Healing the wounds, Intercivilizational dialogue, WIsdom Foundation

Healing the Wounds Mumbai (India) - The World Institute of Islamic Studies for Dialogue, Mediation, Gender and Peace (WISDOM) Foundation has organized a debate on an important issue. Wisdom Foundation is dedicated to the cause of non-violence, peace-building, conflict transformation, harmonious co-existence and harmonious service. Titled HEALING THE MEMORIES: AN ALTERNATIVE PARADIGM FOR AN INTER-CIVILIZATIONAL DIALOGUE, the event perhaps for the first time gathered half a dozen diplomats of different countries posted in Mumbai for talk on the crucial global concern of fight against terrorism and closing the chasms. Joined them in the dialogue were some of India’s leading intellectuals. Explaining the purpose and scope of this dialogue, Dr Zeenat Shaukat Ali, founder-director of WISDOM Foundation said: “The idea is see how we can close our clashes and live in harmony despite social, cultural and historical differences. Visibility of political tension and increasing alienation along civilizational and cultural-religious lines makes it all the more important to reflect upon the need for entering into a dialogue.” Explaining the importance of such a rare meet where a number of diplomats are scheduled to share their views on how the idea of engagement and mediation can be taken to the next level. “The central challenge for the development of strategies that can promote goodwill, moderation and commonalities among cultures and civilizations would play a significant role. The media could be invoked to spread the message,” she said. It is against this backdrop that the media both print and electronic are humbly requested to cover the event and spread the word that culturally we might be different from our neighours, but we all are first human beings. Dr Shaukat Ali who is an eminent Islamic scholar and peace and human rights activist has been at the forefront of bringing change, especially among Indian Muslims, through her lectures and writings. She has been able to rope in a number of diplomats and scholars as participants who presented their papers on different interesting topics in the event whose names are as follow: HE Mr. Peter D Haas, Honourable Consul General U. S. Department of State in Mumbai HE Dr.Leopold-Theodor Heldman, Honourable Consul General, Federal Republic of Germany in Mumbai. HE Mr. Chung Ying LIN, Honourable Consul General of the Republic of Singapore in Mumbai. HE Mr. M. Hatimi Abas, Honourable Consulate General of Malaysia in Mumbai. HE Mr Salem Al Khaledi, Honourable Consul General for the State of Kuwait in Mumbai Dr Cemal Usak, Secretary General, Inter Cultural Dialogue Forum, Writers and Journalists Association, Turkey Professor Ram Puniyani, Peace activist and member, Advisory Board, Wisdom Foundation. Dr. Asgharali Engineer, Islamic scholar and member, Advisory Board, Wisdom Foundation

The geeta johri issue

Geeta Johri matter Posted by: "Amitabh Thakur" amitabhth@yahoo.com amitabhth Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:03 am (PST) Friends, Recently a news came which said that the Rajkot police registered and then arrested arrested the executive editor, reporter and photographer of a leading vernacular daily, Divya Bhaskar, that had recently published a photograph of Rajkot Police Commissioner Geetha Johri partying on New Year’s eve. The paper was accused of “manipulating” news allegedly to increase readership. The complaint filed by Malaviyanagar Police Inspector S K Rai said the two reporters and the photographer had “gatecrashed” a private party, taken photographs of a couple in a manner that the images appeared obscene and published them alongside a photo of Johri and her husband. The caption of the photographs further questioned the propriety of Johri’s presence at the party.Batwa maintains that neither was the party private nor its venue. He said the party was organised at Neel City Club, for which passes were sold, and that his staffers were carrying entry passes.Geeta Johri has called the publication of her photo a breach of privacy. She had said that she and her family were invited to the party along with other IAS and IPS officers and she had asked the newspaper’s staff not to take her pictures. Johri had also said that her photo and an unrelated one of a couple dancing intimately were clubbed together to give the party “an obsence touch”. My wife Nutantook this matter further to know that this FIR No 6/2012 was registered under sections447, 341, 509, 323, 500, 501, 502, 109, 292and120B IPC. She talked to the complainant, S K Rai, who said that though he had got the FIR registered but he would not speak a single word beyond this. Nutan has written letters to the Home Minister, Government of India and Chief Minister, Gujarat to get this matter enquired. There could be more than one opinion on this issue and hence I present this letter for your perusal and kind comments on the entire issue- Amitabh Thakur Lucknow # 94155-34526 To, Sri P Chidambaram, The Home Minister, Government of India, New Delhi Subject- Enquiry and strict action against Ms Geeta Johri, IPS officer from Gujarat presently working as Police Commissioner, Rajkot Sir, This is to inform you that as per the information coming from Media, a completely false FIR No 6/2012 under sections447, 341, 509, 323, 500, 501, 502, 109, 292and120B IPC has been registered by Sri Sanjay Kumar, Inspector of Police Station Malviy Nagar, Rajkot (Gujarat) against three media-persons Sri Kana Batwa (editor), Sri Aniruddh Nakum (reporter) and Sri Prakash Ravrani (phtographer) belonging to Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar daily. As per the information, this FIR was registered at the instigation of Ms Geeta Johri, IPS, the present Police Commissioner of Rajkot. The reason for getting this FIR registered was that her photo in a dancing pose at a New Year eve party at Neel City Club, Rajkot was taken and later published in the Rajkot edition of the Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar. The three media persons were later arrested and released after much delay despite grant of bail by the competent Court. Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS), a Civil society working in the field of Human rights strongly condemns this gross violation of Human Rights by the Rajkot police on the illegal orders of Ms Geeta Johri. We strongly feel that the FIR registered for publishing a photo of Ms Johri dancing in a Party and another photo on its side with a young couple standing near each other is a completely illegal and undemocratic. Other than various sections related with Defamation (500, 501, 502 of IPC), even offence of criminal trespass (447 IPC), illegal detention (341 IPC), voluntary causing hurt (323 IPC) and criminal conspiracy (120B IPC) have been included in a simple act of taking a photo in dancing pose and publishing it. This act taking a photo in dancing pose and publishing it is not at all criminal in any way. What is equally serious is that Ms Johri did not get the FIR registered herself but forced one of her subordinate officers to register an FIR. One fails to understand why shall Mr Sanjay Kumar get adversely affected by a photograph of her dancing Police Commissioner? If a proper enquiry is conducted in this matter, it will be found out that the the party was almost like a public gathering where many persons had assembled and were eating, dancing and making merry. Thus, if some photographer went there and took photographs of Ms Geeta Johri, Police Commissioner and published it in their newspaper, it cannot be considered as being a crime of any sort. On the other hand, registering such a serious crime for this act is definitely illegal. It is also a clear-cut case of abuse of power and is a serious act against the freedom of Press in our democratic nation. Hence we request you to get the matter enquired immediately and to take strict action against IPS officer Ms Geeta Johri for this illegal act of extreme highhandedness. Lt No- IRDS/Geeta/01 Yours, Dt- 18/-01/2012 (Dr Nutan Thakur) Secretary, IRDS, 5/426, Viram Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow # 94155-34525 Copy- Sri Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Gandhinagar for getting an enquiry conducted and taking necessary action in this matter Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (2) 4b. Re: Geeta Johri matter Posted by: "Amitabh Thakur" amitabhth@yahoo.com amitabhth Wed Jan 18, 2012 8:03 am (PST) Friends, I present a write-up of my wife Dr Nutan Thakur on the Geeta Johri- Divya Bhaskar event. At the same time,there is also a request to provide the contact details (phone number, email etc) of Sri Kana Batwa (editor), Sri Aniruddh Nakum (reporter) and Sri Prakash Ravrani (phtographer) working at the Rajkot office of the Gujarati daily Divya Bhaskar daily, so that she might pursue the matter further. http://bhadas4media.com/article-comment/1900-2012-01-18-10-51-50.html Amitabh Thakur # 94155-34526 amitabhth@yahoo.com, amitabhthakurlko@gmail.com Back to top Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post Messages in this topic (2)

More women working on farms than men

More women working on farms as men migrate Posted by: "Sheetal - Karmayog" info@karmayog.org Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:24 am (PST) More women working on farms as men migrate....Ruchira Singh Private companies venturing into agriculture have to factor in that more women than men are working on Indian farms, shows a new study. "It is not a great mystery," said Hans Binswanger-Mkhize, a professor at China Agricultural University in Beijing, who conducted a study on transforming agriculture with a vision for the year 2039. "Women have child-caring and household duties so they choose to be at the farm." While the overall farm workforce in India is on the decline as mechanization and a shift to non-labour-intensive farming has set in, the male labour force is declining faster as men in the villages are opting for salaried jobs or migrating to cities and towns for better opportunities, said Binswanger-Mkhize. India will see a rapid expansion of food demand by 2039 as economic growth will have ushered in affluence, and agricultural growth rates will need to be faster than the targeted 4% to meet that demand, says the study, which Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia released on Wednesday. About 70% of India's 1.2 billion population is involved in agriculture and 80% or more of the farm workforce comprises women, said Harinder Kohli, president and chief executive of US-based Centennial Group that commissioned the study. "The current generation of women are less educated so they spend more time on the farms. Paid jobs require literacy, so men take more jobs such as that in the services sector," Kohli said. "However, this trend will start to neutralize when the current generation of small girls who are getting better education, become adults." For the private sector that demographic means companies may face more empowered women on the field and they will need to think in terms of working with women's self-help groups and other issues, Binswanger-Mkhize said. Investment in agriculture as a percentage of gross domestic product rose to over 20% in 2008-09 from 15% in 2004-05 as the private sector increased its investments significantly, entering areas such as agriculture research and extension services, under which companies reach out to the farming community with knowledge and equipment. Yet, for entrepreneurs, agriculture is a sunrise industry with big scope for small and big companies alike, Kohli and Binswanger-Mkhize said on the sidelines of the function, where several businessmen were seen looking for tips. "People would be looking for answers on how to invest in this market," said an executive with a company that's engaged in contract farming of babycorn, sweetcorn and chillies for exports. Kohli said extension services to farmers such as providing seeds and tractors, contract farming and information services could be "some of the low-hanging fruits" for new investors. "We need a lot more competition in this sector and ensure that this sector does not get captured by oligopolies," Kohli said. "There is enough scope for small and big companies." The executive, who didn't want to be identified, said establishing the business had taken three years of research and experimentation with foods such as fruits. "For us it is a direct relationship with farmers. There are 14 managers in extension services and our realizations are good as we are in the export market," he said. "But to take such a model for the domestic market may be very difficult." Ahluwalia said the government wants to give a push to agriculture in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17). "Inclusive growth can't happen unless we get an agricultural growth of 4%," Ahluwalia said. "We ought to provide more value for experimentation. There has to be a degree of flexibility in implementation of the policies." URL: http://www.livemint.com/2012/01/18222438/More-women-working-on-farms-as.html?atype=tp

The costs of Democracy in India

What are the costs of democracy in India? Posted by: "Sheetal - Karmayog" info@karmayog.org Thu Jan 19, 2012 12:22 am (PST) The costs of democracy in India.....A.V. Rajwade Populism, identity politics and fiscal imprudence are the other side of India's biggest achievement in 64 years It is just about a year since 14 highly respected business leaders and others addressed a letter to the government expressing concern about governance issues and their impact on economic growth. They followed up with another letter three months back. If anything, the numbers and investment climate have worsened since then. And, nothing may happen on the issues raised at least until the end of March with elections in five states. If too many of our citizens believe that all politicians are corrupt (just recall the response Anna Hazare got), the other side is that the election propaganda reminds us that most political parties and their leadership reciprocate the sentiment: the only way they seem to know of getting elected is to "bribe" the voter through reservations, quotas, subsidies and other populist measures. (To be sure, culturally, we have nothing much against corruption: just look at the number of people who offer mannat to the gods for getting a son, a daughter married, or a promotion in job.) The end result of populism has been that the finances of every segment vital for a modern economy are at a crisis point: railways, power, other infrastructure, etc. And, the government lacks the will to resist any organized group, to enforce its own rules and lows. Overall, as one looks forward to 2012, it is very difficult to discern a silver lining to the gathering clouds on the balance of payments (BoP), the fiscal deficit, the efficacy of most social programmes, and the lack of investments-and, hence, the growth prospects. In many ways, a global slowdown/recession will be extremely useful for our political masters as the domestic problems can be attributed to that phenomenon over which we obviously have no control. The fact, however, is that most of the problems are home-grown. The question is whether they have become increasingly insoluble because of our democracy, as Lee Kuan Yew and, more recently, Mahathir Mohammed-former prime ministers, respectively, of Singapore and Malaysia-have argued. On this subject, it has become almost de rigueur to self-righteously praise ourselves for being a democracy for 64 years-and pay tributes to the sense and wisdom of the voter. How true are these self-righteous assumptions? Winston Churchill once called democracy as the worst form of government-except for all the others. (Even Lee Kuan Yew has remarked that whatever our democracy's weaknesses, there is no other way to govern such a diverse country.) The other side, however, is that most Asian economies from South Korea and Taiwan, at one time, to China more recently, have grown fast under authoritarian regimes: they also seem to have done better than us in providing basic social services to all their people- education, healthcare, etc. And, as I argued in my last article (5 January), the West grew and industrialized under democracies which had no adult franchise. Nor did it need to face the holy cow of environmentalism when it was developing. To be sure, many philosophers from Socrates downward have not had great faith in democracies. Socrates questioned: "Is it not a base superstition that mere numbers will give wisdom?" And, Plato's Republic argues: "The state is what it is because its citizens are what they are." If the voter is so wise as claimed, how is it that he elects criminals; gives the divine right to rule to dynasties; does not see reservations and quotas as bribes aimed at perpetuating differences? Nearly 65 years after independence, are our caste/communal identities stronger than our identities as citizens of a democracy? To be sure, some state leaders and many "bottom up" development efforts in rural India have demonstrated that democracy need not be a bar to good governance, growth and social justice. What is more worrying for future growth is a sharp turn to the left, reminiscent of the 1970s, with industrial licensing replaced by the umpteen environmental regulations and land allotment issues. The ruling party remains more comfortable with a dirigiste regime, where the businessman has to come and ask for favours. Not that we are uncomfortable with this: we as a people remain suspicious of entrepreneurs, attributing their wealth and success to malpractices which we, the less successful, are too honest and too moral to adopt. But it will be foolish to forget that we need entrepreneurs, that 7% growth just may not be enough to finance all the needed social programmes. I am not an admirer of Ayn Rand, the high priestess of unrestrained individualism and laissez faire economics (Alan Greenspan was a chela). But I am tempted to quote her on our neta-babu raj. "When you know that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing, when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods but in favours, when you see that men get rich more easily by graft rather than by work, and your laws no longer protect you against them but protect them against you, you know that your society is doomed." What could be the tipping point for a crisis? BoP? Fisc? Inflation? Infrastructure? A.V. Rajwade is a risk management consultant, columnist and author Comments are welcome at theirview@livemint.com URL: http://www.livemint.com/2012/01/18211715/The-costs-of-democracy-in-Indi.html?h=B Back to

A 21 year old girl from Manipur was raped on the night of Jan 18th.

North East Support Centre & Helpline New Delhi 110075 nehelpline@gmail.com, www.nehelpline.net For Immediate Press Release A Girl from Manipur Raped in Delhi New Delhi, January 19, 2012 A 20-years-old girl from Manipur was raped last night. Complaint lodged, no action taken by people to arrest the culprit. North East Support Centre sent a fact finding team after the matter was reported to its office. According to fact finding team, the incident happened between 10 and 11 last night. She was waiting for public transport after she finished her office work at around 8.45 PM at Gurgaon. A man offered her lift to her resident in Mahipalpur. Instead of taking her to Mahipalpur road, the man forcefully took toward Dwarka. She screamed inside the car but man took her to an isolated area in Dwarka sector 20, beaten her, bite on face and raped her repeatedly. She was left in the place the man run away. She remained unconscious till 11 PM and called her friends and her friends rushed to the spot and found her laying in cold, wounded. The matter was reported to Dwarka Sector 23 Police early morning today, complaint lodged, not converted in FIR. The Debit Card of the rapist was found from the place, where crime took place. Police informed the victim and her friends that the rapist will be arrested within two minutes. Unfortunately, FIR is not registered and no action to nab the culprit taken by the concern police station until filing of this report. The crime against women, particularly North East Indian girls and women is not controlled. North East Support Centre & Helpline appeals to Delhi Police Commissioner to take action against police officers responsible for delay in taking action to nab the culprit. Victim hailed from Churachandpur district in Manipur. She came to Delhi in 2010 and working in a spa centre at Gurgaon. North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to women, North East People and tribal communities of different states. Released by Mr. Madhu Chandra Spokes Person

Asia Society India Centre - Dissent, Democracy and Movements for Change, w/ Aruna Roy and Manu Joseph, January 13, 11:30 am, NEW DELHI

Asia Society India Centre - Dissent, Democracy and Movements for Change, w/ Aruna Roy and Manu Joseph, January 13, 11:30 am, NEW DELHI

Dissent, Democracy and Movements for Change with Aruna Roy, Political and Social Activist and Member, National Advisory Council in conversation with Manu Joseph, Editor, Open Magazine Friday, 13th January, 11:30am Jamia Millia Islamia University, Dayar-e-Mir Taqi Mir, Conference Block, New Delhi 110025 RSVP- asiasociety@asiasociety.org.in In Partnership with Open Logo1-f.jpg jamia.jpg India has been witnessing a series of movements for change- some have been ongoing, while others have recently gathered steam. Dissent has been expressed in myriad ways including armed rebellion in Maoist areas, peaceful mass mobilization and hunger strikes, and increased action in exposing and punishing corruption. As waves of these movements rise and ebb, how do they impact development? Do certain conditions give rise to certain forms of dissent? How can we encourage development and progress while allowing for peaceful and productive means to express grievances? Are there lessons we can learn from such movements in other countries, from the Arab Spring in the Middle East to the Wall Street Protests in the United States? Aruna Roy is one of the founders of the movement for Right to Information in India, which has been credited for getting Right to Information laws passed in several states. She is also a Founder Member of the National Campaign for People's Right to Information, which played a pivotal role in the passage of strong national legislation for the right to information in the year 2005. Aruna Roy is also the President of the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW). In 2000, she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. She has been a member of National Advisory Council 1 and 2, and played a key role in incorporating strong citizens entitlements in the RTI and NREGA. Along with Nikhil Dey and others, she set up the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS). In 2010, she received the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration, Academia and Management by the President of India. She and the MKSS Collective have also been awarded the Rule of Law Award in the World Justice Forum held in Barcelona, Spain in June 2011, and were listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by the TIME Magazine for 2011. Aruna Roy resign from Indian Administrative Service to devote her time to social work and social reform. Manu Joseph is the Editor of OPEN Magazine, and a columnist for the International Herald Tribune, the global edition of the New York Times. His first novel, Serious Men, is the winner of the Hindu Best Fiction Award and the PEN Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize among other prizes.

The Vishwa show,Pune-exhibition on Environment issues