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Private School Teachers Storm Social Media on Teachers’ Day to Share Their Pain

India, literature, News, Politics, Social Media 8 September 2020

Private School Teachers Storm Social Media on Teachers’ Day to Share Their Pain

– Demanded government to pay the fee of students in private schools, as parents are unable to pay – Demanded government to pay the salary of teachers’ in private schools for the lockdown period – Many private schools associations observed the day as Black Day – NISA had appealed teachers to share their agony on Twitter hoping to get the attention of the PM New Delhi, 08 September 2020. The teachers are the backbone of a healthy, responsible, and resilient education system. Therefore, teachers have been given the most respectful position in every society. But the educators’ community is under severe stress today, more so in India’s vibrant private schools. The sudden outbreak of pandemic and the lockdown caused economic crisis resulting in loss of job for millions. Fearing the learning deficit and school premise being non-operational, schools turned to online education. While schools have taken up the challenge and are trying to ensure that the teaching/learning exercise continues, they are facing another challenge too. Some of the parents under financial stress couldn’t pay the school fee. Following the suite, many others too stopped paying school fee. According to the survey conducted by the National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA) in 3690 schools in 22 state of the country, only 38% parents of the total 16,58367 students had paid the school fee. Parents of only 26% of students out of 45682 students in 89 schools in Delhi had paid the fee in the last 3 months. Similarly, only parents of only 19% out of 3,46,897 students from 745 surveyed schools in Haryana have paid school fee. The financial crisis of schools has led to cost-cutting, job loss, reduced/delayed payment, suicide by educators and school closures. In this, regard the largest congregation of budget private schools in India, National Independent Schools Alliance (NISA), with 42 state private school associations had appealed teachers in private schools to share their problems on social media on ‘Teachers’ Day’. The appeal received wider support and more than 30 thousand posts was made on Twitter alone. The key words ‘SaveOurSchoolEducators’ used by the teachers was even one…

congress

Opinion 6 August 2020

Congress party’s ‘Contribution’ to build Ram Temple in Ayodhya

Those who expect political class to be a ‘revolutionary’ and ‘radically’ ‘secular‘ live in great illusion and should form their ‘own’ outfits which their own families will not support. Intellectualism and politics, frankly do not go together. Politics is sentiments, emotions and all the Saas-Bahu masala that we love to watch on TV screens. The reason why I am writing this is the ‘disappointment’ of many ‘secular’ friends with Congress party for ‘welcoming’ the Ram Mandir. Congress’s track record for the Mandir movement is well known and need a fair analysis. Except for the Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, the top leadership of the Congress even in those days believed that we should respect the ‘sentiments’ of Hindus. Who can ignore the fact that Dr Rajendra Prasad went to inaugurate Somnath temple reconstruction despite prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru’s disapproval? His own Minister K M Munshi was dead against Nehru’s attitude. After his death, Shastri did not have that much of conviction to handle the Sangh Parivar. Maybe, his term was too short to be evaluated that way but we have not found things where he was ideologically opposed to Hindutva. Mrs Indira Gandhi, in her initial years as prime minister, was tilted towards the left and it got reflected in her ending of privy purses and opting for land reforms and pro-farmer agenda. But emergency atrocities on Muslims particularly the whole politics of Sanjay Gandhi found favour from RSS and many of them actually sought reconciliation with her. There were many ‘Gurus’ including Acharya Vinoba Bhave, ready to play the role of a mediator. After her powerful return in 1980, Mrs Gandhi policies were more visibly right wing as she talked about the issue of Hindus in Jammu and then allowed the Punjab situation to go out of hand. A Bhindarwallah was ‘created’ to counter the Akalis but became a burden for her own party. To keep the Hindus happy, she ordered army operation to ‘flush out’ terrorists from the holy shrine of Harmandir Saheb. Mrs Indira Gandhi was assassinated at her official residence in Delhi on October 31st,…

Laureates and Leaders for Children

Climate Environment and Science, Crime, Health, India, international, News, Politics, Social Media 18 May 2020

88 Nobel Laureates & World Leaders Call for $1 Trillion to Protect the World’s Children in the COVID-19 Era

दुनियाभर के 88 नोबेल विजेताओं और वैश्विक नेताओं ने कोरोना महामारी से बच्‍चों की सुरक्षा के लिए एक ट्रिलियन डॉलर की मदद का किया आह्वान NEW DELHI, May 18, 2020 – Today, 88 Nobel Laureates and World Leaders, as part of Laureates and Leaders for Children, issued a statement calling for the world’s governments to unite and prioritize the world’s children during their lockdowns and in the aftermath. What is the laureates and leaders for children Founded by 2014 Nobel Peace Laureate, Kailash Satyarthi, who has fought tirelessly for decades against child labour, slavery and trafficking, Laureates and Leaders for Children highlights challenges faced by the world’s most vulnerable children and advocates for solutions. “We, the Laureates and Leaders for Children, demand that the most marginalized and vulnerable children are not forgotten by governments during this grave crisis and beyond.  We must act now or risk losing an entire generation.” – Kailash Satyarthi Statement excerpts: COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in our world. The virus, restrictions placed on the majority of the world’s population, and the aftermath will have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable. The pandemic’s public health emergency is set to exacerbate the exploitation of children. Trapped in homes to escape the virus, children are at greater risk of sexual abuse and domestic violence. As restrictions are lifted, children will be trafficked, forced out of school and into labour, bearing the burden of sustaining their families. If, for once, our world gave the most marginalised children and their families their fair share – 20% of the COVID-19 response for the poorest 20% of humanity – the results would be transformative. One trillion dollars would fund all outstanding UN and charity COVID-19 appeals, cancel two years of all debt repayments from low-income countries, and fund two years of the global gap to meet the SDGs on health, water and sanitation, and education. More than ten million lives would be saved. We call on leaders of the G20 to take additional action beyond their own borders for those who urgently need coordinated international aid.  We also call…

Prof. Bhim Singh

India, News, Politics 6 May 2020

Stranded Boys : Delhi-JK Adm. silent on the fate of thousands J&K labourers outside State

Jammu Tawi, J&K (India), 6th may 2020 : “It is strange rather shocking that Administration of J&K under Lt. Governor and the Union Government have been keeping shut on the fate of thousands of labourers/students from J&K who have been working/studying in outside States. The labourers, mostly from Jammu Province who have been working as labourers in mills/factories/semi-government industrial projects outside J&K have not been allowed to return back to their homes, mostly in backward areas of Udhampur, Kathua, Reasi, Ramban etc. after the closure of the mills/institutions wherever they have been working as  labourers. In most of the districts in Gujarat (Prime Minister’s Home State), Uttar Pradesh (Rashtrapati’s  Home State) & in other districts of Maharashtra, HP, MP, West-Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab and other places. Most of the labourers from Jammu hilly areas are illiterate and cannot send the message on mobile even. The Union Government, as is understood, has made announcement asking all those stranded boys/labourers/students to fill online forms about their status/all details about their home States/education etc. The most of the labourers have no knowledge to fill up the lengthy forms nor they have been contacted by any responsible person at the district level even in districts like Piplaj (Ahmadabad) and other districts. The Panthers Party and other people concerned with the lost workers have not been able to get any information from the concerned district officers. The labourers detained in filthy camps in Gujarat, UP, Maharashtra etc. are not allowed to meet any responsible person in the government who shall provide them reasonable information as what needs to be done by them. The Deputy Commissioners/Police Officers/other District Officers are not prepared to response anybody who may try to talk to them to seek information about their boys stranded in the respective districts.  This is chaos/anarchy and cannot be allowed in democracy. The Union Government/Ministry of Home Affairs should immediately instruct all districts in their respective States to provide them all immediate information about the migrant/labourers/held up boys from other States and convey this message to the Chief Secretary of Jammu & Kashmir and other States if…

Delhi riots

Opinion 3 March 2020

Human life in Delhi has become so cheap : Dr Birbal Jha

New Delhi, 03/03/2020 : As a child, I went to a village school where the students from different castes, creeds and religions were seated and taught together under the same roof without any discrimination. In class six, my first teacher of English, Md Ali, popularly known as Maulavi Saheb, who taught me the ABC of English, was from the Muslim community. At the 12th standard, the teacher who had provided me with tuition and guidance in Spoken English Skills was none other than Prof Ahmed. He steered me through the ocean of the English language in such a way that I developed my linguistic abilities to the extent of sharing with others. Later on, in 1993, I laid the foundation of British Lingua from where more than two lacs of students have graduated with a fair degree in English communication skills that open a window on the world as English is said to be a passport to success in today’s job market and career growth. British Lingua with the intake of trainers and trainees from all sections of society, irrespective of their religious faiths or political affiliations for three decades has been engaged in skilling youth who the country hinges on. The immediate neighbour at my workplace is a Muslim fellow. The landlord I have worked with is also a Muslim fellow. We have no issues and hold no grudges against each other. They have their religious freedom. I have mine. We are not supposed to mix our religious sentiments with our work. We co-work happily with the mission of taking the English skill to Indian youth irrespective of their tenets, ideology, political affiliations, and religious faiths. Sadly I get reminded of the early 90s when the former Chief Minister of Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is currently languishing in a jail of Jharkhand, assumed the post and began to commit atrocities against people, delivering hate speeches. One of his provocative slogans was “Bhura Baal Saaf Karo” meaning to finish Bhumihar, Brahmin and Rajput known as the upper caste of the culturally diverse society in the state. My body begins…

Sandeep-Pandey

Opinion 15 February 2020

PRECEIVED ROLES OF HINDUISM AND ISLAM REVERSED

On January 26, Republic Day, 2020, while protests simmered against Citizenship Amendment Act and National Regiser of citizens throughout India, a dozen North American cities also witnessed historic protests. Indian Embassies have been witness to protests in the past. But this time it was different. In Washington D.C., 800 Indian Americans, many of whom had driven hours from neighbouring states, assembled at lawns on south side of White House. Marching towards the Embassy, they were supported by police who stopped traffic at junctions to let the kilometre long march pass. When they reached Embassy they were met by twenty to thirty supporters of CAA/NRC. Protestors report that pro-CAA/NRC rally appeared to be assembled by the Embassy as part of its duty towards the government. The disparity in numbers seemed to suggest that the Sangh Parivar’s juggernaut, on the roll since Narendra Modi came to power first time in 2014, might be losing steam in its most prosperous diaspora. In Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco, protests were held outside the Indian Consulates, with Chicago claiming the largest attendance of 3,000-4,000. The spirit of the protests was remarkable. Creative placards and slogans were used by protestors. They sang national anthem and ‘Sare Jahan se Achcha..’ Dalit rights activist Thenmozhi Soundararajan said, ‘The CAA is an integral part of Modi government’s strategy of creating a stateless Muslim population, that can be profiled, treated as second class citizens, and imprisoned in massive detention centres already being built in India.’ She further added, ‘This project may start with Muslims but all caste oppressed communities are at risk as we are the communities in the crosshairs of Hindu nationalists,’ advocating, ‘The time to stop genocide is before it starts.’ If one were to ignore the location, one could imagine that the protests seemed to be taking place in India; the political speeches being made seemed grounded in Dalit and Muslim experience as well as authentically representing the angst of middle class Hindus who felt that the Sangh Parivar does not speak for their understanding of Hinduism. Back in India Shaheen Bagh is multiplying….

crocodile tears Yogi Adityanath

Opinion 5 February 2020

Violence against Dalits and women on the high in Uttar Pradesh

Two incidents in Uttar Pradesh have reflected in the growing normalisation of violence and complete collapse of the law and order. The first incident happened in district Farrukhabad where a couple kept hostage to 23 children at their home and threatened to blow them off unless their demands are met. Subhash Batham was on the bail from the high court after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for some crime by the lower court. These twenty-three children were of his neighbours who had gathered there to celebrate his daughter’s birthday. At the end, Subhash was killed in police operation while his wife too died as angry villagers assaulted her. As per reports, there was huge cache of arms and ammunition at his home. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was ‘happy’ with the ‘performance’ of the police who saved the lives of these innocent children but the question arises how come such a thing happen. How are this that the criminals are getting bails easily in the state while peaceful protests are being converted and portrayed criminal. The second incident is more horrific in terms of brutality. A young man after an altercation with his wife chopped her head off and carried it till two kilometre as he walked out of his home. The people watched him making videos in their mobile but none could stop him. Finally, the police arrested him. When the police snatched the chopped head from his hand, this man shouted the slogan: Bharat mataa kee jai and Jai Shri Ram. Both the news except for sensational news stories did not receive much attention as it deserved. Media was more bothered about Yogi Adityanath’s ‘fiery’ and ‘spicy’ speeches in Delhi. The law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh are definitely disturbing but it does not become the topic of discussion. We don’t blame Yogi Adityanath for the same but what he has done is to encourage such a situation and no sincere efforts has been made to deal with such a situation as they are not merely law and order situation but reflection of what is happening…

Shaheen Bagh

Opinion 4 February 2020

Shaheen Bagh Movement : Deepening Democracy-Uniting India, The protests are not to save Islam or any other religion but to protect Indian Constitution

As democracy is seeping in slowly all over the world, there is an organization which is monitoring the degree of democracy in the individual countries, The Economist Intelligence Unit. As such in each country there are diverse factors which on one hand work to deepen it, while others weaken it. Overall there is a march from theoretical democracy to substantive one. The substantive democracy will herald not just the formal equality, freedom and community feeling in the country but will be founded on the substantive quality of these values. In India while the introduction of modern education, transport, communication laid the backdrop of beginning of the process, the direction towards deepening of the process begins with Mahatma Gandhi when he led the non-cooperation movement in 1920, in which average people participated. The movement of freedom for India went on to become the ‘greatest ever mass movement’ in the World. The approval and standards for democracy were enshrined in Indian Constitution, which begins ‘We the people of India’, and was adopted on 26th January 1950. With this Constitution and the policies adopted by Nehru the process of democratization started seeping further, the dreaded Emergency in 1975, which was lifted later restored democratic freedoms in some degree. This process of democratisation is facing an opposition since the decade of 1990s after the launch of Ram Temple agitation, and has seen the further erosion with BJP led Government coming to power in 2014. The state has been proactively attacking civil liberties, pluralism and participative political culture with democracy becoming flawed in a serious way. And this is what got reflected in the slipping of India by ten places, to 51st, in 2019. On the index of democracy India slipped down from the score of 7.23 to 6.90. The impact of sectarian BJP politics is writ on the state of the nation, country. Ironically this lowering of score has come at a time when the popular protests, the deepening of democracy has been given a boost and is picking up with the Shaheen Bagh protests. The protest which began in Shaheen Bagh, Delhi in…

Shamsul Islam

Opinion 26 November 2019

Demolition of Democratic Secular Indian Constitution is Old Project of Hindutva Gang

Demolition of Democratic Secular Indian Constitution is Old Project of Hindutva Gang 70th Constitution Day of India Many well-meaning liberal and secular political analysts are highly perturbed by the brazen sectarian policy decisions of RSS/BJP rulers led by PM Modi specially after starting his second inning. They are vocal in red-flagging the policies of Modi government on Kashmir, national citizens registry (NRC), murder of constitutional norms in Goa, Karnataka and now in Maharashtra, lynching, Pragya Thakur (first getting her elected to Lok Sabha and then nominating her to high powered 21-MP House Panel on Defence) who is an accused Malegaon Blast case, worships Godse, killer of MK Gandhi as hero and publically stated that it was her curse due to which renowned decorated cop Hemant Karkare  was killed. Shockingly, Hemant was killed by the Pakistani terrorists when former was confronting these heavily armed terrorists on November 26, 2008.  They are greatly mistaken. In fact, it is failure of such friends to understand the real anti-national character of the RSS that India has been taken to such an impasse; on the verge of losing its democratic-secular identity. The belief that RSS cadres gracing the constitutional posts would influence them to be secular or inspire them to get used to practice democratic norms is futile with this lot’s diehard commitment to the cause of Hindutva. The fast-forward demolition of the democratic-secular polity of India which is taking place is neither new nor unexpected. Modi as CM of Gujarat while talking to Reuters (July 12, 2013) had declared himself to be ‘a Hindu nationalist’, the RSS top brass declaring again and again that India is a land for Hindus and by 2020-21 it would be Hindu rashtra with Muslims and Christians cleansed from the land, Indian nationality tied to worshipping of cow and open declaration of the Cabinet ministers that western concepts like secularism would be replaced by the principles of Hindutva. It was less than one year after crowning of Modi as PM in 2014, one of the most decorated police officers in Independent India Julio Ribeiro wrote in an emotional piece,…

Saurath Sabha 2017

India, News, Social Media 7 November 2019

Saurath where match-making takes place under trees

Saurath where match-making takes place under trees. By Dr Birbal Jha New Delhi/ 07th November 2019. Have you ever heard of Saurath Sabha or Sabhagachhi? This is a unique shrine for fixing marriages under the shade of trees. Eligible bachelors with their parents sit down with the guardians of marriageable brides, gathering at the place from different locations. Sabhagachhi spread over 22 acres of lush green land falling in the district of Madhubani is 175 km away from state capital Patna in north-east.   The age-old congregation is identified with Mithila and its surrounding landscape for systematically maintaining a marriage tradition which has been playing a quintessential role in what can be described as Shrishti Nirman (Creation of Mankind). Though the cases of divorces have become a normal practice in the Western societies and even in many parts of India, yet the institution of marriage in Mithila – the birthplace of Goddess Sita – continue to be as strong as in the olden days with negligible divorces even today. Match-making and adherence to the principles of successful married life are so meticulous and socially bound that there is hardly any scope for the proverb- marry in haste, repent at leisure- हड़बड़ी  ब्याह, कनपटी सिंदूर. Hence, there does not exist any system of ex-husband or ex-wife what we find in the west with a prenuptial agreements. With traditional rituals to follow, love life in the region is very pure and strong. Conjugal rights are granted post wedlock.  In a nutshell, matrimony is sanctimonious in Mithila lifestyles. The foundation behind such a strong, institution of marriage is owing to the ingrained ethical values, social ethos, family obligation and uncompromising attitude to adhere to high principles of a successful married life and soul-matching. What’s more, the system of marriage registry, colloquially called panjikar and genealogical records, panji in Maithili has been cautiously but scientifically maintained to avoid marriage between the same gotra (clan). However, Saurath Sabha does not permit intermarriage. An approval for wedlock is sought from the system. What the social marriage registrar issues a sidhant is a kind of marriage approval in itself.   Bounded on…