Gang rapes - and the failure to stop them

RAPE. CASTE KILLS. MUTILATES. GANG RAPES. 

Picture taken from hinduhumanrights.info

And add to it the callous political statements made by the state ombudsmen. Lately, social, print and the broadcasting media are brimming with fresh cases of violence against women and rising anger of the masses against it.

Our country is being hit by such nerve chilling incidents on a daily basis now. In the past four decades, the number of reported rape cases in India shot tenfold from 2500 to 24,923 in 2012, according to the statistics from National Crime Records Bureau. Since many rapes go unreported, the problem may be worse. There’s family pressure to keep quiet about the crime, and it’s difficult to know whether the increase means more rapes have occurred or shows a growing willingness among victims to come forward.

Barely had the nation recovered from the brutality of Delhi gang rape before 2013 New years eve, we heard about the Shakti mills gangrape in Mumbai in August 2013. Even after implementation of stricter laws and harsher punishments to the accused, Badaun rape case in the remote village of Uttar Pradesh shocked us again. Incidents like these are like mealtime news for the state of UP where 60 million out of the 200 million inhabitants survive on less than a dollar per day. Clearly the problem lies in unemployment and poverty. As men from these patriarchal backgrounds are unable to make a mark in their society they turn to misogyny and sexual violence for inflicting their dominance over the weaker sex. Upper caste men suppressing the lower caste women; in a country already marred by caste and gender discrimination, a woman Dalit becomes a double Dalit. Mostly the rape victims are minors from lower castes.

The gravity of the situation lies in realizing the root cause of these gang rapes. Men with similar criminal instincts at same place, same time making them hunt like a pack of dogs. These incessant incests are brought up in our less privileged neighborhood itself. Put yourselves in their shoes; living in a small tattered hut with 8 plus people where domestic violence is so prevalent that it seems totally normal. Drunken husband and father beating up his wife and kids. Forced sexual intercourse infront of their kids, molestation, is a day-to-day affair. Education needs to be given from the grass-root level with sex education and law awareness. Better environments will only bring up better individuals.

Even after relentless media coverage and public outrage to such incidents, the rape of a six year old girl in Bangalore added to the horror and shame of the citizens of India. The accused may have been caught and will prosecuted too but will a death penalty to them end the rapist mentality epidemic? Personally, I feel the death penalty is an easy escape for the criminal from the crime he committed. While, the victim, if survives, is mentally and physically scarred for life why hang the guilty and let him escape his deeds. Punishments like Physical/Chemical castrations with life imprisonment need to be put in ordinances and law awareness must be spread to the remotest of the villages and cities. Only then shall the better halves of India breathe freely and lead a life of peace and dignity.

Also, we need to sensitize the political class to refrain from passing irresponsible comments on the national platform. Comments like "Boys will be boys", "Uttar Pradesh has least number of rape cases in India" by the state Chief Minister are deterrents to our society and also paint a sorry picture of India in the world. Karnataka CM also faced heavy criticism after he snapped back at the reporters saying, "Except that, don't you have any other issue? Is this the only news you have?". This justifies that the mindset of the common and ruling class needs to be changed exigently or Indian women will keep paying the price!

Education system of India: What has gone wrong ?

After clearing the 10^th board exams the immediate worry of every student is to choose the stream that would decide his future. Having done that they recklessly start preparing for IIT-JEE, AIPMT, CA exams without even being sure of where their interest actually lies. This article addresses that student and questions the impetuous college admission rat race.

Completing my Undergraduate education from an IIT, I have experienced that 80% of my colleagues including me were unsure of what we would be doing after graduation. Rather we were uncertain to even our areas of interest. This happens when one jumps into studying for a competitive exams just because they got good grades in the 10^th boards. Moreover, their parents consider that their child conquered Mt. Everest by achieving the magic figure of 99/100 in Maths and Science.

Will achieving a cent percent in these insignificant exams keep you happy for life?

The answer is certainly NO.

Most students jump for a college education just because that is the easiest option they see. While their parents slog days and nights to furnish those hefty tuition fees the student enjoys a life oblivious to the daily hassles of life unperturbed to the idea of survival in the world. If Indians are so much in awe of the western culture, why can’t we adopt some of their principles of financial freedom of teenagers stepping into adolescence rather than blindly following their consumer base of branded clothing and electronic gadgets?

One doesn’t need the stamp of an IIT or IIM to be a writer, politician or an IAS officer. Yes, you better know the people I am talking about here! Motto should be to strive for originality rather than banality; simply clearing competitive exams for piling up degrees in your name.

If you really want to start a business, beginning after your high school is not a bad idea. What’s the point of enrolling yourself in an engineering college? Kids graduate college with an atrophied idea muscle. Starting a business forces you to exercise that muscle every day! Entrepreneuring teaches you how to do business, not an MBA degree!

Like travelling? Go explore the world after your high school! Taking a drop year after failing to clear the JEE’s can be very frustrating. Instead meet new people. You will learn how important the education you crave for is actually worth? You will learn the value of how to stretch a dollar!

Like arts or sports? Spend a year in professional painting or photography or simply learn a musical instrument. Creation does not happen from inspiration. It happens from perspiration, discipline and passion. Mastering a game teaches you sportsmanship, socializing, helps develop that killing instinct obviously without having to kill anyone! A pair of footballing shoes or a DSLR would cost you much less than a college education. Dare to think beyond IIT’s and IIM’s!!

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However, a counterview would say these things can’t be applied to an Indian scenario. As social and financial security cannot be granted by the govt. of a population of 125 crores unlike the US, parents invest a great deal of money and effort into college admission of their kids. This may apply to the lower middle class but what about the wealthy ones? Govt. invests thousands of crores into IIT’s, NIT’s and IIM’s only to see that more than half go abroad to study further and settle there. Hardly 20 percent of the remaining actually get a job in core industries of their discipline. Eventually the tax payer’s money is only wasted. So why not us, the middle and upper class think before what we really want to do before rushing for easier options and let the poor and deserving benefit from these govt. institutions and funds.

Inertia

I may be a Physics geek to many but this piece is certainly not about Newton’s first law of motion. In layman terms, Inertia is the tendency of a body to resist change. In a truly Indian scenario inertia can be seen as the huge pile of files in government offices, dug-up roads and open potholes with garbage all around (waiting for the stray dogs and monsoon to clean it up) or even the cow sitting in the middle of a busy road. Inertia is the reason we need change in age-old constitutional govt. policies, amends in laws for dealing crime and rape cases. And inertia is the reason people like me just write and do not work on such matters.

Nevertheless, I needed to get my college certificates attested for visa purposes. So, I went to the District Magistrates office for his signature and stamp. I was directed to his clerk for completing the required paperwork. When I asked him to make a file for my work, the babu looked furiously at me for disrupting his untimely chai session. As usual, I was told to wait until further notification. I realized my naiveness when another clerk came forward and signaled me to offer some moolah. Hence, I learned ‘Gandhi’ was the external driving force to set a babu in motion. I did the needful. In between he slipped out saying “Saab se mil ke aata hun”. I was stranded for two hours with only half the work done. Later, I also learned that the speed of his working was directly proportional to the weight I laid on the file. With a lot of persuasion and obviously a hundred bucks more to break his Inertia I was barely able to get my work done before the Magistrate left. 

Well, this was inertia of rest. Bikers and car drivers reluctant to pause on a red light signal around busy crossings is inertia of motion; traffic violations being the most common reasons for accidents. Inertia for us humans is, therefore, our mentality and approach towards life. The habits we don’t want to change. The routine we don’t want to break apart from. Everyone wants change to happen around them. But very few actually want to be the change! 

IIT ROORKEE - The Nostalgia

Main Building of IITR

The news of my selection at Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee came as a surprise to my family members they never expected a positive result in an exam (JEE) which has a cruel selection ratio of just 1% (among 5 lakh candidates)!

Roorkee, a small yet congested town in Haridwar district, juxtaposed beside the Ganga canal (built by the British in 1800's) lies in the foothills of Himalayas. Also famous for one of the oldest Army Cantonment in country with headquarters of the Bengal Engineer group (remnants of British Indian Bengal Army) Roorkee hasn't grown much around the IIT despite harboring almost 10,000 students in the small green campus.

Spanned across 450 acres the clean and green campus of IIT Roorkee is protected from city pollution and highway traffic. Previously known as Thomason College of Civil Engineering (founded in 1845 to help train engineers for the construction of the Ganges Canal) and then University of Roorkee, this main building dates back to the British era.

My first steps in the city were on a sweltering summer afternoon. Admission procedures ate up the whole day due to unnecessary paperwork. Even after a decade gone by converting into an IIT, the antediluvian standards of University functioning still prevails.

Sacrificing my afternoon naps and attending classes in those 45 degrees days of July August were equally excruciating as getting up those foggy 4 degrees bone chilling winters in December January. 

Situated in a small town, we students wandered a lot in the food streets Uttarakhand to satisfy our taste buds and quench the homesickness. Sipping cheap awful beers (realization after coming to Belgium) near the Solani river Ghats watching the serene sunsets, lip-smacking chai pakoras at Alpahar and University Canteen whilst bunking classes were some of the best moments I remember.

Lectures, assignments, tests, practicals, facing neurotic professors was a daily affair but all that never became a defining venture during my college life. The cycling trips besides the canal, evening jogs around campus, afternoon football with friends in hostel lobbies or gardens, the late-night hunger hunger driven trips to the Bus-T, the unforgettable exclusive cheese-maggi of Govind Bhawan were the things that kept me sane for the 5 whole years.

Having explored all nuances around the R-land, be it River rafting and Bungee jumping at Rishikesh, snow escapades in Auli and Shimla, hiking around the ethereal woods or trekking in the lush green mountains of Mussorie, time flew by with ease.

5 years, 10, semesters, 72 courses, 198 exams and innumerable night-outs for those mundane procrastinated assignments were a journey I would not have completed without my friends. In a nutshell, this campus gave me much more practical life lessons than my course on Physics, leaving me with a constant desire to excel among the best.

With this note, I bid adieu to my Alma Mater with high regards and respect for everyone and everything that shaped and influenced me in this chapter of life.

(currently pursuing my Masters in Nuclear Fusion at Ghent University, you can reach me via Gaurav.Shroff@UGent.be)

Oblivion

Oblivion - The state of being unaware of the surroundings. 

http://www.thegrandsarachis.com/projects/disconnect/

With the social media talking about almost everything from politics, sports, business takeovers, celeb gossips and what not, the average internet user is no longer oblivious to his surroundings. Unless you are a Alia Bhatt who manages to be in public spotlight with the 'reel' tag of 'Student of the year' and an 'IIM Graduate'. Well, it is rightly said, "Ignorance is bliss''.

But on a closer look we would find that we have become blind to our own self. Why ? 

We wake up in the morning and the first thing we do is check our 'smartphone' for notifications and Whatsapp messages !! We don't bother how we sleep but we surely make sure our phone is on charging and goes to sleep before we do !! Ours is the generation suffering from hyper-consciousness coupled with acute self-unawareness. The age group 15-45 has become too much tech savvy and internet dependent. 

When was the last time you went for a peaceful jog at the stroke of dawn leaving your 'extended organ' behind? When was the last time you flipped a dictionary for a tricky word instead of just 'Googling it' ? Catching up with your old friends rather than just liking their Facebook statuses !

We have become too much socio-savvy and have lost touch with ourselves. I maybe me called a hypocrite for using the same social media for preaching against its overuse but where else can I spread the message.

Gaining social acceptance has gained greater importance over self-realization and personality development. One feels the need to share his holiday trip pics, coffee hangouts, movie outings and even the daily moods and meals ! The need to be heard. The need for recognition. The need for appraisal. Family time now means all the members sitting together with their heads down scrolling down their notifications after a busy day. We really need to disconnect in order to connect in real sense. Disconnect from these gadgets. Disconnect from the ostentatious virtual profiles of people. Disconnect from the messaging services.

Write a postcard to your distant loved ones. Dump your i-pads and buy an actual book. Give a surprise visit to your college friends. Plan a trip with your family members. Do some social service - Teach some poor kids instead of just pointing fingers at the government. Just break apart from these wireless shackles and take a plunge into the pool of reality. And feel the difference of Being Human than being a texting robot. Break free because the world is yours to explore ! Think about that !!

An Obituary to Spain.

Witnessing a shambolic 5-1 defeat handed by the vendetta seeking Dutch, it appeared as if the Spanish football team had already booked their return tickets. And to the dismay of millions of fans their worst nightmare came true when Chile- The South American Underdogs took out the Defending Champions in the 'Life or Death' group stage match.

Dumped out of the World Cup after just two group games on the same day that King Juan Carlos abdicated his throne and signed it over to Prince Felipe, the nation's footballers have now relinquished the crown they once wore with distinction. 

The winds of change were evident when star players Xavi and Piqué were benched for the match against Chile. An ineffective and lackluster Xabi Alonso was also replaced by his young and rightful successor Koke after half time. But Eduardo Vargas and Charles Aránguiz of Chile had already done the damage.

An era of footballing supremacy coming to an end, La Roja's may well have to reinvent their tiki-taka style of play. The national team comprised of players from the top English and Spanish leagues, but this immiscible admixture of players with contrasting playing styles proved suicidal for the country. Although, being hailed as the best team on paper with 3 players from it in the World XI, the on-field performance was equally embarrassing. The possession based gameplay of Barcelona and the Counter-attacking tactics of Real Madrid put together made a total curry. It was clearly evident that Del Bosque's men were confused, low spirited and had no proper strategy against both Netherlands and Chile. No more so than veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas -- the captain, the man who despite having not featured regularly for club side Real Madrid kept his place in the team.

For the past six years, this Spanish side has thrilled those who marveled at its tiki-taka passing and ability to make the game look so effortless. For so long a perennial failure, its victory at the 2008 European Championship finals ushered in a period of almost flawless football. Victory at the 2010 World Cup was secured courtesy of a win over the Netherlands, while it retained its European crown comfortably two years later. But the signs of weakness have been growing ever since it was swept aside in last year's Confederations Cup in Brazil. The 3-0 defeat by the host nation in the final shocked not only seasoned observers but also those who had believed Spain's domination would surely continue. The loss certainly puts the future of the illustrious Del Bosque's reign into a precarious state.

Gone are days for the likes of Casillas, Alonso, Xavi, Torres and Villa, the ones who ruled the world football for almost 6 years. With more than 100 caps each, I think these veterans need to hang their boots and pass on the baton to the young players who are determined and hungry for glory. As a diehard Spanish football fan myself, I hope that this eclipse marks the heralding of a new dawn with the ushering of fresh talent to carry the legacy forward. And with the U-21 national team winning 2011 and 2013 UEFA European Championships there is no denial that La Rojita's (The Little Red ones) have it in them to take the Spanish flag on top again.

2016 edit: 100+ caps for Iniesta, Ramos, Piqué and Fabregas for nothing. Over dependence on De Gea. Players failed to display their international club level playing ability. Lackluster defending. Euro 2012 scorer, Mata not even in the squad! Time for Del Bosque to part. How the hell is he still there!? Full marks to Buffon - A living legend. Unarguably the safest 8 yards are  the one he guards.

PS: Spain's Home ELEVEN.

Memoirs of Kashmir

"Agar firdaus bar roo-e zameen ast, Hameen ast-o hameen ast-o hameen ast",

wrote by a famous Sufi mystic, poet, composer and musician Amir Khusro, belonging to medieval period which means;

"If there is Paradise on face of the Earth it is this, it is this, it is this (Kashmir)".

With reignition of the debate on Article 370, the constitutional clause that gives special status to the disputed land of Jammu & Kashmir, the contemplative self prompted me to pen down the childhood memories of a family holiday visit to Kashmir exactly 10 years in the past. This was the time when Shahrukh Khan starrer Main Hoon Naa, featuring Indo-Pakistani conflict gained tremendous box-office success. Considering the relatively amicable Indo-Pak relations and absence of any militant activity for a while, we found it an ideal window to tick off Kashmir from our annual summer vacations checklist.

Getting there

We set off from Indore to Delhi via a train journey with our family friends. To keep a balance between budget and time, we took a flight for Jammu thereafter. (I recall complaining about landing amidst a vast barren land as opposed to the idea of a lush green mountain view. My father tapped me on the head telling we were yet to go to the Kashmir valley.) We were fortunate to get a friendly driver for road trip to Srinagar. I don’t remember his name but frequent parleys regarding tourist footfalls on the controversial and terrorized land revealed that his own elder brother was forcefully taken into a militant training camp. This shocker was a routine affair for the Kashmiri localites. As alleged by the driver a person of the family had to be involved in such groups in order to preserve his family. To our horror we came for a leisure trip to a place where people are unsure of seeing the Sun the next day. My friends and I started playing Antakshari to ease the sudden eerie that gripped our wagon. We witnessed a long convoy of Army vehicles before passing through the Jawahar tunnel. The One and half a mile tunnel pierced through the heart of a mountain isolates you from the world gripping you into its serene darkness. The two-way tunnel facilitating round the year connectivity from Jammu to Srinagar is heavily guarded by military round the clock.

Things to do

On reaching Srinagar, we headed out in Shikaras for the search of House boats at the famous Dal Lake. However, we found them quite unhygienic and over-pricey as opposed to hype created around them. So we settled to lodge in Hotel Zabarvan, a mid-segment lakeside hotel located in the Boulevard area. Taking a good night’s rest we went on to see the Mughal gardens the next day. The ambrosial array of flowers were reminiscent of God’s own platter of colours. One may try the mouth-watering Kashmiri cuisines just outside these gardens. These local delicacies can knockout any connoisseur be it the sizzling kebabs, the exuberantly spiced Rogan josh, meat-loaded rishta-gushtaba and Dum Aloo, Hakh (spinach like leaf) with Zafran (saffron) rice for the green eaters. 

Next day we reached Sonamarg, driving by the spectacular country side facet of Kashmir. Sonamarg, which means 'meadow of gold' has, as its backdrop, snowy mountains against a cerulean sky. Situated on the banks of Nallah Sindh, tributary of Jhelum River, the river snakes amidst the imposing Himalayas. Ponies can be hired for the trip up to Thajiwas glacier but I would recommend a trek to enjoy the view. Gulmarg boasts Asia's highest and longest cable car project, the Gulmarg Gondola, spanning from Gulmarg resort at 8500 ft to Knogdoori Mountains at an altitude of 12000 ft. The mile long serpentine queue for the ride seemed as if the Gondola’s offering a stairway to heaven. Unrehearsed of the weather conditions at the Kongdoori station, we were hit by bone chilling winds and we rushed back for the down-station. Nevertheless, the view from the cable car was absolutely breath-taking as if God himself descended on Earth to paint on a life-size canvas. For those who are still wondering, Gulmarg has been the location of shooting of superhit Bollywood Films like Bobby, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Highway to name a few.

Pahalgam, our next destination offers an unforgettable horse ride up a fairly steep mountainside leading to a magnificent meadow ringed by trees and snow-capped peaks. We also visited Chandanwari which is the starting point of the holy Amarnath Yatra that takes place every year in the month of Sawan (July to August). We stayed there for two days in JKTDC guest houses, popularly known as Pahalgaon Huts. We had a sumptuous lunch of Rajma and Chole at the famous Purnima hotel. Yes, the unfortunate June 12, 2004 grenade blasts that killed 5 and injured 29 people in that dining hall happened just two days after our visit!! Both our evening dinners were at some Chicken and Tea stall in the market place. I fail to recall the exact place but that exquisite Roasted chicken is something I still crave for. For those shopaholics, this market offers a wide range of exclusive Cashmere shawls handcrafted to perfection.

Patnitop, the last chapter to our escapade to the paradise on earth, is perched on a plateau in the Shiwalik belt of the Himalayas across which the Jammu-Srinagar Highway passes. Paragliding at Patnitop offers stunning views of the mountains cape enveloped by thickly wooded Cedar/Deodhar forests in the Chenab basin. Encompassing such beautiful destinations we were rejuvenated yet reluctant for our return journey. We could not go to Ladakh, which is 250 km from Srinagar, but that would be another must-see place if you are an adventure freak and relish the adrenaline pumping high altitude treks. 

Altogether, the journey was truthfully mesmerizing and although we had a lucky escape from the blasts, it’s sad to see such a beautiful place being guarded by army personnel at every point. Let’s pray that Kashmir is peaceful again with the efforts of new central govt. for strengthening the Indo-Pak ties as even the average Kashmiri simply wants peace and freedom.