Namami Gange Mission on War Footing

New Delhi

Scaling and speeding up the efforts, Central Government has approved raising three Territorial Army (TA) battalions. Specially trained engineers, environmentalists and scientists will be an integral part of the battalions along with fully skilled manpower.

The battalions will work in phases and will initiate with cleaning of banks of the holy river zones designated by the experts in commencement with ministries. Post cleaning of banks the battalions will undertake water desalination, purification and afforestation along the Ganga.

It should be noted here that a battalion constitutes of thousand well trained members. These three battalions will work under the guidance and directions of Ministry of Water Resources, responsible for ambitious Clean Ganga Campaign to achieve Namami Gange aims. Indian army will train these personnel who will write the new script of Ganga cleaning.

Specially trained engineers, environmentalists and scientists along with skilled manpower will handle complex water purifying plants, sources said. Funds for equipment like desalination plants and sewage treatment units will be provided by the Water Resources.

The battalions will also help agencies (roped in by Ministry) in soil treatment to enhance the fertility of land for agricultural purposes, along the banks of revered river Ganga.

Government has given in-principle approval, Ministry of Defence and Water Resources are working out modalities to design a framework of operations and work share (this includes allotment of zones to TA battalions for operations). It is expected that the battalions will be operative within six months.

Territorial Army has expertise in improving environment, their Ecological battalions (eight specialized battalions) are engaged in preserving environment and eco­system. Greening of barren Aravali hills  around National Capital Region is result of the hard work put up by these units.

The ecological units have arrested environmental degradation by planting more than 25 million trees over 22,000 hectares of land in Mussoorie hills and Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand, Bikaner and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan and Chambal ravines in Madhya Pradesh.

Part of regular Indian Army, TA battalions comprise volunteers in the age group of 18­ to 40 and receive military training for a specified period in a year. Raised in 1949, TA is governed by Army Act and has taken part in 1971 India­Pakistan war apart from helping civil administration in times of natural calamities like earthquake in Latur (Maharashtra) and Uttarkashi and super cyclone in Odisha.

Personnel of TA are drawn from various fields in civilian domain and have to serve for a designated period. They comprise doctors, engineers, management professionals, businessmen and farmers. Known as second line of the Defence, the TA units relieve the regular Army units from static duties and assist civil administration in times of natural calamities. They also provide units to the regular Army in times of war.

There is nothing wrong in making a documentary movie on the actual story or the visual depiction because everyone has the right to know but the question here is are we documenting it to analyze the reasons or the root cause for preventing such heinous crime in future? 

Are we going to dome something to address this big elephant in the room? Is this going to be one of the tools for reeducating the offenders convicted under such crime ? Is this going to change the mindset?

If the answer is yes to ate last two of the questions mentioned above then I have no problems of any sort for such visual depiction. The irony is we have only seen different version of storytelling that has taken place after this incident. 

Everyone used it as plot to use it for their own obvious reasons. We keep talking about women security but nobody comes out and do anything fruitful. It always gets its place in the bottom of priority list. I don’t want to think only negative and I am sure there are cases where people have come up and done something fruitful for stopping crime against women. 

I would rather like to see documentaries made on some positive change/development or on ways to handle such situations. I am sure there will be cases in western country of counselling such criminals to work on a road map for preventing such issues in the future. In a way this documentary also shows/depicts our useless judicial system.

I hope the judges involved in the trial of this case would now realise that they were wasting their time in even giving the accused an opportunity to defend himself who shows no signs of remorse. The Nirbhaya fund, set up by the UPA government in the aftermath of the December 16 Delhi gang rape, has made more news for being alarmingly underutilized than for making any significant improvement to women's safety. 

I’ll be more happy to see some movement in this direction rather than repetitive storytelling sessions of the same issue again and again. As mentioned in my yesterday’s post- It is really unfortunate that our police/law/court system is letting these criminal to talk even after 2 years of trail. India is the only country where a case goes from the lower courts to the supreme court, then to the president's table for the mercy plea and the same case bounces back to the Supreme court in order to challenge the president's verdict and the vicious circle continues to loop around. 

As a matter of fact it is high time for us to change the real status of women formed over the years--“The classified minorities”. It’s high time that we find remedy for this evil and execute the guilty without probing anything further and this will surely stop this issue from being a mere coffee table talk @ Cafeteria of the Indian Habitat Centre where all the "tired" MPs meet in the evening !!!!!!!

Upasana Pathak

Am a woman, a single woman, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a colleague...

Am a woman, a single woman, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a colleague.. There are so many men around me who care for me- my father, brother and brothers, friends, colleagues. Being a part of society am bombarded with news of rapes, eve teasing, physical abuse, emotional abuse of women, all the time. All of sudden, am informed that an Indian channel buys rights of a documentary made on a woman who was brutally raped and barbarically killed by some 'Men'. Now one women (who shares my gender but with a different nationality) interviews a 'man' who is a rapist, who without remorse says that if women will roam after 9pm then they will get raped.

Am now confused - is being a woman means being a second class citizen?

Am confused- is being an Indian independent woman and a woman of different nationality has some difference?

Had this rape incident happened in UK or US (which factually have larger number of such reported incidents) would have encouraged India women to make such a documentary on foreign convicts?

I though appreciate efforts of a woman of different nationality to make and produce such visual documents for experts.

BUT PLEASE ALLOW US TO LIVE...WE INDIANS ALREADY HAVE TOO MUCH TO TOLERATE TO AND LIVE WITH..

DOCUMENTARIES LIKE YOUR ONLY DEEPEN THE DIVIDES IN OUR SOCIETY...

INDEED YOU HAVE PUT EFFORTS MADAM...BUT HAD NIRBHAYA BEEN YOUR DAUGHTER, SISTER, FRIEND OR COLLEAGUE - YOU WOULD HAVE GONE ON RECORD WITH THE SAME CONTENT...????

NDTV- WE KNOW YOU ARE TOO GOOD...BUT IT SEEMS THIS TIME YOU ARE TOO GOOD TO BE INDIAN...

PLEASE STOP PUBLIC DISPLAY OF WRONGS THAT WAS COMMITTED BY FEW MEN....THIS WAY YOU ARE FORCING ME AND WOMEN ALIKE TO SEE EVERY MEN AROUND THEM WITH AN EYE OF CAUTION...

PLEASE AS WOMEN WE LOVE OUR FATHER, BROTHER & BROTHERS, FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES... STOP RIDICULING WOMEN & PLAYING WITH THEIR SENTIMENTS...

Modi’s Man ki Baat Vs AIB’s Tan Ki Baat

Bromance or Bro-Roast?

We have been served aplenty for our visual appetite in the last one week.

On one hand PM Modi’s histrionics with his brother Obama was giving us enough entertainment junk, while on the other, AIB released the missile teaser of a Bro roast of God Brothers Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh.

Humor Climate of India has got a choking shock! Fed on the insipid middle class sensibility laced Comedy with Kapil where cross dressers like Gutthi and Daadi fanned the ‘Bhaandgiri ‘ in Indian Jeans, Indian audiences were in for a nuclear shock, when AIB’s Bro Roast launched like a rocket fuelled by deep conditioned ‘gaalis’ which fetches ‘taalis’.

Teenagers have since been going gaga over the Bro Roast which has been thrown as a snacker or an appetizer to them to create more hunger for uncensored bully fun. Meanwhile parents and guardians of teenagers have ganged up to debate about the sixty plus year old issue; where exactly is our country headed…?

What‘s working for us? Modi’s Man ki baat or AIB’s Tan ki baat?

AIB has gone much ahead and beyond  ‘stann’ki baat’  .

The Curtain Raiser was done by the ‘Family Melodrama’ Prince of our country, Karan Johar. His English humor ‘assed’ and ‘corkscrewed’ the stage and he nailed it as a Roast Master with his declaration, ‘Let the filth Begin’.

The show was so Politically Incorrect to the extent of not even sparing the popular Prime Minister Modi to the Bachchans to the Khans, while graphically and very democratically critiquing and expostulating the specialty of the genitals of almost all the famous Bollywood stars and starlets.

Roasting is a comedic art form that originated in 1949 in New York and has been adapted across the world since.

It’s interesting to witness the beginning of a deliberate laughter lab culture under controlled environment where the audience paid Rs4000 each to get the sadistic pleasures out of all the possible filth coming out from the ‘annals’ of the jokers including Karan Johar and his men of the hour Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor. 

Their only defense is a Disclaimer:

The following video is filthy, rude and offensive.

Some of the citations of the great effort made by the comedians to make people laugh, possibly at their decision of coming to the show are as under-

Ashish Saikiya  of Team AIB announces that Pariniti Chopra is not here because she was told that she would be fucked by 10 dudes in front of 4000 people and that’s the reason Karan Johar is here.

Another roaster Raghu Ram of the Roddies fame proudly shared that the only time when I saw so many choots (vaginas) at the same place was when I was auditioning them. He gave a slogan-

“Gaaliyaan Do, lakhon chutiye dekhenge.“

(Use the swear word and you’ll be watched by lakhs of duffers).

 He further used the slang ‘Bhosadi Ke’ saying I just gave you 50 more views.

His humble advice to Ranveer and Arjun was-

“If you can work hard, one day you can suck Adi Chopra’s cock.”

The only female team member of Team AIB Aditi Mittal was introduced with the idea-Google Aditi Mittal and it says Bhai aaj tu bina hilaye so ja. (Please sleep without masturbating tonight).

Now, this super hit show along with capacity audience that paid thousands of Rupees to watch this guttural cry of filth also managed millions of hits on You Tube. The response is enormous and I’m sure the organizers have turned smart enough to take the route of social media in the absence of strict cyber laws in the country.

The ‘Awaara Media’ (virtual space) has no issues in becoming a strong platform to the advent of this new comedy revolution laced with generations of suppressed desires to discuss the cunt of each other’s mothers, sisters, wives, girlfriends and looking at gender as sex.

 It does not spare anyone in its pun intended fun.

This is just the beginning of a new debate in the country where no guardian has the ability to filter the quality of social media content being used by their children on the mobile phones, I pads and lap tops while their parents are busy sealing fat deals for the golden future of their young ones.

So as the Nation awaits ‘Acchhe Din’, AIB serves ‘Nange Din’ to our ever wanting national youth.  We are after all, a country of extremes.  That’s the fun!

Moral Policing and Moral Polishing Drive of our Nation is to witness an upsurge and observe how youngsters LOL !

Pankaj Dubey is a Best Selling Author (What A Loser! Published by Penguin) and a filmmaker based out of Mumbai.

‘Dharna Kumar’ to ‘Karna Kumar’: The Tough Task for Arvind Kejriwal!!

New Delhi

Election is termed as the biggest festival of democracy and that is the biggest message Delhi Poll results have shown. Definitely the festivals have two sides, one a statistical exercise and second an accumulation of social and political emotions. The humongous victory registered by Aam Admi Party has not only written his name with Golden letters but also thrown up a huge responsibility on Arvind Kejriwal shoulders’ for becoming a ‘Karna Man’ from being a ‘Dharna Man’.

He neatly and nicely made promises to Delhi and now Delhi is staring him to deliver all those he said before 7^th Feb 2015. All Dilliwallas are eagerly waiting for Arvind Kejrival to fulfill his promises post oath taking ceremony.

The first and foremost is the full statehood to half state or in other words city-state Delhi. If Centre actually considers Kejriwal’s request and gives Delhi full statehood, then Delhi being the capital of India that hosts Central Government; it is not possible for central government to run under a state government’s jurisdiction. So full statehood will lead to bifurcation of Delhi and a part will get full statehood. Bifurcation and full statehood will mean Delhi will have to generate its own funds to fulfill the basic needs of its people and running the state gleefully. As establishing manufacturing units will be environmentally disastrous, on which leaf of economy will the state Government will rely to work, flourish and prosper is a big question.

Second, the total budget of installation of 1500000 CCTVs, opening of 500 new schools, 20 new colleges, 150000 toilets will need huge budget- who is going to fund all this, from where is Arvind Kejriwal going to collect funds from??? Free water, subsidized electricity, free WI-FI and VAT reduction are additional money crunchers.

Third, the Aam Admi’s plea- to get his work done from ‘AAP ka CM’, the very tendency of meeting the highest power in person and getting things done (one of the habits Dilliwallas are famous for). How is Arvind going to meet that, will be a case to study for.

These are some of the basic questions before CM designate Arvind Kejriwal. He has to be conscious in every demand he makes to Centre this time around. He also has to take a big leap from ‘Dharna Kumar’ to ‘Karna Kumar’ so as to fulfill all promises that he has made to Dilliwallas.

Delhi results have clearly shown that Democracy has won; now it is for Aam Admi to win through the works that will be carried out by Arvind Kejiwal.

Products & Publications that Promote Gender Based Sex Selection is available on a click!!

New Delhi

Famous search engines - Google, Microsoft & Yahoo and online shopping platforms – Amazon.in, Flipkart, Junglee & Naaptol are allowing access to products and publications promoting sex selection for everyone on purchase.

The current estimates show that in India, the practice of sex selection results in the loss of about 6 lakh girls every year.

The child sex ratio (number of girls per thousand boys in 0-6 age group) is as low as 918 and is at its worst in last few decades.

Government has recently initiated a ‘Beti Bachao- Beti Padhao’ programme seeks to promote equal value for daughters, to reduce the gap between number of live births of boys and girls. Previous Government and several international, national and social organizations are also putting in efforts to educate and spread awareness over the issue of discrimination against women and girls. 

The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC&PNDT) Act prohibits all forms of advertisements related to sex selection services in India.

As per the law, no person can issue, publish, distribute, communicate any advertisement, in any form, including in the Internet, regarding facilities of sex selection. Online shopping platforms like Flipkart, Amazon.in, Junglee, Naaptol and search engines - Google, Microsoft and Yahoo cater to all age groups. By allowing access to information to any product promoting sex selection that helps people select the sex of the foetus is against the law.

Government should take note of this and ask these companies to discontinue promoting any such product in India. The companies should be held summoned for explanation, for advertising and selling publications on sex selection online, as this is clear violation of the law of the country. 

Hon’ble Supreme Court of India has recently instructed Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft not to advertise or sponsor any advertisement related to sex selection services. In this context, it is clear contempt of court.

Change.org is running a petition in regard to same asking these companies to stop promoting and making profits by selling such products.

Delhi decided; now it is for BJP to decide!!

New Delhi

Delhi has voraciously voted for AamAdmi Party and elected Arvindkejrival as its CM for next 5 years. But the big take from the results does not lie in the promises that were made by AAP; rather it lies within the BJP.

Delhi assembly polls were an open battlefield where both faces of BJP were putting up the fight together, and today’s results clearly show that the better one lost the polls. Since the time PM Modi registered historic win in General Elections 2014 and sworn in as Pradhan Sewak of India, a clear divide between two factions of the party are being noticed, by all.

One that is dreaming, working, putting up efforts and developing India through bullet trains, smart cities and connecting – communicating freely through social media, under the leadership of Narendra Damordas Modi. And the other is still not ready to leave its ultra-medieval (that sounds cynical to today’s generations) approach and promotes Hindus having four kids, @#$#zadas, and beat the bush around all those things that are not only non-sensical but does not signify itself with the progress of civilization.

Many analysts have been saying this Modi does not have enemies outside; rather he is continuously bombarded with enemies within his party. Opposition does not care about development and they also do not leave any stone un-turn to weave controversy around any and every opportunity gifted by so called radicals.

Several insignificant and unknown institutions raking up in the name of Hinduism are not only taking away the core support, Hindus from BJP; they are also taking away youth- the biggest supporter of NarendraModi and his development agenda. The support base that dreams big and look towards its PM to deliver ground results for them.

The youth today neither wants to be directed on having a particular number of children nor do they want somebody to put a limit tag on their expression of entertainment (AIB). Youth loves freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of love, freedom of expression. They saw Narendra Modi as a leader who not  only will fulfill their dreams but also guide them to realize their duties towards nation, family and themselves. They love when their PM connects through social media and shares thoughts through ‘Man Ki Baat’.

The small traders or the baniya community who has always been with BJP, through their thick and thin, constitute a significant and impactful support expected that Modi being a Gujarati will help them in getting rid of the taxes that creates dent in their earnings. Kejriwal learnt this lesson and did a good homework. He weaved his election manifesto around freebies like free water, cheap electricity, slum free Delhi and so on.

He continuously connected and communicated these offerings of his party in one on one meeting with voters. His people’s contact on ground was far more rich and large than any of the Delhi BJP leaders (whose disconnect inflated post BJP led central government).

And the final dent was Kiran Bedi’s inclusion and declarations as CM candidate by BJP. Not only strong cadre of BJP experienced a divide but also many professional communities (traders and lawyers in specific) openly opposed her candidature.

Well, the most heartening part of Delhi results is that BJP vote bank has stayed with it and it secured 32.7% votes in comparison to 33.7%, which it got in 2013. But the numbers could not convert into seats as the whole of Congress support shifted its loyalty to AAP.