Winter kills the poor

                                                                                                                                              Photo- The Hindu
This year, if MET department is to be believed, more than five hundred people have lost their lives due to winter. The most suffered community has been the poor and the needy in big cities who have no place to go, and they don't have adequate 'arrangements' to fight the winter. 
In many northern states like Punjab, Delhi and UP mercury has dipped lower than 5 degree Celsius. Though governments of these states claim that they have spent many crores for these poor people but efforts, it seems, have remained to the papers only.
Only UP government claims that they have granted Rs 10 crores to purchase blankets, ironically this state shows 450 deaths (maximum deaths in a state so far) due to cold.
 Historically, Makar Sankranti ( A famous Hindu festival) celeberated with much fervor, marks the Sun’s entry into the northern hemisphere and the end of winter. 
But this year this has not happened. Uttar Pradesh has been the victim of weather’s extremity. There have been 450 deaths in the state, nearly 40 in Bihar, while Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana are constantly under sub-zero temperatures .

Most deaths have occurred among the poor due to inadequate shelter and lack of warm clothing. Compounding the problem has been rain across North India, including Delhi, UP, Haryana, and Punjab, after which temperatures have fallen further. Amritsar remains the coldest place with minus one temperature in the north. MET department predicts that icy winds will continue to blow in from the Himalayas and there isn’t much hope of fog dissipating in a hurry either. 

Dense fog cover has been engulfing entire north from early hours of the evening and disappears only after 8.30 in the morning. Recent train accidents in near Kanpur and Tundla has raised alarm bells in the railway department and Indian Railway has released some guidelines to prevent any mishap in future. Though mercury level has gone in past two days but fog is still to say good bye. Dense fog cover in Delhi has been delaying many flights for hours and in worst case cancelling them. As many as 14 trains passing through Hapur and Moradabad has been cancelled and will be continued ony after the fog cover disappear.

Though Delhi government has arranged bonfires at many places but they are not enough to meet the demand of lakhs of poor people living in the city.

Though some NGOs and college students are contributing their wit by collecting used woolen clothes and later giving these clothes to the needy. 

But there are thousnads of other who are suffering and bearing the brunt of winter in India and we need sincere govrnments to solve the probem. Shelling out money on the name of poor and later pocketing it in their pockets is the realty we see happening daily in our country. Corrupt habits of politicians and babus will not die until citizens come out in open and taking things in their own hands to complete them on time. 

Every single person dying due to winter is a slap to the present goverenment as well as people who claim that India is prospering at rapid rate because they forget to mention that India is prospering -true, but Bharat, where our most population lives is hungry, poor and starving.

Though signs of the change are visible but it will take at least two decades to fill this disparity gap and that seems impossible. 

Contribute your bit if you feel something inside. That is the purpose of this article.

Major Issues: Street children and liquor shops in Delhi

Major Issues: Street children and liquor shops in Delhi

Street children and liquor shops in Delhi

Street children and liquor shops in delhi
UNICEF estimates that there are more than four lakhs street children are in India’s five major cities including Delhi. Delhi alone is a home of more than one lakh children.
As soon as sun bade adieu to the world, liquor shops all around Delhi come alive with people thronging their like honey bees. Zoom there a little more and a good number of kids can be located roaming from person to person with a mug and ice cubes. These kids serve as bartenders for these people and in return get some money and lot of abuses and beatings.
Abdul, 12 collects bear bottles apart from serving chilled bear to the people there. He sells these bottles at a rate of rs 3 each.
“ sab karna padta hai bhaiya, maa gharon me kaam karti hai tab ja kar guzara hota hai”( Have to do everything to meet ends. Mother works as a maid), says abdul. This young fatherless boy does not go to school because there is one to earn.
New ashok nagar, which borders Noida, has turned into a big liquor market. People in large numbers collect here to get wine and bear. Wine is less costly in Delhi. People after drinking fight here, hurl abuses at these street kids and at passerby. Delhi police has its presence near the liquor shop but seems to have no eyes to watch all this happening right in front of their eyes.
Sarita vihar, another posh colony of Delhi, where many such kids can be seen collecting bear bottles and serving bear to the drinkers. Many of these kids drink wine and bear people leave in their mugs. Many of them are addicted to correction fluid.
In Delhi there are large number of ngos are working for the welfare of these kids. Many ngo websites are full of glorifying stories. What one needs is to do is to just go out, one can find children doing all this at every liquor shop. Begging by these street children at every traffic light is a bare truth every person living in Delhi knows.
Though some significant work has been done for the welfare of street children but that is not enough. Not only ngos but public participation is needed if we wish to see our nation out of this curse. Common wealth games are knocking at our door.
Delhi government should give heed to this issue on urgent basis if it wishes to save its face in front of the international community.It is estimated that there are 314,700 street children in Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Kanpur, Bangalore and Hyderabad combined and about 100,000 in Delhi. Factors which have given rise to the increase in number of street children in India include poverty, family break-ups, armed conflicts, natural and man-made disasters, lack of employment opportunities and the attraction of cities.

Havocs of Plastic Bags

Havocs of plastic bags

It has become a kind of a style statement for masses to carry things in plastic bags. Heap of polythene waste can be located at every corner of the locality one lives in. According to Central Pollution Control Board 10 thousand tons of plastic waste is generated that is nine percent of the 1.20 lacs Tons Per day of Municipal Solid Waste in India. Big numbers of stray animals like cows die every year due to consuming this dangerous chemical stuff. Indian government under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 has banned use of polythene bags in the market but it seems on papers. Go and visit any market of this nation and one can find polythene in the hand of every person buying vegetables, soap or any other household item.

There have been so many hue and cries over the banning of this chemical hazard but polythene has made its presence so strong in the social fabric that it has become a sort of habit. People feel comfortable carrying a poly bag in place of a simple cloth bag.

Women going to market for shopping ask poly bags for everything, complains a shop owner. It has become a kind of a daily habit for citizens and coming out from a set routine is very tough. The worst part of polythene is that it never decays and using habits are rapidly making inroads into rural parts of our country. This growing problem needs a serious approach and efforts if we wish to see our coming generations breathing in a clean and green atmosphere.

With its reach expanding to rural areas, polythene has started showing its after effects that includes low production, water logging and cattle deaths. Some states are quick to react on such reports other as reluctant as they were earlier. But there has been no effective measures planned yet which can turn this ban into an effective Act and violation of it should be feared by users in fear of repercussions that will follow afterwards. And more than that people participation is very much needed in this cause. Until and unless people start feeling that poly bags should be banned at the earliest there can be no help to government.

Big rivers like the Yamuna are the victim of human negligence. Even after several measures to clean Yamuna in Delhi, polythene waste can be seen littered here and there at the banks of this historical river. Delhi in March this year has imposed ban over the use of poly bags but there has been no change in the using habits people and one can find polythene available easily in market.

But there are few good signs are also visible. Some aware persons, after understanding its after effects have started carrying home made paper bags to avoid polythene. Some companies have started giving their products in paper bags to join this say-no-to-poly bags cause.

But much more is needed to be done at grass-root level. First to kill the habit of polythene among new generation kids, lessons should be taught at school level to tell the kids the harmful effects of polythene. This spreading habit should be stopped at the earliest and there should be some street plays and other campaigns to discourage people to use polythene in every part of our nation no matter village or town.

This is expected from the educated lot of India to take this responsibility in their hands to stop poly bag usage and to create awareness among the masses who does not know its hazardous effects on the environment. Though NGOs and other socially active people are giving their efforts to educate people about the harms of polythene but more co-operations is needed from society.

Kids addict to correction fluid at Agra Station

Kids addict to correction fluid at Agra Station.

Agra , Feb- 27: Time 7o' clock, evening. passengers are anxiously waiting for Taj express at Agra cant station. Some poor children are also roaming at the station without any attention from passengers.But there is something seriously wrong with these vagrants. They are walking like a drunk and have something in their hands , which they are inhaling frequently.
As one moves closer to them he feels strong smell of correction fluid. in their hands they have this solution poured on a piece of cloth and they inhale it repeatedly. When asked why they inhale it , Satish a 14 year old boy says , " I have started taking it when I was only seven. It gives me relief". " poore din paise kamane ke chakkar me thak jate hain ( after daylong race for earning , I am left dog tired). Isko soonghkar need a jati hai ( I can sleep after inhaling it)" , says Mohan , who sells Pan-masala and cigarettes in the train ( Government has banned smoking in the trains and at stations.).
There are almost 90 children on this station including few girls. Most of them have left their homes due to odd consequences like death of mother , regular beating etc. Some of these children are addict to this hazardous liquid from last many years. They are too addicted to quit it. Imran , who is merely 10 and addict of this fluid does not know that it is very harmful for lungs. he smiles and says , " Mujhe accha lagta hai ( I like it )." Saina a girl who is hardly 10 years is also a fluid addict. She lives in a nearby slum and sells Guthkas and refilled water-bottles in the train. These all children are from economically handicapped society and their livelihood on regular basis.
Many of these children are taking this fluid from last 5 to 7 years under he nose of station and police administration. But Railway police SP shows ignorance about the matter , and assured the reporter to take proper step to rehabilitate these children. Surprisingly , the police station is in the station premises and the policemen on the beat visit the station regularly. Railway Protection Force ( RPF) , however has helped a Delhi based NGO Chetna in rehabilitating these homeless children. But not much is achieved till date. " we have sent many children to Government Correction homes. But there are many hurdles. Most of the times these homes are full and this is not possible to send all children to these homes. but we are helping Chetna whereever they want our help" , says Kailash Chandra Gupta , In charge RPF Station. Children allege policemen and vendors for taking money. " They take 10 to 20 rupees from us and sometime snatch our belongings. They beat us and force us to do their work " , says a boy.
" We started here in 2005 and working hard to see the positive signs." says project co-coordinator Chetna ,Pramod Kumar . " We use community therapy ( in community therapy children are treated , where they live ) because it is less expensive. We haven't big set up to rehabilitate all the children in one go." He tells further about the way they treat these small addicts. " we organise games like cricket , kabbadi , Kho-kho to exhaust them. Once they are exhausted they sleep soundly without any drug" he adds.
But this therapy does not work much as they live in the same environment and start taking the liquid as soon as they see their colleague taking it. There is hardly any sign board visible anywhere in the city to locate Chetna. Children also allege the NGO people for beating and ill treatment. But all charges were denied by Pramod Kumar.

Doctors who are working with this NGO say that white fluid is directly affecting lungs and and then affects the immune system. So these children are slowly moving towards death.
With regular hardships posed by police beatings , threat posed by vendors and potters , these kids are left with pain and sorrow at the end of the day. To cover which they succumb to the temptations of drinking and substance abuse, without knowing that they are inhaling death. But blaming the administration is not right. We as a society are responsible for the state of these children. Thousands of Indian visit Taj every year but no one has even tried to raise the issue. Local and national media is more responsible than people. Neither any newspaper nor any channel tried to cover this issue.
so the future of these children are entirely in darkness.

Women with a mighty heart!

Om Shree, 36 year old woman subdued her own interests for the sake of her family.Despite the threats and difficulties,she kept on going and now this woman owns two mini trucks.--
Balarpur(Mainpuri, UP)
It is dark as usual , when Om Shree returns from her guava orchard to her home where her siblings would be waiting for her to dine together. Today she has everything to run a family in this small vilage.But things were not like this for her only two decade ago , when she lost her parents and responsibility of all young members came upon her delicate shouders.
She was only 16 years old.She hoped that in such tough time , her uncles and cousins would help her but for her surprise they all were eying to grab the land. They beat har many time and spread ill-rumours about her character in the village. " they wnted me to sign on the property papers without any protest. They forced me to leave the village , so that they could take the hold of my ancestral land", she says.
Things were not easy for her in any way. She had nothing called 'money' at home because everything was gone in the treatment of her father who as suffering from Tuberculosis.Her cousins has criminal records so no one stood against them to help her.
" When they failed in their plans to owerpower me easily as they thought earlier.They started misleading my younger brothers , by saying that one day I would sell all the property and would fled away from home. one of my brother even satrted drinking and gambling in their company. My brothers abused me- their elder sister due to the poision filled in them".she says while tears rolling on her cheeks. " I suffered a lot but the very moment I decided that I would not let them fulfill their wicked-plans. It is tough for girls to stand against such bad men but I had no option left with". she adds further.
However there were many hurdles on her way but her steadfast determination brought her the desired fruit. She used both love and stick to bring her brothers back on the right path. She worked as labourer to feed her siblings. " during day I used to work on my land and at night I went to harvest wheat crops to earn money to meet the family expencs". she tells.
She tried to file comlaint against her cousins but police did not listen to her. Then she decided to transfer the old gun of her father as defence weapon against them (cousins) but problems were tied to her everywhere. "I went Mainpuri umpteen times but in vain. Clerks demnded money for 'chai-pani' which I hadn't and they ." she tells.
But her work was not done yet. She had two sister two sisters to marry. So to marry one of them , she started working overtime and within two years she collected some money.In 1999, she got her sister married to a well-setteled man. The guava orchard planted by her had now started giving plenty in return , so in 2004 she purchased a mini truck with partial loan.
Only in one and and half year she paid the loan and on previous 'Diwali' she purchased another. Her brother Raju said that she had suffered a lot due to them and he would give her all comforts for the rest of life. When asked about her own marriage , she says " If I will marry there is no one to look after them. even today people are behind my property and I can't let them do, no matter for that I have to do some sacrifies."
Om shree is not much worried now because her brothers has grown young and they are looking after the work with her. " we respect her determination to survive in such tough situation , where everything was against her. She is source of inspiration to us and we want to make all our daughters like her." says a group of women of the village.

Candle flickers despite all odds!

Dusashan Behera, several state and national award winner is a victim of fate, NGOs, tradesmen and administration. He is fighting is a losing battle to save dying Dhokra craft. At the age of 68 his zeal to fight is exceptional.
Situlia (Dhenkanal): " Mu je parjanta banchhi, se parjanta kala ku banchi rakhibi" (till live , I will keep this art alive) Dusashan Behera, many state and national awards winner craftsman says in despair.
Situlia popularly known as Dhokra village first came into limelight when the then Chief minister of Orissa, Nandini satpathy sent Behra’s name in Pragati Maidan’s ‘Shilp mela’ to represent the state.
From there, Dushasan was sent to Japan by former PM late smt. Indira Gandhi to represent India and he did so and received first prize among 25 contestants. The whole village was in a festive mood because the poor villagers thought that their fate would also change with the popularity of this art globally.
But the happiness was short-lived. After returning from Japan, he got other awards but not the funds to run the business. The financial state of this Santhal populated village can be understood as soon as one enters the village..
Various NGOs however work for the ‘upliftment’ of this craft but only on papers. "They says Behera " purchase from us in Bulk and sell them on higher rates". " It takes 3 days and 150 rupees including 300 rupees of brass and other raw material. They offer us 300 rupees per kg, how can we sell in total loss." He adds further.
He was betrayed time and again. Once a man from Cuttack, named Nityanand Bhol took two pieces of his excellent work- Konark Chakra and Ashok Stambha with 108 diyas, giving Behra a false assurance of high monetary prize and award from Central Govt.
" Bhol got the prize for the products he never made. He is also getting pension after that" utters Behra. He tried to file a case of cheating against Bhol but advocates denied. He was allegedly attacked by ‘ gundas’ sent by Bhol to withdraw the case he never filed. " We are poor people, can’t afford police cases, so at last I decided to sit mum at home." Red-faced Behra says.
He is fighting a losing battle. Out of 50 homes, 30 left the work because of the lower on income from the craft business. Even his sons, don’t depend on this art, they are labourers. ‘ On a good day in Situlia says Behra nostalgically ‘ people get money to feed them at the end of the daylong tedious work’.
Prime Minister in 2006, to uplift such excellent traditional crafts, sanctioned six crore rupees to Orissa, but where that money has spent is still a detective story. ‘ Out of six crore rupees, we got a handicraft showroom ‘ shilpika’ which is under control of NGOs. They sell our products at higher rates, taking all money and credit themselves. Says Behera.
But this 68-year-old ‘Young man’ has a fire in his eyes to safeguard this art. He wants to open a school to train people in this craft. He left three jobs to train people only to protect this rare art. This skilled craftsman is still hopeful, that in near future he will get aid from government and his dream to train people will come true.
" I will Train without charging any fees." Says an enthusiastic Behera.