Other pandemic: Does India leading towards women outraging?

Society is comprised of men and women but the respect and values that men gain are comparatively higher than women. Why is this so? Does the woman have less capacity?  Or Did God make women inferior? 

The answer is still far far away to know.  Several centuries have been passed since the period women started feeling aside by society and it's now the 21st century, the modesty of women is ruining day by day, minute by minute. 

BACKGROUND 

You must have heard the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata when you were a kid from your grandmother or mother. At that time, these stories look so fantastic to us that we never took a second to look into the bad flows of it or you can say we had no that much maturity to understand the wrong depicted stories of it.  

Ramayan:  Sita was forcibly taken away by Ravana, who wanted to make her his queen. Sri Rama killed Ravana.

Ahalya was deceived into having sex with Indra. As a result,  her husband Rishi Gautama cursed Indra that he would have 1,000 vaginas all over his body. Indra was so ashamed of the vaginas that sprouted all over his body that he went into hiding. 

Mahabharata:  Duryodhana and Draupadi -  When Dushasana told Draupadi to sit on Duryodhana's lap, Bheema announced in the court he would cause Duryodhana's painful death by breaking his thigh bones and he fulfilled his vow.

Quoting these stories from epics Ramayana and Mahabharata does not mean that I'm against them but it's like picking up cactus among roses. 

Types of outraging women face

1. Acid attack

2. Child marriage 

3. Domestic violence 

4. Forceful Domestic work

5. Child abuse

6. Female feticide 

7. Dowry death

8. Child labor

9. Honour killing 

10. Rape

11. Sexual harassment at the  workplace

12. Forced for prostitution 

Acid attack: India today Data Intelligence Unit ( DIU) has found that between 2014 and 2018, there have been 1,483 victims of acid attacks in the country.  This is according to the data released by National Crime Records Bureau. 

Child marriage:  Child marriage means when either a girl or boy marriages under the age of 18 or 21 respectively. Causes are many like the poor economic condition of the family. Jharkhand state is leading in child marriage. 

Domestic violence:  In 2020, between March 25 to May 31, 1,477 complaints of domestic violence were made by women. I think domestic violence is another pandemic in  India.

Forceful Domestic work: 54% of working women between the ages of 15 to 59 are not available for works because of household responsibilities or domestic work. 

Child abuse:  Child abuse can be physical,  mental, or sexual.  53% of children face sexual abuse. 

Female feticide: Women are murdered all over the world but the most brutal murder of females happened with babies who are not even born yet. Especially in rural areas where parents don't want to give birth to a baby girl. According to the UNFPA report, about 4.6 crore females missing in India due to son preference. 

Dowry death: In India, 20 women die every day as a result of harassment over a dowry.  They are murdered or compelled to commit suicide. A flight attendant Anissa Batra who jumped off the terrace, her parents say, was tortured emotionally for dowry.

Honor killing: In simple words,  honor killing can be defined as disobeying the honor of a family by a woman for marrying a man belonging to another caste or religion. In India, as per the latest available published information with National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), a total of 28 cases in 2014, 251 cases in 2015, and 77 cases in 2019 were reported with the motive of honor killing. 

Rape: According to the National Crime Records Bureau  ( NCRB), 32033 rape cases were registered across the country, or an average of 88 cases daily.

sexual harassment at workplace: sexual harassment at the workplace is considered a violation of women's right to equality, life, and liberty. 

Vishakha and others V. State of Rajasthan 

In the case of the Vishakha and others V. State of Rajasthan and others. The Hon'ble Supreme Court has laid down guidelines and norms to be observed to prevent sexual harassment of working women. 

Causes of offenses against women 

1. People think women are made to confined to the house only

Accept it or not but so many people still believe that women aren't made to work outside the home. When we ask them why do they think this way, the answer we get is physical strength.  Women are not capable or strong enough to work outside. There are preconceived notions prevalent in the society that women are weak. Gender roles being assigned to women that generally categories them as the caretaker of the family.

 

2. Educational backwardness 

Generally, women are not as much or not at all educated as men. There are a bunch of reasons. There is a myth that if a woman gets an education,  she will not listen to her family or husband. 

3. Wrong assumptions of people 

If a girl is raped,  people think apparently it was her short dress, consuming alcohol, and having a party at night are the reasons that she got raped.

4. Intoxication

Consuming alcohol is not harmful to males only but also for women when their husbands come back home at night and start beating them because she didn't cook food tasty or for some other reason, 

5. Patriarchal society

Patriarchal society is the main reason for women being harassed everywhere, whether it is home or office or anything else. 

WAY FORWARD

1. Government should focus more on women safety especially at night so that women don't face the same problem as Nirbhaya rape case or Bangaluru rape case. 

2. Providing employment,  water supply,  sanitation should not the only options for politicians to get votes from citizens, they should also include the option of women safety.  I think, it's not just an option,  it must be a criteria for common people to vote politicians upon. 

3. Citizens and government should not to be more focused, alert or aggressive at that time only when a rape case happened. They should learn to work as a caretaker when a girl is walking on the road alone or being raped by so many. 

4. Nirbhaya fund came into existence after a historic rape case happened in Delhi 2012. It was started with 1,000 crore and only 36% of the fund has been used so far. Now you can imagine how unutilized this fund is. Government should coordinate among ministers and bring this fund into utilization. 

5. Girl students should be trained in self defense/martial arts. Government should provide free trainers of martial art in government schools and colleges.  Private institutions should also work upon it. 

6. Street lights and CCTVs should not installed just for showing but it must work everytime. 

7. Citizens should also learn not to see a raped girl with suspicion. It may be possible this time she's the victim,  some other times, victim can be me and your mother or sister also. We should learn not to see a victim with sin but with a blessing of God whom he sent on the earth to make her dreams come true.

8. Students should be taught about gender equality,  respecting women at an early age so that they can inculcate these values in their minds. 

9. Increase the number of female police officers so that they can only file complaints of the victims, or can visit at the very spot where a rape happened, or can reach where ever a female police officer is needed.

10. The Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) provides that investigation relating to offences punishable with imprisonment up to 10 years must be completed within 60 days. 

The proposed Maharashtra Shakti Act of 2020 will have a provision to complete investigation within 15 days.

Among given dealines of investigation showing the concern of the government towards the victim. But, however, we should forget that these timelines can work against a woman. What if, the lawyer of the victim cannot find enough evidences to proof the allegations right? So, in my humble opinion,  government should make a provision through which a magistrate will listen to an anecdote of the case, and will decide the timeline of investigation after that he will give his final opinion. 

11. Government should work on infrastructure.  They should provide enough public toilets so that women don't need to go in open.  

12. Moreover,  women should also know about their rights if they want to use a toilet,  they can even use a toilet of 5 star hotel, even if she is not having lunch or dinner there. 

13. Not family, nor even school teachers are ready to talk about sex openly. Sex education is must needed education,  we should all work more upon. Men must be taught women are not toys with whom you can play anywhere and anytime. Women have dignity and modesty and everybody should respect them.

The suggestions given above are enough to end this other pendemic of India or is there anything else you're keeping in mind? 

 

FRESH VISTA

On december 10, 2020, our honourable PM Narendra Modi delivered a speech on new parliament by saying "Today is a milestone in India's democratic history. The launch of the construction of the parliament House of India, with the idea of Indianans by Indians, is one of the most important milestones of our democratic traditions. We the people of India will construct this new Parliament building together". 

  BACKGROUND

It's not a sudden act being performed by the Central Government. Actually, a joint parliament committee (JPC) was set up in 2009 by Meira Kumar, the then Speaker of Lok Sabha. The ex-officio members included then deputy chairperson of the Rajya Sabha K. Rahman Khan, then home minister P. Chidambaram and then urban development minister Jaipal Reddy. The Lok Sabha members included L.K. Advani, Mamata Banerjee, Ram Sundar Das, Baliram, Pranab Mukherjee and Revati Raman Singh, and special invitee Pavan Kuman Bansal, then minister for water resources and parliamentary affairs.

 

The JPC was set up to discuss, plan and oversee the “maintenance of heritage character and development of parliament house complex”. 

 The committee was also set up to decide the budget required and the creation of the special corpus for the purpose. 

 During her term as Speaker, Meira Kumar also created a new “Heritage Management Plan to assist the two committees. This branch reviews all Central Public Works Department (CPWD) proposals for maintenance, renovation and upgrade of the parliament house prior to the work being carried out. In 2013, the JPC had reportedly decided to ask CPWD to hire consultants “to prepare a masterplan which would ensure that only “core activity” is carried out in the 85-year-old building.” In 2014, after the formation of a new government, the JPC was reconstituted by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan in consultation with the chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The members of this JPC included prominent Lok Sabha members such as L.K. Advani, Sudip Bhadopadhyay, Thambi Durai, Anant Geete, Mallikarjun Kharge and Bhartruhari Mahtab. The Rajya Sabha members included Rahman Khan, C.P. Thakur and Sharad Yadav. 

  OLD PARLIAMENT

• The parliament, a circular edifice, 560 feet in diameter. 

• Designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert • Started on February 12, 1921 and the construction took for six years at the cost of 83 lakh. 

• The opening ceremony was performed on January 18, 1927, by the then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin.

  NEW PARLIAMENT

• The new parliament building, estimated to be spread over 64,500 square metres, will be earthquake-resistant. 

• There will be a basement, ground, first and second floors in the new building and its height will be same as the old building so that both are in symmetry.

 

• The Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity for 888 members, while Rajya Sabha will have 384 seats for the members. 

• The estimated cost rs971 crore.

 • Included a new Central Secretariat, the offices, and the residence of the Vice – President and the Prime Minister. 

  WAY FORWARD 

 

• The construction of a new parliament is a good step taken by the Government, but does it really the very time to do so during the COVID-19 Pandemic? Think. 

• Urban Development Minister Hardeep Puri asserted that this is the dream of the PM, does the dream of the PM is more important than the lives of 130 crore? Think again.

 • Does having a new parliament will help or improve the working of the parliamentary system in India?

 • What is the point of having a new parliament where there are severe cash crunch. Do not you think that government should utilize those funds to procure ventilators and liquidate cash to jobless migrant laborers stuck in various parts of the country. 

• The short time frames within which this project was conceived may come at huge social, environmental and economic costs. 

• The construction of new parliament will benefit 2000 people directly and 9000 people indirectly by providing employment. 

• Between 1940 and 1941, the House of Commons destroyed by German bombs, A true conservative, Churchill wanted the House to be “restored in all essentials to its old form, convenience and dignity”. He went on to add, “I am, therefore, proposing in the name of His Majesty’s Government that we decide to rebuild the House of Commons on its old foundations, which are intact, and in principle within its old dimensions, and that we utilise so far as possible its shattered walls. That is also the most cheap and expeditious method we could pursue to provide ourselves with a habitation.” Now compare the British Government’s attitude towards its parliament with the India. 

• There is a need to renovate the parliament not to rebuild it. 

• Government should utilize those funds to increase the consumption expenditure because it has been below that of the corresponding period in the previous year.

FARM BILLS, 2020

The Indian Farm Bills, 2020, consisting of three agricultural bills,  

a. Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce ( Promotion and facilitation), 

b. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill and 

c, The Essential Commodities (Amendments) Bill.

  On 27 September, they got approval from the President of India,  Ram Nath Kovind and became acts.  Now you must be thinking what are these bills about ? Why so many farmers are protesting across the nation especially in Haryana and Punjab?

So, let me make it easy for you.  We will start from beginning to end.

History 

A. Pre - Independence India

Permanent  Settlement 

The Permanent Settlement came into effect in 1793 by General - Governor Lord Cornwallis. This was an agreement between the company and the Zamindars to fix the land revenues. This system was also called Zamindari system.  The fixed amount was 10/11th portion for the government and 1/11th for the Zamindars.  In this settlement, we can see that peasants were left at the mercy of Zamindars as Zamindars were now owners of the lands.  The peasants had no rights over land and they could be replaced by Zamindars anytime. 

B. After Independence 

Green Revolution 

A program under which high - yield varieties of wheat and rice were planted in the fields of poor farmers in order to eliminate hunger and poverty.  Nevertheless, this program led to decline in the production of indigenous crops such as millets. 

Land Fragmentation 

The concept of land fragmentation means breakdown of a bigger land into small units. This is done when the land of a father breaks down into small units among his sons,  which ultimately leads to low agricultural productivity and backward state of our agriculture.  A lot of time and labour is wasted in moving seeds.  The farm mechanization cannot be installed in the small lands. 

These are all about history that how farmers of India were exploited by government, zamindars and British India Government.

Now we talk about farm bills, 2020.

1. FARMERS' PRODUCE TRADE AND COMMERCE (PROMOTION AND FACILITATION) ACT, 2020 : 

MAIN PROVISIONS 

A. The farmers and traders will enjoy freedom of choice of sale and purchase of agri-produce. 

Earlier farmers were supposed to sale its products in the APMC ( Agricultural Produce Market Committee) only, but this provision is allowing farmers to sale its products as per own whims. There is no boundary of selling agri-products. 

B. Will promote barrier- free inter - state and intra-state trade and commerce outside the physical premises of markets notified under State Agricultural Produce Marketing Legislations.

Now farmers are supposed to sale its products from one state to another,  from one place to another within a state. 

C. The farmers wil not be charged any cess or levy for sale of their produce and wil not have to bear transport costs. 

The farmers will not suppose to pay any cess or levy that is good but what about transport cost? Do you really think that is it possible for farmers because farmers will,  obviously have to pay the transport costs if they want to sale their products to APMC or some other place?

D. The bill also proposes an electronic trading in transaction platform for ensuring a seamless trade electronically. 

This is not a new provision made by government because there are already a platform E-NAM where all APMCs are connected and the prices of all products are listed,  where farmers can easily sell their products. 

E. In addition to mandis, freedom to do trading at farmgate, cold storage, warehouse, processing units etc. 

F. Farmers will be able to engage in direct marketing thereby eliminating intermediaries, resulting in full realization of price. 

CLARIFICATIONS 

There are some clarifications made the government of India:

A. Procurement at Minimum Support Price will continue. 

B. Mandis will not stop functioning. 

C. The e-nam trading system will continue in the mandis. 

2. THE FARMERS (EMPOWERMENT AND PROTECTION)AGREEMENT ON PRICE ASSURANCE AND FARM SERVICES ACT, 2020

MAIN PROVISIONS 

A. Farmers will be empowered for engaging with processors, wholessalers, aggregators, large retailers, exporters etc.  On a level playing field Price assurance to farmers even before sowing of crops.  In case of higher market price,  farmers will be entitled to this price over and above the minimum price. 

Through this provision government of India empowering the farmers of India to sale their products at higher prices, if the market price of the products are high. For instance,  McDonalds visits a farmer and asks to produce that much quantity of the potatoes as much asked in the contract. And, if the market price of the potatoes are higher than the price listed in the contract then the farmer is entitled to sell its products at the market price. 

B. It will also enable the farmers to access modern technologies, better seed and other inputs.

This provision is not possible until and unless the buyers of the products do not support the farmers because in accessing modern technologies,  there are needed a lot of funds to spend in acquiring electricity,  machines for irrigation etc.  So there is will and desire of the buyers to provide all those facilities which enable the farmers to work smoothly. 

C. It will reduce cost of marketing and improve income of farmers. 

Here farmers are not supposed to market their products because there are already someone who are going to buy the products.  Moreover, there is an assurance of the products. 

D. Efferctive dispute resolution mechanism has been provided with clear time lines for redressal.

E. Impetus to research and new technology in agricultural sector.

CLARIFICATIONS 

There are also some clarifications made by government. 

A.  The farmers wil have full power in the contract to fix a sale price of his choice for the produce. They will receive payment within next 3 days.  It means that both the farmers and the buyers are standing on the same base. 

B. 10000 farmers producer organizations are being formed throughout the country.  These FPOs will bring together small farmers and work to ensure remunerative ricing for farm produce. 

C. In case of dispute,  there will be no need to go to court repeatedly.  There will be local dispute redressal mechanism. 

3. THE ESSENCIAL COMMODITIES (AMENDMENTS)ACT,  2020

MAIN PROVISIONS 

A. Provisions to remove commodities like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onions and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. 

It means that earlier when these products were listed in The Essential Commodities,  there were some restrictions that you can not buy products above than a particular quantity of a product.  This is so because if a buyer starts buying a particular product in a large quantity,  it may be possible the supply of that particular product will go down and the price of that product will tend to rise. 

B. The government, while liberalizing the regulatory environment, has also ensured that interest of consumers are safeguarded.  It has been provided in the amendment,  that in situation such as war,  famine,  extraordinary price rise and natural calamity, such agriculture foodstuff can be regulated. 

EARLIER REFORMS IN AGRICULTURE SECTOR BY THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT 

A. Agricultural Produce And Livestocks Marketing ( Promotion and facilitation) Act (APLM), 2017

a.  It would be a major agricultural reforms as it provides wider options for farmers to sell produce and get better prices.  As this provision is also provided in the 1st bill. 

b. At present,  farmers can sell their produce at regulated APMC ( Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee) mandis only.  They are subjected to different kinds of fees. 

c. The Government's aim is to set up a wholesale market at every 80kms.  The new law will end the monopoly of APMC and allow more players to set up markets and create competition so that farmers can discover prices and sell their produce accordingly.  Do we really have a wholesale market at 80kms or it is written in the law only?

B. Doubling the farmers Income by 2022.

C. Significant changes in fixation of MSP. 

Whatever the recommendations made by the Swaminathan Committee in 2006. It said that whatever the weighted average cost of capital plus 50% profits would be MSP. 

CRITICISM 

1. As in the first bill,  farmers produce trade and commerce ( promotion and facilitation) act, 2020. The farmers and traders will enjoy freedom of choice of sale and purchase of agri-produce.  The same provision was also written in the Agricultural Produce And Livestocks Marketing ( Promotion and facilitation) Act (APLM), 2017. Now do you really think  it is performed practically that there is a freedom for farmer to sell their products wherever they want to sell.

2. As also in the first bill,  it is written that the farmers wil not be charged any cess or levy for sale of their produce and wil not have to bear transport costs.  It is perfectly good for the farmers that they will not have to any cess but, on the other hand, it is not an easy task for farmers to carry their products from one place to another.  Moreover,  they will not have to pay transportation costs. 

3. In the first bill,  the government of India clarified that the MSP will remain to continue but my question is, MSP system has been working for 3 years, so let me know in how many products the MSPs are being provided to the farmers except Bajra? So even according to the existing law,  the MSP is still not properly provided to the farmers, so what is the guarantee that MSPs will remain to continue when farmers will supposed to sell their products outside mandis?

4. Government should talk or consult to farmers union before making these bills into act. 

WAY FORWARD 

1. MSP must continue to exist not only in the mandis but also outside mandis.  It will make farmers free from exploitation.  As we know the cost of productions vary from region to region, for instance,  cost of production of potatoes in Bihar is rs100,  it may be rs120 in Tamil Nadu.  So  the MSPs of different regions should also vary according to the cost of production of that particular region. 

2. The government should decrease control as they did through LPG.  But,  the government should also establish agencies and control mechanism so that farmers don’t get exploited but as per the requirements needed in 21st century.  For instance,  who will bear the cost if exports to be cancelled. 

3. The APMC act came into existence to avoid farmers from exploitation because initially, farmers had not that much money to produce so they used to take loans from moneylenders.  Farmers were unable to repay their loans,  as a result,  moneylenders used to take all their produces in own possessions.  Now so many cartels of traders who are exploiting farmers.  By removing APMC system,  there is possibility that farmers would again get exploited by moneylenders. However, government should start a program with banks to provide financial assistance to farmers. 

4. The government of India should provide subsidies in transportation cost to farmers. 

5. Government should start an initiative to spread awareness among farmers about their rights.  Educate them to read contracts because as per data revealed there are so many farmers who do not even know about MSPs.  Like TV advertisement or media. 

6. Government should wide spread the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana ( RKVY), Sub - mission on Agricultural Mechanization  (SMAM) etc.

7. Farmers unions and government should come to a negotiation table to come to some conclusions. 

Unification of Germany

BACKGROUND

Germany had 1789 independent sovereign powers in the medieval times.

Napoleon had won much areas of Germany and converted it as 39 states and created Rhino Federation. 

The Settlement Congress of Vienna led to the formation of German Confederation which still consisted 39 states. 

German Confeďeration consisted of two largest states : Austro - Hungarian Empire and Prussia.

Causes of unification of Germany 

1. Role of Bismarck

Otto Von Bismarck was the Chancellor of Prussia. His main goal was to strengthen the position of Prussia in Europe. He had also several goals alongwith:

a. to unify the north German states under Prussian control.

b. to weaken Prussia's main rival, Austria, by removing it from German Federation. 

c. to make Berlin, not Vienna, the centre of German Federation. 

2. Decline of Austria

Austria had been an ally of Russia but refused to help Russia in Crimean War against France and Britain. As a result, Austria lost a major ally.

3. Prussian economic strength 

Prussia was producing more kry resources such as coal and iron than Austria. Prussia was building roads and train network to help promote trade.

4. Prussian military power

Prussian military was better than Austria.

Why Prussia dominated over Austria ?

1. The population of Prussia : The people living in Prussia were mainly German speaking, those people, on the other hand, living in Austria were having different ethnicity. 

2. Napoleon : Nepoleon were the main reason of German unification because Napoleon were dominating in the territory of German and Prussian people where firmly opposing.

3. Prussian had also shared the glory of victory at Waterloo.

4. Liberal ideas.

5. Industrialized and economically developed Prussia.

6. Role of Otto Von Bismarck. 

Reforms to help the workers and peasants 

1. Taxes were lowered. 

2. Government started helping people in taking out loans.

3. Less regulations for the coal and iron industries. 

4. Workers experienced better working conditions. 

The decline of Austria

International issue : As we have discussed above that Austria denied to help Russia in Crimean War. As a result, Austria was not getting support from Russia. 

Economic issues: Austria could barely compete with the economic benefits of the Zollverein. Southern Europe had not benefitted as much from the Industrial Revolution and spread of the railways.