professions that don’t ensure secured retirement in the old age (i.e. the informal economy), the elderly work well into their advanced years (early 70’s).

In this way, ageing limits employment and income generation opportunities for the elderly. This limitation results in what is commonly known as ‘age-induced poverty’. Most people live many years beyond their active work years, with limited or no income generation at all. But the impacts of ageing are far harsher for those who are already vulnerable. Income security in the form of monthly pensions—either state-assured or employment-linked—has been one of the most prevalent modes of assuring continued wellness and dignity against the life-shock of ageing.

Where Policy Interventions Lack Income Security

One of the earliest recorded instances of modern, state-assured, age-linked pensions is from over a century and half ago in Bismarck’s Germany. Since then, nearly 100 countries have implemented state assured, non-contributory pensions (i.e. pensions not directly funded by the beneficiary). This has become one of the most prevalent modes of social protection today. While India too is among these 80 countries, our policy interventions towards securing old age appear, at best, patchy.

In India, social pensions aren’t a legal right, like old age homes and geriatric care. For instance, one of the main laws about security of the elderly is the Maintenance and Welfare of Senior Citizens’ Act, which is primarily focused on inter-generational care within the bounds of family. It mandates that children are legally obliged to care for their elderly parents, but it does not highlight the role of the state as much in securing old age.

While grossly under provided, health care and old age homes under the aegis of this act are indeed rights that the elderly can demand from the state. But there is as yet no legal provision that exists for income security of the elderly. Article 41 of the Indian constitution advocates for the right of the elderly to income security, but at the same time, loopholes such as limited resources are a valid reason for the state not providing that security.

While India has a national scheme Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)—and multiple state-level schemes, the entitlements are insufficient. For people below the poverty line, the central government ensures INR 200 for those above 60 years, and INR 500 per month per person to those above 80 years. This scheme covers about 2.7 crore elderly people or 24 percent of India’s elderly population.

The Fault Lines Of IGNOAPS

The capital outlay for the IGNOAPS in 2018-2019 is close to INR 6,500 crores—a measly 0.04 percent of the GDP. When more than 70 percent of the population remains excluded from a social protection scheme, and the ones included are offered a measly sum of INR 200 a month, the inadequacy of the safety net is self-evident. Relief lies in the fact that many states at their end add to this amount or run parallel schemes, enriching coverage, or entitlement, or both.

In effect, the pensions offered under IGNOAPS act as a national floor, ensuring minimum levels of security. But the scheme, despite being in existence for long, hasn’t been seriously debated. The three main drawbacks of the scheme have to do with inadequate coverage and entitlement, no formal mechanism to account for pension amounts and their indexation, and a weak focus on income security for overall social protection.

Inter-Regional Disparities

It was in 1995 that a national floor for pensions was established for the elderly. Many states were providing pensions preceding the establishment of the national floor, and many states have indeed updated their policies in time. In 2007, the pension amount was revised from INR 95 to INR 200 by the centre. The paltry sum and narrow coverage offered by the centre have resulted in wide inter-state disparities. That is because some states have responded well to the needs of the elderly and increased the scheme’s coverage and entitlement, whereas others haven’t.

An ageing person in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, or Uttar Pradesh, for instance, receives about 1/4th to 1/5th the monthly entitlement that an elderly person in Kerala and Goa receives. Rajasthan, Goa, Kerala, Haryana, and lately Assam, cover a large proportion—in some cases up to 90 percent—of their elderly; in contrast, the states of Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, cover as little as 30 percent of their elderly population*.

These vast variations beg the question—what should the role of the Union in a federal structure be, with regard to safety nets and social security? While we must appreciate the efforts that that individual states have taken, we must also recognise that regional disparities of this magnitude, in safety nets, is detrimental to the well-being of large populations. It underlines the importance of establishing a meaningful national floor for ensuring and equalising, minimum protection to all across the country.

Formalising A Mechanism For Calculating The Entitlement

Despite the IGNOAPS policy being in existence since the 1990s, the entitlement amount isn’t based on a formal logic but left to ‘fiscal availability’. In countries like Sweden and Bolivia, social pensions range from about 40-25% of per capita national income. Grassroots movements such as the Pension Parishad in India have been demanding social pensions to be at least 50% of the nationally stipulated minimum wages.

For now, the pertinent and non-negotiable step would be to at least adjust pension entitlement against inflation since 2007, which was the time of their last revision. Consistent inflation erodes purchasing value; INR 200 in 2007 should be equivalent to INR 93 in 2018. Annual indexing of pensions against inflation would ensure minimal protection against erosion of value.

Convergence Among Social Protection Schemes

A geriatric clinic is of no use if a poor, elderly woman finds no money to get herself there. Similarly, grains assured under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) are not readily consumable; they need an additional investment by the beneficiary in order to convert them into food that can be eaten. Disparate schemes that target specific aspects of a citizen’s life do not amount to overall social protection. Instead, the collective coverage of social protection schemes is what matters.

In the past year, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act scheme (MGNREGA) employed more than 11 crore people. The NFSA covers around 70% of India’s population, about 80 crore people. But elderly pensions offered by the central government benefit only 2.7 crore people, which is less than 30 percent of India’s elderly. The high coverage of the MGNREGA and NFSA is a remarkable feat but social security works best when these individual strands, that ensure protection from life-shocks, come together to form a mesh, which sustains the lives of the poor.

There is no wishing away the fact that most people in this country are in volatile employment that offer no security whatsoever. Income security is a meaningful way of acknowledging people’s contribution to the growth of the country, and ensuring that lives aren’t truncated before their time and all live a life of dignity. Considering the impending demographic changes—whereby the elderly are the fastest growing age bracket in the population pyramid—and the onset of ageing of the Indian society, the time to debate a robust policy on income security is here.

*The data is collated by the author using state portals and affidavits filed by states in the matter WPC 193 of 2016.

This article was originally published on India Development Review. You can view it here. 

About the author: Kinjal is a trained sociologist, with a specialisation in Sociology of Law. She is presently based out of Delhi, India. In her decade long work experience, she has engaged on issues of urban housing, labour, and social protection. She can be reached at kinjalsampat@gmail.com.

The post How Age Induces Poverty That Our Policies Fail To Keep Up With appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

It is late Friday evening, the 1st of March. Social media is agog. Politicians, Bollywood celebrities, cricketers and the general public are united in welcoming Wing Commander Abhinandan. As I wrIte this, my neighbour is playing “Jai Ho” at an alarming volume. It is heartwarming to see people across the nation come together for an officer who has been through a lot in the last 60 hours. The courage and poise Wng. Cmdr. Abhinandan Varthaman displayed is definitely something that will be spoken about with immense respect in the future.

However, the unsavoury reactions from politicians, certain journalists and war mongering followers of select political parties, begs a larger, pertinent question – ‘Are we worth fighting for?’

While we ponder over that strange question, let’s take a moment and remember how India reacted over the last few days.

The ruling party grandstanded. Fueling a dangerous hyper-nationalist narrative, PM Modi declared that his “blood boiled” after the Pulwama attacks, and that he gave the armed forces “complete freedom” to act. What followed was a clash between two nuclear states. Across social media, supporters hailed Modi as the decisive defender of the nation. The chief priest of Ayodhya said that the incident would save BJP in 2019. Karnataka BJP chief Yeddurappa opined that the strikes would help BJP win 22 out of 28 seats in the upcoming elections.

Instead of halting election campaigning as a mark of respect, the BJP put up posters of the slain martyrs at several party headquarters and on the backdrop of stages during their campaign rallies. Somewhere in the melee, the PM managed to launch the “Khelo India app” to promote fitness. The BJP vociferously accused the opposition of politicising the incident (ironically from stages at election rallies). Amit Shah blamed Jawaharlal Nehru for the Kashmir issue and RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat claimed that the RSS could prepare an army in 3 days.

The opposition parties weren’t far behind. Instead of playing the role of a responsible opposition and asking hard questions about the colossal intelligence failure, and pushing for a more concrete Kashmir policy, they declared their support to the government in a carefully worded statement, out of fear of being viewed as anti-national.

Kashmiri merchants and students were threatened, attacked and forced to “prove” their patriotism on several incidents. The Meghalaya Governor, Tathagata Roy, who calls himself a “Right-wing Hindu socio-political thinker, writer, ideologue…” on twitter, supported a call for the boycott of all Kashmiris. He was not removed from his constitutional position despite clearly provoking communal tensions. This is a man who, in the past, has openly said that he is “not secular”.

The media had a field day. From journalists dressing up in the army uniform and holding toy guns in the television studios, to government-friendly anchors openly calling for war with Pakistan, it was an embarrassing time for sections of the Indian media who kept the rhetoric high with no substance or dignity. ‘Peaceniks’, liberals, activists and academics were heckled for suggesting dialogue as a lasting solution and retired army hotheads were allowed to make hateful, warmongering speeches on national television.

It is the season for patriotic movies. Despite the fraternity publicly pledging their support for the forces, Bollywood producers lost no time in rushing to register titles such as “Abhinandan”, “Balkot” “Surgical Strike 2”, “How’s the Josh?”, “Pulwama” etc. I guess solidarity takes a backseat at the box office.

Let’s not even get started on the fake WhatsApp videos, no-holds barred hate against muslims, the covering of “Karachi” in “Karachi Bakery” in Bengaluru and other ridiculous happenings.

The obvious, bitter truth? We are pathetically opportunistic and don’t really care for our soldiers.

If we truly cared for our soldiers, ex-BSF jawan, Tej Bahadur Yadav would not have been dismissed for complaining about poor food quality, the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme would have been given better consideration and our politicians wouldn’t be using our soldiers for selfish, narrow political gain. Today PM Modi who was campaigning in Tamil Nadu said that everyone was “proud that Abhinandan is from Tamil Nadu” (despite the wing commander refusing to reveal his roots to Pakistani interrogators). 

It is disappointing that despite sending countless space missions, India cannot seem to come together in the face of terror. We seem to want Kashmir but not the Kashmiris, we tar and feather religious communities and browbeat people who disagree with the majoritarian viewpoint. It’s time Indians stopped being swayed by simplistic, shameful political rhetoric because these reactions are exactly what the terrorists want.

Indian armed forces defend the idea of India – the right of a citizen to criticize and express without fear or intimidation, an India where every voice counts and where every life matters. This is the idea of India a soldier should feel proud defending. Our recent reactions don’t do justice to their efforts.

Wing Commander Abhinandan did his duty and conducted himself with dignity. We did not. It’s time for some introspection and change.

The post We Are Too Crass And Undignified To Deserve The Martyrdom Of Our Soldiers appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Dear Faiz,

I wonder how fragile hearts survive. 

I wonder what they do in times of distress. 

Does the languish hit them hard? 

The current circumstances put me into deep introspection sometimes- what if we were never parted? 

Would we kill each other now? 

Or would we be messiahs to the world? 

Sometimes I also wonder, who is to be blamed? For the disdain? For the blood? For the kids whom we orphaned on purpose? For introducing horror in the conscience of the innocent? 

Ask yourself, Faiz. It was us who washed our hands in the rivers of blood eventually. Were we so weak and insecure about our identities that we gave up brotherhood for hegemony? 

Is love really stronger than hate? 

Have we been lied to, all our lives, in the mosques, temples, gurudwaras, churches, grandmother stories? Is it all a grand sham? That love wins in the end, it conquers all. Is it really winning?

To be honest, I notice that you have shunned me for a while now, and maybe I know the reason, the ancient one, that has been rooted so deeply in our lives, that we often forget how many paak (pious) relations it has mauled all this while. 

We are our villains, Faiz. 

We are our heroes. 

Noor has stopped coming at my place. She no longer looks forward to her khala’s (a term used by Muslims to refer to their aunt) gajar ka halwa (carrot pudding). I know where that comes from. We are no longer kids. I hope you let her complete her taalim (education) here in this country, at least. It’s important in these mad times. Maybe in the coming times, she will understand that her khaala was a strong woman who didn’t let anyone touch her own flesh and blood in the name of religion, even when it was inevitable. 

I hope she comprehends that sooner. 

I hope she never loses hold of her loved ones even in the difficult times. 

People are not born evil, Faiz. We are instructed and guided to follow some norms. We are then educated to form our own notions, clean the dust off the old ones and rain them on our posterity. Who would want them to be smothering and lacking an absolute sense of love, ironically in the name of God? How long will they believe it? 

People who love, Faiz, we always want them to be khush (happy) and abaad (prosperous). That’s true love, I believe. We don’t trap them. I want you and your family to be happy and free. I wish I could have washed off all the hatred out of all the people- now, sometimes, I dream too, impossible things but good things. 

I wish we were stronger than this, to surpass all the days of divide and rule, illusions of minority/majority, our assertive and timorous mindset and still stay united. I wish we could share just one Independence day, and crowd Eid and Diwali melas even more. 

I wish we were more, Faiz. 

I wish we were united and strong. 

Other days I wonder, who would want to get away from peace? Who would want to put boundaries on this divine feeling of love? Who wouldn’t want it to flow? Sometimes, I am skeptical about being really God’s children, for the God we know, is made of love and serenity. 

Jahan chah hai wahaan raah hai, Faiz (where there’s a will, there’s a way)

We still have time, we still have hope. 

I will still be waiting and still be writing to you because I know I’m tough. I know what is real and what is delusional. I am on the side of love and peace, and no one can take that away from me, not even you. 

Yet I still wonder, how fragile hearts survive. 

Bas tum khush raho (I just want you to be happy)

Chahe main rahoon ya na rahoon (Whether I’m alive or not)

Bas tum aabaad raho (I just want you to prosper)

Chahe khuda tujhe kitni takleefein de (Irrespective of the tests God puts you through)

Tum unhe sehkar bhi 

Khush raho (I pray you have the courage to be happy, despite those tests)

Tum unme rehkar bhi 

aabaad raho (I pray you have the courage to prosper, despite those tests)

With love,

Aarzoo

The post A Letter Across The Border appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

#SayNoToWar trended on Twitter around the end of Februaru amidst the loud calls for war from a particular section of people in both Pakistan and India. If at all a war starts, whose war will it be?

On February 13, 2019, a CRPF vehicle in Pulwama (Kashmir) was attacked by another vehicle carrying explosives, killing over 40 CRPF personnel. Minutes after the news broke, the Indian media was quick enough to grab the limelight with the help of catchy yet ridiculous hashtags including #IdentifyAntiNationals. The debates inside the air conditioned news rooms in Delhi and Mumbai began with a “burning question” – What should be India’s next step?

The usual participants of these debates must have had their dinner by 8pm and were ready to spread their ridiculousness and hate over national media. Some of them quoted names of movies like “Zero Dark Thirty” and the recent blockbuster “Uri: The Surgical Strike“, followed by a statement to the effect of “if something can be shown in movies, it sure can be replicated in the real world“. Nobody pointed out the absurdity of this. Instead people surrendered to it.

These kind of statements are commonly backed by the nation-wants-to-know anchor who, if I remember correctly, was constantly jumping out of his chair, shouting, and asking the government to teach Pakistan a lesson. It seemed the government did listen to him as the Indian Air Force crossed the Line of Control and successfully dropped bombs on the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s terrorist camps. The Ministry of External Affairs claimed to have eliminated over 300 terrorists. A day later, both the Pakistan Air Force and Indian Air Force were involved in a fight between their respective fighter jets. The attack ended with India shooting down two fighter jets from Pakistan and one Indian jet and pilot going missing. Pakistan, later, claimed to have the pilot in their custody. This paved way for more debates and more social media posts demanding the Indian government to declare a war on Pakistan. The social media posts from both countries indicated a deep sense of hatred for each other. This emotion of hate is not new for both the countries. It is an old one stirred again for the benefit of God knows who.

If at all a war happens, it will be a war of the news rooms. News rooms, on either side, situated miles away from the border, will be ready to do almost anything for a skyrocketing TRP. We live in a strange time with respect to the media, the fourth pillar of democracy. It is an age of hashtags. The cheekier the hashtag, the higher the TRP. To run a successful news channel, right now, in both countries, all you need is a hate-mongerer as the head of the channel, spreading only hate and not peace. Sometimes, if at all a peace-promoting piece comes out of their channel, they will be quick enough to counter it with 10 hate-spreading, mostly fake news pieces. At a time when the whole nation is vulnerable, one of the leading media house aired a clip from a video game claiming it as the evidence of the IAF attack.

Of course, one cannot blame the media entirely. The viewers of these debates too are equally, if not more, responsible for this. The passionate consumers of these chest-thumping and hate-mongering news debates seem to have put a label on their emotions, and it reads “India vs Pakistan”. Any sentence involving this lable will stir their emotions like a bhel puri and erupt like a volcano. As long as visually illiterate, gullible people, on either side of the border, keep consuming hate, nation-wants-to-know anchors will keep selling hate.

If at all war happens, it will be the war of the Elite and Urban Class. This, for me, is ironic. The Elite, who doesn’t care about inflation, poverty, drought or even elections, suddenly wakes up from their slumber of privilege with the hashtag #FinishPakistan or #FinishIndia. Their WhatsApp groups suddenly become a grievance cell where everyone drops condolence messages which are otherwise filled with memes and gossip. The same people claim to understand the ground situation of Kashmir without even visiting Kashmir once. They, who would rant against the government for a day’s strike, who feel helpless when their WiFi stops working, are eagerly waiting to teach Kashmir the lesson of ‘how to live’. The humanity deep down inside them comes out only if hate evokes it. That’s the reality of the world. It will be the war of The Elite and Urban Class. An opportunity for them to exercise their ‘patriotism’, even when they are otherwise concerned with their B-1/B-2 visa.

Ultimately, it will be the war of Politics and Politicians. It is a war waiting to happen. Like the media, the politicians very well know that hate sells like hot cakes. If you can divert hate towards a common enemy and bank upon that to get some votes, whats the harm? A war which should be against an ideology, against terrorism. will be easily converted into a war between two nations and two Prime Ministers. Two Prime Ministers—one at the end of his term and the other who has just started his stint in the office—have a lot on the line here. A defeat here can end their political career and a victory here can secure their powers. It will be a war of two men’s egos.

When this politics of hate is not questioned by the fourth pillar of democracy, the media, and the people, it is a free hand for the man in power. Also, one needs to understand that if the situation is resolved, if the hate ends, if the fight ends and peace prevails, there will be nothing left for these politicians to beg for votes and they will have no other place to divert the hate. If this situation ends, and ‘the Kashmir issue’ is resolved, people will start asking the important questions—about employment, about clean water, about inflation. Any political party, on either side, doesn’t want to end up there.

We live in a place where pure hate is more powerful than pure love, where our literacy rate is going up but we are becoming illiterate, where our opinions are not formed by the things we examine ourselves, but by somebody else’s propaganda.

A war against an ideology can never be successful with arms and ammunition. A new war is about to begin. It already has. A war against humanity where humans themselves are endorsing it.

Featured Image source: Wikimedia Commons.

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PM Modi has been playing the game of perceptions for a very long time. Even though negative perceptions from Godhra and snooping scandal had dented his persona, his team had managed to sway people’s attention away from them and prepared him to be projected as a national leader. From the spectacular highs in 2013 when he was personified as the sole saviour of India with the NaMo chant, to the miserable failure with the Balakot airstrike in 2019, the wheel has come full circle.

Modi-Shah team has had a roller coaster ride with their autocratic methods of governance, right from their time in Gujarat. I had mentioned to my die-hard Modi bhakt friends back in 2014 that ruling one state will not be the same deal as governing an entire country, that too as diverse as India. His downfall started in 2015 when he was brought down to earth with the Delhi assembly results.

Basking in all the glory of his mighty win in 2014 general elections, he and his team arrogantly looked past the clear strategy of the people of Delhi to vote for BJP in general elections and for AAP in assembly elections. Without any clear cut policies and after piggybacking on, and renaming the policies of the erstwhile UPA government, his government failed spectacularly the first time they did something on their own: demonetization.

With changing narratives to glorify it, ranging from stopping black money hoarding to ending terrorism in J&K, he brought the country’s economy to its knees. Then followed the botched GST implementation and the dubious Rafale deal, the icing on the cake. The perception about him as a leader and administrator has diminished with every step he has taken. It is this these games of perception he indulged in by attacking Sonia Gandhi for her foreign nationality, which made people counter it by dragging his marital status out into the open and accused him of abandoning his wife.

Using Hindutva to polarize Hindu votes has always been the backbone of BJP’s political strategy. Rabble-rousing again on the Ayodhya issue worked in 2014, but they knew its expiry date was over and wouldn’t work in 2019. This is why Amit Shah was so intent on stoking up the Sabarimala issue, which turned out to be a disastrous failure. Kerala outrightly rejected the preposterous beef-ban as well.

Their outrageous plan to trigger communal tensions through cow worship and beef ban failed completely. In spite of a few Muslims even getting lynched by Hindu fundamentalists in the name of cow slaughter, admirably the Muslim community refused to take the bait and react. A rejuvenated Congress’ intense attack on agrarian distress and the dubious Rafale deal bore fruit when they won the 3 key states of MP, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh in the 2018 assembly elections.

Suicides of farmers, destruction of PSUs and MSMEs to favour their corporate election funders, harassing governments of non-BJP ruled states, declining and then providing meager flood relief assistance to Kerala, there is nothing or no one except their corporate friends that the Modi-Shah duo hasn’t attacked or antagonized in the last 5 years.

Of all the flak Modi has had to take, it is the heat of the Rafale deal that has been the most intense. It boiled over to the point where he was left with no choice but to either lose face and the battle of perception, and relieve Alok Verma as CBI Director, or risk a CBI investigation into the deal. Although the Supreme Court dismissed the cases lodged against the government on the deal and a redacted CAG report helped him escape from formal investigations, the “chowkidar chor hai” (the protector himself is the thief) accusation has stuck to him. This, after he had bulldozed his way into power riding on the scams during the erstwhile UPA government. The larger than life image of a strong incorruptible leader, he has been trying to meticulously construct with photo-ops around the world with global leaders, has all fallen flat.

It was expected that there would be one last attempt to rebuild his jaded image just before the elections. Because of BJP’s inherently divisive agenda of Hindutva, what I was expecting was a communal disturbance across India in the months leading to the elections. My dad used to insist that it could also be a short term military engagement with Pakistan. So the Balakot airstrike was not a surprise for us. Though I am not going to stretch my neck and say that the Pulwama incident was staged, it wasn’t divine providence either. The fact that intelligence reports of the possible attack were ignored, could implicitly mean the government may have turned a blind eye to the warning so that Modi would get the opportunity to flex his muscles.

From the Pakistan Air force expertly shepherding Abhinandan’s jet into POK and making him prisoner, to PM Imran Khan releasing him unconditionally, Modi government has been outmaneuvered and outclassed militarily and diplomatically by the Pakistan government comprehensively. Add to this all international media reporting about no destruction of JeM camps and no casualties to terrorists, Modi has made a complete mockery of himself.

After the bombing offensive by IAF, western intelligence had reported that they were aware of JeM terrorist camps being shifted out of Balakot, years back. To top this off, Modi has claimed that he had been awake and was monitoring the entire bombing episode. What this means is either a completely inept Indian intelligence or a completely stage-managed incident. Ridiculously, the next day itself while Abhinandan was in Pakistan custody, Modi was busy addressing BJP poll booth workers and B S Yeduryappa was claiming that BJP would get more Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka after the bombing. This led to people deriding him on social media saying that Modi is behaving like PM candidate rather than PM. And after Imran Khan announced the release of Abhinandan, Modi made the surreal remark that this was just a pilot project and the real one would follow.

It is evident that the Modi-Shah team is intoxicated on power. They have shown time and again that they can take any route and go to any extent to hold on to the power they possess. Their desperation is palpable. With most of their allies in the NDA disgruntled with their disastrous mistakes and oppressive governance, they need to win by an outright majority in the elections to keep their control over BJP itself. Disillusionment and anger has mounted against them within BJP and RSS top brass and RSS has been backing Nitin Gadkari as a possible PM face.

An unclear election mandate would most probably result in NDA allies refusing to ally with BJP and a revolt within BJP itself if Modi is chosen as the PM candidate. This could be one reason why BJP was seeing cozying up to Pranab Mukherjee to possibly project him as popular PM candidate acceptable to all if required.

What are the people getting out of all this? Nothing but confusion and chaos. I knew back in 2014 itself that if Modi failed to live up to the hype created around him, every other party would bay for his blood by 2019. Now regional parties are trying to exert their influence through a Mahaghatbandhan, but there are many PM aspirants among them.

Take Modi out of the picture and within BJP top brass all of them are going to be vying for the PM’s chair. After their victories in 2018 assembly elections, Congress is trying to flex its muscles and are unwilling to be part of the Mahaghatbandhan. As always, people will be forced to choose the lesser evil of the candidates presented to them based on present circumstances. Then our elected representatives will be more than happy to rule over us for the next 5 years. It is going to take at least 10 years to repair the wanton destruction Modi government has caused to the country’s economy. So even without Modi at the helm, 10 years of uncertainty is staring at the country.

The post [Opinion] 2013-2019: Modi’s Perception Games And The Rise And Fall Of His Persona appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Iris Murdoch writes, “Tyrants always fear art because tyrants want to mystify while art tends to clarify. The good artist is a vehicle of truth.” Akhil Katyal is one of those who demystifies prevailing tyrannical forces. Through his poems, he tells the truth, the naked truth, of our society. He calls soldiers from the border, claims Nusrat as our own, and recollects those times when “God was a little joke about mangoes” in his second poetry collection “How Many Countries Does the Indus Cross”

The genius of Akhil Katyal is that he’s too naïve to notice the impact his poetry has had—and will always have—on its reader, including myself. “Indus“, to me, is an immediate inquiry into how to keep a mind-of-your-own in times of great derangement of the human mind and soul by polluting it with skewed ideology and agenda-driven nationalism.

About ‘Indus’

Dedicated to the great poet Agha Shahid Ali, “Indus” is divided into—how ironic to place this word “divide” when the only job of this poetry collection is to “unite”—three parts: To Will the Distant Mountains to Glass, To Will the Distant Mountains to Glass, and To Will the Distant Mountains to Glass.

The book, title of which, “I See Kashmir from New Delhi at Midnight,” is taken from a poem by Agha Shahid Ali is published by The (Great) Indian Poetry Collective.

Just to complement Katyal’s work, this review is also divided. There are two parts: Akhil’s Poetry and Akhil’s Poetry.

Akhil’s Poetry

I remember my English teacher saying, when I was in ninth grade, “if it doesn’t stay with you—sometimes making you laugh, cry, or think—then I don’t know if it’s poetry.” She was right.

I could feel a scintilla of emotions while reading “Indus”. Sometimes I thought the poet was teasing me. His (or maybe the editor’s) placement of poems follow a pattern—a deadly pattern—of memory, dream, and reality.

Memories of a distant past leaning against the door as if mocking at you. Dreams of a just, free, and happy society. And, realities? Those are depicted without even the slightest hint of a coverup. They are an attempt to make us see things what we have mastered to un-see.

From Farida Khanum’s musical notes to an innocent inquisition posed to Dr. Siras (“What did you tell the neighbours: Teacher, Professor, Poet?”); from the Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh to Iowa; from Akhil to ABVP; from Gurgaon to Gurugram, Katyal poses difficult questions, looking for answers, attempting to reconcile with a namesake (or may be not), and taking a jibe at the newfound enthusiasm of renaming places.

Some of these poems which I read, courtesy his Instagram account, stayed with me; and I often smirked, while in the Metro, whenever I used to hear the announcement “Next station is Guru Dronacharya,” immediately recalling a line: “Eklavya be like ‘Bitch, please!'”

Others like: “[Varun is Typing]” is a reality—of people in love, of people thinking that they’re in love, of people looking to find reasons to avoid their love. It’s a meditation on the online behavior which we exhibit when we’re so hopelessly battling to find ways to communicate that we desire to communicate, but we don’t want to send our desperation across (or even hint at our underlying vulnerability)—in the messages we send. Let’s keep it simple: drop a “Hi!”. I ache to hug my love whenever I read this line: “Rohit, it has been six years since you left/and I am beginning to forget your face.” It’s strange, but it’s this universality of emotions which my English teacher wanted to express, and Akhil’s poetry collection covers it deftly.

Akhil’s Poetry

If Agha Shahid Ali, romantically and figuratively, could see Kashmir from New Delhi, then it isn’t an exaggeration to say that you can see a reflection of Agha’s genius in Akhil’s work.

For light-hearted nationalists, be advised. He’s a fully-loaded poet. He boldly creates music out of different fault lines of the sub-continent, and he does so with an astonishingly effortless charm. Yes, charm. There’s charm in the confluence of passions: to call a soldier back home; to request the reader 500 years from now to ensure that ‘Akhil loves Rohit’ is there, chiseled by the author, on the staircase to Humayun’s tomb; to inform us that “Vivekananda loved Biceps, Bhagwad & [yolo] Beef”.

These are almost heady themes to cover in one’s poetry collection: Kashmir, Tips on getting Bharat Ratna, Class, Caste, Politics, Partition, Homosexuality, Section 377, and the honorable Prime Minister with his 56-inch chest (I haven’t measured it, but I’m going by his words, like everyone is.) And, the laudable thing is, he’s done a great justice to the themes he’s covered.

The post From War To Caste To Sec 377, You’re Sure To Love Akhil Katyal’s New Book Of Poetry appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Headlines are an important component of the news. In general, they bring you  the gist of a story, sometimes pointing out the most important or interesting aspects. Headlines can greatly influence readers’ opinions about the news. An accurate headline is important because most people don’t read every word of every article, they often just skim the headlines. Therefore, those who read just a headline are not accurately informed when the headline misrepresents a story.

Headlines are expected to be accurate in relation to stories but can often be misleading or biased, although remaining ‘technically’ accurate. And a misleading headline fixes a false narrative in the public mind.

Satirical news headlines, varying widely in quality and intended meaning that may not be apparent to all, too have the potential to perpetuate misinformation based on different readers’ (mis)interpretations.

Some newspapers, news magazines, news websites, and television news channels have mastered the art of manipulating one or two words in a sentence in order to make even a truthful and honest headline slightly twisted in a specific way. It is the right of journalists to create an eye-catching and clever headline, but if it is inaccurate, it breaches the basic ethics of journalism.

Readers deserve facts, not offensive and misleading headlines. There is a need to discourage the use of misleading news headlines and we need to do this while making sure that alternative voices and a robust exchange of information are not stifled.

Accordingly, I recommend three measures that may be taken by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting:

1. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting may issue certain guidelines in order to stop the use of misleading headlines in traditional print media (newspapers and news magazines), broadcast news media (television news channels) and news websites.
2. Satirical headlines of newspapers, news magazines, and news websites may be instructed to be published in a specific font or colour (indicated by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting). It would help the readers identify satirical headlines and avoid confusion.
3. Satirical headlines of television news channels may be instructed to be run along with a ticker/crawler indicating that the headline is a satire.

We as a society cannot allow the means of mass communication of our times to turn into a prejudiced and untruthful source of information in the name of freedom of expression. Hence, it has become very essential to take serious action against misleading news headlines.

The post How Do We Prevent Misleading News Headlines? Here’s 3 Ways To Start appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

By Anam Seraj:

At the age of fifteen, when I was barely aware of the changes in my body, my ex-boyfriend asked me to ‘prove’ my love for him. So, every time that I had to prove to him that I trusted him, or loved him as much as he did, I had to shed the clothes on my body and unzip my pants.

With every piece of clothing I took off, apparently, I convinced him more.

After each time that I had to get intimate for him, or send him pictures of my private body parts, the unrest in the fifteen-year-old me, grew wider and bigger. He would tell me that he loved me and I wondered if this was the only way to prove to him that I loved him too.

So I, ‘consensually’ involved myself in a physical relationship with him and exchanged my private pictures. Somehow, nothing I did would suffice, and so he asked me to have sex with him, perhaps to be ‘sure enough’.

As young as I was, back then, sex was a big deal for me. I was not sure if this was the right time to lose my virginity; I was not sure if he was the right man to lose my virginity to. So I finally decided to say NO.

I was prepared to hear that this would prove that I belonged to him, with all my body and soul, but to be honest, I knew I did not.

I knew he did not care for the soul and hence none of me, neither the body nor the soul, belonged to him anymore. I chose to leave.

Unlike, the rest of the times, he did not manipulate me emotionally and I was relieved. I decided to block him on all the platforms, and start afresh. Until, the next day, I received an e-mail from him.

He mailed me all the intimate pictures he had of mine, and told me he would leak them online. I was devastated, alone, and scared.

As immature and inexperienced I was, I decided to go back; to him. I pretended to love him and kept pretending for as long as I could, until he asked me for my pictures again.

Every time when I wanted to leave, he would threaten me to leak my pictures online, and I was blackmailed into the relationship.

Until one day, I decided to break this chain of constant harassment. I went to my mother and told her everything that I could.

She was disappointed, angry and everything that a mother of a fifteen-year-old would be; but she was a mother nevertheless. She called him and handled the entire situation.

Since then, I haven’t seen him again, but in some corner of my mind, I know he still has my pictures and the vulnerability still scares me.”

This is the story of Sneha*, now a successful and independent working woman.

This was the potential case of revenge porn that would otherwise have found its way among one of the million other revenge porn videos uploaded on multiple porn sites.

But What Exactly Is Revenge Porn?

Revenge porn, or revenge pornography, is the distribution of sexually explicit images or videos of individuals without their consent.

The sexually explicit images or videos may be recorded by a partner during an intimate moment with the consent of the partners, or it may be made without his or her knowledge.

An NGO in India, Cyber & Law Foundation, conducted a survey in 2016, where it was revealed that as many as 27% of internet users, mostly between the age group 13-45, have been subjected to revenge porn.

Ironically, if you open a porn site and look for Indian or South Asian porn, you would know the statistics are remarkably lower than the number of videos found on these sites.

Most of these videos are recorded either in changing rooms or corners of cyber cafes, without the knowledge of the individual, or in bedrooms when the woman is clearly heard saying no to her partner.

Debrati Halder, a cybercrime counselor, says that the reason for such low official statistics is because in most cases the victim doesn’t approach the local police, or because of the lack of awareness of the public of consent-based sexuality.

It stems from the basic concept of “log kya kahenge” (what will people say) because the society, under any circumstances would shame the victim.

The Most Common Responses To These Cases Are:

“Shaadi se Pehle Sex karegi toh ye toh hoga hi!” (What else can you expect if you have sex before marriage?)

Because obviously, people don’t leave after ‘marital’ commitments, and extramarital affairs do not exist?!

“Ladki ki galti hai, record kyu karne diya? (It’s the girl’s fault, why did she allow the guy to record a video)

Because it was her choice, to record or say no, to have sex or remain a virgin.

“Mirror check karna tha na.” (She should have checked the mirror. She should have been more careful”. 

But my question is, why does she have to be careful in the first place?

Criminal Laws Against Revenge Porn

Section 66E of the IT Act punishes people for violation of privacy.

“Whoever, intentionally or knowingly captures, publishes or transmits the image of a private area of any person without his or her consent, under any circumstances violating the privacy of that person, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years or with fine not exceeding two lakh rupees, or with both,” said, Mishi Choudhary, President SLFC.

“Police usually book people under sections 67 and 67A of the IT Act 2000 in these cases”, cyber law expert Pavan Duggal told HuffPost India. However, there is a slight catch since both these sections aim more towards controlling the spread of pornography; the victim can also be booked under the law.

Moreover, these cases come under the Cyber Law and therefore a revenge porn case is not be dealt with as a separate law.

With all these cases around us and the statistics in our hands, we as a society, need to take a call and begin by addressing that an issue like revenge porn even exists.

But, most of all, we need to give a space wide enough for victims to come out in the open, and not undergo the moral scrutiny they otherwise go through.

Lend a hand to the victims so no one dares to push her/him in the pit again.

*The name has been changed on the request of the person.

A version of this post was first published here.

The post “Everytime I’d Want To Leave Him, He’d Threaten To Leak My Private Pictures” appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

As a kid, I remember those musical ads on DD National advocating the importance of educating girls and promoting the fact that girls and boys are equal. It was funny to me why they were stating the obvious. I mean all I could gather at that tender age was that girls are equal to boys, better even. All the rank holders in my class were girls. Be it sports or art or dance; girls excelled everywhere. The only thing boys were good at was fighting.

Fast forward 7-8 years and it all changed. My female friends were being taught how to cook and other home management skills. At the age of 13-14, they were already talking about getting a suitable boy for marriage. They had a checklist of skills they need to pick up in order to get the best groom.

Instead of taking care of their own grades, the eager ones were already on the lookout for boys who were likely to end up in IITs and IIMs. Their own grades were falling and so was their attendance.

By the time my parents were preparing for me to leave home for higher studies, a few of my friends were already active in the marriage market. Some had their fate written the day they were born, while others were being punished for being ‘too modern’ for their culture.

However, for boys growing up seemed to be a complete game changer. They were allowed to play and roam around because they needed to learn about the world. They were allowed to live their life to the fullest because one day they had to shoulder responsibilities. Those who I never even saw in the classroom earlier were suddenly spending lakhs of money at coaching institutes to get good seats in engineering and medical colleges.

And for the first time in my life, I was jealous. Wait, it was the second time. The first time I was jealous was when I had severe period cramps and had to miss school.

This jealousy grew bigger till it was replaced by anger towards society and the system. My parents raised me and my sister to be adults who had to fend for themselves and not as girls to be married off or boys to become the man of the house.

No expense was ever spared in the way of our development. Yet, I always had a complaint that I am a girl. I had a complaint:

• That I cannot take up certain jobs because it would involve me staying out for long hours. Who would guarantee my safety?
• That I cannot plan my career without being worried about who would marry me and where he would be located, if he would want me to stay at home, etc.
• That I cannot visit my friends and family without my husband’s family’s permission.
• That my hobbies and passion would always be placed last.
• That I must work harder than others to show that I am worthy of that promotion at work and it’s not happening because of my beauty or sex appeal.

And honestly, these things are trivial in front of many brutalities women face. If I compare myself to my contemporaries, I should be called a privileged one. However, I still feel anguish when I hear people (women included) say things like:

• “You girls have it easy. If it works for you, take a job else, get married and chill at home.”
• “She doesn’t work at all. We all know how she got the promotion.”
• “There are only 27% of women in India who work because women don’t want to work.”
• “Why do you have leave early from the office party? You are not a team player.”

The issues faced by women are exaggerated and unnecessary. I do, however, have female friends who don’t face any of these issues.

Now, remember what I wrote in the initial paragraphs? How girls were raised compared to boys? What are the values they learned in childhood? What conditions have they seen their mother in? What type of independence did they experience while growing up? What kinds of things were discussed with them?

The truth is, people are not built by advertisements, policies and incentives. People are built by ideologies and beliefs.

If societal norms and behavior does not display that people are born equal, no amount of education or policy can bring real change. Orthodox beliefs and oppressive customs would continue creeping in through the so-called modern life we are leading.

The real change would take place when we, instead of saying “aisa hi hai samaj” (this is how society is) start embracing the change at an individual and family level. Until that day, I will continue to be jealous and angry.

P.S.: I have always looked up to video ads to bring across meaningful messages in less than 2-3 minutes. Here is one beautiful advertisement reflecting my thoughts:

Featured image for representative purpose only.
Featured image source: José Antonio Morcillo Valenciano/Flickr.

The post Men And Women Are Born Equal, But Raised Differently. Why? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

In India, people will storm theatres to watch a biopic on the life of a legendary queen, who led a rebellion against the mighty British Empire and wielded swords ferociously on the battlefield. They will, however, squirm at the thought of their own daughters and sisters in uniform taking up arms and standing shoulder to shoulder with men at the border.

Even though many wings of the Indian Armed Forces have started inducting women in direct combat roles, their numbers are still dismal in comparison to their male counterparts. The stereotype that women are unfit and too fragile to take up combat roles still plague society.

In 2013, the Border Security Force opened its doors for women officers in supervisory combat roles.

Breaking through the glass ceiling, Tanushree Pareek emerged as the first woman combat officer in the forces’ 51-year existence in 2016. Hailing from Bikaner in Rajasthan, the lady Assistant Commandant is posted at Fazilka in Punjab. Braving the odds and the spine chilling weather, Tanushree stands tall guarding the country’s borders, as we sleep in the comforts of our home.

In an interview with YKA, the lady officer talks about her journey to become the first lady combatant of BSF, while also shedding some light on the challenges encountered by women in armed forces.

Akshara Bharat: How did you feel, when you first donned that uniform? Was it fate, or was it something that you had always aspired for?

Tanushree Pareek: I was in college when I joined NCC. The uniform not only gave me a sense of pride but also a sense of comfort which made me push my mental and physical limits. So, I decided to pursue a career in the defense forces.

Joining BSF wasn’t fate, but a choice. Having said that, becoming the 1st women in a combat role of the world’s largest border guarding force could be fate, as I never planned it that way.

AB: Why did you opt for BSF? What was your family’s reaction, when you broke the news of your selection to them?

TP: I spoke with my father about this, when I qualified the written exam of Central Armed Police Force(CAPF) conducted by UPSC in 2013. He was a bit surprised as I informed him only after clearing the written stage of the exam. His immediate response was asking me to go ahead and qualify the physical test as well. Getting through the medical test was toughest as I had to reduce around six kgs in a span of three weeks.

The entire family was elated when I secured a rank in the final list. No one in the past seven generations of my family had made it to the forces. My selection into BSF was a breakthrough which was heartily welcomed by my family, especially my grandfather.

AB: Were you intimidated or thrilled, when you realized that you are the only women officer of your batch, and you will be undergoing a 52-week training in a campus with over 16,000 men? How was this experience like?

TP: I was the only female who got selected out of 110 candidates in 2013 by BSF through the combined examination of CAPF. Joining the force – that too being the first and the only female – wasn’t thrilling or strange, however, the question that loomed large in front of me at that time was, if I really wanted to go through the 52 weeks long arduous physical training.

I was raised in a gender-neutral environment, so I didn’t find it strange to be at a place where no other woman had been until then. However, the men around me, were a bit uncomfortable, as I was the only woman among the entire lot of BSF trainee officers.

AB: Has the responsibility of carrying the baton of first lady combat officer of BSF, ever weighed you down?

TP: I always believed in doing things to the best of my capacity. That’s why I secured the second position in my basic training. I was the parade commander of my passing out parade. It was the first time in the history of CAPF when a female officer led an entire male contingent.

Being the first woman in combat role of an elite force has bestowed me with the responsibility of representing the female fraternity in a male-dominated area, in order to prove that women are as competent as men. This role has never weighed me down but has honored me with a privilege to motivate and encourage other women and girls to aspire for and achieve their dreams.

AB: During the course of your training, were you treated any differently just because of your gender?

TP: I can proudly say that BSF is one of the most gender-neutral organizations/ forces of India. Since the first day of our training, we were allotted chest numbers as our respective identities. I chose number 13, and since then my identity for the entire course of training had been “Terah Number Sahab/ chest number 13”.

AB: All wings of Indian Armed Forces allow women in combat roles, except the Indian Army and Special Forces of India. Recently Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat was quoted as saying that most jawans come from villages and they may not accept a woman officer leading them. What’s your take on that? As the only lady officer in BSF, have you ever felt the brunt of inherent misogyny, while commanding your troops?

TP: I don’t want to comment on anyone’s take but the best part of CAPFs is that they are least skewed against the women in comparison to the Triforces ( Army / IAF/ Navy). There is equality in all aspects it’s salary, promotion, allowance, or length of the service.

According to my experience, while commanding the troops it’s your rank and your demeanor which guides the behavior or response of your subordinates towards you. If you are professional, positive and firm in your decisions, then your gender is insignificant.

AB: As a woman officer in a combat role, currently posted in Punjab border, have you ever felt any difficulty because of the administrative and infrastructural inefficiencies? When it comes to building up of administrative capacities, what immediate changes would you like to see?

TP: I have experienced difficulties not only as a woman but also as a commander on the field. Although, gradually the needs are being catered to, however, the process needs to gear up.

AB: Should Indian Govt come up with an elaborate policy on the induction of women in combat roles?

TP: Why not?! Actually, it’s already in the pipeline at least with respect to CAPFs. The Ministry Of Home Affairs has come up with certain guidelines. I believe gender-neutral forces/ originations are more humanistic and civilized. Women are part of the same society and contribute not only as much as men but even more when it comes to other social responsibilities. I feel that one’s full potential should be harnessed and life decisions must not be restrained by gender, especially the choice of profession.

AB: Indian Air Force had 13.09% and 8.5%, Indian Navy 6% and 2.8% women, and Indian Army 3,80% and 3% in December 2018 and December 2014 respectively. BSF also boasts of having 50,000 women personnel. Although the numbers have gone up, but are still low when compared to the overall strength of these forces, especially in combat roles. Do you think the cultural fabric of Indian society still does not subscribe to the idea of women in uniform taking up arms?

TP: Teaching, nursing, and medicine are professions deemed to be most suited for women by society, as they leave them with sufficient time to carry other socially defined responsibilities like taking care of the family, bringing up children etc. The social role of a mother and wife has always been given priority over the professional aspirations of a woman. Thus, many women end up leaving their jobs after getting married or having children. Until and unless this mindset changes and the professional capabilities and potential of a woman is given its due respect and credit, this issue will last long.

AB: Finally, what message would you like to give to the girls out there, who are aspiring for a career in armed forces?

TP: Firstly, my message is to the parents as they are the one who shape the children’s mind in the initial years-treat your children equally irrespective of gender. This will inculcate a sense of equality in them and will boost their confidence.

To every girl out there my message is,- always have faith in yourself and never doubt your capabilities. Your life choices guide your journey so keep the steering in your hand. If I can do what I dreamt of, certainly each one of you can achieve what you really aspire for with dedicated and determined efforts.

Jai Hind!

The post Braving All Odds BSF’s First Woman In A Combat Role Stands Tall Guarding Borders appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

1. Pink Bits

To say that one must love all shapes and sizes is easier said than done. Run by an Australia-based artist, this page looks at beauty beyond conventional standards. Every body hair, every stretch mark is beautiful in these illustrations. The artist also explores menstruation, trichollotomania, diabetes and other issues in her work.

View this post on Instagram

Today’s illustration is a little more personal Here is a simplified look at my bras whilst growing up and what they said about me at the time. When i was young and my boobs first started growing in, I remember my mum handed me a ‘training bra’, I was confused but obliged. The second bra took up so many years – which is quite sad reflecting on it now. I was wearing under-wire, push up, male gaze designed crap as my everyday bra. Now, lingerie itself is nothing to demonise, it can be empowering, a fabulous means of self expression and just lovely to wear – but it was not these things for me and was worn as someone who was very insecure and dressing for the male gaze in the hopes of something – perhaps wanting to be found attractive? Who knows. Feminism was not something I knew much of nor understood whilst growing up (growing up sheltered + religious, in a religious school, with traditional & strict parents – oh what fun) Today when I get dressed, I’m putting myself first, which would’ve been a revelation to younger me, and I’m not sure she’d recognise me now. If you’ve read this far, thank you Do you have a similar experience, or can you empathise? What has your journey looked like? . . . #pinkbits #art #illustration #design #feminist #representation #diversity #pastel #peach #bra #lingerie #growingup

A post shared by Pink Bits (@pink_bits) on Feb 9, 2019 at 10:02pm PST

2. Liv & Dom

These UK based illustrators create nude incense holders and candle holders. The incense holders make the woman’s body the centre of attention and celebrate womanhood. The illustrations are made in such a way that attempt neither to subdue nor glorify the female form.

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Australians! Get your hands on these SALE brooches as well as our magnets and candle holders through @bastianboutiqueau. Contact them for international shipping enquiries!

A post shared by Liv & Dom (@livanddom) on Mar 6, 2019 at 11:32pm PST

3. Brown Girl Gazin

Despite much criticism about airbrushing and unrelatable beauty standards in advertising and magazines, we’re still on the lookout for women that we relate to. This account seeks to redefine beauty through relatable women, their body issues and acknowledges their imperfections rather than treating them as flaws that need to be brushed under the carpet.

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vi) I'm grateful to be living in a time where there a multiple accepted ways of being a woman, but I have to appreciate it's been a long journey for me and the people around me and we still have a long way to go. –@dpa.jay

A post shared by Anushka Kelkar (@browngirlgazin) on Sep 25, 2018 at 8:05am PDT

4. Maya Mittal

You know how you watch Cardi B videos sometimes and wish you had your own Indian comeback taglines? Well, this account has got you covered. Follow this account for some humorous one liners. One of my favourites is the illustration Blame It On Nazar. Check it out!

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Pass the aachar

A post shared by 𝕄𝔸𝕐𝔸 (@mayamittal_) on Mar 4, 2019 at 5:06pm PST

5. Sanitary Panels

The comic strips on this page range from politics to women’s issues and everything in between. This account will probably lead to an awakening about your relationships and friendships across gender and drops truth bombs left, right and center. One look at a comic strip and you might want to rethink many closely held beliefs!

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The Trans Bill passed by the Lok Sabha is harmful, regressive, and we need to urgently ask Rajya Sabha members to stop the bill: bit.ly/StopTransBill2018 #StopTransBill2018

A post shared by Sanitary Panels (@sanitarypanels) on Dec 23, 2018 at 3:09am PST

6. Feminism In India

This account speaks to women achievers across ages, recommends good short films to watch and helps you stay abreast with the latest conversations on gender and sexuality. Following this page perhaps may also shine a light on your internalised biases and help you unlearn some of them through their section of #fiimythbusting.

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Rape is an act of power and control and is not motivated by sexual gratification. . . . . . . . . . #FIIMythbusting #WednesdayWisdom #feminisminindia #feminist #feminism #women #win #indianfeminism #intersectionalfeminism #gender #equality #genderequality #intersectionalfeminist #indianfeminist #womensmovement #Resist #Herstory #womensrights #diversity #humanrights #SDGs #SDG5 #sexualviolence #sexism #victim #fact #myth #mythbusting

A post shared by Feminism in India (@feminisminindia) on Feb 26, 2019 at 10:37pm PST

7. The Indian Feminist

This page has some interesting analogies that Indian women would relate to. It also helps to start some new conversations and you can buy some funny stickers that you can buy! Through its anecdotes and curated tweets, the page smashes patriarchy, one post at a time.

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Tag em below

A post shared by The Indian Feminist (@the_indian_feminist) on Dec 10, 2018 at 12:13pm PST

8. Gay Si Family

Serving as a space for conversations on the LGBTQ community, this page discusses the issues of representation. Head to this page for some insightful reviews on the representation of the community in popular culture. You could also visit their website for details on their latest work and read personal stories.

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Artwork by Veer Misra @v.eird. . . Love isn't 'blind'. Love is inclusive. Love knows no boundaries drawn up by human minds and wars Love only knows that it deserves love back Love is for me and you Whoever I am Whoever you are. . . Go on to our bio and click the link to sign this wonderful petition and make this pride heart possible! . . https://www.change.org/p/unicode-consortium-the-world-needs-a-pride-heart-emoji . . @uber_india #lovemovesforward #india #lgbtqi #queer #samesexlove #equalityforall #prideforall #gender #sexuality #uberindia

A post shared by Gaysi Family (@gaysifamily) on Feb 17, 2019 at 9:57pm PST

9. Woke Desi Boy

Created by Imaan Shaikh, Woke Desi Boy is about Bare Minimum Basheer and his girlfriend. Basheer believes he is a feminist but he’s in for a rude shock every time he speaks to his mother or girlfriend and realises he isn’t ‘woke’ enough. A few laughs and some truth bombs guaranteed!

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moment of clarity

A post shared by Bare Minimum Basheer (@wokedesiboy) on Oct 25, 2018 at 12:24pm PDT

10. I Am Like Other Girls

If you’re tired of seeing morally upright and socially accepted representations of women, this project is worth looking at. This page includes portraits of women who accept their individuality. It’s about celebrating your flaws and being unapologetic about your choices. Although this project is now defunct, scroll down to find someone relatable and perhaps you might! If not, wait around for the project to restart and you could send in your entries too!

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“I do not wax and I am like other girls “ – Nishitaa, India Art by @juliaquarius #iamlikeothergirls

A post shared by I Am Like Other Girls (@iamlikeothergirls) on Aug 14, 2018 at 10:02am PDT

Featured image source: Pink Bits; I Am Like Other Girls; Maya Mittal/Instagram.

The post 10 Instagram Accounts That Are Unapologetically Feminine And How! appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Recently, PM Modi visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on a renaming spree, bunched three most important islands in the cluster and loosely renamed them as Netaji Islands. The RSS holds the Cellular Jail as their own symbolic monument of freedom struggle, merely because VD Savarkar graced the haloed environs of the jail.

It is important though to remember he wrote to the British imploring them to release him on the condition that he will abide by them. On my visit to this interesting yet complicated political space in Indian history, I dug out a few clues to try and complete the puzzle.

February 11 is also recognized as Martyrs’ Day in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and this event has no connection to the political prisoners in the Cellular Jail. The Islands have their own history of a freedom struggle, not against the British but against an oppressive Japanese occupation which unleashed inhumane torture and terror on the people of the Islands.

Being a history buff, it had been my long time urge to know what really happened in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the Second World War. Especially because the Indian National Congress which was at the forefront of the freedom struggle and the Indian National Army, an organization led by Netaji was mobilizing people to wage war against the British with the help of the Axis powers, namely Japan, Italy and Germany.

How this played out in these islands can be considered more gripping and heart wrenching than when the Cellular Jail was filled up with political prisoners fighting for freedom. The Japanese occupation of the Andaman Islands was far more torturous than how political prisoners suffered because they were put to hard labor (and most of them were not from the working class).

Many like VD Savarkar could not bear the punishment of hard labor, so wrote apology letters or letters promising to be pro-colonial pacifists. The real history of resistance and victory was the one fought by the residents of Andaman and Nicobar Islands against Japanese occupation rather than a jail that held prisoners who conspired and threw bombs at the British in mainland India.

The British Empire had invaded and gifted themselves the Andaman and Nicobar Islands long before the two World Wars. The main island namely Port Blair was swept clean of the aborigines who moved into other wilder, more secluded islands. The East India Company after having established itself firmly in Calcutta, began trading in wood and spices from these islands which were strategically positioned nearer to the British Presidency.

Therefore, a fair bit of Bengali populace existed in these islands, which already included influential Muslim families, and Tamils from the earlier Chola period of trade and commerce.

The island was well organized to suit every whim and fancy of our colonial masters. The water treatment equipment (rusted yet standing, for clean drinking water on Ross Island), a church, a club and a ball room, all of which are now in shambles. Ross Island itself has eroded on all sides, the roots of ancient trees lays exposed to sun and rain. It may not remain standing for long. The sight of peacocks and deer on this ravaged island appears pathetic. The tiny museum displaying a dozen photographs of erstwhile colonial families once residing does not evoke any emotion.

The Cellular Jail and its occupants during India’s freedom struggle need to be saluted, without doubt. They did endure hardship, labor, torture, scarce food, sickness and death. Most were from Bengal, a substantial number from Punjab, just three from Maharashtra; one of whom was VD Savarkar who did no memorable deed, except to write to colonial masters for release, offering them complete loyalty and faithfulness. The rest of the prisoners suffered, endured, some repatriated, some were released, others died.

Andaman and Nicobar history is not just about the Cellular Jail, it has written its own story of resistance against a brutal Japanese occupation and how they eventually won due to their endurance, perseverance and sacrifices. This story needs to be told lest we forget the real heroes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The Japanese soldiers and officers appear to have had an unbelievable appetite and ability to torture and kill people. Their methods were cold and merciless; how can we continue to negate this from our history only because we need to accommodate Mr. Bose as a leader of our freedom struggle movement? They brought in poor Korean women as ‘comfort wives’ while harassing and abusing local women!

This is where Zulfiqar Ali legend pops into the picture. The Japanese soldiers soon after their arrival, looked around for women, and tried to assault a Muslim woman, a relative of Zulfiqar Ali. Fear spread about these barbaric soldiers from Japan.

The next day the soldiers wandered around the same place again. Seeing them and knowing their intentions, an incensed and enraged twenty-something Zulfiqar, ran into his brother-in-law’s house, returned with a fire arm and shot at the soldiers injuring one. He then went into hiding and the residents of Aberdeen avoided helping the Japanese soldiers in tracking Zulfiqar. That is when all hell broke loose.

The Japanese threw bombs and opened fire engulfing Aberdeen, several lost their lives. Zulfiqar’s relatives decided to hand  him over to the Japanese. They tortured him and shot him in full public view in the center of a playground. He came from an influential family of Muslim traders, who continued to work relentlessly against the occupation.

A symbolic monument stands at the Aberdeen market bazaar today as a mark of respect to all who died under the reign of terror of Japanese occupation.

There was more to come. The Japanese lured local people with jobs and put them into boats only to throw them into the sea and drown them. More than seven hundred locals died this way. Two men who swam to safety returned months later to tell the tale of all the innocent men who were thrown into the sea. Mr. Bose had no power to control Japanese excesses against innocent men and women.

Another hero is a native Andamanese chieftain who acted as an undercover agent for the British Army even as he played his native role of chieftain. His knowledge of the islands, seamanship skills and trustworthiness among natives helped him spy on the Japanese and deliver strategic information to the British stationed miles away. His name was Loka.

His invaluable assistance in the Second World War to the Allies in defeating Hitler and his friends in Japan and Italy should be engraved on stone. The airport should be named after him or a surrounding island should be named after Loka. Any other history of heroism in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is bullshit.

The most brutal, inhumane, gut wrenching things happened on these islands during the Japanese occupation. The people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands paid a huge price and many lost their lives. Some eminent residents, who were forced to support the Japanese because of their loyalty to Subhash Chandra Bose, were jailed and executed at the end of the Second World War for treason by the British.

Recently, we heard of a young foreigner, who forayed into the wilderness with a mission to spread Christianity and met with a bad end. How much of it is true, nobody knows. Then we had the PM grouping a few of these Islands and casually calling it the Netaji Islands.

It is sad that Netaji  was in cahoots with the Japanese oppressors who unleashed terror on the residents, and could not and would not do much to save them. Today, we also hear that these islands have been let out to private parties to fly sea planes, endangering not only the precarious geography but also posing great danger to the fast disappearing indigenous tribes.

Featured image for representative purpose only.
Featured image source: Amol Gaitonde; Aniket Khadilkar/Wikimedia Commons and Sankara Subramaniam/Flickr.

The post Opinion: The Japanese Occupation Of The Andaman Islands Was The Worst Its People Endured appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

War is no good, unless it can be consumed. That seems to have been the motto for most of the media houses. Following the horrific Pulwama episode on the 14th of February, the fourth pillar has been baying for blood and reeking of a war-fetish. But the most persistent shelling has in fact been on our minds.

In the past few weeks, we have seen anchors in uniform literally holding guns, propped up with ballistic graphics in the backdrop and vitriol in their dramatization and much more. They have virtually turned newsrooms into “war rooms“. What started since the time of the gulf wars has come of age wherein wars are today as good as what the celluloid can package for us. So when the nation watches its leader say, “अब घर में घुस के मारेंगे (We will beat them in their own house),” the script expects uproarious cheers in the audience.

Now, let’s just take a moment and reflect. Why does a general in the Republic’s studio scream “Yeh dil maange more“? While using this most iconic caption of a soft drink giant from the wee years of consumerism in the 90s, what the general wants is to whet our appetite for more. But what does that make us? Consumers, not patriots.

And, if blind nationalism is the product, Modi the label, and we the consumers, then Kashmir, in fact, has been reduced to merely a means of production. Like the proverbial cow, it continues to remain an issue that can be milked at will by political forces on both sides of the border. So never would they bring the people of the valley to the centre stage for any plausible resolution. For as long as a resolution is kept in abeyance, India can continue to station more men in uniform per square kilometre of the valley and Pakistan can continue to provide safe havens for un-uniformed gunmen in its territory. The consequent volatility entails more curfewed nights for Kashmiris, more losses of security personnel, and a spiralling dehumanization of the valley. But that seems to be the necessary cost for the rulers of the day as after all it opens up the market for hate, for jingoism, for war-hysteria. And with enough consumers for the same, they hope that it can translate into votes.

What they needed, after all, is polarization. And for that, the external borders were never enough. They needed enemies within. First began the hunt for Kashmiris across the country – be it shawlwalas, students, or professionals. Mobs were scourging through lanes looking for innocent and helpless Kashmiris. Such bravado! In a south Delhi colony, a Kashmiri family was asked to vacate in the middle of the night. Upon enquiry, one learnt that the landlord pleaded that though he has no ill-feelings, he was afraid that if the saffron thugs find them, then they would not spare him and his family either. He was a Muslim. Given the toxic cocktail of hate and jingoism in air, his fears weren’t unfounded. Muslim parents are already having to deal with their kids being taunted and bullied in school. With hate being anchored deep into impressionable minds from TV screens, parents and educationists have expressed concern.

Finally, the whip of war is particularly directed at dissenters. “चुन-चुन के हिसाब लेना मेरी फितरत है (Taking revenge is in my nature),” said the PM. Dissenters today is a broad category that includes any and every voice that may have a slightest of difference, doubt, question or logic. It ranges from Prashant Bhushan to Sachin Tendulkar.

None of the “nationalist” anchors or their saffron masters would cover or address the struggling ex-CRPF and army personnel demanding pension. But the same anchors and spokespersons would then unabashedly use them for their own posturing to build a larger narrative. War-mongering is a crucial component to sustain this narrative. It’s a narrative that may have many beginnings, but in the end, one is either with Modi or with Pakistan.

Hence it is not a surprise that our PM thinks that the capture and subsequent release of wing commander Abhinandan is merely a “pilot project” and that “अभी रियल करना बाकी है (The real-deal is yet to happen).” It is therefore not surprising that a majority of India’s media houses do not want a “de-escalation” and are branding all pacifists as “anti-nationals”. For they know that in these last few days before the general elections, it is only the opiate of war that can keep them safe from every other pressing concern of the day. And the handful amongst the journalist fraternity who happened to put facts before claims, who posed a few questions (read, who did their job), have been instantly branded as “agents” of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, as more of us remain consumed by blind nationalism, what gets subsumed are the monumental failures of the present government over the course of the last five years. Be it the deepening agrarian distress or the falsity of 2 crore jobs, be it the disastrous fallout of demonetization or the Rafale scam. They want to drown every other real concern that plagues the people today. And what does that make us? Fools, not patriots.

The post So, We Are Either With Modi Or With Pakistan appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Every year the internet hosts a great grand party on 8th of March, to celebrate Women’s Day. The guest list is pretty much the same every year, with additional entries of men-turned-feminists after a new Akshay Kumar movie.

The brands obviously know how to make an impression. They enter the party just in time to help the host lay plates on the table. They come bearing grand gifts like ‘50% Discount’, ‘Buy one, get one free’ and other such great deals on ‘fashion & home’ products, sometimes electronics too (ovens and mixers are electronics, right?). Impressive deals at stores, special ladies’ nights too, because what’s a party without a little alcohol? And if the alcohol is cheaper, shots free and the clubmen free, I’m in!

Can’t not mention the advertisements. Agencies are at their peak with Women’s Day campaigns for brands. They get in hoards of hashtags for the hosts. #WomensDay #WonderWoman #StrongWoman #Instawomen #InternationalWomensDay #empoweringwomen etc. They come to the party only to hog on the free food. They fill their plates with dollops of promotion, with a delicious side of increasing engagement, and when there is a good brand image for dessert, one obviously makes space in a full stomach. Not to mention the boosting SEO. Okay Google, find a not-capitalized women’s day. Error 404: Results not found.

Then enter the men, fashionably late to every party. Making a grand entrance with their long and loud Facebook and Instagram posts. Forgetting to leave their shoes filled with entitlement, they have large dirty feet and they might ruin your carpet. They come bearing gifts because, of course, they are capable of taking care of their mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives. Sometimes they break a wine glass when they’re arguing about why is there no Men’s Day, and sometimes even a plate when they throw it in anger, because there actually is a Men’s Day on 19th November, but they are too ignorant to know that.

Then there are those friends of yours, who are disliked and ignored by everybody else. You secretly like them, but others in your party do not count them in. Transgender females, genderqueer folks, those who identify as she/her/them, women of colour, women of the suppressed class, women of the suppressed caste etc.

It’s all a party, until it’s not!

Everyone has eaten this day off till their hearts (pocket’s) content, and is now at the door ready to leave, while the host, the women, all of them, still fight for bread and peace. History goes back to 1908, when women marched on the streets of New York City. Sadly, we need to do that now for as much as basic human rights. We fight for the right to vote in some countries, while in others we fight to be in the government. For education, for safety, for access to places, for equal payment the list goes on and on.

If others cannot host the party, they might as well learn to be good guests. Men can be better allies, by using the power positioned in them by patriarchy for the betterment of everyone. Women need to be represented more, paid more, read about more, given equal opportunities.

Feminism which has become the new forbidden ‘F’ word, needs to be screamed out in the open. Feminism puts down patriarchy and lifts everybody else first. It validates male survivors, the LGBTQA+ community, people across all races, castes and religions, people with disabilities etc.

Men have always been privileged enough to have the mic. If they could just pass on the mic and let women be heard, everyday after women’s day would be an after party.

The post Why Does Feminism Become The ‘Intimidating’ F Word Again, Soon After Women’s Day? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Fake News is a buzz word these days, especially now when Lok Sabha elections are approaching. There are two things I want to talk about here:

1. What Is Fake News? What Are Other Types of Distortions?

It is a term widely and loosely used these days for various purposes. There are various types of manipulation of facts that takes place, a part of which is also fake news, but the term is very loosely used these days. It is important to understand that fake news is different than an extremely biased news.

Fake news can be considered as fabricated information that disseminate deceptive content, or grossly distort actual news reports shared on social media platforms. Sometimes, fake news is also manufactured by the distributors of news. Source of the news could explicitly mention themselves as satirical news site or humour tweet handle and publish a distorted news, but due to wide spread social media, the same message will be forwarded to millions as real news.

It becomes very subjective to say which opinion is extremely biased and which is not, but with fake news, you can prove with facts that it is an intentionally fabricated information.

Let’s take a very simple example. A report published by UNICEF suggest that primary schools in India increased by 5% in last two years.

Fake news will be: UNICEF suggest that all schools in India increased by 5% in last two years.

An extremely biased news might look like: Primary schools in India has been increased by 5% in the tenure of Mr. Netaji and now UNICEF also mentions the progress.

But fact is the fact. Simple. There can be various ways to distort it because perception is paramount. Now, the issue with extremely biased news is that they might still be stating the fact but playing around with words or distorting the information to present in a way that is favourable to their advantage.

Also read: Explained: How Yellow Journalism And Fake News Distract Us From Real Issues

Sources of fake news are websites that have been flagged as consistently spreading fabricated news or conspiracy theories by several fact-checking groups. Whereas, extremely biased websites include more controversial websites that may not necessarily publish fabricated information, but distort facts and may rely on propaganda, decontextualized information, or opinions distorted as facts.

The issue has become critical and wide spoken due to the wide reach of the social media. What would be water cooler conversations in offices and a chai charcha on a tea stall can now potentially reach millions. If I have a view, an opinion or a fact, I can state it as I want. I can influence people the way I want. There are few who do it because they truly believe in it and then there are many for whom it’s a business. Is it tough to find out who is Who?

2. Who Am I And Why Am I Interested In It?

Just like you, I am an ordinary working urban citizen of this country, relatively aware of what is happening around. A professional, a game watcher, a movie goer, a food lover, following the recent trends on politics, a moderate twitter user, smart phone addict, an ordinary Indian citizen as I said. Probably, in the upper half of the privileged section of the entire Indian demographics if you put it. I am educated, I make decent money, I have a house to live in, I can afford good food, hygiene, healthy life style. Maybe we do not realize so much in our everyday lives, while cribbing about our bosses, running behind our clients and so on, how much of a luxury we are already living in. We probably belong to top five percent of the country’s population.

Given what has happened in the nation recently, I have been asking a question to myself and I am sure that many of you have also been going through similar thoughts — I would like to believe that I am a true patriotic person, a nationalist but what am I really doing for the nation, apart from of course paying taxes? Can I do something more? And then be actually proud of it instead of sitting on my chair, tweeting few statements and calling myself a nationalist. And that’s where this thought began. As part of the tech world, can I do something about fake news and misinformation that is spreading at an all time high rate? News that we consume impact our opinions and judgements. But are we sure that we are not victims of fake news as well?

As an active participant of the Indian democracy, I wanted to make my own contribution and also find out some answers to all these questions. If possible, help people differentiate between fake news and real news. Somehow, social media and fake news are connected – because the internet has the power to disseminate any news in seconds to millions of people irrespective of their geography, demographics, beliefs and values. Earlier, this wasn’t possible. So, we as a team [me and my friends] have come together – as we want to make use of the technology, its power and its ability to reach out, to do just the opposite, to fight the fake news.

We want to see if people can differentiate between fake news and real news and in the same process, be an eye opener of how much fake news is thrown at them. We can’t do much about biased reporting and news, but we can surely fight outright fake news.

Also read: Standing Up To Fake News Is The Need Of The Hour

We are excited to work on this. We will soon be releasing our works for all of you to be a part of it. We welcome any opinions, suggestions and help. This is for all of us and we have to ensure that we fight the fake news, as it will be in its full swing given the upcoming elections. It is our duty as a citizen of the country to ensure that right news reaches all of us, and we stay informed and aware of the facts to be able to make the right decisions.

Please write to me at anki.garg@gmail.com. Waiting to hear from you all! Stay tuned for more updates.

YOUTH KI AWAAZ POLL

Created by imankitagarg

Do you agree that a large set of social media consumers cannot identify between fake news and real news

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The post With The Upcoming Elections, We All Must Be On Alert Against Fake News appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

TRIGGER WARNING: VIOLENCE

During my work with Rohingya refugees in Jammu, I worked extensively for better health and education for them. Months after my joining, during a field survey, I met an elderly gentleman who I assumed must have been in his late 70s. He was accompanied by two children, a boy and a girl. Usually, my interactions with the refugees would remain confined to the health and education of their children, and I used to spend a lot of time convincing them to enroll their children in schools.

The task required extensive advocacy, as these kids were into rag picking, which would pay them around Rs 3000 per month, an amount which could help them run their lives.

When I met this old gentleman, I was surprised to know that he willingly sought enrollment of the children with him in any school. I was very curious to know how these children were related to him, and engaged him in a conversation. He smiled and said that they were his grandchildren. His own children were no more. Hearing this I offered him a chair and requested him to tell me how he reached Jammu.

“I had a beautiful family”, he said. “A wife, two sons and one daughter. All my children were married but my eldest son had no children. We used to run a hardware business. One day, we were having breakfast, my daughter was visiting us from her marital home for a few days. Some men with guns, chains, and axes suddenly entered my house. First, they dragged my two sons out of the house and then they tied me to a cemented pillar. My daughter and wife screamed and cried and tried helplessly to help me, but they dragged them both away. My daughter and wife were pushed to the floor. A few men held them down, pinning their arms and legs, and started raping them turn by turn. I was helplessly crying, screaming, shouting but I couldn’t bring myself to look. Once they were done, one man got furious and slit the throat of my daughter with a sharp knife. My wife screamed when she saw this and another man cut her into two with an axe. While all this was happening, these two children, my daughter’s son and my son’s little girl were sleeping in a room on the first floor.”

He continued, “My two sons were dragged near a fire. The Buddhist attackers would set a fire and encircle it by holding each other’s hands. They would then throw the person whom they wanted to kill, inside the ring. They made a brutal game out of this, and they would push whoever was inside towards the flames. And if he tried to run to the other end, the other encircling would push him back, and this macabre game continued till the time the targeted person would tire enough to set himself ablaze. And they would all watch him burn and scream.”

Once he died they would blow the fire by urinating on it. Two of my sons were killed like this, in front of my eyes. After destroying and killing my whole family they left without releasing me as they thought I was too old to survive after watching this. A few days later, I escaped that place with these two children and reached Jammu four months later.

Running, hiding, begging with these little ones in tow, I travelled through Bangladesh and then to Bengal to ultimately reach this camp. They don’t know what has happened to their parents. I might die in a few months or years, but I want them to seek an education so that they can decide their own fate once they grow up. These two are my only hope now and I don’t want my only hope to remain unfulfilled, because of my inability to provide them an education.”

I was left speechless. While narrating his harrowing tale, the old man remained dry-eyed. Perhaps some wounds are so deep that no tears can express the pain they inflict.

The post “My Family Was Massacred Before My Eyes”: Riyaz, A 70-Year-Old Rohingya Refugee appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Dear aunty (get used to the fact that people will now call you aunty), it is great to be newly married. You feel love all around you. The excitement, the adventure, the thrill of it all.

Its been only a week of your marriage.

Every time you see him smile at you, butterflies start fluttering inside your stomach. You really don’t mind all that teasing.

You have started packing for your honeymoon now. That one glorified trip. That once-in-a-lifetime trip, so much so that any other trip you take as a couple can only be a second honeymoon and never match up to the first one.

Now comes the third month of marriage.

Your mother-in-law has slowly but very firmly started telling you what her son likes/dislikes, how to pack his bags, what to give him for food, etc.

You have just come back from office but you rush to the kitchen to help your mother-in-law in serving dinner. Your mother-in-law has been kind enough to do the cooking for you (if this is the case, consider yourself amongst the luckier ones).

You see your husband sitting in the chair after office glued to his mobile screen in utterly comfortable clothing.

You need to seek permission from your in-laws for visiting your parent’s house and they will ask you, “how will your husband manage without you?” Well, the same way he has been managing for most parts of his life.

Dear girl, know that the above things will happen in your life in whatever form or intensity. But they will. Understand that in the name of responsibility, your freedom will be curbed.

All the debates against patriarchy that you use to vehemently participate in will now make you feel like a hypocrite. Anywhere you complain, you will be answered with “this is not even a problem, you will have to do this much,” or “now you are a married woman, don’t run away from your responsibilities.”

There will come a time when you will blame the men in your life, your parents, your in-laws, marriage as an institution and society at large.

Also realize the harsh truth that your parents whom you hold on a pedestal will do the same thing with your sister-in-law. And the circle will go on.

The men of our country will keep saying statements like:

“I will allow you to pursue your career even after marriage,” and the women of our country will continue to swoon.

“Oh, he is so progressive!” (Why would I need your permission, though?)“Why do you need to go to your parent’s house now, my mother is ill. Would it not be better if you could stay home and go later?” (You said it yourself, my mother.)

As we commemorate yet another women’s day, let us grow up. Let us start dividing chores. Let us say out loud that my parents are also your responsibility, why don’t you come with me to stay with your in laws for some days, they might start liking you more.

Let us start asking questions. Let us not be afraid of going out with friends without our husbands (we can have different set of friends).

Let us leave the kitchen dirty, the clothes unwashed and the house a mess, for if it takes that to make your life sorted, so be it.

Let us be a wreck and shake some mind sets.

Featured image for representative purpose only.
Featured image source: jasleen_kaur/Flickr.

The post An Open Letter To The Newly Married Indian Woman appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), students are protesting against their University’s patent claim on a prostate cancer treatment. This protest is supported and run globally by Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM).

Since March 2018, UAEM is running a campaign #TakeBackXtandi. They have sent an email petition to Janet Napolitano, the President of the University of California.

Several other civil organizations and national and international NGOs are also protesting. The Union for Affordable Cancer Treatment (UACT), along with 56 other organizations, in May 2017, has requested the University of California (UCLA) to withdraw from its proceedings.

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of mortality among men in the world. In India, its incidence is increasing day by day and the cases are expected to double by 2020.

Region-wise, it has ranked among top ten cancers among men in the regions of the north (second most common in Delhi), south (second most common in Trivandrum), east (second most common in Kolkata) and west (third most common in Mumbai).

In 2007, UCLA filed a patent in India for Enzalutamide (brand name Xtandi) – a drug which can prolong the life of a prostate cancer patient by 4-5 months. However, their patent request was rejected by the Indian Patent Office (IPO) in November 2016 on the grounds of lack of inventive steps and novelty under the Indian patent laws. Following that rejection, UCLA filed a case in Delhi High Court challenging IPO’s decision. They are represented by former Union Minister and senior advocate P Chidambaram.

Xtandi, called the wonder drug by many, was developed by a team led by chemist M.E. Jung and including oncologist C.L. Sawyers from UCLA. Funding for the drug development came through the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the US Army Prostate Cancer Research Program, i.e. taxpayers of the USA funded the drug development through taxes). In 2012, the drug got approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This was a huge breakthrough in the treatment of prostate cancer.

After a series of events among UCLA and 3 pharmaceutical companies, in the USA, today it stands at an unaffordable price of around $8,839.49 per month or $70,715 or ₹49 lakh for the median treatment duration of 8.3 months. The same treatment cost in India, however, is roughly ₹11,000 per day or ₹28 lakh for median treatment duration.

These treatment prices are exorbitantly high for anyone to afford the drug, even in a developed country like the US. Considering the approximate per day income per person is only ₹363 ($5USD) in India, it is inaccessible to most who need it.

By rejecting the patent and thus allowing other pharmaceutical firms to produce a low-cost generic version, the same pill, according to the analysis by Knowledge Ecology International (KEI), Washington, can be priced as low as $2 or ₹145 per day.

Here it would be interesting to understand who is going to benefit enormously if UCLA wins the patent battle. The journey for Enzalutamide is as follows:

• 2005: UCLA licensed Enzalutamide’s patent to Medivation, a San Francisco based biopharmaceutical company.
• October 2009: Medivation entered into a Collaboration Agreement with Astellas Pharma Inc., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, to collaborate on the development of Enzalutamide for the US; Astellas is responsible for developing and seeking regulatory approval for Enzalutamide outside of the United States.
• March 2016: UCLA sold its royalty interests, future profits on patents, to Royalty Pharma headquartered in New York.
• August 2016: Pfizer, an American pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in New York, acquired Medivation.

This means that currently 3 pharmaceutical companies – Pfizer, Astellas and Royalty Pharma – all benefit from Xtandi. It is evident that UCLA is fighting on the behalf of these big pharmaceuticals as winning the patent rights will benefit these companies only who have already earned billions out of the sale of Xtandi in the USA and outside.

These pharmaceutical corporations are using this publicly funded product and are charging unfairly high prices from people in need. Xtandi has a big market expanding day by day. The motive of the pharma companies if capturing that market for maximum profit generation.

The usual argument made about investments in research and development in an attempt to justify expensive drugs seems prudent, i.e. the drug development, clinical trials, etc. cost a huge sum of money and time and to continue the process of drug development and research, generating profits by charging insanely high prices is the way out. However, it is not so in most cases. For Xtandi, profit from sales are in the billions and the cost of production was only a few million.

UCLA is considered as America’s top public university but sadly does not reflect that stature. It is a signatory at the Nine Points to Consider in Licensing University Technology which clearly states that universities have a social compact with society and it is their responsibility to find a way to share their knowledge with the world’s poor.

Xtandi is just one example. A victory of poor and deserving in this one case will send a strong message to the pharmaceutical companies to price life-saving drugs rationally. It will restore the faith of society in the work and intention of the publicly funded academic institutions.

In today’s society with the abundance of information available on the internet, amongst several political and business tactics, irreplaceable desire for profit generation, and conflicts of interests, sometimes the public can get influenced or misinformed.

How can we see through all the information floating around and how should we make sense of it?

Well, it is quite easy! Mahatma Gandhi, Father of the Nation, said, “I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man [woman] whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him [her]. Will he [she] gain anything by it? Will it restore him [her] to a control over his [her] own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj [freedom] for the hungry and spiritually starving millions?
Then you will find your doubts and your-self melt away.”

Featured image source: Universities Allied for Essential Medicines/Official Website.

The post UCLA Students Are Protesting A Patent Claim, But What Does India Have To Do With It? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.