Global Voices » Aparna Ray

Bangladesh: Shawpno Rath - A School For Slum Children

Aparna Ray — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:55:34 +0000

In the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka, when a group of children leave their homes every morning to go to school, another group of children come out onto the streets, to work for a livelihood. The streets to them represent an opportunity to earn a living. Some of these children collect garbage, others sell various items - tea and cigarettes included among them.

: The logo of Swapnorath, created by Dwipangsu Paul, of Kolkata

For these children, school is something unattainable - something that they can only dream about, because where they come from, there is a huge gap between their dreams and the harsh reality of their day to day lives. However, a group of youth have taken it upon themselves to fulfill the dreams of at least some of these children. They have started a school for the disadvantaged children from the slums. The school is aptly named “Shawpno Rath” (Chariot of Dreams).

: Lead Dreamer of Shawpno Rath - Shamima Nargis Shimu, with her students. Image taken from the group

This is how their journey began:

অফিসে আসার পথে একটি মেয়ে প্রতিদিন কিছু শিশুকে দেখতে পেত, যারা রাস্তায় আবর্জনার বাক্সে কি যেন অনুসন্ধান করছে। মেয়েটার মনে হত তারা যেন সেখানে স্বপ্নের সন্ধান করছে।

তাদের জন্য কি করা যায় তাই নিয়ে সে তার সহকর্মী এবং বন্ধুদের সাথে আলাপ করল। প্রথমে ঠিক করা হল, সপ্তাহে তারা একদিন এইসব শিশুদের একবেলা খাওয়াবে এবং তাদের কোথাও বেড়াতে নিয়ে যাবে।

While on her way to office, a young women regularly noticed some children searching for something in the garbage heap. The young woman felt that perhaps they were searching for a dream.

Wanting to do something for these children, she discussed with her friends and colleagues as to what they could do. At first, it was decided that once a week, they would provide these children with a meal and then take them for a fun outing somewhere nearby.

: The beginning of Shawpno Rath's journey being discussed in Chandrima park. Image taken from their Facebook Page. Used with permission.

Not in any office but the discussions about this venture started in a park - the Chandrima Udyan (park):

আর এর জন্য বেছে নেওয়া হল চন্দ্রিমা উদ্যানকে। কারণ এই পার্ক অনেক শিশুর কর্মস্থল। এরা সবাই, পার্কে বেড়াতে আসা নাগরিক কিংবা প্রেমিক প্রেমিকার কাছে ফুল, চকলেট, বাদাম, চা, সিগারেট ইত্যাদি বিক্রি করে। এই উদ্যোগে ভালোই সাড়া পাওয়া গেল। দিনে দিনে শিশুর সংখ্যা বাড়তে শুরু করল। সপ্তাহের একটি শনিবারে এদেরকে গল্প শোনানোর জন্য নিয়ে আসা হত বই, তারা কেবল নেড়ে চেড়ে দেখত। বইয়ের জগতে ঢুকতে গেলে যে শিক্ষা লাগে, আর শিক্ষার জন্য লাগে কিন্তু তাদের জন্য স্কুল যে ভিন্ন এক পথের যাত্রা। তাই তারা কেবল অক্ষর আর ছবিতে হাত রাখত। পড়ার প্রতি শিশুদের উৎসাহ দেখে এই সব তরুণেরা একটি স্কুল করার উদ্যোগ নিল, ঠিক করা হল এই স্কুলের নাম হবে স্বপ্নরথ।

And for this discussion we selected the Chandrima Udyan, since this was the workplace for many of these children. All of them were engaged in selling flowers, chocolates, peanuts, tea, cigarettes etc., to young couples and other members of the public who visited the park. We got a good response to our initiative. Day by day the number of children kept increasing. Every Saturday, books were brought to read stories to them. The children were excited and used to flip through the books, unable to read. To be able to read they would need education and for education they would need schooling but for these children, school was a journey down a path different from their own. So, they had to content themselves with merely flipping through the pages, touching the pictures and words. Seeing the enthusiasm among these kids for the written word, the youth group decided to start a school for these children. A name was decided for the school - Shawpno Rath (Chariot of Dreams)

A school under a tree

In order to start a formal school, one needs many things - a school building, classrooms, books, notebooks, teachers, blackboards, dusters and students. However, for this school, all these conditions could not be fulfilled. Nevertheless, every Saturday, classes were held under a tree in the park. Children left their work and came to attend the classes, though it meant loss of earnings for them. They enjoyed these classes thoroughly. Gradually, the number of students began to increase. And soon, there emerged the need to find a classroom.

: Students with their teachers and books in their new classroom. Image taken from the group's Facebook Page. Used with permission.

The school gets a new address

The school was moved out of Chandrima Udyan (park) and housed in 10 Mirpur Road, where a room was taken on rent for running the school. Here, the school was open five days a week and students started attending classes regularly. The school started with 30 students and 2 teachers. As more children from disadvantaged families, from nearby slums joined the classes, the number of students continued to increase.

: Students of Shawpno Rath celebrating New Years Day. Image taken from the groups Facebook Page. Used with permission.

Shawpno Rath - an adult education center too

Seeing their children attending school, some of the parents too began to wish that they could avail the opportunity for getting some formal education. So now Shawpno Rath has extended its work to include adult education as well. At present, the school has 20 adult students - those who did not get the opportunity in their childhood to go to school.

: This image represents the vision of Shawpno Rath as an enabler, a helping hand. The photograph is by Raymond Habibur. Taken from the groups Facebook Page. Used with permission.

The Shawpno Rath vision

On their Facebook Page, Shawpno Rath has said about it's vision and objective:

স্বপ্ন রথ হচ্ছে একটি অলাভজনক প্রতিষ্ঠান, যা ২০১০ সালে প্রতিষ্ঠিত হয়েছে। এর উদ্দেশ্য হচ্ছে সমাজের সুবিধা বঞ্চিত শিশুর শিক্ষা এবং স্বাস্থ্যগত উন্নয়ন।

আমাদের মত বেশীরভাগের নাগরিকের জীবনে মৌলিক চাহিদাগুলোকে নিশ্চিত করা হয়েছে, আর সেগুলো হচ্ছে, খাদ্য, পানি, বাসস্থান, স্বাস্থ্য, শিক্ষা এবং পরিবার। কিন্তু আমাদের দেশে এমন লক্ষ লক্ষ শিশু আছে যারা এই সব মৌলিক চাহিদা বঞ্চিত, যাদের ভবিষ্যতের কোন আশা নেই। আমাদের লক্ষ্য দেশ জুড়ে দরিদ্র শিশুদের জন্য জীবনের এই সমস্ত প্রয়োজনীয় উপাদান সরবরাহ করা এবং সংযুক্ত এক উন্নয়নের প্রতি মনোযোগ প্রদান করে দারিদ্র্যের মূলে যে সমস্ত বিষয় সেগুলোর পরিমাণ কমিয়ে আনা।

“Shawpno Rath” is a non-profit organization was founded in 2010 with a view to improve the educational and health conditions of the underprivileged children in our country.

Most of us take for granted the basic necessities of life: food, water, shelter, health, education and family. But there are millions of children in our country who do not have these essential necessities, who do not have any hope for the future. our goal is to help provide these necessities for impoverished children throughout the country and focus on integral development that seeks to reduce the root causes of poverty.

: Shawpno Rath students taking part in a Sit and Draw Contest. Image taken from the group's Facebook Page. Used with permission.

The vision of Shawpno Rath is a poverty - free Bangladesh. They have started their journey with this vision, knowing fully well that they have a long way to go.

India: Kolkata Joins the SlutWalk Movement

Aparna Ray — Tue, 29 May 2012 20:18:31 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage SlutWalks 2011/12.

On 24 May, 2012, Kolkata, the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, formally joined the global SlutWalk movement, with over a hundred young men and women marching for the cause in the sweltering heat of summer. The organizers explained the need for a SlutWalk in the city on their Facebook Page.

SlutWalk has become a global protest. Not only have we seen SlutWalks in London, Paris, Chicago, we have also seen SlutWalk in Delhi, Bhopal and Bangalore! Can we deny the fact that victims of sexual harassment and rapes are not taunted, judged and vilified in our own ‘City of Joy’? Are we perfectly at peace, sitting and complaining about the system and then going back to our own ways of life? This is why we thought of organizing a SlutWalk Kolkata.

Poster - SlutWalk Kolkata

On his blog Insight, blogger Khusnud wrote:

… it’s high time for Kolkatans to come out for “slutwalk” on 24^th may. Although, my ordinary mind couldn’t understand the purpose and relevance of slutwalk in India but women safety and rights in India is always a ponderable question for me. Is skimpy clothes of gals or women articulate the message to rape her? If yes, then how will we justify the rape of 3 month’s infant? If some psycho says that provoking cloths stimulate him to rape or molest a girl then how will we react if someone says,” Her perfume was incredibly provoking that’s why I raped her“! The message is whatever cloths women wear, however slutty it is, it shouldn’t be thought as an invitation to rape her.

Sharib Ali, on the youth platform Pul-E-Jawan, described the event:

In Kolkata, around 300 women, mostly college students walked to demand the right to dress they want, without being labelled a slut or ‘khanki’ as the bengali word goes. They walked, cordoned by the police through crowded streets and amused onlookers. Probably the ‘Bhodrolok’ sentiment was a little hurt. But it was worthwhile I guess.

SlutWalk Kolkata 2012. Image taken from Facebook Group Page. Used with permission

Kaustav Sengupta at Ingene, pointed out that the SlutWalk Kolkata was not only about women but saw active participation from men, some of whom were themselves victims of sexual harassment.

The SlutWalk saw men marching alongside women. Said Somek, an aspiring actor, who took part in the event, “It is not about gender. It is about sending a message that please don't judge us by what we wear.”

SlutWalk Kolkata 2012. Image taken from SlutWalk Kolkata Community Page. Used with permission.

The organizers too wanted the event to be inclusive and had posted on their Facebook Page:

we do not intend to cater to the male-female binary…..this movement is not only against attrocities towards women……it is an inclusive movement…..by constantly posting or debating about how ONLY women are being marginalised…..you are talking about nothing regarding equality but a MERE TRANSFER OF POWER…..we are not organizing this march with that in mind….we wish to bring to light about gender misrepresentation, slandering/harassing/molestation of anyone of any gender on the basis of one's looks, about marginalised sexualities and their stereotyping.

The rally was peaceful and well-managed. It was led from the front by students and teachers from Jadavpur University and saw activists, members of NGOs as well as members of the general public joining the rally that started from the Jadavpur University campus and made it's way down to Triangular Park where it ended with recitation of protest poetry and performance of street plays.

SlutWalk Kolkata. Screenshot from a video clip uploaded on Rediff iShare by Dipak

The original video can be found here.

Some on the comments on Twitter were as follows:

@suyashpiyush: ‘Slutwalk' organized in Kolkata and people collectively came together to support freedom in dressing.

@UsamaKhilji: SlutWalk Kolkata: College students take to the streets against rape culture.

@potato_wingd: wish the #kolkata‬ episode of the ‪ #slutwalk‬ had more coverage.

Others tweeted about photos from the event:

Responsible Charity (@secularcharity): I posted 25 photos on Facebook in the album “SlutWalk Kolkata 2012″ http://fb.me/2922lhulT

You can see more photographs from SlutWalk Kolkata here.

This post is part of our special coverage SlutWalks 2011/12.

Bangladesh: Bloggers March for Murdered Journalist Couple

Aparna Ray — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:06:03 +0000

Three months have passed since the murder of the journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and his wife Meherun Runi. Till date, the police have been unsuccessful in discovering any clues or leads that would help them to solve the case. In the early hours of 11 February, 2012, the couple was found brutally murdered in their West Rajabajar apartment in Dhaka.

The Bangladesh High Court has expressed dissatisfaction with the progress (or lack of it) of the Detective Branch (DB) of police investigating the murder. The case has since then been transferred to the anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit - Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The bodies have already been exhumed for a repeat postmortem. However, till date, there has been little progress in the investigation.

Bloggers have once again taken to the street, demanding justice for the murdered couple. On 11 May, they organized a protest in front of the public library in Shahbagh, Dhaka. This was their fourth protest gathering. In the video below, bloggers can be seen singing a protest song:

Another video shows bloggers holding a candle light protest, demanding justice in the Sagar-Runi murder case:

In the beginning, the police tried to prevent the protest rally by bloggers by parking their vehicles at the protest site and not giving permission for electricity connection at the venue. Later the bloggers conducted the protest by singing without the use of microphones. Sohel Mahmood informs us [bn] about the day's programme:

নানা বাধা ডিঙিয়ে হয়ে গেলো বাংলাভাষার ব্লগারদের প্রতিবাদী সংগীতের আয়োজন। পুলিশের “কমিশনারের অনুমতি লাগবে” টাইপের বক্তব্য, বিদ্যুতের লাইন টানায় বাধা আর সন্ধ্যার কিছু ভাগে “হঠাৎ বৃষ্টি”। তবে, সব বাধা ডিঙিয়ে প্রতিবাদী এই সংগীতে যোগ দেন ব্লগার, সাংবাদিক, ছাত্র-ছাত্রী আর সাধারণ মানুষ।

Crossing various hurdles, the Bangla bloggers conducted their programme of singing protest songs in public. Comments by the police commissioner that “permissions will be required”, not allowing the required temporary electricity connection at the protest venue, and even sudden rains during part of the evening, nothing could stop the bloggers, journalists, students and ordinary citizens from showing solidarity and participating in singing the protest songs

: Police using barricades to prevent journalists from entering the Home Ministry premises. Image by Firoz Ahmed. Copyright Demotix (15/05/2012)

Demanding the immediate arrest of the murderers of Sagar and Runi, journalist associations announced a gherao program to be held at the Home Ministry premises on 15th May. Bloggers too joined this protest programme. The police cracked down on the protesters. Quite a few photographs of police preventing the protesters from approaching the Home Ministry premises have been uploaded on the We Demand Justice for Sagar-Runi Facebook Page. At the end of the day's event, the next steps and upcoming protest programmes were announced. Among the future protests being planned by journalists and bloggers are the following:

১. ২০ মে থেকে ১৫ জুন পর্যন্ত সবগুলো মিডিয়া হাউসে সভা-সমাবেশ।

২. ৫ জুন জাতীয় সংসদে গিয়ে স্পিকারের কাছে সাগর-রুনি হত্যাকারীদের গ্রেফতার ও বিচার দাবিতে স্মারকলিপি প্রদান।

৩. ২৬ জুন প্রধানমন্ত্রীর কার্যালয় অভিমুখে পদযাত্রা।

৪. এরপরও সাগর-রুনির হত্যাকারীদের গ্রেফতার ও বিচার না করা হলেও দেশের সব সাংবাদিক কর্মবিরতি কর্মসূচি পালন।

1. 20th May to 15th June - Public meetings at all the media houses
2. 5th June - March to the Parliament and submit a memorandum to the Speaker of the House, demanding arrest and trial of the killers of Sagar-Runi
3. 26th June - Protest march towards the Prime Minister's Office.
4. If the administration still fails to deliver justice, all journalists across the country will stop work and undertake a ‘pen down' programme.

India: Entertainment Industry Seeks Court Ban on Torrents and Vimeo

Aparna Ray — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:45:08 +0000

Since the beginning of May 2012, some ISPs across parts of India had been quietly blocking access to the popular video sharing site Vimeo as well as various torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay, KickAssTorrents, BitSnoop etc.

According to media reports, this is because a film production house, namely Reliance Entertainment, has (once again) obtained a preemptive ‘John Doe‘ order from the Delhi High Court, prior to the release of some of their upcoming big budget films. The Company insists that this has been done in order to ‘prevent film piracy'.

Vimeo and Pirate Bay facing censorship in India. Graphic by author.

However, there was some confusion about the news because not all ISPs were seen to block access to the aforementioned sites.

On his blog Share Press, blogger Varma provided some more details:

As of now most of the Reliance Communications broadband visitors who try to access the blocked sites are redirected to a custom page saying “The site has been blocked as per instruction from DOT” message when browsing the above file sharing sites.

[…] There has been lots of Govt and private agencies looking for ways to block all illegal site access through internet. Their has been specific orders for all majors ISP’s in the country to block access of users to this website by taking appropriate steps like DNS name blocking on ISP level, IP address blocking via routers, and DPI based URL blocking.

Message that was appearing when trying to access sites like Vimeo on some ISPs like Reliance. Image by Share Press. Used with permission

Twitter has been abuzz with reactions and vehement protests against the blocking of the file sharing sites.

@lleshShah: I can not access #Vimeo.com. The emerging face of #censorship by #Govt of India… http://pic.twitter.com/eT8FRrPD

@ajantriks: has @vimeo been blocked in #india or only i am getting crazy error message? @anjakovacs @jackerhack @zainabbawa @geohacker

@jackerhack: @ajantriks Blocked on Reliance and maybe other networks. Reliance got a court order to block piracy before a film release @vimeo @anjakovacs

@kaustubh4evr: Vimeo Blocked in India Along with BitTorrent Sites: Censorship, at the behest of movie studios or music labels, … http://bit.ly/LepfJ4

@mihirfadnavis: Terrorism? Food shortage? Power cuts? Corruption? NO SIR, Vimeo is by far the biggest threat to India!

@varunasingh: @relianceworld Whatever you are doing is pathetic and against the motives of the internet.

@_anshulk: Blocking vimeo is stupid #reliance #censorship #india

@wewakesaynoy: For those of you using Reliance internet: they have blocked TPB, Vimeo & will follow with others. Do you really want an ISP that does that?

@TheBigGeek: @vimeo blocked by #reliance and not by #Bharti and #Tata #VSNL #CRAZY how can a DOT order be only for one ISP :****

The hue and cry over the blocked sites appear to have had an impact. The sites have been unblocked on the Reliance ISP, as this Facebook message by Chai Kadai informs us:

Vimeo is back on for us. Yay! Maybe Reliance Communications got some sense into its head or people found some other ways to download the movie. Whatever the reason. For now, happy to have Vimeo. Still don't understand how they got to block it in the first place.

Some of the tweeple have seconded the information that the sites can now be accessed on the ISP concerned.

@crazyscorpio12: Finally! TPB and vimeo unblocked on reliance india. Whew!

@aditya_bhatt: TPB and Vimeo are unblocked on Reliance now.

However, this appears to be a temporary respite. Until their next big release, that is.

India, Pakistan Missile Launches: Game Changers or Mere Posturing?

Aparna Ray — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:01:30 +0000

This post is part of our special coverage International Relations & Security.

On April 19, 2012, India successfully test-fired its Agni V inter-continental ballistic missile (IBCM). With a range of over 5,000 kilometres, the Agni V places India’s missile capabilities increasingly in line with the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France and China. The following week, neighboring Pakistan successfully test-launched its nuclear capable ballistic missile, the Shaheen 1-A.

These back-to-back missile tests received widespread coverage and comment on mainstream and social media outlets. In particular, netizens have been engaging in lively online discussions regarding the escalating arms race in South Asia and its impact on the overall security of the region.

While many netizens across India and Pakistan, fuelled with nationalistic fervor, engaged in hyperbole regarding the respective missile launches, there has been some strong criticism in the Pakistani blogosphere regarding the United States’ response to India's missile launch. Labeling it as “double standards”, Yasmeen Ali, a university professor based in Lahore, wrote on Pakpotpourri2's blog:

The Agni V missile being launched off the coast of Odhisa, India, on 19th April, 2022. Image courtesy Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

The need here is to support a country within the region to act, or seem to act as a deterrent to China. Obvious choice: India.What USA had completely overlooked in this game of regional hegemony is when you let the genie out of the bottle, it will refuse to go back in the bottle. It can one day, turn upon the master, once his heart’s desire of being let out is fulfilled.

However, a section of netizens felt that these missile tests were not going to escalate security tensions among India, China and Pakistan. On his blog Chaturanga, Jaideep Prabhu pointed out that India's policy was to acquire a ‘minimum credible deterrent' and not to escalate an arms race, as was being loosely discussed in a section of the media.

He commented:

The launch of the China-specific Agni V has generated much talk about an arms race between China and India, and consequently, India and Pakistan. The Chinese media (and hence the government) has taken exception to this, reacting sharply to the test and labeling it as India’s missile delusion…But unless India has abandoned its old policy of MUD (Mutually Unacceptable Damage), analysts and Beijing have jumped the gun.

On the blog Rolan San Juan, Rajesh Basrur, a Senior Fellow and the Coordinator of the South Asia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), argued that the Agni-V launch was “inconsequential” in that it would not change India's “deterrence game vis-à-vis China.

In his post on The Christian Science Monitor, Scott Baldauf referred to the chain of events as ‘ritual aggression' between India and Pakistan, a posturing more out of habit than actual security concerns, especially given that the two countries were currently trying to develop closer ties.

He wrote:

These tests follow an extraordinary set of meetings between the president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Delhi earlier this month, in which the two nations pledged to increase trade ties and to fight against extremism. While these missile tests might have seemed to be a setback in earlier times, they have now become a kind of theater of virility, separate from any political discourse.

There were hardly any major security concerns expressed in the social media of neighbors such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

This post and its translations to Spanish, Arabic and French were commissioned by International Security Network (ISN) as part of a partnership to seek out citizen voices on international relations and security issues worldwide.

Visit the ISN blog and see more related stories.

India: The Supreme Court Upholds Right to Education

Aparna Ray — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:46:17 +0000

Soumalya Ray at Medica-India explains the recent Supreme Court judgement which upheld the Right to Education and mandated 25% reservation in private as well as government-aided minority schools for children from the weaker sections of society.

India: Administration Backlash over a Political Cartoon and it's Aftermath

Aparna Ray — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 04:58:59 +0000

The recent arrest of an university professor in West Bengal, India, over a humorous political cartoon has been met by stiff resistance and protest both online and offline. On his blog Pabitraspeaks, blogger Pabitra Mukhopadhyay discusses how the incident is another in a slew of recent incidents that have negatively impacted the image of the state's Chief Minister, Ms. Mamata Banerjee.

India: Gearing Up for Better E-Waste Management

Aparna Ray — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 23:13:41 +0000

Today, e-waste, electronic waste or electronic scrap, is ‘one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world' and environmentalists everywhere are justifiably concerned about their ‘end of life' disposal.

In India too, the concern about e-waste management has been rising steadily over the years, especially given the huge leap in the quantum of e-waste in the country over the last seven years. According to a recent report (pdf) by a committee formed by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF):

Dumping of E-waste poses a major challenge in India. Imports are one of the major sources of E-waste in the country, most of it coming illegally. This adds to the huge volume of waste being dumped and processed within the country. The accurate data on such imports is not available largely owing to the nature of the trade. However, estimates suggest that imports account for an almost equal amount to what is being generated in the country. Improper disposal of E-waste causes huge hazards to health as well as the environment and hence is a matter of grave concern.

E-waste - Leftovers of an irresponsible technological advance. Image by Keren Chernizon, copyright Demotix (09/09/11).

It is not as if India is new to ‘improper' disposal and recycling of E-waste. Rather, as Amit Ganguly of Sustainable Sphere points out:

Major recycling of e-waste is carried out in the non-formal sector using primitive and hazardous methods.

That this form of recycling is hazardous is undoubted, since the release of toxic chemicals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, dioxins from burnt plastic/PVC etc., can pose serious health risks. Nevertheless, till date, about 90% of India's e-waste is being recycled informally. The E-waste management market in India is around half a billion dollars and growing at 25 per cent.

This short documentary, uploaded on YouTube by Greenpeace on February 22, 2008, shows how e-waste is handled by the non-formal sector in India, with complete disregard and more often, complete ignorance about the potential environmental and health hazards posed by this day-t0-day activity, through which they earn their living.

Realizing the need to tackle this growing problem, the aforementioned committee formed by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, has recommended that the management of e-waste be taken up at three levels, viz. Legislative, Administrative and Technological measures. The new e-waste legislation that comes into effect from May 2012 onwards, includes legal provisions for Extended Producers' Responsibility (EPR) for recycling, reduction of hazardous substances in electronics and setting up of collection centres.

Vineet at greenarth.com elaborates on the new, upcoming legislation. He writes:

These rules will be applicable to every producer, consumer and bulk consumer involved in the manufacture, sale, purchase and processing of electronic equipment or components. The Central Pollution Control Board will be an active participant in the whole process in the capacity of a monitoring and watchdog agency – and will be required to submit an annual report (state wise) with regards to the implementation of these rules.

However, environmental activists feel that much more needs to be done, not only towards strengthening the mechanism to check illegal import of e-waste, but also towards acknowledging and integrating the non-formal sector in the ambit of proper e-waste management.

In a post on yourstory.in, blogger Jubin Mehta points out some of the initiatives which have been launched in India to increase awareness about e-waste disposal and recycling of e-waste in a proper, scientific manner. He writes:

There are startups entering into this field and trying to make a difference but the numbers depicting the rate of production of eWaste are disturbing. Companies like Attero, Recycle Trade India and Ecocentric in India have started activities on this front and should do well because the size of the opportunity here would possibly outstrip any other barrier

Way back in 2008, on the blog Inhabitat, Mahesh Basantani had spoken about another such initiative in Mumbai:

Several efforts have been made, by NGOs and the Government, to make the process of recycling safer and more eco-friendly. In continuation to these efforts a newly launched company, Eco Reco (Eco Recycling Limited), looks promising. It is the first of its kind in the state of Maharashtra and fourth in the country.

Some other similar ventures operating in the area of reverse logistics in the organized sector are Greendust, Reverse Logistics Company, Future Supply Chain etc. These companies have by and large welcomed the legislation, expecting opportunity growth in their line of business.

E-Waste. Image Copyright Richard Dorrell. Used under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Manufacturers of electronics on the other hand have reacted cautiously to the law which aims to lay a large part of the responsibility and accountability for reverse logistics at their door. Companies such as Hewlett-Packard have stressed on shared responsibility where the end consumers are equally responsible for the way they dispose electronic items and the government for providing proper infrastructure for the same.

With India's not-so successful record of implementing environmental laws, it remains to be seen how sincerely the various stakeholders work towards generating awareness about the issue as well as tackling the growing e-waste menace effectively.

India: Renewing the Pledge Against Tuberculosis on World TB Day

Aparna Ray — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:14:22 +0000

Today, 24th March is World Tuberculosis (TB) Day - observed across the world in order to raise public awareness about TB and to support TB-control efforts globally. This year's theme is ‘Stop TB in my lifetime: Call for a world free of TB'.

World TB Day Poster 2012 by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

In India, where TB is one of the biggest health challenges, the day was observed in various parts of the country. Given that every year nearly 2million Indians develop TB and that one fifth of the world's tuberculosis cases are in India, this day allowed health activists, practitioners and other stakeholders to spread awareness regarding the various challenges faced in their fight against TB and also to renew their pledge to fight the disease and find/implement better methods of control and treatment.

India also has one of the highest cases of multi-drug resistant TB. In January this year, Global Voices author Christine Mehta had reported how the health community had locked horns over whether a drug resistant TB strain that had been found in Mumbai should be labeled ‘totally drug resistant' or ‘extremely drug resistant'. In her post, Christine had pointed out that

…the #tuberculosis Twitter stream and TB online advocacy community are adamant that tuberculosis needs to remain a high-priority for donor governments and international donor organizations like the Global Fund and the United Nations.

The task of generating public awareness is also critical and it is no secret that a lot still needs to be done in this area, as this tweet points out:

@pushpdeep: Yes, #Tuberculosis is very much neglected in india.. Poor awareness in the communities “@TBVI_EU (cont) http://tl.gd/ggkg1a

Due to poor awareness, not only do people tend to ignore the symptoms of the disease but also often face problems within the family and community at a later stage; there is a stigma associated with the disease, especially among Indians belonging to the lower socioeconomic classes. Women are particularly vulnerable and a media report [video] indicates that over a hundred thousand women are thrown out of their homes each year because they have TB.

Superhero Bulgam Bhai

However, it is heartening to note that recently a nationwide communication campaign has been launched in India, giving her a new superhero, Bulgam Bhai (who also has his own Facebook page), to help fight the TB battle. On his blog Between the Lines, blogger BhavnoorSB talks about the innovative campaign that launched Bulgam Bhai:

As part of Global Fund Round 9 (Project Axshya) funded by The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases and implemented by Population Services International, BBCWST (BBC World Service Trust) has designed and produced a 360 degree communication campaign to improve case detections of TB, which means increased sputum testing at the nearest Designated Microscopy Centers (DMC); for people having persistent cough for 2 weeks or more.

Here's the campaign, uploaded on YouTube by BBCWST, with the following introduction:

The world has a new superhero from India.

He's not muscular and doesn't wear a cape. He has a den with a cough-detecting gadget. When someone coughs, wherever they are, he appears out of nowhere and asks if they have been coughing for two weeks. He's Bulgam Bhai (whose Hindi name translates into ‘Mr Sputum' in English). He's joined the war against tuberculosis, the biggest single infectious cause of death in the world. Bulgam Bhai is the star of the TB control multi-media campaign created by the BBC Media Action for Project Axshya.

Watch him in action…

In a note sent via email, Karishma Saran, Program Assistant, Global Health Strategies, New Delhi, commented on India's TB strategy. She wrote:

The Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) under the Ministry of Health is the primary body coordinating TB prevention, control and treatment in India. The strategy of Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS), recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) based largely on research done in India, has been successfully implemented under the RNTCP, leading to approximately 9 out of 10 patients being cured. For the past four years, the programme has consistently achieved the global benchmark of 70% case detection and 85% cure of new smear positive patients.

However, despite these successes, TB continues to affect people at an alarming rate in India. For more effective TB control, India must ensure universal access to high quality TB diagnosis and treatment for all.

According to a January 2012 update [pdf] by the RNTCP, some of the key challenges facing the country with respect to tackling tuberculosis were as follows:

Insufficient public sector MDR and XDR TB diagnosis and treatment services
Poor quality of TB and MDR (multi drug resistant) TB laboratory diagnosis in the private sector
Lack of information about patients diagnosed with TB and MDR TB in the private sector
Anti-TB drugs available without prescription and subsequent widespread irrational and irresponsible use

India is now taking innovative steps to aggressively build public awareness and combat the TB menace in the country. While the government is enlisting the help of chemists to check the rampant misuse of TB medication, advocacy groups are exploring newer communication spaces, encouraging public participation and engagement. Engaging youngsters has been part of this strategy and programs and rallies were held with school children to build awareness from a young age.

Student’s in Dimapur in an awareness rally on the occasion of World Tubercolosis Day. Image by Caisii Mao. Copyright Demotix (24/3/2012)

Also, a Stop TB flash mob dance by children was organized in New Delhi on the occasion of World TB Day. Here is a video of the Flash Mob Dance by Children in India - World TB Day 2012

India: Tweet Fuels Communal Tensions in Kolkata

Aparna Ray — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:04:14 +0000

Earlier this week, certain areas of Kolkata in West Bengal, India, were brought to a grinding halt by protesters protesting against a certain tweet, allegedly posted by an Indian model, which was in turn published in a leading English daily.

It started innocuously enough. On the 16th of this month, when the Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar scored his much-awaited 100th international hundred in Dhaka, cricket loving fans in India went all out to celebrate the occasion. Adulation poured in from all over.

: Indian kite maker Jagmohan Kannojia displays his creation dedicated to Tendulkar on his 100th century in world cricket. Image by Sanjeev Syal. Copyright Demotix (16/3/2012)

The model in question, Poonam Pandey, too joined the bandwagon. She tweeted:

@iPoonampandey: Thinking wht pic shud i gif the ”God of Cricket”…

It was in this context that the controversial picture, apparently morphed and put together by one of her fans, came about. It showed a nude Poonam Pandey holding a picture of the Hindu God Vishnu whose head had morphed into Sachin, while a cricketer in green was bowing before the image. Poonam posted the picture on her timeline but it was only after the tweet (along with the picture) was published in the newspaper that trouble started brewing.

Offended by the picture, a section of the Muslim community in Kolkata took to the streets in protest. Soon, communal tensions threatened to escalate, so much so that the Chief Minister of West Bengal, along with opposition leaders as well as religious/ community leaders, had to step in and appeal to the people to maintain peace and harmony and not get provoked.The newspaper in question later tendered an unconditional apology, claiming that the tweet was published due to a ‘technical error'.

: Screenshot of the apology published by The Telegraph, Kolkata, on 20/03/2012

Zaidul Haque reported in TwoCircles.net:

Kolkata remained tense throughout Tuesday as protestors showed up at places to block vehicular traffic while some minor sporadic incidents of violence were also reported. Members of the Muslim community were protesting against the publication of nude picture of model Poonam Pandey with a frame showing Sachin Tendulkar as God and a Pakistani cricket player offering sajda before the frame. The image was published on Monday in English daily The Telegraph.

[…] The news of the nude picture spread rapidly throughout Kolkata’s Muslim dominated areas. Traffic was blocked in the Park Circus area, the heart of the city, and people gathered to protest against the newspaper. Rajabazar and Metiaburuz also remained tense….People demanded arrest of the Editor of The Telegraph. Schools in area were closed early. Then police came out on the street and requested people to maintain peace.

Though the mainstream media adopted somewhat of a studied silence, reports poured in through social networks. Tweets flew in, fast and furious:

@prasanto: Major ruckus at ABP, Kolkata now with cops, protesters after Telegraph carried Poonam Pandey tweet and pix

@IamAkimana: #poonampandey's stupid tweet nearly triggered a riot in some parts of #Kolkata.Social is getting serious.

@SandeepGhose: The Telegraph published an offensive Tweet allegedly by #PoonamPandey that caused outrage among the Muslims of the city #Kolkata

A section of the tweeple called into question the possible motivation behind posting such a tweet. Others wondered about the role played by the mainstream media in this entire episode.

@DebsankarMisra1: A pic uploaded by Poonam pandey cause a communal clash at Kolkata….is it the right way to get fame?

@vschanna: Isn't pic of nude Poonampandey in telegraph, “open porn”? Why has the media underplayed this? The media indeed is “PORNSTRUCK”.@mediacrooks

@SreenandaSharma:@Raj_Shake_Her nothing's being reported strangely! maybe they don't wanna escalate it. my office is near Park Circus, so I know first hand.

@SandeepGhose: #Kolkata media largely ignore/down-play Park Circus incident (presumably, in d interest of communal harmony). Is that the right thing to do?

Some of those who were in the vicinity of the troubled area(s) tweeted from the scene. For example, Anushree (@anushrees) posted frequent updates with images from Park Circus - one of the key protest zones.

@anushrees: #Kolkata comes to a stand still thanks to poonam pandey http://pic.twitter.com/ojqFDDWI

@anushrees: All buses and trams have emptied out http://pic.twitter.com/C5jBqaUt

@anushrees: 7 point crossing park circus http://pic.twitter.com/x5FYaY4H

FahdHussein (@FahdHussein), who observed the protests from his balcony, tweeted:

@FahdHussein: Huge mob just started breaking public vehicles randomly in park circus. Stopped now. #kolkata

When asked from where he had got the information, he clarified in another tweet:

@FahdiHussein: from my balcony?? It was weird. There was no rage in the mob.. Seemed more like a party.. And orchestrated.

A while later, he updated:

@FahdiHussein: A lot calmer now at park circus. There is police presence so doubt it will spiral out of control.. But avoid moving around.. #kolkata

@FahdiHussein: RIOT RUMOURS ARE FALSE.. Park circus is calm. Mob has either dispursed or chilling near 7-point. #kolkata

Some of the netizens however, wondered what the uproar was all about.

@SouravMaulik: trust some people to cause blockades due to a photoshopped tweet featured in a local newspaper.

@p_adic_Saurav: I still haven't figured out why a morphed picture of Poonam Pandey, Sachin & a Pakistan cricketer stirred up Kolkata Muslims…

Poonam Pandey, on her part, tried to distance herself from the controversy and commented on the incident as follows:

@iPoonampandey: I am really Shocked and Hurt over the incident in Kolkata, A fan made stupid morphed pic of mine was published by mistake on a News Paper

@iPoonampandey: I am a peaceloving person and I don't advocate any kind of violence… And crazy fans plz stop Morphing my pix

* Thumbnail image from Wikimedia Commons, used under [CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0].

Bangladesh: Government Observation of Facebook Ignites Debate

Aparna Ray — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:12:26 +0000

For a while now, the Bangladeshi authorities have been keeping an eye on the social media space and the country's Facebook users are increasingly finding themselves in the eye of the storm.

When a supposed coup to overthrow the government was scuttled in January this year, it was known that the plotters were using Facebook as one of the tools to mobilize and instigate their supporters. The government was shaken and became ultra-cautious, so much so, that now it seems that any even an off the cuff remark made against the government in a Facebook status update can get a person hauled up, arrested and/or prosecuted.

In one such instance, Bangladeshi citizen Ruhul Amin, a lecturer at the Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, was sentenced by the country's High Court to a 6 month jail term after he failed to appear in court to face trial regarding his Facebook status update, in which he had allegedly wished death to the Prime Minister. Mr. Amin, who is currently in Australia on a study leave, is now facing sedition charges for his action.

In another incident, a college student was arrested after posting some ‘derogatory comments' about the Prime Minister and her late father, Bangladesh's founding leader - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. These aforementioned incidents and the resulting government crackdown have created a lot of heated debate, both online and offline.

Remix from Bryant Arnold

In the comment section of the news article on Ruhul Amin, which was posted on blog.bdnews [bn], Mukhosh Pora Sadhu wrote:

আমাদের দেশের রাজনীতেবিদের প্রতি সাধারণ মানুষের যে প্রচন্ড ক্ষোভ তারই বহি:প্রকাশ এটা। অনেকেই তা গণমাধ্যমে প্রকাশ করতে পারেন না । কিন্তু বর্তমানে “ফেইসবুক” অলিখিত অত্যন্ত শক্তিশালী গণমাধ্যমে পরিনত হচ্ছে। এর কারণ আমাদের সংবাদ পত্রের “হলুদ সাংবাদিকতা”

This is an outward expression of the extreme anger that the common people are feeling towards our country’s politicians. They are not able to express these sentiments in the mainstream media. However, Facebook is now becoming an informal but powerful medium of expression. The reason for this is the yellow journalism practiced by mainstream newspapers.

On Sonar Bangla blog, Hassan expressed his concern [bn]:

ফেসবুকে স্ট্যাটাসও দেওয়া যাবেনা- এ কোন সময়ে আমরা? কারাগারে বন্দী আজ মত প্রকাশের অধিকার…বর্তমান বিশ্বে সামাজিক যোগাযোগের পাশাপাশি মতামত প্রকাশ, জনমত গঠন ও গনতান্ত্রিক আন্দোলনের ক্ষেত্রেও ফেসবুকের ভূমিকা অনুস্বীকার্য। তার প্রমাণ সাম্প্রতিক মিশর ও মধ্যপ্রাচ্যের আন্দোলন। যতই দেয়ালে পিঠ ঠেকে যাক না কেন - মাননীয় প্রধানমন্ত্রীর বিষয়ে বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের সম্মানিত শিক্ষকের স্ট্যাটাসটি এরকম না হলেই শোভন হত। তবে অশোভন বক্তব্য তো আমাদের জাতীয় দূর্বলতায় পরিনত হয়েছে। তবে একজন সরকারের বিরুদ্ধে কিছু বললেই তার বিরুদ্ধে লেগে যেতে হব এমন করাটাও ঠিক না।

Now we cannot even give a Facebook status update. In which age are we living? Freedom of expression has been incarcerated… In today's world, the role of Facebook, not only as a medium of social networking but also as a medium for expressing opinions, mobilization and democratic protests is undeniable - the events in Egypt and the Arab Spring being a case in point. I agree, whatever may have been the extenuating circumstance, it was quite unbecoming for an university lecturer to write such a status update regarding the Prime Minister. Making such unbecoming statements seems to have become our national weakness. However, the moment someone says something against the government, it is also not right to get after him in this manner.

On CUETblog, Ayan commented [bn]:

স্ট্যাটাস দিবেন ভেবে চিন্তে, নইলে পুলিশে ধরপে!

Be careful about what you write on your Facebook status, else the police will catch you!

However, not everyone was supportive of the accused. Some of the bloggers were strongly critical of the nature of the status updates, especially since they were made by a responsible citizen - an university lecturer, in the case of Ruhul Amin.

On the blog.bdnews article mentioned above, Mosharof commented [bn]:

এইসব শিক্ষক দের কাছ থেকে ছাত্ররা কী শিখবে? এরা ছাত্র দের ঘুষ, দুর্নীতি, যাবতীয় খারাপ কাজ শিখায়।

What will students learn from teachers like these? They teach their students bad things like corruption, bribery etc.

Mahtab stated [bn]:

শেখ হাসিনাকে কেউ পছন্দ না ই করতে পারেন সেটা তার বাক্তিগত ব্যপার কিন্ত হাসিনা যে চেয়ার বা পদ এ বসে আছেন সেই পদের তো সন্মান আছে। এই সাধারণ বিষয় যিনি বুঝেন না তিনি তো প্রাইমারী স্কুল এর শিক্ষক হবার ই যোগ্যতা রাখেন না। তিনি কী করে বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় এর শিক্ষক হন। স্টুপিড।

Someone may not like Sheikh Hasina - that is his or her personal matter. However, the (Prime Ministerial) chair occupied by her deserves respect. A person who is unable to appreciate this simple matter does not even deserve to be a primary school teacher, let alone being an university lecturer. Stupid.

There appears to be some confusion among bloggers with respect to Ruhul Amin's 6month jail sentence. Bloggers like Meghbandhu understood the sentence to be punishment [bn] for his Facebook status and commented:

সত্যি অবাক লাগে এ কেমন দেশে বাস করি? যেখানে আমেরিকার প্রেসিডেন্ট বুশ'কে জুতা মেরে তেমন কোন সাজাই পায়নি ইরাকের সেই বিখ্যাত সাংবাদিক, সেখানে শুধুমাত্র ফেসবুক স্ট্যাটাস দেয়ার কারনে এই অবস্থা।!!!

It really amazes me when I think, what kind of a country do we live in? Over there, that famous Iraqi journalist did not suffer any punishment even after throwing a shoe at the then President Bush and here a mere Facebook status is having such a consequence!

However, others like Hassan Kalboishakhi were quick to correct them and clarify:

ওনার সাস্তি হয়েছে ফেসবুকে মৃত্যুকামনার জন্য নয়। মৃত্যুকামনা মামলায় উনি সরি বললেই মাফ পেয়ে যেতেন। আদালত কে অবজ্ঞা করার কারনে ওনার এই শাস্তি।

His (jail) sentence is not because of his Facebook status wishing death (of the Prime Minister). For that, he could have simply apologized and gotten away. His punishment is for contempt of court

After the sentencing of Ruhul Amin for contempt of court, everyone is eagerly waiting to see what will be the court's final verdict in the actual Facebook status case. The trial is being seen as a very important roadmap for freedom of speech in Bangladesh. The current government had promised its citizens a Digital Bangladesh. However, many feel that this verdict stands to threaten both freedom of expression and the dream of a Digital Bangladesh. As for Ruhul Amin, he says that he is “too frightened to use Facebook anymore“.

In a related incident, the authorities recently foiled a mobilization attempt by a Facebook group Blue Band Call - a youth based group who wish to be “agents of change” in the country's political process. While authorities claimed that the group had not taken the requisite permissions to hold the public program, the group claimed otherwise.

Upal Bangladesh reported the incident in the Projanmo forum and commented [bn]:

সরকার মনে হয় আজকাল সবকিছুতেই “ভূত” দেখা শুরু করেছে

Looks like the government is seeing “ghosts” everywhere (is a bundle of nerves)

The government on it's part is taking no chances. The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has announced the formation of a special cell to monitor cyber activities in the country, round the clock. It will be interesting to see how this latest move pans out in the coming days.

India: Did BBC Top Gear's India Special Really Offend Indian Sensibilities?

Aparna Ray — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 11:16:37 +0000

On 28th December, the BBC aired a 90minute, Top Gear India Special episode [video]. It featured the irrepressible Jeremy Clarkson, who, along with his 2 colleagues, undertook a 1300mile drive across India in what was apparently intended to be a “light-hearted road trip” whose “key ingredients will be [India's] beautiful scenery, busy city scenes, local charm and colour within these locations, areas to illustrate the local car culture that exists in India.”

The programme showed Jeremy on “a trade mission” to India - in an attempt to promote British Industry and British products which would be relevant to the Indian market. So you saw him driving around in a Jaguar XJS with a toilet fitted to the boot of his car, because, as he declared “everyone who comes to India gets the trots.” Another part of the episode showed him stripping down to his underpants to demonstrate the use of a British trouser press (which, according to him could double up as a naan or flatbread maker). Then there was the bit about advertising British products on Indian trains.

Screenshot from Youtube video by Gamerguyali

Initially, all seemed well. However, after a while, it appeared that Clarkson's brand of humor had not gone down well with the Indian administration. The Indian High Commission formally complained to the BBC, saying that the programme “was replete with cheap jibes, tasteless humour and lacked cultural sensitivity that we expect from the BBC.” Soon the incident got escalated to the extent that the British Prime Minister David Cameron, who appears briefly in the beginning of the program asking the team to 'stay away from India', had to distance himself from the controversy.

However, in this instance, the netizens have not sided with the government's outrage on this issue. Discussions in the social media have largely felt that all this official hullabaloo over the program's content was over-the-top and uncalled for. Many of the comments on Twitter reflected this sentiment.

@vinnie_three: Just watched the top gear india special and it is funny as hell. #topgear

@sanidhya: I actually quite enjoyed the Top Gear India Special. Don't get what all the controversy is about. When did we become so touchy as a country?

@sanjay_ankur : me is watching the Top Gear India special episode. It's freakin awesome!

@Annapakshi: Top Gear made a complete ass of itself in the India special program. Dont know what the fuss is all about! #BBC #Topgear

@Subrat_Goswami: Just watched the much criticized BBC Top Gear India Special - Its best of British lunacy on our stupid systems. videobb.com/watch_video.ph… @BBC

@gkjohn: Why do we Indians have such a low tolerance for humour? Was funny when they made fun of the Mexicans but when it's us.. tgr.ph/ApkYP6

@HoeZaay: What !? BBC's Top Gear came to India and depicted us in “bad light” ?! Make them apologise ! Only Indians are allowed to do that.

Some of the Tweeple also stated that there was no harm in showing some of the realities of India, for example the ‘heart-in-your-mouth' driving displayed on the highways, the difficulty of driving on a dual carriageway etc., which have been captured in the episode. Others felt that the Indian administration, in seeking an apology from BBC and Britain was being unduly over-sensitive over a non-issue when they had other serious issues to deal with both in the UK and in India.

@kabeermahajan:anybody who is questioning Top Gear india special should try and drive fast on a dual carriageway in India… (BOM - POONA expway excluded)

@amreekandesi: India asks Top Gear host to apologise for mocking our culture. The same India where rats chewed up a man in a hospital.

Reflecting the sentiment that there were more serious issues that the administration should spend their time on, Yogesh Sarkar, in the India Travel Forum - BCMT touring, wrote:

The real irony I guess is the fact that an Indian student had been murdered in UK in a racial crime, while another was found dead in mysterious circumstances and Indian High Commission is busy paying attention to the work of Jeremy Clarkson!… I had seen the episode and didn't really found it to be insulting. I mean, when we laugh on the episode related to Albanian Mafia, what right do we have to stand up in arms over an episode filmed in India? If any thing, I believe the last section about the drive in Himalayas would just be an advertisement for Incredible India and more and more foreigners would love to come and see it.

Top Gear India - humorous credit line. Screenshot from Youtube video by jack390

On the same discussion thread, referring to other controversies that has plagued Top Gear over the years, forum member Hacket commented on the India episode:

I didn't find the episode offensive. Mockery was more towards the boys themselves,Britain than India. Secondly, TG,Orangutan and co. always mock and been in several controversy. BBC keeps replying back to take it in a light humorous way.

Another member, Anup Mathur, felt that Indians were gradually becoming intolerant and incapable of taking things lightly. He said:

We Indians are fast becoming the most intolerant people in the world! A sense of humour has always been absent as has the ability to handle criticism. So full of ourselves and so self-righteous! Is it any wonder people are itching to do some Indo bashing?!

Finally, the verdict seems to be that this was a storm in a teacup and it was time to get over it. What should be India's response then? Perhaps, it has been best encapsulated in this tweet:

@madversity: Don't seek apologies from those who you should be mocking back. But then, your humour has to be in Top Gear

India: The Curious Case of Draping Statues to Ensure Fair Elections

Aparna Ray — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:59:14 +0000

The Indian State of Uttar Pradesh (UP) is going to the polls in February 2012, to elect the new State Assembly. Campaigning by the various political parties has reached feverish pitch. However, what has grabbed the nation's attention is the recent order by the Election Commission that all statues in UP of Ms. Mayawati (the current Chief Minister and the leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party) and her party symbol - the elephant - be draped by Wednesday 11 January, 2012.

The Chief Election Commissioner, SY Qureishi, stated that the order was in keeping with the Model Code of Conduct, to ensure a level playing field and prevent any political party from getting undue political mileage by being able to influence the voters.

: Mayawati at the newsstand. Image from Flikr via Counterclockwise. CC BY

During her tenure as Chief Minister, Mayawati has repeatedly faced controversy over her penchant for spending huge amounts of public money in erecting large statues of herself, other Dalit icons, as well as those of her party symbol the elephant, all over the State - especially in and around Lucknow - the State Capital, as well as Greater Noida.

The task set up by the Election Commission was therefore pretty much a jumbo one. The order and the resulting efforts (video uploaded to YouTube by timesnowonline) drew a lot of reactions, not only from political parties but from netizens as well:

Twitter was immediately abuzz with reactions. Some wondered if the cover-up would serve any practical purpose or whether the Election Commission went slightly overboard in their enthusiasm. Others wondered if covered statues would actually work in Mayawati's favour.

@SwatySMalik: Although I Do not Like #Mayawati.. I think EC went overboard in ordering to Cover her statues etc! #unfair

@calamur: every time you think that the system cannot get more stupid, they prove you wrong cover up women, cover up elephants, cover up crimes…

@AbhinandanSekhr: this #mayawati statues covering will wrk 2 her advantage 4 sure Even those who hadn't will notice her “voice being muzzled”

@AnupamPkher: A Covered Mayawati statue will get more attention than an uncovered one. People will say,” Oh that is Mayawati's statue covered.”

@tavleen_singh: Very hard to understand how veiling statues of Mayawati and her elephants will help make elections free and fair in Uttar Pradesh!

@ankit_me: Thanks to EC, Mayawati got her publicity and campaign budget reduced.

@riya0001: Illvika Saikia: I think #EC is helping Mayawati by covering Elephant and her statue, as it will bring more attention and curosity among voters, to kno her.

Some Twitter users felt that the statues should remain uncovered and in public view, if only to remind the voters of the huge amount of public money that was used to fund them:

@acorn: Nitin Pai: Mayawati's deeds shouldn't be hidden from voters. More seriously, the EC's decision to cover up her statues is unwarranted & wrong.

@sanjukaul: Sanjay Kaul: @pragmatic_d These statues had become symbol of Mayawati's power. Covering lets voters know abt misuse of public money. Let voters decide

There were a lot of humorous responses as well, with netizens joking whether the rule should extend to Mayawati herself and live elephants, as well as objects which are symbols of other political parties and can ‘influence the voter' through association:

@rangats: I wonder what would have EC done if Mayawati had - Rising Sun - as symbol ? Order ppl not to come out of house in morning ?

@amit_lakhotia: EC wants to cover elephants statue for UP elections. Are they going to cover lotus temple in Delhi elections?

@pragmatic_d: Fine, you can veil Ms. Mayawati's statues. But what about Ms. Mayawati herself. Will she be also forced to wear a veil till polling day?

@rajeshkalra: Wonder if all traffic cops are campaigning for Congress. They raise their hand and show me their palm to stop me! Must complain to EC

@sameermufti: Mayawati planning to move to France. No one can veil her statues there!!!

In fact, a blogger Being Cynical even wrote an open letter to the Election Commission, pointing out that the order appeared to be rather impractical and questioning the motives behind such an action:

Dear Mr. S.Y. Quraishi and Team, Let me first thank you for providing the much needed fun quotient on a dull weekend like yesterday.

[…]

Elephants? Why cover elephants? Elephants don’t wear clothes? Do they? Just because elephants are the poll symbols for BSP, you can’t order them to be covered. Then why spare others? Let’s order to cover all the lotuses (if they are that rampantly available), ask people to lock their cycles in their garage and order people to wear gloves as we can’t chop them off as they ultimately would need their fingers to cast the vote.

As the deadline ended this evening, it appears that the Election Commission's directive has been complied with - apparently at a cost of over 1 crore (10 million) rupees.

India, UK: Killing of Indian Student in the UK Stirs Up Racism Debate

Aparna Ray — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:58:15 +0000

On Monday 26 December, 2011, Anuj Bidve, a 23 year old Indian student from Pune, was shot dead at point blank range, as he walked with friends near their hotel in Salford, Greater Manchester, UK. Witnesses reported that the killing was without provocation; apparently, the killer had stopped Anuj and had asked him the time and despite a polite response shot him in the head and ran away. Anuj's father said that the family first got to know of the terrible tragedy, via Facebook.

The incident, which is now being seen as a hate crime by the local authorities, has fired the racism debate once again. Netizens across India and the UK have reacted strongly to the murder.

: Screenshot from the Facebook Page - Justice for Anuj

A section of the Tweeple, both from the UK as well as India, expressed sorrow and sympathy at the incident.

@ciarandearden: The more I hear about the tragic murder of Anuj Bidve, the more disgusted I am by this heinous crime.

@MissLButtercup: To the family of Anuj Bidve I am ashamed this has happened in my country.

@LolaMariachi: Just back to Salford Quays after Christmas. Sad to see flowers up for Anuj and TV Vans parked up. Sad times.

@MichaelPayneUK Michael Payne My thoughts are with family & friends of Anuj Bidve, 23yr old Lancaster Uni PG student who was killed in an attack in Salford yesterday

@super_bhav: My thoughts go out to the family of #anuj #bidve so sorry for your loss #salford #shooting #mindless #violence

Others however, also expressed outrage at what they felt was the tragic outcome of a racist attack. There was a strong call for bringing the culprits to book as soon as possible and mete out strong punishment that would act as a deterrent in the future.

@shekharkapur: #Anuj Bidve's random killing in UK is a disgusting racist attack tht needs 2 b condemned. Whts happenin 2 British Society?

@tomilis: Sad to see death of Anuj Bidve in Manchester. World isn't safe for those with our skin colour anymore it seems…

@loserSamay:The killing of #Anuj in Manchester must be condemn and the culprits must be sentenced.i thought racist attack in Britain was thing of past.

@AmitabhTiwari:#Anuj Bidve's killing proves that only Indians follow the philosophy of atithi devo bhavah! (a guest is like God)

@scutts:What a cowardly act to shoot Indian student #Anuj #Bidve. Hope the scum are caught quick. #bringbackhanging

@davidmonkton: David Monkton Remember the family and friends of Anuj Bidve. His death in Salford makes us ALL sad that ‘crimes of hatred' take place in our country

@OwenJones84: The horrendous murder of Anuj Bidve is being treated as a hate crime. No rest until all forms of racism are driven from our society

@chet_a_chet: The killing an Indian student Anuj Bidve in UK is being called a “hate Crime” here by the media. It was clearly a racial murder.

@dhulston:After riots we pulled together we need the same approach to clear the city of this scum. Action against #racism

The police have already made a couple of arrests and have appealed to the community for their support in solving the case. They have also announced a reward against information on the killers. That there is support for the police investigation from the local community that feels shamed at this turn of events is evident from this tweet:

@Bethel76: I am proud to live in Salford. The shooting of Anuj Bidve is a terrible crime. The police have support of the communities. #prayforhisfamily

The topic of racism is being discussed and debated in forums and on Facebook as well. For example, in the forum YouBihar, Chalu Chamar writes:

It seems racism is still rampant in Modern British Society otherwise we would not be reading such news.

While some have been quick to generalize and paint the entire British society with the same brush, there are also other voices which offer a more moderate and balanced point of view on the issue of racism. For example, Sumit Ranjan comments in the above-mentioned forum discussion:

My tributes to the innocent Indian killed. May God give strength and courage to his family, friends and loved ones to bear this great loss. On the topic, sadly, racism does exist in England. I have personally faced it on few occasions and I will not deny it. But, at the same time, I would also like to say that the majority of the people are not racists. I have got many British friends who stood up for me and even fought some weirdo who had passed some racist comments at me recently in a pub and was trying to act smart. And btw, are we saying racism doesn't exist in India? That would be dishonest too… In my view, it’s a common problem.. but the extent of it may be different in different countries..

The debate as well as the investigation into the killing continues. In the meantime, Anuj's family is leaving no stone unturned to try and get his body back to India for performing his last rites.

India: Growth of Online Shopping

Aparna Ray — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 09:40:10 +0000

Arun Prabhudesai at Trak.in points out a Comscore research report which claims that 3 out of every 5 Indian Internet users now shop online.