Day: May 25, 2021

Delhi Police visited Twitter India office amid the Toolkit Controversy

Delhi Police visited Twitter India amid the Congress toolkit controversy: A team of Delhi Police visited Twitter India office in Delhi, Gurugram regarding the earlier response of notices given to them. The team raided Twitter ‘s offices in Lado Sarai and Gurugram.

The Police took this action two days after the central government raised an objection on marking “manipulated media” on tweet of a spokeperson of their when he tweeted something related to Congress toolkit. Sambit Patra, a spokeperson of Bhartiya Janta Party tweeted “Friends look at the #CongressToolKit in extending help to the needy during the Pandemic! More of a PR exercise with the help of “Friendly Journalists” & “Influencers” than a soulful endeavour. Read for yourselves the agenda of the Congress“

After the toolkit controversy, some spokeperson of Bhartiya Janta Party started criticizing Congress for the content of toolkit which was primarily to defame Modi and defame India. BJP claims that Congress was circulating the toolkit to others as a guide or an advisory that how others should defame prime minister Narendra Modi. The viral toolkit was asking Congress supporters for defaming India and Modi by using the terms “Indian strain” and “Modi Strain“. The toolkit was also suggesting to keep blaming Kumbh Mela as the main spreader of Corona. It urged Congress supporters to keep spreading the term super spreader Kumbh.

As per some sources, the government has asked this social media giant to remove “manipulated media” tag from the post, claiming that it is not acceptable to pass any kind of judgement in the matter which is still under investigation. Twitter labelled the tweet of Sambit Patra as manipulated media and also continued that this may label Tweets that include media (videos, audio, and images) that have been deceptively altered or fabricated on May 21.

As per the government, the raiding of Twitter offices by Delhi Police was required as Police wants to ensure that who was the right person to serve notice to, as replies by MD of Twitter were ambiguous. Delhi Police PRO Chimnoy Biswal also agreed and said that “it appears that Twitter has some information that is not known to the police. This information is relevant to the inquiry“.

He further added, “it appears that Twitter has some information which is not known to us on the basis of which they have classified it (Patra’s tweet) as such. This information is relevant to the inquiry. The Special Cell, which is conducting the inquiry, wants to find out the truth. Twitter, which has claimed to know the underlying truth, should clarify“

However Congress is declining these allegations and is claiming that the toolkit which is said to be prepared by Congress is fake. It is blaming the opposite parties saying that they are trying to defame us. This is also a major reason of the controversy as it is appearing that Twitter is supporting the stand of Congress even before the investigation is completed. A lot of Congress supporters also lodged many fir complaints against few politicians of BJP including BJP chief JP Nadda, Smriti Irani and general secretary of BJP. A unit of Congress student’s wing NSUI also lodged complaint against Sambit Patra and few other BJP officials.

Widespread protest over the new “reforms” by Lakshadweep administrator

Lakshadweep is the smallest Union territory of India situated 220-440 kms across the south western coast of the country. It is a group of 36 small islands where only 11 of them are inhabited by people.Kavaratti, the largest of the islands, is the capital of the union territory. Almost 99% of the population are muslims and fishing is their primary occupation.Major languages in the island are Malayalam,Jeseri and Mahl.The island is dependent on the state of Kerala for education,health, jobs and trade.Customarily Lakshadweep was governed by administrators ( IAS/IPS officers ) with the support and consultation with elected district panchayath.This was the case till december 2020.But the demise of the then administrator Dineshwar Sharma IPS changed the scenario altogether as the Centre appointed Praful Patel as the administrator of Lakshadweep. He is not an IAS/IPS officer but a BJP leader who was the Home minister of Gujarat when the current Prime minister was Gujarat’s Chief minister.

 

The series of “reforms” he brought about which are being opposed by the islanders are; The island has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.The jail in Lakshadweep remains closed throughout and there is a police station for name sake. But the new administrator has implemented the Goonda Act in the island. Meat was removed from the lunch menu of the schools and he has also called for banning of cattle slaughter and beef consumption. This is seen as a direct attack on the culture of the island.200 temporary appointed high school teachers were dismissed and the students who protested against this were suppressed. Several anganwadis were closed in the island.

 

The administrator reduced the powers of the elected district panchayat and brought education,health,agriculture,fishing,local governing and animal conservation under his direct control.Two dairy farms were closed stating that they were running at loss. And it is now reported that milk is being exported from Gujarat to the island.Trade with the mainland usually happens through Beypore Port in Kerala now it has been diverted to Mangalore port.Also bizarre rules like people with more than 2 children  being exempted from contesting elections are also reported from the island.

 

The administrator defends himself saying that he is making these reforms to develop the island and to boost tourism here. Stating the same he has removed the sheds and other fishing equipment from the shore which was used by the fishing folks. The island was dry land but the administrator has approved the opening of beverages. 

 

The greatest opposition was against changing the existing SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for COVID. The island was among the parts of the country in the green list during the first wave with zero cases reported.This was due to the strict quarantine measures implemented in the island.But the new administrator relaxed the rules to promote tourism which led to drastic increase in cases with the positivity rate going beyond 13%.

 

Huge protests against these policies are being held by islanders.But the islanders cannot involve themselves in direct protest due to covid restrictions,therefore the protest is held majorly online. The islanders have also started protesting at their footsteps.Also elected representatives and natives have contacted public figures and politicians to extend support to their cause and to bring their plight to mainstream media. The official Lakshadweep media handles were suspended and the twitter handles that posted against these reforms were taken down.Various requests have been made to the president to recall the administrator.

 

People have claimed that the BJP is trying to implement its facisit agenda in the island.But the BJP leaders have cleared this stating that these reforms are for the development of the island and to make it a tourism hub.”Unity in Diversity ” is our nation’s hallmark, therefore factors that disrupt this unity should not be encouraged even at the cost of development. Also freedom to choose the development that we want for our place should be accounted for. Development should never be at the cost of the lives and culture of the people of that place.

 

Save Lakshadweep

Mental Health

“Mental health is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.”
Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. It is all about how people think, feel, and behave. Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. The WHO constitution states: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” An important implication of this definition is that mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities. It is an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health. Mental health can affect daily living, relationships, and physical health. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. It is common for everyone to experience increased levels of distress and anxiety, particularly as a result of social isolation. Physicians and other frontline health care professionals are particularly vulnerable to negative mental health effects as they strive to balance the duty of caring for patients with concerns about their own well-being and that of their family and friends. It is normal to feel fearful and anxious during tough times like this. We must Treat ourselves with kindness and respect, and avoid self-criticism. This is the best time for making time for our hobbies and favorite projects. We can do many things like daily crossword puzzle, plant a garden, take dance lessons, learn to play an instrument or become fluent in another language. Taking care of ourselves physically can improve our mental health. We must eat nutritious meals, avoid smoking and vaping, drink plenty of water, exercise, which helps decrease depression and anxiety and improve moods, get enough sleep. Researchers believe that lack of sleep contributes to a high rate of depression in college students. Some other ways by which people can overcome stress and anxiety are, volunteer your time and energy to help someone else. You’ll feel good about doing something tangible to help someone in need — and it’s a great way to meet new people. Try meditating, Mindfulness and/or prayer. Relaxation exercises and prayer can improve your state of mind and outlook on life. In fact, research shows that meditation may help you feel calm and enhance the effects of therapy. Decide what you want to achieve academically, professionally and personally, and write down the steps you need to realize your goals. Aim high, but be realistic and don’t over-schedule. You’ll enjoy a tremendous sense of accomplishment and self-worth as you progress toward your goal. As rightly said by Michelle Obama –
“Sadly, too often, the stigma around mental health prevents people who need help from seeking it. But that simply doesn’t make any sense. Whether an illness affects your heart, your arm or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there shouldn’t be any distinction…we should make it clear that getting help isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s a sign of strength — and we should ensure that people can get the treatment they need.” In short we can say that mental health is as important as physical health and we must take good care of both.