CNS

Right to education for minority girls needs attention

The cause of the right to education for minority girls was taken up quite effectively at a zonal seminar on "Empowerment of Minority Girls Through Education" at the Department of Education, Karamat Husain Muslim Girls' Post-Graduate College in Lucknow. Organised under the ageis of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, Government of India and Committee On Girls Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), Government of India, the seminar was attended by delegates from Uttar Pradesh (UP), Uttarakhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP) and other states of India.

Two events, occurring in quick succession in the recent past, have been very disturbing. One is the sounding of death knell by Mark Thompson (director general of British Broadcasting Corporation), of the Hindi radio service of BBC. And the other is an unabashed reality show doing its rounds on a popular FM Radio channel for the selection of the biggest lout of the city of Lucknow. The crunch of funds from the UK Government has forced BBC to discontinue after March, five of the 32 world services language services that it currently operates, including its Hindi bulletins. So paucity of funds has killed a non remunerative but very good quality news service. Perhaps a similar resource crunch and psychological crisis has prompted the FM Radio Channel to find and fund novel, albeit demeaning, programmes to up its popularity and revenue graph.

Although far from optimal, still considerable progress has been made in providing healthcare to transgender people in many parts of the world. Yet their mental health needs remain far from being served. "Mental healthcare problems are so severe and far from easy to overcome. I've spent seven years with therapists and doctors and even after that I've attempted suicide 5 times (4 weeks since last attempt)" said Svanhvit on Reddit.com in response to a CNS article "Mental health of MSM and transgender on blind spot."

Depression, harassment, relationship problems, loneliness, and social isolation, were among the few pressing mental health concerns that were highlighted during interactions with members from men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) and transgender community. The existing services for MSM and transgender people, firstly, are decimal and not reaching a vast majority of community members, and secondly, they seldom serve their mental health needs optimally.

It was the voice of women in Uttar Pradesh that found an expression at a silent march organised by women's organisations working for women rights in Lucknow on 12 February 2011. Though there was no slogan shouting or chest beating to lament the state of declining law and order in the state when it came to providing protection to women against violence, the message which the marchers wanted to send out to the power corridors was loud enough.

Senior activist Arvind Murti

[Listen to the CNS audio recording/ podcast of Arvind Murti's speech here]
India may be independent for more than past 63 years but a significant number of its citizens would not yet testify that they have had a chance to enjoy the fruits of freedom. "Although India got its political independence on 15 August 1947, the real ownership to its citizenry had come later on 26 January 1950 when its citizens should have taken ownership mantle, but that hasn't happened so far" said Arvind Murti, senior political and social activist of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) who is a core team member of Asha Parivar, and Editor of Sachchi Muchchi (Hindi monthly).

Every February, across the world, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this day by ‘carrying our hearts on our sleeves’? The history of Valentine’s Day — and its patron saint — is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance, both in the East and the West.

Collaboration and funding are some of the major requirements for delivering new, more effective and safer vaccines against tuberculosis (TB). This was a much-heard statement during the annual research meeting of the TuBerculosis Vaccine Initiative (TBVI). 'Challenging' would be an understatement when it comes to describing the WHO's latest plan for eliminating tuberculosis. Challenging. But certainly not impossible. In fact, TBVI's research partners, many of whom came together in Switzerland in early February 2011, are carefully optimistic about the past year's advances in vaccine research.

"Safe blood donors are the cornerstone of a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products" said Dr Dinesh Sharma, honourable Mayor, Lucknow, who was the Chief Guest at the "Blood Drive 2011" organized at Jaipuria Institute of Management in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. Mayor Dr Sharma inaugurated the Blood Drive 2011.

"The safest blood donors are voluntary, non-remunerated blood donors from low-risk populations" said Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, national President-elect, Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) 2012, who was the Guest of Honour at "Blood Drive 2011".

In Andhra Pradesh state of India, a doctor gulped down sleeping pills when pulled up by authorities for not doing field visits to follow up tuberculosis (TB) patients (source: The Times of India). "There was no other medical officer" in the clinic so she couldn't go to field visits and rather attended to her duties within the clinic – argued the doctor.

India's national TB programme (officially called the Revised National TB Control Programme – RNTCP) has incorporated the Patients' Charter for TB Care (The Charter) which is also an integral component of the WHO Stop TB Strategy (2006-2015) at the global level.

GROWING up in Zimbabwe, diabetes (a polygenic disease characterized by abnormally high glucose levels in the blood) was something that the old people always talked about, and the fear of the disease grew over me like a giant baobab. To describe a person with diabetes, the old people would say in local parlance "Ane shuga", which literally means: "He/she has sugar". Essentially, it meant that the affected person has a disease associated with sugar. To my childhood fancy, I thought that the people who were affected with the diabetes ate a lot of sugar only to discover later it was the common understanding.

DM supervising the
hand-pump construction

Just a short stroll through Rewali, Adampur, the mud embankment in Kaiserganj, Bahraich, a small district in the flood prone area of Uttar Pradesh, gives you an idea of the gravity of the predicament people here face year after year. Yet this year none seem to grumble their grievances about government apathy and inaction in rescue and rehabilitation work. In fact in most embankments the zeal to fight back the raging river shoulder to shoulder with district administration officials is a rare sight to see indeed.

The International Conference on "Emerging Frontiers and Challenges in HIV/AIDS Research" will be held in Mumbai, India during 5-8 February 2011. Organized by the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health (NIRRH), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and Indian Society for the Study of Reproduction and Fertility (ISSRF), this conference aims to provide an interactive forum to the researchers who have been engaged in addressing the cutting edge researchable issues such as mode and mechanism of HIV infection and transmission; resistance to the pathogen as well as anti-HIV drugs; disease progression; and development of efficacious strategies for HIV prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

30th January happens to be the death anniversary of two great personalities, who were very different from each other and yet had so much in common – Mahatma Gandhi and Mary Ward. One was a devout Hindu who spread the doctrines of truth and ahimsa and helped India to gain freedom from British subjugation. The other was Mary Ward, a Catholic 'woman beyond compare' of England, who worked for the rights of women. 300 years of tumultuous history separated them. One rightly earned the title of 'The Mahatma' and laid the foundations of a free India; while the other was the foundress of the Loreto Order, who had proclaimed 400 years ago that ‘women in time to come will do much’. Both gave up their lives fighting for integrity, justice, peace and freedom.

My first impressionable memory of Pundit Pradyumna Kishore Shankhdhar, whom we respectfully called 'Babooji', was of him in his UNICEF office. He used to cycle down to the office everyday - which stood starkly in contrast to the world's finest limousines parked in this office, to which he was possibly entitled to use. The attitude to save every penny possible, sacrifice all material comforts and live frugally, and invest all possible resources in order to give a better tomorrow for his family was a mission for Babooji. "It's easier to fill books on philosophy than it is to bring one principle in practice" had said Lev Tolstoi. Babooji lived up to this principle in his life.

- Special on World Cancer Day: 4 February 2011
Cancer is a leading cause of death around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 84 million people will die of cancer between 2005 and 2015 without intervention. Simple measures to prevent cancer are: no tobacco use; a healthy diet and regular exercise; limited alcohol use; and protection against cancer-causing infections. "Enforcing health policies like the tobacco control legislations in India, can have enormous public health benefits for people" said Professor (Dr) Rama Kant, who is a World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General's Awardee for tobacco control (2005). More than 5 million people die of causes that are attributed to tobacco use, said Prof Rama Kant.

Sixty per cent of people living with HIV in India are losing their life because of a preventable and curable cause: tuberculosis (TB). India's largest network of people living with HIV (Indian Network of people living with HIV - INP+) held a meeting recently with Cepheid, and Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), the co-developers of a new rapid 100 minute TB diagnostic test (GeneXpert), to push for quick roll-out and better costing. Representatives from India's national TB programme (officially called "Revised National TB Control Programme - RNTCP") also attended the meet. Officials from the Government of India's RNTCP said that RNTCP is planning a multi-site demonstration study for gathering operational evidence for scale up of the new rapid 100 minute TB diagnostic test under programme conditions.

"India! My India" is a powerful series of four short-films made by veteran British-Indian filmmaker Yavar Abbas which documents his own experiences when he returned to India after seventeen years of self-imposed exile. Yavar Abbas went to UK after the partition of India into two countries: India and Pakistan in 1947. He refuses to accept the partition - as people connect with each other in a powerful manner across man-made boundaries. Yavar Abbas was a special guest at UGC Academic Staff College (ASC), Lucknow University and his film "India! My India" was screened in January 2011. Professor (Dr) Nishi Pandey, Director of UGC Academic Staff College at Lucknow University welcomed him.

Award RETURNED to Indian Govt

Noted social activist and Magsaysay Awardee Dr Sandeep Pandey has returned the NREGS Employment Awareness Award of Government of India to draw attention to open patronage to corruption and crime in Hardoi, UP. The award carried a citation and an amount of Rs 44,000 which was conferred upon Dr Sandeep Pandey on 2nd February 2009 by Chairperson of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

A three-Judge Special Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising Hon'ble Justice Shri JM Panchal, Justice B.S Chouhan and Justice Deepak Verma directed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to file an affidavit before it by the February 15th, 2011, informing the Court of its decision on the Reports of its own Expert Committee which has fully rejected the Command Area Development (CAD) Plans of the Madhya Pradesh Government with regard to the massive canal network of the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar canals.

For a country like India that has the largest number of people infected with tuberculosis (TB) in the world, there are significant life-saving advances made in TB care and control over the past years, despite challenges. A lot more remains to be achieved but the gains made over the past decade, are commendable. Saving 2.2 million (22 lakh) lives from TB is no less achievement - for India's national TB programme officially called the Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP). It is the largest TB programme in the world - more appreciated when we consider the positive side of its outcome.

If people living with HIV (PLHIV) are food insecure, then we alarmingly lose the desired good outcomes of quality HIV treatment and care. This was powerfully articulated and backed by evidence in the session of Dr Christine Wanke, Director, Division of Nutrition and Infection, Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, USA. She was speaking at the recently concluded Chennai ART Symposium (CART 2011).

Child Welfare Committee Lucknow sits over hearing regarding restoring the family rights of minor infant girl and her brother both children of burn victim Khusboo with their family in Gorakhpur
The case of a woman from Badialganj thana District Gorakhpur who is a victim of burn injuries inflicted on her by her own husband when he made an attempt on her life, came up for hearing before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) Lucknow.

The people living with HIV (PLHIV), particularly those who are on the antiretroviral therapy (ART) consisting of tenofovir drug, should take extra-care of their kidneys. This was another key learning for me personally at the recently concluded Chennai ART Symposium (CART 2011). CART 2011 was organized in Chennai, India (8-9 January 2011) by Y.R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG CARE), in collaboration with Centre for AIDS Research (CFAR), Brown University, National Institute of Health (NIH), University of California (San Diego), Karolinska Institute, and HIV Medicine Association of India (HIVMAI).

Is there a bone loss associated with HIV in people who are living with the virus? Yes – there is one - this was one of the learning sessions for me personally at the recently concluded Chennai ART Symposium (CART 2011). CART 2011 was organized in Chennai, India (8-9 January 2011) by Y.R. Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRG CARE), in collaboration with Centre for AIDS Research (CFAR), Brown University, National Institute of Health (NIH), University of California (San Diego), Karolinska Institute, and HIV Medicine Association of India (HIVMAI).

The antiretroviral therapy (ART) has undisputed benefits for people living with HIV. When people living with HIV (PLHIV) become resistant to drugs used in ART, treatment options that they can fall back upon to stay alive and healthy, reduce. This was a major point of academic discussion at the recently concluded Chennai ART Symposium (CART 2011).

Noted social organizations and trade unions across the country have given a strong call to fight corruption by India effectively implementing a dedicated agency to root out corruption - LOKPAL. Several examples of corruption in India like 2G, CWG, Adarsh Society, land scams, among others, where responsible people like politicians, government officers, industrialists, journalists or defence personnel are alleged to be involved, have proved that despite economic and technological progress India has made over the past years, the character of its responsible citizenry is eroding fast. This has put India's reputation in other countries at stake and heads of non-resident Indians hang in shame due to the rampant corruption, said the lead organizers.

(Based on an Interview, given exclusively to Citizen News Service by Dr RC Shah, honorary surgeon to the Governor of Gujarat, and recipient of President’s Gold Medal)
We are indeed living in hostile times. There is violence not only at the war front, but also in our homes, on the roads and even in hospitals. It seems as if each of these places has become a battlefield. Hospital rage is increasingly becoming a common phenomenon. Every day, we hear about patients’ relatives creating a ruckus in hospital premises, protesting against doctors’ apathy—either treatment is not given timely or it is wrong treatment. Sometimes doctors also retaliate in self defense to show that they are above reproach like Caesar’s wife.

Inter-country adoptions of orphans and destitute that was going on at the family courts in Lucknow unchecked so far, came under serious scrutiny post a complaint made by Saaksham Foundation to the Chief Justice of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Mr FI Rebello. Taking immediate cognizance to the report made by the organisation post two years of investigation, Hon'ble Mr Justice FI Rebello ordered an inquiry into the cases forwarded to him by the organization working to prevent violations of child rights in Uttar Pradesh.

If attempts on life and desertion of a minor girl child won't shake the State Women's Commission or the UP Police into action to do their jobs then one never knows what will. In yet another bizarre case of apathy and insensitivity the UP Police and the State Women's Commission together ensured that not one but two women; one a minor, were not given access to justice on their rights being brutally violated.

Photo credit:
Stop TB Partnership

Dr Lucica Ditiu has been appointed Executive Secretary of the Stop TB Partnership. A native of Romania, Dr Ditiu is a physician and researcher who has devoted her career to improving the lives of people living in communities heavily burdened by tuberculosis (TB). Dr Ditiu, aged 42, began a career with WHO in January 2000 as a medical officer for TB in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia within the disaster and preparedness unit of the WHO European Regional Office.

Photo credit: Narmada.org

NAPM has been in existence for about two decades and since 1992 there has been constant endeavour to build alliances. Firebrand social activist Medha Patkar who led the process with many other committed fellow activists, provides a bird's eye-view of two decades of building up of NAPM...
It all started with Harsukh Sammelan in the Narmada Valley where we all started thinking that we must come together as an alliance and we actually went to different states along with some other activists and we decided this because we felt that without that this whole destructive development policies as an issue is not going to be politicised.

The United Nations General Assembly has created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, in July 2010 -- a new agency solely focused on women's rights with a view to invest in women's equality. In the words of Michelle Bachelet, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, "This is a time of great promise. We have a historic opportunity to accelerate the achievement of what champions of gender equality have worked towards for years."