Marital bliss eludes many women

PATNA: Soni (name changed), like her friends, had dreamt of a prince as her man and a happy married life with him. She was on cloud nine when she in May 2004 tied the knot with Pradeep Biswas, chosen by her father as Mr Right for her.

Pradeep worked as a sales manager in a Kolkata firm, and everything was fine for a few months. The other day, however, Soni got the shock of her life when her father-in-law sought to get physically intimate with her. She complained to her husband, but he cared a damn. "I failed to improve things on my own and returned to my father's home along with my little daughter," she said. To Soni's horror, her father simply expressed his inability to support her and the child. "My parents virtually forced me to go back to my in-laws' place," she said as tears welled up in her eyes.

Her in-laws refused to take her in. The two females were literally on road for days till Soni approached Helpline Patna, an initiative of the state's Women Development Corporation to help women in distress. Soni has since filed a divorce petition. The Helpline, meanwhile, has made her pensioner father pay her Rs 1,000 every month.

There are many Sonis in Bihar. According to a survey conducted recently by the Union health and family affairs ministry, Bihar reported the highest number of cases of violence against married women. Nearly 50% married women suffer physical violence, 19% sexual violence, 2% emotional violence and 59% experience both physical and sexual violence.

Ironically, women from urban areas face more violence than those from rural areas. According to the survey, 62.2% of the surveyed women were subjected to the trauma of domestic violence in urban areas compared to 58.5% women in rural areas.

The Domestic Violence Act, 2005 has not proved a deterrent. This becomes evident from the Helpline figures that indicate a rising trend: A total of 159 cases of domestic violence were reported to the Helpline till November 2010.

This figure was 174 in 2009, 143 in 2008, 138 in 2007, 124 in 2006 and only 84 in 2005.

The same is the case with dowry harassment incidents. As against 63 cases of dowry-related harassment till November 2010, the Helpline received 67 complaints in 2009, 39 in 2008, 47 in 2007 and only 13 complaints in 2006.

Bihar State Human Rights Commission chairman Justice S N Jha attributes the pathetic state of affairs to lack of awareness among women about their rights. The rights panel boss, at the same time, is also worried about misuse of pro-women laws. "We should organize seminars, street corner plays and other such events to spread awareness," he said at a state-level consultation workshop on `UNiTE To End Violence Against Women', organized by Equity Foundation, and supported by Action Aid, here on Friday.

A police officer Chandra Shekhar Vidyarthi also expressed concern over growing domestic violence. "Altogether 74 cases have been filed in the court of Patna chief judicial magistrate in 2010. This figure was 51 in 2009, 54 in 2008 and only 23 in 2007," Vidyarthi, currently a DSP with BMP, said.

The cop felt that laws could be of limited help. "For things to improve, people's mindset has to be changed," he said as he blamed the patriarchal nature of our society for such ills.

Earlier, Equity Foundation director Nina Srivastava welcomed the delegates. Foundation chairperson Renu Ranjan proposed a vote of thanks.

Alok K N Mishra can be contacted at 9234629956.

Pathologists make moolah, patients at God's mercy

PATNA: Going for a pathological test? You are in for trouble. For, results can vary from lab to lab. TOI learned it the hard way.

This reporter, in his pink of health, went for consultation with a doctor in a nursing home on Exhibition Road and faked so many health complications. The MBBS doctor examined the 'patient', looked a bit confused and prescribed quite a few pathological tests.

At a well-known a diagnostic lab at Kankarbagh, `pathologists' collected blood and urine samples. So did the `pathologists' of another lab at Makhania Kuan and yet another lab on Frazer Road.

Came the reports and lo and behold, they all varied from one another. One reported the haemoglobin at 76.8%, another at 70.55% and the other at 74.9%. Ditto with WBC count __ 13,200, 9,700 and 8.03%. Serum sodium level too varied __ at 138, 127 and 141.3 mEq/L. So did serum potassium level __ at 3.8, 4.21 and 3.4 mEq/L.

Worse, one lab report, prepared manually, put the sodium count in potassium column and vice versa. When pointed out, the pathologist just picked up the pen and drew two arrow marks, indicating the error.

Having pored over the reports, medical experts were not amused. "Even though the variations are not glaring enough, it's true that many of the labs operating in Bihar do not have proper expertise and equipment for undertaking such investigations," one doctor confessed as he underlined the need for government activism to rein in those who are "playing with human lives".

A senior PMCH doctor said he quite often comes across pathological reports which he finds risky to rely on. "Seasoned doctors can diagnose, to a certain extent, the malaise afflicting a patient. And they naturally feel a lack of confidence when pathological reports clash with clinical findings," he said.

Ironically, many doctors use this excuse to recommend a lab while prescribing a test to a patient. However, skeptics describe this as a "tie-up" driven by considerations other than fondness for accurate findings.

A patient had recently an ugly, verbal duel with a doctor after he refused to accept the patho report. "The doctor refused to accept the report because we got the tests done in a lab not recommended by him," said the patient's attendant, Pramod Singh.

According to Indian Medical Association (IMA)'s executive secretary Dr Arun Kumar Thakur, IMA has not issued specific guidelines for opening pathological labs. "It is generally opened by a certified pathologist," he said.

Dr Thakur, however, did not deny that several labs, though opened by certified pathologists, were being run by under-trained technicians while pathologists were busy pursuing other passions.

State health official Madan Kumar, who retired recently, feels there should be a regulatory body for pathological labs. "A functional regulatory body will boost popular confidence in the medicare available to people," he told TOI.

What to speak of a regulatory body, the state health department has virtually no control over the pathological labs. "There are certain vague guidelines," State Health Society's director-in-chief R N Pandey told this paper before he retired recently.

While the general norm is that the lab should be opened and run by a qualified pathologist, there are no guidelines on the infrastructure. "There are many labs, opened by pathologists and run by untrained technicians. I have also come across variations in findings," Pandey said and termed the "medical malpractice" as "criminal".

According to Pandey, civil surgeons have powers to conduct raids at such places and file criminal cases against erring labs. Asked how many such raids are conducted, he admitted there was lack of initiative.

"But it amounts to violation of human rights if a person gets a misleading lab report on the functioning of his organs," fumed State Human Rights Commission chairman SN Jha as he stressed that pathological reports must be prepared with "500% attention".

What rights? Lab owners care a toss about the patients' rights and laugh all the way to the bank!


Alok K N Mishra can be contacted at 9234629956.

Maths can be fun, says wizard

PATNA: Maths wizard Anand Kumar on Saturday said the reason why people find mathematics a boring subject is that they fail to understand the `hows and whys' of mathematical calculations and equations.

The founder of Super 30, a group coaching students free for IIT-JEE examination with 100% success rate for the past several years, was speaking at a book launch programme at the Patna Book Fair here.

"Maths plays an important role in our life right from childhood. Once a student starts understanding it, maths becomes very interesting," he said.

Anand was launching a maths book, `Make Mathematics Your Best Friend'. "The book comprehensively simplifies complexities of various terms of maths," he said. The book has been authored by Rajesh Kumar Thakur and published by Prabhat Prakashan.

A senior official of Prabhat Prakashan said, "We will publish a book on Super 30 and its founder, Anand Kumar. The book is likely to be out by the end of next year."

Earlier, two more books -`Swadeshi Ki Sanskriti' and `Bhir Me Khoya Hua Samaj'- written by Manohar Shyam Joshi were released at the fair.

Noted filmmaker Prakash Jha is likely to visit the book fair on Sunday. He will give away awards to young achievers in the fields of journalism, literature and theatre.

Surendra Pratap Patrakarita Puraskar will go to photo-journalist Amrit Jai Kishan. Hare Prakash Upadhyay will be given Vidyapati Sahitya Puraskar for literature and Bijendra Kumar Tak will be awarded Bhikhari Thakur Rangkarma Puraskar for theatre.

A series of cultural events were also organised on the ninth day of the book fair. The day started with Nimbus International organizing a cultural programme in `Siesta-Fiesta'. Two seminars on different career choices were attended by a large number of school and college students. A public discussion `Parisamvad' was also organised.

A programme on poetry, `Unka Kavya Meri Vaani', saw the participation of many poets. In a public discussion programme, experts from different fields discussed the new image of Bihar and its future prospects. A quiz competition and a discussion on different books in `Bookworm' programme were also held.

Alok K N Mishra is a Times of India journalist. He can be contacted at 9234629956.

Drug abuse cases rising

PATNA: As in other parts of the country, the cases of abuse of drugs have been rising alarmingly in Bihar over the past few years.

According to Bihar State Crime Records Bureau (BSCRB) data (a copy of which is available with TOI), the state police have registered a constant rise in the number of cases lodged against drug peddlers and addicts over the past few years.

A total of 311 cases of drug abuse were lodged in 2009, against 283 in 2008.

"The department is in the process of compiling the records of cases lodged against drug peddlers in 2010. The record is likely to be compiled by May 2011," a source in BSCRB said. However, he apprehended that the number would be anywhere above 350.

According to a state-wide survey, conducted by a city-based NGO, Disha, the number of registered drug addicts has grown by about 1400 in the past one year. The present number of registered drug addicts in Bihar is 4759. It was only 3372 last year.

As per reports, the state government had proposed to set up de-addiction centres at six major medical college hospitals way back in 1999. But the proposal was not followed up and put on backburner. It resurfaced in 2001, but was put on the backburner again.

"I do not have any information about such a proposal," a senior official in the department of social security and disability, government of Bihar, said.

The department of social welfare, which at present has no concerted programme to effectively deal with the menace, is working only to spread awareness among people about the ill-effects of drugs.

"We are dealing with the addicts through a programme of motivational counselling, treatment, follow-up and social-reintegration of recovered addicts," a senior official in the department of social welfare, government of Bihar, said. He, however, hoped that the new government would seriously try to check the unprecedented growth in the number of drug addicts."

In such a grim scenario, the fate of addicts in Bihar is left to the National Consultative Committee on De-addiction and Rehabilitation (NCCDR).

According to data obtained from NCCDR (a copy of which is also available with TOI), a total of 11 NGOs are supported under the Scheme of Assistance for Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse in Bihar. These NGOs are situated in Patna, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Kaimur, Kishanganj, Jehanabad, West Champaran, Gopalganj and Sasaram. A meagre sum of Rs 9.4 lakh annually is given to these drug de-addiction centres.

NCCDR claims these centres adopt a wide variety of approaches, systems and methodologies for treatment and rehabilitation of addicts. All these centres have experts from various fields like doctors, counsellors, community workers, social workers etc.

Thanks to their limitations, these centres are unable to cater to the growing number of drug addicts. The number is rising in the absence of a strong and effective mechanism of the state government to address the issue head-on.

Stress on underpriviledged kids

PATNA: Thanks to the enormous response from people to the 18th Patna Book Fair, the organizing committee has found a right platform to spread awareness on right to education.

"Hundreds of visitors and book lovers have participated in different programmes on right to education," said organizing committee convenor Amit Jha. The theme of book fair this time is "Right to education with focus on underprivileged children and girl child".

"Street-corner plays Ujara Bachpan' which highlights the plight of child labourers, is held thrice daily. This programme is one of the major crowd pullers at the fair," Dipankar Jha, a volunteer, said.

The committee has so far organised essay writing, elocution, quiz, painting, and debate competitions which were based on right to education in the past six days.

"Special films on child labourers are being screened at the Unicef stall here. There are three internet-enabled computers at Unicef stall here and visitors are registered online with its Awaz Do' campaign to promote the right of education," said Akshat Kumar, another volunteer.

The organizing committee has allowed "Nari Gunjan", an NGO, to put its exhibition on display on the book fair premises.

An exhibition bus would be brought here on Friday," volunteer Akansha Singh said. The bus would display paintings to draw attraction towards the importance of right to education.

So far about 5 lakh people have visited the book fair. In the wake of the growing number of visitors the organizing committee has increased the frequency of water spraying.

"We have also increased the number of private women security personnel. They are moving from stall to stall to ensure security and support to women visitors," another volunteer said.

To check pilferage, the organizing committee has put in place a stamp counter at the exit point. Every visitor who has purchased a book has to necessarily get his pay slip stamped at the counter, a source said.

A series of cultural events were organised here on Wednesday. Day-6 started with cultural programme "Siesta-Fiesta".

A seminar on professional education and an essay (English) competition were also organised. Hundreds of students from various schools and colleges participated in elocution programme.

Dozens of students from different schools and colleges participated in solo dance competition. A discussion on "Education for girl child" was also organised.

A quiz competition, based on questions from sports was also organised. A documentary of Prakash Jha 'Katha Madhopur Ki' was screened in 'Bioscope'. The street corner play on social issue drew hundreds of onlookers.

Alok K N Mishra can be contacted at 9234629956.

Tobacco control cell constituted

PATNA: Bihar government has set up a state tobacco control cell in view of the growing number of deaths due to tobacco-related diseases. National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), which has brought positive impact in other states, will be implemented both in letter and spirit in the state soon.

The government decision to set up a cell follows publication of a report in TOI highlighting virtual non-implementation of the smoking ban in Bihar.

"We have created State Tobacco Control Cell (STCC). National laws are in the process of being strictly implemented," said principal secretary, health, C K Mishra.

"STCC has collected reports of impact of NTCP from various states. Soon, we will have extensive consultations with the law enforcement agencies (state police) for comprehensive implementation of the laws," Sanjay Kumar, executive director, State Health Society Bihar (SHSB), said.

SHSB has distributed more than 4000 signage `No smoking area - smoking here is an offence' for display across the state, particularly in the offices of district magistrate, regional deputy directors, civil surgeon, civil hospitals and medical colleges among others.

Vice-chancellors of all universities have also been asked to put up the `No smoking' signs at prominent places on the university and colleges premises.

"We are developing radio jingles on tobacco control with technical support from Prasar Bharti and Radio Mirchi. These are expected to be aired very soon," Sanjay Kumar said, adding "we are also developing posters with different messages on tobacco control to create awareness among college and schools students".

Narendra Kumar Mishra, incharge of STCC, told TOI, "The printing of challan book is in process. It is likely to be completed very soon."

The state government is also planning state-level advocacy workshop on tobacco control laws and related issues next month. The guidelines for law enforcement officials and health workers are also being developed by the SHSB.

The tobacco control programme will be implemented on a pilot basis in Patna and Munger districts. "However, DMs and civil surgeons of Darbhanga, Bhojpur, Samastipur, Vaishali and Katihar have also been asked to provide necessary support and cooperation to an NGO - Socio-economic and Educational Development Society - to carry out tobacco control activities in these districts," senior SHSB official Masood Alam told TOI.

SHSB has updated its website and uploaded the Tobacco Control Act 2003 on its official website (http://www.statehealthsociety.org/).

Alok K N Mishra is a Times of India journalist. He can be contacted at Times House, Frazer Road, Patna. 9234629956.

Career-conscious students throng Patna Book Fair

PATNA: The 18th Patna Book Fair is drawing thousands of students aspiring to write various competitive examinations, like IIT-JEE, MBA, CAT and pre-medical tests.

"I want to know more about IIT-JEE examination. So I have come here for guidance, and also buy necessary books," a class X student of DPS, Anurag Vyas, told TOI.

A large number of students have visited the stall of Don Bosco Institute of Technology (Bangalore) here. "The students are inquiring about engineering courses offered by the institute. We are giving complete counselling to them," says DBIT's stall owner.

Students aspiring to be journalists are also flocking to stalls of different media academies at the fair premises. About 500 to 600 students visit our stall here daily and make inquiries about career in journalism," Sunita Rai, a senior counsellor at Advantage Media Academy's stall said.

Students aspiring to pursue MBA courses are also visiting the fair. A marketing executive at a preparatory coaching centre for MBA - IMS - told TOI: "More than 4000 students have so far visited our stall to make inquiries about different entrance examinations of MBA in just three days."

A second-year graduation student, Raushan Singh, had come from Nawada to visit the fair. "There is almost no coaching centre for CAT (Common Admission Test) in Nawada," he said.

Ashutosh Kumar of CareerGuru.com, an admission consultant, told TOI: "More than 3000 students have visited our stall in the past three days. We are providing information about different competitive examinations, institutes of engineering, management, medical and others."

A series of cultural events were organised on Monday. The day 4 started with a quiz competition `Dexter Quiz', which was based on general knowledge. Another quiz competition `Siesta-Fiesta' was suspended. Several other programmes, including a singing competition `Talent Hunt' and programme on literature `Unki kahani meri jubani', were also organised.

 

Alok K N Mishra is a Times of India journalist in Patna. He can be contacted at 9234629956.

Heavy turnout is always anti-incumbent: Paswan Jr

Chirag Paswan, son of Lok Janshakti Party supremo, Ram Vilas Paswan, is riding two boats. While a beautiful political career beckons him home, he is hell-bent upon making it big in Bollywood.

He is working extremely hard on a large scale film and desires to debut not with a bang but a whimper.

Nonetheless, he has recently made extensive canvassing for RJD-LJP alliance in the ongoing Bihar polls. He talks to Alok K N Mishra about the future of LJP, his dual role, his father, and obviously his romantic film among others. Excerpts:

1) You are one of the largest crowd pullers in LJP. It’s time you should be stumping for RJD-LJP alliance. Why have you returned to Mumbai so soon?

Actually I am more interested to awaken the electorate in Bihar but there were some urgent commitments in Bollywood. Shooting of my debut film is in its last phase.

2) Tell me about your debut film?  

It’s based upon an extraordinary romantic love story. The film is being produced by Maverick Productions. I am in the lead role as Chirag Mehra. The lead actress is Kangana Ranaut. It’s being directed by Tanveer Khan. The name of the film will be decided in December and it will be released in February 2011.

3) Do children of heavyweights enjoy some edge in Bollywood?

See, truth is truth. If you share a heavyweight’s name as your surname people become friendly and things trouble-free. You are listened in a place where nobody is ready to hear.

But at the end of the day it’s your quality that leads you up. Ravi Kishan had no legacy but on the basis of his talent he has made it big.

4) Biharis are a harried lot in Mumbai, slighted and abused wherever they go. Does the same discrimination accord people from Bihar in Bollywood? 

It is a good question. Though it does not happen in Bollywood, I see the pains of migrant Biharis across Mumbai. They are made fun of and laughed at. This situation not only kills their self-esteem but also robs them of ambition and enthusiasm to do something new and achieve new heights. This is why children of most of the Bihari migrants ultimately take up their parents’ jobs.

5) Where does the blame lay? Do you have a plan to make the wheel come full circle?

I want to ask you a supplementary question before I answer. Have you ever seen a Mumbaiwala or a Delhiwala wandering for manual work in Bihar? It is because they don’t have empty hands; thanks to their respective governments. The Nitish government has totally failed to provide jobs to empty hands.

If people repose faith in the RJD-LJP combine this time, I will make personal efforts to improve the situation. 

6) Opinion polls conducted by different agencies prophesy that RJD-LJP combine will face setbacks.

The government is not formed on figures but on foundations. An unprecedented number of people are coming out to vote this time. And if history is any guide, heavy turnout has always led to change of guard. The present equation is going to change and RJD-LJP alliance to form Bihar government.

7) You are interested in Bollywood because you love it. Why are you interested in politics?

I haven’t experienced poverty but I have seen my young brethrens braving blows for bread and butter in Mumbai. It is only because of it that I am interested in politics. I want to revive political awareness among the youths of Bihar so that they demand their rights from their government and also choose the right person to lead them.

8) Nitishji claims that he has brought in development and ‘sushashan’ (good governance). What’s your take?

Nitishji is cheating people. Calling the present state of affairs in Bihar, be it in terms of infrastructure or law and order, development and sushashan is like cheating innocent people.

When I speak to people in villages they say they get electricity for only one or two hours. It is what he (Nitish) calls development? Once I wanted to do some shopping in the evening but after I went out I found all shops closed just by 7:30 pm. When I talked to people they told me shopkeepers shutter down early out of fear of goons. It is what he calls law and order improvement?

9) Two things you would like to do when RJD-LJP forms government in Bihar.

First, I will like to provide employment to maximum possible number of unemployed people. And second, I will like to improve education right from primary to higher education.

10) You are riding two boats. What’s your aim?

People are bound to say I am riding two boats if I pursue two careers simultaneously. They would be saying I am riding a running boat if I had entered politics and contested elections straight out of college.

To avoid the latter I took up acting first. I want to earn my own name. I will be doing both things as far as I am able to balance. However I am ready to contest polls whenever the party wants me to.

10) What is your academic profile? Have you done some acting course?

I am a computer engineer. I did my B-tech in computer science from Amity University, Delhi. I had planned to do my masters too but due to some projects in Bollywood I couldn’t. I have taken no formal training on acting. I am a born actor and not a trained one. 

8) Do you have a girl friend?

 (Gives a loud laugh) No. Not yet.

9) You are 27. What about your marriage?

I am not thinking about. It’s my parents’ baby.

14) One thing people don’t know about your father.

He is a master ludo (board game) player. He manages to steal time to spend with family members and play ludo. He defeats me most of the times in ludo.    

Turkish Airlines flyers get back 'emptied' luggage

PATNA: From frying pan to fire. In probably a worse instance, septuagenarian Onkar Sharma has been delivered the five pieces of luggage he had booked in the cargo while boarding a Turkish Airlines (TA) flight from Berlin to New Delhi via Istanbul, but all of them are virtually empty.

"The locks are broken and the valuables, including ornaments, are missing," Sharma told TOI on Thursday and added he has lodged a police complaint in this regard.

Sharma lodged the complaint with the Patna airport authorities who, in turn, forwarded it to the Station House Officer of Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport (domestic) police station.

TOI on Thursday reported the ordeal of Sharma and his sexagenarian wife Sadhna Sharma. The couple landed in Delhi on December 3, only to find their luggage had been misplaced by the TA's cargo handlers. The ailing couple's life-saving drugs were also there in their bags. As they skipped medication, their health complications compounded.

When contacted, TA authorities on Thursday acknowledged receipt of Sharma's complaint. "We are looking into the matter. The couple will be given reasonable compensation if they have really suffered," said an employee in the office of TA's IGI station manager Erbil Akgun. Akgun could not be contacted.

The five huge suitcases were sent to Patna by an Air India flight on Wednesday evening. While taking the delivery, the Sharmas insisted for a status report of the suitcases from AI officials at the Patna airport. The status report says, "Received in lock broken condition. Delivered (to claimant Sharmas) in same condition."

The Berlin-based non-resident Biharis are 80% disabled. "Thankfully, our medicines have not been stolen," Sadhna said and added five gold ornaments (tops), three watches, 15 expensive pieces of gift items, among other things, are missing.

Turkish Airlines leaves old couple in lurch

PATNA: An ageing, ailing couple has been left grounded -- groaning and moaning, courtesy the Turkish Airlines (TA).

Septuagenarian Onkar Sharma and his sexagenarian wife Sadhna Sharma have been on life-saving drugs for several years. For the last few days, the Berlin-based non-resident Biharis could not take the medicines as the TA, which flew them to India, misplaced their luggage.

"I am 80% disabled; I possess a disability certificate issued from the government of Turkey. You can pretty well imagine my condition sans the drugs," Onkar Sharma told TOI at his cousin's home at Patna.

The couple boarded a TA flight at the Berlin airport on December 2 for Istanbul from where they boarded another TA flight for Delhi the same day. "On reaching Delhi's IGI (Indira Gandhi International) airport on December 3 morning, I was stunned to learn that all my five bags were missing," the retired manager of a starred Berlin hotel said.

Onkar Sharma has several health complications, including blood pressure and cardiac problems, and, as such, has been under constant medical supervision. Before his trip to home, his doctor prescribed certain medicines and advised him not to skip them while in India.

An asthma patient who too holds a disability certificate, Sadhna is also on drugs. "Sharmaji is alive because he has been popping pills with astronomic regularity. Without medicines, he now complains of uneasiness and I fear he may fall ill," she said and added the medicines are not available in India and their substitutes do not suit them.

Onkar Sharma said TA's IGI station manager Erbil Akgun had assured him that their bags would be delivered at the Patna airport on December 4. "We were given a few papers which we had to produce to claim the bags," he recalled.

The Sharmas have been continuously on the phone line since December 3 evening. "Now neither Akgun nor other TA employees are responding properly to my calls," Sharma said, desperately fighting back the tears.

On December 6, he said, the airlines informed the couple that the luggage had been sent to Patna by an Air India flight. "We went to the Patna airport and returned empty-handed as the luggage had not arrived," he said.

The Sharmas had planned to visit relatives in Lucknow and Delhi. "We were bringing several gift items for them. Today, we don't have even clothes for ourselves," Sadhna Sharma told TOI.

Efforts of this reporter to contact Akgun proved futile as none of the contact numbers of TA's Delhi office, available with the Sharmas, was working.

 

 

Alok K N Mishra, a journalist with Times of India Patna can be contacted at 9234629956.

Puffing in public places on in state

PATNA: Ban on smoking in public places has not been as successful in Bihar as anywhere else in the country! At least authorities concerned would like us to believe that. "No person has been caught smoking in any public place since the ban was effected on the Gandhi Jayanti on October 2 in 2008," a senior police officer told TOI.

There won't be many takers for this boast though. For, smokers puffing on beedis and cigarettes in public places are a common sight. What's then the mystery behind the official claim?

TOI investigated, and found out that the ban has remained only on paper and the implementing agency is virtually unaware of it. "Kya dhoomrapaan sab jagah nishedh hai (Is smoking banned everywhere)?" an officer-in-charge of a city police station asked this reporter.

His counterpart in another police station was a little enlightened. "I once heard about it," he said but added that he did not have instructions from his bosses to catch and fine smokers puffing in public places. "We do not have even `challan' (penalty slips) for the purpose in our police station," he said.

State health officials refused to go on record when they admitted their ignorance about the nitty-gritty of the implementation aspect of the ban. "The health department can only frame guidelines. The implementation is the police's responsibility," a health official said.

While moving the ban proposal in 2008, the Union health ministry had sent out the prototype of the `challan' to state health secretaries. The state officials had, in turn, had asked police to issue the same `challans' to the smokers being fined as the ones issued to violators of traffic rules.

According to the law, those caught smoking in places like hospitals, amusement parks, restaurants, courts, educational institutions, libraries, public conveyance, railway stations, workplaces, shopping malls, cinema halls, discotheques, coffee houses, pubs and restaurants would be fined Rs 200.

Studies have established that passive smoking (inhalation of environmental tobacco smoke emanating from tobacco products used by others) causes at least five lakh deaths globally every year. Scientific evidence shows that exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke causes lung cancer, breast cancer, brain tumour, asthma, cognitive impairment, dementia, tuberculosis and several other diseases.

Reports say that if the amount of fine collected from defiant smokers is anything to go by, the ban has largely been successful in Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Kerala and Rajasthan.

Bihar is yet to make its first move on the ground to implement the ban.

 

 

Alok K N Mishra is a journalist with the Times of India. he can be contacted at alokmishra.co@gmail.com.

Congress a dubious party: Rabri

Rabri Devi was catapulted from her kitchen straight to the corridors of power when she took her oath as Bihar chief minister in 1997. Years on, the timid housewife has become an astute politician as far as talking politics is concerned, feels Alok KN Mishra after a tête-à-tête with RJD boss Lalu Prasad's missus. Excerpts:

You have been electioneering a lot and meeting people. What's the poll outcome going to be like?
There is widespread anger among the electorate against the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government. Benefits of welfare programmes — haven't be it of the state government or the Centre — haven't reached those who need them the most. Corruption is rampant at all levels of the administration. People desperately want to get rid of this government and vote RJD to power. RJD is all set to emerge as the single largest party. There's a wave in our favour.

Lalu Prasad has projected himself as the chief minister and a minority community leader as his deputy, if RJD-LJP alliance is voted to power. What will be your role then?
Without a government post, I will have more time to work for the people who have been neglected, marginalized and cheated by the Nitish-Modi dispensation.

Why shouldn't people vote for NDA?
There are many reasons. NDA government is not trustworthy. It has cheated its own people, including Prabhunath Singh. It is not for nothing that Sama Praveen, wife of JD-U's Begusarai MP Monazir Hassan, is contesting on RJD ticket from Munger.

More importantly, the NDA government failed to bring in industrial investments. The tentacles of Maoism are spreading fast and almost the entire Bihar is now affected by Naxal violence. So poor has been the law and order situation that women, including foreigners, are being molested in the state in broad daylight. Most of the women I speak to, express a strange sense of fear.

Why should people vote for RJD-LJP alliance?
This alliance is the voice of the poor. Laluji has a vision with which he transformed the loss-making railways. The same vision will be applied to transform Bihar. As railway minister, Laluji brought investments worth Rs 55,000 crore to the state. Further investments will provide jobs to hundreds of hands and the state will grow.

Do you think it would have been better had the Congress been RJD's ally?
Congress wants to remove the poor, not poverty. It is a dubious party. It is responsible for skyrocketing prices of essential commodities. We do not want alliance of any kind with such a party.

You have parted ways with Sadhu Yadav and Subash Yadav with whom you share blood relations. Will you allow your brothers back in the RJD if the party is voted to power?
I have already made my stand clear about Sadhu and Subhash. (Good riddance, Rabri had said when they left RJD.) No further comments. I do not even think about them now.

Your younger son, Tejaswi, has made his political debut. Do you want him to be a politician like his father or a cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar?
All of 21 years, he is a child. Like every child (worker) of RJD, he is just trying to become the voice of the poor. As of now, he has not made a political debut. He likes playing cricket and will be doing that. He will certainly join politics when the time is appropriate.

You are a woman and also not quite literate. How big a handicap is this?
Sahar sikhaye kotwal (experience teaches). I was given the responsibility of chief ministership at a critical time. I successfully carried out the responsibility.

You claim to be popular. Why are you contesting from two places?
I'm not contesting from two constituencies because I feel insecure. Nor do I claim to be popular. Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi claim they are popular. I decided to contest from two constituencies to
challenge the duo. I had dared them to test their popularity against me if they had the guts. But they didn't accept the challenge. In fact, they are not contesting the elections.

 

 

 

Alok K N Mishra is a journalist with the Times of India. he can be contacted at alokmishra.co@gmail.com.

(K)not of love & self-interest

PATNA: Love's in the air. Or, so it seems if one goes by the number of love marriages in the city which has been constantly rising.

As against 344 lovebirds tying the knot in the city's marriage registrar office in 2007, 429 couples signed papers, vowing to grow up under one roof as man and wife in 2008. The number went northwards at 463 the next year. Till October this year, as many as 433 couples had registered their marriages while another 100 have applied for the same and would be exchanging wedding vows by the time the curtains draw on the year 2010.

Earlier this week, TOI visited the registrar's office and spotted a couple busy completing the formalities for the D-Day. "We have known each other for long. We have explored good and bad things about each other. There exists a greater degree of comfort level between us and only after being sure about this did we decide to spend life together," said the 20-plus girl in love with her neighbour, three years older.

Marriage officer A K Jha said the trend is fast catching up in Patna. "Today's youths look towards the west for their outlook on life. Till five years ago, love marriages were not the trend, but exceptions here," he said as he rummaged through previous records to substantiate his remark.

Registrar office sources told TOI it is rarely that couples visiting the marriage office are accompanied by parents. Most of them bring friends or distant relatives to depose as witnesses to their wedding.

Love, they say, has no religion. Needless to say, the love marriages being registered at the Patna marriage registrar's office include not only inter-caste but also inter-faith marriages. In November, Mohd Sanaullah Khan wedded Shweta Prasad. "They became man and wife under Bihar Special Marriage (amendment) Rules 2008," an official said and recalled family members, including parents, from neither side appeared in the registrar's office to become witnesses to their wedding.

Rajendra Singh (Sikh) and Alankrita, Vishwakarma Prasad and Roseline Anthony (Christian) and Inshad Alam and Madhu Kumari also got their marriage registered at the Patna registrar's office.

Noted sociologist Hetukar Jha describes the generation opting for love marriages as "Me-First generation". "They are pleasure-driven people who take decisions on the basis of current circumstances, howsoever fickle these circumstances may be," he said and reiterated when interests of self become more important than those of others, love marriages happen.

Alok K N Mishra is a journalist with Times of India. he can be contacted at alokknmishra.blogspot.com.

public distribution system needs improvement

By Alok K N Mishra 
Always on short rations Ram Das is sad. Babu at the fair price shop has asked him to collect his rations only next month when fresh supply is expected.

Das was made Red Card (a kind of BPL card) only after he sold his “Kali” (goat) and stumped up Rs. 200 to a local “netaji”. His Red Card contained few human errors and he was entitled to rations less than sufficient for his household. He tried to get them rectified but babus at SDO office wanted monetary oiling and as he could do none he had to helplessly put up with the perennial loss.

Though he lives 25 km far from his office Ram Das has tried to get an audience with SDO saheb thrice. But on all occasions he was told SDO saheb was busy holding impromptu meetings.

The ambitious Public Distribution System, later renamed Targeted Public Distribution System, has been marred by such carelessness, lack of vigilance, involvement of middlemen, and the insensitiveness of concerned officials. Different sources claim that over 5000 Indians die of hunger every year. Despite considerable improvement in health post independence lack of substantial access to food has left almost 50 percent children underweight and more than 70 percent women with serious nutritional deficiencies.

That, starvation deaths have become a national phenomenon and is a collective shame on the face of a civilized society the Supreme Court of India in an interim order 2002 in PUCL vs. Union of India and Others fixed the responsibility on the Chief Secretary for any starvation deaths that occur in a state. The directive played a major role in galvanizing wooden bureaucracy with chief secretaries galvanizing their fellow bureaucrats to collectively sharing the responsibility. But meetings and plans are disproportionate to executions and implementations and ground level results remain elusive. 

Planning Commission figures state that 43 per cent people live below poverty line in Jharkhand. The politically volatile state is home to 26909428 people. More than 11571054 people live below poverty line. The state has about 14500 fair price shops. They cater to only about 2929000 people living in 32620 villages. About 7000 fair price shops do not maintain let alone display Notice Boards and those who display rarely abide by them. About 80 per cent people live in rural areas and depend upon agriculture. Last year Jharkhand was hit by severe drought and several tribals were reported to have died of starvation ––– though some agencies have reported starvation deaths concerned officials have tried to deny it.

Starvation deaths generally occur in rural areas. Inaccessibility and lack of media exposure are two of the many reasons why starvation deaths are not reported. There have been reported cases of officials charging money for making Red Card, Antyodaya Card, Annapurna Card and other identifications entitling poor to benefits. So have been cases of ineligible people getting welfare cards as they are able to dupe officials at SDO (Sub Divisional Officer) offices.

The situation in Orissa is more serious. 47 per cent people live below poverty line in the state, home to the largest number of poor and malnourished in India. About 23600 fair price shops cater only to about 7899900 people. The state has a population of 36706920 and 17252252 live below poverty line. The state, where contrary to other parts of India poverty has increased in past years, has been struggling hard to overcome hunger deaths. As local newspapers put it, though reports are not confirmed, more than 100 people died due to starvation in the state during the end of last year. Worse still it was found that none of the deceased possessed welfare cards. Is it not shocking that across the country those who die of starvation do not posses ration cards or other identifications entitling them to government welfare schemes?

The case with Bihar is also grave. Bihar has about 41,900 fair price shops catering to about 12378200 people living in 45099 villages. Reports claim that about 15,000 fair price shops do not display Notice Board as it saves them accountability. Bihar has a population of 82998509 and about 34859370 people live below poverty line.

Such critically disproportionate figures reflect the morbidly insensitive care we take of our unprivileged brethrens. The problem of starvation is only ironic in India: though we have food surplus and have buffer stocks three times what is required for food security, we still loose thousands due to malnutrition and hunger.

It is a Herculean Task to collect official figures of investigations, let alone convictions, which are rarely conducted to access and check the malpractice that PDS outlets agents indulge into. Information delivered through RTI is but substantially factual. Talk to any PDS outlet agents and they would sound irate and blithe.

“I do not know why on earth only weak (financially) people are always targeted. There do have been reports of diversion at PDS outlets but corruption runs deeper at higher levels. We do not get our monthly allotments on time until we dupe officials at the District Food Depot. My father had worked there and had seen through his open eyes quality grains being replaced by sub standard grains. After all the minuscule margins that we get are but enough to run our households and we just can not survive,” a PDS outlet agent in East Singhbhum district (Jharkhand) cried as he requested strict anonymity.

Bureaucrats thrust with the responsibility to ensure effective implementation of the system have hardly time, or hardly bother, to ensure the same. The claim is supported by the negligible number of raids conducted in a year in any district across Jharkhand even as there have been regular media reports of misconduct.

In spite of its failure in several states there is still light at the end of the tunnel. Tamil Nadu has significantly reduced poverty and improved the standard of living of people living below poverty line by efficient and effective implementation of the public distribution system over the years. It has set a model in implementing the PDS as universal system for other states to follow. Tamil Nadu has a population of 66396000. Though 14939100 people are living below poverty line more than 13230193 are entitled to subsidized rations. This figure speaks volume about the success.

The Tamil Nadu government has outsourced the management of more than 93 per cent of the fair price shops to cooperatives at increased margins. PDS shops have been given decreased burdens. The maintenance of Notice Boards at every PDS (FPS) has been made mandatory. Women –– psychologically less prone to commit misconduct ––have been included into the network and vigilance committees have been formed to keep an eagle eye on every individual PDS shop.

It really hurts when a country which maintains a large amount of buffer stocks –– India maintained a stock of about 565 lakh tonne last year ––– lets a large number of its people die of hunger.  It is time all Indian states especially Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh take a leaf out of Tamil Nadu’s book and ensure that no one in any nook of the country has got to sleep hungry let alone die of starvation.

[The writer is a journalist. He can be contacted for news of Jharkhand (India).; Alok Kumar Mishra
H. No. 32, Baridih Basti, Nirala Road, Bajrang Path, Baridih, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand).; Cell- 91+9234629956; E-mail-alokmishra.co@gmail.com, alokmishra.in@rediffmail.com]