Where rape is seen as violence

RUCHIRA GUPTA

original Source : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/where-rape-is-seen-as-violence/article4253546.ece

Rape cultures are nourished by norms, attitudes, and practices that trivialise, tolerate, or even condone violence against women.The legitimisation of prostitution and trafficking will only support the myth of male supremacy, increasing such crimes

A cruel and bizarre idea has surfaced since the rape of the 23-year-old student in Delhi — that prostitution should be legalised because ‘men will be men’ and, if prostitutes exist girls from ‘good’ families will not be raped.

Besides the very elitist notion that poor women should be sexually available to protect middle-class women, the idea is an insult to most men who do not have an unbridled sexual desire. Most men will not rape women if they are not obtainable otherwise. Most men, like most women, know that there is an appropriate place and time for sex and build relationships around it. They don’t see rape as sex, but rape as violence.

However, the masculinity of the minority of men, who rape women, is not questioned by their fellow men. Men are silent, even if they don’t condone acts of sexual violence and domination by other men. They do not break the unwritten code of honour among men, by speaking up or reporting sexual violence and harassment.

This gives free reign to the cult of masculinity that creates supremacy crimes. Damini (name changed) was not just raped but monstrously violated with several objects ultimately leading to her death, showing that the rapists’ actions were based on a desire to dominate and violate. The legitimisation of prostitution and trafficking will only support the myth of male supremacy, increasing such crimes.

Prostituted women do exist. The CBI admits to three million prostituted women in our country. Yet National Crime Records Bureau data shows that between 1953 and 2011, the incidents of rape went up by 873 per cent. Obviously the root cause of rape is not lack of access to sex but a hatred for women and a desire for violence to women’s reproductive parts. Perhaps this data proves that the existence of prostitution normalises a rape culture.

Rape cultures are nourished by norms, attitudes, and practices that trivialise, tolerate, or even condone violence against women. They are further normalised if there is impunity for perpetrators either due to a lack of effective legal mechanisms or apathy to prosecuting crimes against women.

ROLE OF PORNOGRAPHY

These misogynistic norms are actually being promoted by the sex industry turning huge profits. India has become the third largest user of pornography in the world. Blue movies and CDs are available at any street corner, besides of course as phone and Internet applications. For many 12-year-olds, the first sexual encounter is a pop-up character on a TV screen, being penetrated in every part of her body, crying with tears streaming down her face, yet asking for more. This confusing message socialises some boys into believing that sex is connected to violence and domination and when a woman says no she means yes.

I would be curious to know if police investigators have thought to ask Damini’s rapists if they ever watched porn and how much. The answer may require a response, in addition to punishing the individual men.

It may require looking at a multibillion dollar sex industry that is creating notions of masculinity, which are increasing, not acting as a buffer, to the violence and rape in our culture.

The writer is Founder, Apne Aap Women Worldwide

Rape In India: Why Are There No Mass Protests For Raped Dalit Women? – OpEd

A foreigners view on India 
Rape In India: Why Are There No Mass Protests For Raped Dalit Women? – OpEd


Original Source
 http://www.eurasiareview.com/28122012-rape-in-india-why-are-there-no-mass-protests-for-raped-dalit-women-oped/

Islam: Religion of Peace By: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Islam: Religion of Peace

By: Maulana Wahiduddin Khan

Islam is a religion of peace. The Arabic root of Islam is ‘silm’ which means peace. Islam aims to build a peaceful society at all cost for that is the bedrock on which all human progress rests. It is because higher human objectives cannot be achieved in the absence of peaceful circumstances. The spiritual as well as moral progress of the individual is possible only in peaceful atmosphere. Hence the atmosphere of peace is essential for the building of good society.

Reconciliation is Best

According to a verse in the Quran, ‘reconciliation is the best’ (4:128). In the present world, problems inevitably arise between different groups, for no human situation is ever absolutely ideal. Everyone at some point in their life is faced with injustice and the misappropriation of what belongs to them by right. In these situations, only such individuals can establish peace as can rise above all considerations and disdain all pretexts to engage in violent retaliation. Therefore a peaceful man is the truly courageous. Those who are lacking in courage will continue to fight, and will thus never allow the history of the world to be re-written in terms of blessed peace.

Unilateral Maintenance of Peace

Islam enjoins the unilateral method for maintaining peace as exemplified by an event in the early period of Islam. This is known as the Treaty of Hudaybiya (Sulh Hudaybiya). On this occasion the Prophet of Islam brought matters to a successful conclusion by unilaterally accepting the conditions of his opponents. In this peace treaty, the Prophet had not apparently received justice. What was in effect a 10-year no-war pact, gave the Prophet an opportunity to work uninterruptedly on a constructive program which would otherwise have been impossible. By means of this peaceful non-political program the Prophet and his companions were able to consolidate themselves so thoroughly that they had no need to wage war: their opponents were left with no option but to surrender. Islam, therefore, gives unilateralism as the method of maintaining peace in society.

To bring about an atmosphere of peace within the society Islam has given many other commandments. For instance, the Prophet of Islam observed: ‘A believer is one from whom people feel secure as regards their lives and property’ (At-Tirmizi). According to another hadith: ‘By God, he is not a believer from whose nuisance his neighbour is not safe’ (Bukhari)

Islam aims at making all individuals peace-loving to the ultimate extent. That is why Muslims are enjoined to greet one another by saying ‘Assalam-o-Alaikum’, that is, peace be upon you. According to another saying of the Prophet, ‘The best Islam is to greet everyone you come across, whether or not you are acquainted with the person.’ (Fathul-Bari 1/103).

The frequent reiteration of this phrase ‘peace be upon you’ is in actual fact an external manifestation of the desire for peace within. Islam wishes to inculcate this feeling within every individual that he should become a true lover of peace, to the point that this feeling starts welling up in his heart, finding expression whenever he meets a person. Islam, in essence, is truly a religion of peace.
 

Dash your dentin, Dart a dazzling smile

Dazzling white teeth are every body's obsession but teeth begin get darker after a certain age. Over the period of time tiny potholes and cracks naturally form in the teeth. At the same time enamel gets thinner which will lead to more dentin, a yellowish inner layer of the tooth beneath the enamel.

Here are some of the natural home remedies for stained teeth. Get rid of tooth stains with these do's and don'ts of teeth whitening

Do's:

• Brush your teeth effectively with soft bristled toothbrush with a proper technique that is brush firmly and not forcefully.
• Use baking soda with your toothpaste and brush normally. Rinse it away with water afterwards.
• Gargle with a small capful of peroxide and rinse thoroughly with water after brushing your teeth.
• Mix charcoal ashes with your toothpaste, and brush for 10 minutes. Brushing with only ashes will still make wonders, as the crystal base chemical has a powerful satin remover. However remember that only hard wood ash contains significant concentration of potassium hydroxide whereas soft wood does not contain the same. It is still practiced in most of the villages in India.
• Rubbing the bark of walnut tree will also help to remove teeth stains.
• Eating apple after meal is the easiest and most preferable method to get rid of yellow teeth. Other foods like celery and carrots scrubs away the stubborn stains effectively.
• Drink water after eating any food or beverage like coffee or blueberries that causes stains. Water will help in preventing stains from accumulating.
• Rub teeth with the inner white part of an orange peel for a lovely white shine.
• Strawberries are the natural teeth whiteners. Rubbing the teeth with strawberries will remove all the stains. If you choose to use this method then remember to brush your teeth immediately with fluoride toothpaste and floss, as the sugar and acid may worsen the effect if it is not brushed.
• Gargling the teeth with a cup of water containing a half teaspoonful of rock salts prevents all tooth problems.
• Brush your teeth with apple cider vinegar every night.
• Rub the paste made of half teaspoon of bi-carbonate and soda on your teeth.
• Make a paste made from toothpaste and baking soda and spread it on an aluminum foil. Cover the teeth with the foil and leave it for an hour. Brush the teeth afterwards. Repeat this twice a week.

Don'ts:

• Don't use your fingernail to remove tooth stains, as your teeth are not hard as a rock. Fingernail can actually scratch the enamel which will led debris to lodge in the enamel thus worsening the situation by making the tooth more prone to tooth cavities.
• Do not use lemon or anything that has Vitamin C on your teeth. Lemon helps your teeth to become white as it reduces the major component of your healthy teeth, 'calcium'. Once it is lost it is susceptible to decay.
• Avoid excess intake of coffee, tea, red wine, carbonated drinks and smoking.
• Also avoid too hot and too cold drinks.

Us these simple methods to get the most desired dazzling smile in just few days.

1. Brush your teeth as usual with a natural toothpaste or you can use the banana peel first and then brush. Use a ripe banana as it has the most potassium content in it. Peel from the bottom end as this is how monkeys peel their bananas and it will keep you from having all those loose threads.
2, Take a piece of the inside of the banana peel and gently rub around on your teeth for about 2 minutes. The amazing minerals in the peel like potassium, magnesium and manganese absorb into your teeth and whiten them.
3. Repeat the same procedure at night or before bedtime, to whiten teeth. Leaving the banana peel on longer is optional if you have stains that need to come off.
4. Do the banana peel routine twice daily to see teeth whiten.

Candles – made from Oranges...

It probably smells a lot better too....
(Most candle wax are made from petroleum products and when burned are not a healthy choice).
You will need:
A navel orange (they are easier to peel)
a knife
Olive oil or other kind of vegetable oil
Lighter

Using a small, sharp knife cut around the orange – but only skin deep.
Use your fingers to work the skin away from the orange. Be gentle, so you don’t rip the skin! (If you are using a navel orange, the skin should loosen quite easily.)
Once it has been loosened, remove the skin – but leave the white stem-like piece intact. This will be the wick.
Fill with olive oil until it is about 1cm from the top of the wick. Dunk the wick in the oil, so it is coated. Light. Enjoy! The flame will last several hours.

If you want your house to smell heavenly,

Boil orange peels with a half teaspoon of cinnamon on medium heat. Smells amazing !!

Get Rid Of Black Heads In 5 Minutes...

Black heads on face are a common problem which all of us face, especially the blackheads on nose and areas around it. Though scrubbing helps to get rid of black heads to some extent but the results are not much satisfactory. Here’s one quick and very effective homemade remedy for your black heads and white heads.
So what are you waiting for friends , go and try this one out

The customer is always right

Everyone has heard the adage, “The customer is always right.” And while there are times that this idea can really be put to the test, quality customer service is something that every business, no matter what industry, should aspire to possess. Addressing customer complaints is a key part of nailing down that sterling customer service image. Customer complaints can actually benefit your business, as it gives you a clear idea of what areas need improvement and provides you with direct feedback from your clients. Deftly handling customer complaints can build you a strong and loyal client base; disregarding them can result in nothing but lost sales and a poor brand image. 

Jameel Aahmed 

By listening to your customers and responding quickly to their concerns, you give them a good reason to keep doing business with you. Customers find change difficult, but they appreciate changes that are in direct response to their suggestions. 

You must take action at the time of the complaint or the problem will only grow larger in the customer’s mind. Left unresolved for too long and the customer will be telling other clients, friends and co-workers about the negative experience. Please use the following format to handle complaints quickly and effectively: 

1. When the customer comes to you with a complaint, stop whatever you are doing and listen. Acknowledge the customer in an open and positive way. Make eye contact and nod to show you are listening. 

2. Never argue with a customer. Arguing will not lead to a resolution of the problem. 

3. When a customer is upset, you need to stay calm and clear-headed. 

4. Listen patiently until the customer finishes venting. Do not interrupt. If you need more information, ask questions such as “What happened next?”, “What exactly are you requesting that we do?” or “How would you like to see this issue resolved?” 

5. Assure the customer that you will do everything you can to resolve the problem. Express empathy for their situation. 

6. Ask the customer to clearly document their complaint in writing, either via letter or email. You might want to create a simple complaint / feedback form so that the customer can easily provide their information and complaint at the time of the incident. 

7. If you can resolve the problem immediately, do so while the customer is still there. If it cannot be resolved immediately, tell the customer what you plan to do to get a resolution. For example, if the customer is upset that an item is not in stock, immediately research if it can be ordered and let them know as soon as possible. 

8. Follow up with the customer within 24 hours of the complaint.

Hindu Muslim Unity: Kashmiri Muslims help Hindu family in distress

SRINAGAR: Muslims in Srinagar found a way around curfew to help a Hindu family in distress. When Krishan Chander Purvi died in the sensitive old city on Wednesday, his daughter Anita knocked at the door of their Muslim neighbours, who came rushing to help the lone pandit family in the area. From informing relatives to calling police for a curfew pass to arranging firewood to taking the body to the crematorium, Muslims did it all. Scores joined the funeral procession of Purvi at Chinkaral Mohalla in sensitive Habba Kadal.

“When my father passed away, we first informed our Muslim neighbours. They gave us a lot of support and courage. Even when my father was ill, they would frequently visit to enquire about his health,” Anita said.

“Muslims and pandits have been living in harmony for ages. That is why despite curfew people came out in hordes to join Krishan Purvi’s funeral. He was an illustrious son of the soil. Had there been no curfew, nearly 50,000 people would have joined the funeral,” Showkat Ahmad, a neighbour, said.

The right to dissent

Original Source : http://tehelka.com/the-right-to-dissent/?singlepage=1

Bal Thackeray’s legacy thrives on his anti-national Bhumiputra theory, which stands in contradiction to the idea of a united India, writes Justice Markandey Katju

“Enil maipuram ondrudayal
Ival eppumozhi padhinetudayal
Enil Sindhanvi ondrudayal”

This Bharatmata has 30 crore faces
But her body is one
She speaks 18 languages
But her thought is one
—Subramania Bharati, Tamil poet

“Bhedaadganaa vinashyanti bhinnah supajapah parai
Tasmaat sanghata yogeshu prayateranganaah sadaa”

Republics have been destroyed
Because of internal divisions among the people
Hence a republic should always strive to achieve
Unity and good relations between the people
—Mahabharat, Shantiparva, Chapter 108; Shloka 14

“Teshaam anyonya bhinnanaam svashaktim ushthtaam
Nigrahah panditaih kaaryah kshipramev pradhaanatah”

Therefore the wise authorities should crush the separatist forces
Trying to assert their strength
—Mahabharat, Shantiparva, 108; Shloka 26

POLITICAL leaders, film stars, cricketers, etc are all falling over one another in paying tribute to the late Bal Thackeray. Amidst this plethora of accolades and plaudits pouring in from the high and the mighty I humbly wish to register my vote of dissent.

I know of the maxim ‘De mortuis nil nisi bonum‘ (of the dead speak only good), but I regret I cannot, since I regard the interest of my country above observance of civil proprieties.

What is Bal Thackeray’s legacy? It is the anti-national son of the soil (Bhumiputra) theory.

Article 1(1) of the Indian Constitution states: “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States”. Thus, India is not a confederation but a union.

Article 19 (1)(e) states: “All citizens shall have the right — to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India”. Thus, it is a fundamental right of a Gujrati, South Indian, Bihari, UP-ite, or person from any other part of India to migrate to Maharashtra and settle down there, just as it is of Maharashtrians to settle down in any part of India (though there are some restrictions in J&K, and some North Eastern states, due to historical reasons).

The bhumiputra theory states that Maharashtra essentially belongs to Marathi people, while Gujratis, South Indians, North Indians, etc are outsiders. This is in the teeth of Articles 1(1) and 19(1)(e) of the Constitution. India is one nation, and hence non-Maharashtrians cannot be treated as outsiders in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena created by Thackeray attacked South Indians in the 1960s and 70s, and vandalised their restaurants and homes. In 2008, Biharis and UP-ites living in Mumbai etc (the bhaiyyas who are eking out a livelihood as milk and newspaper vendors, taxi drivers, etc) were described as infiltrators and attacked, their taxis smashed, and several beaten up. Muslims were also vilified.

This, of course, created a vote bank for Thackeray based on hatred (as had Hitler, of whom Thackeray was an admirer), and how does it matter if the country breaks up and is Balkanised? Apart from the objection to the son of the soil theory for being anti-national and unconstitutional, there is an even more basic objection, which may rebound on Thackeray’s own people.

I have shown in my article ‘What is India?’ that India is broadly a country of immigrants, (like North America) and 92-93% people living in India today are not the original inhabitants but descendants of immigrants, who came mainly from the North West seeking a comfortable life in this sub-continent (read my article on justicekatju.blogspot.in and the video on kgfindia.com). The original inhabitants (the real bhumiputras) of India are the pre-Dravidian tribals, known as adivasis, (the Bhils, Gonds, Santhals, Todas, etc) who are only 7-8% of our population today.

Hence, if the bhumiputra theory is seriously implemented, 92-93% of Maharashtrians (including perhaps the Thackeray family) may have to be regarded as outsiders and treated accordingly. The only real bhumiputras in Maharashtra are the Bhils and other tribals, who form only 7-8% of the population of Maharashtra.

Several separatist and fissiparous forces are working in India today (including the bhumiputra theory), which tend to break up the country. All patriotic people must combat these forces.

Why must we remain united? We must remain united because it is only a massive modern industry which can generate the huge wealth we require for the welfare of our people, agriculture alone cannot do this, and modern industry requires a huge market. It is only united India which can provide the huge market for the modern industry we must create to abolish poverty, unemployment and other social evils, and to provide for the huge healthcare and modern education system we must set up if we wish to come into the front ranks of the most advanced countries today and give our people decent lives.

Hence I regret I cannot pay any tribute to Mr. Bal Thackeray

Justice Markandey Katju is Chairman, Press Council of India. The above article has also appeared in The Hindu.

Persistence of a Sore: Communal Violence Today

The events taking place in different parts of the country in October-November 2012 have been very disturbing to say the least. It is the continuance and recurrence of communal events, communal violence in different parts of the country, in UP, Assam and Hyderabad in particular. In UP since the Akhilesh Yadav Government has come to power there has taken place a series of acts of violence in UP. Since Samajwadi Party took over the reins of the state in March 2012, in the past few months’ communal violence took place in Mathura, Pratapgarh, Bareilly, Meerut, Allahabad and Lucknow. The latest in the series has been the tragic events of Faizabad, where On 24 October 2012, when the immersion procession of Durga was going on, a girl was molested by few miscreants. Making this as a pretext few people started stone throwing in the nearby areas. A rumor was spread in Faizabad that Muslims are doing the stone throwing. The mob went on to burn nearly 25 shops of Muslim traders. They also rampaged the office of bilingual (Urdu and Hindi) paper Aap Ki Takat. This paper is continuously giving the message of Peace and calling for Hindu-Muslim unity. They also vandalized the mosque.

According to activist Yugal Kishore Sharan Shastri, this was a pre-planned attack. The editor of the paper Manzar Mehdi feels, this is an attempt to silence the voice of peace. The police took long time to reach the spot and did not intervene effectively. Similarly the fire brigade also took four hours to reach, by which time the shops were totally destroyed.

In the far off Assam, the recurrence of violence resulted in the death of six people, and it seemed whether there is going to be recurrence of the tragic incidents of July 2012, when nearly four lakh, mainly Muslims, were displaced and sixty people died. Assam violence was a bit different than others as here the number of displaced were much more and it seemed that there is a plan to get the Bodo areas cleared from the presence of the Muslims. Here one also saw that in the process of rehabilitation the Government is having a lopsided approach and Muslims are not being rehabilitated as many of them do not fuilfil the criterion of proper records due to various reasons. This was one case of violence where apart from police playing its role of a mere onlooker, the propaganda, based on misconceptions was made the base of violence. It has been propagated that Muslims are infiltrators, Bangldeshis and have been encroaching the lands of Bodos. Lot has been written to dispel this myth. Muslims have mainly been coming from Bengal from 18th Century due to the British policy of reducing the pressure on overpopulated Bengal and to ensure that the stretches of Assam, having low population density are populated. Since the perceptions have made a deep root in social common sense, the violence against Muslims, the citizens of Assam-India have gone on and communal forces have taken full advantage of that.

The third incidence is from the Southern state of Andhra, where the historic monument of Charminar is being vandalized by putting up renovation of Bhagyalaxmi temple, which is abutting the Charminar. This violates the norms of Archaeological Survey of India. The plea of ASI that the changes in temple may damage the Minar and that this an illegal act is falling on the deaf years and government has been letting the act of desecration of Charminar going on, much to the annoyance of the people of old city of Hyderabad and historic Charminar area. There have been minor skirmishes due to which many a people have been injured and the area saw the curfew for some time.

These three incidents are very typical of as to what goes on to make a communal violence. There is preplanning in these acts, as is clear in all these cases. The pretext and rumours about violation of the modesty of women, is very much visible in the case of Faizabad. In case of Faizabad, apart from intimidating the minorities, burning their shops, the ransacking of the office of bilingual paper, Aap Ki Taqat is very symbolic. This paper is bilingual, Urdu and Hindi. Its belief is that Hindu Muslims are brothers and Hindi-Urdu are sisters. It has been talking of peace in Ayodhay and is opposed the communal politics which led to Babri demolition. In UP while the Samajvadi party (SP) is very much in the total control of situation, how come violence is taking place? SP has been always claiming to be secular and in past many a times it has come forward to protect the values of secularism. There seem to be deeper forces which are beyond the control of SP, or does SP sees a political benefit in letting violence happen remains to be seen. It is painfully obvious in case of UP, Faizabad also that police machinery is not interested in controlling the violence, even when it can. It either helps the rioters or looks the other way round when the violence is taking place. In Hyderabad one sees the use of historical places to incite the communal tension. How systematically communal forces built up the Ram Temple campaign leading to demolition of Babri Masjid is a sad reminder to what can happen in Hyderabad. In Ayodhya also Babri Masjid was a monument under control of ASI, but with political hysteria built around it, it was demolished in the broad day light with state, police very much in the know of things.

The multiple factors which lead to communal violence remain unaddressed so the recurrence of these acts of violence goes on in such a painful way. Social activists and scholars have pointed out the role of communal forces, state machinery, irrespective of who is in power; the role of rumours, the ‘social common sense’ targeted against minorities persists. It is very sure that unless the problem is dealt with in its totality the country will keep suffering the pain of this violence and minorities in particular will keep suffering. It also reminds us as to what is the state of our democracy and the need for an effective and balanced Communal Violence Bill? No democracy can be satisfactory unless the minorities are safe and secure and are having equity in economic matters. These incidents are reminders to all those having faith and longing for a peaceful, secular, democratic society that we need to work against those who operate on communal ground, we need to ensure that social misconceptions are removed and an atmosphere of amity is created and that pressures have to bring in Communal Violence prevention Bill to punish the acts of commission or omission by political authorities and the police forces…

http://beyondheadlines.in/2012/12/persistence-of-a-sore-communal-violence-today/

Ram Puniyani