Why are there no checks and balances on the judiciary?

The Legal Review Power of the Supreme Court allows it to strike down any law passed by the democratically elected Legislature if it goes "against the Constitution." 

This power rests with both the Indian and US Supreme Courts. 

However, the converse is not true. 

If the Court gives a ruling that goes against the constitution, neither the Legislature nor the Executive have the power to overturn such a judgement. 

So, why does this reciprocal check and balance not exist? 

The immediate thought that came to mind was - Because the Constitution was made by lawyers! 

So, I checked who the members of our Drafting Committee were. 

And turns out, I was right! 

The members of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution were overwhelmingly from the legal profession. Here they are: 

A. BR Ambedkar 

As we know, he was a lawyer and the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. 

B. Dewan Bahadur Sir Alladi Krishnaswani Ayyar

Advocate General of Madras State from 1929 to 1944. 

C. Dewan Bahadur Sir Narasimba Ayyangar Gopalaswami Ayyangar

Studied Law at the Law College, Madras 

D. Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi or his pen name, Ghanshyam Vyas

Lawyer by profession 

E. Mohammad Saadulla 

To check 

F. BL Mitter

Was the Diwan of Baroda. Was later replaced by  Madhav Rao, a Legal Advisor of the Maharaja of Vadodara.

G. Debi Prasad Khaitan

Owner of Khaitan and Co - among the oldest working law firms of India. 

H. Govind Ballabh Pant 

Lawyer by education with a short stint as a lawyer. 

Lakshadweep: What's really happening there?

In December 2020, Praful K Patel was made the administrator of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep. 

Since then, he has managed to make himself rather unpopular. 

So, I decided to understand why someone would want to be so unpopular. 

I have just finished reading over 2000 pages of content on Lakshadweep - History, Census reports, official documents, the works. 

Let me try to piece that complex story bit by bit. 

First, the current state

It is the smallest UT in India, with just one district. 

It has 36 islands, of which 10 are uninhabited. 

It also has the highest population density in India. 

The density of population of the district as per 2011 Census is 2,149 persons per sq.km as against 1895 in 2001. 

In terms of participation in the work force, 70% of the people in the island are "Not Working" - neither full time nor part time, as per the 2011 Census. 

There are two aerial connects - Agatti and Bangaram. The other way to get there is to take a cruise ship from the mainland (Kerala). The commute is 14-15 hours. 

All tourism is owned by the state government, except one private hotel, which is on Bangaram island. This hotel is now closed on account of some legal issues with the administration. 

Lakshadweep is 97% Muslim. 

The entire place allows no alcohol because it is an Islamic region (yes, this is different from alcohol ban in Bihar and Gujarat, where the cause of ban is control over crime rate. Here, the reason for the ban is the religion of the majority). Further, carrying of drugs and narcotics is a punishable offence. 

There is only one crop on the entire region - coconuts. Some people have private vegetable gardens etc. but mostly everything, including the diesel needed to provide electricity on the island, is carried from the mainland. 

In terms of livestock, most islanders keep goats and poultry. Cattle is rare because feed is expensive and hard to come by. 

There are only 2 occupations - fishing and coconut farming. Tourism is NOT a major employment option. 

There is a solar power plant that was operational even in 2012, but the island has made no move towards solar, hydel, tidal, wind, or any other renewable energy resource. Diesel continues to be the mainstay of power generation. 

There is ONE coir processing factory, nothing to create processed food items from coconut. 

The per capita income is, as expected, low. But what is even more interesting is the level of skew. Because of the strong caste based employment, the land owning communities make a lot more money than the (non) working other communities. 

Tuna is one of the most expensive fish in the world. It is abundant in the waters around Lakshadweep. What is even more remarkable is that because of very low pollution, the tuna of Lakshadweep will command high prices. But the first time tuna was exported from Lakshadweep was in June 2021.  This was because the processing centers and cold storage were built very recently. 

So, how do people manage? Well, there is free drinking water, free education, reservation for Lakshadweep students in many mainland colleges, and cheap electricity and petrol/diesel. 

There are no movie theaters. 

Choppy phone connection (only BSNL).  

The closest port to Lakshadweep is Maldives. While both regions are very similar in terms of what they offer to tourists (Maldives is larger, but the coral reefs, tropical climate, etc. are very similar and offer the same tourism experience), the tourism arrivals to both areas are poles apart. Maldives has NOT spoilt its natural beauty or resources. Therefore, the idea that tourism will destroy the natural beauty is not true.  

(Up to 1956, people used to visit each other from Maldives to Lakshadweep and vice versa with no paperwork. But when Lakshadweep became an Indian territory in 1956, these visits were stopped). 

The History 

This is where things get really interesting. For 32 sq kms, this place really has some history to its credit. 

The official website of Lakshadweep mentions that Lakshadweep is, and always has been, Muslim Majority. In fact, according to the Census, only three religions even make up the count - Muslims, 97%, Hindus, and Christians. 

But there is a problem with that. The main surnames are all Hindu. The matrilineal tradition followed on the island is the same as Malayali Hindus. The caste system is a derivative of the Hindu system. 

This account of the history helped me piece a few things together: History of Lakshadweep from British Era to status of a union territory of India (mapsofindia.com) The Wiki history also corroborates largely what is given in the mapsofIndia article. 

According to this, there was mass conversion in the middle ages. This is in line with what happened in the rest of Karnataka and Tipu Sultan's domain. 

However, in the rest of the country, diversity returned slowly. What is absolutely remarkable is that in Lakshadweep, this concentration has only deepened with each decade. 

The Census Records for Lakshadweep are only valid from the 1971 Census, because until then, there was reorganisation. This is the population chart. 

The only other place where we observe this patterns is Kashmir after the 1990 Hindu exodus 

The Moplah Massacre 

In 1921, the Muslims of Malabar, Minicoy, and other islands (in the area we now collectively call Lakshadweep) joined the Khilafat Movement with the mainland Muslim leaders. 

This event is euphemistically called the Moplah Rebellion and other names. While the area usually marked for the Moplah is Kerala, it is interesting that the population of Lakshadweep reduced from 1911 to 1921. 

There were many causes for the Moplah massacre. But the motivation for participation was religious. All non Muslims were massacred. These were mostly two classes - the colonial overlords (all of whom were Christians) and the Hindus.  

Administrative History 

This is also very interesting. This 36 island, 32 sq km archipelago has seen the Beebi empire - Tipu Sultan (1787, after a revolt by the islanders against the Beebi) - British (1799, after the third Carnatic war) - South Canara - Madras Presidency  - India - Reorganisation and eventually, Lakshadweep. 

The administrative entity as we know it today, dates back to 1956. 

This article provides the best administrative history that I could find in brief. 

My questions for Lakshadweep 

There are some questions I have about Lakshadweep, as a citizen of India. 

1. In the table I shared earlier, Lakshadweep has not allowed any diversity to develop in the region. In every part of India, diversity has been restored as people moved from one place to another and also as old prejudices were overwritten by modern education and tolerance. But Lakshadweep has been sending its young people to reserved seats all over mainland India, without allowing any incursion into itself from that same mainland. Why? 

2. From the same table, the part of the table that, for me, deserves the most attention: 

Where are the Hindu women? In 1991, the same time that it happened in Kashmir, the population of Hindu women started decreasing. Within a decade, they were 62% of what they were in 1991, but in 2011, this population reduction was too drastic to not be alarming. Only 185 Hindu women remain on the islands? WHY? 

3. This question has a half page background. You can read or skip straight to the question.  

As per the Budget Document of 2020-21, the actual expenditure on providing ONLY the central govt benefits and administration expenses on Lakshadweep was 1376.46 crores. Let us assume that the rate of population growth over one decade is the same as the rate of population growth over the previous 3 decades (rolling average). According to this, the average rate of decadal population growth on the island is 17%  and the expected population in 2020-21 should be 75,662. 

This means that the per capita govt expenditure of the government on Lakshadweep was 1,81,922 rs. Read that again: The Government of India spent 1,81,922 rs on the diesel, electricity, and other freebies on EVERY INDIVIDUAL citizen of Lakshadweep. This number, in 2021, according to the Budget document linked above, is going to rise to 1,93,930 rs. 

Receipts from Lakshadweep for the last 3 years: 0. 

Why is this number shocking? Because, dear heart, the per capita income of an Indian in 2020 is Indian rupees 94, 954. Yes, half of the subsidies received by someone from Lakshadweep. 

Why would Lakshadweep be such an honoured citizen? 

Why is it that India is ok with 70% of Lakshadweep residents not doing any work, giving them more in subsidy than a mainland citizen makes in per capita income, and also being ok with ZERO receipts from the island? 

The answer i got was that Lakshadweep islands are strategically located and it is important to keep the local population happy to ensure the protection of our marine borders and to keep an eye on international waters through the local residents. 

So, How did we do on that front? 

After the Church attacks in Sri Lanka, the boat carrying the terrorists made its way to Lakshadweep. As the Swarajya mag asks, How did the terrorists know they would find shelter and support in India's Lakshadweep? 

Today, the administrator actually has to send government officials on local "fishing" boats to monitor its own local citizens and their activities. 

The locals insist that they keep their eyes and ears open. Since actual data is not in the public domain, we will simply say that for some reason, that surveillance is not being seen as enough. 

Therefore, my question is - 

Would it not make more sense to rehabilitate the 65000 residents of Lakshadweep and convert the area to a pure naval base, with no civilian activity? 

We are not earning from tourism, the local population continues to depend on the mainland for everything, and the Navy is missing out on a very important base. 

4. This is purely tactical. In 2018, Amitabh Kant presented a holistic development plan for Lakshadweep islands. 

In this plan, about 5 tourist facilities were ready to be deployed for eco-tourism. Where are they today? 

Why does the island not want to serve alcohol when Maldives, with an absolutely similar religion profile, has no such issues and has been able to sustainably tap the eco-tourism potential? 

5. If you read the articles related to the Lakshadweep issue, they have either been written by islanders based in the mainland, or by mainland journalists. In most cases, the correspondents have given a voice to the Muslim population of the island. That is great. But any impartial journalist would at least ask a couple of Hindu islanders how they feel about the changes? 

6. In the Lakshadweep Census, only a Hindu can belong to a Scheduled Caste, but Muslims can also belong to a Scheduled Tribe. If all Muslims are universal brothers, and they have no concept of tribe, why is ST reservation available to them? Tribe and caste are both ethnographic concepts endemic to the Indic people - largely called Hindu (as in the religion) but both these are social constructs within that religion. The concept of tribe does not exist in Islam (the religion). So, why are non-Indic religions eligible for  SC, ST, or OBC? They are entitled to minority benefits in all parts of the country. (In my view, minority religion benefits should be by state population compositions). 

And now, to what's really going on

The Swarajya mag does a very good job of explaining the orders and the details, and I largely agree with them. That no mainstream media has even bothered to explain these points is a very telling data point. 

But lets go over them one by one:  

A. No one who has more than 2 children can contest Panchayat Elections  (with exceptions) 

As a citizen, I FULLY SUPPORT and endorse this. This provision is also in force in other states and makes perfect sense. An ecologically sensitive area should, on its own, be mindful of its population.

When the locals tell us in their news reports that they have only 32 sq. kms of land in all their islands, we want to say the exact same thing back to them - you should not have waited until there is a govt directive. You should have controlled the population on your own one decade ago. 

If people feel that this directive is aimed at a certain religion - that religion should understand that the fertility rate of Iran is 2.115 Iran is an Islamic country. The fertility rate for Maldives, its closest cousin, is 1.8! The documented fertility rate of Lakshadweep is 1.6. Which means that in effect, there should not be an issue in implementing this rule. Since its a matrilineal society, I am not sure that the reason of the man having multiple wives and therefore having more than 2 children will be valid in Lakshadweep. One user on Quora mentions that this is because most Panchayat contenders are senior citizens who do have more than 2 children. And that is how misinformation is spread. The rule applies only to infants born after the date of notification. Which means that if you have been elected before and have more than 2 children, no issues. If you are planning to get elected and are expecting your nth child already, no problem. The regulation is only for the future. 

Further, the rules provide for 50% of the Panchayat seats being reserved for women. I support this too. 

B. The Goonda Act - The argument being provided against this is that with such low crime rate, why is Goonda Act needed? 

Crime Rate is a function of reported crime. If, as the locals allege, there really is no crime, why the fear of the Goonda Act? 

Because it is arbitrary. Because it allows law enforcement to detain someone at will. 

And to that extent, my view is that if the administration is allowing this, it must be for a very good reason. It is a case of he says - she says, and it is up to each one of us to think whom we believe. 

C. Allowing alcohol on the islands - The locals are up in arms against this because of their religious beliefs and the latest I have read is that it will encourage hooliganism. But alcohol is being allowed for tourists. The locals do not have to consume it if it goes against their religious beliefs. The key word is allow, not impose. No one is forcing the locals to consume alcohol, and the locals should not force non locals to abstain. They may be only 2000 Hindus on the island, but they are still there. If the dietary preference of the majority is important, then the preference of the minority also should be. 

D. Ban beef - In a largely Muslim island, banning beef is stupid to say the least. Even as it comes to picking battles, this one is best left to a skirmish zone. At this point, national security and the role of the islanders in it is more important than their feeding habits. 

But how much cattle is there in Lakshadweep? According to a Quora user, 44 cows and 8 buffaloes support the dairy needs of 60,000 people. I will leave it at that. Could not find the official livestock numbers. 

E. All coconut solid waste must be disposed responsibly - The islanders are protesting because "this is how we have always done it" and if you want us to do more responsible waste management, you must create the infrastructure for it. We have always just thrown our coconuts around. 

Time to stop, I think. 

F. Govt officials will go on fishing boats to gather intelligence - Again, given the strategic importance of these islands, this should be welcomed, not resisted, by the locals. In most such cases, one would worry about corruption on the boat, but like, what are the fishing boats earning except the fish? Observers being on the boats will help the officials to benefit from the outreach of the fishing boats in the ocean. I see no reason to resist this. 

G. And we keep the best for the last  - The Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation. This allows the government to acquire land for development projects in Lakshadweep. Let's go back to two data points: 

A. The 2018 sustainable ecotourism development proposed by Niti Aayog. (linked above) 

B. The fact that 70 percent of the island's population is "Not Working". 

It has now been 3 years since that report. The report has maps of areas that have been identified for specific projects. Yet, not ONE of those projects has taken off. 

The LDAR rules are being touted as "autocratic" yet they are no different from land acquisition rules anywhere in the country. 

The locals are indicating that this will allow the govt to kill the sensitive ecology of the place. 

Inherent in this accusation is a distrust of the government's intentions. I want to challenge that inherent distrust. If they have inherent distrust in the intentions of the government, they should not remain under the doles given by that government. One cannot take incredible subsidies with one hand and write notes of distrust with another. If the intentions of the government in ensuring that Lakshadweep residents get easy admissions on the mainland in higher education, ensuring that the islanders are not left wanting for anything, are trust worthy, then the intentions of the govt in this development are trustworthy too. 

The population pyramid of Lakshadweep indicates a very high young population - a population that needs to work. 

Source: Population pyramid charts for the States of India (Gallery) (sainathadapa.github.io)

Lakshadweep needs to create opportunities to work, and do it in a sustainable way. And they have to trust the government to do this right. OR they have to find a way to make sustainable economic opportunities for their people. I would support that. That population pyramid, left without work, on the coastal area of the islands, is recipe for unlawful activities. 

And therefore, according to me, the issue is not the LDAR, but the growth and sustenance of Lakshadweep. I am ok if the islanders take charge. But if not, they have to trust someone else to do the right thing. 

Update on 22nd December 2021: 

On December 17th, an order was passed to make the holiday in line with the rest of the country. This triggered another row. 70 years after independence, Lakshadweep had Friday as the weekly off on "Religious grounds". 

The Kerala assembly passed a unanimous resolution seeking the recall of Patel over it. As many as 93 retired bureaucrats sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticising Patel’s “partisan attitude”. They urged him to protect the region’s unique culture and tradition. - According to Hindustan Times 

My take: 

So, what is the unique culture and tradition? Only Muslims allowed? Why is religion the basis of weekly holiday in a secular country? What partisan attitude is displayed by synchronising academic holidays with the rest of the country? If all the Muslims of India can send their children to school with Sunday weekly off, why are Lakshadweep Muslims unique? 

Bibliography 

A. Detailed Census reports of the islands from 1951 to 2011 

B. Quora answers on Lakshadweep 

C. Various online mainstream media publications on the issue 

D. Gazette notifications where applicable

E. Blogs et al as linked 

G. Research reports by private organisations who researched tourism, both as a commission from the state govt, and on their own 

H. Academic papers on tuna fishing and other industries of Lakshadweep 

I. India Budget documents related to Lakshadweep

J. Niti Aayog and other govt plan documents 

K. Maps - both Google and Bing maps and paper atlases from India and historical atlases. 

Contribution of the Congress Party to India

So first, Pakistan gives the UNHRC a 115 page dossier on Kashmir with quotes from Rahu Gandhi, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Martya Sen and Arundhati Roy.

Then Shashi Tharoor goes out to say "We are Opposition can say anything, but we are united against anyone outside."

Like, seriously, WTF! ?

The best thing I read this week was: There is a reason that no one names their child "Vibhishan"

The Ramayana can lie about the truth of our history, but we all know better. Way better. 

The Rabies epidemic of India - and what the shortage of the vaccine is doing

In an earlier report, I had raised simple questions. Let's go over them once more:
1. One third of global rabies deaths come from India (WHO numbers, not ours). Rabies is not caused by vaccinated dogs. How much money has the AWBI spent on vaccination and sterilisation of stray animals? (The answer, as given in response to an RTI, is quite pathetic) and how many of these dogs are certifiably vaccinated? (No answer given)


2. The number of dog bites that India has to deal with, is massive to say the least.


This Twitter handle will take you to individual cases of stray dog menace. In 2017, feral dogs killed at least 19 children in Sitapur, India, at the beginning of the year. But it did not even make news. 20,000 people a year die from Rabies - that is 2.2 people per hour or roughly one person every 27 minutes. These are the deaths. NOT the bites. The bites are 1.75 million per year. That is 3.3 bites per minute. At least 2 other reports I read used much higher numbers than these. These are the lowest reported numbers.


These numbers are understated. Why? Because many animal bites are never reported. And because rabies is, till date, not a notifiable disease in India. This means that it does not have to be reported to the govt. The cases that reach private hospitals and take treatment there are not mentioned. In short, these are just the government numbers. Not the total numbers.


Now, we have another worrisome side of the story.


Not only are people being bit literally every minute, but also that the standard treatment protocol - the anti rabies vaccine, is in short supply.


Since August, 2018, at least, there are reports of shortage of vaccine.


Why is shortage of vaccine an issue?
 When a stray animal bites a human, the person has to mandatorily take the rabies vaccine. Rabies, once got, cannot be cured and is invariably fatal. Not only that, the death is particularly painful and there is no legal provision for euthanasia. The brain is affected last and so the patient is acutely aware of what is happening with them. They are aware of hydrophobia and the acute thirst and that they are going to die of it. They often die through drowning in their own spit or blood. It is one of the most gory ways to go.


A friend told me that his friend's brother died from the disease and even after all these years, it haunts him. Imagine, then, the state of this couple, who did take the injections, but not the first immuno-globulus serum. The child died after they thought they had protected her!


Shortage of vaccine means that people who are getting bit will die, and not in a nice way.


Why is the vaccine not available?
India's demand is 48 million vials p.a.. Our current production is about 50 million vials. Half o this is exported. The government has been mulling a ban on exports since April, 2019, but so far, nothing has been done.


Since last year, GSK's factory in Ankleshwar, Gujarat, has stopped producing the vaccine. The factory was taken over by Bharat Pharma.


But even if we do take the drastic step of banning exports, that only meets our needs for the current year. What about next year? The growth in cases is not slow. It is rising year on year because not enough money is being spent on sterilising animals. Higher animal population means more human-animal conflict (please see that twitter handle to know what I mean, and the Sitapur stories still haunt me).


How bad is it?
The last 2 tenders floated by the govt for the procurement of the vaccine got no responses. The states with the most acute shortage include (but are not limited to) Kashmir, Karnataka, Himachal and Delhi (where the shortage has now prompted a crisis. Even international media has taken note of the health crisis in India's capital. Sample these:
1. https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/89681/rabies-vaccines-shortage-puts-delhi-on-brink-of-crisis/


2. http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150915-indias-rabid-dog-problem-is-running-the-country-ragged


Kerala and Rajasthan have long term contracts with vendors (3 to 5 years) and therefore don't have an immediate crisis. Kerala has now agreed to send some vaccines to Karnataka. In my view, these are the only two states who don't have a shortage - right now.


The shortage is almost 80% in the affected states. That means 80% of the poorest of the poor, who are bit by animals, do not get this vaccine.


Will it make a difference if we correct the vaccine imbalance?
Canada has reported a shortage of the vaccine. But not the US. Sample this article from the US to understand how utterly avoidable, unnecessary this disease, and the painful deaths associated with it are.
When we read this article, the 20,000 people we lose to the disease appear to be state sponsored crime.


What can we do?
Elementary, my dear Watson. These steps are not rocket science, nor can one accept things like "No Money" as an excuse. The only reason that no one is taking the issue seriously is that no one takes central ownership of the holistic issue. The AWBI goes on to push its own agenda, not realising that human-animal conflict is eroding the core Indian ethos of co-existence. Indian homes keep water for the birds, and make 2 extra rotis with every meal - one for the dog and one for the cow.


The municipal bodies of India - forever understaffed and overstretched, want to just push the envelope. The govt hospitals worry about not receiving the vaccine. They are not in a position to check why the demand is going up so much. There is a national Rabies control program, but I got to know of it only today, hidden under layers of official documentation.

• Make breeding illegal: It is inhuman. Time to declare it illegal. Those who want pets can take the strays. These are hardy breeds with much to offer by way of disease resistance and high immunity.

• Increase production capacity of the vaccine: 50 million vials are grossly inadequate. We NEED to step up production capacity Urgently. All the 5 producers in India are private companies who should, hopefully, see the opportunity and try to seize it.

• Make Rabies a notifiable disease: So that we at least have our numbers right!

• Educate, Educate, Educate: Ensure that all local doctors, esp in rural areas, know the treatment protocol and advise the patients properly. Even washing the wound reduces the chances of getting the disease by as much as 40%!

• Set up a supply chain: What is crucial is to get the immunoglobulus into the wound as quickly as possible after the bite. Set up a supply chain so that people do not have to frantically wait for the vaccine. The people who die, routinely, are the poor. The ones who cannot afford the treatment. They are the ones who need to be protected, educated, and taken care of.

• Population Control: It is time to ensure that we take human and animal population control on a war-footing. This is not just important for rabies. It is important for many, many other reasons.

And lastly,
Are you blaming the dogs?
NO. You cannot blame the dogs and the monkeys and the bats. The only people responsible for human-animal conflict are the humans. Animals live on the principle of territorial aggression and follow the law of the jungle. They cannot be blamed for having their instincts.


The only people we should blame are the ones who design the ABC rules (which, as I have explained in an earlier post, are flawed in design, not in execution) and then do not plan for the population explosion that this will lead to. The dogs are ok. It is the dog lovers that need to answer for their actions. They have effectively alienated society, which directs its ire against the dog lovers, at the dogs.

Dowry Deaths in India: The role of the parents

Growing up in Hyderabad, I used to open the newspaper to the crime page and read daily reports of women who had either died, or had committed suicide as a result of "stomach ache."


In some cases, there were clear reports of burning women to death. On average, there were 2-3 such reports every day.


On growing older, I wondered, if there are 3 reported deaths per day in one city, how many would there be all over the country? NCRB answered that question - roughly one dowry death every hour in India. Consistently. Since 2001, that number(deaths per hour) has not crossed 2.




What is the problem?


Dowry Deaths in India from 2001 to 2016 Source: NCRB data

I have added a Trend Line to the graph so we can clearly see the DIRECTION of the crime. In 2014, the worst year yet, a woman lost her life to dowry every 52 minutes.


This is not going to be a post about the causes of dowry. We all know the causes of dowry deaths.


What can we do to stop dowry deaths?
Here is what you need to consider - of the literally THOUSANDS of cases that I have read over the years (all the way from 1988), not ONE has happened right after the marriage. All deaths, every single one of them, is preceded by abuse. Months and years of abuse. Abuse that the woman almost always reports to her family.


There is a separate legal clause that deals with harassment for dowry.


The ratio of abuse to death cases ranges from 13:1 to 10:1. For every woman who is killed, at least 9 to 12 other women suffer dowry related abuse - so much that they make a formal complaint.


This is what makes one angry:


The parents, in every single case, turn a blind eye to the plight of the woman. The dowry death happens in the marital home. If you know your daughter is being abused or harassed for dowry, what is she doing in her marital home?


If a parent endangers the life of their daughter by forcing her to stay in a physical space where it is known that she is in danger, should the said parents not be prosecuted? In suicide, this is abetment to suicide. In murder, this is being a complicit accomplice.


I honestly feel that there should be a change in the law. Parents who ignore a daughter's plea related to dowry abuse, should be prosecuted. They should not be the petitioners. They should be the co-accused. How can you put your own child in almost certain danger, and then cry hoarse when that danger comes true?


Counter - For every woman who dies, 9 to 12 do not. They continue to live in their marital homes. So if the daughter raises an alarm, should she be removed from that danger?


If you were a husband or in law abusing a girl for dowry, would you stop, if you knew that the girl will be removed from the marital home AND there will be a police complaint against you? Yes, I think that a lot of men will stop then. Because dowry harassment is bullying. And in its most fundamental form, bullying is an act of cowardice that cannot stand up to courage. In the face of courage, it wilts and succumbs.


Yes, the problem and the solution are not that simple. But I simply cannot find a way to forgive parents who allow their daughters to remain in danger in their marital homes and then cry hoarse when the girl dies.


The problem is with the perpetrators. But the perpetrators are not just the people who commit the crime. The definition of "perpetrator" must be expanded to include the people who, through passive complicity, allow the crime to happen and in fact, create conditions that give the perpetrator the courage to take the step from harassment to abuse to murder. There were no consequences for what was done earlier. Why should one fear consequences for this? (At a conviction rate of 34%, the absence of fear is completely justified, but that's for another day)


I don't usually agree with Gandhi, but this one: "The criminal commits the crime, the society prepares it." , can be completely translated to "The in laws commit the crime, the parents prepare it."

Tough questions, tougher answers

If there is a question that we need to start asking, it is "Why?"


Why do the backward classes need reservation in promotions?


Why are certain communities always impoverished and asking for benefits, while others continue to rise like Phoenix from the ashes?


Why are locals everywhere angry with "outsiders" if we have a concept of united India?


Why are Indians the worst flyers and tourists?


Why, after 70 years of independence, are we still dependant upon rain water irrigation for more than 50% of agricultural land?


Why is the Indian farmer punished for creating bumper crops?


Why have we made road corridors for industry but failed to create a cold storage infrastructure pan India for farm produce?


Why does India see one dowry death every 4 minutes even today? Why do marriages not happen without dowry? What is the pull of dowry?


Why is the CM of Sikkim asking for SC ST status for 17 tribes - all Nepali, without telling us what happened to the Lepchas and Bhutias - the majority demographic when I first went to Sikkim in 1999, and why their tribes are not a part of the SC/ST list.


And before we start asking why, we have to acknowledge that these problems exist. We have to stop being politically correct, we have to stop looking the other way and we have to stop airbrushing numbers and reports. And for God's sake, we have to STOP hiding behind the easy answers.


The price of inaction is violence. We all believe that such violence will not touch us, that things like that always happen to "other people". But we all should know better. Way better.


So the next time you meet a beggar on the street asking you for food because he can't afford to eat, ask him/her "Why?" And you will discover a story of parental neglect, not poverty. "My parents don't have money to feed me." "Did they not know that when they were planning a child?" "Yes they did, and they thought God will take care of all His children." That's not just parental neglect. That's parental cruelty. And parents should be criminally prosecuted for that. To bring a child into the world knowing that they cannot even feed that mouth 2 square meals is planned cruelty towards the unborn.


As much as we need to hang rapists, we also need to hang mothers who keep quiet when their daughters tell them that they have been raped by a close family member. Ask yourself "Why are the child abuse numbers so horrific?" And you will get the answers - Majority of child abuse, sexual and otherwise, is done within the family, and mostly within the house. So, who saves the culprits? And what gives these culprits the confidence that they will remain undiscovered? We are quick to blame the cops for not firing FIR. Let that FIR include all "close" relatives who protect the perpetrator.


What happened in Meghalaya? Why did it happen? What happened in Kashmir? Why is Kashmir the only state whose residents believe that they can live off subsidised rations from India, get Indian tourism dollars, relocate Kashmiri Hindus outside Kashmir and not move their backsides to another part of Kashmir - their "dream" side? What gives them the confidence that India will put up with this nonsense?


Of late, a very funny thing has happened with me - An increasing inability to remain politically correct, especially in the face of ridiculous assumptions being broadcast in drawing room political discussions.


This post will not win any popularity contests. Chances are, some of you will even be offended. But if you can use that sense of being offended to go back and ask "Why?" at least 2 times a week, and not stop until you know at least 2-3 reasons, the post will have served its purpose.

The Butterfly Effect

The IIP was at 4.4% for the April-Mar2018 month. 


This was the result of a long journey, as macro numbers usually are.


A couple of years ago, a need was felt to increase tax collections. There were 2 obvious ways to do it - 1. Increase the tax payers' base, and 2. Keep tax rates high or raise them further on at least some items.
Obviously, the most direct effect of that was on the middle class.


Here are the 2 things that the government did not prepare for:
1. Faced with a strange tax regime and the suspicion placed upon all high value purchases, the middle classes will pull their purse strings tight.
2. The sheer magnitude of the Indian middle class, and the butterfly effect action(1) above will have on the rest of the economy.


The squeeze was on the individual, but observe the Domino effect...




The Domino Effect on the economy of squeezing the middle class under taxation

Everyone made small changes. Someone stopped eating out as often. Someone else postponed a big TV purchase. Someone stopped the tuition teacher. But the numbers of the Indian middle class are such that even one action by one household (and it was not as tiny as that) led to a huge overall impact.


How big is the Indian middle class? Find out for yourself:
https://www.economist.com/briefing/2018/01/11/indias-missing-middle-class


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-41264072


https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/TvcFydQcN6KEFkvdW7BprM/Indias-burgeoning-middle-class.html

New Taxation that I would like to see

Everyone is saying that Income Tax rates are too high. I agree. I believe it is time to move from individual earning taxation to taxing on the basis of the burden an individual puts on the ecosystem.


So these are the 2 taxes I want:
1. Children Tax: The state allows you to have 2 children. You want more than that, you better be able to afford them and compensate for their carbon footprint on the world.


There's more: In a Christian wedding, before you get married, you have to undergo mandatory counselling in the church. I believe this is an excellent way to prepare people for life changes. There should be a mandatory mental fitness test that parents should have to pass before they have children. This will put an end to people who have kids just to get rid of pesky relatives. If you don't have it in you to be responsible for a child for 18 years, then please don't have children.


While adoptive parents have to prove a thousand things, the State takes no measures to ensure the safety and well being of biologically born children. If a couple is not fit to be a parent - they should not be allowed to have children. Because children are a nation's collective resource. And no child should be abused or ignored by indifferent parenting. Parenting is not a right or a fertility contest. Its a responsibility. If you can't take it, have the courage to tell your families. And to yourself.


2. Trash Tax: A person should be taxed on the basis of how much trash they generate. Commercial establishments too. This will ensure that 5 star hotels start serving their guests water in glass tumblers instead of generating plastic waste for every 200 ml of water their guests drink. This will ensure that people think before they buy. A mindful consumer will be rewarded in this way and the environment will be automatically better. Amazon will start shipping in containers that actually match the product being shipped. And people will learn to not waste food. If you do not do waste segregation at source, you should have to pay extra because someone else has to do it for you.


The Trash Tax will reduce consumerism, and therefore, will be bitterly opposed by the major companies of the world. I think it is time we decided, as a species, which we need more - the world, or the  growth of the companies.


The world has enough for our need, not enough for our greed. - This quote is usually attributed to Gandhi.

Disilusioned? Ignore that cacophony!

From 1930 to 1947, a gradual, but definite radicalisation was done. This radicalisation took in its fold rational intellectuals like Allama Iqbal (who went from translating the Gayatri Mantra to insisting on offering namaaz at a converted cathedral) and Md. Ali Jinnah(who went from being staunchly anti Pakistan in 1936 to being the Qaid-e-azam of Pakistan) - people who had grown up in cosmopolitan surroundings, had friends from all faiths and nationalities.


Even they were converted to radicalism by this paranoia of "Muslims cannot co exist with Hindus without living in perpetual fear." As a result of this, not one but 2 separate and new countries were created, for Muslims to live in peace, without fear and with freedom to practice their religion.


It has now been 70 years. History has seen the result of the 2 theories - that Muslims will live in fear in a Hindu country, and that Muslims will live well in a country of their own.


Today, I see the replay of that paranoia. I hear the same cacophony that played from 1930 to 1947. So, as a survivor of 1947, here is my humble request to you:


If you feel that Muslims are not secure or free to live as they please in India, please understand that this is not a new or original thought. With exactly this fear in mind, Jinnah has created 2 countries for Muslims to live free and happy. All you need to do is, prepare your citizenship papers, then go to the country of your choice, and tell them, "My forefathers made a mistake when they decided to continue living in India. Jinnah was right. Muslims cannot live in a Hindu India without fearing for their life and belief. Please don't punish me for the wrong decision of my grandparents. I need to join the dream that Jinnah saw for us."


But please, do NOT poison the air that we breathe. Because when I turn off your cacophony and look around me, I see Muslim craftsmen making Jain marble temples. I see maids saying "Didi I wont come tomorrow, its my Eid, and the Hindu didi putting enough money to cover the Eidi of all the maid's children. I see a national Muslim body saying they will sing Saare Jahaan se accha instead of Vande Mataram, and no one batting an eyelid.


This poison is worse than you can imagine in your wildest dreams. It killed millions of people in a gory, bloody journey, displaced millions, created orphans and widows who didn't care about religion in the first place. Just honest men and women concerned with earning their daily bread. My family went through this and By God , I do not want to go through this again. So please, unless you can control the consequences of your short term power hunger(and you cannot): SHUT THE FUCK UP.

4 kos par paani badle, 8 kos par baani..

४ कोस पर पानी बदले, ८ कोस पर बाणी। 


This is an old saying from India that means, literally translated, "The quality of the groundwater will change after every 4 kos (12km app) , and the dialect will change at 8 kos (app 24 km) .


Here is what it means, specifically for the anthropologists:

 The 24 km diameter is a coherent unit of human habitation. Just like they found out that a person cannot have more than 150 "real" friends, someone extapolated that dialect must change beyond a certain point. A coherent, uniform settlement unit will use the same dialect.
 

I have found this one liner very useful when it comes to understanding differences in people - they grew up with different resources (4 kos par paani badle) and with different ideas, ideals and social structures (8 kos par baani)

3 Gems from Indian Education Techniques

In trying to find ways to enrich education, one of the things I started doing, was reading more about the Indian system of education in the pre Mughal era. And am surprised to know that there is so little information available on the Indian methods of education.

 

We have been fortunate, however, to pick up 3 gems that we will share here.

1. It’s not a lesson. Its a conversation.

Bhaskaracharya wrote a book called “Leelavati Beej Ganit” . The format of the book is a dialogue between Lilavati and the author of the book.

 

Indian books and lessons rely heavily on the concept of Story telling. If a complete story telling is not possible, we convert it into a conversation between two people, to make it interesting. All of Panchatantra is narrated as a conversation. All of Mahabharata is recorded as a narration from a disciple of Rishi Veda Vyaas to the descendants of the Kuru clan. We use this technique extensively in our books too!

 

2. The teacher does not teach. The teacher asks questions.

 

A beautiful thing that we found in addition to the technique of Vartalaap was the technique of asking the right questions. When a teacher wanted the student to learn something profound, they did not give the lesson to the student. They asked the student difficult questions. The student would attempt to answer the Guru’s questions in a satisfactory manner and through this process, would arrive at the answer / gyaan.

 

The most famous example of this technique perhaps appears again in the Mahabharata, in the espisode where Guru Drona takes the princes to a spot, makes them take aim, and asks them, “What do you see?” All the princes, except Arjuna, respond that they see the tree, the bird, the branches etc. Only Arjuna replies that he can see nothing but the eye of the bird, that he is supposed to shoot. The lesson was that you must focus only on your endgoal and completely eliminate all distractions from your senses. It was not given. It was taken.

 

3. We do not merely memorise. To be called learned, we must analyse.

 

It is often assumed, erroneously, that the native Indian method of learning involves, basically, rote learning. Ergo, the oral transmission of the Vedas and the oral tradition of Indian classical music and dance. But that’s simply not true! In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

We first learn enunciation. Then we learn the text. And THEN, the education begins.

Not only did learning involve a critique of the subject at hand, the best analyses were also published with the name of the author (A very rare thing in Ancient India). You might have heard of some books that are ‘Teekas” on a certain book. A Teeka improves upon an original work and adds new perspectives.

 

Another word that appears often, is “Shastrarth” - literally meaning - the meaning of the Shastras. Sanskrit being the magical language that it is, the same phrase could mean a lot of different things. The ONLY way you could be a scholar, was to interpret that text, and argue your interpretation with other scholars. If you could not do a Shastrarth, you were not a learned person at all.

 

And this has fuelled in us a hunger to understand more cultural learning aids from around the world. What did education mean before we universalised it to mean the 3 Rs all over the world? How was education imparted? If you know any resources that could help us understand, or if you remember education techniques from your own family, please do share.

We Need Sanskrit in Schools

I want to make my stand clear on this one:

 I NEED Sanskrit in schools. To know Sanskrit grammar and its structure is to know perfection in language design. This is how things should be done.
IF Sanskrit was designed in the modern times by an American, we would call it "The Perfect Construct", "Genius and Beyond" and other things.

We would send our children in droves to learn this perfect language and we would be so proud of their achievement. We would speak about how learning Sanskrit teaches them to create more scientific models of thought, because they learn to envisage a thing and all its possible uses.

But that fact remains that over 2500 years later (at least), no one has been able to create a language as perfectly as Panini's Sanskrit with its flawless design of grammar and word construct.

So basically, in 2500 years, the world has not produced a linguistic genius like Panini (and his group).

And I am proud to be from the country where this awesome science of linguistics and alphabet design existed and was thus perfected.

 I Want Sanskrit in schools. None of our Intelligentsia will do a candle march to save Sanskrit in our education system, but I will.

Constitutional Reforms that India Urgently Needs

As a citizen, this is the manifesto of Constitutional Reforms that I demand:

• Reservations

Reservations are limited to education, and ending at higher education. No reservations for jobs, promotions etc are to be allowed. We can and will provide opportunities for Upskilling. But you need to be qualified to do the job itself.

Reservations are NOT applicable to a family where:
       1. One or both parents already have/ have had a job that was the result of reservation.
       2. The combined income of the family is over 10 lakhs per annum. Limit to be revised every 2 years.
      3. The child does not meet the minimum qualification criteria for admission.
     

• State and Religion

India is a SECULAR state. Which means that the State is not a participant in the religious beliefs of the population. Accordingly:

1. All state subsidies and benefits should be immediately withdrawn from all bodies that purport any religious affiliation at all. There should be a constitutional  provision against ever re introducing any state benefit/ subsidy/ preferential treatment / affirmative action that is even remotely connected to religion, caste or any other social means of discrimination.

         2. The fields for "Religion" should be removed from all govt forms except the census and identity ones. No one should need to indicate their religion to get medical attention, school admission etc. The country cannot report on the religion based coverage of education, jobs etc.

         3. The country will have a common civil code. All religion based legislation to be voided.

         4. Any religious body that issues a "Voting Advisory" in the form of Farmaan, Fatwa, Guidance, or any other format, will be liable for criminal prosecution. Every voter is enjoined to vote according to their own intellect and no one should be able to persuade this decision. If the said body is a "Society" or "Trust" or other NGO organisation registered in India, the registration will be cancelled after 2 violations.

         5. Any candidate who is found to be soliciting votes, either formally or informally, on grounds of religion, caste or other social discrimination bases, will be summarily disqualified and will face a 10 year ban on fighting any elections in the Republic of India. A repeat violation will ensure a lifetime ban. For this, informal conversations, recorded through stealth recording, are permissible evidence and will invite action.

• The Voter's Responsibility

             1. Voting is a constitutional obligation. Anyone who abstains from their duty to vote for over 8 months, or for 2 elections of any level, will automatically have their Aadhar Card and Election Card cancelled. The PAN card will then be picked up for scrutiny, to ascertain that the said voter is a resident of India, and has not moved out of the country.

            2. Before voting, the voter will have to answer 5 questions about the manifesto of one of the candidates. The questions can be answered in writing or audio, by pressing an option button. The voter must answer at least 2 out of these 5 correctly to be eligible to vote. It is a part of the constitutional obligation to read manifestoes and vote accordingly.

• The Citizen's Responsibility

1. The state will NOT sponsor free education, medical support, ration card(subsidised food) for more than two children per household. If you want to have more children, earn enough to clothe and feed them.

2. Where a child is found to be in child labour while still living with his/her parents, the parents will be prosecuted for neglect and child abuse.  It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that the children are sent to state sponsored schools or at least kept out of the workforce, are adequately clothed and are kept in a secure environment. If a parent is found negligent in protecting the Child's Rights, they will be entitled to criminal prosecution, because a parent is supposed to be the cocoon of safety that a child has. All children will immediately be put in state care.

sai ki kahaani

एक साईं था।  कहीं से आ कर , एक गाँव के पास रहने लगा. न किसी से दोस्ती, ना काहू से बैर. अपनी रौ में रहता था. लोग आ कर कुछ खाने को रख जाते, तो खा लेता. ना रखते, तो ना खाता. कभी मांगता न था. कुछ कहता भी ना था.

धीरे धीरे, लोग साईं को बड़ा मानने लगे. उसके डेरे पर लोग खाना रख जाते. सर झुकाते, और चले जाते.

उन्ही दिनों, गाँव की एक लड़की हामिला हो गयी. गाँव वालों ने बच्चे के पिता का नाम पूछा, तो डर के मारे उस ने साईं का नाम ले दिया. लोग बहुत नाराज़ हुए, बहुत गुस्से में आये. पर भगवन के बन्दे को मारें कैसे? बच्चा पैदा हुआ, तो लोग उसे साईं  के पास ले गए. साईं से ज़िम्मेदारी लेने  को कहा गया. साईं बोले, "मेरा है? छोड़ जाओ. "

लोग गुस्से में बुदबुदाते हुए, बच्चे को वहीँ छोड़ आ गए.

अब साईं रोज़ बच्चे के लिए दूध मांगने गाँव की ओर जाते थे . मर्द लोग तो हिकारत से मुंह फेर लेते. औरतें बच्चे के मुंह को कुछ दूध दे दिया करतीं।  साईं दूध बच्चे को पिलाते , उसे पुचकारते , और सुलाने की कोशिश करते . वह बच्चे का ख्याल रखने की पूरी कोशिश करते थे .

उधर बच्चे की माँ से रहा न गया. बच्चे का असली वालिद जब लौट कर गाँव आया, तो उन दोनों में बात हुई, और लड़की ने जा कर सारे गाँव को बता दिया की बच्चा असल में किस का है. उसने ये भी बता दिया कि साईं का नाम सिर्फ इसलिए लिया था, कि लोग उसे और बच्चे को मार ना डालें.

अब गाँव वालों को बड़ी ग्लानि हुई. बच्चा किसी और का, और हम ने यूँ ही साईं पर झूठा इलज़ाम लगाया!

बच्चे के माता पिता और गाँव वाले मिल कर साईं के पास  पहुंचे, उन्हें सारी बात बताई, और बच्चा ले जाने की बात कही. साईं ने सरल मन से कहा, "मेरा नहीं? ले जाओ!"

This is a folk tale that I heard as a child and it had a deep impact on me.

 

Nakhuda to Khuda kaha hai to phir, doob jaao khuda khuda na karo..

So, I'm just curious.. exactly what were you expecting after voting for the CM of the most polluted state in India, one who has publicly come to power with industry money, with the backing of the RSS.. what were u expecting? A man who concealed his own legal marriage for only 17 years was expected to respect women?

On the eve of the polls, I wrote "I have never seen a democracy so eager to vote ...a dictator to power."

Those of you protesting rapes, and lawlessness and religious bigotry and continued inflation and .. PUHLEEEZ!! Please spare me the tyranny of having to hear how things are not mutually exclusive and how he is still the best choice and how he is anyway responsible for all sections of the country..

When you voted, I just said that we agree to disagree on political views and that was that. As you have made your bed, so you must lie in it. Please do not make me lose respect for you by now denouncing the very choice that you were promoting merely a few months ago.

I have always maintained that in this country, the most corrupt is the voter, because he sells the country for a bottle of country wine, or over a drawing room conversation. the voter sells his responsibility to his country for a little bit of convenience, a little internet bandwidth. You had a choice, you based it on propaganda. What use was your education? What use your google skills, which you would have employed even for your college assignment, but didn't employ when it was time to do your ONLY patriotic duty.

If that was a strong statement, I am not sorry.

Narendra Modi loses elections to stray dogs

Namo is sitting in his office. Shocked. He thought he had nailed it -a GOOD manifesto, promising growth and development and positive policy change. With that, his Analytics team had assured him, the thinking public will vote, and vote for him.

They had voted, but they had unianimously voted AGAINST him and his party.

Namo lost no time in asking his team to find out what exactly happened here. Such defeat was entirely unanticipated.

The team came back in 2 days, having run focus group discussions and boy, were they lucky! They had got a unianimous answer from all the people they spoke to.

The story is simple. The condominiums had stray dogs. These dogs should have been sent to a dog shelter duly created and run by an animal rights NGO. BUT each of the residential complexes had received threats when they tried to evict the stray dogs. The dogs were a source of danger to the inhabitants, but that was not the concern of the animal lovers, who didn't move a finger to create a dog shelter. The main irritant was the letters - they were open threats.

In one case, the president of the RWA was taken to the police station and threatened with a case of physical assault against the 75 year old mother of the resident activist. When asked why the said activists did not take the dogs to their own houses, the residents received further insult and threats about their criminal behaviour towards the innocent, law abiding citizens who were also animal rights activists. Never mind that their activism was directed at social adoption of all stray dogs but no personal adoption.

The residents then did the only thing they could do. They found out who was the person behind all the threats, and where they derived their power from. (they were intelligent, remember?)  The power came from being a BJP MP.

En masse, the BJP was not voted for.

And that, my dear friends, is how NaMo lost a whole parliamentary constituency to stray dogs.

GLOCAL is not such a bad word after all.

Lohri Traditions - 2

Asking for Lohri

Once the Bai Khichdi and the Til Mooli rasm are over at home, young boys and girls, dressed in their finery, form groups and go from door to door, asking for "Lohri" . The Lohri songs, with full text, are here:
http://ki-jaana-main-kaun.blogspot.in/2009/01/happy-lohri-to-all-girls.html

And you can also hear the boys's song here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_nEa7mhxD0

And this is one Lohri song that really took my heart away :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkEUsupSpko

If they sing well, they are rewarded with popcorn, peanut, gajak, rewri and other Lohri goodies. If the group is happy, they sing: Dabba bhareya Leeraan da, Ai ghar Ameeraan da (A box full of rags, this house is of a rich man)

If they are not happy, they sing:
Hukka bhai Hukka , Ai ghar bhookha
(Hukka o Hukka, this house is of paupers )

At the end of this trip around the village, the children share their booty.

The Lohri itself
The sacrificial fire of Lohri is lit up in the courtyard. You can read about the celebration here:
http://www.happywink.org/lohrifestival/bonfire-celebration.html

Basically, one does the parikrama of the Lohri Mai and offers Lohri goodies to the holy fire. Only after that is the packet in one's hand considered "Prasad". it is then given to younger family members, and also offered to others as Prasad. People share each other's Prasad and goodies.

The Dancing
After the fire, comes the dancing. Gidda for women and Bhangra for the men.
 

Lohri Traditions

Lohri is very special to me. Every year. This year, its time to document some of the lesser known traditions of Lohri.

ਬਈ ਖਿਚੜੀ / बई खिचड़ी
 At night, the family makes chana dal khichdi. Please make sure that you add jeera, heeng and saunf to the khichdi. The khichdi is kept overnight. In the morning, the family is supposed to sit together and have khichdi together at breakfast. This Bai Khichdi (stale khichdi) is the last reminder of the year gone by. With the Bai khichdi, we bid goodbye to all the anger, resentment and disappointments of the previous year. We let go of the attachments and the things that hold us back. The Bai khichdi is saying Bye, to the year gone by.

ਤਿਲ ਮੂਲੀ / तिल मूली
This tradition needs at least 2 members of the family. On Lohri morning, each member of the family gets a small slice of radish in the right hand and a few black sesame seeds in the left. They dip the radish into the sesame seeds, hold it up in their right hand, and ask "Til Mooli Chakhaan?" तिल मूली चखा? (Should I taste this Til Mooli?"
The other member of the family responds to this by saying "चखो जी!" (Please do!)
After this first, the person with the Til Mooli uses the next 4 bites to mention the things that they want to keep/ wish for in the new year. A typical sequence for an older person might go:
Til Mooli chakhan? (Should I taste the Til Mooli)

Maa pyo rakhaan? (Should I have my parents in the coming year?)

Dhan daulat izzat ikhlaq rakhaan? (Should I keep money, respect and love?)

Ghar di such shanti, deh arogyata rakhaan? (Wishing for peace at home and health)

Aye paraune da maan, guruvaan da naam rakhan? (Wishing for respect for all visitors who enter my door and prayer in the coming year)

A student might wish for Vidya da daan (gift of erudition)

A young married person might ask for harmonious relations in his/her married life.

And so on.. its a beautiful tradition - that allows you to be grateful for what you have, and also to make resolutions for the coming year.

I love the way these resolutions are worded. They are not "should I ask for". They are "should I keep" - placing the onus entirely on the efforts of the  individual making the resolution.

One by one, all the members of the family make their resolutions.

Population Tax

I have this bright idea.. instead of income tax, we should have a population tax. Why? Simple. When we tax income, we are taking away from people who succeed. We are not taxing the use of our resources. But every child that is born taxes the resources of the country. And its time to start taxing them.

The thought was honestly a continuum of that post where a 2 year old child was out in the cold and adult women sitting near him were clad in shawls. These children are brought into the world so they can be free farm labor, free begging resources. Not to be loved, cherished, and nurtured, but to be used, abused and left to fend for themselves.

So methinks, in a country where female foetuses are killed bcs they will ask for dowry in some years, what is the fastest way to dissuage this practice which doesn't help anyone? And pat the answer came - start taxing them for producing more children, make it impossible to receive any govt benefits unless the child is registered, and you have a winner. nothing succeeds like money.

 

Should children be taken away from abusive parents?

This is not an impulsive post. It has patiently brewed in the head for a full day now.

Last evening, while driving home from office in the cold Delhi winter, I noticed a child who looked around 2 years old. This child was wearing a shirt and sweater on top and absolutely NOTHING underneath or on the head. Next to him were 2 women wearing the ghaghra and with a shawl each. I stared incredulously at that sight. One of them was presumably the mother, bcs the child was not shivering. it was playing merrily. The temperature outside is likely to be about 8 degrees. I asked the woman to dress the child properly in the cold, and she used that opportunity to ask me for money and clothes! I was too flabbergasted to even comment! I know for a fact that these people are NOT short on winter clothing. As a mother, I would have used my shawl to cover the child and would have kept the child close to give it body warmth at least. At any rate, its hard to imagine a parent that lets their child play in the cold with absolutely no clothes on!

The image of that child has not left my mind yet. Because that child is no exception. We all know enough parents - moneyed and otherwise, who abuse their children.

Should the parents be allowed to keep these children and actively abuse them? Or should the children be taken away from the parents?

What do you think?