Once upon a time pigeons worked as messengers to carry messages .The trend of carrying the message through pigeons has stopped but the legacy of pigeon flying still continues in Old Delhi ..Aqsa Anjum has a story.
By: Joydeep Hazarika, Sanjeev Srivastava, Sumit Singh
The General Elections and the Indian Premiere League (IPL) collide with each other this April. And a question arises. Which of these is more important for the people?
As India prepares to welcome the summers this year, two events of epic proportions collide with each other. The 15th General Elections and the 2nd edition of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) are taking place together this April. And already preparations are underway for the coverage of these two events.
Now the only thing remained to be seen is which one scores over the other in terms of coverage. The importance of IPL over elections is something which has divided opinions among various circles. As we look into them, we find that the story is splitting into two halves. It is one section which thinks that the elections will not be affected by the IPL. While the other section thinks that the elections will be affected by the IPL.
Qamar Agha, who is a political analyst and hosts a few TV shows, says that the elections will not be affected by the IPL. He says that the people will always give more importance to their right to vote under any circumstances.
Echoing his thoughts, students from Delhi University, who are ever conscious of their rights, give out full support to the elections. For them, it is a celebration of their existence in democracy and they are very vocal about their support to the elections.
Now as far as those people are concerned who feel that the IPL will affect the turnout of voters in the elections, we find that there is a section who believes that the political machinery of the state has rotten beyond doubt. It is a reflection of those Indians who are frustrated from the existing corruption in politics of this country. It is a sign of the unrest that is brewing within from quite some time.
Subrata Mukherjee, who is the convener of the Asian Political Science Association and a former professor of Delhi University, feels that the way people view the elections will remain the same whether there be any IPL or not. He is among those people who feel that the state machinery has rotten down and the corrupt politics has totally disinterested the people in events like the elections.
But some people wouldn’t still go out of their way to take any side. They still want to view it as a platform where these two events will go off without affecting each other much. Chetan Chauhan, a former cricketer turned politician, feels so.
So in this age of publicity and hype, the war for coverage between the elections and the IPL is more about the prominence of democratic ideals and the entertainment quotient of cricket.
As there is a division in thoughts, we find that people are divided in their opinion regarding the importance to be given to the General Elections or the IPL.
By Ektaa, Gaigongmai, Shilpi, and Helen
Modern India has made strides in the field of science and technology. However all this takes a back seat when the festivities start. Navratras the nine day Hindu festival of fasting will see many observe the fasting without really knowing its implication on their health.
Navratras come twice in a year, the biggest in September/October, called Sharad Navratras, and the Vasanta Navratras in March/April. This festival sees the worshipping of goddess Durga, in her nine avatars. Navratras is a traditional festival of Hindus and it is today a well practised event.
These nine days see devotees observing fast for nine days continuously, and following a strict diet. It’s widely believed that these nine days of fasting will help the devotees to lead a pure life.
“The Navratras are a way of cleansing ones soul; also they make it possible for the people to get closer to the divine power”. Says Manoj Jha, a priest at the “Mata ka Mandir” New friends’ Colony New Delhi.
Millions of Hindus in India observe this fast religiously. Traditionally allowed only one meal a day, they carry on with their daily work without any complaint. They believe faith gives them the power to fast for such a long time. A special diet is prescribed for the people who fast, a diet consisting of fruits, milk and non-grain, non-cereal products.
However many people are not aware that not eating for such long hours, and not eating regular normal food can also have an adverse effect on the health of those observing this fast. While devotees keep on praising the positive effects of fasting, voices are being raised in the medical spheres. The Navratras diet itself is not completely harmless for the body. Certain persons are more exposed to the side effects of this fast than others.
Charu Dua a dietician at Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital New Delhi says “I won’t advice my patients to follow Navratras, especially to those who are suffering from diabetes, heart problems, or who want to lose or just maintain their weight.”
Navratras diet is “a rich food”, full of carbohydrates, which are basically sugar fats. For example, potatoes and the kuttu flour, especially used during this festival, are rich in these nutrients.
For people in sane health, Navratras can also create troubles. After 9 days of fasting, they may lack vitamins, sodium, potassium and proteins. All these vitamin deficit results in weakness and dizziness. Regarding the proteins, Charu Dua explains that during the festival people eat half of the amount of proteins they normally need.
Nevertheless, Charu Dua adds that “there are healthier ways to fast”. She recommends lots of fruits, milk, and curd and sago products. For her, “100% fasting is not recommended. People should at least take two proper meals a day”.
But facing tradition, religion and superstition, scientific advice is falling on deaf ears. As people insist on fasting the normal way .
The sight of a corpse leaves many with a palpitating heart. We think it is very difficult to be in a morgue handling the dead day in and out. Death, for man, has always been difficult to come to term with. And we all want to stay away from a mortuary. But “science”, says Dr. Sunay Kumar, senior resident doctor, forensic medicine at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, “has proved that the fear of dead is a misplaced notion.”
“This sealed room has all the skeletal remains of the Nithari serial killings case. It is critical until the trial goes on”, says Dr Adarsh Kumar, Asst. Professor, forensic medicine at, AIIMS. A dead body is as important as those alive to ascertain the cause of death. When there is no evidence, a dead body is the greatest witness of the dead.
Autopsy is what helps to know the reasons behind the death. The forensic experts in the mortuary along with their toxicology counterparts make a dead tell the tale of their death, of their claim for justice and peace and the pain and frustration they underwent while alive.
But a lot of facilities and care is required and the results can be, at times, startling. Dr. D. N. Bhardwaj, additional professor of forensic science and toxicology at AIIMS, recalling one of the autopsy says, “Everyone believed the death to be a murder, but it was a road accident, where the person was hit by a truck.”
Dead bodies can be of great research value. Organ donation especially eye donation is another thing being actively promoted. Dr. Adarsh Kumar, assistant professor of forensic medicine at AIIMS says, “There can be no substitute of a dead body for research purpose. And there are a few NGOs who are promoting contribution of dead bodies.”
Even in a hospital mortuaries are the most ignored places. Discussing the problems of mortuaries Dr. Kumar says that good infrastructure is limited to metros. Even at AIIMS, the lack of enough hands does affect the quality of autopsy. Another major reason is the lack of enough remuneration. “Forensic experts are the highest paid people in Australia and England.”
Dr. Sunay Mahesh, senior resident, forensic medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi says, “the stigma attached to this department is another major reason why the department struggles for enough manpower.
But apart from monetary consideration, the stigma attached to the job is especially for the 4th grade staffs who actually manhandles the body is significant.
“Life is a great surprise. I do not see why death should not be an even greater one.
Wrote Vladimir Nabokov in his 1962 novel ‘Pale Fire’
The obviousness and the triviality of death is enough to recognise that misconceptions about dead be removed.
By Reyaz, Anubhooti, Karishma
Prachi Dutt (name changed) was 10 years old when she tried smoking for the first time. Since then, ‘let me try it once’ has became a habit. Today, eleven years later, she cannot stop smoking even on her college campus, although the university has been declared a smoke- free zone.
Like Prachi, there are many others who openly flout this ban in various colleges and universities across Delhi. And they seem to have no qualms about it.
Rahul (name changed), a student of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) said, he is sure he would not be caught because he is certain authorities don’t care. “Everyone smokes openly here; even the staff and professors indulge in it. And no one says anything, neither the guards, nor the administration.”
Anand Kumar, a guard at the university concurs. “Students do smoke in the campus. But they hide the cigarette when they see us,” he said.
Apam Kharingpam, an Assistant Professor at the same university believes that smoking zones should be created at various places in the universities, just as in restaurants and airports. “The government earns a lot of money from chain smokers like me. So, I think it is hypocrisy on the part of the government to ban it in certain places and to sell it at others.”
Though the law is being openly defied by many, authorities seem to be sitting pretty after installing hoardings and banners everywhere. Professor Gurmeet Singh, the Proctor of Delhi University says, “We conduct regular classes and awareness campaigns to sensitise the students. More than going behind the students with a stick in our hand, we believe in educating them. We conducted a survey after we started the campaign. And the results show that 23 percent of the students have quit smoking after the campaign was started.”
But going by the number the people who smoke in the campuses, the ground realities seem very different. Monika Arora, Director of Hriday, a NGO working with students against smoking, questions the validity of the claim. “I don’t know how scientifically proven that survey is.”
She, however, agrees that the government and the administration are doing their best to spread awareness about the no-smoking campaign. “Change cannot be brought overnight. But going by the no-smoking hoardings and banners that have come up in the city, it appears that University administration and the government are putting in a sincere effort.”
A possible reason why the students are taking the ban lightly could be that the authorities have not been harsh while implementing it. Though the ban has been in place for quite some time now, there have been no strict actions as of yet in these universities.
Mukesh Ranjan, Assistant to Proctor of JMI says, “I am aware that the university is a smoke free zone. But I have got no official instruction yet on as to how to go about implementing the ban.”
Gurmeet Singh says, “A student can be fined Rs.200 if caught smoking in the campus. But there have been no fines as of yet because we do not want it to be a punitive effort. We want the students to understand for themselves.”
Whether the students understand or not, the fact remains that personal choices of a few are putting the health of thousands at risk. And the open defiance of the law by the educated masses goes on to prove that it is high time that stricter measures are taken so that bans like these are effectively implemented.
Quick facts
o India is the second largest producer of tobacco in the world.
o 25 crore population in India are regular tobacco users.
o Tobacco worth Rs 24,000 corers is sold annually.
o The government has to spend Rs 27,000 corers annually on free health services to offset the harm caused by it
o Every 30 seconds, one person in India dies of diseases related to tobacco or gutkha.
o Every two seconds, 1 Indian child tries tobacco for the first time.
o 4 million children below the age of 15 years use tobacco regularly.
Sources: Data compiled from the Ministry of Health and Women Welfare, Government of India, American Cancer Society, National Family Health Survey (NFHS-3), The World Health Survey, 2003.
