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On
Record Empower women to end
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What is wrong with
Aamir’s stand?
Profile Reflections Diversities
— Delhi Letter
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Empower women to end gender bias Over
the years, India has lagged behind both developed and developing countries like Sri Lanka and Indonesia in the human development index (HDI). HDI projects the standard of living of people of a country and measures the overall achievements of a country in three basic dimensions — longevity and health, education and knowledge and a decent standard of living. India’s position in HDI has slipped from 115 to 124 mainly due to gender disparity. For sustainable development, education, employment, equality and empowerment are essential. Higher literacy rate, higher degree of employment, provision of equal opportunities and empowerment, especially of women, are the only indicators of a country’s socio-economic progress. In an age when women have made progress in almost every field and are being empowered as an outcome of identity and equality, gender disparities exist in terms of education, health, nutrition and employment opportunities in our country. This is most unfortunate. From conception till death, a female is discriminated in every sphere of life. The women find themselves crushed between tradition and modernity and identity and equality. In the male dominated patriarchal society, women are viewed as a burden by parents. In our traditional societies, while a childless woman is perceived as incomplete, one who has given birth to daughters is partially complete. Only the one who has produced a son enjoys status of sorts. The problem is inextricably intertwined to the institution of dowry. A boy means income and a girl means “outgo” and therefore, a loss. The mortality of a female, considered as “beast of burden”, is engineered right from the pre-natal stage itself. Unacceptability of an unborn female is depicted from the ongoing phenomenon of female foeticide despite stringent laws to ban pre-natal sex determination. To check this menace, Maharashtra first enacted legislation in 1989. Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan followed suit. However, female foeticide continues with impunity. There are reports of surprise checks and rechecks leading to the cancellation of licenses of such centres by the government. This is because of the acceptance of the birth of the unwanted girl child among some sections. This is, no doubt, a happy augury. What is disturbing, however, is the continued discrimination against the female child at various levels though because of some awakening through freedom, equality and empowerment of women, things seem to be changing. Even today, in most cases, the birth of a girl child in the family is not celebrated as is done when a boy is born. Gender equality demands that the birth of a girl, especially the second one in the family, should not be viewed as a moment of grief and sorrow. Economists say, a self-governing India needs a strong and healthy population. But many fear that traditional practices such as child marriage, sati and purdah hampered modernisation in India. Child marriage, in particular, contributed to gynaecological problems and high maternal mortality rate. Reports say, India has the lowest average age of marriage in the world; around 15 per cent girls are married by the age of 10 years despite socio-economic curbs enforced by the government. Women face differential treatment towards health risks throughout their lifespan. Little attention is paid to their health problems. The maternal mortality rate in 1998 was very high because about 52 per cent of women in the reproductive age group in India were suffering from anaemia. Over the years, there has been a decline in the mortality rates. Of course, the pattern of mortality differ for women and men. Women live longer than men everywhere, but they experience higher mortality rates up to the age of 30 years than men (CSO, 2001). This is because child bearing exposes women to health risks. At many places, pregnancy and child birth related complications are a major cause of women’s death. The use of family planning methods including contraceptives has been increasing uniformly over the years. This not only gives an opportunity to women to achieve the desired size of the family with reduced number of pregnancies but also help her to ensure the desired spacing of consecutive pregnancies. This would also promote the well being of the mother and the entire family. Women are the principal providers of care and support for infants and children in society. Their role in child survival, as agents of nutrition, protection, affection and development is crucial. It will be essential to give them due recognition as the sole decision-makers in the health care of children and the families. Though the modern working woman has a dual productive economic role as unpaid worker at home and earning cash income which goes towards the family’s basic needs, the man has the final say on important household matters. This is attributed to the prevailing practice of rearing the girls in an environment which treats the girl/woman as a sacrificing, submissive person. From her childhood, she is taught to adjust and sacrifice as she will get married one day and live in his husband’s house thereafter. This disparity can be explained in the context of a hangover of our traditional society when women were viewed as reproductive agents, conditioned to a subservient role, fed last and with a low social value. The typical subservient role of Indian woman will change only by creating a national public awareness on gender equality. This can also be achieved by granting incentives to parents having female children only, special attention to female child during infancy, free education of the girl child, stringent anti-dowry laws and reservations for recruitment in government institutions. This will provide women with the fundamental right to be treated with equality and dignity both at home and at work in accordance with law. The writer is Professor, Department of Human Biology, Punjabi University, Patiala
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What is wrong with Aamir’s
stand? The
vandalism perpetrated by the so-called pro-development lobby at Medha Patkar’s residence while she was on an indefinite fast and at filmstar Aamir Khan’s house together with his gherao and targeting the theatres running his films is most unfortunate. In the 60s and 70s, ‘development’ was revered as an uncontested mantra for human emancipation, a magic wand for all the ills and deprivations afflicting society. Soon, it was realised that development is not a neutral concept and has a cost too. Thus, the term ‘sustainable development’ came in vogue, to make development agenda more sensitive to people and reduce the socio-ecological cost of projects. The pro-development lobby threatens Aamir Khan to restrict himself to his studio. Still the intolerance shown to his joining the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) activists at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar reflects his critics’ fears and exposes the real motive behind this desperation for development. Certainly, joining the protest by a star of Aamir’s stature in a battle being fought by Medha Patkar draws media attention. That is why, it is not easy to be in Aamir’s place. Unlike Medha, whose fight is against the ‘big dams’ and which involves a larger debate on various perspectives on development models, Aamir is only talking about gross negligence, apathy and irregularities in the implementation of rehabilitation packages to the displaced tribals and farmers. Even the Supreme Court has said that it will stop the dam construction work if the victims’ rehabilitation is unsatisfactory. Aamir’s position is not radical. But perhaps this is a matter of concern for the ‘big is beautiful’ bandwagon. Revolutionaries, they know, are no more taken seriously by the hoi polloi in a changed scenario. It is people like Aamir who are far more dangerous than a Medha Patkar. Street violence that followed Aamir Khan’s peaceful support to the NBA is symptomatic of the violent face of this variety of development paradigm and its skewed logic. Aamir is only talking about a home for the homeless, arable land for the farmers and schools for the children of the displaced. If this is anti-development, the current debate is not between Medha and Modi; it is between morality and politics of development. Sadly, we do not have many Medhas; there are still a few Aamirs who believe that ‘home’ is not always an ‘investment’ item. ‘Home’ for those displaced and uprooted from a Tehri or a Narmada project site echoes folklores and dadi ma ki kahani from a not-so-distant past, memories of which bring tears to those desert eyes. Do not gag this sensitivity in the Aamirs of this country. Learn to listen to a Medha Patkar or a Vandana Shiva even if you are pro-dam or pro-GM seeds. Those who want to eliminate these voices are enemies of an open society. The writer teaches sociology at Govt. College, Sector 46, Chandigarh |
Profile Khurana is particularly popular with Delhi’s business community as he has always supported their cause even if it was not justified. The Capital’s powerful builders’ lobby also backed him. It is believed that Khurana has been invincible in Delhi. Even though ignominiously thrown out the BJP, he will win election from any of seven constituencies of the Delhi state, claim his supporters. Having snapped his half-a-century long ties with the BJP, Khurana is a bitter man now and his anger is reflected in his no-holds-bar denunciation of the party leaders, particularly L.K. Advani. He has called his erstwhile party a “private limited company”, managed by “AC room leaders” and defamed by sex scandals. He now blames his one-time icon, Advani and the coterie surrounding him for the degradation of the BJP. Apparently, Khurana has something very damaging up his sleeves as he threatens to “unveil sensational sex scandals involving party leaders and reveal behind-the-scenes details of the 1999 hijacking episode”. Though 70, he has no inclination of hanging his boots and may either join the firebrand Uma Bharti or float a new outfit. In sharp contrast to Advani, he still holds Atal Bihari Vajpayee in high esteem. He has reportedly said many a time that “Vajpayeeji is my hero, my weakness”, and recalls sentimentally his first meeting with the former Prime Minister when he was elected to Parliament in 1957. “I was then a student leader in Allahabad University. We decided to invite him and I was so impressed by his personality that I became his fan and he continues to be my hero”. Vajpayeeji too had come many times to Khurana’s rescue but now the former Delhi Chief Minister says there is no looking back for him. Six years back, Khurana was disgracefully removed from the post of the BJP’s Vice-President. This is not for the first time that the BJP High Command had cracked the whip on him. Khurana had resigned as Union Cabinet Minister and also quit the party’s National Executive in 1998 posing as the Prime Minister’s supporter over the assault on Christians and murder of the Australian missionary. He was pressurised to give up the post of the Delhi Chief Minister following his implication in the Hawala case in 1996. He was not reinstated after he was absolved along with others in the case after 16 months. His sharp comment then was: “The court has discharged me but my party leaders continue to regard me guilty”. His charge was “while I have been undergoing mental torture, an ordeal for the last 16 months, the BJP’s leadership imperiled my efforts to refurbish my image after being cleared in the Hawala case”. He became a rebel since then, launched a campaign for the ouster of the then Chief Minister, Sahib Singh Verma and his term for a compromise was “not his reinstatement but replacement of Verma”. He also rejected the leadership’s offer to lead the poll campaign in Delhi “till Sahib Singh remains in office.” The BJP was defeated in the election. Khurana had to struggle his way in life till he rose to fame and glory. The gory days of Partition are still fresh in his mind. When his family landed in Delhi, he was a young boy of 11 years and he and his parents had barely survived a brutal attack on the refugee train carrying the evacuees from Layallpur (now in Pakistan) to Amritsar. The train was attacked by armed marauders at Lahore junction and many of the passengers might have been lynched but for extraordinary courage shown by a Dogra soldier on board. He jumped from bogie to bogie, reminisces Khurana, to reach the steam locomotive and asked the driver on gunpoint to move on. The “Refugee Special” hurtled on but its direction was changed from Amritsar to Ferozepur to ensure a safe passage for the displaced persons. Khurana was born in Layallpur. His house was located between Anarkali Bazar, a predominantly Hindu locality and Bhawana Bazar, a cent per cent Muslim mohallah. During the Partition days, young men of both localities armed with sword, clubs and other lethal weapons raised slogans and attacked each other’s domain. His family members, recalls Khurana, had traumatic days, always fearing insecure, till one day his father decided to leave his native place and migrate to India. Khurana’s large family —parents, uncles and cousins — reached Delhi on a truck and were lodged in a refugee camp. Khurana, a refugee boy, has since become a leader of Delhi by his own right and a household
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Reflections Last
week I was in a long queue to buy an ice cream in Manhattan (New York). As I drew closer to the counter, I got to see why the queue was so long and why the people were waiting so cheerfully? Not only was the quality of ice cream really good, but the manner in which it was being served was really special. It was truly a joyful experience seeing ‘joy at work’. We read and hear so much about joy at work in books and workshops, but in this ice cream parlour, I saw it in practice in the real sense. Alongside the joyful music being played in the ice cream parlour, I found the ice cream crew breaking into a song almost every two minutes. I asked Neetu, (my grand daughter) who is a frequent visitor to the parlour. She said, “Mum every time some one puts in a dollar or two in their tip jar placed next to the cash counter the cashier says “hey guys we got a tip”. And they all sing a few lines of a song and one or two would even jig while ‘kneading’ the ice cream on a stone to mix it with other flavours and fruits as one wanted. It was truly yummy mixed with fun. For me this was ‘joy at work’. For all the customers too shared the joy of being there. The time in the queue became pretty interesting. I had never experienced such a feeling while waiting for my favourite eat and certainly not for a mouth watering ice cream. Undoubtedly, productivity and quality is a big issue today. What I have seen lately is that many companies are devising very many different strategies to incorporate ‘joy after work’. Like giving travel breaks for employees to go for retreats. Or even take groups with families for holidays. But the key is how much joy they get ‘at work’. Do they really enjoy doing their work while at their work places? They will, of course, enjoy the holidays… I gave the ice cream experience basically to highlight the concept of joy at work. And there can be umpteen ways of doing so, and each situation will suggest its own best
way (s) even in somber environments…What I am provoking is that, whether we are conscious of factoring in the concept of ‘joy at work’, as workers, supervisors, team members or as leaders, which sincerely focuses on the joyful aspects at work? Be it the corporate sector or the government. Research and experience establishes that work can never be joyful unless conventional approaches in management are fully addressed. The factors which comprise the conventional approach being: unilateral decisions, need for all kinds of approvals, strong controls bordering on killing initiatives, top heavy and multi-layered management levels with almost low level of volunteerism. So has the purpose of the organisation to be addressed/change from results to missions. Hypocrisy in statements, public and private, speaking only through authorised Public Relations Officers, non-existent internal democracy and with values used only as recruiting tools has also to see a change.. Leaders are often seen to hog all the credit and the limelight while the real hard work is done by the ground level most of the time…Forget about sharing of credit, even the correspondence received from junior colleagues is rarely acknowledged. A huge gap exists in the remuneration of workers and leaders. Further, attention is more often focused only on a few leaders within organisations. Training is also limited to classrooms and information is on ‘need to know’ basis. The audits are also limited to financial functions. There are no value surveys. The corporate world is developing its methodologies for many justified reasons: Most of all for retention of valuable and competent talent. However, the focus is still ‘after work, with or without colleagues’. However, to retain the competitive edge, addressing the needs for stress free work place is becoming a necessity. But one whole segment which has really not woken up to this need is the monolith of public service sector. It enjoys so much of a security of service that the concept of ‘Joy at work’ is just not an issue. I have personally seen how much stress is purposely and needlessly added to work as a tool of deliberate harassment. It is considered that if that did not exist, there would be loss of power. It’s a show of exercise of power. Joy at work will loosen control. The choice to be made is between control and empowerment. The former is based on hierarchy and fear. The latter is born out of sharing and giving. The former requires officiousness. He latter requires communications. The former is invisible; the latter is one among the equals. The former may give instant results; the latter gives long-term sustainable performances. The former is not as much about quality but results; the latter is about results through willingness to serve, through joy at work… We make the choices. We need to remember that what we seek for ourselves, others need that too! Be it joy ‘after’ work or joy ‘at’
work.
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Diversities — Delhi Letter Reading
about the latest developments in Nepal, I’d thought of the well known Nepalese writer Manjushree Thapa and the two books written by her on the present-day Nepal. Titled The Tutor of History and Forget Kathmandu: An Elegy For Democracy, they have been published by Penguin. Last year, for her second book’s release, she had come down to New Delhi from Kathmandu against all possible odds. I met her on earlier occasions at Khushwant Singh’s home. About a couple of years back, when her father was Nepal’s Ambassador to India, we’d been to her home for a simple, no-fuss dinner. Before I met her, I’d interviewed her mother who was working at WHO in New Delhi. We’d had enough to talk and converse about as she’d done her MBBS from my home territory — Lucknow’s Medical College. Unlike her parents, Manjushree came across as rather reserved and quiet. But then, not so for any probing into what’s been going on in Kathmandu and she’d speak with much emotion and with passion arising out of a sense of conviction. She has not just written rather extensively, but been an active participant in those anti-monarchy demonstrations…nothing really deterring her, not even when she got wounded and beaten on the head. She speaks and writes with a lot of sense coupled with intense feelings for her country. I wish I could have interviewed her, but then, Kathmandu seems so far away. And not in the grip of her two books, I have gone through her recent write-ups on the internet. There are several with details of last year’s coup and more details of the total anarchy prevailing — killings, jails overstuffed with the dissidents, security forces going about in various garbs to relay fear and more… It’s really getting to be one book after another scenario. This weekend saw the release of Mani Bhaumik’s Code Name God (Penguin). I’d not heard about this new writer on the scene. So curiosity got the better of me. More so, as the very invite bore this little quote from Sidney Sheldon, “This book may change your life”. Don’t know whether ours or mine can stand changed, but going by what’s given about his life sketch, his has taken various turns. Bhaumik was born on a mud floor in Bengal and after having survived “colonial oppression, cyclone, epidemic and famine”, he managed to do his Ph.D in Physics from IIT. Together with that, a Sloane Foundation fellowship for post-doctoral work at UCLA. He is said to be co-inventor of the laser technology that makes LASIK eye surgery possible. There are some more details of his successful ventures. But then, skipping them, let’s come to the very important one. It seems that in spite of all those great goings, he was in search of that spiritual quest and that probably got him to writing this book. Haven’t read the book. So can’t comment on what’s the formula that can get you closer to Him. Need for serious
introspection Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt-General S.K. Sinha (retd) will be releasing Gitanjali Prasad’s book, The Great Indian Family: New Roles, Old Responsibilities (Penguin) at the British Council. This book has got some encouraging reviews. There is no denying that the Indian family is indeed in need for serious introspection. Husband, wives and the accompanying characters are all undergoing major stress. Some months back, a news report by journalist Naziya Alvi caught attention. For it bared high numbers of those going in for divorce in New Delhi. I quote from this news report, “In 90 per cent of the cases, the couples give upon each other in their initial years of their marriage. They are usually over ambitious and impatient. Up to 90 per cent of the couples seeking divorce are in the age group of 25-35 years. In seven out of every 10 cases of divorce, the women are financially independent. Doctors, lawyers, chartered accountants are more likely to part ways than couples from business class.” One could go on and on. For the numbers parting are definitely on the rise… rumblings and crumbling going on within families… This brings me to write once again about Manju Kapur’s Home (in last week’s column I did mention about this latest book from her). But now that I have sat and read it, it does take you into the very insides of a typical business family. Set in New Delhi’s Karol Bagh area (no, not a very upmarket area, but as I have always
maintained that settings don’t really matter), it gets you right into the very thick of it all. And then, there’s this writer, Asif Siddiqi, coming all the way from Karachi for the release of his book, Mani and I: Memoirs of a Banarsi Karachiite (Bibliophile South Asia). It’s to be released here the coming weekend at the India International Centre, with Pran Nevile and Kuldip Nayar as chief guests. Needless for me to dwell on the story line. Siddiqi was born in Ghazipur (a samll town near Benaras) in 1948 and then went off with his people to Pakistan. Don’t know whether his book is dripping with nostalgia or sheer passion. The month will close here with musical evenings — jazz concerts, Rabindra Sangeet, Puratani Bangla Gaan and more. As I mentioned last week, the dancers will be busy elsewhere, giving talk shows for the coming World Dance
Day.
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The setting sun gathers all its energy into itself. So does the spirit when the body sleeps. — The Upanishads Failure in public can make the greatest hero an object of ridicule. The beggar trembles before the prince. But when the prince is laid low in contest, even the beggar begins to titter. — The Mahabharata Without discrimination, one cannot obtain God, and he can only have this sense of judgement in the holy company of the saint. — Kabir The enlightened teach us seven things—not to blame, not to strike, to live under the guidance of the Divine law, to eat moderately, to sleep alone, to meditate alone and to dwell on the highest thoughts. — The Buddha And if they (the enemy) incline to peace, incline thou also to it. — The Koran The creator himself is the doer and the cause. — Guru Nanak |
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Justice
R.S. Mongia took over as President, Punjab State Consumer Dispute
Redressal Commission, a little over a year ago. Significantly, he has
achieved 80 per cent disposal rate. The efficiency cannot be enhanced
further till the infrastructure of the state’s consumer forums
improves, he says. In an interview to The Sunday Tribune, Justice
Mongia expects the government to help boost the consumer awareness
movement. 
M