Life!!

We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know “THAT IS LIFE”!” 

#Satyam_Bruyat

Sonali Mukherjee : An Inspiration

Welcome to india!

Yes its the same woman in both the photos, her name is Sonali Mukherjee and she hails from Dhanbad. She was 17 years old in 2003 when she faced an acid attack while she was fast asleep in her house and suffered from 70% burns on her face, neck, cheek and arms. The acid also melted her skin and flesh on her nose and cheek.
She could barely see and had become partially deaf, while reports say that those men were trying to make sexual contact with her to which she denied and fell victim to them.

Her story remains untold to millions while she is becoming an inspiration to millions!!
Jharkhand based Chittaranjan Tiwari was the one who came forward, defying all the social norms and held her hand forever.
They've been happily married.
The attack was a shock to her whole family, her mother slipped into depression and her grandfather had a cardiac arrest that led to his death.
Sonali Mukherjee has gone through 22 surgeries, for which her father had to sell everything they had.
With no help from the state or centre.
She had even asked for euthanasia as life was not easy for her, which was also declined the government.
.Once she quoted :

                      "Half a life, with half a face"

And yeah i forgot to tell that the culprits were released on bail and roam freely.

Judicial system of India!

#Satyam_Bruyat

Humanity!!

"An apple fell and newton discovered law of gravity".
"Seeing tears and pain of other people, still no one discovered law of humanity".
#Satyam_Bruyat

Life and death!!

As soon as u die, Your identity becomes a "BODY".
People use phrases like: "BRING THE BODY", "LOWER THE
BODY IN THE GRAVE" etc.
People don't even call you by your name whom you tried to
impress whole life...
Live a life to impress the creator not the creation.
Take chances.... Spend money on the things you love.. Laugh
till your stomach hurts... Dance even if you are too bad at it...
Pose stupidly for photos..
Be child like..
# moral : DEath is nOt the gReaTeSt loss in life..
Loss is when life dies inside you while you are alive...
# Celebrate this event called # life...

#Satyam_Bruyat

Mother!!

Your mom carried you in her
womb for nine months...
She felt sick for months with nausea, then
she watched her feet swell and
her skin stretch and tear....
She struggled to climb stairs. She got
breathless quickly...
She suffered many sleepless nights. She then
went through EXCRUCIATING PAIN
to bring you into this world.....
She became your nurse, your chef,
your maid, your chauffeur, your
biggest fan, your teacher, and
your best friend. She's struggled
for you, cried over you, hoped the
best for you, and prayed for you.
Most of us take our mom for
granted. But there are people
who have lost or never even seen
theirs....
And then we forget the same "Woman"!!

Even though a new life starts inside a woman, sadly every time she's the victim!!

#Satyam_Bruyat

Truth!!

Closing your eyes doesn't set everything straight,
Open your eyes and accept the unpleasant truth!
# Satyam_Bruyat

Prostitution: Choice or compulsion?

Truth behind the curtains!!

Prostitution in India is a major concern, or more precisely a way of living of thousands of women in India who have been pushed in this work since ages!!

When i hear this word, one place that comes in my mind is SONAGACHI.

Most of us may or may not know about this place, but Sonagachi is asia's largest red-light area, situated in kolkata.

Its a place where approximately 11000 sex workers reside, compete and sell their bodies for survival.

Further going deep into their lives you'll miserable and also that you've been thinking wrong about them all this time. 

Let me show you the real Sonagachi :

According to some sources, prostitutes from Sonagachi who test HIV positive are not told about the results, and live with the disease without knowing about it "because the DMSC is worried that HIV positive women will be ostracized." Some prostitutes in Sonagachi have stated that "the clients, at least three quarters of them" refuse to use condoms and "if we force them to use the condom, they will just go next door. There are so many women working here, and in the end, everyone is prepared to work without protection for fear of losing trade.”

It's not just about sonagachi, there's much more to be told about the untold lives of the sex workers.

Forced Prostitution

Thousands of Dalit girls are forced into prostitution every year. The link between caste and forced prostitution is apparent in the Devadasi and Jogini systems practiced in India.Another aspect is the problem of forced conversions of Hindu girls in Pakistan.

Keeping Dalit women as prostitutes and tying prostitution to bondage is a means of subjugation by dominant castes seeking to enforce their social status and economic superiority. Girls who become Devadasi and Jogini are prohibited from marrying and are stigmatized by the community. The children of Devadasi and Jogini suffer from discrimination because they do not have a recognized father.

Tradition or Shame? An Indian village where women are forced into prostitution!

Natpurwa Village, near Hardoi, whch is just 70 km away from Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh, has been practicing ‘prostitution’ in the name of tradition since ages.

Fathers, brothers and other male elders in family are forcing their daughters and sisters into this dirty world. From the very tender age, girls are made to sell their bodies in return of some moolah.

Interviewed by Video Volunteers, the women of this village confessed that they didn’t know the meaning of prostitution when they first did it…and accepted it as a traditional practice.

It is such an irony that politicians ask for vote in the name of women empowerment and ground reality of India tells a different story altogether.

When we are ready to question their morals and ask them to quit this forced profession, do you have an alternate life for them, their children?

Can you give them their dignity back?

Can you treat their children just like yours?

Can you bring a real smile of hope on their faces?

Can we?

Ask yourself!!

#Satyam_Bruyat 

Result of caste system!!

Jinhe naaz hai hind par woh kahaan hain?
Irrespective of class or levels of education, families
implicated in honour killings virtually never see themselves
as criminals or offenders. You rarely see any remorse.Three
years ago, Mehtab Alam, a garment trader in Kolkata,
chopped off his sister's head with a sword and took it to the
police station. He was furious that his sister, Nolofer Bibi,
had eloped with a rickshaw-puller.
Honor killings are at a rise with no restrictions!!
Urban honour killings: Backlash
against change!!
# Satyam_Bruyat

Humans!!

One of the nature's foremost rule is that "Bonds" break and
new ones are formed continuously and simultaneously, which
maintains the balance and keeps life going.
We humans, being the finest or maybe the filthiest creation
of nature do follow this rule!!
# Satyam_Bruyat

Respect!!

Respect is earned and grows within the heart!!
The word "Earn" conveys a much deeper meaning.
Respect is one thing that excludes the use of power or
domination.
Nelson mandela is probably the next thing that comes in my
mind after hearing "Respect".
We fail to realise that what goes around comes around.
"Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in
front."
# Satyam_Bruyat

Honor killing!!

When person is killed by his own family members due to the perpetrators belief that the victim has brought and dishonor by being in a relationship that the family doesn't approve, becoming victim of rape or engaging in homosexual activities.There has been a rapid rise in the honour killing cases in India as well as in other countries and victims are usually denied justice just because they went against their family.

Cases in India

Nitish Katara Murder case of 2002:

Nitish Katara a business executive and the son of an IAS officer, was murdered on 17 February 2002, by Vikas Yadav, the son of Uttar Pradesh politician DP Yadav. Nitish had been in a relationship with DP Yadav's daughter Bharti Yadav for a long time and the girl's family did not approve of the relationship.

Nitish's murder took place on the night of the wedding of a friend who was known to both him and Bharti. Katara's body was found on a highway. He had been battered to death with a hammer, following which diesel was poured on him and he was set on fire. The murder was committed by Vikas (Bharti's real brother) and Vishal Yadav (Bharti's cousin brother), and Sukhdev Pehalwan (a hired contract killer).

All three have now been sentenced to life terms for abducting and killing Katara.

During the court case, which dragged on for years, the Yadav family tried to ensure that Bharti was not called in as a witness. While in court, Bharti had repeatedly denied that she was in a relationship with Nitish.

However in this DNA report, Nitish's mother Neelam who has been fighting the case for her son, told the paper, "The night Nitish disappeared, Bharti called, pleading me to go to the police, adding that maybe her brothers — Vikas and Vishal — had taken Nitish to Punjab. I went to the police. There was no trace of Nitish — and there never would be. Never."

Neelam Katara and the prosecution have filed appeals seeking death penalty for the murderers.

Nirupama Pathak murder of 2010:

In May 2010, Nirupama Pathak, who was working as journalist with a business daily in Delhi, was murdered by her family in Jharkhand because she was in a relationship with a man from a lower caste.

According to this PTI report, Nirupama was dating Priyabhanshu Ranjan a colleague and friend from her Indian Institute of Mass Communication in New Delhi and had planned to marry him in an Arya Samaj mandir.

Nirupama was found dead on 29 April in her parents' house in Tilaya in Koderma district in Jharkhand under mysterious circumstances. Her family then filed a case of rape and abetment to suicide against Priyabhanshu which was later found to be false.

Priyabhanshu's father Ramashankar Kanth had told PTI then, "My son is innocent. He is no no way involved in the case. My son had informed me on the day Nirupama died that he received an SMS from Nirupama that her mother, father and brother have bolted her inside a bathroom at their house."

While her mother called it a case of suicide, a post-mortem revealed that the journalist was smothered to death and that she was 10-12 weeks pregnant at the time of her murder. Nirupama's mother was arrested but later the court set her free as the police found a suicide note signed by Nirupama. In 2012, her boyfriend surrendered to the police in a case of abetment of suicide.

Asha Saini murder case of 2010:

In June 2010, Delhi witnessed a brutal honour killing in Swarup Nagar in North-east part of the city, when 19-year-old Asha Saini and her boyfriend Yogesh, 20, were tortured, electrocuted and beaten to death by the girl's family.

As this Rediff report recounts, "the girl's family had disapproved of Asha's relationship with Yogesh, a driver, and had asked the boy to back off."

The couple was tortured in a flat owned by the girl's uncle Omprakash and even neighbours who heard the couple wailing for hours and begging for help but didn't step in to help. Allegedly the family threatened the neighbours and told them to "mind their own business," says the report.

No one called the police to help the couple. "From 2 am onwards I could hear the boy wailing. The girl was pleading for his life. I could sense something was fishy but couldn't communicate with anyone as I had no access to a telephone at that hour," one neighbour Umesh told Rediff.

While the family later claimed they killed the couple in a fit of rage as they had caught them in a compromising position, the boy's sister Renu told Rediff, "It was a planned conspiracy to kill my brother. I saw the girl's mother waiting for my brother outside our Gokulpur apartment. Before that, I heard Asha pestering him to meet her."

Monica and Kuldeep Murder of 2010:

Another honour killing hit the headlines in Delhi in June 2010 when a couple, Monica and Kuldeep, along with Monica's sister Shobha were killed by their family members.

Monica had married Kuldeep, who was a Rajput boy, and their families did not approve of the alliance. Both of them belonged to the Wazipur village of Delhi. Shobha on the other hand was involved in a relationship with a boy belonging to another caste and had reportedly helped her sister elope.

According to this IBN-Live report, the three accused - Ankit Chaudary, Mandeep Nagar and Nakul Khari- were on the run after committing the triple murders and when caught by the police, had claimed that "there was a lot of pressure on them and that's why they did this (murder)."

The three were allegedly killed for bringing dishonour to their families by marrying outside their community, adds the report.

At the time of the murder, the family had shockingly justified the killing and Dharamveer Nagar the uncle of Mandeep and co-accused Ankit, had said that the killings were necessary to uphold the family’s honour. Ankit was Monica's brother, while Mandeep was Shobha's brother.  For the killers, it was evident that they didn't see anything wrong with the murders. Ankit was quoted as saying in the IBN-Live report, "We have not done anything? We are being framed. Don't know why?"

Deepti Chhikara murder of 2012: 

In June 2012, reports came out that a young woman Deepti Chhikara was killed, and her body was then dumped in Uttarakhand. The girl, who was a school teacher at an MCD school, was strangled to death by her mother Birmati and brother Mohit, and later her uncle Amit helped the duo in disposing of the body.

As this Hindu report at the time pointed out, "the mother-son duo first beat her up and Mohit later strangulated her to death. Birmati held Deepti by her legs, while Mohit strangulated her."

Deepti wanted to marry one Lalit Vats, but her family was opposed to the match as he was from a different caste. Deepti was allegedly killed in April but her family didn't register any complaint. It was Lalit who alerted the police to the fact that Deepti had been missing since she went to her maternal home.

Sadly this is how we are going going to become a super nation, where love results in death. Person loses his basic rights of survival and justice.What more can we expect?

Because India is a land of customs, traditions and blah blah blah as once it used to be.

#Satyam_Bruyat

Menstruation: Taboo and truth!!

Speaking in general terms its a biological process that takes place inside the women's body and doesn't make her impure!

A lot of taboos are connected with the term "Menstruation"and are known as menstrual taboos, which includes imposing restrictions on a woman's life and daily chores. In some societies it involves menstruation being perceived as unclean or embarrassing, extending even to the mention of menstruation both in public (in the media and advertising) and in private (amongst the friends, in the household, and with men). Many traditional religions consider menstruation ritually unclean.

All religions have nearly the theories where in this period of time women are considered unclean and usually restricts them from even praying and touching others.

Religious views

Islam

In Islam, a woman is not allowed to offer prayer or to perform other religious activities such as fasting or circumambulating the Kaaba. This is in accordance with the law of the uncleanliness of any blood.  However, she can perform all other acts of social life as normal. According to authentic traditions, Muhammad encouraged menstruating women to be present at festive religious services for the two Eid holidays, although they were excused from praying.

Hinduism

In the Hindu faith, menstruating women generally are allowed to participate in a normal life. However, they are not allowed to go to the temple, or to perform religious rituals.

Only extremist hindus in rural parts of the India and Nepal prohibit women from participating in normal life while menstruating. In these beliefs, a woman must be "purified" before she is allowed to return to her family. Women who are menstruating are also not allowed in the household for a period of three nights. Additionally, contact with menstruating woman is forbidden (with the exception of small children). Chhaupadi is the name of the menstrual related ostracism, now banned, that used to occur in Nepal.

In the Kashmiri Hindu culture, women are not seen as impure during the menstrual cycle; rather, they are given special care during this time as the body of the woman becomes weak due to blood loss.

Sikhism

In Sikhism, woman is given equal status to man and is regarded as pure as man is. The Gurus teach that one cannot be pure by washing his body but purity of mind is the real pureness. They are not called pure, who sit down after merely washing their bodies.Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, condemned the practice of treating women as impure while menstruating.

In Sikhism, the menstrual cycle is not considered a pollutant. Certainly, it can have a physical and physiological effect on the woman. Nonetheless, this is not considered a hindrance to her wanting to pray or accomplish her religious duties fully. The Guru makes it very clear that the menstrual cycle is a God-given process. The blood of a woman is required for the creation of any human being. The requirement of the mother's blood is fundamental for life. Thus, the menstrual cycle is certainly an essential and God-given biological process. In other faiths blood is considered a pollutant. However, the Guru rejects such ideas. Those who are impure from within are the truly impure ones.

Meditating on God's name is of importance. Whether one's clothes are blood-stained or not (including clothes stained from menstrual blood) is not of spiritual importance. Thus, there are no restrictions placed on a woman during her menstruation. She is free to visit a gurdwara, take part in prayers and do Seva. In The Feminine Principle in the Sikh: Vision of the Transcendent, Nikky Guninder Kaur-Singh writes: "The denigration of the female body 'expressed in many cultural and religious taboos surrounding menstruation and childbirth' is absent in the Sikh worldview. ...Guru Nanak openly chides those who attribute pollution to women because of menstruation."

Christianity

Christians throughout history have disagreed about whether menstruation makes a woman unclean. In spite of the restrictions in Leviticus, Jesus allowed himself to be touched by a hemorrhaging woman and cured her (Mark 5:25-24). Some church fathers defended the exclusion of women from ministry based on a notion of uncleanness. Others held that purity laws should be discarded as part of the Old Covenant.

Sikhism is the only religion which tries to create equality and has logically understood the reason behind the unspoken form of restriction on women!

We need to understand that its an entirely biological part of a woman's life and has nothing to do with her cleanliness or morals.

#Satyam_Bruyat

Dashrath Manjhi!!

When you are really tired after a day's work and feel like you've done too much, just read once about Dashrath Manjhi(Mountain Man).
Too much dedication and hard work packed in a single man!
And we all know the reason behind his initiative!! smile emoticon True love!!
Respect!!
Now who is Dashrath manjhi?
Dashrath Manjhi also known as "Mountain Man", was a poor labourer in Gehlaur village, near Gaya in Bihar, India, who carved a path through a 360 ft long, 30 ft wide and 25 ft high hillock using only a hammer and chisel.After 22 years of work, Dashrath shortened travel between the Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya town from 55 km to 15 km

Dashrath's wife Falguni Devi died from lack of medical care in 1959. The nearest town with a doctor was 70 km away traveling around the hills, or along a treacherous pass through the hills. He decided to carve a path through the Gehlour hills so that his village could have easier access to medical attention.

A true inspiration!

#Satyam_Bruyat

Manual scavenging in India!!

What is Manual Scavenging

The presence of dry latrine poses a challenge in completing the sanitation chain. In India, people belonging to a specific caste, people in the Dalit community, are forced to complete this chain – The MANAUAL SCAVENGERS Manual scavenging is considered one of the lowest, polluted and most degrading occupations. The caste system dictates that those born into a particular Dalit sub-caste should engage in manual scavenging, and should remain doing so throughout their lives thereby denying them the right to lead a dignified life. Government data indicates that the inhuman profession of Manual Scavenging still exists in the country and that there are more than 11000 such manual scavengers in the country. 86% of them are in Uttar Pradesh alone. There are 11 states which have manual scavengers even today. Despite the parliament enacting a legislation to prohibit manual scavenging, it goes on and the funds allocated for rehabilitation are hardly spent. Dry Latrines The presence of dry latrines is one of the primary reasons why manual scavenging exists till date despite being banned under the constitution via various legislations.  As per the 2011 census data, latrines from which night soil is manually removed exist in all states except for the states of Goa, Sikkim and the UTs of Chandigarh and Lakshadweep. There are a total of 7,94,390 dry latrines in the country with Uttar Pradesh having as high as 3,26,082 and Andaman islands as low as 11. Uttar Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir & West Bengal together account for 80% of all the dry latrines in the country. Nine states have more than 10000 dry latrines each and Ten States/UTs have less than 1000 dry latrines each. Current laws on Manual Scavenging The current laws had not proved adequate in eliminating the twin evils of insanitary latrines and manual scavenging. The Parliament has enacted the ‘Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013’. The law has come into force on Dec 6th 2013 in whole of country, except Jammu & Kashmir. The act intends to Eliminate the insanitary latrines. Prohibit Employment as Manual Scavengers Hazardous manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks. Survey of Manual Scavengers and their rehabilitation An initial one-time cash assistance Scholarship to the children of manual scavenger Allotment of residential plot and financial assistance for house construction of a ready built house Training in a livelihood skill with payment of stipend of at least Rs 3000 per month Provision for subsidy, along with concessional loans, to at least one adult member of the family The act also has provisions for the following measures for the rehabilitation of the identified manual scavengers Select Testimonies from the Report “The first day when I was cleaning the latrines and the drain, my foot slipped and my leg sank in the excrement up to my calf. I screamed and ran away. Then I came home and cried and cried. I knew there was only this work for me.” — Sona, Bharatpur city, Rajasthan, June 2013 “I clean in 20 houses. They give me roti [flat bread]. They don’t give more than two rotis, but they do give us something. My husband does farm work, but work in the fields does not come every day. If I do this work, at least we will have something to eat.” — Shanti, Mainpuri district, Uttar Pradesh, January 2014 “I studied commerce and banking, but I couldn’t find work. Even though I am educated, the village council hired me to clean toilets because I am from this community.” — Kailash Pokerji Kundare, Jalgaon district, Maharashtra, March 2014 “We went to the panchayat [local council] members and said, please give us some work. The work they gave, my work, was to clean the gutter, clean excrement from roads, clean the toilets, clean the village, and remove garbage. It is our caste. They will not give us any better work to do. Nothing that would give us dignity.” — Gopal Harilal Bohit, Jalgaon district, Maharashtra, March 2014 “They called our men and said ‘If you don’t start sending your women to clean our toilets, we will beat them up. We will beat you up.’ They said, ‘We will not let you live in peace.’ We were afraid.” — Gangashri, Mainpuri district, Uttar Pradesh, January 2014 “I had to work with my head veiled. During the rains, my clothes would become drenched with excrement. They would not dry. The house would smell. I started to get skin diseases and even to lose my hair.” — Badambai, Neemuch district, Madhya Pradesh, January 2014 “The manual carrying of human feces is not a form of employment, but an injustice akin to slavery. It is one of the most prominent forms of discrimination against Dalits, and it is central to the violation of their human rights.” — Ashif Shaikh, founder of Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan, a grassroots campaign to end manual scavenging, May 2014 The legality of scavenging Advocates Clifton D’ Rozario and Maitreyi Krishnan - who were responsible for taking the issue of manual scavenging to the Karnataka High court - said, "these dehumanising [definitions] are the very practice due to which the manual scavenging community has been stigmatised, ostracised and discriminated. [It] is now being proudly promoted as a career option".  Manual scavenging is the obnoxious and inhuman act of manually removing human excrement from dry latrines. It usually involves using bare hands and tin plates. According to government data there are 11,635 manual scavengers in the country, with 86 per cent residing in Uttar Pradesh. Though there have been big promises by the government, but the same government listed  MANUAL SCAVENGING as a job!! Pity. #Satyam_Bruyat